research Archives - University of West Florida Newsroom

UWF to host groundbreaking for new research building

University of West Florida — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:18:40 +0000

UWF to host groundbreaking for new research building

WHAT: The University of West Florida will host a ceremony to officially break ground on a new advanced intelligence, cybersecurity and engineering research building called The Synapse.

UWF Archaeology Institute survey uncovers pre-Columbian artifacts ahead of stadium infrastructure work

University of West Florida — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:30:00 +0000

UWF Archaeology Institute survey uncovers pre-Columbian artifacts ahead of stadium infrastructure work

Faculty researchers and archaeology students at the University of West Florida have uncovered artifacts linked to multiple pre-Columbian Native American cultures during a recent archaeological survey on UWF’s Pensacola campus.

UWF receives $555K NIH award to launch NeuroNauts Scholars Program

University of West Florida — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:30:00 +0000

UWF receives $555K NIH award to launch NeuroNauts Scholars Program

The University of West Florida has been awarded a five-year, $555,000 National Institutes of Health R25 Research Education Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to establish the NeuroNauts Scholars Program. The program will provide cohorts of eight local high school juniors and seniors with an intensive eight-week summer research experience spanning multiple areas of neuroscience, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to cognitive psychology, computational neuroscience, stroke health disparities and sensory processing in neurodevelopmental disorders.

UWF-IHMC awarded $775K ONR grant to support ISR research

University of West Florida — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:30:00 +0000

UWF-IHMC awarded $775K ONR grant to support ISR research

A joint University of West Florida and Institute for Human & Machine Cognition team has received a $775,360 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program grant from the Office of Naval Research to expand its capabilities in multi-robot autonomy and human-machine teaming.

UWF awarded $2 million NSF grant to support STEM students

University of West Florida — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:30:00 +0000

UWF awarded $2 million NSF grant to support STEM students

The University of West Florida has received a $2 million, six-year National Science Foundation S-STEM Track 2: Implementation grant to support academically talented, financially disadvantaged students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The award will provide scholarships to 38 Pell-eligible STEM students while embedding expanded mental health resources within the existing STEM Living Learning Community.

UWF Archaeology Institute receives international award for research

University of West Florida — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:30:00 +0000

UWF Archaeology Institute receives international award for research

A multi-organizational research team led by the UWF Archaeology Institute’s assistant director, Nicole Grinnan, has been awarded the 2026 Mark E. Mack Community Engagement award from the Society for Historical Archaeology.

UWF awarded $260,000 to strengthen colorectal cancer screening across Florida

University of West Florida — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 14:30:00 +0000

UWF awarded $260,000 to strengthen colorectal cancer screening across Florida

The University of West Florida has been awarded a contract by the Florida Department of Health to provide evaluation services for Florida’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program with a four-year, $260,000 agreement.

UWF researchers advance AI tools for wildfire damage mapping and environmental monitoring

University of West Florida — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:30:00 +0000

UWF researchers advance AI tools for wildfire damage mapping and environmental monitoring

Researchers at the University of West Florida have introduced a new benchmark dataset and evaluation of artificial intelligence methods that could greatly improve how wildfire damage is mapped and monitored at scale. The study, led by Valeria Martin, a Ph.D. student in the intelligent systems and robotics program, introduces CalFireSeg-50, a dataset built from satellite imagery and data from 50 of California’s largest wildfires between 2019 and 2023.

UWF School of Education receives $579K NSF grant, leads national STEM teacher preparation project

University of West Florida — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF School of Education receives $579K NSF grant, leads national STEM teacher preparation project

The University of West Florida School of Education has received a $578,792 grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a collaborative project aimed at improving undergraduate teacher education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. This is part of a larger $1,498,899 grant awarded across five universities.

UWF secures $1.5M U.S. DOE grant to expand civic education opportunities

University of West Florida — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:02:01 +0000

UWF secures $1.5M U.S. DOE grant to expand civic education opportunities

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a three-year, $1,555,318 million grant to the University of West Florida to expand the UWF Summer Institute for Civics Educators into the Academy of American Civic Republicanism. The new Academy will provide year-round opportunities to strengthen civic education for K-12 teachers, UWF students and the Northwest Florida community.

UWF Haas Center awarded $400K NSF EPIIC Grant

University of West Florida — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF Haas Center awarded $400K NSF EPIIC Grant

The University of West Florida’s Haas Center has been awarded a $400,000 Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity, or EPIIC, grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year grant will support the creation of a new Office of Industrial Innovation, which will serve as a front door to connect UWF faculty experts with regional industry needs, making it easier for businesses to access the University’s research capabilities and talent.

UWF chemistry professor awarded grants to advance energy storage research and workforce training

University of West Florida — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF chemistry professor awarded grants to advance energy storage research and workforce training

The University of West Florida has been awarded two grants totaling nearly $90,000 to advance energy storage research and strengthen workforce development in Northwest Florida. Dr. Jacob Tracy, assistant professor in the UWF Department of Chemistry, received a $69,600 grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry and a $20,000 grant from the NextEra Energy Foundation Northwest Florida Community Grants Program, the charitable arm of Florida Power & Light Company. Together, these awards will expand research capacity, create hands-on training opportunities for undergraduate students and high school teachers, and prepare a local workforce of highly trained energy storage chemists and engineers to meet local and state energy needs.

UWF awarded $7.5M Office of Naval Research grant to advance research in decision making

University of West Florida — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0000

UWF awarded $7.5M Office of Naval Research grant to advance research in decision making

The University of West Florida has been awarded a five-year, $7,488,652 grant from the Office of Naval Research to lead a groundbreaking project aimed at advancing understanding of human judgment and decision making, subject to negotiating a term sheet and legal contract.

UWF student selected for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency paid internship

University of West Florida — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

UWF student selected for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency paid internship

Phoenix Farnham, a graduate student in the University of West Florida’s Department of Anthropology, was selected for a paid internship with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a highly competitive program focused on forensic anthropology. Farnham was one of only six students nationwide chosen for this prestigious opportunity out of a pool of 135 applicants. The internship is funded by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research through partnership with DPAA.

UWF receives $32.5 million Triumph grant to advance cybersecurity and computational research

University of West Florida — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

UWF receives $32.5 million Triumph grant to advance cybersecurity and computational research

The University of West Florida is positioned to further its robust research presence in Northwest Florida following the approval of a $32,515,120 grant proposal, subject to negotiating a term sheet and legal contract, from the Triumph Gulf Coast board of directors. The investment will accelerate the growth of UWF’s Institute for Analytics and Industry Advancement, or IAIA, and the Center for Cybersecurity, as well as establish a new Center for Computational Intelligence.

UWF awarded $100K grant from AFRL/RW University Day program

University of West Florida — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF awarded $100K grant from AFRL/RW University Day program

Dr. Kristen “Brent” Venable, professor and director of the intelligent systems and robotics doctoral program at the University of West Florida, has received a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW) through the University Day program. The one-year award will advance cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, while also providing valuable hands-on experience for UWF doctoral students.

UWF’s Dr. Sikha Bagui and Dr. Matthew Crow recognized by ScholarGPS as Top Scholars

University of West Florida — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF’s Dr. Sikha Bagui and Dr. Matthew Crow recognized by ScholarGPS as Top Scholars

Dr. Sikha Bagui and Dr. Matthew Crow have both earned global recognition with a ranking by ScholarGPS. The academic ranking platform named both Bagui and Crow Top Scholars, placing them in the top 0.5% worldwide in their respective fields. Scholars are recognized for their exceptional scholarly performance and significant influence in their respective fields, as measured by publication count, citations and h-index.

UWF awarded $300,000 to train local AP Computer Science teachers

University of West Florida — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF awarded $300,000 to train local AP Computer Science teachers

The University of West Florida received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled "Preparing In-Service Teachers in AP Computer Science Principles," under the direction of Dr. Sikha Bagui, Distinguished University Professor and Askew Fellow in the Department of Computer Science.

UWF Haas Center research fuels new campaign showcasing Northwest Florida’s military talent

University of West Florida — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF Haas Center research fuels new campaign showcasing Northwest Florida’s military talent

The University of West Florida Haas Center has provided critical research driving a new regional campaign, “Military Talent: Mission-Ready Veterans, Business-Ready Results,” launched by Florida’s Great Northwest. The initiative highlights the extraordinary value of Northwest Florida’s military community — particularly transitioning service members and veterans — who offer mission-ready skills and business-ready results to employers.

UWF archaeologists turn real discoveries into children’s book series

University of West Florida — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF archaeologists turn real discoveries into children’s book series

Two University of West Florida archaeologists have transformed their passion for public outreach and historical storytelling into a new children’s book inspired by real archaeological discoveries made off the Florida coast. “Luna the Cat,” follows a feline protagonist on board a Spanish ship in the 1500s and is based on a real-life cat whose remains were uncovered at the site of the 1559 Emanuel Point shipwrecks excavated by UWF archaeologists.

UWF’s Dr. Wade Jeffrey recognized by ScholarGPS as Highly Ranked Scholar

University of West Florida — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000

UWF’s Dr. Wade Jeffrey recognized by ScholarGPS as Highly Ranked Scholar

Distinguished University of West Florida biology professor Dr. Wade Jeffrey has earned global recognition with a ranking by ScholarGPS. The academic ranking platform named Jeffrey a Highly Ranked Scholar, placing him in the top .05% worldwide in the field of life sciences. Scholars are recognized for their significant contributions to research, as measured by publication count, citations and h-index.

Applied research project with Pensacola Police introduces innovative patrol planning tool to enhance community safety

University of West Florida — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Applied research project with Pensacola Police introduces innovative patrol planning tool to enhance community safety

An applied research project led by Dr. Nicholas Hasan Buker, chair and professor in the Department of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at the University of West Florida, has produced a new evidence-based approach to designing police patrol beat borders. The goal of the project is to enhance the efficiency of police patrols and bolster community safety. Developed in collaboration with the Pensacola Police Department and funded by the City of Pensacola, the study introduces the Need for Patrol Presence Score, or NPPS, a data-driven approach to designing smarter, more effective patrol beat borders.

UWF’s Dr. Shusen Pu selected as 2025 CUR Mentor Award recipient

University of West Florida — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF’s Dr. Shusen Pu selected as 2025 CUR Mentor Award recipient

The Council on Undergraduate Research has named University of West Florida Department of Mathematics and Statistics professor Dr. Shusen Pu the 2025 Mathematical and Computing Sciences Early Career Faculty Mentor Award recipient. The national honor recognizes his work mentoring undergraduates at UWF; it’s the first time a UWF faculty member has earned this distinction.

UWF faculty and students develop software that analyzes security and privacy levels of mobile applications

University of West Florida — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:30:00 +0000

UWF faculty and students develop software that analyzes security and privacy levels of mobile applications

Dr. Hossain Shahriar, associate director and professor for the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity, and his graduate students have developed a platform that evaluates how well thousands of mobile applications are securing users’ personal information.