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UCF Biologists Hunt For Hidden Carbon
Car exhaust and factory pollution take a lot of blame for global warming. But a team of UCF biologists are on the hunt for a hidden storage of carbon that’s right beneath your feet. Plants spend their lifetime absorbing carbon dioxide, then deposit it into the soil when they die. If they’re trapped under water […]
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Biology Major Receives Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
BY JONATHAN GABRIEL ’06 Katie Stahlhut, a UCF biology major and National Merit Scholar, recently got a boost for her scientific aspirations, receiving the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Established by Congress in 1986, the scholarship, named for former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, provides up to $7,500 a year in support of undergraduate students intending to do research […]
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Sea Turtle Diet Expert to Give Talk about Importance of Healthy Habitat
A University of Central Florida biologist who is an authority on what sea turtles eat will present on her work March 18 in a public seminar. The talk at the Barrier Island Center in Melbourne Beach will focus on what endangered and threatened sea turtles eat, types of habitats they depend upon in Florida, and […]
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A Wild Win for UCF Biology Student
Rhett Rautsaw, a master’s student in UCF Department of Biology, won first place for his presentation at the 38th annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting in Palatka, Florida held January 13-15, 2017. Rautsaw was representing the university at the meeting where he was awarded first place for his oral presentation on a new method to survey […]
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UCF Biologists Swarm Insect Conference
Thousands of scholars from all over the world gathered in Orlando with one thing in common: A love for bugs. The 2016 International Congress of Entomology conference was held at the Orange County Convention Center from Sept. 25 – 30. Faculty and students from the University of Central Florida’s Department of Biology played a large […]
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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 […]
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Living Shoreline Workshop Makes Waves in K-12 Classrooms
12 educators, representing eight schools throughout three counties, participated in the UCF Living Shoreline Educator Workshop on Sunday, August 28, 2016. Pegasus Professor in the UCF Biology Department Linda Walters, Ph.D., UCF Biology Post-Doctoral Researcher and Instructor Melinda Donnelly, Ph.D., and Paul Sacks, Ph.D., a science educator at Winter Springs High School, led the group […]
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Inspiring Women in STEM
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today Julie Delauriers squarely blames UCF Biology professor Linda Walters for where she is in her career today – attending one of the best veterinary schools in the nation. “She is such an inspiration,” Delauriers said from Purdue University. “She kept encouraging me, pushing me to do science research. […]
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UCF Scientists Investigate Restoration Efforts
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today A scientific answer to a challenge such as water pollution is only part of a long-term solution. For example, science may provide a way to clean water, but keeping it clean usually relies on identifying underlying causes and making a long-term impact on human behavior. A team of UCF […]
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A Wild Summer for Biology Research Team
Alicia Huber, graduate student in the UCF Biology Department, has been working with a team of UCF students this summer at the Disney Wilderness Preserve to investigate its soil’s carbon storage. “It is well known that wetland ecosystems generally function as carbon sinks—their soils especially often store significant amounts of carbon,” explained Huber. “Although we […]
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Alumna UKNIGHTS for Orlando’s First Responders
University of Central Florida biology and psychology alumna Melyssa Allen, ’12, worked with departments and organizations across the university to assemble more than 150 care packages for Orlando’s first responders following the tragedy at Pulse nightclub. “I was listening to the radio the day after the tragedy at Pulse and heard that there had been […]
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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 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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COS Celebrates Faculty Promotions
Promotion is a mark of accomplishment and a gratifying recognition from one’s peers. Because of their hard work and dedication, the following College of Sciences faculty and staff members have been promoted or have earned tenure this year. Promotion to Professor Emeritus/Emerita Ida Cook, Ph.D. – Sociology Robert Dipboye, Ph.D. – Psychology Promotion […]
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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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STEM Day at UCF
On Friday, April 8, more than one thousand students from the Central Florida area spilled on to UCF campus for STEM day. STEM day is a bi-annual outreach event for K-12 students interested in learning more about the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The day featured a wide variety of activities focused on STEM […]
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College of Sciences Shines at Founders’ Day
From a nanoscientist to an undergraduate biology student, the College of Sciences had many recipients recognized at the annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation on Wednesday, April 6, 2016. Founders’ Day is a time-honored tradition where UCF faculty members, staff and students who have made significant achievements and academic contributions are recognized. Awards were given to […]
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Dr. Mishtal Wins LIFE @ UCF
The College of Sciences is proud to announce that Associate Professor of Anthropology, Joanna Mishtal, Ph.D., was awarded one of the “Life @ UCF Awards” that was presented by the CSWF at a ceremony on Feb. 19. The UCF Center for Success of Women Faculty (CSWF) awarded four women the “Life @ UCF” Women Faculty Excellence […]
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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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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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Order of Pegasus Class of 2016
20 students have received the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s most prominent student award and six out of those 20 students representing the College of Sciences. The Order of Pegasus recognizes exemplary performance by undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of academic achievement, outstanding university involvement, leadership and community service. Because of the breadth of accomplishments required for 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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Satellites Show Florida Beaches Becoming Darker, and That’s Good for Sea Turtles
Newly published research that started as a high school science project confirms that the density of sea turtle nests on Florida beaches is reduced where artificial lights along the coast deter nesting females. But the data also show that the network of sea turtle-friendly lighting ordinances along Florida’s coast seems to be working. “It’s a […]
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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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COS Knights Give Back Through Oyster Restoration
On Saturday, October 3, Volunteer UCF held its annual day of service, Knights Give Back. The UCF College of Sciences Alumni Chapter and Linda Walters, Ph.D., professor in the UCF Department of Biology, held one of several service projects, bringing 100 UCF students and alumni volunteers together for an important cause. Volunteers gathered at […]