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Herbert Hoover\u27s visit
No full textA black and white image of a large group of people awaiting the arrival of President Herbert Hoover to the Bethune-Cookman University campus. On the right side of the image stands White Hall, with a brick edifice and a columned entrance. Hanging from the front of the image are three red, white, and blue banners with stars on them. Two of the windows on the second floor are open, and a few African American men are looking out the windows at the spectators below. At the back of the photograph on the left side of the image can be seen Flora B. Curtis Hall, with a brick edifice. It is partially obscured by tall trees, including palm trees. The spectators are lined on either side of the dirt road loop that runs in front of White Hall and Curtis Hall. The spectators are African American males and female. The men are dressed in varieties of three-button suits, ties, button-up shirts, dress pants, and dress shoes. The women are dressed in various styles of overcoats, blouses, skirts, stockings, and heeled shoes. Many of the men and women are wearing hats. Some women are holding purses. Many of the spectators appear to be looking off into the distance, waiting for a vehicle of some sort to appear, presumably carrying President Hoover. On the back of the image is written in pencil Waiting for Herbert Hoover\u27s visit, 1929. A number 1 is also stamped in black ink. The photographer of the image is unknown.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cfm-images/1884/thumbnail.jp
Herbert Hoover\u27s visit
No full textA black and white image of a large group of people awaiting the arrival of President Herbert Hoover to the Bethune-Cookman University campus. On the right side of the image stands White Hall, with a brick edifice and a columned entrance. Hanging from the front of the image are three red, white, and blue banners with stars on them. Two of the windows on the second floor are open, and a few African American men are looking out the windows at the spectators below. At the back of the photograph on the left side of the image can be seen Flora B. Curtis Hall, with a brick edifice. It is partially obscured by tall trees, including palm trees. The spectators are lined on either side of the dirt road loop that runs in front of White Hall and Curtis Hall. The spectators are African American males and female. The men are dressed in varieties of three-button suits, ties, button-up shirts, dress pants, and dress shoes. The women are dressed in various styles of overcoats, blouses, skirts, stockings, and heeled shoes. Many of the men and women are wearing hats. Some women are holding purses. Many of the spectators appear to be looking off into the distance, waiting for a vehicle of some sort to appear, presumably carrying President Hoover. On the back of the image is written in pencil Waiting for Herbert Hoover\u27s visit, 1929. A number 1 is also stamped in black ink. The photographer of the image is unknown.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cfm-images/1885/thumbnail.jp
Katie Mikler\u27s School Diploma - 1926 - Oviedo School
No full textAn image of the diploma earned in 1926 by Katherine (Katie) Mikler at Oviedo School. Katie arrived in Slavia at the age of 1 and by the time she was 9 years old, was baking the bread for her large family and by 13 was responsible for all the laundry and many more chores. When she was needed at home, she was not allowed to attend school. But no child loved learning more than Katie or was more proud of earning an 8th grade school diploma at last....at age 16. Scanned on Epson 10000XL at SLLC, 2011.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cfm-images/1267/thumbnail.jp
Strategies for Identifying Collaborators: Writing & Presenting Collaboratively
No full textA presentation for the University of Central Florida library faculty meeting that highlighted best practices and strategies for effectively collaborating with colleagues on scholarly activities, such as writing journal articles and other publications and presentations
Episode 63: Taylor Haycock - Political Science, German Language Certificate, TEFL Certificate, Fulbright ETA
Full text linkIn this episode, you\u27ll hear from Taylor Haycock, who graduated in spring 2024 with a major in Political Science, a German language certificate and a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. During her time at UCF, she also earned an Anthropology and Global Health Certificate, was an Honors College student assistant, and served on the UCF President\u27s Leadership Council.
Hear Taylor talk about her time at UCF, her experiences living abroad, and the value of studying languages as part of her personal and professional journey. At the time of recording, Taylor was living in Essen, Germany and working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA).
(This episode was pre-recorded in fall 2024.
Modeling the Relationship Between Calories and Activity Metrics: A Regression Analysis with Variable Selection
Full text linkPhysical activity monitors have become integral to daily routines, with wearable devices such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit offering continuous data on users’ physical activity. This study compares the measurement accuracy of these devices by examining how they record parameters relevant to fitness and health. Employing multiple linear regression, we modeled the relationship between calories expended and a set of explanatory variables, including heart rate, steps, distance, age, activity level, weight, and device type. Evaluation of all possible variable combinations identified heart rate, steps, distance, weight, and watch type as the most effective predictors of calorie expenditure. Although the selected model demonstrated strong performance based on model selection metrics, several key regression assumptions were violated; specifically, the residuals exhibited non-normality, curvature, and heteroscedasticity, and seven influential observations were detected. The limited sample size further restricts the generalizability of the findings. Future research should focus on enlarging the dataset and exploring transformation techniques to better meet regression assumptions. These results provide valuable insights for consumers and researchers regarding the comparative accuracy of wearable devices in measuring physical activity and highlight methodological challenges that warrant further investigation
Optomechanical Interactions and Dynamics in Nanoparticle Systems
No full textThis dissertation investigates the coupling between optical forces and the dynamics of nanoparticle systems. Using theoretical models, simulations and experiments, we explore how light mediates interactions between nanoparticles leading to optical binding, nonreciprocal forces, and collective behavior in colloidal suspensions.
We first examine the dynamics and interactions of particles under illumination due to complex electromagnetic forces. Of particular interest are interparticle forces between particles with specific optical properties such as those satisfying the Kerker scattering conditions. We demonstrate the wavelength-dependent dynamics of such Kerker dimers and establish conditions required for their stable longitudinal binding. We also describe a one-way non-reciprocal interaction between two nanoparticles with highly directional scattering patterns. We show that interpreting interparticle forces based on light scattering patterns can be misleading and we introduce a more precise quantification method.
We also advance the notion of collective motional temperature and analyze its time evolution in a dense system of interacting nanoparticles. We experimentally examine colloidal systems under gravity and an external optical field, which is dynamically modified by the moving particles. We find that the time evolution of the particle number density is influenced by both gravity and radiation pressure, while the increase of colloid’s effective temperature is a collective effect due to particle interactions in response to the dynamic optical field. We establish that, notably, the effective heating and cooling times are not equal in this many-body system.
Electromagnetically induced forces and interactions are of interest when modeling realistic many-body systems, where collective effects have a decisive role, such as those in active and living matter. The study of open and interacting particulate systems under non-equilibrium conditions is critical for novel technological developments, such as mesoscopic heat pumps and non-Hermitian metamaterials
A Numerical Assessment of Shock-Raindrop Interaction: An Investigation of Cavitation Dynamics Driven by Internal Pressure Wave Focusing
No full textThis dissertation investigates the formation and evolution of cavitation within liquid droplets subjected to shock wave interactions, with emphasis on internal pressure wave focusing as a fragmentation mechanism. A numerical framework is developed in which high-resolution Volume-of-Fluid (VoF) simulations resolve shock transmission into spherical, cylindrical, and cubic water droplets across a range of flow conditions. The resulting pressure histories at droplet centers are extracted and post-processed using the Rayleigh–Plesset equation to model the dynamics of spherical vapor bubbles.
The modeling framework is validated against established benchmarks, including canonical shock tube behavior, shock-droplet interaction studies, and experimental cavitation observations. A series of parametric studies is conducted across Mach number (1.5–7), ambient pressure (20–100 kPa), and droplet diameter (0.5–5 mm), revealing how droplet geometry and flow conditions influence cavitation onset and severity. Regression models and scaling laws are developed to predict cavitation-relevant metrics, including minimum pressure, maximum bubble radius, and cavitation time, as functions of nondimensional parameters.
A cavitation regime map is proposed, highlighting a “zone of applicability” in which internal cavitation is expected to precede and dominate droplet breakup. These findings offer a new perspective on compressible multiphase breakup, challenging traditional surface-driven paradigms and providing predictive tools for evaluating cavitation risk in high-speed, droplet-laden environments
Genomic consequences of habitat fragmentation in the Florida Scrub-Jay: diversity, adaptation, and disease susceptibility
No full textHabitat fragmentation is a severe threat to biodiversity by reducing population size, gene flow, and adaptive potential, especially in habitat specialists like the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). This dissertation integrates whole-genome sequencing and immunogenetics to assess the genomic consequences of habitat fragmentation across three primary Florida Scrub-Jay strongholds: Archbold Biological Station, Ocala National Forest, and Florida’s East Coast. In Chapter 2, I focused on adaptive genetic diversity at the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II genes. I characterized MHC allelic richness, evaluated signatures of selection, and examined associations with pathogen infections. Despite population declines, I found moderate MHC diversity, suggesting selection helps maintain functional variation even when genome-wide diversity declines. In Chapter 3, I utilized genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess population structure, gene flow, and local adaptation. Strong genetic structure of six distinct clusters were identified, including three clusters within Brevard County, matching defined metapopulations. I observed reduced genetic diversity and elevated differentiation in isolated populations like Archbold, while larger populations such as Ocala retained higher diversity. I detected loci under selection, indicating signals of local adaptation. In Chapter 4, using genome-wide SNPs and MHC data, I examined whether Florida Scrub-Jays avoid mating with close relatives or select mates based on MHC dissimilarity. While we found limited support for MHC-based mate choice, true breeding pairs were generally more related than random pairs, particularly in fragmented regions in which the populations exhibited iv higher inbreeding levels. By combining neutral and adaptive genetic perspectives, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of fragmentation impacts on an imperiled species. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining genetic connectivity and managing isolated populations to preserve evolutionary potential. This integrative approach informs conservation strategies aimed at enhancing the long-term viability of Florida Scrub-Jays in fragmented landscapes