A Physics graduate student is redefining what success looks like with the help of minority academics and the McKnight Dissertation Fellowship. Brian Zamarripa Roman traces his fascination with the cosmos to childhood, but it was only recently that he noticed the lack of representation in the scientific community — specifically, scientists who looked like him. […]
A little due diligence went a long way for a team of UCF chemists studying a fundamental catalytic reaction used by hundreds of research groups around the world. Assistant Professor Titel Jurca, Ph.D., and graduate student, Lorianne Shultz, in collaboration with Assistant Professors Melanie Beazley (UCF Chemistry) and Xiaofeng Feng (UCF Physics) published the initial […]
Graduate students interested in developing social justice research projects have a new funding source through Citizen Science GIS in the Department of Sociology. The new initiative splits proposals into two areas: Amplify Knight Voices and Broaden Community Connections. Amplify Knight Voices funds projects that address “educational or environmental inequality; oppression; anti-racist practices and systems; and/or […]
When Taylor Douglas fell in love with physics and began to pursue it in college, she started to feel like an outsider. Most of her classmates were men and white. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Rowan University in New Jersey, she applied to several institutions to pursue a master’s degree, something only 6 percent […]
A new fellowship offered by the Department of Biology gives doctoral students the chance to experience what it’s like to be in charge of the classroom. The doctoral teaching fellowship debuts this fall, and walks Ph.D. candidates through the process of designing and teaching their own courses. Matthew Atkinson is one of the first to […]
A doctorate degree represents one of the highest honors in academia. The 2020 Summer term’s Ph.D. graduates not only earned this honor, they did so with the extra stress of doing their work remotely. The College of Science recognizes and applauds the hard work applied to receive this degree. Chemistry Ziyang Huang, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: […]
Department of Physics graduate student Joshua Forer is headed to Bordeaux, France, to conduct research, courtesy of the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. The fellowship will span ten months and allow Forer to work with research scientists at the University of Bordeaux. Forer’s research focuses on carbon-hydrogen molecules and their role in planetary atmospheres and interstellar mediums. […]
If you’ve ever been curious about the planetary sciences, the UCF-AVS Student Chapter is here to help. Beginning on Thursday May 14, a webinar series that spans until the end of June will bring the expertise of astronomers and astrochemical scientists to student’s computer screens. The series, spearheaded by doctoral students Brian Ferrari and Katie […]
The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs recently recognized two graduate students for outstanding work in the terms of Summer and Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. Gunes Tezcur, Ph.D., chaired the committee that selected Kathleen Sullivan and Sandor Fabian to receive the Outstanding MA Thesis and Pollock-Ellsworth Award for Best Research Methods, respectively. “One […]
By SARA BELLIGONI On Dec. 4, Sara Belligoni, a doctorate student in the Security Studies at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, participated in the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC). I/ITSEC is the largest world conference for modeling, simulation, and training. Conceived as a showcase for the aerospace and military fields, […]
By Doreen Horschig, doctoral candidate of Security Studies. Two students affiliated with UCF’s Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) conducted research in Kurdistan over this summer. Tutku Ayhan, a doctoral candidate in Security Studies program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at UCF and Jenna Dovydaitis, a senior of the UCF Burnett Honors […]
Mapping and excavating Maya ruins this summer not only fulfilled a lifelong dream for Rodrigo Guzman, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology, but connected him with his roots. Guzman spent the month of July excavating an ancient site in northeast Guatemala called Holtun. Working in conjunction with the Anthropology Department, Guzman uncovered 32 […]
BY LISA MILLS, PH.D. A non-governmental organization (NGO) that fights caste discrimination with education is the subject of a new documentary directed by Lisa Mills, Ph.D., associate professor of film in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. The NGO, Movement for Scavenger Community (MSC), was founded by Vimal Kumar, a doctoral candidate at the […]
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: […]
A biology master’s student’s research just received a big endorsement from the prestigious Pew Charitable Trusts and the Florida Wildlife Commission. The national and state organizations are funding the research of Michelle Shaffer, ’16, who has spent the past five years studying the ecosystems and wildlife in the Indian River Lagoon in conjunction with the […]
Jane Holmstrom doesn’t speak medieval French, but that hasn’t stopped her from learning from the long-dead residents of Saint-Jean-de-Todon in Laudun, France. The bioarchaeology doctorate student traveled at the beginning of May to an archaeological site about 90 minutes northwest of the Mediterranean city of Marseilles. The site sits on a hill just above […]
BY TIM HAWTHORNE, Ph.D. Opening up one’s worldview. Exploring foreign landscapes. Interacting with new cultures. Engaging in research with communities. These are just some of the things that a group of 11 UCF students did this May with the UCF Participatory Geographic Information Systems (GIS) study abroad class in Belize. The class is part […]
Research that could shape the U.S. military’s combat readiness in the world theater was the outcome of two high-ranking officers pursuing their doctorates in Security Studies. U.S. Army Col. Joseph Funderburke and U.S. Army Col. David Raugh were both hooded today during the College of Sciences’ commencement ceremony. “Dave and Joe have been […]
Nine students from the College of Sciences are recipients of Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. The 2019 recipients were selected from a pool of 77 nominations. Undergraduate students are chosen for Order of Pegasus each year based on their outstanding achievement in the areas of academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community […]
A Physics graduate student won first prize recently for his poster at the American Physical Society Bridge Program and National Mentoring Community Conference. Brian Zamarripa’s project was entitled “Success is a puzzle: sorting out the pieces with metaphor analysis” and focused on characterizing success in Physics from the perspective of women. “This award means to […]
BY JENNA MARINA LEE Class Name POS 4206 – Political Psychology Description The psychological analysis of political behavior, with emphasis on the individual rather than the political system; includes political attitudes and communication, leadership and personality influences on politics. When is it offered? Occasionally. How many students are in a class? Capacity of 50 Prerequisites None […]
The University of Central Florida is selling Martian dirt, $20 a kilogram plus shipping. This is not fake news. A team of UCF astrophysicists has developed a scientifically based, standardized method for creating Martian and asteroid soil known as simulants. The team published its findings this month in the journal Icarus. “The simulant is useful […]
Sandor Fabian, a first-year Ph.D. student in the Security Studies program, is the winner of the March 2018 Florida Political Science Association’s (FPSA) Best Graduate Paper Award. His paper was titled “Why does David sometimes defeat Goliath? The effects of military culture on the outcome of asymmetric wars,” and examines why the weak can sometimes […]
UCF is one of six universities paving the way for underrepresented minority students to earn graduate physics degrees. According to an article published in the journal Nature, African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans make up about one-third of university-age citizens in the United States, however, less than 11 percent of bachelor’s degrees are awarded […]
Jaime Rogers, a master’s anthropology student, received $1,700 in grants from the Florida Anthropological Society and the Florida Archaeological Council to fund his research. “I am grateful that my research was recognized as being interesting enough to fund,” Rogers said. “There are some great research projects going on in Florida archaeology right now, and that […]
Helin Yıldız traveled from Italy after being accepted by the Kurdish Political Studies Program to continue her master’s education abroad. During her time in Orlando, Yıldız attended courses at UCF, interacted with professors and students about her research and intellectual interests, participated in KPSP events and made trips to Washington, D.C. to conduct interviews. Yıldız […]
From developing predictive models to interpreting data, UCF graduate students had the chance to put their data analytics skills to the test, as CFE Federal Credit Union launched its inaugural Lending Analytics Competition with the UCF Department of Statistics. From October 2017 to January 2018, student teams used data sets to predict lending risks facing […]
The College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. Twelve students were recognized at the ceremony with their family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Jana Jasinski, Ph.D., honored each student individually by presenting their research and a brief description of their dissertation. Afterward, […]
Bees are going to get a helping hand next year when a UCF biologist launches her nationwide Bee Wild project. Funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Barbara Sharanowski will coordinate a nationwide team of citizen scientists who will convert lawns into native wildflower havens especially designed to attract native bees and other […]
Although the opioid epidemic has been portrayed in the media as a largely “white” epidemic, a UCF study finds this drug doesn’t discriminate. The abuse of opioids affects whites and blacks almost equally, according to a study led by sociology doctoral student Harvey Nicholson. His findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol […]