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Online Psychology Degree Hits No. 6 Nationally In New U.S. News and World Report Rankings
BY RACHEL WILLIAMS ’15 ’20MA UCF’s high-quality online programs were recognized today by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the university No. 7 in the country for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. Those rankings include UCF Online’s Psychology Bachelor’s Degree, which reached No. 6. This year’s overall ranking is up seven spots from No. 14 just last […]
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Beloved Psychology Professor is Remembered By Colleagues for Kind Heart
A beloved psychology faculty member who was often the first introduction to UCF for new students passed away over the 2021-2022 Winter Break. Associate Lecturer Paula Reynoso, Ph.D., began teaching at UCF in 2003, primarily at the Valencia West (Metrowest) campus. Her broad range of courses were primarily for undergraduates, giving her the privilege and […]
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Viral Videos Lead Film Grad to Produce Series With Comedian Bill Burr
A former UCF film student’s viral videos recently landed him a dream gig producing a dark comedy TV series narrated by comedian Bill Burr. UCF alumnus Tyler Falbo, BFA ’14, created, wrote and directed the series, then collaborated with Burr and comedian Bobby Lee to bring “Immoral Compass” to life. The stories are often crude […]
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UCF Scientist with Stake in James Webb Space Telescope Closely Monitoring Unfolding Mission
Planetary Scientist Noemi Pinilla-Alonso has become addicted to NASA TV because of its live feeds of the James Webb Space Telescope mission. The telescope, more than 20 years in the making and after multiple delays, launched on Dec. 25, 2021. The telescope is traveling quickly to reach its destination — 900,000 miles away from Earth […]
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The India Center at UCF Hosts a Discussion on Sustainability in Indian States
By Kassidy Menk A discussion of sustainability efforts by Indian states was led Nov. 18, 2021, by Neelima Jain of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. UCF’s Naveen Eluru, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, moderated the event by facilitating a discussion and prompting audience questions. Jain explained […]
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New Funding Will Help UCF Researcher Develop Nanotech to Detect Animal-Borne Diseases
A University of Central Florida researcher will be leading a new project to use nanotechnology to advance research in the detection and mitigation of emerging animal-borne infectious diseases. The project is funded by a $50,000 grant from national philanthropic foundation Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funding is part […]
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Fall ’21 Ph.D. Grads Given Warm Sendoff In Return of Longstanding COS Tradition
Eight doctorate graduates were given a warm congratulations and sendoff Thursday in a continuation of a longstanding College of Sciences’ tradition. The final toast was led by new COS Dean Maggy Tomova. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Below is the full list of Ph.D. graduates for Fall 2021. Security Studies Tutku […]
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UCF Research in 60 Seconds: Understanding the Impact of Diversity
Whether it’s solving the world’s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights […]
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Graduation Marks Major Milestone for Student Veterans
The educational and career journey often looks different for those who chose military service. Meet three student veterans — Bryce Frase, Margarita Figueroa and Craig Plummer — who all served our country and are now preparing to graduate from UCF. Despite their different ages, careers, service branches and learning modalities, they’ve found a home and […]
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UCF Develops the World’s First Optical Oscilloscope
A team from UCF has developed the world’s first optical oscilloscope, an instrument that is able to measure the electric field of light. The device converts light oscillations into electrical signals, much like hospital monitors convert a patient’s heartbeat into electrical oscillation. Until now, reading the electric field of light has been a challenge because […]
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From the ‘Smithsonian’ Magazine to the Tonight Show, UCF Research has a Big Year in the News
UCF research stories were everywhere in 2021 from Smithsonian magazine to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The most popular research stories of 2021 focused on threats to our survival and opportunities to advance our species — from the impact of sea rise to technology that promises to propel our exploration of the solar system. […]
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Human Factors Expert Partners With First Responders To Improve Technology
Emerging technology like augmented and virtual reality holds huge potential to increase safety for first responders, but it can do more harm than good if not tailored to their specific needs. That’s where human factors experts like Kate Kapalo, ’20, Ph.D., step in. Today Kapalo brings UCF psychology degrees and years of experience working closely […]
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Graduating UCF Film Student Completes Environmental Documentary
Making people care through the power of filmmaking is Vince Marcucci’s mission. The day after he graduates from UCF with a bachelor’s in film, he’ll show his first documentary series — an 80-minute, four-part feature following a day in the life of four Florida naturalists — during a private showing to cast, crew and local […]
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New Data Science Degree Offers Launch Pad into Analytics Career
Data science involves much more than crunching numbers, and a new bachelor’s starting this semester reflects the wide range of disciplines involved. Data science is the process of exploring and interpreting the world through data. The Data Science B.S. calls the Department of Statistics and Data Science home, but students in this emerging degree […]
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4 UCF Researchers Named as Highly Cited Researchers for 2021
Four University of Central Florida researchers have been named highly cited researchers in their field for 2021 by analytics company Clarivate, based on data from Web of Science. The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. […]
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UCF Part of Historic Move to Build Space Ports Around Earth
NASA’s move to develop new destinations in space announced Dec. 2 is an exciting moment in history and UCF is right in the middle of it. UCF is a member of the academic coalition that is supporting Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef project to build a commercially owned and operated space station to reside in low-Earth orbit. […]
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UCF Chemistry Professor Leads Discussion at Chemical Weapon Forensics Symposium in Helsinki, Finland
Chemistry Professor Michael Sigman, director of UCF’s National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS), will be presenting and leading a discussion at an international conference sponsored and hosted by VERIFIN, the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, this week. The symposium is a continuation of a series of meetings held worldwide over the […]
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The India Center Hosts Emerging Artist Festival
The second annual Emerging Artist Festival, hosted in partnership between the Asian Cultural Association and the India Center at UCF, took place November 12, 2021 at the downtown UCF campus. The festival featured a short film competition with entries submitted by filmmakers from the United States and India. The goal of the festival is to […]
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The India Center Celebrates Diwali
Diwali, or the festival of lights, is celebrated to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. It is celebrated by various faiths, including most Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists around the world, over a period of 1 to 5 days. Many families decorate their homes and places […]
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Community Partnerships Amplify Arboretum Impact
The UCF Arboretum’s success as a natural refuge from the bustle of campus life happens largely because of committed staff and volunteers, but there’s another ingredient, too. Agency partners such as the Florida Forest Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns Water Management District, neighboring county natural resource departments, and many other brought together […]
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Students Design New Arid Garden Landscape for Nursery Entrance
Since the launch of the Learning by LeadingTM (LxL) program at the UCF Arboretum in 2019, the Urban Horticulture team has been busy designing and installing new gardens in the Arboretum Park, which is the 7-acre site surrounding the Arboretum’s main office. The team’s first project, Whittier’s Walk, was a tribute to the Arboretum’s founder […]
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It’s Frickin’ Bats!
This spooky season at the Arboretum, we hosted two fun-filled nights of Halloween events full of carved pumpkin trails, a costume contest, terror trail, monster ball, and more! However, the star of our ghoulie season was our native bat colony, Myotis austroriparius, and they brought the spook! Students got to watch the bats emerge from […]
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Arboretum Student Spotlight – Meet Maximillion Meader
Hello, my name is Max! I am a 4th year Biology student with an Environmental Studies minor. I began at the Arboretum as a volunteer in 2019, and currently I am one of the Co-coordinators leading the team responsible for managing the greenhouse and developing the nursery. I love taking care of and working with […]
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Message From the Director – Fall 2021
We are excited to reconnect with our friends and supporters through this fall 2021 edition of the UCF Arboretum newsletter. We were disappointed that we were not able to put out a summer newsletter this year, mostly due to the increased demands of our burgeoning program, and our preparations for the first face-to-face semester since […]
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Self-Assembly Landing Pads for the Moon — UCF Researchers Are Working on It
Imagine hitting a button and instantly creating a landing pad just moments before descending a rocket onto the moon or an asteroid. That’s the concept behind two research projects underway at the Florida Space Institute at UCF. FSI postdoctoral researcher Douglas Fontes worked with planetary scientist Phil Metzger and Masten Space Systems, a private company, […]
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NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mission Launching Today Aided by Arecibo Observatory
NASA’s mission to test out a technique to deflect asteroids is headed to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) that the Arecibo Observatory helped identify. UCF manages the U.S. National Science Foundation facility under a cooperative agreement. Despite the telescope’s collapse in 2020, the data collected from Arecibo has played an invaluable role in past and ongoing […]
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From Foster Care Youth to Community Advocate
Growing up with a single mother who suffered from drug abuse and mental health issues, Diamond Whitley was determined to change her trajectory and pursue a path to a better future. Her motivation to go to college started at a young age. Even though her mother wasn’t always present, Whitley was surrounded by people who […]
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UCF Names Its Microgravity Research Center in Honor of Stephen W. Hawking
The University of Central Florida today is one step closer to becoming the first American university to name a research center after the late, world-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen W. Hawking. The UCF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved on Thursday that UCF’s Center for Microgravity Research, would now be known as the Stephen W. Hawking Center […]
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Ph.D. Candidate Recognized With Diversity Fellowship from APSA
A fascination with human behavior and a deep-rooted curiosity are the foundation of Devyn Escalanti’s academic career. The Security Studies Ph.D. student traces her fascination with political science specifically to a childhood watching political news and satire shows. That blossomed into a public health-security track of study through books like David Quamman’s “Spillover: Animal infections […]
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First-Generation UCF Student Finds Confidence to Pursue Her Dreams
Eileen Zelaya was born in Miami, but she was raised “all over the place” because her father was in the army. From a tiny town in rural Oklahoma to New York and back to bustling Miami, one thing remained consistent: Zelaya’s mother always made room for creativity. She crafted clothes, decorations, tablecloths, pillows, earrings, necklaces […]