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COS Faculty and Students Recognized for Outstanding Achievements at Founders’ Day Convocation
The dedication and high quality of instruction provided daily by College of Sciences (COS) faculty was recognized recently at the 2019 Founders’ Day Convocation. COS students were also praised for their outstanding academic work. Multiple faculty received awards for their contributions to teaching and research at UCF. They are: College Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate […]
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New Book Spotlights Food Insecurity
The U.S. has so much food that an estimated 133 billion pounds was thrown away in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So why are people still going hungry? The root of the problem is “food insecurity,” or inconsistent access to food. So, for instance, someone who can only afford one meal […]
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UCF Marks 1st Year at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
BY ZENAIDA KOTALA UCF celebrates its first anniversary this month of operating the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The observatory is the first national research center that UCF has led. It is home to one of the world’s most sensitive Incoherent Scattering Radar systems, which detects microscopic fluctuations due to thermal motions in the […]
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College of Sciences Welcomes New Pegasus Professor and Honors Reach for the Stars Recipient
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA AND ALLISON HURTADO ’12 Two College of Sciences professors were among those honored Wednesday for their dedication to teaching UCF students and their innovation in the classroom. Josh Colwell, Ph.D., was one of four new Pegasus Professors, the highest academic honor a professor can receive at the university. Tim Hawthorne, Ph.D., […]
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U.S. Air Force Taps Psychology Professor For Scientific Advisory Board
UCF is now represented on the scientific advisory board that supplies independent guidance to U.S. Air Force research. Peter Hancock, Ph.D., was appointed recently to the roughly 50-member board, which studies topics considered of critical importance by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force. While many members are engineers or provide similar […]
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‘Paying It Forward’ Motivates Distinguished Alumna
Gloria LeQuang, ’97, always wanted to give back to the Central Florida community that gave so much to her. LeQuang, who grew up in Lake Mary, Florida, is the director of marketing and community relations at BRIDG, which is a not-for-profit that provides research and development solutions to bridge technology capability gaps in microelectronics […]
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Professor Recognized For His Work Combating Human Trafficking
A UCF Sociology professor was recognized recently for his work to combat human trafficking in Central Florida. Jay Corzine, Ph.D., received the Polaris Award from the Greater Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with three years of researching criminal trends and patterns among phone calls to hotlines and trafficking survivors receiving services. The task […]
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Ending Human Trafficking In Central Florida Focus Of Three-Day Event
Knights for Social Justice is raising awareness around human trafficking this week with a three-day event featuring panel discussions with local experts and a documentary screening. This week’s events are made possible with the support of McCain Institute. Florida consistently ranks high in the U.S. for human trafficking. Florida is currently third in the U.S., […]
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Global Perspective’s John Bersia Pushed for International Awareness
BY GENE KRUCKEMYER ’73 John C. Bersia ’77, director of UCF’s Global Perspectives Office, a professor of international issues, and a Pulitzer Prize recipient while an editorial writer at the Orlando Sentinel, died Thursday of metastatic cancer. He was 62. Bersia started working at UCF in 2001, later became a special assistant to the president […]
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Asteroid Bennu Gives NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Team Lots of Surprises
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA Sometimes the unexpected is more exciting than finding exactly what you thought you’d find, and this is indeed the case for the science team involved in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sample mission. This mission, a first for the United States, aims to collect a sample from the near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu and bring […]
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Book Explores Treatment of Mentally Ill in Mexico
The attitudes toward mental illness, treatment options and overall quality of living at a Mexican hospital for the mentally ill provide a microcosm of Mexico’s overall attitude toward the mentally ill, according to a book by Beatriz Reyes-Foster, Ph.D., an associate professor of anthropology. “The question that guided my work is ‘What can we […]
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Compelling Research on Disabilities in Ancient Cultures
A new article in Science Magazine includes a UCF anthropology professor’s research into attitudes ancient civilizations had toward people with conditions like dwarfism and cleft palates. The article reports on research presented at the first Workshop on Ancient Rare Diseases, which was hosted in Berlin, Germany. Overwhelmingly, scientists challenged the conventional view that people with […]
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Florida House of Representatives Clerk Credits UCF For Leadership Traits
The rules and procedures that keep Florida’s Legislature running smoothly are no accident. There’s rules for introducing bills, who gets to speak on the floor and for how long and voting procedures — just to name a few. Maintaining order and enforcing those rules falls to the clerk of the House of Representatives, currently Jeff […]
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UCF Class Spotlight: Space Law
BY LAYLA FERRIS ’18 Class Name INR 4404 – Space Law Description A look at how rules and laws regarding outer space pertain to nations, corporations and individuals — and who should be making and enforcing them. Instructor Robert Bledsoe When is it offered? Usually once a year How many students in a class? 20-30 Prerequisites […]
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Researchers Recruit Drones To Map Past, Determine Future
Drones have evolved over the years from novelty to a sophisticated tool deployed in the wake of natural disasters. Now researchers have unlocked its use as a time machine. The work is happening in the coastal communities of Belize, including Hopkins Village, where rising sea levels are threatening homes and livelihoods. Lain Graham, a UCF […]
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17 College of Sciences Alumni Win 30 Under 30
Seventeen College of Sciences graduates were among the winners of UCF Alumni’s 30 Under 30 Awards. “Our 2019 30 under 30 recipients are extraordinary examples of what it means to represent UCF with pride,” says Jazmine Rodriguez ’10 ’12 , chair of UCF’s Young Alumni Council. “The impact this group has made in the world […]
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UCF Research Laying Groundwork for Off-World Colonies
BY ROBERT WELLS Before civilization can move off world it must make sure its structures work on the extraterrestrial foundations upon which they will be built. University of Central Florida researchers are already laying the groundwork for the off-world jump by creating standards for extraterrestrial surfaces. Their work was detailed recently in a study published in the […]
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Student Experience Provides Stepping Stone To Elected Position
There was no question what major Amber Mariano, ’17, would choose when she stepped onto UCF’s campus as a freshman; she’d already picked political science when was 6 years old. But the path to becoming Florida’s youngest elected state representative takes more than a good education. And that’s where UCF also helped her excel. “The […]
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Seven COS Faculty Among UCF’s 2019 Women’s History Month Awardees
BY FACULTY EXCELLENCE UCF Faculty Excellence has chosen 31 women to honor during Women’s History Month, which begins today. The national observance was started in 1981 to recognize women who have shown a commitment to humanity and our planet. At UCF, these women have helped shape the university from its beginnings until today. For more […]
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Puerto Rico Research Hub Officially Opens Its Doors
The Puerto Rico Research Hub welcomed the public and the academic community to its new office space Wednesday at an official open house. Director Fernando Rivera, Ph.D., repeated his pledge to use the research expertise of the hub to improve the lives of the Puerto Rican community. “We want to be accessible. Our goal […]
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Scientists Gather to Discuss Future Objectives of Arecibo Observatory
BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA The Arecibo Observatory and its researchers hosted scientists from around the world this week to discuss the future of research at the Puerto Rican facility under UCF management. Planetary scientists, radio astronomers and atmospheric scientists discussed the status of the facility, what potential upgrades could mean for the future of the […]
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UCF Researchers Uncover Florida’s Past Before It’s Lost to the Sea
BY ROBERT WELLS As Florida’s Space Coast moves into the future, University of Central Florida archaeologists are taking a look back at some of the historic sites there before they succumb to erosion and rising seas. “People don’t realize how interesting it is and how valuable it is for our institutional and social memory to […]
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Summer Internship Opportunities
As the temperature gets warmer, we’re all thinking about summer plans. An internship or study abroad program can be a great opportunity for students to gain real-life experience in their field of study and travel to a new place. Here are a few with upcoming deadlines: EEOP Internships Application Due: February 25, 2019 Internship Period: […]
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General Intelligence Won’t Be Enough to Prevent Ecological Disasters, UCF Study Finds
BY ROBERT WELLS High IQs aren’t going to be enough to stop an ecological disaster. It’s going to take social intelligence, too. That’s the conclusion of a new study co-authored by a University of Central Florida researcher and published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications. The findings could help identify why some groups better manage shared […]
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New Deal With Embry-Riddle Brings Drone Expertise to UCF Coastal
UCF Coastal’s research is soaring to new heights through a new partnership with Embry-Riddle’s unmanned aircraft systems program. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University boasts a fleet of drones of all shapes, sizes and capabilities, and brings extensive expertise to bear as one of only a few universities in the U.S. offering a bachelor’s in unmanned aviation. […]
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Physics Assistant Professor Named UCF’s First Sloan Research Fellow
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Xiaofeng Feng has been named a Sloan Research Fellow, the first for the University of Central Florida. The award recognizes early career scientists that demonstrate high promise. Past Sloan Research Fellows have gone on to do big things. Collectively they have received 47 Nobel Prizes, 17 Fields Medals in mathematics, 69 […]
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Nine COS Students Receive Prestigious Order of Pegasus
Nine students from the College of Sciences are recipients of Order of Pegasus, the university’s most prestigious student award. The 2019 recipients were selected from a pool of 77 nominations. Undergraduate students are chosen for Order of Pegasus each year based on their outstanding achievement in the areas of academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community […]
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Peer-Reviewed Papers Give Students Edge For Post-Graduation Careers
After taking their mentor’s advice, two UCF students have seen new opportunities open following the publication of their first peer-reviewed research papers. Yaser Ahmad, a junior biomedical sciences major, and Kristyna Ceuninck, an anthropology Master’s student, both published peer-reviewed papers in Clinical Anatomy about unilateral cleft lip and palate, or UCLP. Helping them along […]
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UCF Film Professor Plays Huge Role in African-American Cinema Past and Future
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Anthony Major, an associate professor of film at UCF, has spent more than four decades creating films that depict slices of the African-American experience in the United States. As an actor, producer, director, documentary filmmaker and professor, Major has worked with well-known actors such as Brad Pitt, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Redd […]
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Helping the United Nations to Better Understand Climate Change
Thomas Wahl, core faculty member for the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research and assistant professor in the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science, is helping the United Nations better understand and communicate climate change to the world. Wahl, who also is a member of UCF’s Sustainable Coastal Systems Cluster, will serve as a contributing […]