Across the University of Florida, our 16 colleges, numerous institutes, and health care facilities embrace our shared mission of outreach and service to improve and enrich our community, nation, and the world. UF in the Community spotlights the impact of UF in our region.

Although UF has students and employees throughout the state, North Central Florida is home to much of our faculty and staff and to our 50,000+ students. Like all area residents, we want a vibrant, safe, healthy, and equitable place in which to live and thrive. Here are some of the ways in which we are enhancing our shared community.​

Thinking about the impact of COVID-19 can stir a variety of emotions. For some, the past year has brought us closer to family while in quarantine, taught us how to stay active without a gym, or shown us new hobbies that spark joy. For many of us, COVID-19 has also brought feelings of isolation, pain, anger, sorrow or even numbness. Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re fundamentally different than we were one year ago. But we’ve learned we are resilient.

The novel coronavirus is doing what viruses do — in fact, what all life does. It’s mutating and creating new variants. This is evolution 101. Much of the discussion about the coronavirus in recent weeks has been about the potential impact of these variants on COVID-19 vaccines now being administered worldwide. Just what does the future hold?

Community Impact Projects are an important part of education for UF College of Nursing students. But COVID-19 significantly altered the student’s opportunity for face-to-face interaction since the projects would have to be implemented virtually. Now COVID-19 vaccine clinics have provided an opportunity to interface not only with the public but with other healthcare professionals in a team effort. Working at vaccine sites has given UF nursing students the opportunity to positively impact the community in a time of need.

From cyanobacteria blooms found off the Florida coast near Fort Lauderdale, University of Florida researchers have discovered a novel marine natural product that binds to a new site of tubulin, an important target for cancer drugs.

Management Communication Center Director Dr. Fiona Barnes joins host Andy Lord for a conversation about how to craft the perfect email, communicating effectively with different personalities, inspiring communicators in business, and more.