CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | JANUARY 2021 View as Webpage
FAU Receives NIH Grant To Enhance Social Engagement In Older Adults
Researchers from the Schmidt College of Science and the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing received a two-year, $675,000 grant from the National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health, to test a mathematical model designed to optimize social and physical engagement in older adults. Researchers from the College of Science include, Emmanuelle Tognoli, Ph.D., a research professor in the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, and Christopher Beetle, Ph.D., an associate professor of physics. Read more.
Assistant Professor and Biostatician Part of Research Team Awarded $6.6 Million Grant to Study Alzheimer's
Lun-Ching Chang, Ph.D., an assistant professor and biostatician from the Department of Mathematical Sciences is a co-investigator/lead biostatistician collaborating with researchers on a five-year $6.6 million R01 grant to study Alzheimer’s disease. The grant is from the National Institute of Aging of the National Institutes of Health for a proposal titled “Reducing Disparities in Dementia and VCID Outcomes in a Multicultural Rural Population.” Read more.
Watch All the Talks From the Data Science, Analytics and AI Conference
In case you missed us on November 14, or if you want to revisit the lectures, you can now watch all the talks from the 2020 FAU Data Science, Analytics, and AI Conference. Learn from the researchers, industry experts and leaders. See details below for viewing the talks.
 
 
Watch on the Data, Analytics, and AI Conference website (select "Watch Lecture Here" next to each talk).
 
 
College of Science Virtual Walk-in Advising Week
The College of Science Advising Team is offering Virtual Walk-in Advising January 11-15, 2021, 10 AM to 3 PM each day. Walk-in advising is specifically for students who need to: (a) finalize their spring schedule, (b) schedule their initial transfer advising appointment, and (c) to answer any questions they may have regarding graduation for the Spring 2021 term. Learn more.
College of Science Safety Ambassadors a Success
The Schmidt College of Science put out a call for student volunteers to serve as COVID-19 Safety Ambassadors for the Fall 2020 semester on both the Davie and Boca Raton campuses. Following the call, 87 students were accepted to serve as a safety ambassador. The volunteers worked collaboratively with the college to increase public health awareness on campus and in the classroom through advocating for the University's COVID-19 prevention guidelines to ensure a safer campus environment for in-person courses. Read more.
University Coronavirus Updates
FAU continues to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19). For the most recent updates, visit the University's dedicated web page at www.fau.edu/coronavirus.
Frontiers in Science 2021 Public Lecture Series
January Talks
January 15

"Understanding the Big Bang: The Universe Beyond Einstein"

Ivan Agullo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Physics, Louisiana State University

Time: 4:00 p.m.

January 22

"Human Health Assessment and Rehabilitation: What Does the Future Hold?"

Christopher Rhea, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina Greensboro

Time: 4:00 p.m.

January 29

"Homo naledi and the Rising Star Cave"

Marina Elliot, Ph.D.
Biological Anthropologist, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Time: 4:00 p.m.

We invite you to join the Schmidt College of Science at the 2021 Frontiers in Science Public Lecture Series! The series runs from January through April. Experts from across the world bring a diversity of topics, discussing research in timely and engaging areas of the sciences. This season will be fully virtual, yet just as interactive, including question and answer sessions. Above are the January speakers. To see the full line-up, visit science.fau.edu/frontiers.
Congratulations Fall 2020 Graduates
Congratulations to all of the amazing graduates from the Schmidt College of Science! Florida Atlantic celebrated Fall 2020 graduates with a virtual commencement. Watch the College of Science ceremony.
Ata Sarajedini Selected as Chair of Hubble Space Telescope Time Allocation Committee
Professor and Bjorn Lamborn Endowed Chair in Astrophysics, Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., has been selected to serve as the chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Time Allocation Committee. Read more.
Three Minute Thesis Championship Competitor Rachel Wong
Rachel Wong is a doctoral candidate in experimental psychology who presented, "A Systematic Comparison Of Classifying Human Actions From Pose Estimation" at the 2020 Three Minute Thesis Competition. Click here to learn more and see all of the 3MT Championship competitors from the College of Science.
Student Spotlight: Undergraduate Researcher Lina Crisostomo
Lina Crisostomo is a Biological Sciences major and Health Administration minor in the College of Science who is on the pre-health track student, aiming to go to medical school and become a physician. Cristosomo has held leadership roles in student groups and is a member of the college's Soar-in-4 cohort of high-achieving students, as well as a member of the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Read more.
Students Present Research to City of Deerfield Beach
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning's Planning Workshop class, under the direction of Louis Merlin, Ph.D., presented their final project on December 14 to members of the Deerfield Beach City Commission and the general public. Learn more.
In the News
The American Chemical Society Elects Charles Carraher, Ph.D., for 3-year Term
The American Chemical Society (ACS) elected Charles Carraher, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry to their board to serve a three-year term for the ACS governing activities and the Chemistry Luminary Awards Ceremony. Read more.
First Transport Access Manual Published
Assistant professor Louis Merlin, Ph.D., was one of a team of authors organized under professor David Levinson, University of Sydney, to publish the first-ever Transport Access Manual: A Guide for Measuring Connection between People and Places. This free, downloadable guide provides a comprehensive introduction to how to apply accessibility measures in transportation planning. Read more.
Remembering Professor Emeritus Clyde Burnett
Clyde Ray Burnett, Ph.D., a longstanding faculty member in the Department of Physics at Florida Atlantic University, died peacefully in his mountain home near Rollinsville, Colorado on May 27, 2020, after a short illness. Clyde was a former chair for the Department of Physics, a professor, and served as professor emeritus during his time at the University. Read more.
Jesse Saginor, Ph.D., Publishes Article on PropTech
Jesse Saginor, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning, co-authored an article for the Journal of Property Investment & Finance titled, "The rise of PropTech." The article discusses the emerging industrial technologies and their impact on real estate. Read more.
FAU Cares Emergency Fund for Students
Florida Atlantic University established the "FAU Cares Emergency Fund" for currently registered, degree-seeking students who are experiencing financial hardship. The fund can be used for education-related expenses such as room, board, tuition, and personal expenses.
Students can learn more through FAU’s Office of Student Financial Aid. For more information and to donate to the FAU Cares Emergency Fund, visit fauf.fau.edu/fau-cares.
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 25
2021 Faculty and Staff Diversity Symposium

Friday, January 29

Friday, February 5
Submit your news for Science Connect to scicomm@fau.edu.