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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

NSF-funded study uses brain data to rethink engineering education

September 3, 2025

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

Florida Poly student research uncovers laser light from peacock feathers

August 27, 2025

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

New SGA president focuses on student voices, organizational strength

August 22, 2025

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 Poly’s enrollment hits record high, momentum soars

August 18, 2025

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.

Florida Poly reaches new heights with record Fulbright participation

August 13, 2025

Florida Polytechnic University is welcoming the largest cohort of distinguished Fulbright awardees in its history, with international scholars and students set to pursue advanced research and graduate studies during the 2025-26 academic year. The group of 21 graduate students and scholars participating in the prestigious U.S. State Department program reflects the University’s solid commitment to fostering global collaborations and advancing

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Florida Poly celebrates largest graduating class in University history

May 4, 2025

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. For the graduates, the record-breaking event at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland marked the culmination of years

Florida Poly brothers set to graduate, build future success

May 2, 2025

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. Taki Tsetsekas, the current student body president, will receive a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. This summer, Dimitri Tsetsekas ’24 will receive a

Q&A: Tenacious grad ready to power the future of energy

May 2, 2025

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. As she prepares to graduate on Sunday, May 4, with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Chavannes is poised to pursue her long-term goals of shaping the future

Q&A: Data science grad fueled by family, empowered by data

May 1, 2025

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, an immigrant from Colombia, worked so hard for. Valencia, currently a data science coordinator at Saddle Creek

Grad student’s pitch wins $2K for pioneering asthma monitoring device

April 29, 2025

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 Friday, April 25, at the University of South Florida. Eelman was among only 13 finalists from across Florida to pitch their business ideas at the highly competitive event, which tasked participants with

Rising leaders celebrated as 2025-2026 Presidential Ambassadors

April 28, 2025

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. Presidential Ambassadors are an elite group of students who are appointed each year by the University

Seniors wow industry sponsors at Florida Poly’s largest Capstone Showcase

April 24, 2025

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. The event was the largest in the University’s history. “Capstone at Florida Poly is something truly special,” said Dr. Matt Bohm, director of industry engagement and

Seniors pledge integrity and excellence at Order of the Engineer induction

April 23, 2025

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. The national association for graduate and professional engineers focuses on promoting pride and responsibility in the profession. As part of the ceremony, each inductee received a stainless-steel ring to

Inaugural Research Day showcases student innovation

April 22, 2025

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. “This embodies the very core of our University,” said Dr. Bradford Towle, chair of

Q&A: Grad ready to power the future at Duke Energy

April 21, 2025

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. The Florida Polytechnic University

Students dive into logistics at Port Tampa Bay

April 15, 2025

Florida Polytechnic University students pursuing careers in logistics and supply chain management often secure vital positions improving warehouse, distribution, transportation and inventory processes for companies of all sizes around the world. The reality of these careers came into sharp focus recently for a group of logistics and sustainability students who received a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s

Florida Poly cyber warriors go on the offensive to defend fintech company

April 14, 2025

A senior capstone team at Florida Polytechnic University has worked tirelessly to find and exploit weak spots in a finance company’s systems. They attacked, crept around, and broke into any vulnerabilities they found. The students then buckled down to devise solutions so that no one else could do the same. The seven-member team of computer science majors with concentrations in