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.
A panel discussion at Florida Polytechnic University on Monday, Sept. 8, examined the history, benefits and future of phosphate mining.
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
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
Undergraduate discovery sparks nationwide scientific attention Florida Polytechnic University senior Anthony Fiorito has captured national attention in the scientific community with groundbreaking research revealing that peacock feathers can emit precise laser light. Fiorito, an engineering physics major, is the first author of a study that has been spotlighted by leading publications including Science, Ars Technica, Interesting Engineering and MSN. The
Connection, communication and advocacy are Colby Manrodt’s top goals as the new president of Florida Polytechnic University’s Student Government Association. “I think our University is in a period of transitioning and going through a lot of change, so we are going to focus this year on bringing better forms of communication to our student body,” said Manrodt, a senior majoring
Florida Polytechnic University welcomed the new academic year on Monday, Aug. 18 with a record-breaking total enrollment of more than 1,900 students, marking a more than 10% increase over last year’s historic enrollment and the second consecutive year of growth. “This remarkable enrollment underscores the growing recognition of Florida Poly’s value in preparing students for high-demand STEM careers,” said Dr.
The Nest was transformed into a club-recruiting mecca on Thursday, Aug. 25 at Club Row, a large, student-run event that provides a platform for student organizations to share what they do and recruit new members at the start of each semester. “Getting involved is a way to really become a better student,” said junior computer science major Melia Rodriguez, who
A group of Florida Polytechnic University’s brightest and most promising students was recognized on Monday, Aug. 22, at the Inaugural Alexander Scholars Luncheon. The John R. Alexander Scholars Program is a scholarship program that supports exceptionally high-achieving students in reaching their personal and professional goals without taking on the burden of student debt. Alexander Scholars receive a new laptop and a $40,000
The new class of freshmen beginning their studies at Florida Polytechnic University this fall is more well-rounded and academically advanced than any class in the school’s history. First-time-in-college applications increased by 31% this year, and by 101% since the fall of 2019. Among admitted students, the average SAT score was 1355 – the highest average in the University’s history –
Hundreds of new Florida Polytechnic University students began arriving on campus on Friday, Aug. 19, to settle into and get to know their new home for the next four years. “I’m nervous, but also excited,” said Madox Bown, a freshman from St. Petersburg, Florida, who will be studying aeronautical engineering. “I’ve never really been away from home before, but it’s
Florida Polytechnic University today unveiled its new Applied Research Center, a cutting-edge facility that will strengthen Florida Poly’s position as a premier STEM institution and an engine for economic development. The $47 million building substantially expands the University’s research capabilities and will be instrumental to Florida Poly’s mission to serve students and industry through excellence in education, discovery, and application
Florida Polytechnic University junior Melia Rodriguez is more excited than most about the first day of the fall semester. As the new Student Government Association (SGA) president, she is ready to lead and to work hard to support the entire student body. “I’ve always liked advocating on behalf of people who want to have their voices heard,” said Rodriguez, who
Alex Perera ’21 has spent the summer learning and working in a prestigious internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, based at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. The Florida Polytechnic University graduate student is part of a team creating a digital twin of a high altitude balloon that records information about the air around it when the balloon is
Two Florida Polytechnic University students seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this summer to join the National Security Innovation Network’s (NSIN) 2022 cohort of X-Force fellows. The program is sponsored by the Department of Defense. The summer internship tasks university students from across the nation to assist the military in devising solutions to real-world challenges they experience. Florida Poly’s students had the
Working at Lockheed Martin this summer as a college student technical specialist is opening doors of opportunity for Grayson Dannecker that may shape the rest of his career. Dannecker, a rising senior at Florida Polytechnic University who is majoring in computer engineering with a concentration in embedded systems, is completing a remote summer internship with the global security and aerospace
Florida Polytechnic University alumnus Dorian Gray ’20 works hard to ensure the tractors and other equipment produced by global manufacturing company John Deere are correct and adhere to quality standards. “I make a lot of decisions and do a lot of investigations to solve a lot of problems,” said Gray, who received his degree in mechanical engineering from the University.
More than 220 Florida Polytechnic University graduates celebrated the completion of their high-demand STEM degrees on Sunday, May 8, at the University’s 2022 commencement ceremony. Students and their loved ones joined Florida Poly faculty and staff in the event at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. “Coming here to Florida Poly and meeting all my friends has honestly changed my
The opportunity to see how software development happens on a large scale was something Florida Polytechnic University rising senior Justine Kenji Dela Cruz was thrilled to take on. The computer science major with a concentration in software engineering has been working on software development on an individual scale for years and was excited to learn the process inside out at
