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UCF Physics Professor Named Jefferson Science Fellow
UCF Physics Professor Humberto Campins has been named a Jefferson Science Fellow and will report to Washington D.C. beginning Nov. 21 to spend a year advising the U.S. Department of State. Campins is an international expert on asteroids. He is part of NASA’s historic OSIRIS REx mission, which is headed back to Earth with a […]
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2 UCF Professors Inducted into Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida
A psychology professor and an engineering professor from the University of Central Florida are among 15 honorees to be inducted Nov. 6 to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL), a group that brings together the nation’s most distinguished scholars who live and work in Florida. The induction of Pegasus Professors Deborah […]
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New Study Shows Impact of Roadkill on World’s Vulnerable Animal Populations
Vehicular collisions are a common cause of death for animals such as the endangered Florida panther and the state’s black bears, and a new international study has quantified how big of a threat roads can be to the survival of animal populations around the world. The study has identified four animal populations globally that are […]
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Physics Student Rises From Humble Origins To Prestigious Internship
Every day is a learning opportunity for Franklin Romero Vega, whether it’s in a fast-food kitchen or pursuing a career in nuclear fusion. The physics major’s path to a prestigious internship this fall with the Department of Energy Office of Science is a winding one. But Romero Vega sees each stop on the journey as […]
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Knights Do That: PTSD Treatment That Works for Veterans, First Responders
In episode 12 of Knights Do That, we speak with Deborah Beidel, executive director of UCF RESTORES. The Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair of Clinical Psychology and Medical Education shares her experience and expertise in PTSD treatment, innovative treatments happening at UCF RESTORES, and how we can better acknowledge and support veterans. Produced by UCF, […]
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For the Love of Space – Student Group Hosts Multiple Space Related Events
It’s no secret UCF loves space. From a space-themed football game to its “reach for the stars” motto, space is a part of the university’s fiber. The university was founded in part to support the space industry on the Space Coast. Since then, faculty and students have participated in more than 600 NASA research projects […]
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Students Find Friendships, Culture In Indian Student Association
Students hunting for a deeper understanding of Indian culture can find it in the Indian Student Association (ISA). Established as a non-profit in 1995, the ISA promotes the goals of preserving and spreading the cultures and practices of India. Some of the avenues for this include hosting events celebrating traditional Indian holidays like Garba, Diwali […]
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21 Faculty Members Inducted into UCF Scroll and Quill Society
The 21 new inductees of UCF’s Scroll and Quill Society represent a broad spectrum of academic expertise, such as fiction writing, artificial intelligence, police-community relations, nursing and terrorist recruiting tactics on social media. The Scroll and Quill Society celebrates faculty members who for at least a decade have made scholarly contributions of impact to advance […]
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17 Teams Awarded Almost $5 Million in Jump Start Awards
Seventeen faculty and staff projects will receive about $5 million in Jump Start funds to advance UCF’s impact under President Alexander N. Cartwright’s 2021-22 Strategic Investment Program. “I am delighted that we were able to fund so many strong proposals and only wish that we had the resources to support more of them,” says Michael […]
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Survey Certificate Program Offers Expertise For Students of Multiple Disciplines
Surveys are a great tool for measuring intangible data like feelings and opinions, but designing one that can withstand academic scrutiny takes real skills. That’s where a new Survey Research Graduate Certificate Program comes into play. The program launches in Spring 2022, and primarily targets social science students studying behavior in areas like criminal […]
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Clues Emerge: How Harmless Bacteria Go Rogue Turning into Deadly Flesh-eating Variants
For bacteria, like people, lifestyle matters. A new study from the University of Central Florida found that the environmental lifestyle that bacteria possess reveal why some go rogue and turn deadly while others remain harmless to humans. The findings, which published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focus on Vibrio […]
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2021 Another Record Year – Five Consecutive Years of Rising Research Funding
Despite a pandemic that slowed the economy; delayed or derailed some federal and private agencies’ spending plans; and frustrated supply chains, UCF generated $212.9 million in research awards — up more than $8 million from 2020. The total doesn’t include any CARES nor Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, which the federal government provided in response […]
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3 Faculty Honored for Advancing Research, Creative Works
Three faculty members who maintained high levels of research excellence and creative works during the past year of the pandemic earned the 2021-22 UCF Women of Distinction Awards from Faculty Excellence. The winners each receive a $1,000 professional development stipend from the Office of the President and are invited to a celebration in their honor […]
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UCF’s Expertise Gets Invite to Ivy League Network of Large Laser Energy Facilities
UCF is joining LaserNetUS, a consortium of the nation’s best large laser facilities started by the Department of Energy as a part of a broader strategy to boost the nation’s standing in intense laser science. The invitation-only 11 member- network boasts big players in the laser research world, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National […]
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Maggy Tomova Joins the College of Sciences Today as Dean
Maggy Tomova, Ph.D., officially joins the University of Central Florida today as dean of the College of Sciences. Tomova, 44, brings deep research and leadership experience to the role, most recently as associate dean for the 18 departments that fall under the Natural, Mathematical, and Social Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences […]
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UCF Part of NASA Mission Launching Saturday to Explore Trojan Asteroids
UCF Physics Professor Dan Britt is counting down to Saturday morning when NASA’s Lucy mission is set to blast off from the Space Coast. Britt, a physicist and geologist, is part of the science team that will analyze the data Lucy collects from the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. This area of the solar system is […]
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UCF Student Selected as Orlando’s Second Poet Laureate
For Shawn Welcome ’17, serving as Orlando’s second Poet Laureate is the culmination of years of supporting poetic expression and storytelling in the city. From studying at UCF to working with a variety of area organizations, including the Orlando Boys & Girls Club and Hope CommUnity Center, he has deep roots in the Orlando community. […]
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UCF Grad Student Leaves No Stone Unturned to Advance Space Exploration
This Knight leaves no stone unturned, not even on the moon. Autumn Shackelford is a physics doctoral student studying planetary bodies without atmospheres. Specifically, she is looking at the surface composition of the moon and Mercury. Being the first in her family to pursue the sciences, the Tennessee native was deeply influenced by science museums […]
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UCF’s Brightest Shine During Luminary Awards
The UCF community celebrated the accomplishments of 15 exceptional faculty members at its annual Luminary Awards Night. UCF leadership lauded faculty members for being leaders in their fields and conducting work that has had a significant impact on the world. COVID-19 disrupted plans for the recognition ceremony in 2020 so UCF honored the 2020 and […]
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Pandemic Widened Health Risks of Pregnancy, Childbirth Among Women of Color, Sociologists Say
The health risks of childbirth and pregnancy among women of color grew higher in 2020 as the pandemic widened preexisting inequities. These are among the findings two UCF sociologists presented in a chapter of the recently published “Social Problems in the Age of COVID-19.” Professor Shannon K. Carter, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor Bhoomi K. Thakore, […]
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New Resource Makes It Easier to Find Research Collaborators Across Colleges
The Office of the Provost and the Office of Research have partnered to provide those conducting research and creative works at UCF a new resource — the Scholar Expertise Portal. The portal allows faculty and students to see what kind of research and creative works their fellow colleagues are working on. You can search by […]
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Free Lab Coat Cleaning Service Available to UCF Researchers
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 6, faculty, students and staff who work in a research lab at UCF can say goodbye to washing their own lab coats. Those working in a lab and who have completed all their safety training will be able to walk up to one of seven kiosks, swipe their UCF ID, select a […]
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UCF Has More Than a Dozen Research Projects Aimed at Returning the U.S. to the Moon
When the U.S. returns humans to the Moon in the coming years, there’s a good chance that University of Central Florida research will have played a role in the return, whether from landing there safely, harvesting its resources, or training the next generation of space scientists. The university, known for its extensive space research, currently has […]
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Model UN Team Makes Good Showing at Conference
BY: Jessica Budin and Dr. Paul Vasquez From September 16th -19th, University of Central Florida’s Model United Nations team visited Florida State University to participate in NoleMUN I, where UCF’s delegates had an exciting and enriching experience. While in Tallahassee, team members participated in activities that ranged from investigating the role of multinational corporations in […]
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UCF Expert Sheds Light on Guinea’s Coup
When gunfire erupted in the Guinean capital of Conakry on the morning of September 5, it was clear elements of the country’s armed forces had attempted a coup. Though initial statements from the government pushed the idea that the coup had failed, the conspirators managed to overwhelm loyalists and arrest President Alpha Condé. Special […]
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Tezcür Tapped to Lead School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs
The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs recently appointed Güneş Murat Tezcür, Ph.D., to become its second director. Tezcür studies political violence, politics of identity and democratization, with a focus on Iranian, Kurdish, and Turkish human geography. He has published more than two dozen scholarly articles in journals including American Political Science Review, Comparative […]
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Neptune Celebrates 175th Birthday, Still a Mystery Worth Solving
Students and community members got a nice view of the planet Neptune and its biggest moon Triton during one of September’s Knights Under the Stars events hosted at UCF’s Robinson Observatory. It was an early look at the planet, which today celebrates its 175th birthday. “I did a Neptune project all the way back in […]
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Education Opens Second Chances For Scholar With Rough Upbringing
Christian Bolden, Ph.D., ’10, is living proof that second chances exist. “If there should be one takeaway from my story it’s that people can change and they can do better if people don’t give up on them,” he said. Today Bolden is a distinguished associate professor of criminology and justice at Loyola University in New […]
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Student Finds Career Direction in Summer Anthropology Program
A hands-on examination of Bronze Age bones brought classroom lessons to life this summer for Hannah Jeanlouis. Jeanlouis joined the Bioarchaeology of Bronze Age Social Systems Program at the University of South Alabama during the summer of 2021. The program offers students a chance to live in Alabama for two months as they study skeletal remains housed at the Center for Archaeological Studies in the University of South Alabama. The […]
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New Dean Named for UCF’s College of Sciences
Maggy Tomova will become the next dean of UCF’s College of Sciences on Oct. 18. She joins UCF from the University of Iowa, where she currently serves as the associate dean for the Natural, Mathematical, and Social Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Her appointment by Michael D. Johnson, interim provost and […]