Runkle Heads To Homestead

Gita Runkle has been named the new chairperson of the School of Business and School of Computer and Engineering Technologies at Homestead Campus.

Runkle began working at Miami Dade College in 2008 as a Student Support Manager as part of a biotechnology grant, a program used for the understanding of cells to solve modern-day problems and create products.

In 2009, she became interim director of the grant. In July 2010, Runkle was promoted to interim chair of the business department at Wolfson Campus.

“The electrical power technology program is the only program of its kind here,” Runkle said. “It connects with jobs at FPL that are predominately at Turkey Point. So, a lot of students who go through the program have the opportunity to potentially work at FPL as well.”

Runkle has a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies, mostly focusing on photography and film from the University of California, Berkeley; she has a master’s degree in higher education from New York University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.

Born in Mumbai, India, Runkle moved to New York City when she was one. She has lived in a number of other places including Haiti, Egypt and France. Runkle has also worked for several corporate marketing departments, such as Royal Caribbean International and Procter and Gamble.

Guillermina Damas, department chair of the natural sciences, health and wellness department at Wolfson Campus, worked closely with Runkle on executing the goals of the biotechnology grant. She has taken note of Runkle’s work ethic.

“I think she’s great. She’s very polite, very hard-working, accurate, very caring about the students,” Damas said.