The Graduate School at Florida State University, together with the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, has announced the winners of its annual Graduate Student Op-Ed Competition. The event aims to highlight the writing and communication skills of graduate students from various academic backgrounds.
This year’s competition was supported by the Congress of Graduate Students and received 51 submissions from students in a range of disciplines. Five students were selected for top honors in categories including “Best Explanation of a Complicated Subject” and “Best Use of Evidence.” An additional five students received honorable mentions.
“The Op-Ed Competition is about empowering graduate students to share their research and perspectives with a broader audience,” said Keith D. McCall, acting director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “It’s encouraging to see so many students step up to the challenge of translating complex ideas into accessible, persuasive writing. Their voices are vital to public discourse.”
The winner for Best Explanation of a Complicated Subject was Savoya Simone Joyner, a doctoral student in psychology and neuroscience. Her op-ed focused on how understanding women’s brain biology could change approaches to obesity research and treatment. Joyner stated: “Science hasn’t always felt accessible to me — I grew up without scientists around me. Winning this award is not just recognition for an op-ed — it’s affirmation that taking a complicated scientific idea and making it clear, human, and accessible truly matters. It means I get to be the voice I wish I had growing up: breaking things down and showing that science is something anyone and everyone can understand and belong to. It validates that communication is just as essential as experimentation, and that making science accessible isn’t optional — it’s necessary.”
Suzy Ji won Best Use of Evidence for her piece challenging stereotypes about Asian American students in education settings. She wrote: “I’m grateful for the chance to share a perspective that often goes unheard — that Asian American students are not a monolith. Many young people feel unseen behind stereotypes, and being able to use evidence to highlight our experiences felt deeply important to me. Writing this op-ed reminded me why I care so deeply about this work, and I hope it encourages others to think critically about how we support students.”
Sarah Lovins Bacani received Best Call to Action for her article on social work’s role in undergraduate development through empathy and connection. She commented: “FSU is home,” she said. “I earned my undergraduate degree and met my husband here. I also work for the Department of Undergraduate Studies and have been honored to dedicate a significant portion of my professional career to the success of our undergraduate students. Continuing my academic journey at FSU felt like a natural extension of that commitment.”
Rachel Flemming was recognized with Best Organized Op-Ed for discussing research-based teaching methods in language learning requirements: “Winning this award is an honor that reflects the efforts I have made to communicate clearly about my research,” she said. “Writing in this style was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I value being able to help people understand why research on language teaching is needed. This was a rewarding experience that helped me to refine my communication skills, and I hope other graduate students will be inspired by this piece, and to try it in future years.”
Athena Thai won Most Persuasive Op-Ed by addressing both positive and negative aspects of social media: “This experience has been really valuable to me because one of my goals as a researcher is to make our findings relevant and accessible to the public,” she said. “My hope is that people will increasingly rely on science to inform their stances on the issues that matter to them.”
Honorable mentions went out across several categories:
– Coreine Rainford (Best Use of Evidence)
– Gallage Ariyaratne (Most Persuasive Op-Ed)
– Md Sazzad Mahmud Shuvo (Best Call To Action)
– Rimil Guha Roy (Best Explanation Of Complicated Subject)
– Tzu-An Chiang (Best Organized Op-Ed)
“We hope this competition continues to grow and encourages more students to share their stories and solutions,” McCall added.“Congratulations to all who participated.Because of the research and perspectives shared in this competition,we are all better informed.”
Further information can be obtained from Florida State University’s Office of Graduate Fellowships & Awards.
