By investing in our faculty and their contributions to Florida State, we shape the future for our graduates and our institution by profoundly impacting the way the University conducts research, engages in business and inspires the world. World-class faculty members serve as national and international leaders in their disciplines, and their presence on campus immediately and exponentially increases the quality of the student experience and the significance of research produced.

Efforts to ensure Florida State University remains one the nation’s most outstanding public research universities include the following opportunities to recruit and retain the very best faculty members:

• Internationally Renowned Faculty Recruitment Fund;
• Early Career Professorships;
• Distinguished Career Professorships;
• Visiting Eminent Chairs; and
• Faculty Support Funding.

By recruiting world-class scholars, strengthening interdisciplinary research programs across campus, fostering technology transfer with the private sector, and advancing facilities and infrastructure for fundamental and applied research in materials science and engineering, we can bring international recognition to Florida State and its programs, including

• The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory;
• The High Performance Materials Institute;
• The Center for Advanced Power Systems; and
• The Florida Center for Advanced Aero Propulsion.

Although virtually every profession demands a certain level of entrepreneurial thinking, very few students actually gain entrepreneurial training and experience prior to graduation. Even though entrepreneurship is being taught in almost every college of business, the opportunity for this specialized training is largely closed to other students.

Florida State will become the national leader in entrepreneurial education. Existing programs that Florida State will expand to fuel this change in entrepreneurship education include

• A four-course entrepreneurship sequence for non-business majors;
• The entrepreneurs/artists-in-residence program;
• The “Chempreneurs” initiative;
• University-wide business competitions;
• The Jim Moran Institute Faculty Fellows program;
• The student business incubator;
• The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities; and
• The Undergraduate business plan competition.

The pioneering work being carried out at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the High-Performance Materials Institute is proof that Florida State is at the forefront of cutting-edge technological research. Providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply leading-edge computing and information technology in real-world situations will provide them with the experience they need to become technology innovators.

To provide students with these opportunities, we will

• Establish programs that provide students from across the University with technology-enabled learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom;
• Expand student exposure and access to innovation by working closely with local, national and global thought leaders;
• Recognize and reward innovation by highlighting and supporting students and faculty who are exploring novel ways to apply technology; and
• Transform community service by using technology to address the needs of non-profit organizations or by engaging with K-12 students and teachers in information technology education.

In 2000, the state of Florida transferred oversight of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art to FSU. In addition to its educational mission, The Ringling has a strong community outreach program that allows it and Florida State to expand cultural offerings in southwest Florida and the world.

As attendance continues to set records and increase each year, The Ringling must position itself as a leading cultural center prepared to inspire the next generation of art patrons and museum professionals through

• New facilities, such as the Helga Wall-Apelt Center for Asian Art and a new Center for the Modern Circus;
• A significant reinstallation of the permanent collection in the art museum;
• Strategic acquisitions to build the permanent collection;
• Expanded programming to bring the best in contemporary visual and performance art to Florida; and
• Dynamic partnerships with Florida State University to train future art educators.

FSU will leverage its strong core programs in medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, nutrition, human performance and cognition to create a world-renowned center for successful aging that focuses on every aspect of the process.

By bringing together every critical aspect to address aging holistically, Florida State has the opportunity to become a world leader in the understanding of age-associated disorders as well as functional and cognitive declines. This improved understanding will help researchers develop the best interventions to counter these declines and meet the needs of the nation’s growing elderly population.

Florida State will build on the unique expertise of its faculty—which extends from the prediction of natural hazards to insurance and policy—to increase the ability of businesses, industries and our nation to manage and respond to risk proactively.

Florida State’s broad-based Risk Initiative, unmatched by programs at other universities, will position Florida State as the world leader in the study of risk and have a profound and positive impact on business and industry.