Florida State University’s Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship (JMI) celebrated the successful completion of its 2026 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans and Families (EBV-F), held June 8-12 in Tallahassee.

The intensive five-day program brought together veterans, military spouses and family members from across the region to explore entrepreneurship as a pathway to business ownership and economic opportunity. Through hands-on workshops, mentorship and networking opportunities, participants gained practical tools and insights to help launch or grow successful ventures.

The EBV-F program is designed to empower veterans and their families by providing entrepreneurial education, business training and access to a network of experienced entrepreneurs, business leaders and community partners. Participants engaged in sessions focused on business planning, marketing, financial management, leadership and strategic growth.

“Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business — it’s about creating opportunities, building communities and empowering individuals to recognize their own potential,” said Melissa Roberts, Director of Veterans Programs at the Jim Moran Institute. “It’s a privilege to support this year’s remarkable cohort of veteran spouses, caregivers and family members as they leverage their unique experiences, resilience and dedication to build businesses that drive meaningful change.”

Throughout the week, participants worked alongside fellow aspiring entrepreneurs while learning from faculty, business experts and successful entrepreneurs. The program emphasized collaboration, innovation and the unique strengths veterans and military families bring to the business community.

Since its inception, the EBV-F program has helped veterans and military families develop the knowledge, confidence and connections needed to pursue entrepreneurial success. Graduates join a growing network of alumni who continue to support one another as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of business ownership.

For more information about the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans and Families and other Jim Moran Institute programs, visit the Jim Moran Institute website.

About the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship

The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, housed in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, cultivates, trains and inspires entrepreneurial leaders through world-class executive education, applied training, public recognition and leading-edge research. The Jim Moran Institute comprises a dedicated team of entrepreneurship professionals, academic scholars and staff who foster the entrepreneurial spirit by helping to organize, expand and promote the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship to facilitate new business and further the goals of established businesses.

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A career dedicated to translating research into policy and practice has earned Thomas G. Blomberg, dean of Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the 2026 August Vollmer Award from the American Society of Criminology (ASC).

Widely regarded as one of the field’s highest honors, the award recognizes an individual whose “scholarship and professional work have made outstanding contributions to justice and the treatment or prevention of criminal or delinquent behavior.”

Blomberg, the Sheldon L. Messinger Professor of Criminology, earned three degrees from UC Berkeley, including a doctorate in criminology. He became dean in 2003 and helped elevate the college into the world’s top-ranked criminology program.

Bringing research to life

In his work as a researcher, Blomberg pursued a goal as simple as it was ambitious: reducing the pain and suffering caused by crime by ensuring research informed policy and practice.

One of the clearest examples of that philosophy was the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program (JJEEP), which Blomberg helped develop to improve educational outcomes for justice-involved youth.

Associate Professor George Pesta, director of the College’s Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research, called JJEEP one of Blomberg’s most impactful projects.

“His research conceptualization and implementation of JJEEP was truly translational and, for those involved, transformative,” Pesta said. “He embedded researchers in a statewide accountability system for the education of incarcerated youth where we worked with state agencies, local school districts, and private providers of juvenile justice services.”

From 1998 to 2010, JJEEP developed, implemented and maintained a research-driven system that guided policy and improved educational program performance for thousands of Florida delinquent and at-risk youths. At its peak, there were more than 200 juvenile justice education programs in Florida serving 30,000 youths each year.

“Through JJEEP, Tom influenced state policy, helped enshrine research into state statute, improved services for incarcerated youth and, most importantly, he made a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of youths in Florida and the country,” Pesta said. “For me, and many others, JJEEP fundamentally shaped our career trajectories. It trained us in how to participate in translational research and use it to improve lives. The lessons I learned at JJEEP guide me today. Without it, I would not have spent a career in research.”

Citing his unparalleled and “outstanding contributions to justice and to the treatment and prevention of crime,” the three authors of his nominating letter noted Blomberg’s prolific rate of publication, his promotion of evidence-based policy and his efforts to strengthen the field of criminology and criminal justice.

Dan Mears, Mark C. Stafford Professor of Criminology in the college, co-authored the nominating letter. Mears called Blomberg an essential reason he came to Florida State and said the diversity of Blomberg’s contributions to the field of criminology set him apart.

“He’s led a college, won teaching and mentoring awards, presented before legislatures, written books and given presentations internationally,” Mears said. “Tom’s longevity, his diversity of contributions and his persistent framing of science to inform policy and practice are unique. The Vollmer Award is clearly about all those things and Tom checks all those boxes.”

Malcolm Feeley, Claire Sanders Clements Dean’s Professor of Law Emeritus at UC Berkeley and a co-author of the nominating letter, noted that the award’s namesake, August Vollmer, founded both UC Berkeley’s School of Criminology and the ASC.

“The list of winners includes a U.S. senator, eight federal judges, two former longtime directors of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and a handful of the most honored police chiefs in the history of the country,” he said. “It’s a mind-boggling list, and Tom certainly deserves to be on it.”

Blomberg has authored or co-authored scores of studies and co-authored American Penology: A History of Control, a seminal book in the field that was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has lent his expertise to the U.S. Congress, foreign governments and state and local policymakers.

Under his leadership as dean, the college has climbed national rankings and today ranks as the top criminology program in the world.

“Through the years, I’ve been the beneficiary of some fortunate circumstances,” Blomberg said. “This award is a surprise and an incredible honor but ultimately it’s a reflection of this university, college, our wonderful faculty and staff and, of course, our students.”

Building a college into a national leader

Todd Clear, professor at Rutgers University, worked at the college for several years and co-authored the letter nominating Blomberg for the Vollmer Award.

“Tom is an accomplished scholar and he made his mark through his research and creating a framework and an energy behind what was then a new idea of translational criminology,” Clear said. “But he also made his mark in the many of (the college’s) alumni who have made exactly the contributions that the Vollmer Award stands for. He set a tone for the school to care about that kind of work, and the students who leave there carry on that vision.”

Clear is the founding editor of the Journal of Criminology and Public Policy and said Blomberg’s help was instrumental in helping grow the journal from a promising publication to an influential source for policy-relevant research.

Assistant Professor Julie Brancale first met Blomberg as a criminology undergraduate student preparing to take the next step in her education in law school.

Brancale said she sought Blomberg’s advice and a letter of recommendation for law school. He agreed to write the letter and asked her a question that changed her life.

“He asked me what I wanted to do with my law degree,” she said. “I knew I liked school and I was good at school but the directness of that question showed me it was something I hadn’t really thought through.”

Subsequent conversations with Blomberg and an invitation to join him on a research project opened a new path for Brancale.

“I wanted to help people, to make a difference and to leave a positive mark on the world,” she said. “Tom really took me under his wing and showed me what translational research was and what kind of impact it could have on society and how it could make positive change. These were all things I wanted to do with my life.”

A capstone but not an end

Beginning this year, FSU’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice is set to embark on a renovation of the Kellogg Building, located next door to its current home. The project, which will add 50,000 square feet of space to the college, is set to happen 75 years after the first criminology courses were offered at FSU.

Blomberg has shaped the course of the college more than any other figure. But the Vollmer Award puts the spotlight on his long-held desire to make a difference.

“It’s the thread through all of his work,” his wife Jeanine said. “It’s the connection between research and policy and he’s still so excited to make it.”

“I was at my computer and it was 2:30 in the morning when I got the news about the Vollmer Award,” he said with a laugh. “I love my job and the cumulative experience of my life, the memories I’ve made, the happy faces of students graduating, faculty earning tenure, what more could anybody ask for? What an honor. What a privilege.”

Blomberg added: “If there is one single thing that’s salient in any success I’ve had, it’s Jeanine. When I think about how brilliant she is, the wise counsel she’s given me, and how she’s able to help me see things I’d never otherwise see, I am humbled.”

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Florida State University and the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship (JMC) will welcome entrepreneurship educators, center directors, researchers, startup ecosystem builders and innovation leaders from around the world for the 2026 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) Conference Oct. 15-17 in Tallahassee.

The conference marks the 30th anniversary of the GCEC, the world’s premier organization supporting university-based entrepreneurship centers and programs. The event arrives during a historic period for FSU, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2026. It also follows the 30th anniversary celebration of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship (JMI).

GCEC brings together more than 500 entrepreneurship leaders from across the globe to exchange ideas, share best practices and explore the future of entrepreneurship education, innovation and economic development. It’s where conversations go beyond theory and into what’s working right now — teaching entrepreneurship, how students are launching ventures and how universities are connecting more intentionally with the innovation ecosystems around them. Across keynotes, breakout sessions and a lot of hallway conversations, attendees swap ideas, co-create resources and explore new approaches for the future of entrepreneurship education.

This year’s theme is momentum, the forward motion that moves ideas into action, transforms challenges into opportunities and fuels the engine of innovation.

“I love entrepreneurship because it is one of society’s greatest force multipliers, helping to build momentum that transforms ideas into action and drives both economic and social impact,” said Eric Liguori, JMC professor and associate dean. “As we prepare to welcome this global group of entrepreneurship leaders to FSU to share best practices, build partnerships and shape the future of innovation and entrepreneurship education, I can’t think of a better theme to capture the essence of entrepreneurship at FSU and the possibilities GCEC 2026 is sure to present.”

“I love entrepreneurship because it is one of society’s greatest force multipliers, helping to build momentum that transforms ideas into action and drives both economic and social impact.”

– Eric Liguori, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship Professor

FSU is joining a strong lineup of institutions that have hosted the GCEC Conference over its 30-year history, including many of the most well-established entrepreneurship programs around the world. The group of host institutions has helped shape the conference into what it is today: a collaborative forum where relationships turn into partnerships, new program ideas and new ways of thinking about how to best support founders. It’s also one of the few gatherings that shows how quickly entrepreneurship education is evolving across different universities and regions.

“Our unique model of hosting the GCEC Conference on a different campus each year gives attendees a direct look at diverse universities and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems,” said Holly DeArmond, executive director of the GCEC. “Celebrating our 30th anniversary at FSU in 2026 is special. Not only are they home to the nation’s first college of entrepreneurship, but their Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship also recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Together, we represent three decades of leadership in entrepreneurship education and programming.”

Hosting the GCEC Conference provides FSU with a unique opportunity to showcase Tallahassee’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and the university’s leadership in innovation and economic development.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are key priorities within FSU’s strategic vision, reflected through investments in entrepreneurial education, research commercialization, student innovation and community engagement. Through the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, innovation-focused academic programs, startup support initiatives and partnerships across the region, FSU continues to serve as a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth and economic opportunity.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the collaborative network that supports entrepreneurs throughout North Florida, including university programs, startup support organizations, business leaders, investors and community partners working together to create an environment where innovation can thrive.

The conference is also expected to generate significant economic and community impact for Tallahassee by bringing visitors from around the world to Florida’s capital city and highlighting the region’s entrepreneurial momentum, research capabilities and commitment to innovation.

Call for session proposals

Entrepreneurship educators, researchers and practitioners are invited to contribute to the global conversation on entrepreneurship education and innovation by submitting session proposals for the 2026 conference.

Proposal Submission Deadline: June 15, 2026
Submit your session proposal

Registration information

Conference registration includes access to keynote presentations, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, hospitality suites, scheduled meals and official conference programming throughout the three-day event.

• Early bird registration: April 1-Aug. 3 ($650)
• Regular registration: Aug. 4-Aug. 31 ($825)
• Late registration: Sept. 1-Oct. 15 ($975)
• Guest dinner pass: $150 per guest, per dinner
• Register Today

The 2026 GCEC Conference will be held on FSU’s campus and at select venues throughout Tallahassee. Attendees will experience the university’s vibrant entrepreneurial community while connecting with peers from leading institutions around the world.

For more information about conference registration, sponsorship opportunities and proposal submissions, visit JMC’s website. If you have any questions, please contact the FSU GCEC committee at gcec@jmc.fsu.edu.

About the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers

The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers is the premier international organization for university-based entrepreneurship centers. Through conferences, professional development opportunities and awards programs, GCEC supports the advancement of entrepreneurship education and innovation ecosystems around the world.

About the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship

The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University is dedicated to teaching, learning and practicing entrepreneurship. As one of the nation’s leading standalone colleges of entrepreneurship, JMC prepares students to become entrepreneurial leaders and innovators while supporting economic development and business creation throughout Florida and beyond.

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Florida State University’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship has graduated the first cohort of its Veteran Entrepreneurship Certificate Program in Leon County, with 14 veterans completing the Facilitated Business Modeling Program.

Delivered in partnership with State of Florida nonprofit Veterans Florida, the free program is designed to help participants move from business ideas to actionable business models through practical instruction in customer discovery, market validation and entrepreneurial decision making. The six-week program combined interactive workshops, mentoring and applied exercises focused on helping participants evaluate and strengthen their business concepts.

“Veterans bring an incredible combination of resilience, leadership and adaptability to entrepreneurship,” said Eric Liguori, associate dean for research and external relations in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, who led the program. “What made this cohort especially exciting was watching participants build confidence in their ideas while also building a strong community around one another.”

Participants represented a range of entrepreneurial interests and business development, from early-stage concepts to existing ventures seeking growth and refinement. Throughout the program, participants worked through business modeling activities, explored customer validation strategies and connected with local entrepreneurial resources. In doing so, they learned directly from multiple FSU faculty, including Susana Santos, Bill Lickson, Juliana Binhote, Doug Tatum, and Melissa Roberts, bringing expertise spanning entrepreneurship education, venture growth, finance and innovation and small business development.

Feedback from participants highlighted the practical nature of the program and the value of learning alongside fellow veterans. They praised the program’s open-forum format, its ability to clearly teach how to run a business and how it allowed each attendee to naturally network.

Program organizers said participants consistently pointed to the program’s hands-on approach, real-world applicability and supportive learning environment as key strengths. Several participants also noted that the experience helped them better understand how to refine business ideas, identify customer needs and think strategically about long-term growth.

“This partnership with Veterans Florida reflects the kind of community-centered impact happening every day in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship,” said Susan Fiorito, dean of the college. “We are proud to support veterans and military-connected families as they pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that can create lasting economic and community impact across Florida.”

“This partnership with Veterans Florida reflects the kind of community-centered impact happening every day in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship.”

– Susan Fiorito, dean of the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship

Graduates received a certificate of completion from the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and are now eligible to join the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship’s statewide alumni network of more than 2,700 Florida business owners.

This program builds on FSU’s longstanding commitment to supporting veterans, service members and military-connected families through entrepreneurship education, workforce development and community engagement initiatives.

For more information about veteran entrepreneurship programming at FSU, visit the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship website.

About Veterans Florida

Veterans Florida is a state-created and funded nonprofit organization. We provide free career, SkillBridge, and entrepreneurship training and opportunities for separating or retiring servicemembers, veterans, and their spouses residing in or moving to Florida. We also assist employers seeking to strengthen their workforce with military talent. For more information, please visit www.veteransflorida.org.

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Signaling immense esteem for his innovative work as a longtime real estate finance scholar, the American Real Estate Society (ARES) recently awarded Florida State University’s G. Stacy Sirmans with the annual James A. Graaskamp Award, one of the academic association’s highest career honors.

“There are a lot of people who would qualify for that award, so I was very honored and surprised to receive it,” said Sirmans, the J. Harold and Barbara M. Chastain Eminent Scholar in Real Estate at FSU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business.

But Sirmans’ academic colleagues – both down the hall and across the nation – are not surprised by his selection. They say Sirman’s accomplishments embody the academic association’s intention for the award: honoring scholars with research advancements that redefine thinking within the discipline.

“Stacy is widely recognized for his influential contributions to real estate finance, housing economics, mortgage markets and property valuation. His work has shaped the foundation of the field and continues to inform both academic research and professional practice,” said Henry J. Munneke, the Roy Adams Dorsey Distinguished Chair in Real Estate and an associate dean at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

Advancing the field with relevant research

From his early work co-authoring seminal research on rampant assumption financing among home buyers to more recent studies analyzing the effect of climate-change beliefs on risk pricing in the marketplace, Sirmans’ work often breaks new ground. The knowledge he generates then provides insights other scholars rely on as they further examine real estate implications.

“Our job is to create and establish theories and then create the empirical work to support those, to prove them or disprove them, and then eventually that filters into business,” said Sirmans, who also has served as the academic director of the FSU Real Estate Center. “Our job basically is to answer unanswered questions.”

Among Sirmans’ significant co-authored research contributions over the years:

• Climate-change opinions, disaster risk and single-family housing price growth (2025)
• Agree to disagree: NAV dispersion in REITs (2025)
• The role of tenant characteristics in retail cap rate variation (2022)
• The capitalization of insurance premiums in house prices (2015)
• Determinants of house prices: A quantile regression approach (2008)
• The value of housing characteristics: A meta-analysis (2006)
• The composition of hedonic pricing models (2005)
• The effect of anchor tenant loss on shopping center rents (1994)
• The historical perspective of real estate returns (1987)
• Assumption financing and selling price of single-family homes (1983)

Sirmans’ persistent productivity outpaces most others in his field. He recently secured the No. 16 place worldwide among real estate scholars who have published the greatest amount of research in the top three real estate journals over the past five years, as determined by the annual Real Estate Academic Leadership Rankings in the Journal of Real Estate Literature. He ranked in the Top 10 several times in previous years for research productivity on this and other lists, rising to No. 7 globally. His successes play a large part in FSU’s real estate faculty this year placing No. 2 among faculties worldwide for its volume of research in top-tier journals.

Sirmans has forged a “remarkable career of consistent and innovative research output,” said Mariya Letdin, Kyle Riva Associate Professor of Real Estate and a colleague of Sirmans at the Wertheim College. She hailed his “outsized contributions” in hedonic house pricing models, residential mortgages and, more recently, real estate investment trusts, and said his “continued enthusiasm and productivity are truly unique in the field.”

Additionally, his breadth of work has been cited thousands of times by real estate researchers and includes foundational papers for the core real estate areas of housing markets, brokerage and finance, said colleague Tingyu Zhou, FSU’s Dean and Kathy Gatzlaff Associate Professor of Real Estate. Along with the Graaskamp Award, Sirmans received, in 2017, the ARES David Ricardo Medal, given to a thought leader with an extensive record of publications in top journals that have also influenced new research, teaching, public policy and practice.

“These are among the highest honors in the field and reflect the lasting influence of his research,” Zhou said.

Sirmans also received top research honors from his Wertheim College peers across different disciplines, earning the college’s 2023 Distinguished Faculty Research Award and 2019 Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award. He has also been instrumental in building the college’s Top 10 national standings in real estate, teaching a senior-level finance course in the undergraduate real estate program, which ranks No. 6 among public schools, and a graduate-level finance course for the MBA real estate specialization, which ranks No. 8 among public MBA programs with a real estate specialty.

Known as a scholar and a gentleman

What sets Sirmans apart from many other accomplished scholars, most said, is his collaborative spirit and generosity.

“Stacy is the consummate colleague,” said Dean Gatzlaff, professor emeritus of real estate and namesake of Zhou’s associate professorship who worked with Sirmans for more than 30 years. “He’s approachable, he’s collegial, he’s willing to listen, and he’s careful with his advice. He has always been incredibly supportive of the program’s initiatives and the work of other faculty.”

Zhou said colleagues turn to Sirmans for “conceptual clarity,” saying, “He has a rare ability to take an early-stage idea, identify the core economic question, and position it in a way that leads to a clear and publishable contribution in top journals.”

Letdin called Sirmans the “ultimate team player,” always game to review papers, chair committees, mentor all levels of students or pick up guests at the airport. “He is always happy to pitch in, and no task is too big or too small for him to offer help,” she said.

This kind support extends beyond Florida State University.

Justin Benefield, the Thomas H. Lowder Endowed Chair in Real Estate and professor of finance at Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, first met Sirmans by chance in 2003, when they both boarded an airport shuttle in San Jose, Calif., headed to the same event more than an hour away in Monterey. At the time, Sirmans had already developed a glowing reputation as a well-respected real estate scholar, and Benefield had just begun his academic career. Enroute to his first-ever academic conference, Benefield focused on preparations to present his first-ever academic paper.

“Needless to say, I was nervous,” Benefield said. “Stacy spent the entire ride engaging me in conversation, giving me advice, distracting me and generally putting me at ease. He then showed up at my presentation the next morning. He had no reason to spend that much time on a nervous doctoral student from the backwoods of Alabama, but he did; and I am only one on a long list of folks with similar stories.”

Sirmans said while growing up, he never dreamed of becoming a university professor. One of 10 children raised on a farm in the small town of Pearson in Southeast Georgia, he said his hard work began at an early age.

“There were five of us still at home – small kids – when our father passed away. So, our mother basically raised us,” he said. “The main thing it taught me was how to work, and so I sort of carried that through with everything I do. You started a job, started early, finished late. If something broke, you didn’t have the resources to just call somebody and fix it. You figured out how to fix it.”

Sirmans said this tenacity has served him well throughout his life, especially as he tackled advanced degrees.

“I started college and didn’t apply myself, so I did not do very well initially. But I couldn’t quit, because you don’t quit,” Sirmans said. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business at Valdosta State University, Sirmans headed to the University of Georgia for his Ph.D. in finance.

“That first year almost killed me,” he said, but – again – giving up was not an option for him. “So, I just kept going, and all worked out perfectly. I’m in the perfect occupation. This is exactly the place that I needed to be.” Sirmans taught at Emory and Clemson universities and served as a visiting scholar to the former Federal Home Loan Bank Board before choosing to join FSU’s faculty ranks 36 years ago.

Shaped by a legacy of collaboration 

Sirmans credits much of his good fortune to the company he keeps. “One thing that helped me a lot growing up, and through all matter of circumstances, was always hanging around people who were smarter than me,” he said.

His older brother, the late scholar C.F. Sirmans, became his primary role model. The two first collaborated as teenagers, earning money by playing in a popular band that traveled throughout the Southeast, featuring Stacy on keyboards and C.F. on guitar. As time went on, keeping the band intact meant wherever C.F. moved, Stacy soon followed. C.F. became the first to pursue an academic career; Stacy eventually joined him at the University of Georgia, and then both ascended to the top ranks of world-class real estate finance scholars. The pair continued to co-author research studies until two years ago when C.F., by then serving as professor emeritus at FSU, passed away.

These days, Stacy Sirmans finds opportunities to collaborate on research studies with another family member – his son, Stace Sirmans – who serves on the finance faculty at Auburn University. Stacy Sirmans also continues to play keyboards. His band, The Bushmen, plays set lists of mostly classic rock with select country standards. The group plays private parties, including an occasional academic conference when it is held near the Atlantic Coast. Sirmans devotes the rest of his free time to his family, including six grandkids living in Tallahassee or Auburn.

After more than four decades teaching and researching, mostly in Tallahassee, the FSU scholar cannot imagine a better vocation or workplace. He praises the strengths of his faculty colleagues and said he appreciates the ongoing Wertheim College administration’s support and especially the new opportunities for all made possible by the recent $65 million philanthropic investment by Dr. Herbert Wertheim and the newly opened Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, the college’s $160 million home facility.

Staying true to his steadfast spirit, Sirmans said he has no plans to retire any time soon.

“Oh, I still enjoy it immensely,” he said about his academic responsibilities. “Well, I don’t even call it work.”

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At Florida State University, Clinical Professor Rima Nathan is leading a hands-on elder law clinic that trains future lawyers by tackling several crises for low-income senior citizens.

The Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic is a holistic, interdisciplinary program dedicated to strengthening the well-being and resilience of low-income older adults through legal advocacy and community education. Clinical students handle real cases and work on policy initiatives while helping seniors navigate turbulent times.

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Florida State University’s Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) will host the 2026 Florida Statewide Finals of the National Civics Bee®  at 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center. The event will bring together middle school students from across Florida who advanced through regional competitions to compete in a live, quiz-style civics championship.  

 Presented in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and chambers of commerce across Florida, with Kinder Morgan serving as the presenting sponsor, the nonpartisan competition encourages students in grades 6-8 to deepen their understanding of American government, civic responsibility and community engagement. 

The Florida winner will earn a trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Civics Bee® championship this fall, where students will compete for national honors and a first-place 529 education award of $100,000.  

 This year’s statewide finals will feature an interactive audience experience, remarks on the importance of civic education, and a distinguished lineup of event leaders and judges, including: 

• Emcee: Mark Harrison, 2026 Florida Teacher of the Year and economics and government teacher at Union County High School / Lake Butler  

• Keynote Speaker: Ryan Owens, Director of the IGC, on the vital role of civic education in shaping future leaders  

• Judges:  

• • Allen Fore, VP for Public Affairs at Kinder Morgan, Inc. (Returning)  

• • The Honorable Nina Ashenafi-Richardson, Leon County Judge, 2nd Judicial Court  

• • Barney Bishop, President & CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting, LLC  

• • Sherry Lawrance, Deerlake Middle School Civics Teacher and FSU Alumna (Returning)  

• • DeVoe Moore, Entrepreneur

“The National Civics Bee gives students a meaningful opportunity to strengthen their understanding of government, think clearly about their communities and see themselves as active participants in civic life,” said Ryan Owens, director of the IGC. “We’re proud to welcome these outstanding students to Tallahassee and celebrate the curiosity, leadership and civic responsibility they represent.”  

“The National Civics Bee gives students a meaningful opportunity to strengthen their understanding of government, think clearly about their communities and see themselves as active participants in civic life.”

– Ryan Owens, director of the IGC

 The event is free and open to the public, and community members are invited to attend as spectators, participate in the live audience experience and cheer on students as they demonstrate their knowledge of civics and their commitment to public life.  

 The statewide finals reflect the IGC’s broader mission to strengthen civic knowledge and prepare the next generation of engaged citizens and responsible leaders. At a time when civic understanding matters as much as ever, the National Civics Bee® offers students a meaningful opportunity to learn, lead and contribute to their communities.  

 For more information about the Florida Statewide Civics Bee, visit igc.fsu.edu.  

About the Institute for Governance and Civics: The Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) at Florida State University is dedicated to creating the next generation of effective citizens and responsible leaders. Established in 2023, the IGC supports a variety of initiatives that promote constitutional liberty, economic liberty, conscience liberty, and educational liberty through data-driven research, excellence in teaching, and intellectually diverse exchange. To learn more about the IGC, visit igc.fsu.edu or follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.  

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Routine high-tide flooding in coastal communities could lead to thousands of deaths among older adults by the end of the century, according to a new study co-authored by Florida State University researcher Mathew Hauer.

Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the study projects that without significant adaptation, premature deaths among adults aged 65 and older linked to high-tide flooding could increase 43-fold by 2100.

Unlike storm surges from major hurricanes, high-tide flooding happens regularly and is often viewed as a nuisance rather than a danger. But researchers found even shallow flooding on roads can delay emergency medical care for older adults during time-sensitive emergencies such as cardiac arrest.

“When we think about climate change threatening people’s lives, we picture hurricanes and heat waves,” Hauer said. “What we found is that the routine, ankle-deep flooding people have learned to live with is on track to kill more older adults than storm surge does in these same coastal areas. It’s a quiet, cumulative form of climate mortality, and until now nobody had put a national number on it.”

The research team, which included Hauer from the FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Department of Sociology and Center for Demography and Population Health, found that flooding creates significant traffic disruptions that obstruct emergency medical access. This is particularly dangerous for time-sensitive conditions where every minute of delay significantly reduces survival rates.

Researchers identified three major findings:

• A growing crisis: By 2100, the model projects nearly 10,000 additional deaths annually among older adults in coastal U.S. regions.
• Economic impact: The monetized damages associated with these premature deaths could reach $1.1 trillion by the end of the century.
• The 8-minute threshold: Seniors living in areas with more than an 8.85-minute drive to the nearest hospital are especially vulnerable to these flood-induced delays.

The findings are a wake-up call for the Sunshine State, which stands at the epicenter of the issue.

The study identified Florida as the nation’s most vulnerable state because of its large older population and extensive low-lying coastline.

“Simple things like raising roadways, better sited-hospitals, and other changes could make a significant impact on reducing this anticipated mortality. An ounce of prevention today is worth a pound of cure tomorrow.”

– Mathew Hauer, FSU associate professor and study co-author

By 2060, Florida could account for 24% to 38% of all high-tide flooding deaths in the coastal contiguous U.S., with an estimated 360 to 1,590 annual fatalities.

“Florida has twin threats of an older population and a large, low-lying coastal zone,” Hauer said. “So, the demography, the geography and climate change all combine to account for a large percentage of these anticipated deaths.”

Researchers said the projected death toll could be significantly reduced through infrastructure improvements and planning. Implementing protective measures, such as elevating roads or building new healthcare facilities in accessible locations, could reduce premature deaths by 57%.

The researchers recommend three critical steps for coastal communities:

• Protect road networks that are essential for emergency medical access.
• Increase accessibility by building more critical care facilities in at-risk coastal areas.
• Manage the retreat of vulnerable populations to areas with better infrastructure and healthcare access.

The study concluded that the economic costs associated with these deaths exceed many other climate-related impacts, making healthcare infrastructure a priority for policymakers.

“The deaths show up when an ambulance can’t get through and the adaptive infrastructure to prevent these are things we already know how to do,” Hauer said. “Simple things like raising roadways, better sited-hospitals, and other changes could make a significant impact on reducing this anticipated mortality. An ounce of prevention today is worth a pound of cure tomorrow.”

The study was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and included collaborators from Arizona State University, Industrial Economics and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

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Students from the Florida State University College of Law have been selected for some of Florida’s most competitive public service fellowships, earning placements across the executive, judicial and legislative branches of Florida state government.

This year, five FSU Law students were selected for Class XXI of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows; five of the nine students chosen statewide for the Florida Supreme Court Fellows Program come from the college; and all eight participants in the Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows Program are FSU Law students.

“Together, these placements highlight the college’s longstanding role in preparing students for leadership in public service,” Dean Erin O’Hara O’Connor said. “Being located in the heart of the state capital gives our students unparalleled access to the institutions and leaders shaping the law. These fellowships allow our students to move beyond the classroom and engage directly in the work of government across all three branches, gaining experience that prepares them to lead from day one.”

For decades, FSU College of Law has served as a pipeline for leaders in Florida, the third largest state in the nation, and beyond, equipping graduates with the skills, insight and professional connections needed to navigate complex legal and policy challenges.

Gubernatorial Fellows

Five FSU Law students were selected for the highly competitive Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Class XXI, one of the state’s most prestigious public service leadership programs. The yearlong fellowship places emerging leaders within top state agencies for immersive, hands-on experience in policymaking, public administration and government operations.

This year’s FSU Law Gubernatorial Fellows include:

• 2L Cole McLellan — Florida Department of Law Enforcement
• 3L Alexa Kays — Florida Department of State
• 2L Lucas Piroli — Executive Office of the Governor, Office of General Counsel
• 2L Andrew Otanes — Florida Department of Commerce
• 2L Kate Rumisek — Florida Department of Corrections

The program allows students to work alongside senior leaders in various state agencies. The fellows will conclude the program with a formal presentation of their policy research findings and recommendations directly to the state’s senior leadership.

McLellan says his experience at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has been a great learning opportunity. He split his semesters, first working in the Cyber Division and then in the Office of the General Counsel, giving him interdisciplinary experience throughout his fellowship.

McLellan discussed the advantages of participating in the program alongside seven other FSU students, noting they support one another and maintain a sense of accountability.

“It is reassuring because we are bouncing what we’re feeling off each other, and it keeps our motivation going,” McLellan said. “It’s definitely nice to have people to talk to that are right there with you.”

Piroli said working at the General Counsel’s office provides valuable experience with a wide range of legal issues.

“This is a prestigious program, and getting to work in the government for the third-largest state in the country is just really special,” Piroli said. “It’s a great administration, and I’m really proud to be able to serve Florida and contribute and to learn from some impressive leaders.”

Florida Supreme Court Fellows

FSU Law students also earned a significant share of placements with the Supreme Court of Florida, with five of the nine fellows selected statewide coming from the College of Law.

The program provides students with hands-on experience supporting the court’s work while also offering mentorship from justices and their clerks.

This year’s placements include:

• 2L Haven Branca with Justice Renatha Francis
• 3L Mason Bennett with Justice Meredith L. Sasso
• 3L Sheldon Burnell with Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz
• 2L Zenani Johnson with Justice Jorge Labarga
• 3L Steven Wiktorski with Justice Adam S. Tanenbaum

Located just steps from the court, FSU Law provides students with unique access to Florida’s highest judicial body, creating opportunities for direct engagement that extend beyond the classroom.

Burnell says being a part of the Florida Supreme Court Fellows Program was truly the highlight of his time in law school.

“Serving as Chief Justice Muñiz’s Fellow gave me the opportunity to work closely with the Chief Justice and his outstanding staff, connect with the Associate Justices of the Court, and contribute to work involving cases before Florida’s highest court,” he said.

Burnell gained additional opportunities while in the program, such as observing oral arguments, which gave him a firsthand look at the appellate judicial decision-making process.

Branca shared her experience with Justice Renatha Francis, noting that her time serving as a Florida Supreme Court Fellow was among the most meaningful and rewarding of her time at FSU Law.

“I am incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to learn from Florida’s leading legal minds, observe oral arguments, and gain insight into the judicial decision-making process,” Branca said. “I am especially grateful for the mentorship and support of Justice Francis and the outstanding team in her chambers, as well as for the opportunity to work alongside such exceptional fellow students.”

Branca recognized that the unique opportunity to work alongside Justice Francis was made possible by FSU Law’s strong reputation and its proximity to our state’s highest court.

Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows

Through the Florida House of Representative Legislative Fellows Program, all eight fellows selected for the 2025–26 academic year are FSU Law students, an uncommon distinction that reflects the college’s strength in preparing students for leadership in public service.

This year’s Fellows include:

• 2Ls Kennedi Ray, and Zack “Gambill” Dallas — Commerce Committee
• 3L Sarah Augustine — Health & Human Services Committee
• 2L Teddy Fronczak — Judiciary Committee
• 2L Juan Castro Jordan — Majority Office
• 2L Andrew Louis — Minority Office
• 2L Patricia Waltz — Rules & Ethics Committee
• 2L Amy Kurtz — Ways & Means Committee

Established in 1967 through legislation sponsored by Lawton Chiles, the program provides graduate students with a unique opportunity to engage directly in the legislative process and gain insight into the inner workings of state government.

Augustine was placed in the Health & Human Services Committee and expressed that the Florida House of Representatives Legislative Fellows program placed her at the center of real legislative work at the Capitol.

“I had the privilege of analyzing bills with direct consequences for Floridians, including legislation establishing a statewide Parkinson’s disease registry that will improve data collection, expand research and ultimately better the lives of patients and families across Florida,” she said. “For any law student interested in public service, this program is where policy becomes real, and the legislative process comes to life.”

Waltz shared her experience in the Legislative Fellowship Program as a pivotal point in strengthening her research, communication and professional writing skills while allowing her to see how policy decisions are developed, debated and refined within a complex environment.

“My experience in the Florida House Fellowship Program with the Rules and Ethics Committee gave me firsthand insight into the legislative process, committee procedures and the standards that guide the state legislature,” Waltz said.

To learn more about the FSU College of Law and its offerings, visit law.fsu.edu.

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The Panama City Small Business Executive Program, operated by Florida State University’s Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, celebrated its first-ever graduating cohort on April 30. The achievement marks a significant milestone for small business leadership development in the Northwest Florida region.

The executive-level program equips small business owners with the tools, strategies and mindset needed to lead with confidence, strengthen business operations and turn challenges into opportunities for long-term growth. Participants of the program engaged in advanced leadership and business development training focused on helping entrepreneurs think differently, adapt strategically and build stronger, more resilient businesses.

“We are incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by this inaugural class,” said Marina Lickson, director of the Northwest Florida program. “Their commitment to growth and leadership reflects the strength and potential of the small business community in Panama City and beyond.”

The program’s partnership with the Florida State University Panama City campus created a collaborative environment where local business leaders could learn, connect and grow together. The achievements of the initial graduating class highlight the potential influence these business owners will have on the Panama City community and the surrounding area.

Applications for the Tallahassee Small Business Executive Program fall cohort are open until August 14, 2026. More information can be found on the program’s website.

About the Small Business Executive Program (SBEP)

The Small Business Executive Program is an executive-level leadership and business development initiative created to support small business owners through strategic learning, leadership training and peer collaboration, designed to foster sustainable business growth.

About the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship

The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, housed in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, cultivates, trains and inspires entrepreneurial leaders through world-class executive education, applied training, public recognition and leading-edge research. The Jim Moran Institute comprises a dedicated team of entrepreneurship professionals, academic scholars and staff who foster the entrepreneurial spirit by helping to organize, expand and promote the knowledge and practice of entrepreneurship to facilitate new business and further the goals of established businesses.

For more information, visit jmi.fsu.edu.

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A Florida State University professor at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is among the select few to win a prestigious international award for outstanding sustainability leadership.

Eundeok Kim, a professor specializing in sustainability, social entrepreneurship and product management, is one of 10 faculty members globally to be chosen as a Sustainability Fellow by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The association serves a full range of higher education faculty, administrators, staff, and students who are change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation.

“I am very honored and humbled to be recognized as a 2026 AASHE Fellow,” Kim said. “This recognition encourages me to further incorporate sustainability and sustainable development into my teaching, research and service and strengthens my commitment to the urgent call for action. I am deeply thankful to the numerous colleagues, community partners and students who have collaborated with me for various teaching and research projects and services to the community, which allowed me to grow as a sustainability agent.”

“This recognition encourages me to further incorporate sustainability and sustainable development into my teaching, research and service and strengthens my commitment to the urgent call for action.”

– Eundeok Kim, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship Professor

Kim has contributed to her field in several ways: producing impactful refereed journal articles and books that highlight her important research into sustainability and social entrepreneurship. She teaches Sustainability and Human Rights in the Business World, developed with FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights Director Terry Coonan, to all majors at FSU. She was recognized with numerous awards, including the 2024-25 University Teaching Award for Community Engaged Teaching and the 2023 Social Entrepreneurship SIG Award for Social Entrepreneurship Teaching from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). Her research was also acknowledged with the 2024 Minority and Women Entrepreneurship SIG Scholar Award by USASBE.

“The 2026 AASHE Sustainability Award recipients reflect the momentum and innovation driving change across higher education,” added AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Among their community, these individuals are true change makers — turning bold ideas into action and setting a powerful example of leadership and impact for the field.”

Kim is one of several FSU Faculty Senators who founded the Faculty Senate Sustainability Committee in 2020. She served as Chair of Education in 2024-25 and serves as deputy editor for the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education by Emerald.

Among her core research areas, Kim has investigated on sustainable business models and strategies, the role of social entrepreneurship in advancing sustainable development, and cross-and trans-disciplinary sustainability education. Her case study on Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit fair-trade organization, explored business models that empower marginalized groups.

Her most recent publication, “Using Artificial Intelligence in Sustainability Teaching and Learning,” examines how AI tools can be integrated into curricula to enhance sustainability education.

To learn more about AASHE, visit the association’s website at aashe.org.

More information about the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship can be found at jmc.fsu.edu.

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A Florida State University master’s student and Presidential Scholar was accepted into a highly competitive national fellowship program for emerging civic leaders.

Ella Garcia, who is working toward her master’s degree in public administration, was accepted into the Coro Fellows Program housed at University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The Coro Fellows Program was founded in 1947 in San Francisco to train young World War II veterans in civic leadership skills. It now operates four centers in St. Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, where it serves to advance civic engagement and accelerate the careers of those in public affairs.

As a Coro Fellow, Garcia will live in St. Louis and participate in a full-time, graduate-level leadership training program that includes seminars, interviews with local leaders, opportunities to learn about regionally specific topics, and placement in organizations across nonprofit, business and government sectors.

“I’m excited because it’s going to be very fulfilling to focus on the aspect of public administration that’s about giving back, not just pursuing my own professional goals, but learning how I can better the communities around me,” Garcia said. “It’s one thing to study administration and government in a theoretical way, but it’s another to apply what I’ve learned hands-on. It’s what I feel like I’m called to do.”

From Mount Dora, Florida, Garcia is a member of FSU’s Presidential Scholars Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and will graduate with her master’s degree this summer with support from FSU’s More in Four program, which helps high achieving students complete a bachelor’s degree in three years and continue immediately into a master’s degree.

Professors and mentors say Garcia’s involvement at FSU has prepared her well for the Coro Fellows Program. That includes her participation in FSU’s Applied Politics & Policy Learning Experience (APPLE) program, in the Department of Political Science, where she was able to intern for a state representative and a member of U.S. Congress.

“Ella has used her time at FSU to gain extensive hands-on government experience and advanced analytical skills, with the aim of driving informed, community-oriented public service,” said FSU professor Amanda Driscoll, cofounder of APPLE and one of Garcia’s mentors. “The Coro Fellowship will provide her with additional public service experience and practical leadership training to deepen her impact and professional growth. I am confident that she will translate her established civic commitments into effective, real-world solutions, and we can’t wait to see what she will accomplish next.”

Garcia’s interest in policy work extended beyond U.S. government last summer, when she traveled with a group of FSU Honors Program students to the Oxford Consortium of Human Rights workshop at the University of Oxford in England.

“Ella is among the finest students I’ve worked with at Florida State,” said Ross Moret, who led the trip to Oxford and serves as an associate teaching professor in the FSU Honors Program. “She is dedicated, responsible, insightful and caring. She will make an outstanding Coro Fellow.”

As a Presidential Scholar, Garcia said she enjoyed mentorship and a peer community that helped motivate her to reach her goals.

“FSU and the Presidential Scholars Program specifically have been instrumental for me,” she said. “It’s really shaped who I am, as a leader and as a person.”

To learn more about student support for pursuing national fellowships, visit the Office of National Fellowships and the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.

Visit the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy website to learn more about the college, department and programs.

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