CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | SEPTEMBER 2021 View as Webpage
M.S. in Data Science and Analytics Program Prepares Students for High Demand Careers
Student Kerry-Ann Bartley shares how the M.S. in Data Science and Analytics program in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science provides training in analytic tools, preparing students with transferrable, real-world skills. Learn more.
Discovery ‘Offsets’ Disease: FAU Scientists Patent Protective Compound to Slow Brain Degeneration
Two professors recently discovered a compound with the potential to protect brain degeneration, which impacts millions of Americans every year who suffer from diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. Read more.
Higher Stress Levels Found in Female College Students
In a study, recently published in PLOS ONE, researchers in the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion examined stress levels within the genders of undergraduate college students and discovered that female students were much more stressed than their male counterparts. Read more.
Global Impact: Worldwide Research Changing the Future
Home to a diverse community of researchers, including faculty, staff, student and postdoctoral fellows, FAU’s global reach extends to all corners of the world. Take a look at FAU’s research that is making a worldwide impact. Read more.
Student Spotlight: Soar-in-4 Scholar Jorge Torres
Jorge Torres is a pre-medical track student working towards a B.S. in Biological Sciences and member of the Tiny Earth Lab, researching antibiotic producing bacteria found in the soil. He is also a member of the Soar-in-4 program that provides high-achieving students research opportunities, mentorship, and much more. Read more.
Pre-Health Advising Comes to the Jupiter Campus
Pre-Health Professions Office advising is now available on the Jupiter campus. Students can meet with a pre-health advisor on Thursdays throughout the Fall 2021 semester. A range of pre-health services and programming will now be available to students on the Jupiter campus. Learn more.
Kirstie Francis Awarded Gulf Research Program Fellowship
Kirstie Francis, an integrative biology doctoral candidate studying at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, was selected as a 2021 Science Policy Fellow by the NASEM Gulf Research Program. Francis has identified novel marine natural products which reduce levels of a protein target called surviving in cancer cells as part of her doctoral dissertation research.⁠ Read more.
Emmanuel Fleurantin Awarded NSF ASCEND Postdoctoral Fellowship
Emmanuel Fleurantin, a Ph.D. candidate in mathematical sciences, was awarded a three year fully funded National Science Foundation ASCEND postdoctoral fellowship, that supports outstanding future scientists. The award will support Fleurantin’s work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he will work with Chris Jones, Ph.D., the Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professor of Mathematics. Read more.
Varying Language Styles Personalize News
Using a lens focused on language, two FAU researchers recently released results of an international study on the social psychology of three United States presidential elections. The results, published in the journal “Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy,” show distinct linguistic styles between two major networks, Fox News and MSNBC. Read more.
FAU Experts for the 2021 Hurricane Season
With hurricane season in full force, several Florida Atlantic University faculty experts, including the Schmidt College of Science, are available to discuss various issues surrounding hurricane preparedness, evacuation and aftermath with the media. Read more.
2021 Three Minute Thesis Championship Second Runner-Up
Watch 2021 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Championship Second Runner-Up, Nirthieca Suthakaran, present “The Effects of STXBP1 in Infant Epilepsy.” Nirthieca, a Ph.D. student in Integrative Biology, was awarded $1,000 as the 3MT Championship Second Runner-Up winner. Learn more about the FAU 3MT Competition.
2021 Art of Science Photography Contest
Submission Deadline: October 15, 2021

Open to members of the FAU community - students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and staff - to showcase the cutting-edge research, scholarship, and creativity happening at FAU. Submit your photographs today for an opportunity to win an iPad, Apple Watch, or AirPods. Top photographs will be published in an upcoming issue of Owl Research and Innovation magazine. Learn more.
Forward Together
FAU strongly encourages everyone to wear face coverings inside buildings as well as outside when around large groups of people. As we prepare for the fall semester, help us move Forward Together.
Zvi Rosen Receives MAA Merten M. Hasse Award
Assistant Professor, Zvi Rosen, Ph.D., is the recipient of the the 2021 Merten Hasse Award for expository writing for “Algebraic Matroids in Action,’’ in partnership with collaborators, Jessica Sidman, and Louis Theran.⁠ Read more.
Pre-Health Professions Fall Workshop Series
All workshops will be virtual using WebEx and open to all campuses. Workshops serve a range of students, from freshman to seniors, and topics including Pre-Health Freshman FAQ, Interview Boot Camp, How to Open a File, and more. Learn more.
Congratulations Summer 2021 Graduates!
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is proud to congratulate all of the Summer 2021 graduates. More than 2,000 students received their degrees from FAU at the summer commencement ceremonies on August 10, 2021.
In the News
Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Lab Boot Camp Series
The MPCR lab welcomes students to join a boot camp series on artificial life, to classical and quantum computing, AI and beyond in the FAU Library's brand new Sandbox space. Classes are Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Students must attend the Wednesday workshop to join the Friday tutorial. Seats are limited. RSVP here.
Climate Ready Teacher Collaborative Workshop
Erik Johanson, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences, spoke at the FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center Climate Ready Teacher Collaborative Workshop, discussing climate and human-environment interaction. The workshop supported incorporating meaningful climate literacy, environmental justice, and community resilience into teachers' curriculum.
Vivian Merk Receives NSF LEAPS-MCS Award
Vivian Merk, Ph.D. was awarded the National Science Foundation LEAPS-MPS (Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences) grant. The award will support "Investigating the role of carbohydrate-mineral interactions." The NSF award totals $244,109 for a duration of two years.
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