Story by UCF Today The following message is from President John C. Hitt: Orlando was attacked today. How painful, frightening, and infuriating it is to write that sentence. As President Obama said, this was “an attack on all of us, and on the fundamental values of equality and dignity that define us as a country.” […]
UCF Biology alumna and former UCF Arboretum employee, Tina Richards, ’06, ’13, embraced her passion for the environment at UCF. From her instrumental role in the growth of the UCF Arboretum to becoming a full-time biologist, Richard’s path to success can be traced back to her time spent at UCF. In 2006, Richards received her […]
Jennifer Elliot, coordinator of the UCF Arboretum, was featured as June’s faculty spotlight by the UCF Sustainability Initiatives. As an advocate for sustainability at UCF through her work at the arboretum, Elliot shares the same goal with UCF Sustainability Initiatives of pursuing environmental, economic and social sustainability. Q: What does Sustainability mean to you? A: […]
Undergraduate students in the UCF Biology Department will soon be able to concentrate in specific subjects with their degree. Starting this fall, tracks will be offered within the UCF biology degree. While in the past, students could focus in subject areas informally by taking certain elective classes, this new addition allows students to be formally […]
In a recent blog post featured by NPR’s ‘Car Talk,’ Kieran Lindsey, Ph.D., highlights a UCF Department of Biology research team’s mission to determine the effectiveness of linking Roadside Animal Detection Systems (RADS) with various types of warning signs. This research team includes biology doctoral student Molly Grace, Pegasus Professor Reed Noss, Ph.D., and Research Associate Daniel Smith, […]
The UCF College of Sciences continued the tradition of honoring its graduates with a post-ceremony reception jointly hosted by the college and its academic departments. The reception was held in the UCF Psychology building immediately following the college’s spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 6, 2016. More than 1,200 College of Sciences’ graduates walked at […]
By Jonathan Gabriel Monday, May 9, 2016 The first time biology associate professor Barb Sharanowski, Ph.D., encountered insects, they terrified her. “When I was a kid in Ontario, Canada, my older brother used to throw them at me – gosh, it was just basically torture,” she said. “But as I grew older I overcame that […]
UCF Biology student Matthew Rudolph, 31, always knew he wanted a career that involved animals, but he never envisioned using tiny honeybees to help save the world’s largest land mammal. Still, that’s exactly what Rudolph has been doing for the past six months, working alongside a team of international researchers in Kenya to build fences […]
The College of Sciences is proud to announce the 2015-2016 winners for the Teaching Incentive Program and Research Incentive Award. Each year, UCF’s Academic Affairs’ Office of Faculty Excellence gives incentive awards to outstanding faculty for their dedication to teaching, research and scholarship. Every award winner, whether holding a nine or 12 month contract, is given […]
Three UCF biology students, Hollis Dahn, Alejandra Osorio, and Jason Stickland, participated at the annual Southwestern Association of Naturalists (SWAN) meeting in Mexico City from April 14-17. Hollis, Alejandra, and Jason all work in Biology Professor Chris Parkinson’s, Ph.D., laboratory. The Parkinson Lab focuses on evolution, systematics, and conservation of reptiles. Graduating senior Hollis Dahn, was […]
The UCF Biology Department is proud to have multiple students participating in competitive research experiences this summer across the nation. These Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) support active research participation of students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Michelle Gaynor – Junior, Biology Michelle was awarded one […]
Promotion is a mark of accomplishment and a gratifying recognition from one’s peers. Because of their hard work and dedication, the following College of Sciences faculty and staff members have been promoted or have earned tenure this year. Promotion to Professor Emeritus/Emerita Ida Cook, Ph.D. – Sociology Robert Dipboye, Ph.D. – Psychology Promotion […]
The UCF College of Graduate Studies recognized graduate students and faculty for excellence in research, teaching and mentoring at an awards ceremony during the 13th Annual Graduate Research Forum on April 5, 2016. Each year the Graduate Council Program Review and Awards Committee reviews college nominations and recognizes graduate students for the University Graduate Awards […]
Student Research Week celebrates the research and creative projects of UCF undergraduate and graduate students. From April 4 through April 7, graduate and undergraduate students attended workshops, presented research, developed research skills, and met with researchers. On April 5 and April 7, students from all disciplines, shared their research with the UCF community at the annual Graduate […]
Born and raised in Stuart, Florida, Clay Scherer, ’94, is a third generation Floridian. Growing up in one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world, he enjoyed the outdoors and developed an appreciation for nature. Clay and his wife Juliann recognize the importance of natural history in today’s education of biologists and want to make sure […]
All of the students in UCF Biology professor Linda Walters’, Ph.D., advanced marine biology course were winners at the 2016 UCF Service-Learning Showcase on Thursday, April 14. The team, dubbed the “Microterrors,” conducted research on microplastic abundance and diversity on Central Florida beaches and estuaries and then presented this research to Ms. Tricia LaChance’s fifth […]
On Friday, April 8, more than one thousand students from the Central Florida area spilled on to UCF campus for STEM day. STEM day is a bi-annual outreach event for K-12 students interested in learning more about the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The day featured a wide variety of activities focused on STEM […]
Story by Mark Schlueb, UCF Today Thirty students from Oak Ridge High School – a Title I school that serves an economically disadvantaged population – visited the UCF Arboretum on Friday, April 8 to learn about the value of urban trees and conservation. Representatives of the university’s Arboretum and Department of Landscape and Natural Resources […]
The UCF College of Sciences’ 2016 Outstanding Biology AlumKnight, Dr. David Breininger, ’09, serves as a Wildlife Biologist with the Ecology Program at the Kennedy Space Center. There, he conducts research on endangered species, habitat and ecosystem dynamics to support adaptive management and develop strategies for restoration, and habitat management. Recently, Dr. Breininger has been […]
UCF biologist Anna Savage, Ph.D., is obsessed with frogs and figuring out why they are dying at an unprecedented rate around the world. Her latest research, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that natural selection as well as other evolutionary forces have shaped the evolution of immune genes in […]
This St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2016, UCF volunteers gathered to celebrate UCF’s trees in recognition of Arbor Day. UCF Landscape and Natural Resources and the Arboretum hosted the Arbor Day event by leading volunteers through a planting and learning experience. National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day […]
A new minor in the rapidly advancing field of nanoscience is now available for University of Central Florida undergraduates. Nanoscience is the study of materials on the nanometer scale. That’s exceedingly small – a sheet of paper is about 75,000 nanometers thick. At the nanoscale, materials can exhibit unusual properties that scientists have put to […]
On March 3, the UCF College of Sciences and its alumni chapter hosted their second annual Outstanding AlumKnights awards ceremony. The college’s dean, Michael Johnson, hosted this year’s festivities, which took place in the Grand Ballroom of the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center, where guests enjoyed music, cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a photo booth, in addition to […]
Get your bow ties ready because Bill Nye is coming to UCF! Students, faculty and staff are invited to spend “An Afternoon with Bill Nye,” popularly known as “The Science Guy,” on March 15, 2016. Nye won America’s heart as the star of the live-action educational comedy that aired on PBS from 1993-1998. He famously […]
The North American Coastal Plain – the low-lying land stretching from Texas to Florida to New England – was recently named the 36th biodiversity hotspot in the world, highlighting the importance of this region, but signaling concerns over threats to the plant and animal life there. UCF Biology professor, Reed Noss, Ph.D., was the lead […]
The spotlight was on UCF at the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium (IRLS). On Feb. 11-12, the Indian River Lagoon and their sponsors held the Indian River Lagoon Symposium at the Johnson Education Center, FAU Harbor Branch, in Fort Pierce, Florida. This year’s theme was Indian River Lagoon: Linking Research with Management. The goals of this […]
20 students have received the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s most prominent student award and six out of those 20 students representing the College of Sciences. The Order of Pegasus recognizes exemplary performance by undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of academic achievement, outstanding university involvement, leadership and community service. Because of the breadth of accomplishments required for this […]
Coastal systems research will soon evolve beyond its typical limits by integrating an interdisciplinary focus in a new collective opportunity. To no surprise, coastal systems research is vital to the state of Florida, given that its well-being maintains the economy and environment. The University of Central Florida’s faculty has recognized these stresses and has taken […]
On Feb. 9–12, a group of UCF faculty, staff, and graduate students from the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) attended the 3rd Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting, hosted by the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network in Mobile, Alabama. Two UCF faculty members and one research associate gave oral presentations, and one Ph.D. student presented a poster. The theme of this years meeting was […]
Congratulations to UCF biology major, Lacie Anderson, for her accomplishment as the February recipient of the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award (DURA). Each month, one student is rewarded for their time and effort spent researching a subject of their choice. During their research, students work with a mentor that guides and helps them during the process. With their […]