2024 Momentum Report

Florida Atlantic University

Research Rising

Value of Research Awards Received

$75.9M (FY23-24)

Number of Research Proposals and Awards Received FY23-24

408 Awards Received

608 Proposals Submitted

Art of Science

Since its inception in 2019, the Division of Research Art of Science photography contest received nearly 1,000 submissions across its 10 colleges and four research institutes. Displayed are four winners from the sixth annual contest.

On the cover: All's Fair in Love and War by Jacob Francis, Ph.D., assistant professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. A microscopic look at the Richardia grandiflora, Mexican clover, a common weedy plant of South Florida lawns. From left to right: Cerebellum Eye by Marianne Charlene Monet, graduate student, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; Western Veil Nebula by Rob Gross, Ph.D., instructor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; The Art of Transgenesis by Addison Manofsky, undergraduate student, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and FAU High School; What Lies Beneath by Olivia Ruchti, doctoral student, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Welcome

To Division of Research's 2024 Momentum Report.

The Division of Research supports and promotes Florida Atlantic research, scholarship and creative activity by providing faculty tools and resources to be competitive, setting strategic directions in research, ensuring responsible research practices and communicating the importance of research within and beyond the university. In addition, the division oversees four university-wide research institutes and is responsible for economic development and entrepreneurial activities involving faculty, staff, students and the broader university community.

The division is comprised of the following research administration offices:

Innovation & Business Development

The division fosters innovations stemming from Florida Atlantic faculty, staff, students and community initiatives that can lead to entrepreneurial ventures.

In conjunction with the Office of Technology Development, the following programs provide assistance in creating, nurturing and growing start-up companies.

Florida Atlantic is designated a Hispanic-serving Institution, ranked as a top public university by the U.S. News and World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

For more information, visit www.fau.edu/research or email fauresearch@fau.edu.

The 2023-24 Annual Momentum Report provides a snapshot of Florida Atlantic's research success, but more importantly, the knowledge, expertise and incredible value that our research community contributes to society.

Gregg B. Fields, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research,
Florida Atlantic University

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

– Albert Einstein, Ph.D.

Research Makes Headlines

Florida Atlantic faculty members' scholarly contributions via externally funded research studies, peer-review publications, and index and polling initiatives forge the university's rapidly growing, external funding portfolio — and result in millions of dollars Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE).

Florida Atlantic's FY23-24 research-related news generated more than 31k mentions in national and international media outlets, for an AVE of $371M. What matters most about this data? Florida Atlantic's expertise is informing the public on a global scale.

The robotic glove that can 'feel' the beats and play piano (WIRED)

The Biomechanics of Thresher Shark Tails Revealed (Forbes.com)

Walking on curved path can give clues to cognitive decline, reserchers find (UPI.com)

A New Stingray Species Calls Bermuda Home (Forbes)

How Exercise Strengthens Your Brain (NYTimes.com)

Meet young scientist who created automated tourniquet (GMA)

Drug-related infant deaths doubled between 2018 and 2022 (UPI.com)

Children today have less independence. Is that fueling a mental health crisis? (The Washington Post)

Your Apple Watch or Fitbit may be a breeding ground for E. coli and staph bacteria. Here's how to clean your fitness tracker (Fortune Well)

Older adults struggled — and grew — during pandemic, study suggests (Washingtonpost.com)

Colleges Drive Research

Faculty members throughout Florida Atlantic's esteemed colleges drive the university's teaching mission and conduct scholarly research across a broad range of disciplines. Their successful work, coupled with Florida Atlantic's four research institutes (pages 20-25), make up an exciting and growing portfolio funded by federal and state agencies.

The following pages showcase the collaborative efforts across colleges:

• College of Engineering and Computer Science (page 10)
• Charles E. Schmidt College of Science (page 11)
• Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing (page 12)
• College of Education (page 13)
• Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine (page 14)
• Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters (page 15)
• College of Social Work and Criminal Justice (page 16)
• Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College (page 17)
• Graduate College (page 18)
• College of Business (page 19)

College of Engineering & Computer Science

Transformational growth drives Florida Atlantic's College of Engineering and Computer Science's (COECS) acclaimed success in research innovation, industry partnerships and workforce development. Faculty perform cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence-powered robotics and connected autonomous systems, intelligent transportation and freight mobility, medical research, cybersecurity, ocean engineering, population and disease genomics, water resources and environment protection; intelligent energy technologies and smart infrastructure. Named #92 in the U.S. News & World Report Graduate Rankings top 100 public engineering colleges in the nation, COECS's high-impact research is a beacon for the nation's next generation of technology leaders.

U.S. Department of Education grants College of Engineering and Computer Science and College of Education $10 million for technology training of people with disabilities

Officially unveiled the newly established FPL Center for Intelligent Energy Technologies, an AI-enabled center housed in the Engineering East building.

NSF CyberCorps and State of Florida grants $3.4 million, to train students in cybersecurity

The Center for Connected Autonomy and AI develops groundbreaking, internationally lead research in autonomous machine-to-machine communications to lay the foundation for the future of networked artificial intelligence (AI) autonomous systems. Breakthrough results include research in self-optimizing connectivity of AI machines for team AI training and operations.

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

With an expanding faculty and suite of experiential learning opportunities for students, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is thriving. Education and research programs span the sciences and mathematics with major efforts in fields ranging from biotechnology, bioinformatics and brain science to cryptology, developmental systems, dynamical systems, environmental sciences, exercise sciences, geo-information science, marine science and space-time physics.

31

A year-long, strategic hiring initiative, aimed to expand research and teaching in environment, health and computational and data science, resulted in 14 new tenure-track faculty, 10 new instructors and non-tenure track faculty, and seven new postdoctoral fellows in fiscal year 2023.

---

$1.52M

An additional $1.52 million investment expanded experiential learning opportunities for students at all levels, boosted graduate student stipends to attract and retain top talent and created a seed-funding program for postdoctoral researchers.

Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

As a renowned leader in advancing caring science through its dynamic, innovative caring-based education, research, scholarship and practices, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Funded by sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the Florida Department of Health, faculty members are conducting cutting-edge research in healthy aging across the lifespan, health equity, holistic health, transforming healthcare environments and biostatistics/data science.

Collaborations with other academic institutions, healthcare organizations and community agencies are central to the college's impactful research. Eminent scholar chairs and professorships focusing on advancing nursing knowledge and five major research centers/institutes strengthen its nationally ranked degree programs and rich learning environment for nearly 1,000 students.

College of Education

Equipping tomorrow's educators, school leaders, counselors and speech pathologists with empirical evidence for professional practice, Florida Atlantic's College of Education faculty members engage in research across a wide range of fields. In addition, the college's three award-winning public laboratory schools serve as a demonstration site for teacher education, a resource for curriculum development and a place to conduct research.

Collaborated with Osceola County School District on PRAISE, a U.S. Department of Education-funded project to enhance readiness and academic skills for preschool English learners.

Partnered with five Florida school districts on the “Wellness Advocates Valuing Educators and Students” project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to expand the pipeline of school-based mental health providers.

Launched the Patterson-Henderson Literacy Collaboration in Curriculum and Instruction, giving Florida Atlantic students hands-on experience supporting A.D. Henderson's afterschool literacy programs.

Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine

The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is one of the newest and most rapidly ascending medical schools in the United States, nationally recognized for its mission to care for diverse patient populations. Spanning the bench to bedside continuum, the college's collaborative research initiatives unite basic, translational and clinical researchers across disciplines and specialties to discover fundamental insights into human health and disease.

A broad-ranging team of physicians and scientists collaborate on patient-centered research strategies focused on healthy aging, geriatrics, neuroscience, chronic pain and opioid use, genomics and precision medicine. This important work is supported by cutting-edge research infrastructure featuring a range of specialized equipment and technologies. Studies focus on diseases and conditions that affect the health of the South Florida community and investigate the safety and efficacy of new treatments and therapies.

Combat amyloidosis using a collaborative, whole-body approach, funded by a gift from Boca Raton philanthropists Ann and John Wood of the FairfaxWood Scholarship Foundation.

Bridge the disconnect between the existing care model designed for urgent care and the progressive nature of the epidemic of age-related brain dysfunction – of which Alzheimer's disease is a major factor, funded by a Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation grant.

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Recognized for the outstanding educational experience it offers students in the arts, humanities, social sciences, architecture and public administration, the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is inspiring and preparing ethical, culturally competent and innovative professionals. The college is home to award-winning authors, fellows of distinguished scholarly societies, Fulbright scholars and critically acclaimed artists, all of whom work closely with students on collaborative research and artistic projects.

A hallmark of the college is its commitment to experiential learning opportunities for students at all levels of the curriculum, including faculty-led study abroad programs, archeological digs around the world, a commercial recording studio, various student media outlets, the award-winning Leon Charney Diplomacy Program, The LeRoy Collins Public Ethics Academy, the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government and competitive internships in myriad organizations and businesses that seek the critical and creative thinking skills students offer. Arts and Letters faculty across all disciplines are actively involved in scholarly research and creative production.

College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

The College of Social Work and Criminal Justice leads with compassion, empowers human connection, and drives transformation. Our multidisciplinary and community-engaged research inspires and prepares tomorrow's change-makers and justice advocates to serve the public good and tackle some of society's most daunting challenges.

Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College (WHC) is the nation's only university-affiliated, free-standing honors college. Located in Jupiter, on the John D. MacArthur Campus of Florida Atlantic, this close-knit, residential, highly selective liberal arts and sciences college offers a distinctive all-honors curriculum. Students have their pick of stellar WHC arts, humanities, social science and natural science faculty mentors to guide them on their intellectual journey. As a result, these undergraduates have published or co-published more than 100 peer-reviewed publications with their faculty mentors, including essays, poetry and science articles.

WHC students enjoy unparalleled access to research internships at world-renowned scientific research institutes on the Jupiter campus which is also home to the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology. With Florida Atlantic's Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute also headquartered on campus, students enjoy unmatched opportunities to learn and excel with amazing scientists.

First study to discover that Caribbean sponge communities may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing their resilience

Published findings in the journal Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology indicate communities that are diverse in terms of personality as well as demographics and having like-minded people in one's community is associated with positive outcomes

Three students named 2024 Goldwater Scholars, a program designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics and is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields

Graduate College

Responsible for promoting quality graduate education at Florida Atlantic, the Graduate College serves as the initial point of contact for recruiting prospective students and coordinating the admissions process for both international and domestic graduate students. The college supports enrolled students by hosting professional development workshops, distributing fellowships and tuition support, ensuring compliance with the university's thesis and dissertation guidelines, certifying all degree requirements are met and awarding graduate degrees.

College of Business

Florida Atlantic Executive Education Ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for the Second Year

The College of Business is Florida Atlantic's largest college by student enrollment and also one of the 15 largest AACSB-accredited business schools in the United States. The College of Business has world-class faculty. In 2024, College of Business faculty was #10 in the world for entrepreneurship research, based on productivity in the top journals. This and other world-leading research in business fields is powered by college-based centers such as the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, Madden Center for Value Creation, Center for Forensic Accounting and the Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise.

The college faculty are at the forefront of their fields, serving in over 140 journal editorial roles and are routinely sought out by national and international-level philanthropic foundations and government policymakers for their expertise and research. Last year, the business school hosted a conference at the intersection of AI and business, sponsored by the Sloan Foundation. Next year, the college will host an exciting new initiative on ethics and business sponsored by the Stand Together Foundation. At the government level, college faculty routinely provide expertise to state, local and international policymakers.

Research Institutes

To enhance interdisciplinary and collaborative research, Florida Atlantic established four university-wide research institutes focused on its strengths. These areas are dedicated to improving and addressing diseases of the brain, enhancing human health and quality of life, protecting the oceans and environment locally and globally, and using sensors to study and monitor the world around us.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic institute (page 22)

Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (page 23)

Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (page 24)

Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (page 25)

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Florida Atlantic's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) prioritizes solution-oriented research addressing critical issues affecting coastal zones, oceans and human well-being. Research scientists take a global approach, conducting studies worldwide in varying climates, ecosystems and cultures, studying everything from tiny deadly bacteria and harmful algal blooms to critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Engineering advanced technology is critical to providing enhanced security across the nation. FAU Harbor Branch works with major defense contractors as well as the U.S. Department of Defense on coastal security projects to improve the Navy's ability to detect foreign enemies and other ocean-borne threats.

To assess the feasibility of in-water harvesting of Sargassum as a solution to alleviating the annual inundation of harmful seaweed on Florida and Caribbean beaches.

From the United States Department of Agriculture to revitalize the growth of the U.S. aquaculture industry by developing a cyber-physical system that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to modernize pond aquaculture management.

Large-scale seagrass restoration project in the Indian River Lagoon by creating innovative, nursery-grown seagrass habitats.

Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering

The Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE) serves as an innovation hub for sensing, computing, communication, artificial intelligence, connected autonomy and cryptography, providing technical expertise and engineering support. I-SENSE is tackling some of society's most pressing challenges, from safeguarding water systems and agricultural resources, to managing growing cities, to supporting health and wellness.

Creates the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes, built on real-time, hyper-local streetscape intelligence, supported by a five-year, renewable grant.

Builds on an existing smart cities program, which deploys sensors to collect pedestrian analytics in the City of West Palm Beach from Wi-Fi signals. Next phase includes computer vision and the use of artificial intelligence to generate digital representations of streetscape 'digital twins.'

Explores advanced technologies including AI-driven networks, robotic systems and secure communications to tackle challenges in global security. Projects include autonomous networks, bio-inspired robots and advanced radar systems to enhance the U.S. military's wireless communication security and efficiency.

Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute

Members of the Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute (SNBI) seek to unlock the secrets of brain development, function and plasticity and how the mechanisms uncovered can be compromised to drive brain disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, depression and Alzheimer's disease. More than 100 neuroscience faculty-level investigators located at Florida Atlantic and affiliate research centers accelerate the Brain Institute's state-of-the-art research and innovative educational activities. With its administrative home on Florida Atlantic's John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, the Institute co-anchors a hub of world-class scientific research with on-site neighbors Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology.

Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention

Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-Health) leads novel intervention programs to provide patients and community with health care for everyday needs, as well as the most specialized services for complex diseases, illnesses and injuries, fueled by multidisciplinary collaborations.

I-Health focuses on patient-centered research that harnesses the power of research discovery, genomics, informatics and clinical data to drive precision health. The specific research areas include cancer (through a Florida Department of Health Cancer Center of Excellence designation), infectious diseases, human health and dementia.

Veteran Canine Rescue Mission Saves Two Lives with One Rescue Through Dog Adoption and Training

I-Health Executive Director named Fulbright Specialist, Contributing to Global Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration

Innovation & Business Development

*October 2023 – September 2024

Be in the Know

Follow @FAUResearch on Instagram

www.fau.edu/research-daily

Subscribe to SMS text notifications today.

https://bit.ly/45U5EJn

April 23, 2025 at 9 a.m.
At the Executive Education Center,
Boca Raton Campus

Florida Atlantic Research

777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431

www.fau.edu/research

@FAURESEARCH