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Biology student wins research competition
Sara Bolivar Wagers, UCF Biology student, attended the Minority Access’ 13th National Role Models Conference and participated in the Student Research Presentations. Wagers placed third under the Biomedical Research Section and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She has received attention and praise from UCF professors for her hard work and dedication. Early this year, Wagers […]
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Secret of success in large classrooms is village of support
People often cringe when they hear about high student-to-faculty ratios and the size of some undergraduate classes. While I agree that the University of Central Florida’s number of faculty is desperately in need of a large infusion, I do not agree that large classes are the hallmark of an educational system lacking in quality and […]
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COS celebrates diversity and helps Knights Pantry
The College of Sciences and the UCF Community celebrated diversity Monday morning at the annual UCF Diversity Breakfast. As a sponsor, the College of Sciences had several members present including but not limited to Teresa Dorman, COS Assistant Dean, Talat Rahman from Physics, Jeff Cassisi from Psychology, Nicole Jobson from the Lou Frey Institute, Danielle […]
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Knights Give Back this weekend
Be a part of a UCF tradition like no other! Knights Give Back is UCF’s official campus wide day of service and is celebrating its 6th year of bringing student, faculty, staff and alumni together in the spirit of service to others. This year we will be celebrating Knights Give Back on Saturday, October 20 […]
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NSF awards UCF $1.8 million to recruit freshmen into STEM majors
The National Science Foundation is investing $1.8 million in a University of Central Florida researcher’s project to recruit students into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs by incorporating career planning as soon as they begin classes at the university. The project is banking on the notion that there are many future scientists and engineers […]
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Dinner date with a scientist
Imagine enjoying dinner and participating in a lively discussion with cutting-edge scientists about the ways lasers and nanoprobes are used in medical treatment, the impact of runoff water on the marine ecology, asteroids and their connection to the planet’s building blocks or the latest discoveries from a Mayan dig in Belize. It happens the first […]
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New turtle tracking technique may aid efforts to save loggerheads
The old adage “you are what you eat” is helping scientists better understand the threatened loggerhead turtle, which is the primary nester on Central Florida’s beaches. A study published today in the journal PLOS ONE describes how scientists at the University of Central Florida used a technique that links chemical signatures of the turtles’ diets […]
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COS goes green with 2012 Open House
The College of Sciences welcomed students, families, faculty, staff and members of the public to their fifth annual Open House Saturday, September 15. In an effort to improve the environment, the College of Sciences made the tradition a green event this year. Guests and volunteers had the opportunity to plant mangrove plants and build oyster mats […]
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College of Sciences hosts ecological open house
Students and parents fought the rain and teamed up with UCF Saturday in an effort to go green during the fifth annual College of Sciences open house. The College of Sciences hosted the event where students had the opportunity to better the environment by planting mangrove plants and building oyster mats that will later be […]
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Biology student wins scholarship
Sara Bolivar Wagers, UCF biology student, was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship for books and tuition from the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund. She will attend an award ceremony at Disney World in October to receive a certificate. “When I received the great news that I had earned this specific scholarship I couldn’t believe it, tears definitely came […]
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Sea-turtle research on heat’s effect on eggs may aid conservation
Canaveral National Seashore and neighboring beaches in Central Florida are reporting record numbers of loggerhead sea-turtle nests, a promising change from a decade-long drop. But now a new threat is looming: rising temperatures. Summer temperatures are slowly increasing at Canaveral. This could mean trouble especially for the male of the species, which is already at a […]
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Biology student starts UCF with National Merit Scholar scholarship
Jenny Ho, a recent Central High School graduate, has started UCF, majoring in Biology, with a $64,000 National Merit Scholar scholarship. Honors and success are nothing new to Ho. As a junior, she represented Hernando County as its Sunshine State scholar because of her heavy STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) course load. “I’m a real active […]
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UCF alum shares his story about being first openly gay legislator in the history of Florida
David Richardson, a 55-year-old forensic accountant and political newcomer, says he’s comfortable having made Florida history on election night. “I am the first openly gay legislator in the history of Florida. And forever will be,” said Richardson, who defeated three other candidates to represent state House District 113 in Miami Beach. Richardson grew up in […]
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Congratulations COS staff on all of your hard work
The Dean and the College of Sciences would like to congratulate staff on their loyal service. The event this year to honor these employees is being held today, Tuesday, August 14 at 3pm in the UCF Arena. Please try to attend and be sure to take a moment to congratulate your colleagues. Staff Service Awards […]
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UCF needs a Marine Turtle Biologist
The Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications for an open rank, tenure earning or tenured position with preference toward the Associate or Full Professor rank. Successful candidates must have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and a demonstrated ability to establish and maintain a vigorous, extramurally-funded research program in […]
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Save the Date: UCF Grad Fair
Individuals with a graduate degree earn about 30% more annually than individuals with a baccalaureate degree alone, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau study. If you are interested in graduate school, clear your schedule now for Wednesday, September 12, when the University of Central Florida will host its annual Grad Fair. It will be […]
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Want a good reference letter? Do something to deserve it
This is a guest post from Dr. Linda Walters. Each August, the entire UCF community anticipates the start of the fall semester. As we all laze through the final days of summer, we reminisce about the highs and lows of previous school years and strategize how we can avoid those same lows this fall. For some […]
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Pictures: Haven and Rita retire
Click on each photo to it at a larger, non-cropped version. The College of Sciences hosted a retirement party for Haven Sweet and Rita Greenwell last week. Professors, deans, staff, families and friends all came out to celebrate the years of contributions made by these two biologists. Haven came to UCF in 1971 as an assistant […]
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State program to step up monitoring of wildlife
A state grant will allow DOT employees and a contractor to more closely monitor the movement of wildlife along a rural stretch of U.S. 41 in Collier County. The Roadside Animal Detection System, or RADS, was a first for Florida when it was unveiled in January along a 1.3-mile stretch of highway that cuts through […]
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Immune attack makes female flies dump their sperm store
UCF Biology professor Ken Fedorka has recently discovered that if a female fruit fly receives sperm from an infected male fly she will likely dump the sperm. His research paper (read it here) also explains how the sperm can suffer if the male or female fly is sick. Sperm viability has been associated with the […]
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Florida bird may soon be extinct
A type of sparrow that lives only in Florida has mysteriously plunged in number so dramatically that scientists fear it will vanish forever well before the end of this decade. Florida grasshopper sparrows, which inhabit grasslands in the state’s interior south of Orlando, have been listed as endangered for the past 26 years. But the […]
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Join us for the UCF Open House Sept. 15
Black, Gold, and Green! Go green with the College of Sciences before the big game at UCF Open House 2012. COS will be potting mangrove seeds and making oyster mats. We will be providing all of the supplies and a special green bandana for students, families, faculty and staff to wear during the game.* Join […]
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Biology student diving for lionfish
It’s a different world, 75 feet under. At least, it feels that way at Six Mile Reef, just off Stuart’s coast. It’s a world that’s been threatened by the fish Rick Dahn is hunting: the lionfish. Dahn and four other divers boarded the boat, “Irish Rover” in Port Salerno at dawn Saturday and motored away, for […]
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A celebration of accomplishments and contributions to UCF
Please join us from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25, in the College of Sciences’ conference room, CSB 221, as we wish both Dr. Haven Sweet and Ms. Rita Greenwell the very best on their retirement. (CSB 221 is accessed through the main COS reception area, CSB 201.) Haven came to UCF in […]
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Study points to causes of dolphin deaths in Gulf of Mexico
The largest oil spill on open water to date and other environmental factors led to the historically high number of dolphin deaths in the Gulf of Mexico, concludes a two-year scientific study released today. A team of biologists from several Gulf of Mexico institutions and the University of Central Florida in Orlando published their findings […]
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Biology student comes to UCF with impressive credentials
UCF Biology major Brianna Hollins comes to the university with an impressive list of credentials. Hollins was one of the founders of Rise and Shine, a community food distribution program created and run by students through the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. The program provides economically disadvantaged families with healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables. […]
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Faculty members honored for teaching, research achievements
About 100 faculty members have been recognized by UCF for their outstanding accomplishments in research and teaching. Professors were selected for Trustee Chair Professorships based on their extraordinary record of accomplishment in teaching, research and service. Recipients were Peter Hancock from the College of Sciences, Mubarak A. Shah from the College of Engineering and Computer Science […]
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Searching Volusia for elusive saltmarsh snake
A small subspecies of snake could be making its last stand in the salt marsh fringes that remain scattered along Volusia County’s coast. But no one knows for sure. Greg Territo, a University of Central Florida grad student, is on a mission to figure out where those Atlantic saltmarsh snakes still live in Volusia County […]
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Internship opportunity for students
The Student/Farmworker Alliance needs energetic and committed young people to work as interns during the Fall 2012 semester. Dates for internships are flexible, but a three to four month commitment between September and December is preferred. The deadline for the internship application is Friday, June 22. For more information, including specific intern responsibilities and how to […]
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Mid and low elevation sites may buffer from climate change
The shifts in global climate could endanger many species of plants and animals over coming decades and a new paper by conservation biologists say the Klamath-Siskiyou region is among the most important half-dozen such regions in the world for protecting these species from extinction. The authors, who include Reed Noss, Professor of Conservation Biology at the […]