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COS Alums Among OBJ’s 40 Under 40
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER ’17 AND JENNA MARINA LEE Four College of Sciences alumni were among those honored at the Orlando Business Journal 40 Under 40 Awards, an annual celebration that recognizes successful professional who have created a big impact within their industry and in the local community. Honorees were selected from a group of nominees submitted […]
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Lady Bikers, Street Dogs and Kolkata Featured in New Films from UCF Students
By ROBERT WELLS Lady bikers, street dogs and visceral sights and sounds from a city nearly 10,000 miles away are showcased in new documentaries completed by UCF film students while they spent a few weeks in Kolkata, India. The documentaries will make their UCF debut at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Burnett Honors College as part […]
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Study Links Ethnic Violence and Natural Disasters in India
Didara Nurmanova, a Ph.D. candidate in the Security Studies program in the Political Science Department, is conducting a study on the links between natural disasters and ethnic conflict in India. In June 2013, India was hit by the North India floods, described as the country’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami. The floods resulting […]
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Tactics For Resolving Kashmir Conflict Focus of Book
Longstanding disputes between countries are not solved overnight. But there are ways to mitigate the violence during the transitional period. That’s the focus of a book by Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra, Ph.D., entitled “Conflict Management in Kashmir: State-People Relations and Peace,” published by Cambridge University Press. Mahapatra, an adjunct professor in the Political Science department, […]
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COS Distinguished Alumni Award Winners 2018
Ten College of Sciences alumni were recognized Thursday for their career achievements at the 2018-19 Distinguished Alumni Awards. “Tonight’s awardees were selected based on their professional achievement, exceptional community service and reflection of the college’s mission to expand knowledge in the sciences, mathematical sciences, and communications,” COS Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., told the audience gathered […]
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PoliSci Grads Among 7 UCF Alums Elected to Office
BY: RACHEL STAMFORD and JENNA MARINA LEE Seven UCF alumni who were running for the Florida Legislature won their districts in Tuesday’s election. Although they don’t necessarily agree on political issues, pursued different careers and attended UCF at different times, they clearly share a passion for politics. Rep. Amber Mariano Amber Mariano ’17, a Republican, was […]
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K-12 Students Get Hands-On Civics Lesson With Mock Election
More than 245,000 K-12 students got a hands-on lesson in civic duty this year through a partnership between UCF’s Lou Frey Institute and Kids Voting USA. The students were spread out across 28 school districts that hosted mock elections this year using a ballot that reflected all the statewide races. The ballot was editable […]
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Anthropology Online Program Ranks No. 1 in Country
BestColleges.com has ranked the Anthropology Department’s online program No. 1 in the U.S. Anthropology’s fully online major became available to students during the 2016-17 academic year. In just two years the number of anthropology majors pursuing an online bachelor’s degree in anthropology has grown from 3 percent to 15 percent. The BestColleges.com ranking is a […]
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UCF Class Spotlight: Political Psychology
BY JENNA MARINA LEE Class Name POS 4206 – Political Psychology Description The psychological analysis of political behavior, with emphasis on the individual rather than the political system; includes political attitudes and communication, leadership and personality influences on politics. When is it offered? Occasionally. How many students are in a class? Capacity of 50 Prerequisites None […]
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Biology Initiative Eases Transfer Experience
A pilot program in the biology department is championing new ways to create a smooth transition for transfer students coming to UCF. The centerpiece of the program is Transfer Advisory Peers, or TAPS, who pair up with incoming transfer students and offer guidance on everything from study spots to the best coffee on campus. “Having […]
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UCF Physics Alum Highlights the Importance of Workplace Accessibility
By: Nicole Dudenhoefer For many college graduates, finding a job within their field can seem just as daunting as earning a degree. But that task can be even more difficult for people with disabilities, considering last year’s unemployment rate for the group (9.2 percent) was more than twice the rate of those with no disabilities (4.2 […]
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IBM Partnership Boosts GeoBus
A first-of-its-kind mobile science laboratory recently received a big boost in funding thanks to a new community partner in IBM. The GeoBus is a 42-foot bus that, when complete, will be filled with technology like mini-drones, an augmented reality sandbox and virtual reality goggles that bring the world of mapping and geospatial technologies to […]
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Lou Frey Institute Wins Professional Organizational Awards
Over the weekend of Oct. 19-21, the Florida Council for the Social Studies, an organization that represents the field of social studies education in Florida, held its annual conference and awards dinner. The Lou Frey Institute, part of the Political Science Department within the College of Sciences, sponsored Dr. Tina Heafner of UNC-Charlotte, a leading scholar on social […]
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Poli Sci Online Program Ranked No. 1 by Affordable Colleges
The Political Science Department’s online program has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by Affordable Colleges Online. The department has offered its degree as an entirely online option for several years, and students can complete all three tracks in the major — American Politics & Policy, International Relations & Comparative Politics, and Pre-Law – […]
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India Border Disputes Inspires Award-Winning Research Paper
A research paper investigating why bordering countries with settled borders engage in militarized conflicts earned a political science doctorate student the Jim Wintakes award for best graduate paper at the International Studies Association (ISA)-South Conference in Ashland, Va., recently. Karthikeyan Thiagarajan, who is pursuing his doctoral degree in security studies, won the award Oct. 13 […]
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Political Candidates Reflect on UCF Experiences
Three political science alumna — including Florida’s youngest representative — are looking forward to seeing their names on ballots next week. Anna Eskamani, ’12 ’15 MNM, MPA, is currently senior director for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, and the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 47. Also running is Carol Lawrence, ’71, an […]
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Multi-Agency Approach Key To Curbing Human Trafficking
Greater Orlando’s multi-agency approach to stopping human trafficking is the topic of a paper authored by members of UCF’s Department of Sociology. Florida currently ranks third in the U.S. for human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery. The more common reasons for trafficking are for sex — similar to prostitution — and for working long […]
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Research Links Music, Risky Sexual Behavior
New research draws a connection between increasingly sexually explicit music, and adolescents and emerging adults engaging in risky and sometimes violent sexual behavior. The report by the Division 46 Task Force on the Sexualization of Popular Music was two years in the making, but its publication coincides with the advent of the #MeToo movement and […]
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Scholar Brings Insights on Indian and South Asian Politics
The India Center welcomed G. Gopa Kumar, Ph.D., to UCF last week. Kumar is vice chancellor of the Central University of Kerala, India. Kumar met with students and faculty to discuss issues in Indian and South Asian politics. During his presentation, Kumar highlighted that current political economy approaches to studying politics might not provide the […]
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Students Build International Bridges Through Filmmaking
Sponsorships from the India Center at UCF opened up the opportunity for eight students to travel to India this summer and grow their filmmaking chops. Six undergraduate and two graduate film students joined film professor and Fulbright Scholar Phil Peters in Kolkata on an innovative research project conducted by The India Documentary Lab. The […]
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Celebrity Political Endorsements Have Their Pros and Cons
Pop musician Taylor Swift made headlines this week when she broke her longstanding silence on political issues and urged her Instagram followers to register to vote. Her plea — along with her endorsement of two candidates in upcoming Tennessee races for U.S. Senate and House—coincided with more than 166,000 new voter registrations between Sunday […]
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Reflecting on Hurricane Maria One Year Later
By: Dr. Fernando Rivera Associate Professor of Sociology Director, Puerto Rico Research Hub I clearly remember speaking on the phone with my father the day before Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. I felt reassured knowing he had all of the essentials to withstand the impact of the storm, and I was confident we would speak […]
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New UCF, Moroccan University Partnership to Develop Exchange Programs
The international partnership will promote faculty exchanges, joint classes, research and other activities. By Gene Kruckemyer UCF and Al Akhawayn University in Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday creating an international partnership to promote faculty exchanges, joint classes, research and other activities. The agreement was signed by UCF President Dale Whittaker and AUI […]
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MyPoliticalScience Day Kicks off Second Event for Political Science Students
The Political Science department hosted its second myPoliticalScience Day in the Student Union on September 28. The event informed students about academic, extra-curricular, and career opportunities for students enrolled in Political Science and International & Global Studies, which are both housed in the Political Science department. The Political Science department held its first MyPoliticalScience Day […]
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UCF Experts Speak in Cairo, Launch Faculty-Expert Exchange
The American University in Cairo recently hosted events at their New Cairo campus featuring UCF’s Hakan Ozoglu, Ph.D. and David Dumke. Dr. Ozoglu, a professor in the Department of History and Chairman of the Middle East Studies Program, spoke about the transition from the Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic. Dumke, Director of the Prince Mohammad Bin […]
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Consul General of India Visits UCF
Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni, the new consul general of India based in the Atlanta Consulate, visited the University of Central Florida on September 11 for an introduction to campus leadership and faculty members. Kulkarni also met with several Indian students studying and conducting research at UCF who shared their experiences with student life. “We are […]
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UCF’s MALL Gets a Redesign to Better Help Students
The Mathematics Assistance and Learning Lab (MALL) at UCF is a state-of-the-art math lab that has redesigned its program to help students understand mathematical topics more extensively. Located in the Mathematical Science building on UCF’s main campus, the MALL is where students who are enrolled in “Intermediate Algebra” and “College Algebra” meet for class. Students […]
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UCF Selling Experimental Martian Dirt — $20 a Kilogram, Plus Shipping
The University of Central Florida is selling Martian dirt, $20 a kilogram plus shipping. This is not fake news. A team of UCF astrophysicists has developed a scientifically based, standardized method for creating Martian and asteroid soil known as simulants. The team published its findings this month in the journal Icarus. “The simulant is useful […]
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UCF RESTORES Clinic Receives Grant to Develop New VR Software to Treat PTSD
By Robert Wells A new $3 million grant from the Department of Defense will help the University of Central Florida’s RESTORES clinic develop its own virtual reality software to treat first responders, veterans, active duty personnel and civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related disorders. The clinic currently uses third-party software. However, the […]
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UCF Student Studies Algal Blooms Impact on Sea Turtles in Indian River Lagoon
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Long before the algal blooms on Florida’s Gulf Coast sparked surprise and outrage, University of Central Florida doctoral student Chris Long was studying the effects of similar episodes on threatened green sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon. Algae blooms regularly hit the Indian River Lagoon and were especially intense from 2011 […]