During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, organizations across the country work to educate the public about relationship abuse and dispel harmful misconceptions. One key focus is the difficulty of leaving an abusive relationship.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when a survivor is leaving. Survivors attempt to leave an average of seven times before escaping permanently.

To help illustrate these challenges, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (FICW) hosted the “In Their Shoes” simulation as part of Florida State University’s Discovery Days. The simulation presented participants with situations commonly faced by victims of domestic violence and required them to make decisions related to safety, housing, finances, employment and family well-being.

The experience gave participants insight into obstacles faced by survivors of domestic violence trying to leave a dangerous situation.

“This exercise highlights how decisions that may seem straightforward from the outside often involve significant complexity,” said FICW Director Lisa Magruder. “Once participants understand more of the context, they begin to see the many gray areas involved. Ultimately, it helps build empathy.”

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Florida State University’s Learning Systems Institute (LSI) is partnering with School-to-School International on a five-year, $21.7 million project to strengthen secondary education in Belize, with $1.6 million allocated to FSU.

The Equipping Secondary Educators Program Partnership (ESEPP) is the largest investment under the Belize Compact’s Education Project and will bring together Belizean and U.S. expertise to improve school leadership, teacher development and educational outcomes nationwide.

LSI will provide technical expertise and support to strengthen educational quality assurance systems in Belize and improve teaching quality, teacher preparation and school leadership. These efforts will build the capacity of educators and institutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes for Belizean students.

“We are extremely excited to begin work on this five-year program to strengthen every level of Belize’s secondary education ecosystem,” LSI Director Rabieh Razzouk said. “LSI has tremendous experience in teaching through capacity building, working in the secondary education space and working internationally. We also have a wonderful working relationship with School-to-School International and have previously collaborated on two successful multimillion-dollar projects in Malawi and Zambia.”

ESEPP will support the Belize Compact’s goal of increasing the number of students who graduate from post-primary education with skills that meet workforce needs. Working closely with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and other stakeholders, the partnership will strengthen Belize’s existing education institutions and systems.

The program will focus on four key areas: school leadership, professional development for secondary teachers, teacher preparation and improved teaching and learning materials.

“We are honored to partner with School-to-School International, the MoECST and Belizean institutions on this important initiative,” said Ana Marty, a senior research associate at LSI who will serve as the principal investigator on the project. “Through the ESEPP project, FSU will support efforts to strengthen teacher preparation, professional development, school leadership, and instructional quality so more Belizean students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need for future success. We are especially excited to work alongside local educators to build sustainable systems that will continue to benefit schools and learners long after the project concludes.”

The Education Project aims to improve learning outcomes and workforce readiness by strengthening secondary education and Belize’s technical and vocational education and training systems. The goal is to equip more young Belizeans with the literacy, numeracy, technical and other skills needed to succeed in further education, training and the workforce.

The governments of Belize and the United States, through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), officially launched the compact in September. The compact includes a $125 million grant from the U.S. government and nearly $55 million from the government of Belize to strengthen workforce preparation and reduce electricity costs.

“For our young Belizean, then this must mean a clear path from the classroom to qualifications and from qualifications to meaningful employment,” said Prime Minister of Belize John Briceno. “For too long, we hear that we are graduating so many kids from high school, but when they leave high school, it’s difficult for them to get a meaningful job. You know, in many instances, they end up working in a store, and by us being able to align the educational system better with the needs of the economy, I think that we’re not only planning for the future, but we are creating better opportunities for young Belizeans.”

Melba Marin-Velasquez, an assistant in research at LSI, will serve as co-principal investigator on the project. Stephanie Zuilkowski, associate director for research at LSI and a professor in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, will also serve as a key member of the technical team.

For more information about LSI, visit lsi.fsu.edu. To learn more about FSU’s global footprint, visit global.fsu.edu. 

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As November’s midterm elections approach, political debates emerge at the forefront for many voters. But as more people turn to short-form video, questions arise over how many voters will watch full-length debates rather than clips shared on social media.  

A 2025 survey by Ampere Analysis found that watching short-form video is now the second most-used media format, ranking above broadcast television. The shift raises questions about how much information audiences receive and whether that information is reliable. 

Florida State University Professor and Director of the School of Communication Patrick Merle studies crisis and risk communication, artificial intelligence, trust and transparency. He says that while short-form content limits exposure to the full context of an issue, the source of that content may be even more important.  

“I would argue that what is most important is who posts that short-form content, because there would be a difference if it’s a credible news source or the candidate themselves,” said Merle.  

Social media algorithms are designed to show users clips they are likely to engage with, often reinforcing their existing viewpoints. Merle said this exposure to tailored content can deepen political polarization.   

“People are in their silos, and they’re only exposing themselves to similar points of view and similar perspectives, so by default, it’s going to emphasize that polarization,” said Merle.  

This shift in viewing habits affects not only how audiences perceive candidates but also how politicians communicate with voters. Merle said candidates must now consider how their debate performances will play out in short clips on social media, even as they work to answer questions and explain their positions. 

“We have to remember that political candidates understand how to play the game,” Merle said. “The audience is now hungry for different content, and so they must adjust their communication to that content. I think they’re probably trained and advised by their teams on how to best prepare their messaging on TikTok, on Instagram, on Facebook and other platforms.”  

“We have to remember that political candidates understand how to play the game. The audience is now hungry for different content, and so they must adjust their communication to that content. I think they’re probably trained and advised by their teams on how to best prepare their messaging on TikTok, on Instagram, on Facebook and other platforms.”  

– Patrick Merle, Florida State University Director of the School of Communication

As political communication increasingly moves to social media, short clips can strip context or amplify sensational claims. Merle said that raises concerns about voters’ ability to distinguish factual information from misleading content. 

“Some citizens are not always well equipped to distinguish those things because they’re heavily polarized, because they don’t have the level of political knowledge that is required to engage in the fundamental discussion of those issues,” Merle said.  

Merle said declining trust in political figures and the political process may compound the problem. Voters who distrust traditional sources may be less inclined to seek additional information, leaving social media as their only reference.  

As political content becomes increasingly tailored toward short-form videos, the responsibility of verifying information falls heavily on voters. Merle suggests that media literacy is crucial during this transition.  

“They should have the discipline to go to an official source, or a more traditional source that has a higher level of credibility and neutrality,” he said.  

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Experiential learning event offers participants a firsthand look at the challenges survivors face during Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As part of Florida State University’s annual Discovery Days, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare will host an interactive learning simulation designed to help participants better understand the realities faced by survivors of domestic violence.

In the In Their Shoes simulation, participants assume the role of a parent navigating life while experiencing domestic violence. They complete real-world scenarios that simulate common barriers survivors face and make decisions related to safety, housing, finances, employment and family well-being.

“The In Their Shoes simulation is a unique experiential learning opportunity that can’t easily be achieved through a lecture or reading on the topic,” said simulation facilitator Krista Del Gallo. “Participants gain critical perspectives around the choices survivor parents make and how they often come from a place of protecting children and seeking safety in light of limited options.”

The event will take place:

TUESDAY, OCT. 20 

1-3 P.M. 

ROOMS 2400 AND 2500,
THE GLOBAL AND MULTICULTURAL ENGAGEMENT BUILDING 

110 S. WOODWARD AVE. 

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS 

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Visit the event website for more information and to register.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence has far-reaching impacts on children and families and is frequently present among families involved in the child welfare system. Child welfare professionals play an important role in helping families navigate safety concerns and resources, making a deeper understanding of survivors’ experiences critical to effective support and intervention.

“Domestic violence affects families in every community,” said Lisa Magruder, the institute’s director. “Through research, training and public engagement opportunities like In Their Shoes, we hope to build understanding and strengthen the systems that support families.”

Experiential learning programs help participants engage more deeply with challenging issues by offering an immersive experience that challenges participants to grapple more deeply with complex subject matters.

“In Their Shoes isn’t a game, and it isn’t meant to be fun,” Magruder said. “It’s designed to encourage perspective-taking, critical thinking and reflection. By putting yourself in someone else’s position, you start to see something victim advocates have emphasized for years: survivors are the experts in their own safety.”

The event is intended for students, faculty and staff interested in gaining a deeper understanding of domestic violence and its impact on families. It may be especially valuable for those studying or working in social work, education, public health, psychology, criminal justice and related fields.

“Domestic violence is not just a workforce issue. It’s a community issue.” Magruder said.  “The more we understand about the realities of abuse, the better equipped we are to respond. When we listen to survivors, learn from research and work together across systems, we create stronger pathways to survivor empowerment.”

The Discovery Days simulation is one of several ways the institute is advancing understanding of domestic violence and its impact on children and families. In addition to training and professional development opportunities, the institute recently dedicated season nine of its child welfare podcast, “Together for Families: Domestic Violence Support in Child Welfare,” to conversations with researchers, advocates, practitioners and individuals with experience on this issue.

Established by the Florida Legislature and housed in the FSU College of Social Work, the institute also offers research publications, learning opportunities and workforce development resources that support child welfare professionals. Through these efforts, the institute connects research, practice and policy to improve outcomes for families and strengthen Florida’s child welfare workforce.

Visit the In Their Shoes event page for more information and to register. Visit the Florida Institute for Child Welfare website to learn more about the institute, explore domestic violence-related resources or listen to “Together for Families.”

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Nestled in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood just east of downtown Atlanta, a two-story home built in 1895 preserves the childhood story of one of the world’s most renowned civil rights leaders, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This historic home, managed by the National Park Service, reopened to the public this year with contributions from a Florida State University historian.

Assistant Professor of History Kathleen Powers Conti began working in 2019 to help restore and reinterpret King’s childhood home, working with NPS staff to identify needed repairs, update accessibility features and recommend ways to create a more historically accurate and meaningful experience for visitors.

“This home is a pilgrimage site for thousands of people, including global dignitaries, presidents and everyday citizens,” said Conti, who has worked on more than 100 public history and historic preservation projects in 45 states. “It was a phenomenal project, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to ensure these sites fully honor Dr. King’s legacy and his historical importance.”

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Florida State University’s doctoral program in kinesiology has earned the No. 1 spot in the National Academy of Kinesiology’s (NAK) 2026 rankings. 

Housed in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College), the kinesiology program, which explores human movement and physical activity, rose from No. 3 in the 2023 rankings. 

Released every three years, the evaluation examined data from 2023 through 2025 across 39 participating universities. The rankings evaluate total research expenditures, faculty productivity and research impact, faculty leadership roles in the field, doctoral student support, student research productivity, graduate employment outcomes and the number of NAK Fellows on the faculty.   

“We are incredibly proud to be recognized as the nation’s top kinesiology doctoral program,” said Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College. “This ranking reflects the outstanding work of our faculty and students and the culture of excellence that defines our program. Together, they are advancing research, shaping the future of the field and strengthening the FSU Health initiative through leadership in the field of kinesiology.” 

“We are incredibly proud to be recognized as the nation’s top kinesiology doctoral program. This ranking reflects the outstanding work of our faculty and students and the culture of excellence that defines our program. Together, they are advancing research, shaping the future of the field and strengthening the FSU Health initiative through leadership in the field of kinesiology.” 

– Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College

FSU Health is an integrated academic health system that brings together hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education and innovation to improve the health of the communities the university serves. The initiative is a long-term investment in Florida’s health infrastructure and economy.  

The ranking is the first No. 1 ranking for an FSU Health-associated program since its launch in 2022. 

Additional findings from the NAK’s evaluation highlighted the program’s strength in student success and research productivity. 

FSU ranked in the 100th percentile nationally for doctoral student publications, students receiving full financial support, graduates securing tenure-track faculty positions and faculty-authored books.  

The evaluation also placed FSU among the nation’s leaders in graduates earning postdoctoral positions, invited keynote presentations and faculty research productivity. During the reporting period, FSU kinesiology doctoral students produced 105 journal articles, while 14 graduates secured tenure-track faculty positions. Kinesiology faculty produced 336 journal articles and secured more than $21.6 million in federal research funding. 

“This recognition reflects the strength of the people who make our program exceptional,” Andrew added. “Our faculty attract talented students who want to work alongside leaders in the field, and those students go on to make meaningful contributions through their research, scholarship and professional success. That cycle continues to strengthen our program.” 

“This recognition reflects the strength of the people who make our program exceptional,” Andrew added. “Our faculty attract talented students who want to work alongside leaders in the field, and those students go on to make meaningful contributions through their research, scholarship and professional success. That cycle continues to strengthen our program.”

Anne’s College is home to world-renowned faculty in fields spanning athletic training, athletic coaching, exercise physiology, sports nutrition and dietetics, sport sciences, sport management and sport psychology. The college is also home to leading research centers and institutes, such as the FSU Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine. 

For more information about Anne’s College and its academic programs, visit annescollege.fsu.edu. 

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Florida State University learning technologies expert Vanessa Dennen says sweeping new restrictions on how teens use Instagram and Facebook may change their online habits, but they won’t necessarily address the larger challenge of helping young people develop healthier relationships with their phones and social media.  

Dennen, the Tyner Distinguished Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies at FSU’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, studies how people learn and interact in digital environments. Her perspective comes as Meta prepares to implement new restrictions on young users following a landmark multistate settlement over allegations that its platforms were intentionally designed to foster addictive behavior among children and teens.  

Under the settlement, Meta will pay $17 billion over 10 years and implement new safety measures on Instagram and Facebook. Those changes include daily time limits, nighttime restrictions, stronger age-verification measures and additional parental controls. 

But Dennen cautions that changes to individual platforms may miss the broader reality of how young people interact with digital media. 

“Social media platforms play a pretty important role in teen life, but I would actually dial it back a bit from talking about social media and talk about their phones and the importance that their phones hold in their lives as the primary communication device,” Dennen said.  

Dennen said social media apps are modern channels for timeless communication between teenagers. As a result, restrictions on individual platforms such Instagram may shift teens’ behavior rather than change it.  

“Will these interventions actually improve teens’ social media experiences, or are they just going to reduce or control their use of Meta products specifically? Because Meta is not the only game in town,” Dennen said.  

“Will these interventions actually improve teens’ social media experiences, or are they just going to reduce or control their use of Meta products specifically? Because Meta is not the only game in town.”

– Vanessa Dennen, Tyner Distinguished Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies

Instead of logging off completely, teens restricted on Instagram or Facebook are more likely to shift their attention to other platforms, such as TikTok or YouTube. Dennen feels strict restrictions often lead to workarounds rather than behavior changes.   

“If there’s a workaround, the teens will find it,” Dennen said. “It will keep some people off, but it will not keep other people off.”  

Dennan said reducing excessive social media use ultimately requires young people to develop self-regulation, a skill that doesn’t automatically come with age.  

“It’s not like people turn 18 and magically understand how to self-regulate these tools or how to use them productively in their lives,” Dennen said. “Regulations alone don’t solve the problem.” 

For Dennen, platform restrictions are only part of the answer. She said digital literacy and open communication at home can help young people learn to manage their technology use. Adults should also avoid making assumptions about screen time, she said, because teens may be using their devices for productive pastimes such as reading or creative projects.  

“We make these assumptions about what teens are doing on their phones because we see them on their phones, and we make judgments that they must be doing things that are a waste of time,” Dennen said. “I actually think the best thing we can do is talk to our teens about what they’re doing and talk about what we’re doing as adults.” 

Parents can also model the habits they want their children to develop, Dennen said. One approach she recommends is creating a central place where family members charge their phones overnight rather than keeping the devices in their bedrooms. 

“I don’t think that coming down hard on the companies alone is the answer. It’s a super nuanced topic,” Dennen said. “There’s always going to be a learning curve when you’re new to a platform.”  

For Dennen, technology may change, but the underlying desire for communication does not. Social media, she said, gives those interactions a reach and performance that earlier forms of communication did not have.  

“People are people. People are going to communicate with each other,” Dennen said. “It’s just that now on social media, we’ve got it archived and amplified. The technology didn’t make us that way; we were already that way.”  

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The U.S. Open has long separated itself from tennis’ other majors with its noise, celebrity energy and New York spectacle. This year, however, one post-match conversation raised a broader question for sports: When does content creation enhance an event, and when does it become a distraction?

Influencers and content creators have become fixtures at sporting events, concerts and other entertainment venues, helping brands reach younger and highly engaged audiences. With large followings and a steady stream of viral content, they can shape how fans discover events, athletes and teams.

But after tennis superstar Naomi Osaka’s first-round win at the U.S. Open, attention turned to individuals in a luxury suite whose ring lights and commotion disrupted the atmosphere around play. The match’s chair umpire even asked the group to keep quiet, turning a familiar etiquette issue into a wider discussion about the growing presence of creators in live sports.

For Florida State University’s Kris White, a specialized teaching professor in the Department of Sport Management, the answer is not to shut creators out. It is to better define how they fit into the fan experience without pulling focus from the competition itself.

White teaches courses that connect athlete branding, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and content creation with intercollegiate athletics. He sees social media and influencer marketing as essential to sports branding, especially for college athletes building personal platforms alongside their teams and universities.

“In a way, athletes are more so becoming like individualized media entities,” White said.

That shift accelerated after the NCAA adopted NIL in July 2021, creating new value around athletes’ personal brands and new demand for videographers, editors, social media managers and strategists who can help tell those stories.

“When you opened up the market to athletes, in terms of NIL, you also opened up a marketplace around creating that content,” White said. “Now there is value for athletes to have content created all around them, and the people who are able to create that value, now there’s a marketplace for that.”

White understands that evolution from both academic and personal experience. A Clermont, Florida, native, he played wide receiver at Kent State from 2013-17, during an era of college athletics that feels distant from today’s NIL-driven landscape. His research into athlete branding emphasizes that the strongest content starts with authenticity, a point echoed by current FSU football punter Daniel Hughes at a recent NIL Sports Summit.

“You have to start with who you are as a brand, and what that means to you,” White said. “What are you trying to bring and provide to the world and to your audience?”

The concern at the U.S. Open was not that creators were present, but that their presence risked overshadowing the athletes. Tennis players later voiced support for creators while also stressing that content should not interfere with play on the court. The United States Tennis Association credentialed around 100 content creators for this year’s tournament, nearly doubling last year’s total of 54 according to ESPN.

White said creators can help make sports more accessible, especially for people who may first encounter an athlete, team or event through social media. But that visibility works best when creators add to the experience rather than compete with it.

“It is an activation management issue. How are you making sure these creators are adding and enhancing to this experience, rather than taking away from it and making their thing the actual spotlight?” White asked. “You want to keep the main thing the main thing.”

“It is an activation management issue. How are you making sure these creators are adding and enhancing to this experience, rather than taking away from it and making their thing the actual spotlight? You want to keep the main thing the main thing.”

– Kris White, Florida State University Sport Management Professor

The debate has already produced consequences. Wimbledon announced it would not accredit influencers for its 2027 tournament and would ban disruptive equipment, including ring lights, that can interrupt play. Some have viewed the move as a necessary protection of tennis culture; others have questioned whether it goes too far at a time when sports are competing for attention across digital platforms.

White believes the better long-term approach is not a blanket rejection of creators, but a clearer system: selecting creators whose audiences align with the event, establishing designated content zones, setting expectations in advance and holding creators accountable when they disrupt the competition.

“You don’t want to move the tent,” White said. “You want to make sure that you expand the tent to allow more people in.”

For White, the future of creators in sports should be guided by balance. Content can introduce new fans, deepen connections with athletes and expand the reach of an event. But the value is strongest when creators understand their role: Support the spectacle, capture the moment and never become the main event.

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Florida State University Libraries will bring two Mississippi Delta preservation leaders to campus Sept. 17 for its annual Emmett Till Lecture Series.

Patrick Weems, executive director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, and Gloria Dickerson, executive director of We2gether Creating Change, will discuss efforts to preserve and document sites connected to the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, a pivotal event in the modern Civil Rights Movement.

The lecture, “Let the World See: Preserving Sacred Ground in the Mississippi Delta,” will explore the role of historic sites and archival records in preserving civil rights history and educating future generations.

Weems has helped lead efforts to preserve and interpret sites connected to Till’s life, murder and legacy through historic preservation, educational programming and community partnerships. Dickerson, a longtime civil rights activist, educator and community leader, has worked to engage communities in conversations about race, history and reconciliation.

“As the archival record demonstrates, the history of Emmett Till and what happened to him in the Mississippi Delta has been contested, convoluted and hidden,” said Katie McCormick, associate dean of Special Collections and Archives at FSU Libraries. “It is through research and engagement with history that truth can surface. The work Patrick and Gloria have undertaken to not just preserve history but to meaningfully engage in relationship building, education and dialogue demonstrates the power of communities to confront the past honestly and ensure that future generations understand its significance.”

FSU Libraries is home to the Emmett Till Archives, an open-access research collection established to support academic study of the case. This collection includes regional and national newspapers, government files, oral histories, organizational records, photographs and related scholarly literature documenting the case and its historiography.

The Emmett Till Lecture Series is supported by the Emmett Till Lecture and Archives Fund, established by Davis Houck, Fannie Lou Hamer Professor of Rhetorical Studies at the FSU School of Communication, in collaboration with FSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives.

The event will be held at Florida State in the Broad Auditorium at the Claude Pepper Center. A public reception begins at 5:15 p.m., followed by the presentation at 6 p.m. Online registration is requested for this event.

Selected digital items from the collection can be viewed online, and additional information regarding Special Collections and Archives is available through the FSU Libraries website. 

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A three-year research collaboration between Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has produced one of the most comprehensive real-world studies on police de-escalation to date.  

The findings demonstrate that de-escalation goes beyond a natural personality trait and is a measurable, teachable skill that reduces force and keeps communities safer. 

After recognizing that agencies across the country heavily document uses of force but overlook successful de-escalation, Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil launched the study. He wanted a reliable way to measure peaceful resolutions in the field, dedicating LCSO resources, workspaces and personnel to partner directly with FSU. 

“This initiative shows what is possible when a tier-one research university and a forward-thinking law enforcement agency unite around a shared mission,” said Keller Sheppard, one of the study’s lead academic researchers. “By building this partnership from the ground up, we established a national model for how research and operational policing can work together to protect both officers and the public.” 

“This initiative shows what is possible when a tier-one research university and a forward-thinking law enforcement agency unite around a shared mission. By building this partnership from the ground up, we established a national model for how research and operational policing can work together to protect both officers and the public.” 

— Keller Sheppard, an assistant professor in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Led by Capt. James Pittman, head of LCSO’s Professional Standards and Research Bureau, and Keller Sheppard, an assistant professor in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the study culminated in the report “Dissecting De-escalation: A Collaborative Research Initiative.” The initiative was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

To evaluate these interactions, researchers defined de-escalation as any action, statement or consideration by an officer that decreases the likelihood or severity of force. Moving past the limitations of earlier ride-along studies, the team reviewed more than 1,000 incident recordings, using 10 trained coders to analyze unredacted body-worn camera footage second by second across multiple blind passes. 

“Researchers very infrequently get access to this kind of ‘treasure trove’ of data, much less an invitation to participate in shaping how it is collected, coded, analyzed and applied,” Sheppard said. “It was a true, meaningful collaboration between academics and practitioners that gives dedicated officers the evidence-based tools and knowledge they need to maximize their potential and better serve their communities.” 

The study revealed that roughly 97% of official citizen encounters were calm and cooperative from the start. Agitated interactions accounted for approximately 2.7%, while formal use of force occurred in just 0.05% of all calls. 

“We are dealing with the most volatile situations where lives are on the line, and if this research shapes training nationwide, we have an opportunity to move the needle,” Pittman said. “Even shifting that rate from 0.05% to 0.04% means saving lives, making every dollar and all three years invested entirely worth it.” 

The research proved that de-escalation can be systematically taught. Deputies who utilized more de-escalation techniques were significantly more likely to resolve encounters without force. Specific behaviors that improved outcomes included giving individuals a voice, separating them from sources of agitation and providing clear explanations. 

Following an in-study training trial, LCSO expanded the evidence-based curriculum agencywide to all patrol deputies and correctional staff at the Leon County Detention Facility. Sheppard and Pittman are now preparing peer-reviewed manuscripts and plan to present their findings to national law enforcement leaders at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference. 

“Translational research is at the core of our college’s dedication to advancing evidence-based criminal justice,” said Thomas Blomberg, dean of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “Working directly with local law enforcement to translate real-world data into practical training is a pioneering approach, and it provides a forward-looking model that will help guide the future of policing across the nation.” 

This partnership reflects FSU’s commitment to taking research directly into our local community to solve critical, everyday public safety challenges. By studying real interactions across Leon County, researchers turned academic data into practical training that strengthens public trust, resolves daily crises peacefully and keeps neighborhoods safer. 

“Effective de-escalation strengthens trust between law enforcement and the community while helping create safer outcomes for everyone involved,” Sheriff Walt McNeil said. “This research allows us to better understand what works in real-world encounters and use those findings to continue improving how we serve the people of Leon County.” 

The complete report, “Dissecting De-escalation: A Collaborative Research Initiative,” is available through the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. An in-depth discussion on the findings featuring Sheriff Walt McNeil and Capt. James Pittman is also available on “Leon County Today.” 

To learn more about ongoing research initiatives, visit the FSU College of Criminology and Criminal Justice website.

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Florida State University psychologists, education researchers and computational scientists have teamed up to transform raw data from educational research into a digital resource that can advance the teaching and learning of K-12 mathematics.

The interdisciplinary team will bring together six existing dataset covering about 90,000 elementary students and 3,000 teachers and build an interactive dashboard with an AI chatbot that allows users to ask questions about the data in plain language.

Professors of Psychology Colleen Ganley and Chris Schatschneider, Professor of Scientific Computing Gordon Erlebacher and Associate Professor of Mathematics Education Robert Schoen have been awarded $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the creation of the Integrated Data for Education AI, and Learning in Mathematics Project (IDEAL-Math) Network.

The collaboration between researchers and educational practitioners aims to improve the quality of existing math education data by developing a digital dashboard to increase accessibility to education research.

“This project represents an important national investment in FSU’s strengths in psychological science, education, artificial intelligence and data science,” said Brad Schmidt, Robert O. Lawton Professor of Psychology and Department of Psychology chair. “By bringing researchers together with teachers and technology experts, this project will organize the high-quality data needed to better understand how children learn mathematics and develop increasingly effective educational tools and practices.”

The IDEAL-Math project is one of five projects funded across the country through NSF’s Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning for K-12 initiative. Together, these five projects will form a shared national hub intended to have a lasting influence on the collection, digital organization and sharing of U.S. education data.

The interdisciplinary nature of this work is reflected by the versatile affiliations of its lead researchers. Alongside their roles in the FSU Department of Psychology, Ganley is a faculty affiliate of the Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or FCR-STEM, and Schatschneider is the associate director of the Florida Center for Reading Research. Schoen is also an associate director of FCR-STEM, and Erlebacher directs FSU’s Interdisciplinary Data Science Master’s Degree Program.

“Every year, researchers collect large amounts of data through surveys, test scores, classroom videos and other methods trying to understand how children learn math,” said Ganley, director of FSU’s developmental psychology program. “Too often, those data get squirreled away after a few publications and never make it back to the educational community or public. This project aims to change that by taking data that have already been collected and making them more useful for researchers, educators and policymakers who want to ask their own questions.”

“By bringing researchers together with teachers and technology experts, this project will organize the high-quality data needed to better understand how children learn mathematics and develop increasingly effective educational tools and practices.”

– Brad Schmidt, Robert O. Lawton Professor of Psychology and Department of Psychology chair

Data sharing is often mandated as a condition of funding for federal agencies and an increasing number of foundations that support research. However, back-end tasks — producing high-quality documentation, organizing information so computers and humans can easily reuse it and de-identifying sensitive information like names and faces from classroom videos — require a significant amount of expertise and time that a research team may not have once the research itself has concluded.

To protect the privacy of research participants, the IDEAL-Math Network’s team will employ de-identification processes that prevent data, such as test scores and survey answers, from being traced back to one person. For example, the data will not include specifics on parents’ occupations but instead include broad job categories from public databases. Statistical and AI-based methods will assess reidentification risk for participants across multiple datasets to ensure student, parent and teacher confidentiality.

“As a computational scientist, my role is in translation, or taking data that are meaningful to psychology and education researchers and turning them into a structured, validated and well-documented dashboard that someone without coding experience, as well as AI systems, can easily understand,” Erlebacher said. “As we build the AI chatbot component, I am focused on lowering barriers for teachers and principals by eliminating weak points where the chatbot risks giving a confident-sounding wrong answer.”

Researchers will curate and assemble six datasets collected by FSU researchers into the interactive dashboard and develop the custom chatbot so users can ask questions and receive answers in plain language. The team will also host workshops for education researchers on ethical data sharing, data management and AI in education research.

“Research shows that beyond a person’s preference for one subject over another, the way someone learns math as a child has ripple effects into adulthood, influencing aspects like reading capability, the likelihood of pursuing a STEM career, and eventual socioeconomic status,” Erlebacher said. “Through this project, we hope that a district administrator, for example, can ask for strategies to increase students’ confidence in their math skills and receive a data-backed answer in seconds instead of never being able to ask the question at all.”

To learn more about research conducted in the FSU Department of Psychology, visit psychology.fsu.edu, and for more information on work in the FSU Department of Scientific Computing, visit sc.fsu.edu. To explore offerings in the FSU School of Teacher Education, visit annescollege.fsu.edu. Visit the FCR-STEM website for more information on this Learning Systems Institute program.

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Dawn C. Carr, director of Florida State University’s Claude Pepper Center and Mildred and Claude Pepper Professor of Sociology in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, has been elected to the board of directors of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), one of the world’s largest interdisciplinary organizations devoted to the study of aging.

Carr will begin her term Jan. 1. GSA’s more than 6,000 members include researchers, educators, clinicians and policy professionals working across disciplines to advance research, education, practice and policy related to aging.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve GSA and contribute to an organization that has played such an important role in advancing the study of aging,” Carr said. “As our population ages, it is increasingly important that we bring together researchers and professionals across disciplines to better understand what helps people remain healthy, active and engaged throughout their lives.”

Carr’s research focuses on identifying factors that help older adults remain healthy and active as long as possible. Over the past decade, she has studied the connections between health and active engagement in the second half of life, including how employment, retirement, volunteering, caregiving, social relationships and major health events affect health and well-being.

Her recent research also examines how early-life experiences and exposures can affect outcomes later in life and how psychological resources can help people remain resilient as they age.

As director of the Claude Pepper Center, Carr leads a center dedicated to advancing research and policy aimed at improving the lives of older adults. The center focuses on issues affecting older people and their families and works with policymakers, agencies and researchers to promote evidence-based policymaking.

Founded in 1945, GSA brings together experts from a range of disciplines involved in the study of aging. The organization’s work spans biological, medical, behavioral and social research as well as education, practice and public policy.

Carr joined FSU in 2016. Before coming to Florida State, she was a researcher at the Stanford Center on Longevity, a postdoctoral fellow in the Carolina Program for Health and Aging Research at the Institute on Aging at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a researcher at the Scripps Gerontology Center.

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