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Biology student spearheads relief for Hurricane Sandy
While his New Jersey family and friends were grappling with cold temperatures and no power, one student at the University of Central Florida led a campus-wide relief effort to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Tyler M. Neher, a junior studying Biology, is a native of coastal New Jersey. He’s among the more than 500 […]
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Extinction fears spur push to breed Florida grasshopper sparrow
Fearing that the Florida grasshopper sparrow might go extinct in as little as two years, wildlife advocates have begun pressing federal officials to approve an emergency effort to capture some of the birds and breed them in captivity. The Central Florida bird is a subspecies of the grasshopper sparrow found only in vast, treeless prairies […]
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Biology student wins research awards at national conference
UCF Biology student Sara Bolivar Wagers recently attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students where she presented her research in a poster display. Judges were extremely interested in her work and Wagers left with two awards – First Place for Behavioral Sciences and Public Health and First Place for Interdisciplinary Studies. Now in […]
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UCF professor receives Benton H. Box Award
CLEMSON, S.C. — Reed Noss, provost’s Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Central Florida and president of the Florida Institute for Conservation Science, was among three individuals recognized at the annual George B. Hartzog Jr. luncheon held at Clemson University Oct. 30. The annual program recognizes exemplary leadership in addressing environmental issues and concerns […]
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Biology professor publishes new book
UCF Biology Professor Reed Noss published his new book, “Forgotten Grasslands of the South,” which you can purchase here. Forgotten Grasslands of the South is a literary and scientific case study of some of the biologically richest and most endangered ecosystems in North America. Eminent ecologist Reed Noss tells the story of how southern grasslands arose […]
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UCF joins statewide institute focused on climate change
Interest in climate change and sea level rise has grown considerably in the past decade. Floridians need reliable scientific information about potential changes so that they can make decisions and policies that are economically beneficial and environmentally sound. This is particularly important given the wide range of opinions and, often conflicting, interpretations of available evidence […]
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Natural History: The ground upon which conservation rests
Dr. Reed Noss, University of Central Florida professor, and one of the world’s top conservation biologists believes that the root of what is wrong with conservation biology today is the fading of natural history. Reed Noss is Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Central Florida and President of the Florida Institute for Conservation […]
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UCF Book Festival accepting book submissions
The 4th annual UCF Book Festival/Orlando will be held at the UCF Arena on Saturday, April 13, 2013. The mission of the UCF Book Festival/Orlando is to encourage the appreciation of diverse and quality literature in addition to fostering and sustaining a love of reading. Annually, the festival draws thousands of readers of all ages […]
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Biologists’ book explains rising sea levels to young readers
Ocean levels have been rising for the past century, scientists say, creating a situation that could negatively affect many coastal animals and plants. To explain the concerns to adolescents, University of Central Florida biologist Linda Walters and Sydney Katz, one of her former students, have written a new book called “Rising Tides, A Guide to […]
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UCF campus wildlife
College life at UCF wouldn’t be the same without them. “We bought the land to build a university, not a nature preserve,” UCF biology Professor Emeritus Jack Stout says, as he stands before a 4-by-4-foot aerial map of the campus, studying it intently. “But it turned out to be both.” Hurriedly crossing from asphalt parking […]
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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 […]
