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Burnett Honors College

New UCF-developed Immunotherapy Treatment Targets Respiratory Viral Infections

University of Central Florida College of Medicine researcher has developed a new, more precise treatment for a major cause of illness around the world each year — acute respiratory viral infections. Acute respiratory viral infections include sicknesses such as the flu, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronavirus. These infections cause millions of illnesses worldwide, with the…

UCF Hosts Spring 2023 Commencement May 5-6

UCF will award more than 9,000 degrees during six commencement ceremonies at Addition Financial Arena May 5-6, sending a talent pipeline of highly skilled graduates into careers that are vital for our region and our state. Of the degrees UCF expects to award, 7,548 are bachelor’s, 1,291 are master’s, 171 are doctoral and 12 are education specialist…

UCF Ph.D. Identified RNA Secret to Healthy Aging

Sarah Noureddine ’19 ’21MS ’22PhD won timed chemistry and biology competitions as a high school student. Today, she is tackling bigger challenges — how to age healthfully. And her doctoral research was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most-prestigious multidisciplinary scientific journals. Noureddine earned her bachelor’s in biology…

Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres Reappointed Dean of UCF’s Burnett Honors College

Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres has been reappointed for five years as dean of UCF’s Burnett Honors College. The decision by Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, follows a review committee’s 5-year performance analysis of Amin and the college. The process included feedback from students, faculty, and staff the Dean’s Advisory…

Piñeres Reappointed Dean of the Burnett Honors College

I am pleased to announce the reappointment of Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres for five years as dean of the Burnett Honors College. Under Dean Sheila’s leadership, the college and its staff have worked diligently to attract and develop promising students from all backgrounds to distinguish UCF as a model for student success, inclusive excellence…

UCF Announces 2023’s 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Recipients

UCF Alumni is pleased to announce its 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Recipients for the Class of 2023. The stellar group of alumni comprises scientists, attorneys, teachers, financial analysts, entrepreneurs, nurses, UCF employees, graduate students and others who have launched from UCF and landed in successful careers of their dreams. Yet, despite their distance from…

UCF’s 30 Best Photos of 2022

Here’s a look at some of the most memorable photos of the year. Forward CJ Walker prepares to score in the Addition Financial Arena. UCF defeated Memphis 74-64. Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Assistant Professor Salvador Almagro-Moreno studies the emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens. English alum and applied sociology graduate student Shawn Welcome ’17, who is  Orlando’s second poet laureate,…

Burnett Undergrads to Present at International HIV/AIDS Conference

Three undergraduate students at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences have been selected to present their health disparities research at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada, July 29-August 2. The conference is the largest and most prestigious HIV/AIDS research conference in the world and will feature infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci as the keynote speaker. The students,…

‘Brain-on-a-Chip’ Technology Advances Toward a New Form of Drug Screening

AUCF researcher’s work to create a “brain-on-a-chip” aims to improve neurological disorder research by speeding up drug discovery and providing an alternative to animal testing. James Hickman — professor of chemistry, biomolecular sciences and electrical engineering — recently published some of his latest findings in the journals Stem Cell Reports and Advanced Therapeutics. These studies explain advancements in his research group’s efforts to…

UCF Students Lead Session at Sunshine State Scholars Event

When Shea McLinden was a high school junior, she had a lot of choices when it came to going to college. She had excellent grades and a demonstrated interest and talent for science, which is why she was selected to attend the Sunshine State Scholars event in 2018. The event aims to recognize Florida’s brightest…

Five Burnett Students win Hispanic Heritage Scholarships

After Hurricane Maria ravaged her home country of Puerto Rico in 2017, Rocio Vazquez Beltran came to Florida in search of a better future and an opportunity to continue her studies. She enrolled at UCF to complete her bachelor’s in biomedical sciences, but financial challenges during her third year of study forced her to move…

UCF’s Center that Helps Preserve, Share History Awarded National Grant

History is a great teacher, but in the age of electronic media, making history accessible is almost as important as preserving it. That’s where UCF’s Center for Humanities and Digital Research (CHDR) comes in. The center is made up of a group of faculty members and staff who help train humanities researchers to properly digitize…

UCF Researchers are Helping Develop Rapid, Longer Lasting COVID Disinfectant

Current disinfectant products for killing viruses like coronavirus take minutes to fully sanitize surfaces, which isn’t practical on high-contact areas such as door handles, elevators and bannisters. That’s why the University of Central Florida is co-developing a new, rapid-acting, long-lasting disinfectant spray that instantly kills viruses without using harsh chemicals. The project is led by…

Burnett School Gift Supports Ph.D. Scholarships and Graduate Programs

The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences has received $125,000 from the Hollie and Anna Oakley Foundation to provide scholarships for its doctoral students and enhance graduate programs. Dr. Griffith Parks, director of the Burnett School, said the endowed scholarship will help UCF compete in recruiting the best, brightest and most diverse young scientists, and create…

How Vaccines Work and What It Means For COVID-19

The goal of a vaccine is to give you protection against a pathogen — without you having to suffer through the illness. With so much talk about developing a COVID-19 vaccine, we turn this week to Kai McKinstry, a virus expert at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, who is working to create a flu vaccine…

Burnett Welcomes Graduate Students with Virtual Orientation

Forty young scientists will join the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences as a new class of graduate students begins study next week. The group includes 12 Ph.D. candidates and 28 master’s students who will be welcomed officially in a virtual exercise on Wednesday. In previous years, graduate students are welcomed with a research colloquium that…

Spotlight: Brenna Maginness ’20

Brenna Maginness ’20, theatre design and technology alumna and BHC Scholar, served as a costume designer for UCF theatre productions during her time at UCF, and wrote an Honors Undergraduate Thesis on lesbian representation in theatre. She will be attending the University of the Arts in London to earn a master’s degree in fashion culture…

Burnett School Graduates 100+ Scientists Amidst Pandemic

On Saturday, 121 young scientists will graduate from the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in a virtual commencement due to  COVID-19 physical distancing requirements. Those earning degrees include  109 undergraduates, nine master’s students and three Ph.D. candidates. Among the graduates is Levi Adams, who spent the last 5 1/2 years studying Parkinson’s disease and will…