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Grant Offers Mobility for Psychology Researchers
Almost $600,000 in new funding from the U.S. Department of Defense allows researchers studying human behavior to escape the limits of the laboratory. Specifically, the grant funds tools that offer the freedom and mobility to study how people interact with their environments in real time. These include augmented and virtual reality devices, and tools that […]
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Message From the Director
Fall is a time of harvest and giving thanks. In Florida, we are always a little out of sync with the rest of the country when it comes to harvest as many of our crops go in the ground in October and we continue to harvest throughout the winter! While we may be out of […]
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Student Spotlight – Mayerlin Fischbach
Greetings! I’m an undergraduate senior who plans on continuing my formal education for more years to come. I’ve been working at the UCF Arboretum since December of 2017- and can sincerely say I have cherished every moment I spend in our gardens, natural lands and bustling office. It is an absolute joy working with community […]
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10-Year Anniversary Garden Bash
Nature and Knightro—what more could you wish for at the Arboretum Garden Bash Kickoff? Early in the 2019 fall semester, the Arboretum celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the original Community Garden. For the past 10 years, the Arboretum has been using organic practices to grow veggies and herbs for UCF students to teach them about […]
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Reinvigorating UCF Landscapes with the Bee Campus USA team
Our new Bee Campus USA program co-coordinators transformed a rock-covered corner of a campus courtyard into a beautiful pollinator garden! The transformed area is in the courtyard of the business administration 1 building where there were several strips and cutout areas covered in black lava rock. Irrigation heads provided evidence that these areas originally had […]
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Protecting Campus and Community From Wildfire
Fire is a critical component of nearly every ecosystem in the southeastern United States. Central Florida is the lightning capital of the U.S., and historically our frequent thunderstorms ignited fires in the forest. As a result, many of the state’s natural ecosystems would burn every 2-5 years. During periods of extreme dry weather, especially during […]
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Learning by Leading™ @ UCF
Students, students everywhere! We are excited to announce that beginning this fall semester we are dramatically increasing student opportunities at the UCF Arboretum through implementing the Learning by Leading™ @ UCF Program. The Learning by Leading™ (LxL) Program was developed by the University of California, Davis Arboretum, and is organized around the premise that students […]
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Behind the scenes at the Arboretum Spooktacular 2019
By Rachel Smith This year’s Arboretum Spooktacular drew nearly 200 students on Friday night after months of preparation and a long day of setting up. Nearly 30 volunteers for the event shuffled into the Arboretum trailer Friday afternoon and started taking boxes of decorations outside. About 15 of those volunteers would become part of the […]
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Hamann Named A Vice President of American Political Science Association
Pegasus Professor Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., director of the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, was recently named a vice president of the American Political Science Association. The APSA, founded in 1903, is the leading professional organization in the field of political science with over 11,000 members in more than 100 countries. APSA’s mission extends to […]
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Director Named to Lead Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Professor Roberto “Hugh” Potter, Ph.D., was appointed this week to lead UCF’s Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. The center answers several needs in an area of Florida particularly vulnerable to human trafficking because of its agricultural and hospitality industries. Affiliated faculty conduct research and provide consulting expertise to professions that […]
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Egyptian Exchange Student Soaks Up American Culture
Norhan Abdeldeyem was a bundle of nerves and excitement when an opportunity to study abroad presented itself. This was Abdeldeyem’s first time leaving Egypt, let alone entering the U.S. But she’s found a home at UCF, where she is studying actuarial science through the Department of Statistics and Data Science, with a double minor in […]
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Class Spotlight: Mummies: Life After Death
Note: Answers have been edited for length. Associate Lecturer of Anthropology Sandra Wheeler, Ph.D., has been teaching at the University of Central Florida since 2010, with a specialty in bioarchaeology. Her course, called Mummies: Life After Death (ANT 4027), is a big hit among anthropological and non-anthropological majors alike. College of Sciences: How did […]
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Summer Research Program Provides Senior Fresh Perspectives
Senior Hannah Haynes is viewing her Anthropology classes through a new lens thanks to an invaluable summer experience offered through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates hosted at Southern Illinois University. Haynes was one of ten students chosen from a competitive application pool. The program spans eight weeks from June to July. […]
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Civic Education Champion Lou Frey Passes
Champion of civic education and former Congressman Lou Frey Jr., the namesake of UCF’s Lou Frey Institute, passed away Monday in Winter Springs. He was 85. Frey leaves a long legacy of service to the U.S. and Central Florida; he had a hand in both establishing Kennedy Space Center as the home of the space […]
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$1 Million Gift Brings India Center Endowed Chair Closer to Reality
An endowed chair position for UCF’s India Center continues its march toward reality with a new $1 million pledge. The pledge comes from Raj Toleti, ‘93MS, and family, including his wife, Aparna Toleti, ‘95MS, and brings the total for the fund to $2 million of a $5 million goal. Their generous commitment to the success […]
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Lifelong Impact of Professor Inspires Scholarship Fund
In a hectic world, it pays to pause and say “thank you.” That’s the philosophy of Chris Lombardo, who was struck not too long ago about his own inattention to showing gratefulness. More specifically, he realized the impact that longtime Political Science professor Roger Handberg, Ph.D., had on Lombardo’s career as an attorney. “The foundational […]
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‘Be The Diversity’ Says Latina Student Advocate
When Tamara Vasquez stepped onto UCF’s campus four years ago, she could still hear the echo of her grandparents’ advice. “They would always remind my cousins and I about the history behind our family name, and why success is important to achieve,” Vasquez remembers with a smile. A proud Afro-Latina, Vasquez is the first generation […]
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Lou Frey Institute Recognized For Its Work With Boys And Girls Clubs
The Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government (LFI) was recently recognized for its work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida’s After School Zone by the Florida After School Alliance (FASA). LFI was honored with the inaugural Special Recognition Award for their contribution to the civic well-being of Florida’s youth. Since 2017, […]
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Puerto Rican Student Bridges Heritage and Home with Club
When Jose Rivera arrived at University of Central Florida in 2017, his hope was to experience life beyond his home in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But as much as he loved experiencing Central Florida, he still yearned for a cultural connection to his home. That inspired Rivera to start the Puerto Rican Student Association, which, […]
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Former Ambassador Talks Mexican Immigration and Trade with Students
By: Katina Rentas Negrón, Latin America Intern, Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, UCF How much is trade between the U.S. and Mexico worth? According to former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne (2011-2015), the answer is “over one million dollars’ worth of goods and services. Every minute.” Trade was one […]
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Sober Truths
BY ROBERT STEPHENS The celebratory parties outside Spectrum Stadium had been underway long before UCF began its 45-27 defeat of Stanford on Sept. 13. Most of the tailgate scenes were what you’d expect — flags, finger sandwiches and anywhere from 5-to-40 percent alcohol by volume. One, however, stood out. Not just because about 75 people […]
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NIH Awards UCF Researcher $3.8 Million to Study Opiate Overdoses
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced that UCF will receive a $3.8 million milestone based grant to better understand how overdosing on opiates works, their impact on multiple organs and the effect of drugs used to treat overdoses, including potential toxicity of organs. James Hickman, a professor at […]
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Achievements Celebrated at 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The College of Sciences recognized 10 alumni for their achievements Thursday at the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The annual event brings together outstanding alumni from each of the departments and schools within COS for a night of celebration and reflection on another successful year. “Tonight’s awardees were selected for this honor based on their professional […]
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Nicholson Student Makes TV Debut on Food Network’s ‘Halloween Wars’
A UCF sophomore makes his debut this Sunday as the youngest-ever competitor on Food Network’s hit show “Halloween Wars.” The show pits six teams of three against each other to build spooky creations, with each member of the team contributing expertise in either cake decorating, sugar art or pumpkin carving. Jarid Altmark, an Advertising and […]
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U.S. Army Awards $1 Million to UCF RESTORES Clinic for Virtual Reality Project
BY GENE KRUCKEMYER’73 | SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 The UCF RESTORES Clinic was recently awarded $1 million from the U.S. Army to continue development of its own virtual-reality software to treat active-duty service members, military veterans and first responders who experience post-traumatic stress disorder. “This funding will allow us to develop new tools to further […]
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India Center Fellow Delivers Talk On Role of Women In Combat
BY SEEMA SHEKHAWAT, India Center Fellow On September 17, 2019, I delivered a talk at UCF’s Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE), on “Female Combatants: Victim or Victimizers.” It was an exciting experience speaking on a topic close to my heart in front of about 400 people. I have been researching these relatively less focused issues […]
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Hurricane Dorian Washes Out More than 8,000 Sea Turtle Nests
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA At least 8,000 sea turtles nests washed away from the Brevard County portion of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month because of Hurricane Dorian, according to a University of Central Florida survey. The refuge, which extends from southern Brevard County into Indian River County, is one of the […]
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New Biology Hire Brings Focus to Accessibility
A new hire in the Department of Biology amplifies the College of Sciences’ emphasis on inclusive learning. Assistant Professor Katelyn Cooper, Ph.D., is a discipline-based education researcher identifying ways to make undergraduate biology more inclusive. Specifically, Cooper’s work focuses on revealing challenges for students with different identities and characteristics in undergraduate biology and finding ways […]
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Arboretum Opens New Garden With Harvest Celebration
By Rahma Hassan Students got a first look at the UCF Arboretum’s newest garden at the New Garden Kickoff event Tuesday. Over 70 students attended the event where they got to harvest plants and vegetables from the garden, tour the greenhouse and learn about what the Arboretum is doing to help with pollination on […]
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Former Congressmen Bring Political Insights to Students
By: Rose Balicki, Nelson Mandela African Affairs Fellow, Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, UCF “I got angry.” “They told me I couldn’t.” When a student asked two former members of Congress why they got involved in politics in the first place, Gary Franks (R-CT, 1991-1997) and Mike Capuano (D-MA, 1999-2019) did not hold […]