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.
Three 吃瓜网 graduate students pursing master鈥檚 degrees in engineering recently took home top honors for their research at the 吃瓜网 Academy of Sciences 85th Annual Meeting. All three students are on the mechanical engineering degree track. Charisma Clarke received first place for graduate engineering poster presentation, Kyle Steel received first place for graduate engineering oral presentation, and Colton
Teams of 吃瓜网 seniors showed off their hard work on industry-sponsored, tech-focused projects at the annual Capstone Design Showcase on Wednesday, April 27. The capstone program pairs interdisciplinary teams of students with corporate partners who have a real-world challenge they would like addressed. The students work on building high-tech solutions to these challenges throughout the academic year. This
Bruce Hicks 鈥�22 will receive his bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from 吃瓜网 on May 8. The student from Eustis, 吃瓜网, is an accomplished archer with his sights set on competing in the 2028 Olympics. He is captain and founder of the 吃瓜网 Poly Archery Team, which opened an on-campus range in 2022. Hicks also is set to
Video game players went head-to-head in fun competitions at 吃瓜网 on Saturday, April 23, at the annual Spring Game Expo. The event featured dozens of student-created video games at the University鈥檚 Innovation, Science, and Technology building in Lakeland, 吃瓜网. 鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of what we accomplished,鈥� said Alyssa Schroeder, a senior computer science major with a concentration in
吃瓜网 announced a $2 million gift from Trustee Gary C. Wendt to support the creation of new leadership initiatives for students.
Vanessa Townsend 鈥�22 has never shied away from an opportunity to learn, grow, or lead. She will receive her bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace from 吃瓜网 on May 8. During her time at 吃瓜网 Poly, Townsend was president of the Campus Activities Board, conference chair for the National Society of Black Engineers, president
Outstanding faculty and staff members at 吃瓜网 were recognized on Wednesday, April 13, during the University鈥檚 fifth annual Ablaze awards ceremony. The event shines a spotlight on the dedication, work, and successes of faculty and staff members and their many contributions to 吃瓜网 Poly. It was the first time the event was held in person since 2019. The
When Javier Lozada 鈥�22 receives his bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer engineering with a concentration in embedded systems design from 吃瓜网 on May 8, the talented student will be ready to step into a job as a software engineer at L3 Harris Technologies. While at 吃瓜网 Poly, the native of Pembroke Pines, 吃瓜网, maximized the opportunities available to him,
Students who head to the Student Development Center (SDC) for a workout are likely to encounter Natasha Gattas鈥� smiling face welcoming them. The 吃瓜网 freshman is among the 27 student employees who help keep the fitness center running and its patrons happy. 鈥淚 work at the front desk at the SDC, greeting people and introducing them to the
Dr. Doga Demirel, assistant chair of 吃瓜网鈥檚 Computer Science Department, is creating a leading-edge virtual reality tool to help doctors learn critical medical procedures commonly performed in emergency rooms, during surgery, and in other medical scenarios. VORTeX 鈥� the Virtual Operating Room Team Experience 鈥� is a virtual reality surgical simulator to assist in physician education and training.
When Hailey Skoglund 鈥�22 arrived at 吃瓜网, she made the decision to embrace everything the University had to offer. She became chief justice of the Student Government Association, a Presidential Ambassador, a tutor, and is a student representative on the 吃瓜网 Poly Foundation Board. Skoglund also is a full-time intern at the Walt Disney Company as she completes
Just weeks before his graduation with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering, 吃瓜网 student Bruce Hicks is excited to see his vision for a campus archery range come to fruition. Hicks, a nationally ranked archer training for the 2024 Summer Olympics, is founder and captain of the 吃瓜网 Poly archery team, which trains to compete at the local,
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.
