Florida State University recognized graduate student achievement and leadership at the Celebration of Graduate Student Excellence, sponsored by The Graduate School and the Congress of Graduate Students, on April 6 at the FSU Alumni Center.
The celebration honored graduate students who have earned external fellowships and grants and those who have excelled in teaching, mentorship, leadership, participation in public discourse, and research and creative activity. Faculty mentors were also recognized for their work with graduate students.
“Florida State has attracted some of the top graduate students from Florida, from around the United States and from around the world,” said Steve McDowell, interim dean of The Graduate School. “Graduate students are central to undertaking FSU’s important missions of education, research and creative inquiry, and service.”
So far during the 2025-2026 academic year, FSU graduate students have won 135 national fellowships and grants, higher than last year’s near record of 131. That number is expected to grow and includes recognition and funding from the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health, the Fulbright Program, the Florida Legislative and Gubernatorial Fellows programs and the McCain Global Leaders Program.
“Graduate funding opportunities are competitive by nature, and so it is a testament to the strength of FSU’s graduate programs and, most importantly, our graduate students, to have this number of externally funded students in a year,” said Keith McCall, assistant director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.
The event kicked off Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week, a national observance FSU celebrates with a series of events focused on recognition, professional development, wellness and community connection.
Keynote speaker Carrie Cooper, dean of FSU Libraries and an FSU alumna, shared remarks about the unique and important role library resources play in graduate student success and the graduate student journey.
“FSU made a strategic move to enhance the graduate student experience by focusing on your success, your professional growth and timely graduation,” Cooper said. “My hope is that every graduating student will have a memory of a conversation with a librarian or archivist and that it will have had a positive impact on your research.”
More than 10,500 graduate students are enrolled at FSU, pursuing doctoral degrees, master’s degrees and professional certificates. The Graduate School is now part of FSU’s newly established Student Academic Success division and is conducting a search for a new dean. The 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s edition of Best Graduate Schools ranked 16 FSU graduate programs and specialties in the Top 25 among public universities, with six graduate programs placing No. 1 in Florida.
The celebration recognized graduate students with several honors, including Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards, the Graduate Student Leadership Award and Research & Creative Activity Awards.
“We are proud to recognize FSU’s exceptional graduate student leaders and teachers and to celebrate their outstanding contributions to research and creative endeavors,” said Emily Leventhal, associate dean of The Graduate School. “I’m grateful to the staff at the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and The Graduate School for supporting our graduate students to excel in these areas.”
The celebration also recognized winners of the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for those who excelled as mentors in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and winners of the Graduate Student Op-Ed Competition, which took place in the fall.
That competition featured students who wrote persuasively on topical subjects ranging from best practices for second language acquisition to social media and the loneliness epidemic to whether GLP-1 drugs are affecting taste.
Finally, FSU faculty members were recognized at the celebration with Graduate Faculty Mentor Awards. Nominators recognized the faculty who have made a significant impact on their work as FSU graduate students.
OUTSTANDING TEACHING ASSISTANT AWARDS
Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Wenting Song, Learning and Cognition
Mahesh Dheerasinghe, Chemistry
Auroni Khan, Biological Science
Caroline Laganas, English
Harrison Miller, Psychology
College of Communication and Information
Sooyeon Park, Communication
GRADUATE STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD
Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Hilal Ayan Karabatman, Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies
RESEARCH AND CREATIVITY AWARDS
HUMANITIES & ARTS:
College of Arts & Sciences
Danielle Wirsansky, History
SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES:
College of Social Work
Beren Sabuncu, Social Work
NATURAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES:
College of Arts & Sciences
Ifeoluwa Peter Oyekunle, Chemistry
GRADUATE FACULTY MENTOR AWARDS
Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Nominator statement: “Dr. Ahmadisharaf is a one-of-a-kind supervisor. In his team, we always felt that he first considered what the best is for his students and their future career; then, he thinks about the project; and the last thing that he minds is himself.”
Andrea U. De Giorgi, College of Arts and Sciences
Nominator statement: “Dr. De Giorgi is a trusted presence in the lives of our graduate students, helping them in countless ways: serving on Ph.D. and M.A. committees; meeting with students to prepare them for comprehensive exams; working with students on conference papers; preparing students for job interviews; and simply being available to help in whatever way they need.”
Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Sciences
Nominator statement: “[Dr. Hanson] is extremely collaborative in both research within and outside of Florida State University, and this opens several opportunities for his students. [Dr. Hanson’s] mentorship has shown itself to be effective before, during and after our time within the Hanson research group. He pushes us to become the best researchers we can be, and we greatly value his input and dedication to our improvement.”
Yan-Yan Hu, College of Arts and Sciences
Nominator statement: “Dr. Hu’s graduate students have benefited tremendously from her engaging mentoring style, high research standard and thorough skill development efforts. If you pass by [Dr. Hu’s] office or the meeting room across her office, most often, you will see her meeting with graduate students on their development.”
Zhe He, College of Communication & Information
Nominator statement: “Dr. He demonstrates an exceptional and sustained commitment to graduate mentoring. His mentoring style is rigorous, structured and deeply supportive. Through regular one-on-one meetings, he provides detailed methodological feedback, challenges assumptions constructively and emphasizes clinical relevance, ethical responsibility and real-world impact.”
Jon Maner, College of Arts and Sciences
Nominator statement: “[Dr. Maner’s] mentorship is not about easy answers — it’s about empowerment. In data analysis meetings, instead of leading the session, [Dr. Maner] encouraged us to sit at his desk, saying, ‘You drive.’ He guides with questions — What should we do next? Why? — gently pushing to think critically. His willingness to work through statistics, puzzle by puzzle, is so rare among mentors.”