ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Student success is Florida State’s top priority, and our strategic investments in this area are paying dividends. Among public universities, Florida State’s four-year graduation rate of 72 percent is No. 1 in the state of Florida and among the Top 10 in the nation.
What’s even more impressive is that FSU has eliminated disparities in graduation and retention rates between all categories of underrepresented and traditional student populations.
You, our top-notch faculty, play an integral role in helping students succeed, and I want to thank you for your efforts. Whether you are mentoring students in undergraduate research or encouraging them to pursue their dreams, you are all making a difference in students’ lives!
FACULTY RECOGNITION Earlier this semester, FSU placed No. 2 in the nation among research institutions for producing Fulbright Scholars. Nine faculty scholars, a record for FSU, were awarded Fulbright grants for 2018-2019. That’s a remarkable accomplishment!
Congratulations to Timothy Cross, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who has been named Florida State University’s 2019-2020 Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor. A dedicated and valued member of the FSU faculty for more than three decades, Tim is an accomplished chemist who has helped steer the direction of chemical and biological research at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. He is extremely deserving of the highest honor given by FSU faculty members to one of their own.
I’d also like to offer best wishes to College of Nursing Dean Judith McFetridge-Durdle, who will step down as dean June 30. Dean McFetridge-Durdle did a fantastic job leading the college as it increased its research capacity and strengthened its diversity, and we’re happy that she will return in a few months to help implement the college’s Ph.D. program.
RESEARCH ENDEAVORS In February, Florida State was awarded $8 million from Triumph Gulf Coast as part of a major 10-year initiative to restore the Apalachicola Bay and revive the oyster industry. This initiative is funded by economic damages recovered after the 2010 BP oil spill. We are thrilled with this opportunity for our research to make a big difference for the community and region.
Last month, FSU College of Social Work Dean Jim Clark and I joined the family and friends of FSU student Maura Binkley, who was killed in the yoga studio shooting, to launch Maura’s Voice. Dean Clark is heading up the research component of this important initiative that aims to uncover the root causes of violence, especially against women, and inform policy that will make us all safer.
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