Highlights

There were abundant engineering learning opportunities this summer. University of Florida partnered with Sarasota area teachers and community organizations to offer camps, workshops, and professional development. In early June, North Port High School engineering instructor Ken Jakoby and Pine View School engineering instructor, Drew Wormington joined other K-12 teachers in Gainesville for a one-week training ...

“I put a down payment on a townhouse,” 25-year-old lifelong Sarasota resident Alec Kruk beams proudly as he describes his first home purchase in a new Lakewood Ranch development in Sarasota. When asked why he chose to live and work in his hometown, Alec quickly responds, “I was born at Sarasota Memorial. All of my family ...

Second-year University of Florida student Andreas Zeitler combined a strong foundation in engineering in high school with critical tracking courses at State College of Florida to reach his goal of majoring in electrical engineering at UF in Gainesville. Through his coursework and extracurricular involvement in various university organizations, Zietler is demonstrating the mindset of the New ...

Safran Group (SAF), a global aircraft systems manufacturer, has a strong presence in Sarasota, Florida, with a dedicated aerospace operation. This facility houses an experienced and committed engineering and manufacturing workforce, dedicated to nurturing the next generation of engineers. Safran has joined forces with the University of Florida Innovation Station Sarasota County to establish vital ...

University of Florida Mechanical Engineering major Will Jorgensen knows the value of a good internship. He spent this past summer with Harmar Mobility, a Sarasota-based wheelchair lift manufacturer, and the hands-on experience and emphasis on effective communications helped him fine-tune his path forward. Eventually, he would like more exposure to design and has added a ...

“I’ve always had a passion for working with children,” Booker Middle School teacher Karen Hart asserts, “and making a difference in the lives of young people makes it all worth it,” She taught math and science for two decades before joining Sarasota County and bringing her expertise to Booker Middle School. She instructed science classes and ...

“He’s a rock star. He has an open position here.” That’s what RND Automation Director of Operations and Engineering, Aaron Laine says about the local company’s recent summer intern and University of Florida engineering student, Lucas Magno. Engineering internships are a 12-week job interview for employers; and, for students both an interview and a chance to gain ...

One of the most important challenges an employer faces is finding talent with the right skillset and the right fit for the company’s culture. Design and engineering consulting firm, Kimley-Horn’s internship program pairs students like Sarasota local, Emily Griffiths with a mentor to guide them through the job portion and a buddy who can acquaint them with the company ...

This year, the University of Florida Innovation Station has driven growth in the number of UF engineering students seeking internships, and the pre-COVID number of companies offering internships in the Sarasota region.  Ultimately, twenty-one companies, half of which are new UF Innovation Station internship program partners, offered internships to UF engineering students.  Most importantly, the ...

During its post-election Economic Outlook event on December 4, the Economic Development Council of Sarasota presented the 14th Annual Clyde Nixon Business Leadership Award to Allen Carlson, regional director of the University of Florida Innovation Station in Sarasota. The award is given annually to an individual in Sarasota County who embodies the personal and business values ...

McIntosh Middle School students enrolled in FSU’s SSTRIDE course participated in our virtual K-12 Sarasota Gator Outreach (Sarasota GO) event hosted by Dr. Furtney of Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering.  Students learned about the career path, and benefits of a degree in biomedical engineering and were walked through the Cellular Engineering Lab via a ...

The Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development, and Education (STRIDE) Center teamed up with Julee Breehne, K-12 Coordinator at Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s UF Innovation Station in Sarasota County, to introduce students at Booker Middle School in Sarasota County to transportation engineering. STRIDE K-12 Coordinator Ondine Wells and Breehne met with 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students in the Brilliant ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, in concert with North Carolina State University, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and UF’s Innovation Station Sarasota County, recently convened a five-session virtual summit on “Innovating Coastal Resilience.” Thought leaders and industry experts gathered online to help envision new technologies and applications, ...

New College of Florida and the University of Florida are working together to design an innovative dual degree program that would allow for the earning of a Bachelor of Arts degree in a liberal arts and science major from New College and a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering major from UF. Students in ...

Local Teachers Get Excited about STEM Education A grant through the Department of Education (EquiPD) is in its second year and boosts UF Innovation Station’s efforts to grow the pipeline of K-12 students to engineering by expanding the pool of STEM-qualified teachers. In addition to the 55 Sarasota/Manatee teachers who signed on to participate, teachers outside ...

Gainesville, Florida – Sarasota County commissioners have unanimously approved extending funding, matched by UF funding, for University of Florida Innovation Station Sarasota County (UFIS-SC) through 2027. UFIS-SC was formed in 2016 and is the first extension office for the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. It was developed to strengthen the region’s innovation economy, support the ...

The COVID-19 pandemic did not slow down the momentum of engineering students seeking internships this summer. A number of students from Gator Engineering at State College of Florida and from the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering will be doing internships and work-study programs with companies and other organizations in the Sarasota-Manatee County area this ...

Originally posted by WCJP. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB)– Middle schoolers throughout Florida had a chance to experience first-hand what engineers do for society. “It is really in between middle school, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade where we’re losing a critical mass of young women who up until then have been very much interested in science, engineering, and mathematics and ...

This program kind of opened the doors for me to get into UF” – Trevor Pools, one of the students from the inaugural class of Gator Engineering at SCF program in 2017.

Funding provided by Gulf Coast Community Foundation doubles the number of stipends available for engineering students who intern in Sarasota County.