Category: News

Long-time, beloved University of Florida engineering professor Robert Thomas Dehoff, Ph.D., died on Jan. 7, 2026 in Gainesville. 

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is mourning the loss of Stephen J. Pearton, Ph.D., a distinguished professor emeritus in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), who died on Dec. 7.  

UF welcomed finalists from the Powering the Community AI Design contest, where high school teams presented AI-driven smart grid strategies to Duke Energy engineers. The showcase marks the program’s continued growth in inspiring the next generation of Florida’s energy innovators.

For Hugo Ortega, a UF engineering-alumnus-turned-yacht-captain and reality star, being on Below Deck is a real-time test of the systems thinking and problem-solving skills he learned as a materials science major.

Built in 1959 and operating out of the Nuclear Engineering program in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the UF training reactor is one of fewer than 30 reactors still operating in the United States. The college uses the reactor to train students in nuclear science and reactor operations, and in lab courses.

Nuclear engineering doctoral candidate Enrique Medici was one of five selected college students this summer to attend the prestigious U.S. Air Force’s SMART Scholar Program.  

Aroba Saleem, Ph.D., an assistant professor with Materials Science and Engineering, recently led her students on a tour of Townley Engineering and Manufacturing in Candler as part of a practical extension of her course, Process Metallurgy/Advanced Metals Processing at the University of Florida.   Held in the spring semester, the visit gave students an in-depth view […]

The Department of Materials Science & Engineering is thrilled to welcome three new faculty members: Renato S. Navarro, Ph.D., Ravit Silverstein, Ph.D., and Yijia Gu, Ph.D. They have joined the department as assistant professors in Spring 2025. These new hires bring exceptional expertise and diverse experiences, which will enhance the department’s research and educational mission. […]

“We are pushing the boundaries of what you can measure.” – Prof. Megan Butala

A University of Florida engineering team is exploring how to manufacture precision metal structures in orbit using laser technology.