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Participants in the 46th annual Southeastern Conference for Minority Engineers (SECME) competition gathered on UF's campus in June 2023.

SECME supports the changing face and future of engineering 

July 13, 2023

In June, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering hosted the 46th annual Southeastern Conference for Minority Engineers (SECME) competition for middle and high school students from the Southeast region of the U.S. Participants from schools in Texas, Alabama, and Florida gathered on UF’s campus for SECME’s first in-person competition since 2019.

Read more: SECME supports the changing face and future of engineering  »
Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D., PE, PMP, LEED-AP

Simmons selected as ASEE Fellow

June 30, 2023

Denise R. Simmons, Ph.D., PE, PMP, LEED-AP, was selected as a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) for Exemplary Contributions to Civil Engineering Workforce Development.

Read more: Simmons selected as ASEE Fellow »
The logo for the National Science Foundation (NSF) superimposed over a photograph of Weil Hall on UF's campus

UF engineering students and alumni awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

June 28, 2023

Eleven students from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, as well as nine alumni, were selected to receive awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP).

Read more: UF engineering students and alumni awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships »

Weighing the great AI pause

June 23, 2023

We asked a panel of UF AI experts to discuss the implications of a proposed six-month moratorium on further development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.

Read more: Weighing the great AI pause »
Close-up of Synhelion’s proprietary solar receiver, which delivers high-temperature process heat beyond 1’500°C.

DOE awards UF and Synhelion $2.7M to scale up solar hydrogen energy production

June 23, 2023

A joint project between the University of Florida and Synhelion, a global pioneer in the field of carbon-neutral solar fuels, has been awarded $2.7M from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). The project aims to accelerate the large-scale development and deployment of concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) technology to produce green hydrogen for industrial decarbonization and electric power generation and storage.

Read more: DOE awards UF and Synhelion $2.7M to scale up solar hydrogen energy production »
Richard Vigeant

Richard Vigeant named director of Research & Engineering Education Facility

June 21, 2023

Dear Colleagues, Please join me in congratulating Richard Vigeant for agreeing to serve as the next Director of the Research & Engineering Education Facility (REEF), which is a College-led educational site that has served Eglin Air Force Base for more than 50 years. Richard joined the College in 2017 as the founding Director of Florida […]

Read more: Richard Vigeant named director of Research & Engineering Education Facility »
Two students work on their project for the SECME national student competition.

Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to host 46th annual SECME National Student contest

June 15, 2023

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida will host the 46th Annual SECME National Student contest on June 21-23, 2023, as part of the SECME mission to ensure all students belong in engineering.

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People are seen near damaged properties on a broken section of Pine Island Road on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Matlacha, Fla. Hurricane Ian made landfall on the coast of South West Florida as a category 4 storm Tuesday afternoon leaving areas affected with flooded streets, downed trees and scattered debris. [ MATIAS J. OCNER | Miami Herald ]

UF researcher: Floridians must “rise to the occasion” to fortify against impact of storms

June 2, 2023

David O. Prevatt, Ph.D., professor of Civil & Coastal Engineering, studied the damage caused by Hurricane Ian and said Floridians continue to be slow to make the changes needed to fortify themselves against the costly impacts of storms. “When we rise to the occasion, we learn from our failures,” he said. “I contend that our learning from failure in a context of wind hazards is too slow and the growth of housing — being built in very vulnerable areas — far exceeds our ability to do something about it.”

Read more: UF researcher: Floridians must “rise to the occasion” to fortify against impact of storms »
Hurricane Michael makes landfall in Florida (image: visibleearth.nasa.gov)

UF launches Hurricane Hub to mark start of 2023 Atlantic hurricane season

June 2, 2023

UF launched its Hurricane Hub, which houses a variety of resources for residents and members of the media. The collection of information includes storm preparation tips, news about the latest in hurricane research, and a list of experts available to provide insight to journalists.

Read more: UF launches Hurricane Hub to mark start of 2023 Atlantic hurricane season »

Understanding the riding experience of people with disabilities in an automated shuttle

June 1, 2023

Most of us have the luxury of not having to think about transportation and mobility. However, about 41 million Americans have disabilities and here in Florida, with its older demographic, providing more mobility options become a higher priority. A research team at the University of Florida (UF) recently studied persons with disabilities’ attitudes about utilizing […]

Read more: Understanding the riding experience of people with disabilities in an automated shuttle »