Discover how to strengthen your credit profile, navigate key concepts like APR and interest rates, and understand how credit can influence major financial decisions such as buying a home. Whether you're just starting your credit journey or looking to strengthen your financial foundation, you'll leave with practical tips and tools to make informed financial decisions with confidence.
]]>Dr. George Zaragoza (UCF Biology) will speak on "Applications of Point Process and Integrated Step-Selection Models in Wildlife Ecology" at this week's seminar.
Abstract: The field of wildlife ecology increasingly uses spatial modeling tools to understand how species respond to environmental change and navigate heterogeneous landscapes. Here, we demonstrate applications of two approaches: integrated nested Laplacian approximation point process models and integrated step-selection functions. Point process models are used to estimate how the spatial distribution of a large herbivore may shift in response to climatic change, while integrated step-selection functions are used to predict how a large carnivore moves through and responds to landscape features. Together, these examples highlight how modern spatial and movement models can leverage wildlife location and environmental data to provide insight into ecological responses to changing landscapes.
Short Bio: Dr. George Zaragoza is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida. His research examines how climate and anthropogenic change affect wildlife populations, including shifts in habitat and distribution, landscape connectivity, movement and habitat selection, and the role of adaptive genetic variation in enabling populations to respond to changing environmental conditions. Dr. Zaragoza obtained his Bachelor of Science from the University of California - Davis before working in Bayer’s agricultural research and development group. He earned his PhD in Integrative and Conservation Biology at the University of Central Florida, researching the impacts of environmental variability and adaptation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi), and Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) through the lens of population and landscape genomics. His current research uses GPS tracking data to study the habitat selection of wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in response to changing climatic conditions. He will soon be transitioning to a research associate position at the University of Wyoming, where he will be studying chronic wasting disease in wild deer populations.
]]>From the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the present day, the connections between Ireland and the United States run far deeper than ancestry alone. The Irish heritage is part of the American democracy and culture, shaped by people, ideas, struggles, leadership, and enduring ties across the Atlantic.
Join the UCF Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives (GPII), in collaboration with the Consulate General of Ireland in Miami, for an engaging conversation exploring the centuries of connections between Ireland and the United States, and how Irish heritage and influence have helped shaped the American experience.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Place: UCF Morgridge International Reading Center (MIRC)
4143 Andromeda Loop N, Orlando, FL 32816
This event is free and open to the public.
You can download the University Map, here.
Advanced Registration is REQUIRED. Please REGISTER HERE.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Featured Speaker:
Dr. Darragh Gannon
Director of Global Irish Studies, Georgetown University
Lead Historian, IrishAmerica250
Ireland Funds Fellow, Princess Grace Library, Monaco
Dr. Darragh Gannon is the Director of Global Irish Studies, Assistant Teaching Professor of Irish History at Georgetown University, and Ireland Funds Fellow at the Princess Grace Library, Monaco.
Before coming to Georgetown, he served as Head of Irish Studies at University College Dublin and AHRC Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast.
Prof. Gannon has published widely in modern Irish, British and Global History. He also has been awarded major international research fellowships at the University of Melbourne, the University of Toronto, and New York University. He currently serves as the Ireland Funds Fellow to the Princess Grace Library, Monaco.
Prof. Gannon is a former Curator at the National Museum of Ireland. He is a regular commentator on culture and current affairs for international media outlets, including TIME magazine, National Geographic, ABC Australia, BBC, C-Span, Hello Monaco, Irish Times, Le Monde, RTÉ, Sunday Independent, and TRT World.
(https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0031Q00002eZ2CHQA0/darragh-gannon)
Welcoming Remarks:
Sarah Kavanagh
Consul General of Ireland in Miami
Sarah Kavanagh took up her post as Consul General of Ireland in Miami in October 2022 and is leading the establishment of Ireland’s first Consulate General in Florida.
She comes to Miami from the Human Rights Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin where she served as Deputy Director. Prior to joining the Department in 2020, Ms. Kavanagh served as Special Adviser to the Minister for Justice and Equality (2017-2020) and Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (2014-2017). From 2005-2014, she worked for in the Houses of the Oireachtas (Parliament of Ireland) in a range of policy, strategy development and political communication roles.
Ms. Kavanagh is originally from Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny. She holds a Barrister-at-Law Degree (2012) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies (2010) from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, Dublin. She also holds Masters Degrees in Political Communication (Dublin City University, 2007) and Politics (University College Dublin, 2001) and a BA Degree in History and Politics (University College Dublin 2000).
(https://www.ireland.ie/en/usa/miami/about/consul-general/)
Discussion Moderator:
Owen Kirby
GPII Nonresident Fellow Former Department of State and USAID official
Owen Kirby is a non-resident fellow at UCF’s Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, focusing on peace-building and conflict transformation. He has served in both the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development and is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick in Ireland.
]]>New to Microsoft Teams? Join us for an introductory session on how to confidently participate and organize Teams meetings.
This session is open to Faculty, Staff, and Students.
This session will discuss: