UCF in the News

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Central Florida is already an important and growing hub for humanity's efforts to thrive in outer space. The University of Central Florida now wants to bolster that by developing one-of-a-kind "space medicine" programs for students at the College of Medicine. Emmanuel Urquieta will lead the charge. In his office at the college, it's easy to see his love for space and medicine. The walls are adorned by flight patches, some decorative and some showing the projects he's worked on.

Dr. Leland Nordin and his team at the University of Central Florida are using high-intensity lasers of UVC light to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces. With the help of a $1 million U.S. Army grant, the researchers hope this laser technology can one day help the world stay clean. "This is a way to really flood a whole room and laser them down, essentially," Nordin said. UCF graduate research assistant Biridiana Rodriguez demonstrated a tiny pinpoint of light, no bigger than the tip of a needle, on a crystal wafer. Under a microscope, the light shone brightly, just one of thousands of diodes on the thin wafer. "It essentially deactivates them or kills them in the same way it would hurt our skin. Like UVA or UVB rips them apart from intense energy. So why doesn't it hurt our skin in the same way? It's because our skin is thick enough," Nordin said. Looking at that same light under a microscope shows how strong a single laser diode can shine. Dr. Nordin is working to make similar laser wafers that emit the invisible UVC light. Researchers use their equipment to actually grow their lasers, and they do it by creating wafers. When the wafer is attached to a power source, it can create a laser light.

Seminole County has launched a new center to help grow small businesses. The county opened the Seminole County Economic Development Hub at the Seminole State College of Florida Heathrow Campus on Oct. 30. The facility is staffed by three of the county's economic development partners and provides resources to small businesses to grow. It also has a multi-use space to host classes, networking events and more.Seminole County Commissioner Amy Lockhart told Orlando Business Journal the location fits in with the county's economic development strategy to help businesses big and small have the resources to grow in the county. "We have a lot of small business owners who are adept in their field but know they may benefit from beefing up skills in another area to take their business to the next level," Lockhart said. "Being right here on Seminole State's campus in Heathrow takes away some of the barriers that otherwise exist." Michael Harvey, founder of Octanium Corp., said the hub not only allows his business to meet with people, but also allows the county to draw new small businesses here. Harvey's company is based out of the UCF Business Incubator in Winter Springs and provides cybersecurity services. "It feeds back into the ecosystem of people and allows them to know that they can own a business here," Harvey said.

Did you know there have been five U.S. Presidential Elections in which the winner lost the popular vote? The Electoral College has voted to elect John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison in the distant past, and George W. Bush and Donald Trump in modern times. Despite proposals to change or abolish the Electoral College (the University of Central Florida reports there have been over 1,000), there are many reasons why these attempts failed. Firstly, as UCF History Professor John Sacher explains, the Electoral College is part of the U.S. Constitution — and amending the Constitution is complicated and difficult. Additionally, Sacher argues that the Electoral College is useful in instances like the 2000 Presidential Election. Despite Gore winning a plurality of the popular vote, he didn’t win a majority. Neither Bush nor Gore won the majority and it fell upon the electors to decide. Sacher explains: “We are the only nation that still uses an Electoral College… Given that this discussion has already lasted well over 100 years, we may be in for 100 more.”

The two people killed early Friday in a mass shooting in downtown Orlando have been identified as Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, and Tyrek Hill, 25, according to the Orlando Police Department. OPD on Saturday afternoon provided the names and ages of the two men. No additional details were available about Hill. Schmidt, of Weston, was a freshman at the University of Central Florida, according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family. “Please join the Alpha Epsilon Pi Nu Delta Chapter of Central Florida in raising money for Timothy Schmidt Jr’s family as Tim was tragically and innocently murdered in a shooting in Downtown Orlando in the hours following Halloween, on November 1st, 2024,” the page said. “He was an extraordinary person, loving son, caring friend, talented soccer player, astounding teammate, kind soul, hardworking student and individual with an extremely warm heart and a witty sense of humor.”

The 2024 U.S. election is heightening stress across the country, affecting more than 7 out of 10 adults, regardless of political affiliation. Surveys show that 82 percent of people’s opinions are based on inaccurate information, and 64 percent feel their rights are under threat. The relentless nature of social media, with its constant flow of election-related content, has increased passive consumption of social issues and elevated anxiety, particularly in our youth. In the face of rising political tensions and societal challenges, more than half of youth and young adults in the U.S. are feeling pessimistic about their future. Some experience a “pre-election mental health crisis,” marked by sleep issues, worsening depression, catastrophic thoughts about the future, and even hallucinations. This distress in our youth often stems from an acute awareness of societal forces shaping their lives, coupled with a sense of powerlessness to influence change. How can we support our youth through these challenges?

Food Insecurity on Campus: The UCF Knights football team will host undefeated Brigham Young University on Saturday. BYU Cougars fans are putting a twist on their game day tailgating. They’re bringing clothes, canned goods, and other critical supplies to their tailgate area at Carillon Elementary School in Oviedo. BYU Alumni Chapter Chair for Orlando Christian Rasband joins Engage to tell us how the Cougs Care program will support UCF students and the Knights Helping Knights Pantry this weekend. The Knights Helping Knights Pantry was created by UCF students who wanted to help their classmates struggling to access or afford essential items like food, clothes, or personal hygiene products. UCF senior Chloe Milliron started volunteering with the Knights Helping Knights Pantry as a freshman and is now the manager of the student-run organization. She joins Engage to discuss the resource to combat food insecurity on campus.

With hypersonic travel, people can fly from New York to London in less than 15 minutes or explore space — and the University of Central Florida wants a piece of the action. The school launched a new center to study the technology for hypersonic travel — which is up to 17 times the speed of sound or 13,000 mph. UCF President Alexander Cartwright celebrated this week’s opening of the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion — or the HyperSpace Center — in the Central Florida Research Park by the main campus. “What we create here and across UCF will define the aerospace and defense industries for generations,” Cartwright said in front of U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Daniel Webster and State Rep. Susan Plasencia as well as other officials. At the new center, UCF faculty, graduate students and undergraduates will be working to develop the technology fueling hypersonic travel. The school has received millions of dollars in U.S. Department of Defense grants.