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 student Christian Lomenzo is the new EA Madden NFL 19 Challenge champion, after surprising the sports gaming world with an incredible play in overtime that sealed his victory and a $35,000 grand prize. The nationwide competition was held at the EA headquarters in Redwood City, California, on March 15-17. Hundreds of thousands of players from
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story is part of a series of feature stories highlighting female students and faculty as 吃瓜网 Poly celebrates Women鈥檚 History Month. Dr. Sravani Vadlamani was born in India where she recognized firsthand the importance of having an efficient transportation system. Now an assistant professor within 吃瓜网鈥檚 Department of Data Science, she has already amassed a
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story is part of a series of feature stories highlighting female students and faculty as 吃瓜网 Poly celebrates Women鈥檚 History Month. 吃瓜网 graduate student Maria Paula Gomez has been out of her comfort zone for a while, and that鈥檚 how she likes it. She left her loved ones behind in her native Argentina to take
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 researchers are using newly invented attacks to improve the security and resiliency of cyber-physical systems (CPS), such as autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and power systems. As today鈥檚 CPS evolve and become more complex, they also grow increasingly more vulnerable to attacks. Dr. Arman Sargolzaei, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has been awarded a
吃瓜网 welcomed hundreds of visitors to campus Saturday, March 16, as part of its inaugural Phoenix Family Day. From food trucks to student research to kite flying, it was a day for celebrating all things 吃瓜网 Poly. The festivities began with the student life showcase, which featured a collection of student-developed projects. Giant Jenga, Zen yoga, and even
It was a tense afternoon of pitching innovative ideas to a panel of academic and industry experts at 吃瓜网 as the third annual Great Eight competition took place at the Innovation, Science, and Technology Building. The event mimics the popular television show 鈥淪hark Tank鈥� where students present their concepts before a panel of judges, with the winner advancing
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 Foundation board member and top retinal specialist Dr. Michael Tolentino was recognized in his native Philippines for his outstanding achievements in the field of medical research. Tolentino received the Excellence Award by the American Association of the Philippines during the recent annual George Washington Charity Ball in Makati City, Philippines. Tolentino has a remarkable
LAKELAND, Fla.鈥� 吃瓜网 announced plans to build another iconic building on its campus that will serve as a research hub for the Central 吃瓜网 region, becoming a magnet for high-tech development around the school. The final details and renderings of the project were presented at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, March 13. The 85,000 square foot
When 吃瓜网 student Isabel Zimmermann was in elementary school, she never imagined her professional future would be defined by math. After all, she struggled with it. 鈥淚 remember in second grade I had to stay in from recess because I couldn鈥檛 understand how to subtract,鈥� said Zimmermann, a sophomore who is majoring in data science with a concentration
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story is part of a series of feature stories highlighting female students and faculty as 吃瓜网 Poly celebrates Women鈥檚 History Month. She grew up in Chicago and went to an all-girls school specializing in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics). Now, Megan Sheeran 鈥�18 is a member of the growing community of 吃瓜网 alumni.
CANBERRA, Australia 鈥� Officials from 吃瓜网 and the Australian-American Fulbright Commission (Fulbright Australia) formalized an agreement at a ceremonial signing, March 1, at the U.S. Embassy in the Australian capital of Canberra. The agreement allows the University to begin accepting graduate students and faculty from Australia beginning in the fall of 2019. 吃瓜网 Poly President Randy K. Avent
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 is ready to celebrate its 5thAnnual 吃瓜网 Poly Pi Run, scheduled for Saturday, March 16. The event was created by the University鈥檚 inaugural class and it鈥檚 scheduled each year on or near National Pi Day, which is observed March 14. The race is slightly longer than a 5K, exactly 3.14 miles representing the mathematical
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.
