UCF in the News

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.

Unemployment has risen and finding a job takes longer. The U.S. has averaged a respectable 173,000 new jobs a month since September, in a sign the labor market is still pretty healthy - but warning signs are flashing. Those warning signs include rising unemployment, longer job searches and a smaller percentage of adults either working or looking for work. Worrisome trends, to be sure - but the economy is still adding a decent number of new jobs each month, layoffs are near a historic bottom and the unemployment rate also remains unusually low. "The economy isn't going gangbusters like it was immediately after the pandemic lockdowns ended, but we're on solid ground," contended Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida Institute for Economic Forecasting.

Amid the backdrop of newly announced Artemis moon-mission postponements, analysts expect potential NASA administrator Jared Isaacman to shake up the agency from a private-businessman and private-astronaut perspective — "NASA needs to be prepared for dramatic changes."Isaacman is the 41-year-old billionaire founder and CEO of Shift4 who partnered with Elon Musk's SpaceX to command and finance the groundbreaking Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn commercial astronaut spaceflights. Greg Autry, associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at the University of Central Florida, said "NASA needs to be prepared for dramatic changes." "When you look at Artemis, basically every vendor has problems with every system in that program. And the whole thing is kind of coming off the tracks," Autry said during a Wednesday FLORIDA TODAY interview — the day before NASA announced the latest Artemis II and Artemis III delays.

Matthew Marino, a professor at the University of Central Florida who studies the intersection of technology and special education, is excited about the potential of generative artificial intelligence for teaching and learning. AI is “going to open a whole new front for education,” he said. The sentiment is shared by a majority of parents and educators of students with learning disabilities, according to a report from the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education. The survey shows that parents and educators believe AI will make learning more accessible, inclusive, and personalized. But they’re also concerned about AI’s potential to decrease human interaction and leave some schools and students behind. Marino underscores that there are ways AI shouldn’t be used in instruction, especially because there still isn’t enough data on how using generative AI for instruction could affect students with disabilities. Most datasets that AI tools are trained on contain a lot of information about neurotypical students, but they don’t have nearly as much to draw from on students in special education, which could translate into technology that isn’t as helpful for those populations. Marino spoke with Education Week about why he’s excited about AI for special education, what research is out there, and how educators can use the emerging technology.