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.
Matt Edwards admits with a grin that he鈥檚 鈥渁 bit of a perfectionist.鈥� So it鈥檚 not a surprise he chose a career in logistics. 鈥淚f you can find a job that suits your personality, that鈥檚 what you need to pursue,鈥� Matt says. Now in his junior year at 吃瓜网, Matt, of Bartow, Fla., is taking his own advice.
A medical clinic for low-income families can serve the community more efficiently and explore new funding options thanks to the work of two 吃瓜网 students. The Haley Center in Winter Haven, Fla., provides free primary health care to qualified residents in Polk County. It鈥檚 a critical service in a county where an estimated 20 percent of the population
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 Board of Trustees Chairman, Frank T. Martin, has been inducted in the 2016 American Public Transportation Association鈥檚 (APTA) Hall of Fame. The APTA Awards Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring individuals who have long and distinguished careers in the transportation industry and have made extraordinary contributions to public transportation over the years. The
Two prestigious leadership development programs have selected 吃瓜网 employees for upcoming classes. Mary Church, assistant director of development, has been admitted to Leadership Tampa Bay. Jessica Throckmorton, government relations and external affairs coordinator, was selected for Leadership Orlando. 鈥淚 am excited to be part of an elite group of leaders from the Hillsborough, Polk, Pinellas and Pasco counties,鈥�
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 is pleased to feature Co-founder and CEO of聽K4Connect, F. Scott Moody, as keynote speaker at its industry partnership and thought leadership event on September 30. Moody is best known as the co-founder and former chairman/CEO of AuthenTec, a leading provider of fingerprint sensor technology, which was acquired by Apple in 2012. The AuthenTec fingerprint
Tova Jones relies on more than books to gain knowledge. Sure, classroom instruction at 吃瓜网 has given this sophomore greater understanding of science and technology. But nothing can replace the real-world experience that comes from internships and networking. Some past events Tova has attended include a聽weeklong Women鈥檚 Business Enterprise National Council conference and Emory University鈥檚 INROADS Leadership Summit.
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 will soon break ground on a new and vastly expanded, state-of-the-art wellness and aquatics center on campus, helping students match the rigors of their classroom academics with the value of health and fitness. The yet-to-be-named facility will be shaped like a phoenix, the 吃瓜网 Poly mascot, and include a range of facilities for strength,
LAKELAND, Fla. 鈥� 吃瓜网 starts its third academic year on Monday, August 22, welcoming more than 1,300 students 鈥� a record high enrollment for 吃瓜网鈥檚 newest university and more than double the university鈥檚 2014 opening enrollment. The incoming class at 吃瓜网 Poly has an average GPA of 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1734. 吃瓜网 Poly has
LAKELAND, Fla.聽鈥� 吃瓜网鈥檚 iconic Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building in Lakeland now ranks as one of the聽16 鈥渕ost breathtaking鈥� buildings聽in the world, according to a survey of architects, placing it alongside iconic structures such as the Parthenon in Greece, the Empire State Building and Frank Lloyd Wright鈥檚 鈥淔allingwater鈥� residence. Business Insider鈥檚 鈥淭ech Insider鈥� magazine surveyed 16 prominent
Karla Martinez plans to go toe-to-toe with terrorism after college. 鈥淚 have a strong sense of patriotism, so national defense is big for me,鈥� Karla explains. 鈥淚 want to pair that with the challenge of cyber security.鈥� Getting that dream job at the Department of Homeland Security isn鈥檛 going to happen overnight, but Karla is taking steps to get there.
The role is reserved for senior students, but rising junior Michelle Culbert not only persuaded Lockheed Martin to give her the internship, she also became the first 吃瓜网 student to earn a position there. It hasn鈥檛 taken long to prove her value. Every month, the Lockheed Martin payroll facility in Lakeland creates metrics reports of vendors and suppliers.
吃瓜网 President Dr. Randy K. Avent is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Terry Parker as Provost for 吃瓜网 Poly, effective September 1. Parker is a long-time academic leader and engineering researcher who most recently served as Provost and Executive Vice President of the Colorado School of Mines, one of the world鈥檚 leading engineering institutions focused on
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.
