THE LATEST FROM THE UNIVERSITY
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The University of Florida now ranks No. 1 among the top universities in the nation, public or private, as noted by the Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal noted that the new ranking system offers a fresh lens on higher education, highlighting universities that prioritize intellectual growth and civic engagement rather than simply prestige or selectivity.
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Armed with a nearly $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant, UF, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Utah are creating these AI-based models to simulate human behavior during evacuations – information that will help emergency managers shape more effective evacuation plans.
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Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student Nima Ajayebi, left, and Assistant Professor Carl Denard, Ph.D., display a beaker of yeast used in their protease-inhibitor research at the University of Florida.
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Researcher Carl Denard, Ph.D., a chemical engineering assistant professor, and his team have developed High-throughput Activity Reprogramming of Proteases (HARP). This platform allows researchers to find potent, selective blockers of proteases (a kind of enzyme) linked to human diseases much faster and with fewer false positive hits.
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There is a powerful new industrial tool in the College of Engineering, a revolutionary machine that combines precise machining with advanced 3D printing to repair and rebuild large metal parts. Tucked in an MAE building, this 3D printing technology — Direct Energy Deposition (DED) — has been integrated into an existing computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine. The hybrid technology opens new possibilities in sustainable manufacturing and interdisciplinary research.
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Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., left, and Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., by UF's magnetic particle imaging scanner.
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White blood cells (T cells) are the bloodhounds. Cancer is the trouble. And dendritic cell therapy is the trainer directing those bloodhounds to those targets. Now, in a collaboration between UF’s biomedical engineering and neurosurgery departments, UF researchers are testing nanoparticle imaging to track that process and make sure T cells get to those cancer cells.
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White blood cells (T cells) are the bloodhounds. Cancer is the trouble. And dendritic cell therapy is the trainer directing those bloodhounds to those targets. Now, in a collaboration between UF’s biomedical engineering and neurosurgery departments, UF researchers are testing nanoparticle imaging to track that process and make sure T cells get to those cancer cells.
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Researchers from the University of Florida have, for the first time, exposed security risks in devices from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, which produces nearly all the portable genetic sequencers in the world. Alerted by the security researchers, Oxford Nanopore Technologies has rolled out updated software to patch the vulnerabilities. But out-of-date software, or unsecured internet systems, could still leave some DNA sequencers vulnerable to attack.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE
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Alex Trimble, along with fellow UF students Claudia Tariche Fortes and Caitlin Martin, earned his license through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing program, which requires months of intensive study, hands-on training and rigorous written and operational exams, including mastery of nuclear systems and safety protocols.
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Scientists are using vibrating nanoscale drumheads to study how magnetism moves and changes inside special materials — a discovery that could help power the next generation of fast, energy-efficient computers.
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A groundbreaking international partnership with the University of Florida and the non-profit organization of Sustainable Energy Initiative Pty Ltd of Australia at the center is charting the future of sustainable energy and clean technologies that aim to protect the environment.
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Healthcare systems see significant promise in AI for improving care delivery and controlling costs, yet face significant barriers to safe and effective implementation, including concerns about AI accuracy, patient safety, and integration with health system workflows. Joel Harley, Ph.D., is working to overcome some of these barriers.
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Think of a tiny coffee filter, but this one works inside a battery. The team recently showed that a one-atom-thick filter can block sulfur chains from shuttling within the battery, potentially unlocking the long-awaited promise of lithium–sulfur batteries.
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On October 3, we proudly welcomed Dr. Herbert “Herbie” Wertheim back to campus as we celebrate 10 years of the Wertheim Transformation. Since our college was renamed in his honor on October 1, 2015, Dr. Wertheim’s visionary $50 million gift has created a legacy that inspires pride in how far we’ve come, and excitement for how far we’ll go.
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Growing up in Gainesville with a professor father, Pegeen Hanrahan adored going to the University of Florida Engineering Fair each year. It was a beloved family tradition that shaped her love of engineering and, certainly, the Gators. Hanrahan returned to the halls of UF engineering as the Fall 2025 Linda Parker Hudson Leader in Residence. Hosted by UF’s Engineering Leadership Institute (ELI), the program selects leaders from industry, government and higher education to connect with UF engineering students about leadership, industry and engineering in the public interest.
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Kiley Graim, Ph.D., recently accepted the Artificial Intelligence Research Excellence Early Career Award, an honor recognizing her outstanding contributions to artificial intelligence research and her emerging leadership in advancing biomedical and computational discovery.
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The Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida has recognized three University of Florida assistant engineering professors as 2025 Rising Stars. James Fairbanks, Ph.D., Patrick Musgrave, Ph.D., both of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Ana Maria Porras, Ph.D., of Biomedical Engineering, were recognized at ASEMFL’s annual meeting in November. They were among 22 honorees selected from a nomination list of 168.
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The Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, University of Florida’s engineering honor society, was awarded the 2025 R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award at the Tau Beta Pi national convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Innovation was in the spotlight as UF Innovate | Tech Licensing celebrated the top six innovations of 2025 at its annual Standing InnOvation event. Four of the recognized technologies came from faculty researchers in the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
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CELEBRATING OUR FUTURE ENGINEERS
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The University of Florida’s Ceramic Mug Drop design team made history in September by setting a new university UF record for the highest drop at the Materials Science & Technology Technical Meeting and Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio.
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Hassan Tanvir came to UF to pursue a Ph.D. in engineering education with a background unlike many in the department. Tanvir served in the Pakistani military, completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science and master’s in software engineering, spent a decade teaching and mentoring hundreds of students and served as the chief operational officer of an education-tech startup in Pakistan.
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With a background deeply rooted in engineering, Taofeek Tejuosho is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in chemical engineering working to accelerate the design and development of polymer materials for diverse technological applications.
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From her first days in elementary school, Ivanna Milian’s family nurtured her path to becoming a first-generation college student. As they drove to school each morning, her father peppered her with positive affirmations. Those supportive vibes eventually led Milian — a 22-year-old native of Hialeah, Florida, who grew up in Pembroke Pines — to study mechanical engineering at UF.
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Originally from North Carolina, she came to the University of Florida in 2022 to pursue her Ph.D. in nuclear engineering. She quickly found not only world-class research opportunities but a community that supported and inspired her. Now in her fourth year, she was recently selected to participate in the 2025 Global Rising Stars Workshop in Stockholm, Sweden. This honor recognizes emerging women leaders in nuclear science and related fields.
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Originally from Kolhapur, India, Shubham Ravan is a first-year master’s student and graduate student researcher specializing in semiconductor fabrication and characterization. His expertise lies in scaling processes from lab to commercial scale, optimizing manufacturing efficiency.
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GIFTS OF NOTE - $100,000+ GIFTS
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We are deeply grateful to those whose generosity helps Gator Engineers be future-ready leaders through bold research, hands-on learning and forward-thinking innovation!
Wally and Paula Rhines - New award for ECE faculty leaders who receive major center grants of $50M+.
Jayant and Yogini Shroff - Outright gift to continue support of the Shroff Family Endowed Scholarship in Chemical Engineering.
Michael Whitesell - Sincere appreciation for his bequest pledge to power future graduate students at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Confidential Outright Gift - Deep appreciation for enduring impact in advancing expansion of Autonomy Park.
Vobile - Celebrating a new tradition with a pledge to sponsor the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering New Student Welcome Event to foster engagement and connection among incoming Gator Engineers.
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SUPPORT ENGINEERING STUDENTS
Gifts made to the Dean’s Excellence Fund help students through experiential learning opportunities that emphasize team-based learning, hands-on projects, student-organized competitions, internships, and externships to develop their leadership and innovation skills.
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