College of Arts and Sciences set to honor new graduates Dec. 13

Florida State University will honor its Fall 2024 graduates Friday, Dec. 13 with three commencement ceremonies at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.

College of Arts and Sciences graduates will participate in two ceremonies on Friday. Doctoral students will be hooded at the 9 a.m. ceremony while undergraduate and master’s students will cross the stage during the 7 p.m. ceremony.

The evening ceremony will feature a commencement address from College of Arts and Sciences professor Harrison Prosper, this year’s Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor and one of the world’s most lauded physicists. Approximately one quarter of the 2,992 degrees FSU will award this fall are to undergraduate and graduate students from arts and sciences disciplines.

“Fall commencement, while smaller than the spring event, is heightened by its alignment with the holiday season,” said Sam Huckaba, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Festivity adds to an already special time where we can celebrate the accomplishments of our terrific graduates and welcome a new cohort of alumni.”

Katharine Thomas, Haydn Hubbard, and Sean Wilkerson are among the college’s nearly 700 Fall 2024 graduates. Thomas, Hubbard, and Wilkerson will each receive a bachelor’s degree.

Katharine Thomas. Photo by Devin Bittner.

Thomas earned her degree in environmental science and policy through the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science. She began research alongside Stephanie Pau, a former faculty member in FSU’s Department of Geography in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, through FSU’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. In this project, Thomas analyzed leaf samples from Hawaii to explore climate change’s impacts on biodiversity. She also assisted Angela Knapp — a former EOAS oceanographer and environmental scientist — in investigating the origin of toxic amounts of red-colored algae in South Florida’s coastal waters.

“Being from Sarasota, I have experienced these red algae blooms firsthand and was proud to work towards a solution,” Thomas said. “My lab experiences demystified the world of research and allowed me to apply classroom concepts to real-world situations.”

Even though Thomas was on the pre-dental track at FSU, she was able to explore her passion for environmental science because dental schools place more emphasis on the classes taken by prospective students rather than their majors. Through Thomas’ environmental science and policy studies, she was able to complete the prerequisites for dental school including biology and chemistry courses. For four years, she served on the executive board of FSU’s chapter of the Global Dental Brigades, an international movement of students and medical professionals working alongside local communities to implement sustainable health systems. Thomas plans to take a gap year after graduation to gain experience at a dental practice before applying to dental school.

Haydn Hubbard. Photo by Devin Bittner.

Hubbard, who hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, earned her degree in creative writing through FSU’s Department of English. Hubbard self-published her first novel, “The King’s Queen,” as a sophomore and has self-published three books since, with another in progress.

“Studying what I love most under the guidance of amazing professors is an experience I will forever be grateful for,” Hubbard said. “I had the opportunity to be creative in a controlled environment. This has allowed me to not only explore the creative process but also the professional standards of writing that will aid in my future endeavors.”

In addition to authoring four novels and promoting them through book conventions and signings, Hubbard completed an Honors in the Major thesis titled “Goddess,” a collection of poetry retelling the myths of ancient Greek and Roman women through a feminist lens. According to Hubbard, studying abroad in London, in the U.K. and Florence, Italy, through FSU’s International Programs was her most meaningful experience at FSU. In Florence, she served as an associate editor and journalist for FLOR, the Editing, Writing, and Media in Italy program’s digital magazine.

Following graduation, Hubbard will pursue a doctorate in creative writing. She aspires to continue publishing novels and eventually become a professor.

Sean Wilkerson. Photo by Devin Bittner.

A Jacksonville native, Wilkerson earned his bachelor’s in chemistry through the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and received the Katherine Blood Hoffman Endowed Scholarship Fund in Chemistry, a scholarship that celebrates the legacy of professor emerita Kitty Hoffman. He worked towards optimizing lithium-sulfur battery performance as part of the Hu Research Group, professor of chemistry Yan-Yan Hu’s laboratory, and is a co-author on an upcoming paper that was presented at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Sixth U.S. School on Total Scattering Analysis in June. Lithium-sulfur batteries are used in drones and satellites for their high energy density and light weight, with potential applications in aviation and grid energy storage.

“Working with and designing new materials for batteries is the forefront of science and something I want to do for a long time,” Wilkerson said. “The Hu Research Group has given me the opportunity to experience how a real lab runs, learn what I need to expect when working in science, and prepare for my future.”

While he awaits graduate school admissions decisions, Wilkerson will spend the spring as an intern at NASA’s Langley Research Facility in Virginia where he will continue his research in the Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety project.

For more about FSU’s Fall 2024 commencement activities, a full schedule of events, and livestream links, visit commencement.fsu.edu.