Academics from various parts of the campus congregated this week to deliberate on how to cultivate resilience throughout society and devise sustainable remedies for environmental, health, economic, and social issues.

Facilitated by Florida State University’s Office of Research, “Collaborative Collision: Sustainable Solutions” assembled over 80 faculty members from 11 colleges, in addition to several departments and centers to establish partnerships on significant research inquiries.

“What I appreciate about this gathering is that it unites a diverse group of individuals to examine a broad spectrum of concerns and explore their potential to collaborate to foster change and make a positive difference,” remarked Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “I am truly eager to observe which partnerships and initiatives emerge from this gathering.”

Collaborative Collision events unite educators from diverse fields who share research interests yet approach problems from varied perspectives. In the university’s strategic research framework, ASPIRE, “A Resilient Future” has been earmarked as a primary theme of research investment at FSU as both challenges and opportunities continue to develop.

The gathering commenced with comments from Patterson along with brief presentations from three early-career researchers — Josh Breithaupt, Guang Wang, and Meghan Mick.

Breithaupt investigates the evolution of coastal ecosystems amid shifting global environmental conditions; Wang employs big data and artificial intelligence to enhance understanding of mobility, energy, disaster response, and resilience; and Mick focuses on linking individuals through nature and public areas, most recently through the development and analysis of outdoor classroom environments.

“We aimed to highlight three early-career researchers from various disciplines who are each, in their unique ways, seeking sustainable resolutions to present-day challenges,” stated Jared Parmer, research development coordinator and co-organizer of the gathering. “They assist us in adopting a comprehensive, interdisciplinary perspective on what is necessary and what could be achievable.”

Researchers attending the event displayed posters detailing their work and illustrating how their skills could support others interested in exploring distinct research themes. Research development personnel aided in facilitating discussions and fostering connections among faculty members pursuing similar inquiries.

“We sincerely hope this event fosters unity and establishes significant partnerships where our faculty can formulate solutions for a variety of issues,” noted Cynthia Norris, a research development coordinator with FSU and co-organizer of the gathering.

The university has been orchestrating Collaborative Collisions to unite faculty since 2016, encompassing themes such as smart cities, well-being, families and children, disaster resilience, artificial intelligence, and rural innovation.

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