-
Doctoral Student Uses Applied Sociology to Create Change Locally and Globally
Through fellowships, fieldwork, and outreach, Lisa Rodriguez transforms sociological concepts into meaningful solutions for local and global communities. By: Emily Dougherty | June 20, 2025 Lisa Rodriguez, a fourth-year sociology doctoral student in the College of Sciences, is using her academic path and shared experiences to make an impact in communities through research, outreach, and […]
-
UCF Psychology Professor Leads Student Volunteers to Support Mental Health Initiative at Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games
The volunteer effort offered psychology and nursing students real-world mental health screening experience while providing vital mental health and wellness education to Special Olympics Florida athletes. By: Ana G. Hidalgo | June 17, 2025 Dr. Megan Sherod, associate chair for academic programming and associate director of clinical training for the Clinical Psychology Master’s program in […]
-
Research in 60 Seconds: How Seagrass Helps Coastal Ecosystems Thrive
Whether it’s solving the world’s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge of scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights […]
-
UCF Graduate Student Awarded Prestigious Marine Conservation Scholarship Named After Distinguished Marine Biologist Susan L. Williams
Biology student Carla Perscky will conduct first-time research, developing innovative technologies to help conserve tropical seagrass, a vital habitat for many marine species By: Ana G. Hidalgo | May 22, 2025 Carla Perscky, a master’s student in the UCF Department of Biology and Navy veteran, received the Women Divers Hall of Fame’s (WDHOF) Susan L. […]
-
UCF Research Team Discovers Breakthrough for 3D Carbon Printing
The research teams of Laurene Tetard, professor of physics at UCF, and Richard Blair, researcher professor at UCF’s Florida Space Institute, have discovered how to produce strong micro and nanofibers of carbon at room temperature, which can be implemented in a unique 3D printing process they have developed. The team’s research, published in Nature Communications, […]
-
College of Sciences Doctoral Student Combines Archaeology, Geospatial Science, and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University’s Spatial Data Lab
Bryce Peacher incorporates the use of AI into recreating history through fellowship. By Emily Dougherty | April 15, 2025 Bryce Peacher, second-year doctoral student studying Integrative Anthropological Sciences, is currently in a fellowship with Harvard University’s Spatial Data Lab. His unique research engages Geospatial Artificial Intelligence to look at ancient landscapes. Peacher’s advisor, Associate Professor […]
-
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, […]
-
College of Sciences Connects with Central Florida Community at Spark STEM Fest
Faculty and Students come together to bring unique STEM demos to children at the Orlando Science Center By: Emily Dougherty | February 28, 2025 The College of Sciences showcased its commitment to community outreach, innovation, and STEM education at the Spark STEM Fest, hosted at the Orlando Science Center in collaboration with UCF’s Office of […]
-
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 […]
-
Physics Doctoral Student Advances Research to Improve Effectiveness for Scientific Instruments on the Moon’s Surface
College of Sciences Ph.D. Candidate makes strides with research on lunar space exploration with NASA fellowship By: Emily Dougherty | January 28, 2025 Jared Long-Fox, a doctoral student in the Planetary Science Track in the Department of Physics within the College of Sciences, is advancing research supported by the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities […]
-
UCF Doctoral Student Awarded National Nuclear Security Administration Program Award for Technical and Higher-Education
PhD chemistry student, Zachary Murphy, has been recognized for his research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. By: Emily Dougherty | December 12, 2024 Zachary Murphy, a doctoral chemistry student in the College of Sciences, has been awarded the National Nuclear Security Administration Program Award for Technical and Higher-Education (PATH) for his research focusing on […]
-
UCF Psychology Professor Recognized with Beckman Award for His Impact on Student’s Research for Breast Cancer Survivors
Psychology and art blend into lifelong impact for women with Stacie Becker’s research By Emily Dougherty | November 25, 2024 Dr. Jeffrey Cassisi, Professor of Psychology in the College of Sciences, is a recipient of the 2024 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for his mentorship and support of Stacie Becker’s research. Becker is a master’s student […]
-
UCF Doctoral Student Wins Russell and Singurd Varian Award
Kaige Shi has been recognized by the American Vacuum Society for his research to provide solutions for converting renewable electricity into chemical energy By: Emily Dougherty | November 8, 2024 Kaige Shi, a doctoral physics student, has been awarded the Russell and Singurd Varian Award from the American Vacuum Society (AVS) for his research about the […]
-
Doctoral Chemistry Student Selected for the Department of Energy, Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program
Alec DeCecco, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, is investigating the impacts of Criegee intermediates on climate change By: Emily Dougherty | October 29, 2024 Since the beginning of his undergraduate studies at UCF, Alec DeCecco, now a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry, has spent his time in a research lab […]
-
PhD. Student’s Research on Snakes is Helping Protect Florida’s Ecosystem
Jenna Palmisano was awarded multiple research grants to expand her research on parasites affecting pygmy rattlesnakes and Florida ecosystems By: Emily Dougherty | October 28, 2024 Florida has diverse ecosystems that are made up of an array of species, all of which play an important role in the beauty of Florida. Jenna Palmisano, a doctoral […]
-
Chemistry Researchers Advance Universal Design for Learning in STEM Courses
Focus on Bilingual approaches through National Science Foundation grant expand accessibility for learning across diverse student groups By: Emily Dougherty I October 4, 2024 Dr. Erin Saitta, Assistant Professor in the UCF Department of Chemistry, and doctoral student (Chemistry), Kathleen Lugo Charriez, have recognized the array of difficulties that undergraduate chemistry and other STEM students […]
-
UCF Researchers Develop Nano-treatment to Help Save Florida Mangroves from Deadly Disease
Mangroves and palm trees are hallmarks of the Sunshine State not just for their beauty but for their immense importance to Florida’s coastlines. Mangroves are crucial because they naturally protect coastal shores from storm damage and serve as vital wildlife habitats around the world. Scientists at the University of Central Florida are working to preserve […]
-
Trio of Graduating UCF Doctoral Students Showcase Excellence in Physics
Many of the 4,460 Knights who graduate from UCF this summer represent a growing diversity of students in both background and course of study. A small, stand-out group of these Knights are completing doctoral degrees in physics, signifying efforts to combat the larger national trend of underrepresented graduate degree-holders in the field. Currently, only 7% […]
-
UCF Biology Student Luciana Banquero Wins Statewide Aylesworth Scholarship
Luciana Banquero, a graduate student studying marine science in UCF’s Biology department in the College of Sciences, has won the notable Aylesworth Scholarship from Florida Sea Grant.
-
11 Knights Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recognitions for 2024
Five Knights have earned the most prestigious STEM research fellowship in the United States. Another six have earned honorable mentions for the award. Five UCF alums have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF), which supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited […]
-
UCF Student’s Primitive Asteroids Work Provides Context for Further Research, Future NASA Missions
The primitive asteroids that UCF physics doctoral student Brittany Harvison studies carry with them traces of their origins and billions of years of our solar system’s history. Harvison recently pored through a library of infrared telescope data to analyze the spectral composition of 25 members of the Erigone family of primitive asteroids and help fill […]
-
Pegasus Student Awardee Propelled by Love for Discovery and Adventure
Department of Physics Ph.D. student Eric Switzer earned the esteemed Order of the Pegasus award last year for his outstanding academic achievements. Keep reading to learn more about his Knight journey and the advice he has for Physics undergraduate students. Why did you choose to study Physics at UCF? What first caught my eye on […]
-
Four College of Sciences Doctoral Students Selected for Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship
College of Sciences graduate students contribute important scholarship and research that is crucial to the future of their various disciplines, from the natural sciences to communication studies. This year, four outstanding COS doctoral students, representing three disciplines, were selected for the prestigious Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship. “The Dissertation Completion Fellowship provides a unique opportunity […]
-
Wage Disparity Awareness Highlighted by UCF American Physical Society Chapter
The American Physical Society (APS) chapter at UCF champions the development of Physics graduate students and early career scientists. The group’s recent work raised awareness for the wage disparity in graduate school. Vice-Chair Stephanie Lough shared more about their inspiring work. Please share more about your work in raising awareness for the wage disparity in […]
-
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Researches Nuclear Waste at Internship
Chemistry Ph.D. student Zach Murphy studied nuclear waste storage during an internship with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL). His faculty advisor Assistant Professor Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, Ph.D. sees the immense value in internships for UCF Chemistry students. “Internships are a great opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology that is not available in […]
-
Congratulations Fall 2023 Doctoral Graduates!
This fall, 26 College of Sciences Ph.D. graduates will walk across the stage into futures making an impact in academia and industry. They have dedicated themselves to countless hours of research that have made an impact on both them and those around them. These graduates are now ready for the next step in their careers. […]
-
Biology Ph.D. Students Awarded at the Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Integrative and Conservation Biology Ph.D. candidates Davide Dal Pos and Alessandra Pandolfi were honored with awards at the Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting in Maryland. Dal Pos earned the first place award in the Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity (SysEB): Morphology 2 section for his presentation titled, “A revised terminology for male genitalia in Hymenoptera […]
-
Physics Ph.D. Student Pushes the Frontiers of Attosecond Physics
A physics Ph.D. student will travel to California next year to conduct research in attosecond physics through a U.S. Department of Energy program. The program allows Chris Lantigua to continue his research into ultrashort pulses of light, which he currently pursues in the laboratory of Associate Professor Michael Chini, Ph.D. Through the DOE’s Science Graduate […]
-
Statistics and Data Science Team Wins Third Consecutive First Place in Competition
Outbreaks of violence and instability in global hotspots like the Middle East can seem unpredictable, but data science proves otherwise. That was the premise behind a statistics and deep learning hybrid model that earned Associate Professor Hsin-Hsiung “Bill” Huang, Ph.D., and a team of students from the Department of Statistics and Data Science their third […]
-
Political Science Alumna Makes Her Mark on National Security at Lockheed Martin
Alanna Reynolds ‘16 ‘19MA shows just what it means to work hard, persevere through challenges and keep pressing on to pursue her goals. She earned her MA in Political Science and Government in 2019 and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Security Studies at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. Reynolds is the […]