Florida State University’s distinguished faculty are central to the mission of the university. Faculty excellence in scholarship, research, and creative activity is critical to the quality of student learning and makes a difference in the lives of others.
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
Sladjana Lukic, Ph.D. (School of Communication Science and Disorders) was awarded the National Institutes of Health / National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences K12 Multidisciplinary Program Career Development Award for her project “Neurolinguistic Investigations of Aphasia and Typical Language Processing.” The project aims to compare different speech elicitation methods in capturing key linguistic variables across core language processing domains and explore their neural correlates to improve diagnosis in people with post-stroke and primary progressive aphasias.
Alicia Craig-Rodriguez, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, DIPACLM (College of Nursing) was awarded Fellow status by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in recognition of her outstanding achievement in the field of lifestyle medicine and her exceptional dedication to advancing the mission of the college.
Celia Reddick, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) was awarded a 2026-28 Jacobs Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Fellowship. The program supports researchers whose work advances understanding of how children and youth learn and develop across contexts and systems.
Elizabeth McQueen, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) received the Cambridge University Press Prize at the American Society for Theatre Research annual conference in Denver for her plenary paper “Changing Taste: The Performance of Terroir in the Illicit Gin Assemblies.”
Yushun Dong, Ph.D. (Department of Computer Science) was awarded the BlueSky Track Second Prize at the 2025 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) International Conference on Data Mining for his paper “Navigating Between Explainability and Extractability in Machine Learning as a Service” which identified fundamental tension in modern machine learning systems.
Jamie Ho, MFA (Department of Art) was named this year’s Fellowship International Award Recipient by Silver Eye Center for Photography.
Aaron C. Thomas, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) was recognized with the Publishing Subvention Award for his new book “The Violate Man: Male/Male Rape in the American Imagination” at the American Society for Theatre Research annual conference in Denver.
Charles E. Brewer, Ph.D. (College of Music) is a co-recipient of the American Musicological Society’s 2025 Noah Greenberg Award for the project “ReSounding Habsburg Balletti.”
Shannon Staten, Ph.D. (University Housing) was awarded the 2025 Florida Housing Officers Impact Award by the Florida Housing Officers Association. Staten was also recognized by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Housing Directors for her 12 years of service and dedication to the athletes of the ACC.
Aimée Boutin, Ph.D. (Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics) received the Modern Language Association -EBSCO Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize for her collaborative work in creating the FSU course, FRT 3503 Paris World Capital, presented at the Modern Language Association convention in Toronto, Canada.
Amber Ward, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) was awarded a full year sabbatical in 2026/27 to advance her craft-oriented research.
GRANTS
Elizabeth Madden, Ph.D. (School of Communication Science and Disorders) is a co-investigator on a newly awarded High Priority, Short Term project (R56) grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders working on the research project “Evidence-Based Modeling Approaches to Customizing Treatments for Acquired Dyslexia.”
Lisa Hightow-Weidman, M.D., MPH, Casey D. Xavier Hall, Ph.D., MPH, Eugenia Flores Millender, Ph.D., R.N., PMH-APRN, FAAN, FAANP, Frank “Frankie” Y. Wong, Ph.D. and Jean-Marc Wise, Ph.D. (College of Nursing) were awarded a $2,277,208.00 million Food and Drug Administration (FDA) research and development contract for the project “Modernizing and Decentralizing Clinical Trials with AI, Digital Health, and Community-Driven Innovation to Deliver Better Health for All Americans.
BYLINES
Thayumanasamy Somasundaram, Ph.D. (Institute of Molecular Biophysics) and David S. Butcher, Ph.D. (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory) published “Regional and National Shared Research Resources: Challenges and Opportunities” in the Journal of Biomolecular Techniques.
Braidyn Lazenby, Ph.D. (College of Communication and Information) published “Informal Caregiver Uncertainty: Exploring the Presence of Uncertainty in Eating Disorder Reddit Posts” in the Journal of Eating Disorders.
Shannon Hall-Mills, Ph.D. and Lakeisha Johnson (School of Communication Science and Disorders) co-published a research article based on their seed grant from FSU-CRC titled “The KASE for Telepractice” in the Journal of Communication Disorders.
David E. Landau, J.D., Ph.D. (College of Law) co-authored the article “The Democratic Minimum Core” for the Democracy Project by NYU Law.
Brian G. Slocum, J.D., Ph.D. (College of Law) co-published “Pragmatic Textualism” in the Duke Law Journal.
Melba Marin-Velasquez, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) authored “A Flight of Imagination into Temazcal Relationality: A Journey Into Research as a More Relational Process with Community Knowledge Co-Creators” in Departures in Critical Qualitative Research.
Colleen Ganley, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) co-authored the article “Girls and Boys Solve Math Problems Differently — With Similar Short-Term Results but Different Long-Term Outcome” published in The Conversation.
Rob Schoen, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) co-authored the article “Effects of a Professional Development Program on Teacher Beliefs about Mathematics Teaching and Learning After One and Two Years: An Experimental Study” published in Teaching and Teacher Education.
Setor K. Sorkpor, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN, Ibrahim Yigit, Ph.D. and Yijiong Yang, Ph.D., MHA (College of Nursing) co-authored “Experienced and Anticipated HIV-Related Stigma and Depression Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women Living with HIV in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana: The Role of Internalized HIV Stigma in BMC Public Health Examining HIV-Related Stigma and Depressive Symptoms Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women Living with HIV” in BMC Public Health.
Yang Wang, Ph.D. (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science) co-authored the paper “Diets and Environments of Late Pleistocene Pygmy and Columbian Mammoths: Isotopic Evidence from Southern California” published in PLOS ONE.
Terri Bourus, Ph.D. (Department of English) authored the chapter “Theatrical Environments” in the book “Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Early Modern Authorship.”
Jeff Chanton, Ph.D. (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science) co-authored “Drought-induced Peatland Carbon Loss Exacerbated by Elevated CO2 and Warming” which focuses on peatland carbon cycle changes, published in volume 390 of Science. Chanton also co-authored “A Climatically Significant Abiotic Mechanism Driving Carbon Loss and Nitrogen Limitation in Peat Bogs” which focuses on abiotic carbon loss and nitrogen limitation in peat bogs, published in volume 15 of Scientific Reports.
Gary Taylor, Ph.D. (Department of English) authored the chapter “The Politics of Attribution” in the book “Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Early Modern Authorship.”
Charles Upchurch, Ph.D. (Department of History) authored “Researching the History of the Southern Conference on British Studies” at the request of the North American Conference on British Studies as a part of the celebrations of the NACBS’s 75th anniversary.
David Newheiser, Ph.D. (Department of Religion) co-authored “Art-Making as Spiritual Practice” and was interviewed on the New Books Network podcast episode “New Books in Secularism.”
Qiuchang (Katy) Cao, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored “Exploring the Implementation Functions of Older Adults’ Participation in Age-Friendly Community Initiatives,” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Stanley Gontarski, Ph.D. (Department of English) had his essay, “Who Wrote Godot?, or Beckett’s Bad Quartos” published in volume 11 of Skenè: Journal of Theatre and Drama Studies, “What Is the Word: Late Beckett Throbbing Between Drama and Poetry.” He also had his article “A Theatre of Boredom and Theatrical Distrust (André Gregory, Chekhov and Beckett)” published in The Theatre Times.
Kaela Byers, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the poster “Putting Families First: Early Impact of Family First Prevention Services on Family Well-Being” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Sonnie Mayewski, MSW and Michael Killian, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Telehealth’s Promise and Limits: Trends and Disparities in Pediatric Preventive Care Access, 2021-2023” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Bruce Thyer, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) authored the article “Using Experimental Research Designs to Evaluate Social Work Practice in China” published in the China Journal of Social Work. Thyer also authored the book chapter “The Intersections of Behavioral Analysis and Social Work” published in the book “Applied Behavior Analysis for Business and Technology Applications.”
Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored “COVID-19 and Immigrant Status: A Qualitative Study of Malawian Immigrants Living in South Africa” published in the European Journal of Public Health.
Tanya Renn, Ph.D. and Michael Killian, Ph.D. (College of Social Work), Margarita Amado-Blanco, MSW and Savannah Smith, MSW (Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children) co-authored the article “Adapting Trauma-Informed Group Therapy Treatment: Applying the ADAPT-ITT Framework” published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.
Daejin Kim, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) published “Evaluating Innovative Design Strategies in a Maternity Unit: A Post-Occupancy Evaluation Approach” in HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal.
Gashaye Tefera, Ph.D. and Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW (College of Social Work) co-authored the article “‘I’d Rather Sit at Home and Suffer in Silence’: Black Women’s Experiences with Weight Stigma” published as an advance online publication in the APA PsycArticles.
Tom Welsh, Ph.D. (School of Dance) received final acceptance for two empirical research studies involving FSU dancers, to be published in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. Lead authors are Casey Copeland, MA (School of Dance) (“Mental Resilience Training for Dancers”) and Kaitlin Morgan (“Développé Training for Dancers.”)
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the poster “Transforming Higher Education to Support Student-Parents” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Katie Berry, Ph.D., Emily Davidson, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) and Lauren Herod, MSW/MBA (College of Social Work) co-authored “How Do Child Welfare Policymakers Use Research in Decision-Making? A Use of Research Evidence Qualitative Study” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D. and Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “”Forget It. I’m Not Going to See Another Provider” the Intersection of Weight Stigma and Healthcare Access for Black Women” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Exploring the Impact of a Multisite Student Parent Advisory Board across Campus Communities: An Ethnographic Case Study” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lauren Stanley, Ph.D. and Jiwon Speers, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) co-authored the presentation “Validation of the Belonging Barometer with Child Welfare Workers” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Kaela Byers, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Impact Evaluation of the Saint Francis Fatherhood FIRE Program on Father Engagement and Family Outcomes” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Qiuchang (Katy) Cao, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Social Networks as an Engagement Strategy in Child Maltreatment Prevention Programs: A Scoping Review” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “‘I Would Rather Sit at Home and Suffer in Silence’: Perceptions, Experiences and Impacts of Weight Stigma Among Low-Income Black Women in Missouri” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Tenley Bick, Ph.D. (Department of Art History) published her essay “Armatures of Different Value, of Boundless Feeling: The Art of Buzz Spector” in the exhibition catalog for “Buzz Spector: Recto | Verso,” opening at Zolla/Lieberman’s south location in Chicago. The essay is the sole critical text in the catalog.
Qiuchang (Katy) Cao, Ph.D. and Manjun Kim, MA (College of Social Work) co-authored the poster “Health, Support, and Service Needs of Older Adult Kinship Caregivers in Florida: Preliminary Findings from the Oak Project” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lauren Herod, MSW, Lauren Stanley, Ph.D. and Emily Davidson, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) co-authored the poster “Self-Care Practices over Time Among Child Welfare Workers: A Longitudinal Growth Curve Analysis” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
John Moore, Ph.D. and Qiuchang (Katy) Cao, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Substance Use Screening Among Older Adults: Associations with Substance Type and Healthcare Setting” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
John Moore, Ph.D., JaNiene Peoples, Ph.D. and Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Service Utilization and Screening Among U.S. College Students with Substance Use Disorder” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Chelsea Brass, Ph.D., MPA (Florida Institute for Child Welfare, FSU College of Social Work) co-authored “Exploring the Link Between Relationship Cycling and Aggression in Challenging Romantic Relationships” published in the Journal of Family Violence.
Megan Vogt, MSW, MS and Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Justice in Motion: Potential for Health Interventions and Practice Changes for Young Women with Legal-Involvement” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lenore McWey, Ph.D. (College of Nursing), Melissa Radey, Ph.D. (College of Social Work), Qiong Wu, Ph.D. and Ming Cui, PhD (Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) co-authored the article “Family Safety Nets and Child Outcomes of Families Involved with the U.S. Child Welfare System” published in the Journal of Social Service Research.
Shelby Varol, MSW, Alisa Gutherie, MSW, Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW and Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the poster “Healthcare Experiences of Transgender and Gender Minority Migrants in the US: A Scoping Review” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Trevor Meagher, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) published “College Towns and Creativity: Exploring Potential Interactions Between Educational Institutions and Local Cultural Economies” in “Cities,” vol. 169.
Wen Guo, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) published “Developing Socially Responsive Competencies in Arts Administration Through Teaching Cases: Needs, Barriers, Debates & Possibilities for an Essential Pedagogy” in The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society.
Wen Guo, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-authored the chapter “AI Adoption in the Creative Sector: Practices, Perceptions, and Prospects Among Arts and Culture Organizations and Administrators” in “The Art of Digital Governance,” vol. 6.
Karina Donald, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-published “Visual Narratives of Resilience: Caribbean Families’ Coping Before and Since COVID-19” with graduate students Ko-Hui (Cole) Lin and Xingyi Li in “Family Sciences.”
Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW and Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the presentation “Mental Health Experiences of African Refugees in the United States: A Scoping Review” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Shamra Boel-Studt, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and Darejan Dvalishvili, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) co-authored the posted “Exploring Caregiver Experiences with Navigating and Securing Residential Care for Children with Intensive Needs” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and Margarita Amado-Blanco, MSW (Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children) co-authored the poster “The Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Meta-Analysis” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
David Newheiser, Ph.D. (Department of Religion) had his article “Die Genealogie der Wunder: Bedeutung und Materielle Praxis” published in volume 31 of the Hermeneutische Blätter journal, “Wunder.” Newheiser also had his co-authored paper, “What Kind of Speech Makes for Peace?” published with the Journal of Ethics in Antiquity and Christianity. He also published the essay “There is Power in Negative Political Theology” with the Political Theology Network.
Leah Reilly Sherman, Ph.D. (FSU Libraries) published “Taking the Museum to the People: Cultural Heritage, Community Engagement, and Postwar Poland’s Museobus,” in Museums as Places of People, Time, and Memory: The Intersection of Place and History, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Daejin Kim, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) published the journal article “Evaluating Innovative Design Strategies in a Maternity Unit: A Post-Occupancy Evaluation Approach” in HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal.
Katie Kehoe, MFA (Department of Art) contributed to: PUBLIC 72: (Searching for) Home, an interdisciplinary journal with a core focus on visual art.
Audrey Jacobs, Ph.D., Ashley Williams, Dianna Bradley (FSU Libraries), Minki Jeon, Ph.D. and Sara Shields, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-published “Gameful Learning: Reflections on Co-Designing an Art Gallery Board Game” in CoDesign, the International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts.
Wen Guo, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-published the article “Examining AI Adoption Willingness Among Nonprofit and Government Arts Administrators: Perceptions, Barriers, and Sector-Specific Considerations” in the book “The Art of Digital Governance.”
PRESENTATIONS
Hannah Cronic and Sarah Lull (Department of Student Support and Transition) presented two sessions at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Strategies Conference, “We’re All In This Together: A Case Study in Collaboration” and “Lessons Learned: Providing Support for Sexual Violence Victims That Are Minors.” Amy Haggard (Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards) also contributed to the presentation.
Allison B. Peters, Ph.D., Holly Hunt, Ph.D. (Division of Undergraduate Studies) and Samantha Nix, Ph.D. (Institutional Research) co-presented “Re-Envisioning Institutional Care: A Panel on Data-Informed Innovation for Academic Recovery” at the 2026 Undergraduate Education at Research Universities Annual Conference.
Ebe Randeree, Ph.D. (College of Communication and Information) presented “AI Impacts on Teachers, Career Pathways/Workforce and Students!” at the 2026 Florida Career Pathways Network Symposium.
Delaney La Rosa, Ed.D., MSN Ed., RN, (College of Nursing) presented “AI and Nursing Workforce Centers” at the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers & Florida Center for Nursing Membership Assembly, leading a workshop on using artificial intelligence to support research and policy development.
Allison McHugh, DNP, MHCDS, RN, NE-BC and LeeAnne Barfield, Ph.D., DNP, APRN-BC, CNE, FACHE (College of Nursing) co-presented “An Innovative, Evidence-Based Graduate Curriculum That Prepares Nurse Executives for the Real World” at the AACN Doctoral Education Conference in Bonita Springs.
Robin Goodman, Ph.D. (Department of English) presented “Gender of the Machine: AI, World Literature, and Reclaiming the Social Brain” at the virtual World Literature Webinar Series.
Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) presented “Intersecting Justice: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Alaska Native Experiences with the Criminal Legal System” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D., Shelby Varol, MSW, John Mathias, Ph.D. and Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW (College of Social Work), Ellen Piekalkiewicz, MA and Carli Lucius, MSW (Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children) co-presented “Vulnerability and Resilience During a Natural Disaster: Exploring the Experiences of Foster Children in Florida” at a symposia at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
John Mathias, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) was the discussant of the symposia “Disaster Risk Reduction across the Lifecourse: Social Work Insights and Interventions” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Mathias also convened the special interest group “Creating Social Responses to a Changing Environment (Grand Challenge for Social Work)” at the same conference.
Bart Klika, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) led a symposia on “Paid Family Leave and Infant Maltreatment” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Erin Ryan, J.D. (College of Law) delivered the keynote lecture “COVID, Federalism, and Pandemonium in Florida: Implications for Multilevel Governance in the U.S. and Beyond” at the international conference Multilevel Governance in the Post-Pandemic Era: New Dynamics, New Challenges.
Yelena McLane, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) presented “Designing for Dignity: Architectural Strategies for Holistic Resident Care” as part of the Brain and Beyond…Seminar Series.
Qiuchang (Katy) Cao, Ph.D. and Melissa Radey, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and Dawn Carr, Ph.D. (College of Social Sciences and Public Policy) presented the poster “Sex Differences in Occupational Exposures and Cognitive Function in Later Life” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Christy Mantzanas, Samantha Hightower and Tiffany Leung (Career Center, Employer Relations) co-presented “The Career Services Power Pack: Smart-data Integration, Bold Frameworks, and UX Design for Sustainable Partnerships” at the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers conference, where they shared methods to develop storytelling data, formulas and AI techniques to predict career fair outcomes, and how to integrate UX design principles for program sustainability.
Elizabeth Crowley, MSW (Florida Institute for Research and Development), Sanoop Valappanandi, MSW and John Mathias, Ph.D. (College of Social Work), Ellen Piekalkiewciz, MA, Savannah Smith, MSW and Carli Lucius, MSW (Stoops Center for Communities, Families, Children), Tian Tang, Ph.D. (College of Social Science and Public Policy) and Arda Vanli, Ph.D. (College of Engineering) co-authored the presentation of, “Disaster Preparedness of Social Workers in the Southeastern United States: A Survey Focused on Hurricane-Pandemic Co-O ccurrences” at a symposia at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lindsey Eckert, Ph.D. (Department of English) presented the papers “Lady Caroline Lamb’s Graham Hamilton and the Migratory Possibilities of South America” and “Lady Caroline Lamb, Lima, and the Coastal Disaster of Ada Reis” at the annual Modern Language Association Convention in Toronto, Canada.
Mora Beauchamp-Byrd, Ph.D. (Department of Art History) was a featured speaker at the conference “Why Black Museums: Other Geographies, New Fields” at the University of Texas at Austin.
Lynn Jones, Ph.D. (Department of Art History) presented a section of her forthcoming book in the paper “Imperial Imagery in the Province: The Case of the ‘White Bearded’ Unknown Saint in Cappadocia” at the 51st Annual Byzantine Studies Conference, held at Wayne State and Oakland Universities in Detroit, MI.
Erika Loic, Ph.D. (Department of Art History) presented “Monstrous Conquests in Medieval Iberia: The Aquelarre Tabletop Roleplaying Game and Its Bestiarium Hispaniae” at the Medieval + Monsters Conference, hosted at Dominican University and the Newberry Library in Chicago.
Charles Upchurch, Ph.D. (Department of History) presented “Fitzroy Kelly to Karl Heinrich Ulrichs: Queer Politics Before Identity” in November at the Southern Conference on British Studies in Tampa, Florida. He also presented “Called it Macaroni: Politics, Queer History, and the American Revolution” at the North American Conference on British Studies in Montreal, Canada.
Melissa Radey, Ph.D. (College of Social Work), Lenore McWey, Ph.D. (Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences ) and Lisa Magruder, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) co-authored the poster “Changes in Parents’ Relationships after Child Protective Services Involvement within the Context of Domestic Violence” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Hannah Schwadron, Ph.D. (School of Dance) was contracted by Bloomsbury Press to review the edited volume “Queering Partner Dance.”
JaNiene Peoples, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-authored the poster “Investigating How Parental Education Moderates the Effects of Depression on Male College Students’ Beliefs Toward Degree Completion” presented at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Tanya Renn, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) presented “A Call for Research on Criminal Legal Systems Involvement Among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Kristina Hakansson, Ph.D. (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) gave the invited talk “FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry at 21 Tesla: From Isotopic Fine Structure to Unparalleled Top-Down Proteomics” at a workshop on complex mixtures at the Federal University of Goiás in Goiânia, Brazil. Hakansson also gave the invited talk “Tyrosine Sulfation: A Tricky Posttranslational Modification Requiring High End Mass Spectrometry” at the University of Florida.
Daejin Kim, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) presented “Perceptions and Acceptance of Smart Home Technologies in the U.S. and South Korea” at the Housing Educators Research Association conference.
Gashaye Malaku Tefera, Ph.D., Ponsiano Ngondwe, MSW and Shelby Varol, MSW (College of Social Work) participated in the symposia “‘They Don’t See Us as Humans’: Multilevel Factors Affecting Trust in Healthcare Among African Immigrants in the U.S.’” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Andrei Malaev-Babel, MFA (School of Theatre) delivered a keynote address and led a masterclass at the 2025 Stanislavsky Symposium, held at the University of Malta’s Valletta Campus.
Hannah Schwadron, Ph.D., (School of Dance) presented a reading of her co-authored introduction and solo-authored chapter in “Funny Moves: Dance Humor Politics” at the University of Florida Department of Dance in Gainesville, FL. While there Schwadron also facilitated a movement workshop on dance humor in improvisation and choreography for dance majors. She also co-facilitated original research with a School of Dance student group at the Florida Restorative Justice Association conference in partnership with the Tallahassee Bail Fund. Their workshop, “Move and Be Moved: Freedom Dreaming to Direct Action in Dance, Song, Story,” was presented at St. Paul Methodist Church in Tallahassee.
David Gussak, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) presented the paper “Upwardly Intensifying and Reinforcing the Arts and Art Therapy with the Imprisoned” at the 56th Annual American Art Therapy Association Conference in Portland, Oregon.
Katelyn Bittinger, Sarah Butler (University Housing) and Stormy McGivern (Department of Student Engagement) presented “Curriculum in a Crunch” at the Institute on the Curricular Approach which spotlighted how University Housing and affiliated campus partners foster student learning over the short six-week Summer B semester.
Vilma Fuentes, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) presented “Introduction to Higher Education in the USA” to a group of Ukrainian officials in Washington DC, as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Leadership Visitors Program.
Nancy Gerber, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) presented on the panel “Arting Your Doctorate and Other Stories” at the American Art Therapy Association Conference in Portland, Oregon.
Barbara Parker-Bell, Ph.D.,(Department of Art Education) presented “Art Therapy & Creativity: Resources for Well-being during Times of Challenge and Transition” at “Education Without Stress: A Mental Health Support at Educational Institutions,” an event supported by the Press, Education, and Culture Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.
Samoop Valappanandi, MSW (College of Social Work) presented the poster “Perceptions of Forest Resource Change and the Role of Participation: Evidence from Marginalized Communities in India” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-convened the special interest group “Foster Care and Higher Education” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Pooja Ichlani, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) presented the poster “Unearthing Women’s Lost Narratives: Tracing the Roots of Intimate Partner Violence in the Big Bend Region of Florida” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Sonnie Mayewski, MSW and Yaacov Petscher, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) and Nuria Gutiérrez, Ph.D. (Florida Center for Reading Research) co-presented at the workshop “Going Beyond the Mean Effect: A Hands-on Introduction to Quantile Regression for Social Work Research” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Changhyun Nam (Lyon), Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) presented five conference papers — consisting of one oral presentation and four posters — at the annual International Textile and Apparel Association conference held Nov. 19-22 in St. Louis, Missouri. Nam presented the papers “AI Image Generators in Apparel Design and Product Development: Enhancing Creativity”; “Technological Innovation and Environmental Awareness in the U.S. and the U.K.: Fashion 3D-Printed Accessories”; and “M-Commerce With Luxury Fashion Goods in Pre-Owned Markets.” Additionally, Nam presented collaborative research including “Rethinking Wetsuit Design: Enhancing Comfort, Fit and Sustainability,” co-authored with Florida State University graduate research assistant Lucia Villanustre and undergraduate student Avaree VandeKerkhoff and “Enhancing Young Consumers’ Trust and Engagement in the Secondhand Luxury Goods Market Within M-Commerce: A Qualitative Approach,” co-authored with undergraduate research assistant Evita Ilushenko.
Michael D. Carrasco, Ph.D. (College of Fine Arts) co-presented the paper “Semiotic Rupture and the Emergence of Writing: Toward a Multimodal Model of Representational Innovation” at iTHEMS RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences in Wako, Saitama, Japan.
Kris Salata, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) spoke about his new book “Grotowski’s Process” at the Performance Studies international conference in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Karina Donald, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-presented at the National Council on Family Relations conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
Trevor Meagher, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) had two presentations “Moving the Goalposts: Exploring Mission Change and Operational Capacity in Arts and Culture Nonprofits” and “Is the Tide Rising, or Are We Just Rowing Harder? Operational traits in placemaking-engaged nonprofits” at the annual Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action conference in Indianapolis, IN.
Sarah Fahmy, PhD, (School of Theatre) delivered a paper virtually at PSI in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Aaron C. Thomas, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) delivered a talk on his new book published by the Vanderbilt University Press at Villanova University in Villanova, PA.
EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES
Clint Sleeper, MFA (Department of Art) co-curated and organized an online exhibition “about not by, for not from,” hosted by The Wrong Biennale.
Katie Kehoe, MFA (Department of Art) had her work “The Visitor in Wildfire Shelterwear, 46.23214N, 113.75486W” included in the Texas Photographic Society’s (TPS) ‘TPS:33 The International Competition’ exhibition at The Center for Contemporary Art in Abilene, Texas.
Meredith Lynn, MFA (Department of Art) was featured with her solo exhibition “Bad Outdoorsmen. The Complete Season” at the Illges Gallery at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia.
Jamie Ho, MFA (Department of Art) opened her solo exhibition “magic mirrors” at Art League Houston.
Daniel Gott, MFA (School of Theatre) performed his Actor-Musician Sessions in the Tallahassee community as part of his research and creative work project.
Daniel Smith, MME (School of Dance) made his debut as Principal Pianist with the Panama City Symphony performing the musical drama “Beasts of the Bayou” in Panama City. He also performed a cabaret concert with Broadway legend Bernadette Peters in Destin.
Denise Bookwalter, MFA (Department of Art) exhibited works from Small Craft Advisory Press and shared student collaborative book work from her letterpress and artists’ book courses at Staple + Stitch Art Book + Print Fair Chicago.
Jiha Moon, MFA (Department of Art) had her exhibition “Purgatory Mutt” at Mindy Solomon Gallery” reviewed by @plasternyc and listed in Galerie magazine in the Art & Culture section article “8 Must-See Solo Gallery Shows in November.”
Jiha Moon, MFA (Department of Art) was announced as a 2026 Arts/Industry Artists-in-Residence at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
Sarah Fahmy, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) continues her award-supported performance installation project at museums across the US. Including venues such as: The Institute of the Study of Ancient Cultures Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, The Arab American National Museum, Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Met, Penn Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Harvard Art Museum, Smithsonian Natural History Museum.
Katie Kehoe, MFA (Department of Art) had her work “Time is of the Essence” featured in ‘PUBLIC! Issue 72’, “(Searching) for Homem,” an interdisciplinary journal with a core focus on visual art.
Mona Bozorgi, Ph.D. (Department of Art) had her project “Threads of Freedom” featured in “see-zeen” issue 18, an independent online magazine curating contemporary photography by international emerging artists.
SERVICE
Michelle Kazmer, Ph.D. (College of Communication and Information) was elected to the iSchools Organization’s Board of Directors for 2026-2027.
Marisa Sweeny, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) hosted a panel at the closing event of her exhibition “Motherwork”, at the Carlow Gallery in Pittsburgh , PA.
Chelsea Nam, Ph.D. (Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science) was elected to serve on the American Meteorological Society Scientific and Technological Activities Commission Committee on Radar Meteorology.
Alice Maxwell (Division of Student Affairs Communications and Marketing) is serving as the Region III Representative in the Knowledge Community leadership team for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Fundraising and Communications Knowledge Community.
Sarah Fahmy, Ph.D. (School of Theatre) was elected to the American Society for Theatre Research Executive Committee for the 2025–2028 term.
Lisa Schelbe, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) was elected as the director-at-large as a part of the board of directors for the Society for Social Work and Research for a three-year term appointment.
Erin Gallivan, Ph.D. (Counseling & Psychological Services) was invited by the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) to serve on a panel of experts for the AGPA College Counseling and Other Educational Settings Special Interest Group to share her expertise on group training for senior staff in university counseling centers.
Jeff Broome, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) was elected President of the Florida Art Education Association.
Daejin Kim, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Housing Educators Research Association.
Bruce Thyer, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) co-convened the special interest group “Heterodox Social Work” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Michael Killian, Ph.D. (College of Social Work) organized the workshop “Going Beyond the Mean Effect: A Hands-on Introduction to Quantile Regression for Social Work Research” at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Zhe He, Ph.D. (School of Information) organized and chaired a full-day workshop “Open-Source LLM Applications for Health Applications” at the 2025 AMIA Annual Symposium.
Shi-Ling Hsu, J.D., M.S., Ph.D. (College of Law) was elected to the American Law Institute, recognized for his significant contributions to legal scholarship and leadership in shaping the future of the law.
David Gussak, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-led the roundtable discussion “University–Prison Partnerships: Facilitating Transformation Through the Arts” at the 61st Annual Conference of the International Council for Arts Deans in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Hannah Schwadron, Ph.D. (School of Dance) taught a Movement and Mindfulness workshop at the Leon County Detention Facility in Tallahassee.
Trevor Meagher, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) was elected to the Board of Directors for Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts.
Daejin Kim, Ph.D. (Department of Interior Architecture and Design) was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Housing Educators Research Association.
Kevin Curry, MFA (Department of Art) has been appointed as an at-large (city) board member for COCA (Council on Culture and Arts).
Daniel Luedtke, MFA (Department of Art) is on the board for Tally Zine Fest at the Challenger Learning Center.
NOTABLE
Susana Santos, Ph.D. (Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship) led the joint project between the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and the Learning Systems Institute, which set up the S2I2 Entrepreneurship Center at the Armenian State University of Economics with co-PI Vilma Fuentes, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute).
Marty Fielding, MFA (Department of Art) taught a two-day workshop at Rain City Clay in Seattle, WA.
Malaika Samples, Ed.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare) organized a workshop titled “Bridging the Gap Between Coursework and the Field: Faculty Simulation Training for Hands-On, Trauma-Informed Learning.” The session focused on trauma-informed simulation methods to strengthen experiential teaching, with follow-up sessions planned for the spring to support implementation.
Rabieh Razzouk, MBA (Learning Systems Institute) built the CPALMS platform, which hosted The Florida Department of Education’s Civics Seal of Excellence portal.
Vilma Fuentes, Ph.D. (Learning Systems Institute) led FSU’s Ukraine Task Force in hosting Serhiy Kvi, President of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. FSU Provost Jim Clark and Kyit signed a memorandum of understanding signifying the university’s commitment to work together on future research projects.
Setor K. Sorkpor, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN (College of Nursing) was selected to participate in the Yale School of Nursing Comprehensive Advancement in Research Education Program as part of the 2025–2026 cohort, a competitive national program focused on advancing nursing research capacity in social determinants of health.
Anne Stagg, MFA, Kevin Curry, MFA and Keith Roberson, MFA (Department of Art) were invited by FSU Department of Physics Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Harrison B. Prosper (Department of Physics) to CERN Switzerland to attend a conference, tour the facilities and present talks.
Tiffany Rhynard, MFA (School of Dance) became Vice President of the Board for Dance on Camera (formerly Dance Film Association). She also continued production on her feature documentary “The Mirage” during Fall 2025. Rhynard was also invited to teach “Dance Film” at the Pigmentos International Dance Festival in Puebla, Mexico.
Marissa McClure Sweeny, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) was featured in the second episode of Carlow University’s documentary series “A More Merciful World.”
Andrei Malaev-Babel, MFA (School of Theatre) led a three-day Demidov Masterclass for the International Demidov Association in Athens, Greece. While in Athens, Malaev-Babel also taught a one-day masterclass for Greek actors participating in the Demidov Association’s Acting Certificate Program.
Tom Welsh, Ph.D. (School of Dance) processed injury risk screening results for 27 first-year dancers and facilitated individualized debriefing opportunities. Welsh also re-engineered the Targeted Cross-Training collaborations in which 23 first-year dancers will complete five weeks of training with nine coaches through the Science of Dance Training seminar and practicum.
Pooja Ichplani, Ph.D. (Florida Institute for Child Welfare, College of Social Work) is actively involved in the faith-based task force against domestic violence facilitated by the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence (FPEDV). The group constitutes faith leaders, survivor advocates, practitioners and researchers across the state, and meets monthly to brainstorm innovative strategies for prevention of and response to domestic violence.
Andrei Malaev-Babel, MFA (School of Theatre) received approval from the Routledge Editorial Board for his four-volume series “Unlocking Creativity: The Complete Works of Nikolai Demidov’s Acting Pedagogy.”
Hannah Schwadron, Ph.D. (School of Dance) was voted as the next president of Dance Studies Association.
Helanius J. Wilkins, MFA (School of Dance) completed Phase 1 of the Green Box Residency in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. His residency focused on developing a new stage production premiering in February 2026 and leading community engagement activities. He is a member of the program’s fifth cohort.
Nancy Gerber, Ph.D. (Department of Art Education) co-taught a workshop “Storying Statistics” at the American Art Therapy Association Conference in Portland, Oregon.