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Why I Chose UF…

Why I Chose UF…

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Why I Chose UF…

Why I Chose UF…

Click on a student’s picture to read about why they chose the University of Florida.

2017 PhD Students

Last year I had a chance to do my internship at UF Computer and Information Science and Engineering Department, Bioinformatics Lab. During my internship I had a chance to get to know this wonderful place. I chose UF because the interest and importance they provide for knowledge is impressive. I felt that I can do even better by asking questions and reasoning. UF also gives you the chance to work with different diciplines in many scientific projects! It feels great to feel huge support , I'm glad that I'm here. — Aysegul Bumin
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Middle East Technical University

One thing that really stood out at UF was how strongly PhD students were recruited which really made me feel wanted and valued at UF. — Kiara Chan
Biomedical Engineering
Cornell University

Having individual students drive us around was nice because we made friends and had good discussions about UF while in transport. — Savannah Dewberry
Biomedical Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The community of the MSE department attracted me to UF. — Bryan James
Materials Science and Engineering
University of Toronto

I chose to attend the University of Florida for many reasons including interdisciplinary collaboration, quality of research, and the graduate cohort atmosphere. — Julie Jameson
Chemical Engineering
University of Arkansas

I attended UF for my undergraduate studies and because of that I knew the quality of education I would receive if I stayed for my graduate studies. I chose UF because of the amount of opportunities that would be provided to me from the university, my lab and my advisor. — Isabel Laurenceau
Computer Information Sciences and Engineering
University of Florida

I began looking at UF as a serious alternative for graduate school after a professor from my undergraduate institution recommended I look up a particular UF professor’s work. I took notice of the potential research avenues and class options available, and realized they were exactly what I was looking for. Coming from Oklahoma, I was concerned that the distance would be an issue. The PhD weekend, however, quickly changed my mind. During the visit I was warmly welcomed by every student and faculty member that I came in contact with. I was also able to meet a slew of faculty members in different research areas, any of whom I would have been enthralled to work for, as well as other potential students (some of whom are now in the same lab as myself and can be considered my best friends). After receiving an offer to work under my (now) advisor, I determined that UF had just the right amount of items under the “Pros” list. The research was exactly in my area of interest, I would be working under a distinguished advisor, they had the classes I needed, they went above and beyond to make me feel valued and wanted, and they had the community which has given me a new home. I could have gone to another school and received a decent education, but I can whole-heartedly say that UF was the best choice for me. After all, “it’s great to be a Florida Gator.” — Connor McCurley
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Oklahoma State University

I couldn't take the Midwestern winters anymore! — Andrew O’Connor
Materials Science and Engineering
Purdue University

I came to UF because this place is great place to learn and grow. I first came here in the Fall of 2015 during the Junior Preview and I gained so much from that one visit. I was able to stay connected with the ECE department and learn more about graduate school. From the Junior Preview till now, I am grateful to be at UF and still feel very welcomed to this University. — Joshua Peeples
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham

I'm very grateful for all the help and support from Dr. Gary Consolazio and Nancy McIlrath. They were very patient with me and provided me with the necessary information to help me make a decision regarding my studies. — Seaska Perez
Civil Engineering
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

First of all, UF is a great university. The opportunities for research and learning are unimaginable. But most importantly, when I was considering UF, the people treated me like one of them, making me feel like I belong here. I have no regrets. My advisor, the graduate coordinator of ESSIE and the people I’ve met are incredibly awesome. I chose UF not only because is a great university, but also because of the people around me. They want the best for me just as much as I do. — Sofia Roman Echevarria
Civil Engineering
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

I chose UF after coming here for the Spring Visit in February. I was considering a program where there was a high degree of interaction between students and faculty. The ISE graduate coordinator at UF seemed concerned about my questions, and my new advisor was enthusiastic about having me work with her. The financial aid offer was generous, and an added plus was that UF was in the same state where I've grown up my whole life. I'm glad to be here, and I can't wait for what the future holds. Go Gators! — Reynerio Sanchez
Industrial and Systems Engineering
University of Miami

I enjoyed not having to fight to get my foot in the door. Florida was the only school where professors emailed me first. At other places I had to send tons of emails in the hope of getting a response from someone in my top 5 choices. — Dylan Stewart
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Murray State University

I really value the fact that I can start on my Ph.D. right away and can focus my research on that instead of needing to do a master's first. This helped me make my decision. — Megan Voss
Civil Engineering
Valparaiso University

2016 PhD Students

I chose the University of Florida because of the commitment between professor and students. The interest and importance they provide to the students is amazing. I also chose UF because of the technological advantages in the field of transportation engineering and also is one of the seven states that allows students to practice their experiments and research on the field. — Pedro Adorno-Maldonado
Civil Engineering
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

I chose to attend the University of Florida because the Chemical Engineering Department is heavily grounded in the traditional areas of research within the field, and it has a well-represented combination of fundamental and applied studies that make up the core areas of chemical engineering. Even though the bulk of my current research interests (drug delivery, biomaterials, nanoparticles/colloids) involve various areas of more recently developed interdisciplinary studies, I want to ensure that I first concentrate on the traditional foundations of chemical engineering. I believe that having this foundation of both theoretical and applied studies will be critical to opening the most possibilities for a strong research career. UF has the greatest breadth and depth of lab groups I’d want to join who fit this model, so this was the deciding factor for me to attend. — Samuel Berens
Chemical Engineering
Princeton University

I chose Florida because of the expanding Biomedical Engineering Department, interesting research opportunities, and proximity to my hometown. — Deanna Bousalis
Biomedical Engineering
Florida State University

The research focuses on not only fundamentals of chemical engineering, but strongly focuses on application as well, and many of the graduate students have very bright futures. Also, the social environment is very positive and supportive. — Nevin Brosius
Chemical Engineering
Pennsylvania State University

I chose UF due [to] current research topics in metal alloys in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. Also I had an awesome recommendation from my master thesis adviser about the UF Materials Science and Engineering Department. — Wesley Cuadrado
Materials Science and Engineering
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

I chose Florida because of the diverse faculty and graduate student body in the CISE Department. I'm interested in Computing Education research and there's about 3-5 faculty members that conduct such research plus I met a handful of graduate students that are working in that research area as well. Also, there's a great [amount] of minority faculty and students (African American, Latino/Hispanic, and women) that makes me feel a stronger sense of community. — Joseph Isaac
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
University of Maryland, College Park

I chose UF because the graduate students and professors were very open to offering me advice. — Noah McFerran
Nuclear Engineering Sciences
University of California Irvine

The University of Florida was the one school that made me feel truly sought after and that had a really expansive set of research to choose from for Materials Science. — Sara Mills
Materials Science and Engineering
Mercyhurst College

The academic program and composition of interests and expertise among faculty and current students is by far best suited to advance my research interests and skills. — Lydia Pezzullo
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Tufts University

I chose Florida because I'm fascinated by and believe in the potential impact of the research I did as a Master's student. — Julian Rey
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Florida

I choose the University of Florida for a lot of reasons. The BME program in UF, is top ranked in the US, and their innovative classes that are adapted to be more interdisciplinary make it very attractive. Also, their umbrella way to teach and the integration of different disciplines are aligned with my goals and expectations. Otherwise, the BME program is well-recognized in industry and academic circles establishing a foundation for future collaborations, but one of the most important advantages is the economic development and research funding. Another thing that I like from UF is their clear idea of an engineer aspects and attributes: interdisciplinary, innovation and leadership. — Angelie Rivera Rodriguez
Biomedical Engineering
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez

I chose UF because of the atmosphere in the CISE department and also the vast opportunities for research collaboration. — Simone Smarr
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Spelman College

I chose Florida due to the expertise of the faculty and the strong research happening there. — Chad Spreadbury
Environmental Engineering and Sciences
University of Florida

I chose Florida because of the quality of research in the Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) group as well as the unparalleled quality of life of the current graduate students. — Andrew Stern
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Rochester

I chose Florida because I really liked how the grad community felt, and there was an adviser I was really excited to work with. — Emily Turner
Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

I chose Florida because of the passion that the faculty exhibited about their research. — Kyle Ventura
Materials Science and Engineering
Clarkson University

I chose UF because I was made to feel wanted and a valuable asset to the Biomedical Engineering Department. — Syd Wiggins
Biomedical Engineering
University of Arkansas

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