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Outstanding AlumKnight Believes in Public Service
Receiving an education at the University of Central Florida can open many doors for a student. Our renowned faculty and staff pour their resources into students and allow them to reach new heights that seem impossible. For this month’s Outstanding Alumknight, the support he received at UCF allowed him to work to achieve success in both the government and […]
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James Bacchus Joins UCF Faculty
by Christine Dellert A new center will focus on advancing UCF’s work in economic and environmental issues and fostering links for faculty and others in the UCF community to sustainable development efforts at the local, national and global level. James Bacchus, who joins UCF as Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs, will lead the UCF […]
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UCF Alumnus Speaks up For Underprivileged Youth
Some choose the University of Central Florida because of the location. Others choose UCF because of the amazing Greek life and extracurricular activities. But this month’s Political Science Outstanding Alumnus chose UCF because he needed a broader understanding of the exact tools needed to go back and help his economically depressed community. Codeye Woody spent […]
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Physicist’s Career Launched by Cassini Mission
by Zenaida Kotala When NASA’s Cassini mission ends on Sept. 15 by plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere, one UCF professor will be reminiscing about the mission that launched his career and the family he’s made throughout the almost 20-year journey. Physics Professor Josh Colwell began working on the Cassini mission right out of graduate school after […]
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From UCF to the White House
UCF alumna Jessica Fredericks ’07 is helping preserve American history as the new director of communications for the White House Historical Association. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the nonprofit association in 1961 to protect, preserve and provide public access to the rich history of America’s executive mansion. Fredericks said it is a dream job for her. […]
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Non-Profit Director by Day, Podcaster on Game Day
UCF alumnus Trace Trylko 94’ sends his love for UCF straight to the airwaves. Trylko co-hosts a podcast called Knightline with Andrew Phegley, who founded the show in 2014. Beginning August 31, you’ll find Trylko and Phegley taking calls live at BurgerU, just outside of Spectrum Stadium, after every home game. Knightline features UCF athletes […]
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A 12-Year Delay Leads to Success
Melissa Gomez attended small private schools until fall 2000, when she found herself a freshman film major at one of the nation’s largest universities. She came to the conclusion all of the students knew what they wanted out of life and she did not yet. She chose to leave UCF, believing she was wasting her time. […]
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The 2017-18 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back this September with six UCF faculty who are experts in topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and the developments in their respective fields. This year’s 2017-18 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6 p.m., from September 2017 […]
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Back to School in China
UCF alumnus Max Hoffman graduated from the political science department in Spring 2014 – just a year and a half into his collegiate career. Hoffman had his sights set on something else: Shanghai. Hoffman accepted a position as a leader of the foreign teachers at Shanghai Bestway EDU where he teaches English and handles curriculum […]
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A Man Named Qusai
UCF graduate turned international hip-hop star pays a visit to his alma mater before House of Blues concert. By Sam Schiffer I walked into the UCF Fairwinds Alumni Center Wednesday evening expecting to hear an up-and-coming rapper talk about his time at the university. I walked out knowing an artist that sought to make a […]
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Anthropology Student Focuses on Sustainability
What if you could spend the summer reading books by the beach in San Diego? That’s what Sarah Davenport did. But that’s not all. Davenport is majoring in anthropology and her research conducted as an undergrad is already getting attention. She focuses on sustainability – but not just the environment kind. Working with an environmental […]
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Knight Life: The UCF Turtle Team
It’s 9:30 p.m., the sun is down, and your shift is about to start. You put on your long pants, long-sleeved shirt, bug jacket and fanny pack with your nightly turtle kit. Out on the beach in Brevard County, in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, you’re starting your search for nesting female sea turtles. […]
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Student Zooms With NASCAR This Summer
You might see Monica Matias’ powerful serve on the tennis court, but this summer she was driving around Daytona International Speedway. Matias, a Puerto Rico native who was recruited to play tennis at UCF, spent her summer rubbing shoulders with policy makers. The rising senior Human Communications major landed a position as a public affairs […]
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Student’s Fantasy Work Becomes Reality
by Gene Kruckemyer UCF senior Branden Hall hopes that one day Zeek St. Cloud finds his true purpose in life – but he knows that’s going to take thousands of years. Hall, who is majoring in creative writing and advertising/public relations, and his brother Horacio are enabling Zeek on his journey, and recently received an […]
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COSmic Knight Exposes Injustice
This week’s COSmic Knight aspires to do work that really matters to people. With a double major in political science and journalism, Sam Schiffer is a force to be reckoned with. His interest in how government operates began in his high school career. He was excelling in government and civics classes when he realized the importance of understanding government dictates the […]
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Ph.D. Student Makes Major Changes
William Volante, Ph.D. student, has been at UCF for seven years, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t finished. In fact, he’s just begun. Volante is from Gainesville, and out of high school was interested in engineering. Despite having a large state university in his own backyard, he wanted to go to UCF. He began his […]
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Faculty Leave the Knights to Tackle Tigers
The UCF College of Sciences is proudly sending off two faculty this fall – Chris Parkinson, Ph.D., and Cynthia Young, Ph.D. Parkinson is a professor of biology and founding director of the Faculty Cluster Initiative. He’s known among students for the Parkinson Lab, where students studied venomous snakes, lizards, marine turtles and small mammals. Parkinson […]
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Knight Charges On to Graduation Despite Cancer Diagnosis
By Rachel Williams At 63 years old and after years of hard work, Cherie Carr had finally achieved her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree. She couldn’t wait to walk the stage at graduation. Then, everything changed. In the hospital three weeks ago for splitting headaches, shortness of breath and stomach pain, Carr got news […]
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Introducing 13 New Ph.D. Graduates
In a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., the College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in the Physical Sciences building. Thirteen students were recognized with family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman, Ph.D., honored each student by presenting their research and dissertation. A champagne toast followed to celebrate the students’ […]
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He Did it Again: Chang Breaks Record of Fastest Light Pulse
by Mark Schleub A research team at the University of Central Florida has demonstrated the fastest light pulse ever developed, a 53-attosecond X-ray flash. The group led by Professor Zenghu Chang beat its own record set in 2012: a 67-attosecond extreme ultraviolet light pulse that was the fastest at the time. At one-quintillionth of a […]
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COSmic Knight Took a Risk That Paid $5K
Funding your college career may be difficult, but Cristobal Reyes-Rios took a chance that won himself a scholarship. With a double major in journalism and political science, Reyes has a lot on his plate. He became interested in journalism in ninth grade when he took a journalism class and showed promise in news writing. He […]
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A View From Capitol Hill
University of Central Florida Political Science alumnus David Feinman shows that taking a chance can really pay off. Feinman graduated from UCF in 2011 but his experience was far from the norm. Most students work while in school but not many have had the opportunity to work out of state while getting their degree. Feinman […]
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UCF Alumnus Soars in Career and Life
The University of Central Florida produced great minds far before it was dubbed UCF. When the school started as Florida Technological University, it was mainly STEM-focused and produced professionals to work for science-based companies such as NASA. One such professional initially came across the country to attend FTU. Outstanding AlumKnight Scott Fouse ’76, originally chose […]
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Alumna Takes Conservation Studies Across the Pond
From the Everglades to the Florida panther, it’s no secret that Florida is home to many endangered ecosystems and animals. Conservation is a huge topic of conversation as it impacts the lives of most Floridians and researchers daily. For one University of Central Florida alumna, Florida piqued her interest in zoology and wildlife conservation and […]
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Real Science
The Biology Summer Field Institute isn’t a field trip into the woods. For the week of July 17, rising high school juniors and seniors become real scientists. Led by Jennifer Elliott, Assistant Director of the UCF Arboretum, students were broken up into four groups: wetlands health assessment, forest ecology, vegetation monitoring, and gopher tortoise studies. […]
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Video Games Takes Student to South Korea
This COSmic Knight took an opportunity that landed him halfway across the globe. Radio and television major, Justin Wilson, got his big breakthrough playing video games. He played video games professionally while at UCF from 2010-2012 and frequently participated in tournaments and competitions. In 2012, he retired from playing professionally but kept up with the […]
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UCF Alumnus Rocks the Restaurant Business
Kris ‘Po’ Maronpot is warm and welcoming. He knows how to treat people, and after working in the restaurant business for over 20 years, it comes naturally. Maronpot graduated from UCF in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At the time, he chose UCF for the great scholarships he received and the fact that […]
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Stabilizing the Shoreline an Oyster at a Time
Linda Walters, Ph.D., and Melinda Donnelly, Ph.D. work together to stabilize Florida’s estuarine shorelines that have severely eroded due to storms and boat wakes. Since 2007 the duo’s work has restored 82 reefs and stabilized over 2000 meters of shoreline. Without volunteers and grants from various organizations, their work wouldn’t be possible. In early July, […]
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Team Receives Grant to Explore Photon Funnels
By Zenaida Kotala The National Science Foundation has awarded a UCF-led team $400,049 to develop new devices for concentrating and controlling light called “photon funnels.” Concentrating light is used in a variety of electronics and machines people have come to depend on, from computers and cell phones to fiber optics and sensors that detect toxic […]
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Ph.D. Student Finds Gene Linked to Depression Risk
By Rachel Williams A University of Central Florida study has found that a gene variant, thought to be carried by nearly 25 percent of the population, increases the odds of developing depression. People with apolipoprotein-E4, called ApoE4 for short, have a 20 percent greater chance of developing clinically significant depressive symptoms later in life compared […]