On September 19th, the College of Sciences participated in College Showcase 2015 which was an event hosted during Family Weekend 2015. The College of Sciences was among the many participating colleges. The COS showcase included displays by the UCF Department of Physics, UCF Department of Biology, and UCF College of Sciences Academic Services. Other colleges participated, including […]
Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of geographic information systems (GIS) in the department of sociology. He is a broadly trained human geographer with deep interests in community geography, qualitative GIS, and critical GIS. Dr. Hawthorne’s research and teaching utilizes innovative methods to integrate qualitative data and mixed methods into GIS analysis. His published […]
Assistant professor of anthropology, Scott Branting, Ph.D., is one of the many new faulty starting here at UCF. Professor Branting holds a B.A. from Wheaton College in archaeology, one M.A. from the University of Chicago in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS) and another M.A. from the University at […]
Yingru Li, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) at the department of sociology. Dr. Li’s research primarily focuses on Geographical Information Systems and spatial statistics, environmental health, and economic/urban geography. She received a master’s degree in GIS at University of Cincinnati (2006) and obtained her Ph.D. degree in Geography at University of […]
Green sea turtles have had their highs and their lows. Before being commercially harvested for hundreds of years, green sea turtles used to be a typical sight in the Atlantic, but now they are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in multiple locations across the globe. Even with being one of the first species to have federal regulations protecting them, green […]
In 2014, Psychology Ph.D. candidate Ben Sawyer, was the lead researcher and wrote the first peer reviewed study looking at the driving distraction potential of Google Glass. In his study it showed the novel device to be less distracting in some ways than an Android phone, but still dangerous compared to just driving. This summer, […]
She remembers it like it was yesterday. It was 2009, her first day at work, and she was six months pregnant. That day, Rebecca Morales was charged with the mammoth task of transforming an abandoned darkroom and photo lab into a student advising center. “When I arrived, the ceiling and walls were black, the floor was […]
Kurdish Political Studies at the University of Central Florida has a new leader, Güneş Murat Tezcür, Ph.D., the inaugural holder of the Jalal Talabany Kurdish Political Studies Endowed Chair. The Chair is the first of its kind in the United States. It was initiated by a $1 million donation led by Dr. Najmaldin Karim, a neurosurgeon, […]
The Nicholson School of Communication is thrilled to continue its partnership with Orlando PBS affiliate, WUCF-TV and is now in the process of hiring a shared broadcast coordinator to serve as a liaison between the school and the station. The new broadcast coordinator will continue the work of NSC’s Radio-Television associate instructor, Stephanie Rice, who was instrumental […]
Like many graduate students, Karen Chiang entered her Ph.D. program full of enthusiasm, and she looked forward to earning her scientific wings. But instead, graduate school became associated with some of the lowest points in her life, because of the overwhelming stress and self-doubt she experienced. “I had a very difficult time seeing myself in […]
After a semester conducting research as a Fulbright Scholar in Uganda, associate professor Ann Miller, Ph.D. returns to the Nicholson School of Communication this fall. Miller was the recipient of the Fulbright AIDS and AIDS-Related Research Award and spent the 2015 spring semester at her host institution, Uganda Christian University (UCU). There she partnered with UCU […]
In partnership with the University of Central Florida, the Orlando Science Center is hosting a special guest speaker series in conjunction with the Mummies of the World: The Exhibition. Topics will feature studies on current anthropological and archeological research around the world, including mummification, bioarcheology and forensic anthropology. The Mummies of the World exhibition depicts an once-in-a-lifetime […]
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida presents its 2nd annual Distinguished Speaker Series. The series brings renowned speakers from across the country to enrich the lives of students, faculty, alumni and the community. Our speakers will address topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and to the societal implication […]
To kick start the fall semester, the UCF Arboretum will be hosting its Welcome Back Garden Celebration September 24, 2015, from 5-8pm. The UCF community is invited to the Arboretum to learn more about this campus resource and the services it provides. The Arboretum staff will lead an interactive tour during the event and students […]
Sometimes thinking small can get you a big win. That’s certainly the case for a team of physicists at the University of Central Florida. UCF was one of only two universities selected to prepare an experiment for a miniaturized satellite mission as part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program. Twenty-two projects […]
Every year a fresh crop of Ph.D. students in Political Science arrive to expand knowledge in an area of extreme relevance such as an emphasis on national and international security, but in this field what exactly does security mean? Marcos Degaut, a Ph. D. candidate in Security Studies, has stated in his recently published theoretical paper, “The […]
Congratulations to Vu Tran on being awarded the Alumni Fellows Graduate Scholarship. This award recognizes her significant contributions and achievements in the UCF community and how she plans to use these experiences to further her education and career. The Alumni Fellows Graduate Scholarship, one of the many scholarships the UCF Alumni Association grants every year, […]
On August 20, 2015, the department of Political Science hosted a reception welcoming eight new Ph. D. students in Security Studies. The Security Studies doctoral program prepares students to be able to analyze and communicate security issues in relation to policy makers, the general public, the government and academia. In completion of this rigorous program, the students […]
Associate professor of anthropology, Joanna Mishtal, Ph.D., had her book, The Politics of Morality: The Church, the State and Reproductive Rights in Postsocialist Poland, published and released with Ohio University Press in August. The Politics of Morality is a full-length, single author ethnography based on 21 months of primary data collection in Kraków, Warsaw, and […]
Science Café is designed to showcase UCF professors in a fun and casual environment. The fall 2015 series will span three months, September-November, with each month featuring a scientist from a different department in the university. Admission is free, but we encourage everyone to RSVP for this event in advance. Each speaker will begin their […]
UCF mathematics alumna, Dr. Aicha Elhor Gillespie, ’00, was honored as the UCF College of Sciences 2015 Mathematics Outstanding AlumKnight at the inaugural ceremony in February. Dr. Gillespie credits her experience and education while earning her Ph.D. in mathematics at UCF for the foundation to pursue the next chapter of her life. “I am grateful […]
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida welcomes 50 new faculty members this fall. In conjunction with the new faculty hiring campaign, approximatley 200 new faculty will begin at the university by fall 2015. These new faculty members will strengthen the areas of the university where there has been high student enrollment and growth. Many of […]
Nicholson School of Communication associate instructor, Shari Hodgson received the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce’s first ever “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her devotion to the development and success of leadership programs, including Youth Leaders. Hodgson, who teaches in the human communication program, was honored earlier this year at the Chamber’s 25th anniversary ceremony. “Shari is someone […]
With a growing body of revered research on risk and crisis communication, one of the newest faculty members at the Nicholson School of Communication (NSC), Timothy Sellnow, Ph.D., recently won National Communication Association’s Gerald M. Phillips Award for Distinguished Applied Communication Scholarship. First presented in 1994, the Gerald M. Phillips award is given to scholars responsible for authoring […]
Dr. Jeffry Donner, ’77, remembers UCF much differently than it is today. Dr. Donner graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCF when it was Florida Technological University. Dr. Donner continued to credit UCF throughout his education and career with giving him a strong foundation in chemistry and science. Now retired in Florida’s Treasure […]
The department of anthropology hosted a welcome back BBQ on August 22, 2015 to welcome six new faculty members and to honor the department’s inaugural chair, and current Associate Dean for the College of Sciences, Arlen Chase, Ph.D., for his many contributions to the department. Dr. Arlen Chase was the department of anthropology’s inaugural chair when they became a department in […]
Amanda Groff, Ph.D., lecturer in the anthropology department, recently completed her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Florida. She received her B.A. in anthropology from UCF in 2003, her Maya Studies Certificate from UCF in 2005 and her M.A. in anthropology from UCF in 2007. Dr. Groff is a lecturer of anthropology who specializes in archaeology and bioarchaeology. Her […]
Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., assistant professor of geographic information systems (GIS) in the department of sociology, is featured as the National Geographic Educator of the Week. Dr. Hawthorne spent his summer teaching students at the Urban Atlanta Geospatial STEM Academy as part of a $75,000 Verizon Foundation grant. This academy provides a place for […]
The UCF College of Sciences celebrated the Summer 2015 graduates at the Ph.D. Pre-Commencement Celebration and the College of Sciences Graduation Reception. The College of Sciences Ph.D. Pre-Commencement Celebration was held Friday, August 7th, in the Physical Sciences Building. Faculty and staff celebrated the 20 graduating College of Sciences doctoral students with a reception and […]
Dr. Clara Rivero-Baleine, ’01, ’03, ’05, was honored as the 2015 Outstanding Physics AlumKnight at the inaugural award ceremony in February. Her continued commitment to excellence in the industry along with her pioneering efforts in research and development are just some of the reasons the UCF Physics Department nominated her for the award. Dr. Rivero-Baleine […]