A Florida State University graduate student has been selected for a competitive arts fellowship that will support the development of a project that maps archival photos, poetry and oral histories onto neighborhoods, highlighting their historical impacts.

Christell Victoria Roach, a creative writing doctoral student in the Department of English, has been named a fellow of YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists. The fellowship includes a $30,000 grant that will allow Roach to further develop her project, an augmented-reality application called OTOWN, and streamline its software.

“By merging digital humanities with community-based research, this project reimagines historical neighborhoods as interactive digital museums,” Roach said. “This project transforms specific locations into exhibits through the app’s lens. I come from a community with a rich history, and I wanted to create a space for that community to tell its own story.”

“This project transforms specific locations into exhibits through the app’s lens. I come from a community with a rich history, and I wanted to create a space for that community to tell its own story.”

— Christell Victoria Roach, creative writing doctoral student

Each year, thousands of artists from across the U.S. apply for YoungArts’ competitive grants, scholarships and fellowships, which have supported scholars through mentorship and funding since 1981. In addition to the monetary grant, fellows also have access to studio space and public presentation opportunities. This award comes just over a decade after Roach earned a YoungArts writing award, and she is the only literary arts specialist in this year’s cohort of five YoungArts fellows.

“Earning a YoungArts fellowship is a significant accomplishment that highlights the strength of Christell’s voice and the impact of her literary work,” said Keith McCall, assistant director of the FSU Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “It’s an honor to have a YoungArts fellow at FSU and a reflection of the exceptional talent within the creative writing program.”

OTOWN was inspired by Roach’s hometown of Overtown, a Miami neighborhood that was once considered the “Harlem of the South,” where African American celebrities, athletes and activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Sam Cooke performed, spoke and competed.

“Since they weren’t permitted to sleep in the hotels they performed in on South Beach, as it was during a segregated period, they went ‘over to the town’ to be celebrated and to rest,” Roach said. “In OTOWN, I take on the role of curator and narrator to create space for these stories that started long before me.”

Through the app, users move through the Overtown neighborhood, encountering location-specific stories: They’ll hear a poem on one corner, see a historic photograph on another, and listen to oral histories connected to the ground beneath their feet. While the project initially centered around Overtown, Roach has invented a model that can be used to preserve community histories in neighborhoods across the globe.

“I’m perfecting this work to present a replicable model for engagement with personal and shared histories,” Roach said. “Through collaboration with undergraduate research assistants, the project has already expanded to other historic towns in Florida, including Tallahassee, with an exhibit near FAMU’s campus titled, ‘South of Monroe.’”

Before coming to FSU in 2024, Roach earned multiple awards for her writing. In 2022, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work in collaboration with South Florida’s WLRN Public Media on the duet poem “The Breaths of Our Skin,” where Roach imagines and performs a poetic conversation between writers Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes.

“Christell’s writing invites us to think seriously about homeland, legacy, record-keeping and truth,” said Christopher Okonkwo, one of Roach’s doctoral advisers and an professor in the FSU Department of English. “The questions she contemplates in her work transcend academia. They touch and connect us all while allowing us to rediscover our own history.”

Roach has been published widely, with recent work featured by organizations and in literary publications such as Poetry Magazine, the Academy of American Poets, The Atlantic and Obsidian: Literature and Arts in the African Diaspora.

“I’m doing the work I want people to learn about, and I’m creating a model that shows people how to engage their history,” Roach said. “I hope this work inspires others, and I hope foregrounding love, community, creativity and connection when engaging history creates a way of witness and testimony we once thought lost to time.”

To learn more about writing and research through the FSU Department of English, visit english.fsu.edu.

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A Florida State University master’s student and Presidential Scholar was accepted into a highly competitive national fellowship program for emerging civic leaders.

Ella Garcia, who is working toward her master’s degree in public administration, was accepted into the Coro Fellows Program housed at University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The Coro Fellows Program was founded in 1947 in San Francisco to train young World War II veterans in civic leadership skills. It now operates four centers in St. Louis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, where it serves to advance civic engagement and accelerate the careers of those in public affairs.

As a Coro Fellow, Garcia will live in St. Louis and participate in a full-time, graduate-level leadership training program that includes seminars, interviews with local leaders, opportunities to learn about regionally specific topics, and placement in organizations across nonprofit, business and government sectors.

“I’m excited because it’s going to be very fulfilling to focus on the aspect of public administration that’s about giving back, not just pursuing my own professional goals, but learning how I can better the communities around me,” Garcia said. “It’s one thing to study administration and government in a theoretical way, but it’s another to apply what I’ve learned hands-on. It’s what I feel like I’m called to do.”

From Mount Dora, Florida, Garcia is a member of FSU’s Presidential Scholars Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and will graduate with her master’s degree this summer with support from FSU’s More in Four program, which helps high achieving students complete a bachelor’s degree in three years and continue immediately into a master’s degree.

Professors and mentors say Garcia’s involvement at FSU has prepared her well for the Coro Fellows Program. That includes her participation in FSU’s Applied Politics & Policy Learning Experience (APPLE) program, in the Department of Political Science, where she was able to intern for a state representative and a member of U.S. Congress.

“Ella has used her time at FSU to gain extensive hands-on government experience and advanced analytical skills, with the aim of driving informed, community-oriented public service,” said FSU professor Amanda Driscoll, cofounder of APPLE and one of Garcia’s mentors. “The Coro Fellowship will provide her with additional public service experience and practical leadership training to deepen her impact and professional growth. I am confident that she will translate her established civic commitments into effective, real-world solutions, and we can’t wait to see what she will accomplish next.”

Garcia’s interest in policy work extended beyond U.S. government last summer, when she traveled with a group of FSU Honors Program students to the Oxford Consortium of Human Rights workshop at the University of Oxford in England.

“Ella is among the finest students I’ve worked with at Florida State,” said Ross Moret, who led the trip to Oxford and serves as an associate teaching professor in the FSU Honors Program. “She is dedicated, responsible, insightful and caring. She will make an outstanding Coro Fellow.”

As a Presidential Scholar, Garcia said she enjoyed mentorship and a peer community that helped motivate her to reach her goals.

“FSU and the Presidential Scholars Program specifically have been instrumental for me,” she said. “It’s really shaped who I am, as a leader and as a person.”

To learn more about student support for pursuing national fellowships, visit the Office of National Fellowships and the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.

Visit the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy website to learn more about the college, department and programs.

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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.

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As a universal language, music often has the power to connect people across borders. Recent Florida State University graduate Amelia Rivers is advancing that idea in Rionegro, Colombia, where she’s using education and the arts to build intercultural community as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. 

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s premier international exchange initiative designed to foster mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and people around the world. Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant recipients are selected each year for their academic or professional excellence and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields, with the program operating in over 160 countries. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award places recipients directly in classrooms abroad to assist local English teachers and facilitate intercultural exchange. 

“Fulbright is an opportunity giver,” she said. “Now that Fulbright has happened, the doors have opened.” 

Rivers, who earned a master’s degree in musicology from the College of Music in 2025, has been teaching English at the Universidad Católica de Oriente (UCO) since the summer through the ETA. For her, Fulbright offers more than the chance to teach abroad —it’s also an extension of lifelong commitments to global learning and citizenship through music. 

“I love meeting new people, knowing their stories and sharing my story,” she said. “The ETA is all about that exchange.” 

As the daughter of a pilot, Rivers grew up traveling to places like China, Egypt, New Zealand and Peru with her family — an experience she refers to affectionately as “cultural whiplash.” She taught her brother how to count on the Great Wall of China and learned how to play guitar from local kids in the Andes Mountains, experiences she said primed her for a future full of global endeavors. 

“I was able to have those conversations about cultural exchange at a very young age,” she said. “It really encouraged me to become a cultural ambassador for the United States.” 

Back in the U.S., Rivers joined a traveling choir, the Spivey Hall Children’s Choir, in middle and high school, blending her love of seeing the world with her passion for music. She once performed in a choir for Pope Francis in Vatican City, an experience that she says was her “window to the world.” 

“Choir has always been a source of community building for me,” she said. 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in music arts and English from Mercer University, Rivers decided to blend these interests further and pursue a master’s degree in musicology from FSU’s College of Music. 

At FSU, Rivers engaged with other cultures through one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive World Music Ensemble programs, where she learned and performed Andean, Brazilian and Balinese Gamelan music traditions. Her master’s thesis focused on the political significance of “joropo,” a folkloric dance genre native to the llaneros of Colombia and Venezuela. 

“I wanted to learn more about the music in the world,” she said.  

This research brought her to Bogotá, Colombia, for the first time in 2023, where she visited music libraries, interviewed joropo artists and attended the “Joropo en el Parque” (Joropo in the Park) music festival.

“I fell in love with the culture of hospitality in the community,” she said. 

Rivers had heard of Fulbright through her grandfather. He studied French medieval literature in Germany in 1962 through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, an experience that she said changed his career. 

“I’ve always felt that my grandfather and I had a kindred mind,” she said. 

As a Fulbright ETA, Rivers is responsible for hosting presentations and activities, facilitating interactions between students and helping hone their grammar skills. Tailoring her methods toward music, Rivers also plays the piano and sings in a rock band with her students, helping them learn English through songs by bands like Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

“We’re playing mostly American rock music because they want to practice their English, and I’m their English teacher,” she said. “There’s a big rock scene in Colombia.”  

At the other end of the exchange, Rivers is learning more about local music from the Colombian community and her peers. She’s joined two choirs during her experience — “Coro Polifónico” (polyphonic choir) at the Universidad Católica de Oriente and a professional women’s choir called “Polimnia.” Through Coro Polifónico, she’s performed at UCO’s cultural festivals and Christmas concert series and has toured across Medellín and Bogotá with Polimnia.  

“I’m trying to soak up as much as I can,” she said. “It’s been easy to plug into the local music culture because of the knowledge FSU gave me.” 

To bridge the arts with impact, Rivers has additionally been collaborating with the “Huracán de Sueños” foundation, an after-school center that brings classes and activities to vulnerable children in the area. There, she is helping to run a music program and assisting the kids with their English homework.  

“Music is the way that I interact with others in Colombia, because everybody loves music here,” she said. “It’s such an easy and fulfilling starting point for cultural exchange.” 

Rounding out her role as a cultural ambassador, Rivers is also interning with the U.S. Embassy and Education USA, which helps students in Colombia earn a college education in the U.S.  

While Rivers is not yet sure where her passions will take her following the Fulbright award, she hopes to continue riding the international wave. 

“I’ve been bitten by the Fulbright bug,” she said. 

For now, she believes that Rionegro is where she is “meant to be.” 

“I feel like I have my dream job in my dream location,” she said. “I’m still trying to convince myself that this is real.” 

Interested in applying for a Fulbright? 

Graduate students: Contact Keith McCall, assistant director of the FSU Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, at kmccall2@fsu.edu.  

Undergraduates and recent graduates: Contact Bonnie Garcia-Gloeckner, assistant director of the FSU Office of National Fellowships, at bjgarcia@fsu.edu. 

Faculty: Contact Peggy Wright-Cleveland, director of FSU Faculty Development, at mwrightc@fsu.edu. 

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Florida State University recognized international and domestic participants of the Fulbright Program during a reception Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Longmire Building. 

Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is one of the most widely recognized international academic exchange programs. It aims to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The U.S. government currently partners with more than 160 countries worldwide. 

FSU has participated in the Fulbright Program since 1951 and has been among the nation’s top producers of both faculty and student awards in recent years. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized Florida State as a top-producing institution of U.S. Fulbright Scholars earlier this year.  

For the 2025-2026 cycle, three current and former FSU students earned scholarships through the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program to conduct research in the U.K., Colombia and Argentina. In addition, four FSU faculty members will travel to teach and conduct research abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in Ireland, Taiwan, Hungary and India.  

On campus, 13 foreign students and scholars from places like Indonesia, Armenia and Uruguay are currently studying or conducting research at FSU through the Foreign Fulbright Program. Twelve students are here through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, and one researcher is here through the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. 

Steve McDowell, FSU’s assistant provost for International Initiatives, presided over the event. FSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs James Clark delivered welcoming remarks.  

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The Graduate School at Florida State University and the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards have announced the winners of the annual Graduate Student Op-Ed Competition, an initiative designed to spotlight the written communication skills of graduate students across disciplines. 

This year’s competition, funded by the Congress of Graduate Students, drew 51 submissions from students representing a wide range of academic programs. Five students were recognized with top awards in categories such as “Best Explanation of a Complicated Subject” and “Best Use of Evidence,” while five others received honorable mentions for their outstanding work. 

“The Op-Ed Competition is about empowering graduate students to share their research and perspectives with a broader audience,” said Keith D. McCall, acting director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “It’s encouraging to see so many students step up to the challenge of translating complex ideas into accessible, persuasive writing. Their voices are vital to public discourse.” 

2025 awardees: 

Best Explanation of a Complicated Subject  

Savoya Simone Joyner

Doctoral student in the Department of Psychology; Program in Neuroscience 

“The Key to Solving Sex Differences in Obesity Lies in Women’s Brains — If We Choose to See It” 

Joyner argues that understanding women’s brain biology could transform approaches to obesity research and treatment. The piece calls for a shift in scientific priorities to address sex-specific factors that influence weight and health outcomes.  

A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Joyner chose Florida State University for its interdisciplinary training and strong mentorship culture. She works with Lisa Eckel, director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, whose research on sex differences and ingestive behavior, estrogen signaling and obesity, aligns with Joyner’s interests in how estradiol shapes feeding circuits and metabolic outcomes. 

“Science hasn’t always felt accessible to me — I grew up without scientists around me,” Joyner said. “Winning this award is not just recognition for an op-ed — it’s affirmation that taking a complicated scientific idea and making it clear, human, and accessible truly matters. It means I get to be the voice I wish I had growing up: breaking things down and showing that science is something anyone and everyone can understand and belong to. It validates that communication is just as essential as experimentation, and that making science accessible isn’t optional — it’s necessary.” 

Best Use of Evidence 

Suzy Ji 

Doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology & Learning Systems; Counseling Psychology and School Psychology (Combined Ph.D.) 

“Stop Treating Asian American Students as a Monolith” 

Ji emphasizes that Asian American students are far from a single, uniform group. Drawing on research, the op-ed calls for educators and counselors to recognize cultural and individual differences to better support academic success and mental health. 

Originally from Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, China, Ji chose Florida State University for its combined Counseling Psychology and School Psychology Ph.D. program, which offers research-driven and practice-focused training. She was especially drawn to working with advisers Lyndsay Jenkins and Elaine Luo, whose research interests align closely with her own. 

“I’m grateful for the chance to share a perspective that often goes unheard — that Asian American students are not a monolith,” Ji said. “Many young people feel unseen behind stereotypes, and being able to use evidence to highlight our experiences felt deeply important to me. Writing this op-ed reminded me why I care so deeply about this work, and I hope it encourages others to think critically about how we support students.” 

Best Call to Action 

Sarah Lovins Bacani 

Master’s student at the College of Social Work; Social Work.  

“The Hidden Curriculum of Care” 

Lovins Bacani calls attention to the overlooked aspects of undergraduate student development viewed through the lens of social work, advocating for a stronger focus on empathy and human connection. The op-ed argues that these elements are essential for effective practice and should be embedded in professional preparation. 

Originally from Chipley, Florida, Lovins Bacani chose Florida State University because of its strong commitment to student success and community engagement.  

“FSU is home,” she said. “I earned my undergraduate degree and met my husband here. I also work for the Department of Undergraduate Studies and have been honored to dedicate a significant portion of my professional career to the success of our undergraduate students. Continuing my academic journey at FSU felt like a natural extension of that commitment.” 

Best Organized Op-Ed 

Rachel Flemming 

Doctoral student in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics; Spanish Linguistics. 

“Research-Based Teaching Helps Students Get the Most from Language Requirement” 

Flemming argues that evidence-based teaching methods transform language requirements from a checkbox into a meaningful learning experience. The op-ed highlights strategies that boost engagement and long-term proficiency. 

A Tallahassee native, Flemming chose to attend FSU because of its commitment to excellence in research methodology. After graduation, she plans to pursue a teaching position to continue teaching Spanish and Linguistics and continue to research effective language teaching methods. 

“Winning this award is an honor that reflects the efforts I have made to communicate clearly about my research,” she said. “Writing in this style was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I value being able to help people understand why research on language teaching is needed. This was a rewarding experience that helped me to refine my communication skills, and I hope other graduate students will be inspired by this piece, and will try it in future years.” 

Most Persuasive Op-Ed 

Athena Thai 

Doctoral student in the Department of Psychology; Clinical Psychology. 

“Social Media Isn’t Perfect—But It’s Not the Villain” 

Thai challenges the narrative that social media is inherently harmful, pointing to its role in supporting relationships and community. The op-ed calls for a nuanced perspective that weighs its positive and negative impacts. 

Thai, originally from Morris Plains, New Jersey, chose to attend Florida State University for its plethora of resources for research and mentorship from distinguished professors. After graduation, Thai aspires to become a tenure-track professor, achieving a balance between teaching, research and clinical practice. 

“This experience has been really valuable to me because one of my goals as a researcher is to make our findings relevant and accessible to the public,” she said. “My hope is that people will increasingly rely on science to inform their stances on the issues that matter to them.” 

Honorable Mentions 

Best Use of Evidence 

Coreine Rainford 

Doctoral student in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning; Urban and Regional Planning 

Most Persuasive Op-Ed 

Gallage Ariyaratne 

Doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Sciences; Biomedical Sciences. 

Best Call to Action 

Md Sazzad Mahmud Shuvo 

Doctoral student in the School of Communication; Communication. 

Best Explanation of Complicated Subject 

Rimil Guha Roy  

Doctoral student in the Department of Biological Science; Neuroscience. 

Best Organized Op-Ed 

Tzu-An Chiang  

Doctoral student in the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy; Public Administration and Policy 

“We hope this competition continues to grow and encourages more students to share their stories and solutions,” McCall said. “Congratulations to all who participated. Because of the research and perspectives shared in this competition, we are all better informed.” 

For more information, contact the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards at ogfa.fsu.edu. 

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Florida State University’s Discovery Days continued its celebration of research excellence with the inaugural Graduate Research Showcase, where doctoral students shared insights from their academic journeys and groundbreaking research. 

Hosted by the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, the event spotlighted the dedication and innovation of FSU’s graduate scholars.  

“This showcase isn’t just about sharing research — it’s about recognizing the drive and curiosity that define our graduate students,” said Keith McCall, acting director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “FSU graduate students are emerging experts in their fields, engaged in rigorous and deeply meaningful research that pushes scholarship forward.” 

“This showcase isn’t just about sharing research — it’s about recognizing the drive and curiosity that define our graduate students. FSU graduate students are emerging experts in their fields, engaged in rigorous and deeply meaningful research that pushes scholarship forward.” 

— Keith McCall, acting director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards

Attendees engaged in various disciplines during the presentations, including history, biological science and higher education, and offered constructive feedback to support the students’ continued success. 

Noah Cole, a doctoral candidate in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of History, kicked off the showcase by presenting his research on political factionalism in 15th-century Northern Italy. Cole explored how preachers of the time interpreted factional conflict not just as a social phenomenon, but as a deeply ideological and emotional force.  

His work expresses that factionalism should be treated as a conceptual category — comparable to modern political identities — and that religious leaders, through their Latin sermons, acted as political theorists shaping civic discourse. 

During his presentation, Cole shared insights from his analysis of sermons by three influential figures, showing how each grappled with the nature and impact of factionalism. He highlighted how these leaders framed partisanship as a moral and spiritual crisis. Cole’s research suggests that medieval preaching played a critical role in defining political identity and offers a lens through which to reconsider the emotional roots of modern partisanship. 

Penelope Ales, a doctoral candidate in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biological Science, presented her research on how crop arrangement affects insect herbivore behavior in agricultural systems.  

Her work focuses on intercropping, a method of planting multiple crops together, as a sustainable alternative to pesticide use. Ales presented her recently conducted field experiment using kale and elephant garlic to test how different planting patterns — monocultures, alternating rows, block mixtures and checkerboard arrangements — influence insect abundance, predator presence and crop damage. 

Ales explained how planting density and spatial arrangement can shape pest and predator dynamics, supporting the resource dilution hypothesis. Her findings suggest that small farms could benefit from exploring crop combinations that promote natural pest control and other ecosystem services. 

Johnnie L. Allen Jr., a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education program in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, finished the showcase by presenting his research on how Black college men at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) develop leadership identity and navigate gender expression. Allen explored how students engage with leadership learning and STEM disciplines, focusing on how personal experiences and institutional environments shape their understanding of masculinity and leadership. 

During his presentation, Allen shared insights from interviews, visual mapping and photo-based reflection activities with students involved in leadership programs or STEM fields. He emphasized the importance of recognizing expressions of identity and fostering inclusive leadership development.  

Allen’s research contributes to further conversations about student success at minority-serving institutions and highlights the value of creating spaces where students can reflect on their experiences and define leadership in ways that are authentic to them. 

For more information about the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, visit ogfa.fsu.edu. 

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Three Florida State University students have been selected for the 2025 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. These accomplished students are traveling to Argentina, Colombia and the United Kingdom to teach, study and engage in cultural exchange as part of the U.S. State Department’s flagship international educational exchange program. 

From teaching English in South America to pursuing graduate studies in the U.K., FSU’s 2025 Fulbright recipients are advancing global understanding and academic excellence. 

“The Fulbright program is a vital conduit for connecting FSU and the wider world, allowing students to engage in meaningful research, teaching and cultural exchange,” said Keith McCall, acting director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards (2025-2026). “We look forward each year to working with interested applicants and learning about their desire to build a more interconnected world.” 

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s premier international exchange initiative, fostering mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and people around the world. Funded primarily through an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress to the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program also benefits from support provided by partner governments, host institutions and private organizations across the globe. 

Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients are selected each year for their academic or professional excellence and leadership potential. With opportunities in more than 160 countries, the program empowers students and recent graduates to teach, study or conduct research while serving as cultural ambassadors for the United States. 

“Rania, Isabella, and Amelia embody the values and mission of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program,” said Bonnie Garcia-Gloeckner, associate director of the Office of National Fellowships. “They showcase some of the best qualities of the US and FSU abroad. We are excited about the positive impact they will make this year and in those to come.” 

The 2025-2026 Fulbright students from FSU are: Rania Chehaitli, Isabella DiGiorgio and Amelia Rivers. 

Meet the 2025 Fulbright Recipients: 

Rania Chehaitli, a recent graduate from FSU with dual degrees in political science and international affairs, is pursuing her Master of Laws in Gender and Human Rights at Ulster University in Belfast, U.K., through the Fulbright Graduate Study Award. She will take courses and conduct research alongside faculty at the university’s Transitional Justice Institute, gaining insight on international law and gender inequality in times of conflict.  

“Having access to this type of legal history will give me an enhanced perspective on the international system to supplement my American lens,” she said. “The Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University is centered on legal research surrounding conflict and transition periods, essential to the understanding of practical implementation of protections for human rights.” 

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Florida State University graduate student James Eggers, in the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program at the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne’s College), has been named one of 22 McCain Global Leaders for the 2025 cohort.

The McCain Global Leaders program is a 12-month fellowship named after Senator John McCain that supports emerging leaders dedicated to democracy, human rights and freedom. It provides skills and knowledge to help them tackle global challenges and affect positive change in their communities.

“Being selected as a McCain Global Scholar is a significant achievement and a testament to James’s sustained engagement as a servant leader,” said Keith McCall, assistant director for the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “As a former Fulbright recipient, an active-duty Coast Guard officer and now a McCain Scholar, James exemplifies the integration of academic excellence and globally focused public service.”

Eggers, a dedicated Coast Guard officer, has a rich background in service and education. Before enrolling at FSU, he participated in Teach for America and held a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in 2015. His commitment to service and mentorship is evident in his career and educational pursuits.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as a McCain Global Leader and grateful for the opportunity to join a cohort of rising leaders that value Senator McCain’s legacy of service and integrity,” Eggers said. “The program invests in the development of 20-25 principled leaders annually across the globe. Senator McCain’s example of character-driven leadership reminds me of the responsibility we all share to put principle above partisanship and do our part to make the world a better, safer place.”

Eggers will join a group of various countries and backgrounds, participating in a series of intensive training sessions, networking opportunities, and collaborative projects.

“We are incredibly proud to see James Eggers recognized as a McCain Global Leader,” said Damon Andrew, dean of Anne’s College. “James’s commitment to making a global impact aligns perfectly with our mission at Anne’s College to cultivate transformative leaders, and we eagerly anticipate the positive change he will undoubtedly bring to the world.”

Applications for the next cohort will open in early 2026. For more information about the McCain Global Leaders program and its mission, visit mccaininstitute.org.

More information about Anne’s College can be found at annescollege.fsu.edu.

For more on FSU’s Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, visit ogfa.fsu.edu.

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For many writers, completing a creative work involves countless revisions or even a full rewrite. Samuel Granoff, a doctoral candidate in the Department of English at Florida State University, had set aside his unfinished World War I novel until the Fulbright U.S. Student Program gave him the time, space and inspiration to start over.  

Granoff spent 10 months in France after receiving the Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award and used the time to research and rewrite the novel, which examines the experience of World War I through both contemporary and historical lenses to explore how war, memory and identity intersect across time.  

“As a writer, you often leave things in drawers and never look back at them,” said Granoff, who’s earning a doctorate in English literature with an emphasis on fiction writing. “The Fulbright has been this blessing that came down to give me another shot.” 

The Fulbright Program, the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, is designed to increase understanding between U.S. citizens and people of other countries. 

Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant recipients are selected based on academic or professional merit and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields, with the program operating in over 160 countries worldwide. 

The primary source of funding is an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations also provide support.   

Granoff knew early in his graduate studies that he wanted to pursue a Fulbright to support a work of historical fiction. He reached out to the FSU Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards and worked with Assistant Director Keith McCall, who helped Granoff select his best work for the application. 

“We went through essay by essay, story by story, because you only get a couple pages to sell yourself to the program,” Granoff said. “Keith was really generous with his time and walked me through the entire process.” 

A few years ago, Granoff wrote the first draft of a novel set largely in Paris during WWI. After deciding to revisit it, he applied for the Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award, which supports U.S. doctoral students conducting research for their dissertations at the university, a public research institution south of Paris.   

At Paris-Saclay, Granoff conducted research at the Center for Cultural History of Contemporary Societies, a laboratory with a multidisciplinary approach to researching contemporary cultural history. 

Granoff spent time there researching and re-imagining this work, which was originally set in 1917 and focused on a soldier who had deserted his post and assumed a different identity.  

“It was a work that I couldn’t quite figure out,” he said. 

Inspired by a World War I reenactment he witnessed on one of his first days in Paris, Granoff refocused his novel to explore how war is understood through contemporary identities and decided to set the first half in 2018. 

“The best historical fiction still echoes into the present,” he said. 

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Historians, tasked with piecing the past together, often cross countries and oceans to access sources and better understand their topics of research.  

For Danielle Wirsansky, a doctoral student in the Department of History at Florida State University, this meant traveling to Israel to trace the experiences of female agents of Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), an intelligence organization during World War II, through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.  

“I can’t speak enough about how impactful it is for my research to actually travel and go to an archive in the country that you’re studying,” she said. “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and people of other countries.  

Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant recipients are selected based on academic or professional merit and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields, with the program operating in over 160 countries worldwide. 

The primary source of funding is an annual appropriation made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations also provide support. 

Wirsansky initially became interested in a Fulbright fellowship after witnessing its lasting impact on the career of her doctoral adviser, Department of History Professor Emeritus Nathan Stoltzfus. Stoltzfus, formerly the Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Professor of Holocaust Studies who taught at FSU for nearly 30 years before retiring in 2024, conducted research in Germany in 1984 through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and still works with the same material from his own fellowship.  

“It was really incredible to see the longevity and effect a Fulbright award could have, and that it’s still the basis of the research and the career he’s built thirty-plus years on,”  Wirsansky said. 

Wirsansky already has undergraduate and master’s degrees from FSU. She first connected with Stoltzfus — and history — through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP).  

Pursuing degrees in creative writing and theatre, she had trouble finding arts-related UROP projects and decided to join Stoltzfus’ research on the Rosenstrasse Protest, which took place between February 27 and March 6, 1943, when approximately 200 non-Jewish German women held a non-violent protest in freezing conditions outside the Rosenstrasse detention center in Berlin, demanding the release of their Jewish family members (mainly husbands) who they feared were about to be deported to concentration camps.   

Continuing to work with Stoltzfus, Wirsansky wrote a play with musical accompaniment about the Holocaust for her Honors in the Major project. She then applied for her master’s in history at FSU to establish her credentials as a historical playwright. Falling in love with research and writing along the way, she stayed for her doctoral degree to hone in on the topics of her master’s thesis, which analyzed the evolution of women’s roles in British society through the lens of female spies. 

Eager to follow in the footsteps of her adviser and establish a similar foundation in historical research, Wirsansky started preparing her Fulbright application as soon as she began her doctoral program. 

She wanted to travel to Jerusalem, Israel, to piece together the lives of female agents in the SOE, a British intelligence agency formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe during World War II. Specifically, Wirsansky’s project focuses on the opportunity to research the experience of agents who were captured and then placed into concentration camps. 

In Jerusalem, Wirsansky had special access to materials in the Yad Vashem Museum, Israel’s official memorial institution to the victims of the Holocaust.  

“This is one of the few places where I’m able to actually access deeper information for my research, so it’s been incredible to finally get my hands on these resources,” she said. “It’s going to make my dissertation so much more rich, evocative and meaningful than it would have been if I didn’t receive this opportunity.” 

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Four recent Florida State University graduates have been awarded the 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a highly competitive five-year fellowship that supports outstanding students pursuing research-focused graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Eight current FSU students and alumni also received honorable mentions in the latest program.

The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and recognizes both the recipient’s undergraduate and current graduate institutions. By investing in early-career researchers, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) aims to strengthen the quality and capacity of the U.S. scientific and engineering workforce.

“We are incredibly proud of our students and alumni who have been recognized by the NSF GRFP,” said Craig Filar, associate dean of Honors, Scholars, and Fellows. “The range of disciplines and the recognition of researchers at various times in their student careers demonstrates the breadth of preparation and training our students receive in STEM disciplines across campus from their first year through their doctoral work that have led to so many of our students and alumni being recognized for their innovative work as fellows and honorable mentions.”

A native of Tampa, Sebastian Castro (B.S. ‘25 chemical engineering) worked on research projects focused on clean energy and water solutions while at FSU, including splitting water to produce hydrogen, converting carbon dioxide into useful products and developing membranes for desalination.

He began his collegiate journey through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), which was enriched by his involvement in the Presidential Scholars Program and the Student Engineering Leadership Board.

Castro credits the guidance from faculty and staff as instrumental throughout the fellowship application process, adding: “FSU has supported me every step of the way.”

Castro’s research centers on advancing sustainability through electrochemical processes, a foundation he will continue to build on by improving electrochemical transformations and developing technologies for industrial-scale environmental remediation. This fall, he plans to begin his doctoral degree in chemical engineering at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive this fellowship. Beyond the validation of my efforts, it represents the culmination of years of hard work across my coursework, research and extracurricular activities.”

– Sebastian Castro

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive this fellowship,” Castro said. “Beyond the validation of my efforts, it represents the culmination of years of hard work across my coursework, research and extracurricular activities. After earning my doctorate, I plan to work in industry, where I hope to contribute to the global energy transition. My goal is to help overcome key challenges in the design and optimization of electrochemical devices to enable their widespread industrial implementation.”

Nicholas Volya (B.S. ‘23 biochemistry) has focused on advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the development of radiofrequency amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (RASER) technology while at FSU. His research aims to re-engineer the MRI detector cavity and exploit RASER physics.

A Tallahassee native, Volya is a third-year doctoral student in physical chemistry at North Carolina State University.

“FSU was tremendously impactful on my academic and scientific journey. Every professor encouraged and challenged me to think with clarity and precision.”

– Nicholas Volya

“FSU was tremendously impactful on my academic and scientific journey,” he said. “Every professor encouraged and challenged me to think with clarity and precision, particularly my undergraduate Principal Investigator, Robert Lazenby. He provided the encouragement and resources that allowed me to fully engage with research, and I was proud to be a member of his lab throughout my undergraduate career.”

The NSF GRFP fellowship will support Volya’s current research in the Thesis Lab at North Carolina State University and his plans for a career as a research professor.

“My work on RASER technology is exciting, and I believe it has the potential to fundamentally change how an MRI is performed,” Volya said. “If successful, it could influence the methodology of all magnetic resonance experiments — an ambitious but motivating prospect. My long-term aspiration is to pass on the knowledge and support I have received by becoming a mentor myself.”

Brandon Patron (B.S. ‘20 biological science) returns to FSU in the fall to begin his doctorate in clinical psychology where he will research the effects of early life adversity on adolescent psychological development with consideration to underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

“FSU, and in particular the Children’s Learning Clinic, has provided amazing mentors and support,” said Patron on bridging his biological and psychological journey at the university. “I’ve had the chance to work with amazing researchers and clinicians who have given me insight into intervention research and the time and resources to work on my NSF GRFP proposal. I also had an immense amount of support and guidance from Director and Research Faculty, Leah Singh, who helped review my materials and provided a recommendation.”

“FSU, and in particular the Children’s Learning Clinic, has provided amazing mentors and support. I’ve had the chance to work with amazing researchers and clinicians who have given me insight into intervention research and the time and resources to work on my NSF GRFP proposal.”

– Brandon Patron

Patron expresses gratitude for the NSF GRFP Fellowship which will allow him to focus on his research, exempting him from typical assistantship requirements.

“This fellowship will allow me to spend all my extra time ensuring my research ideas are cutting edge and novel to the literature,” Patron said. “It’s validated my work and assured me that I am indeed worth a career in research.”

Long term, he hopes to open his own research clinic, similar to FSU’s Children’s Learning Clinic, to serve the community, conduct intervention research and formulate precision medicine in response.

“My clinic would differ in that it would focus more on the effects of early life adversity on pathways, such as those of stress and emotion regulation, and how interventions that involve both parent and child can be catered more to the individual family,” Patron said.

Luis E. Blanco (B.S. ‘18 chemical engineering) completed his undergraduate studies at FSU, where he focused on computational protein engineering, biomechanics and microfluidics. After graduation, he co-founded the startup Diatech Diabetes with fellow FSU alumnus John Wilcox. The company addresses issues that patients using diabetes care technology experience.

“FSU is truly unique in how easy it is to build close friendships and get involved,” Blanco said. “I learned to apply for jobs, I started my company, met my wife and made lifelong friendships. I always tell people: ‘FSU attracts some of the smartest and most talented people who also know how to have a good time.’ That combination created an environment where I felt inspired, supported and challenged to dream bigger.”

“FSU is truly unique in how easy it is to build close friendships and get involved. I learned to apply for jobs, I started my company, met my wife and made lifelong friendships. I always tell people: ‘FSU attracts some of the smartest and most talented people who also know how to have a good time.’ That combination created an environment where I felt inspired, supported and challenged to dream bigger.”

– Luis E. Blanco

Blanco has focused primarily on infusion monitoring systems, leading the development of machine learning algorithms to detect insulin delivery failures and conducting preclinical studies and designing sensor-driven research tools.

“Receiving the NSF GRFP is truly life-changing, for me and my family,” Blanco said. “The fellowship has given me clarity, confidence, and financial support to fully commit to this next chapter of my life. At Diatech, we’ve maintained a strong focus on research and have published several articles over the years, and pursuing a doctoral degree will help formalize and mature the skills I’ve developed there.

Blanco will begin a doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) under the supervision of Mechanical Engineering Professor Sumita Pennathur. He seeks to build on his experience by diving deeper into emerging fields like nanotechnology, AI and optics.

“This award brings rare flexibility. I can be more intentional in designing a project that’s both technically ambitious and personally meaningful while building impactful collaborations across UCSB,” he said.

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