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From Knightly News to Hollywood: UCF Alumnus Built Artist Management Company Representing Top Comedians and Musicians
A College of Sciences alumnus turned the connections he made in UCF’s TV production program into a Los Angeles-based artist management company helping entertainers grow careers on stage and beyond. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 27, 2026 For Stephen Gordon Walker ’12, success in the entertainment industry begins with embracing what makes you different. After graduating from the then-named Nicholson School of Communication’s TV production […]
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Fulbright Experience in Uzbekistan Opens Doors for Future Global Collaboration
College of Sciences professor’s Fulbright Specialist experience lays the foundation for future collaboration in artificial intelligence, data science and international academic exchange. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 24, 2026 When Hsin-Hsiung “Bill” Huang, professor of statistics and data science, traveled to Uzbekistan this spring as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, the visit represented far more […]
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2 Engineering Professors, 1 Alum Inducted Into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is a state-wide initiative dedicated to honoring and celebrating Florida inventors whose achievements have significantly advanced the quality of life for all Americans. Professor Reza Abdolvand was named an inductee for his contributions to the field of micro-electromechanical systems, which has significant applications in telecommunications, bioengineering and sensor technology. […]
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Psychology Professor Helps Malawi Hospitals Build Sustainable Healthcare Leadership
Through a global healthcare partnership, a UCF researcher trained district hospital leaders in Malawi to improve mental health screening systems and strengthen long-term patient care practices. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 15, 2026 For Professor of Psychology Mark Ehrhart, improving healthcare systems starts with understanding people. As an industrial-organizational psychologist, Ehrhart studies how leadership, workplace […]
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7 Knights Earn 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
What does it take to study how some of the earliest galaxies in the universe evolved, develop cleaner energy technologies or better understand the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth? For a group of seven UCF graduate students and alums, it starts with curiosity and a willingness to explore the unknown. Researchers studying topics ranging […]
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Doctoral Chemistry Student Earns GEM Fellowship for Research in Nuclear Forensics and National Security
From undergraduate researcher to GEM Fellow, a graduate student is building a future in radiochemistry and national security research through UCF. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 13, 2026 Chemistry doctoral student and Graduate Research Assistant Wilfredo Rivera Rodriguez has been selected for the prestigious GEM Fellowship, a nationally recognized graduate fellowship that supports students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields and helps develop future […]
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UCF Students Win Inaugural International Security Strategy Competition
A team of School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs students earned first place for their Arctic security strategy, demonstrating the power of collaboration, critical thinking and real-world problem solving. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 6, 2026 Five College of Sciences students put their national security knowledge to the test and came out on top, earning first place […]
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Using Mechanical Vibrations to Stabilize Quantum Information
Assistant Professor Han Zhao is developing a new method that uses tiny mechanical vibrations and superconducting systems to make quantum operations more resistant to noise and errors, addressing one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing. Supported by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Zhao’s research uses a topological “braiding” […]
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FDLE Relocates Orlando Toxicology Lab to UCF, Strengthening Partnerships and Research
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is deepening its strategic public safety partnership with UCF by embedding experts at the university’s Academic Health Sciences Campus. Relocating FDLE’s toxicology laboratory to the UCF facility in Lake Nona better connects academic-industry research, workforce development and forensic testing in one of the nation’s fastest-growing medical and technology […]
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UCF, Air Force Partnership Expands Opportunities in National Security Research, Student Training
At a time when the United States faces a shortage of trained radiochemists and growing national security demands, UCF is helping prepare the next generation of scientists to meet the challenge. A new educational partnership between UCF and the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) is creating opportunities for research, student training and workforce […]
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What Electric Eels and Knifefish Reveal About the Science of Stealth
UCF researchers discovered that electric eels and their knifefish prey use electric stealth, strategically turning their electric signals on and off to sense their environment while avoiding detection. Field and laboratory data show knifefish go electrically silent when eels are nearby, while eels briefly pause low-voltage signals before striking, minimizing the chance of alerting prey. […]
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UCF Researcher Reveals How Genetic Variation Shapes Sea Turtle Immune System Evolution
Immune responses are essential for survival, allowing animals to fight infections and adapt to disease threats. By studying the genes behind immunity, scientists can better understand how species evolve and persist in changing environments. While immune systems are well studied in mammals and birds, reptiles — particularly sea turtles — remain less explored, leaving critical […]
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Digital Media M.A. Students Earn Recognition for Research and Creative Work
Four students in the Digital Media master’s program at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media are making an impact through publications, international conferences, public outreach and campus awards. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: June 15, 2026 Graduate students in the Digital Media Master of Arts (DMMA) program at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media’s (NSCM) are earning recognition across a wide range of scholarly and creative fields, with recent accomplishments taking them […]
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What I Learned from Rowing Across the Ocean
UCF industrial and organizational psychology doctoral student Andres Käosaar and his team of three fellow Estonians spent three years preparing for the World’s Toughest Row and journeyed as one of 43 boats in the 2025 Atlantic challenge. Read his pre-race feature on UCF Today. They successfully completed their mission of rowing across the Atlantic on […]
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UCF Student Awarded Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship, Advances Research on Florida’s Changing Fisheries
Meredith Pratt, an integrative and conservation biology doctoral student at UCF, earned the prestigious Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship for research on Florida’s changing coastal ecosystems. Her work examines how warming temperatures and expanding mangrove habitats are reshaping fish diets, food webs and species interactions along Florida’s east coast. The findings could inform better management […]
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UCF Grads Score Jobs with FIFA World Cup 2026
Whether leading efforts in media relations, human resources, guest and client services, or venue, business and transportation logistics, UCF grads are powering the operations behind one of the world’s biggest events coming to the United States this summer: the men’s FIFA World Cup. This year’s tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to be […]
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UCF Researcher Helps Define the Future of Nanozymes in Healthcare and Technology
A new study co-led by a UCF researcher highlights how nanozymes — engineered nanomaterials that mimic enzymes — could improve disease detection, targeted therapies and technologies designed for harsh for real-world environments. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: June 1, 2026 Associate Professor of Chemistry Xiaohu Xia is exploring the potential of nanozyme technology in outperforming natural enzymes, proteins that accelerate chemical reactions. The study was published in the journal Nature Reviews Materials. The first author is Shikuan Shao, a postdoctoral researcher at UCF, and […]
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NSCM Journalists Earn Statewide Recognition at Florida News Awards
Students, faculty, and alumni earned top recognition at the Florida News Awards, showcasing impactful journalism. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: May 22, 2026 From statewide investigations to deeply personal human-interest stories, students and alumni from the Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSCM) are proving that meaningful journalism begins with curiosity, persistence and a passion for […]
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New Study Explores How Governance Has Evolved Across History
A newly published study in Science Advances is taking a broader look at how societies have organized power across history, combining archaeological and historical evidence to better understand governance over time. Coauthor Sarah “Stacy” Barber, professor and associate chair for UCF’s Department of Anthropology, says the project was driven in part by the growing availability of archaeological data […]
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UCF Grad’s Mission to Build Pipeline of Young Innovators
Some of the nation’s most promising scientists can be found in Will Furiosi ’13 ’14MAT’s Oviedo High School classroom. Spend five minutes talking to Ankan Das, Angela Calvo-Chumbimuni and Moitri Santra about their research innovations in robotics, mental health and agriculture, and one truth becomes quite clear: These teens are the real deal. Backed by […]
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Natural Chemical Factories: UCF Study Reveals How Bacteria Build Explosive-Like Molecules
Scientists at UCF have discovered how certain bacteria can produce molecules chemically similar to those used in explosives, revealing a previously unknown pathway for building complex, nitrogen-rich compounds. The study, led by UCF associate professor of chemistry Jonathan Caranto, identifies hydrazinoacetic acid as a key building block in the production of N-nitroglycine, a rare compound […]
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Tentacles in Solution: UCF Research Speeds Up DNA Biosensing
Detecting disease in a blood sample. Monitoring contaminants in drinking water. Identifying biological threats before they can spread. DNA biosensors play a critical role in each of these, but many rely on a slow process that can miss fleeting signals or delay results. At UCF, researchers are developing a new approach inspired by squids, octopuses […]
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Cinematography Master Class Pushes UCF Film Students to Embrace Collaboration and Creative Limits
The head of the cinematography department at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Studies shares with students how filmmaking grows through limitation, teamwork and experience. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: April 27, 2026 Students in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSCM) film program gained an inside look at the realities of filmmaking with Tatjana Krstevski, head of the Department of Cinematography at New York University’s (NYU) Tisch School […]
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UCF Researcher Contributes to Antscan, a Global 3D Ant Biodiversity Database
Since the rise of genome sequencing, the field of biology has gained an exponential amount of data and understanding of the building blocks of living organisms. However, documenting phenotypic, or observable, characteristics of organisms has lagged behind due to challenges with technology. To advance knowledge in this area, UCF Assistant Professor of Biology Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo, […]
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College of Sciences Honors Alumni Driving Impact Across Industries at the Distinguished Alumni Awards
The 2026 Distinguished AlumKnight Awards celebrate graduates whose careers are advancing research, strengthening communities and shaping the future. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published April 22, 2026 At the 2026 Distinguished AlumKnight Awards, the College of Sciences (COS) celebrated alumni whose careers demonstrate how knowledge, leadership and service can create lasting change and impact in the Central Florida Community and beyond. The event honored graduates who are not only leaders […]
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Inaugural Gilson Lecture Series Features Oxford Professor on How the Senses Shape Perception
The UCF Department of Psychology hosted its first Richard Gilson distinguished lecture series, featuring University of Oxford professor Charles Spence, who explored how the human brain integrates sensory information and how those connections are shaping research, design and real-world experience. Written by: Ana Hidalgo and Shaloni Prine | April 21, 2026 On April 3, 2026, the UCF Human Factors and Cognitive […]
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UCF Study Suggests Some Alzheimer’s Symptoms May Begin Outside the Brain
UCF researchers have uncovered evidence that some movement-related symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may originate outside the brain, which could change how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future. The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging and was led by UCF Nanoscience Technology Center Professor James Hickman and Research Professor Xiufang “Nadine” Guo. In collaboration with researchers at healthcare tech company Hesperos, the team used lab-grown, human-cell systems designed to […]
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UCF Big Data Analytics Symposium Connects Students to Real-World Impact
Industry leaders, researchers and students gathered for a day of panels, keynotes and networking exploring how data is shaping decisions across transportation, aviation, and workforce sectors. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: April 13, 2026 The 2026 Big Data Analytics Symposium, hosted by the College of Sciences’ School of Data, Mathematical, and Statistical Sciences (SDMSS), brought together students, faculty, alumni, community members and industry professionals for a […]
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UCF Research to Help Inform Statewide Efforts to Stop Domestic Violence and Improve Care for Survivors
Florida is turning to UCF experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give survivors a stronger voice in the services they need. Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty from UCF’s Violence Against Women research cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policymakers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic […]
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Vatican Astronomer Visits America’s Space University
Brother Guy J. Consolmango, S.J., astronomer and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, shared insight on astronomy, exploration and scientific discovery during his recent visit to UCF. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published March 31, 2026 Whether on the campus of America’s Space University or at one of the oldest active astronomical observatories in the world, scientific discovery is shaped both by new ideas and the people who pursue them. UCF students, faculty and researchers […]
