
Five Florida Poly faculty among world’s top 2% of scientists
Research advancing scientific knowledge and technology has earned five Florida Polytechnic University faculty members a place on Stanford University’s 2026 World’s Top 2% Scientists list.

Research advancing scientific knowledge and technology has earned five Florida Polytechnic University faculty members a place on Stanford University’s 2026 World’s Top 2% Scientists list.

Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of Florida Polytechnic University, has been named to Florida Trend magazine’s prestigious Florida 500 list for the third straight year, recognizing his leadership and growing influence in advancing STEM education and economic development.

Florida Polytechnic University’s new athletics program has received its first philanthropic gift, a $60,000 contribution from longtime Lakeland residents Bob and Deedra Knight. The milestone donation marks an exciting step forward for Florida Poly Athletics as the University builds its inaugural sports teams and gains support from the local community.

The Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE) announced today that its Board of Directors has voted to grant accreditation to Florida Polytechnic University, marking the Commission’s first accreditation decision since its founding in 2025.

University and international leaders gathered at Florida Polytechnic University on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright Program alongside the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in the nation to integrate an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle into its operations. The manned aircraft, dubbed Astro in a double nod to science and the dog from the classic Jetsons cartoon, marks Florida Poly’s entry into the rapidly developing field of advanced air

Dr. Brad Thiessen has been named provost and vice president of academic affairs of Florida Polytechnic University, where he will serve as the institution’s chief academic officer, guiding the quality, integrity and advancement of its academic mission.

Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM) and Florida Polytechnic University have announced a strategic affiliation aimed at creating a seamless pathway from undergraduate STEM education to professional medical training.

Florida Polytechnic University reached a significant milestone on Sunday, May 4, as it celebrated its largest commencement ceremony to date. More than 330 students earned in-demand degrees at the state’s only all-STEM public university, ready to make important contributions to their industries.

Among the more than 330 Phoenixes who will celebrate their high-demand STEM degrees during Florida Polytechnic University’s commencement on Sunday, May 4, are brothers Dimitri and Taki Tsetsekas, campus leaders and business partners from Palm Harbor, Florida.

The Florida Polytechnic University experience has been transformative for Prisca Chavannes ’25. She arrived as a quiet freshman from Lehigh Acres, Florida, and has grown into a confident and driven campus leader.

Maria Valencia ’25 will be proud to represent her family when she receives her bachelor’s degree in data science from Florida Polytechnic University on Sunday, May 4. She said she is honored to show what she has done with the opportunities her mother worked so hard for.

Florida Polytechnic University graduate student Carson Eelman’s entrepreneurial pitch for a high-tech asthma monitoring device earned him second place at the 2025 Florida Blue Healthcare Pitch Competition on April 25, at the University of South Florida.

Florida Polytechnic University’s newest crop of Presidential Ambassadors is ready to make an impact. The nine students selected for the prestigious 2025-2026 cohort were officially inducted during a special ceremony on Friday, April 25, marking the beginning of their leadership journey at the University.

With models, displays and polished presentations at the ready, 45 teams of Florida Polytechnic University students showed off their high-tech industry-sponsored projects at the University’s seventh annual Capstone Design Showcase on Wednesday, April 23.

With a pledge to uphold the standards and dignity of the engineering profession, nearly 100 Florida Polytechnic University students were inducted into the Order of the Engineer on Wednesday, April 23.

High-quality student research took center stage at the inaugural Florida Polytechnic University Research Day on Monday, April 21. Nearly 125 projects filled the Barnett Applied Research Center, demonstrating the advanced undergraduate and graduate research taking place across all disciplines at the state’s only 100% STEM institution.

When Lang Towl ’25 graduates with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering on Sunday, May 4, he will launch his career as a distribution engineer with Duke Energy in St. Petersburg, Florida. Once settled, he plans to take advantage of his new location and break from studying to return to surfing, one of his favorite pastimes.











