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Physics Doctoral Student Advances Research to Improve Effectiveness for Scientific Instruments on the Moon’s Surface
College of Sciences Ph.D. Candidate makes strides with research on lunar space exploration with NASA fellowship By: Emily Dougherty | January 28, 2025 Jared Long-Fox, a doctoral student in the Planetary Science Track in the Department of Physics within the College of Sciences, is advancing research supported by the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities […]
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NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon
NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed. Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data […]
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UCF is a Top Research University in Florida and Nationwide
New data from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey shows UCF is a top university for research and development in Florida — and across the nation. The HERD Survey is the primary source of information on research and development expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities. Survey points were taken […]
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UCF Researcher Discovers New Technique for Infrared “Color” Detection and Imaging
UCF researcher Debashis Chanda, a professor at UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, has developed a new technique to detect long wave infrared (LWIR) photons of different wavelengths or “colors.” The research was recently published in Nano Letters, an esteemed scholarly journal published by the American Chemical Society. The findings are the result of a $1.5 million […]
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James Webb Space Telescope Offers Best Glimpse Ever Into the Icy Planetesimals of the Early Solar System
New studies led by researchers at the University of Central Florida offer for the first time a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved based on analyses of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and centaurs. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, reveal the distribution of ices in the early solar system and […]
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NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon
NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed. Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data […]
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UCF Doctoral Student Wins Russell and Singurd Varian Award
Kaige Shi has been recognized by the American Vacuum Society for his research to provide solutions for converting renewable electricity into chemical energy By: Emily Dougherty | November 8, 2024 Kaige Shi, a doctoral physics student, has been awarded the Russell and Singurd Varian Award from the American Vacuum Society (AVS) for his research about the […]
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UCF Fuels America’s Space Program with Innovative Education, Medicine and Tech
As America’s Space University, the University of Central Florida continues to drive advancements in space technology, medicine and workforce development, preparing students to lead in the evolving space industry. This commitment to the space sector will be celebrated at UCF football’s annual Space Game on Saturday, Nov. 2, as the Knights take on the University […]
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Spring ‘23 Doctoral Graduates Honored by Dean
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 […]
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Overcoming Obstacles to Make an Impact: Camille Coffie
Roadblocks and obstacles inspire Camille Coffie. It’s how she reached her position today pursuing a doctorate in physics, and what inspires her to help other young black women access the sciences. Coffie made a big step in that direction recently when she was named co-principal investigator on a project titled “Journey to a PhD through […]
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What’s Ahead for 2023: COS Faculty Projections
Faculty at UCF share predictions and upcoming milestones for 2023. Politics Associate Professor Aubrey Jewett Ph.D., Assistant Director, School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs “For 2023 in U.S. politics, I expect the battle lines to sharpen for the Republican nomination for president. So far, it looks like former President Trump will be the frontrunner, […]
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2023 CUWiP Champions Women in Physics
The 2023 Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) brought over 200 students to UCF from Jan. 20-22, 2023. According to the National Science Foundation, only 20 percent of people studying physics are women. The annual Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics organized by the American Physical Society plays an important role in bringing […]
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Fall ’22 Doctoral Candidates Honored By Associate Dean
A traditional toast and individual recognition from Associate Dean Teresa Dorman , Ed.D., sent 22 doctoral graduates into the next chapter of their careers. In her remarks, she said, “You have what it takes to be successful. You worked very hard for a very long time . . . but now you are done. Savor […]
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UCF Alumnus Ranked Among Top Laser Scientists in Global Communications Competition
Fiber optics and other communications channels continue to evolve toward faster speeds through the work of physicists like John Beetar, ’20, who was recently nominated for the Carl E. Anderson Division of Laser Science Dissertation Award. “The goal for the research was to take industrial laser technology and find a way to employ it for […]
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Physics Student Rises From Humble Origins To Prestigious Internship
Every day is a learning opportunity for Franklin Romero Vega, whether it’s in a fast-food kitchen or pursuing a career in nuclear fusion. The physics major’s path to a prestigious internship this fall with the Department of Energy Office of Science is a winding one. But Romero Vega sees each stop on the journey as […]
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UCF Selling Experimental Martian Dirt — $20 a Kilogram, Plus Shipping
The University of Central Florida is selling Martian dirt, $20 a kilogram plus shipping. This is not fake news. A team of UCF astrophysicists has developed a scientifically based, standardized method for creating Martian and asteroid soil known as simulants. The team published its findings this month in the journal Icarus. “The simulant is useful […]
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Congratulations, Summer 2018 Ph.D. Grads!
The College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson. Twenty students were recognized at the ceremony with their family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman honored each student individually by presenting their research and a brief description of their dissertation. Afterward, the group toasted […]
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A Green Approach to Making Ammonia Could Help Feed the World
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala A UCF research team with collaborators at Virginia Tech have developed a new “green” approach to making ammonia that may help make feeding the rising world population more sustainable. “This new approach can facilitate ammonia production using renewable energy, such as electricity generated from solar or wind,” said physics Assistant Professor Xiaofeng […]
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Undergraduate Researcher Recognized for New Compound
Each spring, UCF hosts a Showcase of Undergraduate Research to celebrate students’ hard work uncovering new insights and ideas. This year, the Judge’s Choice Award for physical sciences went to Klauss Dimitri, a Physics and Aerospace Engineering double major. This first-place prize recognizes his research developing the materials needed to eventually create quantum computers. “I […]
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Congratulations, 2018 Pegasus Professors!
UCF’s annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation celebrates outstanding achievements of the university’s faculty members, staff and students. Among the recognitions this year are five Pegasus Professors, three from the College of Sciences. View a full list of Founders’ Day Honors Convocation honorees. The Pegasus Professor Award is the highest academic honor an educator can receive at UCF and rewards highly […]
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Physics Degree Leads to Career in Missiles, Aerospace
When Roland Williams first stepped foot on UCF’s campus nearly 50 years ago, the library was the tallest, most prominent building around. There was almost nothing else in sight as Williams pulled up to the school, but he was excited for the opportunity to move closer to his family and explore his interests in physics. […]
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Physics Graduate Student Awarded Order of Pegasus
The Order of Pegasus is the University of Central Florida’s most prestigious student award. Student recipients are recognized for their academic success, university involvement, leadership qualities and community service activities. For graduate student applicants, UCF also considers previous publications or research experiences. It was his research with optics and nanoscale materials that brought physics graduate […]
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UCF Space Experts in Hot Demand
By Zenaida Kotala UCF has diligently and methodically been making a name for itself in the world of planetary exploration, and it’s beginning to pay off in big ways. Not only are two UCF professors part of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission to collect asteroid samples – a first for the United States, but scientists are playing […]
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Introducing 13 New Ph.D. Graduates
In a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., the College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in the Physical Sciences building. Thirteen students were recognized with family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman, Ph.D., honored each student by presenting their research and dissertation. A champagne toast followed to celebrate the students’ […]
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NASA Asteroid Mission Leader Is Coming to UCF
Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, will give a public talk at the University of Central Florida on June 2 about the mission that’s working to recover samples of a nearby asteroid. Lauretta, a professor of planetary science and cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, is working with UCF Physics Professor Humberto Campins, on […]
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Physics’ Vertex Model for Speedy Solutions
Story by Mark Schlueb A well-known computational problem seeks to find the most efficient route for a traveling salesman to visit clients in a number of cities. Seemingly simple, it’s actually surprisingly complex and much studied, with implications in fields as wide-ranging as manufacturing and air-traffic control. Researchers from the University of Central Florida and […]
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Students Building Chess Dynasty at UCF
Story by UCF Today Lavine Von’s grandfather taught her how to play chess when she was 5. “It’s a popular game in the Philippines and so he taught me,” said the UCF computer engineering major. “Hmm. I forgot that. Maybe that’s why it feels so good to play. We were close. He’s been gone for […]
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Art and Science Merge to Promote Sustainability
The divergent – yet intertwined – worlds of science and art merged together at UCF in a live evening concert and morning workshops to create public synergism around the challenges of our future, specifically global sustainability and climate change. By merging intellect with emotion, the “Crossroads Project: Rising Tide,” held in February, inspired others to […]
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The 5+ Club
The University of Central Florida is proud to be one of the new 2016 inductees into The 5+ Club. The 5+ Club is a special initiative program run by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC). It is a group of institutions that has graduated five or more highly qualified physics teachers in the last academic year. This program is just one of the many […]
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Controlling Fungus with Federal Grant
UCF scientists have been awarded a $477,000 grant to develop a method of combating a bacterium that attacks tomatoes and other crops. The grant is part of a $5.2 million investment in nanotechnology research at 11 universities announced by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of […]