Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy is set to launch the M.S. in Data and Society, a new one-year graduate program through the Department of Sociology, beginning Fall 2026. 

Applications are now open, with a deadline of July 1. 

The program prepares students to collect, analyze and interpret data in ways that account for the social, ethical and policy dimensions of an increasingly data-driven world. 

“The M.S. in Data and Society is a vital addition to our college, reflecting our commitment to evidence-based decision-making and applied excellence,” said Tim Chapin, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. “By blending sophisticated computational tools with a deep understanding of social and ethical contexts, we are empowering our students to not only navigate a data-driven world but to lead it with integrity and insight. This program ensures our graduates are uniquely prepared to solve complex challenges across the public and private sectors.” 

The 34-credit-hour curriculum blends quantitative and qualitative research methods with hands-on training in computational tools and geographic information systems, drawing on expertise across sociology, economics, urban and regional planning, political science and geography. 

Students complete independent research and a capstone experience, and the program is designed to finish in three terms: fall, spring and summer. 

The program is housed in FSU’s Department of Sociology, which ranks 32nd among public universities nationally and third among programs in the Southeastern region, according to U.S. News and World Report. 

Graduates will be prepared for careers in research, government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector. 

No GRE is required. Applicants must submit official transcripts, a resume and three letters of recommendation. Out-of-state students from states participating in the Southern Regional Education Board Academic Common Market may be eligible for in-state tuition. 

For more information or to apply, visit bit.ly/MS-data-society or contact kmcclellan@fsu.edu with questions. 

Learn more about graduate programs in FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at cosspp.fsu.edu. 

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Last Friday, the Anne’s College Research Showcase at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center brought together FSU faculty and staff to discuss research opportunities, grants and promote departmental collaboration.

Featuring more than 300 students and faculty from the renowned Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College), the event was an opportunity for participants to present their work that places an emphasis on real-world impact.

Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College, provided remarks at the showcase ceremony that summed up the everyday ambitions of the college’s research.

“Every year I look forward to this conference, which showcases the very best research activities being undertaken by our college’s faculty and students,” Andrew said. “While we come from various scientific disciplines and utilize a broad range of methodological conventions and techniques, we all share the common goal of using our research to maximize human potential.”

With approximately 233 PowerPoint and poster presentations, and more than 300 students and faculty presenting current research, the showcase covered endless topics that impact day-to-day life and span across several disciplines. Presenters tackled issues related to ultra-processed foods, artificial intelligence in the classrooms, workplace accommodations, mental health in schools and much more.

Joshua Newman, associate dean for research at Anne’s College, asserts that the caliber of work being conducted offers valuable solutions for both Floridians and a broader audience.

“Research is at its core is about value proposition, because we’re really trying to answer tough questions but provide solutions to problems that face families across Florida and the region even beyond,” Newman said. “In our college, we have a very strong commitment to making sure that we’re doing research that doesn’t just get published in journals but is making an impact in people’s lives.”

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Florida State University’s Ukraine Task Force (UTF) recently welcomed a leading analyst, lecturer and scholar on international relations to deliver a lecture and speak to classes about the everchanging political landscape of Eastern Europe.  

Kateryna Shynkaruk, a senior lecturer at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service in Washington D.C. and nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, delivered the talk “Ukraine and European Security: War, Identity and the Future of the International Order” Tuesday, March 10, in The Globe Auditorium as part of the Center for Global Engagement’s Engage Your World Speaker Series.  

“My lecture was about European security and how it is affected by the Ukraine war and basically how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has completely overturned the European security architecture,” Shynkaruk said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the questions and answer session with students. They clearly were engaged and I was positively impressed by how closely they followed it.” 

Shynkaruk has published more than 30 articles on the topics of post-communist transformations in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe. She spent seven years working as a political analyst at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and six years covering Ukraine’s foreign and security policy as a senior research fellow at the Kyiv-based Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting.  

She was grateful to be able to share her knowledge gained from these experiences with faculty, staff and students. 

“My hope is that there is this interest actually in European affairs, that it is strengthened through engagements like my visit and generally that there is more interest in Ukraine, in European security and European affairs built here among students,” Shynkaruk said. “My meetings with faculty members were another very positive experience, seeing how the faculty is interested in exposing more perspectives on European affairs. If I have inspired any of them [students] to follow our potential avenues that I mentioned, that would be an amazing outcome.” 

Housed in FSU’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI), the UTF was established in 2022 as part of the university’s broader internationalization strategy and aims to forge partnerships between FSU and Ukrainian scholars and educate the FSU community about Ukraine. 

One of the goals of the UTF is to reach FSU students and educate them about Ukraine, its current and historical relationships with Europe and Russia, and its relevance to American security and economic interests. In 2025 alone, the UTF hosted 21 Ukrainian visitors and offered 17 educational events. 

“I was hosted graciously by the Ukraine Task Force here at FSU. I was positively impressed by the work they’re doing,” Shynkaruk said. “When teaching students, I do believe that direct information is always better than interpretations through second and third-hand perspectives. So, whenever you have a Ukrainian expert or a Ukrainian coming from Ukraine at the table in the classroom, you will have students exposed to a real-life experience and perspective rather than reading about it.” 

Most recently, FSU signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA) last semester to expand global connections and outreach. The UTF also hosted two Ukrainian scholars last semester through the BridgeUSA Ukraine Program for Resilience Reconstruction (BridgeUSA UPRR), an exchange program funded by the U.S. State Department that connects Ukrainian and American researchers.  

“The work they [the UTF] are doing and the fact that they also bring people from Ukraine directly — some cultural presence, some academic presence — there is no better way to learn than to learn from the perspective of the ground,” Shynkaruk said. “The resilience of Ukrainian people, the challenges, the political landscape, all these pros and cons. If you don’t have a Ukrainian at the table, then this is an abstract conversation.” 

LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, LSI develops industry-leading methods and implementation strategies to enhance systematic learning at all levels and in all environments. For more than five decades, LSI has been committed to driving measurable improvements in the performance of both individuals and organizations. 

For more information about the UTF, visit the UTF webpage on LSI’s website. To learn more about FSU’s global footprint, visit global.fsu.edu. 

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Two distinguished professors at the Florida State University Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College) earned recognition from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) for their outstanding work in their respective fields.

Nicole Patton Terry and Lara Perez-Felkner were each selected by the AERA for national education research awards and will be recognized April 9 at the organization’s annual meeting in Los Angeles. Patton Terry is the director of the Florida Center for Reading Research and the Olive & Manuel Bordas Professor in the School of Teacher Education. Perez-Felkner is the Professor of Higher Education and Sociology and is also an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Sociology.

“Drs. Perez-Felkner and Patton Terry are exceptional members of Anne’s College, and I am so proud of their contributions to their fields,” said Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College. “These awards are a testament to their dedication to excellence and their achievements in advancing education research.”

“Drs. Perez-Felkner and Patton Terry are exceptional members of Anne’s College, and I am so proud of their contributions to their fields. These awards are a testament to their dedication to excellence and their achievements in advancing education research.”

– Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College

The AERA strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The organization is dedicated to improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results.

Patton Terry is the recipient of the 2026 AERA Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award. The award is presented to an education research scholar or scholars in recognition of collaborative projects between researchers and practitioners that have had sustained and observable effects on contexts of practice.

Her research, innovation and engagement activities involve young learners who are vulnerable to having difficulties with language and literacy achievement. Patton Terry’s research has been supported by various organizations, including the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Spencer Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation.

She said the award is an example of how research creates real-world impact.

“This award reflects my conviction that public research universities are uniquely positioned to work alongside their communities in ways that leverage our research to advance positive outcomes,” Patton Terry said. “I am honored to have collaborated with so many partners in our schools in communities to make that mission a reality and I humbly accept this award on behalf of us all.”

Perez-Felkner is receiving the 2026 AERA Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award. The award recognizes individuals within AERA for distinguished research, professional practice and activities who advance public understanding of this field at any level in the education community.

Perez-Felkner’s research uses developmental and sociological perspectives to examine the mechanisms that shape opportunity pathways toward postsecondary access and success in scientific career fields. Her work has appeared in several education and social and behavioral science journals. Her research has been supported by external funders including the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation and the Spencer Foundation.

The national award reflects nearly 20 years of research by Perez-Felkner, including particular attention to STEM fields like engineering and computer science.

“I’ve been fortunate to do this work in community with my very first students here at FSU and still today, as well as incredible colleagues nationally and internationally,” Perez-Felkner said. “I’ve been able to communicate findings to audiences including secondary and postsecondary faculty and staff, public audiences and scientific groups like CERN. This is a great honor from our largest professional association in the field of educational research that I’ve been part of since graduate school. It’s humbling to be recognized in this way, and I’m honored and motivated to continue.”

Patton Terry and Perez-Felkner join Lou & Elizabeth Bender Endowed Professor Shouping Hu as recent AERA honorees from Anne’s College. Hu was recognized last week as one of 34 exemplary scholars for the 2026 class of AERA Fellows.

Anne’s College was rated the No. 5 Best College for Education in America among public institutions in Niche’s 2026 Best Colleges in America rankings, and No. 8 nationally. For more information, visit annescollege.fsu.edu.

For more information on AERA, visit aera.net.

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A Florida State University professor at the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College) has been chosen as one of 34 exemplary scholars for the 2026 class of American Educational Research Association (AERA) Fellows.

Shouping Hu, the Lou & Elizabeth Bender Endowed Professor, earned selection to the AERA Fellows Program that honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and for excellence in, education research. The 2026 Fellows were selected by the Fellows Committee and approved by the AERA Council, the association’s elected governing body.

Hu will be inducted alongside his cohort during a ceremony at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on April 9.

“Being named an AERA Fellow is a tremendous honor,” Hu said. “This recognition reflects the collective impact of collaborative research focused on improving postsecondary student success, and I am excited to continue this work as new opportunities emerge in the age of artificial intelligence.”

“This recognition reflects the collective impact of collaborative research focused on improving postsecondary student success, and I am excited to continue this work as new opportunities emerge in the age of artificial intelligence.”

 – Shouping Hu, Lou & Elizabeth Bender Endowed Professor

The AERA is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

Hu is the founding director of the Center for Postsecondary Success (CPS) at FSU and serves as the co-director of the Collaborative Lab for the Advancement of Student Success (CLASS). His research interest examines issues related to postsecondary readiness, outcomes and success.

Throughout his career, Hu has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters on his areas of research – authoring five books. He has become a leading expert on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education and the future of higher education in a changing world.

“Dr. Hu’s selection as an AERA Fellow is a well-deserved recognition of his relentless dedication to advancing postsecondary student success,” said Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College. “Through his leadership with the Center for Postsecondary Success and his prolific, forward-thinking research, he continually elevates the standard of scholarly excellence here at FSU Anne’s College. We are incredibly proud to celebrate this prestigious milestone with him.”

Hu joins a class that is the 18th group to be inducted into the AERA Fellows Program, which was established in 2007 to emphasize to new scholars the importance of sustained research excellence in the field.

AERA’s more than 25,000 members are faculty, researchers, graduate students and other distinguished professionals with rich and diverse expertise in education research. They work in a range of settings from universities and other academic institutions to research institutes, federal and state agencies, school systems, testing companies and nonprofit organizations.

For more information on AERA, visit aera.net.

For more information on Anne’s College and its top-ranked programs in education, visit annescollege.fsu.edu.

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Since 1977, Florida State University’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College) has recognized the excellence of graduates during the Distinguished Alumni Awards. This year, Anne’s College honored five alumni on Feb. 20 in historic Dodd Hall: Shiyi Chen (Ph.D. ’19), Jeffrey Fairbrother (Ph.D. ’00), Mark Ferguson (B.S. ’80), Cecile Reynaud (M.S. ’78, Ph.D. ’98) and Sandra Schultz (Ph.D. ’85).

“I am so proud to call all of these individuals alumni of Anne’s College,” said Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College. “Each one of them represents excellence, whether in a classroom, in a sport, in business, or in our communities. The Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony is not only our way of honoring these individuals but also to elevate them as role models to our current students, who are inspired to see the incredible heights achievable by our graduates.”

Sandra Schultz was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest accolade presented by Anne’s College to a graduate and recognizes individuals who have devoted their careers to making a difference in their field. Schultz is a renowned coach and professor, having spent 34 years at Miami Dade College in the classroom and on the volleyball court and softball field. In 2009, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named her the Florida Professor of the Year. On top of her professional accomplishments, Schultz is also a lifelong equestrian and has served as a United States Equestrian Federation judge.

Cecile Reynaud is one of three recipients this year who received a Distinguished Alumni Award. Over 26 years, Reynaud defined greatness for FSU Athletics as the head volleyball coach, earning 635 wins, seven conference championships and three Conference Coach of the Year awards. She received USA Volleyball’s highest honor, the Friar Award, in 2016 and has previously served as president of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She has also served as chair of Refuge House and was a founding board member and president of We Coach, an organization supporting women in coaching careers.

Jeffrey Fairbrother was also recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award this year. Fairbrother is currently the dean of the College of Education and the Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology at Auburn University. Before his time at Auburn, Fairbrother held positions at Towson University for three years and 17 years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is past president of both the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and the American Kinesiology Association. He was also inducted into the National Academy of Kinesiology in 2025.

The final Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is Mark Ferguson. Ferguson is beloved in St. Petersburg, Florida, for his business, Ferg’s Sports Bar, which is now the largest of its kind in Florida and spans two city blocks. The business just celebrated its 33rd anniversary. Last year, USA Today named Ferg’s Sports Bar the best local sports bar in America. Ferguson is married to his wife of 32 years, Sherry, and the couple has two children, Jake and Erin.

Anne’s College also has awarded Shiyi Chen the Trailblazer Award, which was established in 2015 to recognize alumni who have made significant impact within their profession and have graduated within the last 10 years. Chen is currently a tenured associate professor of Child Development in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Idaho. She received an NSF-CAREER Award for her work investigating how metacognitive language supports children’s science learning. Additionally, she is a co-organizer and presenter at the University of Idaho Child Development Conference, as well as a co-organizer of the first North Idaho Tribal Early Childhood Education Conference. She has also reached thousands of children across rural Idaho through her Farm to Early Care and Education program.

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Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information hosted the 12th annual South Asian Media and Cultural Studies (SAMCS) Conference, a premier international forum for researchers, scholars and practitioners engaged in dialogue surrounding media and culture in South Asia.

The hybrid event Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 took place at The Globe Auditorium and online at the College of Communication and Information’s YouTube channel and the SAMCS YouTube channel. Attendees from around the world joined both in-person and virtually to discuss topics including contemporary challenges in journalism, cultural preservation and resilience, different demographic groups’ media engagement and identity expression through media in South Asia.

This year’s conference theme “Resilience and Renewal: Tradition, Innovation, and Media Futures in South Asia” explored the role of media and communications in preserving identity, sharing knowledge and responding to change across local, Indigenous and urban communities.

Michael R. Ogden, dean emeritus of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University in Dubai, delivered the keynote address, “Indigenous Responses to South Asia’s Climate Crisis,” that focused on Indigenous documentary, climate resilience and the role of South Asian perspectives in shaping global media futures.

An accomplished scholar, storyteller and documentary filmmaker originally from Oregon, Ogden served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji before earning a Ph.D. in political science and pursuing an academic career. His work focuses on Indigenous communities, media and long-term responsibility in the context of a changing climate.

“If we are serious about the theme of this conference — resilience and renewal, tradition, innovation and media futures in South Asia — then we owe the pathfinders a new politics of representation,” he said.  

He explained that the challenges faced by the world today really have to do with how we think about time. Through examples from South Asia, Ogden demonstrated the Seventh Generation principle, an Indigenous philosophy that says every decision made today should consider its impact on people living seven generations in the future.

“When you make a decision today, you are accountable to descendants seven generations into the future,” he said. “If we assume that one human generation is roughly 25 years, that’s a decision horizon of nearly 175 years.”  

The conference continued Friday, Jan. 30, with opening remarks from Michelle Kazmer, dean of the College of Communication and Information.

“This marks the 12th year that a group of students, faculty, alumni and friends have worked together to organize this important forum,” Kazmer said “I hope that this is a chance to learn more about South Asia, make new connections, get in touch with old friends, and to build relationships with colleagues from around the world.”  

The program consisted of four presentation panels, where speakers representing universities from around the world including countries like India, Pakistan, Belgium and Bangladesh spoke on topics ranging from media innovation in South Asia to resilience and representation. The panels are available to watch on the SAMCS YouTube channel.

Taimur Shamil, a national security and foreign policy expert from Pakistan and based in New York, delivered the closing keynote. His talk, “The Narrative Power: Mapping South Asian Think Tanks and Their Influence on Policy Formulation,” focused on how South Asian think tanks shape public debate and influence policy formation.  

“Think tanks are the architects of reality,” Shamil said.

He described South Asia as a politically complex region shaped by geography, security disputes and development challenges, and argued that think tanks help create the language and data used in public debate. During the question-and-answer portion of his talk, Shamil emphasized the importance of grassroots engagement and including multiple perspectives while acknowledging ongoing concerns about bias and how research gets translated into real policy.

“Ideas actually generate from the grassroots level, and a researcher must be connected with the people because that is where the ideas are,” he said.   

From journalism and film to digital storytelling, strategic communications and grassroots media, the conference included a range of perspectives on how tradition and innovation intersect in everyday practice.

“This annual conference brings together students, scholars and practitioners to create space for deeper understanding and long-term collaboration,” said Steve McDowell, FSU’s assistant provost for International Initiatives and interim dean of The Graduate School. “The conversations that happen here continue to shape research, teaching and global engagement at FSU, in South Asia, and beyond.”

McDowell, who also serves as the John H. Phipps Professor of Communication in the College of Communication and Information, planned the conference alongside a committee led by Vaibhav Diwanji, a research assistant professor at the University of Kansas and two-time alumnus of FSU’s School of Communication. Originally from India, Diwanji said he’s proud to continue offering a global platform that brings together scholars, practitioners and policymakers without any registration cost.

“As an FSU alumnus, it’s especially meaningful to see this space continue to grow as a platform for dialogue, collaboration and new ways of thinking about media and culture in South Asia” he said.

The conference was also hosted in collaboration with the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Ruth K. Shepard Broad International Lecture Series and the Center for Global Engagement’s Engage Your World Speaker Series.  

The conference also included a photo exhibit and book launch highlighting the work of Kids of Kathmandu, a nonprofit organization connected to Bhushan Dahal, a doctoral candidate from Nepal pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy at the FSU Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The photos and book document a decade of the organization’s work building schools in Nepal in partnership with local community groups.

The annual event aims to spark new ideas, conversations and scholarly collaborations through engaging presentations, discussions and shared experiences to celebrate and amplify underrepresented voices in South Asia, and beyond. The modern nations of South Asia include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.  

To learn more about the College of Communication and Information at FSU, visit cci.fsu.edu. For more information about the SAMCS Conference, visit comm.cci.fsu.edu/faculty-research/south-asian-media-studies/south-asian-media-studies-conference/.   

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Florida State University Margaret A. Sitton Endowed Professor Michael Ormsbee has been selected for the 2026 Digital Science Communication Fellowship, a national program as part of the Museum of Science’s (MoS) Global Science Creator Network, dedicated to strengthening scientific communication and public understanding.

The fellowship operates at the intersection of scientific communication, public engagement and digital media. The Digital Science Communication Fellowship is the inaugural cohort pairing scientific experts with influential digital creators to help scientists better leverage social communications platforms, creating greater visibility and impact around their work.

Ormsbee serves as director of the FSU Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine, a state-of-the-art research center focused on advancing human performance, nutrition and sports medicine. He is a professor within the renowned Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College).

“I’m genuinely honored to be selected for the MoS Digital Science Communication Fellowship from a worldwide pool of applicants,” Ormsbee said. “As a scientist, I’ve always believed that discovery only matters if people can understand and connect with it. We’re moving beyond research locked inside academic silos toward a new era of borderless, digital science communication, where storytelling, visualization and creativity bring data to life for the public. This fellowship is an exciting opportunity to help lead that shift and reimagine how we share science with the world.”

“As a scientist, I’ve always believed that discovery only matters if people can understand and connect with it.”

– Michael Ormsbee, Margaret A. Sitton Endowed Professor

The program is designed to equip those scientists with the skills needed to successfully communicate their work with clarity, accuracy and cultural resonance across digital platforms. Fellows receive advanced training in digital storytelling, behavioral science, audience strategy and civic-minded communication, and work closely with mentors from leading academic institutions, research laboratories, media organizations and scientific agencies.

“Through our Science Communicator Fellowship, a key initiative of our Global Science Creator Network, we’re training scientists, researchers and experts to communicate more effectively on digital platforms and connect with audiences interested in their work,” said Tim Ritchie, Gwill York President of the Museum of Science. “By pairing them with experienced digital mentors, we’re meeting people where they already are and building trust in science through stories that inspire active hope.”

Ormsbee will join a cohort of more than 40 fellows from across the United States in workshops, mentorship sessions and hands-on communication labs culminating in a public capstone presentation in Boston. Learn more by visiting the Museum of Science Fellowship Program website.

For more information about Anne’s College, visit their website at annescollege.fsu.edu.

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As the director of Florida State University’s Cardiovascular & Applied Physiology Laboratory (CAP Lab), Joseph Watso is leading the way on research aimed at supporting better heart health.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading global cause of death. Watso’s team at the CAP Lab, part of the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, works daily to advance knowledge on the modifiable factors that people can change to reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases.

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Florida State University’s College of Communication and Information will host the 12th Annual South Asian Media and Cultural Studies (SAMCS) Conference Thursday, Jan. 29, and Friday, Jan. 30. 

The SAMCS conference serves as a premier international forum for researchers, scholars and practitioners engaged in dialogue surrounding media and culture in South Asia. Presenters will join the conference from around the world to speak on topics including contemporary challenges in journalism, cultural preservation and resilience, demographic media engagement, and identity through media in South Asia. 

This year’s theme “Resilience and Renewal: Tradition, Innovation, and Media Futures in South Asia” explores the role of media and communications in preserving identity, sharing knowledge and responding to change across local, Indigenous and urban communities.   

The conference will feature two keynote speakers. Michael R. Ogden, dean emeritus of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University in Dubai, will deliver the talk “Indigenous Responses to South Asia’s Climate Crisis” at 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 29, in-person at The Globe Auditorium (110 S. Woodward Ave.). Those unable to attend the lecture in person can livestream it here.    

Ogden is an accomplished teacher, filmmaker and storyteller. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji, Ogden earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Hawai‘i. He has held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Hawai‘i, Central Washington University and Zayed University in Dubai, where he served as Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences until his retirement last fall. 

This lecture is in collaboration with the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Ruth K. and Shepard Broad International Lecture Series and the Center for Global Engagement’s Engage Your World Speaker Series. A pre-lecture reception will take place at 5 p.m.   

Taimur Shamil, president and executive director of the thinktank Policy East, will deliver the talk “The Narrative Power: Mapping South Asian Think Tanks and Their Influence on Policy Formulation” at 1:30 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 30 in-person at The Globe Auditorium, (110 S. Woodward Ave.). Those unable to attend the lecture in person can livestream it here. 

Shamil is a New York based national security and foreign policy expert from Pakistan. He holds a doctorate in International Relations with more than 15 years of service in government, academia and media.Shamil formerly hosted the prime-time program “Dialogue with Taimur Shamil” on Pakistan Television, PTV (World), where he focused on Pakistan’s foreign policy and global politics. His analyses have also appeared regularly on national and international TV Channels like Al-Jazeera, Al-Jazeera Arabic and several others. 

The conference will also include a photo exhibit and book launch highlighting the work of Kids of Kathmandu, a nonprofit organization connected to Bhushan Dahal, a doctoral candidate from Nepal pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy at the FSU Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The photos and book document a decade of the organization’s work building schools in Nepal in partnership with local community groups. Dahal will be at the conference in person to discuss and answer questions.  

The main conference panels will take place from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 30. All conference sessions will be livestreamed on the SAMCS YouTube channel. The opening and closing keynotes will be livestreamed from the College of Communication and Information’s YouTube channel. 

Registration for the conference is free and open to the public. To register, visit comm.cci.fsu.edu/ faculty-research/south-asian-media-studies/south-asian-media-and-cultural-studies-conference/ and scroll to the bottom. View the 2026 SAMCS Conference program.  

To learn more about the College of Communication and Information at FSU, visit cci.fsu.edu. For more information about Kids of Kathmandu, visit kidsofkathmandu.org. 

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Nicole Patton Terry, the Olive & Manuel Bordas Professor of Education in the School of Teacher Education and the director of the Florida Center for Reading Research, has been elected to the National Academy of Education (NAEd).

Patton Terry is one of 19 education leaders and scholars from across the United States elected to the Academy this year and the first NAEd member at Florida State University. Election to the NAEd is considered one of the highest honors in the field of education research. Members are chosen based on their outstanding scholarship and contributions to education policy and practice.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers in the National Academy of Education,” Patton Terry said. “This election is a testament to the collaborative work we are doing at FSU and the Florida Center for Reading Research to ensure that every child has the language and literacy skills necessary to succeed in school and in life.”

As a member of the Academy, Patton Terry joins a select group of scholars dedicated to advancing high-quality education research and its application in policy. The NAEd undertakes research studies to address pressing educational issues and administers professional development fellowship programs to prepare the next generation of education scholars.

“Dr. Patton Terry’s work embodies the very best of Florida State’s research mission —translating rigorous inquiry into meaningful public impact,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “Her work to bridge the gap between the science of reading and day-to-day educational practice is reshaping how we teach our children, and we are incredibly proud to see her scholarship honored on this national stage.”

Before joining FSU in 2018, Patton Terry was an associate professor of special education at Georgia State University. At FSU, she founded The Village at FCRR, a division dedicated to taking a collaborative approach to research by working directly with a variety of school and community partners.

Patton Terry earned her doctorate in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a specialization in learning disabilities, from Northwestern University. She began her career as a special education teacher in Evanston, Illinois. Her extensive portfolio of research and engagement activities has been supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Spencer Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation.

She currently serves as past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading and is a fellow of both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the American Educational Research Association.

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Andrea Lobene, assistant professor in the Florida State University Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences within the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College), has received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to research a new approach to offsetting sodium intake in a typical diet.  

Lobene’s study explores whether it is more effective to promote a high-potassium diet rather than encourage a low-sodium diet. High-potassium foods like fruits, vegetables and dairy products have been shown to reduce the negative effects of high-sodium diets in controlled studies. 

Worldwide, high-sodium diets contribute to about 1.65 million cardiovascular-related deaths annually. Lobene aims for her research to play a role in lowering this significant statistic. 

“I’m honored to receive this grant,” said Lobene. “This was the first major external grant I applied for as an assistant professor, and I am grateful to the USDA for supporting this work that I’ve been wanting to do since I was a postdoctoral researcher.”  

“I am grateful to the USDA for supporting this work that I’ve been wanting to do since I was a postdoctoral researcher.”

Andrea Lobene, Assistant Professor of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences

In Lobene’s study, she will divide participants into randomly assigned groups, with some participants receiving education about reducing sodium intake while others will be coached on how to increase potassium in their diet.  

High-sodium foods are a challenge for a variety of reasons, Lobene explains.   

“We know that a lot of our food tends to be high in sodium, especially foods that come pre-packaged or prepared outside our home,” said Lobene. “Foods prepared outside the home are the biggest sources of sodium in our diet. People are busy, they don’t always have the time or energy to cook a meal from scratch but still need to put food on the table, and food prepared outside the home tends to be more convenient.”  

The USDA-funded grant continues Lobene’s research by taking her experiment on high-potassium diets to see if the positive results can still be achieved in real-world settings. Her research aligns with the university’s FSU Health initiative in combatting the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. 

As a registered dietitian who holds a doctorate in nutrition science, Lobene emphasizes taking research verified in a laboratory setting and making sure it works with the lifestyle of everyday people. 

“From both a research and public health perspective, I hope this work provides strong preliminary evidence that increasing potassium intake is both feasible and effective to counteract the harmful effects of excess sodium,” she added. “This could represent a paradigm shift from only targeting a reduction in sodium intake.”   

Visit the FSU Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences website for more information on its innovative programs and institutes.  

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