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Loved ones share in the college experience at Phoenix Family Day

September 22, 2025

Florida Polytechnic University buzzed with energy on Saturday, Sept. 20, as more than 850 parents, siblings and friends joined students on campus for the annual Phoenix Family Day. Visitors explored the University, played games, tackled hands-on STEM challenges and experienced firsthand the vibrant spirit of the Florida Poly community alongside their favorite Phoenix student. Gladys Diaz, from Miramar, Florida, joined

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

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Annual police toy drive boosts seasonal cheer in Lakeland and beyond

December 6, 2022

Deep into each fall semester, the Florida Polytechnic University Police Department starts preparing for one of its biggest outreach efforts of the year. The department is the mischievous group behind the annual toy drive benefitting children at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and a small rural community in Honduras. University faculty, staff, and students donated dozens of unwrapped toys for

Fall Game Expo spotlights student-created video games

December 3, 2022

High school students from across the region flocked to Florida Polytechnic University on Saturday, Dec. 3, to try out student-created video games and learn about education and career paths in computer science during the annual Fall Game EXPO. “The Game Expo provides Florida Poly students with a great experience seeing a project from design to completion, then presenting the project

Renowned academic leader joins Florida Poly Board of Trustees

November 30, 2022

Florida’s Board of Governors has appointed Dr. Dave Williams to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees. Williams is emeritus dean and professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University “We are very excited to be welcoming Dave and his distinguished academic experience to the board,” said Cliff Otto, the board’s chair. “His unique

Thanksgiving holiday campus services and closures

November 21, 2022

As the long-awaited holiday weekend draws near, Florida Polytechnic University wishes the entire University community a happy Thanksgiving. Those staying on campus and those leaving to spend the holiday with friends and family should be mindful of the following changes to campus services and closures during the break. There will be no classes Wednesday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 25.

Alum turns entrepreneur with new video game design studio

November 21, 2022

Florida Polytechnic University alum Chris Didier ’18 is living out his childhood dreams. His professional life since graduation ushered him into the world of software engineering and development, and he has used this experience to launch his own video game studio. “Growing up, I had a Super Nintendo and loved playing video games like Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Super Smash

Visiting Fulbright scientist from Spain advances research at Florida Poly

November 16, 2022

Dr. Fernando González Fermoso, head scientist of the Spanish Research Council in Spain, is spending nine months at Florida Polytechnic University collaborating on environmental engineering research at the campus. “This is my first time really getting deep into American universities,” he said. “The relationship with industry is much stronger here. I know how the American university works and its connection

Tabletop Club brings fun, fantasy to Florida Poly students

November 14, 2022

In a world of magic, dragons, and giants, students at Florida Polytechnic University immerse themselves in a fantasy adventure and band together to reach a common goal. The Tabletop Club invites all Phoenixes with a taste for fun, storytelling, battle, and friendship to join them. “Anyone who is interested in making friends and learning more about a cool way to

AdvancementJohnson ScholarshipScholarships

November 8, 2022

With the Johnson Scholarship Foundation’s financial support and a fervent belief that he can succeed, Florida Polytechnic University senior Graham Gilbert is determined to reach his educational goals. Gilbert, from West Palm Beach, Florida, is working toward a bachelor’s degree in data science with a concentration in quantitative economics and econometrics. “As college students, we probably all don’t have amazing

Electrical engineering alumna helps create next-generation medical devices

November 3, 2022

Chelsea Reeves ’19 always had dual passions for engineering and biology. Today, she fulfills both in her position as a product development engineer at Arthrex, a global orthopedic medical device company based in Naples, Florida. Reeves works on Orthobiologics and Vet systems at the company. “Orthobiologics is the new regenerative medicine of the world and as a team, we are

IFF launches Florida Poly partnership with $125K scholarship and research fund

November 2, 2022

IFF (NYSE:IFF) announced a $125,000 gift to Florida Polytechnic University, as both entities laid the foundation for a first-of-its-kind partnership between the University and the Fortune 500 company. IFF officials said the donation will be divided in two important areas: $25,000 for student scholarships and $100,000 for a new research fund to support faculty projects. The announcement was made during

Florida Poly team on way to fully autonomous golf cart

November 1, 2022

A project to turn a standard golf cart into an autonomous vehicle has made a huge leap forward at Florida Polytechnic University. The students and faculty have successfully transformed the golf cart into a drive-by-wire vehicle – one that can be controlled by remote control. The Florida Poly community can often see the solar-powered golf cart zipping around campus with

Industry partnership advances cybersecurity, high-tech career opportunities

October 28, 2022

Florida Polytechnic University students are gaining insider industry knowledge, improving career readiness, and finding valuable employment opportunities thanks to a partnership with KnowBe4, a global security awareness training and simulated phishing provider based in Clearwater, Florida. KnowBe4 has hired multiple University alumni and interns. Alyssa Nichols, global talent outreach manager at the company, said she has been impressed by their