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 Apr 4
It will take more than astronauts, engineers, and scientist to live in space. It will take clothes designers, food managers, communicators, artists, and a lot more. That was one of the messages NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and several fellow former astronauts delivered Friday during a 90-minute presentation about leadership and ethics at the Plaza Live…
Fri Apr 1
Marketing gets a bad rap, but it can create so much good. Mrudul Nilangekar has faith in people and says that’s why she is getting her Ph.D. in business administration in the marketing track. “Marketing is such an interesting force in the world,” says the India native. “It makes many people think of coercion or…
Fri Apr 1
Erika Clippinger loves music and she’s sharing that love during this year’s Student Research Week – March 28-April 1. The week, which includes workshops, the Student Scholar Symposium and more, recognizes and celebrates students work and its impact on the world. At the same time, it helps other students who may not be familiar with…
Thu Mar 31
UCF clinical psychologist and Professor Lidia Meshesha works tirelessly to help improve the lives of people afflicted by addiction. She knows from previous studies, that many people relapse after treatment. “I have seen too many patients who struggle with addiction, and despite going to treatment and reporting that they don’t want to use alcohol or…
Thu Mar 31
When a natural or humanitarian disaster occurs halfway around the world, the U.S. Space Force (USSF) aims to send a rocket filled with food, water and other essential supplies to the site in one hour. With the help of UCF researchers, they may be able to achieve this goal within the next decade. UCF is…
Thu Mar 31
The University of Central Florida was recently awarded a grant worth $4.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine if a pre-packaged pod is an effective method to deploy very efficient heating, cooling and water heating systems to thousands of homes. The DOE awarded $32 million to seven teams that will manage…
Thu Mar 31
Extreme storms, like Sandy or Xaver, don’t happen often but when they do, cities need to be prepared. That’s why researchers have developed a new method, detailed in a study published this week in Nature, to determine where extreme events, like 100-year storm floods, are more likely to occur, whether the likelihood of such extremes is…
Thu Mar 31
UCF graduate student Sarah Da Silva has always had an interest in helping young people, and the COVID-19 pandemic inspired some of her research, which she will be presenting at the Student Scholar Symposium. It is part of Student Research Week, which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union this week.…
Thu Mar 31
Allison Conrad always knew she would be attending UCF. Her mother is an alumna and Conrad grew up in Orlando. But what she would study was still up in the air until she watched an episode of the television reality show The Bachelor. The episode included a contestant that was majoring in communication sciences and disorders. This…
Thu Mar 31
When Ashley Steen arrived at UCF, she found research opportunities quickly. As a McNair Scholar, she jumped right into research, which blended her areas of interest — psychology and criminal justice. The Puerto Rico native already had a psychology degree from Iowa State and was drawn to UCF’s criminal justice master’s degree program because of the diverse…
Wed Mar 30
Five undergraduate students studying health sciences, biomedical sciences and statistics are putting what they’ve learned at Limbitless Solutions on display during Student Research Week. Limbitless Solutions is a University of Central Florida (UCF) non-profit research facility, with a STEAM-focused approach toward prosthetics. The philosophy has led to a program devoted to beautiful and functional electromyographic bionic…
Tue Mar 29
Three University of Central Florida researchers are part of recently announced multi-million-dollar research projects aimed at facilitating the growth of newly emerging technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense. The awards, which are part of the DOD’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, will support projects that range from advancing hypersonic propulsion to improving semiconductor performance and will…
Tue Mar 29
Alexander Nalewaik ’21 enrolled at UCF as an undergraduate with one thing in mind. He wanted to merge his love of history, people and the outdoors into a major that would lead to a great career. Fast forward a few years and the anthropology alum is now pursuing a master’s degree in the field while completing research that not only…
Tue Mar 29
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…
Mon Mar 28
While growing up Joseph Vaccaro ’21MS was told that the mind is a beautiful thing that should be used to improve the world. It’s that parental mantra that helped him discover his path from Montrose, Pennsylvania, to College of Medicine Professor Saleh Naser’s laboratory at UCF. Naser studies the association of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP) with Crohn’s disease…
Mon Mar 28
Sophia Stahl is passionate about the environment and protecting it. That’s why the Sanford, Florida, native is pursuing a degree in environmental studies at UCF. It’s also why she’s been conducting hard core research that gets her waist deep in wetland muck. She’s hoping that treatment wetlands can help battle against the microplastics that are…
Mon Mar 28
Lindsey Wright never considered herself a writer and dissecting the symbolism behind characters and settings in a book was the last thing she wanted to do. Then the Florida native took a writing and rhetoric class. Soon afterward, the Burnett Honors College scholar had switched her major. “I’ve come to see that the more traditional acts of…
Thu Mar 24
There are various positive aspects to living in a time in which technology is more prevalent and accessible than ever, but there are also many shadows in the realm of the cyberspace. This is why Erica Fissel’s goal is to illuminate the interpersonal victimization that occurs in cyberspace in hopes that her work will be used…
Thu Mar 24
Student Research Week kicks off Monday, March 28 with a two-day blitz of research presentations that will provide updates on 37 active research projects funded by UCF’s Seed Funding program. The Seed Funding program, funded by the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost, provides money to researchers who are attempting bold new…
Thu Mar 24
UCF graduate student Huntir Bass, who is pursuing a master’s degree in math, knows the power of math to solve problems. And she’ll be presenting about the project at UCF’s annual Student Scholar Symposium, the cornerstone of Student Research Week. “Since I was little, I have always gravitated towards math,” says the Mobile, Alabama, native. “I…