Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences
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The Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences is one of sixteen colleges comprising the Florida State University (FSU). The College encompasses the fields of social sciences, liberal arts, mathematics, sciences and interdisciplinary studies. Several academic programs enjoy national reputations. These include the Department of English, which boasts one of the nation's top creative writing programs; the Classics Department, which offers comprehensive programs ranging from analysis of Roman literature to archeology; and several other programs, including the Departments of Geography and Oceanography.
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[edit] History
The Department of History includes accomplished faculty in Napoleonic history, Eastern European History, War and Society, History of Science, Latin American/Caribbean History, and Atlantic World. Department Chair is Neil T. Jumonville. Distinguished faculty members include Darrin McMahon, who has been featured on the History Channel as well as other entertainment programs; Elna Green, Allen Morris Professor of History; James P. Jones, better known as Jim Jones, a beloved fixture in the department and recently celebrated 50 years of teaching at the university; and Robert Gellately, the Earl Ray Beck Professor of History.
[edit] National Rankings according to US News (2008 edition)
- Physics - 45th overall
- Psychology - 99th overall
- Clinical Psychology - 44th overall
- Chemistry - 45th overall
- Biological Sciences - 89th overall
- Mathematics - 67th overall
- Earth Science - 70th overall
- English - 79th overall
[edit] Biological Sciences
The Department of Biological Sciences includes accomplished faculty in cellular and molecular biology, computational biology, evolution and ecology, and neuroscience. The Department has embarked on an innovative new cluster hiring initiative that focuses on the integration of genotype and phenotype. FSU's new Life Sciences Teaching and Research Building is a state-of-the-art facility that will provide over 90,000 net square feet of space for instruction, research, and support services. The design features rooftop research greenhouses and an open ground floor cloister for students, faculty, and staff. Other features include a 150 seat auditorium, biology teaching laboratories, and more than 30 research laboratories for the Department of Biological Science.
[edit] Chemistry and Biochemistry
Also working in the field of materials science and nanoscience at FSU is the Nobel laureate Sir Harry Kroto, the co-discoverer of the C-60 'buckyball', who is a member of FSU's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Research in the Chemistry department currently spans fields ranging from analytical through organic, using experimental techniques and equipment including advanced lasers, spectrometers[1] and superconducting magnets. A new, 5-story 168,000 square foot chemistry building was completed in April of 2008 and officially opened on May 2nd 2008. The building features state-of-the-art facilities and houses all fields of chemistry. Labs are located on floors 2 - 5 and are segregated by division. The second floor is home to material chemists, while the third and fourth floors serve physical and analytical. The fifth floor is home to synthetic organic chemistry with labs specifically designed to accommodate organic synthesis research. The building serves to enhance the department's strengths in molecular recognition, materials, nanotechnology, biochemistry, molecular synthesis, computational chemistry, and advanced measurement science as well as further support its robust Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellow training programs.
[edit] Taxol - anti-cancer drug
A significant achievement at the university was chemistry professor and synthetic organic chemist, Robert A. Holton's synthesizing of Taxol on Dec. 9, 1993. The chemical has been used as an effective breast cancer and ovarian cancer treatment.
Dr. Holton and his organic chemistry team won a race to develop a cheaper semisynthetic version (Holton Taxol total synthesis). In 1993, Bristol-Myers Squibb began marketing Taxol, ultimately earning more than $1.6 billion by the year 2000. Just like other chemotherapy drugs, it had side effects, but it also prolonged lives, and in many cases caused a full remission of cancer.[2]
Before the drug company's exclusive license expired, Florida State earned $351 million in royalties, vaulting the school into the ranks of Columbia University and California's state universities in research profits. By comparison, Taxol has earned Florida State more than three times what the popular beverage Gatorade earned the University of Florida.[3]
[edit] Computer Science
FSU's Computer Science program is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) by the National Security Agency. Florida State is the only university in Florida to achieve this status. Recently, computer security specialists from Florida State examined the computer code firmware contained within the Election Systems & Software iVotronic Voting Machines used in the disputed 2006 congressional election of Florida's District 13 between Vern Buchanan and Christine Jennings.[4][5]
[edit] Creative Writing Program
The Creative Writing program in the English Department at Florida State is home to recipients of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The 2007 special fiction issue of The Atlantic Monthly placed FSU's Creative Writing Program as one of the Top 10 Graduate Programs in Creative Writing as well as one of the Top Five Ph.D. Programs in Creative Writing in the country. FSU offers both Masters of Fine Arts and doctoral degrees in Creative Writing. The program claims no university Creative Writing program in the world has been included more often in the Harcourt Trade Publishers Best New American Voices. Recent graduates have published books with Hyperion, Norton, Viking, MacAdam/Cage Publishing, Penguin, Henry Holt, Simon & Schuster, and Houghton Mifflin. Students have published in The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Georgia Review, Glimmer Train, Harper's, Ploughshares, and many other quality magazines. Students have the chance to work both for a publisher (FC2) and for the program's official journal The Southeast Review.[6]
[edit] Meteorology
Founded in 1949, the FSU Meteorology program is the largest and most complete meteorology program in the southeastern United States, with 16 faculty members, over 85 graduate students and approximately 200 undergraduate students.[7] The Department of Meteorology is rated in the top ten programs in the United States by the National Research Council.[8] The program is considered to be one of the top five comprehensive meteorology programs in the United States and the flagship program in the Southeast.[9]
Many graduates of the Florida State meteorology program whether bachelor's, master's or doctorate work in the national media including Neil Frank and Max Mayfield, former directors of the National Hurricane Center in Miami; Janice Huff of the NBC Today Show and on-air meteorologists from the The Weather Channel: Stephanie Abrams, Rich Johnson and Jennifer Lopez .
[edit] Physics
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The Department of Physics, comprising more than 60 faculty and over 100 graduate students, is a major research department, offering graduate programs that have been ranked amongst the best in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.[8] Theoretical and experimental nuclear physics and particle physics are particularly strong areas; nuclear physics is currently rated with the Top 7 programs in the United States. There are also extensive research programs in biophysics, condensed matter physics and atomic physics, as well as an expanding astrophysics program.
In terms of major facilities, the Department has its own superconducting linear particle accelerator at which experiments ranging from precision atomic measurements to analysis of rare-isotope collisions are performed. Additionally, the Department is a heavy user of major national and international lab facilities. It maintains active groups working on experiments at Fermilab, CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, TJNAF, Argonne National Laboratory and several others. Indirectly, through current director Dr. Gregory Boebinger as well as his predecessor, laboratory founder Dr. Jack Crow, the Department operates the main complex of the multi discipline National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, located near campus at FSU's Innovation Park.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ [1] Florida State University - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laser Facility Equipment Data Retrieved on 5-03-2007.
- ^ [2] Florida State University, Research in Review, Fall 2002 Retrieved on 5-03-2007.
- ^ St. Petersburg Times, April 30, 2004, "From Campus to Commerce" by Robert Trigeaux Retrieved on 5-03-2007.[3]
- ^ [4] Sarasota Herald Tribune "Audit to Review Computer Code" by Carol E. Lee, December 5, 2006 Retrieved on 5-08-2007.
- ^ [5] Florida State University Statement of Work "Software Review and Security Analysis for ES&S iVotronic Voting Machine Firmware" December 15, 2006 Retrieved on 5-08-2007.
- ^ [6] Florida State University, English Department, Creative Writing Retrieved on 5-03-2007.
- ^ [7] Florida State University Meteorology Department, Academic Programs webpage Retrieved on 5-03-2007.
- ^ a b [8] Florida State University - College Highlights and Selected National Rankings Retrieved on 5-01-2007.
- ^ [9] Florida State University 2007–2008 General Bulletin Undergraduate Edition, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Meteorology Retrieved on 5-01-2007.
