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.
More than 360 Florida Polytechnic University seniors presented high-tech, industry-sponsored projects at the eighth annual Capstone Design Showcase on Wednesday, April 29, gaining hands-on experience and solving real-world challenges.
Florida Polytechnic University has named Mike Settle as its inaugural head softball coach, adding a veteran leader with deep Polk County roots to the University’s new Florida Poly Athletics program.
Florida Polytechnic University took a pivotal step in shaping its future by bringing together industry, education, and community leaders for its first Strategic Planning Summit on Saturday, Sept. 7, fostering innovative collaboration and a shared vision for the years ahead. The event marks the initial step in the process of developing the University’s next five-year strategic plan. Dr. Devin Stephenson,
Today, the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees convened under new leadership. Beth Kigel, a renowned expert in intelligent transportation technology and smart city ecosystems, has stepped into the role of board chair, bringing extensive experience and a bold-thinking approach to advancing the University’s mission. Kigel currently serves as vice president, national consultant and director of smart and connected solutions
Florida Polytechnic University is expanding its educational offerings this fall with the addition of two new, industry-driven master’s degrees: Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
The Florida Polytechnic University campus soared to life on Tuesday, Aug. 20, welcoming the highest enrollment in the history of the institution and opening the doors to a brand new, state-of-the-art student residence facility.
The company building the new state-of-the-art Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building at Florida Polytechnic University celebrated a major milestone in its construction this week. Charles Perry Partners, Inc. (CPPI), the design-build and construction firm behind the project, held a “topping out” ceremony at the building site, with workers and guests signing the structure’s final purple steel beam before it was
Bryan Brooks is stepping into his role as Florida Polytechnic University’s new vice president of student affairs, enrollment management and strategic communications with the drive to rapidly build upon the University’s strong foundation and the experience to make it happen. “Florida Polytechnic University stands at the threshold of possibility. This is an environment where collaboration fuels creativity, driving our progress
Anabelle Lopez spent the summer working as a utility engineering intern with the City of Fort Myers – an experience she spent countless hours researching and working toward. “I wanted to see the different ways I could apply the education I’ve received to the real world, whether in the public or private sector,” said the environmental engineering major from Miami.
When students begin pursuing their rigorous STEM degrees at Florida Polytechnic University, their parental support doesn’t end with care packages and treats sent from home. The University has launched a new Parent Network that allows families to financially contribute to enhancing the student experience beyond tuition costs. “Our goal was to create a program that reached out to families of
Dr. Oguzhan Topsakal, assistant professor of computer science at Florida Polytechnic University, and two undergraduate research assistants have created a pioneering benchmarking tool to evaluate the capabilities of artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT and Gemini. The tool uses simple games like tic tac toe to assess the strategic reasoning and planning abilities of these large language models (LLMs), which include
A summer internship with Motorola Solutions is opening Alexandra Juarbe eyes to the world of possibilities available to her as a rising senior majoring in business analytics at Florida Polytechnic University. “The speed at which everyone and everything moves, as well as their ability to keep calm in any situation, has been surprising,” she said. “The number of opportunities I’ve
The Phoenix Racing team took its inaugural solar competition racecar onto the track in Kentucky last week and began speeding down a path toward Florida Polytechnic University history.
Spencer Robinson has gained more from his student internship at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) than he could have ever expected. The rising senior at Florida Polytechnic University began his engineering internship with the company in Wesley Chapel, Florida, in November of 2023 during the first semester of his junior year. SEL has kept him on since then, and Robinson is
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.
