Florida Polytechnic University has named Jack Paris as the first head coach of its women’s soccer program as the University continues building its new athletics department.
Florida Polytechnic University marked a significant milestone on Saturday, May 9, celebrating its largest graduating class to date as more than 430 students crossed the stage at the University’s 2026 commencement.
Andrew McDonnell ’26 never stopped dreaming about the stars. As a child, he looked up at the sky, wondering what was out there, and that curiosity followed him to Florida Poly, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, took aerospace courses, and worked on a lunar mobility senior capstone project. He graduates on May 9.
Florida Polytechnic University has reached on-campus housing capacity for the upcoming academic year, reflecting continued strong demand and record student interest.
Florida Polytechnic University inducted 12 students into its highly selective Presidential Ambassadors program, where they will serve as official student representatives at key University events and engage with campus and community leaders.
Samantha Bentley ’26 didn’t always feel ready to step into leadership or research roles during her time as a computer science student at Florida Polytechnic University, but discovered she grew the most by doing it anyway. She will receive her bachelor’s degree on Saturday, May 9.
Florida Polytechnic University student Chris Westphalen has been awarded the 2015 Berna Lou Cartwright Scholarship from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Chris, who majors in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering with a concentration in Multifunctional Materials, is a founder of the student chapter of ASME at Florida Poly. The Berna Lou Cartwright Scholarship is valued at $3,000. Criteria for
The Florida Polytechnic University Foundation has received a $1 million challenge match contribution from an anonymous donor. The contribution will support student scholarships and the University’s mission. Through the (BePivotal)2 challenge, the anonymous donor is encouraging Florida Poly supporters to contribute to the University Foundation by leveraging this opportunity to effectively double their donations. The donor will match up to $1
LAKELAND, Fla. (June 11, 2015) – The second annual Drive For Men’s Health rolled out of South Lake Hospital in Clermont, Fla. today to begin a 6,000 mile, coast-to-coast journey in an all-electric Tesla Model S. Co-founded by Florida Polytechnic University Foundation Board member Dr. Sijo Parekattil and Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, the Drive For Men’s Health is a charitable road trip designed
The Innovation, Science & Technology Building at Florida Polytechnic University has been honored with the 2015 International Architectural Award, the world’s most prestigious building award for innovative designs. Florida Poly’s iconic oval structure was designed by Spanish architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava and is distinguished by a white steel pergola that rings the building and a moveable roof with louvers that
Fourteen local high school students proudly demonstrated their robotic inventions and poster projects Friday evening during the third annual graduation ceremony of the Medical Engineering and Robotics Innovation for Tomorrow (MERIT) summer program at Florida Polytechnic University. MERIT offers local high school students an intensive, hands-on learning experience in health informatics, nanotechnology, renewable energy, surgical robotics and other high-demand industries
Students have plenty of engineering degree programs from which to choose when applying to college as undergrads or considering a post-graduate degree. Students choosing an engineering degree program should consider several factors to figure out the right fit for them. They include: Degree programs and concentrations Internship opportunities Faculty experience in the classroom and in industry Campus life Industry connections
More than 100 students at Florida Poly participated in the Poly Protothon Lab, a three-part event that involved idea generating, fast prototyping, product testing and launch! Harris Corporation partnered with Florida Poly for the event, which aimed to expand student knowledge while challenging the participants to create a first-stage prototype, according to Dr. Ryan Integlia, a Florida Poly professor and
Marshall Bassford likes to roll across campus on the app-operated electric longboard that he and other students developed for a class project. Now he aims to turn the class project into a marketable product. Marshall was a freshman in Dr. Ryan Integlia’s Introduction to Engineering Design class when he came up with the idea as a way to save time
Florida Polytechnic University, in partnership with IBM, Lenovo and Flagship Solutions Group, hosted its first Hackathon April 15-17, providing 100 students the opportunity to hone their software coding skills in a friendly competition to build a cloud-based app in a very short time frame. The industry partners provided the software platform as a service to allow enterprising participants to develop
If you’re into math and science – and looking for a high-demand profession – consider earning your college degree in engineering. A report by Georgetown University notes: “The most sought-after graduates hold degrees in so-called STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Of the 2.5 million jobs added in the past year, one in four were in engineering, computer science, and science-related
LAKELAND, Fla. (June 4, 2015) – The Medical Engineering and Robotics Innovation for Tomorrow (MERIT) summer program has returned to Florida Polytechnic University for a third year, offering 14 area high school participants an intensive hands-on learning experience in health informatics, nanotechnology, renewable energy, surgical robotics and other high-demand industries using advanced technology. Participants have the opportunity to program robots,
Fifty middle-school students from Edward W. Bok Academy in Lake Wales received some basic lessons in physics while having fun during a recent field trip to Florida Polytechnic University, where they participated in an egg drop challenge and launched marshmallows with catapults they built. Dr. Susan LeFrancois, an Assistant Professor of Science and Logistics at Florida Poly, provided the students
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at Florida Polytechnic University, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining Florida Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
