Thu May 26
The School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs recently recognized two graduate students for outstanding work in the terms of Summer and Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. Andrew Boutton, Ph.D., the MA Program Coordinator, chaired the committee that selected Gabriella Cuber and Craig Wilding to receive the Outstanding MA Thesis and Pollock-Ellsworth Award for Best…
Mon May 23
A new grass species was discovered in the UCF Arboretum thanks to regular controlled burns that mimic nature’s wildfire season. Sporobolus osceolensis is a type of dropseed grass sensitive to fire-stimulated flowering, according to Florida ecologists Edwin Bridges and Steve Orzell, who identified the blooming grass in 2018 on one of UCF’s prescribed burn sites. The pair published their…
Thu May 19
If you’re a space expert you know your science but explaining it in a way that excites the public is not always easy. Several of UCF’s faculty are rock stars in both areas, which is why they are back at Megacon this year. Megacon is the Southeast’s largest science fiction and pop culture convention attracting…
Thu May 19
Explorers still exist, even in a world where every has corner has a name. Count Associate Professor Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., among their number. Hawthorne was recently named a 2022 National Geographic Explorer by the prestigious organization. The National Geographic Society describes its Explorers as “infinitely curious people who are passionate about our planet and making it a better…
Thu May 19
On May 13, the India Center welcomed Principal Binoy Joseph, Ph.D. and Vice Principal Fr. Saju Madavan, Ph.D. from the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, in Kochi, India. Rajagiri College, located in the southwest state of Kerala in India, opened in 1955 with a social work certificate program. It has grown to seven departments with…
Thu May 19
UCF researchers are developing a tool for primary care providers that could help them protect senior citizens from scammers who steal everything from the elderly’s life’s savings to their identity. The team led by Psychology Assistant Professor Nichole Lighthall is working on exploitation susceptibility tool kits that could screen seniors’ cognitive abilities. These abilities influence…
Tue May 17
Professor Bruce M. Wilson, Ph.D., has published a new book, El agua como derecho humano: Reconocimientos y disputas en Costa Rica (Water as a Human Right: Recognitions and Disputes in Costa Rica), with the academic press PEN- CONARE in San José, Costa Rica. It was released at a book launch in San José, Costa Rica and simultaneously…
Tue May 10
UCF Pegasus Professor of Physics Dan Britt became the second UCF space researcher in university history to earn one of the American Society of Civil Engineers most prestigious awards for work that makes a difference in space exploration. Florida Space Institute planetary scientists Phil Metzger earned the recognition in 2018. Britt accepted the honor during…
Tue May 10
(Photo by Jason Greene) Sanjeev Gurshaney is caught in a crossroads of enthusiasm at 9 a.m. The UCF junior would like to take time to explain his research on immunotherapy-based medical treatments. But he really would like to start his daily 30-minute commute to the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in Lake Nona. “If I’m awake,” Gurshaney…
Thu May 5
Three nuclear chemistry students will spend their summer deepening their expertise through fellowships with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The fellowships are based on their research and specialty, with Kyle Morgan and Ian Russell working in the DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) and Jordan Stanberry working with the DOE Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Seaborg Nuclear Institute. “This…
Thu May 5
Masahiro Ishigami, associate professor of physics, recently received a two-year, $332,552 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation in recognition of his work’s potential to bridge a knowledge gap in tribology — the study of friction, lubrication and wear. According to a 2017 U.S. Department of Energy report, up to 1.6% of the United States’…
Wed Apr 27
Rooted in a government transparency mission, the Winter Park Sunshine Podcast provides UCF journalism students a wealth of leadership and professional experiences. One of those students, UCF junior Jackie Cardentey, says serving as the podcast’s executive producer gave her real-world experience that was integral in guiding her career’s path. “This podcast is all about keeping the citizens…
Tue Apr 26
Whether it’s solving the world’s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights plan…
Fri Apr 22
The world knew Professor Emeritus Llewellyn Ehrhart as a groundbreaking conservation biologist, but his legacy in the UCF community was more personal. Ehrhart, familiarly known as “Doc” or “Llew,” had campus ties dating back to the early days of Florida Technological University. The founder of the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) died at home in…
Thu Apr 21
New research out of the University of Central Florida has the potential to give war crime investigators a new tool and the victims’ families closure. The National Institute of Justice has awarded UCF Associate Professor Matthieu Baudelet at the National Center for Forensic Science a grant to advance a technique that may help identify individual human remains…
Tue Apr 19
Six UCF changemakers have been named U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows, a recognition shared by the likes of Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Nobel prize winner Steven Chu. Another four UCF students have been recognized with honorable mentions. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowships program is dedicated to supporting students in STEM disciplines who…
Thu Apr 14
It’s getting hot in the hoop houses at UCF as students grow peppers for the Department of Biology’s Plant Breeding Initiative (PBI). Hoop houses are tunnel-shaped solar greenhouses that are constructed from steel frames and a plastic covering. Launched in Fall 2019 with a vision to create a living classroom built around growing plants, the…
Thu Apr 7
University of Central Florida researchers have discovered an abundance of new gene variants in the immune system of sea turtles, which could be key to one day saving the ancient marine animals from a major disease — fibropapillomatosis. The discovery, which is detailed in a recent study in the journal Royal Society Open Science, sheds light on…
Wed Apr 6
UCF planetary scientist Noemà Pinilla-Alonso was recognized as Orange County’s Distinguished Resident for 2022 during a surprise ceremony on March 28. The county says the award aims to spotlight individuals who “with their work or their actions, exemplify collaboration, innovation and inclusion.” Pinilla-Alonso became a resident of Orange County in 2015 — when she joined…
Wed Apr 6
Two faculty members have been selected for this year’s Pegasus Professor Award, UCF’s highest faculty honor. Both honorees have been recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in their disciplines and are accomplished researchers, teachers and administrators. Honorees are selected by the president and provost and each receives $5,000. While their research may be in two…