UCF in the News

Metabolism is the process of your body changing food into energy. It is often said that the metabolism you're born with is the metabolism you are stuck with for life. However, there are things you can do to benefit your metabolic health. "When a person either exercises or consumes food their metabolism increases or decreases," said Steven Burroughs, MS, RDN, LDN, CDN, a Nutritionist and Metabolic Expert at the University of Central Florida. "We know that protein in the diet, coming from things like chicken, beef or eggs, increases the amount of muscle tissue. If a person meets their protein requirements, they can increase the body's ability to use food for energy."

Two leading education technology companies have released products claiming to make the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT safe from academic dishonesty — but teachers are not so sure. “The rapid growth of AI and other technologies will always supersede the plagiarism detection tools,” said Trey Vasquez, a professor of special education at the University of Central Florida, a pilot school for Turnitin’s AI detection tool. He has tested ChatGPT with students for months.

Earning an online master’s in hospitality management is a smart move for professionals seeking to gain a competitive edge in the hospitality industry. A master’s degree in hospitality management can open doors to higher-paying positions, leadership roles and an overall lucrative career. Read on to discover everything you need to know about an online master’s in hospitality management. Some online master’s programs in hospitality management require applicants to have prior work experience in the field. The University of Central Florida, for example, requires applicants to have at least two years of professional industry experience, preferably in upper-level positions such as supervisors or managers.

A new invention allows patients with limited mobility to use their facial muscles to control their wheelchairs. The hands-free wheelchair technology invented at the University of Central Florida allows people with limited mobility to use their facial muscles to control their wheelchairs. The control method uses electromyography sensors placed on a patient's temporalis muscles to move a wheelchair or vehicle. When a user clenches their jaw, the wheelchair will respond by moving in the designated direction. "The technology has the potential to unlock mobility independence for certain patients," said one of the inventors, Albert Manero, in the news release. "We are hopeful to complete further clinical trials on the equipment before working with a wheelchair provider to integrate with their available devices."

Virtual reality can help people see their favorite band perform, hang out with friends or relax on a beach without leaving home. It is also pushing some people to speak in front of crowds or revisit war zones, processing fears or traumatic memories for the sake of their health. Hospital and university clinics for years have helped people with post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias by using virtual reality to immerse them in simulations that help them reckon with the problem. It is a virtual version of the longstanding technique called exposure therapy, in which people confront memories or fears, such as seeing spiders or getting into an elevator, with a therapist to overcome the feeling of being under threat. Now researchers are aiming to make immersive VR-based therapy more personal and bring it into people’s homes. “It is a tool that in the hands of therapists can be very powerful,” said Deborah Beidel, director of a research clinic for post-traumatic stress disorder at the University of Central Florida.

Scientists have been documenting abnormal and dramatic sea level rise along the US Gulf and Southeast coasts since about 2010, raising new questions about whether New Orleans, Miami, Houston and other coastal communities may be more at risk from rising sea levels than previously thought. While this acceleration has been relatively short-lived so far, it could have far-reaching consequences in areas of the United States that have experienced explosive development as the wetlands, mangroves, and beaches that once protected them shrink. “It disrupts your daily life,” said Thomas Wahl, professor of coastal hazards and engineering at the University of Central Florida. and co-author of the paper in Nature Communications. “It destroys the infrastructure. It damages cars that drive through salt water every day. You cannot open a business or go to work.” Then there’s the fact that in low-lying areas, even a small amount of sea level rise can make storm surges even more dangerous. The waves approach the shore, exacerbating erosion. “You now have higher levels of essential water,” says Wahl. “If you have a hurricane today compared to the same hurricane 150 years ago, the effect will be different.”

Cloaked by choking green vegetation, a small exposed patch of concrete caught the eye of college students and volunteers searching off an anthill-dotted dirt lane for signs of the long-lost Bumper 8 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. After chopping away thorny brush and thick roots with hacksaws and shears, the University of Central Florida archaeological team unearthed the 20-by-20-foot foundation of the crudely built structure at historic Launch Complex 3. This makeshift blockhouse marks where technicians launched Bumper 8 on July 24, 1950 — America's first rocket from the Cape. Since late January, the Bumper blockhouse site has been targeted by about 20 students with the University of Central Florida's Department of Anthropology. They systematically surveyed and GPS-mapped a 700- to 900-square-meter grid across abandoned Launch Complex 3, digging periodic "shovel test pits" to study what lies below the surface.

The sun is one of the cleanest and most easy to use sources of energy. Solar panels turn the free sunlight we receive every day into electricity to power our homes. Solar adoption is on the rise, with the number of residential installations up 40% in 2021, according to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association. A common misconception, though, is that solar panels don't work at night or when it's cloudy. "The panel is always working. The question is how much electricity comes out of it based on the amount of light," James Fenton, director of the Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, told CNET. "You will get close to zero electricity at night, but if there is a little bit of ambient light, sometimes even the reflected moonlight can do it. However, if you were to buy a solar panel, and you actually see the output on your cell phone every day, you'll see that it's close to zero at night."

When Kelly Longstreet’s family moved to Florida four years ago, she applied for a job as a classroom aide, knowing the hours would mesh well with her daughters’ school schedules. Plus, she’d once hoped to become a teacher, and the job with Orange County Public Schools gave her a taste of that teaching life. And that taste seemed enough until she received an email from the school district. The school district hopes another 30 aides, officially called paraprofessionals, sign up for a similar effort to be offered through the University of Central Florida starting in August. “The expertise they’re bringing in from being in the classroom and working with teachers is just phenomenal,” said Andrea Borowczak, director of UCF’s school of teacher education. UCF ran a small pilot program this school year for about eight aides. In the fall, it hopes 30 from OCPS and another 30 from the Marion County school district start the classes that could have them certified Florida teachers in three years.