Serving a sentence in jail for an offense he committed at 18, 52-year-old Florida State University scholar Eddie Fordham may not have envisioned that he would someday gain his freedom, enroll in academia, and showcase his scholarship on recidivism at an undergraduate research symposium.
Fordham was among over 700 student researchers to present at FSU’s 25th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium — the largest yet — organized by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement (CRE) at the Student Union Ballrooms on April 1. Approximately 100 of these students transitioned to FSU from other educational institutions.
“Our mission is to render research opportunities available to every undergraduate student who desires to participate,” expressed Latika Young, director of the CRE. “We are committed to the belief that all students, regardless of their origins or field of study, should have the opportunity to engage in meaningful research that enriches their educational journey and equips them for future triumph.”
Fordham’s research endeavor, “Assessing Teen Court Success,” investigates the diversionary Teen Court initiative in North Carolina and its impact on the rehabilitation of juvenile defendants.
His fascination with this subject stemmed from his personal life experiences, a narrative that highlights the profound effect of education.
“To me, education signified more than books and lengthy study sessions,” Fordham said, now majoring in public policy. “Education represented renewal.”
Influenced by works such as “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl and “Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela, Fordham obtained a high school diploma and vocational credentials during his 31-year imprisonment. He became a tutor and eventually oversaw entire educational programs within the correctional facility.
Through the “Inside Out Program” at Miami-Dade College, he participated in classes with individuals both inside and outside of the prison. Fordham graduated with an associate degree from Miami-Dade College, achieving a spot on the dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA.
He served as the peer mentorship program coordinator for the Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project at Auburn University and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree at FSU, backed by the esteemed Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a selective national accolade for high-achieving transfer scholars aiming for degrees at four-year colleges or universities.
“Education instills a different set of principles in an individual,” Fordham mentioned. “When individuals are released from prison, do we prefer them to return home unchanged, or do we want them to emerge improved?”
Since joining FSU, Fordham has earned a place on the President’s List and has become a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.
When students transition to FSU from other educational backgrounds, they contribute their distinct experiences gained throughout their journey, enriching and diversifying the university and its research community.
Jakyah Hayes arrived at FSU after graduating with distinction from Tallahassee State College, where she was involved in the Dr. Lei Wang STEM Program.
“I truly flourished in the STEM program at TSC, which is where I discovered my passion for research,” Hayes noted.
Following graduation, she engaged in award-winning summer research funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, focusing on how transportation is unevenly impacted by natural disasters in various Tampa Bay communities.
She immersed herself in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) upon her arrival at FSU, showcasing her work at the symposium on creating a website for FSU’s Anthropology Department and digitizing its collection of historic ceramics and other artifacts.
Diego Palacios, who transitioned to FSU’s Tallahassee campus after obtaining an associate degree from FSU’s Republic of Panama campus, showcased the research he conducted through UROP that explored the behavior of high-temperature superconducting tape used in power grids, MRI machines, magnetic levitation trains, and numerous other applications. This research solidified his decision to pursue a degree in electrical engineering.
“I genuinely enjoy the hands-on learning experience, where I have to think critically to solve a real issue,” expressed Palacios, an international student from Santiago, Panama. “I aimed to pursue something related to technology and engineering that would contribute positively to the world.”
Approximately one in four students at FSU transfers from another institution, including state and community colleges or other four-year universities. Students may also transfer through the Seminole Pathways program, which provides an option to study abroad prior to attending the Tallahassee campus, or enroll in FSU Next, where students spend one semester at Tallahassee State College while taking an introductory course at FSU before becoming full-time students at FSU in the spring.
Pre-med exercise physiology scholar Brittany Mears enrolled at FSU after achieving an associate degree from Chipola College, located near her hometown of Blountstown, Florida.
For her UROP project, she aided in conducting echocardiograms on a mouse model to gain a deeper understanding of the role genetic mutations play in a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy.
“I cherish my roots, and one day I aspire to give back to my community as a physician,” Mears stated. “I came to FSU with aspirations of attending medical school here and subsequently returning home to care for my community as they have cared for me.”
The Undergraduate Research Symposium stands as one of the largest university-hosted symposia in the nation and FSU’s only interdisciplinary, all-campus undergraduate research showcase. The symposium features undergraduate students from diverse majors, representing various initiatives such as Honors in the Major and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.
“We encourage transfer students to seize every opportunity available to them at FSU, including undergraduate research,” noted Heather Bishop, assistant dean in Undergraduate Studies. “Our aim is to supply transfer students with the necessary resources and support to maximize their time at FSU, ensuring they graduate prepared for future success.”
For additional information regarding the Undergraduate Research Symposium and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, visit cre.fsu.edu.
The article Transfer students present at Florida State University’s Undergraduate Research Symposium was first featured on Florida State University News.