Category: News

Ravit Silverstein, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Florida, received a national early career award from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. Her research focuses on designing stronger, more resilient materials for extreme environments using atomic-scale engineering and advanced microscopy techniques.

University of Florida researchers are using machine learning on the HiPerGator supercomputer to tame the extreme plasma inside tokamaks. Their work aims to make fusion energy—a carbon-free, sun-powered source—safer and more attainable.

Enrique Medici and Hannah Patz were selected for the highly competitive Training in Radiological and International Nuclear Security (TRAINS) Fellowship, a program connecting top graduate students with leading institutions and national laboratories in the United States and Europe to advance nuclear security and nonproliferation efforts.

UF engineer and electron microscopy expert Nicholas Rudawski uses YouTube to help others learn to operate electron microscopes and understand electron microscopy concepts and fundamentals.  

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.

University of Florida Associate Professor Kyle C. Hartig, Ph.D., has been named to the American Nuclear Society’s (ANS) Nuclear News  40 Under 40 list. This recognition celebrates innovative young professionals advancing the field of nuclear science and engineering.   

The University of Florida’s Ceramic Mug Drop (CMD) design team made history in September by setting a new university UF record for the highest drop at the Materials Science & Technology Technical Meeting and Exhibition in Columbus, Ohio.