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NBA champion to lead Florida Poly Men’s Basketball

June 16, 2026

LAKELAND, Fla. – Few coaches can match a resume that includes winning an NBA championship alongside Michael Jordan and leading a college program to sustained success on the national stage. Dennis Hopson has done both.  Now, Florida Polytechnic University has named the NBA champion and longtime coach as the inaugural head coach of its Men’s Basketball program, adding a leader whose career spans the highest levels of the sport as the University continues building Florida Poly Athletics.  Hopson brings decades

Student research drives progress toward next-generation silicon chips

June 10, 2026

David Zambrano ’26 is on the pioneering edge of a field that could one day replace modern electronics.  Zambrano, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Florida Polytechnic University in May, is advancing research in silicon photonics – a technology that uses light instead of electricity to transmit and process data. He is returning to the University this fall to continue his work as a master’s student in electrical engineering.  Zambrano has presented his work at the SPIE Photonics

Florida Poly steps up to the plate with first baseball coach

June 9, 2026

LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University has named TJ Marik as the inaugural head coach of its baseball program. The addition brings another instrumental leader to campus as the University continues to establish the Florida Poly Athletics program.  Marik brings substantial head coaching experience and a strong background in player development to the new role.   Before joining Florida Poly, he served as head coach at Siena Heights University following a successful tenure at Missouri Valley College, where his teams earned all-conference

Austin Lubetkin '19 is a software engineer at Northrup Grumman and an accomplished digital artist. His Florida Poly degree is in computer science.

Art and engineering drive Florida Poly alum’s success

June 5, 2026

Austin Lubetkin ’19 has built a career at the intersection of technology and creativity, balancing software engineering at Northrop Grumman with a passion for visual art. Now, the Florida Poly alumnus is bringing those worlds together in “Memories of Water,” an exhibit at the Orlando Science Center.

Clay Roberts is Florida Poly's first men's soccer head coach.

Florida Poly scores veteran coach for men’s soccer

June 3, 2026

Florida Polytechnic University has named Clay Roberts the first head coach of its men’s soccer program, adding an experienced team builder as the University continues launching its new athletics department.

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Community voices guide Florida Poly’s future at first Strategic Planning Summit

September 9, 2024

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,

Transportation tech leader Beth Kigel brings bold vision as Florida Poly’s new board chair

September 6, 2024

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

Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building reaches new heights at Florida Poly

August 14, 2024

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

Florida Poly’s new VP to champion student growth and success

August 9, 2024

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

Florida Poly senior tackles water quality challenges in Fort Myers internship

August 6, 2024

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.

Florida Poly’s new Parent Network supports students

August 1, 2024

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

Florida Poly study reveals complex AI limitations in simple games

July 31, 2024

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

Motorola Solutions internship provides insight, inspiration

July 29, 2024

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

Florida Poly student electrified by SEL engineering internship

July 18, 2024

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

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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.