Every day, judges, attorneys and court staff make decisions that shape people’s lives. As research increasingly shows that many behaviors bringing people into the courtroom are deeply rooted in unresolved trauma, Florida State University’s Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy (CPEIP) is helping lead a national shift to change how the justice system responds.

In collaboration with Florida’s Office of the State Courts Administrator, CPEIP has launched an online training program to bring trauma science directly into judicial practice. 

The self-paced course, “Trauma & Resilience Education for the Judiciary: Aligning What We Know With What We Do,” equips judges, court personnel and legal stakeholders with actionable, research-backed tools to examine how trauma influences behavior, how resilience fuels recovery and how to integrate trauma-informed practices across the legal system.

“Trauma-informed courts present a transformative opportunity for the justice system to shift toward a more effective, compassionate and therapeutic approach,” said Mimi Graham, director of CPEIP. “This is about aligning what we know with what we do so courts can achieve better outcomes for the individuals and families they serve.”

“Trauma-informed courts present a transformative opportunity for the justice system to shift toward a more effective, compassionate and therapeutic approach. This is about aligning what we know with what we do so courts can achieve better outcomes for the individuals and families they serve.”

— Mimi Graham,  Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy director

Trauma science is reshaping how courts understand and respond to behavior. Without that perspective, courts risk misinterpreting behavior driven by adversity, chronic stress and disrupted development, reinforcing the very cycles they seek to break.

Former Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit says recognizing trauma is essential to improving outcomes.

“If you’re going to work with families in court, you have to recognize the tragedy that brings families to court,” Sjostrom said. “No family gets to court without that history of trauma. And if we fail to recognize and address that trauma, we are ‘rearranging the deck chairs.’ If we recognize that trauma and can learn what science has to teach us, we can intervene more effectively.”

Beyond individual cases, trauma-informed practices can improve decision-making, strengthen public safety and reduce recidivism while helping protect justice professionals from chronic burnout.

Retired Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Jack Helinger believes trauma-informed practices are fundamental to the justice system’s mission.

“If we miss the trauma, we have missed the case,” he said. “Every judge, attorney and others involved in the legal system must be trauma-informed and trauma-responsive.”

Momentum is building across Florida, with judicial leadership and the supporting efforts to expand trauma-informed practices statewide. Each circuit has appointed a judicial lead to champion trauma training and encourage broader adoption.

At the same time, CPEIP is offering the training nationwide. The goal is not to change the role of the judiciary, but to strengthen it by giving judges and court professionals practical tools grounded in science.

That opportunity is gaining traction nationwide as organizations such as the American Bar Association and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges call for trauma-informed practices, prompting courts across the country to adopt approaches that address root causes rather than symptoms.

Retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente called the course “brilliant teaching” that “will transform the way judges and staff view cases involving children and families, and just possibly help to end generational trauma.”

Trauma-informed courts don’t replace accountability. They strengthen it by addressing underlying factors that contribute to repeated involvement in the justice system. The course offers continuing education credits, including CJEs, CLEs and CEUs. It is available at no cost to judges, judicial staff and child welfare direct-service professionals across Florida and at a nominal cost for participants outside the state.

Visit the Center for Prevention & Early Intervention Policy website for more information about this program.

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Seven faculty members from Florida State University have received Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for the 2026-27 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

FSU’s seven scholars will travel to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Belgium, Vietnam and India to teach, conduct research and engage with colleagues in their fields.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational and cultural exchange program. Led by the U.S. government in partnership with 160 countries worldwide, Fulbright offers programs for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research. Participants enrich their education, advance their careers and make meaningful contributions to communities abroad and at home.

In addition, FSU’s Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht received a Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Award, which supports two-week seminars for U.S. higher education administrators to learn about participating countries’ higher education systems, exchange information on best practices and explore the potential for partnerships with institutions of higher education in the host country.

Hecht will use the award in France, where she will participate in briefings, campus visits, appointments with government officials, networking and cultural activities and meetings with French international education professionals to familiarize herself with France’s higher education and research system.

The 2026-2027 Fulbright Scholars from FSU are: 

Jim Lile, a professor at the School of Theatre in the College of Fine Arts, will use the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach courses about Western production practices and conduct research on Asian production methods at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, during the spring 2027 semester. 

Lile brings 25 years of experience in live theater. He was first invited to Taipei in October 2023 to conduct a series of master classes based on his experience with the Western theatrical technical production methods used for opera, musicals, plays and dance. The short visit provided such a valuable opportunity that Lile wanted to return to Taipei to continue teaching and learning more about live performance practices in Asia.  

By focusing on the various organizational structures, training techniques and uses of text, movement and music to tell stories, Lile will explore how cultural values and traditions are reflected in technical production methods. 

“I hope to build an international network with theater designers and technicians and create long-term collaboration opportunities in Taiwan and other regional countries,” Lile said. “Taiwan’s multicultural history offers rich opportunities to study the diverse traditions and histories of Asian live performance.” 

Judith Pascoe, the George Mills Harper Professor in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, will expand on her research and teaching interests in Nara, Japan, through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program starting in March.  

This is Pascoe’s second Fulbright award to Japan. She previously received the Fulbright Japan Lecturing Award for the 2009-2010 academic year while teaching at the University of Iowa. This experience led to her writing “On the Bullet Train with Emily Brontë: ‘Wuthering Heights’ in Japan,” an account of her quest to discover the reasons for the continuous Japanese embrace of the novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë. 

Pascoe will teach classes and continue her research on Japanese adaptations of world literature at Nara Women’s University from March to August 2027. Her classes will draw from her experience as a specialist in nineteenth-century literature, while her research will focus on why certain works have gained popularity among youth demographics.  

“I look forward to fine-tuning the teaching strategies I cultivated for use in Japanese classrooms, to forging relationships with new Japanese colleagues and to learning about present-day Japanese challenges,” Pascoe said. “The Fulbright support for the humanities is a tremendously strong force for kindness, empathy and cross-cultural solidarity.” 

Hui Wang, an associate professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, will conduct collaborative research at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore from January to July 2027 through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.  

While at NTU, Wang will collaborate with colleagues on a research project focused on improving manufacturing quality control and process design in advanced production systems, particularly 3D printing.  

The project combines process simulations, sensor measurements and engineering knowledge to better understand how manufacturing conditions affect product quality. 

“Singapore provides a unique environment where advanced manufacturing and data-driven engineering innovation are closely integrated,” Wang said. “Beyond the technical research, I value the cultural exchange aspect of Fulbright very highly. I believe there is much to learn from Singapore’s emphasis on discipline, efficiency and engineering rigor, while also sharing perspectives from the U.S. research environment that encourage open discussion, interdisciplinary exploration and student-centered mentoring. 

Aleksandra Zimmerman, the Ed McIntyre Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Department of Accounting at the Herbert Wertheim College of Business, will carry out research in Antwerp, Belgium, during the fall and spring semesters.

Zimmerman will work with researchers at the University of Antwerp and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where she will collaborate with faculty on research and engage with students and scholars on topics related to accounting and auditing, human capital and labor markets, and regulatory policy. Her research project will focus on accounting and business with a particular emphasis on issues related to emerging trends and to the accounting and auditing profession and regulation policies in a global context.

The project seeks to address how different institutional structures, cultural norms and regulatory environments influence accounting, auditing and business practices and decision making. Through collaborative research and scholarly exchange, Zimmerman aims to better understand how institutional and cultural settings shape business practices, regulation and standard setting.

“Belgium is an ideal location for this work given its central role in European regulatory and economic systems,” Zimmerman said. “I am most looking forward to the collaborative aspect of the Fulbright experience, working closely with international colleagues, engaging with students, and immersing myself in the academic and cultural life of Belgium and visiting other schools in Europe. Fulbright support is particularly important for accounting and business because these fields are deeply shaped by global economic forces and international regulation.” 

Biwu Ma, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, will also travel to Belgium to conduct research at the University of Antwerp during the upcoming fall and spring semesters through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. He will spend the academic year merging material science and medical physics to improve how ultra-high dose rate radiotherapies monitor radiation in real-time. 

With recent advancements in FLASH radiotherapy, an emerging cancer treatment shown to reduce damage to healthy tissue while delivering high rates of radiation at extreme speeds, comes a need to create radiation dosimeters that reliably detect dosages. Ma’s work focuses on developing organic-inorganic hybrid scintillation materials to provide accurate, real-time dose monitoring and enhance treatment precision. 

“The (University of Antwerp) provides a unique environment where materials science can be directly connected to clinically relevant validation and translational research,” Ma said. “The award emphasizes the importance of international collaboration in driving scientific innovation and translating fundamental discoveries into real-world societal impact.” 

Frankie Wong, the McKenzie Endowed Professor in the College of Nursing and founding director of the Center of Population Sciences for Health Empowerment, will travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, next spring to further his research at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities at National Vietnam University (VNU-USSH).

Wong, who has visited Vietnam nearly 10 times in the past decade and has previously worked in countries like China, Russia, South Africa and Tajikistan, will further his work examining HIV-related stigma intervention among high-risk men in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam with the highest rate of HIV in the country. His work seeks to encourage more people to engage in HIV research, which can lead to more cutting-edge strategies to mitigate and/or prevent this global burden. 

“The Fulbright Fellowship will allow me to have an immersive experience. I believe I have the temperament, humility and appreciation of American culture to serve as an effective cultural ambassador for the U.S.,” he said. 

Paromita Sanyal, an associate professor of Sociology in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and research associate at FSU’s Center for Demography and Population Health, will travel to India using the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award.

Sanyal specializes in international development, gender, economic and political sociology. Her research examines large-scale programs aimed at inducing development, women’s empowerment and financial inclusion.

As a member of the World Bank’s Social Observatory team, which is based in India and tracks projects aiming to eradicate poverty and improve livelihoods around the world, she uses her insights to understand the impact of socioeconomic interventions on women in India. She will expand upon this work during her Fulbright experience.   

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors.  

More than 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants — recent college graduates, graduate students and early career professionals — participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year. 

FSU faculty interested in learning more about applying for Fulbright Program funding can contact Peggy Wright-Cleveland, Director of Faculty Development in the Office of Faculty Development and Advancement, at mwrightcleveland@admin.fsu.edu or (850) 645-8202. 

To learn more about FSU’s global footprint, visit global.fsu.edu. 

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Every day, millions of young women use social media to learn about health and wellness, yet few know that alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer.

To help close this awareness gap, Russell Clayton, the Distinguished and Endowed Provost McKenzie Professor, professor in FSU’s School of Communication and director of the Cognition and Emotion Lab, is collaborating on a five-year study with researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James, and UMass Chan Medical School.

Funded by a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI), the team is working to identify the most effective social media message strategies for raising awareness about the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk among women ages 18 to 25.

“Drinking alcohol during young adulthood is associated with benign breast disease, which increases the risk of future breast cancer, as well as a higher risk of developing breast cancer before menopause,” Clayton said. “Despite these risks, fewer than one-third of young adult women are aware that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for breast cancer.”

Although alcohol is an established risk factor for breast cancer, public awareness of that link remains low. Compared with other modifiable cancer risk factors, such as tobacco use, alcohol has historically received less attention in cancer prevention messaging.

Because young adulthood is both a biologically vulnerable period for breast development and a time when alcohol use is common, researchers and public health agencies are increasingly focused on improving awareness of alcohol-related breast cancer risk.

“Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, provide a unique opportunity to reach young women with evidence-based health information at scale. Through this project, we will identify which social media message characteristics are most effective at increasing awareness of alcohol-related breast cancer risk and encouraging informed health decisions.”

The project will begin with a national online study examining how different social media messages about alcohol-related breast cancer risk influence young women’s responses. Clayton will then lead the laboratory phase at FSU’s Cognition and Emotion Lab, where researchers will combine self-report assessments and psychophysiological measures to better understand young women’s cognitive and emotional responses.

During the multi-site laboratory phase of the project, participants will view a simulated social media feed while researchers assess their responses to breast cancer prevention messages. Using eye-tracking technology, Clayton will examine which message features capture and hold participants’ visual attention, while measures of heart rate and skin conductance will provide objective indicators of participants’ emotional and cognitive responses to the messages.

Clayton and collaborators will then determine whether participants’ psychophysiological and self-reported responses differ by baseline alcohol use, informing whether digital health messages should be tailored to different drinking patterns.

“Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, provide a unique opportunity to reach young women with evidence-based health information at scale. Through this project, we will identify which social media message characteristics are most effective at increasing awareness of alcohol-related breast cancer risk and encouraging informed health decisions.”

— Russell Clayton, School of Communication professor and Cognition and Emotion Lab director

The study will generate evidence to help public health agencies design more effective digital communication strategies for reducing alcohol-related breast cancer risk among young women.

“This project will advance cancer communication science by identifying the social media message strategies that most effectively communicate the link between alcohol use and breast cancer risk,” Clayton said. “The findings will help public health agencies, breast cancer prevention organizations and policymakers strengthen future public health campaigns and ultimately reduce alcohol-related breast cancer risk.”

The five-year project brings together researchers from Florida State University, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James, and UMass Chan Medical School with expertise in health communication, cancer prevention, biostatistics and behavioral science to develop more effective strategies for reducing alcohol-related breast cancer risk among young women.

The collaborative research team is led by multiple principal investigators — Russell Clayton at FSU, Darren Mays at Ohio State and Elise Stevens at UMass Chan, alongside Ohio State co-investigators Abigail Shoben and Margaret Gatti-Mays.

Clayton also acknowledges the support of Florida State’s College of Communication and Information, including Dean Michelle Kazmer, School of Communication Director Patrick Merle and grant specialist Cherie Pagan, whose leadership and administrative support were instrumental in securing the award.

To learn more about the FSU Cognition and Emotion Lab, visit the FSU Cognition and Emotion Lab webpage.

Optimizing Social Media Messages Targeting Young Adult Women About the Risks of Breast Cancer from Alcohol Consumption:

This multi-institutional project, is funded by a five-year Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI), expected to total $3,113,767.

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The Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) at Florida State University hosted the 2026 Florida Statewide Finals of the National Civics Bee® on Tuesday, June 30, at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center, where 12 middle school students from across Florida competed in a live, quiz-style civics championship.

Araoluwakiitan A., an 8th-grade student at Voyager K-8 in St. Cloud, Florida, was named the 2026 Florida Statewide Finals winner and will advance to the National Civics Bee® championship in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13-14. The national championship will bring together state champions to compete for the national title and a first-place 529 education award of $100,000.

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.

During the statewide finals, students demonstrated their civic knowledge through multiple rounds of live competition, answering questions about government, civic responsibility and public life while engaging with judges, audience members and community leaders.

“It feels amazing, and I can’t believe I’m going to D.C.,” said Araoluwakiitan A., 2026 Florida Statewide Finals winner of the National Civics Bee®.

Statewide finals winners received prizes up to $1,000. Georgia W., a 7th grade student at Julia Landon College Preparatory in Jacksonville finished in second place, and Orion A., an 8th grade student at Pine View School in Osprey, Florida, came in third place.

“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 are proud to welcome these outstanding students to Tallahassee and celebrate the curiosity, leadership and civic responsibility they represent.”

Student participants, who advanced through regional essay competitions hosted by local chambers, included:

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

• Orion A., Pine View School, 8th grade
• Zeke C., Pine View School, 7th grade
• Tristan R., Pine View School, 7th grade

St. Pete Chamber of Commerce

• Viacheslav B., Farnell Middle School, 6th grade
• Sayed H., Liberty Middle School, 7th grade
• David M., Safety Harbor Middle School, 7th grade

The Osceola Chamber of Commerce

• Araoluwakiitan A., Voyager K-8, 8th grade
• Avinoor J., Abraham Lincoln Middle School, 8th grade
• Georgia W., Julia Landon College Preparatory, 7th grade

Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

• Emma C., Liza Jackson Preparatory School, 7th grade
• Arianna N., Northwest Florida Ballet Académie, 8th grade
• Rishi T., Florida State University Schools K-12, 7th grade

The statewide finals reflect the IGC’s broader mission to advance the principles of liberty through research, education, and discourse. Through the National Civics Bee®, students are encouraged to learn, lead and contribute to their communities while gaining a deeper understanding of the role informed citizens play in a strong democracy.

For more information about the Florida Statewide Finals of the National Civics Bee®, visit the IGC’s event website.

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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A leading global agency of the United Nations has tabbed Florida State University as its first chair focused on sport ecology — a landmark agreement that places FSU at the center of one of the world’s most critical and emerging fields of study.

UNESCO, which stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, selected FSU for a four-year partnership that connects the university to the global agency’s priority-setting work and to peer institutions on six continents. There are 14 UNESCO Chairs in sport-related fields worldwide. FSU is the only one based in the United States and the only one dedicated specifically to sport ecology.

The distinction positions FSU at the forefront of a rising discipline linking sport, environmental science and global policy.

“Holding the world’s first UNESCO Chair in sport ecology is a distinct honor for Florida State University, and a recognition that sport’s relationship with the environment is worthy of serious study,” said Timothy Kellison, FSU’s chairholder and an associate professor of sport management within the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

“Holding the world’s first UNESCO Chair in sport ecology is a distinct honor for Florida State University, and a recognition that sport’s relationship with the environment is worthy of serious study.”

– Timothy Kellison, associate professor of sport management

Sport ecology is the study of the bidirectional relationship between sport and natural environment. It is a critical field examining both how sport affects the environment — whether through carbon emissions, energy use or facility construction — and how environmental change affects sport.

According to UNESCO, the academic infrastructure for understanding and improving sport’s environmental performance remains nascent. A UNESCO Chair dedicated to sport ecology fills a gap in both scholarship and international policy, helping shape a multi-hundred-billion dollar global sports industry with a large environmental footprint.

The designation gives FSU’s research and faculty opportunities for international collaboration and access to the agency’s knowledge networks. For students, it will signal that FSU provides an education in a discipline of growing career relevance as sport organizations face growing pressure to address sustainability.

Over the four-year partnership, FSU will build a collaborative research network of UNESCO Chairs and academic institutions worldwide; strengthen the education and training of sport ecology; facilitate knowledge for researchers, practitioners and policymakers; and raise public awareness.

FSU is among just 33 institutions in the U.S. with a UNESCO Chair designation — joining other research universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Penn, Georgetown and Northwestern.

FSU’s faculty team includes an interdisciplinary group of experts from across the university spanning sport management, urban and regional planning, geography, design, political science, anthropology and history. This faculty, which will work together to address the challenges of sport ecology, includes Eric Coleman (political science); Ronald Doel (history); Tisha Joseph Holmes (urban and regional planning); Amy Kim (sport management); Amy Kowal (anthropology); Meaghan McSorley (urban and regional planning); Victor Mesev (geography); Meghan Mick (interior design); and Devra Waldman (sport management).

For more information on the FSU Department of Sport Management, which was recently voted a top three program among public institutions, visit the department’s website.

Find out more about UNESCO by visiting its website.

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Soon after the development of the first computers, engineers and programmers began tinkering with them to create games. Turning a calculating machine into a device for fun pushed the capabilities of the new technology, stimulated creative thinking and inspired interest from the public.

From their origins in the 1950s and 1960s, video games have come a long way. They’re now an industry that generates more than $180 billion annually around the world. Faculty at Florida State University are innovating in this rapidly evolving field, studying how games can reduce mental health stigma, improve language learning, train child welfare professionals and create new opportunities for science communication.

Games and human behavior

At the College of Communication and Information (CCI), researchers are investigating the cultural impacts of video games and how they can affect perceptions of mental illness. In 2025, Professor Nicholas Sellers authored a book chapter titled “GAMES FOR GOOD: Exploring the Potential for Traditional Video Game Narratives to Reduce Mental Health Stigma.”

The chapter is based on a study published in Frontiers, conducted by Sellers and Associate Professor Arienne Ferchaud. The study examined whether playing or watching a video game character experiencing mental illness affected participants’ attitudes toward mental health.

Researchers found that players who directly engaged with the game felt more connected to the character and demonstrated lower levels of stigma, which may help remove impediments to treatment.

“One of the main barriers to seeking treatment is the stigma around mental health. If we can find ways to destigmatize mental illness, we can remove that barrier and encourage treatment when necessary,” Ferchaud said. “Video games are an effective medium for representation because of their interactivity, allowing players to ‘practice’ interactions in a way that is not possible in non-interactive media.”

Other CCI researchers are also exploring applications of video games in the classroom. In a multi-institutional research study published in ACM Journals, Professor Sana Tibi co-led research examining whether collaborative video games can help English as a Second Language (ESL) students develop language skills. The study paired native English speakers and ESL students in a game that required communication and cooperation to complete tasks.

Other research is examining games as a communication medium that intrinsically involves decision making from the audience. Gabrielle Lamura, a doctoral student at FSU, explored horror and morality in video games in her paper, “Moral Dilemmas: Horror Video Games Narrative Mechanics,” which she presented at a 2025 National Communication Association conference.

Some of her other projects are examining how environmental factors and game mechanics influence player behavior and a review of morality and moral decision making in games.

At the FSU College of Music, Assistant Professor Julianne Grasso researches music in multimedia, especially video games, examining how musical themes associated with characters and places develop during a game’s narrative.

“Video game music is interesting for the ways that it seems to function as background and yet has such an effect on us,” Grasso said. “It’s similar to film music in that it can affect how we perceive the emotions and meanings of the scenes we are watching, but video game music goes one step further in influencing ultimately how players interact with virtual environments.”

As technology developed, game designers gained a greater ability to add richness and interactivity to in-game sounds and music, changing how users perceived their experience. Early adaptive audio has evolved so musical directors in modern games have a wide number of parameters they can adjust to fit their creative goals.

“In a film, we might get tense, dissonant music to accompany a suspenseful scene and help the audience feel what characters feel. In a game, that same kind of music might be used as a signal for the player to watch out for danger and to act accordingly,” she said.

From screen to reality: Practical applications of video game technology

The Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW) collaborated with different contractors to launch two new virtual reality (VR) tools that help social workers train for a critical job in low-stakes virtual environments.

“We are working to create real-world practice opportunities for both current child welfare professionals and students preparing to enter the field,” said FICW Associate Director of Professional Development Kristina Finch. “Through our immersive VR platforms, including the Accenture Avenues headset experiences and our AI-powered virtual home environment being developed with MeetKai, participants can build and strengthen the skills needed to effectively engage with children and families while promoting safety and well-being.”

These interactive simulations provide controlled environments where College of Social Work students can develop skills before practicing in real-world settings. These AI-powered tools allow students to practice observing environmental factors in a virtual setting, helping students connect classroom instruction with real-world practice.

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The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust has awarded two faculty members in the FSU Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College) a $500,000 grant to train the next generation of professionals working with individuals with autism.

With the generous funding, Anne’s College will offer competitive scholarships to provide full financial support to teachers pursuing the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate. The grant will support 75 in-service teachers over the next three years.

Veronica Fleury, associate professor in special education at Anne’s College, says that access to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate curriculum will greatly benefit teachers.

“It is currently estimated that 1 in 31 children are identified with autism,” Fleury said. “This means all teachers, regardless of grade level or educational setting, will have students with autism in their classes. Educators who complete this program will be better equipped to support the varied needs of their learners, specifically the growing autistic student population.”

The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust has a long history of awarding grants in education. Addie McConomy, clinical assistant professor and program leader for special education at Anne’s College, explains that this funding will serve the long-term goal of bolstering the teacher workforce.

“Any plan to strengthen the Florida teacher pipeline must involve concerted efforts to retain teachers who enter the field,” said McConomy. “A key factor in retention lies in professional preparation. Funding from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust will allow us to provide teachers access to high-quality coursework in teacher education.”

McConomy and Fleury’s sustaining vision is that teachers who are prepared to teach will be prepared to stay. With the support of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, they are making actionable steps toward this shared goal.

To be considered for the funding opportunity, prospective students should complete an online application found on the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate website. All teachers are eligible to apply; however, priority will be given to those who hold a temporary license, as they may benefit most from professional learning opportunities.

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Two professors at Florida State University’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College) have earned fellowships recognizing their contributions to the field of nutrition.

Associate Professor Sarah A. Johnson and Betty M. Watts Endowed Professor Ravinder Nagpal, both members of FSU’s Department of Health, Nutrition and Food Sciences, are among 69 researchers and professionals selected for the American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN) 2026 Excellence in Nutrition Fellows of ASN (FASN).

The program recognizes nutrition professionals who are 10 or more years beyond their terminal degree and have maintained ASN membership for five or more years. Fellows have demonstrated significant impact in their respective career paths, as well as meaningful service to ASN.

The FASN designation recognizes significant contributions to nutrition science, practice and professional service.

Johnson’s research uses clinical and translational approaches to develop food and nutritional interventions. Her work evaluates how nutritional interventions, particularly phytochemical-rich, high–nutritional quality functional foods, promote cardiometabolic health and reduce cardiovascular disease risk with aging.

Earlier this year, Johnson was one of 12 researchers whose study examined the effects of wild blueberries on cardiometabolic health. The findings received attention in national and industry publications.

Johnson said the fellowship reflects a career shaped by mentors, colleagues and collaborators.

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition among colleagues I admire and whose work continues to advance the science of nutrition and its translation to improve human health and well-being,” Johnson said. “I am deeply appreciative to everyone who has contributed to making this achievement possible. I joined the American Society for Nutrition as a PhD student, new to research and having just worked as a clinical inpatient and outpatient dietitian prior to going back to school to pursue a doctoral degree. Reflecting on that journey, it is difficult to fully express the meaning and impact of this recognition. To be honored by peers I admire so strongly is especially meaningful.”

Nagpal directs The Gut Biome Lab, which studies the mechanisms and dynamics of host-diet-microbe interactions and how they influence human health.

He has become one of the country’s top experts in gut health, a field that has fueled interest because of new research showing how the gut plays a central role in overall health. His lab collaborates with experts in gerontology, neuroscience, microbiology, nutrition/food sciences, cell/molecular biology, immunology, sepsis and clinical care.

Nagpal said the fellowship reflects the collaborative nature of nutrition research.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition,” Nagpal said. “This distinction reflects the collective efforts of an incredible community of my mentors, collaborators, students, trainees and friends who have supported my endeavors and made this recognition possible. My research is centered on understanding how nutrition shapes the gut microbiome and influences health and disease, with the goal of translating these discoveries into strategies for disease prevention and improved well-being. Since joining ASN in 2017, I have always been proud to be part of a scientific community dedicated to advancing nutrition science through education, research and service.”

The 2026 Fellows will be recognized July 25-28 at NUTRITION 2026 in National Harbor, Md., at the ASN’s annual meeting.

For more information about Anne’s College, visit its website.

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Two Florida State University students from the Department of History have earned prestigious awards for their work in the identification, protection and rehabilitation of historic sites around the state of Florida. 

Chase Panish and Flora Domitrovic, both Spring 2026 graduates, have won the Historic Preservation Scholar Award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, a statewide award recognizing outstanding scholarship in the field. 

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation is a statewide non-profit founded in 1978 with the goal of promoting the preservation and sharing of Florida’s heritage. The awards were first presented in 2024, and many of the recipients have hailed from FSU. 

“Flora and Chase are gifted preservationists who excel at archival research to create research projects that benefit their communities,” said Kathleen Powers Conti, an assistant professor of history at FSU who nominated the students for this award. “Two of our students receiving this prestigious, statewide award showcases the important, community-engaged work that the Department of History does every day.” 

“Flora and Chase are gifted preservationists who excel at archival research to create research projects that benefit their communities. Two of our students receiving this prestigious, statewide award showcases the important, community-engaged work that the Department of History does every day.” 

— Kathleen Powers Conti, assistant professor of history at FSU

Panish was honored with the Historic Preservation Scholar Award for his work nominating Tallahassee’s Union Bank to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). When the NRHP — the official list of the U.S.’s historically significant places — was created in 1966, there was a rush to build out the list. The Union Bank was originally listed in 1971, but like many of the original listings, the existing nomination was quite short and had substantial gaps. Panish authored an updated nomination for the Union Bank, the state’s oldest surviving bank building, to include more substantive discussions about its history and architectural significance.  

A NRHP nomination requires months of archival research, interviews and site visits to create a detailed description of a site’s long history and architectural significance. Panish worked closely with the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources to develop the appropriate documentation to renominate the bank with a testament of its full history including its time as a plantation owner’s bank and, later, a branch of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, a Congress-chartered bank serving formerly enslaved people. 

“Don’t look past a small building. Every patch of dirt has a history if you look far enough,” Panish said. “Just follow your interests because you never know where they may lead.” 

Prior to graduating this spring with a master’s in history with a major in public history, Panish interned at Heritage Village, a public museum featuring a collection of a historic structures in Pinellas County, Fla., during which he created several precise, digital, architectural drawings to help the museum complete its catalog of these structures.  

Panish also used specialized software to design and build 3D virtual models of the structures to create an opportunity for people with disabilities who may not be able to fully access these sites a chance to experience them. As an advocate for accessibility in preservation, Panish was selected by the National Council on Public History to partake in the Accessibility Working Group beginning in Jan. 2025, a team dedicated to making public history more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. 

“I’m disabled but there are not a lot of disabled people in the preservation realm,” Panish said. “I’m grateful for the research and to have received this honor so that I can represent the small amount of disabled people in my field.” 

After graduation, Panish plans to continue his involvement in cultural resource management as an architectural historian, documenting and evaluating historic sites for preservation. 

Domitrovic earned the Historic Preservation Scholar Award for her Honors in the Major project, “Early Computers as a Tool for Ecologically Conscious City Planning.” Her research examined how urban planners in the 1970s encouraged more environmentally conscious planning, in line with new environmental regulations of the time, through the integration of computers into urban planning systems. 

With support from an IDEA Grant from FSU’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, Domitrovic visited the Library of Congress’ History of Computer Cartography and Geographic Information Sciences Archive during the summer of 2025 to examine primary sources related to the integration of these systems.  

“We can see the similarities between how people grappled with automation in the integration of computers into the city-planning in the 1970s and the emergence of AI today,” said Domitrovic. “We can also see the link between environmental conservation and historic preservation, and the early efforts to try to protect them both.” 

Domitrovic earned her bachelor’s degree in history from FSU this spring, and during her time in the department, she completed internships at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She also worked with the Florida Resources and Environmental Analysis Center, starting with her experience in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Domitrovic also drafted a nomination to put Tallahassee’s Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, built in 1940, on the National Register of Historic Places. 

In Fall 2026, she will join the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design to purse a master’s in city planning.  

To learn more about historic preservation and the research conducted in the FSU Department of History, visit history.fsu.edu.

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The Florida Center for Research in STEM (FCR-STEM) at Florida State University has awarded its first-ever Innovating Teacher of the Year award to honor Anna Prindle, a fifth-grade teacher at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School.   

With more than 20 years of educational experience, Prindle has earned multiple Teacher of the Year awards and has provided opportunities for students at Holley-Navarre in robotics, coding, 3D printing and other STEM activities that would not have been possible without her securing major STEM grants.  

The award was presented to Prindle Thursday, May 14, at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School. 

“We are thrilled to be honoring Anna Prindle with the first-ever FCR-STEM Innovating Teacher of the Year award,” said Rabieh Razzouk, director of FSU’s Learning Systems Institute, which is home to FCR-STEM. “By connecting complex STEM concepts to hands-on experiences, familiar contexts and student-driven inquiry, Ms. Prindle is allowing all learners to engage with confidence and curiosity and excel. She has transformed STEM education into an accessible, interdisciplinary and community-connected experience that prepares students for real-world problem solving, setting an example for the future of STEM education in Florida.” 

Prindle’s work is built on a foundation of professional experiences across multiple states, virtual learning environments and international teaching in Japan. These experiences have shaped her ability to design inclusive, adaptableand forward-thinking STEM opportunities that meet the needs of all learners by incorporating emerging technologies, community partnerships and real-world problem solving. 

She has improved her students’ measurable performance while blending science, technology, engineering and mathematics with literacy, creativity and career awareness. 

“The academic impact of her work is evident,” said Holley-Navarre Intermediate Principal Ann Thomas. “Her students consistently demonstrate growth in science and mathematics, with math exceeding district and state averages. What stands out even more is the confidence students develop as learners. Students who once struggled with math or science begin to take risks, explain their thinking and work through challenging problems with persistence.” 

Prindle’s impactful work includes the project “From Code to Creatures,” in which students move from coding Ozobots to designing food webs, 3D-printing ecosystem animals and applying algebraic reasoning to their own creations. This project blends computer science, life science and mathematics while emphasizing problem solving, collaboration and creativity. Students not only learn standards but also apply them in meaningful, tangible ways that mirror real-world STEM applications. 

Her work on the Uniquely Human Grant transforms the study of human body systems into an immersive investigation using microscopes, stethoscopes and 3D modeling. Students collect and analyze data, design models and connect scientific understanding to personal identity, demonstrating how innovation can deepen both academic learning and student engagement. 

Beyond the classroom, Prindle’s leadership expands STEM learning across the entire school community. As the leader of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Committee, she has grown STEAMNight into an event serving over 450 participants and 170 families, creating access to hands-on STEM experiences beyond the school day. She also launched a schoolwide industry panel during Manufacturing Month in conjunction with STEAM Night, connecting students with professionals from organizations such as GE Vernova and the Doolittle Institute. These experiences bridge classroom learning with future STEM careers, preparing students for the 21st-century workforce. Additionally, her leadership of One School, One Project, engages nearly 700 students across 35 classrooms in engineering design challenges, fostering collaboration, innovation and shared problem solving at a schoolwide level. 

“Ms. Prindle models how innovation is not a single lesson but its own culture,” said Santa Rosa County District Schools Coordinator of STEAM Michael Knowlton. “Her work bridges families, community partners and educators, strengthening the STEM ecosystem for all students. She exemplifies what it means to transform STEM education through creativity, leadership and sustained, measurable impact on students, teachers and the broader community. She consistently creates STEM experiences that are both rigorous and deeply engaging for all learners.” 

Prindle’s impact has been recognized through honors including Holley-Navarre Intermediate School Teacher of the Year (2026-2027) and the Air and Space Forces Association Hurlburt Field Elementary Teacher of the Year (2025),and she has been selected to attend Educators Space Camp this summer. She has also served as a facilitator for other educators as part of FSU’s InSPIRE initiative in the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast. 

For more information about FCR-STEM and the Learning Systems Institute at FSU, visit their website at lsi.fsu.edu. 

FCR-STEM was created by the Florida Legislature and competitively awarded to Florida State University in 2006. The mission of FCR-STEM is to help the State of Florida improve STEM teaching and learning in grades K-12 and prepare students for higher education and STEM careers in the 21st century. Through impacts on teacher knowledge and classroom practice, FCR-STEM strives to improve student achievement, narrow student achievement gapsand increase student pursuit in STEM fields. 

LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, we develop 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. 

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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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