\t\t![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Torch-Awards-winners-033126-1200x800.jpg\")
Provost Jim Clark joins Torch Award winners Ed Burr and Liz Cohen, along with Assistant Athletics Director Rob Wilson, who accepted the award on Lee Corso’s behalf, at the annual reception held at the Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall on March 31, 2026. (Bill Lax\/FSU Photography)\t\t<\/p>\n
Florida State University\u2019s Faculty Senate recognized distinguished alumni, leaders and the university\u2019s police department during the annual Torch Awards ceremony held March 31 at the Heritage Museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The awards honor individuals and groups who have made sustained contributions to the university\u2019s academic mission and community. Established in 1996, the Torch Awards reflect the three values represented on the university seal: Vires (strength), Artes (aesthetics)\u00a0and Mores (character and tradition).\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s honorees included former Board of Trustees Chair Ed Burr,\u00a0alumna\u00a0and education leader Liz Cohen and longtime broadcaster and Florida State\u00a0alumnus\u00a0Lee Corso. The Faculty Senate also presented a special commendation to the Florida State University Police Department.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a special evening because of who we are here to honor,\u201d Provost Jim Clark\u00a0said in opening remarks. \u201cEach of our honorees has contributed to the academic excellence and well-being of FSU in\u00a0significant\u00a0and lasting ways. They believe in our mission and care about our faculty, staff,\u00a0students\u00a0and community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Burr received the Vires Torch Award for his decades of leadership and service to Florida State. A business leader and founder of\u00a0GreenPointe\u00a0Holdings, Burr has\u00a0remained\u00a0engaged with the university through roles on the Board of Trustees, the FSU Foundation\u00a0Board\u00a0and other key advisory groups. His philanthropic work includes founding the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, which focuses on preventing child abuse and protecting vulnerable youth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cohen was honored with the Artes Torch Award for her lifelong commitment to education and service. A former school principal and national education consultant, she has supported school systems across the country and contributed to initiatives backed by organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Cohen has also\u00a0remained\u00a0active at Florida State through volunteer leadership, alumni\u00a0engagement\u00a0and the creation of multiple endowed scholarships.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Corso received the Mores Torch Award for his enduring impact as a Florida State\u00a0alumnus\u00a0and ambassador. A former Seminole football player and longtime ESPN analyst, Corso spent\u00a0nearly four\u00a0decades in\u00a0broadcasting, promoting college athletics and higher education nationwide. Though unable to attend, he was recognized for a lifetime of service reflecting strong character and commitment to tradition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Torch_awards-group_033126.jpg\")
Along with the Torch Award winners, members of the FSU Police Department were recognized by the FSU Faculty Senate for their response to the April 17 campus shooting during the annual Torch Awards reception held at Dodd Hall on March 31, 2026. (Bill Lax\/FSU Photography)<\/p>\n
The ceremony also included a special recognition of the Florida State University Police Department for its response during the April 17 campus tragedy. Faculty Senate leaders praised the department\u2019s professionalism,\u00a0courage\u00a0and dedication to protecting the university community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir actions that day, and every day, reflect the very\u00a0best of\u00a0public service,\u201d said\u00a0Jayne\u00a0Standley, co-chair of the Torch Awards committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Torch Awards are presented annually by the Faculty Senate on behalf of Florida State faculty.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Provost Jim Clark joins Torch Award winners Ed Burr and Liz Cohen, along with Assistant Athletics Director Rob…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215375,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[98251,98252,232,234,233,98253],"class_list":{"0":"post-215374","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tallahassee","8":"tag-ed-burr","9":"tag-fsu-police-department","10":"tag-tallahassee","11":"tag-tallahassee-headlines","12":"tag-tallahassee-news","13":"tag-torch-awards"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}