Graduate Student Tao Zhan Wins 2020 SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship
Wed May 13
Graduate student Tao Zhan wins 2020 SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship. Winners are selected based on their “prospect for long-term contribution that the granting of an award will make to the field of optics, photonics or related field.” Kate Medicus, the 2020 Scholarship Committee Chair, noted, “Congratulations to the winners of the SPIE 2020 Education Scholarships! The…
Pandemic Exposes, Amplifies Weaknesses in Water Infrastructure, Researchers Argue
Wed May 13
Three researchers are exploring the connections between access to clean water and the spread of the global coronavirus pandemic. In a recent blog post stemming from a scholarly paper exploring the effects of rights constitutionalization and democratic governance on water access, the authors argue that recognition of the human right to water is central to the coronavirus response. Drawing…
117 UCF Physicians Graduate Friday in Virtual Ceremony – with a Twist
Wed May 13
Steven Glener won’t be able to walk across a stage to get his medical school diploma from UCF. But he walked anyway – across the family pool deck – with his mother, physician father and two physician siblings singing “Pomp and Circumstance” in their Florida back yard. COVID-19 has changed commencement ceremonies across UCF, the…
2 Students Receive Goldwater Scholarships
Wed May 13
Gary Hoppenworth and Ashley Santana were chosen from 1,343 nominees to receive the award. Gary Hoppenworth, a computer science and mathematics major, and Ashley Santana, a biomedical sciences and biotechnology major, have received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, the first time two UCF students have qualified for the scholarship in the same year. The Goldwater Scholarship,…
Our Return to Campus and Leadership Update
Wed May 13
As businesses and other entities across the state begin bringing back employees, UCF soon will as well, with a phased-in approach for faculty and staff returning to campus. We are prioritizing the safety of our entire campus community and following guidance from public health officials and Governor DeSantis’ plan for reopening Florida. Since last month,…
Physics Faculty and Staff Find Freedom in Running During Quarantine
Wed May 13
A group of runners from the Department of Physics are using exercise for a temporary escape during quarantine. The runners represent the scope of the department — from faculty to accounting — but they all agree exercise does wonders for both their physical and mental health. “Running has been my escape from the house,” said…
Regaining Our Innocence
Wed May 13
The events of the past two months have unfolded with terrifying suddenness only to be followed by a slow drip of grim news. Within three days of our spring break we learned that classes had been canceled for the rest of the month, with the news coming just a few days later that all in-person…
Best Student Film Award Goes to “Filthy Dreamers”
Tue May 12
Censorship in the classroom — that’s the profound theme of the University of Central Florida’s student-produced documentary “Filthy Dreamers,” which just received the 2020 Ogeechee International History Film Festival’s Best Student Film Award. The Ogeechee International History Film Festival is the only open submission, juried, international cinema program of its kind. In the past, festivals devoted to…
Psychology and Rosen College Team Up to Launch Hospitality Resources
Tue May 12
A new clearinghouse of information for hospitality workers affected by COVID-19 has been compiled by researchers from UCF’s Targeted Research Training Program (TRT). These resources cover a variety of topics including: lay-offs and furloughs; opportunities to make money during the crisis; protecting personal finances; improving mental health; skill development; industry relevant information; and links to activities families…
How Wade Cole Got His âSparkle’ Back at Aphasia House
Tue May 12
When Wade Cole, a college honors student, called his mother, Stephanie, on that cold morning in January 2015 to tell her that his headache was back, she knew something was terribly wrong. “Wade told me the pain was excruciating,” Stephanie said. She noticed other clues as she spoke with him, she said, like his speech…
Building Better Masks
Tue May 12
Yuisa Colón-Rosado ’16 is a nursing doctoral student who has helped make over 200 masks for local medical workers. (Photo courtesy of Yuisa Colón-Rosado ’16) When Yuisa Colón-Rosado ’16 sees a problem, she’s compelled to be a part of the solution. Just look at why she got into nursing. After eight years of working in marketing for…
UCF Receives NSF RAPID Award to Develop Cough Drops to Help Control COVID-19
Tue May 12
UCF postdoctoral researcher Jonathan Reyes uses high-speed cameras to characterize the patterns and distance traveled of droplets emitted from sneezing and coughing, including those that have been altered by candy or starch. Ateam of University of Central Florida researchers is looking at changing people’s saliva to help manage the spread of COVID-19 as the nation…
A New Model for UCF Academic Advising
Mon May 11
Since coming to UCF in 1994, DeLaine Priest has played an integral role in raising the university’s retention and four-year graduation rates to all-time highs. DeLaine Priest wants students to believe that nothing is unattainable – you just need a plan. As the associate vice provost for Student Success and Advising, Priest is spearheading efforts to innovate…
Epic Games, Maker of Fortnite, Awards UCF Professor Grant to Enhance AR and VR Technology
Mon May 11
Students from Harrington’s lab work in the UCF Arboretum. The company responsible for the online video game hit Fortnite has awarded a UCF assistant professor a grant to develop an immersive technology to take virtual experiences to new levels of reality. Epic Games provided UCF information scientist and artist Maria Harrington a $25,000 grant to expand her…
Maxine McGregor: Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Advocate Leads the Next Generation of Social Workers
Mon May 11
As a longtime member of the Orange County Domestic Violence Task Force, Maxine McGregor ’13 MSW, instructor and director of the master’s in social work program, has a passion for helping men and women who feel trapped in unhealthy relationships – and for the people who help them. In one of her first domestic violence cases, the woman eventually reconnected with family members who became…
UCF Grad and Chef Bakes up Initiative to Support Medical Workers
Mon May 11
Tracy Wilk ’10 is a professional chef in New York City who is baking treats for local hospital workers. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Wilk ’10) Sprinkling joy is what chef Tracy Wilk ’10 does best. In light of the world’s COVID-19 pandemic, Wilk has turned the kitchen of her small studio apartment in New York City into…
Knight Nation Celebrates the UCF Business Class of 2020
Fri May 8
While Spring 2020 graduates of the UCF College of Business did not get to walk across the stage on Saturday, May 2, Knight Nation and its community of alumni, faculty, staff, friends and partners helped us Lead the Charge! to welcome graduates to the UCF Alumni family. Your pieces of advice, words of encouragement and…
UCF Graduate Communication Sciences and Disorders Program Ranks Among Top 25% in the Nationâ¯
Fri May 8
The UCF graduate speech-language pathology program is ranked in the top 25% of programs in the nation, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report ranking. UCF’s graduate speech-language pathology program ranked No. 55 out of 261 ranked programs. The report is conducted every few years through a survey of program leaders across the nation.â¯â¯ “We are proud to be ranked among the top programs in speech-language pathology in the country,” said Jennifer Kent-Walsh,…
9 UCF Students Receive Fulbright Awards
Thu May 7
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is sponsored by the State Department to promote international goodwill through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15) Nine UCF students have been chosen to receive 2020 Fulbright awards, tieing a record for the university and bringing the total to…
Staff Awards Recognize Dedication and Success
Wed May 6
In 2020, the College of Arts and Humanities recognizes 25 staff members for their extensive dedication to UCF. Three of these staff members received prestigious honors that include a financial award of $600 each. In a message to all faculty and staff, Executive Associate Dean Lyman Brodie and Special Assistant to the Dean Paul Lartonoix…
