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General Intelligence Won’t Be Enough to Prevent Ecological Disasters, UCF Study Finds
BY ROBERT WELLS High IQs aren’t going to be enough to stop an ecological disaster. It’s going to take social intelligence, too. That’s the conclusion of a new study co-authored by a University of Central Florida researcher and published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications. The findings could help identify why some groups better manage shared […]
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New Deal With Embry-Riddle Brings Drone Expertise to UCF Coastal
UCF Coastal’s research is soaring to new heights through a new partnership with Embry-Riddle’s unmanned aircraft systems program. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University boasts a fleet of drones of all shapes, sizes and capabilities, and brings extensive expertise to bear as one of only a few universities in the U.S. offering a bachelor’s in unmanned aviation. […]
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Physics Assistant Professor Named UCF’s First Sloane Research Fellow
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Xiaofeng Feng has been named a Sloan Research Fellow, the first for the University of Central Florida. The award recognizes early career scientists that demonstrate high promise. Past Sloan Research Fellows have gone on to do big things. Collectively they have received 47 Nobel Prizes, 17 Fields Medals in mathematics, 69 […]
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Nine COS Students Receive Prestigious Order of Pegasus
Nine students from the College of Sciences are recipients of Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. The 2019 recipients were selected from a pool of 77 nominations. Undergraduate students are chosen for Order of Pegasus each year based on their outstanding achievement in the areas of academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community […]
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Peer-Reviewed Papers Give Students Edge For Post-Graduation Careers
After taking their mentor’s advice, two UCF students have seen new opportunities open following the publication of their first peer-reviewed research papers. Yaser Ahmad, a junior biomedical sciences major, and Kristyna Ceuninck, an anthropology Master’s student, both published peer-reviewed papers in Clinical Anatomy about unilateral cleft lip and palate, or UCLP. Helping them along […]
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UCF Film Professor Plays Huge Role in African-American Cinema Past and Future
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Anthony Major, an associate professor of film at UCF, has spent more than four decades creating films that depict slices of the African-American experience in the United States. As an actor, producer, director, documentary filmmaker and professor, Major has worked with well-known actors such as Brad Pitt, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Redd […]
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Pre-Vet Student Find Purpose in Passion For Animals
There’s the cute and cuddly side of working with animals. And then there’s catheterization and necropsies. “I love both,” says Rebekah Sartori, a pre-vet Senior. “The first time I put on sterile gloves and watched a surgery I got so excited.” Her four years at UCF are just one chapter in what she plans […]
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Artist Brings Perspective On Iraqi Turmoil
On Feb. 1, 2019, Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) and School of Visual Arts and Design hosted a guest lecture by Berlin-based, internationally renowned artist Hiwa K. Born and raised in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Hiwa K’s award-winning work has been internationally exhibited in venues such as Manifesta 7 (2008), the Venice Biennale (2015), and […]
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GIS Academy Gives Teachers Hands-On Experience
By Bo Yang, Ph.D. Citizen Science GIS Teacher Academy successfully taught teachers about maps, apps and drones at a special event at UCF’s Research Park on Feb. 2. In the first session on Geospatial Technologies for Community Engagement, teachers received an overview of some of the ways to engage students with these technologies, and challenged […]
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What It’s Like to Compete at the Westminster Dog Show
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER Dan Strachan ’85 first got into the Westminster ring 10 years ago. Now he’s showing at the competition for the third time with experience from 300 shows. In a few days, nearly 3,000 top dogs will gather in New York for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to find out who is […]
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Nicholson Graduate Teaching Assistant Wins Miss UCF 2019
By Rachel Smith Graduate communication major Keyera Lyn came out on top and was voted the winner of the Miss UCF 2019 Scholarship Pageant Saturday night in the Student Union’s Pegasus Grand Ballroom. Lyn, a graduate teaching assistant for the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, beat out 13 other contestants to win the title […]
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Forensic Database Opens New Opportunities To Capture Sexual Assailants
Researchers from the University of Central Florida are a step closer to giving law enforcement officials a new tool to help track down rapists and other sexual offenders. Forensic scientist Candice Bridge, Ph.D., has spent the past two years leading a team in the development of a database detailing the chemical makeup of common […]
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Veteran Policymaker To Discuss Growing U.S.-India Relationship
Former Deputy Secretary of State Manpreet Singh Anand will visit the University of Central Florida as a guest of the India Center. Singh will participate in a series of events for students, faculty and members of the community. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, he will give a talk title: “Examining the U.S.-India Relationship: Growth, Opportunities & […]
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Alumnus Shapes World With Law Degree
The law can be a powerful tool in the right hands. Matthew Goodison-Orr has directly discovered this as an attorney who has helped both the socially disadvantaged and veteran communities. But those rewarding moments almost didn’t happen. “I had a vague idea of wanting to help people by pursuing a legal career,” Goodison-Orr said. “But […]
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Ambassador Shines Light on Middle East Challenges
On Jan. 24, Ambassador Eric S. Edelman, Ph.D., presented a puzzle to an audience of about 70 people: For an American public weary of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, why has U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to withdraw troops from Syria received such a negative response? In an event titled “Managing Turmoil in […]
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Voiceless Find Community and Hope In Aphasia Choir
Robert Rosich is in the middle of naming the songs he performed with his friends over Christmas when the words get stuck in his throat. It’s a familiar sensation for Rosich, who has relearned to speak after surviving two strokes. But this time the words just won’t come out. So he tries a different […]
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Swedish Study Abroad Opportunity Now Open to Students
UCF and Malmö University (MU) have recently signed a student exchange agreement, opening the opportunity for UCF students to spend a fall semester at Malmö University. In an effort to boost existing linkages and establish research cooperation between these universities, a UCF faculty member recently visited MU. Güneş Murat Tezcür, Jalal Talabani Chair and Professor […]
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Taking Risks Translates Into Rewarding Career For PoliSci Graduate
Fausto Cardenas, ’18, said it was the risks they took as a UCF student that taught them the road to change is built on taking chances. Born in Ecuador, Cardenas moved to the U.S. with their mother at age 4. Cardenas said their mother always had at least two jobs to support them during […]
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Former U.S. Ambassador To Share Middle East Perspectives
Conflicting news about the Middle East can be puzzling. Is ISIS really defeated in Syria? Is Turkey still a U.S. ally? What’s happened to the nuclear deal with Iran? Ambassador Eric S. Edelman will draw from his experience as U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Finland, and as […]
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PoliSci Student Among Glamour Magazine’s Top 10 College Women
A UCF senior’s advocacy for undocumented minors has earned her a spot as one of Glamour Magazine’s 10 College Women of the Year for 2018. Karen Caudillo’s tearful interview with the Guardian newspaper after a Capitol Hill hearing went viral when it was broadcast on social media, including to NowThis’ 14 million Facebook followers. Caudillo […]
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UCF Researchers Investigate New Lead in Mysterious Sea Turtle Disease
By Robert Wells Scientists at the University of Central Florida are zeroing in on a new clue to understand a mysterious disease that affects about half of the sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon. The infectious disease, known as fibropapillomatosis, causes tumors to grow inside and outside of sea turtles’ bodies. While the tumors […]
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Alumnus Shows Versatility of Anthropology Degree
Anthropology and nuclear physics seem worlds apart, but Brian Smith proves that’s not the case. As an Orlando native, Smith had been around UCF his whole life. Ultimately, the university’s growing campus and reputation encouraged him to pursue his education here. “For me, it was exciting to be on the ground floor of a revolutionary […]
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Gizmodo Taps Anthro Prof for Take On Dangerous Food
Quick. What’s a hefty fruit that can not only kill you with the wicked one-inch thorns on its thick exterior, but is so sulfurous on the inside that eating high concentrations could also prove lethal? If you guessed Southeast Asia’s durian fruit, you’re right. It was also Ty Matejowsky’s choice when he was approached by […]
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Botany Class Takes Students Outside Classroom
We walk by them every day, but most of us would be hard-pressed to identify, much less scientifically classify, the trees and flowers we see. Elizabeth Harris calls it “plant blindness.” “Our goal was to get students outside and actually open their eyes to what’s in their environment,” said Harris, Ph.D., a Biology associate […]
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Bottle Collection Sparks Lifelong Passion for Archaeology
Amanda Groff was certain in high school she had found the lost city of Atlantis. It was plotted on a map right next to all the ancient sites she would visit as a future archaeologist. “I was fortunate to grow up with a lot of curiosity in me. And I was doubly fortunate to […]
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Fall ’18 Ph.D. Graduates Honored At Reception
Seventeen students graduating with their doctorate degrees were honored at a reception Thursday. Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., along with the students’ faculty advisors and family celebrated the graduation with individual recognition and a champagne toast. Click here to view the full gallery of photos. The students are: Physics Daniel Bonior, Ph.D., faculty advisor, Eduardo […]
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Research Builds Molecular Profile of Proteins Linked to Alzheimer’s
In the search for a cause and cure for Alzheimer’s, it’s key to fully understand your suspects. That’s the objective of a joint research project between the colleges of Sciences and Medicine, which is focusing on the proteins commonly found in the brains of people with the neurodegenerative disease. Certain proteins and their shorter versions, […]
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Student Physics Club Gains National Recognition
The National Society of Physics Students has recognized the UCF chapter as an Outstanding Chapter for the 2017-18 year. Faculty Advisor Costas Efthimiou, Ph.D., credits a dedicated student leadership team and a diverse, dynamic schedule of events throughout the year for the recognition. “It’s a great honor,” Costas said. “This is our first full year […]
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UCF Research Flies Aboard 1st Virgin Galactic Space Flight
By ROBERT WELLS Virgin Galactic launched its first rocket into space today carrying a crew of two along with NASA-supported research projects, including one from the University of Central Florida. “It’s always exciting when you have something about to go up on a rocket,” says Joshua Colwell, a UCF physics professor whose research was […]
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Graduating Venezuelan Transfer Student Inspired to Start Nonprofit
By NICOLE DUDENHOFFER Nearing the end of any collegiate journey is typically a joyous time for most students. After years of juggling classes, working on projects and studying for exams, the end goal — a degree and chance at a better future — is within sight. However in 2016, when clinical psychology major Jennifer Martinez de […]