黑料正能量

Anthony Halcyon has traveled to Iceland to study the harvesting of fog as a water source, to Montenegro to catalog biodiversity in a remote river valley, to Tanzania to help bring clean water to a village that had lacked it before. Closer to home, he鈥檚 led water conservation and stormwater initiatives in Hillsborough County, where he also heads youth water education programs and even works to convince residents to maintain a more Florida-friendly yard.

Indeed, Halcyon鈥檚 efforts in the areas of water and soil conservation have stretched far and wide. The researcher, explorer, traveler and scientist found his calling thanks in part to 黑料正能量, where he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Environmental Management in Agriculture and Natural Resources. He went on to earn an online master鈥檚 in , and is now being honored as part of the 2026 class of .

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big, full-circle moment,鈥� said Halcyon, who lives in Plant City. 鈥淭o me, this is kind of the culmination of my work with UF. It doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 done with them, but to me it is a big milestone.鈥�

Chosen by the UF Alumni Association, 40 Gators Under 40 recognizes young alumni who have not only achieved personal success but also demonstrated a deep connection and commitment to UF. In his role as senior environmental scientist for Hillsborough County, Halcyon works closely with the local UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences office, provides stories about his travels to the , and has also contributed publications to the .

From Tanzania to Montenegro

Halcyon initially trained to become a firefighter, but his career path was altered when he read a United Nations report about the looming 2050 water crisis, which warned that 5 billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050. 鈥淏ack then, it seemed like this bleeding edge of an issue, and it really spoke to me,鈥� Halcyon said. 鈥淎nd something just told me to go for it.鈥�

From there, the two sides of Halcyon so evident today鈥攐ne a county water scientist, the other a researcher and adventurer鈥攂egan to take shape. One of his advisors at UF, Michael Sisk, made him aware of a study abroad program examining fog harvesting in Iceland, where Halcyon spent a week. Upon completion of his master鈥檚 degree, he took his current position leading water conversation and stormwater initiatives for Hillsborough County.

And then one day he stumbled across a Discovery Channel program on The Explorers Club, an organization founded in 1905 that鈥檚 counted the likes of Edmund Hillary, Thor Heyerdahl and James Cameron as members. Halcyon contacted the club鈥檚 Florida chapter about membership and began undertaking expeditions to burnish his credentials. One, with the nonprofit Water For Mercy鈥攆ounded by UF grad Nermine Khouzam Rubin鈥攈elped build a solar-powered well to bring clean water to a village of 3,300 people in Tanzania.

鈥淭hat was truly just a life-changing moment,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he people there were spending hours every day looking for water鈥攁nd I don鈥檛 mean clean aquifer water, I mean water that is sandy and gritty and riddled with bacteria and typhoid. It gave me a perspective you really can鈥檛 get in a classroom. It was truly a transformational experience in so many ways, both personally and professionally.鈥�

Halcyon later ventured to Montenegro to study biodiversity in the Komarnica River valley, which is at risk from a proposed dam. His UF education travels with him wherever he goes. 鈥淯nderstanding the chemical and microbiological makeup of soil and water has played a role in every single expedition I’ve done,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here were some students tagging along on our expedition in Montenegro, and I was able to talk to them about soil pH and basic hydrological functions. So being able to have that more advanced knowledge is really helpful.鈥�

Work with UF/IFAS Extension

Halcyon was accepted into the Florida chapter of The Explorers Club in 2025 and has continued to study impacts on soil and water throughout the world. When he鈥檚 not traveling, Halcyon works on conservation initiatives with long-lasting impacts for Hillsborough County, like public education programs and the the county is undertaking in partnership with the UF/IFAS Extension and the city of Tampa.

鈥淲here the program really shines is on the water conservation side of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get people to swap out turfgrass for things like drought-tolerant plants, which can be visually pleasing as well. The Extension has designs that would be very in line with what an HOA would want and provide the benefits of a Florida-friendly lawn as well.鈥�

Halcyon has other journeys planned as well, including an upcoming trip to Suriname where he鈥檒l work with an indigenous group studying natural resources in an area beset by illegal gold mining. His long-term goal is to become an astronaut, a position he first applied for last year. 鈥淣ASA told me thanks, but no thanks,鈥� Halcyon said with a laugh. 鈥淪o, we鈥檒l try again.鈥�

Indeed he will. From Hillsborough County to Africa to the Balkans and beyond, Halcyon continues to apply the lessons he learned through 黑料正能量 to the environment around him. His inclusion in the 2026 class of 40 Gators Under 40 is further evidence of the positive impacts that this scientist, traveler, researcher, adventurer and 黑料正能量 graduate has been able to make.

黑料正能量 is the No. 1 online bachelor鈥檚 program in the nation, according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, marking the eighth year in a row that 黑料正能量 has ranked in the top five online bachelor鈥檚 programs in the nation. The University of Florida offers fully online students the same degrees taught by the same professors as on campus, along with the  flexibility of online learning, dedicated academic advisors, and lower tuition and fees.