UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

06/02/2026

UF Ph.D. student Aileen Lavelle is studying what happens after sea turtles leave the beach.

Working through the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research and in partnership with Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Lavelle is tracking turtle movements after nesting to better understand where boat strikes occur and how they can be prevented.

By following loggerhead, green and leatherback turtles beyond the shoreline, her research is helping identify areas where conservation efforts could have the greatest impact.

🐢 Learn more:
https://news.clas.ufl.edu/uf-graduate-student-studying-turtle-movement-patterns-to-decrease-boat-strikes/

06/01/2026

When most people think about elephants, dung beetles probably aren't the first thing that come to mind.

But new research co-authored by UF biology professor Todd Palmer found that when elephants disappear, dung beetle populations can collapse — setting off a chain reaction that affects everything from seed dispersal to nutrient cycling.

The findings reveal how the loss of a single species can ripple through an entire ecosystem, reshaping the natural processes that keep it functioning.

🐘🪲 Read more: https://news.clas.ufl.edu/study-finds-elephant-loss-sets-off-ecosystem-chain-reaction-starting-with-dung-beetles/

05/29/2026

New archaeology programs at UF are helping students turn classroom learning into career-ready experience through hands-on training in cultural resource management, field methods and preservation planning.

As demand for trained archaeologists continues to grow, students are gaining practical experience that prepares them to help protect cultural and historical resources across the country.

Read more: https://news.clas.ufl.edu/uf-archaeology-meets-workforce/

05/26/2026

From Capitol Hill to the Pentagon, UF students spent a week exploring the people and institutions shaping public service in Washington, D.C. 🇺🇸

Through Beyond120 and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, students connected with alumni, toured major organizations and engaged in conversations about careers in government, law, communications, policy and international affairs.

The experience offered students a chance to build professional connections, ask questions and see firsthand how classroom learning can translate into meaningful careers and leadership opportunities.

Check out highlights from the excursion in our latest gallery 📸

Interested in future trips and opportunities?

Sign up for the Bob Graham Center’s newsletter: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001UxqbawIW3JWaP-pvK0Q7lEds_lOjBj1gCK7h-u3_4D6S18cJOLKw-nVyC4mMIxmKAqNY2vA_J8fVjGDgik4oN27SZQ7IYmYc&fbclid=PAVERFWASFKXtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafL2stARo9-gVp-5RvRzVnic6XygfldH5Jqvi2HxFvwwvLeyFAoTiZ1En8IRA_aem_r-z4aoMkmzreI2k_eTMcnQ

05/21/2026

Gainesville's history is getting a new way to be explored.

Through the Grass Scholars Program, UF students created a digital walking tour of the Duck Pond neighborhood—bringing together archival research, storytelling, and mapping tools to transform how we experience one of the city’s most historic areas.

What was once a traditional neighborhood walk is now an interactive, place-based learning experience you can access digitally.

Learn more: https://news.clas.ufl.edu/grass-scholars-students-develop-digital-walking-tour-of-duckpond/

05/21/2026

Congratulations to the 27 University of Florida undergraduate students who competed in the 2026 COMAP Mathematical/Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (MCM/ICM)!

Special recognition goes to Oliver Lu, Zoey Cao and Bill Zhang, whose team earned the contest’s Meritorious Winner designation for Problem B — placing them among the top 10% of more than 5,000 teams worldwide.

The international competition challenges students to solve real-world problems through mathematical modeling, research and collaboration.

We’re proud of all the students who represented UF in this year’s competition.

05/19/2026

Oyster reefs. Wetlands. Ecosystems.

UF researchers are helping create “ecotech,” a new field focused on turning nature’s solutions into innovations that could reshape infrastructure, sustainability and engineering.

Read more: https://news.clas.ufl.edu/ecotech-uf-researchers-help-launch-a-new-field-to-turn-natures-solutions-into-innovative-technology/

05/12/2026

A University of Florida historian has earned one of the nation’s most prestigious humanities fellowships.

Max Deardorff, associate professor of history, was selected as a 2026 ACLS Fellow, a nationally competitive award supporting groundbreaking research in the humanities and social sciences.

Read more: https://news.clas.ufl.edu/uf-associate-professor-of-history-selected-as-2026-acls-fellow/

05/11/2026

🐢 University of Florida researchers are using radioactive carbon preserved in turtle shells to uncover how fast sea turtles grow and how they respond to changes in their environment over time.

The breakthrough could help scientists better protect endangered turtle populations around the world.

Turns out, the answers were hidden in the shell all along.

UF researchers used radiocarbon signals in turtle shells to determine their growth rate, which can help explain a turtles' ecological pasts.

05/08/2026

A major honor for Gator science 🧪🐊

Austin Evans has been named a 2026 recipient of the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, a nationally recognized honor celebrating rising leaders in the chemical sciences for both groundbreaking research and exceptional teaching.

He is only the second faculty member in University of Florida history to receive the award — and just the third recipient from the state of Florida since the award was established in 1994.

Congratulations to Prof. Evans on this outstanding achievement 👏

Learn more: https://www.dreyfus.org/camille-dreyfus-teacher-scholar/