FSU Graduate Students Win 135 National Fellowships This Year

Florida State University graduate students are having their best year yet, securing 135 national fellowships and grants before the academic year even wrapped up.

The achievement breaks last year's near-record of 131 awards and includes prestigious funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Fulbright Program, and American Heart Association. More awards are still expected to roll in before the year ends.

"Graduate funding opportunities are competitive by nature, and so it is a testament to the strength of FSU's graduate programs and, most importantly, our graduate students," said Keith McCall, assistant director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards.

The university celebrated these accomplishments at the Celebration of Graduate Student Excellence on April 6, kicking off Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week. The event honored not just fellowship winners but also students excelling in teaching, mentorship, leadership, and creative research across all disciplines.

FSU's 10,500+ graduate students come from across Florida, the United States, and around the world. They're pursuing everything from doctoral degrees to professional certificates, contributing significantly to the university's research and educational missions.

Why This Inspires

These numbers represent more than academic success. Each fellowship means a graduate student can focus on groundbreaking research without financial worry, whether they're studying best practices for language learning, tackling the loneliness epidemic, or advancing medical science.

Faculty mentors received recognition too, highlighting the collaborative spirit driving FSU's graduate programs forward. Carrie Cooper, dean of FSU Libraries and an FSU alumna herself, reminded students that their journey matters beyond the awards.

The celebration also recognized outstanding teaching assistants like Sooyeon Park in Communication and Mahesh Dheerasinghe in Chemistry, proving these students excel not just in their own work but in lifting others up. Graduate Student Leadership Awards went to exceptional contributors like Hilal Ayan Karabatman in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies.

U.S. News & World Report currently ranks 16 FSU graduate programs and specialties in the Top 25 among public universities, with six programs ranking number one in Florida.

Florida State's graduate students are proving that excellence breeds excellence, creating a rising tide that lifts entire academic communities.