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UCF to Name School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences in Honor of Technology Pioneer, Alumna Yvette Kanouff
Yvette Kanouff wants UCF students to recognize the possibilities within themselves. Now, her name will become part of the place where generations of Knights turn those possibilities into discoveries. On Thursday, Sept. 24, the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees approved renaming the UCF School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences to the Dr. […]
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UCF Researcher Discovers Experimental Evidence of New Type of Magnetism
UCF researchers and collaborators experimentally identified signatures of altermagnetism in a layered material. The emerging form of magnetism can avoid disruptive magnetic fields while offering properties that could enable thenext-generation computing. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could help scientists develop faster, smaller and more energy-efficient electronic and spintronic devices for next-generation computing and data […]
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UCF Researcher Uses Conservation Genomics to Advance Florida Scrub Jay Recovery
For nearly two decades biologist Lauren Deaner has worked with Florida Scrub jays, contributing to population recovery efforts and translocations. Now, as a doctoral researcher in UCF’s integrative biology program, she is using that field experience to investigate how genetics, behavior and population dynamics influence the long-term recovery of imperiled species. Deaner’s dissertation centers on […]
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UCF Anthropologist Examines Culture and Identity Through the Food We Eat
Through research spanning the Philippines and the United States, UCF anthropologist and department chair Ty Matejowsky examines how food and restaurants can reveal deeper meanings about culture, identity and human interaction. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published September 18, 2026 For most people, a trip to a fast-food restaurant is simply a meal. For Ty Matejowsky, chair of the Department of Anthropology, it can be […]
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UCF Civics Expert Selected to Help Shape National Assessment
Stephen Masyada has been invited to serve on a 20-member framework committee for the civics portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 2032 assessment. Masyada is the longtime director of the Lou Frey Institute, which serves every school district in Florida as a leading provider of civic education instructional and professional […]
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UCF Faculty Help Shape the Future of Human-Machine Communication as Emerging Field Earns International Recognition
Human-machine communication (HMC) reached a major milestone this summer, earning official Division status from the International Communication Association and recognition as an established field of communication research. UCF Professors Jihyun Kim and Patric Spence have helped shape HMC through research, international leadership and the creation of a dedicated scholarly journal. With emerging technologies increasingly integrated […]
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What Is a “Full College Experience” at UCF?
In April 2023, a few days after senior prom, Gabby Murison ’26 and her family drove 650 miles from New Orleans to Orlando. They’d vacationed in previous years to the area’s theme parks, but this time they had just one destination on the itinerary: UCF. The university interested Murison for its strong film program through […]
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From Knightly News to Hollywood: UCF Alumnus Built Artist Management Company Representing Top Comedians and Musicians
A College of Sciences alumnus turned the connections he made in UCF’s TV production program into a Los Angeles-based artist management company helping entertainers grow careers on stage and beyond. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 27, 2026 For Stephen Gordon Walker ’12, success in the entertainment industry begins with embracing what makes you different. After graduating from the then-named Nicholson School of Communication’s TV production […]
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Fulbright Experience in Uzbekistan Opens Doors for Future Global Collaboration
College of Sciences professor’s Fulbright Specialist experience lays the foundation for future collaboration in artificial intelligence, data science and international academic exchange. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 24, 2026 When Hsin-Hsiung “Bill” Huang, professor of statistics and data science, traveled to Uzbekistan this spring as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, the visit represented far more […]
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Doctoral Chemistry Student Earns GEM Fellowship for Research in Nuclear Forensics and National Security
From undergraduate researcher to GEM Fellow, a graduate student is building a future in radiochemistry and national security research through UCF. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 13, 2026 Chemistry doctoral student and Graduate Research Assistant Wilfredo Rivera Rodriguez has been selected for the prestigious GEM Fellowship, a nationally recognized graduate fellowship that supports students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields and helps develop future […]
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UCF Students Win Inaugural International Security Strategy Competition
A team of School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs students earned first place for their Arctic security strategy, demonstrating the power of collaboration, critical thinking and real-world problem solving. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: July 6, 2026 Five College of Sciences students put their national security knowledge to the test and came out on top, earning first place […]
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FDLE Relocates Orlando Toxicology Lab to UCF, Strengthening Partnerships and Research
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is deepening its strategic public safety partnership with UCF by embedding experts at the university’s Academic Health Sciences Campus. Relocating FDLE’s toxicology laboratory to the UCF facility in Lake Nona better connects academic-industry research, workforce development and forensic testing in one of the nation’s fastest-growing medical and technology […]
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What I Learned from Rowing Across the Ocean
UCF industrial and organizational psychology doctoral student Andres Käosaar and his team of three fellow Estonians spent three years preparing for the World’s Toughest Row and journeyed as one of 43 boats in the 2025 Atlantic challenge. Read his pre-race feature on UCF Today. They successfully completed their mission of rowing across the Atlantic on […]
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UCF Student Awarded Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship, Advances Research on Florida’s Changing Fisheries
Meredith Pratt, an integrative and conservation biology doctoral student at UCF, earned the prestigious Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship for research on Florida’s changing coastal ecosystems. Her work examines how warming temperatures and expanding mangrove habitats are reshaping fish diets, food webs and species interactions along Florida’s east coast. The findings could inform better management […]
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UCF Researcher Helps Define the Future of Nanozymes in Healthcare and Technology
A new study co-led by a UCF researcher highlights how nanozymes — engineered nanomaterials that mimic enzymes — could improve disease detection, targeted therapies and technologies designed for harsh for real-world environments. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: June 1, 2026 Associate Professor of Chemistry Xiaohu Xia is exploring the potential of nanozyme technology in outperforming natural enzymes, proteins that accelerate chemical reactions. The study was published in the journal Nature Reviews Materials. The first author is Shikuan Shao, a postdoctoral researcher at UCF, and […]
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New Study Explores How Governance Has Evolved Across History
A newly published study in Science Advances is taking a broader look at how societies have organized power across history, combining archaeological and historical evidence to better understand governance over time. Coauthor Sarah “Stacy” Barber, professor and associate chair for UCF’s Department of Anthropology, says the project was driven in part by the growing availability of archaeological data […]
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UCF Researcher Contributes to Antscan, a Global 3D Ant Biodiversity Database
Since the rise of genome sequencing, the field of biology has gained an exponential amount of data and understanding of the building blocks of living organisms. However, documenting phenotypic, or observable, characteristics of organisms has lagged behind due to challenges with technology. To advance knowledge in this area, UCF Assistant Professor of Biology Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo, […]
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UCF Study Suggests Some Alzheimer’s Symptoms May Begin Outside the Brain
UCF researchers have uncovered evidence that some movement-related symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may originate outside the brain, which could change how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future. The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging and was led by UCF Nanoscience Technology Center Professor James Hickman and Research Professor Xiufang “Nadine” Guo. In collaboration with researchers at healthcare tech company Hesperos, the team used lab-grown, human-cell systems designed to […]
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Bold, Relentless, Rising: Meet UCF’s 2026 Reach for the Stars Honorees
Big ideas don’t wait — and neither do the researchers behind them. The 2026 Reach for the Stars honorees — six UCF assistant professors — are already making a substantial impact on their respective fields through meaningful research and creative work that extends far beyond campus, with national and international influence. Across disciplines, their work […]
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Joshua Colwell Leads UCF’s College of Sciences as Dean
The search for a new dean for the UCF College of Sciences has concluded with the appointment of Joshua Colwell, a Pegasus Professor of physics who has been at UCF for 20 years. Following a competitive national search and rigorous interview process, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter selected Colwell on […]
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UCF’s Video Game Design Programs Rank Among World’s Best for 2026
Tomorrow’s leading video game developers are being built today at UCF. The university’s graduate video gaming program, Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), and games and interactive media (GaIM) undergraduate program continue to develop a pipeline of talent to fuel Florida’s economy at a standard of excellence few can match, affirmed by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer’s Top […]
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UCF Biology Professor’s Research Links Warming Migratory Temperatures to Decline in Monarch Butterfly Population
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have one of the most impressive migrations in the animal kingdom, but rising temperatures are disrupting their physiology, migration success and long-term population stability, raising new questions about conservation strategies. In a recent study published in Royal Society Open Science, researchers found that warmer migratory temperatures may be disrupting their reproductive […]
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Sociology Doctoral Student Empowers Mental Health Awareness at Comic-Con Panel
Jaylen Christie combines comic books, sociology, and mental health education in presentation at popular convention in San Diego, California. Written by: Sultana Ali | Published: September 24, 2025 What is the connection between comics and mental health? For UCF doctoral student Jaylen Christie, the relationship came naturally. A longtime fan of comic book hero, The […]
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Order of Pegasus Alumna Turned Childhood Curiosity into STEM Advocacy
College of Sciences Physics doctoral graduate, Stephanie Lough, reflects on finding her path through the American Physical Society Bridge Program. By Emily Dougherty | July 25, 2025 When Stephanie Lough decided to return to school at 28 after already building a career, she was unsure of what to expect as a non-traditional student. She graduated […]
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UCF Hosts The Florida Consortium on the Neurobiology of Cognition for the First Time
The Psychology Department at the College of Sciences convenes researchers across the state to explore issues around cognition and aging. By: Sultana Ali and Jordan Sammarco | May 20, 2025 Researchers from across the Florida university system, as well as other organizations connected to cognition, gathered at the University of Central Florida May 8 and […]
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UCF Professor Retires after 53 Years
Roger Handberg’s milestone marked with a celebratory last lecture. By: Emily Dougherty | April 24, 2025 Professor of Political Science, Roger Handberg, Ph.D., in The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs (SPSIA) within the College of Sciences is retiring after over five decades of research, teaching, and administration at UCF. Before his journey as […]
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Celebrating College of Sciences 2025 Founders’ Day Awardees
UCF’s annual event celebrates outstanding accomplishments and contributions of employees, faculty, and students By: Emily Dougherty | March 31, 2025 Student Awards Order of Pegasus UCF’s highest student honor, which recognizes new inductees into the Order of Pegasus. Additional awards include graduate honors for exceptional master’s theses and dissertations, undergraduate awards for outstanding honors theses, […]
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Addition Financial Analytics Competition Winners Announced
A team of two Knights takes home the grand prize at the Big Data Analytics Symposium By: Emily Dougherty | March 28, 2025 The UCF Department of Statistics and Data Science collaborated with Pegasus Partner, Addition Financial, to host its annual analytics competition and named its winners at the Big Data Analytics Symposium, hosted at UCF this […]
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UCF Arboretum Hosts Community and Alumni at Special Event, Showcasing Innovative Work and Initiatives
Through immersive interactive stations and guided tours, UCF alumni, staff, and community partners explored and learned about the UCF Arboretum’s environmental initiatives and its impact on the community. By: Ana Hidalgo | March 24, 2025 The UCF Arboretum is host to a community garden, natural lands, student initiatives on Leading by Learning™ and on March […]
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UCF Students Awarded at American Statistical Association Florida Chapter Meeting
Five Knights receive distinction at statewide meeting hosted by UCF By Emily Dougherty | February 26th, 2025 For a group of UCF students, the American Statistical Association (ASA) Florida Chapter Meeting 2025 was more than just an academic conference—it was a moment of recognition, collaboration, and celebration. Five College of Sciences statistics and data science […]
