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Forensic Scientists Harness Pollen Power to Fight Crime
Pollen gets a bad rap this time of year for its allergy-induced itchy eyes and sniffles. But researchers at the National Center for Forensic Science are harnessing its crime-fighting power. That fine, grainy powder staining your windshield yellow holds a wealth of genetic information about its plant origin. Mapping out a precise DNA picture falls […]
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UCF Master’s Programs in Emergency Management, Nonprofit Management Rank Among Top 5 in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report today ranked 27 UCF graduate programs in the top 100 of their fields nationally, according to the publication’s 2021 Best Graduate Schools rankings. Seven of the programs are taught in the College of Community Innovation and Education, including UCF’s highest-ranking program, Emergency and Crisis Management, which was ranked No. 2 […]
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Psychologist Makes Her Mark Bringing Together Families
Kimberly Renk, Ph.D., is rebuilding families by taking psychology off the couch and into disadvantaged Orlando communities. Renk is a child psychologist by training, and she shares her more than 20 years of experience in both the classroom and the local judicial system. Her work at UCF includes leading the Understanding Young Children and Families […]
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Making A Difference: Protecting the Aquatic Ecosystem
By ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA Kelly Kibler spends a good deal of time in the classroom and her lab at UCF, but it’s not unusual to see her with her feet in the mud of local waterways or driving a boat. For the assistant professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, those days […]
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Tropical Shirt Tradition Brightens Mood For Stressed Students
Peter Sinelli’s wardrobe choices can bring students running to his classroom. That’s particularly the case when he’s spotted crossing campus wearing one of the many loud, vibrant tropical shirts that fill his closet. Savvy students know the blinding colors signal it’s pop quiz day. “They’ve caught on,” Sinelli said with a laugh. “The tradition is […]
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UCF Arboretum Attends Orlando Wetlands Festival To Bring Awareness To Florida’s Environment
By CORYNNE LOVEWELL Members of the UCF Arboretum tabled at the Orlando Wetlands Festival on Saturday afternoon to bring awareness to the community about the impacted wetlands on campus and discuss their mission for years to come. The Orlando Wetlands Festival was open to everyone including local families in order to help them become environmentally […]
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COS Faculty Among Those Honored For Women’s History Month
Thirty-one women were recognized this month by UCF Faculty Excellence for Women’s Month, including five from the College of Sciences. The awardess were chosen by their colleagues and peers for their work on campus and in the community. They will be honored March 31 at a Burnett House reception. This year’s honorees from the College […]
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Students Learn Research Fundamentals Through Bird House Project
A new study exploring nesting preferences of North America’s largest swallow is giving students hands-on experience in scientific methods. The Purple Martin Project, led by Department of Biology Research Scientist Anna Forsman, Ph.D., aims to attract the birds using strategically placed nests around UCF’s main campus. Students from Forsman’s biology courses and the Wild Symbioses […]
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UCF Named No. 1 Graduate School for Video Game Design
UCF’s graduate game design program is No. 1 in North America, according to The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine, which today announced their 2020 rankings. This is the second time in the past five years that UCF’s interactive entertainment graduate program at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy has taken the top spot. UCF’s undergraduate […]
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UCF’s New Technique to Create Nanomaterials May Help Detect Cancer Earlier
By ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA For the first time, a team of scientists at the University of Central Florida has created functional nanomaterials with hollow interiors that can be used to create highly sensitive biosensors for early cancer detection. Xiaohu Xia, an assistant professor of chemistry with a joint appointment in the NanoScience Technology […]
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Five Year Grant Will Deepen Research Into ‘Zombie Ants’
A new $970,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow biologists to deepen their research into the biological makeup of parasitic fungi that hijack the behaviors of their hosts. The five-year CAREER grant also paves the way for Assistant Professor Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., to develop an upper level insect behavior course and […]
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Math Lecturer Finds Joy In Mentoring Middle School Students
The College of Sciences recently sat down with Michelle Kwon, Ph.D., to talk about her work as a mathematics professor and leader of Math Circle. (Some answers edited for clarity and brevity.) COS: What’s the purpose of Math Circle, in your own words? Kwon: The purpose of Math Circle is to make middle school students […]
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Director’s Therapy Dogs Provide Comfort In Trying Times
Buddy and Nugget shed more love than hair — and if you’ve seen the back of their ride you know that’s saying something. The owner of these two rambunctious Golden Retrievers would be happy to keep all that love to himself. But Michael Sigman, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Forensic Science, has other […]
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Psychedelic Study Inspires Undergrad’s Future Research
An independent study examining the role of psilocybin is opening new lines of thought and fulfilling a student’s interest into understanding the effects of naturally occurring psychedelic medicines. The study, funded through a grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research, was conducted by Maria Orozco, an undergraduate student completing a double degree program in Anthropology […]
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UCF Opens Global Opportunities, Inspires Undergrad to Pursue Doctorate
As the daughter of two immigrants from Guatemala and Venezuela, Carla Garcia has always been passionate about understanding perspectives different from her own. It’s what inspired her to pursue political science at UCF, and it’s the reason she was recently chosen by the American Political Science Association for the Minority Fellowship. The fellowship awarded to […]
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Physics Professors Create Harmony In Their Pastimes
By NIKITTA CAMPBELL Two Physics professors are bridging their day jobs and their hobbies at the speed of sound. Professors Richard Klemm, Ph.D., and Robert Peale, Ph.D., have devoted their professional lives to teaching students the intricate mechanics that make the world work. That same complexity and challenge attracts them to playing violin as a […]
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Math Prof. Pays Tribute To Mentor With Stellar Winds Research
Bhimsen Shivamoggi, Ph.D., recently capped three years of research with a publication that presents new ideas about the dynamics of stellar winds. But that’s not what makes him most excited. Shivamoggi is an applied mathematician by trade, but he ventured into the new territory of mainstream astrophysics as an intellectual tribute to his mentor Gene […]
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Biology Degree Launches Career As Nutritional Entrepreneur
Lourdes Diaz-McAgy ’99 has always been in tune with society’s trends. After realizing the world is moving in the direction of conscious well-being, she was inspired to help people look and feel their best. Today, Diaz-McAgy is the chief executive officer of Total Nutrition Technology, a nutrition focused company that private labels products for brands […]
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M.F.A Grad Selected for CBS Writing Mentorship
By IULIA POPESCU Nicholson M.F.A graduate Mike Diaz received a momentous opportunity when he became one of only six to participate in the esteemed CBS 2019-2020 Writers Mentoring Program, selected from a pool of more than 1,500 applicants. The eight-month mentoring program pairs writers with CBS executive mentors. The mentors then help the writers develop a new […]
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Early Interest In Politics Leads Alumna to Governor’s Office
When most kids were watching cartoons, Leah Trilling ’18 was on the couch watching the news with her dad. That interest in current events stuck with her, and eventually led to her current position as deputy director of Cabinet Affairs for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The steps leading to that position include undergraduate internships […]
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Human Rights Defender to Visit UCF
The Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives will host longtime human rights defender Laura Olson. During her visit to UCF on Feb. 6, Olson will deliver a special luncheon presentation, “Human Rights in 2020.” She will also appear on WUCF’s “Global Perspectives” television show, meet with faculty and record a student podcast. Laura Olson […]
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Scientist Surpasses 10K Publication Citations
A Physics scientist recently crossed the threshold of more than 10,000 citations in scholarly works — a distinction that added his name to the 2019 Highly Cited Researchers list compiled by the Web of Science Group. The award places Assistant Professor Madhab Neupane, Ph.D., in the top 1% of the world’s most cited scientific papers. […]
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Physicists Reveal Quantum Secrets Using Lasers
UCF physicists are using lasers to create mini-movies showing how electrons undergo changes on the quantum level. The technique relies on pulses of light that only last a few hundred femtoseconds; for perspective, comparing one femtosecond to a regular second is akin to comparing a second to a hundred million years. While the technique […]
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Alumna Selected For Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award
A College of Sciences alumna’s contributions to developing technology like online streaming and DVDs recently earned her a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. Yvette Kanouff, ’88, ‘93MS, who built a C-suite career at companies including Time Warner and Cisco, will be recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) at the 71st […]
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Presidential Historian Balances Past and Present in Politics
By MIA WILSON Presidential historian Jon Meacham provided perspective on today’s White House using the lens of the past at a presentation Thursday called “The Art of Leadership: Lessons from the American Presidency.” Meacham started broadly, noting the presidency is a reflection of the American population. “The presidency is in many ways a manifestation of […]
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Dr. Tosha Dupras Appointed Interim Dean of College of Sciences
A message from Michael Johnson, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs I am pleased to announce that Associate Dean Tosha Dupras, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of Sciences while I fulfill my role as interim provost. I am confident Dr. Dupras will do an outstanding job […]
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Student Coaching Project Earns Marchioli Award
An ongoing project to boost classroom student engagement through high-impact practices (HIP) recently earned one of UCF’s highest internal awards. Called HIP Coaches, the project uses student coaches to mentor and guide fellow students through high-impact learning experiences, such as collaborative assignments and projects, undergraduate research, cultural competency, community-based learning and internships. The idea is […]
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Alumna Builds Career Around Studying Bones
Fingerprints get a lot of credit in the forensics world, but Brittany Walter, ’12MA, knows bones tell a story, too. Inspired from a young age by a forensic anthropology series written by Kathy Reichs, Walter traces her passion for forensics all the way back to middle school. Today she uses that passion as a full-time […]
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Chemistry Professor Recognized For Outstanding Lab Safety
UCF Environmental Health and Safety recently awarded Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, Ph.D, and his team of dedicated researchers the 2019 Safety Champion Award. This award recognizes faculty members that provide support to EHS and adhere to UCF policy and procedure within a research setting. “It is great to know that the effort made to promote safety culture […]
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COS Dean Named Interim Provost
By INTERIM PRESIDENT THAD SEYMOUR JR. I am extremely grateful for Jana Jasinski stepping in as acting provost during the past week and a half, while also continuing as vice provost for Faculty Excellence. I appreciate her leadership and the stability she provided the Academic Affairs team. Jana was named acting provost after I asked Provost Elizabeth […]