Undergraduate Ella Windlan adds the Department of English's Cody Harris Allen Award to her many academic achievements

By Ellie Johnson

Ella Windlan is looking forward to where her academic focus on human rights and her skills in research and writing continues to lead her as an undergraduate at Florida State University.

Her academic excellence so far has resulted in Windlan having opportunities to present her scholarship at conferences and showcases, gaining leadership or collaborative roles with other students and FSU faculty members, and earning awards.

At the Department of English annual awards ceremony held April 11, Windlan was named as the winner of the Cody Harris Allen Award. Undergraduate and graduate students were celebrated at the ceremony for their scholarly work, creativity, and teaching throughout the 2024-25 academic year.

“I'm so glad she is receiving this attention—it is much deserved,” says Trinyan Mariano, an assistant professor of English and an academic mentor to Windlan. “She is the real deal, an absolute prodigy, and I am excited to see where her path takes her.”

Windlan’s honor, which recognizes an undergraduate student with an outstanding written work, is one of 28 sought-after awards. Her winning essay is titled “Rhetorical Imagery and the Rebranding of Systemic Inequality.” Mariano presented Windlan the award at the ceremony.

“Dr. Mariano is one of those inspiring professors who challenges your thinking and exposes you to some of the best thinkers out there,” Windlan says. “She is an inspiring teacher and scholar, and her guidance has enabled so much of my success.”

Windlan is proud of her project, which she began writing during her first year at FSU. She often returns to it, editing and developing the ideas she first wrote about more than two years ago.

“Ella is a phenomenal young scholar,” Mariano says. “From her freshman year onward, she has pursued cutting-edge research at the intersection of big data, predictive policing, and civil rights, blending insights from sociology, law, and cultural studies to expose how algorithms reshape justice.”

Windlan’s research topic explores the community impact and civil rights implications of predictive policing in Pasco County, Florida, where Windlan grew up, and across the United States.

“My submission was a critical analytical essay that examines the role of rhetorical imagery and ideological state apparatuses obscuring lasting systems of oppression in the U.S.,” Windlan shares, emphasizing her concern for human rights.

Windlan is a third-year student with dual majors in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in international affairs, with a minor in criminal justice. She says the study of rhetoric is an academic passion of hers.

The English faculty at Florida State University is easily my favorite part of the English department. Learning from so many incredible scholars continues to enrich my experiences in and outside of the classroom.

— Ella Windlan

“My essay also critiques how language, metaphors, and imagery, especially as they are used in media and educational institutions, construct racial, gendered, and class-based ‘otherness’ to sustain white hegemony and economic inequality,” she says. “The work engages with both literature and theory.”

Mariano says that Windlan’s ability to apply multiple disciplinary concepts to “trace the invisible threads between code and power” in her study is crucial.

“Ella’s work forces us to ask: Who benefits when algorithms direct police resources? Whose rights are eroded in the name of ‘efficiency’?” Mariano adds. “Her multidisciplinary lens—drawing from criminology, law, and cultural studies—exposes how technology does not predict crime; it defines it."

Mariano still has a role in Windlan’s academic progress.

“Dr. Mariano is everything you could ask for in a mentor and more,” Windlan adds, with appreciation in her voice. “Few professors are as student-forward as she.”

Windlan expresses deep appreciation for the entire English department and everyone who is a part of her education.

“The English faculty at Florida State University is easily my favorite part of the English department,” she shares. “Learning from so many incredible scholars continues to enrich my experiences in and outside of the classroom.”

In addition to Mariano, Windlan says faculty members Assistant Professor Mais Al-Khateeb and Associate Professor Tarez Samra Graban inspire her to succeed. Windlan finds value in every class she takes and loves learning new information, especially from these professors.

“Besides the amazing faculty and staff, I love the interdisciplinary nature of studying literature, rhetoric, language, and media,” Windlan says. “There is nothing quite like the discussion in an English course—I am thoroughly engaged, inspired, and challenged in this department.”

Among many academic accomplishments, Windlan is a Presidential Scholar through FSU’s Honors Program as well as a Social Science Scholar and a Global Scholar. She is an EngageTLH Facilitator for FSU’s Center for Leadership and Service, in addition to being on the center’s Community Ambassador Lead Team.

Since the fall of 2023, Windlan has been on the research staff of FSU’s Center on Better Health and Life for Underserved Populations. She also worked as a research assistant for Graban and her Linked Women Pedagogues Project during the 2022-23 academic year.

Windlan’s academic endeavors continue this summer, as she explores several adventures and experiences.

“I am beyond excited to be joining the Brennan Center for Justice in New York City as a Justice Program Intern, contributing to impactful research and policy work,” Windlan shares, with joy in her voice. “Criminal justice reform is a paramount and pressing issue in the U.S., and I can’t wait to learn from an expert team doing such important work.”

Windlan will also travel to Michigan State University in East Lansing to participate as a judge in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals Tournament, an organization she has been a part of for 14 years, 11 as a participant and three as a volunteer or judge.

“Besides judging and my internship, I am excited to spend time with my friends and family, enjoy the beautiful weather, and hang out in my hometown for two weeks,” Windlan says. Several family members and friends attended the awards ceremony.

With one more academic year to complete before Windlan graduates, Mariano says “Ella is a rising star in academia; a force to be reckoned with.”

“Whether presenting her research at national conferences or conducting first-person interviews, she combines a scholar’s precision with an advocate’s urgency,” she adds. In an era where technology races ahead of ethics, Ella’s work is a vital counterbalance, reminding us that justice can’t be outsourced to an algorithm.”

Click here to read more about the Department of English Awards ceremony and additional winners.

Ellie Johnson is a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in psychology.

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