Thu Jun 18
Jason Christensen, Ph.D., distinctly remembers fear and tragedy during the catastrophic events of 9/11. That morning, he also remembers his resolve to protect people and pursue a career in national security. “Even then as a child I realized any day could be a 9/11,” said Christensen. “I knew that I wanted to do something, anything,…
Wed Jun 17
New research argues the pandemic will widen pre-existing inequities in the academic community if preventative measures aren’t taken. The 17 authors of “In the wake of COVID-19, academia needs new solutions to ensure gender equity,” published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, say it’s not enough to provide a one-size-fits-all solution to relaxing tenure…
Tue Jun 16
I really believe we are witnessing the early elements of a political revolution. When I took Contemporary Revolution and Political Violence, I never thought I’d actually witness or play a role in one. One thing I learned in that class was that a sharp reversal of economic fortune and widespread frustration with the socio-political situation…
Tue Jun 16
The group is celebrating World Sea Turtle Day today by continuing his research legacy. This is the height of sea turtle nesting season and more than 6,000 sea turtle nests have been counted by UCF on the Brevard County portion of the refuge since March with many more expected throughout the summer and early fall.…
Mon Jun 15
The past couple of months for journalists covering stories about race have been tough, but important. It’s shown me how vital our job is to show these messages of pain, sorrow and change. As a multimedia journalist in Charlottesville, Virginia — the site of a fatal 2017 confrontation between white supremacists and counter-protestors — covering…
Mon Jun 15
A recent UCF College of Engineering graduate, Ezat El-Said ’20, earned the Distinguished Undergraduate Research Award for his work in self-healing polymers with biomedical applications. The polymers under study are hydrophobic and self-healing, with a dynamic variety of applications ranging from artificial skin grafts to metal coatings. El-Said has been conducting his research in the…
Fri Jun 12
Mathematics Professor Marianna Pensky, Ph.D., was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. The IMS fosters development and innovation in the field of statistical sciences. Annually, a number of individuals from the 3,500 members worldwide are nominated and inducted as fellows to recognize their contribution to the scientific community. “My life’s…
Thu Jun 4
Department of Physics graduate student Joshua Forer is headed to Bordeaux, France, to conduct research, courtesy of the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. The fellowship will span ten months and allow Forer to work with research scientists at the University of Bordeaux. Forer’s research focuses on carbon-hydrogen molecules and their role in planetary atmospheres and interstellar mediums.…
Thu Jun 4
The Lou Frey Institute is adding to the national conversation on pandemic liberties through a series of one-page conversation starters for K-12 teachers. Called “Civics in Real Life”, the series provides a historical and civics-based lens on current events, including the distinction between the power of states and federal government; the Defense Production Act; and the First Amendment. The…
Thu Jun 4
UCF researchers have created new technology to display color that uses nanoscale structures inspired by butterflies and other animals. Taking inspiration from nature’s nanotech that creates the stunning color of butterfly wings, a University of Central Florida researcher is creating technology to make extremely low-power, ultra-high-definition displays and screens that are easier on the eyes.…
Tue Jun 2
Patents highlight the important role universities play in discovery and bringing inventions to the market where people can benefit from the research conducted around the world. UCF’s first patent was for a novel way to compress and decompress large amounts of stored digital data on computers. For the seventh consecutive year, UCF has ranked in…
Tue Jun 2
UCF Physics Professor Enrique del Barco’s area of expertise includes: fundamental low-temperature magnetic and transport properties of low-dimensional systems, including molecular nanomagnets, magnetic nanostructures and graphene and its 2D crystal relatives. An international team with ties to UCF has cracked a challenge that could herald a new era of ultra-high-density computing. For years engineers and…
Mon Jun 1
Three faculty members were honored recently for their exceptional efforts to create an enriching and supportive undergraduate research experience for students. Valerie Sims, an associate professor of psychology and Michael Rovito, an assistant professor of health sciences, were honored with the 2020 Champion of Undergraduate Research Award. Chase Mason, an assistant professor of biology, was…
Mon Jun 1
Artist rendition of construction of the moon. (Photo courtesy of NASA) The 49ers who panned for gold during California’s Gold Rush didn’t really know where they might strike it rich. They had word of mouth and not much else to go on. Researchers at the University of Central Florida want to give prospectors looking to…
Thu May 28
Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D, and his team at Citizen Science GIS in the Department of Sociology have received a $36,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the inclusion of two K-12 teachers into their U.S. Pacific Coast eelgrass drone work. This will supplement the $1.3 million collaborative grant awarded to the UCF team…
Wed May 27
Political Science graduate Ross Cotton, ’11, Ph.D, recalls the natural curiosity that led him to pursue an academic career in political science and, ultimately, landing him a career as an asylum officer for U.S. Citzenship and Immigration Services. Born in Australia, Cotton arrived in America at the age of six and found that the older…
Wed May 27
Jordan Filderman, ’09, M.A.’11, always knew his purpose was to make a positive difference in the lives of others. As the principal of Hebbville Elementary, Filderman uses education as his vehicle to serve underrepresented and underprivileged students in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. “My personal philosophy is that every child deserves an equal and quality…
Thu May 21
Team members from the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group collect data about sea turtles, which nest along Central Florida’s eastern coastline. Credit: Rebecca Smith (UCF MTEG, FL MTP-186) While uncertainty reigns for Floridians due to COVID-19, there’s one thing they can count on: sea turtles are nesting on our local beaches as nesting season heads…
Wed May 20
A new study from the University of Central Florida has confirmed and quantified, for the first time, the presence of microplastics in terrestrial and aquatic birds of prey in Florida, including hawks, osprey, and owls. Microplastics are small plastic pieces – less than the size of a pencil tip – that come from larger pieces…
Wed May 20
University of Central Florida researchers are working with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in a National Science Foundation-funded project to understand the effects of COVID-19 crisis communication on undergraduate STEM education. The researchers will examine crisis communication messages from randomly selected universities across the country and see how those messages affected teaching and learning experiences of faculty…