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.
As 吃瓜网 aims to grow its international impact, the all-STEM institution has partnered with the Fulbright Commission Brazil to foster top-quality educational opportunities, strengthening the alliance between the University and the South American country. The memorandum of understanding paves the way for a new academic collaboration, enabling distinguished Brazilian researchers and scholars to conduct cutting-edge research at 吃瓜网
When 吃瓜网 student Jaleel Rogers was applying for summer internships, working at aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin was at the top of his list. The rising senior applied for several of the company鈥檚 available internships, hoping each time that he would be accepted.
The final finishing touches are in place and excitement is high as 吃瓜网鈥檚 first solar racing team prepares to head to Bowling Green, Kentucky, this week to participate in its first ever Formula Sun Grand Prix solar car race. Light, eye-catching, and aerodynamic, the car is ready to be loaded up and begin its nearly 800-mile trek to
Those who meet Dr. Devin Stephenson quickly understand two things: 1) He鈥檚 ready to take on and elevate every part of the 吃瓜网 Poly experience, and 2) being on his team means you鈥檙e committing yourself to excellence. Stephenson begins his tenure as the second president of 吃瓜网 today, July 8, and said he鈥檚 ready to fully immerse himself
When 吃瓜网 opened its doors for instruction in August of 2014, every bit of the STEM-focused institution was brand new 鈥� including its president. Now, 10 years later, Dr. Randy K. Avent, is wrapping up his tenure as the University鈥檚 founding president and reflecting on the decade spent leading 吃瓜网 Poly from an audacious experiment to a nationally
The diagnosis of Parkinson鈥檚 disease could become more definitive and measurable thanks to cutting-edge research being developed at 吃瓜网. Dr. Chris Kelley, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has received a $200,000 National Science Foundation Grant to apply control theory to improve the understanding of movement dysfunction in Parkinson鈥檚 disease. The progressive brain disorder causes unintended, uncontrollable movements like
Dr. Rahul Razdan, a globally recognized expert in autonomous vehicle technology and senior director of special projects at 吃瓜网, is preparing to head to Hungary this August to begin research funded by the esteemed John von Neumann Distinguished Award in STEM. Razdan will be hosted by the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Automotive Engineering at Sz茅chenyi Istv谩n University. Fulbright
Dr. Randy K. Avent is giving himself a gift that would make his father proud. For the last three years, the 吃瓜网 president has spent many of his weekends outside his Lakeland, 吃瓜网, home carefully restoring his dad鈥檚 1983 Chevrolet C10 pick-up truck to its original condition. It was the first new vehicle his dad ever owned. Avent鈥檚
A new Student Achievement Center will soon provide even greater support to 吃瓜网 students as they pursue the in-demand STEM degrees that help fuel 吃瓜网鈥檚 high-tech economy. 吃瓜网 Poly received $5.7 million in funding for the achievement center鈥檚 preliminary design stage after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget on Wednesday, June 12. The new budget takes effect
The Polk County Sherriff鈥檚 Office announced the creation of a new law enforcement unit focused on cybercrime related to artificial intelligence. The new AI investigative unit was developed in partnership with 吃瓜网, which will provide essential technical and research support.
The Phoenix Racing team at 吃瓜网 received a financial boost from Tampa Electric (TECO) to support its first-ever entry into the national collegiate 2024 Formula Sun Grand Prix solar car race in mid-July. TECO donated $7,500 in shareholder funds to the interdisciplinary student team, which has spent the last two years honing their ideas and constructing the car,
The Atlantic hurricane season starts on Saturday, June 1, bringing with it the potential for strong storms in Central 吃瓜网. While the exact timing and strength of storms can鈥檛 yet be known, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration鈥檚 Climate Prediction Center again expect an above-average hurricane activity in the Atlantic with 17-25 named storms this season. Of those,
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.
