When many people think of helping the environment, big-picture images of trash cleanup or climate change policy activism spring to mind. But for Florida State University Ph.D. candidate Brianna Coia, making a big difference is all in the details.

When asked how it feels to be the first graduate of the Interdisciplinary Data Science Master’s Degree Program in Florida State University’s history, Luke Van Popering shrugged and chuckled.

When Abril Hunter was named a Truman Scholar this spring, it was the latest in a lengthy list of accolades the rising senior has earned since first arriving at Florida State University in 2019. The scholarship recognizes those who carry the legacy of President Harry S. Truman’s dedication to public service and is the nation’s most prestigious fellowship for undergraduates interested in serving at local, state or federal levels.

Because the DuBroff twins, Ethan and Noah, say that being twins doesn’t make them the same person, they find it humorous their argument is undermined by the fact that they happen to like all the same things.

When Caitlyn Edwards checked her email in July and learned she received a prestigious award, her first thought was to call her sister, Ashley. But, she wasn’t so much hoping her sister would offer congratulations, as she was eager for Ashley to check her own email.

Language is a fundamental part of the human experience. It’s what separates humans from other animals. But since the 1950s, computer scientists have been trying to make computers capable of understanding language as well.

Actress and philanthropist Audrey Hepburn made famous the quote, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” When it comes to Florida State University biology major Alexis Cox, her extensive list of volunteer work suggests she has about a dozen extra hands at the ready.

Turn on your TV in Tallahassee any weekday around 6 p.m. and you’ll likely see meteorology students from Florida State University’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science hard at work in front of the greenscreen. The “FSU Weather” show, which broadcasts live on 4FSU and also streams on YouTube, gives students interested in broadcast meteorology a chance to put their on-air skills to the test.

In 2016, Sam McLoughlin experienced a political awakening. While McLoughlin, a Lake Mary, Fla., native, had cycled through a selection of dream jobs growing up — being a veterinarian, a chef, or a journalist all held appeal — none of them stuck. Political science, however, was a different story.

"When I was battling homelessness, I felt like Atlas, the ancient Greek Titan, carrying the world on his shoulders, as I tried to hold myself and my family together,” said Isaac Parfait. Thanks to the Florida State University Unconquered Scholars Program and his own determination to succeed, Parfait, a 2020 alumnus of the Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, now works in Chicago for Three Point Media, a digital production firm for state and national political ads.

What can a water bug tell us about the human heart? The answer could one day save your life. Physics doctoral candidate and interdisciplinary researcher Hamidreza Rahmani is analyzing flight muscle contractions of a Thai giant water bug, Lethocerus indicus, because of its similarities to human heart muscles.

2020, the year that saw COVID-19 become a global pandemic has officially drawn to a close. Although we’re not sure what 2021 will hold, a new chapter is certainly a welcome one. Despite difficult circumstances, the Florida State University community rose to 2020’s biggest challenges.