Spectrum Winter 2020

On the Cover

The Florida State university seal is shown inset from FSU alumna Artemis Skevakis Jegart’s “The University Sunrise to Sunset,” 2001, oil on canvas. The mural was a gift from the classes of 1949 and 1950 and the artist’s patrons, and is installed on the first floor of Dodd Hall, home to the FSU College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Classics and Department of Religion.

Photo by Colin Hackley.

WNBC-New York Chief Meteorologist Janice Huff has a heart of garnet and gold. The Florida State University alumna chased her dreams all the way to the Big Apple and is boldly blazing the trail for future forecasters.

For New Yorkers, Janice Huff is a household name. At Florida State University’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, she is nothing short of a legend.

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science | Spectrum Winter 2020
Dr. David James Kennedy cements a Seminole legacy

Dr. David James “D.J.” Kennedy loves a challenge. A two-time state weight-lifting champion at Wakulla High School, he came to Florida State University in 1996 knowing he wanted to be involved in the Seminoles’ strength and conditioning program under legendary football coach Bobby Bowden.

Biological Science | Spectrum Winter 2020
From Trinidad and Tobago to Tallahassee, Kalisa Villafana writes a new chapter

A funny thing happened to Kalisa Villafana a few months before earning her Ph.D. in nuclear physics at Florida State University. She discovered she was making history. 

Physics | Spectrum Winter 2020
Madison and Jesse Marks propel one another to international success

When Florida State University graduates Madison and Jesse Marks talk about the countries they’ve visited and the experiences they’ve had, it’s hard to believe the siblings have yet to reach their 30th birthdays.

Modern Languages and Linguistics, Middle East Center | Spectrum Winter 2020
Philosophy, computer science honors grad sets sights on IBM career

“I think the day I got an offer from IBM, I also got an invitation to interview at Google, but I turned them down,” recent Florida State University graduate Randy Bruno-Piverger said, with a soft laugh of disbelief. 

Philosophy, Computer Science, COAPS | Spectrum Winter 2020
Ellen Cecil-Lemkin is paving the way to inclusivity

Ellen Cecil-Lemkin’s life at Florida State University is all about accessibility: creating accessibility in her classroom, advocating to make education accessible to all students, and asserting herself for the accessibility she needs to live with a disability.

English | Spectrum Winter 2020
Statistic majors Mike and Mark Zamani are #twinning and winning

Mike and Mark Zamani share everything — from their DNA and intended careers to their love of running and professional boxing.

Statistics | Spectrum Winter 2020
Gilman Scholarship affords students opportunities of a lifetime

Florida State University students are making their mark around the globe, thanks to the esteemed Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. The program provides students the opportunity to study or intern abroad, gaining proficiency in critically-important academic and career development skills.

Florida State News | Spectrum Winter 2020
Michael McVicar connects the dots between religion and the surveillance state

Sept. 11, 2001 was a pivotal day for many, but for Michael McVicar, associate professor of religion at Florida State University, it was a catalyst for his academic career.

Religion | Spectrum Winter 2020
FSU Observatory gives students a new perspective on astronomy

From a terrace along Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State University students can now get an up-close view of planets, stars and other astronomical objects that are normally too faint to see with the human eye. These awesome views are possible thanks to the new modern astronomical observatory constructed by FSU’s physics department.

Physics | Spectrum Winter 2020
Jennifer Koslow helps give voice to silenced, marginalized people

Jennifer Koslow vividly remembers a fourth- grade field trip to New Jersey’s Fort Lee while studying the American Revolution. The class was divided into two groups, one working inside to prepare a stew using only implements colonists used. The other — Koslow’s group — had to gather wood for the fire that snowy afternoon. Then they had to march in formation.

History | Spectrum Winter 2020
The images shared by Florida State University’s Hanson Research Group on Twitter look more like installments in a neon art exhibit than snapshots from a chemistry laboratory.

The group’s weekly “#FluorescenceFriday” photos of glowing chemicals and lasers are dazzling enough make social media followers stop mid-scroll, to stare in wonder at the captivating technicolor curiosities.

Chemistry and Biochemistry | Spectrum Winter 2020