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National Goldwater Scholarships Go to Four UCF STEM Students
Four UCF STEM students were selected from a pool of 1,256 nominees across the nation and will receive 2020-21 Goldwater Scholarship Awards. Only 410 college students were selected after a rigorous screening process. Universities are only allowed to nominate four students, five if one of them is transfer student. According to the award website, the […]
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COS Faculty Among Those Honored For Women’s History Month
Thirty-one women were recognized this month by UCF Faculty Excellence for Women’s Month, including five from the College of Sciences. The awardess were chosen by their colleagues and peers for their work on campus and in the community. They will be honored March 31 at a Burnett House reception. This year’s honorees from the College […]
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Five Year Grant Will Deepen Research Into ‘Zombie Ants’
A new $970,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow biologists to deepen their research into the biological makeup of parasitic fungi that hijack the behaviors of their hosts. The five-year CAREER grant also paves the way for Assistant Professor Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., to develop an upper level insect behavior course and […]
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The Science Behind Zombie Ants
Biology Assistant Professor Charissa de Bekker is working to figure out how a fungus is manipulating and killing ants. A zombie invasion is happening in Central Florida, but humans aren’t the ones at risk. Rather, some of nature’s tiniest creatures — carpenter ants — are the victims. Since 2016, biology Assistant Professor Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., has been studying […]
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New Finding Sheds More Light on Zombie Ants
Charissa de Bekker, Ph.D., an assistant professor in biology, came to UCF earlier this year to continue her research on a fungal parasite that infects ants, hijacks their brains and controls their behavior to spread its fungal spores – a phenomenon that’s led to those infected being called “zombie ants.” Throughout her career, she’s found […]
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The Distinguished Speaker Series is Back!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back with exciting new topics presented by renowned experts in their fields. This year’s 2016-17 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6:00pm, on the last Wednesday of each month, from September 2016 to April 2017 (excluding December). The Distinguished Speaker Series includes seven […]