The Wonder Women of UCF
Fri Jun 16
Three years after Title IX legislation was passed in 1972 — opening doors for women and girls to compete in sports — UCF fielded its first women’s varsity program, volleyball. In three years’ time, the Knights won their first national title in 1978 as part of the now defunct Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women…
Human Migration Timeline Redrawn by Fresh Fossil Analysis
Thu Jun 15
New research recasts the narrative on the earliest presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia, pushing back the presence of humans in that part of the world by at least 20,000 years and a human presence in the region for at least 56,000 years. The findings are based on analysis of bones excavated from deep…
UCF Researcher’s Innovative Approach Could Redefine Allergy Treatment
Thu Jun 15
For those suffering from allergies, especially allergic asthma, springtime can be dreadful. Fortunately, UCF researcher Justine Tigno-Aranjuez is making breakthroughs that could one day make many common allergies a thing of the past. For years, research and therapies for allergic asthma have been focused largely on targeting the inflammatory cytokines in the body that react…
Coming into the Light
Thu Jun 15
Siara Tirado would walk to within 50 yards of the building every single day, and no further. She wanted to look inside, but instead would pretend to read on a bench or duck into a neighboring building to eat lunch. She’d stay close enough to Pride Commons to glance at the big windows, the beautiful…
The Historical Significance of Juneteenth
Thu Jun 15
Growing up in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 1970s and 1980s, I didn’t celebrate Juneteenth. In fact, I didn’t know such a celebration existed until I went to college south of the Mason-Dixon line, in Virginia. This solidifies a curriculum perspective I have long held: Knowledge is the history you learn shaped by the…
UCF Alums Working on Artemis 2: Why the Space Program is Personal to Us
Wed Jun 14
If you were to parachute into the parking lots around Kennedy Space Center (KSC), you might believe you landed on an extension of UCF’s campus. Knights license plates and black-and-gold decals are everywhere. “You should see it here during football season,” says Wes Mosedale â07MS, senior test director for NASA. “That’s when the colors really come…
New UCF Project Launched to Engage a Diverse, New Generation of Researchers to Aid Aging Populations
Wed Jun 14
The number of older adults in the U.S. population is growing, expecting to nearly double by 2060, and becoming more diverse with racial and ethnic minority populations projected to increase by 105% by 2040. “As a society, we’re not ready for that,” says Norma Conner, a professor in the University of Central Florida’s College of Nursing. “We…
UCF is Trustee Chair Professor, Inventor Shin-Tson Wu’s Mountaintop
Tue Jun 13
Shin-Tson Wu remains quiet whenever someone pulls out a smartphone or turns on a tablet. He’s too humble to mention that he helped invent the screens they’re viewing. The technology used for the LCD screen is among an astonishing number of patents issued for Wu’s inventions — 96 at last count. In 2014, he was one…
Rich Wallace Returns to UCF as Head Baseball Coach
Mon Jun 12
Rich Wallace â04, an Orlando native and former UCF baseball player and Knight assistant coach, brings two decades of experience as a Division I baseball coach with him in his return to Orlando as UCF’s seventh head baseball coach. Wallace spent the 2023 season as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State. He…
The Ultimate Game-Changer: The Impact of UCF’s On-Campus Football Stadium
Fri Jun 9
In the late 1990s, a UCF athletic administrator called me into an office and rolled out a set of blueprints. It was for an on-campus stadium. I stared in amazement and asked when and how? He responded, “Someday, I just don’t know when.” I remember driving to campus the morning of Sept. 15, 2007. UCF…
Researchers Create Engineered Human Tissue to Study Mosquito Bites, Disease
Thu Jun 8
UCF research team has engineered tissue with human cells that mosquitoes love to bite and feed upon — with the goal of helping fight deadly diseases transmitted by the biting insects. A multidisciplinary team led by College of Medicine biomedical researcher Bradley Jay Willenberg with Mollie Jewett (UCF Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences) and Andrew…
UCF-led Research Team to Develop Pandemic Guidelines for Community Supervision Agencies
Wed Jun 7
The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it many challenges, but a UCF researcher and her team are finding silver linings by using the experience to help correction agencies develop new guidelines for probation and parole supervision during viral pandemics. The work can help ensure people on probation and parole get the help they need while also…
3 UCF Students Receive Prestigious 2023 Boren Scholarship
Wed Jun 7
Three UCF students have been selected as 2023 Boren Scholars, a distinguished national honor that recognizes highly motivated undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in U.S. national security. This year’s recipients are Angelina Alonzo, a political science major; Flora Ngo, a criminal justice and psychology double major; and Sean Merkel, a computer sciencemajor. With support from the Office of Prestigious…
Partnering Worldwide for Medical Discovery
Tue Jun 6
UCF is one of two American colleges participating in a European scientific exchange designed to bridge the gap between academic research and the development of tomorrow’s medical therapies. The Orbis (Open Research Biopharmaceutical Internships Support) project was created to address the scientific and economic challenges of bringing new drugs to market and was implemented under…
UCF Alum Artwork Featured on Bounty Towels
Tue Jun 6
Reina Castellanos ’16MFA wants you to wipe your dirty hands on their art. The School of Visual Arts and Design graduate has been tapped for a new partnership with Bounty Towels, in which their art is a featured design on the paper products. Bounty’s Inclusive Artist Project seeks to provide a platform for artists to showcase their work while…
UCF Researchers Are Contributing to World Oceans Day
Tue Jun 6
One of Florida’s most precious resources is its water from the aquifer to the 8,436 miles of coastline, boarded by the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and the Atlantic Ocean. Water is also a major player in the state’s economy, contributing $56 billion to the economy and generating 900,000 jobs according to a…
Pulse Anniversary Can Trigger Traumatic Experiences for Survivors, Community
Mon Jun 5
Monday, June 12, marks the seventh anniversary of the 49 people killed at Pulse nightclub, and the memories of that night can still be a tough subject to approach for many people in Orlando and around the world. “It affected everyone in the community, one way or another,” says Olga Molina, an associate professor of social…
$250K Gift to Help Establish Endowed Chair for The India Center at UCF
Mon Jun 5
$250,000 gift from Port Orange, Florida, residents Ramesh Chopra and Neena Chopra will bring UCF another step closer to its goal of establishing the Indian Community Endowed Chair for The India Center. Establishing an endowed chair highlights the importance of studying India at UCF. In Fall 2022, over 3,000 students from 149 countries enrolled at UCF. Students…
Animation Career Review Recognizes UCF’s Visual Arts, Design Programs Among Best in Nation
Fri Jun 2
Through persistent efforts toward excellence and innovation, UCF is recognized for preparing students pursuing studies in art programs to be successful visual artists in the billion-dollar animation industry. Animation Career Review, which serves as a comprehensive database of universities and college art programs throughout the nation, has recognized the successes of several of the School of…
UCF Alumna, Student Selected for NASA Graduate Research Award
Thu Jun 1
Marley Albright ’23 will take her college career to new heights this fall through the NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) award. She is one of approximately 60 U.S. college students who have been selected for this honor, which covers the tuition and fees for a graduate-level program and includes a fellowship at a NASA…
