As the Fall 2026 semester gets underway, the College of Sciences (COS) community is settling back into campus life and looking ahead to another semester of discovery, collaboration and achievement. With classes officially started, our Knights are back in the classroom, labs and across campus, ready to make the most of a new academic year.

This month’s featured stories highlight original video games produced by FIEA students, a closer look at how people use technology to communicate and well-deserved faculty recognition for our faculty. Together, these stories showcase the research, accomplishments and people making an impact across COS.

The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media recently welcomed industry professionals, family members and fellow Knights to its annual Cohort 22 Capstone Presentations, where graduate students unveiled the original video games they spent the past year designing and developing.

The presentations marked the culmination of FIEA’s signature Capstone experience, during which multidisciplinary teams of students work together in a simulated game studio to create and release an original title. From project management and programming to art, design and production, students assume professional roles while navigating the same creative and technical challenges they can expect in the game industry after graduation.

In April 2023, a few days after senior prom, Gabby Murison ’26 and her family drove 650 miles from New Orleans to Orlando. They’d vacationed in previous years to the area’s theme parks, but this time they had just one destination on the itinerary: UCF. The university interested Murison for its strong film program through the Nicholson School of Communication and Media.

A mentor gently persuaded Murison to apply her communication skills to the campus community. Still in her first semester and despite a full plate, Murison volunteered for Spirit Splash during Homecoming Week.

“My involvement grew to the point where I’d see students wearing merchandise I helped design,” she says. “My confidence and connections to UCF kept expanding." 

Three years after her first step onto campus, Murison was awarded the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s most prestigious student award. Murison’s experience reflects the vibrant community and opportunities available across UCF.

Congratulations to physics doctoral students Jayden Craft and Nicholas Lewis on earning the prestigious U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Fellowship!

Through this highly competitive fellowship, Nicholas and Jayden conduct research at two of the nation's leading national laboratories. Through his appointment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nicholas studies electron interactions in quantum systems to improve computational models that help scientists better understand atomic behavior and interpret experiments at advanced light sources. At the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh, Jayden works to enhance quantum sensing techniques using optical fibers, helping make these technologies more portable for real-world applications, including the detection of rare-earth elements that are essential to modern technology.

The Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL), a nonprofit that brings together the top academics and practitioners in the state, announced its 2026 cohort of inductees. Eight of the new members are from UCF, including one faculty member from the Chemistry Department at the College of Sciences.

Full members are recognized as established leaders with a sustained record of exceptional impact in their respective fields. Associate members, who are new to ASEMFL this year, are recognized for their professional accomplishments and emerging leadership.

“We are proud to welcome this exceptional group of scholars and innovators to ASEMFL, including our inaugural class of associate members,” says Yogi Goswami, ASEMFL president and distinguished professor at the University of South Florida. “Their lifelong dedication and creativity have led to transformational advances in their fields, improving lives and strengthening our communities.”

Faculty are making higher education more affordable for their students by adding Open Educational Resources (OER) to their course curriculum.

Senior Lecturer Daniel McConnell in the Department of Psychology recently made his textbook, Ideas in Mind: A Conceptual History of Psychology, available as an OER. McConnell uses the book in his History of Psychology course, giving students free access to a full-length text that traces the history of psychology from ancient philosophy through the rise of modern cognitive science.

McConnell’s work demonstrates how faculty can use scholarship and teaching to help remove barriers for students and expand access to knowledge.

For Raine Ponce, her time with the College of Sciences has been an opportunity to put her creativity and communication skills into practice while helping connect the COS community with the information and resources they need.

A recent graduate with a B.A. in Digital Media on the Web and Interactive Media Track, Raine joined the COS communications and marketing team as a Communications and Social Media Intern. In this role, she helped develop a variety of communications materials, including social media posts, print materials and event graphics.

Some of her most memorable experiences came from helping prepare larger COS events, including the AlumKnight Awards and Spark STEM Fest. Being involved behind the scenes gave her a new appreciation for the amount of communication and coordination required to bring an event to life.

While her work with COS allowed her to explore different aspects of communications, Raine brings her strong creative background to everything she does. Outside of work, she enjoys making art and experimenting with different mediums, with charcoal, face paint and watercolor among her favorites.

Her creativity also extends into her work as a face painter. For the past three and a half years, she has worked as a face painter at Universal, giving her another outlet to combine art, creativity and working with people.

Looking back on her time with COS, she says one of the highlights was the opportunity to work alongside a supportive team while learning new skills.

“I really enjoyed working with the COS team! Everyone was very supportive and understanding, and overall really nice to work with,” Raine says. “I’m glad I got to learn so much the past few months.”

Your Observer 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the scrub jay population has declined 90% in the past century due to habitat loss and fragmentation because of development and agriculture.

The Florida Department of Environmental protection estimates the current scrub jay population at between 7,000 and 9,300 birds. The species federal status is "threatened."

The aim of the project is to enhance genetic diversity and improve the species’ long-term viability in the region.

Rappler 

When Jollibee opened the doors to its first store in Manhattan, New York City in 2018, customers arrived in droves.

They braved the rain. A few came dressed as the restaurant’s iconic red bee mascot. Others claimed to have waited in line for over 20 hours.

In just six years, the homegrown Filipino fast-food chain would more than double its number of stores in North America and establish a fanbase that rivals the likes of McDonald’s and KFC.

“Jollibee has the momentum and the wind in its sails at this moment,” said Ty Matejowsky, a food scholar and anthropology professor at the University of Central Florida. “They’ve shown that they can go toe to toe in international markets. I really feel like they will, if not achieve the 500-store goal, then get pretty close.”

International Business Times 

Shopr Rewards (“Shopr”), a fintech-powered engagement and loyalty platform, today announced the appointment of Delaney Kelly as digital marketing and user acquisition coordinator. Kelly will help expand Shopr’s digital reach, strengthen its brand storytelling and support user growth across the company’s enterprise partner network.

Kelly joins Shopr after graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in advertising and public relations. Her appointment supports Shopr’s continued investment in the digital experiences that connect partner organizations and their audiences with instant cash back and everyday financial benefits.

In her new role, Kelly will contribute to digital campaign execution, social media communications, content development, audience engagement and performance tracking. She will also support initiatives designed to increase awareness, acquisition and ongoing participation across Shopr’s key marketing channels.

Save the date! Join the UCF Department of Anthropology for a special open house celebrating 20 years of research, discovery, stories and community.

For two decades, UCF Anthropology has explored questions that help us advance understanding of what it means to be human across time, cultures, and geography.

Where: Fairwinds Alumni Center, Ballroom A

When: Friday October 16 | 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Light refreshments will be available.

Be part of the celebration as we look back at two decades of impact in research, teaching and fieldwork and Charge On to what's next for UCF Anthropology!

Share your research, achievements, and unique stories (or those of a student, colleague, or fellow alum) with the COS Marketing team. Our team will review each submission and explore opportunities to feature your news. Be sure to include any relevant links, files, and photos to help us tell your story.

sciences.ucf.edu | cosmarketing@ucf.edu