Florida Atlantic University has announced Valery Forbes, Ph.D., as its new dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, effective Aug. 10. Forbes brings more than 25 years of experience as a robust, enterprising researcher and academic leader with international experience that pairs well with FAU’s already thriving scientific community. Read more.

The Fall 2022 semester has kicked off to an exciting start. Like many of you who may have just joined Florida Atlantic as a new student, it’s also my first semester here at the University. I am thrilled to be here, serving as the new dean of the Schmidt College of Science. It’s great to meet so many new people and to learn about all of the exciting work going on here. Our college is home to incredibly talented students, and dedicated faculty and staff across our 10 academic units and numerous offices. We teach and do cutting-edge research in topics ranging from medicinal chemistry, cybersecurity, coastal resilience, neuroscience, climate change, astrophysics, exercise science, and much, much more. I would love to meet more of you, so don’t hesitate to stop and say hello if you see me on campus. I’m looking forward to sharing some new initiatives with you soon. Best wishes for a productive semester. Go Owls!

Associate Professor and senior author of the study, Marianne Porter, Ph.D., is part of a team researching the newly-discovered walking shark that breaks all of the rules for survival. Read more.

The new Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Smart Streetscapes will be supported for five years with $26 million; renewable for an additional five years, for a total of up to $52 million. The ERC program is National Science Foundation’s flagship engineering program to catalyze convergent research to address large-scale societal challenges. Read more.

Congratulations to our outstanding Summer 2022 graduates! View more photos.

A study by Florida Atlantic University and Nova Southeastern University is the first to link the use of the herbicide Roundup®, a widely used weed killer, to convulsions in animals. Akshay S. Naraine, MSc., project lead and a Ph.D. student in the Schmidt College of Science and the International Max Planck Research School for Synapses and Circuits, states, “More evidence is mounting for how prevalent exposure to glyphosate is, so this work hopefully pushes other researchers to expand on these findings and solidify where our concerns should be.” Read more.

From fecal bacteria to blue-green algae to red tides, Southwest Florida’s water quality has declined as its population has increased. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute took a deep dive into this region’s degrading water quality. Rachel Brewton, a research scientist at FAU Harbor Branch and Ph.D. candidate in geosciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, is first author on the study. Read more.

The FAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry celebrated research and scholarly activities of FAU's 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) and their faculty mentors. Congratulations to the 2022 SURF Awardees from the Schmidt College of Science! See the list of awardees and more photos.

“While it is promising that more cities are developing evacuation plans, overall, it remains disheartening that not every city was able to learn the lessons of not being prepared, especially for carless and vulnerable populations, as showcased to the nation during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” said John L. Renne, Ph.D., senior author and professor and director, Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Read more.

Congratulations to Tiffany Roberts Briggs, Ph.D., on her new role as director of the Environmental Science Program in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. Dr. Briggs began her new role on August 2. Read more.

Morgan Slevin, a doctoral degree candidate in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Integrative Biology Program, captured first place in FAU’s sixth annual Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®) for his presentation on, “Treating treatment failure: How wild avian microbiomes mediate stress responses, with applications to wildlife rehabilitation.” Read more.

3MT® Championship winner, Morgan Slevin.

Idaly Vélez-Uribe, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow, and her mentor Mónica Rosselli, Ph.D., neuropsychologist and professor of psychology, are working to understand how a unique set of factors shared by many Hispanics might affect their vulnerability, or resistance, to the devastating decline in brain function associated with Alzheimer’s. Read more.

At the cross section of neuroscience and psychology, Chad Forbes, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, digs a little deeper to better understand what’s going on inside the brain, including how the brain changes during stress or what happens when people experience biases and prejudices. Read more.

The DNA Forensics certificate course is for professional and non-professional students contemplating a career in biotech, forensic science, criminal justice and other allied life science programs.

The Assisted Reproductive Technology 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.

Build high-demand skills and combat cyber threats with a certificate in cybersecurity. Learn more.

Internship opportunities are available through the Florida Digital Services Scholar Internship Program.

Art of Science submissions showcase original images and footage of the inherent beauty in research, scholarship and creative activity. Open to FAU faculty, students and staff. Prizes include an iPad, Apple watch and AirPods. Learn more.

This conference will review the latest technology, science, and treatment options anyone interested in treating or researching pain and addiction should be made aware of in order to offer the best care choices to their patients and background for their studies. Learn more.

Digital Boards, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine

Highlighted Research Topics: Pain, Psychology and Addiction.

Click here to apply to present your research. Deadline to apply: September 15.

At the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, we have an unprecedented obligation and opportunity to provide our students and community with the highest caliber of research, scientific invention and education in the country.

Submit your news for Science Connect to scicomm@fau.edu.