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Student Combines Biology and Anthropology
Javier Cintron is no stranger to student research. He’s been tackling problems alongside John Starbuck, Ph.D., this year, but now he has received a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) that will allow him to continue working this summer in Starbuck’s lab. “It is encouraging to be accepted into a program like this because it means […]
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Industry Partners Invest in Statistics Students
From developing predictive models to interpreting data, UCF graduate students had the chance to put their data analytics skills to the test, as CFE Federal Credit Union launched its inaugural Lending Analytics Competition with the UCF Department of Statistics. From October 2017 to January 2018, student teams used data sets to predict lending risks facing […]
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Helping the Helpers
If you build it, they will come. This isn’t the saying that comes to mind when thinking of a facility dedicated to treating anxiety, trauma and PTSD. But it’s been the case for UCF RESTORES, a one-of-a-kind clinic founded by Deborah Beidel, Ph.D., in 2011. “How do you get over a fear of driving? You […]
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Advocating for HIV Prevention
Nicole Elinoff graduated the same year as UCF’s 50th anniversary. Now, she spends her days involved in outreach activities in the Central Florida community, working to spread HIV prevention throughout the area. “Being able to educate and raise awareness in others about HIV is some of my favorite work,” she said. Elinoff is the sexual […]
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Congratulations, Spring 2018 Ph.D. Graduates!
The College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. Twelve students were recognized at the ceremony with their family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Jana Jasinski, Ph.D., honored each student individually by presenting their research and a brief description of their dissertation. Afterward, […]
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UCF Planetary Physicist Crowned Space Engineering Rock Star
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala UCF planetary physicist Philip Metzger has been crowned one of space engineering’s rock stars by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Metzger, who is an associate in planetary science research at UCF’s Florida Space Institute in Central Florida Research Park, was honored with ASCE’s Outstanding Technical Contribution Award this month. The award […]
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Undergraduate Researcher Recognized for New Compound
Each spring, UCF hosts a Showcase of Undergraduate Research to celebrate students’ hard work uncovering new insights and ideas. This year, the Judge’s Choice Award for physical sciences went to Klauss Dimitri, a Physics and Aerospace Engineering double major. This first-place prize recognizes his research developing the materials needed to eventually create quantum computers. “I […]
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2018 NFL Draft: Brought To You By UCF Alumni
While four Knights fulfilled lifelong dreams of hearing their names called during the 2018 NFL Draft, a pair of other Knights were working behind the scenes to capture every moment. Alumni Eric DeSalvo ’09 and Brandon Naidus ’12 are the maestros of the social media accounts for their respective teams. DeSalvo, who majored in interpersonal/organizational […]
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In Search of a Lost Song: From New York to Dersim
On April 23, 2018, The Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) hosted the screening of the movie ‘Zer’ and a conversation with the director, Kazım Öz, who is one of the leading Kurdish directors of his generation. He is also the director of highly acclaimed Bahoz (The Storm), Fotoğraf (The Photograph), the short film Ax (The […]
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Uncertain Start at UCF Sends Student Around the World
Steven Carrion never thought UCF would be the foundation for the rest of his future. When he was graduating from high school, he almost didn’t apply to the school at all. Dreaming of far-off places, and thinking success would come away from home, Carrion applied reluctantly, as a last-minute decision. As it turned out, UCF […]
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Student Represents UCF at NAFAC
Each year since 1960, the U.S. Naval Academy has hosted a gathering of undergraduates from around the United States and the world who come together in the spring to discuss a theme from current global affairs. The Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC) has grown to be the leading undergraduate conference in the country. Political […]
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Building a More Sustainable Orlando
The sounds of construction can be heard on the third floor of Orlando City Hall. The building is being retrofitted with energy efficient technology as part of the City of Orlando’s sustainability initiatives. It’s one of the many projects currently underway and supervised by sustainability director Chris Castro ’10 and sustainability project manager Brittany Sellers […]
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Chemistry and Forensic Science Award Winners- Congratulations!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Chemistry and Forensic Science student awards. The recipients were chosen from both undergraduate and graduate areas of studies, according to their performance in specific classes, research and other UCF achievements. The winner of the W.W. McGee Forensic Science award for the most outstanding chemistry or forensic science major […]
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A Major Switch: From Film to Biology
Biology student Julia Carlin won one of the most prestigious, national awards for pre-veterinary students, the 2018 American Pre-Vet Medical Association (APVMA) Scholarship. The award was open to all pre-vet students in the country, and Carlin was chosen based on her academic success, leadership qualities and participation within the pre-vet community. “I have worked endlessly […]
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50 Students Attend Panel on Chemical Attacks
Thirty years after the attacks in Halabja in Iraqi Kurdistan, chemical weapons continue to be used against civilian populations in the Middle East. On April 12, 2018, the Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) in collaboration with the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) sponsored a panel on the chemical attacks and U.S. policies. […]
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Math Student Scores Summer Project at Harvard
A UCF math major is headed to Harvard University this summer to study forest ecology through an interdisciplinary research project that combines philosophy, math algorithms and principles of ecology. Evan Waldmann credits working with Assistant Professor of Philosophy Jonathan Beever and his team for helping him land a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant from the National Science […]
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Alumnus Focuses on Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture is a tricky business. With unpredictable weather patterns, soil degradation, threatening pests and limited land, farmers struggle to grow healthier, more productive and profitable crops. If farmers can’t grow crops, the number of people at risk of living in hunger increases. Biology alumnus Clay Scherer, Ph.D., works to fix that problem. He develops products […]
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UCF on Track to Become National Leader in Space Research
When the University of Central Florida took the helm of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico on April 1, the university entered a new era. “We are forging new ground for UCF,” said Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies. “We already have outstanding research in planetary sciences, […]
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Congratulations, 2018 Pegasus Professors!
UCF’s annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation celebrates outstanding achievements of the university’s faculty members, staff and students. Among the recognitions this year are five Pegasus Professors, three from the College of Sciences. View a full list of Founders’ Day Honors Convocation honorees. The Pegasus Professor Award is the highest academic honor an educator can receive at UCF and rewards highly […]
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Virtual Teaching May Help GTAs Prepare for the Classroom
An innovative tool with a new application in STEM education research may help prepare graduate teaching assistants (GTA) to transition from students to instructors. Jackie Chini, an assistant professor in the UCF Physics Department, focuses her research on STEM education – or how to improve science teaching and learning. In her latest NSF-funded grant, she, […]
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Declining Bee Population to get Helping Hand
Bees are going to get a helping hand next year when a UCF biologist launches her nationwide Bee Wild project. Funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Barbara Sharanowski will coordinate a nationwide team of citizen scientists who will convert lawns into native wildflower havens especially designed to attract native bees and other […]
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Politics Within The Oil Industry
As an international tanker broker, Jonathan “JB” Corey uses what he learned at UCF almost daily. His political science degree helps him navigate the erratic effects the international political climate has on the oil industry. The company he works for, Southport Maritime, represents and services oil companies, tanker owners and oil traders who are engaging […]
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Couple’s $6.6M Gift Will Boost Many UCF Programs
What do sea turtles, veterans, language programs, science and football have in common? They’ll all be better off thanks to the generosity of Jim and Julia Rosengren, who have committed $6.6 million to support those programs at the University of Central Florida. It is among the largest alumni commitments in university history. Combined with their […]
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Physics Ranks in Top 100 Best Graduate Schools
Twenty-five UCF programs were ranked in the top 100 of their fields by the recently released U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools of 2019, a total gain of three programs from last year. UCF has experienced an upward trend in the number of programs on the top 100 list. There were 18 programs ranked in 2017, followed […]
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11 Students Honored For Women’s History Month
The College of Sciences is proud of our 11 female students who were recognized as outstanding student leaders for Women’s History Month. Congratulations to the awardees! Sarah Davenport, Anthropology “Seek positive mentorship. Mentorship from the McNair Program and my faculty mentor are the reasons why I have been able to achieve and exceed my […]
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Biology Background Paves Way to Medical School
Dr. Jeff Buchalter came to the University of Central Florida in 1983 with his mind set on medical school. He started his academic career at Brevard Community College, a choice he intentionally made to ensure his best chance of becoming a physician. Even though Buchalter grew up in Titusville where the space industry is the […]
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Alumna Publishes Book During Perfect Season
Lori Levoy is UCF’s self-proclaimed biggest fan. She graduated from the Nicholson School of Communication in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. A former UCF student athlete, Levoy has maintained her love for UCF for more than 15 years. In 2017, during UCF’s perfect football season, that love motivated her to write and publish her own children’s […]
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Understanding Charge Transfers in Molecular Electronics
An international research team, which includes University of Central Florida Professor Enrique del Barco and Christian A. Nijhuis of the National University of Singapore, has found a way to understand and manipulate the transition of charges in molecular junctions. A molecular junction connects molecules to two metallic electrodes, such as gold. For electrons to flow […]
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Could This Toy Help Save Our Planet?
By Robert Stephens UCF Professor Fernando Uribe-Romo is merging his love for chemistry and nature to create a new form of energy — artificial photosynthesis — that actually cleans air. The conversation is supposed to be about deep topics like renewable energy, global warming and scientific methods. But less than a minute in, Fernando Uribe-Romo […]
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Opioid Misuse Isn’t White or Black Issue
Although the opioid epidemic has been portrayed in the media as a largely “white” epidemic, a UCF study finds this drug doesn’t discriminate. The abuse of opioids affects whites and blacks almost equally, according to a study led by sociology doctoral student Harvey Nicholson. His findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol […]