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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 […]
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A Startup Beats the Odds
University of Central Florida graduate student Jordan Manning and his startup, Abe AI, have beat the odds and are headed to South Africa. The Orlando based startup was one of ten applicants out of more than a thousand competitive groups to be selected to participate in the Barclays Accelerator. Of those ten only two were […]
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Helping Avoid Long Lines at Theme Parks
Two UCF alumni and a student each earned first place in a competition that stretched their statistical math skills to come up with better resources to help people visiting theme parks avoid long lines. Kanak Choudhury ‘17,Taha Mokfi ’17 and statistical computing major Phuong Pho competed individually in Touring Plans’ Big Data Challenge. The contest […]
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Healthcare Accessibility Research
Mackenzie Hager’s desire to help has driven her to be a voice for those in need. Anticipating a spring 2018 graduation, she is a first-year master’s student studying cultural and medical anthropology. Her journey began when she planned to conduct research with HIV positive prisoners. She was interested in the correctional system and the impact […]
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Zika in Belize: Researching an Epidemic
University of Central Florida master’s student Deven Gray is utilizing his research skills in Belize to help spread awareness of the dangers of an infamous virus, Zika. Gray, expected to graduate in spring 2018, is a cultural anthropology student with a focus on infectious diseases and medical anthropology. He was drawn to anthropology as an […]
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Snake Venom Evolution
University of Central Florida biology doctoral student Andrew Mason won first place in the Clark Hobbs Poster Competition for his remarkable research on venomous snakes. In April, Mason traveled to Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma where he attended the Southwestern Association of Naturalists Conference for the student only competition. He was accompanied by a fellow […]
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UCF Anthropology Alumna Attracts International Attention
Sammantha Holder is a University of Central Florida alumna whose academic research surrounding dietary analysis is being internationally recognized by mainstream media. Holder graduated from UCF in 2013 with a master’s degree in anthropology where she conducted research that is now attracting considerable attention. The Guardian, Archaeology Magazine and National Radio Australia, which is similar […]
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Under the Sea Research Wins Award
A team of University of Central Florida biology graduate students recently won an Undergraduate Research Journal award for their exceptional environmental work. The UCF Libraries gives its annual Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research to the most outstanding essay published within the calendar year. Casey Craig, Chelsea Landau, Courtney Beck and Jordan Filipponi’s publication, The Impact […]
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Advocating for Women in STEM
A first generation Mexican American and University of Central Florida student seeks to give voice to an underrepresented population. UCF physics doctoral student Brian Zamarripa just won a National Science Foundation to fund his proposed research on gender disparity in the field of physics. With parents hailing from Mexico, Zamarripa is part of a minority […]
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NSF Funded Research Could Help Cure Disease
Chemistry doctoral student Riley Gentry was awarded the Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in spring 2017. Out of the 13 thousand national applicants representing a wide range of scientific disciplines, only 15 percent were chosen for the award. Gentry provided a personal statement, a research proposal and letters of […]
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Sociology Students Impress at Geographers Conference
University of Central Florida sociology students presented their remarkable research at the American Association of Geographers Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, held in April, 2017. Geographers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialists, environmental scientists and more gather at the annual conference for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability and GIScience. Sociology students Kenisha Johnson, […]
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UCF Chemistry Professor Discovers Energy Breakthrough
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today A chemistry professor in Florida has just found a way to trigger the process of photosynthesis in a synthetic material, turning greenhouse gases into clean air and producing energy all at the same time. The process has great potential for creating a technology that could significantly reduce greenhouse […]
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UCF Political Science Student’s Research Wins Big
Jennifer Hudson, a University of Central Florida Department of Political Science graduate student, won the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence Best Paper Award for graduate students. Hudson is pursuing her master’s degree in political science. She was selected for the award for her paper on “Wage-Setting Institutions and Wage Inequality in the OECD: An […]
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COS Students Shine at Graduate Research Forum
The UCF Pegasus Ballroom was packed Tuesday, April 5 with graduate students sharing their innovative, original research and creative projects at 14th Annual Graduate Research Forum. More than 200 students and 80 faculty judges participated in the event and over $16,000 in awards was presented for Best in Category presentations. Additionally, first place winners are […]
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Meet the 2017 COS Order of Pegasus Recipients
UCF has named 21 students as recipients of the Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. Eleven of these recipients are students of the UCF College of Sciences. Get to know them below. CHRISTOPHER CLEMENTE: Tampa, FL About: Christopher Clemente, College of Arts and Humanities and College of Sciences, is majoring in history and […]
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UCF Student Named PR Pro of the Year
Story by Nicholson News Kena Lewis, APR, has been recognized by the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Orlando Chapter as the 2017 PR Pro of the Year. Lewis graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1982. Now a UCF graduate student studying communication with an emphasis in […]
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UCF Team Studied Sea Urchins to Restore Reefs
A team of scientists from the University of Central Florida Department of Biology had its five year research project on endangered sea urchins published in the Bulletin of Marine Science. The research conducted by biology undergraduate student at the time Luke Chandler, along with Associate Professor Eric Hoffman, Ph.D., and Pegasus Professor Linda Walters, Ph.D., […]
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UCF Physics Team Finds Solution for Celestial Radiation
University of Central Florida Department of Physics Professor Dan Britt, Ph.D., and UCF planetary sciences doctoral student Leos Pohl believe there is an alternative to battling radiation in space. Research of the UCF scientists was recently featured in a New Scientist article, ‘Asteroid clay is a better space radiation shield than aluminium,’ published March 14, […]
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Pictures Worth a Contest Win
Three students and one lecturer were the winners of the Department of Biology’s photo contest this year. It comes as no surprise that these remarkable photos were chosen by the judges as the winners of the contest. “Orlando Wetlands Park is a particularly special place for me. It’s a nice, close place to campus that I’ve used […]
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COS Grad Programs Ranked Nationally
Several graduate programs in the University of Central Florida College of Sciences were ranked in the top 200 in their respective fields by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools of 2018. The following COS graduate programs were ranked in the top 200 of their fields: Physics – No. 85 Sociology – No. 102 […]
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UCF Chemistry Students Judge at Science Competition
University of Central Florida’s Uknighted Chemistry Graduate Student Association volunteered at an Orlando Science Center competition on March 11, 2017. The members of Uknighted Chemistry Graduate Student Association served as volunteer judges at the Science Challenge competition. Although the organization volunteers in the community often, this particular event was a first for the 3-year-old organization. […]
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UCF Physics Shines at APS Bridge Conference
The University of Central Florida’s Department of Physics was well represented at this year’s annual conference of the American Physical Society Bridge Program. Physics faculty and students made UCF proud with their participation and outstanding presentations at the conference held Feb. 10-12, 2017 in College Park, Maryland. The event included talks on physics graduate education, […]
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COS Students to Receive University’s Highest Honor
Story by Mark Schlueb, UCF Today UCF has named 21 students as recipients of the Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. Eleven of these recipients are students of the UCF College of Sciences. The 2017 recipients were selected from a pool of 65 nominations. The 2017 class includes eight LEAD Scholars, eight President’s Leadership […]
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Victim of Domestic Violence Uses Past Experience to Initiate Change
University of Central Florida sociology doctoral student Donna King has taken her tragic experience and turned it into an opportunity for change. King, along with her husband Attorney Jerrell Dayton King, recently conducted research on the U.S. court system and its impact on victims of domestic violence. The research, A Call for Limiting Absolute Privilege: […]
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Open Reef Drones Take on Environmental Conservation
Geographic information systems (GIS), and related geospatial technologies like drones, are being used to do wonders for our planet. With the growing issue of climate change and over-development, University of Central Florida researchers have taken the initiative to protect the areas with the greatest risks: islands and coastal areas. UCF Assistant Professor of GIS in […]
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Physics Graduate Students Conference Bound
Brian Zamarripa Roman and Fernand Eliud Torres-Davila, University of Central Florida physics graduate students, were awarded a travel grant from the American Physical Society (APS) to attend the APS Graduate Education and Bridge Program Conference in College Park, Maryland. “As part of the bridge program, we hope to expand our knowledge of the cutting-edge fields […]
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A Wild Win for UCF Biology Student
Rhett Rautsaw, a master’s student in UCF Department of Biology, won first place for his presentation at the 38th annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting in Palatka, Florida held January 13-15, 2017. Rautsaw was representing the university at the meeting where he was awarded first place for his oral presentation on a new method to survey […]
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UCF Sociology Represented at the American Society of Criminology
Members of the UCF Department of Sociology were present in significant numbers at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) held November 16-19 in New Orleans. The ASC is the primary professional organization for academics and practitioners with interests in understanding how crime is shaped by society and, in turn, influences […]
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Sociology Student Maps His Way to Success
Nicholas Altizer from the University of Central Florida’s Department of Sociology has been chosen as a virtual intern for United States Agency for International Development’s Geocenter. The internship lasts from late January to the beginning of May. The internship is with YouthMappers, a program that engages university and high school students by allowing them to […]
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UCF Supports Archaeologists for Autism
The third annual Archaeologists for Autism (AFA) event was held on November 19 at the county park Sam’s House at Pine Island Conservation Area in Merritt Island. 15 members of the University of Central Florida’s Department of Anthropology volunteered to help with the event and give children on the autism spectrum a fun and safe […]