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College of Sciences

UCF Develops the World’s First Optical Oscilloscope

Ateam from UCF has developed the world’s first optical oscilloscope, an instrument that is able to measure the electric field of light. The device converts light oscillations into electrical signals, much like hospital monitors convert a patient’s heartbeat into electrical oscillation. Until now, reading the electric field of light has been a challenge because of…

Graduating UCF Film Student Completes Environmental Documentary

Making people care through the power of filmmaking is Vince Marcucci’s mission. The day after he graduates from UCF with a bachelor’s in film, he’ll show his first documentary series — an 80-minute, four-part feature following a day in the life of four Florida naturalists — during a private showing to cast, crew and local contributors…

UCF Part of Historic Move to Build Space Ports Around Earth

NASA’s move to develop new destinations in space announced Dec. 2 is an exciting moment in history and UCF is right in the middle of it. UCF is a member of the academic coalition that is supporting Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef project to build a commercially owned and operated space station to reside in low-Earth orbit. It…

UCF Chemistry Professor Leads Discussion at Chemical Weapon Forensics Symposium in Helsinki, Finland

Chemistry Professor Michael Sigman, director of UCF’s National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS), will be presenting and leading a discussion at an international conference sponsored and hosted by VERIFIN, the Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, this week. The symposium is a continuation of a series of meetings held worldwide over the past five…

Knights Do That: The Future of Space Exploration

In episode 14 of Knights Do That, we speak with Phil Metzger ’00MS’05PhD, a planetary scientist and UCF alum with nearly 30 years of experience at NASA. During this episode, Phil shares stories from his time working on the space shuttle missions, his controversial research on whether Pluto is a planet or not, and what the future…

UCF, Leading Research Institutions Receive HPCwire Readers’ Choice Award

Today, a broad coalition of collaborators including UCF received the HPCwire Readers’ Choice award for Best High Performance Computing (HPC) Collaboration across academia, government, and industry. UCF was recognized at the 2021 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis alongside partners Arecibo Observatory, the NSF Cyberinfrastructure the Center of Excellence Pilot (CICoE),…

New NSF-Funded Survey Aims to Understand Gender Inequity in STEM Fields

University of Central Florida researchers are starting a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded project to identify systemic gender inequities impacting university STEM faculty so that they can be addressed by the institution. The $300,000, two-year project will focus on UCF.  The project will study STEM faculty’s perceptions of departmental culture through the frameworks of organizational justice and organizational…

Distinguished Chemistry Career Earns Recognition From American Chemical Society

Al Sattelberger, Ph.D., regularly surprises chemistry students with how readily he can predict the outcome of an inorganic or organometallic reaction. But that’s to be expected with a resume that spans 44 years  — including scientific leadership positions at two DOE National Laboratories. Today Sattelberger is technically “retired”, but the pull of lab work was…

Physics Student Rises From Humble Origins To Prestigious Internship

Every day is a learning opportunity for Franklin Romero Vega, whether it’s in a fast-food kitchen or pursuing a career in nuclear fusion. The physics major’s path to a prestigious internship this fall with the Department of Energy Office of Science is a winding one. But Romero Vega sees each stop on the journey as…

Knights Do That: Expertise on Infectious Diseases and Vaccines

In episode 13 of Knights Do That, we speak with Elena Cyrus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UCF’s College of Medicine. She discusses her expertise and research in infectious diseases, public health and COVID-19 vaccines. Produced by UCF, the podcast highlights students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni who do incredible things on campus, in the community…

From Foster Care to Community Advocate

Growing up with a single mother who suffered from drug abuse and mental health issues, Diamond Whitley was determined to change her trajectory and pursue a path to a better future. Her motivation to go to college started at a young age. Even though her mother wasn’t always present, Whitley was surrounded by people who…

UCF Physics Professor Named Jefferson Science Fellow

UCF Physics Professor Humberto Campins has been named a Jefferson Science Fellow and will report to Washington D.C. beginning Nov. 21 to spend a year advising the U.S. Department of State. Campins is an international expert on asteroids. He is part of NASA’s historic OSIRIS REx mission, which is headed back to Earth with a sample of…

Knights Do That: PTSD Treatment That Works for Veterans, First Responders

In episode 12 of Knights Do That, we speak with Deborah Beidel, executive director of UCF RESTORES. The Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair of Clinical Psychology and Medical Education shares her experience and expertise in PTSD treatment, innovative treatments happening at UCF RESTORES, and how we can better acknowledge and support veterans. Produced by UCF, the podcast highlights students, faculty, staff,…

UCF’s Expertise Gets Invite to Ivy League Network of Large Laser Energy Facilities

UCF is joining LaserNetUS, a consortium of the nation’s best large laser facilities started by the Department of Energy as a part of a broader strategy to boost the nation’s standing in intense laser science. The invitation-only 11 member-network boasts big players in the laser research world, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory…

UCF Launches National Search for Florida Space Institute Director

UCF is launching a national search for the next director of the Florida Space Institute. Ray Lugo ’79, who has led the UCF-based institute for the past eight years, is leaving to become president and chief operating officer at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. The nonprofit manages all operations aboard the International…

21 Faculty Members Inducted into UCF Scroll and Quill Society

The 21 new inductees of UCF’s Scroll and Quill Society represent a broad spectrum of academic expertise, such as fiction writing, artificial intelligence, police-community relations, nursing and terrorist recruiting tactics on social media. The Scroll and Quill Society celebrates faculty members who for at least a decade have made scholarly contributions of impact to advance…

17 Teams Awarded Almost $5 Million in Jump Start Awards

Seventeen faculty and staff projects will receive about $5 million in Jump Start funds to advance UCF’s impact under President Alexander N. Cartwright’s 2021-22 Strategic Investment Program. “I am delighted that we were able to fund so many strong proposals and only wish that we had the resources to support more of them,” says Michael D.…