FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Congratulations, Class of 2026 Future Doctors! 🎓🩺

We were thrilled to host the 23rd Future Doctors’ Reception on May 11. The signature event celebrated 60 students who were admitted to health professional graduate programs alongside college faculty and staff, as well as students’ families.

Hats off to the record-breaking 16 members of the class of 2026 who were accepted to Florida Atlantic’s Schmidt College of Medicine!

A special highlight of the evening was an inspirational keynote speech from new graduate and future doctor Britto Herard, a biological sciences major and distinguished FAU Molly Ford Scholar. Remarkably, Britto completed his degree in just three years and will soon begin his studies at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.

Congratulations, future doctors! You are now the architects of the future of healthcare, and you represent the very best of Florida Atlantic. Go Owls! 🦉

Read more: https://www.fau.edu/science/news/congratulations-class-of-2026-future-doctors/.

Florida Atlantic University Foundation
Florida Atlantic Alumni

We are so proud to highlight the groundbreaking work of our very own Dr. Kate Detwiler, Associate Professor at the FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science!

Dr. Detwiler’s research at Gombe National Park is literally rewriting the textbooks on primate evolution. While many think of "species" as fixed categories, her work with hybrid monkeys shows that nature is far more fluid.

By tracing DNA lineages, Dr. Detwiler discovered that every single "blue monkey" in Gombe actually carries the mitochondrial marker of a "red-tailed monkey." This means that the entire population is the result of generations of hybridization! 🧬

Check out the full story below from the Jane Goodall Institute to see how Dr. Detwiler is helping us redefine what it means to be a species.

What a momentous day! The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science celebrated its Class of 2026 commencement on May 8, featuring Juan Carlos “JC” Santana—renowned functional fitness expert, entrepreneur, author, and proud FAU double alumnus—as our distinguished keynote speaker.

With 30+ years of trailblazing in the fitness world and as the founder of the Institute of Human Performance (IHP), Santana inspired graduates with his wisdom: “The most exciting times of your life are still ahead. Every time you overcome an obstacle, you will realize that you are stronger than you ever thought you could be.”

From training elite athletes to his early days strolling his son around the Boca Raton campus, JC’s journey is a powerful testament to the "crossroads where preparation meets opportunity."

Congratulations, Class of 2026! ❤️💙🦉 We look forward to witnessing your continued growth and impact in the years to come.

Read more about JC's journey: https://www.fau.edu/science/news/alumnus-jc-santana-returns-to-inspire-fau-class-of-2026/.

Celebrating a pillar of our community. 🦉

The Florida Atlantic Alumni Association recently honored Jose E. Garcia Jr., M.D., (B.G.S. ’25), as a 2026 Distinguished Alumni. As a physician-entrepreneur and advocate, Dr. Garcia transformed Florida’s healthcare landscape by scaling a single office into a 26-center network dedicated to underserved communities.

A proud graduate of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Dr. Garcia remains a fixture in our community, recently sharing his wisdom on healthcare entrepreneurship with current students. We are honored to have had him as part of our FAU family.

Read more: https://www.fau.edu/science/news/jose-e-garcia-jr-md-2025-named-2026-distinguished-alumni/.

🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌊From the depths of the Atlantic to the heart of the Everglades, our students and faculty are tackling our most pressing environmental challenges.

🐢 Protecting Wildlife: Researching sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, wading birds and songbirds, to name a few.
🌿 Restoring Habitats: Focusing on corals, sargassum, the Everglades and Big Cypress, the Indian River Lagoon and intracoastal waterways.
🏘️ Securing Communities: Advancing science-based solutions for urban flooding and coastal resilience.

There is so much more that we do! Join us as we pioneer world-class science for a more resilient future.

FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

From an FAU biology student to a global pioneer in cancer research! We are incredibly proud of our alumna, Maria Jasin, Ph.D. (B.S. '78), who was inducted into the Florida Atlantic Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame. Dr. Jasin’s groundbreaking work on DNA repair and her role in the first "gene editing" experiments have fundamentally changed how we understand and treat cancer. Her journey is a testament to the power of an education in the College of Science at Florida Atlantic University.

Read about her trailblazing career: https://www.fau.edu/science/news/researcher-maria-jasin-phd-named-2026-hall-of-fame-inductee/