THEME FOR THIS MONTH
FALL 2020
SEMESTER IN REVIEW
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This month, we're taking a look at all that our students have accomplished this semester through our programs! The new virtual environment has been challenging in many respects, but our students have persevered!
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Navigating an entirely new landscape of undergraduate research due to the current pandemic, our students have been incredibly successful in their research projects. We’ve worked hard throughout the year to make sure our students feel included and engaged in their projects in this new virtual format. Let’s take a look at some of the ways our office has worked toward this mission. |
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2020 President's Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence
We had an amazing turnout for our President's Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence event last Thursday! With some rooms having over 224 people, we were beyond thrilled that our students had an opportunity to share their amazing undergraduate research in this format given the current pandemic. We want to thank everyone that attended, as well as all of the research mentors who supervised our students in their projects! Their support and guidance of our students is invaluable. Were you not able to attend the Showcase? Don't worry: we've posted recordings from our sessions on our website here: https://buff.ly/2qOmKuh
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2020 Fall Research Day
On November 6th, we hosted our annual Fall Research Day, this time in a virtual format. With four presenters, most of whom were presenting their HITM research, and over 25 attendees, the event was a huge success in allowing these students to present their research and have an opportunity to practice defending their thesis. We’re especially thankful for our amazing presenters and their respective research mentors for their role in continuing undergraduate research efforts at FSU!
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Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)
UROP faced a new challenge at the start of the fall semester with trying to determine how best to get students involved in virtual undergraduate research opportunities. Nevertheless, we have had amazing results from this semester. Nearly 1000 students applied to be a part of UROP and
411 students started the program this year.
With this many students, we had to assemble an impressive cohort of UROP Leaders to teach our UROP students on the mechanics of conducting undergraduate research. We had 61 UROP Leaders, across all disciplines and majors at FSU, teaching our undergraduates across 29 colloquium class sections. You can check out featured leaders on our CRE Social Media (links at the bottom of the newsletter).
Our UROP Leaders and students weren't the only ones that faced a challenge in pivoting to a virtual format. Our research mentors, who provide our students opportunities to work on research projects, also had to figure out a way to configure their research to a virtual setting. With this, we had 230 research projects proposed to our UROP Database.
In addition, UROP has instituted a diversity and inclusion focus group to improve the pipeline to UROP Leader position to better reflect the UROP student population. Thus far, participants of the focus group have found this focus group highly representative and beneficial.
Overall, the general theme of our recap of UROP is that our UROP Leaders and students rose to the challenge of virtual teaching and learning in the midst of a pandemic and have excelled. We are so incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication to continuing the mission of UROP and undergraduate research in general at FSU.
The Florida-Georgia Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM (FGLSAMP) secured funding for the next five years, which is incredibly exciting!
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IDEA Grants and Innovation Programming
The Fall 2020 semester saw the culmination of the IDEA Grants and Tech Fellows programs at the virtual President’s Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence on November 19th. Each program participant presented their research project to hundreds of audience members via Zoom. You can find recordings of the Showcase presentations here. This year’s presenters should be applauded for their creativity and resilience for adapting their projects to the restrictions they faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you visit the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House blog, you can find posts from 2020 IDEA Grants winners about how they progressed through the summer in completing their projects. In addition, you will find blog posts from our Tech Fellows about adapting to virtual internships and reflecting on their summer experience.
In addition to IDEA Grant and Tech Fellows participants, the FSU-iGEM team was also invited to present at the President’s Showcase. FSU-iGEM, Florida State’s representatives in the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, shared their research on how to prevent antibiotic resistance in Florida’s waterways. You can watch their video presentation here and visit their project website here. Like the other participants in CRE’s Fall programs, FSU-iGEM were forced to adapt to current circumstances conducting numerous interviews with stakeholders via Zoom and only being able to model their solution, instead of testing it in the lab. The hard work of the team paid off on November 23rd when they were awarded a silver medal in the international competition of some 250 teams from around the globe.
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Global Programming
CRE’s global programs had quite a productive, albeit different, Fall 2020 semester! The 2019 Gap Year Fellows started their third phase and final phase of the program, an Engage 100 course to reflect on their Gap Year Experience and prepare for their time at FSU. While the 2019 cohort helped remotely pilot this brand new course, it will be open for all students who took a Gap Year and are matriculating in the fall. At the same time, the 2020 Gap Year Fellows completed their planning phases and began their projects (follow their adventures here)! They will be similarly finishing their intercultural service-based projects this spring and will matriculate next fall. Lastly, the Global Scholars program has been relaunched as a 3-phase independent support program for students to explore social impact work domestically and internationally (remotely). We are taking applications until December 4th and will be starting with this new format in Spring 2021.
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Fall 2020 Drop-In Advising--Spring 2021 Hours Coming Soon!
We're holding Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours for Fall 2020 starting August 31! Please view the schedule below. You can follow the Zoom Registration links (separated by day/time and theme) for Drop-In appointments. Once you click on the link, you will have to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, where you will be in a waiting room until the meeting starts.
Please contact David Advent at david.advent@fsu.edu with any questions. If you want to learn more about how to connect with CRE, look over our website here: https://cre.fsu.edu/step3.
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Global Scholars 2021 Cohort Recruitment
FSU’s Global Scholars program has been relaunched and is recruiting for the 2021 cohort! This three-part program facilitates student engagement with social impact organizations. In the spring, participants will learn the theory of social impact practice, develop qualitative research to explore communities' perceptions of such work, and develop a plan for their student-designed experience. During the summer, participants will enact their experience plan (either domestically or remotely) as well as describe their experience via blog posts and a Capstone project. Then students are able to reflect on these experiences and explore their opportunities to continue this sort of engagement at FSU and beyond!
Applications are due December 4th, 2020!
Please see our website for more details: https://www.cre.fsu.edu/global/globalscholars. If you have any questions, please email CRE Associate Director for Global Programming, Warren Oliver (boliver@cre.edu). This is an amazing opportunity to learn what it means “to get involved”. So, join Global Scholars and learn about Social Impact work!
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The deadline to submit your abstracts to present at FURC 2021 is coming up fast! Submit your abstract below by December 11, 2020 |
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Exciting News and Updates!
The deadline to submit your abstracts to present at FURC 2021 is coming up fast! Submit your abstract below by December 11, 2020
In addition, for FSU students, we will be able to offer limited funding to cover registration costs with no separate FSU application required. Stay tuned for more information!
Also: if you're faculty, staff, and/or a campus partner, we encourage you to submit a workshop proposal for FURC 2021! Workshop presentations are 45 minutes long, and in the past have covered topics such as graduate school application tips, how to get more out of your research, funding/applying for fellowships, and more. Other areas of interest, particularly for this year and the virtual format of our conference, include conducting research during COVID, self-care during quarantine, and leveraging your research experience on your resume. We are open to other applicable topics of your choosing, though we encourage proposals that are applicable to students from all majors. There will be two workshops sessions and workshops may run once or twice based on the number of proposals received.
General info event: The Florida Undergraduate Research Association and Florida State University are so excited to be hosting this event, this time in a virtual format. FURC is one of the nation's largest multi-disciplinary research conferences, and it is open to all undergraduate researchers in the state of Florida to present their research in a poster format. In addition to relevant conference presentation experience, FURC boasts some of the best networking opportunities with fellow researchers and graduate programs across the country, as well as workshops and other professional development experiences. Although the conference will occur in a virtual format this year, we know that you will find this event to be an informative and engaging experience, whether you are a presenter, attendee, faculty/staff member, or grad school representative. We have forged many new partnerships—particularly with Whova, our conference management app—to bring you an immersive undergraduate research experience at FURC 2021!
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The Student Council for Undergraduate Research and Creativity (SCURC)
SCURC is hosting numerous upcoming events and information sessions about its programs. Click the links below each event to learn more and to register!
In addition, SCURC also have new Travel Grant Application Links! While travel looks different this year, SCURC is still here to help offset registration costs for research conferences!
New Travel Grant Application Links!
Be sure to follow SCURC on social media by searching @fsuscurc!
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The OWL Release Party
FSU’s peer-reviewed undergraduate research journal, The Owl, will release its Fall 2020 Special Issue on December 16 at 4pm. This issue, produced in collaboration with students and faculty from the Honors Department, represents The Owl’s twelfth publication. At this release event, you will hear from featured students about their work, former faculty sponsors about the origins of The Owl’s development, and from the Editor-in-Chief about The Owl’s publication process amidst a pandemic. The Zoom registration link can be accessed here. We hope to see you there!
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Call for Submissions to The OWL
The Owl, FSU's Undergraduate Research Journal, is currently accepting submissions for its annual Spring issue. If you would like to find out more information about this opportunity, you can attend the Publishing in The Owl Information Session on December 3 at 5pm via Zoom. Register here. You can also access more information on The Owls website or contact theowlfsu@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is December 19 at 11:59pm.
Are you ready to take the next step in your undergraduate research career and get your work published?
At our upcoming informational session, editors of The Owl will explain how students can submit their research and research-based creative works for publication in The Owls spring issue. We will discuss the peer review process, our evaluation criteria, and tips on how to translate your research experiences into paper form.
We greatly encourage students to apply! This is a great opportunity students to learn how to get involved with research writing and sharing, an important aspect of the research process.
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Office of National Fellowships (ONF) Updates |
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Fellowship Deadlines and Openings
DAAD RISE Deadline: December 15, 2020 11:59PM Central European Time
Applications to the Humanity in Action Fellowship are due in mid-January of 2021. The FSU Campus Deadline for the Boren Scholarship is January 12, 2021. If you are considering an application to either of these fellowships, our office recommends reaching out as soon as possible as the office will be closed with the university between December 19, 2020 and January 5, 2021. Our contact information is on the About Us -> Contact Us page of our website (onf.fsu.edu).
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National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC)
Picture Yourself at the NCHC Board Table The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) is an organization that provides honors programs with information and support. Nominations are available for student positions on the NCHC Board of Directions- a great opportunity to contribute to the conversation and improve the honors experience!
Nominations are open until December 4
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Honors in the Major Fall 2020 Defense Certificate Form & DigiNole Upload
Due December 4th
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Beatrice Dain
IDEA Grant Winner, UROP Student
"Growing up in Gainesville, Florida State University senior Beatrice Dain said she never considered going to FSU.
As a freshman, Dain participated in UROP on a research project that aimed to create a massive open online course through an app to provide Nicaraguan artisans with the tools to sell their products to international clients through Etsy.
“My role in this project was to translate questions and help design the format of the app,” Dain said. “During spring break of my freshman year, I traveled to Nicaragua to conduct preliminary interviews with artisans to account for their needs and skill levels in the course.”
Dain presented the project at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) and at FSU’s 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Fluent in English, Spanish and German and proficient in Portuguese, Dain was able to put her language skills to use and studied abroad twice while at FSU. In 2017, she participated in the University Studies Abroad Consortium in Lüneburg, Germany, to study German and take political science classes on the European Union. In 2019, she traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, to take part in the University of Arizona’s IDEA’s (International Program for Education and Social Action) AVANCSO program and study Spanish, human rights, and anthropology.
Last spring, travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with starting her honors thesis in International Affairs, which looks at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and their refugee resettlement efforts conducted in Latin America during the 1930s and 1940s. Dain had received the David B. Ford Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award to fund a month in New York City conducting archival research at the Center for Jewish History, but the pandemic forced her to use online archives.
Dain’s research at FSU has inspired her to pursue a career in law focusing on human rights.
“I will definitely be taking a few years off where I would like to work for an NGO or organization working for increased immigrant rights to gain additional experience,” Dain said. “Afterward, I am interested in attending law school with a focus on human rights and immigration law. I’m sad to leave FSU, but excited for the future.”"
Congratulations, Beatrice! We're so proud of you and your hard work!
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Diana Conrad
IDEA Grant Winner
"Diana Conrad said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Four years of studying at Florida State University confirmed that dream — and even gave it a bit more meaning.
Conrad, who is majoring in chemistry with hopes of becoming a professor one day, said education has been a priority throughout her life thanks to the amazing support she’s received from her teachers.
Inside the classrooms and laboratories at FSU, Conrad has enjoyed countless opportunities to indulge her interests and expand her knowledge of research. Conrad is a member of the Honors Program and, last summer, she worked on an IDEA Grant project for her Honors in the Major thesis.“During my junior year, I began research with Professor Michael Shatruk in the area of inorganic chemistry,” she said. “Working in a lab and being able to continually work on a project and improve on techniques allowed me to rediscover my pure curiosity about the chemistry field.”
Honing her research skills is something Conrad said she hopes to continue doing as she considers graduate school and then, ultimately, returns to college classrooms and laboratories as a professor.
“I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry with the goal of becoming a professor at a university,” she said. “As a professor, I hope to inspire the next generation of students and honor the legacies of the professors who have inspired me.”
Conrad said it’s her goal to take her cues from her FSU professors and create a similar classroom experience that both teaches and builds confidence.
“I hope to foster a learning environment that encourages others to challenge themselves and work to their full potential,” she said. “With the confidence and skillset gained from working in research as an undergraduate student, I am excited to become a research professor where I can unite my love for research with my passion for educating and mentoring future generations of students.”
Conrad said she’ll carry the lessons from her time at FSU with her as both a foundation and a guide to help steer her toward her future.
“My entire experience at FSU has been about trying new things, building community and trying to see the bigger picture,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed so many opportunities to branch out, to see the impact service can make here in Tallahassee. I’ve learned so much about how to be a good teacher and researcher. FSU has helped give me so much confidence — confidence to be a researcher, to be a teacher, to be a volunteer.”"
Congratulations, Diana! We're so proud of you and your hard work!
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Ava Dodd
IDEA Grant Winner
"While working with Adams, Dodd and her research team received a $6,000 Steve Madden Undergraduate Research Award, funding that is part of the FSU IDEA Grant program and is specifically geared toward students interested in STEM fields.
Dodd and her team used these funds to study the proficiency of object detection algorithms in detecting sea turtles, which are the target of massive conservation efforts in Florida.
“The beach is also a great place to practice flying the AI using a DJI Phantom 3 drone to spot the turtles from an aerial perspective,” Dodd said. “This allowed us to get a good count of their nests without impacting the wildlife.”
Through the project, Dodd and her team attached infrared cameras to drones to detect sea turtles submerged in water from an aerial perspective.
“The cameras were programmed with a special algorithm that can box each individual turtle on a computer screen, clearly labeling and counting the number of turtles it has boxed,” she said.
She and her team submitted their research on synthetic data and artificial intelligence to national research conferences and plan to continue their studies during the spring.
“It excites me to constantly be at the forefront of human innovation,” Dodd said. “Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to be a scientist. Now, I can use the knowledge and experiences I’ve gained from FSU to help make science fiction a reality.”"
Congratulations, Ava! We're so proud of you and your hard work!
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Florida State Anywhere
We are so excited to welcome you (or welcome you back) to the FSU community in Fall 2020! Though the fall semester will be different than usual, our commitment to you and your success is stronger than ever. As we navigate the changes COVID-19 has brought to our lives, we know you are making important decisions about what is best for you, your family, your academics, and your health this fall.
If you decide all remote/online courses and living off-campus is best for you, FSU is offering programs and services remotely this fall so you can connect with us from anywhere. Several resources on this site may be of interest to you.
If you are a new first-year or new transfer student, we are offering additional support if you are studying away from Tallahassee through Florida State Anywhere. Florida State Anywhere will help you connect to the FSU campus and community wherever you are.
To join Florida State Anywhere, please let us know your plans for the fall semester by August 10 by completing this short survey: https://fla.st/30zkKDW
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Return to Student Life: Stay Healthy FSU
Florida State University's Division of Student Affairs understands the value of the outside-the-classroom experience and how important it is for our students. This document outlines plans to offer innovative, creative, and safe measures to foster engagement, community, and health and wellness during this unprecedented time.
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IN HONOR OF DEAN KAREN LAUGHLIN |
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With Dean Laughlin's passing, the university has set up two memorial funds to honor Dean Laughlin. These memorials include the newly established Karen L. Laughlin Scholars and a Stained Glass in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House. Please consider contributing if you are able to do so. Use the link below to access the memorial site. |
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CRE VIRTUAL ADVISING
Please set up a meeting through Campus Connect, use the instructions on the “Getting Started” page, and we will respond to you with a link to a Zoom appointment.
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CRE Spotlights wants to feature your news! |
We are constantly amazed by what our current students and alumni are working on, so share your success stories with us to be featured in our monthly newsletter and weekly social media posts. Fill out this form to share your news! |
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Engaging students in research, innovation, and scholarship is the hallmark of a great research university. Through this engagement, students become better thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers, cultivating a depth of understanding needed to make a positive difference in the world. |
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