Spectrum Winter 2023

On the Cover

A crisp winter day dawns over the Westcott Building plaza, and sun rays frame the moment of calm before students, faculty, and staff converge from all directions and the flurry of another day begins. Photo by Bruce Palmer, FSU Photography Services, 2019.

FSU meteorology alumnus Jason King leads weather team supporting launch operations

They call it the lightning capital of the U.S. The corridor from Tampa to Titusville in Florida, known as “Lightning Alley,” experiences almost 60 lightning strikes each year for every square mile.

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science | Spectrum Winter 2023
Two-time clinical psychology alumnus Keanan Joyner looks to the brain for answers in understanding, preventing substance addiction

Drug and alcohol misuse and addiction are not unique to any one person — many people know someone who has overdosed or they may have a person who has battled dependency in their friend group or family.

Psychology | Spectrum Winter 2023
Alumna Jessica Washington focuses on the human aspect of monetary transactions at the Federal Reserve

For Department of English alumna Jessica Washington, working in the payments industry is more than securely processing the transfer of money.

English | Spectrum Winter 2023
Religion, philosophy alumna Laura Guidry-Grimes brings context, ethics to medical settings

Laura Guidry-Grimes’ job might not be the easiest to understand, but the difference her work makes for patients and families going through some of the toughest times of their lives is crystal clear.

Religion, Philosophy | Spectrum Winter 2023
Doctoral candidate Courtney Whitcher is illuminating a new field of biological research

Which aspects of life go unnoticed, escaping our view because they are too small, too quiet, or cloaked in a color we cannot see, thus disconnected from human senses? During a night-hike in the Costa Rican rain forest, on a high school Spanish trip, I was lured by secret signals hidden in the dark,” said Courtney Whitcher.

Biological Science | Spectrum Winter 2023
Junior Andrea Emmanuelli is making the most of her Florida State experience on campus, underwater, and on top of the world

After weeks on the water, Andrea Emmanuelli developed the sea legs necessary to remain surefooted while conducting experiments aboard the R/V Rachel Carson in the Gulf of Alaska, but one thing remained a daily surprise.

Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science | Spectrum Winter 2023
Middle Eastern studies, economics undergrad Rawan Abhari is planning for a career that will change the world

Rawan Abhari darts between topics with the confidence of a seasoned public speaker. She interrupts herself to take a breath before jumping back into the conversation — international law, economics, climate science. Weaving together a broad tapestry of themes, she navigates complex issues with ease.

Modern Languages and Linguistics | Spectrum Winter 2023
Celebrating 50 years of archaeological excavations by FSU students in Cetamura del Chianti

As Florida State University alumnus Gregg Anderson dug into the rich soil of the Italian region of Tuscany in 1979, he had a vision that one day, artifacts he and his fellow student archaeologists uncovered would be illuminated under museum lights.

Classics | Spectrum Winter 2023
Florida State University professor Igor Alabugin’s enthusiasm for chemistry is rivaled only by his enthusiasm for his students’ success

Florida State University Distinguished Research Professor Igor Alabugin is always on the go. While it’s easy to spot him in the halls of the Chemical Sciences Laboratory building, keeping pace with his purposeful stride — and his travel calendar — requires stamina.

Chemistry and Biochemistry | Spectrum Winter 2023
FSU’s Children’s Learning Clinic conducts groundbreaking research alongside compassionate, no-cost treatment

Millions of children each year are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, due to difficulties with executive functions, neurological activities supported by the prefrontal and frontal area of the brain.

Psychology | Spectrum Winter 2023
Vandana Tripathi brings Florida State’s nuclear physics prowess to the international stage

Have you seen our newest addition to the lab?” assistant professor of physics Vandana Tripathi asks. Tripathi knows the equipment inside Florida State University’s John D. Fox Superconducting Linear Accelerator Laboratory as intimately as the lines of her hand.

Physics | Spectrum Winter 2023