Florida Polytechnic University had the largest one-year performance gain among all state universities in the Florida Board of Governors’ 2025-26 Performance-Based Funding Model, earning a score of 87 out of 100 and securing nearly $11 million in performance funding.
Florida Polytechnic University graduates earn the highest salaries among alumni from Florida’s public universities five years after graduation, according to a recent analysis by the Tampa Bay Business Journal based on new Florida Department of Education data.
The Florida Polytechnic University Foundation Board of Directors has new leadership, five new members, and five reappointed community leaders. The Florida Poly Board of Trustees approved the appointments on May 22.
Few coaches can match a resume that includes winning an NBA championship alongside Michael Jordan and leading a college program to sustained success on the national stage. Dennis Hopson has done both. Florida Poly has named Hopson as the first head coach of its Men’s Basketball program.
David Zambrano ’26 is on the pioneering edge of a field that has the potential to one day replace modern electronics. He is advancing research in silicon photonics – a technology that uses light instead of electricity to transmit and process data.
Florida Polytechnic University has named TJ Marik as the inaugural head coach of its baseball program. The addition brings another instrumental leader to the University as it continues to establish its new athletics program. Marik brings substantial head coaching experience and a strong background in player development to the new role.
Editor’s Note: At Florida Poly, we’re 100 percent STEM so it’s only natural that we’re turning National STEM Day 2018 (Nov. 8) into a weeklong celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math. Monday’s focus was science, and today we explore technology. One of the many ways Florida Polytechnic University fulfills its mission – to serve students and industry through excellence
Editor’s Note: At Florida Poly, we’re 100 percent STEM so it’s only natural that we’re turning National STEM Day 2018 (Nov. 8) into a weeklong celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math. Up first is a focus on the “science” in STEM. The idea of going back to school after spending more than two decades in the workforce can be
Dr. Muhammad Rashid compares higher education to what a blank piece of paper looks like after you hand it to an artist with a pen. For most of his life, the Florida Polytechnic University professor has marveled at how pursuing a degree can begin transforming a student from the time he or she first steps on a college campus. He’s
A fitness instructor dressed in ’80s workout attire took the lead at a Monster Jam Cardio Class at Florida Polytechnic University on Monday, Oct. 29. Students came in costumes ranging from lifeguards to anime characters and enjoyed dancing to popular songs like Rihanna’s “Disturbia” and Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse.” “It’s the first time we’ve offered a Halloween group fitness class
LAKELAND, Fla.–Students at Florida Polytechnic University may soon be at the forefront of cybersecurity education with cutting edge curriculum focused exclusively on mobile computing security. Dr. Karim Elish, assistant professor in the computer science department, has been awarded a $70,500 grant from the Florida Center for Cybersecurity to develop an evolving course on mobile security and privacy. The curriculum will
If he had it do over again, Luke Aiello ’18 wouldn’t have made any other choice. The Florida Polytechnic University graduate speaks glowingly of his four years at the University and how well it positioned him for the workforce. “I was surprised at how prepared I felt when I started my job,” said Aiello. “I’ve heard that from other alumni,
Florida Polytechnic University students are developing high-tech solutions they hope will provide others with a unique way to cope with anxiety and depression, and three of their projects were finalists at the recent statewide Florida Blue Health Innovation Competition in Orlando. The team of Jordan Douglass, Michael Jernigan and Chelsea Reeves won third place with SynapCare, a cloud-based platform designed
LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University has reached an agreement with the Australian-American Fulbright Commission (Fulbright Australia) to begin accepting graduate students and professors beginning in the fall of 2019. “This is a tremendous accomplishment signifying our continued commitment to academic excellence,” said Dr. Terry Parker, Florida Poly’s provost and executive vice president. “Being able to attract some of the
Florida Polytechnic University students are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to cybersecurity. Almost 20 of them sit between dozens of computers in the university’s Cybersecurity Innovation Lab, listening to an important lesson about how to crack a password. “We’re doing something scary in class today,” said Dr. Kanwalinderjit Gagneja, who teaches the Digital Forensics course at
LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University officially released Florida Poly 2.0, its blueprint for the future of the University consisting of a five-year strategic plan and the vision for a robust research park adjacent to campus. Titled “Advancing to Excellence,” the strategic plan outlines the academic and economic goals the University will work to attain by the year 2023. One
Bringing her lightsaber to class is a common occurrence for Celeste Ramirez. The computer science junior is one of the first members of The Force Institute, a club created in the spring of 2017 inspired by the Star Wars saga and the Jedi philosophy. “I like to carry my lightsaber around campus. It gives me a way to engage in
Thanks to a donation from local e-commerce entrepreneur Josh Ray, hundreds of Florida Polytechnic University students now have access to 3D pens. The pens, which have been allocated to several labs on campus including the physics lab, circuits lab, and 3D printing lab allow users to create three-dimensional shapes from the thin trail of molten plastic that oozes from the
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at Florida Polytechnic University, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining Florida Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
