FEATURED THIS MONTH
SUMMER
INNOVATION
TECH FELLOWS, IDEA GRANTS & MORE
Innovation is the process of introducing a new idea to an existing problem, making it an integral part of the cutting-edge research FSU faculty and students are conducting with the support of the CRE.
SUMMER
INNOVATION
FSU's International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) Team
Last month, the  FSU iGEM team  visited Collier Family Farms in Ave Maria, Florida, to continue their research on how to combat citrus greening. The team is exploring how they can use synthetic biology research techniques to address the spread of the bacterial disease by the invasive Asian citrus psyllid or moth.

The iGEM team received funding for their summer research through the IDEA Grant mentored by faculty member Dr. Cesar Rodriguez. iGEM teams spend the summer addressing a need and/or solving a problem using synthetic biology. They will present their research, along with hundreds of others, at the annual iGEM Competition in Boston, Massachusetts.

You can also check out their findings at the President's Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence at the Turnbull Conference Center on October 1st, 2019.
"Innovation through empathy, that is what we do"
IDEA Grant recipient (2016 & 2017) and former UROP Leader John Wilcox is the CEO of Tallahassee-based DiaTech Diabetes Technology company. Guided by some early IDEA-Grant funded research, DiaTech has continued to expand and was recently chosen to take part in a mentorship program with business accelerator ZeroTo510 . The ZeroTo510 Medical Device Accelerator helps startups and inventors go from prototype to market using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 510k approval process.

John says of their milestone, " We received our first investment along with a structured curriculum to grow our business in a way that is patient-centered. This does not mean we 'made it'. If anything, it motivates our team to work harder towards providing technology that enhances the lives of people with diabetes. Innovation through Empathy. That is what we do."

You can read more about the DiaTech Diabetes team and project, as well as other winners chosen to participate in the business accelerator mentorship program in the Daily Memphian article .
UPCOMING
EVENTS AND
DEADLINES

Thursday, June 13th from 4—6pm
Nancy H. Marcus Great Hall,
HSF 4th floor

Are you in Tallahassee this summer and want to connect with HSF students and staff? Come out to our summer social on June 13! We'll have games on the balcony and FREE FROZEN TREATS! All are welcome, bring a friend!
Deadline to apply to present
Wednesday, June 19th, 2019

Students involved in undergraduate research and the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society or Honors in the Major can culminate their research engagement area by presenting an oral presentation at Summer Research Day. This year, it will be held in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House, 3rd floor, room 3008 on July 10th (exact times TBD) .
Deadline to apply to UROP
For transfer students:
Monday, July 1, 2019


The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) is the perfect opportunity for transfer students from all majors to start their research journeys as research assistants with faculty, post-doc, graduate student, or community partner research mentors. Apply to UROP below! (Please note: deadline has already passed for non-transfer student applicants.)

Paid on-campus opportunity:
Future Innovators
Deadline to apply:
Monday, July 8 at 11:55 pm


Apply to be a peer mentor in the CRE's course  Future Innovators . The course introduces new students to programs, services and resources here at FSU to assist them in engaging in innovative research, events and entrepreneurship. The peer mentor will help facilitate the course’s weekly meetings and meet with each student at least once during the semester to help them craft their Game Plan for Success.

By participating in the InternFSU program, students gain knowledge and skills related to career decision-making and  critical career competencies . Students in the program can intern 120 hours for the duration of the Fall 2019 semester in numerous FSU offices, labs, institutes, departments, and colleges gaining experience in a variety of job functions.
BECOME A UROP RESEARCH MENTOR
Dr. Paul Conway
2019 UROP Faculty Research Mentor Award winner

"Over the past three years, I have mentored six honors students, two UROP students, and fourteen directed independent studies students (though one name appears twice). I treat undergraduates like graduate students—collaborators in generating, testing, and communicating cutting-edge science. Students get steeped in psychological theory as they work to first derive hypotheses and later compare their results to expectations and previous research."
Get involved with UROP by involving students in your research project
We are recruiting UROP project proposals for the 2019-2020 academic year from faculty, post-doc, graduate, and community research projects to broaden the options for our Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program students.

Learn more about how to become a UROP Research Mentor and help FSU students get experience in their field!

For more information, see the dates for Information Sessions below

Application deadline: August 12, 2019!


June 6: 11am-12pm
June 18: 1-2pm
July 9: 1-2pm
July 25: 2-3pm
August 6: 11am-12pm

Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House, room 3008
Call for proposals from faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and campus partners. Are you currently working on a project and need help with your research? Come learn more about becoming an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Research Mentor. At this session, you will hear about the benefits of working with a UROP research assistant as well as associated funding and awards.  
INNOVATION IN ACTION
Tech Fellows
The  #fsu_TechFellows2019  have begun their summer internships where they will learn best practices for innovation and entrepreneurship!

Each Tech Fellow works on a qualitative research project at a tech incubator and will write about the experience on the Tech Fellows' blog.

For more information on what Tech Fellows are working on, see the Student and Alumni spotlights below!
Global Scholars
2019 Global Scholar and Commercial Entrepreneurship major, William McCarthy is on the coast of northern Peru in a town called Lobitos where he works as a market research intern for the nonprofit organization EcoSwell . His main project is to collect data on Surfonomics, or the study of putting a dollar value on the waves in Lobitos, to inform various aspects of the local economy. Lobitos has multiple world-class wave breaks and is one of the best places to surf on the west coast of Peru.

The innovative approach of this project fuses environmental science with economics and civil engineering. EcoSwell's goal is to find enough compelling data that the local municipality is motivated to protect the coastline from development that will change the formation of the waves forever. Ultimately one of the best ways for this community to increase the amount of money coming to them is with sustainable ecotourism and, more specifically, surf tourism.

William pulls a line with sensors across a dried-up riverbed to detect remnants of groundwater.
IDEA Grant
2019 IDEA Grant recipient Robert Fourqurean received the Scott & Ina McNichols Undergraduate Research Award to support his research titled " The Future of Gardening: Turning Every Pot into Plant Paradise". Robert's research takes an innovative approach to fertilizers and pesticides by testing natural alternatives for insect resistance in garden plants.

He writes, "Algal blooms and toxic pollution are introduced into our waterways from pesticide and fertilizer runoff which creates a real threat to our environment and way of life. I hope to develop a simple yet innovative tool that combines three basic plant needs: support, nutrients, and pest resistance, in order to provide an effective product that helps to change agricultural practices for the better."

Follow along on his and other IDEA Grant recipients' projects: #fsu_IDEAGrant2019
CRE STAFF SPOTLIGHT
David Advent
CRE Program Assistant
David Advent is a recent graduate of FSU, where he majored in English Literature and International Affairs. He participated in UROP as a student, leader, and leader mentor. His research for his Honors in the Major thesis, "The Dorset Chronotope: An Eco-critical Reading of Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure' and 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'" was partially funded through the Phi Eta Sigma Undergraduate Research Award (IDEA Grant). He currently splits his time between the CRE as a program assistant and the Claude Pepper Center as a Political Papers Archivist.

Fun fact: David shares a birthday with Winnie The Pooh author A.A. Milne!
STUDENT
SPOTLIGHT
Ash Rosado
2019 Tech Fellow
Ash Rosado is a rising junior majoring in Social Entrepreneurship at the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship . In addition to her Tech Fellows internship with 500 Startups, she will be researching how Latinx entrepreneurs experience "imposter syndrome" while engaging in business communities.

During her freshman year, Ash received the US-UK Fulbright Summer Institute Award to study abroad in Bristol, UK. At FSU, she has served as a Community Ambassador with the Center for Leadership and Social Change , a Research Assistant through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, and as the Assistant Director of the Pride Student Union.
ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
Isiah Parfait
2018 Tech Fellow , Princeton Fellow
Isiah Parfait, a senior in Spanish Business, was a 2018 Tech Fellow interning at Orlando’s StarterStudio incubator. His research project analyzed Orlando-area public policy and incentive programs and how they affect the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Isiah was also awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Costa Rica for Spanish language immersion. He has volunteered as a CARE Guide and Situational Environmental Circumstances Mentor, assisting at-risk elementary students in STEM-based activities. Isiah will be continuing his research this summer at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs as part of the Public Policy and International Affairs Program.

Isiah Parfait would like to thank the Office of National Fellowships, Miguel Hernandez of the Center of Leadership and Social Change, David Montez of the Center of Research and Engagement, Renee Jean-Charles of SSS-Scope (a trio program under the CARE), and PPIA fellow Roberto Flores for encouraging his academic ambitions.

SUMMER INSPIRATION

Summer is a great time to visit museums, archives, and libraries in Tallahassee! There are all kinds of indoor and outdoor experiences--check out the list below! No matter where you are in Florida, a good museum or experience to spark your imagination is near by. One quick search can open a world of possibilities!
MEET WITH THE CRE!
Did you know the CRE is open all summer? In fact, the Honors Office and Office of National Fellowships are open too! If you want to take your academic experience outside of the classroom, the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House is for you!
CRE DROP-IN HOURS SUMMER 2019

May 8 — August 15, 2019

Monday 10 - 12 pm
Tuesday 10 - 12 pm
Thursday 12:30 - 2:30 pm
Friday 12: 30 - 2:30 pm

Contact:
Morgan Hamilton
mjhamilton@fsu.edu

Visit our Getting Started page to learn how to schedule an advising appointment and find more resources for continuing or beginning your research!
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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.