FSU earns distinction as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars & AAAS fellows

FSU earns distinction as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars

Florida State University has been named one of the nation’s top research institutions for producing Fulbright U.S. Scholars by the U.S. State Department.

Nine faculty scholars, a record for Florida State, were awarded Fulbright grants for 2018-2019. The annual list was published today by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

FSU ranks second in the nation among research institutions.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment,” said Sally McRorie, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “It signifies the depth of excellence of our faculty.”

The nine Fulbright U.S. Scholars represent the largest number of FSU faculty members recognized in an academic year. The list of nine includes a postdoctoral scholar who earned a doctorate in English from FSU in 2018.

“The preeminent talent of Florida State’s faculty is a key reason why the university is being honored as a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars,” said Janet Kistner, vice president for Faculty Development and Advancement. “We congratulate each of our nine awardees.”

Two FSU researchers named fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science

Two distinguished Florida State University researchers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of their work to advance science and its application.

Professor of Chemistry Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt and Professor of Biological Science Kimberly Hughes are being elevated to the rank of fellow this year for their accomplishments in the fields of actinide chemistry and evolutionary ecology, respectively.

“We are so pleased to see Professors Hughes and Albrecht-Schmitt receive this high-level recognition of their research,” said Vice President for Research Gary K. Ostrander. “Both of these researchers have done incredible work in both training and mentoring the next generation of scientists while also producing top-level research in their respective fields.”

Albrecht-Schmitt is being honored for the discovery that some of the heaviest elements on the Periodic Table have unexpected parallels with lighter elements and for training the next generation of scientists.

“I am deeply honored that the AAAS would honor these years of dedication by remarkable students that have been the key to successfully conducting these challenging studies at the fringes of the periodic table,” Albrecht-Schmitt said.

He received his doctoral degree from Northwestern University and taught at Auburn University and University of Notre Dame before coming to FSU in 2012. He holds an endowed professorship in honor of the late Gregory R. Choppin, a nuclear chemist who co-discovered the element mendelevium, and is the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s Glenn T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear Chemistry.

Hughes is being honored for her contributions to the field of evolutionary ecology, particularly on non-adaptive theories of aging and context-dependent mating preferences.

She received her doctoral degree from University of Chicago and has been a member of the FSU faculty since 2008 after working at University of Illinois and Arizona State University. She will serve as president of the American Genetic Association in 2020 and previously served as president of the Society for the Study of Evolution. She also received a Fulbright award in 2009.

“Election as an AAAS Fellow is obviously a great honor,” Hughes said. “AAAS is not just a scientific society — its mission includes improving science education for everyone and engaging scientists with many communities, including government, religious and legal communities. I’m very proud to be part of an organization with such goals.”