The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering news for graduate students
Happening
Lunchtime Food Trucks will be at the Shaw Building's picnic area on the corner of East Paul Dirac Drive and Pottsdamer Street starting at 11:00 am. Lunch truck tentative schedule here.
COE Cafe: Fall 2025 Hours - Mon - Fri, 7:30am - 3:00pm | Menu
Trademark Fundamental - lunch and learn with TealAcre, October 29, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm at IGNITE Tallahassee
FSU Homecoming, November 1, 2025
Veteran's Day Holiday, November 11, 2025, College closed
TechTracks with IGNITE Tallahassee and Danfoss Turbocor November 13, 2025, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM at IGNITE and Danfoss
FSU Discovery Days, October 20-24, 2025, TBD (Shearer)
Engineering Ambassador Network (EAN) SE Workshop, October 24-26, 2025, TBD (Keller)
FSU Homecoming, November 1, 2025
CREST Phase II NSF Site Visit, November 10, 2025, 8:30am-4:00pm, TBD (Ramakrishnan)
Veteran's Day Holiday, November 11, 2025, College closed
Quantum Bites Brown Bag Lunch, November 14, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm, at IRCB in 1030. (Guo)
Joint Management Council Meeting, November 18, 2025, 2:00pm - 3:00pm, Location B202 (Brown)
Thanksgiving Day Holiday—No Classes, November 26-28, 2025 (Wednesday-Friday)
Last Day of Classes, December 5, 2025
Final Exams, December 8-12, 2025
Quantum Bites Brown Bag Lunch, December 12, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm, at IRCB in 1030. (Guo)
Fall Semester Ends, December 12, 2025
Holiday Break - Dec. 22-31, 2025, (College closed)
Holiday Break - Jan. 1-2 (College closed)
Spring Classes Begin, Wednesday, January 7, 2026
MLK Day, January 19, 2026, (College closed)
Bookmark college events webpage.
September Update, GSRC: Final Meetings, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21, 2025
Important Deadlines Reminder:
For graduate students appointed as GAs, RAs, or TAs:
Tuition and fee due dates will be extended to December 5th.
Students have the option to have their fees deducted from their biweekly paychecks, and they can sign up here: Graduate Assistant Payroll Deduction.
Fluency Hub – English Oral Communication Skills and Fluency
The Center for Intensive English Studies is inviting all International Students to participate in the Fluency Hub! Each 90-minute session offers opportunities to interact with other international graduate students and EAP instructors. You will learn vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. Topics change every week. Participants may suggest topics to discuss. This is a friendly and supportive group designed to help you:
- Improve your speaking fluency
- Expand your vocabulary and idioms
- Practice pronunciation
- Explore American culture
- Build confidence in conversation
Dates: There will be 6 meetings in Fall 2025 on Friday afternoons from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Join as many sessions as you want. Mark your calendars!
November 7 and 21
Location: Center for Intensive English Studies (CIES), Suite 323 Kellogg Research Building.
First Fridays Quantum Bites Brown Bag Lunch Series
FSU CFA Performance Schedule
Dissertation and Thesis Defenses
Dissertation Defenses
Iago Dal-Ri dos Santos, Tuesday, October 28, 2025 @ 11:15 AM - 1:00 PM | Event Location: AME 106
Shahin Alam, Wednesday, October 29, 2025 @ 02:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Event Location: AME 103
Yating Mao, Wednesday, November 05, 2025 @ 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Event Location: IRCB 3070
Larry Connor Willis, Friday, November 7, 2025 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Event Location: COE B202
THESIS DEFENSES
Rishitha Deva, Tuesday, October 28, 2025 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Event Location: B202
Pavan Polisetty, Wednesday, October 29, 2025 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Location: AME 211
Md Mohidul Islam, Thursday, October 30, 2025 @ 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Event Location: Virtual
Mayesha Farzana Islam, Monday, November 03, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Event Location: Zoom
For full defense announcement info click here.
Opportunities for Graduates
FAMU Graduate Research Studies
GFSD Application is Open NOW
Apply Now - The Application is Open | click link here
A PERFECT MATCH doctoral degree a potential National Physical– with a great future ahead.
The GFSD is more than a way to help promising science students earn their advanced degree. It offers an opportunity for employers across the United States to play a major role in training tomorrow’s scientists while enhancing and diversifying their workforce. The GFSD provides an important service to businesses, industries and laboratories by identifying tomorrow’s most promising scientists and matching them with employer-sponsors who support their doctoral training. GFSD assists employers with mentoring and other ways of increasing the likelihood that GFSD fellows will work for their sponsor after the Ph.D. Employer sponsors include the nation’s top agencies, companies and laboratories, along with more than 100 public and private universities. With an outstanding record of success, the GFSD brings today’s industry leaders together with tomorrow’s most promising science scholars – a perfect match.
ABOUT GFSD
The Graduate Fellowship for STEM Diversity is a unique partnership of industry, government and higher education. GFSD helps its partners to recruit, identify, select, and support outstanding U.S. doctoral students. Since granting its first fellowship award to seven young scholars in 1989, the GFSD partnership has provided fellowships to more than 600 aspiring scientists and engineers. Of these, nearly half are minorities and three-quarters are women. More than 300 have received the doctorate degree. GFSD’s principal objective is to aid in increasing the number of Ph.D.’s in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool of women
and historically underrepresented minorities. All U.S. citizens are eligible.
GFSD GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
GFSD Offers A two-phase, six-year fellowship program
- Initial support is for two or three years. If progress is satisfactory and the conditions of the award are maintained, support may continue for a total of up to six years. Students typically apply while seniors in college. (Some employers may require a postdoctoral employment commitment in return for continuing support.)
- Dissertation support is also available to students to apply for in the year prior to the one in which they intend to start their Ph.D. dissertation research. Funding begins in the year in which the research begins and, if the conditions of the award are maintained, may continue to the Ph.D.
BECOME AN GFSD FELLOW
To learn more and to apply online, go to www.stemfellowships.org. Students may apply starting in late August; the process closes in late December (see www.stemfellowships.org for exact dates). The information included on the online application is the same as that required for graduate school admission: degrees earned and expected, employment and internship history, grades (self-entered and later verified), GRE scores (optional), references, personal statement, etc. The Fellowship covers tuition and fees and provides a generous annual stipend. Students in the six-year program intern for two summers with their sponsor, who provides a salary and covers travel expenses. For students who receive six years of support, the total value of the Fellowship well exceeds $200,000.
Sandia National Laboratories S. Scott Collis Fellowship
The S. Scott Collis Fellowship in Data Science at Sandia National Laboratories is now accepting applications!
Please see the attached flier for additional information, or see the Fellowship web page. Applications will be accepted through December 1, 2025.
Requirements for Students:
- You have completed, or are pursuing, a Ph.D. in a data science related area, such as mathematics, computer science, statistics, or engineering, conferred within the past three years, or anticipated completion of Ph.D. requirements by commencement of appointment
- Your background includes appropriate research experience in one or more of the areas above as evidenced by a strong record of research publications and presentations
- No previous postdoctoral appointments at a national laboratory
- You can acquire a DOE security clearance which requires US Citizenship
Paid Summer Fellowships for Graduate Students in 2026 at Sandia National Laboratories
Universities Research Association (URA) is seeking applications for paid Summer
Fellowships for graduate students in 2026 at Sandia National Laboratories. Detailed information about the program and the application process is attached and available HERE.
URA anticipates making up to ten appointments within Sandia’s Research Foundations, including Bioscience, Computing and Information Science, Earth Science, Engineering Science, Material Science, Nanodevices and Microsystems, and Radiation, Electrical, and High Energy Density Science. Applicants must be full-time master's or doctoral graduate students and U.S. citizens.
Must be completed by November 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm US Eastern Time.
DOE Two-year Fellowship Program for Deep Tech Researchers
Chain Reaction Innovations is Recruiting for Cohort 2026
Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI), the entrepreneurship program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, is looking for scientists and engineers to join its next cohort. Applications open on Sept. 9 and close at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 7, 2025.
Ideal candidates are focused on early-stage science and energy technologies. They do not need to have an incorporated startup yet but if they do, it must be incorporated in the U.S. and cannot have raised more than $2M in private sector funding at the time of application. If this sounds like you – we hope you will apply!
Chosen candidates will move to Chicago for two years to embed at Argonne, advancing their technology by working with an Argonne scientist. CRI innovators must be either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of application.
Program Highlights
- Two-year fellowship includes $115k stipend
- Healthcare benefits with family option
- Travel allowance up to $12k per year plus moving expenses
- Research funding for technical work
- Connection to technical experts, researchers, facilities and unique capabilities at Argonne National Laboratory
- Networking with business experts, investors, mentors, and corporate partners
- Neither DOE nor Argonne take an equity stake
For more information, attend a Cohort 2026 info webinar. You can also drop into 1 p.m. (CT) Friday Zoom office hours on September 19, October 3, October 31, or November 7 or e-mail chainreaction@anl.gov.
CRI is one of four U.S. Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs located at national laboratories throughout the country.
Opportunities for Neuroscience PhD Training in Sunny Florida
Applications for FAU Neuroscience Graduate Program Ph.D. training opportunities are open with a deadline of December 1. This program covers full tuition and guarantees an annual $35,000/yr. stipend, with select applicants offered a 1-year $5,000 supplement.
Download NGP Research Areas Flyer
Graduate Student Association (GSA) Opportunities @FAMU
Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program announcement
The Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program 2025 Solicitation 2 is now open for applications.
Applications are due by 5:00PM Eastern Time, November 5, 2025.
The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their PhD thesis research at a DOE National Laboratory or Office of Science National Scientific User Facility.
Detailed information about the SCGSR program, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application system, can be found at: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr
If you have any questions, please send an email to: sc.scgsr@science.doe.gov
ACE Learning Studio
FSU's Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) is a university learning center, focused on helping students develop the study skills and success habits needed in a large research university. Check back here for the calendar of for topics, dates and times.
Need to Know
Campus Safety Updates & Emergency Preparedness Information
At Florida State University, the safety and security of everyone on campus remains our top priority. The university uses a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to campus safety, integrating a top-notch campus police department, advanced technology, robust emergency management protocols, and dedicated security personnel. These coordinated efforts are designed to protect students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike, ensuring a secure environment that supports learning and collaboration.
As we begin the fall semester, we'd like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some new technology tools and resources, reiterate the various means by which FSU supports the campus community during emergencies, and encourage you to review emergency preparedness materials.
CAMPUS SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS
As is the case every summer, the university has been diligently working on campus enhancements. This fall, you will see new technology tools, such as panic buttons and lockdown buttons, installed in academic spaces throughout campus.
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Panic Buttons: These are blue in color and are silent alert buttons that send a direct alert to the FSU Police Department’s dispatch center. Use these in emergencies involving active assailant threats. When activated, they trigger immediate police dispatch. Remember to also physically lock the room where the panic button is being activated.
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Lockdown Buttons: These are yellow in color and marked “Lockdown.” When activated, doors are automatically locked, and FSU Police are immediately dispatched to the building. No one from outside the room can enter except FSU Police.
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Door Locks: Doors to academic spaces that are not equipped with centrally managed electronic locks have thumb-turn or push-button locking systems.
All of these new enhancements comply with university guidelines, ADA standards and building codes.
Our University Communications team collaborated closely with Public Safety to create an educational video that will teach you when and how to use these tools properly.
We encourage everyone to check classrooms, offices, and other university facilities at the start of each semester to know what technology is available in each location. DO NOT push panic or lockdown buttons to test them.
WATH: How to USe Door Locks and Lockdown/Panic Buttons in Classrooms
In addition to these security enhancements, you will see an increased security presence at the Student Union. Throughout the semester, FSU Police officers also will hold office hours at the Union. Times and dates will be announced.
FSU ALERT
FSU ALERT is the official emergency notification and warning system of Florida State University. In the event of a situation or condition, occurring or imminent, that poses an immediate threat to the health, safety, or general welfare of students, faculty, staff or visitors to the university, an FSU ALERT will be issued. The FSU ALERT emergency notification system uses multiple methods for disseminating emergency information, including email, text messages, alerts.fsu.edu and social media.
WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY
Having a well-defined plan is essential for ensuring safety and achieving positive outcomes in the event of an emergency. We recommend that you review our Emergency Preparedness Guide and develop a personal emergency plan. In addition, FSU has Emergency Action Guides for many of the potential hazards we face in Florida and at FSU. Each guide provides protective action steps and best practices on how to respond to an emergency situation, including hurricanes, tornadoes and active threats.
ACTIVE THREAT TRAINING
The FSU Police Department will continue to offer Active Threat Training this fall, and participation is strongly encouraged. This training provides information and skills for responding during an active threat situation by understanding and applying the Run, Hide, Fight strategy.
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Upcoming dates for faculty/staff trainings are Aug. 26, Sept. 2, Sept. 9, Sept. 16 and Sept. 30. To register, visit hr.fsu.edu.
- You may also watch this short video to become familiar with the fundamental principles of the Run, Hide, Fight strategy or watch a recorded training session.
We appreciate your commitment to fostering a safe and resilient campus environment. By staying informed, participating in available trainings, and familiarizing yourself with the resources and protocols provided, you will help ensure that Florida State University remains a place where everyone can thrive. As a reminder, mental health and resiliency resources are available for all students, faculty and staff anytime, anywhere. Visit response.fsu.edu to check out support tools and resources.
Thank you for your ongoing support and vigilance. We wish you all a successful and secure semester ahead.
Find FSU Resources at response.fsu.edu
We hope you are having a fantastic summer and are finding ways to beat the heat. Whether new to FSU or returning to campus, we want you to know that your FSU community is always here for you. The resources listed below are available to help support your well-being, and we encourage you to reach out as you see fit. Thank you for showing kindness and support of one another.
To access important resources and updates, visit: RESPONSE.FSU.EDU
FSU Counseling & Psychological Services
FSU Employee Assistance Program
FSU University Health Services
Engineering Our Future
We identified five strategic priorities to focus on for the next five years. For each of these priorities, we set goals with identified metrics for our college:
Good to Know
Welcome! New CEE Staff and RIDER Postdoc
Anna Williams is the Fiscal Assistant in the Office of Civil & Environmental Engineering 
Department. Anna has worked at FAMU for 25 years including Financial Aid and the University's Library. She is a Quincy native who attended Florida A&M and enjoys reading, listening jazz, and cooking . Anna is excited to contribute to the college’s mission and collaborate with faculty and staff.
Dr. Yuyan Pan is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, working at the RIDER Center
under the mentorship of Dr. Qianwen Guo. Before joining FSU, Dr. Pan spent one year as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include traffic signal control, public transit, traffic flow theory, Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), transportation network resilience, and machine learning applications for smart mobility. She has published more than 20 academic papers in leading journals in the field of transportation. Outside of research, she enjoys exploring new ideas with colleagues, mentoring students, and contributing to academic communities through peer review and conference participation. You can learn more about her work on her personal website: https://yuyananniepan.github.io/
Reminder - LEED Training for Students - New Webinars
LEED Green Associate Certification: Fall Workshops
Finish your year off strongly by becoming a LEED Green Associate professional and show employers your certified knowledge in sustainability before April 2026, when the exam version is set to become more challenging. While LEED itself is a scorecard to rate Green Buildings, people can also become LEED accredited demonstrating their expertise in sustainability.
- LEED: Is the #1 Sustainability Certification and is recognized globally
- Valuable Credential: Adds an industry-recognized certification that boosts employability.
- Open to All: Available for students of all years, with no prior experience required as our workshop has helped over 13,000 pass their exam.
- Time Sensitive: Those who pass before April 2026 will not be required to take the updated and more challenging new exam.
- Affordable: Limited time student discounts are available for you!
- High Pass Rate: Our workshops focus not just on passing the test, but on providing a deep understanding of the material which significantly improves your chances of success, especially considering the exam's historically low pass rate.
LEED Green Associate (GA) Training - Webinar and Online self-paced options:
I will be offering live webinars that can be streamed on any of the following dates:
- November 15, 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
- December 20, 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
- January 17, 2026 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
- February 14, 2026 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST - OR -
- On-demand recordings completed at your own pace
The above options (1-5) are all identical.
Register for a live online seminar or start today with our on-demand recorded workshop completed anytime at your own pace here.
Both options offer comprehensive training, practice exams, valuable tips, and required textbooks - all led by a USGBC Faculty member. It's the most efficient and affordable way to master the material without breaking the bank!
Cost: $200 with the coupon code ‘green’ for $100 off! (Non-students $300)
Please contact the instructor Lorne directly with any questions at info@leadinggreen.com
ORNL Internship and Job Opportunities: October 2025 Newsletter
Here's the October 2025 ORNL Opportunities Newsletter for our Core Universities. It covers what is currently open (for September) for internships, including our informational webinars. It also has a snapshot of postdoctoral and “entry level” (meaning recent BS, MS or PhD) research positions and information about getting weekly updates and putting your CV into our database, which we do use in filling positions.
William Jenks | Core Universities Student Programs Lead, Office of Research Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
jenksws@ornl.gov | 515-451-4711
FAMU-FSU Engineering Career Services Liaisons
FAMU - Sean Collins - sean.collins@famu.edu - Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Sr. Career Specialist, Career Services Liaison at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
Fall 2025 Student Advising Hours:
Tuesday - 8:30 AM - 12 Noon (Virtual)
Wednesday - 8:30 AM - 12 Noon COE A143 (Appointments only (Virtual or In-Person)) & 1 PM - 4:30 PM COE A143 Virtual & Walk-Ins
- Except for special events at FAMU Main Campus.
Thursday - 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM (COE A143
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FSU - TBD Career Liaison for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Fall 2025 Drop-in Career Advising at the Career Center (No Appointment Necessary):
Mondays: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/pCNJ0UhpT8StQCdVR2K8GQ
Tuesdays: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94196060872
Career Docs (Virtual Document Review):
- Students can submit their resumes, cover letters, and other career-related documents for online review and feedback via Career Docs - https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/3LWPX7
Job Fairs and Events | Jobs, Internships & Experience | Plan Your Career
Things to Do
Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee
Hollywood Movies at the IMAX | Call (850) 645-7796 to Buy Tickets
Student tickets are $11. Check out all the new movies now playing, here.
Resources
Engineering Career Services
Virtual and F2F advising hours here.
FAMU Academics
Links to academic info, student services, student life and more.
FSU Student Academic Resources
Links to academic info, official university announcements and public health information.
Online Scholarship Search
FAMU Scholarships
FSU Scholarships
In Case of Emergencies
Call 9-1-1. If you have concerns about your safety while on the engineering campus, call FSU Police 850-644-1234.
The Engineering Library Circulation Desk
Hours are: Monday - Friday – 8am to 5pm | (850) 410-6328 | A225 & A248
College Lost and Found
Student Services in B111 is the college lost and found location. If you've found something, drop it off here and if you've lost something, check here first!
Need a Mental Health Break?
Welcome to the Breakroom, B226-H, which is available for one person at a time, from 9:00 am - 4:50 pm on normal business days. Reserve a 50-minute slot using this link.
FAMU Office of Counseling Services located at 1735 Wahnish Way Suite 304 (CASS Building), provides a professional, safe atmosphere where students can discuss academic and personal issues. Schedule an appointment to talk to someone: (850) 599-3145 or counseling@famu.edu. For after-hours assistance, call BetterMynd for FREE at (844) 287-6963. In case of emergency, call FAMU Police Department at (850) 599-3256 or dial 911
FSU Counseling & Psychological Services is fully committed to the health and wellness of our students. We are offering Telemental Health Services (through zoom), in-person services, and Telephonic Crisis Support to students. Call us at 850-644-TALK (8255) to talk to a clinician today. Check online for more information.
Want to add something to the next issue?
Email us! Deadline is Wednesday for Monday publication.