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Maps, Apps and Drones
University of Central Florida professors of geographic information systems and biology teamed up Wednesday to take GIS technology and drones into Florida classrooms for 5th grade through high school. In the geospatial technology training workshop for Florida teachers, 15 teachers were shown customizable lesson plans that use GIS, mapping and drone technologies. Tim Hawthorne, GIS assistant […]
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Underwater Exploration Earns Unique Scholarship
University of Central Florida student Adam Searles used his passion to help him succeed and fund his college career. Searles won the prestigious National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship. The scholarship provides awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility […]
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Students SURF Their Way to Success
University of Central Florida recently awarded seven College of Sciences students with the esteemed Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship award. Hanna Reed, Mackenzie Coulthart, Marcella Grillo, Edward Powers, Glenda Vaillant Cruz, Katherine Stahlhut and Matthew Rudolf received the SURF award, which encourages motivated students from all majors to take part in independent research and creative projects […]
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Adventure is Out There
Story by Jenna Marina Years ago, when anyone asked biology alumna Anai Colyer ’14 what she wanted to be when she grew up, she dreamed of a life as a wildlife documentarist. She didn’t view it as a practical choice – rather, a choice of the heart. A self-taught photographer, Coyler’s hobby has led to […]
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Snake Venom Evolution
University of Central Florida biology doctoral student Andrew Mason won first place in the Clark Hobbs Poster Competition for his remarkable research on venomous snakes. In April, Mason traveled to Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma where he attended the Southwestern Association of Naturalists Conference for the student only competition. He was accompanied by a fellow […]
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Faculty Recognition: Research and Teaching Effectiveness
RIA Awardees The University of Central Florida Research Incentive Awards (RIA) program supports outstanding research, scholarly and creative activity that advances the body of knowledge in a particular field, including interdisciplinary research and collaborations. The below faculty members were recognized for their contributions to UCF’s key goal of achieving international prominence in research and creative activities. […]
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Under the Sea Research Wins Award
A team of University of Central Florida biology graduate students recently won an Undergraduate Research Journal award for their exceptional environmental work. The UCF Libraries gives its annual Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research to the most outstanding essay published within the calendar year. Casey Craig, Chelsea Landau, Courtney Beck and Jordan Filipponi’s publication, The Impact […]
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Student’s Award-Winning Restoration Research
Conservation genetics research conducted by Shelly Gaynor, a University of Central Florida biology student, has earned her awards at multiple events. Gaynor was recently awarded for her research presentations at Eureka: Student Research Talks and the American Society of Plant Biologist (ASPB) Southern Sectional conference. Her research evaluates the impact of current shoreline restoration efforts […]
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UCF Roots into Sustainability Efforts
Fifteen more trees have made their way on to the University of Central Florida campus thanks to students, alumni and community partners getting their hands dirty in honor of Arbor Day. Arbor Day is an annual holiday that aims to encourage the planting and care of trees. It was celebrated at UCF on April 19, […]
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COS Undergrads Shine at Showcase
Every year, the UCF Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence, presented by the Division of Teaching and Learning, celebrates undergraduate research and creativity across the curriculum. The showcase gave University of Central Florida undergraduate students the opportunity to present their research and creative projects to the university community. Students from all fields and disciplines gathered at […]
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COS Faculty Join Elite Society
Eight University of Central Florida College of Sciences faculty were inducted into the Scroll and Quill Society on April 13, 2017. The society honors faculty members who have brought positive national and/or international attention to the university through their scholarly work. The faculty who were recognized have demonstrated sustained scholarly contributions over a period of […]
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Service Learning Educates and Connects
University of Central Florida students presented marine biology displays for kindergarten through eighth grade students at the 14th Annual Service-Learning Showcase. The Office of Experiential Learning sponsored the showcase held on April 13, 2017 in the UCF student union. Students from Pegasus Professor Linda Walters’, Ph.D., Principles of Marine Biology course presented their work at […]
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Student’s Research Earns Unique Experience
Heidi Waite, a University of Central Florida biology senior, has been accepted as a Frost Scholar and awarded the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award for May 2017. Waite graduates in May 2017 and has an exciting and unique road ahead of her. The Frost Scholarship Programme is an extremely competitive program available only to students attending […]
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UCF’s Conservation Efforts Highlighted by SeaWatch
Research conducted by University of Central Florida Department of Biology Pegasus Professor Linda Walters, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow Melinda Donnelly, Ph.D., and Winter Springs High School teacher Paul Sacks, Ph.D., was recognized in the Coastal Conservation Association’s (CCA) spring 2017 publication of SeaWatch. Walters has been an advocate for marine conservation for many years. She is […]
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Founders’ Day Honors Top Faculty, Staff, Students
University of Central Florida’s Founders’ Day Honors Convocation recognizes faculty, staff members and students for outstanding teaching, research, professional service and years of dedication to the university. Awards included the Pegasus Professor Award presented to College of Sciences Associate Dean Jana Jasinski, Ph.D., the UCF Reach for the Stars Award presented to UCF Biology Assistant […]
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COS Professor Honored with Reach for the Stars Award
Kate Mansfield, Ph.D., is one of five of the University of Central Florida’s brightest early career professors. She was honored for her cutting-edge research, including her internationally recognized study of sea turtle migration. She received the Reach for the Stars Award as part of the celebration of Founders’ Day on April 5, 2017. President John C. […]
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UCF Alumna’s Outstanding Environmental Work
Jane Provancha ’78 is an environmental enthusiast, a University of Central Florida alumna and the Department of Biology’s 2017 Outstanding AlumKnight. Provancha received her award at the College of Sciences Outstanding AlumKnight award ceremony on March 2, 2017. The award will add to Provancha’s long list of impressive achievements. From a UCF student to the Environmental […]
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Meet the 2017 COS Order of Pegasus Recipients
UCF has named 21 students as recipients of the Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. Eleven of these recipients are students of the UCF College of Sciences. Get to know them below. CHRISTOPHER CLEMENTE: Tampa, FL About: Christopher Clemente, College of Arts and Humanities and College of Sciences, is majoring in history and […]
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UCF Team Studied Sea Urchins to Restore Reefs
A team of scientists from the University of Central Florida Department of Biology had its five year research project on endangered sea urchins published in the Bulletin of Marine Science. The research conducted by biology undergraduate student at the time Luke Chandler, along with Associate Professor Eric Hoffman, Ph.D., and Pegasus Professor Linda Walters, Ph.D., […]
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Pictures Worth a Contest Win
Three students and one lecturer were the winners of the Department of Biology’s photo contest this year. It comes as no surprise that these remarkable photos were chosen by the judges as the winners of the contest. “Orlando Wetlands Park is a particularly special place for me. It’s a nice, close place to campus that I’ve used […]
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Non-traditional Student Trades Computers for Career In Conservation Biology
After a 27-year career in software development, Orlando, Fla. resident Suzanne Connor faced a real challenge. The mother of two was laid off. “My last two years of my job, I was so unhappy,” Connor said. “I was kind of relieved when I was laid off. I knew I needed to find something that would […]
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COS Grad Programs Ranked Nationally
Several graduate programs in the University of Central Florida College of Sciences were ranked in the top 200 in their respective fields by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools of 2018. The following COS graduate programs were ranked in the top 200 of their fields: Physics – No. 85 Sociology – No. 102 […]
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COS Students to Receive University’s Highest Honor
Story by Mark Schlueb, UCF Today UCF has named 21 students as recipients of the Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. Eleven of these recipients are students of the UCF College of Sciences. The 2017 recipients were selected from a pool of 65 nominations. The 2017 class includes eight LEAD Scholars, eight President’s Leadership […]
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Endangered Tiny Bird Has Big Ally in UCF
Story by Barbara Abney The future of the tiny Florida Grasshopper Sparrow may rest on a hot-water blaster that safely fends off fire ants, which threaten the remaining 100 or so wild sparrows in Central Florida. Joshua King, a self-described ant nerd, ecologist and entomologist at the University of Central Florida, received $15,500 from the […]
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Chairs and Directors Leadership Circle
Four University of Central Florida department chairs from the College of Sciences have been selected to be in the UCF Office of Faculty Excellence’s Chairs and Directors Leadership Circle. Tosha Dupras, Ph.D., anthropology chair, Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., political science chair, Elizabeth Mustaine, Ph.D., sociology chair, and Graham Worthy, Ph.D., biology chair are part of the […]
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How UCF Faculty Turn Their Offices into Works of Art
Story by Rachel Williams, UCF Today In honor of National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day on Jan. 31, five University of Central Florida faculty members share how they use their offices to display their own variants of art – handmade masks, paintings, even skeletons – to inspire themselves, students and coworkers to continue learning. […]
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A Wild Win for UCF Biology Student
Rhett Rautsaw, a master’s student in UCF Department of Biology, won first place for his presentation at the 38th annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting in Palatka, Florida held January 13-15, 2017. Rautsaw was representing the university at the meeting where he was awarded first place for his oral presentation on a new method to survey […]
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COS Celebrates Fall 2016 Grads
On Friday, December 16, 2016 the University of Central Florida’s College of Sciences celebrated more than 1,000 students graduating from the college. The college hosted its traditional graduation reception immediately following the afternoon ceremony for its graduates to celebrate with their faculty, friends and family. The event, held in the UCF Psychology Building, hosted more […]
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Student’s Hardship Inspires Volunteerism
By Rachel Williams, UCF Today A University of Central Florida student’s experience with economic hardship and childhood illness has inspired a volunteer trip to Puerto Rico, where a group of students will help bring joy to pediatric cancer patients and their families in need this holiday season. Akasha Palou, a senior studying biology, planned the […]
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A Knight for the Sea Turtles
The University of Central Florida College of Sciences and Department of Biology hosted ‘A Knight for the Sea Turtles’ in Melbourne Beach on Friday, November 18, 2016. The event celebrated UCF’s partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The partnership, announced over the summer, establishes a permanent conservation research facility along the southern Brevard County coastline. […]