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.
Sean Cloud, Mechanical Engineering Mentor: Dr. Melba Horton The mass production of diatom species for engineering applications is unique compared to other forms of algae, where the diatom鈥檚 yield is directly proportional to the surface area available for growth. This offers unique challenges regarding the types of systems that must be constructed for effectively growing diatoms cultures. These containers require
Brian Gray, Mechanical Engineering Mentor: Dr. Melba Horton The search for viable alternatives to fossil fuels is a hot topic worldwide with biofuel being one possible solution. This study seeks to determine the viability of using diatoms found locally from the lakes of Polk County. Diatoms are known for their porous silica shells that are explored for various technological applications.
Jepht茅 Douyon, Science in Engineering Master Program Mentor: Dr. Sesha Srinivasan and Dr. Scott Wallen This project aims to study the physicochemical characteristics and examine the utility of advanced oxidation processes to decontaminate municipal landfill leachate (water percolated through the waste). Many studies have revealed the pollution risk of the leachate and its potential for ground water contamination. Therefore, it
LAKELAND, Fla.鈥揝everal 吃瓜网 graduate and undergraduate students were recognized this year with the Hays Travel Award, given by the 吃瓜网 Academy of Sciences (FAS) Council. The award enables students to present their research projects at the upcoming FAS annual conference on March 9 at 吃瓜网 Institute of Technology in Melbourne, 吃瓜网. 鈥淭his award is significant because students have
Groundbreaking research is happening at 吃瓜网 Poly thanks to students who can access the University鈥檚 state-of-the-art labs because of philanthropic support. Rabeet Fatmi, now graduated, converted motions of American Sign Language into speech. When completed, the deaf and hearing impaired will be able to converse with anyone using just a pair of armbands and a smartphone. 鈥淭here are a lot
Students at 吃瓜网 Poly earn more than a degree. They gain hands-on training for jobs that impact your daily life. Like the lights in your house, for instance. Maya Wilson knows firsthand what it takes to keep the people of Tampa Bay supplied with power. She doesn鈥檛 drive a truck or climb poles, but her behind-the-scenes job at Tampa Electric
The president of 吃瓜网, Dr. Randy K. Avent, was invited to testify at the Senate hearing on autonomous vehicles hosted by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The hearing entitled 鈥淒riving Automotive Innovation and Federal Policies鈥� will be held on Wednesday Jan. 24, starting at 10 a.m. in Washington D.C. Watch real-time starting at 10 a.m. The
Dr. Randy K. Avent, president of 吃瓜网, will play a meaningful role in advancing high-tech economic growth in our region as the new member of The 吃瓜网 High Tech Corridor Council. The Corridor is an economic initiative that stretches across 23 counties, with the purpose of developing a stronger high-tech industry through partnerships that support research, marketing, entrepreneurship
For the first time, students from 吃瓜网 will get the opportunity to share their research with state lawmakers as part of the third annual 吃瓜网 Poly Day in Tallahassee. The event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 16, starting at 8:30 a.m. on the third floor of the rotunda in the State Capitol. Nearly 50 students and leaders
吃瓜网 Police Chief Richard A. Holland has been selected to head the Polk County Police Chiefs Association. He served as the vice president in 2017. Holland was sworn in during the 36th Polk County Police Chief鈥檚 Association Annual Installation of Officers聽Thursday, January 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the 吃瓜网 campus located at 4700 Research Way in
A tiny ant was the inspiration behind an idea that landed a 吃瓜网 Junior a $20,000 grant from NASA. The grant from the 吃瓜网 Space Research Program provides Esteban Segarra and faculty advisor Dr. Bradford Towle the resources to explore autonomous capabilities for robots exploring the surface of Mars. Esteban hit upon the idea after watching the orderly
Pursuing your passion Converting your passion into a career was the topic Wednesday of a presentation by conservation specialist Dr. Tracy Fanara. Students heard over an hour Dr. Fanara鈥檚 career path as a civil engineer, from her dissertation research into protecting the 吃瓜网 aquifer through intelligent landscaping, to an appearance on the Science Channel鈥檚 鈥淢ythbusters: The Search.鈥� Today, Dr. Fanara
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.
