UCF in the News

NASA needs to know what’s going on with all of the junk that’s orbiting our planet. The space agency announced yesterday that it would be funding three proposals from various universities to better understand orbital debris and sustainability in space. Orbital debris is one of the greatest challenges facing spacefaring nations and companies. This debris consists of human-made remnants of previous space missions that have been left to wander aimlessly around Earth. The projects include: “Communication and Space Debris: Connecting with Public Knowledges and Identities,” from the University of Central Florida.

NASA’s Artemis I launch has been delayed twice because of liquid hydrogen problems. It’s not a new one for the space agency. Meanwhile, SpaceX has switched to methane. WSJ explains why NASA still uses the leak-prone fuel. “Hydrogen is really difficult to work with,” in part, because its atoms are so tiny," said UCF planetary scientist Dr. Phil Metzger.

Lakeland first responders are putting a state grant awarded by First Lady Casey DeSantis to good use, taking the first steps necessary to create a behavioral health care plan for first responders. In June, the University of Central Florida received a $1.4 million First Responder Regional Support Center grant to provide services through the UCF RESTORES Trauma Therapy Program to first responders in Hardee, Highlands and Polk counties. UCF RESTORES was founded in 2011 as a nonprofit government-funded clinical research center and trauma treatment clinic for veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues.

The University of Central Florida and representatives from Mistubishi Power met Thursday on campus to address the role of hydrogen in clean energy. This was part of the Hydrogen: The Time is Now forum, where both presidents emphasized what needs to be done with representatives in research, industries and the government. UCF President Alexander Cartwright and Mistubishi Power America President Bill Newsom discussed ways to achieve net zero by 2050. “UCF [is] among the nation’s largest producers of engineers and computer scientists,” Cartwright said. “[And] in partnership with Mitsubishi Power and others, can play a key role in educating and training the talent pipeline required for a hydrogen-based energy economy.”

You spend your whole life waiting to go to college, but sometimes, you get there and it’s not exactly what you expected. You might realize that you want to be closer to home, there’s another school out there that aligns better with your academic pursuits, or you don’t think it’s overall the right environment for you. Luckily, you have the option to transfer to a different college or university. It’s not a quick and simple decision. “More than anything else, prepare early, conduct research and plan ahead,” Pam Cavanaugh, Ed.D., Associate Vice Provost for UCF Connect at the University of Central Florida, says. “College is an incredibly unique and rewarding experience, filled with the chance to explore new ideas, meet new people and pursue your professional ambitions and passions. Each school offers different opportunities — whether that’s living on campus, studying abroad, holding an internship, or joining a student organization. The sooner you can find your ‘fit,’ the more you’ll be able to maximize your experience.”

Evence Eliassaint is working to prevent teen suicides by raising mental health awareness. His work began out of his own mental health struggles. He organized a flag football game on September 10th, where influencers – TikTokers versus YouTubers – will play each other. They’ll be competing, but they’re all on one team when it comes to raising mental health awareness. Each player chose a specific message. “One chose men’s mental health because he felt that it’s not talked about enough in this day and age and in fact, it’s frowned upon for men to talk about their mental health,” said Eliassaint, showing a t-shirt for one of the players.

Sayid Yasin, 28, comes from a family of nurses including his parents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Growing up, he remembers his father, wearing scrubs, coming home from his job as an emergency department nurse in New York City, where he still works today. Yasin applied to the University of Central Florida’s Accelerated Bachelor’s in Nursing program and, in early August, joined 67 other career changers and walked across UCF’s stage to receive his degree. Nurses in the shorter program complete the same amount of clinical hours and hospitals are eager to hire them, said Kelly Allred, director of both the traditional and second-degree programs. “Hospitals all over our area are letting us know that they need nurses; they have a shortage,” Allred said. “They would like us to graduate as many nurses as we can in a quality way.”

This fall, there will be a new class of students at the University of Central Florida. A group of about 750 members will join the Learning Institute for Elders at the University of Central Florida. These students, who are 50 years and older, are passionate about lifelong learning, no matter what age they are. The group will hear about groundbreaking research and other topics from UCF faculty, national experts and international experts .

The joy and wonder of watching a massive sea turtle crawl onto the beach and drop her soft, ping pong ball-sized eggs into a deep hole in the sand never gets old for Kate Mansfield, even after 28 years of research. Even more fun for her is watching the faces of University of Central Florida interns seeing their first turtles and learning how to inspect them. “It’s probably one of my favorite things,” said Mansfield, director of the university’s Marine Turtle Research Group.