FAU Science Lands U.S. EPA Grant to Monitor Water Quality in Lake Okeechobee | | The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science has been awarded a $700,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to support a novel research project aimed at advancing water quality monitoring in one of Florida’s most critical freshwater ecosystems. Led by Natalia Malina, Ph.D., principal investigator and an assistant professor in the college's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the three-year project will focus on understanding how common contaminants change after being released into freshwater environments. Read more. | | “Lake Okeechobee is not just Florida’s largest freshwater reservoir; it serves as a vital resource for millions of people and supports the ecosystems that surround it,” said Malina. “This funding will allow us to develop a much-needed approach to monitor not only which contaminants are present in the lake water, but how they transform over time and space.” | | | Navigating FAU's Environmental School into a New Era of Impact | Steven Vollmer, Ph.D., a distinguished evolutionary and ecological genomicist, joined Florida Atlantic as the director for the thriving School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS). Vollmer has dedicated his career to researching the threats to tropical coral reefs, often viewed as a global barometer for understanding the far-reaching effects of widespread environmental shifts. Read more. | | “My top priority is to grow FAU’s School for Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability into a national leader in the environmental sciences by championing innovative research and educational programs across the university that focus on South Florida’s unique ecosystems, environmental challenges and growing ocean economy,” said Vollmer. | | | New Scholarship to Support Florida Atlantic University Science Students | | Florida Atlantic University received a $780,000 gift to establish the W. William Stewart Science Scholarship Fund. The endowed fund will support undergraduates in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The gift was made by Bill Stewart of Deerfield Beach on behalf of his father W. William “Bill” Stewart, who was a well-known member in the local community. Read more. | | “We are extremely grateful to the Stewart family for their commitment to student learning at the College of Science,” said Dean Valery E. Forbes, Ph.D. “Gifts like these ensure that more students have the opportunity to pursue science careers and realize their dreams.” | | | 'Virtual' Socializing Greatly Eases Isolation in Seniors with Dementia | | Florida Atlantic researchers analyzed 1,900 virtual events to find the best indicator of social engagement in older adults with dementia. Group dynamics—more than individual traits—drove connection and eased isolation. Their findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, reveal how engagement emerges—or fades—in social settings. The study is deeply rooted in the groundbreaking work of the late Emmanuelle Tognoli, Ph.D., a pioneering neuroscientist in complex systems theory in the Schmidt College of Science Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, as well as research affiliate professor in the Department of Physics, and a co-author. Read more. | | “One of the greatest strengths of our study is the amount of data we were able to collect,” said Christopher Beetle, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor of physics, Schmidt College of Science. “This type of large-scale, detailed dataset allowed us to model group dynamics in ways that really push the boundaries of current social science research. What makes our work especially unique is that all of this data comes from interactions among older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias—something that hasn’t been explored at this scale before.” | | | FAU STARS Program Mentors the Next Generation of Scientists | | This summer, the Schmidt College of Science’s Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CMBB) piloted a new program to introduce high school students and their teachers to advanced biotechnology research. The first cohort of the new Scientific Training and Advancement of Research in Schools (STARS) program was hosted on Florida Atlantic’s John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter for two weeks of immersive, hands-on laboratory workshops and lectures led by FAU faculty and researchers. Read more. | | “Through STARS, we hope to create a unique learning experience that inspires scientific curiosity for both students and educators,” said Shailaja Allani, Ph.D., director of the CMBB and research assistant professor in the Schmidt College of Science’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Fostering young talent is essential for future innovation in biotechnology, and scientific discovery more generally.” | | |
Alumna Carly Asher Yoost Summer Commencement Speaker | | Carly Asher Yoost, B.S. ’09, co-founder and board chair of the Child Rescue Coalition, inspired the Summer 2025 class by delivering a commencement address at all three ceremonies. A graduate of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Yoost’s Boca Raton-based nonprofit uses innovative technology to help law enforcement agencies around the world apprehend child predators. | | Eduventures Names Florida Atlantic a Winner of 2025 Online Learning Innovation Award | | Florida Atlantic University is one of just four higher education institutions in the nation to be recognized with the 2025 Innovation Award at the Eduventures Summit on June 17 in Chicago. The award honors the work of the Center for Online and Continuing Education and online STEM educators in the Schmidt College of Science. Among them are Michael Zourdos, Ph.D., chair and professor of the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, and Tiffany Roberts Briggs, Ph.D., chair and associate professor, Department of Geosciences. Read more. | | “Their commitment to achieving high-quality certifications for the courses in their programs is a clear reflection of the intentional, thoughtful work they have invested to deliver a world-class online education at Florida Atlantic,” stated Julie Golden-Botti, Ph.D., assistant provost, Center for Online and Continuing Education in the Office of the Provost. | | | Nat and Dorothy Hyman Science Lecture Series Presents NatGeo Explorer Gabby Salazar, Ph.D. | | |
Expedition Science: A Photographer’s Journey to the World's Wildest Places
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Live Oak Pavilion, Student Union, Boca Raton campus
Travel with award-winning photographer Gabby Salazar, Ph.D., as she shares breathtaking stories from a life dedicated to documenting science and the planet's most remarkable landscapes and wildlife, as part of the Schmidt College of Science Nat and Dorothy Science Lecture Series. As an environmental social scientist and National Geographic Explorer, Dr. Salazar has captured the critical work being done to protect our world—from the summit of a Guatemalan volcano to the sweeping savannas of Zimbabwe. Join her for an evening of inspiring visual storytelling and thrilling adventure, complete with adorable creatures, behind-the-scenes moments, and surprising discoveries from the frontlines of exploration.
| | FAU Ranks in ‘Washington Monthly’ Top 40 | | Washington Monthly ranked Florida Atlantic University at No. 39 on the “America’s Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” list among the nation’s best public and private universities, in the publication’s annual College Guide. FAU also was ranked No. 5 in the “Best Bang for the Buck” for Southeast colleges and on the “Top 25 Best-in-Class Colleges” list. Read more. | | |
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is proud to announce the Spring 2025 Dean's List.
Congratulations to our high-achieving undergraduates! Read more.
| | Veteran Ecotoxicologist Named First WLW-ECOS Professor-in-Residence | | The Schmidt College is pleased to welcome its inaugural WLW-School of Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) Professor-in-Residence, Gabriela Rodríguez-Fuentes, Ph.D., from the Unidad de Química en Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The position was made possible as part of a generous gift from Wayne and Lucretia Weiner that the couple established in 2024 to create opportunities for students who are dedicated to creating solutions for a more sustainable future. Read more. | | Advisor Spotlights: Sierra Butler and Tanecia Powell | | From helping students navigate degree plans, program requirements and career paths to providing resources for academic success, advisors play pivotal roles in the college. Learn more about two of the college’s amazing new advisors, Sierra Butler, who specializes in biology, medical biology, neuroscience and health science; and Tanecia Powell, who advises biological sciences, neuroscience and health science. Read more. | | Ph.D. Student Spotlight: Extragalactic Astronomer Gianni Sims Featured in 'Nature' | | Gianni Sims, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Physics, has always been interested in supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Sims’s research interests focus on high-energy astrophysics, particularly understanding the formation of SMBHs. Her outstanding work was recognized by Nature, as part of Black Space Week 2025. Read more. | | Conserving Sea Cows and Seagrass Meadows: Meet Manatee Master and Ph.D. Student Ana Arevalo Cardona | | Integrative biology Ph.D. student Ana Arevalo Cardona, B.S. ‘25, is passionate about conservation, and as a Manatee Master at Manatee Lagoon, she believes education is one of the most powerful tools we have to save them. This fall, she is diving deeper into her studies, focusing on the restoration of seagrass meadows—essential habitats for manatees and many other species. Read more. | | NASA Intern and Alumna Daphney McCoy Proves She Has 'The Right Stuff' | This summer, alumna Daphney McCoy, B.S. '23, interned at NASA on Florida’s Space Coast. She designed and assembled a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet that supports the Artemis mission to explore the Moon and prepare for a future crewed mission to Mars. From medical applications like wound healing to advancements in agriculture, McCoy’s work holds huge potential for deeper space exploration. Read more. | | 2025 SURF Fellow Spotlight: Lorena Martins | Lorena Martins, a senior in the Schmidt College of Science and a pre-med student with a passion for research and medicine, was selected to be part of the FAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry’s (OURI) annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. She is using existing ecological data to model how differences in mussel infection strategies and host fish availability influence the success of glochidia (larval) attachment. Read more. | |
Ph.D. Student Kayla Ahlness Wins 3MT® People's Choice Award for Primate Research
| For the second year in a row, Ph.D. student Kayla Ahlness took home a top prize in the university’s ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition. More than 350 online votes submitted by public viewers selected Ahlness as the Championship People’s Choice Award winner for her presentation, “When Two Become One: Investigating the Behavior of Hybrid African Monkeys.” Read more. | | Video: Florida Atlantic Alumnus Dives with Netflix | | Diving from Florida Atlantic to the Netflix screen, alumnus Chris Malinowski, Ph.D., M.S. ’11, is making waves in the new series All the Sharks, a globe-trotting race to document the planet’s most elusive shark species, competing for a $50,000 prize for charity. Alongside fellow alumna Rosie Moore, they bring science, adventure and conservation to life—now on Netflix! Watch video. | | |
ECOS Internship Opportunities
The Florida Atlantic School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) paid internships provide student stipends while they complete degree-related career experiences at local, well-established nonprofit environment-linked organizations. Students are paid through FAU’s WLW-ECOS Student Success Fund. Learn more.
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Fall 2025 Pre-Health Workshop Series
Aug. 27-Nov. 5. The Schmidt College of Science has created a series of special workshops to assist students who are navigating their journeys toward health care professions. Learn more.
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FAU MCAT Test Prep Course
FAU Test Preparation, in alliance with the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, developed FAU's MCAT Course to prepare students for the successful completion of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The live online course is comprehensive, affordable and open to anyone. Learn more.
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Explore Blue and Green Economy Opportunities at FAU with the Marine Research Hub
Sept. 9. Would you like to team up with other students to develop an idea that could solve an ocean-related problem? Or be turned into a product or company? If the answer to either question is yes, then come learn what innovative resources Florida Atlantic University has to offer. Learn more.
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WLW-ECOS: Introduction to Oxidative Stress in Aquatic Organisms Hybrid Course
Mondays: Sept. 15-Oct. 13. Presented by WLW-ECOS Professor-in-Residence, Gabriela Rodríguez-Fuentes, Ph.D. Discover the fascinating world of oxidative stress in aquatic life! For faculty, postdocs, graduate students, researchers and research staff. Learn more and register.
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Ocean Exchange: 2025 Collegiate Call for Solutions
Undergraduate and graduate innovators can compete for $10,000 awards that advance our understanding of the ocean and help minimize our impact on these resources. Deadline for entries is Wednesday, Sept. 17. Learn more.
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Graduate College Open House
Oct. 8. Explore 100+ graduate programs across all academic colleges at the annual Graduate College Open House. Interact with faculty and admissions representatives, and learn about financial aid, services and support for graduate students at Florida Atlantic. Learn more.
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2025 Art of Science Contest
Calling all Florida Atlantic faculty, staff, students and postdocs! The deadline to submit for the seventh annual Art of Science Photography and Video Contest is Friday, Oct. 10. Learn more.
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Join Florida Atlantic's School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS)
Florida Atlantic's School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) invites all FAU faculty, postdocs and graduate students to become affiliate members of the school. Engage in transformational interdisciplinary research, teaching and community engagement initiatives that bring forth the collective environmental capabilities of the university. Learn more.
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Research Training Opportunity UF Scripps Biomedical Research
The newly established Center for Inflammation Science and Systems Medicine at the University of Florida–Scripps Institute is offering a research training opportunity for a motivated undergraduate or Ph.D.-level student seeking hands-on experience in a high-capacity biomedical research environment. Learn more.
| | FOX 13 Breakthroughs in Science: Solving Florida’s Toxic Water Crisis Featuring FAU's Amber Moore | | Schmidt College of Science Riverwoods Field Lab Manager Amber Moore was recently featured in a news report on the successful restoration of Florida's Kissimmee River. She praised the nearly $1 billion effort to undo a decades-old canal, noting that the restored wetlands are now naturally cleaning the water "as Mother Nature intended." Her contribution underscores the valuable role of the Schmidt College of Science in solving major environmental challenges. Watch here and read more. | | Partner With the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science as We Race Toward Excellence! | | Assistant professor of biology Carsten Grupstra, Ph.D., and graduate student Dayana Castillo enter the waters of Peanut Island in Riviera Beach to study the health of the corals surrounding the man-made island. | | 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. | | | | |
