Florida State University physics alumnus Jesus Perello Izaguirre would love to tell you about his work, but he can’t say much — it’s a matter of national security.

Dr. Andrea Friall has known some of her patients their entire lives. That’s because as a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, Friall actually helped bring some of them into the world herself. Now, this Florida State University biology alumna is helping patients and fellow physicians alike in her role as chief medical officer for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

There’s an old joke that quips “Science can tell you how to clone a dinosaur. Humanities can tell you why that’s probably a bad idea.” For some people, the idea of studying both the sciences and humanities is baffling, with advocates on each side fiercely defending their respective fields. Yet, there are others, like two-time Florida State University alumnus Michael Baiamonte, who capitalize on the competitive advantage that arises by combining precision STEM analysis with the humanities’ ability to see the larger picture.

As lightning strikes dry brush and fires begin to blaze, miles of forest are suddenly overtaken by a sinister orange glow. Firefighters work to control the blaze on the ground while aerial tankers buzz overhead, dropping thousands of gallons of water from above in an effort to quench the flames. From the safety of her office at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Florida State University doctoral student Dorianis Perez is also joining the fight, but she’s using math to fight fires.

After weeks of grueling field training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, Florida State University student Brooke Newell was finally graduating. Standing in formation with over 300 other Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets in the fierce heat of a Southern summer, she reflected on how much had changed since she first signed on at FSU.

We’ve all experienced the nuisance sting of a paper cut, but that tiny skin tear is a signal to the body’s immune system that a battle is beginning. As our bodies enlist the power of our immune systems to thwart bacterial invaders attempting to gain entry, the bacteria are employing defenses of their own.

A brain is a brain, right? Each of us has those three pounds of gray matter that make us who we are, from controlling the body’s operating systems to storing cherished memories to helping us navigate daily life. But the ultimate shape of the brain, with its intricate patterns of folds, might be able to be used to predict if someone will live with healthy brain function or if they will likely experience neurological disorder.

What does it take to turn a once-terminal diagnosis into a manageable chronic health condition? In the four-plus decades since the onset of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, researchers have worked to discover the deadly virus’ secrets and understand what makes HIV-1 so challenging to treat. That progress has proved life-sustaining for patients, but scientists around the world continue to work in pursuit of a cure.

The transition to life as a college student can be challenging. For many freshmen starting at Florida State University, the move to Tallahassee means starting a new life in a new city far from family and friends.

Stacey Patterson’s job has an impact on every corner of Florida State University. As FSU’s vice president for research, she oversees a diverse research portfolio with more than $355 million in annual expenditures and over 50 prominent research centers and institutes.

For her seventh birthday, Caterina Gratton’s parents pulled out all the stops: big colorful balloons, a delicious cake, and backyard activities galore. Gratton, now an associate professor of psychology and a member of FSU’s Program in Neuroscience, especially loved the brain game involving placards with color names written in non-corresponding color ink. All the kids raced to be first to identify the color name written on the card regardless of the physical ink color.

Brian Inouye and Nora Underwood are spending their summer counting flowers and chasing butterflies. Inouye and Underwood, ecologists and professors at Florida State University, meticulously tally the organisms present in the meadows of Gothic, Colorado, as part of ongoing data collection that will help scientists better understand how some of nature’s most sensitive creatures are responding to environmental changes.