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Haiti Trip Confirms Career Path For Pre-Med Student
It’s one thing to dream of one day serving a disadvantaged community. And then there’s actually doing it. Javier Cintron recently had the opportunity to test drive his career goals with a weeklong trip to an impoverished community in Haiti. UCF has had a permanent presence in the rural mountain village of Mare-Brignol through a […]
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COS Faculty and Students Recognized for Outstanding Achievements at Founders’ Day Convocation
The dedication and high quality of instruction provided daily by College of Sciences (COS) faculty was recognized recently at the 2019 Founders’ Day Convocation. COS students were also praised for their outstanding academic work. Multiple faculty received awards for their contributions to teaching and research at UCF. They are: College Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate […]
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Book Explores Treatment of Mentally Ill in Mexico
The attitudes toward mental illness, treatment options and overall quality of living at a Mexican hospital for the mentally ill provide a microcosm of Mexico’s overall attitude toward the mentally ill, according to a book by Beatriz Reyes-Foster, Ph.D., an associate professor of anthropology. “The question that guided my work is ‘What can we […]
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Compelling Research on Disabilities in Ancient Cultures
A new article in Science Magazine includes a UCF anthropology professor’s research into attitudes ancient civilizations had toward people with conditions like dwarfism and cleft palates. The article reports on research presented at the first Workshop on Ancient Rare Diseases, which was hosted in Berlin, Germany. Overwhelmingly, scientists challenged the conventional view that people with […]
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17 College of Sciences Alumni Win 30 Under 30
Seventeen College of Sciences graduates were among the winners of UCF Alumni’s 30 Under 30 Awards. “Our 2019 30 under 30 recipients are extraordinary examples of what it means to represent UCF with pride,” says Jazmine Rodriguez ’10 ’12 , chair of UCF’s Young Alumni Council. “The impact this group has made in the world […]
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Seven COS Faculty Among UCF’s 2019 Women’s History Month Awardees
BY FACULTY EXCELLENCE UCF Faculty Excellence has chosen 31 women to honor during Women’s History Month, which begins today. The national observance was started in 1981 to recognize women who have shown a commitment to humanity and our planet. At UCF, these women have helped shape the university from its beginnings until today. For more […]
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UCF Researchers Uncover Florida’s Past Before It’s Lost to the Sea
BY ROBERT WELLS As Florida’s Space Coast moves into the future, University of Central Florida archaeologists are taking a look back at some of the historic sites there before they succumb to erosion and rising seas. “People don’t realize how interesting it is and how valuable it is for our institutional and social memory to […]
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Summer Internship Opportunities
As the temperature gets warmer, we’re all thinking about summer plans. An internship or study abroad program can be a great opportunity for students to gain real-life experience in their field of study and travel to a new place. Here are a few with upcoming deadlines: EEOP Internships Application Due: February 25, 2019 Internship Period: […]
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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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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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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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Archaeology Is Family Affair For Husband-Wife Team
Some couples meet on a blind date, or get together through matchmaker friends. Others connect in in the Guatemalan jungle while studying pre-Columbian ruins. “Yeah, our story is a little atypical,” laughs Brigitte Kovacevich, Ph.D., who teaches along with her husband, Michael Callaghan, Ph.D., in the Anthropology Department. The couple became friends as students at Vanderbilt […]
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Bolivian Mud Could Be Key To Unlocking Ancient Agriculture
A group of Anthropology researchers are counting on some dirty work to unlock the secrets of past civilizations. More specifically, they’re studying Amazonian mud, carefully extracted from a Bolivian swamp and transported back to a laboratory on UCF’s campus. Their goal is to date the pollen and other biological sediments layered in close to five […]
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COS Alumni Recognized For Career Achievements
Ten College of Sciences alumni were recognized Thursday for their career achievements at the 2018-19 Distinguished Alumni Awards. “Tonight’s awardees were selected based on their professional achievement, exceptional community service and reflection of the college’s mission to expand knowledge in the sciences, mathematical sciences, and communications,” COS Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., told the audience gathered […]
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Anthropology Online Program Ranks No. 1 in Country
BestColleges.com has ranked the Anthropology Department’s online program No. 1 in the U.S. Anthropology’s fully online major became available to students during the 2016-17 academic year. In just two years the number of anthropology majors pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in anthropology has grown from 3 percent to 15 percent. The BestColleges.com ranking is a […]
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The 2018-19 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back for its fifth edition. Starting in September, six speakers will present on new technology and research in their respective fields. The 2018-2019 series will be held monthly (excluding November and December) at the Tuscawilla Country Club from September 2018 to April 2019 at […]
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International Study Suggests Ancient Globalization
Using energy consumption as a measure, a team of international scientists has found that ancient civilizations engaged in globalization more than previously believed, suggesting that an integrated global economy is nothing new and may have benefited societies for ages. This archaeological research is the first of its kind, because instead of focusing on specific regions […]
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Digging Up Rosewood
Anthropology visiting lecturer Edward Gonzalez-Tennant, Ph.D., spent the last decade of his life researching what happened almost a century ago in Rosewood, Florida. The recent release of his book, The Rosewood Massacre: An Archaeology and History of Intersectional Violence, and the last remaining house from Rosewood that was just put on the market, have brought the town […]
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Untraditional Path to Traditional Medicine
Alumna Uma Ramoutar is making history. She’s one of just 50 students selected for the first class of the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). Initially a biology major with a psychology minor, Ramoutar chose a different path to medical school in search of a broader education. “Though […]
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Researching the Ever-Changing Tampa Bay
Jaime Rogers, a master’s anthropology student, received $1,700 in grants from the Florida Anthropological Society and the Florida Archaeological Council to fund his research. “I am grateful that my research was recognized as being interesting enough to fund,” Rogers said. “There are some great research projects going on in Florida archaeology right now, and that […]
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First-Generation Student’s First Research Fellowship
Stefani Hammond received a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to work alongside anthropology Assistant Professor John Starbuck, Ph.D., in his lab this summer. As a first-generation student putting herself through school, she is thankful for this opportunity. “Being awarded this fellowship means a lot to me in many different ways,” Hammond said. “As an undergraduate […]
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Congratulations to the 2018 30 Under 30!
Last Friday, May 19, UCF Alumni hosted an award ceremony to recognize the 30 Under 30 alumni who have made an impact within their professions, communities and the university in the early stages of their careers. Eleven of the honored students are from the College of Sciences. Congratulations, alumni! Yazen Abdin ’12 Psychology Yazen […]
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Student Combines Biology and Anthropology
Javier Cintron is no stranger to student research. He’s been tackling problems alongside John Starbuck, Ph.D., this year, but now he has received a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) that will allow him to continue working this summer in Starbuck’s lab. “It is encouraging to be accepted into a program like this because it means […]
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11 Students Honored For Women’s History Month
The College of Sciences is proud of our 11 female students who were recognized as outstanding student leaders for Women’s History Month. Congratulations to the awardees! Sarah Davenport, Anthropology “Seek positive mentorship. Mentorship from the McNair Program and my faculty mentor are the reasons why I have been able to achieve and exceed my […]
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Online Education Leads to Studying Abroad
College education doesn’t need to be defined by four walls and a weekly classroom setting, just ask Kristine Carlos. Carlos is a UCF student taking only online classes while studying cultural anthropology, and she has not once let her learning be confined to a desk or to a computer. Instead, she takes her education across […]
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National Coastal Center Launches at UCF
UCF has launched a national research center focused on finding big-picture solutions to threats facing coastal communities. In 2017, federal and local governments in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico spent more than $284 billion to deal with the impact of hurricanes and flooding, according to NOAA. “There’s a perfect storm coming,” said Graham Worthy, UCF biologist […]
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Anthropology Sets the Path for Med School
Undergraduate anthropology student Shelby Lucia works with John Starbuck, Ph.D., to combine her passions of medicine and anthropology. Her research in his lab focuses on the facial morphology of the brain and skull, particularly in children with Down syndrome. Lucia catalogs CT and MRI image scans provided by Florida Hospital by noting important regions such […]
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Another Side of Anthropology: Infants and Children
Not many anthropologists focus on infants and children when they research the past, but UCF bioarchaeologist Sandra Wheeler, Ph.D., does just that. She investigates the burial practices of ancient cultures and the archaeological contexts surrounding death and burial, creating an image of how society treated their youth and infants. She works with skeletal and mortuary […]