College of Arts and Sciences celebrates new McKnight Doctoral and Dissertation Fellows

Early this winter, more than 20 Florida State University graduate students from underrepresented populations were honored at the 37th McKnight Annual Fellows Meeting in Tampa for having received the McKnight Doctoral or Dissertation Fellowship. Seven scholars hail from departments in the FSU College of Arts and Sciences.

The Florida Education Fund’s McKnight Doctoral and Dissertation Fellowship Programs are designed to address the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in Florida by increasing the pool of citizens qualified with doctoral degrees to teach at the college and university levels.

The 2020-21 and 2021-22 cohorts attended alongside the recent graduates, who were honored during a jacketing ceremony.

The Doctoral Fellowship provides $17,000 per year in tuition, fees and stipends for up to five years. The Dissertation Fellowship Program provides up to one year of support to individuals working to complete dissertations in STEM disciplines with a stipend of up to $12,000.

Since their inception in 1984, the McKnight Doctoral and Dissertation Fellowship Programs have graduated 790 Ph.Ds. from nine participating universities in Florida. FSU students have been awarded 273 of the coveted fellowships to date, with 45 fellows currently matriculating.

“Both cohorts represent the longstanding commitment of the Florida Education Fund and the Graduate School to increasing the diversity of underrepresented faculty in academia with Ph.D. degrees,” said Adrienne Stephenson, assistant dean of the FSU Graduate School and university liaison to the McKnight Fellowship Program. “The diversity in their disciplines, their lived experience and perspective, knowledge and expertise are critical in shaping the future of higher education.”

In addition to the Annual Fellows Meeting, recipients of the McKnight Fellowships are invited to attend conferences, institutes and workshops throughout the year that inform, train, and connect the Fellows at various institutions throughout Florida.

One arts and sciences student was awarded the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship for the 2021-2022 academic year:

Annais Muschett Bonilla is studying ecology and evolution in the Department of Biological Science, and her work investigates spontaneous birth in cartilaginous fish, like sharks and rays. The trait potentially evolved long ago and can teach scientists more about the evolution of species.

Two arts and sciences students were awarded the McKnight Dissertation Fellowship for the 2020-21 academic year:

Mariangelly Diaz-Rodriguez is studying astrophysics in the Department of Physics. Originally from Puerto Rico, Diaz-Rodriguez conducts research on stellar evolution theory, which predicts that stars eight times larger than the mass of the sun collapse as a supernova. Using statistics, Diaz-Rodriguez places unique and robust constraints on stars that explode to better understand and measure this phenomenon.

Kerestin Goodman, from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, studies the effects of environmental toxins on human cell lines. Specifically, Goodman works with microplastics, — plastic debris smaller than five millimeters. Her dissertation “Cytotoxic Effects of Microplastics on Human Cells,” which she defended last semester, found that these minuscule pieces of plastic can alter human lung cells.

Four students were awarded the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship for the 2020-21 academic year:

Bertha Crombet, from the Department of English’s creative writing program developed a lifelong love of words at the age six and knew even then that she wanted to teach English and inspire others through the power of language. Crombet has been published in Jai-Alai Magazine, Black Warrior Review and Painted Bride Quarterly, and received the Academy of American Poets Prize in 2018.

Vince Omni joined the creative writing program in the Department of English more than 20 years since earning a bachelor’s degree in English. Omni is pursuing a doctoral degree with the intent of advancing his knowledge of African American literature and culture. His writing underscores the humanity of people in the Black Atlantic, especially those in the United States.

Fatou Gaye’s research in the Department of Psychology includes developing non-medicinal treatments for children and adolescents with ADHD. She’s particularly interested in executive function treatment protocols and how they relate to academic achievement outcomes in these clinical populations.

Camille Adams, from the Department of English’s creative writing program, knew she wasn’t finished learning after completing her master’s degree. Attracted to Florida State by the program’s strong standing and Florida’s warm weather, Adams writes about toxic familial and cultural behaviors in Caribbean societies that are either upheld as tradition or swept under the rug.

For more information about the McKnight Doctoral and Dissertation Fellowships, visit fefonline.org. To learn more about the current FSU McKnight Fellows, visit ogfa.fsu.edu/about-us/mcknight-fellowships. For information about other external fellowships and awards, visit ogfa.fsu.edu.