FSU names McDowell interim dean of College of Communication
Florida State University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Sally McRorie has appointed Stephen McDowell to serve as interim dean of the College of Communication and Information.
McDowell succeeds Larry Dennis, who has returned to the faculty after 12 years as dean of the college. Dennis also served five years as dean of the FSU College of Information (2004-2009) before its merger with the School of Communication and School of Communication & Science Disorders in 2009.
“I want to thank Larry Dennis for his many years of service to the College of Communication and Information, especially his efforts to increase the number of women and minorities in the information technology field,” McRorie said. “I appreciate Steve for his leadership as we conduct a national search for a new dean.”
McDowell, the John H. Phipps Professor in the School of Communication, joined the FSU faculty in 1996. He served as the school’s director from 2002 to 2013 before becoming associate dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Communication and Information.
McDowell also serves as assistant provost for International Initiatives, where he works with units across the university to build campus internationalization efforts.
FSU will conduct a national search for a new dean this fall.
FSU presents Honors Medallions to two Tallahassee student scholars
Florida State University awarded honors medallions to 30 high-achieving graduates during the first in-person medallion ceremony since Fall 2019 on Tuesday, July 27.
Two students from Tallahassee were among the honorees:
Aliyah Hurt, Political Science & Public Health, was named an Outstanding Senior Scholar. The award is presented to students who have completed the University Honors program and the Honors in the Major program and graduated Summa Cum Laude, having a GPA of 3.9 or higher.
Ezekiel Joiner, Creative Writing, was recognized for Honors in the Major program. This achievement is for students who have completed an honors thesis in fulfillment of the requirement for the distinction “with Honors” in their major department.
The ceremony included remarks by President John Thrasher; Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Assistant Provost, Joe O’Shea; and Annette Schwabe, associate dean of Undergraduate Studies and director of the FSU Honors Program.
FAMU awarded $1.2M NASA grant to diversify aerospace engineering
Florida A&M University has been awarded $1.2 million from NASA to recruit more African Americans students to pursue careers in aerospace engineering.
FAMU will establish a multi-institution coalition to recruit underrepresented minorities for a program that will give hands-on experience to students in NASA-relevant fields.
FAMU is one of three Historically Black Colleges and Universities selected to participate.
In addition to FAMU, the coalition includes Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and four NASA centers.
FAMU was awarded $1,199,977.00 as a three-year budget for its proposal to NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project.
Carl Moore, an associate professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, a co-principal investigator of the project, along with Co-Principal Investigator Professor Chiang Shih, chairman of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Mechanical Engineering Department.
African Americans are underrepresented in the aerospace industry, receiving about 3 percent in bachelor of science degrees and 1 percent in advanced degrees in either aerospace or mechanical engineering.
Shih, who is also director of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Aero-propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy Center, said the goal is to recruit and train 40 Fellows over the next three years.
FAMU’s Essential Theater awarded coveted Golden Collection
Florida A&M University’s Essential Theatre will receive the Golden Collection, a compilation of 15 plays by prominent Black playwrights, including ” Play,” the acclaimed Broadway production and recipient of 12 Tony Award nominations, written by Jeremy O. Harris.
The Golden Collection—named for Harris’ grandfather—is being awarded to libraries, community centers and universities, including three Historically Black Colleges and Universities, in the United States, Washington D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico.
FAMU is the only institution in the state of Florida to receive the collection.
In addition to Slave Play, the following is a list of the plays included in the Golden Collection:
“Les Blancs,” Lorraine Hansberry; “The Colored Museum,” George C. Wolfe; “An Octoroon,” Branden Jacobs Jenkins: “Sweat,” Lynn Nottage; “A Collection of Plays (Wedding Band and Trouble in Mind,)” by Alice Childress; “F…… A,” by Suzan-Lori Parks; “We Are Proud to Present a Presentation,” Jackie Sibblies Drury; “The Mountaintop,” Katori Hall; “Is God Is,” Aleshea Harris; “Fires in the Mirror,” Anna Deavere Smith; “Funnyhouse of a Negro,” Adrienne Kennedy; “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” Ntozake Shange; “Bootycandy,” Robert O’Hara; “Dream on Monkey Mountain,” Derek Walcott.
FAMU hosting forum for parents on medical marijuana for kids
Florida A&M University’s Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI) will host a discussion, “Medical Cannabis for Kids: What Parents Need to Know” in a Conversations on Cannabis virtual forum at noon, Thursday.
The forum will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
In this forum, host Heidi Otway will facilitate a discussion with board-certified pediatrician Dr. David Berger, the founder of Wholistic ReLeaf, and Andrea Anderson, a cannabis mom and advocate, whose son uses pediatric cannabinoids.
Submit questions and register for the event by visiting eventbrite.com.
TCC welcoming new students with special outdoors festival
Tallahassee Community College is taking its annual welcome back celebration outdoors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20.
The festival-style event will be held at the Lifetime Sports Complex on the main campus.
Students will learn what to expect on the first day of class, the First Year Experience Program at TCC, and how to get involved in campus activities and programs.
All incoming freshmen and transfer students are encouraged to attend and should RSVP at tcc.fl.edu/convocation. Family members are not required to attend, but are invited to share this experience.
For more information, visit tcc.fl.edu/convocation.
TCC seeks in-house applicants for President’s Leadership Institute
Tallahassee Community College once again is promoting professional development training for its workforce through the second annual President’s Leadership Institute.
The institute selects full-time TCC faculty and staff who exemplify leadership skills and provides a one‐year professional development experience.
A cohort of 12-15 participants will be selected for the 2021-22 academic year that will include a diversity of participants representing each campus, multiple teaching disciplines, and staff from a wide range of programs, offices and departments.
For more information, visit tcc.fl.edu.
Contact senior writer Byron Dobson at bdobson@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @byrondobson.
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