Brevard Sun

From major accolades to campus updates, innovative research and expert insight on current events, here are the most-read stories of the year.

By Nicole Dudenhoefer ’17 | December 12, 2022

20. UCF’s Perla Latorre-Suarez Named Among Best Aerospace Graduate Students in the World

Aviation Week Network magazine’s annual 20 Twenties Award Class listing identifies students with the potential to change the aerospace industry. Latorre-Suarez — who is pursuing a master’s in aerospace engineering at UCF — is one of only two Florida recipients who share the honor with students from Duke, MIT and Purdue, among others.

19. Planet Decision That Booted Out Pluto is Rooted in Folklore and Astrology, Study Suggests

In this December 2021 story, researchers hope to set the record straight with a look at how a planet’s definition has changed since the time of Galileo to the controversial decision the International Astronomical Union made in 2006 to create a new definition, one that made Pluto no longer a planet.

18. New Genetic Clues Could be Key to Saving Sea Turtles from Mysterious Disease

UCF researchers discovered 116 new-to-science alleles, or gene variants, that could play a role in protecting sea turtles from a tumor-causing disease that limits mobility.

17. Amazon Partners with UCF to Offer High-quality Education Through Free Tuition ProgramCareer Choice

The Career Choice program is available to hourly, full- or part-time employees at Amazon who have worked at the company for at least 90 days. The program supports Amazon employees who want to pursue credit-bearing credentials, such as certificates or bachelor’s degrees.

16. Study Finds Parents’ Social Media Use Is Associated with Parenting Style

A new study finds that parents who frequently share photos of their children on social media tend to have more permissive and confident parenting styles and engage their children with social media at younger ages.

15. 19 Events UCF is Hosting for Homecoming 2022

Homecoming returned this fall to bring together Knight Nation for some of the most exciting and memorable events of the year.

14. NASA Selects UCF for $35 Million Mission to the Moon’s Mysterious Gruithuisen Domes

NASA tapped UCF planetary scientists Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove to lead a $35 million science mission that will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before — the Gruithuisen Domes. The robotic mission would launch in 2026 to study the domes’ chemical composition and how dust interacts with the spacecraft and a rover.

13. UCF Breaks into Top 10 Online Schools with No. 7 Ranking

UCF’s high-quality online programs were recognized today by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the university No. 7 in the country for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs.

This high ranking is in part thanks to world-class UCF faculty who are industry experts and who bring real-world knowledge to the classroom. UCF also ranked in the top 50 of seven other areas.

12. UCF to Join Big 12 July 1, 2023

UCF is currently competing in the American Athletic Conference its last season before joining the Big 12 beginning in the 2023-24 season. In its nine seasons in the AAC, Knight teams have won five conference championships each in volleyball and rowing, four in football, three each in men’s soccer, women’s soccer and softball, two each in women’s indoor track and field, women’s tennis and women’s golf and one each in women’s outdoor track and field, men’s tennis and baseball.

11. Virtual Parking Permits Replace Decal Hangtags on UCF Campuses

The new technology eliminates the need for parking decals, hangtags or any physical permit on vehicles. Instead, license plates act as virtual parking permits.

10. 26 Exemplary Students Award 2022 Order of Pegasus

Ranging in disciplines from engineering to biology to education and others across the institution, 26 individuals received UCF’s most prestigious student award for those who display incredible academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community service.

9. UCF Earns Highest Public School U.S. News & World Report Ranking in University History

As UCF continues to unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively impact the world, the university upholds its reputation as a top-ranked public institution of higher education and a leader in innovation. UCF is ranked No. 64 for Public Schools, moving up three spots from last year and marking the highest placement in university history.

8. UCF Athletics Reveals 2022 Space Game Uniform Theme

With the theme of exo-planets, UCF Athletics hosted its sixth Space Game, which honors the universities ties to space since its founding. But what exactly does it take to pull off the annual game?

7. UCF Researchers Use Engineering Expertise to Solve Problems of the Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States with one person dying every 36 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Several mechanical and aerospace engineers at UCF focus their expertise on finding creative solutions to various heart conditions.

6. What is Diwali?

Maria Contractor, UCF’s Indian Student Association Diwali director, shares the significance of the five-day festival, which celebrates the triumph of light over dark.

5. UCF Names 2022’s 30 Under 30 Alumni Award Winners

inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, athletes, academics, teachers and nurses on the frontlines of the pandemic, and more make up the 2022 class. Each member of the 2022 class has demonstrated great professional success, a commitment to helping others, and a track record of giving back to UCF and their local communities.

4. Knights Do That: Relationship Advice from an Expert

During season two of UCF’s official podcast, Knights Do That, Executive Director of UCF’s Marriage and Family Research Institute Sejal Barden shares her expertise when it comes to couples and individualistic relationships, and her insights and advice on small steps we can all take to improve those relationships most important to us.

3. Honoring the First Black Woman Hired as Faculty at UCF

Forty-four years ago, the late Cheryl Evans Green became the first Black woman hired as faculty at UCF. She joined UCF to teach social work and true to her profession, she empowered students and colleagues to realize their potential.

2. What Does Queen Elizabeth II’s Death Mean for the Future of the Monarchy?

When Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8, it marked the end of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. A tourism expert born and raised in the U.K. and a history professor who specializes in early modern English history discusses the impact of her death.

1. How Fake News Affects U.S. Elections

With 2022 being a midterm election year, this 2020 story provides insight from UCF Lecturer Chrysalis Wright, who was appointed to the UN’s Communications Coordination Committee, on one of the threats to our democracy.

Original source can be found here.