The University of Central Florida brings innovation and solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems through research and the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge and avenues for progress.
Mon Mar 6
St. Augustine, Florida, the United States’ oldest city, holds some of the deepest parts of the nation’s history. One UCF researcher is helping to uncover some of the lost histories within its borders. Dr. Amy Larner Giroux is a UCF researcher who works with the National Cemetery Administration. Giroux said she specializes in digitizing the physical space…
Mon Mar 6
A University of Central Florida researcher has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to enhance the current understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) reasoning. The project focuses on developing algorithms to create robust multi-modal explanations for foundation, or large, AI models through the exploration of several novel explainable AI methods. The DOE recently…
Wed Mar 1
Growing up, Parag Vyas’ room was filled with toy space shuttles and astronaut posters. His mother worked on shuttles with NASA in Houston and so he quickly developed an obsession with all things intergalactic. Today as a second-year UCF medical student, he is channeling that passion into medical research, examining the use of handheld…
Wed Mar 1
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…
Tue Feb 28
A team of UCF researchers, led by Materials Science and Engineering Professor Sudipta Seal, have been awarded a patent for their nanomaterial-based disinfectant that can kill several viruses, including COVID-19. This is the 85th patent that Seal has been awarded through the UCF Office of Technology Transfer. The Pegasus Professor and chair of the Department of…
Tue Feb 28
Many airplane passengers grit their teeth, white-knuckle their armrests and say a silent prayer for their flight to go smoothly. They know that any sudden disturbance in airflow can cause turbulence — and in turn, a severe case of anxiety. But in smaller aircraft, such as unmanned aerial vehicles or micro air vehicles, turbulence is…
Fri Feb 17
A University of Central Florida researcher has helped identify a ring around a trans-Neptunian object 4 billion miles away that defies the current understanding of the physics behind ring formation. The trans-Neptunian object, Quaoar, is a large enough candidate to be a dwarf planet. Researchers have found that its ring exceeds the Roche limit, or…
Fri Feb 17
Exceptional medical care from first responders, nurses and doctors routinely saves the lives of patients with critical illnesses. But many of those patients will suffer from anxiety, depression and PTSD after they return home. A team of UCF researchers is confident that exposure therapy featuring virtual reality with real sounds and smells, all mimicking the…
Wed Feb 8
Back to the Future movie fans may remember the term “flux capacitor” as a fictional device that allows for time travel. That device still doesn’t exist, but a University of Central Florida storage technology does use a different type of flux capacitor developed by NASA. While trying to find a way to store renewable energy…
Mon Feb 6
Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected the ring system of a small, icy asteroid more than 2 billion miles away with remarkable precision. The work demonstrates a new way to use the space telescope and opens the door to an advanced means of characterizing small objects in the distant solar system.…
Mon Feb 6
University of Central Florida research team with collaborators at Virginia Tech have published critical findings about the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia, advancing sustainable fertilizer research and thus aiding global food safety efforts. Ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, is an essential ingredient in many fertilizers for food production. However, its primary method of production,…
Mon Feb 6
A UCF medical researcher is examining how the deficiency of a specific protein in the brain can cause Alzheimer’s disease – a discovery that would open doors to better treatments and diagnostics. The Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program — which aims to improve the health of Floridians by researching treatments for Alzheimer’s…
Thu Feb 2
During the Plains Wars of the mid-1800s, thousands of indigenous peoples were forced from their homelands. Dozens of their leaders and warriors were imprisoned over a thousand miles away from home in Fort Marion (now known as the Castillo de San Marcos) in St. Augustine, Florida. Today, UCF researchers are collaborating with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes…
Thu Feb 2
Debashis Chanda, a professor in UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, recently received Samsung’s International Global Research Outreach Award for the year 2022 in the Future Camera and Sensor category. This is the first such award to UCF. The Samsung Global Research Outreach program is designed to foster international technological innovation. The award from the multinational electronics…
Thu Jan 19
The UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub (PRRH) has been awarded $500,000 in funding to expand its research capabilities to better track key social and economic trends. The funding is part of the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which supports a range of domestic and foreign policy priorities. “There is no better investment than education and research to understand…
Thu Jan 12
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) recently announced the induction of 169 inventors as NAI Fellows. This prestigious invitation is the highest merit for the academic inventors, whose backgrounds include science, engineering and medicine. Florida Space Institute’s Richard Blair received one of these invitations and will be inducted at the 12th Annual Meeting of the National…
Tue Jan 10
University of Central Florida researcher has developed technology that could prevent electric vehicle fires, like those caused by saltwater flooding from Hurricane Ian. The technology, an aqueous battery, replaces the volatile and highly flammable organic solvents found in electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries with saltwater to create a battery that is safer, faster charging, just as…
Tue Dec 20
No matter the best-laid plans or the time spent preparing for a natural disaster, there is almost certain to be some element of response or recovery that is overlooked, usually by virtue of resource constraints. With that in mind, University of Central Florida School of Public AdministrationProfessor Christopher Emrich and his team of graduate and postdoctoral researchers set…
Mon Dec 19
To meet the growing energy needs of the internet of things (IoT) and wireless communication systems, University of Central Florida researchers have developed a technology for converting radio frequency signals into direct current electricity. The technology can reduce the electronic industry’s reliance on batteries and broaden the expansion of the IoT and its energy needs.…
Fri Dec 16
University of Central Florida researcher is part of a multi-national team who have confirmed a previously unproven mechanism tied to climate change. Denisia Popolan-Vaida, an assistant professor in UCF’s Department of Chemistry, and the research team recently published their confirmation of the “Korcek Mechanism” in the international edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie. The Korcek Mechanism involves…