Young Alumni Awards
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.
2021 Notable Noles
College of Music | Executive Director, Office of Career Services Florida Southern College
College of Music | Director, Atlanta Music Education, LLC
College of Communication and Information (Public Relations) | Director of Regional Corporate Communication, MGM Resorts International
College of Music | Director of Vocal Studies, Texas Lutheran University
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Prevention Specialist, Department of Children and Families
College of Criminology and Criminal Justice | Cyber Investigative Intelligence Lead Analyst, Citibank
College of Nursing | Travel Nurse Practitioner, Comp Health
College of Arts and Sciences | Al Roker's Executive Assistant and Associate Producer/Researcher, NBC News
College of Arts and Sciences (Middle East Studies) | Director, Social Innovation Lab, Johns Hopkins University
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, College of Communication and Information | Strategic Initiatives Manager, Office of Research Development, Florida State University
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy | Staff Attorney, Advancement Project National Office
Lisa Primiani (B.S. '10)
College of Communication and Information | Director, Major Giving - Southeast, American Heart Association
College of Arts and Sciences (Biology)/ College of Medicine | Emergency Medicine Physician, Alteon Health
2021 Reubin O'D. Askew Awardees
Six Notable Noles will be presented with the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed upon young alumni by the FSU Alumni Association. Named in honor of former Gov. Askew, this award recognizes his contributions to the state, nation and university. These young alumni continue Askew’s legacy of outstanding accomplishments built on the foundation of their education from Florida State University.
College of Health and Human Sciences |President, Aerospace Quality Research and Development
College of Arts and Sciences (English) | Enrolled Agent and Tax Analyst, Intuit
College of Social Work | Director of Clinical Services, Psychiatric Institute of Washington
College of Communication and Information | Chief of Staff, Florida Department of Education
College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Medicine | Co-Founder, The Extraordinary Kids Foundation, Inc.
2021 Reubin O'D. Askew Awardees
Jesse Marks (B.A. '16)
Suresh Narayanan (B.S. '08)
Katharina Reekmans (B.A. '12)
Alexa Cronin Sobeck (B.S.W. '15)
Bethany Swonson (B.S. '13)
Nicholas Thomas (B.S. '18, M.S. '20)
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.