Florida Polytechnic University has named Jack Paris as the first head coach of its women’s soccer program as the University continues building its new athletics department.
Florida Polytechnic University marked a significant milestone on Saturday, May 9, celebrating its largest graduating class to date as more than 430 students crossed the stage at the University’s 2026 commencement.
Andrew McDonnell ’26 never stopped dreaming about the stars. As a child, he looked up at the sky, wondering what was out there, and that curiosity followed him to Florida Poly, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, took aerospace courses, and worked on a lunar mobility senior capstone project. He graduates on May 9.
Florida Polytechnic University has reached on-campus housing capacity for the upcoming academic year, reflecting continued strong demand and record student interest.
Florida Polytechnic University inducted 12 students into its highly selective Presidential Ambassadors program, where they will serve as official student representatives at key University events and engage with campus and community leaders.
Samantha Bentley ’26 didn’t always feel ready to step into leadership or research roles during her time as a computer science student at Florida Polytechnic University, but discovered she grew the most by doing it anyway. She will receive her bachelor’s degree on Saturday, May 9.
A tiny ant was the inspiration behind an idea that landed a Florida Polytechnic University Junior a $20,000 grant from NASA. The grant from the Florida Space Research Program provides Esteban Segarra and faculty advisor Dr. Bradford Towle the resources to explore autonomous capabilities for robots exploring the surface of Mars. Esteban hit upon the idea after watching the orderly
Pursuing your passion Converting your passion into a career was the topic Wednesday of a presentation by conservation specialist Dr. Tracy Fanara. Students heard over an hour Dr. Fanara’s career path as a civil engineer, from her dissertation research into protecting the Florida aquifer through intelligent landscaping, to an appearance on the Science Channel’s “Mythbusters: The Search.” Today, Dr. Fanara
A student-developed plan that models the city of Jacksonville’s vision for an autonomous public transportation system earned a second-place finish recently for Florida Polytechnic University. The design was one of six presented Nov. 9 at the Urban International Design Contest in Las Vegas. Teams from universities around the globe entered their vision for how new modes of sustainable public transportation can be
It’s easy to dream big. Creating a real, marketable product from that idea is a different story. “It’s important to understand your personal goal. What do you want to create in the world?” explains Justin Heacock, Entrepreneurship Center Coordinator at Florida Polytechnic University. Giving students the tools and coaching they need to bring their ideas to market is central to
Trying to keep track of a dozen passwords is an accepted part of today’s modern society. But what if your password was literally unforgettable? Florida Polytechnic University Sophomore Austin Lubetkin has a working prototype of a program that relies on eye movements while reading to secure your assets, not letters or characters. His research paper drew great interest when he
More than 1,100 elementary school students at risk of going hungry are guaranteed a meal every week thanks to the work of a small Lakeland nonprofit called KidsPack. KidsPack distributes food donations to students across three counties and the logics can be daunting — and expensive. That’s why four Florida Polytechnic University students are volunteering their time to update KidsPack’s
Florida Polytechnic University Professor of Data Analytics Dr. Robert Steele delivered a keynote speech at the 8th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Annual Ubiquitous Computing, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEEE UEMCON 2017), on October 21 at Columbia University in New York. Fellow keynote speakers included other distinguished experts in analytics and computational systems from organizations including Columbia University,
Florida drivers may soon be safer on the road thanks to Dr. Christina Drake, Assistant Professor of Electrical, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at Florida Poly. Her research interests – which include novel materials and sensors based on meta-material-based approaches; low-cost imagers and sensors; and biologically inspired or incorporated sensors and platforms – have already propelled her to four provisional patents. Now, she’s
Foreign policy melded with STEM when a Florida Polytechnic University student traveled to Canada for an exclusive program hosted by Fulbright Canada. Michael Jernigan was one of just 20 students selected from across the U.S. and Canada to participate in the Fulbright Canada Youth Institute on Canada in the World. The weeklong program in late September featured cultural experiences, lectures
Florida Polytechnic University students heard firsthand Thursday how an ambitious teenager launched a business from his parents’ basement that today processes $14 billion in credit card payments. Students hungry for advice on starting their own business got their fill as Jared Isaacman outlined for an hour the lessons he learned on the way to becoming a three-time finalist for Ernst
Technology is weaved into everything at Florida Polytechnic University — including the food. The Wellness Center on campus recently debuted a hydroponic herb garden that grows vertically on the wall behind one of the food stations. The garden was built and is maintained by Seed2Source, a Central Florida consulting firm that promotes sustainable solutions for agriculture. “I saw how far
Updated at 5:05 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 13 We are currently in recovery mode on campus, but want to provide an important update. We have not had power until this morning in the IST or the Wellness Center, and we are under limited operations at this point. STUDENTS: Please do not report to campus until Saturday at the earliest but Sunday is preferable.
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.
