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College of Sciences Honors Alumni Driving Impact Across Industries at the Distinguished Alumni Awards
The 2026 Distinguished AlumKnight Awards celebrate graduates whose careers are advancing research, strengthening communities and shaping the future. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published April 22, 2026 At the 2026 Distinguished AlumKnight Awards, the College of Sciences (COS) celebrated alumni whose careers demonstrate how knowledge, leadership and service can create lasting change and impact in the Central Florida Community and beyond. The event honored graduates who are not only leaders […]
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Vatican Astronomer Visits America’s Space University
Brother Guy J. Consolmango, S.J., astronomer and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, shared insight on astronomy, exploration and scientific discovery during his recent visit to UCF. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published March 31, 2026 Whether on the campus of America’s Space University or at one of the oldest active astronomical observatories in the world, scientific discovery is shaped both by new ideas and the people who pursue them. UCF students, faculty and researchers […]
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Bold, Relentless, Rising: Meet UCF’s 2026 Reach for the Stars Honorees
Big ideas don’t wait — and neither do the researchers behind them. The 2026 Reach for the Stars honorees — six UCF assistant professors — are already making a substantial impact on their respective fields through meaningful research and creative work that extends far beyond campus, with national and international influence. Across disciplines, their work […]
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UCF’s Video Game Design Programs Rank Among World’s Best for 2026
Tomorrow’s leading video game developers are being built today at UCF. The university’s graduate video gaming program, Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), and games and interactive media (GaIM) undergraduate program continue to develop a pipeline of talent to fuel Florida’s economy at a standard of excellence few can match, affirmed by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer’s Top […]
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The India Center Hosts Second Distinguished Lecture on Space Collaboration and Research
Project Scientist Paul Rosen shared how the NISAR satellite mission is transforming Earth science while demonstrating the impact of international collaboration in space research. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: March 24, 2026 The India Center welcomed students, faculty and community members for its second annual Distinguished Lecture, an event highlighting global collaboration, scientific discovery and the growing partnership between the United States and India. […]
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UCF Researchers Travel to South Pacific for Diving Research Expedition
Led by a UCF faculty member, a global team of researchers is using innovative genetic analysis to uncover how countless drifting fish larvae connect distant reefs. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: February 6, 2025 Countless larvae move through the ocean currents every day, and UCF researchers are taking a closer look at how these larvae travel and keep distant reefs connected. Led by […]
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UCF Team Secures Second Place in National Algorithms for Threat Detection Challenge
UCF researchers excel in anomaly detection to support national security research and advance real-world data science. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: January 8, 2025 A team of UCF researchers and students recently earned a second-place finish in the National Algorithms for Threat Detection (ATD) 2025 Challenge, a national data science competition sponsored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and hosted by Penn State’s […]
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A Knight to Remember: College of Sciences Hosts Annual Scholarship Dinner
A scholarship recipient’s point of view at the annual College of Sciences Scholarship Dinner. By: Majdulina Hamed | Published December 10, 2025 Under twinkling lights and spirited applause, the College of Sciences Scholarship Dinner gathered students, faculty and donors to celebrate academic achievement and the transformative power of philanthropy. The evening was more than a formal event — it was a testament […]
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UCF’s National Center for Forensic Science and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Co-Host Educational Colloquium and Open House
Students and forensic professionals gather to explore new methods, tools, and innovative approaches to process evidence for criminal justice cases. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published December 9, 2025 UCF and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recently joined together for the Educational Colloquium on Recent Advances in Forensic Sexual Assault Investigations, paired with […]
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UCF First-Generation Student Is Finding Her Place in Space
Born from the challenge of the Space Race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still are a place where our people’s curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth. Founded to reach the moon, we’re […]
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UCF Physics Professor Works to Uncover the Universe’s History, One Rock at a Time
Born from the challenge of the Space Race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still are a place where our people’s curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth. Founded to reach the moon, we’re […]
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Research in 60 Seconds: Exploring Lunar Landscapes
Born from the challenge of the space race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still where our place where our people’s curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth. Founded to reach the moon, we’re […]
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Introducing the College of Sciences Alumni Council
The newly formed council brings together passionate alumni from UCF’s largest college to strengthen alumni engagement. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: October 29, 2025 The College of Sciences (COS) has recently selected a new Alumni Council to represent and engage alumni from UCF’s largest college. Coming from an array of professional backgrounds, these Knights bring […]
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Interdisciplinary Collaboration through College of Sciences and CREOL Faculty Grows Opportunities for STEM Students
A new program, funded by a National Science Foundation grant, will holistically support academically high achieving students with financial barriers on their journey to commencement. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: October 24, 2025 The educational path to a STEM degree can be challenging both in and out of the classroom. To encourage aspiring scientists, […]
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5 Things to Know About Space Settlement
Space settlement has been the focus of researchers and organizations for years, offering the possibility of ensuring humanity’s long-term survival, advancing scientific knowledge and driving technological innovation. Agencies like NASA have set their sights on sending astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. To advance to the possibilities of living on other planets, researchers are examining […]
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UCF Researchers Developing Easy-to-Use Viral Biosensor Test — Giving Patients More Accurate, Immediate Results
For most diseases, early detection leads to better patient outcomes. That’s why infectious disease experts and chemists at the UCF College of Medicine and College of Sciences were recently awarded a $537,619 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a low cost, accurate test that detects Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV […]
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Tackling a Bigger Purpose
Playing catch-up with UCF Hall of Famer Shaquem Griffin ’16 will require mental reflexes. At least a dozen subjects wrestle for his — and our — attention during a conversation: family, business, technology, football, business again, training, faith, being a good father. The list goes on. Everything on it, in some squiggly way, connects to […]
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UCF Students Team Up With ESPN+ for Game Day Coverage
Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSCM) students gain real-world broadcast experience on the field. Written by: Emily Dougherty | September 26, 2025 When Knight Nation tunes into ESPN+ before a football game, they’re watching more than the countdown to kickoff. They’re watching students’ career ambitions unfold. Hitting the Field, UCF’s student-run sports broadcast network, […]
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Meet the 2025-2026 College of Sciences Student Ambassadors
After a competitive application process, these students will represent the College of Sciences student body through engagement and representation. By: Emily Dougherty | Published: September 22, 2025 The College of Sciences (COS) is kicking off this academic year, and its newly selected student ambassadors are leading the way. The COS Faculty Fellow for Student Engagement […]
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College of Sciences Researcher Partners with Planetary Science Institute to Publish First Comprehensive Book on Centaurs
The new publication aims to shape the next decade of planetary science research. Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: August 27, 2025 Maria Womack, a planetary scientist with the Department of Physics and the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) is part of a team that’s publishing the first-ever book entirely focused on one of the solar […]
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Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic and Student Affairs Retires after 29 years
The College of Sciences celebrates the retirement of Teresa Dorman and her lasting impact. By Emily Dougherty | Published July 31, 2025 When Teresa Dorman joined UCF in 1996 as a graduate secretary she didn’t know she would spend the next 29 years reshaping the student experience, creating initiatives, and mentoring advisors, faculty, staff, and […]
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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 […]
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High School Students Level Up Knowledge of Gaming Careers at UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
This past month, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) welcomed the KB Foundation and 28 young people in its Philadelphia-based mentorship programs for a tour of FIEA facilities, offering a glimpse into the degrees available and potential future careers in the gaming industry. Students also had an opportunity to visit UCF’s main campus, UCF Downtown, […]
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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 […]
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UCF Dean and Vice Provost Maggy Tomova Takes New Role in Georgia
Maggy Tomova, UCF’s dean of the College of Sciences and vice provost for strategic initiatives, is joining Augusta University in Georgia as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Her last day at UCF is June 30. Tomova came to UCF in 2021 from the University of Iowa where she was an associate dean […]
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UCF RESTORES Unveils First-of-Its-Kind Resiliency Command Center to Support Florida’s First Responders
UCF RESTORES today unveiled its groundbreaking Resiliency Command Center — a first-of-its-kind mobile behavioral health facility designed to provide a safe environment for evidence-based behavioral health care to first responders at the scenes of crises, including natural disasters, mass casualty events and line-of-duty tragedies. Supported by the Florida Legislature, the Florida Division of State Fire […]
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UCF Professor Retires after 53 Years
Roger Handberg’s milestone marked with a celebratory last lecture. By: Emily Dougherty | April 24, 2025 Professor of Political Science, Roger Handberg, Ph.D., in The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs (SPSIA) within the College of Sciences is retiring after over five decades of research, teaching, and administration at UCF. Before his journey as […]
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UCF Named as One of Four National Finalists in Competitive Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Program
For the first time, the UCF film students in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media in the College of Sciences have been selected as finalists in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program. Cinemark Fan Favorite voting launches today and the public can vote for their favorite of the four entries through April 30. (Note: Every […]
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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, […]
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Addition Financial Analytics Competition Winners Announced
A team of two Knights takes home the grand prize at the Big Data Analytics Symposium By: Emily Dougherty | March 28, 2025 The UCF Department of Statistics and Data Science collaborated with Pegasus Partner, Addition Financial, to host its annual analytics competition and named its winners at the Big Data Analytics Symposium, hosted at UCF this […]