Latest news with #UWF
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
University of West Florida adds civil engineering program
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Students at the University of West Florida will soon be able to take advantage of a new engineering program. Mobile police, firefighters respond to Africatown crash Starting fall semester, the UWF Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering will launch its Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree. According to a UWF news release, the program will be offered in the newly formed Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management, and aims to provide students with 'hands-on education that prepares them for leadership in the civil engineering field.' 'This new program was created in direct response to the workforce needs of local companies,' said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. 'With demand for civil engineers in Northwest Florida expected to grow by 13 percent between 2021 and 2031, almost twice the national rate, the program will help contribute much-needed, highly paying jobs to the local economy.' The curriculum's design incorporated input from local companies, in an effort to give students a solid understanding of physics, mathematics, mechanics and materials science while also gaining a deep understanding of civil engineering principles. 'We don't just build structures — we build the future,' Dr. M.A. Karim, founding chair and professor of civil engineering, said. 'The new civil engineering program empowers the next generation of civil engineers to design smarter, build stronger, and lead with purpose.' According to the release, graduates from the program will be ready for a variety of careers, including land development, residential and non-residential construction, infrastructure construction and maintenance, transportation, environmental remediation, and hydrology. Dauphin Island hosts 67th Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at UWF, check out their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Another DeSantis ally takes the helm of a public university in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Another former Republican lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially taking the helm of one of Florida's public universities. Manny Diaz, who DeSantis previously appointed to be his state commissioner of education , started his first day on the job Monday as the interim president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz is a former social studies teacher and assistant principal who as a state lawmaker became one of the key architects behind Florida's recent push to expand charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. He'll lead the school on an interim basis while university leaders conduct a job search, and is expected to pursue the permanent position. 'I am honored to step into this role and lead the University of West Florida into this next chapter. UWF has a proud legacy and a promising future, and I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and community partners to continue building on its momentum,' Diaz said in a statement. 'Together, we will advance and explore new opportunities to serve our region and state with excellence.' With Diaz's appointment, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists , a move that is expected to help extend DeSantis' legacy in higher education long after his time in office. Speaking at a press event Monday, DeSantis said the appointment of Diaz to lead UWF is similar to the pick of another former education commissioner to lead New College of Florida , a move meant to overhaul the liberal arts school known for its progressive independent streak and turn it into a more conservative classical institution . 'I think there's a lot of potential there,' DeSantis said of UWF. DeSantis' recent decision to appoint new, more conservative members to the school's board has sparked controversy . Supporters of the push to advance lawmakers above traditional academic leaders say it will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. Critics see it as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for leading the state's public universities. Last month, the state university system board rejected a longtime academic as the next president of the University of Florida, amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about the candidate's past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. UF, considered one of the top public research universities in the country, is still looking for a permanent president. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Another DeSantis ally takes the helm of a public university in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Another former Republican lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially taking the helm of one of Florida's public universities. Manny Diaz, who DeSantis previously appointed to be his state commissioner of education, started his first day on the job Monday as the interim president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz is a former social studies teacher and assistant principal who as a state lawmaker became one of the key architects behind Florida's recent push to expand charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. He'll lead the school on an interim basis while university leaders conduct a job search, and is expected to pursue the permanent position. 'I am honored to step into this role and lead the University of West Florida into this next chapter. UWF has a proud legacy and a promising future, and I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and community partners to continue building on its momentum,' Diaz said in a statement. 'Together, we will advance and explore new opportunities to serve our region and state with excellence.' With Diaz's appointment, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that is expected to help extend DeSantis' legacy in higher education long after his time in office. Speaking at a press event Monday, DeSantis said the appointment of Diaz to lead UWF is similar to the pick of another former education commissioner to lead New College of Florida, a move meant to overhaul the liberal arts school known for its progressive independent streak and turn it into a more conservative classical institution. 'I think there's a lot of potential there,' DeSantis said of UWF. DeSantis' recent decision to appoint new, more conservative members to the school's board has sparked controversy. Supporters of the push to advance lawmakers above traditional academic leaders say it will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. Critics see it as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for leading the state's public universities. Last month, the state university system board rejected a longtime academic as the next president of the University of Florida, amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about the candidate's past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. UF, considered one of the top public research universities in the country, is still looking for a permanent president. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.' ___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Another DeSantis ally takes the helm of a public university in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Another former Republican lawmaker and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis is officially taking the helm of one of Florida's public universities. Manny Diaz, who DeSantis previously appointed to be his state commissioner of education, started his first day on the job Monday as the interim president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Diaz is a former social studies teacher and assistant principal who as a state lawmaker became one of the key architects behind Florida's recent push to expand charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run. He'll lead the school on an interim basis while university leaders conduct a job search, and is expected to pursue the permanent position. 'I am honored to step into this role and lead the University of West Florida into this next chapter. UWF has a proud legacy and a promising future, and I look forward to working alongside our students, faculty, staff and community partners to continue building on its momentum," Diaz said in a statement. 'Together, we will advance and explore new opportunities to serve our region and state with excellence.' With Diaz's appointment, five of the state's 12 public universities will be led by former Republican lawmakers or lobbyists, a move that is expected to help extend DeSantis' legacy in higher education long after his time in office. Speaking at a press event Monday, DeSantis said the appointment of Diaz to lead UWF is similar to the pick of another former education commissioner to lead New College of Florida, a move meant to overhaul the liberal arts school known for its progressive independent streak and turn it into a more conservative classical institution. 'I think there's a lot of potential there,' DeSantis said of UWF. DeSantis' recent decision to appoint new, more conservative members to the school's board has sparked controversy. Supporters of the push to advance lawmakers above traditional academic leaders say it will grant the schools the political capital to secure critical state funding and navigate a rapidly shifting legal landscape. Critics see it as another sign that alignment with the governor's conservative education agenda has become a prerequisite for leading the state's public universities. Last month, the state university system board rejected a longtime academic as the next president of the University of Florida, amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about the candidate's past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. UF, considered one of the top public research universities in the country, is still looking for a permanent president. Leading a Florida university generally comes with a multiyear contract for a salary of at least six-figures and a plush on-campus residence. The process for picking these leaders happens largely behind closed doors, creating what the state's Republican House speaker has called 'a spoil system for a select few.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UWF archaeology uncover secrets of Molino and Luna settlement site
They dug Luna. Now, University of West Florida archaeology students are digging, very carefully, and investigating the nearly 300-year-old remnants of San Joseph de Escambe, a mission constructed in 1741 in present-day Molino near the Escambia River. The mission was built by the members of the Apalachee − indigenous people who inhabited parts of Northwest Florida and the Southeast. Ten years after its construction, Spanish cavalry soldiers and infantry, along with Spanish friars, joined the Apalachee at the mission and remained until spring1761 when it was burned during a raid by Creek Indians. UWF archaeology students, both undergraduate and graduate students, have spent nearly three-weeks excavating the heavily wooded site located on private land − UWF has the landowner's permission − not far from the Escambia River. The excavations and research are part of the UWF Archaeology summer field school, where students first spent three weeks excavating the De Luna settlement discovered in and around present-day East Pensacola Heights, just off shore of the two Emmanuel Point shipwrecks discovered in 1992 and 2006 that are linked to the settlement − the first European settlement in North America, predating both the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine and the European settlement at Jamestown. Pensacola's storied history, much longer than that of most North American cities, makes it a great location for archaeology and archaeology students, and is why UWF's archaeology programs, both maritime and terrestrial, have received numerous awards and distinctions through the years. "Pensacola is uniquely endowed with not just a rich record of prehistoric Native American occupation sites that tell us a lot about their lifestyles and how they changed over time and how they utilized the bay and the estuary, but also because we have some of the earliest European settlements,'' said John Worth, a UWF anthropology professor specializing in archaeology and ethnohistory. "We had this competition between the Spanish, French and the British and we have presidio sites and ports and so on, and they were interacting with Native Americans. It's one of the richest areas for archaeology in the whole southeast. It's an amazing area." Amazing, but not without its challenges. You've seen the Indiana Jones movies. There are always challenges. Even danger sometimes. Or at least a little pain. Worth was watching over as students delicately scraped thin slices of dirt and sand from a site in Molino where he and others thought a post or two might be located. (Thin slices for sure. Think of a cook removing an omelet from the skillet.) Suddenly, UWF archaeology student John Merts, one of the students with shovels, gasped and did a little dance step with the shovel as he shimmied in pain. A horsefly the size (and width) of a thumb had bitten through his tie-dye shirt into his skin. "That's a big horsefly,'' Worth said. There are other critters too. Students had made two fire pits to shoo the many mosquitoes away from the site of the mission, which is located in a field of sweet gum and water oak trees. He said the Apalachee probably did the same. "We've found these smudge pits where they would dig a hole in the ground, and they are stuffed with corn cobs,'' he said. "It was just the cobs, and they would let them smolder. Part of that was probably for mosquito control, but another reason is that they were buying deer skins, or you know, trading deer skins with the Creeks and they would dress them and tanning them would involve smoking them." Throughout the site, about a hectare, Worth said − that's 100 by 100 meters − students have dug up post sites, and small pits of pottery. Students with wheelbarrows would take the excavated dirt and sand to a water screen station near the dirt road that leads the mission, which Worth said at its height probably had about 30 occupants. While looking over one wheelbarrow's remains as it went through water, UWF student Jack Jacobson spotted something interesting. A little speck of a piece of, well, something. "I think it might be a piece of pottery,'' Jacobson said to Worth. "I think you're right,'' Worth said. The fragment was bagged, tagged and will make its way back to UWF's archaeology laboratory. "It's exciting to see something and you think you know what it might be and find out you are right,'' Jacobson said, before going back to search for more pieces. UWF instructors and students have been excavating and researching at the San Joseph de Escambe mission since 2009. Students and UWF archaeologists have also been working at the de Luna settlement near downtown Pensacola during the summers since its discovery in 2015. On the recent three-week research stint at the Pensacola site, students found a few interesting pieces. But what they didn't find was interesting as well, Worth said. "We found a few bits of Spanish material, but most of what we found was native pottery,'' he said. "But we were digging close to the bluff so it could be from the Luna period because the Spaniards brought back materials from food gathering expeditions, because the Native Americans also camped right in the same area just along the bluff. We found a piece of brigandine armor, a small blue glass bead and a couple of pieces of Spanish table wear. But we did not find a single Spanish nail, and they are usually all over, so they probably weren't building anything that close to the bluff." Student Max Stevens took a break from slicing thin layers of soil away from an excavation site and said "he has always been interested in history and I've always wanted to learn more about it." That's what prompted the Panama City native from entering UWF's archaeology program. "I wanted to see it with my own eyes,'' he said. "Not just read about it." For more information on UWF anthropology and archaeology, go to For more information on the research at both the Molino and Pensacola research sites, go to the Pensacola Colonial Frontiers Facebook page This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: UWF archaeology uncover secrets of Molino and Luna settlement site
