Speaker Series
President’s Speaker Series
The Speaker Series brings thought leaders, innovators, and experts to campus to explore timely and compelling topics that challenge ideas, spark conversation, and inspire our community. Hosted by the Office of the President, this series highlights Florida Poly’s mission to lead in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by fostering intellectual curiosity and public dialogue.
These events are free and open to the public, connecting students, faculty, and community members with leaders at the forefront of global innovation and scientific advancement.
Thank You to our Sponsor

Upcoming Topics
Coming soon—check back for newly announced speakers and topics.
Previous Topics
Human Settlement of Other Planets
Can humans settle other planets? Can we become a multiplanetary species, thereby reducing our chance of extinction due to a catastrophic event? A critical aspect of this question is our ability to adapt to and/or control the environment and climate of other planets. This event will investigate this issue both in the near term and far future. We will consider the settlement of Mars, likely imminent due to rapid rocket development, and prospects for eventually settling distant extrasolar planets, which orbit stars other than the sun.
Speakers:
Dr. Ramses Ramirez
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, University of Central Florida
Dr. Howard Chen
Assistant Professor, Planetary Science, Florida Institute of Technology
Moderator:
Dr. Dorian Abbot
Board Trustee, Florida Polytechnic University
Professor, Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago
Contact the Office of the President
863-874-8612 | president@floridapoly.edu