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High-tech Talent: UCF’s Video Game Design Programs Rank Among World’s Best for 2025
When the makers of the world’s top video games look for talented students, they turn to UCF. UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), the university’s graduate video gaming program, has produced more than 200 graduates who worked on several of the most popular games sold in 2024 — including No. 1 seller Activision’s Call of […]
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UCF Announces 2025’s 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Recipients
UCF Alumni is proud to unveil the extraordinary honorees of the 2025 Class of 30 Under 30. These visionary alumni, driven by unwavering dedication and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence, are not just shaping the future — they are redefining it. Their impact extends beyond personal success, igniting inspiration and facilitating change in every sphere […]
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UCF Researchers Receive $600K Grant to Develop Intelligent Assistive Robotics
For people with upper extremity disabilities — such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis or other conditions — assistive robotics can help restore their independence in performing everyday tasks like eating, grooming and grasping objects. But much like old dogs, these devices have a hard time learning new tricks. “They need a lot of demos to […]
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Los Angeles Wildfires Show Firefighting and Public Communication Challenges
The top of the year has been a challenge for Southern California, and a reminder for the nation of the devasting impacts of fires. As of Jan. 27, the Los Angeles wildfires have killed at least 28 people, forced over 200,000 to evacuate, and destroyed or damaged 16,255 structures. The wildfires have led to discussion […]
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UCF Researchers Advance Knowledge About Juvenile Sea Turtle’s Early Life Stage, Informing Conservation Efforts
Biology researchers from the College of Sciences’ UCF Marine Turtle Research Group studied the dispersal movements of four juvenile sea turtle species, revealing that they may be active swimmers, rather than passive drifters, during their early life stage known as the “lost years.” These findings challenge existing hypotheses and provide important data for assessing risks […]
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Excellence in Digital Learning Recognized: UCF’s Online Programs Rank Top 10 in Nation Once Again
For decades, UCF has been at the forefront of online education by integrating advanced technology and strategies at both the undergraduate and graduate level to provide high-quality, flexible learning pathways that meet students’ needs where they are. From engineering, healthcare and criminal justice to nursing, hospitality, leadership and management, and education, UCF has grown its […]
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NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon
NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed. Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data […]
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UCF Admitted to Prestigious Research Consortium to Advance Critical Engineering, Defense Innovations
UCF recently joined the consortium of universities comprising the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), one of 15 U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) designated University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) in the country. UCF’s membership in the UARC allows researchers and DoD project sponsors to better directly connect with one another and collaborate on meaningful research through […]
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UCF Biology Researchers Win Awards From NOAA to Support Critical Coastal Work
Biology researchers in the College of Sciences and UCF Coastal have received two awards from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) totaling more than $2.3 million. A new $1.1 million award to UCF from NOAA Sea Grant as part of the Marine Debris Challenge Competition will fund joint research between UCF’s CEELAB and Aquatic […]
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UCF Projects Win 5 Emmys, Breaking Last Year’s Record
UCF’s Center for Distributed Learning has garnered national acclaim for its groundbreaking docuseries, A Break for Impact, and its latest short documentary, Beneath the Same Sky. Both projects have transformed classrooms at UCF and achieved remarkable recognition, including a record-breaking 10 Suncoast Emmy nominations and a world premiere at DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival. At the […]
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UCF is a Top Research University in Florida and Nationwide
New data from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey shows UCF is a top university for research and development in Florida — and across the nation. The HERD Survey is the primary source of information on research and development expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities. Survey points were taken […]
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UCF Researcher Discovers New Technique for Infrared “Color” Detection and Imaging
UCF researcher Debashis Chanda, a professor at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, has developed a new technique to detect long wave infrared (LWIR) photons of different wavelengths or “colors.” The research was recently published in Nano Letters, an esteemed scholarly journal published by the American Chemical Society. The findings are the result of a $1.5 million […]
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Digging Deeper: How a UCF Anthropology Graduate Uncovered Her Purpose
Whether Melanie Langgle ’24 was sitting at her desk or sitting on the sidelines, she often felt like she was falling behind. From struggling to grasp lessons throughout grade school to training tirelessly for volleyball, every step of her journey was a fight to prove herself. At just 5-feet 2-inches, she wasn’t the tallest on […]
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James Webb Space Telescope Offers Best Glimpse Ever Into the Icy Planetesimals of the Early Solar System
New studies led by researchers at the University of Central Florida offer for the first time a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved based on analyses of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and centaurs. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, reveal the distribution of ices in the early solar system and […]
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NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon
NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed. Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data […]
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UCF Named Top Producer for Fulbright Students for Second Year
Eleven UCF alums have earned Fulbright awards — marking the second highest number of recipients in university history. UCF has been recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a Fulbright Top Producer twice in the last four years. UCF is also a Fulbright leader among Hispanic-Serving Institutions for the fourth year in a row. […]
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UCF Recognizes Nine Top Faculty at 2024 Luminary Awards
Nine faculty members were honored for their trailblazing work and the impact they are making in our local communities, our nation and the world during UCF’s annual Luminary Awards held Friday at the Orlando Museum of Art. The Luminary Awards — established in 2017 — are designed to recognize some of UCF’s brightest stars who […]
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UCF Fuels America’s Space Program with Innovative Education, Medicine and Tech
As America’s Space University, the University of Central Florida continues to drive advancements in space technology, medicine and workforce development, preparing students to lead in the evolving space industry. This commitment to the space sector will be celebrated at UCF football’s annual Space Game on Saturday, Nov. 2, as the Knights take on the University […]
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Paving the Way for Transfer-student Success
For anyone who has never walked it, the path from a state college to a major university appears straight and smooth. It’s assumed to go like this: a student earns a two-year degree at a state school, moves onto a university campus for years three and four, and finishes up the requirements for a bachelor’s […]
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First UCF Student Awarded Voyager Scholarship
UCF junior Andrea Hernandez Gomez was one of 100 college students selected nationwide to receive the 2024 Voyager Scholarship — making her the first UCF student to receive the award. Inspired by the Voyager Scholarship’s impact on young people, Gomez says she wanted to apply to make a more significant difference in the world, especially […]
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UCF Receives Prestigious Keck Foundation Award to Advance Spintronics Technology
A team of researchers led by University of Central Florida Pegasus Professor of Physics Enrique Del Barco is working on a new project that could change the future of electronics, making them faster and more energy efficient. The work is funded by a new $1.3 million award from the W.M. Keck Foundation, one of the […]
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Seas the Opportunity
While some people unplug to truly escape on vacation, UCF student Madison Schwetje stayed connected to complete the Spring 2024 semester aboard Royal Caribbean’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise. Traveling from Brazil to New Zealand to China and 62 other countries, she skillfully managed her globe-trotting adventure alongside her full-time studies through UCF Online. “UCF’s online […]
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10 UCF Students Selected for 2024 DoD SMART Scholarships
Receiving paid tuition, annual stipends, an internship and guaranteed employment after graduation sounds like a dream come true to any college student. But for several UCF students, that dream is about to become a reality. Eight Knights were selected for the 2024 Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship, an […]
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UCF Researchers Develop Rapid Test to Detect Dopamine
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in our brains, not only regulates our emotions but also serves as a biomarker for the screening of certain cancers and other neurological conditions. University of Central Florida researchers, led by UCF NanoScience Technology Center Professor Debashis Chanda, have developed an integrated optical sensor capable of detecting dopamine directly from an unprocessed blood sample. […]
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STEM Students Hone Research Skills Through UCF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates Programs
Sixty-seven undergraduate students from across the U.S. gathered at UCF to take advantage of STEM research opportunities through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. UCF’s REU site, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, connects promising STEM students with established faculty at REU sites, enhancing their in-class learning experience with research, workshops and events. […]
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UCF Office of Research Awards 3 Faculty Fellowships to Accelerate Research Enterprise
Three UCF faculty members have been awarded fellowships by the UCF Office of Research to advance the university’s research efforts over the coming year. The selected fellows — Vladimir Boginski, Nichole Lighthall and Dinender Singla — will develop and implement programs that can help improve faculty grant success and accelerate the growth of the research […]
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UCF Ranks in Top 15 in Nation for Best Public Universities, Social Mobility by Washington Monthly
UCF is intensely focused on helping students of all backgrounds succeed. As a result of the university’s success, UCF is among the nation’s top universities overall and for social mobility — according to the Washington Monthly magazine’s 2025 rankings released this week. For the past decade, UCF has made great strides in the area of social […]
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Celebrating 5 Years of UCF Downtown: Transforming Lives and Our Community Through Education
Five years ago today, students stepped onto the newly constructed UCF Downtown campus for the first time in downtown Orlando. Since then, UCF has awarded over 10,300 degrees to downtown students, strengthening Central Florida’s talent pipeline and contributing to the region’s economic vitality. UCF Downtown is home to students in select majors across the university’s […]
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4 Volunteers Will Spend 45 Days in a NASA-simulated Mars Habitat — How Will They Handle Isolation, Mental Health?
NASA has its sights set on Mars, a key target for learning more about science, technology and whether life exists on the red planet. Experts around the world are developing technologies that may eventually allow humans to live and work on Mars. But making the long trek to Mars is still years — perhaps decades […]
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UCF Planetary Scientist’s Expertise Informs New Method for Terraforming Mars
Mars remains in humanity’s crosshairs as a promising planet to colonize due to its great potential in becoming habitable someday. With this in mind, UCF Planetary Scientist Ramses Ramirez, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University analyzed Martian climate models to study the possibility of using Mars-based nanoparticles to warm […]