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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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Florida Poly students remain in demand amid disrupted job market

September 8, 2020

Life after graduation can be scary in the era of COVID-19. The novel coronavirus has severely affected the current job market with hiring freezes, limited recruitment, and major layoffs across many industries. However, it is a challenge Florida Polytechnic University students are prepared to face as they graduate equipped with a highly desirable STEM degree. Pairris Jones, associate director of

Purple Fire events offer fun, friendship during Labor Day weekend

September 4, 2020

Students will have to venture no farther than the Oak Grove and the Florida Polytechnic University soccer field to find fun and exciting events this Labor Day weekend. Purple Fire Weekends, which began at the start of the fall semester, culminate Sept. 4-6 with events designed to bring students together and promote fun, friendship, and fitness. All activities will take

Internship with multinational software company blossoms into ongoing opportunity

September 3, 2020

A summer internship with multinational software company Red Hat turned into a long-term remote work position for Florida Polytechnic University senior Isabel Zimmerman. “It is such a good experience and the team I work with is so much fun and so willing to share their knowledge,” said Zimmerman, who is majoring in data science with a concentration quantitative economics. “They

Labor Day update from SGA and President Avent

September 3, 2020

Dear students, Labor Day weekend is upon us and we know you’re all eager to enjoy a few days away from class. As the leaders of the University and the Student Government Association, we’ve both been very impressed by how each of you has embraced the new normal and prioritized COVID-19 health precautions, recognizing them as central to our success

Scholarship helps Florida Poly freshman forge a path toward success

September 1, 2020

When it came time for freshman Nelson Suárez to choose a university, he was drawn to Florida Polytechnic University because of its strong computer science program, its innovative spirit, and the feeling that he mattered. “The main reason this was my university of choice was because I saw I wasn’t just one more number in its admissions,” Suárez said. “They

Data science student creates nanoHUB tool to enhance remote education

August 27, 2020

Cindy Nguyen, a senior data science student at Florida Polytechnic University, recently completed an Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) with the Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) at Purdue University. As part of the URE program, she developed an interactive learning tool for scientific computing and data analysis applications in science and engineering. Nguyen worked with Dr. Reinaldo Sanchez-Arias, an assistant professor

Hybrid Club Row helps students connect and get involved

August 24, 2020

One of the cornerstones of the University experience is involvement in student clubs and organizations. Club Row, an event that connects students with these academic and recreational groups each semester, kicks off on Aug. 24 with both virtual and in-person environments. Students will be able to learn about groups like the archery club; the Force Institute, which blends a love

Presidential Ambassadors adapt, take flight for new academic year

August 21, 2020

As Florida Polytechnic University starts the fall 2020 semester under new guidelines and safety measures due to COVID-19, a group of 12 students is adapting to the changes and ready to take flight as campus leaders. The new class of Presidential Ambassadors just finished a two-day orientation under the theme Flight Academy, in which they completed a series of lectures

Purple Fire Weekends welcome students back to campus

August 20, 2020

Purple Fire Week has become one of Florida Polytechnic University’s most beloved traditions. And although the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the event to embrace some changes this year, it is back and bigger than ever. The fun-filled week has been expanded to Purple Fire Weekends, beginning on Aug. 21 and continuing through Sept. 6. The events feature physically distanced, outdoor,

Student body president gears up for busy and unusual academic year

August 19, 2020

As students return to campus for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, Connor Coddington is getting ready to tackle far more than a busy course schedule. “It’s definitely an exciting time right now,” said Coddington, Florida Polytechnic University’s new student body president. “There’s a lot going on and I think we’ll probably be able to make a lot of

Move-in begins at Florida Poly with new COVID-19 precautions

August 18, 2020

Juan Forero pulled into the Florida Polytechnic University campus on Aug. 17 eager to settle into his residence hall room and get started on his senior year. The move-in experience was different than in years past, but Forero welcomed the shift – especially now that the world’s focus has changed to minimizing the spread of COVID-19. “I felt very safe

Florida Poly expands student health resources for fall 2020 semester

August 14, 2020

Student health is a critical priority, particularly as the novel coronavirus continues making its way through our communities. Florida Polytechnic University has created an all-new respiratory clinic for the University community and extended the hours of its existing student Health Clinic. The new respiratory clinic, which is staffed by professionals from Lakeland Regional Health, is located in a separate building