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Students Share Who They’re Grateful For This Thanksgiving
There’s a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. So we asked College of Sciences students to narrow it down to a person that influenced their decision to pursue sciences as a career. Psalmiyah Barber Psychology Sophomore There was no hesitation in Psalmiyah Barber’s answer when asked what she was most thankful for this […]
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UCF Instructional Video Nominated For Regional Emmy Award
A powerful video detailing a journalist’s approach to her work has earned a Suncoast Regional Emmy Award nomination for the UCF team that produced it. The project, titled “Ethics in Journalism: A Morning with Nancy Alvarez,” explores the decisions the Channel 9 anchor made approaching news coverage of two major Orlando stories: the Pulse nightclub […]
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Physics Education Produces Twelve Teachers in Two Years
Adam LaMee has always had a passion for showing others the wonder of physics. So when UCF recruited him from his small, high school classroom to teach in their Physics Teacher Education (PhysTEC) program, it was a no-brainer. Now on its eighth year, LaMee’s passion has led PhysTEC to hit a major milestone: the 5+ […]
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NASA Funds 2 UCF Projects Focused on Returning to the Moon
By ROBERT WELLS Two new University of Central Florida projects will test innovative technologies designed to help astronauts return safely to the moon. NASA recently funded the projects that will help scientists better understand the nature of lunar dust so that its potentially damaging effects to equipment and spacecraft during lunar landings can be minimized. […]
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UCF Professor Part of Team Awarded the Sir Arthur Clarke Award
By ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA NASA’s New Horizons Mission Team, which includes UCF physics Professor Dan Britt, Thursday was awarded the 2019 Sir Arthur Clarke Award, one of the most prestigious space-exploration awards in the world. The award recognizes teams and individuals that have made notable or outstanding achievements in space activities in the past year. […]
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GIS Day 2019 Introduces New Careers to Central Florida K-12 Students
The Pegasus Ballroom was buzzing with drones and excited conversations Thursday for GIS Day 2019. GIS Day presents students with hands-on activities that teach them about GIS (geographic information system) mapping, drones and coding for apps. “Students use these apps and services every day, but they don’t realize that they are using GIS. We’re using […]
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Alumna Goes To Washington With PoliSci Degree
In the nine years after graduating from UCF, Nathalia Martins ’10 ’12MA has crossed paths with Washington D.C. movers and shakers, held a job with the Brazilian ambassador and started a new career path in public relations. Not bad for someone who didn’t have a clear plan when she arrived in college. “When I […]
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Grant Offers Mobility for Psychology Researchers
Almost $600,000 in new funding from the U.S. Department of Defense allows researchers studying human behavior to escape the limits of the laboratory. Specifically, the grant funds tools that offer the freedom and mobility to study how people interact with their environments in real time. These include augmented and virtual reality devices, and tools that […]
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Hamann Named A Vice President of American Political Science Association
Pegasus Professor Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., director of the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, was recently named a vice president of the American Political Science Association. The APSA, founded in 1903, is the leading professional organization in the field of political science with over 11,000 members in more than 100 countries. APSA’s mission extends to […]
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Director Named to Lead Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Professor Roberto “Hugh” Potter, Ph.D., was appointed this week to lead UCF’s Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. The center answers several needs in an area of Florida particularly vulnerable to human trafficking because of its agricultural and hospitality industries. Affiliated faculty conduct research and provide consulting expertise to professions that […]
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Egyptian Exchange Student Soaks Up American Culture
Norhan Abdeldeyem was a bundle of nerves and excitement when an opportunity to study abroad presented itself. This was Abdeldeyem’s first time leaving Egypt, let alone entering the U.S. But she’s found a home at UCF, where she is studying actuarial science through the Department of Statistics and Data Science, with a double minor in […]
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Class Spotlight: Mummies: Life After Death
Note: Answers have been edited for length. Associate Lecturer of Anthropology Sandra Wheeler, Ph.D., has been teaching at the University of Central Florida since 2010, with a specialty in bioarchaeology. Her course, called Mummies: Life After Death (ANT 4027), is a big hit among anthropological and non-anthropological majors alike. College of Sciences: How did […]
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Civic Education Champion Lou Frey Passes
Champion of civic education and former Congressman Lou Frey Jr., the namesake of UCF’s Lou Frey Institute, passed away Monday in Winter Springs. He was 85. Frey leaves a long legacy of service to the U.S. and Central Florida; he had a hand in both establishing Kennedy Space Center as the home of the space […]
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$1 Million Gift Brings India Center Endowed Chair Closer to Reality
An endowed chair position for UCF’s India Center continues its march toward reality with a new $1 million pledge. The pledge comes from Raj Toleti, ‘93MS, and family, including his wife, Aparna Toleti, ‘95MS, and brings the total for the fund to $2 million of a $5 million goal. Their generous commitment to the success […]
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Lifelong Impact of Professor Inspires Scholarship Fund
In a hectic world, it pays to pause and say “thank you.” That’s the philosophy of Chris Lombardo, who was struck not too long ago about his own inattention to showing gratefulness. More specifically, he realized the impact that longtime Political Science professor Roger Handberg, Ph.D., had on Lombardo’s career as an attorney. “The foundational […]
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‘Be The Diversity’ Says Latina Student Advocate
When Tamara Vasquez stepped onto UCF’s campus four years ago, she could still hear the echo of her grandparents’ advice. “They would always remind my cousins and I about the history behind our family name, and why success is important to achieve,” Vasquez remembers with a smile. A proud Afro-Latina, Vasquez is the first generation […]
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Puerto Rican Student Bridges Heritage and Home with Club
When Jose Rivera arrived at University of Central Florida in 2017, his hope was to experience life beyond his home in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But as much as he loved experiencing Central Florida, he still yearned for a cultural connection to his home. That inspired Rivera to start the Puerto Rican Student Association, which, […]
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Former Ambassador Talks Mexican Immigration and Trade with Students
By: Katina Rentas Negrón, Latin America Intern, Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, UCF How much is trade between the U.S. and Mexico worth? According to former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne (2011-2015), the answer is “over one million dollars’ worth of goods and services. Every minute.” Trade was one […]
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Sober Truths
BY ROBERT STEPHENS The celebratory parties outside Spectrum Stadium had been underway long before UCF began its 45-27 defeat of Stanford on Sept. 13. Most of the tailgate scenes were what you’d expect — flags, finger sandwiches and anywhere from 5-to-40 percent alcohol by volume. One, however, stood out. Not just because about 75 people […]
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NIH Awards UCF Researcher $3.8 Million to Study Opiate Overdoses
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced that UCF will receive a $3.8 million milestone based grant to better understand how overdosing on opiates works, their impact on multiple organs and the effect of drugs used to treat overdoses, including potential toxicity of organs. James Hickman, a professor at […]
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Achievements Celebrated at 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The College of Sciences recognized 10 alumni for their achievements Thursday at the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The annual event brings together outstanding alumni from each of the departments and schools within COS for a night of celebration and reflection on another successful year. “Tonight’s awardees were selected for this honor based on their […]
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Nicholson Student Makes TV Debut on Food Network’s ‘Halloween Wars’
A UCF sophomore makes his debut this Sunday as the youngest-ever competitor on Food Network’s hit show “Halloween Wars.” The show pits six teams of three against each other to build spooky creations, with each member of the team contributing expertise in either cake decorating, sugar art or pumpkin carving. Jarid Altmark, an Advertising and […]
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U.S. Army Awards $1 Million to UCF RESTORES Clinic for Virtual Reality Project
BY GENE KRUCKEMYER’73 | SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 The UCF RESTORES Clinic was recently awarded $1 million from the U.S. Army to continue development of its own virtual-reality software to treat active-duty service members, military veterans and first responders who experience post-traumatic stress disorder. “This funding will allow us to develop new tools to further […]
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Hurricane Dorian Washes Out More than 8,000 Sea Turtle Nests
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA At least 8,000 sea turtles nests washed away from the Brevard County portion of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month because of Hurricane Dorian, according to a University of Central Florida survey. The refuge, which extends from southern Brevard County into Indian River County, is one of the […]
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New Biology Hire Brings Focus to Accessibility
A new hire in the Department of Biology amplifies the College of Sciences’ emphasis on inclusive learning. Assistant Professor Katelyn Cooper, Ph.D., is a discipline-based education researcher identifying ways to make undergraduate biology more inclusive. Specifically, Cooper’s work focuses on revealing challenges for students with different identities and characteristics in undergraduate biology and finding ways […]
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Arboretum Opens New Garden With Harvest Celebration
By Rahma Hassan Students got a first look at the UCF Arboretum’s newest garden at the New Garden Kickoff event Tuesday. Over 70 students attended the event where they got to harvest plants and vegetables from the garden, tour the greenhouse and learn about what the Arboretum is doing to help with pollination on […]
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UCF Biologist Records Highest-Ever Voltage By Electric Eel
A UCF biologist is attracting global attention for recording the highest-ever voltage generated by an electric eel — or any living creature, for that matter. The record-shattering 860-volt eel was discovered by Associate Professor William Crampton, Ph.D., during an expedition to the Tapajós River of Brazil. The eel belongs to one of two new species […]
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Former “Striking Knight” Takes Gold in Bowling at Pan American Games
Team USA took gold in bowling this year at the Pan American games with the help of a former Striking Knight. The winning margin of 200 pins was the work of Stefanie Johnson ’06 ’08MA and her bowling partner, Shannon O’Keefe. “I couldn’t believe our margin,” says Johnson, who majored in criminal justice and earned a master’s in communication from […]
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Ph.D. Student Heads Home to Guatamala To Study Maya Civilization
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 […]
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Department of Psychology Celebrates Assoc. Professor’s Double Fellowship
Two prestigious psychology associations recently named a UCF associate professor a fellow. James Szalma, Ph.D., researches and teaches in the field of human factors, which guides intuitive design of products and maximizes efficiency based on the way people instinctively behave. Szalma, for instance, has spoken with Sports Illustrated magazine about the connection between crowd noise […]