The InNOLEvation® Mindset Podcast

InNOLEvation® Mindset, host Mark McNees interviews Kylie Williams, Politico’s Florida energy and environment reporter, about her path from a small town in Pasco County to studying journalism at the University of Florida after initially considering environmental science. Williams describes how environmental journalism sparked her interest, her paid reporting and leadership roles at The Independent Florida Alligator, and her first story on the impact of extreme heat on unhoused people in Gainesville. She explains what her week looks like covering Florida’s Legislature and agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Service Commission, how she chooses and reports stories, and the different types of journalism. The conversation covers balancing policy, economics, science, and community angles on topics such as oysters in Apalachicola, AI data centers, newsroom collaboration, and how data centers and SB 484 may shape Florida politics, elections, energy demand, and public engagement. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:25 Finding Environmental Journalism 03:15 Joining The Alligator 04:39 First Story and Early Lessons 05:37 Politico Beat and Weekly Workflow 09:31 Types of Journalism Explained 11:58 Covering Policy and Jargon 14:54 Defining Success as a Reporter 16:37 Apalachicola Oyster Story Deep Dive 19:47 Handling Pushback and Fairness 20:57 AI Data Centers Story Momentum 22:23 Newsroom Story Selection 25:11 Underreported Policy Angles 29:08 Environment Versus Economy 30:35 Cross State Collaboration 32:31 SB 484 Misconceptions 34:41 Who Pays For Growth 37:33 Community Pushback Lines 42:18 Elections And Policy Outlook 46:10 Candidates Data Center Spectrum 50:04 Which States Get It Right 52:30 Career Advice And Wrap

This week’s episode on the InNOLEvation® Mindset Podcast, powered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, host, Mark McNees interviews FSU’s iGEM PIs David Montez (Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement) and Cesar Rodriguez (FSU College of Medicine) about iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machines), a global bioengineering competition. They explain how FSU recruits a multidisciplinary cohort each fall for a yearlong experience and organizes 12–15 students into leadership, human practices, and engineering teams, emphasizing teamwork, public engagement, and student-led decision-making. They discuss mentoring through candid feedback, funding from multiple FSU colleges and offices, and the program’s medal history (bronze, no medal, four silvers, three golds), including maintaining participation during the pandemic. Past and current projects include Flowama for citrus greening and Esperance Healthcare, advancing an engineered bacteria solution for fish odor syndrome, now in an accelerator in Vienna, plus Beagle Bioworks on microplastics. 00:00 Welcome and Guests 00:40 Undergrad Research at FSU 01:34 What iGEM Is 02:10 Cesar’s Origin Story 04:00 Multidisciplinary Team Model 05:51 Team Structure and Mission 08:25 Recruiting and Evaluating Students 11:58 Funding and Paris Trip 14:41 Early Years and Medal Journey 19:19 Mentorship and Candid Feedback 23:55 Success Story Flowama 28:03 Pandemic and Program Resilience 29:22 Esperance Healthcare Startup 34:39 Anniversary Plans and Thanks 36:32 Closing and Subscribe