The FSU Alumni Association's Notable Noles program (formerly called Thirty Under 30) was created to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of Florida State's young alumni. Each recipient must be a graduate of FSU, age 35 or younger, who has made exceptional achievements and significant contributions to his or her profession, community/society or the university. The recipient must exemplify outstanding professional and personal development either through traditional channels or innovative approaches.
Nominate a Nole for the 2019 Notable Noles
Nominations are accepted online from April 1 through May 31, 2019.
The 2019 Notable Noles will be recognized at the Young Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, Sept. 20.
Joseph Albano (B.S. '06)
Jenna McHenry (B.S. '07, M.S. '12, Ph.D. '13)
Daniel Smith (BME '05)
2018 Notable Noles
Please join us in congratulating the following individuals on being named one of Florida State University’s 2018 Notable Noles for their significant contributions to their professions, communities or alma mater:
Joseph Albano (B.S. ’06)
Executive Vice President, Program Execution, Ardent Eagle Solutions
Tampa, Fla.
Cynthia Carter (B.S. ’07)
Lead Clinician, UT Physicians PATH Program
Houston, Texas
Dr. Sarah Eccles-Brown (B.S. ’04)
Board Certified Ophthalmologist, Elmquist Eye Group
Fort Myers, Fla.
Eric Emery (B.S. ’06, M.S. ’07)
Supervising Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program
Tallahassee, Fla.
Andrew Fay (B.S. ’06, J.D. ’10)
Public Service Commissioner, Public Service Commission
Tallahassee, Fla.
Bethany Gilot (B.S. ’09, M.S. ’10)
Statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Director, Florida Department of Children and Families
Tallahassee, Fla.
Alain Goindoo (B.A. ’06)
Director of Bands, Pahokee Middle School
Pahokee, Fla.
Sharon Graham (M. M. ’11)
Founder and Director, Tampa Bay Institute for Music Therapy
Tampa, Fla.
Jamie Jackson (B.S. ’06)
Operations Specialist, Counterterrorism Division, FBI
Washington, D.C.
Mark Johnson (B.S. ’04)
Full Teaching Professor, Wake Forest University
Winston Salem, N.C.
Sabrina Kinslow (B.S. ’07, MSW ’18)
Girls Program Coordinator, Junior Achievement
Jacksonville, Fla.
Valerie Laboy (B.S. ’04)
Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Panama City, Panama
Xinya Liang (Ph.D. ’14)
Assistant Professor of Educational Statistics and Research Methods, University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Ark.
Jenna McHenry (B.S. ’07, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’13)
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
Durham, N.C.
Divam Mehta (B.S. ’05)
President, Mehta Financial Group, LLC
Richmond, Va.
Colette Miller (B.S. ’07)
Biologist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Raleigh, N.C.
Dr. Justin John Moniz (D.M. ’17)
Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Assistant Professor of Voice, Millikin University
Executive Director, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival
Decatur, Ill.
Dr. LaKeitha Poole (B.S. ’09)
Director, Sport Psychology & Counseling, Louisiana State University Athletics Department
Owner, Small Talk Counseling & Consulting
Baton Rouge, La.
Janel Robinson (B.S. ’14)
Program Coordinator, Center for Interpersonal Violence Intervention and Prevention, Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, Fla.
Brittany Sinitch (B.S. ’17)
Teacher, Majory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Fla.
Daniel Smith (BME ’05)
Instructional Specialist II, College of Fine Arts, Florida State University
Tallahassee, Fla.
Dr. Tiffanie Williams (B.S. ’04, MSW ’08)
Owner, MasterPeace Counseling Services, LLC
Jacksonville, Fla.
Past Award Recipients
2016 Reubin O'D. Askew Young Alumni Award
Dr. Bernard Ashby (B.A. ’03)
Cardiologist, Mount Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Ashby is an attending vascular cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He received his M.D. from Cornell University, and went on to complete his residency at Columbia University, where he was later appointed assistant professor while he pursued as master’s degree in public policy from Princeton. He also completed a cardiology fellowship at George Washington University, where he was elected chief fellow, and a vascular medicine post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. He is from Miami, Florida.
Etienne Charles (B.A. ’06)
Associate Professor of Jazz Studies, Michigan State University
Charles is an associate professor of jazz studies at Michigan State University, and at age 33 is the youngest tenured professor in the department. Charles released a highly-acclaimed album in 2013 titled “Creole Soul” which spent three weeks at No. 1 in the Jazz Week charts, reached No. 25 in the Billboard rankings and was named No. 3 Jazz Album of the Year by Jazz Week magazine. He is from Glencoe, Trinidad and Tobago.
Michelle Gierach (B.S. ’04, M.S. ’06)
Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Gierach is a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where she leads a physical oceanography center investigating the condition of a large portion of the world’s coral reefs. Gierach has received both national and international recognition for her work, including NASA’s Early Career Achievement Medal. She is from Lake Mary, Florida.
Max Haney (B.S. ’12)
Commercial Insurance Consultant, Risk Management Insurance
Haney was a junior at FSU when his father unexpectedly passed away, leaving behind a restaurant business buried in over $1 million of debt. Haney took time off from FSU to take over the business, and over a two-year period led a 36 percent increase in sales which eventually landed the eventual sale of the business and the retirement of the debt. Haney is now a broker and partner with Risk Management Insurance of Fort Myers, Florida. He has also served as president of the Southwest Florida Seminole Club, where he led volunteers in raising $25,000 for a scholarship endowment. He is from Fort Myers, Florida.
Lt. Zachary Sobeck (B.S. ’13)
Deputy Chief of Diplomatic Missions, United States Air Force
After graduating from Florida State, Sobeck was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force through ROTC. In just over a year, his diplomatic and organization skills elevated him to his current role as deputy chief of diplomatic missions, through which he has led arrival and departure procedures for more than 50 foreign heads of state. He is from Rocklin, California.
Maj. (Dr.) Joshua Tyler (B.S. ’02)
Chief, Colorectal and Robotic Surgery, Keesler AFB, United States Air Force
Dr. Tyler is chief of colon and rectal surgery at Keesler Medical Center in Mississippi, where he led the acquisition of a $5 million state-of-the-art robotic surgery platform. Because Tyler is the only colorectal surgeon in the lower half of Mississippi, he has received approval from the U.S. Air Force to care for the local civilian population, volunteering 30-40 hours in some weeks, free of charge to the medically underserved. He is from Knoxville, Tennessee.
2014 Reubin O'D. Askew Young Alumni Award
The 2014 Thirty Under 30 and the six recipients of the Reubin O'D. Askew Young Alumni Award were honored at the Young Alumni Awards Dinner in Tallahassee, Fla. on Friday, June 20, 2014.
Carisa Champion-Lippmann (B.S. ’08)
Champion-Lippmann is the inaugural student in a medical, law and master of public health joint degree program at Nova Southeastern University. She began as a White House intern working on health care initiatives and continues to advocate for quality patient care in underserved areas, including through the development of national legislation for health policy. Champion-Lippmann received the 2013 American Osteopathic Association Presidential Memorial Leadership Award for her leadership and commitment to the profession.
Layla Dowdy (B.S. ’05, M.S. ’07)
Dowdy is a lead communications manager at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. She develops and implements communication plans and policies for the Space Technology Mission Directorate to promote NASA’s technology portfolio and engage key stakeholders. She began as a Co-Op intern at the Kennedy Space Center, where she organized space shuttle events, engaged media and visitors, and cultivated agency partnerships. She has also earned her M.B.A. from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Kevin Garvey (B.S. ’06, M.S. ’07)
Garvey is the chief engineer for spacecraft assembly, integration, test and launch. He was instrumental in launching numerous satellite systems and fielding a first-of-its-kind intelligence capability that garnered acclaim across government agencies. A founding member of an interagency mentoring and training group for junior government officers, he helps others network, gain career guidance and collaborate. Garvey also volunteers at local schools in science, technology, engineering and math through seminars and speaking engagements.
Wonkak Kim (M.M. ’09, Mus.D. ’12)
Kim is an assistant professor of clarinet at Tennessee Tech University. A Korean-born clarinetist, he has released several internationally acclaimed CDs and performed live in notable venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Seoul Arts Center. At FSU, he received the Presser Music Award for demonstrating excellence and outstanding promise for a distinguished career in music. Kim is a regular guest artist and teacher at the Juilliard School and other renowned institutions worldwide.
Shayne Mifsud (B.A. ’05)
Mifsud, who began as an advertising intern with Universal Orlando, is the director of brand strategy and new business development at DreamWorks Animation. At Universal, he launched The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, oversaw campaigns for the grand opening of Universal Studios Singapore and spearheaded licensor relationships for theme parks around the world with entertainment companies such as Warner Bros. and Marvel Entertainment. Mifsud, who has an M.B.A. from Rollins College, now oversees partnerships on five continents.
Myron Rolle (B.S. ’08)
Rolle, a Rhodes Scholar, left the NFL to pursue his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon through FSU’s College of Medicine. He founded Our Way to Health, which aims to fight obesity among Native American children, and is working on aid projects for developing countries. In 2009, he founded the Myron L. Rolle Foundation, which supports health, wellness, educational and other charitable initiatives throughout the world to benefit children and families in need.