CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | NOVEMBER 2020 View as Webpage
FAU Awarded $5.3 Million to Detect Cognitive Change in Older Drivers
Monica Rosselli, Ph.D., professor and assistant chair for the Department of Psychology, is a member of the research team that was awarded a five-year, $5.3 million R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health for a project titled, “In-vehicle Sensors to Detect Cognitive Change in Older Drivers.” Read more.
FAU Scientists Patent Protective Compound That Slows Brain Degeneration
Two College of Science professors discovered a compound with the potential to protect the brain from degeneration. Salvatore Lepore, Ph.D., a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, and colleague Ken Dawson-Scully, Ph.D., a professor of biological sciences and associate vice-president for strategic initiatives in the Division of Academic Affairs, are named inventors on the patent, along with several members of their research teams. This work is funded by their collaborative $440,000 National Institutes of Health grant where Lepore serves as the principal investigator (PI) and Dawson-Scully as the co-PI. FAU’s Office of Technology Development secured the patent protection for the invention and is now working to commercialize it. Read more.
Novel Tracking Technology Sheds Light on Leatherback Sea Turtles’ “Lost Years”
FAU researcher and Director of the Marine Science Lab at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Jeanette Wyneken, Ph.D., and her team are working with Upwell Turtles to better understand the journey of leatherback turtles. Read more.
Diana Mitsova Appointed John DeGrove Eminent Scholar
Associate professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Diana Mitsova, Ph.D., was appointed the John DeGrove Eminent Scholar Chair in Growth Management and Development. Dr. Mitsova’s research focuses on one of the key planning development issues in South Florida: climate change and its impacts in the form of sea-level rise and storm surge flooding. Read more.
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.
Virtual lecture link coming soon.
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.
Virtual lecture link coming soon.
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.
Virtual lecture link coming soon.
We invite you to join the Schmidt College of Science at the 2021 Frontiers in Science Public Lecture Series! 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.
Boo! How do Mexican Cavefish Escape Predators?
A few fish, like Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, have evolved in unique environments without any predators. To determine how this lack of predation impacts escape responses that are highly stereotyped across fish species, Alex Keene, Ph.D., and researchers from the Honors College explored the tiny A. mexicanus to determine if there are evolved difference in the species. A. mexicanus exist as surface fish that inhabit rivers in Mexico and Southern Texas and as more than 30 geographically isolated cave‐dwelling populations of the same species. Read more.
FAU Scientist Diane Baronas-Lowell, Ph.D. Searches for New Antibiotics
Diane Baronas-Lowell, Ph.D., is an associate scientist in the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. She discusses her research with the Tiny Earth project, where she works alongside her students seeking new antibiotics to kill superbugs.
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.
Register for the Virtual Data Science, Analytics and AI Conference
Connect with the data science and AI community across industry, government, and higher education • Learn from the experts in business and academia • See the latest trends and developments
Virtual Conference Date:
Saturday, November 14, 2020  
9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ET
Meet One of the Conference Keynote Speakers: Tom Creamer, IBM CTO Red Hat Synergy
Tom Creamer is the IBM, Global Markets and Red Hat Synergy CTO for North America, as well as a Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor. He will discuss "Analytics/Artificial Intelligence in 5G and Edge Computing" at the virtual FAU Data Science, Analytics, and AI Conference. Learn more.
Planning Ocean Cities: Addressing Climate Impacts in South Florida
In this era of climate change and sea-level rise, how can coastal cities around the world innovate and connect to the oceans they border? Join the Department of Urban and Regional Planning's Center for Urban and Environmental Studies on Wednesday, November 18 at 3:00 PM for a film screening, presentations, and discussion about climate impacts on the natural and built environment in South Florida. Learn more and register.
Three Minute Thesis Championship Competitor Claire Rice
Claire Rice is a doctoral candidate in experimental psychology who presented, "Forgetting to Remember: Targeting SK Channels to Rescue Memory and Attention" at the 2020 Three Minute Thesis Competition. Click here to learn more and see all of the 3MT Competition winners from the College of Science.
The Search for Lost Monkey Species in the Treetops of West Africa
Daniel Alempijevic, a Ph.D. candidate in integrative biology, climbs high into the treetops of the Tanoé-Ehy Forest in West Africa, in hopes to capture video of rare monkeys on the verge of extinction. Alempijevic made the trip to Africa under the leadership of associate professor, Kate Detwiler, Ph.D., whose research team is dedicated to preserving this area of incredible biodiversity that Detwiler states is "an issue of international importance." Read more.
Predicting Alzheimer's: Two Researchers: One Cause
Two research groups at the FAU Brain Institute have received grants to study Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the expectation that their work will result in new, more effective approaches to understanding and diagnosing the disease. Elan Barenholtz, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology, is using machine learning analytics to find patients who are at risk of developing AD. Barenholtz received a grant from the Florida Department of Health to develop a test that can diagnose AD in its early stages based on a patient's eye movements and speech patterns. Read more.
In the News
Golberg Scholarship Helps Pre-Health Students Achieve Dreams
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Pre-Health Professions Office is providing additional support for Pre-Health track students pursuing goals of attending medical and health professional careers thanks to the newly founded Golberg Scholarship. The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Bibiana Appolon, who is pursuing a B.S. in Biology. Read more.
Urban Planning Program Top 25 in Research Citation Ranking
In the latest 2020 Urban Planning Program citation ranking conducted by Virginia Tech, Florida Atlantic University’s program ranked in the Top 25 in terms of both mean and median numbers of citations per faculty member. Read more.
Marianne Porter Quoted in The New York Times
Marine biologist and assistant professor, Marianne Porter, Ph.D., shared expertise for The New York Times article "How Suckerfish Surf Across Blue Whales Without Falling Off ." Remoras — known for hitching rides on whales and sharks — swim surprisingly freely over the surfaces formed by their hosts. Image: The New York Times. Read more.
Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety
FAU and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning are a consortium member of the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety (CSCRS), a U.S. Department of Transportation-funded National University Transportation Center. CSCRS unites leading transportation research, planning, public health, data science and engineering programs at Florida Atlantic University, Duke University, University of California-Berkeley and University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Read more.
FAU Cares Emergency Fund for Students
Florida Atlantic University has 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 apply here 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
October to December

Monday, January 25
2021 Faculty and Staff Diversity Symposium
Submit your news for Science Connect to [email protected].