Florida State University (FSU) highlighted its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) during the FSU-AWS Researcher Showcase and Awards event. The event brought together researchers, faculty, and students to discuss how cloud computing tools are supporting research projects across campus.
Paul Bupe, a researcher at FSU, shared how AWS has enabled his work on an interactive intersection safety system. The project involves analyzing over 1.7 million unique objects from satellite images and camera photos. “Without AWS, we wouldn’t have been able to make this research happen,” said Bupe, who collaborates with Moses Olugbenga from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering on the Predictive Intersection Safety System (PREDISS). They use AWS for data storage, object detection, autolabeling, and other tasks to predict collisions between vehicles and pedestrians in time to prevent accidents.
Bupe noted that access to AWS allowed them to train models on their own schedule and manage large datasets efficiently. “In AI and machine learning, data is the most valuable thing,” he said. “This gave us the capabilities that truly allowed for innovation.”
Other researchers from departments such as Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Computer Science also described their experiences using AWS tools during the showcase.
Michael Curry, Senior Leader at AWS, stated: “Our goal as a technology provider and an industry partner is to help accelerate researchers’ work at a low cost. As one of our presenters said, ‘I don’t need this to be a six-month project. I want it to be a six-day or six-week project.’ They’re trying to accelerate that time to science, and that is what this technology is helping to accomplish.”
FSU leadership opened the event by emphasizing cloud computing’s role in advancing research efforts at the university. Associate Vice President & Chief Information Officer Jonathan A. Fozard commented: “This partnership is a powerful example of how Florida State is delivering on the strategic vision of President McCullough by investing in the technology infrastructure that drives cutting-edge research. Removing traditional compute barriers and broadening access to secure cloud and AI tools allows our researchers and scholars to move faster, design transformative research and secure the large-scale grants that empower long-term impact.”
The university recognized 11 recipients of the 2026 FSU/AWS Research Acceleration Fund Award for their innovative use of AWS in scientific discovery across various disciplines including social work, computer science, educational psychology, geography, urban planning, scientific computing, health sciences, civil engineering, environmental engineering, nutrition science, food science, communication science and disorders. Each awardee received up to $20,000 in AWS credits.
Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson remarked: “Modern research is increasingly data-intensive. Whether we are talking about quantum materials, generative AI or predictive safety systems, the lab is no longer just a physical space — it is a digital one.” She added: “This partnership demonstrates the art of the possible. Our goal is simple but ambitious: we want to provide FSU researchers with a world-class environment that accelerates discovery.”
The event included demonstrations of new cloud computing services from AWS aimed at high-performance computing and artificial intelligence applications. ITS staff also promoted free training opportunities for faculty interested in adopting these technologies.
Gabriel Brackman from AWS presented new features designed for data-intensive research needs while Michael Curry led a panel discussion with participants from FSU’s Researcher Accelerator pilot program.
Balu Bhasuran from FSU’s College of Communication and Information discussed using prediction models with sensitive health data stored securely through AWS solutions: “Sharing our models and patient-based information extraction were problems for us but working with AWS cloud it seems that problem is solved,” he said.
The showcase concluded with presentations by winners of FSU’s AI Maker Challenge—a 48-hour competition where students developed programs using artificial intelligence tools provided by AWS. The winning team created software matching researchers with funding opportunities based on interests while Alexis Gollman won an audience choice award for her personal health information app built without prior coding experience.
“Despite never having written a single line of code,” Gollman said,“the ‘agentic’ capabilities of AI and guidance of my mentors made it possible for me to build this platform… Being perhaps the only non-computer science or engineering student in the challenge,I’m grateful to FSU for opening doors…that I otherwise wouldn’t have accessed.”
AWS Account Manager Marisa Halluska commented on student involvement: “It’s exciting to see what students can do when they get their hands on just a little bit of training and these tools.These are very accessible,and that’s what these students are proving.”
More information about cloud computing training can be found at FSU Information Technology Services website; details about research funding opportunities are available through Research Development website.
