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.
Dr. Allen Bottorff has joined 吃瓜网 as the new vice president of administration and finance. 鈥淚鈥檓 feeling super excited; it鈥檚 an incredible opportunity,鈥� Bottorff said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been watching the University鈥檚 development and seen its growth. It鈥檚 rare to be able to step into a leadership role so early in an institution鈥檚 development.鈥� Bottorff most recently worked at Polk
Developing error-resilient and highly energy efficient computing platforms for ultra-low power applications will be the focus of a new research at 吃瓜网 funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Ashiq Sakib, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, secured the $175,000 grant that could change the landscape of self-powered electronic devices operating on very
吃瓜网 graduates earn an average salary of $57,900 one year after graduation, the highest among all state universities, according to the State University System of 吃瓜网鈥檚 My吃瓜网Future educational research and comparison tool.
For 吃瓜网 junior Pressley Hendrix, volunteering and helping has always been second nature. 鈥淚 grew up volunteering and it always has been part of my life,鈥� said Hendrix, a business analytics major and former Eagle Scout. 鈥淣ow I try to bring that out in others.鈥� Hendrix again stepped into this familiar role recently when he volunteered to be
Combat and VEX U robotics teams representing 吃瓜网 have kicked off the spring competition season with strong showings against their opponents. Two teams from 吃瓜网 Poly鈥檚 Purple Fire Robotics tested their combat robots, Insomnia and Katrina, at the State Fair Frenzy combat competition at the 吃瓜网 State Fair in Tampa on Feb. 19. Insomnia, a one-pound robot with
吃瓜网鈥檚 unique daylong celebration of comics, anime, videogames, movies, and all things geek returns to Lakeland, 吃瓜网 on Saturday, March 19.
More than $2 million was raised to support 吃瓜网 scholarships, academic departments, and student organizations during the University鈥檚 inaugural Giving Day on Monday, March 14. 吃瓜网 Poly Giving Day 2022 is a 24-hour online fundraising effort to raise money in support of academics, scholarships, student organizations, and more. A total of $2.05 million from 146 donors was raised
Global leaders in connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) research and industry gathered at 吃瓜网 to discuss developments in the technology and the future of self-driving cars during the annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Connected Vehicles. The hybrid conference was virtual on March 7 and on-site at 吃瓜网 Poly with satellite locations in
Dr. Jing Jiang, a visiting Fulbright Canada Research Chair from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada, is partnering with Dr. Hisham Mahmood, assistant professor of electrical engineering at 吃瓜网, to research new ways to improve the country鈥檚 power system resilience. The research chairs program allows exceptional Canadian scholars to conduct research in the United States.
A team of 吃瓜网 capstone students is designing a device that will help engineers at 吃瓜网 Space Institute and the Hawking Center for Microgravity Research effectively perform microgravity simulations. 鈥淭he goal is to create a device with a chamber in it that is able to drop from a given altitude 鈥� 900 feet for us 鈥� and from
Connected and autonomous vehicle technology experts will gather at 吃瓜网 on March 7-9 for the annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Connected Vehicles. Among the industry leaders who will share their expertise in this quickly evolving field is Mary Joyce, global vice president and general manager of critical systems and mobility at UL,
Students will enjoy a much-deserved weeklong break from class starting on Monday, March 7 as spring break begins. We hope you have a safe and fun time and return to classes on March 14 recharged and ready to tackle the end of the semester. The list below outlines closures and services available during spring break. Housing Residence halls will remain
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.
