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College of Sciences

Serving Native American Communities

Growing up with family members who held leadership positions with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians — the only federally recognized tribal nation in Alabama — Rebecca Naragon ’07 knew she wanted to pursue a career in public service. Now the political science grad is an economic development director for the United South and Eastern Tribes, a nonprofit organization…

UCF RESTORES Starts New Mental Health Services in Orange County for COVID-19

In response to the psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Central Florida’s psychological trauma clinic, UCF RESTORES, is working with Orange County on two new projects to provide treatment services in the area. The work will focus on residents of Azalea Park on the east side of Orlando and essential workers who live…

Re-examining Gratitude During a Difficult Year

The pandemic has brought great uncertainty, changed our opportunity to interact with loved ones and has affected millions of jobs. While 2020 has been a trying time, which will likely impact the next few years of our lives, some would suggest it’s even more important now than ever to be thankful for what you have.…

UCF Researcher Zeroes in on Critical Point for Improving Superconductors

The search for a superconductor that can work under less extreme conditions than hundreds of degrees below zero or at pressures like those near the center of the Earth is a quest for a revolutionary new power – one that’s needed for magnetically levitating cars and ultra-efficient power grids of the future. But developing this…

Arecibo Observatory Telescope to be Decommissioned After Second Cable Break

Following a review of engineering assessments, the U.S. National Science Foundation today announced it will begin planning the controlled decommissioning of the 1,000-foot-wide telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The observatory, which UCF manages for NSF under a cooperative agreement, has for 57 years served as a world-class resource for radio astronomy and planetary,…

Alumna Quantifies Emotions and Feelings Using Power of Mathematics

Satisfaction and happiness are intangible, subjective emotions, but Statistics grad Donna Lockhart ’03 knows how to quantify those feelings into useful, actionable data. Lockhart currently leads the team that takes the pulse of guest satisfaction at Disney, and uses that data to make recommendations to senior leadership. While behind-the-scenes as the senior management consultant at…

Political Opposites Unite to Teach Students Value of Common Vision

Today’s students are engaging in a world of politics that’s less meaningful conversation and more “angry team sports,” observes longtime Central Florida pundit Tico Perez ’83. Tico Perez Perez, an attorney and staunch Republican, recently did his part to reverse that trend by joining up with former Florida Representative and Democratic champion Dick Batchelor ‘71…

New Book Explores Breast Milk Sharing Among Central Florida Women

An in-depth, years-long study into the practice of Central Florida mothers sharing their breast milk to nourish babies other than their own recently culminated in a co-authored book. The authors trace their interest in peer-to-peer breast milk sharing to Associate Professor of Sociology Shannon Carter, Ph.D., who first observed human milk sharing at breastfeeding support…

UCF Delivers Engineering Options for Arecibo Observatory (AO)

The University of Central Florida today delivered engineering options to address the Arecibo Observatory to the National Science Foundation. UCF manages the facility under a cooperative agreement with Universidad Ana G. Méndez and Yang Enterprises Inc. for NSF. A main cable failed at AO about 7:30 pm on Nov. 6. Safety remains the team’s primary concern, so…

Journalism Students Gain Valuable Election Coverage Experience

Presidential election night is considered the Super Bowl of journalism. Journalists are expected to deliver at the highest-level while under intense pressure in a rapidly changing environment. Sixteen journalism students and 20 radio-television students recently experienced the election rite of passage through a partnership with the Orlando Sentinel on Nov. 3. Orlando’s flagship newspaper has been operating without a newsroom since…

A Second Cable Fails at NSF’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

Amain cable that supports the Arecibo Observatory broke Friday at 7:39 p.m. Puerto Rico time. Unlike the auxiliary cable that failed at the same facility on Aug. 10, this main cable did not slip out of its socket. It broke and fell onto the reflector dish below, causing additional damage to the dish and other nearby…

You Voted, Now What?

While some argue voting in the presidential election is one of the most important civic duties, ensuring that a democracy serves the best interests of its citizens requires active participation all year, every year. “America is built on hope for the next opportunity. What happens in the next midterm election two years from now, and…

‘Politics of Security’ Focus of Online Indian Conference

The India Center hosted a conference on “The Politics of Security in India: Progress and Challenges” during the month of October. The conference took place virtually as a series of three panels that featured international experts from academia and think tanks to discuss international, domestic and human security issues in India. Security constitutes a central…

New Research Identifies Motivation for Prescription Stimulant Misuse by Age Group

New research shows that abuse of prescription stimulant medication by adolescents and young adults is driven by different motivations closely linked to age. The study was conducted by Ty Schepis, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Texas State University; Jason Ford, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida; Timothy Wilens, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. and…

AI Teachers Must Be Effective and Communicate Well to Be Accepted, New Study Finds

The increase in online education has allowed a new type of teacher to emerge ­— an artificial one. But just how accepting students are of an artificial instructor remains to be seen. That’s why researchers at the University of Central Florida’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media are working to examine student perceptions of artificial intelligence-based teachers.…