Florida International University
As one of the nation’s largest and most dynamic universities, FIU champions viewpoint diversity and free expression for students, faculty, staff, and the wider Miami community.
Florida International University (FIU) is one of the nation’s largest public research universities and a vital educational hub in Miami, a city known for its global character and cultural richness. Our campus community reflects this energy, bringing together students, faculty, and staff from across backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
The FIU Heterodox Academy Campus Community seeks to build on this foundation by fostering open inquiry, constructive dialogue, and viewpoint diversity. We believe that intellectual growth and innovation thrive when individuals can engage respectfully with different ideas, even when they disagree.
Our goals are to create spaces for honest conversation, equip students and faculty with tools for navigating challenging topics, and demonstrate the value of free expression for both academic excellence and civic life. By doing so, we aim to strengthen the bonds across our campus and contribute to Miami’s broader role as a crossroads of cultures and ideas.
Ultimately, our motivation is simple: a university best serves its students, staff, faculty, and community when it encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and the courage to listen.
Meet the leaders building the FIU HxA Campus Community.
Iqbal Akhtar
Associate Professor, Religion | isakhtar@gmail.comTori Arpad-Cotta
Associate Professor, Art History | arpadt@fiu.eduJoseph Lichter
Teaching Professor, Chemistry | jlichter@fiu.eduLindsey Maxwell
Assistant Teaching Professor, History | lmaxwell@fiu.eduFind HxA Members On This Campus
Your generosity supports our non-partisan efforts to advance the principles of open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement to improve higher education and academic research.