University of Florida News

President Bernie Machen’s decision to donate his bonus to the Florida Opportunity Scholarship Program was the subject of a May 12 Associated Press story.

President Bernie Machen was quoted in a May 11 Money magazine article about the growing financial pressure faced by large public universities such as UF. Also quoted were geology department chairman Michael Perfit and student Peter Laumann.

Plant pathologist Randy Ploetz was quoted in a May 8 Associated Press story about the threat of the redbay ambrosia beetle to Florida’s avocado industry. The story was the result of a news release from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

A dissertation by doctoral student Jim Porter about who was most likely to defend students from bullying was the subject of a May 6 column on ABC News.com. The column was the result of a News Bureau news release.

Postdoctoral fellow Becca Gray was quoted in a May 6 Orlando Sentinel story about a team of UF biologists that has joined other world experts on evolutionary biology to publish their individual findings about swine flu on a common Web site. The story was the result of a Health Science Center news release.

Mary Brownell, a professor of special education, was quoted in a May 5 Washington Post story about the constant demand for special education teachers.

Pierce Jones, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, was quoted in a May 6 St. Petersburg Times story about the possibility of a “drought surcharge” for water users in the Tampa Bay area.

Finance professor Jay Ritter was quoted in a May 4 Wall Street Journal article about the resounding success of the relatively few initial public offerings so far this year.

Alexandria Stephenson, a spring graduate with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, was the subject of a May 1 South Florida Sun-Sentinel story. Stephenson was homeless after high school before pursuing her degree at UF. The story was the result of a News Bureau news release.

J. Glenn Morris, director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, was quoted in an April 30 Florida Times-Union story about the likelihood swine flu would reach Florida.