All things FSU: August 2017

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Team Talent Composite Rankings

http://floridastate.247sports.com/Article/Updated-247Sports-Team-Talent-Composite-Tide-CFBs-most-talented--106709463

As for Florida State, the Seminoles grade out with 924.97 points and 10 five-star recruits; the latter mark is more than No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 USC. Despite slipping in the Team Talent Composite rankings, Florida State in fact has a much higher score than it did in 2016 (902.46).

New center to benefit communities, families and children

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2017/08/30/fsu-alumni-give-college-social-work-500-000-new-center-over-next-5-years/617380001/

Two Florida State University alumni are committing at least half a million dollars over the next five years to help the College of Social Work establish a new center to benefit communities, families and children.

The Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children will be created with support from The Stoops Family Foundation Inc. Beginning in September, the center will receive $100,000 a year for the next five years from the foundation started by Aggie and Jeff Stoops.

The foundation also committed to matching up to $75,000 in charitable contributions made to the center each year.

“This is a transformative gift that will significantly ramp up our ability to accomplish significant research, education and service,” said Jim Clark, dean of the FSU College of Social Work.

The center was created to serve as an umbrella organization for several of the College of Social Work’s initiatives and centers. Clark said he hopes to enlist others to contribute to the work of the college’s latest endeavor.

The center will oversee the operations of the Institute for Family Violence Studies, the Trinity Institute for Addictions, the Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting Center and other college resources. This fall, the College of Social Work will establish the center’s advisory council and hire its executive director.

Aggie and Jeff Stoops and the Stoops Family Foundation are longtime supporters of Florida State University and the Seminole Boosters. In 2004, Aggie and Jeff endowed two professorships, one at the College of Law (the Jeffrey A. Stoops Professorship) and another at the College of Social Work (the Agnes Flaherty Stoops Professor in Child Welfare).

In 2015, the Stoops Family Foundation endowed a scholarship program at the College of Law for exemplary students committed to pursuing business law.

Aggie and Jeff Stoops are both two-time graduates of Florida State. Aggie earned her bachelor’s degree in social work in 1982 and completed her master’s degree the following year. She is the chairwoman of the board for the Stoops Family Foundation, a private organization focused on medical, social services, educational and children’s causes.

Aggie also serves on the board of directors of HomeSafe, a South Florida-based nonprofit organization focused on protecting and advancing the interests of victims of child abuse and domestic violence.

Jeff Stoops earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from FSU and went on to receive his law degree from the FSU College of Law in 1984. He serves as president and chief executive officer of SBA Communications Corporation, an S&P 500 company based in Boca Raton.

Florida State University Upgrades Ruby Diamond Concert Hall with S6L

http://www.avidblogs.com/florida-state-university-upgrades-ruby-diamond-concert-hall-with-s6l/

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall is a historic auditorium that was first built in 1911 and serves as the primary performance venue for Florida State University in Tallahassee. With a capacity of about 1,200 seats, the state-of-the-art facility supports a wide variety of university and community performances and events. I recently spoke with F.S.U.’s Specialist in the Arts, Mike Shapiro, about upgrading the historic hall with a new Avid VENUE | S6L system.

Mike Shapiro at front of house with their recently-installed S6L (photo by Bill Lax)

DH: Tell me about what challenges you were facing before you acquired the S6L. What was the process by which you decided on the new desk?
MS: The F.S.U. College of Music completed a major renovation of our concert hall about six years ago and the console we had at the time was limited for the productions we were doing. Eventually, we’d need something more robust and rider friendly. We were looking for something that had deeper capabilities and something that could handle the larger more demanding productions. Our musical events range from classical to rock to jazz to opera. With such diverse productions it was crucial to find something that was more flexible and had adaptability to produce whatever show was booked for that particular day.
We started looking around for a desk that could fill that void. I went to InfoComm 2015 in Orlando and was looking at several consoles. Avid had just announced the new S6L line so I had to check it out. While I was comparing the different consoles, the search kept leading back to the new S6L. The desk was in a beta type state and the Avid team was still working hard on it but you could tell it was going to be a great addition to the Venue line.
Another deciding factor was a seamless integration with our [Pro Tools] HD rig. We use a lot of Dante devices from Focusrite’s RedNet line and it was paramount that the new console fit in to our current infrastructure. Plus, we really wanted to boost the sample rate to 96KHz. The S6L was exactly what we were looking for. I don’t want to say we got lucky because I trust Avid products. We ended up purchasing an S6L 32-D with the E6L-192 engine in the summer of 2016. We also upgraded the E6L with (2) AVB cards, a MADI card and expanded the Stage 64’s I/O.

Ruby Diamond is a medium-size, 1,200 seat performance concert hall that serves as one of the main performing arts venue for community (photo by Ray Stanyard)

DH: What kinds of acts and events do you support at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall?
MS: Our College of Music orchestras, wind ensembles, bands, choirs, opera, world music and jazz programs perform in the hall year round as well as national touring acts. The University performing arts series brings in guests such as Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Bennett, Jazz at Lincoln Center (with Wynton Marsalis) and Smokey Robinson. We also host a lot of non-musical events such as dance productions, graduation ceremonies, guest lecturers, film screenings and various student organization functions.
Ruby Diamond also serves as the main performing arts venue for community organizations that do not fit in the Civic Center, amphitheaters or smaller clubs. We’re a medium-size, 1,200 seat performance hall, so anything in that audience size, comes here.

(photo by Ray Stanyard)

DH: Do you archive all performances—what all do you use the desk for besides mixing the performances?
MS: The College of Music archives the final mixes in our music library. I also back up the complete session files in two separate archives. I haven’t used the console for anything beyond live performances to this point, but I can see definite advantages of remixing through it. Also, the virtual sound check is something I plan on utilizing in the very near future to hone mixes.
The S6L and Venue software is super flexible. That was what we were looking for and it’s handled all of the punches we’ve thrown so far. It has thoroughly exceeded our expectations with more features still to come. Avid really knocked it out of the park with the S6L, and I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface.

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Doors open for new School of Physician Assistant Practice

https://news.fsu.edu/news/health-medicine/2017/08/28/doors-open-new-school-physician-assistant-practice/

From the beginning, medical students at Florida State University’s College of Medicine have been trained to be part of their patients’ medical team. Starting now, the college is training other members of that team as well — as the doors officially open for the School of Physician Assistant Practice.

“What is unique about the PA program is that you get an opportunity to have this interdisciplinary team early on in training,” said Assistant Professor Susan Salahshor, who also is president of the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants. “It affords us that ability to help them be better team-based professionals because the med students and PAs are here together and are developing a rapport with each other.”

Physician assistants work under a physician’s supervision and in close partnership with nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, behavioral health professionals, administrators and others. At FSU, students will spend 27 months learning within the same network of faculty physicians who teach FSU medical students.

“The community aspect of this program really drew me here,” said student Annaelle Scanlan. “We have a learning community where we can all be together. And in addition to that, we have the opportunity to work with med students, which is important since we will be working with them the rest of our lives. It’s nice that we get to interact with them — and we can see what they go through, and they know what we go through — to prepare us for working together in the future.”

Since its creation in 2000, the College of Medicine has addressed the need for more physicians in Florida, especially those who will serve in primary-care specialties and work with elder, rural, minority and underserved populations. PAs will provide another layer of primary care, further strengthening the medical school’s commitment to its mission.

“The Legislature, visionaries and pioneers for our program recognized that the Panhandle and other parts of Florida are underserved areas for providers,” said Ben Smith, director of Didactic Education. “Our focus is to help address that need.”

Students in the program are heavily recruited out of Florida with the hope that they’ll stay and practice in underserved communities within the state. Scanlan, for example, came from Ave Maria, a small town near Immokalee in southwest Florida.

FSU welcomed its inaugural class of 40 PA students for orientation Aug. 22. Enrollment is scheduled to increase to 50 next year and then be capped at 60 thereafter.

The program’s structure is similar to that of FSU’s M.D. program. In their first year, PA students will build a strong foundation in biomedical sciences through courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and nutrition. During their final year, they’ll complete clinical rotations at one of the medical school’s six regional campuses. Through an apprenticeship model, they’ll work one-on-one with a physician or PA throughout each rotation.

“Community-based medical education — as opposed to almost entirely hospital-based education, as most medical schools do it — has been very successful at providing a high-quality clinical education to our M.D. students, and at helping to influence our graduates to eventually practice in these communities,” said College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty. “The PA program is built along the same principles, and we expect similar results. We’re excited to have PA students helping us achieve our mission.”

The first FSU PAs will graduate in December 2019 with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Practice. They’ll then be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam and apply for state licensure to begin practice.

The PA students at FSU are new, but the program has been in the works for several years. Jim Zedaker, its founding director, arrived in January 2016 and began building the program and undergoing the rigorous process involved in accreditation. Provisional accreditation was granted in April of this year.

“The accrediting agency noted that we had zero areas of noncompliance with the accreditation standards, which is a testament to everyone at the College of Medicine,” Zedaker said.

There’s a lot of demand for these PA slots. While the accreditation process was underway, more than 800 prospective students applied to a PA school that — at the time — existed only on paper. The program is on pace to more than double the number of applicants next year.

“I think people had faith seeing the program’s progression as we’ve gotten started — and knowing the reputation of Florida State and the College of Medicine gave them more confidence,” Zedaker said. “It’s all about building a reputation and letting people know who we are. My goal is for this to eventually become a top nationally recognized program.”

The first class of students in FSU's new School of Physician Assistant Practice.

25 Top Colleges That Produce The Most Pro-Athlete Draft Selections

http://www3.forbes.com/business/25-top-colleges-that-produce-the-most-pro-athlete-draft-selections/21/

No. 6 Florida State University

Total Athletes Drafted: 52
MLB: 25 | NFL: 24 | NBA: 3
4 Year Avg. Men’s Recruiting Expenses: $927,000

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Ultimate goal is to make the Jim Moran School the best school of entrepreneurship in the nation

https://twitter.com/JimMoranSchool

http://news.fsu.edu/news/business-law-policy/2017/08/29/first-class-starts-fsus-jim-moran-school-entrepreneurship/

The first class of the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship is held on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in FSU's Health and Wellness Center. It is the first and only entrepreneurship program in the nation operating outside a college of business at a public institution. (FSU Photography Services)

John Breed just couldn’t stay away.
The former Florida State University entrepreneurship faculty member, a successful entrepreneur himself in the private sector, is back teaching at FSU after working the past year at a large IT company.

The opportunity to help launch FSU’s Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship was irresistible for someone with an entrepreneurial penchant like Breed.
“We like startups and new ventures, so how could you not be excited,” Breed said. “I came back to teach because of the positive impacts you can have teaching entrepreneurship and innovation. I could not think of a better, more fun academic setting to be in.”
The Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship welcomes its first class of 80 juniors this fall, including several at the FSU Panama City campus. Sixty students enrolled in the commercial entrepreneurship major and 20 selected social entrepreneurship.
“We’re off to a fabulous start,” said Professor Susan Fiorito, school director and entrepreneur in residence. “Students are registered, faculty members are excited, classrooms are booked. It’s our own creative and innovative company within the university. It’s a machine now, and we’re moving forward. We built this.”
Florida State built the Jim Moran School with the help of a record $100 million gift from Jan Moran and The Jim Moran Foundation in 2015. Over the past year and a half, faculty members and entrepreneurs developed a unique core curriculum designed to prepare students for real-world challenges in their own businesses and existing companies.
Fiorito has helped transform the program from just an idea — a vision of entrepreneurial education from the late Jim Moran and his wife, Jan — to a dynamic school that becomes the first and only in the nation operating outside a college of business at a public institution.
That distinction gives the Jim Moran School a clear advantage in the educational marketplace.
“Operating outside FSU’s College of Business, we can accept more students,” Fiorito said. “The college had to restrict its number of entrepreneurship students because it had a limited amount of resources and room for faculty and programs. To grow the entrepreneurship program, we had to be our own entity. Now we can keep building to serve many more students.”

Rachel Collins is one of the students in the first class. Both of her parents are entrepreneurs — her mother owns a human resource consulting firm and her father owns a chain of physical therapy clinics — so entrepreneurship is kind of like the family business.
Collins understands and appreciates the entrepreneurial mindset, which she sees in professors and peers in the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship.
“The program surrounds you with people who are just as driven as you are,” Collins said. “They are real winners with the same kind of passion and drive to create their own value and wealth in the world. That’s so unique.”
Incoming classes will continue to grow each year. By 2022, the program expects to have a total of 500 students. The current staff includes five full-time faculty members, more than 25 entrepreneurs in residence across campus and other instructional faculty.
The ultimate goal is to make the Jim Moran School the best school of entrepreneurship in the nation.
“We’re reaching across the university and the community to teach our courses where there is an interest and a need,” Fiorito said.
Fiorito has guided the program to an early start. Under the original terms of the $100 million gift agreement, classes were not scheduled to start until fall 2018.
“We’re starting with two majors,” Fiorito added. “Hopefully by the fall of 2018, we’ll have three majors and more minors.”
Kirsten Frandsen, the school’s program coordinator, is fielding lots of calls from students and parents. Most ask about the difference between an entrepreneurship major and a more traditional one in the College of Business, such as accounting or finance.
Frandsen tells them entrepreneurship offers broader business training and it’s available to anyone. Students in any major can learn how to run an entire business.
“We teach them innovative thinking so they can see a problem and figure out a solution on their own,” Frandsen said. “We teach them entrepreneurial thinking in a more hands-on way than has been done in the past. Students are required to build their own business so they get that experience and also learn from their successes and failures, instead of just reading about it in books.”
To learn more about the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship, visit http://jimmoranschool.fsu.edu/

FedExCup & FSU Golf

Monday, August 28, 2017

Best Record Against Ranked Teams 2015-2017

Florida State’s new freshman class is one of biggest, brightest ever

https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2017/08/23/florida-states-new-freshman-class-one-biggest-brightest-ever/

Florida State University will welcome about 42,000 students — including what is expected to be one of the largest incoming freshman classes in university history — as classes begin for the 2017-2018 academic year Monday, Aug. 28.
FSU anticipates about 300 more incoming freshmen than last year, an increase in yield following a record number of applications for admission to the 2017 summer and fall semesters. The total number of applications — 42,325 — was a 16 percent jump over last year.
The incoming freshman class of about 6,500 students is expected to be the most academically talented cohort in FSU history.
“We’re excited to welcome another outstanding group of freshmen to Florida State,” said President John Thrasher. “This uptick in freshman enrollment means more and more students are selecting Florida State as their top choice. It’s a testament to FSU’s rising academic reputation.”
Of those freshmen who were accepted into the university for the summer and fall semesters:

The average high school grade point average was 4.1 with an average ACT composite score of 29.
This year’s incoming freshman class includes students from 64 Florida counties, 45 states, the District of Columbia and 21 nations. After Florida, the states with the most new accepted freshmen are Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Illinois.
Women make up 59.8 percent of the new freshman class, while 40.2 percent students are male.
The top five majors selected by this year’s admitted freshman class are: biological science, pre-health professions, business, engineering and psychology.

“There is a growing demand for a Florida State education,” said Sally McRorie, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “Students around the state and the country recognize that FSU is a special place. We have become an increasingly popular destination for students declaring STEM majors, and we continue to attract the most talented students to our world-class arts and humanities programs.”
Other highlights of the new academic year include:

Twenty-five of this year’s most academically gifted freshmen are part of the university’s fourth class of Presidential Scholars. This merit-based scholarship program, established in 2014, is for freshmen who have been accepted into the university’s Honors Program. It provides a $4,800 annual scholarship for four years, and out-of-state tuition is waived for non-Floridians. Over their four years, the Presidential Scholars engage in programs to help them become transformational leaders in their communities.
The freshman class also includes 416 students accepted through the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). The year-round program, which includes a seven-week Summer Bridge Program, provides traditionally underrepresented and first-generation students with enhanced academic support. CARE received almost 5,000 applications for just over 400 coveted spots in this year’s cohort.
The new Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship welcomes its first class of 80 juniors this fall. They can choose between two majors: commercial or social entrepreneurship. This first class has 60 students in commercial entrepreneurship and 20 in social entrepreneurship.
Florida State’s total enrollment includes nearly 8,000 students pursuing a graduate or professional degree, including 40 students in the College of Medicine’s new physician assistant program. The School of Physician Assistant Practice is a 27-month program designed to follow Florida State’s unique community-based approach to medical education and awards graduates with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Practice.
There are two new residence halls this fall — Magnolia and Azalea — providing contemporary on-campus housing opportunities for more than 900 students. Azalea Hall features a new concept that no other FSU residence hall has — its own 24,000-square-foot dining area, “1851.” Located on the ground floor, 1851 offers a variety of micro-dining options for students, faculty, staff and the community.

FSU Real Estate Foundation adds property on College Avenue

http://www.urbantallahassee.com/index.php/forums/viewtopic.php?p=36997#p36997

"FSU has acquired a few properties near Westcott. Namely, they now own Bill's Bookstore and it's assumed that it will be re-branded to the FSU Bookstore. Also acquired in this area are two adjacent properties, 530 W College Ave (former Sigma Nu house). It will likely be demolished. Right nextdoor, they've acquired the former Christian Campus Fellowship building, an old Victorian style house at 524 W College. They aren't sure if it'll be demo'd or re-purposed. "

https://www.google.com/maps/place/530+W+College+Ave,+Tallahassee,+FL+32301/@30.4407502,-84.2897814,3a,75y,7.74h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sF6Nqij_5FbxW2tcl4aNhSg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x88ecf5731f58f6c7:0x807d9d83b61b823a!8m2!3d30.4409721!4d-84.2897523

https://www.google.com/maps/place/524+W+College+Ave,+Tallahassee,+FL+32301/@30.4407488,-84.2895168,3a,75y,357.26h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sI6GsoTNBNJzo56mY0xjZAA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x88ecf5731ec8a641:0xcaeeeaf7dab58321!8m2!3d30.4409807!4d-84.2895309

UNC Rams Club Sets $69 Million Giving Record

UNC likely the wealthiest ACC school. On a great year, FSU normally lands about $30 Million for a comparison. Also, UNC has an athletic endowment of $200 million plus to FSU's $50 million plus.

http://scout.com/college/north-carolina/Bolt/Rams-Club-Sets-69-Million-Giving-Record-106509866

The 2016-17 season was a banner year in North Carolina athletics. Not only did the Tar Heels bring home the 2017 college basketball national championships but UNC had six players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft following a season that included big wins over Florida State and Miami.
There were big plays on the fundraising side of UNC Athletics as well. According to GoHeels.com, Rams Club members donated more than $69 million, setting a record level of fundraising for the second time in as many years.
The Rams Club is UNC's non-profit foundation dedicated to providing scholarship funding, as well as support for facilities and other programs.

From GoHeels.com:

Donors gave $69,210,000 in cash gifts, pledges and planned estate gifts – a 12 percent increase from the record total of $61,823,000 established in 2015-16. This funding provided scholarships for more than 500 Tar Heel student-athletes, and helped provide facilities and programming support for all 28 varsity programs and all of Carolina's 800 student-athletes. Rams Club membership grew in 2016-17 as well, increasing to 14,726 members from the previous year's total of 13,824 members.

While much of the donations go to the scholarship endowment fund, Rams Club members also gave $23.0 million to facilities projects, the highest total of funding and reflective of the four athletics facility projects currently underway at UNC (indoor football practice facility, soccer & lacrosse stadium, field hockey stadium and a track & field complex).

Friday, August 25, 2017

FSU businesses

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/money/2017/08/22/seminole-100-list-shows-fastest-growing-u-s-businesses-owned-fsu-alum/590308001/

Florida State alums are leading some of the country's fastest growing businesses, according to the inaugural Seminole 100 List.

The list — created by the Jim Moran Institute of Global Entrepreneurship at FSU's College of Business — includes businesses ranging in size and industry. More than 60 businesses are based in Florida.

Businesses on the Seminole 100 list are ranked by their compounded growth rate during a three-year period based on Inc. Magazine's verification process.

“Each year, the Seminole 100 will showcase the fastest growing businesses owned by FSU alumni,” said Randy Blass, the executive director of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, in a statement.

Blass said the list represents a fraction of the FSU alumni who own businesses. The Jim Moran Institute plans to recognize the honorees during a reception and awards ceremony March 3, 2018, at the University Center Club. The awards ceremony will feature the release of the final rankings and countdown of the inaugural Seminole 100.

The Seminole 100 List:

4 Rivers Smokehouse, Winter Park*

Accountable Healthcare Staffing, Boca Raton*

Accurate Temperature Control, Orlando

Advanced Systems Design, Tallahassee*

Aerospace Quality Research & Development, Addison, Texas*

AgileThought, Tampa*

A-LIGN, Tampa*

Allied Instructional Services, Ashland, Va.*

AlliedPRA New Orleans, New Orleans, La.*

Altrua Global Solutions, Tallahassee*

Asker Distributors, Tallahassee*

Auto Data Direct Inc., Tallahassee*

Avion Insurance Agency Inc., Lake Mary

Axis Management Group Holdings Inc., Franklin Lakes, N.J.*

BD Guidance Inc., San Francisco, Calif.

Black & Denim Apparel Company, Tampa

Blue Air Training, Las Vegas, Nev.*

Bolay Enterprises, West Palm Beach*

Boos Development Group, Clearwater*

Bourbon & Boweties, Brandon*

BowStern Marketing Communications, Tallahassee*

BSM Media, Pompano Beach.

CFO Alliance, Tampa*

CIO Partners, Marietta, Ga.*

Convergence Consulting Group, Tampa*

Convert IT Marketing, Fort Lauderdale*

Creative Sign Designs, Tampa*

Deep Blue Yacht Supply, Fort Lauderdale

Diverse Computing, Tallahassee*

Dorsia, Boca Raton

Fan Fest, Spring Hill, Tenn.*

Fiore Communications, Tallahassee

First GREEN Bank, Orlando*

Florida Environmental & Land Services, Tallahassee

Florida Event Décor, Orlando*

Global Sales, Gibsonton*

GMF Steel Group, Lakeland*

Gulf Beach Weddings, St. Petersburg Beach*

Hamic Previte Jones & Sturwold PA, Lakeland

Iansiti Performance Group, Atlanta, Ga.*

iMobile3, Jacksonville*

Information & Computing Services, Jacksonville*

Justin Lewis, DPM, Eldersburg, Md.

Kerigan Marketing Associates, Mexico Beach

Kupanda Capital, Washington D.C.*

Landsouth Construction, Jacksonville*

Lynch Oil Company, Kissimmee*

Mad Dog Design & Construction Company, Tallahassee*

MCCi, Tallahassee*

Men’s Divorce Law Firm, Orlando

Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, Orlando*

Momentum Medical, St. Cloud

North American On-Site, Duluth, Ga.*

Oasys, McLean, Va.*

Owenby Law, Jacksonville*

Partners In Association Management, Tallahassee

Pathways Psychology Services, Winfield, Ill.

Paul Consulting Group, Tallahassee

Peterson Foods, Marietta, Ga.

ReEmployAbility, Tampa*

ROI Healthcare Solutions, Atlanta, Ga.*

San Francis Veterinary Hospital, Spring Hill*Simpluris, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Simpluris, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Southern Proper Hospitality, Atlanta, Ga.*

Southwest Georgia Oil Company, Bainbridge, Ga.*

Synergy Settlement Services, Orlando

Tal Search Group, Tallahassee*

The Aleksander Group, Tallahassee

The Connect Agency, Jacksonville

The Mortgage Firm, Altamonte Springs*

The White Magnolia Bridal Collection, Jacksonville*

Tribridge, Tampa*

Trident Technical Solutions, Tampa*

Trinity Analysis & Development, Shalimar*

Venture Medical, Tampa*

Veteran Energy, Gainesville

Visiture, Charleston, S.C.*

Warchant.com, Tallahassee

Wherry Truck Lines, Fort Myers

Companies additionally named to Inc. 5000*

Thursday, August 24, 2017

FSU is moving the Friday night 'block party' to College Town (Update)

Great move by FSU.

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/2017/08/23/fsu-moves-block-party-adds-tailgate-event-game-weekends/594010001/

Florida State fans will have two new options to help them celebrate home football game weekends this season.

The Seminoles’ official Friday Night Block Party - the night before games - has been moved from Kleman Plaza to CollegeTown, the city’s new entertainment district located in the shadow of Doak Campbell Stadium.

The free event will be based at the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Madison Street and feature live music and onsite vendors as in the past from 5 to 10 p.m.

On home game days, FSU will host a new public tailgate party outside the stadium.

The Coca-Cola Tailgate Zone will be a ticketed event that will provide fans with food from 4 Rivers Smokehouse, beverage drinks, a cash bar, access to restrooms, a 25-foot screen and other televisions to view games being played around the country.

Jason Dennard, the Seminoles’ associate athletics director for new revenue generation and marketing, believes the events will further enhance a fan’s experience on game weekends.

“We abandoned the word game day years ago in exchange for game weekends," Dennard said.

"It’s a value proposition when someone decides to travel to Tallahassee to see their favorite team or to watch from home."

Previous acts at the popular Block Party have included country music stars Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt, and Florida-Georgia Line among many others.

The country duo from Texas, SmithField, opens this year's event on Friday, Sept. 8.

Dennard also pointed out fans attending the Block Party will be pleased with an abundance of parking options in and near CollegeTown.

The game-day tailgate, located on the Dick Howser Stadium side of the stadium near Gate K, will open four hours prior to kickoff and end 30 minutes prior to the game’s start.

The event will also feature live music or DJs at all games and a lounge area with outdoor furniture.

Tickets are only being sold in advance of the tailgate and can be purchased at Seminoles.com (under tickets menu and football events).

Admission ranges from $15 to $45 per game for youth and adults, and season-ticket packages are available.

"We want to provide fans with a variety of options to bolster their weekend experience," Dennard said.

FSU opens its home schedule Sept. 9 against Louisiana-Monroe. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Home games also include Miami (Sept. 16), N.C. State (Sept. 23), Louisville (Oct. 21), Syracuse (Nov. 4) and Delaware State (Nov. 18).

https://floridastate.forums.rivals.com/threads/it-aint-downtown.182415/#post-3012544

Madison Social

8/8/17

Hello Everyone- I figured I would chime in.

1. The Block Party and the Downtown Getdown is not the same thing. The Block Party was at Kleman Plaza.

2. We will be shutting down Woodward and Madison St. The band will be on Woodward playing down Madison St.

3. This is a true partnership with IMG and FSU. Unlike its previous location, we are chipping in for the costs...as we should.

4. Where to park-- the age old question with our area. You have three options, two of which are free:
-Lot located at the corner of Woodward Ave. and St. Augustine St. These spaces are free.
- The St. Augustine parking garage. These spaces are free.
- Parking garage off Lorene St between Gaines and Madison St. This garage is managed by a private company. You can pay at the meter or through the mobile app ParkByApp (all one word).

5. Considering we own four businesses in the area- Madison Social, Township, Centrale, and Social Catering & Events (and working on a bakery concept in Midtown), I would say CollegeTown has been a success. Madison Social has increased revenue each year and even with Township across the street we have not missed a beat.

6. I am not sure what "more college bars" means but I am assuming pricing ($2 well drinks in plastic cups, shot specials, etc). There are several options for people seeking "college bars" in Tallahassee and-- as a grad-- I hold these places close to my heart. But, why duplicate the options that are already available? We have proven since day one there are more interesting ways to grab your attention and deliver (hopefully) a elevated experience.

7. Not a question, but a quick note about the Madison Social brand particularly. I have yet to go on a vacation, worn the logo, and not been told "Are you from Tallahassee?" or "Go Noles!"...just by seeing the black and white logo. That is a tremendous success and one we are proud of. Last week I was in Montana and went on a small 2 mile hike at Logan Pass to a place called Hidden Lake. I asked a guy to take my wife and I's picture and he saw the logo and asked "Are you from Tallahassee?" He had come to Madison Social during some games as he was at a small school in Alabama. Just awesome meeting people.

8. Also not a question but back to the success of CT, between our four brands we have 250 employees. We have changed lives for some and provided steady income for others. We are a pretty large economic driver.

Anyway, happy to answer any questions and feel free to email me at matt@madisonsocial.com if you need anything.

Matt Thompson, Managing Partner, For The Table Hospitality

I am not the developer but I can tell you the all in rent (CAM included) for CT is the highest in the city from what I know. So any dreams of $2 drinks all night is not feasible and is something I would oppose to the overall brand of the district. CT is the only district that has successfully made students, young professionals, and Tallahassee residents unite in one area on a consistent basis. I mention all the time that Madison Social is a clearinghouse for Tallahassee and when Proof moved in a mile away- they also became another anchor.

The push is food. CT as a district has dinner to late night down but we need lunch business. However, after 3+ years parking is finally stable and it will be interesting as to how Tallahassee responds to paid parking. I look at lunch as a long term play because lunch has doubled in 3+ years at Madison Social from where we started.

As for music- just had a meeting today but I can tell you not having music has not hindered any of our establishments and 1. there is a perceived talent issue in Tallahassee 2. there is a consistency issue in Tallahassee 3. people do not really want it. Take Madison Social-- we have the biggest brand in Tallahassee with the biggest reach. Everyone knows you can have a "conversation" with us and in 3+ years we may have received maybe five requests for live music. The return for our money just isn't there. There will be some attempts at consistent live music in the area-- and I believe it is part of Tin Lizzy's DNA-- but from our perspective it is not money well spent nor something any of our audiences desire.

Finally we grow by talent. We had a baker in our talent pool since day one and have always wanted to do something. The Lenny's location in Midtown opened and it became too good to pass up for a bakery concept along with some other key partners. The bakery can also help us move down the line of getting vertically integrated.

"The downtown get down or Friday night block party, is now in College Town. It was moved from adams and college avenue over to the college town area. They also announced all the country acts that would be performing this year. "

"The city runs Downtown get down and FSU runs the block party which was held at kleman plaza. I'm sure Downtown get down is staying downtown and the block party is moving to College Town. "

FSU fans happy

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/20369846/ranking-happiness-every-college-football-fan-base-2017

FSU fans #2 on happiness ranking

ACC Adidas schools (Update)

Ethan Moore‏ @_EthanMoore

Joey Wagner‏ @JoeyJWagner

Rob Witmer‏ @robwitmer
Replying to @toddnburks @JoeyJWagner

UCLA by far biggest. Their UA deal is 12 yrs/$280m. Oh St and TX are next I believe around $16m per yr

Ethan Moore‏ @_EthanMoore

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Seminole Cruising Kitchen

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

FSU lab sets new magnet strength record

‏ @FSUResearch

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/it-goes-to-11-florida-lab-sets-new-magnet-strength-record/2017/08/22/1a3597ce-8761-11e7-96a7-d178cf3524eb_story.html?utm_term=.324b243ec546

Florida’s National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is reclaiming its status as home to the world’s strongest magnet.
Lab officials said Tuesday they tested a 41.4-tesla magnet. That beats the old mark for resistive magnets which was held by a 38.5 tesla magnet in China. A tesla is a measure of magnetic field strength.
The push at the Florida State University facility to create a record magnet was called “Project 11.” That’s a reference to the comedy film “This is Spinal Tap” where a guitarist has an amp that goes to 11 instead of 10.
Resistive magnets are a type of electromagnet used for research. Pulsed magnets can reach a higher field but can sustain that power for only a fraction of a second. Resistive magnets can run continuously.

Monday, August 21, 2017

The 10 Most Represented Colleges on Broadway in the 2017-2018 Season

‏Verified account @floridastate

The 2017 Blue-Chip Ratio

https://www.sbnation.com/a/cfb-preview-2017/blue-chip-ratio

It boils down to teams that sign more four- and five-star recruits than two- and three-stars, over the previous four recruiting classes. That’s an exclusive club, usually consisting of the top 10 percent of FBS programs. All of the national champs over the last decade-plus have accomplished it, and often, the team taking home the trophy has signed many more elite players.
Clemson took home the title in 2016 after signing 52 percent blue chips in the 2013-16 classes. In 2015, it was Alabama with a 77 percent mark. In 2014, it was Ohio State at 68 percent. In 2013, it was Florida State at 53. And on and on.

This year, in order, it is Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Florida State, Georgia, USC, Michigan, Auburn, Clemson, and Notre Dame.

These teams made the Blue-Chip Ratio cut

Team	Blue-Chip Ratio
Team	Blue-Chip Ratio
Alabama	80%
Ohio State	71%
LSU	65%
Florida State	65%
Georgia	63%
USC	63%
Michigan	61%
Auburn	59%
Clemson	56%
Notre Dame	56%

That’s it. Ten teams. There are no real surprises; it’s all bluebloods. This year features the lowest number of teams meeting the 50 percent threshold since I began tracking. Usually there are two or three more.

Alabama’s 80 percent is the highest I’ve seen since I began publishing this piece. But it’s not a surprise when Nick Saban is literally convincing top-100 players to grayshirt.
Ohio State is a a clear No. 2, six percentage points ahead of everyone else, but still nine behind the Tide.
Though they have had different levels of success of late, due to coaching, LSU and Florida State are typically the teams mentioned after the Tide and Buckeyes when the discussion of the most impressive roster comes up.
Kirby Smart inherited a good Georgia roster from Mark Richt, but his first two classes are humming at 74 percent, while Richt’s final two were at 53. It’s not yet known if Smart can coach, but Georgia’s talent is being upgraded.
Perhaps the only surprise of the 10 is Notre Dame, and I’ll be interested to see how their talented upperclassmen perform this season. The Irish went 4-8 in 2016, but were one of the least lucky teams in the country.

There’s not a team on the list I believe would enter a four-team tournament without a shot to bring home the goods.
What sort of odds would you want to bet against the eventual national champ coming from this list? I asked some oddsmakers that question.

All 10 were in the club last year, too. So were UCLA, Texas A&M, and Texas

They all dropped out as the data point of the 2013 recruiting class left, replaced with less spectacular 2017 signees.
On a conference basis, it breaks down as follows: SEC (four), ACC (two), Big Ten (two), Pac-12 (one), and independent (one). The Big 12 does not have a team on the list, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Regionally, over half of the list comes from the deep South. The Southeast produces the most talent nationally, by far.

Blue-Chip Ratio risers

Team	2014	2017	Net
Team	2014	2017	Net
Penn State	21%	41%	20%
Arizona State	12%	28%	16%
Clemson	42%	56%	14%
Georgia	51%	63%	12%
Michigan State	16%	26%	10%
Florida State	56%	65%	9%
Washington	22%	30%	8%
Tennessee	36%	43%	7%
Maryland	13%	20%	7%
Ole Miss	25%	32%	7%
Alabama	73%	80%	7%
Michigan	55%	61%	6%
TCU	10%	16%	6%
Auburn	53%	59%	6%

Friday, August 18, 2017

The arms race

https://floridastate.rivals.com/news/awash-in-big-ten-money-nebraska-eyes-spending-opportunities

The arms race

Big-time college athletics has its own version of an arms race. Facilities and all that come with them need to be bigger and certainly better than the other school to attract top athletes, which will hopefully lead to game-day success, more donations from alumni, and more tickets sold.
In that regard, Nebraska is certainly aware of what the competition is doing. It’s also a two-way street.
A few examples, just from the Big Ten:
*Iowa recently spent $90 million, the bulk of it for an athletic performance center that includes a weight room, dining hall and indoor and outdoor practice facilities.
*Illinois is in the midst of a $132 million stadium renovation that features new locker rooms, a sports medicine area, meeting and office space, and team venues.
*Northwestern currently has nearly $400 million of facilities either in progress or recently completed. The centerpiece may just the $270 million Walter Athletics Center, Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field on the lakefront of Lake Michigan.
Described as the “new nerve center” of the Wildcats athletic department, student-athletes from all 19 varsity programs will eat there, train there, meet with academic and professional development advisors there and more, said Paul Kennedy, an athletic department spokesman. The complex is set to open by next summer.
It’s projects and dollar signs like these that Nebraska is up against in athletics, even during times of cutbacks in its core mission -- education. So, how does the university justify the spending for football, basketball and all the other sports?
“If we want to compete at the highest level, and I think that we must, then we have to maintain competitive facilities,” said Bounds, a former graduate assistant football coach at Southern Mississippi. “We also have to recognize that, in many ways, athletics is the front door to our institution.”
“Athletic competitions bring back tens of thousands of alums to our campuses on a weekly basis. These visits give us the opportunity to engage and ask for support. We are so fortunate that we have such strong support from Nebraskans. I believe that they expect us to compete at a very high level in every sport, and that takes resources.”
Not only does Nebraska have to compete with the other Big Ten schools, Bounds added, it has to win.

Not your parents’ dormitory: FSU opens new residence halls

https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2017/08/17/not-parents-dormitory-fsu-opens-new-residence-halls/

By: Susan Hansen | Published: August 17, 2017 | 3:35 pm | Share:

Arial view of FSU's new residence halls, Magnolia and Azalea. (Photo: University Housing) — Aerial view of FSU's new residence halls, Magnolia and Azalea. (Photo: University Housing)

Bright, spacious and comfortable are just a few ways to describe the two new residence halls Florida State University will open this fall — providing contemporary on-campus housing opportunities for more than 900 students.
The two new halls, Magnolia and Azalea, complete a quad of four new residence halls, joining Dorman and Deviney halls, which opened in 2015.
The four halls face each other, creating an open courtyard area with benches and porch swings where students can relax and enjoy the outdoors. The courtyard’s pathways also provide students with a convenient route to class.
“The level of quality and attention to detail in these new residence halls really shows Florida State’s dedication to providing students with superior places to live,” said Shannon Staten, FSU’s executive director of university housing.
Though some of the new residence halls share the same names as their predecessors that have since been torn down, these halls have come a long way from their old-school brethren.
The four six-story brick buildings feature the same type of amenities as apartment complexes, like roomy lounge areas with comfortable seating, flat screen televisions and ping-pong tables, laundry facilities, full-sized kitchens, large study rooms, along with 24-hour staff and maintenance services— all designed to make students feel at home without ever having to leave campus.
“We designed these buildings to make students feel like they are at home,” Staten said. “We also wanted to create a feeling of community, so we got rid of the long hallways featured in past halls to really open the interior up.”
The layout of the new halls is suite style, with each two-bedroom suite housing four students. The rooms are each furnished with adjustable beds, dressers, chairs, desks and a mini-fridge. There’s a sink in each bedroom with a shared bathroom and shower in each suite.
The halls feature amenities designed to serve the needs of today’s students, like outlets for charging electronics built into the colorful chairs and couches, creating a perfect studying environment that’s comfortable and functional.
While many of these amenities are in other residence halls on campus, the open layout of the newer halls is unique and promotes a naturally social atmosphere — making it easier for students to bond and form friendships.

Lounge area in new residence halls (Photo: FSU Housing) — (Photo: FSU Housing)

Azalea Hall, which opened this summer, features a new concept that no other FSU residence hall has — its own 24,000-square-foot dining area, “1851.”
Located on the ground floor of Azalea Hall, 1851 offers a variety of dining options: Noles’ Homecoming (comfort food); Passport (international/healthy); J Street Grille (American grill); Tuscan Eatery (Tuscan/hearth oven) and The Canteen (a convenience store/coffee shop).
The new dining area is expected to open Aug. 28 and is in a perfect spot for students, faculty, staff and the Tallahassee community to grab a bite to eat for lunch or dinner. Conveniently located on Jefferson Street across from several sorority houses and the FSU Police Department, 1851 connects the residents of Azalea to the bustling campus activity with huge windows overlooking the dining area.
“This is a brand-new concept,” Staten said. “We’ve never built a dining facility within a residence hall and wanted to continue with the open environment theme by putting in wide windows so residents feel connected to outside community.”
While Azalea residents can enjoy the view over the dining area, they are still safe behind locked doors.
“Student safety is our number one priority,” Staten said. “The residence halls are locked 24/7, and only students who are residents can get into the building.”
Only a few students had the privilege to stay in Azalea Hall during the summer semester, and were pleased with the new amenities and features the new residence hall offers.
The move-in date for all the residence halls is Wednesday, Aug. 23. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Magnolia and Azalea halls will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4.
“I think by providing students with a quality place to live we are helping put them on the path to success,” Staten said.