“The Presidential Scholars Program recognized me as a person, and I knew that Florida State University wanted me to be here.”
Fast Facts
- Traveler: Has visited the World’s Biggest Ball of Twine
- Leader: Started an Engage 100 section through the Innovation Hub
- Unique talent: Can hold 83 bananas at once
- Top-ranking: Ranked 15th for most 3D printing at FSU
- Successful entrepreneur: Won the 2024 JMC Shark Tank competition at the Seminole Innovators Showcase
James Hudson IV is an information, communication and technology student at Florida State University who created the Innovators X Workshop Series, an Engage 100 class that teaches first-year students about design, innovation and prototype development in collaboration with Innovation Hub staff.
As part of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), Hudson worked with research mentors to improve the student experience through faster grading using word processing systems. Additionally, Hudson was drawn to FSU’s Presidential Scholar Program and spends his free time ensuring the safety and health of his peers through community service.
How did FSU stand out to you?
After I attended recruitment weekend, FSU offered me a place in the Presidential Scholars Program. The fast-paced, collaborative nature of the event made me excited about going to college. The students I met were leaders, valedictorians and changemakers at their high schools. All of them had been offered spots at many other prestigious universities, yet they all wanted to be at FSU because of Presidential Scholars. The idea of working with a group of like-minded, driven individuals was what excited me the most. The Presidential Scholars Program recognized me as a person, and I knew that Florida State University wanted me to be here.
How have you served the FSU community?
As part of my computer and fabrication technologies internship at the FSU Innovation Hub, I had the incredible opportunity to start teaching in a classroom setting. I pioneered the first innovation based, hands-on Engage 100 class at FSU: Innovators X.
Each week, I lead a class of freshmen through the concepts of innovation, design thinking and prototyping while also teaching and training them on the resources available at FSU. I help them understand how much they can accomplish while they are at FSU and how they can use these skills for the rest of their lives.
Innovation Hub Assistant Director Wes Dorce had the vision for an innovation-based course designed just for freshmen. He saw potential in me, believed in me and supported me through the journey of making the idea a reality.
What are some of your academic achievements at FSU?
In the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, I worked as part of a team designing a feedback system plug-in for word processors. The integration links with the Canvas learning management system and allows professors to create databases of pre-written feedback based on the common corrections students require. The system plug-in recommends professor-written feedback based on previous students’ work and how it was assessed. A teacher or teaching assistant can select feedback from the provided palette and grade assignments in an optimized manner to improve the students’ learning experiences.
The research on this system was completed under the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. This was my first opportunity to complete research at the university level. Associate Professor Russell G. Almond and doctoral student James A. Hernandez served as leaders for the team and mentored me through every step of the process.
How have you engaged in community service in Tallahassee?
I am part of a student-led and student-founded Christian ministry that distributes water bottles to students heading home from nightclubs. As a Christian, I believe Jesus instructed us to love, and we do this by providing students with water and company. We want to make sure they stay safe, sometimes going as far as walking them all the way home. We give out water throughout the night and stay out until most students have made their way back home safely. During the last academic year, we gave out over 14,000 bottles.