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Five Reasons To Call Your Mom, According to Science
By KAREN MOTTARELLA By nature, humans are social beings. Social distancing does not mean you should suddenly become a hermit and detach from others. A call or digital chat can really help someone else, like your mom or your grandparents. Social contact will make this stressful time easier on them. Below are five reasons why […]
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Psychologist Makes Her Mark Bringing Together Families
Kimberly Renk, Ph.D., is rebuilding families by taking psychology off the couch and into disadvantaged Orlando communities. Renk is a child psychologist by training, and she shares her more than 20 years of experience in both the classroom and the local judicial system. Her work at UCF includes leading the Understanding Young Children and Families […]
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New Alumni Reflect on Journey That Brought Them to Fall ’19 Graduation
As he adjusted his black gown, a yellow tassel dangling out of the corner of his eye, Bepsy Omar Aguasvivas thought about his father’s words: “The hardest thing to do is be born. Everything else is simply a step ahead.” That advice carried Aguasvivas through his academic experience at UCF all the way to Saturday, […]
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Students Share Who They’re Grateful For This Thanksgiving
There’s a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. So we asked College of Sciences students to narrow it down to a person that influenced their decision to pursue sciences as a career. Psalmiyah Barber Psychology Sophomore There was no hesitation in Psalmiyah Barber’s answer when asked what she was most thankful for this […]
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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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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 […]
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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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Department of Psychology Celebrates Assoc. Professor’s Double Fellowship
Two prestigious psychology associations recently named a UCF associate professor a fellow. James Szalma, Ph.D., researches and teaches in the field of human factors, which guides intuitive design of products and maximizes efficiency based on the way people instinctively behave. Szalma, for instance, has spoken with Sports Illustrated magazine about the connection between crowd noise […]
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Professor Emeritus Takes To The Skies For 80th Birthday
A former chair of the Department of Psychology and expert in gerontology took to the skies Wednesday to prove his point that age is just a number. Dick Tucker, Ph.D, celebrated his 70th birthday by tandem skydiving. For his 80th birthday this week, he chose hang gliding. For about 15 minutes, Tucker circled peacefully […]
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Summer ’19 Ph.D. Grads Honored At Reception
The Summer ’19 doctorate degree students were recognized Friday at a special reception. Graduates celebrated their achievement with their faculty advisors, family, College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. and a special champagne toast. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Chemistry Anuradha Akmeemana, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: Michael E. Sigman, Ph.D. Dissertation: […]
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Summer Commencement Launches Careers of New COS Grads
Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of UCF’s newest College of Sciences graduates on Saturday. Jeremy Ivy, 23, is a psychology graduate, and plans on applying to a master’s program at Florida Institute of Technology for registered behavioral therapy. These therapists are registered to treat children with autism and work with others that may have […]
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From Porcupines to Pigs, this UCF Psychology Grad Trains Them All
Many kids say they want to work with animals when they grow up. But only a small number of them are willing to scrub poop out of animal enclosures to reach that dream. Katelyn O’Rourke ’14 was among those willing to do anything. Now the psychology alumna’s hard work is paying off with a career that includes hosting […]
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Spring ’19 Ph.D. Grads Honored At Reception
The Spring ’19 doctorate degree students were recognized Thursday at a special reception. Graduates celebrated their achievement with their faculty advisors, family, College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. and a special champagne toast. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Chemistry Sameer Ezzat, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: Andres Campiglia, Ph.D. Dissertation: Chemistry and […]
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Psychology Student Recipient of 50,000th DirectConnect Diploma
BY GENE KRUCKEMYER ’73 On May 3, psychology major Hannah Holbrook will receive the 50,000th degree at the commencement ceremony for the College of Sciences. Holbrook, who came through DirectConnect from Lake-Sumter State College in Clermont, wants to eventually go to medical school to study emergency medicine. But first beginning in June she’s going to start […]
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Psychology Lecturer Awarded for Innovative Writing
Martha Hubertz, Ph.D., a lecturer in Psychology, has been awarded the 2019 Schell Award for Innovative Writing in the Disciplines by the Writing Across the Curriculum Program. The program improves student learning through discipline-specific writing instructions. The WAC Program collaborates with UCF faculty from all departments and disciplines to assist with the creation of college-wide […]
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COS Faculty and Students Recognized for Outstanding Achievements at Founders’ Day Convocation
The dedication and high quality of instruction provided daily by College of Sciences (COS) faculty was recognized recently at the 2019 Founders’ Day Convocation. COS students were also praised for their outstanding academic work. Multiple faculty received awards for their contributions to teaching and research at UCF. They are: College Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate […]
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U.S. Air Force Taps Psychology Professor For Scientific Advisory Board
UCF is now represented on the scientific advisory board that supplies independent guidance to U.S. Air Force research. Peter Hancock, Ph.D., was appointed recently to the roughly 50-member board, which studies topics considered of critical importance by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force. While many members are engineers or provide similar […]
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Locating Happiness: A UCF Psychology Professor Weighs In
Psychology Assistant Professor Kristin Horan, Ph.D., recently contributed to WalletHub’s “2019 Happiest Cities in America.” Horan spoke about the different factors that can affect a person’s happiness, such as political climate, career, age, and income. “They [American Psychological Association] found that almost two-thirds of Americans feel that worrying over the nation’s future was a “significant” […]
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17 College of Sciences Alumni Win 30 Under 30
Seventeen College of Sciences graduates were among the winners of UCF Alumni’s 30 Under 30 Awards. “Our 2019 30 under 30 recipients are extraordinary examples of what it means to represent UCF with pride,” says Jazmine Rodriguez ’10 ’12 , chair of UCF’s Young Alumni Council. “The impact this group has made in the world […]
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Seven COS Faculty Among UCF’s 2019 Women’s History Month Awardees
BY FACULTY EXCELLENCE UCF Faculty Excellence has chosen 31 women to honor during Women’s History Month, which begins today. The national observance was started in 1981 to recognize women who have shown a commitment to humanity and our planet. At UCF, these women have helped shape the university from its beginnings until today. For more […]
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Summer Internship Opportunities
As the temperature gets warmer, we’re all thinking about summer plans. An internship or study abroad program can be a great opportunity for students to gain real-life experience in their field of study and travel to a new place. Here are a few with upcoming deadlines: EEOP Internships Application Due: February 25, 2019 Internship Period: […]
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Voiceless Find Community and Hope In Aphasia Choir
Robert Rosich is in the middle of naming the songs he performed with his friends over Christmas when the words get stuck in his throat. It’s a familiar sensation for Rosich, who has relearned to speak after surviving two strokes. But this time the words just won’t come out. So he tries a different […]
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Fall ’18 Ph.D. Graduates Honored At Reception
Seventeen students graduating with their doctorate degrees were honored at a reception Thursday. Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., along with the students’ faculty advisors and family celebrated the graduation with individual recognition and a champagne toast. Click here to view the full gallery of photos. The students are: Physics Daniel Bonior, Ph.D., faculty advisor, Eduardo […]
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Graduating Venezuelan Transfer Student Inspired to Start Nonprofit
By NICOLE DUDENHOFFER Nearing the end of any collegiate journey is typically a joyous time for most students. After years of juggling classes, working on projects and studying for exams, the end goal — a degree and chance at a better future — is within sight. However in 2016, when clinical psychology major Jennifer Martinez de […]
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Aphasia Choir Fall Performance to be held Nov.30
The healing power of music will be on full display Friday when the Aphasia Choir performs 12 songs. Aphasia describes the difficulty some people have speaking after a traumatic brain injury like a car wreck or a stroke. The physical challenges are frustrating, but aphasia also can cost folks their jobs and friends, leaving them […]
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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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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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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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The 2018-19 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back for its fifth edition. Starting in September, six speakers will present on new technology and research in their respective fields. The 2018-2019 series will be held monthly (excluding November and December) at the Tuscawilla Country Club from September 2018 to April 2019 at […]
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UCF RESTORES PTSD Clinic Renamed
By Rachel Williams The PTSD clinic of UCF RESTORES has been renamed in honor of alumnus Jim Rosengren ‘81 and his wife Julia, who donated $1 million to the clinic. In a ceremony Friday, the Rosengrens and Deborah Beidel, the clinic’s director and a Pegasus professor of psychology, unveiled the new name: Rosengren Trauma Clinic […]