Brightly colored tourist shops and national monuments compete for visitors’ attention in travel destinations across the globe, but it’s often said that only the locals know the best spots. That is, unless you’re Sheree M. Mitchell. “You don’t really know a country until you truly understand its soul,” Mitchell said.

Joshua Tyler has always had vision. As he watched hotshot fighter jet pilots screaming across the big screen in the 1980s, Tyler knew he had a future in the military. Those dreams continued as he worked his way through the Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout in his late teens, a natural entry point to military service.

The wild unpredictability of weather can be terrifying to some. For meteorology alumnus and graduate student Harrison Prieto, affectionally known to scholars and teammates alike as “The Weatherman,” the unknown is the most exciting part.

Sometimes, the small moments that alter the course of one’s life pass unnoticed and only in retrospect is all revealed. Florida State University alumnus Jorge Zamanillo, the newly appointed founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, was 19 when he visited Washington, D.C., at the invitation of a friend going for a work trip.

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.

As Florida State University’s 16th president, Richard McCullough brings to the role more than three decades of experience in academic research and leadership that have helped him hit the ground running since his arrival last August.

"Isn’t it just so beautiful?” Florida State University associate professor of neuroscience Wen Li asks, gazing at the image on her computer screen, smiling from ear to ear. Li looks at MRI scans of a human brain the way many people look at a colorful sunset, and her passion for neuroscience and clinical psychology is undeniably infectious.

Pursuing a career in academia or research can be an overwhelming prospect for recent doctoral graduates, and the prospect of a career combining both can be downright daunting. However, some of Florida State University’s junior faculty are getting national attention and support to launch groundbreaking research careers.

A university education is commonly seen as a gateway for students to access careers in the corporate world. But the country’s top universities also serve as centers for early-stage research and development and hubs for innovation.