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Archeologists Dig Up Support for Autism
On October 24th, the UCF Department of Anthropology volunteered at the second annual Archeologists for Autism event. Faculty and graduate students spent a fun-filled day with autistic children, providing them with hands-on archeological experiences. Archaeologists for Autism is a non-profit organization that allows children on the autism spectrum to participate with and engage in archaeology […]
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Nanosensors for Biological Discovery
On October 30th, the UCF community is invited to join Heather A. Clark, Ph.D., from Northeastern University, as she presents “Building an Imaging Toolbox: Nanosensors for Biological Discovery”. The Chemistry Department Seminar Program presents Dr. Clark as she introduces the new developments in fluorescent nanosensor technology and how it will improve the measurements of ion […]
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Science Café’s Magical Debut
The first Science Café of the semester had a lively atmosphere as it came out of its summer offseason. Hosted by the Office of Research & Commercialization, Graduate Society of Physics Students, the Physics Department and UCF Environmental Health & Safety, this series highlights the exciting research currently being conducted in the College of Sciences. […]
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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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Spring 2016 IC CAE Study Abroad Scholarship
The Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) is offering a study abroad scholarship for spring semester 2016. The IC CAE’s main goal is to prepare students, by enhancing critical skills and knowledge deemed essential by the intelligence community, for careers in national security and intelligence. The Intelligence and National Security Scholarship is a competitive scholarship […]
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LEARN Expands with National Science Foundation Grant
A University of Central Florida researcher who started a successful program to keep freshmen in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is expanding the model to two other universities and adding a component to focus on transfer students. Kimberly Schneider, Ph.D., director of the Office of Undergraduate Research in UCF’s College of Undergraduate Studies, […]
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UCF Shines at National Physics Conference
UCF was well represented by a number of faculty and students at the American Physical Society (APS) National Mentoring Community & Bridge Program Conference on October 9-11, 2015. Held in Miami, Florida at Florida International University, this conference focused on mentor/mentee relationships, gave guidance on how to build successful bridge programs and let attendees hear […]
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New Faculty Brings GIS Innovation to UCF
Starting this fall, Scott Branting, Ph.D., Timothy Hawthorne Ph.D. and Yingru Li, Ph.D. joined UCF’s GIS cluster. GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems or Geographic Information Science. It is a powerful information system that improves our ability to collect, store, retrieve, manage, analyze, and report information on the earth’s surface, and to integrate those with economic, […]
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UCF Professors Land NASA Grants Focused on Asteroids, Comets, Venus
UCF professors are involved in two potential NASA spacecraft missions that could take flight as early as 2020. The five proposed space missions would study Venus, near-earth objects and a variety of asteroids and comets. Each mission team will receive $3 million and have a year to get their proposals ready for a final round of […]
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Distinguished Speaker Series Revolutionized
The first talk of the 2015-2016 Distinguished Speaker Series was held on September 23rd, at Cevíche Tapas Bar & Restaurant in downtown Orlando. Approximately 70 guests came out to hear Sarah Parcak’s, Ph.D., presentation on “A Digital Revolution: Archeology from Space”. Many UCF faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members were in attendance, including the Dean of the College […]
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National Award for Substance Abuse Identification Test
Congratulations to 5th year Ph.D. chemistry student David Nash, on receiving the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Graduate Research Fellowship. The NIJ is the research-funding branch of the Department of Justice. Annually, they provide a handful of graduate students a monetary award to conduct research in the social or physical science fields that will help the criminal justice, […]
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A ‘Winning’ Personality
Amanda Castro fell in love with broadcasting while only in the fifth grade. Back then she was an anchor reading the morning announcements and school’s lunch menu. That year, during her school district’s television awards program, she won the award for Best Team Anchor. “That’s when I knew I wanted to be a journalist!” she […]
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2015 College Showcase
On September 19th, the College of Sciences participated in College Showcase 2015 which was an event hosted during Family Weekend 2015. The showcase was hosted by the UCF College of Undergraduate Studies and took place at the student union. The College of Sciences was among the many participating colleges. The COS showcase included displays by […]
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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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Award Winning Google Glass Research
In 2014, Psychology Ph.D. candidate Ben Sawyer, was the lead researcher and wrote the first peer reviewed study looking at the driving distraction potential of Google Glass. In his study it showed the novel device to be less distracting in some ways than an Android phone, but still dangerous compared to just driving. This summer, […]
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NSC Senior Adviser Receives Well-Deserved Promotion
She remembers it like it was yesterday. It was 2009, her first day at work, and she was six months pregnant. That day, Rebecca Morales was charged with the mammoth task of transforming an abandoned darkroom and photo lab into a student advising center. “When I arrived, the ceiling and walls were black, the floor was […]
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NSC Continues Strong Partnership with Orlando’s PBS Affiliate
The Nicholson School of Communication is thrilled to continue its partnership with Orlando PBS affiliate, WUCF-TV and is now in the process of hiring a shared broadcast coordinator to serve as a liaison between the school and the station. The new broadcast coordinator will continue the work of NSC’s Radio-Television associate instructor, Stephanie Rice, who was instrumental […]
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Making a Difference in Uganda
After a semester conducting research as a Fulbright Scholar in Uganda, associate professor Ann Miller, Ph.D. returns to the Nicholson School of Communication this fall. Miller was the recipient of the Fulbright AIDS and AIDS-Related Research Award and spent the 2015 spring semester at her host institution, Uganda Christian University (UCU). There she partnered with UCU […]
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UCF Anthropologists “Dig Up” New Speaker Series
In partnership with the University of Central Florida, the Orlando Science Center is hosting a special guest speaker series in conjunction with the Mummies of the World: The Exhibition. Topics will feature studies on current anthropological and archeological research around the world, including mummification, bioarcheology and forensic anthropology. The Mummies of the World exhibition depicts an once-in-a-lifetime […]
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Spicy New Distinguished Speaker Series
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida presents its 2nd annual Distinguished Speaker Series. The series brings renowned speakers from across the country to enrich the lives of students, faculty, alumni and the community. Our speakers will address topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and to the societal implication […]
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UCF Statistics Welcomes New Chair
This month the UCF Statistics Department will welcome Shunpu Zhang, Ph.D., as chair of the department. Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta and comes from his most recent position at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He helped lead the development of UNL’s Ph.D. program, and has played a key role by […]
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Anthropology Students Help Uncover Napoleon Army Death Mystery
After the discovery of a mass grave in 2001 featuring the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army in Lithuania, UCF anthropology students Serenela Pelier and Sammantha Holder recently performed a research study on the remains of the soldiers. Over 3,000 corpses were found and revealed to be from “Napoleon’s Grande Armée” in 1812. The soldiers were amidst traveling through Vilnius, […]
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Sociology Program to Offer New Classes in Fall, Spring
The UCF sociology program will be adding five new undergraduate courses just in time for the 2015-2016 academic year. This fall, students can register for Spatial Sociology, Careers in Sociology, and Consumer Society. Video Games in Society and Food and Society, Families and Aging will be available for the spring semester. Sociology majors and minors […]
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Army Youth Program Extends Through UCF
Two Hagerty High School students are spending part of their summer working with Stephen Kuebler, Ph.D. Kuebler is a mentor for high school students through the 2015 AEOP-REAP program. AEOP-REAP stands for the Army Educational Outreach Program’s Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program. The program is a summer STEM program, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which […]
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COS Connection to Historic Pluto Flyby
When the New Horizons spacecraft passed within a mere 7,750 miles of Pluto on Tuesday, many at the University of Central Florida cheered for the historic flight and its leader, Alan Stern, Ph.D. Stern, whose advocacy, tenacity and some would say sheer bull-headedness are largely to credit for the selection and execution of NASA’s farthest-ever […]
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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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The Empire Strikes Back: Violence and Counterinsurgency in the North Caucasus
On Thursday May 21, David Siroky, Ph.D., of Arizona State University gave a presentation to UCF students and faculty about indiscriminate and selective violence in the North Caucasus. Siroky presented two of his current works in progress: “The Empire Strikes Back: Ethnicity Terrain and Indiscriminate Violence in Counterinsurgencies” and “The Logic of Killing Kin in […]
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Laser Researcher Receives Grant to Partner with 5 Universities
The University of Central Florida researcher who holds the world record for the shortest laser pulse ever produced has been awarded part of a Department of Defense grant with an international team to continue study on ultrafast lasers. Zenghu Chang, Ph.D, a distinguished professor of physics and optics who has appointments with both the College […]
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New Invention Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms
UCF Professor Emeritus Richard Gilson, Ph.D., along with a team of neurological experts, created a new tool to battle the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Gilson received a patent for the invention that will help patients struggling with conditions including Tourette’s syndrome, Epilepsy, Essential Tremor, and mood disorders last year though UCF. Parkinson’s is an incurable […]
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Mathematics Professor Wins National Award
UCF mathematics professor Basak Gurel, Ph.D., demonstrates the quality of her research by receiving the National Science Foundation CAREER Award on May 15. The Faculty Early Career Development Program, or CAREER, is an NSF-wide activity that offers the most prestigious awards in support of faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through the integration of […]