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Research Engineering and Education Facility Helps Meet Military Needs

High School Students Flourish From Project SEED

Honors Students Travel to Rome

Research Engineering and Education Facility Helps Meet Military Needs
By Lauren Smith, University Marketing Communications

Recently named one of the country’s top military-friendly schools by Military Advanced Education magazine, the University of West Florida offers innovative educational opportunities to help meet the military’s needs. In addition to the UWF Emerald Coast Campus centers at Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, UWF engineering students also have the opportunity to utilize the University of Florida Research Engineering and Education Facility (REEF), located adjacent to Eglin in Shalimar.

“The UWF engineering program supports the greater Eglin Air Force Base community and has the ability to respond to Air Force research needs” said Thomas Gilbar, program coordinator, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UWF Emerald Coast Campus, REEF.

Made possible through a partnership between UWF’s engineering program and UF, UWF faculty and students are able to immerse themselves in an engineering and research environment and work collaboratively with UF faculty and students on research projects. Once UWF students complete the undergraduate program, eligible students can continue their education at the graduate level with UF at the REEF.

“From my perspective, inviting UWF to share the UF-REEF facility has been a fabulous success,” said John “Row” Rogacki, professor and director, UF-REEF. “Because of our partnership, we’ve been able to engage a number of very talented UWF engineering students in our cutting edge research and they’ve performed admirably. By providing hands-on experience on real research projects, we hope to motivate students to pursue graduate education and a career in research.”

The REEF serves as an ideal environment to conduct technical research critical to the advancement of national defense and security capabilities. Students join colleagues from both military and civilian occupations under the guidance of a world-class cadre of industrial experts and academicians in areas such as micro aerial vehicles; vision-based guidance; navigation and control; biologically inspired flight; computational mechanics; energetics; aerodynamics; data-mining; optimization; and navigation in GPS-deprived environments.

“Students gain valuable experience while working with world-class researchers from UWF/UF and the Air Force on a wide range of relevant and challenging research topics,” said Gilbar.

With more access to graduate research and state-of-the-art facilities, UWF engineering students have numerous opportunities to supplement their education.

 “We have several military students currently enrolled in our programs at REEF,” said Gilbar. “Some of them are part of various military programs, such as the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Program and Air Force ROTC Enlisted Commissioning Program, while others are military personnel/retirees (or their dependents) who are just benefitting from our location.”

John Burleson is one UWF engineering student who is taking advantage of the REEF Center. “The engineering program at the REEF makes it convenient for military members to work towards a degree by offering classes in the evening,” said Burleson. “It employs dedicated instructors who are willing to put in the extra time to ensure all students have the proper understanding of the material to succeed.”

For more information on the REEF Center, visit reef.ufl.edu. To learn more about UWF’s engineering program, visit uwf.edu/ece or contact Gilbar at (850) 833.9184 or e-mail tgilbar@uwf.edu. To learn more about UWF being a military-friendly school, visit uwf.edu/uwfMain/press/annualreleases/2009/Feb09.cfm?emailID=18974.

High School Students Flourish From Project SEED
By Josh Lyons, University Marketing Communications

Science is important, and so are students. That is why the University of West Florida provides Project SEED to help high school students gain extraordinary experience with science gurus. Three students are selected each summer to participate in the Project SEED program. Each person selected works one-on-one with veterans in the field of science.

“Many students with great potential are unable to go to college,” said Pamela Vaughan, assistant professor of Chemistry. “While there may be many obstacles preventing them from going, quite often the most common reason is financial resources. The great thing about the Project SEED program is that students are paid to do research and then are eligible for college scholarships.”

Each student who is accepted into the program is given a project to work on for the duration of the summer. Each project is pre-approved by American Chemical Society. At the conclusion of the summer, the student is required to write a two-page summary on their research. They also put together a table poster that will be displayed at a department-wide barbecue at the end of the summer.

“Although participants are limited to working on a project that is chemistry-related, there are many options available,” said Vaughan. “We currently have two students working on campus and one student investigating corrosion chemistry with Gulf Power this summer.”

Forty years ago ACS started the program called Project Seed. UWF is one of numerous universities around the nation currently participating in the program. UWF finds sponsors who provide some financial support for the high school students. ACS matches the donations of sponsors once all funding has been received. The money is then used to facilitate student learning and provide stipends.

“The Project SEED program has helped encourage me to continue looking into a variety of different sciences and has given me experience working in a laboratory setting,” said Tamara Ebert after completing her first summer with Project SEED. “It has eased my mind about majoring in a science field that many people said was very difficult. It showed me that with some work and help from fellow lab workers such things may not be that hard, but rather fun.”

Students can return for a second summer in the Project SEED program, and once they have completed their research, students are eligible to apply for college scholarships from ACS.

For more information about Project SEED at UWF, visit uwf.edu/chemistry/research/seed. To learn more about Project SEED on a national level, visit projectseed.org. 

Honors Students Travel to Rome
By Josh Lyons, University Marketing Communications

The famous Roman Coliseum, historic Vatican museums, unforgotten ruins – these are a few of the splendors of the ancient city of Rome. Six University of West Florida Honors students are in Rome this month touring these sites and learning how the plays of William Shakespeare influenced Italy both socially and politically. They are participating, along with 19 students from the University of Georgia, in an Honors Seminar titled “Shakespeare in Italy” taught by UWF professor David Alvis.

“The students really enjoy these trips,” said Jennifer Phillips, assistant director of the University Honors Program. “The Honors Seminar is a great way for our students to travel abroad.”

Students begin each day with a group lecture on a selected Shakespearian play. Lectures are taught by three instructors, including Alvis and two other instructors from the University of Georgia. After the lecture, all 25 students visit the location where the play was set. The tours and plays covered in the course include Tiber Walking Tour and Palatine Hill from “Coriolanus,” the Forum and the Coliseum from “Julius Caesar,” Vatican Museums and Bernini from “Othello,” “Merchant of Venice,” Early Christianity in Rome and Christianity Ascendant from “Much Ado About Nothing” and Renaissance/Baroque from “Romeo and Juliet.”

“The lectures and tours are very useful to the students,” said Phillips. “The tour reinforces what was discussed in the lecture that morning. And, a bonus is that the tour is both educational and fun.”

After completing all lectures and tours the students will write a three-page paper on each play. They will be asked to examine how the English poet and playwright, Shakespeare, was able to incorporate the setting and history of Italy into his literary works.

The Honors Seminar course, “Shakespeare in Italy,” is offered to all Honors students. The size of the course is limited. All UWF Honors students are required to complete two seminars before graduation. Although the seminar is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, juniors and seniors who have not yet taken a seminar are given priority.

When the seminars were first established, students traveled to the Smokey Mountains. Since then, with the financial help of UWF Board of Trustee member Marny Gilluly, the Honors Program has expanded to offer international seminars. Some of the previous overseas seminars have included trips to Cuba, Panama, England and Florence, Italy.

For more information, visit the UWF Honors Program Web site.