Florida State University’s faculty and staff are central to its mission and the key to its countless accomplishments.
Throughout the year, honors and recognitions are awarded to individual faculty and staff members across campus. Faculty and Staff Briefs are produced monthly to recognize accomplishments and provide a space where honors, awards, bylines, presentations, grants, service and any other notable items can be showcased.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Kyeonghee Kim, Ph.D. (College of Business) received the 2023 Spencer L. Kimball Writing Award for her paper “Climate Risks in the Commercial Mortgage Portfolios of Life Insurers: A Focus on Sea Level Rise and Flood Risks,” published in the Journal of Insurance Regulation.
Jeff Hendry, MPA (Florida Institute of Government at FSU) received the distinguished Eunice Sullivan Economic Development Professional of the Year Award during the Florida Economic Development Council’s 2024 Annual Conference at the Sawgrass Marriot in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Qinchun Rao, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) received the Laboratorian of the Year Award from the Florida Association of Food Protection.
Qian (Jackie) Zhang, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) received the American Psychological Association Division 5’s Anne Anastasi Distinguished Early Career Contributions Award.
Frank Fincham, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) was honored as a Highly Ranked Scholar by ScholarGPS, with his scholarly contributions placing him in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide and in the top five overall for the Human Development and Family Studies area.
Linda Sasser, CCC-SLP (School of Communication Science and Disorders) was awarded Clinician of the Year by the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
Alisha Gaines, Ph.D. (Department of English) was selected as an inaugural guest scholar by the African American Studies Department at University of California, Berkeley, and presented her work as a part of a UC-Berkeley initiative that seeks to amplify the importance of African American Studies.
Michael R. Fine, M.S. (Student Union) was awarded the 2024 Gordon Teigen Meritorious Service Award at the Night of Champions Banquet held by the Inaugural U.S. Bowling Congress Hall of Fame Class. The annual award is presented to an individual for outstanding service to collegiate bowling.
Brittany Mueller (Campus Recreation) received the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association’s Annual Service Award for outstanding commitment to the inclusion and integration of Special Olympic athletes in the NIRSA Championship Series.
Bin Ouyang, Ph.D. (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) was selected as the winner of the 4th Rising Stars Competition for Computational Materials Science by the editorial team of the academic journal, Computational Materials Science.
Christopher Nappa, Ph.D. (Department of Classics) received an ovatio, which is a public recognition of someone’s excellence delivered in Latin, for his many years of service to The Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
Gizem Solmaz-Ratzlaff, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) was named a 2024 Accelerating Science and Publication in biology (ASAPbio) Fellow.
GRANTS
Eundeok Kim, Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) received the Connection Grant “Transdisciplinary Network for Impact Research and Practice” from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in Canada, a global collaboration to advance the U.N. sustainable development goals through research and education among 25 universities on five different continents.
Sindy Chapa, Ph.D. (School of Communication) received a $13,500 State Farm grant, which will be used to support the educational experiences of several students of Latino descent.
Nancy Everhart, Ph.D. (School of Information) was awarded a China-U.S. Scholars Program grant for conference participation and research travel to present her research, “Mobile Information Seeking and Use in China: Is America Ready for WeChat?” at the Future of Education Conference at Cambridge University in the U.K.
Qinchun Rao, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) received a $74,645 grant from the Almond Board of California for her project “Allergenicity and Risk Assessment of Novel Almond Hull Food Ingredients.”
Sonia Cabell, Ph.D., Beth Phillips, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences), Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. (Florida Center for Reading Research) and doctoral students Rhonda Raines and Brielle Babcock were awarded a $59,358 grant from Great Minds for their project “Teacher Report of Implementation of Wit and Wisdom in Kindergarten Classrooms.”
David Pifer, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) received a $64,071 grant from Game Change, for a project focused on enhancing athlete wellness through research on career goals, behavioral characteristics linked to athletic performance, trends among diverse athletes, and practical evaluation of complex information.
Adrienne Barnes-Story, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) was awarded a 2024 SEED Award from the Council on Research and Creativity for her project “Large Class Pedagogy in Low-Income Contexts: Exploring Methods with Teachers in Malawi,” which will begin later this year.
BYLINES
Kristy Anderson, Ph.D. and Melissa Radey, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the study, “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Autistic Children and Their Families,” published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Melissa Radey, Ph.D. (College of Social Work), Qiong Wu, Ph.D., Lenore McWey, Ph.D. and Eugenia Millender, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) co-authored the study “Instrumental Safety Net Configurations and Changes Over Time Among Economically Marginalized Families,” published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
Michael Killian, Ph.D., Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and doctoral candidate Elizabeth Curley co-authored the article “Validation of a Multi-Dimensional Social Support Measure for Individuals who are Incarcerated,” published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice.
Stephen Tripodi, Ph.D. and Lauren Herod, MSW, MPA (College of Social Work) co-authored the article “Behavioral Health Interventions for Incarcerated Adults with Histories of Trauma: A Scoping Review,” published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice.
Eric Liguori, Ph.D. and Susana Santos, Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) co-authored “A Racial Identity Approach to Entrepreneurship: The Lived Experiences of African American and Black Entrepreneurs,” published in the Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal.
Eric Liguori, Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) co-authored “Charting the Future of Entrepreneurship: A Roadmap for Interdisciplinary Research and Societal Impact,” published in the journal Cogent Business & Management. He also co-authored “Relational Models and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems,” published in the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.
Eric Walker, Ph.D. (Department of English) published the book “Haphazard Families: Romanticism, Nation, and the Prehistory of Modern Adoption” with Ohio State University Press. An interview with him about the book appears in the current issue of the journal Adoption & Culture.
Amy Ai, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the article “Sex and Psychosocial Differences in Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Prior to Open-Heart Surgery,” published in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine; co-authored “Event-Related Factors, Altruism, and Substance Use in Traumatization of Hurricane Volunteers: A Bayesian Model for the Follow-Up,” published in the International Journal of Higher Education; and co-authored “Sex and Psychosocial Differences in Acute Stress Symptoms Prior to Open-Heart Surgery,” published in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.
Amy Ai, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and Sabrina Dickey, Ph.D. (College of Nursing) co-authored the article “Depressive Symptoms Six-Month Post Deadly Disasters Among Black and White Student Volunteers: Does Race Identity Matter?” published in the International Journal of Higher Education.
Gashaye Tefera, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored “COVID-19 and Immigration Status: A Qualitative Study of Malawian Immigrants Living in South Africa,” published in the journal Health & Social Care in the Community.
Bruce Thyer, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) authored the article “Some Philosophical Principles in Social Work Research,” published in the International Journal of Applied Research.
Changhyun “Lyon” Nam, Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) published “Biomechanical Effects of Men’s Dress Shoes Made with Bacterial Cellulosic Composite,” in the International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology.
Ames Morton-Winter, MA (The Ringling) published the book “Purposeful Museum Programming Using Visitor Response Pedagogies” with Rowman and Littlefield.
Elizabeth Ray, Ph.D. (School of Communication) and Nicholas Sellers, Ph.D. (FSU Panama City) co-published the article “Self-Effects of User-Generated Advocacy Messages on Self-Identity, Attitudes, and Intentions to Act” in the journal Communication Research Reports.
Richard Waters, Ph.D., Patrick Merle, Ph.D. (School of Communication) and graduate student Brooke Gagliano co-authored “The Emergence of Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility as Public Relations Strategies by United States’ Marathon Organizers,” accepted to the Southern States Communication Association convention.
Bret Staudt Willet, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) and doctoral students Hunhui Na, Hui Shi, Jaesung Hur, Dan He and Chaewon Kim co-authored “Initial Discussions of ChatGPT in Education-Related Subreddits,” published in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education.
Qiong Wu, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) authored “Fluctuations in Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, and Anger and Children’s Depression Risk in Middle Childhood,” published in the journal Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology.
Kelly Farquharson, Ph.D., Brooke Ott, MA (School of Communication Science and Disorders) and doctoral student Anne Reed co-authored “Developing a Dyslexia Diagnostic Team: A Feasibility Project,” accepted to the journal Perspectives.
Bruce Thyer, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) authored the article “Some Philosophical Principles for Social Work Research,” published in the International Journal of Applied Philosophy.
Michael Killian, Ph.D., Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and doctoral student Elizabeth Curley co-authored “Validation of a Multi-Dimensional Social Support Measure for Individuals Who Are Incarcerated,” published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice.
Melissa Radey, Ph.D., Shamra Boel-Studt, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and doctoral student Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah co-authored “Formal and Informal Support Among Mothers Aging out of Foster Care and Maternity Group Homes: Who Steps in When Mothers Age Out?” published in the Children and Adolescent Social Work Journal.
Bryant Harden, Ph.D. (Center for Global Engagement) authored the chapter “Becoming a Global Citizen: The Transformative Power of Study Abroad” in Leveraging Study Abroad Experiences: The Journey Continues to be published by Mercer University Press this year; co-authored a chapter on teaching feminist international relations theories in the Palgrave Handbook on the Pedagogy of International Relations Theory; and published a book review of “Development Discourse and Global History: From Colonialism to the Sustainable Development Goals in Mongolia Studies.”
E. Gontarski, Ph.D. (Department of English) authored two books: “Beckett. Przewodnik [A Beckett Handbook],” published by Lodz University Press and “Beckett: Quaderni di Regia e Testi Riveduti, Testi Brevi,” published by Cue Press.
Andrew Epstein, Ph.D. (Department of English) authored “‘Raw’ Poets” published in the book “Robert Lowell in Context.”
Charles Upchurch, Ph.D. (Department of History) was featured in the article “Eye to the Keyhole” by London Review of Books for his book, “Before Wilde: Sex Between Men in Britain’s Age of Reform.”
Gary Taylor, Ph.D. (Department of English) was published in the journal of the British Shakespeare Association for his previous plenary lecture, “One Book to Rule Them All: The ‘King James Version’ of Shakespeare’s Plays.”
Stephanie Zuilkowski, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) co-authored “Instructional Strategies Used by Teachers in Multilingual Classes to Help Non-Speakers of the Language of Instruction Learn Initial Reading Skills in Zambia,” published in the International Multilingual Research Journal. She also co-authored “Economic Vulnerabilities, Mental Health, and Coping Strategies Among Tanzanian Youth During COVID-19,” published in BMC Public Health.
Adam Tratner, Ph.D. (FSU Republic of Panama) co-authored “Culture Shapes Sex Differences in Mate Preferences,” published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. He also co-authored “Predictors of Cognitive Change in Cognitively Healthy Older Women in Panama: The PARI-HD study,” published in the journal Frontiers in Global Women’s Health.
Christine Goodair, BA (FSU London), co-wrote the paper “An Evaluation of Naloxone Transit for Opioid Overdose Using Drones: A Case Study Using Real-World Coroner Data,” published in the journal Addiction.
Ignacio Prats, Ph.D. (FSU Valencia) edited and co-authored the book “Cognate Music Theories: The Past and the Other in Musicology (Essays in Honor of John Walter Hill),” published in the series Routledge Research in Music.
Gabriel Quintero Garzola, Ph.D. (FSU Republic of Panama) published “The Relevance of Marketing in Sports Betting Perceptions and Behaviors Across Different Age Groups” in the Journal of Gambling Studies.
PRESENTATIONS AND CONFERENCES
Eric Walker, Ph.D. (Department of English) presented the paper “Lee Edelman’s Reproductive Futurism and the BBC Sitcom ‘Trying’” at Brown University’s 9th Biennial meeting of ASAC, the Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture.
Douglass Tatum, CPA (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) spoke at “Gathering of Giants: Scottsdale, Arizona — An Accountability and Strategic Planning Program Exclusively for Graduates of the Fellowship Masterclass for Entrepreneurs” and was a speaker at The Brands Y’all Consumer Summit in Birmingham, Alabama.
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) was the keynote speaker at the Positive Pathways Conference in Gainesville, Florida, where she presented “Some Type of Way: Aging Out of Foster Care.”
Thayumanasamy Somasundaram, Ph.D. (Institute of Molecular Biophysics) presented “Training and Research in Structural Biology Cores” and “Structural Biology Cores: Challenges, Evolution, and Opportunities” on structural biology and “Advocating for the Cores in Your Institution” on core advocacy at the 2024 Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.
Jaejin Lee, Ph.D. (School of Communication) presented “IMC Campaigns and Preventing Hazardous Behaviors,” at the Eastern Communication Association (ECA) annual conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Paul Marty, Ph.D. (School of Information) presented “How Generative AI Can and Cannot Help You with Your Research” at the College of Communication and Information’s annual Research and Creative Activities Day.
Mia Lustria, Ph.D. (School of Information) presented “Improving Medication Adherence Among Adolescent Heart Transplant Patients Using an mHealth Video Direct Observation Intervention” at the 2024 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication.
Obianuju Aliche, Ph.D. (School of Information) presented “Vaccine-Related Attitudes and Decision-Making in Immigrant Homes: The Influence on Mothers’ Decision to Initiate HPV Vaccination” at the 2024 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication.
Ebe Randeree, Ph.D. and Faye Jones, Ph.D. (College of Communication and Information) presented “Getting on the Computing Faculty Pathway: A Perspective on Equity for Latinos” at the Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing and Technology in Atlanta.
Stephanie Walker (FSU Childcare) presented “Preparing Pre-Kindergarten Families for the Transition to Elementary School” at the March 2024 National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers conference in Salt Lake City.
Kari DiDonato (Campus Recreation) presented “Campus Rec Marketing: Hits of the 80s, 90s, and Now” at the 2024 National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Annual Conference sharing research on retention strategies and provided insights on how to make a team successful.
Charles Upchurch, Ph.D. (Department of History) presented “Understanding the LGBTQ History of Tallahassee” at the Visit Tallahassee Visitors Center. He is also scheduled to speak at the University of California’s “Oscar Wilde, Sexuality, and the State” conference, hosted by the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in Los Angeles in June.
Rafe Blaufarb, Ph.D. (Department of History) presented “Rituals of Consent in Early Modern France” at the Newberry Library Colloquium. He also presented “Arming Latin American Independence, 1815-1825” at the College of William & Mary as part of the Tyler Lecture Series Symposium.
Gary Taylor, Ph.D. (Department of English) presented “From Planetary Tragedy to the Anthropocentric Playhouse” at the Spanish-Portuguese Early Modern English Association conference in Salamanca, Spain. He also presented “Shakespeare, History, and Politics” at a conference on Shakespeare and political science at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Alisha Gaines, Ph.D. (Department of English) gave a research talk on her upcoming mini book project “Children of the Plantationocene” at Berkeley High and participated in a public conversation on academic freedom with acclaimed historian, Robin D. G. Kelley.
Gary Taylor, Ph.D. (Department of English) presented “Why Should Anyone Who is Not English Care About Shakespeare’s History Plays?” at a joint meeting of the South Korean Shakespeare Association and the Asian Shakespeare Association in Seoul, South Korea.
Kathleen Powers Conti, Ph.D. (Department of History) presented “Developing Consulting Best Practices in an Ever-Evolving Field” and led a workshop for consulting historians “Consulting for Today While Preparing for Tomorrow” at the National Council on Public History’s annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kate Schell, MA (Learning Systems Institute) presented “Participatory Action Research: Creating Transformative Spaces of Local Knowledge and Advocacy for Multilingual Education” at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Vilma Fuentes, Ph.D. and Anna Romanova, Ph.D. (Learning Sytems Institute) presented “An American Experience of Mental Health Support in Educational Environments” at the International Psychological Conference. Florida State University was a partner of the international conference hosted by the Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Bill Hunkapiller, Ph.D. (Information Technology Services) participated in a virtual panel that explored public-private partnerships at the first scientific and practical international conference on Cyberdiplomacy held in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Irinel Chiorescu, Ph.D. (Department of Physics) delivered a virtual presentation as part of the Kharkiv Quantum Science Seminar. Thirty-five Ukrainian scientists participated in the two-hour presentation, which was facilitated by FSU’s Ukraine Task Force at the Learning Systems Institute, led by Program Director Vilma Fuentes, Ph.D.
Giacomo Sproccati, MA (FSU Florence) delivered the TED Talk “Falling Into, and Climbing Out of, the Trap of Perfection” at the 2024 Edition of TEDxISF Youth organized by the International School of Florence.
Ansberto Cedeño, MS (FSU Republic of Panama) presented the Keynote Speech “Panama’s Vision in the Global Semiconductor Revolution” at Cybertech Latin America 2024 Conference which took place at City of Knowledge, Panama, Republic of Panama.
PERFORMANCES AND EXHIBITIONS
Marty Fielding, MFA (Department of Art) is showing work in the exhibition “Influence/d” in the Trish Martindell Gallery in Norwood, Ohio, alongside BFA alumnus Rodnay Brewer. The exhibit showcases a curated selection of mentors and mentees in ceramics, highlighting the significant influence instructors have on the practice.
Shirley Day, MA (FSU London), released her feature film “A Game of Two Halves” on which she worked as the screenwriter.
SERVICE
Kristen Guynes, Ph.D. and Casey Guynes, Ph.D. (School of Communication Science and Disorders) hosted an American Sign Language class in March for parents and community members as part of a 6-part mini-series.
Erika Cuffy, MSW (College of Social Work) along with students from her Social Work Profession and Child Maltreatment courses facilitated a service project with Grandparents as Parents, a program connected with the Senior Center of Tallahassee, by assisting with their spring picnic and facilitating an activity for children and grandparents.
Ebe Randeree, Ph.D. (College of Communication and Information) took 26 students on trips, networking events and dinners with 29 college alumni.
Douglas Tatum, CPA (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) moderated an “Investor’s Perspective” panel at the FSU Healthcare Summit.
NOTABLE
Kadir Kozan, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) led a team of four students to a third-place finish at the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction’s inaugural competition for instructor resources.
Cameron Beatty, Ph.D. (College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) was selected as a 2024-2025 fellow of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.
Tricia Montgomery, Ph.D. (School of Communication Science and Disorders) was elected president-elect of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Science and Disorders.
Davis Houck, Ph.D. (School of Communication) worked as the lead researcher on the documentary “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America,” which was chosen by the American Film Showcase as an official selection for its 2024 film showcase.
Alina Bachmann (College of Social Work, Florida Institute for Child Welfare) received a professional certificate from Cornell University on user experience and human-centered design.
Yaacov Petscher, Ph.D. (College of Social Work, Florida Center for Reading Research) and colleagues launched a new evidence-based early literacy assessment and dyslexia screening into classrooms across the country.
Gary Taylor, Ph.D. (Department of English) co-led a workshop for department administrators at the annual Shakespeare Association of America conference.
Nilay Özok-Gündoğan, Ph.D. (Department of History) co-organized the conference “The Long Twentieth Century of Kurds and Kurdistan” at Yale University.
Pablo Maurette, Ph.D. (Department of English) began his three-month fellowship at the Huntington Library where he is working on his next project, centered on monstrosity and race in Early Modern transatlantic culture.
Rabieh Razzouk, MBA and Gena St. John, MBA (Learning Systems Institute) led a grant writing seminar with 50 Lebanese participants from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik.
Carmen Zachery (Learning Systems Institute) worked with teachers across the state of Florida to film new videos for the Teacher Perspective series. These videos feature teachers who share practical classroom tips and personal techniques for transitioning into new benchmarks.
Rabieh Razzouk, MBA, (Learning Systems Institute) and the CPALMS team recently celebrated a significant milestone. Since CPALMS started offering educational resources on the platform, more than one billion resource views and downloads have been delivered.
Augustin Kamlongera, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) met with the Malawi Directorate of Teacher Education and Development to determine criteria for identifying Teacher Educators of Excellence across the Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi.
Adrienne Barnes-Story, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) led a USAID team on a recent visit to the southern region of Malawi, where they cited six significant successes achieved on the Strengthening Teacher Education and Practice (STEP) Activity in Malawi.
Brenda Wawire, Ph.D. and Jennie Robinette, M.Ed. (Learning Systems Institute) delivered week three of four total weeks of intensive professional development to 49 teacher educators. The professional development is part of the USAID Strengthening Teacher Education and Practice (STEP) Activity in Malawi, led by the Learning Systems Institute.
Ana H. Marty, Ph.D., (Learning Systems Institute) met with key stakeholders in Rwanda to disseminate findings from the pilot testing of a new teaching practice framework. Marty also facilitated the April Primary Teaching Residency Program Consortium Term 3 Meeting. Kate Schell, MA, joined the Learning Systems Institute staff in Rwanda to train the Primary Teaching Residency Program Tutors, all part of the Primary Teaching Residency Program, funded by the U.S.-based Rainwater Charitable Foundation, being piloted by the Learning Systems Institute.
Maddie Leaman (Learning Systems Institute) held Q&A sessions with FSU students at numerous career fairs.
Stephanie Zuilkowski, Ph.D., Julie Twomey, M.Ed. and Kate Schell, MA, (Learning Systems Institute) joined representatives from the Florida Department of Education for a review of teacher-created assessment items.
As part of the Florida Department of Education-funded CPALMS project, Learning Systems Institute staff have developed career and technical education (CTE) resources with Florida teachers. These resources will connect CTE to other content areas. A recent workshop was held on the FSU campus at Innovation Park. It was conducted by Carrie Meyers, Jim Reynolds, Julie Chappell, Robert Hanna, Zaida McGinley, Jamie Santillo, Sherri Winsett, and Ninamarie Sapuppo.
Please send items for Faculty and Staff Briefs to aprentiss@fsu.edu. We publish monthly.