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Ericka Dunlap speaks to UCF students about personal image
Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, spoke to students in the Student Union recently on the techniques she uses to look and feel her best. Dunlap, a COS alumna, was invited by the UCF Campus Activities Board, to speak to students about the importance of building self-esteem and accepting your self-image. “What the Miss America organization […]
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In the field of space science, UCF is a shining star
While the space-related buzz these days revolves around the more than 7,000 shuttle-related jobs eliminated in Central Florida, Britt and his colleague Dr. Joshua Colwell have reason to be optimistic. Colwell, a professor in the Department of Physics’ Planetary Sciences group and interim assistant director of the Florida Space Institute, says, “Overall, the space program […]
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Visual cues help earthling search the alien planet
In August 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover landed on Mars, following an eight-month flight and what NASA engineers described as “seven minutes of terror.” The vehicle descended through Mars’ atmosphere, decelerating from 13,000 mph to a dead stop while the mission’s team of engineers were able to do nothing more than look on and hope for the best. […]
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New executive director of iSTEM
Dr. Melissa Dagley has been appointed the new Executive Director of iSTEM (Initiatives in STEM). iSTEM is a joint effort between COS and the College of Engineering and Computer Science to improve collaboration in STEM-related activities. Dr. Dagley has served as the CECS Director of Academic Affairs and has coordinated the NSF-funded EXCEL and COMPASS […]
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Arboretum hosts harvest activities
The University of Central Florida Arboretum is hosting activities with a focus on fresh, sustainably grown food that will culminate with a Harvest Feast on Friday, Nov. 30. Participants are invited to select a type of produce from the Arboretum’s community garden and prepare a dish using the ingredient for the potluck feast, which will […]
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From UCF to Hollywood: Nicholson School Alum Shares His Journey
Dr. Will Kinnally’s Development of Electronic Media course had the privilege of hearing from Nicholson School of Communication alum, Clay Newbill, on Nov. 20. Newbill is a pioneer and innovator of reality television beginning as a member of “The Real World” producing team. Since then, he has executive produced such popular programs as “The Mole,” […]
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Assistant Director of Alumni Relations joins COS team
Shaloni Prine, ’07, joined the College of Sciences last month as the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. After graduating from the AD-PR program in the Nicholson School of Communication, Prine worked for Ron Sachs Communications in their Orlando office. She handled multiple client accounts while providing strategic public relations counsel, and during which, Prine stayed […]
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International expert explains asteroids’ ‘real’ threat to Earth
Join space expert Dr. Humberto Campins at the Orlando Science Center on Saturday, Dec. 1 for a hands-on program that delivers the real story when it comes to asteroids that pass near the earth Earth. Campins, a physics professor at the University of Central Florida, will also share exciting details about forthcoming NASA and European […]
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Extinction fears spur push to breed Florida grasshopper sparrow
Fearing that the Florida grasshopper sparrow might go extinct in as little as two years, wildlife advocates have begun pressing federal officials to approve an emergency effort to capture some of the birds and breed them in captivity. The Central Florida bird is a subspecies of the grasshopper sparrow found only in vast, treeless prairies […]
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Physics creates interactive lab for students
In an attempt to make the process of learning easier and more beneficial for students, the College of Sciences and the Physics department have created a new interactive lab for physics students. The lab has computers set up in stations to foster team work, which will allow the professor to roam the room as opposed […]
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Biology student wins research awards at national conference
UCF Biology student Sara Bolivar Wagers recently attended the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students where she presented her research in a poster display. Judges were extremely interested in her work and Wagers left with two awards – First Place for Behavioral Sciences and Public Health and First Place for Interdisciplinary Studies. Now in […]
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UCF STEM art show this week
This is a guest post from UCF Professor Carla Poindexter. When Pablo Picasso presented his first cubist paintings to the world, even most educated people thought them hideous and irrational, yet his peers saw them to be ingenious. Likewise, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was equally baffling to the uninitiated. But to those who were knowledgeable about […]
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Professor named chair of professional freedom and responsibility committee
Dr. Kimberly Voss, UCF Associate Professor & Journalism Area Coordinator, was named the Chair of Professional Freedom and Responsibility (PFR) Committee for the History Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in October. AEJMC is a nonprofit organization of more than 3,700 educators, students and practitioners from around the globe. Founded […]
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What Disney can teach workers
A new study from UCF Associate Professor Dr. Jonathan Matusitz focuses on the hospitality giant Disney and explains how the company can claim it is the “happiest place on Earth.” Although park employees didn’t prove immune to exhaustion caused by faking it (referred to as surface acting), researchers identified two coping mechanisms that dramatically cushioned the […]
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2012 College of Sciences Rising Star Award
The 2012 College of Sciences Rising Star Award winner is Lauren Black, ’09, who was honored at the Black and Gold Gala hosted by the UCF Alumni Association during the 2012 Homecoming week. Black runs the popular website Country Music is Love, which she started when she was still finishing her Radio-Television classes in the Nicholson School of Communication. The site […]
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2012 College of Sciences Professional Achievement Award Winner
The 2012 College of Sciences Professional Achievement Award Winner is Douglas Dew, ’84, who was honored at the Black and Gold Gala hosted by the UCF Alumni Association during the 2012 Homecoming week. “I think the importance of science in education, especially at the undergraduate level, is to get that basic understanding of different areas,” Dew […]
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Journalism students attend AOJ Convention
Students in journalism instructor Manning Pynn’s Critical Writing class were treated to an opportunity to attend the recent Association of Opinion Journalists’ national convention in Orlando. The convention drew 150 editorial writers, critics, columnists and bloggers from around the country to the Rosen Shingle Creek resort for three days of meetings and workshops about state, national and […]
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Political participation and E-Petitioning
Under the professional mentoring of Dr. Bruce Wilson, Ross Cotton successfully pursued a rigorous course of research resulting in the peer-reviewed publication of his article, “Political Participation and E-Petitioning: An Analysis of the Policy-Making Impact of the Scottish Parliament’s E-Petition System.” The piece will be printed in the University of Central Florida Undergraduate Research Journal. Worldwide, […]
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Join us for a retirement reception in honor of Dr. Penelope Canan
Please join us from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, in the Department of Sociology, Conference room 409A, as we say farewell to Dr. Penelope Canan. Dr. Canan joined the Department of Sociology in 2006. Prior to her arrival at UCF, Canan worked in Tsukuba, Japan as the executive director of the […]
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You’re invited: Centric Magazine Party
You are cordially invited to Centric magazine’s fall issue launch party Monday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union. You can pick up the fall issue of the magazine and enjoy some free food and drink, as well as some entertainment provided by the UCF Glee Club […]
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Alum receives White House honor
The White House recently recognized Doug Matthews, ‘95, a graduate of the journalism program, as a champion of local innovation. Each year, the White House honors 13 local innovation champions of change for their commitment to creating a more open and innovative government through entrepreneurship. Matthews has spent the last 18 years working to improve local […]
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Biology student wins award for medicinal plants research
A UCF College of Sciences undergraduate student, Jessica Pirkey, recently traveled to the 4th International Conference on Medicinal Plants & Herbal Products during this weekend at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland. Pirkey, participated in the conference and presented her research, which won the “Best Student Poster Award.” Her research, under the guidance of UCF Biology Instructor Dr.Rani Vajravelu, focuses on testing […]
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Alumnus Publishes First Book
UCF Political Science graduate Patrick A. Stewart, 88′ and 91′, has published his first book, “Debatable Humor: Laughing Matters on the 2008 Presidential Primary Campaign,” which you can purchase here. Debatable Humor represents the first systematic foray into understanding the use of humor by politicians on the campaign trail. Using content analysis of primary debates for […]
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Psychology grad helps at-risk youth in Florida
UCF Psychology graduate Laurie Blades, ’87, has taken a position with Evidence-Based Associates (EBA), a national firm that works with state and local agencies to identify and implement evidence-based programs for at-risk youth. As a project manager for the state’s Redirection Project, Blades will be responsible for overseeing the programs provided to youth and families in […]
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UCF professor receives Benton H. Box Award
CLEMSON, S.C. — Reed Noss, provost’s Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Central Florida and president of the Florida Institute for Conservation Science, was among three individuals recognized at the annual George B. Hartzog Jr. luncheon held at Clemson University Oct. 30. The annual program recognizes exemplary leadership in addressing environmental issues and concerns […]
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Lour Frey Exam promotes good citizenship
With the 2012 election behind us, attention can turn to the role of schools in educating future voters. Florida is field testing an end-of-course civics exam this school year, with plans to roll it out statewide next year. Simultaneously, schools have been working to strengthen civics education, incorporating lessons from kindergarten to 12th grade. Former Republican Congressman Lou […]
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Event: Environmental progress at UCF
Sociology Professor Penelope Canan and Anthropology Professor Matthew McIntyre will be speaking at the Environmental Progress event hosted by the UCF Unifying Theme Team. The Unifying Theme was created to focus discussion and reflection across the General Education Program, but has now broadened its horizons to include the entire Undergraduate Studies program. Regardless of major or academic […]
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Communication professor publishes book
UCF Communication Professor and Cocoa Author Paul V. Spampanato recently published his new book “Halo Again: A Journey in Communication Intelligence,” which you can purchase here. Amidst the deluge of relationship books and relationship experts, Paul Spampanato took a step out on a limb to provide a heartfelt, sometimes humorous, but very intuitive look at how and why […]
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The loss of food varieties and cultural diversity
Sociology Doctoral Student Racine Jacques and Political Science Associate Professor Peter Jacques partnered recently to study the loss of food varieties and cultural diversity. Their research will be published in the journal Sustainability. The article “Monocropping Cultures into Ruin: The Loss of Food Varieties and Cultural Diversity” tackles the loss of genetic diversity of thousands of plants and crops […]
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UCF alumni named Lakeland HR director
Tommy Hamrick, civil service director for the city, has been named director of human resources. Hamrick will oversee the recently consolidated employee relations and civil service departments. Hamrick, 43, has been with the city since October 2004. Hamrick graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and he received his […]