UCF in the News

A group of University of Central Florida researchers are working to protect reefs with a new research project. Scientists said they are creating oyster-based shoreline protection that is self-repairing and biological. The project includes other researchers across the United States and Australia, and $12.6 million was approved to support the study. According to the university, these structures will mimic reefs and help reduce coastal flooding and storm damage. Kelly Kibler, an associate professor in UCF’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Constructional Engineering, is leading UCF’s part in the research. “This type of natural infrastructure design project is important, especially to a state like Florida that is vulnerable to climate change impacts and rising sea levels,” Kibler said. UCF said Kibler’s group would monitor the 50-meter reef installations and see how organisms and the habitat affect shoreline erosion over time. Kibler said that if the oysters in the reefs survive, the project’s long-term impact will show that the structures could be used in communities worldwide.

A $5.5 million gift to the University of Central Florida in Orlando will allow it to build out a simulation center for nursing in a new 12,000 square-foot facility. The simulation center will be housed in the new facility and include a virtual hospital and a clinical skills exam suite. The Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling Center will become one of nine simulation programs for nursing students in the world, and the only one within the state to earn the Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. The program is accredited by the Society of Simulation in Health Care. UCF is not yet at its funding goal to break ground on the new facility, which will be built on 50 acres in Lake Nona. The facility's planned opening will be during the 2025-2026 academic year.

States across the south, including Florida, will soon receive federal dollars to hire more mental health professionals for K-12 public schools. Florida K-12 schools will receive grants aimed at hiring more than 1,000 new counselors and other mental health professionals. Four public universities in the state, including the University of Central Florida, will also receive federal dollars to train those mental health professionals.

In one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, there is a monument carved into sandstone, surrounded by date farms and dusty two-lane roads. This is Hegra. Also known as al-Hijr or Mada'in Saleh, Hegra is the crown jewel of Saudi Arabia's archaeological attractions and was the first place in the country inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Petra, the famous site in Jordan, was the capital of the Nabatean people, while Hegra was the kingdom’s southern outpost until it was abandoned in the 12th century. But most of their culture has been lost to history. Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites. “We’ve all heard of the Assyrians, we’ve all heard of the Mesopotamians,” says Wayne Bowen, professor of history at the University of Central Florida. “But (the Nabateans) stood up to the Romans, they stood up to the Hellenistic Greeks, they had this incredible system of cisterns in the desert, controlled the trade routes. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.”

UCF coach Gus Malzahn sat back in his chair at the College Football Hall of Fame with a sly grin and quiet confidence shortly before the Knight Nation's Big 12 Celebration event. This stop is the latest in a barnstorming tour across major metropolitan areas up and down the East Coast. Why? UCF is big time now. The Group of Five power is ready to make a splash when it joins the Big 12 on July 1 along with BYU, Houston and Cincinnati. The former longtime Auburn coach is not only ready for the transition, but also an opportunity to set the tone for the new era of UCF football. "This is a championship program. Our goal is to win the championship," Malzahn said.

Students are told that enrolling in a community college is a smart, affordable on-ramp to a bachelor’s degree—two years at community college, two years at a university and then a degree. But in reality, only a small percentage of students transfers and graduates. About 450,000 students transfer each year, but far too many others get waylaid by broken systems. To fix the problem, we have to know what’s causing it. Partnerships like DirectConnect to UCF, a long-standing collaboration between the University of Central Florida and institutions like Valencia College, through which UCF has conferred more than 50,000 bachelor’s degrees, and ADVANCE, a partnership between Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University with high graduation rates, are excellent examples of what can happen for students when leaders use data to reform transfer.

Some restaurants in Central Florida are trying to stay afloat without raising food prices or cutting staff by charging customers a 20% service fee. Unlike a tip, a service fee is not optional. Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida, explains how inflation is impacting the way we tip.

While there is water on the Moon, it’s not kept in convenient reservoirs, it’s locked away in the lunar soil. Now, a team of scientists has found that thirsty astronauts could one day refresh themselves fairly easily – by throwing a cup of Moon dirt in the microwave. That means future crewed missions to the Moon could pack a little lighter. A new study from scientists at The Open University and the University of Central Florida have demonstrated that a simple microwave oven can do the trick.

A new paper showing how water actually travels through a plastic membrane could make desalination more efficient. That’s good news for a thirsty world. “This is one of those major breakthroughs,” says Steve Duranceau, an environmental engineer at the University of Central Florida, who spent 15 years designing desalination plants before becoming a professor. “This will change the way that people start modeling, and interpreting how to design these systems.”