Since graduating from UF in 1988, with high honors and an electrical engineering degree, Randy Glein’s career has trended with the growth of the technology industry itself – as venture capital investor, operating executive and entrepreneur. Glein is managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), a venture capital firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. He oversees investments for a roster of …
Art sparks creative aspects for engineering students
https://youtu.be/iBwW_tFcbOg Engineering is considered by some to be a rigid academic discipline, but problem-solving requires creativity. Enter Elif Akcali, an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, who expanded the mindsets of her students this past semester with two major projects aimed at introducing them to the world of artistic expression. “Creativity and problem solving are defining characteristics that make …
Gator Engineer inducted into Washington Business Hall of Fame
In 1972, she graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering. She was one of two women in her class. This month she was honored for her life achievements, heralded for shattering glass ceilings, and inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame. As the president and CEO of BAE Systems, Linda Hudson …
UF extends highest honor to engineering leader Norm Augustine
Gator Engineering congratulates Norman R. Augustine, longtime corporate and military leader, as he receives an honorary doctorate degree of technology from the University of Florida in a ceremony on December 13, 2013. Augustine has played a large role in shaping the aerospace industry. He served as president, chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. He’s sat on advisory boards for NASA, …
Tissue engineering could help thousands each year
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kidney failure patients in the not-too-distant future may have a new option that sidesteps the current organ shortage, lengthy wait and potential rejection: Grow your own. University of Florida researchers are using a pig kidney as a “scaffold” in which they are building a human version by injecting it with stem cells grown from the patient. Those …
Astronaut alumnus reflects on impact of his UF education
https://youtu.be/zd9ldidir_M
MitiGators wins big with disaster-resilient homes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., – The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) today announced that the University of Florida “MitiGators” won the RenaissanceRe $20,000 Challenge with their proposal to develop a “Resilient Residence” smartphone app. Undergraduate and graduate teams from the University of Florida (UF) and Florida International University (FIU) engineering departments competed for the cash award to fund development of the …
SwampSat, Gator Engineering’s first satellite, launches into space
SwampSat, the first picosatellite developed by researchers in the College of Engineering, will be launched into space today from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Norman Fitz-Coy is the director of UF’s Space Systems Group, which designed and built the 4-inch cube satellite. On its mission, SwampSat will test an onboard, miniaturized flight attitude stabilization system. …
Gator Engineers reinvent the accelerometer, environment and consumer to benefit
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The technology used to track movement in our cell phones, gaming devices, and airbags is about to scale down, resulting in smaller packaging, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. Accelerometers are used everyday to track movement in many responsive electronic devices – they are how your smart phone knows to readjust a picture when you turn your …
Civil Engineering’s David Prevatt shares suggestions for typhoon preparation with NBC News
In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, reporters are asking the question everyone is thinking: How can we prevent tragedies like this from happening. David Prevatt, a professor of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida, offered suggestions for building more wind-resistant structures and surge-protected communities in an interview with John Roach of NBC News: “Surviving typhoons will require smarter …