SARASOTA, Fla., — The Master’s in Applied Data Science program at New College announced today it has received nearly $98,000 in grant funding from the Agricultural Research Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This grant will fund paid internships for students in 2025, marking the third consecutive year the USDA has sponsored the work of New College data science students. The program leverages data science and AI to address pressing challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and environmental science, while equipping students with critical skills for high-demand careers.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply their coursework to real-world problems identified by USDA researchers,” said Bernhard Klingenberg, Director of the Applied Data Science Program at New College. “The renewed USDA grant continues to provide students with practical experiences in critical fields such as food security, sustainability, and biodiversity. I look forward to continuing our collaboration with the USDA, training the next generation of data scientists to tackle complex problems and excel in high-growth careers.”

Second-year data science student April Ainsworth used last summer’s USDA grant to research honeybee communication through audio data. As an experienced beekeeper herself, Ainsworth continues her research this fall with the goal of mitigating honeybee population declines.

“I applied both the foundational skills and advanced technical knowledge I gained from my Master’s program at New College to my USDA internship,” Ainsworth said. “Thanks to my data science training, I was able to collaborate with USDA scientists on experiments investigating honeybee communication and hive conditions, which are critical to commercial pollination.”

Another student, Matthew Wilcox, spent his USDA-funded summer internship researching sustainable packaging materials derived from milk proteins. His work focuses on finding eco-friendly alternatives to plastic, addressing the global environmental challenge of reducing plastic waste.

Melvin Adkins, who graduated from the program in May, now works as an analyst for a financial consulting company. He completed a 14-week USDA internship last spring, analyzing over 1.6 million records on high-risk arthropods intercepted at U.S. ports of entry. His work aimed to assess the risk of a costly biological invasion that could cause damage to U.S. agricultural commodities.

Now in its 10th year, the Master’s in Applied Data Science program at New College has a proven track record of preparing graduates for data science careers that tackle local and global challenges. The program emphasizes project-based learning and hands-on experience across industries, from agriculture to finance. Graduates are working in roles that apply data science and AI-driven solutions to critical issues such as sustainable agriculture and supply chain resilience.

“The demand for data scientists who can use AI to solve real-world challenges is at an all-time high,” said New College President Richard Corcoran. “Our program equips students with the tools to make a real impact—whether they are addressing food security, climate change, or global sustainability issues. The USDA grant is a testament to the power of combining academic excellence with practical, data-driven problem-solving, preparing our students for the future.”

Taught by faculty with industry experience, the program ensures students are proficient in key technologies for data processing and predictive modeling, balancing theory with hands-on application. To learn more about the program, visit ncf.edu/grad-applied-data-science or follow it on LinkedIn.

 

SARASOTA, Fla. — The Applied Data Science program at New College has finalized a grant agreement totaling $97,680 from the United State Department of Agriculture that will support internships for five of its students. 2023 marks the second time the USDA has sponsored internships for New College data science students.

The funding will allow second-year graduate students to take part in semester-long paid internships next spring, working alongside USDA scientists on topics such as food safety, soil, water or crop management, climate adaptation, animal welfare or genetics. First-year data science students will complete paid internships in summer 2024.

“Applied data science at New College is a rigorous program that produces industry-ready graduates, and the caliber of internships available to our students are indicative of their readiness to contribute in the workplace,” said New College President Richard Corcoran.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our grad students to apply their data science coursework to a very specific problem in the field,” said Bernhard Klingenberg, the Director of the Applied Data Science Program and the principal investigator of the grant. “It’s a win-win for both sides. Our students learn how to work as a data scientist in a larger team, and the USDA is glad to help train the next generation of scientists proficient in AI.”

Aaron Spielman participated in an internship through the USDA during the previous grant cycle. He spent the summer with the National Soil Erosion Lab at Purdue University.

“I was able to apply many of the skills I developed in the Data Science Master’s program to a project involving the development of a deep learning model that identifies the location of subsurface tile drains from high resolution satellite imagery and environmental data,” said Spielman.

The Master’s in Applied Data Science program at New College has a 100% job placement rate within three months of graduation with a median post-graduate salary of $95,000. Fortune Magazine has ranked it among the “Best Data Science Master’s Programs” in 2022 and 2023.

The Quad Fellowship supports Master’s and Ph.D. students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – 25 from each of the four countries. This first-of-its-kind scholarship program is designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists.

Joshua earned his bachelor’s degree in statistics and applied mathematics, and is now enrolled in New College’s Applied Data Science graduate program, with his main research interest in astrostatistics, a crossover between astrophysics and statistics.

Each Quad Fellow will receive a one-time award of $50,000, plus $25,000 in additional support. This can be used for tuition, research, fees, books, room and board, and other related academic expenses. In addition, all 100 of those chosen will continue their studies in the United States and will participate in an international STEM residential program in Melbourne, Australia in the summer of 2023.

“Each of these students has demonstrated their commitment to advancing innovation and collaboration among our four great democracies and an enthusiasm for building a better tomorrow for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in announcing the awards.

Locally Grown

Joshua is a native Floridian, was born and raised in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, and attended Bradenton Christian School. “I come from a lower-middle-class family that really sacrificed a lot so I could have a private education. I am also a first-generation college student, and worked to put myself through school.  I selected New College, where I could get a high-quality, affordable education and still be close to home,” he said.

“As a teenager, I became interested in very existential questions and popular science. I remember watching Cosmos with astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson in ninth or tenth grade, and that sparked my interest in astronomy. Never, though, did I envision that I would one day be doing research in astronomy and statistics until I came to New College,” Joshua said.

Before the Quad Fellowship: New College Life

“My first year at New College I stumbled around, trying to figure out what I wanted to study. I started off with an interest in economics, but then I started taking some statistics and data science courses, and everything started to change,” he said.

In the fall of 2020, Josh was selected as a Barancik Scholar, receiving a scholarship funded by a grant from the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation that provides support for students from the Sarasota-Manatee area with financial need. Not only did it help with his tuition, but also expenses related to his conference presentations.

Joshua’s statistics professor, undergraduate advisor, thesis supervisor and now interim director of the Applied Data Science graduate program is Dr. Bernhard Klingenberg.

“I got to know Josh about 3 ½ years ago, when he took his first course with me,” said Klingenberg, who recommended Joshua for a summer internship at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “It was an amazing opportunity,” Klingenberg said. “When he first studied with me, he had not even thought about becoming a statistician. He was more interested in economics and was thinking of going into big finance – perhaps leading to a job on Wall Street. He came back from the Harvard internship infected with the research bug, and using statistics as the basis for his research.”

From Harvard to NASA

“Joshua has tremendous initiative and drive, and has always found exciting opportunities for himself,” Dr. Klingenberg said.

“In my second year, I began looking for an internship,” Joshua said. “Dr. Klingenberg told me about REUs (research experiences for undergraduates). I looked around and I came across a program at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. I reached out to the program coordinator, Dr. Katharine Reeves, who encouraged me to apply. A few months later, I opened up my email and saw I had been accepted. That was the moment that changed my life,” he said. 

This was during the first year of Covid, so it was offered online. Joshua was assigned several mentors and was put on a statistically heavy project – on solar flares. “It was a really great experience. I learned about research, and how academia works,” Joshua said. “Since that summer I have continued working with that same research team for about 2 ½ years now. The project has grown and changed considerably from when we first started. We are now working on papers that will be submitted to journals, and I continue to work at the Center for Astrophysics part-time.”

This past summer Joshua attended a conference at the Center for Astrophysics. He was able to visit the Harvard campus and the astrophysics center and got to meet the mentors and colleagues that he had been working with virtually. “This experience is what got me into the field of astrostatistics, and is also where the idea for my thesis was born,” Joshua said.

His thesis, titled “Statistical Modeling of Solar Flare Occurrences and Their Energy Distributions” turned into a year-long project analyzing solar flares, then utilizing statistical models to better understand the data that had been collected. 

The summer of 2021 Joshua applied for more internships. NASA hired Joshua as a STEM intern with the Hubble Communications Team. “It was great. They had social media data from all of the Hubble outreach accounts – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and others – for the past several years, and I analyzed that data,” Joshua explained. “I worked with my mentor, Jim Jeletic, who is the deputy project manager for the Hubble Space Telescope mission. He was a wonderful mentor and it was an invaluable internship,” Joshua said.

Working with the Stars 

One of Joshua’s favorite sayings is, “You don’t know if you don’t ask.” Joshua told Jim he was really interested in STEM research and asked if he knew anyone at NASA Goddard who might have a project on which he could work. “He connected me with Dr. Gioia Rau and Dr. Kenneth Carpenter.

“I ended up working on a project studying the chromospheres of cool, evolved stars.” I have been using Hubble Space Telescope data looking at the outer atmospheres of these stars. I worked part-time at the Exoplanets and StellarAstrophysics Lab at NASA Goddard from the fall of 2021 through spring of 2022. In the summer of 2022, I continued that work on stellar atmospheres with NASA Goddard, and was able to visit the center and work there for a bit. I am currently finishing up my research with Dr. Rau and Dr. Carpenter, and writing a paper on my research.

“I learned so much about STEM research, public outreach and scientific communication – and the impact that science and research can have on society,” Joshua said of his internships. 

The Quad Fellowship

Meanwhile, late last spring, a new fellowship crossed the desk of Duane Smith, who works in the New College office of Career Engagement and Opportunity.

“I knew Josh from working with him before on other applications,” Smith said. “So, when I learned about the Quad Fellowship, and what the Quad Fellowship was looking for – individuals who will use science to have a positive impact on society – I sent him the information, thinking that it would be a good fit.”

Smith adds that the monetary award is there to support their education, but the fellowship is designed to facilitate the interaction between those who will be the next generation of leaders in their particular disciplines. “It will also give these students an international perspective that will be crucial to their success in 21st century technology. Building these connections will impact the entirety of Joshua’s career,” Smith said.

“Joshua is certainly well-deserving of this fellowship,” Smith added. “When we get up into this airy region of highly prestigious awards, it is intensely competitive. I am just really happy for him.”

“This is the type of fellowship that can change my life and career,” Joshua said. “As a first-generation student from a relatively small town, who has never been out of the country before, the Quad Fellowship presents a tremendous opportunity. Being exposed to these different cultures will change my life on a personal level. And professionally, it will undoubtedly change the trajectory of my life, just like the REU did.

“I may not yet know all the ways in which things will change. I’ll know that as I move through the program. But I do know it is going to change my life.”

Joshua will be graduating with his master’s degree at the end of the summer of 2023. He has applied to Ph.D. programs around the country, including Carnegie Mellon and Harvard.

Asked about Joshua’s future, Klingenberg said, “I think Joshua will land in a very good Ph.D. program in statistics. I certainly see him becoming an active contributor to our sciences, answering important questions in whatever area he chooses. He may stay in astrophysics, or that may change as he continues his education.”

Klingenberg added that Joshua is a phenomenal networker. “It is amazing how he brings people together. For example, Joshua co-founded an astronomy club here at the college, and organized star-watching events on our bayfront. He is very gifted at networking, and certainly the connections he has made at Harvard and at NASA and through the Quad Fellowship will open doors for him in the future.”

Gayle Guynup is a contributor to the New College News.

“We are extremely happy that our program is now recognized in national rankings as one of the top in-person master’s programs in this field,” said Burcin Bozkaya, Ph.D., the director of the Applied Data Science graduate program at New College.

New College’s program is one of only 28 listed in the 2022 ranking. The signature 36-credit-hour, four-semester program includes a rigorous two-year curriculum with many practical components—including a summer internship, a full-time paid practicum, and an industry-led capstone project course.

“These components allow our graduates to have substantial real-world experiences before they join the workforce,” Bozkaya said.

Fortune reported that data scientist job openings have grown by 480 percent since 2016, according to Glassdoor. Companies are offering six-figure salaries to vie for top data science talent (the mean salary for data scientists is $108,660, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

And ambitious students have enrolled in New College’s Applied Data Science graduate program from across the globe, pursuing data science as a lucrative pathway to begin solving the planet’s greatest problems— from improving transportation to creating cancer treatments.

New College’s program blends interdisciplinary theory and practical skill application through courses such as “Exploratory Data Analysis,” “Applied Statistics” and “Data Visualization.” Undergraduates at New College can combine their primary major with a secondary focus in applied data science to earn both a data science bachelor of arts (B.A.) and master of science (M.S.) degree in five years, instead of the usual six.

The career outcomes for New College’s program are part of the appeal. In fact, every student from the Class of 2021 secured a full-time job in data science within one month of graduation. Those students gained experience applying both R and Python to develop solutions for corporate partners, all while cultivating the industry knowledge and technical skills to thrive after college.

“We plan to add more partnerships and industrial collaborations to our already highly affordable program to further increase the value we offer,” Bozkaya said.

For more information on the Applied Data Science graduate program at New College of Florida, visit ncf.edu/academics/graduate-program.

The NSF is a leading United States government agency that supports science and engineering research and education. Program directors facilitate merit review panels, recommend funding decisions for the agency, and support a diverse science community—spending time onsite at the NSF building in Alexandria, Virginia. The Biological Oceanography Program, specifically, focuses on aquatic organisms and their relationship to their environments.

“I’m honored to serve in this position and to represent New College in such a prestigious organization as the NSF,” said Gardiner, who has been a professor at Florida’s designated public honors college since 2014. “I am excited to contribute my expertise towards supporting cutting-edge marine research at the national level, while enhancing the reputation of New College, and bringing visibility to our outstanding science programs.”

Gardiner was appointed to her role at the NSF on June 6 and will serve for one year, with opportunities to extend the position up to four years. The NSF provides time for rotating directors to continue conducting their own research, as well as mentoring students, at their home institutions. This allotted research time is critical for Gardiner, who is actively involved in numerous marine biology projects at New College.

For example, she was recently awarded a $49,800 grant from the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) for her research on great hammerhead sharks in lower Tampa Bay. She is currently using long-term acoustic transmitters to study habitat use by juvenile great hammerhead sharks, which are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Gardiner concentrates much of her research on the sensory ecology and behavior of fishes (primarily elasmobranchs such as sharks, skates and rays)—working to understand how animals use sensory cues to perform complex behaviors such as feeding, navigation and homing.

She holds a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida, a master’s degree from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree from McGill University. Her research has multiple implications for management and conservation, especially for threatened and endangered species.

Abby Weingarten is the senior editor in the Office of Communications & Marketing.

Girls Inc.—a Sarasota nonprofit organization that is one of New College’s internship partners—selected 20 young women from Sarasota County to participate in the inaugural cohorts of the Eureka! Program last year, and the tradition continued this summer.

This advanced, five-year personal development and sports initiative for girls entering eighth grade was designed to combat the fact that women only make up about 28 percent of the current STEM-related workforce, according to the American Association of University Women.

“The Eureka! Program is a life-changing program for our girls,” said Girls Inc. President/CEO Angie Stringer. “We are so thankful to have such a strategic partner in New College and look forward to many years of working together.”

While Girls Inc. offers after-school and summer programming at their site on Tuttle Avenue, the Eureka! Program is held on the New College grounds. The partnership allows girls, many of whom will be first-generation college students, to imagine themselves on a college campus.

This summer, participants in the Eureka! Program conducted detailed scientific research, gave presentations with professors and staff, and engaged in engineering projects at New College. The students learned stage combat in a hands-on workshop with Assistant Professor of Theater and Performance Studies Diego Villada, Ph.D.; watched a presentation by Professor of Physics Mariana Sendova, Ph.D.; learned about astronomy from recent statistics and applied mathematics graduate Joshua Ingram; and took and a campus tour with the New College Admissions team.

“We were so pleased to host Girls Inc.’s Eureka! Program on our campus over the summer,” said MaryAnne Young, the executive director of the New College Foundation. “Building community partnerships is crucial to New College’s success, and we were so glad to introduce these girls to a college science environment. We hope some of them join our campus community in a few years.”

Eureka! programming continued throughout the school year at Girls Inc. until Summer 2022, when the girls returned for another intensive experience at New College. In the latter years of the program, girls will participate in paid internships that focus on their college plans and career goals.

The mission of Girls Inc. is to inspire girls ages five and older to be self-confident, responsible and well-rounded through educational and sports programs. The organization equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers, and to grow into healthy, educated and independent adults.

The Eureka! Program is free to all participants. For more information, visit girlsincsrq.org/eureka, email Jessie Wingar at [email protected], or call 941-366-6646.

The Students United to Create Culturally and Educationally Successful Situations (SUCCESS) program is for middle school students in grades six to eight. And the high school initiative is the Preparing Unique Students for Healthcare (PUSH) career program for students in grades nine to 11.

This is the 19th year that both programs, aimed at underserved students interested in science and health-related careers, were hosted at New College.

Students participated in activities and discussions on topics such as sea urchin development, carbon sequestration, scientific method, marine pollution, basic statistics, team building and conflict resolution, nutrition, and storytelling using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Students worked on projects in New College’s Heiser Natural Sciences Complex and other spots on campus.

Sandra Gilchrist, Ph.D., a biology professor at New College, has directed the PUSH/SUCCESS programs for the past 18 years (with gaps in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic).

“We had exciting activities to engage the students in connecting the health of the bay with their own health,” Gilchrist said. “A trip to a mangrove island to observe the plants and animals associated with these important trees was a highlight for the students. In addition, we talked about diving physiology of mammals and introduce the students to SCUBA with a pool session at the College.”

This year, two new faculty members were added to the roster. Assistant Professor of Coastal and Marine Science Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Ph.D. introduced the students to GIS and used storytelling to show how this tool can be used in community projects.

Assistant Professor of Human-Centered Computing Tania Roy, Ph.D. presented the students with her marine pollution video game to help them learn about how animals are impacted by pollutants. She used their responses as a part of her research project on human-computer interactions. Returning again this year was Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Brad Oberle, Ph.D., who presented ideas about how native plants help to sequester carbon.

Students also visited the Public Archaeology Lab with Professor of Anthropology and Heritage Studies Uzi Baram, Ph.D.; kayaked on the New College waterfront, and took a trip to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.

The high school students got the chance to stay in the dorms for three nights to experience what it might be like to live on a college campus. These students also received additional programming in presentation skills.

“The program can give participating students the skills, confidence and motivation they need to improve their grades and apply for college,” Gilchrist said.

To be considered for the program, students from Sarasota and Manatee counties completed an application, including an essay and a recommendation from a teacher.

On June 17 at the PUSH/SUCCESS graduation, each student made a presentation about what they learned, and received a certificate of participation and a stipend.

For more information on the PUSH/SUCCESS programs, email [email protected].

If you’re a scientist and you ask Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at New College Dr. Erika Díaz-Almeyda what she does, she’ll likely give this answer: “I am a microbial ecologist with research interests at the nexus of symbiosis, climate change, and indigenous and sustainable practices. I study how host-associated microbiota are affected by climate change, and the relationships between microbial diversity and land/water management. My projects are embedded in frameworks of community- and place-based research to advance social equity by including local stakeholders, particularly in Indigenous and sustainable managers.”

If you’re a non-scientist like me, however, she’ll give you the layperson’s answer: “I pay attention to the little invisible things that nobody sees. I’m very interested in understanding how human activity affects microbes—those little things that we don’t see, but they’re everywhere.”

While that makes some sense to me, I can’t help but wonder…what IS a microbe? Of course, she’s got a terrific answer. “The easiest definition is that microbes are living things that are too small to be seen with the naked eye.” Okay, THAT makes sense to me. But if you like examples, here’s the follow up. “This includes bacteria, protists, and some fungi. It includes viruses, too, but that’s an area I don’t work in. My area of interest is bacteria and protists that are 10 to 100 times larger than viruses.”

How small are we talking about? “Some of the symbiotic algae I work with are 7 micrometers—really, really small, 10 times smaller than a grain of salt.” For those of you who aren’t scientist-fluent in the metric system, a single micrometer is a millionth of a meter. Think much smaller than the width of a single cotton fiber in your shirt. Yeah, we’re talking about invisible to the naked eye.

Dr. Díaz-Almeyda isn’t the first person to care deeply about these unseen things. Since the invention of the microscope (around 1590), people started paying attention to them because once you start looking, you quickly realize there are more microbial species than there are known stars in the universe. Small wonder then that we don’t fully know the names of each one, or what their function is. “One thing we’re very good at,” explains Dr. Díaz-Almeyda, “is distinguishing which microbes are bad.” The reason why is simple enough—though the microbes themselves go unseen, their effects are easily seen, such as a person dying or an ecosystem collapsing. When we see those outcomes, scientists study and study until they find the root cause.

The good news is that fewer than 1% of microbes fall into the “bad” category. The rest do good things for us, such as help us digest food or fight pathogens, which are the main focus of her research. Microbes are key to our health, just as they contribute to any ecosystem. For example, in water, microbes (phytoplankton) generate more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe. “There are microbes in the soil that break down the leaves of fruit to create soil as part of the giant food web, too,” says Dr. Díaz-Almeyda. “When we see a shark or a terrestrial top predator like a lion, they’re just the result of all these microbes that make food available from the grass up to the next level and on and on in the food web until we reach the level where we can see something big with our own eyes.”

Born and raised in Mexico, Dr. Díaz-Almeyda has been interested in education and science from her earliest years. It all came together into a career plan in her first semester of college, though. A professor took her class to a pond on campus where they collected water and examined it under a microscope. “I was amazed by all the living things I could see,” she says about that experience. “I loved it. I could spend hours just with one drop. I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.”

To help her study those unseen things, she came to the United States—where better technology and resources to help her pursue her research. “Mexico had places to do that work, but not at the same scale. In the US, the latest DNA sequencing technologies are affordable.”

With the resources she now has at her disposal, Dr. Díaz-Almeyda studies how the two main narratives of climate change relate to our management of soil and water. One narrative is that we’re causing so much damage to nature that there’s nothing we can do about it. Then there’s the other narrative, which is the one she prefers. Through seeing how human activities—such as how we design cities or how we treat our lawns—affect the microbiome, she can uncover pathways forward that are more aligned with our long-term interest as humans.

One of her favorite areas of study is the intersection of microbes and social equity. “Even though most of us who work with microbes are biologists, we’re starting to see that it’s a social issue. The way we build cities, we’re not having adequate exposure to healthy microbes. There are biases, there are unintended consequences here that matter.” Scientists of yesterday studied microbes in natural environments, but younger ones such as Dr. Díaz-Almeyda are much more interested in studying microbes in indoor places, such as hospitals, schools, and homes. They also examine how different people have different microbes in their body depending on their level of stress or the level of access to food. “This is a new way of looking at these problems,” Díaz-Almeyda says. “For me, it’s pointing at some of the human consequences our actions as a species have on microbes, which is what we need to figure out solutions for.”

Since 2019, Dr. Díaz-Almeyda has led the Florida Microbiome Project, which explores how unseen microbial communities support livelihoods and habitat health throughout Sarasota and the state of Florida. This project has the support of people like conservationist Elizabeth Moore—a Florida House Institute board member and president of TREE Foundation—who’s financially backing the Project’s efforts because she knows that we’re all connected at the macro and micro level. In Moore’s mind, more research should be done to create better awareness of its impact on our land and our lives.

That’s something even non-scientists like me can appreciate.

Read the full story here.

Near accepting defeat, I approached the last booth where a woman told me about a small liberal arts college in Sarasota. She talked about narrative evaluations, the contract system, and that she believed the historic College Hall was haunted. I quickly checked with my school’s guidance counselor to find out if New College was a real and accredited college. And I thought it was too good to be true.

My lack of direction would probably have seeped into my semesters at New College if not for another seemingly too-good-to-be true trait of the College: the adviser system.

After I expressed interest in neuroscience my first semester, Associate Professor of Biology Elizabeth Leininger, Ph.D. became my adviser. I call her Dr. L. I am now a thesis student, focusing on biopsychology and neuroscience, and Dr. L is also my thesis adviser.

With Dr. L’s guidance, neuroscience—a topic of which I was initially terrified—quickly became my safety net. The obvious course of action while choosing classes every semester was to continue taking courses with my already-established, brain-oriented adviser.

Several semesters in, Dr. L had to inform me that I had taken every lecture she offered. I had already been her teaching assistant, worked with her as a summer research assistant, and even developed a tutorial with her so I could continue to study interesting animal nervous systems. While my mentorship with Dr. L was fantastic, I needed to form some more relationships on campus.

Despite having one academic adviser for the majority of my time at New College, I’ve received a wide variety of help from instructors, librarians, and staff from on-campus resources like the Writing Resource Center and the Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity.

Recently, while discussing the necessity of networks of support, Dr. L pointed out that I needed to know at least three professors to sign off on a Prospective Area of Concentration Form. Forming relationships with your professors is a necessity!

When talking to New College alumni and thesis students, I have noticed the common thread that, often, they wish they had spent more time talking to their professors. Office hours are a fantastic time to do that. Your very knowledgeable professor is often sitting alone during office hours, and they would likely prefer to share information on their research or answer your questions (rather than sending emails or grading papers).

Dr. L has always been wonderfully accessible to me and other New College students. She is the director of the SET SAIL First-Year Seminar program, which was developed to help new students adapt to and thrive in the New College environment. A key element of SET SAIL is to emphasize the importance of making connections and forming webs of support.

“I see my role as a faculty mentor as part of a student’s larger constellation, network, or team of relationships, and as a facilitator of helping students to build these,” Dr. L said. “I love to help students navigate the academic program and academia in general—when it comes to gaining research skills, opportunities in the field of neuroscience, and teaching (in the case of TAs, etc.), because these are areas of my own strengths and expertise.”

The various aspects of a student’s life at New College—the intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual and practical components—deserve a team-based approach, Dr. L said.

“This is why I love introducing my students to my talented colleagues or campus groups who can be part of their mentorship team, as we identify places where it would be useful to grow the relationship network,” Dr. L said.

These connections could be: a student success coach, a career or financial literacy coach, the therapists at the Counseling and Wellness Center, a librarian, a professor who shares an academic interest with the student, or a student club or organization.

As I get ready to graduate next semester, I feel well-prepared for whatever challenges are ahead of me. Dr. L and the amazingly supportive network at New College gave me that, and I am so grateful.

For more information about the neuroscience area of concentration at New College, click here.

For more information on the biopsychology area of concentration at New College, click here.

Alexis Mingos is an intern in the Office of Communications & Marketing.

Thank you to President Okker, the New College community, and the graduation committee for nominating me. I am delighted and terrified to speak at my alma mater. It’s been almost 20 years since I graduated from New College and, even though I’m wearing shoes and don’t have on fairy wings, I swear I went here. I was even NCSA president, which is also a shocker. My campaign slogan was that I don’t sleep and I don’t celebrate Christmas so I could work 24/7 for my fellow students. I won by two votes so I was lovingly called Landslide Maxeme.

It’s incredible to see so many of my professors in the audience. Now that I don’t have any papers due for them, I feel way more relaxed in their presence. Friends and families, how special it is to have you here. And yes, this is the weirdest graduation you will ever go to, and yes, you will somehow find a way to bring it up in almost every conversation you have in the future, just like my parents have.

To be asked to come back here to the place that has had a true impact on my career, and life, and to be your speaker…is an astonishing honor. New College was the obvious choice for me. As a first-generation Jewban (Jewish Cuban) who would be the first to graduate from college and who had almost dropped out of high school, a place where I could design my own education, could only pass or fail, and the teaching ratio was 10-to-1 sounded like a dream to me. I still remember my answer to the application question “Why New College?” It was “Why Not?” And they still let me in, so I guess New College was not intimidated by feisty Latinas.

Graduating class, thank you for letting me be a part of your day. I’m in awe of you all. Having to go through the last two years of your college career while the world was falling apart around you is nothing short of inspirational. Honestly, if you can get through that, you’ll be able to get through anything.

In that same vein, if I had been the commencement speaker for the Class of 2019, my advice would be wildly different. I would have given you advice on getting a job. Now it’s very clear that the best way to shape your future is to build your future yourself. So, my goal today is to help you navigate a brave new world, and be bold enough to give you advice for a life and future career that unfortunately no one in this tent has gone through before you! That sounds terrifying and daunting but, hopefully, you’ll remember one of my 10 pieces of advice when the time is right for you.

#1. Know that nothing lasts forever, so be open to and embrace change.

As a society, we have turned forever into the only acceptable definition of success. If you go on to a grad program and never do anything with it, let it bring joy to you that you studied something you loved more in depth.

If you start a business and decide to close it after a while, relish in the fact that you made the customers you served at that time really happy. If you marry someone, and the marriage is good for a while and then stops working and you get divorced, take comfort in the fact that you wonderfully shared your life with someone for a period and probably learned something new about yourself. You will find success in many things in your life, so treat those moments—no matter how long they last—as precious.

#2. Make being underestimated your fuel.

People will make assumptions about you and, unfortunately, you cannot control that, but what you can control is how you let it affect you. I had a professor once tell me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I was only accepted to that school because I checked the Latina box on my application. For years, I doubted my qualifications for everything. I felt undeserving of success and assumed, like this professor, that I was just a charity case or part of a diversity quota.

I wasted years doubting myself until I met a man by the name of Gary Trujillo. I was at Harvard Business School’s welcome weekend and he told a story about a similar comment made by a fellow student once they learned he was Mexican. During office hours, he brought up his new self-doubt to a professor who quickly righted the ship. He said, “Gary, so what?… maybe you did get in because you’re Mexican. But you won’t graduate just because you’re Mexican, so go show them how truly overqualified you are to be here. Those words finally freed me from the self-doubt I had been carrying around for 10 years! And, to my professor that doubted me, all I have to say is…look at me now.

#3. Playbooks are being rewritten, so get involved in rewriting them.

This is across all industries, so this is the best time to get involved in something you are passionate about. Everyone is having to reinvent the way they do business, government, research, etc. It’s an amazing time to be starting to build something.

#4. Related to #3, if you’re not going to go out and build your own thing yet, attach your cart to the right horse.

Since we’re all reinventing the way we work, get hired by people who will sponsor and support you. Don’t look for mentors; seek out sponsors. A mentor is forced to check in and have coffee with you. A sponsor will put their name behind you, open doors for you, and will help you get into the room and get a seat at the table. That is way more important than working on interesting projects and incredibly more valuable, long-term, to your career.

#5. Be aware of your privilege and use it to help others.

As Lizzo says, “If I’m shinin’, everybody gonna shine.” When you have power, use it. Seek power so you can redistribute it. When you get invited to speak somewhere or participate in something, look at who is around the table. Use your power and privilege to make sure diverse voices are always represented. Sometimes you have to give up your seat to do that, and you should.

#6. Pursue your dreams at any cost.

My favorite book is The Alchemist. I read it almost every year, and each time it means something different to me depending on where I am in my life. But the central theme stays the same. Put your mind to something and the world will conspire to help you. No matter how difficult building a startup has been, I have always trusted that the obstacles were lessons to learn from. Life comes with its twist and turns. It is never a straight line. If it is, you actually aren’t living or fulfilling your true potential.

And, most importantly, follow the omens—or, in plain terms—follow your gut or intuition. Identifying as a woman, a Latina, and basing our company in Miami means I had a very small chance of building a successfully-funded startup. But I trusted my gut, followed the signs, and put all of my energy into creating Caribu. The universe conspired to help me and we beat all the odds.

Less than two percent of venture capital dollars go to women and people of color. Somehow, with those odds, I became the 59th Latina to raise over $1 million, and we’ve now raised over $6 million.

We received a predatory term sheet from an investor for half a million dollars but trusted our gut that we should turn him down (risky choice when the stats are what they are). But it was the right path because we turned to equity crowdfunding and raised three times more than we would have gotten from that shady investor. We then went from zero to $1 million in sales a year in just six months, proving that what Beyoncé says is true: “The best revenge is your paper.”

People said no one could build a successful startup outside of Silicon Valley but, in 2020, we were named one of the 15 best apps in the world by Apple.

And naysayers said there were no diverse people in tech, and yet our team is 67 percent people of color, 50 percent women, and we have high LGBTQIA+ representation. I’ve done things my way even when it wasn’t expected or traditional. Honestly, when you truly put your mind to something, nothing can stop you.

#7. Take risks and see failure as an opportunity.

Stay in the uncomfortable. You know how they say sitting is the new smoking? Well, being in your comfort zone has the same effect on your life and career, so start moving and get uncomfortable.

#8. I know I’m at an academic institution but, honestly, knowledge is not power. Problem solving and analysis are.

Information is easy to access now. The critical thinking of figuring out how to pattern-match will be the key skill you need in the future. Knowing what to look for, and knowing what the truth is, is more important than memorizing the facts.

#9. As the saying goes, YOLO.

The past two years have taught us that you only live once, so Marie Kondo your life. Live in the moment and only do things that bring you joy. You only have 86,400 seconds a day. Does what you’re doing bring you joy? If not, don’t finish the movie, the book, or even the degree. Leave the relationship. I found a website once that had a sobering look at what you can truly do in a lifetime.

If you assume a 100-year life:

The same often goes for old friends. In Dortstein, I lived in our self-created Esquina Latina, and I sat around playing Mafia with the same group of women about five days a week (two of whom are here!). In four years, we probably racked up 700 group hangouts. Now, scattered around the country with totally different lives and schedules, the group of us are in the same room at the same time probably 10 days each decade. That means I have 40 days left with them. I know. Depressing. But why the Debbie Downer info.?

It’s because proximity matters. Living close to the people you love becomes incredibly more important as you go through life. After these past two years, I think we can all probably agree that how you spend your time and with whom matters. Prioritize accordingly and make each moment count. Set your boundaries and live the life you want, not the one people want for you. And lastly, be present. Knowing how fleeting time can be when you’re with people who matter to you, make it quality time. Every moment is precious.

#10. Make gratitude your daily antidepressant.

A recent study even showed that gratitude improved the lives of women with breast cancer, so the health benefits are really real. Gratitude is a “life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world.” Gratitude is fundamentally different from optimism or hope because it focuses on the present moment. A person with a high level of dispositional gratitude can appreciate others and generally seize the day because of their understanding that life is short.

Never before has the whole modern world gone through such a traumatic event at the same time. Your mental health is extremely important and we won’t know the long-term ramifications of what we just went through for years. So, something you can do every day to help is to express your gratitude. You can start tonight.

Whoever came here to celebrate your graduation, this is the time to tell them how grateful you are that they helped you become who you are today. And even if there’s a complicated relationship, you can have gratitude for the fact that they showed up for you tonight. Tomorrow, write a letter, send an email or text…or just tell the barista how grateful you are for the caffeine, or the flight attendant for showing up so you can get where you need to go. Patience and gratitude are what the world needs more of right now and, selfishly, it will probably improve your health.

So that’s it. Follow those 10 guiding principles and the world will be your oyster. For those of you who have figured out what’s next…and for those of you who haven’t built it yet…you are moments away from changing the world, so go conquer it—or your little piece of it—and I honestly cannot wait to read about all of your accomplishments over the next 60 years! Thank you to this class and this institution. The pleasure and honor to be with you today were truly mine.

 

About Maxeme Tuchman

Maxeme Tuchman graduated from New College of Florida in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies.

Today, she is the co-founder and CEO of the Miami-based tech company, Caribu—a digital calling platform, often described as “FaceTime meets Kindle,” which enables children to have virtual playdates with family members when they cannot be physically together.

A graduate of Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami, Tuchman set out to be the first in her family to attend college. She always knew she would find a way to incorporate her passion for educating young people into her post-graduate work. And youth education has been a key component of Caribu, which has grown exponentially during the pandemic and was even named a “Best of 2020” app by Apple.

Tuchman’s undergraduate thesis research at New College laid some of the groundwork for her current venture, as it was focused on education as a tool for social justice. But it wasn’t just research and writing at New College that gave Tuchman insight into how to lead and inspire.

She served as president of the New College Student Alliance (student government); and was a co-founder of La Esquina Latina (“The Latin Corner”), a student-designed living arrangement in the Dort and Goldstein Residence Halls. La Esquina Latina allowed female Spanish-speaking students to room together and immerse themselves in their culture while attending college. Through many extracurricular methods, Tuchman found a way to make sure her classmates always had a voice.

Tuchman also learned autonomy and independence at New College through the contract system (evaluations rather than traditional grades) and Independent Study Projects (ISPs).

“The thing that New College teaches you is to really advocate for yourself, to think about your college career with a holistic approach, and to take risks,” Tuchman said. “I wouldn’t have had that agency elsewhere. I wouldn’t have taken as much ownership of my education elsewhere.”

Since graduating from New College, Tuchman has worked in nearly every level of education—as a public school teacher, a consultant at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an executive director of Teach For America, and a manager of education projects under former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Michelle Rhee.

Tuchman holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a second master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. She is a graduate of the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs and the Miami Fellows program.

Before co-founding Caribu, Tuchman was appointed by former President Barack Obama to serve as a White House Fellow at the United States Department of the Treasury. During the 2015-2016 year, she worked as a strategic policy adviser, providing guidance and planning on financial inclusion initiatives (only about 16 aspiring leaders are appointed as White House Fellows annually).

As a businessperson, Tuchman has been a winner or finalist in more than 30 pitch competitions, is the 59th Latina in the United States to raise more than $1 million in venture funding, and is the first Latinx founder (male or female) to raise $1 million in equity crowdfunding. She was even named one of Inc. Magazine’s “Top 100 Female Founders” in 2019.

Caribu made Fast Company’s list of “World-Changing Ideas” in 2019, was one of TIME Magazine’s “Best Inventions 2019,” was singled out as one of the “Top 10 EdTech Companies” in Forbes in 2018, and became one of the most innovative startups in the world by winning the 1776 Global Challenge Cup in 2018. 

A granddaughter of immigrants and a daughter of parents who fled Cuba for America, Tuchman is also dedicated to employing individuals from underserved populations. She has helped bring economic growth to Miami by headquartering her company in her hometown.

Change is being made daily under Tuchman’s watch. When she reads testimonials from users of Caribu—grandparents who spent the pandemic years away from their grandchildren, who have found joy in something Tuchman helped create—she knows she is in the right place doing the exact right thing.

In Tuchman’s words: “I’m so proud of what we’ve built from nothing. And I’m so grateful that what we’ve built is changing lives.”

Tuchman’s citation, presented by President Okker, at New College Commencement 2022

Maxeme Tuchman: entrepreneur, executive, visionary, New College alumna, humanitarian and role model.

Since your graduation from New College in 2004, you have helped transform the technological and educational landscape on a global scale. You have embodied the relentless drive and resourceful mindset that we hope to nurture in all of our students at New College.

As an award-winning entrepreneur and CEO, you have proudly represented your hometown of Miami, Florida—bringing great economic growth to your beloved city. You have spearheaded your company, Caribu, which—especially during the pandemic—brought families together to learn and connect on a revolutionary digital platform.

You have been a shining example for Latina businesswomen, and you have shown just how much representation matters. You have been an equitable employer, making sure diversity and inclusion are a critical part of your business model. You have imbued everything you do with integrity, and you have inspired us all to do the same.

It was no surprise to those who shared time with you as an undergraduate that you would become such a fierce leader in life. You served our campus well as New College Student Alliance president and as co-founder of a residential living space that encouraged Spanish-language immersion. You went on to earn graduate degrees from Harvard before returning to Florida to build your company from the ground up.

Today, we are so incredibly proud to welcome you back to your alma mater. We admire your tenacity, your work ethic, your humility and your commitment to the greater good.

And so, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees of New College of Florida, it is my privilege to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, with all its customary rights and privileges.

Learn more about Tuchman here: ncf.edu/news/tech-trailblazer-alumna-creates-florida-jobs.

Watch Class of 2022 New College graduate Aleah Colón-Alfonso interview Tuchman here.

Watch Tuchman’s full graduation speech, and the entirety of New College Commencement 2022, here.