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UCF Names Saiful Khondaker as Interim Assistant Vice President for Research Advancement
The University of Central Florida’s Office of Research has named Saiful Khondaker, professor of nanoscience, physics and electrical engineering, as the new interim assistant vice president for research advancement. In this role, Khondaker will focus on driving further growth of research development and partnership, critical elements of the UCF research enterprise. This will include expanding […]
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Virtual Arboretum Featured at Global Film, Data Visualization Conference
A virtual corner of UCF’s campus was demonstrated alongside some of the biggest names in the computer graphics industry at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater Retrospective Celebration. The Virtual UCF Arboretum, an immersive digital twin of nature, was created by Associate Professor of Digital Media Maria Harrington, Ph.D., and was part of the featured […]
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Security Studies Ph.D. Students Chosen For Prestigious Fellowship
Two graduate students with a deep interest in global conflict recently received a financial endorsement for their work toward a dissertation. The 2023 Peace Scholar Fellowship Program supports the work of Salah Ben Hammou and Erika Ricci, both of whom are pursuing a Ph.D. from the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. The Peace […]
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Members of the Central Florida Indian American Community Gather at UCF to Celebrate India’s Independence Day
In celebration of India’s 77th Independence Day, almost 200 supporters, students, faculty and members of the Indian American community gathered Sunday, Aug. 27 for an event hosted by The India Center at UCF. The India Center also welcomed the representatives of 10 Indian American community associations and gratefully acknowledged their support. The event held in UCF’s […]
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Limbitless Solutions Receives Epic MegaGrant to Create Multiplayer Prosthetics-Training Game
UCF professors and nonprofit organization Limbitless Solutions have received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, known for operating Fortnite and developing Unreal Engine. Limbitless Solutions is known for developing expressive, 3D-printed arms and accessibility-focused video game training. Their training games directly support producing and delivering cost-free prosthetic limbs for the limb-difference […]
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UCF Names Joseph Harrington as Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Scholarship
The University of Central Florida Office of Research has announced the appointment of Joseph Harrington, a Pegasus Professor in the Department of Physics and UCF’s Florida Space Institute, as the interim associate vice president for research and scholarship. In this role, Harrington’s duties will include overseeing UCF’s institutes and centers and research strategy councils; participating […]
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New UCF Project Examines Key Role Soils Play in Keeping the Planet Cool
A new project from the University of Central Florida is looking to the soils for a way to cool the skies. Funded by a nearly $750,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the research will examine a method to keep carbon from escaping soils and becoming the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. […]
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UCF Alumni Announces 2023 Shining Knights Award Recipients
Ten community members will be recognized as Shining Knights, UCF Alumni’s highest honor, at a special ceremony during this year’s Homecoming events on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Pegasus Grand Ballroom of the Student Union 6-9 p.m. The UCF Alumni Shining Knights Alumni Awards program began in 2017 when the late UCF President John C. […]
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New Ethanol Fuel Cell Technology Rivals Fossil Fuels and Electric Car Batteries
University of Central Florida researchers have achieved new record-setting power density for ethanol fuel cells, helping advance the technology as a competitor to fossil fuels and electric car batteries. Ethanol fuel cells offer cleaner emissions than fossil fuels and no charging times compared to electric vehicle batteries. In recent studies published in the journals Nature […]
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Congratulations Summer ‘23 Doctoral Graduates!
This summer, 26 College of Sciences Ph.D. graduates walked across the stage into futures making an impact in academia and industry. They were celebrated by faculty, staff, supporters and the dean at the COS Pre-Commencement Ph.D. Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. Dean Maggy Tomova, Ph.D., honored their accomplishments with remarks and a toast. She […]
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2 UCF Professors Honored as Fellows in the World’s Largest Scientific Society
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its Science family of journals. Election as a fellow is a lifetime honor and considered one of the most distinguished recognitions within the scientific community. UCF professors Peter Delfyett and Ronald DeMara are […]
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UCF Sea Turtle Research Highlighted for 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
UCF sea turtle research was recently highlighted for the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with a visit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) leadership. The visit showcased the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and its successful sea turtle conservation efforts. Since the refuge’s establishment as […]
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College of Sciences Sets New Research Funding Record
The College of Sciences saw a record $43.6 million in research awards this past year — up from $25 million in 2021–22. This is the first year that the college has ranked first in funding across the university. “This is a tremendous accomplishment by our research faculty and students,” said Associate Dean and Pegasus Professor […]
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UCF Alum on How FIEA Took Him From Gamer to Creator
More than 3 billion people are estimated to be active video game players, with the worldwide gaming market projected to be $347 billion. Behind the largest entertainment industry in the world are creators like Blake Battle ’12MS, who is anaccomplished producer at Bungie, which has developed popular games like Destiny and Halo. A UCF interactive […]
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Fluid Dynamics Research Prize Awarded to Mathematics and Physics Professor
A seven-year study into the fluid dynamics that govern everything from airplane turbulence to ocean currents recently earned a top prize for a UCF researcher. The Fluid Dynamics Research Prize for 2023 was awarded by the Japan Society of Fluid Mechanics to Professor of Mathematics and Physics, Bhimsen Shivamoggi, Ph.D., and a team of collaborators […]
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The India Center Hosts Partition Presentation
By Puja Shanbhag On April 12, 2023 the India Center hosted Guneeta Singh Bhalla, Ph.D., founder of the 1947 Partition Archive. Bhalla presented on her project on India’s Partition. The talk touched on the cataclysmic Partition of India in 1947, which led to one of the largest mass migrations in history. Bhalla offered individual Partition stories […]
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15 UCF Students Awarded Distinguished Gilman Scholarship to Study Abroad
Most college students would consider studying marine science at the Great Barrier Reef or even architecture in Europe to be the pinnacle of their college experience. However, studying beyond the four walls of their classroom is a goal only about 10% of undergraduate students nationwide get to accomplish. But with the support of the Benjamin […]
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My Roots Run Deep: UCF Alumna Pays Homage to Her Caribbean Heritage
UCF is celebrating the rich and diverse cultures of the Caribbean within our university, local community and around the world in recognition of National Caribbean American Heritage Month — a month founded by Claire Nelson, founder and president of the Institute of Caribbean Studies, and officially declared by President George W. Bush in 2006. Many […]
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UCF Researchers Pave the Way to Better Understand and Treat PTSD
June is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, which aims to raise the public’s understanding of the oftentimes debilitating condition. It’s estimated that about one in three people who experience severe trauma develop PTSD. Veterans, first responders, and survivors of abuse or serious accidents are more prone to PTSD than others, according to the National […]
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Two Kurdish Political Studies Program Dr. Najmaldin Karim Research Fellows Visit Kurdistan
Written by Léa Faure, Ph.D. in Security Studies In May 2023, two students affiliated with the Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP), Hannah Barnes and Myli Sangria, traveled to Kurdistan to expand their horizons and research interests. First, could you both tell me more about your background? SANGRIA: “I am a junior studying international relations and […]
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Two Transfer Students Find Belonging at UCF Through Research
Two transfer students recently took advantage of a special program to scratch their itch for learning research skills. Mosquitos and their vulnerability to pesticides was the focus of research by Biology students Holly Monroe and Kathleen Velez. Both took advantage of the Transfer Student Research Integration Program (TRIP) to help acclimate to campus and begin […]
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Grants Elevate National Profile of Radiochemistry Program
Two recent grants elevate the national profile of UCF’s radiochemistry program. The first connects the university with a $25 million consortium funded by the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) in nuclear forensics. The consortium — comprised of 15 academic institutions and seven national labs —trains students on topics related to national security and nuclear non-proliferation. […]
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UCF Is Leading Comprehensive Study of Centaurs and Jupiter-family Comets
A UCF researcher is working on a new, NASA-funded project that will gather the most comprehensive collection of data on active centaurs and distantly-active Jupiter-family comets to date. The work will inform research into the origins of the solar system, as these bodies contain materials from the dawn of its formation. Centaurs and Jupiter-family comets […]
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Celebrating 60 Years of UCF: A Legacy of Excellence, A Future of Possibilities
The University of Central Florida was founded in 1963 to fuel the talent and technology needs of America’s growing space program at the Space Coast. From the beginning, UCF’s purpose has been to help people and organizations “Reach for the Stars,” which is the university’s official motto. As you look across the constellation of industry, […]
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Human Migration Timeline Redrawn by Fresh Fossil Analysis
New research recasts the narrative on the earliest presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia, pushing back the presence of humans in that part of the world by at least 20,000 years and a human presence in the region for at least 56,000 years. The findings are based on analysis of bones excavated from deep […]
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School District Partnership Deepens GeoBus Reach, Impact
The impact of the nation’s first GeoBus continues to grow, with a new partnership bringing the immersive educational experience to 18 Title I Brevard County schools this spring semester, with an additional set of schools to continue in the next school year. The partnership ushers in the next phase for GeoBus from one-off school visits […]
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3 UCF Students Receive Prestigious 2023 Boren Scholarship
Three UCF students have been selected as 2023 Boren Scholars, a distinguished national honor that recognizes highly motivated undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in U.S. national security. This year’s recipients are Angelina Alonzo, a political science major; Flora Ngo, a criminal justice and psychology double major; and Sean Merkel, a computer […]
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UCF Researchers Are Contributing to World Oceans Day
One of Florida’s most precious resources is its water from the aquifer to the 8,436 miles of coastline, boarded by the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and the Atlantic Ocean. Water is also a major player in the state’s economy, contributing $56 billion to the economy and generating 900,000 jobs according to a […]
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Latina Alumna, Postdoctoral Researcher Inspiring Underrepresented Youth to Excel in Tech World
Olivia Newton 13 ’17MS ’22PhD is a second-generation Mexican American, a three-time graduate from the UCF and a woman excelling in a field significantly underrepresented by Latinas. Latin women hold less than 2% of STEM occupations, but Newton has always been a barrier breaker, according to a report by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Google and […]
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UCF Is Part of Team That Finds Water on Ultra-hot Exoplanet with James Webb Space Telescope
A University of Central Florida researcher and multiple alumni are part of a team that has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to identify water vapor in the atmosphere of an ultra-hot gas giant exoplanet and make a thermal map of its atmosphere. Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, the team found multiple […]