College of Communication and Information students brought their research, leadership and innovation to the national stage in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where STARS Alliance members Courtney Stokes, Tanya Raphael and Ellie Webb presented their work at the STARS Equinox Conference. Stokes also presented her STARS summer internship research, Vela: Alumni Data Tracking and Engagement Platform, at the Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) Conference, where she earned first place in the Undergraduate Research Poster Competition. 

STARS Alliance at FSU is part of a national community focused on expanding pathways into IT and computing education and careers. The program supports students through research experiences, peer mentoring, team projects, and professional development while also connecting with K-12 schools, industry and community partners. At FSU, STARS works to build student readiness for IT/computing careers and graduate programs while fostering a community around technology and innovation. 

For the students, attending conferences was more than an opportunity to present their work. They had opportunities to represent CCI at a convening of their computing peers, connect with students and professionals from across the country and demonstrate how their experiences at FSU prepared them to step outside their comfort zones. 

“These students put a tremendous amount of preparation and passion into everything they do,” said Dr. Faye Jones, Research Specialist for CCI.  “They genuinely take great pride in their work…and the results…excellence onevery level.” 

Their poster presentations focused on understanding and strengthening alumni connections within FSU’s STARS Alliance.  

Tanya Raphael’s poster explored how the chapter is structured, how CCI clubs fit into the larger “STARS universe,” and ways to maintain relationships with alumni.   

“Representing CCI at a national conference is an honor,” said Raphael. “To be chosen to reflect the values, leadership, and innovation of CCI has been eye opening and a pleasure.” 

Ellie Webb’s project focused on collecting and analyzing information from more than 2,000 alumni to identify career and leadership trends and develop a framework for building a stronger alumni network.  

“I felt proud of not only the work that I was able to present, but that I had the opportunity to lead and learn alongside two of the most talented and hard-working people I know,” said Webb. “Being part of both CCI and FSU’s STARS Alliance gave me the skillset needed to not only present well but build connections with everyone I had the chance to meet—even the judges for my presentation! It was a wonderful reminder of, like at FSU, it’s the people and your relationship with them that really matters.” 

Stokes’ work at the conferences also focused on strengthening alumni connections. As part of her STARS internship research, she developed Vela, an AI agent designed to automatically update alumni information, along with a dashboard expected to launch in the coming months that can help organizations visualize and connect with their alumni. 

“What I’m most proud of is that the system can transfer to many different organizations, so they can keep track of their alumni or current employees the same way,” said Stokes. 

For Stokes, the experience also showed how her involvement with CCI and STARS had prepared her to take on opportunities like the conference. Through networking and professional development opportunities at FSU, she said she arrived in Albuquerque feeling confident in her work and her ability to connect with others.  

“Being part of CCI and STARS helped me so much,” said Stokes. “I’ve been given so many networking and professional development opportunities that I walked into this conference feeling confident.” 

Stokes encouraged other students to approach similar opportunities with an open mind and a willingness to connect with others. 

FSU STARS PI, Associate Dean Ebe Randeree and Co-PI Dr. Faye Jones also led one of four alumni panels at the STARS Equinox, ushering in the new Career Mentoring Network (CMN) initiative, which brings together national computing alumni to mentor the next generation of computing scholars.  Additional CMN panels are to take place this Fall. 

The overall experience is best summarized by Courtney Stokes who said, “Surround yourself with driven, ambitious people, and they will push you to go further than you ever thought you could.”