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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 […]
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Pre-Vet Student Finds Purpose in Passion for Animals
There’s the cute and cuddly side of working with animals. And then there’s catheterization and necropsies. “I love both,” says Rebekah Sartori, a pre-vet Senior. “The first time I put on sterile gloves and watched a surgery I got so excited.” Her four years at UCF are just one chapter in what she plans […]
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GIS Academy Gives Teachers Hands-On Experience
By Bo Yang, Ph.D. Citizen Science GIS Teacher Academy successfully taught teachers about maps, apps and drones at a special event at UCF’s Research Park on Feb. 2. In the first session on Geospatial Technologies for Community Engagement, teachers received an overview of some of the ways to engage students with these technologies, and challenged […]
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What It’s Like to Compete at the Westminster Dog Show
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER Dan Strachan ’85 first got into the Westminster ring 10 years ago. Now he’s showing at the competition for the third time with experience from 300 shows. In a few days, nearly 3,000 top dogs will gather in New York for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to find out who is […]
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Nicholson Graduate Teaching Assistant Wins Miss UCF 2019
By Rachel Smith Graduate communication major Keyera Lyn came out on top and was voted the winner of the Miss UCF 2019 Scholarship Pageant Saturday night in the Student Union’s Pegasus Grand Ballroom. Lyn, a graduate teaching assistant for the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, beat out 13 other contestants to win the title […]
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Forensic Database Opens New Opportunities To Capture Sexual Assailants
Researchers from the University of Central Florida are a step closer to giving law enforcement officials a new tool to help track down rapists and other sexual offenders. Forensic scientist Candice Bridge, Ph.D., has spent the past two years leading a team in the development of a database detailing the chemical makeup of common […]
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Alumnus Shapes World With Law Degree
The law can be a powerful tool in the right hands. Matthew Goodison-Orr has directly discovered this as an attorney who has helped both the socially disadvantaged and veteran communities. But those rewarding moments almost didn’t happen. “I had a vague idea of wanting to help people by pursuing a legal career,” Goodison-Orr said. “But […]
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Voiceless Find Community and Hope In Aphasia Choir
Robert Rosich is in the middle of naming the songs he performed with his friends over Christmas when the words get stuck in his throat. It’s a familiar sensation for Rosich, who has relearned to speak after surviving two strokes. But this time the words just won’t come out. So he tries a different […]
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Swedish Study Abroad Opportunity Now Open to Students
UCF and Malmö University (MU) have recently signed a student exchange agreement, opening the opportunity for UCF students to spend a fall semester at Malmö University. In an effort to boost existing linkages and establish research cooperation between these universities, a UCF faculty member recently visited MU. Güneş Murat Tezcür, Jalal Talabani Chair and Professor […]
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Taking Risks Translates Into Rewarding Career For PoliSci Graduate
Fausto Cardenas, ’18, said it was the risks they took as a UCF student that taught them the road to change is built on taking chances. Born in Ecuador, Cardenas moved to the U.S. with their mother at age 4. Cardenas said their mother always had at least two jobs to support them […]
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PoliSci Student Among Glamour Magazine’s Top 10 College Women
A UCF senior’s advocacy for undocumented minors has earned her a spot as one of Glamour Magazine’s 10 College Women of the Year for 2018. Karen Caudillo’s tearful interview with the Guardian newspaper after a Capitol Hill hearing went viral when it was broadcast on social media, including to NowThis’ 14 million Facebook followers. Caudillo […]
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UCF Researchers Investigate New Lead in Mysterious Sea Turtle Disease
By Robert Wells Scientists at the University of Central Florida are zeroing in on a new clue to understand a mysterious disease that affects about half of the sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon. The infectious disease, known as fibropapillomatosis, causes tumors to grow inside and outside of sea turtles’ bodies. While the tumors […]
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Alumnus Shows Versatility of Anthropology Degree
Anthropology and nuclear physics seem worlds apart, but Brian Smith proves that’s not the case. As an Orlando native, Smith had been around UCF his whole life. Ultimately, the university’s growing campus and reputation encouraged him to pursue his education here. “For me, it was exciting to be on the ground floor of a revolutionary […]
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Gizmodo Taps Anthro Prof for Take On Dangerous Food
Quick. What’s a hefty fruit that can not only kill you with the wicked one-inch thorns on its thick exterior, but is so sulfurous on the inside that eating high concentrations could also prove lethal? If you guessed Southeast Asia’s durian fruit, you’re right. It was also Ty Matejowsky’s choice when he was approached by […]
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Botany Class Takes Students Outside Classroom
We walk by them every day, but most of us would be hard-pressed to identify, much less scientifically classify, the trees and flowers we see. Elizabeth Harris calls it “plant blindness.” “Our goal was to get students outside and actually open their eyes to what’s in their environment,” said Harris, Ph.D., a Biology associate […]
