Bryan Quaife is an associate professor in the Department of Scientific Computing and a faculty associate in the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, both part of Florida State University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

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.

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.

Peter Beerli serves as a professor and chair of the Department of Scientific Computing at Florida State University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Florida State University’s Interdisciplinary Data Science Master’s Degree Program, or IDS, combines FSU’s strengths in computational science, computer science, mathematics, and statistics to prepare students for careers in the dynamic field of data science, one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S.

Dorianis Perez is a first-generation college student pursuing a Ph.D. in computational science at Florida State University’s Department of Scientific Computing, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her concentration is held in the Fire Dynamics Program through the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute with her research involving the simulation of major wildland fire events.

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.

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.

Prescribed burns are an important tool for limiting the harmful effects of wildfires, but they require planning and proper conditions. The U.S. Forest Service recently announced a pause in the use of prescribed fire on National Forest System lands while the agency conducts a review of protocols and practices. The announcement comes as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in New Mexico that started as prescribed burn.

For the past decade, digital data has experienced exponential growth as technology has changed how information is created, captured and consumed. The amount can easily double from year to year, and Statista projects 181 zetabytes — that’s 181 billion terabytes — will be produced in 2025.

Florida State University scientific computing alumni have developed a speech-to-speech artificial intelligence program used to help train phone operators who dispatch emergency services. Through a partnership with Priority Dispatch, the call-simulator software produced by NewSci — an artificial intelligence software development company based in Tallahassee — has been adopted by 911 call centers across the nation and around the globe.

John Sutor is a senior double-majoring in computational science through the Department of Scientific Computing and applied mathematics through the Department of Mathematics, both part of Florida State University’s College of Arts and Sciences.