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Elephants and Bees
UCF Biology student Matthew Rudolph, 31, always knew he wanted a career that involved animals, but he never envisioned using tiny honeybees to help save the world’s largest land mammal. Still, that’s exactly what Rudolph has been doing for the past six months, working alongside a team of international researchers in Kenya to build fences […]
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Biology Success in Mexico City
Three UCF biology students, Hollis Dahn, Alejandra Osorio, and Jason Stickland, participated at the annual Southwestern Association of Naturalists (SWAN) meeting in Mexico City from April 14-17. Hollis, Alejandra, and Jason all work in Biology Professor Chris Parkinson’s, Ph.D., laboratory. The Parkinson Lab focuses on evolution, systematics, and conservation of reptiles. Graduating senior Hollis Dahn, was […]
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Biology Students Ready for Research
The UCF Biology Department is proud to have multiple students participating in competitive research experiences this summer across the nation. These Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) support active research participation of students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Michelle Gaynor – Junior, Biology Michelle was awarded one […]
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Alumni Fund Biology Scholarship
Born and raised in Stuart, Florida, Clay Scherer, ’94, is a third generation Floridian. Growing up in one of the most ecologically diverse places in the world, he enjoyed the outdoors and developed an appreciation for nature. Clay and his wife Juliann recognize the importance of natural history in today’s education of biologists and want to make sure […]
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Biology Service Learning Students Steal the Show
All of the students in UCF Biology professor Linda Walters’, Ph.D., advanced marine biology course were winners at the 2016 UCF Service-Learning Showcase on Thursday, April 14. The team, dubbed the “Microterrors,” conducted research on microplastic abundance and diversity on Central Florida beaches and estuaries and then presented this research to Ms. Tricia LaChance’s fifth […]
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A Savage World for Frogs
UCF biologist Anna Savage, Ph.D., is obsessed with frogs and figuring out why they are dying at an unprecedented rate around the world. Her latest research, published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggests that natural selection as well as other evolutionary forces have shaped the evolution of immune genes in […]
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Service Learning with Nanoscience
A new minor in the rapidly advancing field of nanoscience is now available for University of Central Florida undergraduates. Nanoscience is the study of materials on the nanometer scale. That’s exceedingly small – a sheet of paper is about 75,000 nanometers thick. At the nanoscale, materials can exhibit unusual properties that scientists have put to […]
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Florida Declared a Global Biodiversity Hotspot
The North American Coastal Plain – the low-lying land stretching from Texas to Florida to New England – was recently named the 36th biodiversity hotspot in the world, highlighting the importance of this region, but signaling concerns over threats to the plant and animal life there. UCF Biology professor, Reed Noss, Ph.D., was the lead […]
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UCF Research Steals the Show
The spotlight was on UCF at the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium (IRLS). On Feb. 11-12, the Indian River Lagoon and their sponsors held the Indian River Lagoon Symposium at the Johnson Education Center, FAU Harbor Branch, in Fort Pierce, Florida. This year’s theme was Indian River Lagoon: Linking Research with Management. The goals of this […]
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Faculty Cluster Pursues Coastal Sustainability
Coastal systems research will soon evolve beyond its typical limits by integrating an interdisciplinary focus in a new collective opportunity. To no surprise, coastal systems research is vital to the state of Florida, given that its well-being maintains the economy and environment. The University of Central Florida’s faculty has recognized these stresses and has taken […]
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UCF Meets the Conservation Challenge
On Feb. 9–12, a group of UCF faculty, staff, and graduate students from the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) attended the 3rd Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting, hosted by the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network in Mobile, Alabama. Two UCF faculty members and one research associate gave oral presentations, and one Ph.D. student presented a poster. The theme of this years meeting was […]
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Biology Student Makes Waves with Research
Congratulations to UCF biology major, Lacie Anderson, for her accomplishment as the February recipient of the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award (DURA). Each month, one student is rewarded for their time and effort spent researching a subject of their choice. During their research, students work with a mentor that guides and helps them during the process. With their […]
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Joshua King
Growing up in a rural community in New England, Joshua King, Ph.D., entomologist and associate professor in the Department of Biology, began his exploration in the life sciences as many children do: outdoors. With a voracious curiosity, King developed a hobby of observing and collecting insects. Inspired by the support and encouragement of his high […]
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Presenting Sea Turtles in Peru
CENTRAL FLORIDA FUTURE – Isabelle D’Antonio, Contributing Writer In February 2016, hundreds of sea turtle enthusiasts and researchers from around the world will gather in Lima, Peru, for the 36th annual International Sea Turtle Symposium to present their research and discuss conservation efforts. This year, junior Abigail Hudak, UCF biology major, will be one of […]
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Spring 2017 Study Abroad Fair
Study abroad Spring 2017 applications are now available. Join UCF Abroad at their Spring Study Abroad Fair Thursday, January 21, from 10 AM – 2 PM in front of the Student Union. Come and learn about the multiple programs offered in many disciplines in countries around the world. Political Science students have the opportunity to study for a semester […]
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UCF Zoologist Stars in Smithsonian Documentary
ORLANDO, Nov. 4, 2015 — UCF zoologist William Crampton, Ph.D., braves the Amazon River to uncover the secrets of electric fish as part of a new documentary airing on the Smithsonian Channel on Nov. 9 and 22. Dr. Crampton is a world expert on electric eels and knifefish and has spent years studying the creatures […]
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Sunscreen’s Hidden Hazards
Lathering up with sunscreen may prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it is also killing coral reefs around the world. That’s the conclusion of a team of international scientists, which includes UCF associate professor of biological sciences and diving enthusiast John Fauth, Ph.D. The researchers found that oxybenzone, a common UV-filtering compound, is in […]
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Record Year for UCF Marine Turtle Research Group
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 […]
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New Associate Dean and Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education
UCF biology professor John Weishampel, Ph.D., will soon be putting his experience with over 100 graduate committees to good use as he assumes his new position as Associate Dean and Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education this fall. “I’m excited at the opportunity to make a difference across the broad arena of graduate studies at UCF,” […]
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2015 UCF College Showcase
The UCF College of Sciences will once again participate in the UCF College Showcase during UCF Family Weekend. Family Weekend, taking place September 18-20, is a UCF annual tradition bringing together families and students to create memories that will last a lifetime. Events taking place throughout the weekend include campus tours, The Understudy play at the UCF […]
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COS “Superman of Environmental Conservation” Returns
An esteemed professor is returning to the ranks in the biology department. C. Ross Hinkle, Ph.D., who after serving as the Vice Provost and Dean for the College of Graduate Studies, has decided to return to the College of Sciences as a senior faculty member in biology. Hinkle joined UCF in 2007 as chair of the biology […]
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Workshop to Teach About Dangers of Invasive Lionfish
Responding to a venomous lionfish invasion in Florida’s coastal waters, UCF will co-host a community workshop Thursday, June 18, about the species that’s threatening native fish and how to get rid of them. The Invasive Lionfish Collecting and Handling Workshop will be held 6-8 p.m. in the UCF Biology Field Research Center, Bldg. 92 on […]
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UCF Undergraduate Researchers Go International
More than 30 UCF student researchers will participate in research programs around the world this summer. The students will receive stipends, lodging and often travel funding as compensation for their work in the research programs. “Being an undergraduate researcher has opened doors for me that I did not even know existed,” said Samantha Mensah, a […]
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COS Faculty Promotion and Tenure
Promotion is a mark of accomplishment and a gratifying recognition from one’s peers. Because of their hard work and dedication, the following staff members have been promoted at UCF. Promotion to Professor Tosha Dupras, Anthropology Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, Biology Enrique del Barco, Physics Viatcheslav Kokoouline, Physics Michael Mousseau, Political Science Promotion to Associate Professor and/or […]
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COS Faculty Awarded for Excellence
Throughout the year, faculty members work incredibly hard to bring quality education to UCF. To reward their hard work, the university offers the incentive award programs. The intent of the award programs is to recognize and promote faculty excellence and productivity that respond to and support the mission of UCF. The UCF Teaching Incentive Program rewards […]
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UCF Researchers Uncover Mistaken Identity of Crown Conch
Four undergraduate students were recently awarded first place for their poster presentation at the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society meeting. Stemming from a group research project in Dr. Linda Walters‘ Advanced Marine Biology class last spring, Courtney Buck, Casey Craig, Chelsea Landeau and Jordan Filipponi worked together to research the impact crown conch make on oyster populations […]
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Bugging Out: Entomology Club Educates Young Students
The Entomological Society of Central Florida (ESCF) at UCF recently visited 4th and 5th grade classes at Evans Elementary School for the first time. Their aim as an organization is to provide a fun, hands-on environment to encourage scientific learning for all ages. Through their outreach program, they visit local libraries and scientific organizations geared […]
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UCF Hosts Academically Competitive Summer Institute
Dedicated to providing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related summer opportunities for middle and high school students, UCF will be offering the Summer Institute beginning in June. The Summer Institute offers tracks in Biology and Computer Science, as well as a Programming Competition institute. Each track offers a mix of activities designed to maximize learning […]
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Biology Professor Earns Top Honors
From creating storybooks that teach preschoolers about the dangers of aquarium dumping to engaging more than 47,000 volunteers on oyster-reef restoration and living-shoreline projects since 2007, UCF biology professor Linda Walters has found ways to make science exciting and relevant to people of all ages. That’s why earlier this month the Society for Integrative and […]
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Climate Change Threatens 30 Years of Conservation
A new University of Central Florida study is sounding the alarm about climate change and its potential impact on more than 30 years of conservation efforts to keep sea turtles around for the next generation. Climate change is causing sea-level rise, and how coastal communities react to that rise could have dire consequences for sea […]