1. FIU
Information Systems and Business Analytics
College of Business Administration
University Park Campus
11200 S.W. 8th Street, RB 250 - Miami, FL 33199 - Tel: (305) 348-2830 - Fax: (305) 348-4126
Florida International University
March 16, 2016
Dear Scholarship Committee,
I am pleased to write this recommendation letter in strong support of Ms. Madhura Selvarajan
who has applied for our scholarship at FIU.
Madhura was in my Master of Sciences in Information System Program Business Process Design
class which focused on mappings and redesigns of organizations’ strategy, processes and
technologies. I have had the opportunity to observe her academic and personal quality in both
classroom sessions, outside team projects and continued discussions related to her professional
and academic interests.
I have been very impressed by Madhura’s academic performance and personal quality. She stood
out as a smart, motivated and diligent student, as well as a professional with relevant experience.
She went beyond her way to learn and help others in the class. She was in the top 10% in my
graduate class. In particular, she led a team of graduate students to analyze the strategy and
processes at Larkin Community Hospital Orthopedic Outpatient Unit in Miami. The graduate
project team did interviews, analyzed the as-is strategies and processes, identified critical
problems existed in the as-is processes, and designed a new to-be strategy and process blueprint.
The project was very insightful and was one of the best projects that I had ever seen in my many
years of working with graduate student teams both at FIU and University of Minnesota.
Madhura is a well-rounded person with outstanding attitudes and skills in leadership,
communication, and team work. She is inspired to be a lifelong learner and to excel in the field
of big data analytics which is an emerging field with great demand for talents like Madhura.
I believe Madhura’s educational background, work experience and personal quality make her an
ideal candidate for the Scholarship Program. She would benefit especially from the scholarship
not only for much needed financial assistance but also for the recognition that the program will
afford her. At the same time, she can contribute to the Scholarship Program by bringing in her
unique personal experience and perspective. I would recommend her without any reservation.
Please feel free to contact me (305-348-1160, xiaw@fiu.edu) if I can provide any further
assistance.
Sincerely,
Weidong Xia
Knight Ridder Fellow, PhD Program Director.