News

UCF Names Saiful Khondaker as Interim Assistant Vice President for Research Advancement

September 7, 2023

The University of Central Florida’s Office of Research has named Saiful Khondaker, professor of nanoscience, physics and electrical engineering, as the new interim assistant vice president for research advancement. In this role, Khondaker will focus on driving further growth of research development and partnership, critical elements of the UCF research enterprise. This will include expanding…

UCF Researchers Develop New Technology to Recycle Greenhouse Gas into Energy, Materials

August 11, 2023

A pair of University of Central Florida researchers has developed new methods to produce energy and materials from the harmful greenhouse gas, methane. Pound-for-pound, the comparative impact of methane on the Earth’s atmosphere is 28 times greater than carbon dioxide — another major greenhouse gas — over a 100-year period, according to the U.S. Environmental…

New Ethanol Fuel Cell Technology Rivals Fossil Fuels and Electric Car Batteries

August 9, 2023

University of Central Florida researchers have achieved new record-setting power density for ethanol fuel cells, helping advance the technology as a competitor to fossil fuels and electric car batteries. Ethanol fuel cells offer cleaner emissions than fossil fuels and no charging times compared to electric vehicle batteries. In recent studies published in the journals Nature Communications and Joule,…

UCF Ranks as a Top 25 U.S. Public University for Patents Granted

April 28, 2023

The University of Central Florida has moved into the ranks of the top 25 public universities in the nation for patents granted, according to the latest report from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). UCF secured 63 patents in 2022, ranking it No. 52 in the world and No. 23 among public universities in the…

UCF Researcher Creates World’s First Energy-saving Paint – Inspired by Butterflies

March 8, 2023

Instead of pigment-based colored paint, which requires artificially synthesized molecules, a UCF researcher has developed an alternative way to produce colored paint that is more natural, environmentally friendly and light weight. University of Central Florida researcher Debashis Chanda, a professor in UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, has drawn inspiration from butterflies to create the first environmentally…

UCF Researcher Receives Samsung International Global Research Outreach Award

January 26, 2023

The award from the multinational electronics corporation will fund the development of infrared night vision and thermal sensing camera technology for cell phones and consumer electronics. Debashis Chanda, a professor in UCF’s NanoScience Technology Center, recently received Samsung’s International Global Research Outreach Award for the year 2022 in the Future Camera and Sensor category. This…

New UCF-developed Battery Could Prevent Post-hurricane Electric Vehicle Fires

January 10, 2023

The technology replaces the volatile and highly flammable organic solvents found in electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries with saltwater to create a safer and more efficient battery. A University of Central Florida researcher has developed technology that could prevent electric vehicle fires, like those caused by saltwater flooding from Hurricane Ian. The technology, an aqueous battery,…

UCF Receives Top Ranks for Producing Patents for 9th Consecutive Year

December 13, 2022

A new report ranked UCF No. 31 among public universities in the nation in 2021 and No. 60 worldwide for producing patents, placing the university ahead of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M University and Pennsylvania State University The University of Central Florida has ranked in the top 100 public universities for producing patents for the ninth…

New $1.25 Million Research Project Will Map Materials at the Nanoscale

October 27, 2022

The work can lead to new catalysts and other compounds that could be applicable in a range of areas including quantum science, renewable energy, life sciences and sustainability. A University of Central Florida researcher will lead a recently announced $1.25 million project to map and manipulate materials at the nanoscale. The project’s funding is through…

Recent UCF Graduates Have Accepted Tenure-track Positions at Top Universities

August 3, 2022

A tenure-track position is the unicorn of academia, but students are finding jobs after earning their doctorate degrees at UCF and going onto places like NC State, Notre Dame, and the University of Toronto. Getting a tenure-track faculty position at a university has become harder, but several UCF recent graduates are beating the odds. For…