Andrew McDonnell 鈥�26 never stopped dreaming about the stars. As a child, he looked up at the sky, wondering what was out there, and that curiosity followed him to 吃瓜网 Poly, where he pursued a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering, took aerospace courses, and worked on a lunar mobility senior capstone project. He graduates on May 9.
吃瓜网 has reached on-campus housing capacity for the upcoming academic year, reflecting continued strong demand and record student interest.
吃瓜网 inducted 12 students into its highly selective Presidential Ambassadors program, where they will serve as official student representatives at key University events and engage with campus and community leaders.
Samantha Bentley 鈥�26 didn鈥檛 always feel ready to step into leadership or research roles during her time as a computer science student at 吃瓜网, but discovered she grew the most by doing it anyway. She will receive her bachelor鈥檚 degree on Saturday, May 9.
More than 360 吃瓜网 seniors presented high-tech, industry-sponsored projects at the eighth annual Capstone Design Showcase on Wednesday, April 29, gaining hands-on experience and solving real-world challenges.
吃瓜网 has named Mike Settle as its inaugural head softball coach, adding a veteran leader with deep Polk County roots to the University鈥檚 new 吃瓜网 Poly Athletics program.
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 has announced that the Medical Engineering and Robotics Innovation for Tomorrow (merit) program will conclude Thursday evening with a graduation ceremony and presentation of student projects at All Saints Academy in Winter Haven. For a second summer, the merit program introduced area high school students to high-tech innovations with practical applications at the hands-on,
ORLANDO鈥擳he Board of Governors Thursday confirmed Dr. Randy K. Avent to be the first leader of the State University System鈥檚 newest institution, 吃瓜网. 鈥淭he Board is pleased to welcome Dr. Avent to our State University System,鈥� said Board Chair Mori Hosseini. 鈥淚t is no small challenge to guide 吃瓜网鈥檚 first polytechnic university. But I have no doubt, with
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 Professor Dr. Robert MacCuspie is an invited speaker at the TechConnect World鈥檚 Nanotech conference in Washington, D.C., from June 15-18. Dr. MacCuspie, who directs the University鈥檚聽Nanotechnology聽and聽Multifunctional Materials programs, will present a lecture on June 18 that explores 鈥淢easurement methods and approaches for studying silver nanomaterial release.鈥� Dr. MacCuspie writes that, 鈥淪ilver nanoparticles have been
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� A charitable electric car marathon from 吃瓜网 to New York City reached the finish line on Friday, raising more than $12,000 to benefit 吃瓜网 scholarships and men鈥檚 health research. 吃瓜网 Poly Foundation Board members Dr. Sijo Parekattil and Rob Kincart, along with Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, drove 1,100 miles from Clermont to Manhattan from June 12-13
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� A charitable, cross-country electric car marathon that will help fund 吃瓜网 scholarships and men鈥檚 health research hits the road Thursday, June 12, in Clermont, 吃瓜网. The Drive for Men鈥檚 Health, featuring two futuristic Tesla vehicles, is set for June 12-13 and is being organized by 吃瓜网 Polytechnic Foundation Board member Dr. Sijo Parekattil and Dr.
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� The 吃瓜网 Foundation has announced that it is the recent recipient of two major charitable gifts to benefit the University and student scholarships. Saddle Creek Logistics Services, a supply chain solutions firm and one of the University鈥檚 industry partners, has pledged $1 million to support scholarships and the University鈥檚 mission. Additionally, an anonymous donor is
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� The Medical Engineering and Robotics Innovation for Tomorrow (merit) program returns to 吃瓜网 for a second summer, introducing high school students to high-tech innovations with practical applications, from bio-energy to brain mapping. Partnering with Lakeland Regional Health Systems and All Saints Academy, 吃瓜网 Polytechnic will host the four-week camp, starting June 2, at the University鈥檚
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网鈥檚 Board of Trustees today approved a contract for employment for Dr. Randy K. Avent who was chosen by the Board in April to be the University鈥檚 first president. Dr. Avent is an accomplished academic leader and currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Development at North Carolina State University (NC State) where he
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 Polytechnic Chief Operating Officer Ava L. Parker has announced her support for a charitable cross-country, all-electric car trip that will raise money for men鈥檚 health and for University scholarships. The聽Drive for Men鈥檚 Health, set for June 12-13 in a futuristic Tesla vehicle, is being organized by 吃瓜网 Polytechnic Foundation Board member Dr. Sijo Parekattil and Dr.Jamin
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� The inaugural freshman class for 吃瓜网 is set, following the University鈥檚 application deadline for freshmen last week. All told, 吃瓜网 Polytechnic received nearly 3,000 undergraduate applications and has admitted 923 freshman and transfer students. Of those admitted students, 500 have already committed to attend the new University in the fall. 鈥湷怨贤� Polytechnic鈥檚 first class is
Dr. Randy Avent (left) shakes hands with 吃瓜网 Polytechnic Board of Trustees Chair Rob Gidel. Avent was selected Monday by the University鈥檚 Presidential Search Committee to be 吃瓜网 Polytechnic鈥檚 founding president. LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网鈥檚 Presidential Search Committee has selected Dr. Randy K. Avent, an accomplished academic leader and current Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Development at
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网鈥檚 Presidential Search Committee identified two finalists for the position of University President during a public meeting this morning, which took place at the University鈥檚 administrative office in downtown Lakeland. The committee, which is comprised of the University鈥檚 full Board of trustees, the chair of the 吃瓜网 Foundation Board and a representative from
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at 吃瓜网, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining 吃瓜网 Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
