CHARLES E. SCHMIDT COLLEGE OF SCIENCE | MARCH 2022 View as Webpage
Spring 2022 Golberg Scholarship Winner Announced
Congratulations to Jorge Torres, who was awarded the 2022 Golberg Scholarship. Jorge is pre-medical track student currently pursuing a B.S. in Biological Sciences. Read more.
FAU Biologist Discovers a Species of Octopus New to Florida
When Affiliate Assistant Scientist and FAU alumna, Chelsea Bennice, Ph.D., set out to collaborate on a field guide to distinguish two species of octopus, she never expected to discover that Florida has an entirely new species, called the Brazil reef octopus (Octopus insularis). Read more.
Both Mothers and Friends Shape Adolescent Self-esteem
Findings from researcher Brett Laursen, Ph.D., show that both mothers and friends shape adolescent self-esteem. Read more.
Student Featured in Outside Science (Inside Parks): Cape Lookout National Seashore
The National Park Service's Outside Science series spotlights the sea turtles and shorebirds at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina. Cristal Espinosa, an M.S. in Environmental Science student, was featured for her Mosaics in Science internship this past summer at the national seashore. Watch here.
Frontiers in Science 2022 Public Lecture Series
Join us at the 2022 virtual FAU Frontiers in Science lecture series for an exploration of the sciences!
Upcoming Talks
New! March 25

“A Critical Look at the Misleading Science Fueling Racism and Prejudice for Centuries: Can Science Remedy the Damage?”

J. Corey Williams, MD, MA
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry Medstar Georgetown University Medical Center

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET

Location: FAU Boca Raton campus, General Classroom North, Room 102

Parking: Lot 4

This lecture is in partnership with the college's Inaugural Diversity in Science Festival.
Join in-person or watch virtually
April 8

“Body and Mind: Why They Matter to Each Other”

Ning Quan, Ph.D.
Professor, Brain Institute and the Department of Biomedical Science, FAU

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
April 22

“AI and the Future of the Mind”

Susan Schneider, Ph.D.
Founding Director, FAU Center for the Future Mind; William F. Dietrich Distinguished Professor, FAU; NASA Chair, NASA; Distinguished Scholar, Library of Congress

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Inaugural Diversity in Science Festival
Friday, March 25, 2022 | Noon-5:00 PM | Sanson Life Sciences Patio, Breezeway, FAU Boca Raton campus

Beyond Diversity to Equity and Inclusion: Celebrate and reflect on diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. The FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is hosting the inaugural Diversity in Science Festival. Middle school, high school, FAU students, faculty, and staff will enjoy science-related exhibitions, interactive games, and activities. Panelists and speakers will facilitate candid dialogue on transparency, accountability, inclusion, and equity.
14th Annual Science Olympiad
Middle school and high school students from across South Florida competed at the 14th Southeast Regional Science Olympiad on Saturday, February 26. The tournament included 46 different hands-on STEM-based events, such as Codebusters, Disease Detectives, Gravity Vehicle, WiFi Lab, Ping Pong Parachute, Ornithology, Astronomy, and so much more. The events were supported by nearly 200 faculty, staff, and students from the Schmidt College of Science and the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science. Learn more. View photos.
Register for Pre-Health Professions Week
March 14-21, 2022

Join us at Pre-Health Professions Week! Don't miss the Graduate and Professional School Fairs on March 17 and 21, and look for activities throughout the week such as medical student panels, physician panels, virtual medical school tours, personal statement workshops, trainings, and much more.
Science Virtual Walk-In Registration Week
March 28-April 1, 2022 | 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Virtual Walk in Registration Week for Summer and Fall 2022 courses begins soon. Current FAU College of Science students can select their Summer and Fall 2022 courses if they have not already met with an advisor. Learn more.
Art of Science Photography Contest Winners
Pictured: "Feeding Time," 2021 Honorable Mention, by Charlene Fournier, graduate student.
Congratulations to all of the Art of Science Photo Contest winners in the college. The Schmidt College of Science has winners in a range of categories, including "In the Field," "In the Lab," and a number of "Honorable Mentions." View all of the photos.
FAU Data-Driven Science and AI Conference
Saturday, May 21, 2022  
9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Student Union, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Campus
Join the data-driven revolution! Purchase tickets.

17th International Symposium on AI and Mathematics
The International Symposium held its 17th meeting (virtually) January 3-5, 2022. The event fosters interactions between mathematics, theoretical computer science, and artificial intelligence. The highlight of the symposium was a three hour interview by Stephen Wolfram, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, and creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha. Wolfram interviewed Judea Pearl, Ph.D., an Israeli-American computer scientist and philosopher, best known for championing the probabilistic approach to artificial intelligence and the development of Bayesian networks. Read more. Watch interview.
Social Media Spotlight: @AndersonLabFAU
@AndersonLabFAU on Twitter: 🐦The Cardinals are singing and the lab undergraduates are ON IT! The field season has begun. Don says, get excited!!! 📸 Ph.D. student, Morgan Slevin.
Postdoc Spotlight: Wai-Ting Lam
Welcome to Wai-Ting Lam, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, who will be working under the supervision of Associate Professor, Jason Mireles-James, Ph.D. Their research will focus on problems in celestial mechanics, including the orbital dynamics of irregularly shaped asteroids and comets. Read more.
Biological Sciences Continuing Education Courses
Introducing two new continuing education certificate courses: DNA Forensics and Assistive Reproductive Technology (ART), both running April 5 to May 5, 2022. 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.
2021 Three Minute Thesis Competitor
Watch 2021 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Championship Competitor, Panagiota Galanakou, present “Monitoring prompt gamma emission for reducing range uncertainties of carbon ion radiation for cancer treatments.” Learn more about the FAU 3MT Competition.
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.
Improve Your Commute Project
Help us develop greener, healthier, more affordable campus transportation options.
Science Lecture: Isolated Groups of Cacajao calvus ucayalli Recorded in the Amazon River Basin
In the News
Breezeway Dialogues

Check out the action from the February 23, 2022, Breezeway Dialogues discussion, "Did Capitalism Cause Climate Change," featuring FAU Center for Environmental Studies Director and Professor, Colin Polsky, Ph.D., along with Assistant Professor Stacey Balkan, Ph.D., from the FAU Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, and student researcher Autumn Bryan.
2022 Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Competition
The Schmidt College of Science supported the 2022 Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Competition on FAU's Davie campus on January 29, 2022. The 24th annual competition included over 700 students from 28 middle and high schools in South Florida. Interim Dean, Teresa Wilcox, Ph.D., spoke at the awards reception, congratulating students. Professor, Markus Schmidmeier, served as a key event organizer, along with various team members in the college and FAU's Broward Campuses. Learn more.
Creating Resilient Transportation Systems

John Renne, Ph.D., AICP, a Professor in the
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and the Director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, co-authored the book "Creating Resilient Transportation Systems." The book demonstrates how the transportation sector is a leading producer of carbon emissions that result in climate change and extreme weather disruptions and disasters. Read more.
Upcoming Events
Submit your news for Science Connect to scicomm@fau.edu.