Combat, cancer and accidents – all can cause devastating nerve injuries. Sometimes, the body heals on its own. “Your peripheral nerves, the ones in the arms and the face, have an inherent ability to regenerate, but only under ideal circumstances,” says University of Florida biomedical engineer Christine Schmidt. With support from the National Science Foundation, Schmidt and her team are …
NASA enlists UF faculty to develop small satellite technology
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Mechanical and aerospace engineering and astronomy faculty members at the University of Florida have been selected to work with NASA’s Langley Research Center on navigation and guiding systems for small satellites. Norman Fitz-Coy, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said the instruments developed for this project are based on some of the oldest navigation tools used throughout …
Duke Energy supports Gator Engineering STEPUP students
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Duke Energy, which began providing electric services in Florida when it merged with Progress Energy last year, has contributed $78,000 to a program designed to recruit and retain underrepresented students at the University of Florida’s College of Engineering. Successful Transition through Enhanced Preparation for Undergraduates Program, or STEPUP, provides underrepresented engineering student populations with a holistic academic support system …
Environmental engineering models new ways to save water
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With a growing population and projections of a steadily warming climate, Florida’s sustainable future requires innovative approaches to water conservation. Engineers and researchers from the University of Florida are looking for water in an unexpected place: Florida’s forests. Rayonier, the seventh largest landowner in the state and an international purveyor of forest products, funded a study that …
Gator Engineering Startup Receives $1.2M for Microchipped Meds
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded local firm eTect $1.2 million to develop capsules with tiny sensors in them that send a signal when swallowed by a patient. eTect is headquartered in Jonesville and uses tiny sensors developed by Convergent Engineering and the University of Florida’s College of Engineering. Read more …
UF lands $8 million federal award for supercomputing research
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida on Thursday received an $8 million federal award and was named one of six universities nationwide tapped to conduct high-performance computing simulations aimed at addressing some of the world’s most complex problems. The award from the National Nuclear Security Administration and accompanying designation as a center of excellence is a direct result of …
UF Alums Establish John H. & Mary Lou Dasburg Chair in Engineering
John and Mary Lou Dasburg, both graduates of UF, have established a new chair in the College of Engineering with a $1.5M gift. John Dasburg received his bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering in 1966. The gift will allow for the hire of a faculty member whose research and teaching endeavors address prime focus areas in engineering and technology. …
Gator Engineering in Antarctica
If you’re ever in Antarctica, you should stop by and visit at least one of the three U.S.–operated research stations: McMurdo, South Pole, or Palmer. The first two are just a few flights away, (43 or 48 hours of flights, respectively, both by way of Christchurch, New Zealand). Palmer Station is a 12-hour flight, from Miami to Punta Arenas, Chile, …
Former Dean Remembered
Dr. Robert E. Uhrig passed away on June 12, 2013. Faculty, staff and students are saddened by this loss, but grateful for the many contributions he made during his years at the university. Dr. Uhrig served as dean for the College of Engineering from 1968 to 1973. During that time he was also the Director of the Engineering and Industrial …
Engineers at University of Florida Lead Hurricane and Tornado Research
Hurricane season has begun and Gator Engineering hurricane and tornado research is making headlines. Earlier this week, Dr. David Prevatt, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, testified before members of the U.S. House Science Committee in Washington, DC. Prevatt researches how buildings can be built stronger to withstand extreme weather. He presented his latest research, …