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STEM Day at UCF
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 […]
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Arbor Day Continues at UCF Arboretum
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 […]
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UCF Alumnus Wild about Biology
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 […]
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A Savage World for Frogs
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 […]
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UCF Used Green Thumb this St. Patrick’s Day
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 […]
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Service Learning with Nanoscience
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 […]
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College of Sciences Recognizes its Newest Group of Outstanding AlumKnights
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 […]
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Bill Nye Comes to UCF
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 […]
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Florida Declared a Global Biodiversity Hotspot
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 […]
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UCF Research Steals the Show
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 […]
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Order of Pegasus Class of 2016
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 […]
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Faculty Cluster Pursues Coastal Sustainability
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 […]
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UCF Meets the Conservation Challenge
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 […]
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Biology Student Makes Waves with Research
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 […]
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Joshua King
Growing up in a rural community in New England, Joshua King, Ph.D., entomologist and associate professor in the Department of Biology, began his exploration in the life sciences as many children do: outdoors. With a voracious curiosity, King developed a hobby of observing and collecting insects. Inspired by the support and encouragement of his high […]
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New COS Associate Dean
The College of Sciences is pleased to announce that Florian Jentsch, Ph.D., has accepted the offer to become Associate Dean, the position that he has been holding on an interim basis. He will be responsible for overseeing research, facilities, and faculty development. Dr. Jentsch is a Professor of Psychology with a joint appointment in the Department […]
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Satellites Show Florida Beaches Becoming Darker, and That’s Good for Sea Turtles
Newly published research that started as a high school science project confirms that the density of sea turtle nests on Florida beaches is reduced where artificial lights along the coast deter nesting females. But the data also show that the network of sea turtle-friendly lighting ordinances along Florida’s coast seems to be working. “It’s a […]
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Presenting Sea Turtles in Peru
CENTRAL FLORIDA FUTURE – Isabelle D’Antonio, Contributing Writer In February 2016, hundreds of sea turtle enthusiasts and researchers from around the world will gather in Lima, Peru, for the 36th annual International Sea Turtle Symposium to present their research and discuss conservation efforts. This year, junior Abigail Hudak, UCF biology major, will be one of […]
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Spring 2017 Study Abroad Fair
Study abroad Spring 2017 applications are now available. Join UCF Abroad at their Spring Study Abroad Fair Thursday, January 21, from 10 AM – 2 PM in front of the Student Union. Come and learn about the multiple programs offered in many disciplines in countries around the world. Political Science students have the opportunity to study for a semester […]
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UCF Arboretum Fall Harvest Feast
The UCF Arboretum held its 5th annual Fall Harvest Feast Celebration December 3 and 4 on UCF main campus. This two day event aimed to increase community cohesion, education, nutrition, and appreciation. The first day, Thursday, Dec 3, was a day of harvest, where participants collected one or two ingredients from the UCF Arboretum’s garden […]
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UCF Zoologist Stars in Smithsonian Documentary
ORLANDO, Nov. 4, 2015 — UCF zoologist William Crampton, Ph.D., braves the Amazon River to uncover the secrets of electric fish as part of a new documentary airing on the Smithsonian Channel on Nov. 9 and 22. Dr. Crampton is a world expert on electric eels and knifefish and has spent years studying the creatures […]
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Cheers to Ten Years
This October marked ten years since the UCF College of Arts and Sciences was divided into the College of Arts and Humanities and the College of Sciences in 2005. In honor of its anniversary, the UCF College of Sciences held a special reception for faculty and staff on Friday, October 30th. The open-house event was […]
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Black & Gold Professional Achievement
James Rosengren, ’81 | Founder/Chairman/CEO, Heritage Health Solutions Inc. The UCF Alumni Association and College of Sciences presented their 2015 Professional Achievement Award to James Rosengren, ’81, at the annual Black & Gold Gala on Oct. 22. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from UCF, Jim went on to earn his master’s degree in […]
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Sunscreen’s Hidden Hazards
Lathering up with sunscreen may prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it is also killing coral reefs around the world. That’s the conclusion of a team of international scientists, which includes UCF associate professor of biological sciences and diving enthusiast John Fauth, Ph.D. The researchers found that oxybenzone, a common UV-filtering compound, is in […]
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The College of Sciences Celebrates 10 Years with #COSTurns10
Ten years is not a long time compared to the 52 years as the University of Central Florida. However, in the past ten years the College of Sciences has grown significantly in enrollment, undergraduate and graduate programs, majors, partnerships and overall opportunities for students, alumni, and faculty. Today, the UCF College of Sciences is the largest college […]
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UCF Bear Brigade
The UCF Bear Brigade, a new pilot educational program to teach ecological concepts to fourth- and fifth-grade students, will visit six Orange and Seminole County elementary schools by the end of this month to foster a greater interest in the subject at an early age. To effectively teach conservation and other environmental concepts, organizers said […]
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COS Knights Give Back Through Oyster Restoration
On Saturday, October 3, Volunteer UCF held its annual day of service, Knights Give Back. The UCF College of Sciences Alumni Chapter and Linda Walters, Ph.D., professor in the UCF Department of Biology, held one of several service projects, bringing 100 UCF students and alumni volunteers together for an important cause. Volunteers gathered at […]
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UCF College of Sciences Honors 2015-16 Scholarship Donors and Recipients
On September 25, the UCF College of Sciences held its third annual Scholarship Luncheon to celebrate its supportive donors and accomplished student scholarship recipients for the 2015-16 academic year. This year the college celebrated awarding 46 scholarships, totaling $94,050 in scholarship aid. The event provided a unique opportunity for scholarship recipients to have lunch with […]
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2015 College Showcase
On September 19th, the College of Sciences participated in College Showcase 2015 which was an event hosted during Family Weekend 2015. The College of Sciences was among the many participating colleges. The COS showcase included displays by the UCF Department of Physics, UCF Department of Biology, and UCF College of Sciences Academic Services. Other colleges participated, including […]
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Record Year for UCF Marine Turtle Research Group
Green sea turtles have had their highs and their lows. Before being commercially harvested for hundreds of years, green sea turtles used to be a typical sight in the Atlantic, but now they are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in multiple locations across the globe. Even with being one of the first species to have federal regulations protecting them, green […]