FSU Mobile Now Offers Blackboard Course Access

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida State University app for smartphones and tablets, FSU Mobile, now includes a Blackboard module that gives faculty and students mobile access to their courses and organizations.

“This is the upgrade students have been waiting for,” said FSU Student Body President Avi Assidon. “With the widespread use of smartphones by students, mobile accessibility of academic information is key. So this one-tap access to Blackboard through the FSU app is really going to be popular.”

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation Donates $10,000 to the Florida State University College of Nursing in Honor of its Distinguished Alumna Sue Hassmiller

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation (BCBSF Foundation) is pleased to announce a grant of $10,000 to the Florida State University (FSU) College of Nursing in honor of Dr. Susan Hassmiller. This grant will go toward faculty development in the College of Nursing.

“We are proud to honor the extensive accomplishments that Susan Hassmiller has brought to the field of nursing nationally,” said Susan Towler, Vice President of the BCBSF Foundation. “With her vision and leadership, 36 state coalitions, including Florida, have joined the Campaign for Action to address nursing’s role in the transformation of the health care system.”

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In Quest for Rhodes Scholarship, Florida State’s Karlanna Lewis Advanced to Final Round

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — There are many talented, high-achieving students at Florida State University. And then there is Karlanna Lewis.

At 19, the Tallahassee native had already earned her bachelor’s degree, graduating this past spring with a double major in creative writing and Russian — and a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Now, having just turned 20, she can add “Rhodes Scholarship Finalist” to her awe-inspiring résumé.

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Florida State Physics Professor with a Gift for Mentoring Receives the 2011 Ross Oglesby Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Young women with a passion for science and engineering usually know they’ve met a kindred spirit in Florida State University physics professor Susan Blessing.

High school students who meet the brilliant scientist with the beautiful smile and the contagious love for physics sometimes submit their college applications based on just one encounter. Members of Florida State’s Women in Math, Science and Engineering Living Learning Community (WIMSE) — a group that Blessing directs — find their confidence and nurture new friendships with other young women in the sciences.

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Homecoming 2011 at Florida State: Get Into A ‘Seminole State of Mind’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Homecoming at Florida State University has always been an exciting time for returning alumni to join current students in celebration of an extraordinary institution and its unconquered spirit. Homecoming 2011 aims to keep that spirited tradition alive and well.

This year, the weeklong slate of Homecoming events will begin with a community service-themed 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, Nov. 13, and culminate on Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Homecoming game when the Florida State Seminoles take on the University of Virginia Cavaliers at Doak Campbell Stadium. (A kickoff time announcement is expected by Nov. 13.)

“Seminole State of Mind” is the Homecoming 2011 theme. Among the Homecoming Week highlights:

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FSU College of Medicine Awarded Maximum Accreditation Status

Medical School Commended for Effort to Develop Exemplary, Patient-Oriented Physicians

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida State University College of Medicine has been granted a maximum eight-year accreditation by the sanctioning body of U.S. medical schools.

With the favorable ruling from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), Florida State becomes the first new medical school of the 21st century to be reaccredited.

“This news was not unexpected based on the remarkable outcomes this medical school has produced since the first class of 30 students arrived in 2001,” said College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty. “The leaders, administrators, faculty and students who helped plan and build this program should be extremely proud, as should all of our friends and supporters.”

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Love Wild Florida? Oceanography Researchers Create an Informational Website All About the Local Environment

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — About a year ago, Jeff Chanton, an oceanography professor in Florida State University’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science (EOAS), was struck with an “aha!” moment: Why not create a website highlighting a topic important to a new generation of students who care deeply about environmental issues?

So Chanton, along with two fellow environmental enthusiasts — EOAS staff researcher Kirstin Eller and Lou Cross, a Web designer at FSU’s Florida Resources and Environmental Analysis Center, recently launched the website, called “The Environmental Experience,” at www.ee.fsu.edu.

“It was Jeff’s goal to have a website where anyone could go for all the environmental information at FSU and in Tallahassee,” said Eller, an outdoor aficionado herself who earned her master’s degree in oceanography at Florida State and helped with the research and writing of the website. “The website has a lot of solid information for students, professionals and anyone who just enjoys the outdoors.”

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FSU Students Gain Experience as Gubernatorial Fellows

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Seven Florida State University students have been selected by Gov. Rick Scott to be part of the 13-member 2011-2012 class of Florida Gubernatorial Fellows.

The 7-year-old program gives Florida college students firsthand experience in how state government operates by placing them in part-time jobs within the Executive Office of the Governor or in gubernatorial agencies. This year’s program concludes on May 11.

The Florida State students are:
•Nicole Blanton, 27, a third-year law student from Lake Worth, Fla.;
•Marcus Dixon, 22, a graduate student in public administration from Miami;
•Nicholas “Nick” Russell, 21, senior in economics and international affairs from Tampa, Fla.;
•Judson Searcy, 24, a third-year law student from Pensacola, Fla.;
•Theodore “Ted” Stratton, 30, a doctoral student in higher education administration from Melbourne, Fla.;
•James VanLandingham, 28, a second-year law student from Tallahassee; and
•Lorraine Young, 29, a third-year law student from Frostproof, Fla.

“These exceptional students have been recognized for their innovative ideas, academic excellence and deep commitment to public service,” said Anne Marie West, director of FSU’s Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “The program provides fellows the unique opportunity to engage in professional work in state government. Across the disciplines, our programs are preparing future professionals to serve as leaders in their fields, and we are pleased to congratulate our outstanding fellows on their success.”

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A Wild and Wooly Discovery: FSU Scientist’s Tibetan Expedition Ends with Prehistoric Find

Geochemistry Professor Yang Wang and an International Team of Researchers Uncover Oldest Known Species of Woolly Rhino

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Yang Wang is known for conducting complex research using highly sophisticated equipment. Yet the Florida State University geochemist also has spent days hiking through the remote outback of Tibet and camping in the foothills of the Himalayas — all in the name of scientific discovery.

Because of that unique mix of skills, Wang was chosen to take part in a team of researchers that uncovered the oldest prehistoric woolly rhino ever found. A paper describing the team’s discovery was just published in Science, a prestigious journal established in 1880 by Thomas Edison. (An abstract of the paper is available here; access to the full article requires a paid subscription.)

Wang and an international group of paleontologists set out in 2007 to explore one of the most isolated places on earth: the Zanda (ZAH-dah) Basin in Tibet, located at the feet of the Himalaya Mountains. The words majestic, wild and awesome all apply, yet fail to capture the landscape’s natural wonder.

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FSU’s ‘Seven Days of Opening Nights’ Performing Arts Festival Announces Stellar Lineup for Upcoming Season

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The 14th season of Florida State University’s popular festival of the performing arts boasts a diverse, eclectic lineup and an array of educational opportunities for university-level and K-12 students.

Running from Feb. 9-20, Seven Days of Opening Nights will once again highlight Florida State’s contribution to the arts, reflecting the university’s excellence in visual art, theater, dance, music, film and creative writing. Festival highlights include the Tallahassee debuts of the acclaimed Soweto Gospel Choir, New Orleans powerhouses Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty, jazz chanteuse Jane Monheit, comic legend Joan Rivers, the National Theatre of Scotland, and 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan.

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Getting Down to Business: FSU Students Invited to Show Off Their Entrepreneurial Ideas during ‘eWeek’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — What’s your idea for the “next big thing” in today’s highly competitive marketplace?

That’s what The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University’s College of Business is asking all FSU students. And during Entrepreneurship Week — “eWeek” — which runs from Sept. 16-23, students will be inspired to achieve their dreams and have an opportunity to see what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

The eWeek concept reflects the university’s ongoing transformation into “The Entrepreneurial University” and a campuswide emphasis on creating a culture among students, faculty and staff that embraces entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and the idea that those who take calculated risks can gain enormous benefit.

The Jim Moran Institute, which earlier this year received a $4.25 million gift from Jan Moran, the wife of the late Jim Moran, and The Jim Moran Foundation, is sponsoring eWeek. The gift will expand the international reach of The Jim Moran Institute and enable it to build on its mission of cultivating, training and inspiring entrepreneurial leaders.

“Students can be incredibly creative and innovative, and eWeek gives them insight into what it takes to be an entrepreneur and help contribute to the growth of our economy,” said Tim R. Holcomb, The Jim Moran Institute’s executive director and the university’s Jim Moran Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship. “We’re fortunate to have successful entrepreneurs from the community willing to share their experiences and encourage our students.”

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FSU to Remember 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Florida State University will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with several events.

They include:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9

9/11: NEVER FORGET PROJECT
8 A.M. – 4 P.M.
LANDIS GREEN
Thank A Soldier, a registered student organization at FSU, will place hundreds of miniature American flags on Landis Green as a memorial to the people who died on Sept. 11, 2001. A moment of silence will be observed at noon. Members of the organization will be present to facilitate discussion and the sharing of personal stories between FSU students and employees who pass through Landis Green. Participants will be able to write the names of Sept. 11 victims they knew on American flags and add them to the flag display. Stations will be set up around Landis Green so that participants can write letters to members of the U.S. military who are serving overseas. White poster boards will be available to anyone who wants to write down their thoughts and memories about Sept. 11. Contact: Jaimeleigh Salazar, director, Thank A Soldier, (561) 843-6675, jms08z@fsu.edu

COMMEMORATIVE QUILT DISPLAY
8 A.M. – 11 P.M.
ASKEW STUDENT LIFE CENTER
A 92-inch by 114-inch commemorate quilt, made by Florida State students in 2002, will be on display. The display will continue on Sunday, Sept. 11, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Contact: Kathleen Barber, (850) 644-0034, ksbarber@admin.fsu.edu

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

MOMENT OF SILENCE
PRIOR TO 6 P.M. FOOTBALL GAME
DOAK CAMPBELL STADIUM
Leading up to the 6 p.m. FSU vs. Charleston Southern football game, a moment of silence will be observed prior to the Marching Chiefs’ performance of the National Anthem. At halftime, the Marching Chiefs’ show will be devoted to Sept. 11.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 11

EMERGENCY RESPONDERS RECOGNITION CEREMONY
12:45 P.M.
SEMINOLE SOCCER COMPLEX
The FSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, FSU President Eric J. Barron and his wife, Molly Barron, will honor local emergency responders, including FSU Police Lt. Linda Riley; FSU First Responder Unit staff member Dan Bulecza and Student Executive Director Sam Henoch; and Collegiate Veterans Association President Jarod Lyon. (This event takes place prior to the FSU vs. Mercer soccer game, 1 to 3 p.m. Free parking is available at the garage on the corner of Stadium Drive and Spirit Way. Admission is free.) Contact: Cobretti Williams, cdw08e@gmail.com

‘THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS’ FILM SCREENING
7 – 9 P.M.
STUDENT LIFE CINEMA
This documentary explores recent research into the psychological and physical effects of forgiveness on individuals and within relationships. Part of the film contains stories about Sept. 11. To learn more about the film, click here. The screening is sponsored by the Spiritual Life Project at FSU, which was established to support the search for meaning, purpose and authenticity within the campus community. (The Student Life Cinema is located inside the Askew Student Life Center.) Contact: Kathleen Smith, (850) 644-3430, kssmithe@admin.fsu.edu, or Craig Filar, (850) 644-7596, cfilar@admin.fsu.edu

CAMPUSWIDE VIGIL
9 – 10 P.M.
WOODWARD AVENUE COURTYARD
This vigil, sponsored in part by FSU’s Student Government Association, will provide members of the campus community with an opportunity to reflect on loss, remembrance and forgiveness. (The Woodward Avenue Courtyard is between the Askew Student Life Center, the Dunlap Student Success Center and the Center for Global Engagement.) Contact: Kathleen Smith, (850) 644-3430, kssmithe@admin.fsu.edu, or Craig Filar, (850) 644-7596, cfilar@admin.fsu.edu

TUESDAY, SEPT. 13

LECTURE AND TWO PANEL DISCUSSIONS
5:30 – 8:30 P.M.
ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 211 N. MONROE ST.
Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, in partnership with The Village Square, will present “Ten Years Time: 9/11, The Heart of America, The Shadow of the Middle East,” a program examining the effect of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Barry Richard of the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP will address, “Security, Pseudo-Patriotism, and the Erosion of American Liberties.” Then, officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice will participate in a panel discussion on domestic security imperatives. Afterward, FSU religion Assistant Professor Adam Gaiser will be among featured panelists during a second panel discussion, “America and the Islamic World: Clash or Convergence.” Contact: Mark Schlakman, Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, (850) 644-4614, mschlakman@admin.fsu.edu.

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CONTACT: Jeffery Seay
(850) 644-0277; jseay@fsu.edu

Famed Director Spike Lee to Speak at FSU as Part of Golden Tribe Lecture Series

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida State University Golden Tribe Lecture Series, a collaborative, student-focused effort, will host “An Evening with Spike Lee,” a speaking engagement featuring the famed American film director, producer, writer and actor, on Sept. 8.

As one of the most influential directors of his generation, Lee has made a name for himself from the start of his career. While studying film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, he made a thesis film, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads,” which became the first student film ever to be showcased at the Lincoln Center’s New Directors New Films Festival. His first feature film, “She’s Gotta Have It,” shot on a budget of just $175,000, grossed more than $7 million at the box office.

Lee has produced and directed numerous groundbreaking movies — or, as they’re known in the vernacular, “Spike Lee Joints.” His film credits include the Academy Award-nominated “Do the Right Thing,” the Cannes favorite “Jungle Fever,” the acclaimed “Malcolm X” and “Summer of Sam,” and his Peabody-winning HBO documentary on Hurricane Katrina, “When the Levees Broke.” Lee has also penned a dozen screenplays and has appeared in everything from his own “Clockers” to television’s “Saturday Night Live.”

As one of the most outspoken African-American voices in popular culture, Lee talks candidly and with authority about issues of race in mainstream media and Hollywood. While speaking, he uses a rare behind-the-scenes look at his body of work as a backdrop. Lee’s images of racial division and understanding have ingrained themselves on the popular consciousness for more than 20 years.

“An Evening with Spike Lee,” is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. The event will take place:

THURSDAY, SEPT. 8

7 P.M.

RUBY DIAMOND CONCERT HALL

222 S. COPELAND ST.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Ticket Distribution:

FSU students with a valid student ID can pick up tickets at the Oglesby Union Courtyard on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. Students will be given one ticket per valid FSU student ID. Each student may pick up more than one ticket (up to four tickets total) as long as he or she can present one valid FSU student ID per ticket. All remaining tickets will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on a first-come, first-served basis for students and non-students alike. Tickets are not general admission; seats will be reserved.

Visit http://goldentribe.fsu.edu/ for online ticket information on this and other upcoming lectures.

The Golden Tribe Lecture Series was re-established in the fall of 2010 to provide the Florida State University student body with a series of speakers sponsored by the Student Government Association in collaboration with Union Productions. The Golden Tribe Lecture Series is an academically focused speaker series created to connect students to outstanding individuals who are either experts in their field or working at the forefront of a relevant political or social issue. The mission of the series is to engage students in issues and dialogue that will benefit their overall academic, scholastic or humanitarian experience.

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CONTACT: Vicki Dobiyanski, FSU Student Government Association
(850) 644-0939; vdobiyanski@admin.fsu.edu

FSU Professors to Study Abroad with Fulbright Grants

David Whalley Wins Elite Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — For only the second time in Florida State University’s history, a faculty member has been awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair, one of the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

David Whalley, the E.P. Miles Professor and chairman of the Department of Computer Science, was one of only about 40 people in the United States to receive a Fulbright Distinguished Chair this year. To be considered for a distinguished chair award, candidates must be eminent scholars and have significant publishing and teaching records.

Whalley’s award, the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Alternative Energy Technology, will allow him to spend the 2011-2012 academic year at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. At Chalmers, he will collaborate with faculty in the computer science and engineering department to find ways to get computer systems to run more efficiently in order to conserve battery power. Conservation of battery power will allow computers and mobile devices to last longer on a single charge.

“I am very pleased and honored to have received such a prestigious award, and I am very excited to go to Chalmers University for this academic year,” Whalley said. “Chalmers is a very respected university, and the faculty I will be working with are quite well known in computer architecture and processor design. It should also be an interesting experience living in another country.”

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Acclaimed Chemistry Professor Wins Two Major Awards

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — One of Florida State University’s most influential researchers, whose pioneering work in chemical analysis places him in an elite group of the world’s top chemists, is set to receive two major, highly competitive chemistry awards.

Alan G. Marshall, the Robert O. Lawton Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State and director of the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, will receive the 2012 William H. Nichols Medal, given by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the 2012 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award, given by the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh (SACP).

“I am naturally delighted by these awards, for different reasons,” Marshall said. “The Nichols Medal is more senior and spans all of the subdisciplines of chemistry, so it’s a special treat to join prior awardees such as Nobelists Linus Pauling (chemical bond theory), Melvin Calvin (photosynthesis), Robert Woodward (organic synthesis) and Paul Flory (polymers), among others. The Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award is more specialized, so the fun part there is that I know many of the prior awardees personally.”

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Huckaba Named Interim Dean of FSU College of Arts and Sciences

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sam Huckaba, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida State University, has been named interim dean of the college to succeed Joseph Travis, who has decided to step down in order to devote more time to his research.

Florida State University Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Bradley announced Huckaba’s appointment today after receiving Travis’ resignation. Travis, an internationally regarded field biologist, has served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences — the university’s oldest and largest college — since 2005.

“Dean Travis has provided steady leadership to the College of Arts and Sciences during a transformative period in the university’s history, and we are grateful Sam Huckaba has agreed to take over the reins,” Bradley said. “Professor Huckaba is a very experienced and measured decision maker, and we can feel confident that the college is in good hands.”

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FSU to Announce Public-Private Partnership to Promote Research on Composite Materials

Florida State University President Eric J. Barron will join with representatives of a global specialty chemicals and materials company on Monday to announce a partnership that is expected to generate new research and educational opportunities in the growing field of advanced composite materials. The event will take place:

MONDAY, JULY 18
1:30 – 2:30 P.M.
FSU MATERIALS RESEARCH BUILDING ATRIUM
2005 LEVY AVE. (IN INNOVATION PARK)
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

A tour of the Materials Research Building, which houses FSU’s High-Performance Materials Institute (http://hpmi.net/), will begin at the conclusion of the media event.

The partnership, which will include a gift that will support a graduate fellowship for advanced composite studies, is expected to serve as a model for future, mutually beneficial collaborations in a variety of disciplines between Florida State and private-sector companies. In a difficult economic environment, such collaborations will provide new funding sources needed by the university to carry out its educational and research missions while also increasing the technological and fiscal competitiveness of the companies.

Composite materials have and will continue to revolutionize the way everything from automobiles to aircraft and consumer packaging are made. Using innovative technologies developed at Florida State, researchers at the High-Performance Materials Institute are now able to make materials that are stronger, lighter and more resistant to electricity than traditional materials such as steel.

For directions to the Materials Research Building, visit http://hpmi.net/location.php.
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CONTACT: Susan Sigman, Florida State University Foundation
(850) 645-8844; ssigman@foundation.fsu.edu

Progress Florida: Nearly 9,000 Call on FSU to Cancel Koch Deal

Below, please find a message from Progress Florida’s Executive Director, Mark Ferrulo, sent this morning to:

Florida State University President, Eric J. Barron
Faculty Senate President, Sandra Lewis
Vice Chair Faculty Senate Steering Committee, Susan Fiorito
Past President and current member of the faculty review committee, Sandy D’Alemberte

Dear President Barron:

According to this June 2nd news report, Florida State University has committed to “reviewing the university’s unusual contract with a famously conservative donor” [Koch Foundation] and reporting on its findings by the end of July.

Tomorrow, will be the midpoint of July and we thought you and the review committee should know that thousands of Floridians have signed a petition (attached) calling on the university to uphold the principle of, and avoid even the appearance of divergence from, academic freedom at FSU. 

Progress Florida and these petitioners are respectfully asking you to rescind FSU’s controversial and harmful precedent setting contract with the Koch Foundation.

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UF, FSU Receive $10 million for Project to Digitize U.S. Biology Collections

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The National Science Foundation announced today its award of a $10 million grant to the University of Florida and Florida State University to coordinate 92 institutions in 45 states working to digitize the nation’s biological collections.

Available to anyone online, the natural history data and its increased accessibility will help researchers identify gaps in scientific knowledge and could assist government agencies and others making decisions related to climate change, conservation, invasive species, biodiversity and other biological issues.

“There are probably a billion specimens in the U.S., but information isn’t easily accessible,” said Larry Page, principal investigator of the five-year project and a research scientist at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “This program is about making that information available to researchers, educators, policymakers and the general public — anyone who wants it.”

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You Want to Talk ‘Horrible Bosses’? One Florida State Professor is the Expert

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Virtually anyone who stays in the work force long enough will eventually have a really lousy boss — and perhaps quite a few, if that employee sticks it out until retirement age. Those lousy bosses should count themselves lucky, then, that very few long-suffering employees resolve to have them murdered, as three fed-up friends attempt to do in the black comedy film “Horrible Bosses,” which opens nationwide this weekend.

That’s not to say that everything is coming up roses in America’s workplaces, says Wayne Hochwarter, the Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration at Florida State University.

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