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Meet October 2023 College of Sciences Ace Award Winner: Morgan Lemmen
Congratulations to October’s COS Ace Award Winner! Morgan Lemmen is the Marketing Communications Specialist in the Dean’s Office. Get to know Morgan below! About Morgan Morgan became a Knight in November 2022. She is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Grand Valley State University. […]
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Department of Mathematics Recognized for Excellence
The UCF Department of Mathematics ranks highly among its peers in Florida (public or private) institutions, according to data from Academic Analytics. UCF takes top honors in areas like author citations and number of books published by faculty, while ranking in the top for grant funding alongside the University of Florida and Florida State University. […]
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Psychology Alumna Gives Back to UCF Transfer Students
Diana Rodriguez ‘18 currently serves as the Academic Support Coordinator at UCF Connect. As a former transfer student from Miami Dade College in 2016, Rodgriguez understands the needs of transfer students. She graduated from UCF with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2018. The College of Sciences Marketing team sat down with Rodriguez to […]
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Sociology Expertise Strengthens Campus Safety Initiatives
Parking at night is a simple but powerful illustration Associate Professor Alison Cares, Ph.D., uses to teach gendered experiences with violence and victimization. Routes through campus after hours are typically dictated by lighting, exits and number of people in an area — and often preplanned by women and non-gender confirming people. If men consider these factors […]
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Book Explores Southern Identity Through the Lens of Waffle House
Say “Waffle House” and you’ll probably picture late-night brawls shared on social media or stand-up comedy material. But the same qualities that make us laugh also make the restaurant the perfect subject of study by cultural anthropologists like Professor Ty Matejowsky, Ph.D. Matejowsky specializes in how food shapes and informs a culture, with past […]
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Political Science Alumna Makes Her Mark on National Security at Lockheed Martin
Alanna Reynolds ‘16 ‘19MA shows just what it means to work hard, persevere through challenges and keep pressing on to pursue her goals. She earned her MA in Political Science and Government in 2019 and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Security Studies at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. Reynolds is the […]
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Meet September 2023 College of Sciences Ace Award Winner: Sheri Pearson
The College of Sciences recognizes our outstanding staff with the Staff Ace Award. Winners of the Ace Award exhibit initiative to support COS while working well with those around them. They are “movers and shakers” in their departments and inspire others with their leadership skills. Congratulations to our September 2023 recipient, Sheri Pearson! About Sheri Pearson […]
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UCF Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab Receives Disney Grant, Continues Restoration Research
UCF’s Coastal & Estuarine Ecology Laboratory (CEELAB) continues to grow and expand its influence with an investment from Disney and a research project attracting top science talent from across the U.S. The achievement came in the form of $100,000 to Pegasus Professor of Biology Linda Walters and integrative coastal biology doctoral student Katherine Harris ’18 […]
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Ask Questions, Remember Your ‘Why’ Anthropology Professor Tells Grad Students
Associate Professor Shana Harris, Ph.D., is a cultural and medical anthropologist with research interests in drug use, addiction, and health politics and practice in Latin America and the United States. She was the sole recipient of the 2023 University of Central Florida’s College of Sciences Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, which recognizes outstanding graduate-level teaching. She […]
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Grad Student Sees Future Filled With Teaching, Conservation Work
Federico López Borghesi is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biology with a strong interest in conservation. His research explores agriculture, ecology and plant physiology, with an emphasis on statistical and computational approaches. This Spring he was recognized for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching by UCF. Here Borghesi shares his journey to UCF and […]
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2 UCF Scholars to be Inducted into Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida
A UCF physics professor and a UCF optics and photonics alumnus are among 15 honorees selected for induction to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL), a group that brings together the nation’s most distinguished scholars who live and work in Florida. Talat S. Rahman, Pegasus Professor of Physics and distinguished professor […]
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Psychology Degree Goes Deeper Than Counseling
Training students to make a difference in the psychology field and beyond is all in a day’s work for licensed clinical psychologist and Senior Lecturer Karen Mottarella, Ph.D. “Psychology is fun, so my idea is that students should never be bored in the classroom,” she said. This mentality guides her work as she […]
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Student Ambassador Program Offers Development Opportunities for Biology Student
Biology student Andrea Vasquez returns this year as a College of Sciences student ambassador. She brings her experience as an ambassador last year along with her passion for student engagement. Vasquez believes all students should be able to express themselves and their passions—and the ambassador program is a great way to do that. “I was […]
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Cranberries and Chemistry Came Together with Ocean Spray Internship
A chemistry doctoral student gained valuable research experience this summer with Ocean Spray Cranberries. Edwin Davidson Barahona was tapped by the farmer cooperative to work in research and development by supporting production improvements and quality measurements for cranberry products. “The idea of working for a vibrant company with a reputable background, and an […]
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GIS Mapping Research Benefits Coastal Village, Teachers, Students
A community in Belize and students and teachers from UCF and across the U.S. benefited from a seven-week research project hosted by Citizen Science GIS this summer. This was the sixth year Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D. led 10 students and two teachers to Hopkins Village, Belize in Central America […]
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Big 12 Inaugural Home Game Celebrated by College of Sciences Alumni
Barbecue, Networking and Football The College of Sciences Advancement team recently hosted a Dean’s Advisory Board Summer Social event to celebrate the inaugural football game of UCF’s ascent to the Big 12. Members of the College of Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and Alumni Chapter gathered at the UCF Arboretum’s nature pavilion to celebrate. COS Dean […]
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The Long Journey of NASA’S OSIRIS-REx
It’s been seven years since NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas rocket, bound for an asteroid 200 million miles from Earth. The unmanned spacecraft was tasked with rendezvousing with asteroid Bennu to retrieve a sample from its surface and return it to Earth — a first-of-its-kind mission for the United States. […]
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Scholarship Opens Dream Opportunity for Young Archaeologist
Raynaliz Velazquez Feliciano graduated in Summer 2023 with a degree in Anthropology. Almost immediately she traveled to Turkey for a months-long excavation project. It was a dream come true for Feliciano, who arrived at UCF determined to practice archaeology abroad. In an interview with the College of Sciences, Feliciano shares how she achieved her goal […]
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Stats Instructor Sets World Record for Highest Wingsuit Jump
Adjunct Instructor Aaron Smith, Ph.D., can calculate risk better than most people. Not only is he a statistician, but he currently holds the world record for highest wingsuit jump. Smith, a faculty member in the Department of Statistics and Data Science, set the record on July 1 by jumping from a plane at an altitude […]
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Nicholson School of Communication and Media Among Unity Workforce Grant Recipients
The Nicholson School of Communication and Media’s Games and Interactive Media (GaIM) program is among the recipients of a $150,000 grant that will help empower the next generation of diverse games professionals. The 2023 Unity Workforce Grant from Unity Social Impact and Jobs For the Future (JFF) prepares future creators for in-demand careers in games, […]
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Meet August 2023 College of Sciences Ace Award Winner: Jodi Reinhart
The College of Sciences recognizes our outstanding staff with the Staff Ace Award. Winners of the Ace Award exhibit initiative to support COS while working well with those around them. They are “movers and shakers” in their departments and inspire others with their leadership skills. Congratulations to our August 2023 recipient, Jodi Reinhart! About Jodi […]
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Celebrating National Video Games Day with FIEA Students
September 12 marks National Video Games Day. A lot more goes into designing video games than people think. We spoke with students from the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) to hear what inspired them to pursue a career in gaming. FIEA offers UCF’s nationally ranked Master of Science in Interactive Entertainment. Students can select […]
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Virtual Arboretum Featured at Global Film, Data Visualization Conference
A virtual corner of UCF’s campus was demonstrated alongside some of the biggest names in the computer graphics industry at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2023 Electronic Theater Retrospective Celebration. The Virtual UCF Arboretum, an immersive digital twin of nature, was created by Associate Professor of Digital Media Maria Harrington, Ph.D., and was part of the featured […]
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Security Studies Ph.D. Students Chosen For Prestigious Fellowship
Two graduate students with a deep interest in global conflict recently received a financial endorsement for their work toward a dissertation. The 2023 Peace Scholar Fellowship Program supports the work of Salah Ben Hammou and Erika Ricci, both of whom are pursuing a Ph.D. from the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. The Peace […]
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Members of the Central Florida Indian American Community Gather at UCF to Celebrate India’s Independence Day
In celebration of India’s 77th Independence Day, almost 200 supporters, students, faculty and members of the Indian American community gathered Sunday, Aug. 27 for an event hosted by The India Center at UCF. The India Center also welcomed the representatives of 10 Indian American community associations and gratefully acknowledged their support. The event held in UCF’s […]
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UCF Rises to No. 36 Best National Universities Ranking by Washington Monthly for 2023
UCF again is recognized among the nation’s most impactful institutions for students and communities — advancing into the top 40 Best National Universities and the top 20 for social mobility in Washington Monthly’s annual rankings released today. Washington Monthly’s rankings are based on what institutions “do for our country” — contributions to the public good […]
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Limbitless Solutions Receives Epic MegaGrant to Create Multiplayer Prosthetics-Training Game
UCF professors and nonprofit organization Limbitless Solutions have received an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, known for operating Fortnite and developing Unreal Engine. Limbitless Solutions is known for developing expressive, 3D-printed arms and accessibility-focused video game training. Their training games directly support producing and delivering cost-free prosthetic limbs for the limb-difference […]
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UCF Names Joseph Harrington as Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Scholarship
The University of Central Florida Office of Research has announced the appointment of Joseph Harrington, a Pegasus Professor in the Department of Physics and UCF’s Florida Space Institute, as the interim associate vice president for research and scholarship. In this role, Harrington’s duties will include overseeing UCF’s institutes and centers and research strategy councils; participating […]
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Meet July 2023 College of Sciences Ace Award Winner: Tara Gamble
The College of Sciences recognizes our outstanding staff with the Staff Ace Award. Winners of the Ace Award exhibit initiative to support COS while working well with those around them. They are “movers and shakers” in their departments and inspire others with their leadership skills. Congratulations to our July 2023 recipient, Tara Gamble! About Tara […]
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New UCF Project Examines Key Role Soils Play in Keeping the Planet Cool
A new project from the University of Central Florida is looking to the soils for a way to cool the skies. Funded by a nearly $750,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the research will examine a method to keep carbon from escaping soils and becoming the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. […]