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.
Florida Polytechnic University recognized its achievement of another major milestone in the University’s history on Sept. 25 with a fun and festive celebration. Four of Florida Poly’s bachelor’s degrees have received highly anticipated accreditation by the Computing and Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering
With powerful steel arms designed to toss its opponent out of the ring and flames intended to intimidate and destroy, Phoenix, a 250-pound combat robot, could put Florida Polytechnic University on the map for competitive battle robotics. “We’re a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) school, and this would be like having a great football team for other schools,” said
Joining a University club is an experience that typically comes with connection, camaraderie, and common purpose. Beginning on Sept. 23, Florida Polytechnic University will be reminding students that there’s one thing joining group membership should never include: hazing. “Students need to know that clubs are accepting people for who they are and that bullying and hazing are not part of
LAKELAND, Fla. – Researchers at Florida Polytechnic University will work to support and strengthen the ethical identity of engineering students and future STEM professionals thanks to a new federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The one-of-a-kind research will analyze the motives and barriers to ethical behavior in an academic setting, and the resulting ethical attitudes and actions exhibited
Hailey Skoglund walks with confidence these days through the Florida Polytechnic University campus. That wasn’t the case just a few months ago, but the business analytics major received the gift of freedom with her new best friend, Marli. “I was always very cautious before and would walk very slowly because I was nervous of where I was going,” she said.
For 19 years, both novice and renowned mathematicians from all over the world have tried their hand at solving seven of mathematics’ most difficult problems, each of which comes with monumental bragging rights and a $1 million prize from the prestigious Clay Mathematics Institute. Only one of these problems, which collectively are known as the Millennium Prize Problems, has been
LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University leaders and community and state officials gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Applied Research Center, a new iconic building on campus that will serve as a research hub for students, faculty, and high-tech industry in the region. The Applied Research Center (ARC) will be an over 85,000-square-foot facility that will house research and
When Kathleen “Kathy” Bowman became chief development officer of the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the school’s development team was bringing in an average of $4 million per year over a five-year period. When she left the position of five years last month to become Florida Polytechnic University’s new vice president of advancement, the
Dr. Randy Avent, president of Florida Polytechnic University, is one of Florida’s most influential business leaders, according to Florida Trend’s Florida 500 list. The magazine just released its annual list recognizing the most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state. “It is an honor to receive this acknowledgement as Florida Poly forges its path as a leader in
In the cutting-edge field of nanotechnology, there is an ever-present need for the next generation of energy-efficient, high-performance components to advance the limits of possibility. Two Florida Polytechnic University faculty members and their student research assistant focused their study on this area and presented it at a global symposium of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) held August
A stop at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Florida, capped off a week of intense business education for a group of executives from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. The nearly 50 business leaders were participants in Experiencia Set, an educational initiative that partnered with The Walt Disney Company to provide a close-up look at how the company operates, while
Student support and Bahamian relief efforts Updated September 4, 2:30 p.m. As we consider how fortunate we are that Hurricane Dorian did not have a direct impact on our immediate area, we must also remember that this storm has devastated the Bahamas and is currently moving north along the Eastern United States. This fall, Florida Poly has 11 students studying
