Engaging students in research, innovation and scholarship is the hallmark of a great research university. At Florida State University, such research opportunities aren’t just available to graduate students; undergraduates also can expand their knowledge and become more creative thinkers through numerous hands-on research projects.

On Monday, Oct. 1, the best of those undergraduate researchers will be recognized as FSU’s Office of the President and Center for Research and Undergraduate Engagement sponsor the President’s Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence.

The showcase, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for:

MONDAY, OCT. 1
5:30–7:30 P.M.
TURNBULL CONFERENCE CENTER
555 W. PENSACOLA ST.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

Opening remarks and recognitions are set to begin at 5:30 p.m., in Room 208, followed by refreshments and the presentations.

The President’s Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence gives award-winning student researchers the opportunity to display their work through oral and poster presentations. The event serves as the culmination of the issuance of IDEA Grant, Tech Fellows and Internationally Genetically Engineering Machines (iGEM) summer awards.

Twelve students and the iGEM team will be recognized, with eight of those featured majoring or double-majoring in departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. Those eight are:

• Daniel Bis, a senior majoring in Computer Science.
• Valentia Cea Salazar, a senior double-majoring in Psychology and Spanish.
• Ashley Mackenzie Dawdy, a senior majoring in Biological Science.
• Grace Elizabeth Michaels, a junior double-majoring in Russian Language and Literature and International Affairs.
• Jacob Dvorak, a junior double-majoring in Philosophy and Classics.
• Andrew Olsson, a senior majoring in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Jenna Noel Pope, a senior majoring in History.
• Muhammad E. Rasul, a senior double-majoring in Psychology and Media Communication Studies.

“I am pleased to see that so many Arts and Sciences students are taking part in the President’s Showcase,” said Sam Huckaba, dean of the college. “It is great recognition for them and for their faculty mentors. Student-faculty interactions of the type that lead to these projects are highlights of the FSU student experience.”

These awards demonstrate the commitment FSU and its donors have made to enhancing the undergraduate experience and fostering a community of scholars who go on to become innovators. The student projects reiterate Florida State University’s efforts to nurture independent thinkers who contribute in their local communities and across the globe.