CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | JUNE 2022 View as Webpage
'Beam Me Up:' Nation's First Quantum Drone Provides Unrivaled Security
Dr. Warner A. Miller, Ph.D., a Professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, in conjunction with Qubitekk and L3Harris, is leading United States' efforts to develop the first drone-based, mobile quantum network that provides unparalleled security. Read more.
Study Finds Why Baby Leatherback Marine Turtles Can’t ‘See the Sea’
When sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nests, typically at night, they crawl toward the ocean in what is known as “seafinding.” They have to discriminate between the brighter seaward versus a dimmer landward horizon and then move toward the source of the light. Read more.
Eliminating COVID-19 Using Mathematical Models
When determining if infectious diseases like the flu or COVID-19 could be eliminated by human behavior rather than pharmaceuticals, it’s the economy that might matter most, according to a recent study led by Necibe Tuncer, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Read more.
Research on Tidal Flats is ‘Wake Up Call’ for U.S. Coastal Communities
Currently, there isn’t an effective way to identify and quantify the interactions between urban areas and tidal flats, which is essential to preserve the nation’s coastal communities. To address this environmental crisis, Weibo Liu, Ph.D., senior author of the study and an Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, and researchers, have developed a novel approach that quantifies change patterns of tidal flats from a spatiotemporal perspective using data collected across time. Their study is one of the first to investigate correlations between tidal flats and urban areas using this technique. Read more.
2022 FAU Data-Driven Science and AI Conference Brings Industry and Academic Leaders Together
The May 21, 2022 Data-Driven Science and AI Conference brought industry leaders, top researchers, and students together to speak about a range of topics, from BioNFTs in the metaverse, using AI in finance, to discovering solar energy materials using data/AI. With the last in-person conference taking place in 2019, we were excited to be back on the Boca Raton campus. Read more.
Pre-Health Leadership Establishes Relationship with Yale School of Medicine
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Sciences’ Pre-Health Professions and Continuing Education leadership team recently attended the PATHS-First Look Immersion Program conference at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. The program connects pre-medical and science students from minority-serving institutions and local colleges with advisors who can provide information about Yale’s M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. programs. Read more.
Science Students Win at Annual Three Minute Thesis Championship
3MT® Championship first place winner, Morgan Slevin
Graduate students from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science were recognized at FAU's 6th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Championship, hosted by the Graduate College. Graduate students from across the University participated in the competition. Only 13 students advanced to the championship round to be judged by a panel of distinguished experts and leaders from the South Florida community. See the 2022 3MT® Championship winners from the Schmidt College of Science:

First Place and recipient of the Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Endowed Award
Morgan Slevin, "Treating treatment failure: How wild avian microbiomes mediate stress responses, with applications to wildlife rehabilitation"
Degree program: Ph.D. in Integrative Biology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Rindy C. Anderson, Ph.D.

Runner-Up
Amish Mishra, "Seeing data: For now we see dimly, but soon we will see shape to shape"
Degree program: Ph.D. in Mathematics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Francis Motta, Ph.D.

Second Runner-Up (tie)
Haley Davis, "Hyposalinity tolerance of three southeast Florida reef-building corals"
Degree program: M.S. in Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Joshua Voss, Ph. D.

Learn more and see all the winners.
Summer 2022 Science Continuing Education Courses
The Schmidt College of Science offers continuing education courses that are available to students and community members. Each course promotes education and academic success for future careers in health and medicine.

Certified Nursing Assistant Test Prep Course: June 11-18
This continuing education course is a test preparation course intended for students to “challenge” the CNA exam.
Biology Continuing Education Courses
Summer '22: Jun. 28-Jul. 28 and Fall '22: Oct. 18-Nov. 17

The ART certificate course is for professionals or current students seeking a career in human reproductive medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, biomedical science and other allied life science programs.

The DNA Forensics certificate course is for professionals and non-professional students contemplating a career in biotech, forensic science, criminal justice and other allied life science programs.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Among 'U.S. News & World Report’s' 2023 'Best Graduate Programs'
Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science graduate programs were ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Programs” for 2023. Read more.

Schmidt College of Science 2023 “Best Graduate Programs” include:
  • Earth Sciences (Geosciences) at No. 148
  • Mathematics at No. 155
  • Physics at No. 162
  • Psychology at No. 185
  • Biology at No. 203
FAU Honors 2022 Hall of Fame Inductee along with Distinguished Alumni 
From left to right, Dr. Jodi-Ann Edwards; Cheryl Shields Proctor, Ph.D.; Taren J. O’Brien, R.N.; Charles L. Bender III; FAU President John Kelly; Seth L. Siegel; Belcida Encinosa; Rik J. Deitsch; and Cara Capp.
The Florida Atlantic University Alumni Association hosted its annual Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni ceremony and reception, bringing together alumni to celebrate the accomplishments of their most outstanding peers. Alumni from eight of FAU’s colleges were honored for their career accomplishments. Congratulations to Rik J. Deitsch, B.S. ’97, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, who was honored at the ceremony. Read more.
Undergraduate GEOPATHS Research Experiences Program
The Undergraduate GEOPATHS Research Experiences program aims to immerse Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College students in in-depth field-work and other experiential activities: environmental geophysics study (with Professor Xavier Comas, Ph.D.), or investigating coastal morphological changes with field survey supported by UAV (with Associate Professor Tiffany Roberts Briggs, Ph.D. and Senior Instructor James Gammack-Clark). Selected students will earn a stipend for five days of field research, through a zero credit Directed Independent Research course with faculty during the second half of the Summer or Fall 2022 semesters. The field travel expense will also be covered. Learn more.
Summer MCAT Test Prep Course
The Summer Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Test Prep Course begins June 2, 2022. FAU Test Preparation, in alliance with the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, has developed FAU's MCAT Course to prepare students for the successful completion of the MCAT. Learn more.
The Road to Summer Success
Registration is open! Over 1,000 summer classes are online and on campus in Davie, Boca Raton and Jupiter. Learn more and register.
Florida Atlantic University Magazine
Read the inaugural edition of Florida Atlantic magazine. The publication is a celebration of the best news from around the University, including groundbreaking research, student achievements, athletic highlights and alumni success stories. Read more.
In the News
Congratulations to Our Medical Physics Graduates

Four Spring 2022 Professional Science Master in Medical Physics graduates were accepted into well-compensated Medical Physics residency programs. They will become Certified Medical Physicists and Diplomats of the American Board of Radiology (DABR) upon completion of their residencies. Their residencies begin July 1, 2022. Read more.
2022 Combinatorics, Computing, Group Theory and Applications Conference: Aug. 14-21
The purpose of the conference is to bring together experts in Group Theory, Combinatorics and Computing to discuss computational, algorithmic and application aspects that have recently emerged at the interface between these areas. Read more.
Upcoming Events
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