Author, Educator and 2013 UCF Pegasus Professor

Dr. James D. Wright is an author, educator, Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and now a UCF Pegasus Professor. He is one of the three faculty selected from the College of Sciences who were honored with the award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to the UCF community in the areas of research, […]

Dr. Campins Selected as 2013 Pegasus Professor

Dr. Humberto Campins’ impressive list of accomplishments ranges from discovering water ice and organic molecules on asteroids to being a part of NASA and European Space Agency teams, but he can now add UCF Pegasus Professor to that list. Campins was among seven faculty members who were honored this year with the prestigious Pegasus Professor […]

COS PhD Student Wins First Place

Have you ever wondered how or what enabled planets to form? Tracy Becker, a PhD student in the Physics Department, is working hard to find out the answer. She has always known that she wanted to study astronomy, but she is especially interested in the solar system. Becker’s current research is focused on Saturn’s rings. Recently, Becker […]

COS Professors Receive UCF’s Most Prestigious Award

To be recognized as a Pegasus Professor is the most prestigious award a faculty member can receive at UCF, and this year the College of Sciences was privileged to have three of its professors honored with this accolade. Deborah Beidel, Humberto Campins and James D. Wright were chosen from the College of Sciences for their […]

Alumnus Reflects on the Opportunities UCF Provided

UCF alumnus, Gilbert Zhang, ’10, graduated from UCF with a master’s degree in political science. When he reflects on his time at UCF, Zhang says, “UCF stands for opportunity, the motto that I have remembered since my first day at UCF, and it truly does. My time as a UCF student was a great experience […]

Scientists Capture First Direct Proof of Hofstadter Butterfly Effect

This is a guest post from Zenaida Kotala, UCF Today. A team of researchers from several universities – including UCF –has observed a rare quantum physics effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum in a magnetic field, confirming the longstanding prediction of the quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter’s butterfly. This discovery by the […]

UCF Arboretum Summer Volunteer Schedule

Special Issue of JPSE: Simulations in Political Science

A new issue of the Journal of Political Science Education edited by three Political Science faculty at UCF – Kerstin Hamann, Hutch Pollock and Bruce Wilson – is now in print.  Volume 9, Number 2 is a special issue with nine peer-reviewed articles focusing on various aspects of the use of simulations in political science […]

Honor, Courage and Commitment

Congratulations to alumnus, Jeffrey N. Aybar, ’12, for recently completing U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Aybar completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis […]

The Tallahassee-Leon Shelter Study Update

UCF Sociology professors Drs. Amy Donley and James Wright recently lent their expertise to the Tallahassee-Leon Shelter. The shelter was in the midst of some controversies when the United Way of the Big Bend President, Heather Mitchell, and the shelter’s board leadership called in the experts to help get the shelter back to working at […]

Cyber Shrink

This an excerpt from a story in Endeavors , read the entire piece here. Michael Bachmann is tall. Even in Texas, where large seems to be the natural order of things, the native German takes up a lot of headroom. Asked to guess his occupation, you might hazard something physically demanding, like ranger or sheriff, and […]

New Director of NCFS Announced

The college congratulates Dr. Michael Sigman on his new position as the Director of the National Center for Forensic Science. Dr. Sigman earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Florida State University in 1986 and was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois and University of Chicago.  He held research positions at […]

NASA Awards $1.8 Million to Psychology Professor

Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair, Eduardo Salas, was selected for two of the 23 awards that NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute announced for its crew health program. Proposals were openly solicited from academia, industry and government laboratories and were judged for scientific merit by non-NASA technical experts. The issue being addressed is astronaut health and performance risks for future […]

UCF Professors Write Guest Column Piece for the Orlando Sentinel

Drs. Ty Matejowsky and Beatriz Reyes-Foster, professors in the Department of Anthropology at UCF, recently wrote a guest column piece for the Orlando Sentinel called, “Anthropologists should do a better job of promoting their field.”  The featured article addresses the negative attention that cultural anthropology tends to receive in the news lately. They describe cultural anthropology as […]

The First Steps on The Right Career Path

A few years ago UCF came out with the slogan “UCF Stands for Opportunity,” and Lauren Doney, ’11, credits her career success from the many unique opportunities UCF offers its students. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree in political science and pre-law, UCF provided her with two years of internship and real-world work experience that gave […]

Science Cafés featuring UCF scientists

As part of our celebrations for the UCF 50th Anniversary the College of Sciences will be hosting several Science Cafés to showcase our Pegasus Professors and discuss Science Beyond UCF with the Central Florida community. Admission is free, and you need no reservation—just come ready to listen and contribute. Each speaker will begin their presentation at […]

UCF Alumna Receives Toastmasters International’s Highest Honor

Toastmasters International, a world leader in communication and leadership development, awarded its highest honor, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM,) to Michelle Hanchey, ’76. The DTM award is given only to those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and communication skills and who have used these skills to help others in their self-development. Less than one percent of 4 […]

UCF Participates in 9th Annual NAMIWalk

NAMIWalks is the largest and most successful mental health awareness and fundraising event in America. Through these walks the organziation is changing the way Americans view persons with a mental illness and ensuring that help and hope are available for those in need. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will be celelebrating its 9th Annual NAMI Greater […]

Alumnus Combines His Passion for Science with Law

David Frost once said, “Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in it, and it will come naturally.” Alumnus, Christopher T. Byrd, ’04, is a great example of someone who worked hard and has a successful career because he found a job that involves his passion and […]

Alumnus Creates His Own Path to Success

Kevin Varela, ’10, started the international relations track through the UCF Political Science Department with hopes of one day getting a nice cozy job as a diplomat. However, his journey through UCF’s international relations, women’s studies, and Latin American studies programs opened not only his mind, but his desires. “International relations taught me about how […]

Alumna Moves Up the Public Relations Ladder

Congratulations to Megan Licata,’08, who recently earned Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), one of the highest credentials for public relations and communications professionals. Licata graduated from the Nicholson School of Communication with a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal-organizational communication. She currently works as a public relations account executive for Fry Hammond Barr in Orlando, FL.

Physicist’s Research Gains International Attention

Dr. Zenghu Chang, UCF Distinguished Professor of Physics & Optics, recorded the shortest pulse of light in his UCF lab. Physics World recently interviewed Chang for their publication, which you can view here. Physics World is the British equivalent of Physics Today, which is published in the US. “Dr. Chang’s success in making ever-shorter light pulses helps […]

Where are all the scientists?

Scientist-turned-filmmaker Dr. Randy Olson, is a fan of Al Gore’s global warming movie, but asks, “Where are all the scientists?”  He sets out to make his own documentary about global warming featuring scientists, but the only backers he can find are a fabulously flaky couple who top their list of people they want him to interview with Tom Cruise (not […]

UCF Mentor of the Year

Congratulations, Dr. Josh Colwell, Professor Department of Physics Planetary Sciences Group, on your UCF Mentor of the Year Award. Dr. Colwell got his Ph.D. from the Department of Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Colorado in 1989 and remained in Colorado as a Research Associate at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics until […]

Service-Learning Helps Students Tackle World’s Tough Issues

This is a guest post from Biology Professor Linda Walters, which was featured on UCF Today and The Huffington Post.  The end of each spring semester brings out the best in academia. Not only is graduation soon to occur, but campuses everywhere celebrate excellence — of faculty, staff and students. I am always excited to attend […]

COS Students Win Big at Graduate Research Forum

The 2013 Graduate Research Forum was a huge success, especially for the college of sciences.  COS students swept the mathematics, optics, and physical sciences section, as well as placing in other sections. 70 students from the college of sciences competed in the forum.  Of those 70, eight placed in their respective groups. COS students placed […]

Wedding Bells

Congratulations to Joann Tyson, ’01, and Douglas Marks, ’82, who got married last April in Winter Park. Douglas graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Joann graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film.

Kenneth I. Pargament Talks About the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

Nearly 80 percent of Americans say they practice some type of religion, while approximately 20 percent, mostly younger people, say they do not, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center study. Whether a person is religious, spiritual or neither, the major influence religion has on American culture is emphasized in such religious observances as Passover […]

Biology Students are Best in Show

Last week, students competed in the campus wide UCF Service-Learning Showcase.  We had many COS students compete, but three biology students won best in show.  Madison Hall, Lauren Riegler, and Cherri Sookdeo are members of the Trash Talkers and winners of this outstanding award. “Our project dealt with marine debris, and we presented to 5th […]

UCF Celebrates Arbor Day