UCF in the News

In 2021, the team launched MoveApps – a free platform of analytical tools to help scientists make sense of all that data. The system allows programmers to develop data-analysis tools that scientists can apply to the animal-tracking data stored in the Movebank database. Tracking turtles in the open ocean is one way it’s being used to do this. An enduring mystery in conservation biology is what happens to sea turtles in the period between emerging as tiny hatchlings on beaches around the world, to returning to coastal waters as dinner-plate-sized juveniles. “Those early life stages are the foundation of the rest of their lives,” says Dr. Kate Mansfield, a professor of conservation biology at the University of Central Florida, who is collaborating with ICARUS on a project that will track the movements of sea turtles in the open ocean. “If you’re working with protected species or animals that are of conservation concern, you really want to know everything you can about them at every single life stage,” Mansfield says. Currently, “that early dispersal stage that’s associated with the sea turtles’ lost years is really the biggest data gap”, in sea turtle biology, she explains.

With an eye on Florida’s space future, NASA has partnered with three universities as it works to advance space research. The University of Florida, University of Central Florida and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University are now working with the Kennedy Space Center in the new Florida University Space Research Consortium. It makes Florida the only state consortium affiliated with one of NASA’s centers. The alliance will be supported by Space Florida, which will facilitate collaboration on projects between the consortium and NASA. The new partnership is touted as combining the strengths of the top space technology educational institutions to enhance research capabilities and maintain Florida as a top leader in the ever-growing and changing space economy. Officials say the goal of the partnership is to provide unique opportunities for Florida students and researchers to join forces on scientific projects. UCF President Dr. Alexander Cartwright said 29% of the Kennedy Space Center workforce are UCF grads, so continuing to bring students into technology careers through the new consortium makes sense. “We were founded to be the workforce for the Space Coast, and we take that very seriously," Cartwright said. "And we continue to be a partner with them, developing programs, getting them the degrees that they need. We produce such a large number of engineers, that they hire a lot of those people."

This month, Martin Luther King Junior would have turned 96 years old. Each year we celebrate the civil rights trailblazer on January 20th. It’s a day widely celebrated with acts of service and parades. As we remember MLK Junior and his work to demand equal opportunities for all, we’re looking at how the next generation is following in his footsteps, and galvanizing supporters from their phones. Even in the early days of the civil rights movement. Activists used powerful images to raise awareness of racial injustice. “Emmett Till’s mother, to do an interview in Jet, and for that to be covered by the masses and whatnot, was a big turning point,” said Don Harrell, Professor of Africana Studies, University of Central Florida. Today, social media has emerged as a primary outlet for people to demand change. From recording police brutality to documenting protests in real time. Take the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by police in 2020. “There were youth and people of all races, creeds and colors who joined together en masse and demonstrated not only domestically, but around the world,” explained Harrell.

The University of Central Florida is among the top 100 most selective institutions in the nation. An analysis of acceptance rate, matriculation rate and admission data by The Business Journals shows the Orlando university is No. 71 in the nation for selectivity, up three spots from last year, and is No. 3 in the state behind only the University of Florida and Florida State University. UCF saw a 39.5% acceptance rate of its 60,627 applicants in the fall 2023 semester, admitting 23,961 students.

In the dark depths of the solar system, astronomers have discovered a truly baffling object. Named 2060 Chiron, this 125-mile-wide (200km) asteroid-comet hybrid is a type of body known as a Centaur, named after the mythical creature that is half-horse and half-man. Centaurs are solar system bodies found between Jupiter and Neptune that move and behave like asteroids but produce glowing tails of gas and dust like comets. Now, astronomers from the University of Central Florida have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to show that Chiron is 'like nothing' they've seen before. By analysing near-infrared images, the researchers have carefully reconstructed the chemical makeup of this interplanetary chimaera. They found that Chiron's surface contains a cocktail of chemicals from a time predating the formation of the solar system including CO2, methane, and frozen water. Co-author Dr Charles Schambeau says: 'These results are like nothing we've seen before. 'These detections enhance our understanding of Chiron's interior composition and how that material produces the unique behaviours as we observe Chiron.'

Orlando is on the rise as a top tech hub in the South, according to a recent study by CommercialCafe, which credits affordability, specialized industry, which credits affordability, specialized industries and local universities for attracting investment, companies and talent to the region. The study evaluates tech job density, median earnings and overall quality of life, among other things, in populated areas of more than 200,000 people. The Orlando market, including Sanford and Kissimmee, joins four other Florida metros in the Top 20 after missing out on last year's list. Orlando sits at No. 20 behind Palm Bay (No. 15), Crestview (No. 17), Tampa (No. 18) and Jacksonville (No. 19). The study notes that Orlando has “leveraged strengths in simulation technology and enjoys a robust talent pipeline from the University of Central Florida, cementing its rise as a tech hub.”

Solar energy may be abundant in the hot and muggy climate of Florida, but it can be intermittent during inclement weather and inconsistent during the night or peak usage. To keep the power grid reliable, UCF Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Associate Professor Like Li is developing a novel energy storage system that can reserve solar energy for future use. The project is supported through a three-year, $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. "The goal is to contribute to the global transition to clean energy and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050," Li says. "In order to meet that goal, there is a lot of effort to use renewable energy for the decarbonization of the power grid and various industrial processes." Li will work with engineers from Sandia National Laboratories, Oregon State University, the University of Houston and Redoxblox, a startup that specializes in low emission energy storage units. Together, they will develop a thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system, which uses chemical reactions to either absorb or release heat for the respective charging and discharging steps.

It is time to ask: For the U.S., does the international law of the World Trade Organization still exist? As part of an escalating tit-for-tat of trade restrictions between the U.S. and China, the Chinese government has banned the export of several critical materials that have both commercial and military applications in high-tech production. This Chinese action may or may not be eligible for a national security exception to the general rule in WTO law that forbids export bans and other export restrictions. Yet in responding to this latest trade move by China in the renewed trade conflict between the two countries, the U.S. government did not mention WTO law. Nor, in reporting on the event, did the U.S. media.

It’s been less than a week since UCF announced the return of Scott Frost as its football coach, and the athletic department is already feeling the move’s impact. The waitlist for season tickets climbed to 2,500 people and, according to a spokesperson, the athletic department has seen 12 major gifts in the Shareholder Society since the announcement. Final figures won’t be available until the end of the year. All in all, it’s been quite the moment for the school. “We want to keep UCF in the news,” athletics director Terry Mohajir said during a groundbreaking event on the expansion of the Roth Tower at FBC Mortgage Stadium. “It’s exciting. Anytime you can feel the momentum, people are excited about our new coach and some of the personnel we’re bringing back. It all works together.” Frost was hired last weekend after a nearly weeklong search following the resignation of Gus Malzahn on Nov. 30. Malzahn left to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State under former colleague and friend Mike Norvell. The decision to bring back Frost, seven years after he helped lead the Knights to a perfect season, capped by a win over No. 7 Auburn in the Peach Bowl, brought a lot of excitement back to the program. That enthusiasm has carried over, especially after former UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton joined Frost’s coaching staff as quarterback coach. Milton helped guide the Knights to that 13-0 season, which ended with a win over the Tigers who were led by Malzahn. He was part of a team that won a program-best 25 games in a row, earning another appearance in a New Year’s Six Access bowl.