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Two Professors Honored as Fellows of the American Physical Society
Two UCF Department of Physics professors have been selected as Fellows of the American Physical Society. Election to the Fellowship in the APS is limited to no more than one-half of one percent of the membership. The criterion for election is exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise; e.g., outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, […]
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14 Faculty Awarded for International Impact
UCF recognized 45 faculty members Wednesday during the university’s inaugural Luminary Award presentations for making an impact on the world. Fourteen of the recipients are College of Sciences faculty members. The event, themed like Oscar night, honored those who are academic leaders in their field and are making contributions to the world that are having […]
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Never Hug an Orangutan
UCF alumnus Paulo Maurin, Ph.D., shares tales of adventure in his newly-published book “The Hugging Orangutan Chase: Narrative of encounters with animals and people across the Hawaiian and Indonesian Archipelagos.” Maurin currently works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation program in Hawaii. During his first seven years, Maurin participated in […]
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Alumna Analyzes Drugs to Solve Crime
After completing a bachelor’s degree in forensic science with a minor in chemistry from UCF, Danielle Ostrow now identifies and analyzes controlled substances as part of her job as a forensic chemist at the Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory. Ostrow built the foundation in identifying and analyzing controlled substances and gained valuable skills for her career […]
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UCF Space Program Honored at Center Field
UCF has a strong connection to space. At Spectrum Stadium, Physics Professor Joshua Colwell was honored at the UCF Homecoming football game. He has ongoing research with commercial space companies and NASA, including the historic Cassini mission to explore Saturn. Assistant Professor Adrienne Dove, also joined him on the field. She was honored with NASA’s Susan […]
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College of Sciences Celebrates Scholarships
On Oct. 12, 2017, the College of Sciences celebrated scholarship recipients and donors at the annual Scholarship Luncheon at the Live Oak Event Center. The luncheon serves as a place for students to meet the donors that make their scholarships possible, and for the donors, a chance to see how their scholarships make a difference. […]
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Team Building Mini Satellite to Fly in Space in 2018
by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala A team of UCF researchers and their students is building a small satellite that will conduct experiments as it orbits the Earth next year. The NASA-funded project code-named Q-PACE will help Physics Professor Joshua Colwell and his team better understand how planets form. The experiments involve marble-sized particles and what happens […]
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Student Researches Roses and Cabbage
Senior biology major Shelly Gaynor shares her interest in genetics and evolutionary biology with the ecological community thanks to the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program. She is interested in polyploidy evolution, a process of genome doubling which leads to organisms with multiple sets of chromosomes. Her research investigates the influence of […]
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Imaging Device to Be Used in Anthropology Research
By Mark Schlueb Due to the collaborative nature of UCF’s faculty, the National Science Foundation has awarded the university a grant that will help fund the purchase of a $900,000 imaging device that will do everything from design nanoparticles of the future to delve into our civilization’s past. The NSF approved the funding request because […]
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Lou Frey Institute Honored as National Model for Civics Education
by Steve Masyada, Ph.D. The Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida, in collaboration with partners at iCivics, Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, hosted Democracy at a Crossroads: Our Nation’s Future Needs Innovative Civic Learning Now. The meeting took place on September 21 and was […]
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Tying Your Shoes and Budgets, Too
Brett Jones closed his eyes and tried to remember how to tie his shoes. He looked around the room and decided to go with the bunny ears method. “I realized the best way to answer was to answer it simply, and go for a laugh at the same time,” Brett Jones said. “The whole room […]
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Alumnus Came to UCF With a Single Bag
Looking at UCF’s current attendance numbers, it’s hard to believe that the school once had only 14,000 students and a low student to teacher ratio. But in 1983, it’s this factor that appealed heavily to young Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Alfredo Anthony, DBA, and inspired his transfer to the school. Anthony showed up to UCF […]
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Anthropologist Studies Alternative Treatment for Addiction
Assistant Professor within UCF’s Department of Anthropology Shana Harris spends her time in Mexico researching drug use and addiction, currently focusing on the therapeutic use of a psychedelic known as ibogaine. Ibogaine is a naturally occurring substance that many use as a form of alternative drug treatment for addiction. Users who ingest it experience a […]
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Drone Research Hits New Heights
As the popularity of drones and geospatial technologies continues to rise, the Citizen Science GIS research team at University of Central Florida aims to train the next generation of community-minded scientists in the art and science of drone flights, image processing, open data sharing and spatial storytelling with drone imagery. The National Science Foundation has […]
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UCF Alumna Creates Her Own Path
Recent UCF graduate Nicolette Jackson has a passion for people and a desire to impact legislature. She spent this past summer working in the District Office of state Rep. Sharon Pritchett as she makes preparations to head to law school. While Jackson’s degree is in Social Sciences, she also obtained three minors in sociology, anthropology […]
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UCF Anthropologist’s Research is Changing Lives
John Starbuck, Ph.D., thought studying anthropology might lead him to a career in a museum, but it’s done more than he could’ve imagined – his research and discoveries are changing the lives of people affected by Down syndrome and those with cleft lip or palate. Growing up, Starbuck wasn’t interested in college. His mother worked […]
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Student Stories: When Your Apartment Floods due to a Hurricane
We’ve featured journalism student Isabelle D’Antonio’s first-hand account of what happened to her during Hurricane Irma. Her story was first published on the NSM Today website. by Isabelle D’Antonio I’ve lived in Florida for more than 11 years and I’ve never taken hurricanes seriously. They were always just an excuse to get out of school, eat […]
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UCF College of Sciences Receives $16M For Research
By Barbara Abney UCF faculty brought in $136 million in research funding in 2017, a year that was also marked by national recognition for the number of patents issued to UCF, tech transfer excellence and overall innovation. The College of Engineering and Computer Science garnered the largest proportion of the total with $33 million, followed […]
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COS Distinguished Alumni Award Winner 2017: Alan Florez
Receiving an education at the University of Central Florida can open many doors for a student. Our renowned faculty and staff pour their resources into students and allow them to reach new heights that seem impossible. For this month’s Outstanding Alumknight, the support he received at UCF allowed him to work to achieve success in both the government and […]
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Silent Guns: Examining the Two-Year Absence of Coups in Africa
Rebecca Schiel, PhD Candidate in Security Studies, and Jonathan Powell, Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department, recently published a blog post in Political Violence at a Glance examining the two-year absence of Coups d’état in Africa. The blog post addresses the two-year anniversary of the coup in Burkina Faso and the subsequent two-year […]
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James Bacchus Joins UCF Faculty
by Christine Dellert A new center will focus on advancing UCF’s work in economic and environmental issues and fostering links for faculty and others in the UCF community to sustainable development efforts at the local, national and global level. James Bacchus, who joins UCF as Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs, will lead the UCF […]
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UCF Alumnus Speaks up For Underprivileged Youth
Some choose the University of Central Florida because of the location. Others choose UCF because of the amazing Greek life and extracurricular activities. But this month’s Political Science Outstanding Alumnus chose UCF because he needed a broader understanding of the exact tools needed to go back and help his economically depressed community. Codeye Woody spent […]
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Physicist’s Career Launched by Cassini Mission
by Zenaida Kotala When NASA’s Cassini mission ends on Sept. 15 by plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere, one UCF professor will be reminiscing about the mission that launched his career and the family he’s made throughout the almost 20-year journey. Physics Professor Josh Colwell began working on the Cassini mission right out of graduate school after […]
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Jacques’ Work Highlighted by APSA
The American Political Science Association is highlighting the work of UCF Political Science professor Peter Jacques, Ph.D. His paper titled “Dialectics and the Megamachine: A Critique of Ersatz Education” analyzes the learning environment of students and considers the effects of online ersatz education on human relations and dialectical reasoning. He acknowledges the benefits an […]
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From UCF to the White House
UCF alumna Jessica Fredericks ’07 is helping preserve American history as the new director of communications for the White House Historical Association. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the nonprofit association in 1961 to protect, preserve and provide public access to the rich history of America’s executive mansion. Fredericks said it is a dream job for her. […]
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Non-Profit Director by Day, Podcaster on Game Day
UCF alumnus Trace Trylko 94’ sends his love for UCF straight to the airwaves. Trylko co-hosts a podcast called Knightline with Andrew Phegley, who founded the show in 2014. Beginning August 31, you’ll find Trylko and Phegley taking calls live at BurgerU, just outside of Spectrum Stadium, after every home game. Knightline features UCF athletes […]
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UCF Space Experts in Hot Demand
By Zenaida Kotala UCF has diligently and methodically been making a name for itself in the world of planetary exploration, and it’s beginning to pay off in big ways. Not only are two UCF professors part of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to collect asteroid samples – a first for the United States, but scientists are playing […]
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A 12-Year Delay Leads to Success
Melissa Gomez attended small private schools until fall 2000, when she found herself a freshman film major at one of the nation’s largest universities. She came to the conclusion all of the students knew what they wanted out of life and she did not yet. She chose to leave UCF, believing she was wasting her time. […]
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The 2017-18 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back this September with six UCF faculty who are experts in topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and the developments in their respective fields. This year’s 2017-18 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6 p.m., from September 2017 […]
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Back to School in China
UCF alumnus Max Hoffman graduated from the political science department in Spring 2014 – just a year and a half into his collegiate career. Hoffman had his sights set on something else: Shanghai. Hoffman accepted a position as a leader of the foreign teachers at Shanghai Bestway EDU where he teaches English and handles curriculum […]