Each year, massive mats of pelagic sargassum drift across the Atlantic Ocean and wash ashore along coastlines from West Africa to the Florida Gulf. What begins at sea as a floating habitat for marine life quickly becomes a serious problem once it reaches land, smothering beaches, disrupting ecosystems and generating the familiar smell of rotten eggs as it decays.

As the scale of the sargassum blooms continues to grow, researchers at Florida State University are working on a different question: How to transform this mounting environmental challenge into a sustainable opportunity. A team of scientists at FSU, collaborating with colleagues at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU), has demonstrated that pelagic sargassum can be converted into a potential high-quality, functional food ingredient through targeted extraction and purification. Their findings were recently published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids.

Their work comes at a crucial moment: In 2026, pelagic sargassum quantities are expected to reach unprecedented levels. Marine scientists estimate that this year’s bloom is on track to be the largest ever recorded, potentially surpassing last year’s peak of about 37.5 million metric tons (MMT). As of February 2026, more than 13 MMT of sargassum were already drifting toward Florida and the Caribbean, forming earlier than usual due to warming ocean temperatures and strong trade winds. Cleanup comes at a steep price: In Miami-Dade County alone, sargassum removal has previously cost an estimated $35 million per year.

Rather than focusing on removing sargassum and discarding it, the researchers investigated how to recover sodium alginate, a naturally occurring compound widely used in foods for thickening, gelling and stabilizing products such as salad dressings, desserts and plant-based alternatives.

“Right now, most washed ashore sargassum is treated as waste,” said Qinchun Rao, corresponding author of the study and professor in FSU’s Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences. “We wanted to explore whether this abundant biomass could be responsibly transformed into something useful.”

“One of the most encouraging findings was that the recovered alginate retained useful functional properties,” added Aravind Kumar Bingi, first author of the study and a doctoral candidate in Rao’s lab. “That suggests this biomass may have value beyond cleanup and disposal.”

Addressing safety and functionality

Pelagic sargassum is not suitable for direct human consumption due to its high salt content, fibrous structure and potential accumulation of heavy metals. However, the FSU-led team found that selective extraction and purification can isolate alginate while removing much of the unwanted material.

Crucially, the study showed that alginate derived from pelagic sargassum retains strong functional performance, comparable to that of commercially available alginates already used in food systems. Advanced analytical techniques confirmed that the alginate’s chemical backbone remains intact, meaning functional differences are driven by physical structure rather than chemical alteration.

Looking ahead

The research team emphasizes that more work is needed before large-scale adoption, including performance testing in real food systems and continued monitoring of batch-to-batch safety. Still, the findings represent a critical step toward changing how pelagic sargassum is viewed — from an expensive nuisance to a renewable resource with real-world applications.

“Our long-term goal is to help turn an environmental burden into a safe, sustainable and value-added resource,” Rao said. “If pelagic sargassum can be responsibly processed into functional ingredients, it could create new opportunities for food innovation while also supporting more sustainable approaches to managing coastal biomass.”

With forecasts pointing to yet another record-breaking sargassum season, such solutions are becoming increasingly urgent.

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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The National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) has named four Florida State University professors as part of its Class of 2024 New Fellows.

Michael Ormsbee, Michael Delp, Bob Hickner and Michael Giardina, from the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, were inducted into the honorary organization for their distinguished and sustained contributions to the field of kinesiology through scholarship and professional service.

The dual purpose of the NAK is to encourage and promote the study and educational applications of the art and science of human movement and physical activity. It also honors by election to Fellow those individuals who have moved the field forward as a direct result of their scholarly and professional contributions.

Selection into the NAK is considered one of the most prestigious awards received by a kinesiology scholar. The organization was originally founded in 1926, serving as a historical collection of scholars in the field.

“Anne’s College continues to grow as a world-class institution for the study of kinesiology and sport,” Dean Damon Andrew said. “I’m so proud of these four faculty members on their accomplishments, and I know they will continue to demonstrate the excellence we’ve come to expect from Florida State University and our college as we maximize human potential.”

 Ormsbee is the director of the FSU Institute of Sports Sciences & Medicine. His work is regularly published in some of the top exercise and sports nutrition journals in the country. Ormsbee was recognized as both the 2020 FSU Distinguished Teacher of the Year as well as the 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association Sport Scientist of the Year.

A Betty M. Watts Professor in the FSU’s Department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Science, Delp focuses his research on understanding the effects of physical activity on the cardiovascular system. Much of his research has been published in prestigious journals, including one of his studies that was the 10th most cited manuscript in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Hickner is the Linda Grizzard Owens Professor whose research interests include investigating how exercise and nutrition impact the regulation of blood flow and metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. He has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and received over 20 years of funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Giardina is a professor of Physical Cultural Studies and Qualitative Inquiry in the Department of Sport Management. He is the author or editor of more than 20 books, and his research focuses on three interrelated lines of inquiry: physical culture and bio-politics, global sporting cultures and sport in post-9/11 America.

The induction of all four FSU faculty occurred during the annual ceremony held in Minneapolis, Minn., as part of the NAK’s 93rd annual meeting.

For more information on Anne’s College, visit annescollege.fsu.edu.  

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PHOTO GALLERY

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Ever since she was a little girl, Ely Djulia Katmadihardja has been captivated by the power of science in solving real-world problems. Her natural curiosity and innovative disposition have propelled her to become a prominent leader in science education in her home country of Indonesia, and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar program has brought her to Florida State University once again. 

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program provides grants to approximately 850 foreign scholars from over 100 countries to conduct post-doctoral research at U.S. institutions from an academic semester to a full academic year. 

This fellowship represents a full circle moment for Djulia, who first began collaborating with the Learning Systems Institute at FSU in 2006 on a Decentralized Basic Education Project in Indonesia led by Jeffrey Milligan, former director of LSI. She played a crucial role in the project until its completion in 2011. A few years later, she visited FSU’s campus for the first time to discuss additional research opportunities in teacher education with Milligan. 

As a professor and researcher in biology education at Universitas Negeri Medan, Dr. Djulia teaches various undergraduate and graduate courses aimed at training future educators. Her courses range from teaching plant ecology to science education strategies and evaluations. 

In her research, Djulia has found that modern scientific knowledge tends to align with local indigenous wisdom. For example, traditional Indonesian houses built from wood and bamboo are highly resistant to earthquake damage due to their lightweight, flexible structure that efficiently absorbs and distributes seismic energy. Her extensive research findings on the interconnectedness of modern science and ancient cultural practices have inspired her to explore ways to bridge the gap between formal STEM education and cultural knowledge.   

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For nearly 15 years, Bhushan Dahal, a doctoral student in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and a graduate assistant in the Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University, has played a significant role in education reform in his home country of Nepal.

As a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dahal seeks to expand his influence and contribution to the field of education, and his work at LSI on projects such as the USAID Teacher Excellence Initiative in Egypt and Transforming Teacher Education Activity in Zambia is opening doors at the international level.

“Nothing beats the excitement of working in Nepal, but now, being with LSI has broadened my experience beyond domestic projects to a range of international ones,” he said. “This exposure is invaluable, and I’m learning so much from each opportunity.”

Earlier this semester, Dahal was selected by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) as a 2024-2026 Jackson Scholar, which will give him the opportunity to engage in formal networking, mentoring and professional development opportunities to enhance his pathway to a career in educational leadership.

“As a first-generation international student who loves academia, networking and discovery, being selected as a Jackson Scholar is truly an honor,” Dahal said. “I am excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to building lasting memories and connections that will shape my journey and contribute to my vision of creating a dignified community.”

Before Dahal arrived at FSU, he was the first official employee at Kids of Kathmandu and later became the organization’s director. Through his work with the nonprofit, 11 schools have been constructed, accommodating 6,000 students and featuring computer labs, libraries, furniture and water purification systems.

“It went from being one person trying to do a few projects to being in a position where I was running an organization,” Dahal said. “It was a complete shift of responsibility.”

Things dramatically changed for Kids of Kathmandu and Dahal in April 2015 when Nepal was devastated by a catastrophic 7.8 earthquake, the worst natural disaster in the country in several decades. Nearly 9,000 people lost their lives, and another 22,000 suffered injuries.

Thanks to much of Dahal’s work in Nepal, Kids of Kathmandu was already a well-established and trusted organization. That credibility led to an influx of donations from around the world to aid in the country’s recovery. Dahal and his team immediately began developing strategies to maximize this new stream of resources from international agencies, local and national governments, and other stakeholders.

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A groundbreaking study by researchers at Florida State University’s Gut Biome Lab has revealed a potential link between an infection caused by gut bacteria and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research found that the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae — a common bacteria notorious for causing hospital-acquired infections — can migrate from the gut into the bloodstream and eventually into the brain. This bacterial invasion may lead to increased inflammation in the brain and impair cognitive functions, mimicking symptoms seen in Alzheimer’s patients. The work was published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

“Hospitalizations and ICU stays, combined with antibiotic exposure, may lead to a further decline in microbiome diversity that leaves older adults at high risk not only for digestive issues but also for extra-intestinal pathologies such as neurodegenerative disorders through a dysregulation of the gut-brain axis,” said Ravinder Nagpal, an assistant professor in the FSU College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and the director of the Gut Biome Lab.

The study is the first to show a direct correlation between K. pneumoniae infection and Alzheimer’s pathology, fueling the emerging field that investigates how infectious agents may trigger or aggravate Alzheimer’s disease. It also paves the way for future research into how to treat harmful infectious agents in vulnerable populations such as the elderly or those recovering from sepsis.

The research suggests that when antibiotics disrupt the gut, it can lead to issues not just in the gut but also in the brain. Using a preclinical mouse model, researchers showed that antibiotic exposure depletes gut bacterial diversity and causes microbiome imbalance, which promotes the proliferation of K. pneumoniae by creating a favorable niche.

When this happens, K. pneumoniae can move from the gut into the bloodstream by passing through the gut lining and eventually reach the brain, triggering neuroinflammation and neurocognitive impairment.

The findings emphasize the potential risk hospital-acquired infections like K. pneumoniae may pose in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

“Hospital-acquired and septic infections are one of the risk factors that may increase the predispositions to future neuroinflammatory and neurocognitive impairments, especially in older adults,” Nagpal said.

The study highlights the need for innovative therapeutic approaches to combat the rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, in addition to existing amyloid and tau protein therapies. Further research could provide insight into preventive strategies aimed at managing hospital-acquired pathogens and preserving cognitive health in aging populations.

The research was funded by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Florida Department of Health.

The paper was co-authored by graduate researchers Ian Park, Saurabh Kadyan, and Nathaniel Hochuli from the FSU College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Additional collaborators included Hazel K. Stiebeling Professor Gloria Salazar; Associate Professor of psychology and neuroscience Aaron Wilber; University of Florida researchers Orlando Laitano, Paramita Chakrabarty, and Philip A. Efron; and Wake Forest University School of Medicine Associate Professor M. Ammar Zafar.

For more information about the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, visit cehhs.fsu.edu and for The Gut Biome Lab, visit thegutbiomelab.annescollege.fsu.edu.

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On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an outbreak of Escherichia coli (E. coli) linked to McDonald’s quarter pounders.

According to the Associated Press, 49 cases between Sept. 27 through Oct. 11 were reported in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Known widely as E. coli, the bacteria are found in places like the intestines of people and animals, but some can be harmful to the body.

Florida State University Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences Associate Professor Prashant Singh is a food safety microbiologist by training, and his core area of research is the development of rapid methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens.

His laboratory focuses explicitly on developing methods for the specific detection of virulent strains of Shiga toxin-producing non-O157 E. coli and salmonella.

Singh’s areas of expertise include E. coli, food safety, food-borne outbreaks and pathogens and food microbiology. He was recently awarded a $150,000 grant to develop a method to detect salmonella contamination in beef samples.

Singh is available to speak with reporters on the latest E. coli outbreak.

Prashant Singh, Associate Professor of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences
Email: psingh2@fsu.edu

Quotes from Prashant Singh:

On the E. coli outbreak being traced to slivered onions:
“Onions, which are another ingredient for the McDonald’s quarter pounders, do not have a mandatory STEC testing requirement, and they do not undergo high heat treatment to ensure the elimination of contaminating STEC strains. In this outbreak, onions are also considered a suspect.”  

On the testing of E. coli in beef:
“In the United States, E. coli O157:H7, along with six other E. coli serogroups (O26, O45, O111, O103, O121, and O145), are considered adulterants in beef, which means that all beef products must be tested before it is released in the commerce. Among them, E. coli O157:H7 strains are most frequently isolated from beef samples. The E. coli O157:H7 strain can cause life-threatening infections. The STEC strains have two crucial virulence genes (i.e., eae and stx ). The eae gene codes for intimin protein, which facilitates strong attachment of these pathogens to the host cells. Meanwhile, the stx gene encodes for Shiga toxin, which can bind to the GB3 receptors and are found on the surface of intestine and kidney cells. The toxin can also lyse the red blood cells. In extreme cases, STEC strains can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which involves kidney failure and death. What makes these infections even worse is that antibiotics cannot be used against them, as the administration of antibiotics induces the Shiga toxin production by STEC cells, which will overwhelm the body.

 “Due to these reasons, the beef samples are always tested for the presence of E. coli O157:H7. This testing is performed internally by large beef processors, whereas small and medium-sized operations ship the samples to an external testing lab, which has a longer turnaround time.”

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Two Florida State University College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences professors have been awarded food safety grants by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Prashant Singh’s and Hailey Kuang’s two-year grants will propel their research and help position FSU as a national leader in food safety innovation.

Kuang, an assistant professor of measurement and statistics in the Department of Education Psychology and FSU’s Learning Systems Institute, was awarded a $150,000 grant that applies artificial intelligence to address global food safety challenges.

Singh, a health, nutrition and food science associate professor, received a $150,000 grant aimed at developing a method to detect salmonella contamination in beef samples.

Both grants are sponsored by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Kuang’s focus addresses areas that contain antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the top global public health and development threats. According to the World Health Organization, misuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants is the main driver in the development of drug-resistant pathogens.

“Our project, ‘AI4Food: Artificial Intelligence for Food Science Research and Education Initiative,’ positions FSU as a pioneer in integrating AI technologies with food safety research,” Kuang said.

“Our project, ‘AI4Food: Artificial Intelligence for Food Science Research and Education Initiative,’ positions FSU as a pioneer in integrating AI technologies with food safety research.”

– Hailey Kuang, assistant professor of measurement and statistics in the Department of Education Psychology and FSU’s Learning Systems Institute

Kuang’s goal is to develop an AI-enabled portable sensor that rapidly detects AMR in food supply chains. The research involves designing a portable device to assist in AMR testing, training machine-learning algorithms to identify AMR testing and validating the performance of machine-learning sensors for AMR detection by using meat and fresh produce as food models.

“By enhancing efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance — a growing global health threat — this technology makes FSU a leader in advanced food safety innovation,” Kuang said.

The outcome of her work could educate the students who specialize in food science and food safety. Kuang’s research has the potential to create a comprehensive program that equips students with cutting-edge AI, sensing techniques and food safety expertise.

Kuang specializes in developing and applying psychometric and statistical methods to measure cognitive and psychological traits and also collaborates with scholars across many disciplines, including food science.

Singh’s grant includes research-based and educational components in containing salmonella, one of the largest threats facing the global food industry. His research will be used to develop a novel digital PCR assay for the beef industry to measure the amount of salmonella contamination in samples.

A food safety microbiologist by training, Singh’s core area of research focuses on the development of rapid methods to detect foodborne pathogens. His work has been published in more than 30 food science publications.

Singh said the additional USDA funding enables his team to expand their research and develop solutions the food industry needs.

“Only three commercially available test kits for testing salmonella load in food samples are available,” Singh said. “These commercially available kits suffer from reproducibility issues and complicated DNA isolation protocols. The assay developed in our lab solves these problems, is highly reproducible and is suited for high throughput industrial applications. The workflow developed through this grant can be expanded to other food commodities, enabling a bigger impact.”

His research is aimed at creating a faster development of robust foodborne pathogen detection.

By creating a standardized testing method, Singh is serving a wide user base that includes small and large food processors, federal laboratories, third-party testing laboratories, as well as students.

FSU’s department of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences includes innovative programs that analyze physical performance, health and wellness. The department is home to two renowned centers in the Institute of Sports Science and Medicine and the Center of Integrative Nutrition and Food Research.

For more information, visit cehhs.fsu.edu/hnfs.

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The Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University has received its first-ever grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund a project that aims to build evidence on the impact of pre-service teacher training on foundational learning in Zambia.

Stephanie Simmons Zuilkowski, associate director for Research at LSI and a professor of International and Multicultural Education at the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, will serve as the principal investigator on the project.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue working on pre-service teacher education in Zambia and grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for recognizing the importance of supporting evidence generation in this area,” Zuilkowski said. “Rigorous empirical evidence on pre-service teacher education will support decision-making by government policymakers, funders, teacher training institutions and other education stakeholders.”

The study will examine the knowledge and pedagogy of student teachers who have completed their pre-service teacher training in public colleges of education supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Transforming Teacher Education Activity, implemented by LSI in conjunction with School-to-School International and the University of Zambia. Data will also be collected on primary grade reading performance of children in the student teachers’ classrooms.

The grant has the potential to contribute to the sector’s understanding of the role of pre-service teacher training on teacher classroom practices and student learning outcomes. Little empirical research has been conducted on pre-service teacher education outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, and this research offers the opportunity to shed light on Zambia’s teacher training program and generate lessons for the wider sector.

For 55 years, LSI has delivered systems that measurably improve the learning and performance of organizations and individuals in Florida and globally. The institute’s advanced research provides state-of-the-art methods and a clear path for implementation. To learn more about LSI, visit lsi.fsu.edu.

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During his time at Florida State University, Ernst has been involved in many aspects of research and community service, from being an Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) tutor, to taking part in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and presenting at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference.

Ernst and two of his lab partners won an IDEA grant to fund their research on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase protein, a membrane-bound enzyme complex that creates reactive oxygen species which, in high concentrations, can contribute to heart disease. They studied how this protein affected blood flow in people with high body mass indexes.

He led a study group for Nikolay Tsvetkov’s organic chemistry class during which he found a passion for sharing his knowledge and helping other students.

Why did you choose to attend Florida State University?

I always assumed if I went to college, it would be FSU. I grew up in Tallahassee and my friends and peers all attended FSU. FSU was the only school I seriously applied to. I was homeschooled with a lenient style of teaching. This gave me a thirst for knowledge but left me academically behind my peers until I started taking college classes as a dual-enrolled student at Tallahassee State College. When I started FSU, I lacked confidence in my ability to succeed academically, and I’m glad I decided to come here. My professors at FSU have encouraged me and have seen the best in me.  

What is your favorite academic scholarship experience you have had?

I helped with a study in Bob Hickner’s lab during the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters through UROP. I enjoyed my time in UROP and was rewarded for it in two main ways. First, I was able to use the data we generated to present a poster at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference, an experience I loved. I hadn’t thought of undergraduate researchers as a community until this conference. I got to discuss my research with interested peers and heard exciting things other students were working on. Second, with the encouragement of one of Hickner’s Ph.D. students, two other undergraduates who were also working in the lab and I applied for and won an IDEA Grant to expand on the lab’s previous work. The project we proposed and have completed used micro dialysis and a drug that blocks activity of the NADPH oxidase protein to determine which harmful reactive oxygen species produced by NADPH oxidase reduce blood flow. We didn’t find a significant effect of NADPH oxidase activity on blood flow, but we did find that it’s associated with high levels of lactate. It was disappointing to find that our theory was not correct, but it was cool to see something unexpected that can inform future research.   

How have you been able to contribute to your community at Florida State University?

During the Summer 2023 semester, I took organic chemistry with Nikolay Tsvetkov. Tsvetkov asks students who are doing well to lead open study groups where other students can come and ask questions. Because I had one of the top grades in the class, I became a study group leader. I loved this experience. It was a fun challenge every week trying to find the simplest way to explain difficult concepts. My last study group for the final exam had almost 40 people in it. I enjoyed this experience so much that I applied to become a tutor at FSU’s Academic Center for Excellence. I still work there and enjoy helping people improve their confidence in challenging courses like organic chemistry.  

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen to make the most of their Florida State University experience?

One thing I regret from my freshman year is not reaching out to professors to get involved with their research. I would recommend for any incoming freshmen interested in research to email professors in their department. It can be daunting, but, in my experience, most professors will be happy to hear from a student. The worst they will say is that they’re not looking for new research assistants. Getting involved with research is a great way to enhance what you get out of college, and it sets you apart from other students.  

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Two far-reaching and highly impactful North Florida entities joined forces Tuesday in a panel discussion that explored how their partnership will help improve health care across North Florida and South Georgia.

Members of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM) at Florida State University and Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC) shared their expertise, knowledge and vision for improving quality of care.

The discussion was a strong nod to what the FSU Health initiative is all about: bold innovation aimed at improving health care throughout the region.

“This group represents the best of what can happen when academic research and private practice collaborate,” said College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean Damon Andrew during his introductory remarks.

The four-member panel included TOC CEO Mike Boblitz, ISSM Director Mike Ormsbee, FSU and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Chief Clinical Research Officer Joe Frascella, and Assistant Director of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Research at ISSM and research scientist at TOC Emilie Miley.

Throughout the hour-long talk, the panelists discussed how their partnerships benefit all parties. For example, TOC’s base of highly skilled clinicians will be able to lean on research coming from FSU’s ISSM program, made possible by the important joint hire of Miley.

TOC has been serving the needs of its patients for 50 years, but Boblitz still felt there was more that could be done with educational research. He wanted research that could innovate and create, expanding the clinic’s quality of care even more.

In Boblitz’s office is a map of the locations of TOC’s patients over the years, stretching from Panama City to Perry and across South Georgia. The clinic’s impact has been felt region-wide, taking care of roughly 270,000 patients.

As Ormsbee explained from FSU’s perspective, one glaring omission from ISSM’s portfolio was orthopedics. FSU’s cadre of researchers had no access to the clinic populations that TOC has. With the large base that TOC serves, the opportunity to partner with the clinic and provide it with crucial data was too good to pass up.

“We were thinking about ‘How do we grow this to a place that’s not only recognized regionally, but nationally and hopefully internationally?’” Ormsbee said. “We were brainstorming ideas on how to really ramp up orthopedics and a partnership with TOC was the most logical step that came to mind.”

Frascella explained the FSU Health initiative and how partnerships are a crucial part of that work.

“What’s critical from the point of view of FSU Health is really developing an ecosystem,” Frascella said. “This collaboration and partnership exemplify what we’re trying to accomplish with this new enterprise of FSU Health, where we’re building researcher and clinician partnerships.”

Panelists discussed the wide-ranging impact of their work. For example, TOC works with 41 high schools and multiple universities, another example of its massive reach. ISSM’s research is used by Division 1 athletes, weekend warriors, older adults and others.

“When people hear ‘human performance’ initially, they think athletes,” Ormsbee said. “However, we take a much broader view to what human performance actually means. For ISSM, we look at performance for clinical populations, people recovering from anything — aging, different conditions that may impact individuals. I think all of our lanes with clinical sports science, sports psychology, orthopedics, etc. — all of those things can impact human performance.”

For Miley, she wants to make sure her research addresses the needs of all populations.

“Within this partnership, we have a big focus on athletics and younger populations,” Miley said. “But the partnership can grow outwards to other populations — lower socioeconomic statuses, groups of patients that TOC sees in the South Georgia and North Central Florida Region — and then bringing in more partnerships and research to help those populations that sometimes can be underserved.”

As the discussion closed, the panelists restated their shared belief in the promise of FSU Health and its positive impact.

“I think the ripple effect from growing what we’re starting here in research to eventually helping the student population is going to be massive,” Ormsbee said.

“I think this is the starting point of realizing we need to bring all this together, with the same agenda and the same purpose,” Boblitz said. “I think the future could be really powerful.”

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Florida State University Associate Professor of Special Education Veronica Fleury will help enhance early literacy for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through support from the Institute of Education Sciences.

Fleury and her colleagues from Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt universities will develop a project that includes creating a shared reading intervention for preschool children with ASD that is delivered by caregivers in their homes. The work is supported by nearly $2 million in funding from the National Center for Special Education Research.

“The importance of supporting children’s emergent literacy development cannot be underestimated; children who fall behind in oral language and literacy development are less likely to be successful readers, and their achievement lag is likely to persist throughout primary grades and beyond,” Fleury said. “Reading with young children (referred to as shared book reading) provides them with opportunities to develop language and early literacy skills that are foundational for reading.”

Shared book reading interventions have proven to be an effective method in improving language and early literacy among preschool children. While discrepancies may exist in how responsive different children are to the reading programs, Fleury and her colleagues have the goal of creating an adaptive shared reading program for caregivers to be able to tailor to the learners’ individual needs.

“Shared reading is a social activity,” Fleury added. “Many children with autism will have difficulty actively engaging in shared reading activities because of social communication difficulties that are characteristic of autism. This project will allow us to determine what instructional supports are needed, and for whom.”

“Shared reading is a social activity. Many children with autism will have difficulty actively engaging in shared reading activities because of social communication difficulties that are characteristic of autism. This project will allow us to determine what instructional supports are needed, and for whom.”

– Professor Veronica Fleury

The adaptive intervention will use two evidence-based shared reading practices in dialogic reading (DR) and print referencing (PR). DR includes the adult asking the child questions to converse about the story and improve their vocabulary and listening comprehension.

PR involves improving print and alphabet knowledge, where the adult has the child focus explicitly on the print of the story and asks questions, makes comments and tracks words.

Children who are non-responsive to the first-stage interventions will have additional second-stage intervention options designed to increase their own responses about the book or initiate comments during reading.

Using three different types of studies, the research team will conduct a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial to further evaluate the adaptive intervention. PR and DR will then be used through a four-week period, and the children’s joint attention during their final three sessions of their initial intervention will be used to determine what their second-stage intervention option will be.

“A home-based literacy program delivered by caregivers allows us to leverage familiar individuals and routines within children’s natural environments,” Fleury said. “Importantly, caregivers may be empowered by learning new strategies to positively interact with their child with ASD within the context of shared reading.

Fleury’s research at FSU focuses on optimizing learning opportunities for individuals with ASD. Her intervention work with young children with ASD is grounded in applied behavior analysis, and she has been awarded several contracts and grants over her tenure.

The FSU College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences was recently ranked as the best public college of education in the state of Florida by the U.S. News & World Report. It was also rated as the No. 6 public college of education nationally.

The special education program earned a top 15 mark by the U.S. News & World Report and is part of the college’s school of teacher education. Students accepted into the program begin to excel working with others who have ASD, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders and intellectual disabilities.

For more information about the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences visit https://cehhs.fsu.edu.

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