2021 Wrap-Up: Top 10 Stories
A look back at this year's most-loved news stories
2021 was a banner year for research and innovation in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Despite ongoing pandemic pains, we shed new light on overlooked narratives, broadened our horizons with diverse local and global perspectives and gained new understandings of the environments that surround us.
From a deep dive into the ups and downs of the transfer student experience to destructive big-headed ants wreaking havoc, our end-of-the-year list takes a look back at the most-read stories of 2021. Take a look and learn something new if you missed an article the first time around!
10. The Second First Year is the Hardest
For transfer students, a fresh start is worth the fish-out-of-water feeling. Read on to learn about the ups and downs from transfer students who took a brave leap to find the right fit for them.
9. U.S. News Ranks CLAS Graduate Programs Among Nation’s Best
The U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Graduate Schools rankings gave high marks to Criminology, History, English and others.
8. Finding His Spark: Jon Renthrope and Cajun Fire Brewery
Alum Renthrope is the founder and CEO of Cajun Fire Brewing Company, only the fifth Black-owned brewery in the history of the United States and the first in the South.
7. Biophysicist Develops AI Methods to Understand How Cells ‘Talk’
Assistant Professor of Physics Purushottam Dixit taps into the power of artificial intelligence to study cellular communication — hoping to improve treatments for life-threatening diseases.
6. Invasive Big-Headed Ants Pose a Major Threat to a Kenyan Ecosystem
New research shines a light on the havoc that invasive species can wreak.
5. 2021 College Teaching/Advising Award Winners Revealed
The annual Teaching/Advising Awards recognize outstanding teachers and advisors in each college for the difference they make in students’ lives.
4. From One Milestone to the Next: African American Studies at UF
On the cusp of becoming a department, the African American Studies Program celebrates over 50 years of scholarship and struggle.
3. CLAS Faculty Awarded Funding for Racial Justice and Artificial Intelligence Research
Faculty members across the college will actively contribute to two of the University of Florida’s key initiatives after receiving funding to advance racial justice and artificial intelligence research.
2. U.S. News Ranks UF Online Psychology Bachelor’s Program #2 in the Nation
UF Online places high in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings.
1. The Connector
Alumnus Ed Tancer had a knack for bringing people together. A new scholarship will continue his legacy.
