5 Signs You Should Definitely Come to Florida Tech

Florida Tech May 19, 2017

So, it’s time for your college decision. Still on the fence about where you are going? Well, here are five signs you should definitely come to Florida Tech.

You might be a Panther if….

You care about the environment….

college decision — Even Pete the Panther is on board with campus sustainability

From our vegetable and herb filled community garden to our 15-acre botanical garden right in the heart of campus, Florida Tech is setting the standard of how a university can reimagine and rethink sustainable strategies to provide a more productive and interactive living, learning and working environment.

Several of our buildings including the Scott Center for Autism Treatment and the Panther Aquatic Center are Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified. This is a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. In addition, student organizations focusing on sustainability are flourishing. And the school recently received certification under the prestigious Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). Finally solidifying its standing as a state and national leader in university sustainability.

Over 100 students have graduated from FIT’s sustainability major and minor programs. Most noteworthy, two of the first such academic programs in the southeastern U.S. And recently, a student design team of sustainability students won the 2017 Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase for their project to create a sustainable energy micro-grid for the campus.

You are a space geek….

Founded at the dawn of the Space Race, Florida Tech is the only independent, technological university in the Southeast. FIT has been successfully preparing students for high-tech careers at top space agencies and research firms since 1958.

If space is your passion, your college decision is easy.

Sitting high in the center dome of the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building is the 0.8-meter (32-inch) Ortega Telescope, one of the largest research telescopes in the Southeast. Faculty and students train this eye on the sky to see black holes whose masses can reach billions of times that of the sun, globular clusters, whirlpool galaxies and hot gassy nebulae. In addition, researchers also study binary and multiple star systems, the decline of stellar activity and more.

Are we alone?

Seems like one of the biggest quests in astrophysics is to find planets around other stars. Places where life may exist. Therefore faculty members like Daniel Batcheldor are at the forefront. As the head of Physics and Space Sciences, he designed an instrument prototype that may eventually help scientist’s spot Earth-like planets. It’s being tested right now in the harsh conditions of space after it was successfully deployed from the International Space Station.

And as if that isn’t enough, The Buzz Aldrin Institute at Florida Institute of Technology is at the helm of commercial and international development of lunar resources to support an eventual Mars settlement.

So yeah, Buzz Aldrin is part of our faculty. Drop the mike.

You have a passion for discovery….

Hands up if you like to be hands on!

You can’t get more hands on than the Northrop Grumman Engineering & Science Student Design Showcase at Florida Institute of Technology. Recently the recipient of a $1 million endowment gift from Northrop Grumman Corporation. The annual showcase continues to draw major attention for its display of cutting-edge innovation. Students who participate gain hands-on experience in applying engineering and science principles to their chosen project. More than 160 different posters and exhibits were on display this year.

Robots and 3D arms

Projects included a robot that crawls through ductwork to sterilize the system, a 3-D ‘bio printer’ that can host and print biological material, a technology that produces antibiotic-free fish and shrimp, in even the most landlocked locations, and a study on how fish can hold the clue to Alzheimer’s treatment.

Embracing the hands-on approach of project-based learning provides students with substantial understanding in their field and highly sought workplace skills. From the group design of a 3D printed prosthetic arm to a team of students pooling their talent to create a landing simulator that aids in space missions, project-based learning is an authentic, real-world approach to education. And Florida Tech is a leader in it.

You love the ocean….

Still having trouble with your college decision? Well, without a doubt, Florida colleges are one of the best places to study marine biology. As a peninsula, the state is surrounded by water – with 1,350 miles of coastline.

Also, Florida Tech is just minutes from the ocean and close to the Indian River Lagoon. This is the most diverse estuary in North America and the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, it is an unparalleled location for study.

In addition, Florida boasts temperatures that allow exploration and experimentation to take place all year round. Consequently, there is no threat of ice and snow ruining research or endangering researchers. Other than a major hurricane every few years and maybe a few tropical storms, Florida has more consistent conditions under which to study marine biology than possibly any other place in the United States.

But not only does Florida Tech offer a stellar marine biology program – we also offer a wide range of other related degrees including marine conservation, aquaculture, environmental science, oceanography, ocean engineering and meteorology.

Have you made your college decision yet? Surfs up!

Most of all, we have some pretty unique classes. Like our Surf Engineering Analysis course, which allows students to gather data by surfing with specially equipped surfboards. Consequently, it was spotlighted recently on the Science Channel TV program Science Works!

And Florida is home to more marine environmental consulting firms, aquaria, mariculture companies and private marine research organizations than perhaps any other state in the U.S. Therefore, all the government agencies conduct observation and research along Florida’s coastline.

Especially relevant, Florida Tech students have interned with companies and organizations like The Perry Institute for Marine Science, Shedd Aquarium, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Hubbs, Sea World and Mote Marine Labs.

And did we mention? The campus is literally minutes from the beach. Surfs up!

You like to live on the edge….(the cutting edge)

At Florida Tech you will find the most cutting edge fields of study. For example; human centered design. Right now the department is helping design a helmet equipped with a system embedded in the visor. But this is no ordinary helmet. It’s being created so astronauts on a spacewalk can see updated instructions for fixing an unexpected problem scrolled before their eyes. Even as the readout allows them to monitor temperature, vital signs or other mission-critical information.

Or take a look at Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis. Here work is being done to create a brain trauma analyzer. A decice that can be used in the field as an immediate diagnostic tool for mild traumatic brain injury.

And then there’s our flight school. As a result, if your college decision involves becoming a pilot, this is your school. The Florida Tech fleet consists of over 40 primarily Piper aircraft including Piper Archers, Warriors, Arrows, Seminoles, and an American Champion Citabria Aurora. Elite, RedBird, and Frasca simulators help to enhance flight training operations. In addition to providing flight training under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FIT Aviation is also authorized to provide training under the supervision of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

So from genomics and molecular genetics, to cybersecurity and climate science – programs at Florida Tech are as cutting edge as they come.