• The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs event showcased how early-career researchers advance innovation and communicate complex science at the 14th annual Postdoctoral Symposium.
• The event highlighted an interactive poster session and ten postdoc presentations in the Five Minute Research (5MR) Competition.

The afternoon opened at the FSU College of Medicine Atrium with an interactive poster session displaying ongoing campus research. The session allowed visitors to chat directly with scholars and explore new cross-disciplinary collaborations.

The highlight of the event was the Five Minute Research (5MR) Competition. Ten postdocs were challenged to break down their complex, cutting-edge work for a general audience in just five minutes.

“The competition not only provides our postdocs a chance to develop their communication skills, but it also gives the wider community an opportunity to hear about the high-impact work of FSU Postdoctoral Scholars,” Bell said.

Judges evaluated each presentation based on comprehension, clarity, engagement, overall impact and creativity. Audience members also cast their votes online to determine the People’s Choice award.

“The five-minute format challenges postdocs to distill what matters most in their research — the problem, their approach and its significance,” said Keith McCall, assistant director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “This year’s participants excelled at highlighting why their work matters while delivering engaging and memorable presentations.”

The symposium concluded with an evening reception sponsored by FSU President Richard McCullough, where attendees gathered over food and conversation as the competition winners were formally announced. Prizes were funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

AWARD WINNERS

Five Minute Research (5MR) Competition Winners:

• 1st Place ($1,000) and People’s Choice Award ($250): Abhinanda Roy, Civil and Environmental Engineering — “When Every Inch Matters: Bridging Physics and AI for Storm Surge Prediction”
• 2nd Place / Runner Up ($750): Kavipriya Thangavel, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory — “Molecular Qubits: Tiny Magnets for the Quantum Future”
• 3rd Place ($500): Hannie Du, Florida Center for Reading Research/Dept. of Psychology — “Does Place Matter? Mapping Genetic and Environmental Influences on Children’s COVID-19 Experiences”

For more information about postdoctoral programs, upcoming events, and professional development opportunities at Florida State University, visit opda.fsu.edu.