A UCF researcher is working on a new, NASA-funded project that will gather the most comprehensive collection of data on active centaurs and distantly-active Jupiter-family comets to date. The work will inform research into the origins of the solar system, as these bodies contain materials from the dawn of its formation. Centaurs and Jupiter-family comets […]
The University of Central Florida was founded in 1963 to fuel the talent and technology needs of America’s growing space program at the Space Coast. From the beginning, UCF’s purpose has been to help people and organizations “Reach for the Stars,” which is the university’s official motto. As you look across the constellation of industry, […]
New research recasts the narrative on the earliest presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia, pushing back the presence of humans in that part of the world by at least 20,000 years and a human presence in the region for at least 56,000 years. The findings are based on analysis of bones excavated from deep […]
The impact of the nation’s first GeoBus continues to grow, with a new partnership bringing the immersive educational experience to 18 Title I Brevard County schools this spring semester, with an additional set of schools to continue in the next school year. The partnership ushers in the next phase for GeoBus from one-off school visits […]
The College of Sciences recognizes 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 April and May 2023 Ace Award recipients! Maria Williams […]
Three UCF students have been selected as 2023 Boren Scholars, a distinguished national honor that recognizes highly motivated undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in U.S. national security. This year’s recipients are Angelina Alonzo, a political science major; Flora Ngo, a criminal justice and psychology double major; and Sean Merkel, a computer […]
One of Florida’s most precious resources is its water from the aquifer to the 8,436 miles of coastline, boarded by the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and the Atlantic Ocean. Water is also a major player in the state’s economy, contributing $56 billion to the economy and generating 900,000 jobs according to a […]
Olivia Newton 13 ’17MS ’22PhD is a second-generation Mexican American, a three-time graduate from the UCF and a woman excelling in a field significantly underrepresented by Latinas. Latin women hold less than 2% of STEM occupations, but Newton has always been a barrier breaker, according to a report by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Google and […]
A University of Central Florida researcher and multiple alumni are part of a team that has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to identify water vapor in the atmosphere of an ultra-hot gas giant exoplanet and make a thermal map of its atmosphere. Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, the team found multiple […]
A $250,000 gift from Port Orange, Florida, residents Ramesh Chopra and Neena Chopra will bring UCF another step closer to its goal of establishing the Indian Community Endowed Chair for The India Center. Establishing an endowed chair highlights the importance of studying India at UCF. In Fall 2022, over 3,000 students from 149 countries enrolled at […]
University of Central Florida Coastal researchers are part of a new, $2 million U.S. National Science Foundation-funded project to work toward a more inclusive field of marine sciences. The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), an estuary research nonprofit, is leading the project, which includes six partner agencies and universities, including UCF. The collaboration is […]
The next time you see a plane flying overhead — any plane — consider this: There’s a strong possibility that a graduate or researcher from UCF had something to do with that plane being in the air. It could be an engineer who designed the propulsion system, a pilot who trained on a simulator, or […]
The amount of carbon stored in soils across UCF’s campus is equivalent to removing 68,200 cars from the roads for a year. That’s according to newly published research from Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab Supervisor and Associate Professor of Biology, Lisa Chambers, Ph.D., and Jennifer Bennett ’20. The research is the product of intensive soil sampling across […]
An assistant professor in the department of English, Amrita Ghosh researches South Asian literature and film — specifically, from the rising global superpower of India. In 2022 when the International Booker Prize — a prestigious award given to the best piece of translated fiction each year — went to an Indian author for the first […]
UCF says goodbye this week to a staff member whose often behind-the-scenes contributions made an outsized impact on the success of students, staff and faculty for more than 40 years. Maggie LeClair began as a staff assistant at UCF and went on to inspire students and advocate for their needs every day. (Photo courtesy of […]
Recent physics graduate Christian Cabello ’23 says bonjour to a new life in Paris this fall, where he’ll take advantage of a full scholarship to pursue a doctorate degree at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP). The new adventure not only brings him to Europe for the first time but opens access to rare equipment […]
Twenty-five years of work by CEELAB (Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab) — celebrated in May 2023 — can be split into both tangible and intangible achievements. For instance, over the span of 17 years, 66,000 volunteers have participated in one of the longest-running oyster reef restoration projects in the U.S. and restored close to four […]
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 February and March 2023 Ace Award recipients! […]
Spring 2023 College of Sciences doctoral graduates were celebrated at the COS Pre-Commencement Celebration on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Dean Maggy Tomova, Ph.D., honored their accomplishments with remarks and a toast. She said, “These credentials establish you among your contemporaries as someone who is willing to make sacrifices and embrace challenges in their pursuit of knowledge. There […]
By Puja Shanbhag On March 30, 2023 the India Center hosted a virtual discussion with author Nilosree Biswas about her book Calcutta on Your Plate, which discusses the rich history of Calcutta’s food evolution spanning 250 years and how it ties to its complex political, cultural and social history. The discussion was moderated by Orlando […]
Hannah Barnes is learning as a Knight thousands of miles from Millican Hall and the Bounce House — and that suits her just fine. Barnes’ political science studies take place in Yerevan, Armenia, where she is studying a Kurdish dialect called Kurmanji. She’ll also be immersed in the culture through her host family. “It’s hard […]
Looking back on 55 years of teaching at UCF, Professor Emeritus Robert Bledsoe has one secret to success: prioritizing the needs of students. That is the lasting legacy of one of UCF’s original founders, who literally helped name the streets that ring UCF’s main campus. UCF celebrates its 60th anniversary this year — and Bledsoe […]
Faculty representing every area in the College of Sciences were honored for their commitment to excellence at the Spring 2023 Faculty Recognition Event. Hosted by Associate Deans Kerstin Hamann and Teresa Dorman, the recognitions spanned multiple areas and categories. Those recognized were: High Impact or High-Quality Instruction Stacy Barber, ProfessorNeil Duncan, Associate ProfessorAmanda Groff, Senior […]
Sabin Regmi Ph.D. was awarded the 2022-2023 university award for the Outstanding Dissertation in the Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences category, which recognizes the “quality, content, and exceptional contribution in the field of Physics”. Regmi felt honored when the email of congratulations on his award-winning dissertation arrived in his inbox. “It feels great when your […]
A childhood chasing frogs in America’s heartland has led Anthony Mirabito to the cusp of a career saving wetlands. Today, Mirabito mixes classwork from the third year of his doctoral studies in Integrative and Conservation Biology with hands-on work in the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab at UCF led by Associate Professor Lisa Chambers Ph.D. Mirabito pursues […]
UCF will showcase more than 200 faculty members for academic excellence and service Wednesday at the Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom. The celebration runs 3-5 p.m. and includes a reception after the formal program. Highlighted are recipients of the Pegasus Professors award, UCF’s highest faculty honor; recipients of the Reach […]
Four UCF professors have been named this year’s Pegasus Professors, UCF’s highest faculty designation. Pegasus Professors are selected by the president and provost and are recognized for excellence in the teaching, research and service. This year’s honorees include innovative researchers who have not only made a difference at UCF, but nationally and internationally. Stephen Fiore’s […]
This year’s Reach for the Stars honorees are united by their passion to help people and positively change the world. By promoting positive healthcare and helping improve how we respond to survivors of violence to enriching the human experience through space exploration, advanced computing and cultural understanding, the honorees are helping unleash the potential of […]
Recent updates to one of UCF’s most groundbreaking research and education facilities brings the Robinson Observatory into the 21st century, including robotics for remote viewing and a state-of-the-art weather protection system. The new telescope inside UCF’s Robinson Observatory The refurbishment returns the observatory to full functionality after six years. Supply shortages and the large scope […]
Falls — and the fear of falling — are the leading cause of injury, disability and hospitalization among racially diverse, low-income older adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help address this critical issue and reduce disparities, a team of University of Central Florida researchers is partnering with the City […]