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Colombian National Team coach brings World Cup experience to Florida Poly soccer players

September 19, 2025

Legendary Colombian soccer coach Nelson Abadía brought his expertise and inspiration to Florida Polytechnic University on Thursday, Sept. 18, as he observed the men’s and women’s soccer teams in training and shared advice to strengthen their game. “It was unforgettable. Coach Abadía brought so much knowledge, and his presence alone elevated the atmosphere,” said Sebastian Anzola, captain of Florida Poly’s

Florida Poly professor’s powerful new tool brings higher accuracy to nuclear physics

September 15, 2025

Dr. Ian Bentley, chair of the Department of Physics at Florida Polytechnic University, developed a new machine learning model to improve predictions of nuclear binding energies.

Students face off in epic Humans vs. Zombies Nerf battle

September 12, 2025

A “zombie infection” overtook Florida Polytechnic University during the week of Sept. 8, slowly spreading from three infected students to nearly all the players in a campuswide Humans vs. Zombies Nerf dart battle.

Expert panel explores phosphate mining and its impacts

September 10, 2025

A panel discussion at Florida Polytechnic University on Monday, Sept. 8, examined the history, benefits and future of phosphate mining.

From NASA to startup: Alumna launches AI platform to bridge tech and policy

September 5, 2025

Payton Barnwell ’19 has dedicated her successful high-tech career to creating meaningful impact through innovation. She helped optimize space station crops as a NASA intern, worked in mission control at Virgin Galactic, and led geospatial product development at SkyFi, creating easy-to-use tools from complex data and imagery. Now, the Florida Polytechnic University alumna has embarked on a new adventure. Barnwell

NSF-funded study uses brain data to rethink engineering education

September 3, 2025

Fueled by a new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, innovative research at Florida Polytechnic University aims to redefine the way professors approach engineering design education. Dr. Elisabeth Kames, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received a $200,000 grant to study how students cognitively engage with engineering design challenges. The research will employ neurocognitive tools such as electroencephalography (EEG), as well as

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Q&A: Grad set to work with defense industry in software engineering

April 18, 2024

It’s never been difficult to spot Alexander Bodoh ’24 around campus at Florida Polytechnic University. While some simply look for his stylish and ever-present black fedora, others know him by his leadership, academic success, or campus involvement. “I think of myself as an individual very focused on leadership and self-improvement,” said the Lakeland, Florida, native who will graduate summa cum

Dr. G. Devin Stephenson selected as next president of Florida Polytechnic University

April 15, 2024

The Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees announced the selection of Dr. G. Devin Stephenson as the next president of the University. The announcement followed a vote by the Board during a public meeting on Monday, April 15. Stephenson, who currently serves as president of Northwest Florida State College, will become Florida Poly’s second president, pending confirmation by the Board

Florida Poly professor receives NSF CAREER award to study revolutionary low-cost metal 3D printing process

April 11, 2024

Dr. Sanna Siddiqui, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Florida Polytechnic University, has been awarded a prestigious CAREER award of $536,110 by the National Science Foundation. The five-year award is part of the NSF’s Faculty Early Career Development Program. Siddiqui is researching the fatigue performance and failure of metal parts that are manufactured through a low-cost form of metal 3D

Q&A: Engineering grad gets head start on career in research

April 10, 2024

Sydney Wickett ’24 is on the fast track to earning her master’s degree from Florida Polytechnic University. When she receives her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace on Sunday, May 5, Wickett will be only one year away from returning to the commencement stage for her advanced degree. She is among the first participants in the

Florida Poly donors honor inspiring father with endowed scholarship

April 9, 2024

Prof. Raj P. Seekri works to pay tribute to his late father every day with his actions and philanthropy. As part of this dedication, he and his wife, Raj K. Seekri, have contributed $25,000 to Florida Polytechnic University to create an endowed scholarship in honor of Raj P. Seekri’s late father. “The Ram Lal Seekri Endowed Scholarship is a tribute

Florida Poly begins construction of state-of-the-art Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building

April 4, 2024

Florida Polytechnic University leaders were joined by state and community officials on April 4 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building, a cutting-edge 40,000-square-foot academic facility designed to elevate the institution’s in-demand engineering programs. The $15-million, two-story building will house research and development labs for a variety of engineering disciplines, staff and faculty offices, collaboration spaces,

Successful alumni share STEM pathways at Wendt Leadership Speaker Series

April 3, 2024

Five outstanding Florida Polytechnic University alumni who are making their mark in STEM returned to campus on Wednesday, April 3, to share their career experiences as part of the Wendt Leadership Speaker Series. The event, which focused on “Trailblazing in STEM,” attracted a crowd to the Innovation, Science and Technology Building’s Aula Magna to hear the panelists discuss their careers

Q&A: 2024 student commencement speaker fulfills dreams of following, surpassing dad’s footsteps

April 2, 2024

Melina Ramos ’24 will encourage her fellow graduates to pursue their goals both personally and professionally when she receives her bachelor’s degree in computer science with a concentration in software engineering from Florida Polytechnic University on Sunday, May 5. She was selected by a committee as this year’s student commencement speaker. After graduation, the student from Spring Hill, Florida, is

Capstone team develops self-cleaning solution for Space Force security cameras

April 1, 2024

A tedious monthly job at Patrick Space Force Base may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a project by an interdisciplinary team of Florida Polytechnic University senior capstone students. The team is designing and building a self-cleaning device for the approximately 1,000 security cameras located at the Space Coast base. “Due to being on the coast of

Expert panel examines AI’s potential and challenges in healthcare

March 29, 2024

Leaders in healthcare and cutting-edge technology led a public panel discussion about the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare at Florida Polytechnic University on Thursday, March 28. The event, hosted by the University’s Office of Public Policy Events (OPPE), was held in the Barnett Applied Research Center and was moderated by Dr. Susan LeFrancois, assistant professor of data science

Five finalists named in Florida Polytechnic University Presidential Search

March 25, 2024

The Florida Polytechnic University Presidential Search Committee announced today the names of the five finalists that will be presented to the University’s Board of Trustees for consideration. The announcement was made after a committee vote on Thursday, March 21. “Our search committee thoroughly reviewed, vetted, and interviewed a vast pool of exceptionally qualified candidates to identify and recommend these finalists,”

Florida Poly commemorates 10-year anniversary with dazzling celebration

March 24, 2024

LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s only all-STEM public institution, shone a spotlight on 10 years of pioneering innovation and educational excellence on March 23, when it hosted a grand gala to celebrate its remarkable achievements and promising path for the future. Over 300 supporters, partners, and advocates of Florida Poly gathered at the state-of-the-art Barnett Applied Research