Questions asked at UCF rarely stay put.

The answers travel — making highways safer, informing disaster planning, shaping conversations about life-changing technologies and more. Behind that reach are brilliant minds, including eight faculty members whose research and scholarship are being celebrated at the 2026 Luminary Awards. Their achievements demonstrate how UCF expertise reaches beyond campus to address challenges facing Florida and the world.

Now in its 10th year, the annual awards honor faculty whose work brings UCF national and international recognition while elevating the university’s influence across disciplines and communities.

Selected from nominations submitted by deans, directors and department chairs across UCF, the 2026 awardees will be celebrated Oct. 20. Joining the ceremony will be President Cartwright; John Buckwalter, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation; and Kelly Ferris Lester, vice provost for faculty excellence.

Meet this year’s luminaries.

Haitham Al-Deek

Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Haitham Al-Deek is helping stop wrong-way drivers before a dangerous turn becomes a devastating crash.

Working with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, he helped create and implement North America’s first highly accurate wrong-way driving detection and deterrence system. Since its introduction in 2015, thousands of drivers have corrected course before heading in the wrong direction, helping prevent potentially fatal or debilitating crashes.

His algorithm for cost-effectively addressing the highway exits most at risk for wrong-way driving has been widely adopted in Florida and Idaho. Al-Deek’s broader expertise includes freeway operations, intelligent transportation systems and traffic safety. His work has influenced public policy and advanced transportation planning, freight transportation, and the deployment of life-saving technologies on high-speed toll roads and freeways.

Since joining UCF in 1992, Al-Deek has secured more than $10 million in research funding and developed innovations that have resulted in multiple patents for the university while preparing the next generation of transportation engineers to make an impact on society. His honors include awards from the U.S. National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board.

Kevin Mackie, Al-Deek’s department chair, says his extensive efforts to improve highway safety and transportation “are contributions that touch the lives of all of us.”

Andrea Blanco-Redondo

Florida Photonics Center of Excellence Endowed Professor, College of Optics and Photonics

Andrea Blanco-Redondo is harnessing light to push the boundaries of quantum technology.

Her research develops scalable ways to generate and control quantum states of light — advances that could unlock new possibilities in computing, communications and information processing. She’s internationally known for discovering a new class of optical pulses that behave like a particle and can help researchers and industry shape what’s next. In three years at UCF, her scholarship has informed roughly two dozen conferences and produced papers in prestigious journals, including Science, Nature Materials, Nature Communications and Nature Photonics.

An Optica (Optical Society of America) Fellow, Blanco-Redondo also serves as chair of the SPIE OPTO Symposium at Photonics West, a premier annual conference of the international society for optics and photonics. Alongside her research and professional leadership, she mentors future scientists and helps expand opportunities in engineering and optics.

“Through internationally recognized scholarship, sustained external engagement and demonstrable impact, Dr. Blanco-Redondo exemplifies the UCF Luminary ideal through globally impactful work that both broadens understanding and inspires future scientists,” UCF College of Optics and Photonics Dean David Hagan says.

William Crampton

Professor, Department of Biology, College of Sciences

William Crampton’s research on electric fish is revealing extraordinary capabilities — and has even earned a world record.

A leading global authority in his field, Crampton recorded an 860-volt eel in the Amazon Basin, the highest voltage ever documented from a living organism, according to Guinness World Records. His work advances species discovery, documentation, and conservation while revealing principles of biological sensing relevant to radar, sonar, and autonomous sensing technologies.

In a recent study, Crampton and other UCF researchers uncovered how eels and knifefish strategically suppress their electric signals to avoid detection, balancing the need to sense their surroundings with the need to remain concealed. His open-source tools are also expanding how scientists study behavior in natural systems. Crampton’s discoveries have also reached audiences worldwide through major media outlets, including National Geographic.

“His recent work combines innovative discovery, international recognition and exceptional public visibility, producing scholarship that advances knowledge while capturing the imagination of both the scientific community and the public,” UCF Department of Biology Chair Eric Hoffman says.

Alan Fyall

Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing,

Alan Fyall is helping destinations worldwide rethink how tourism can better serve the people who visit and the communities that call them home.

His research addresses destination planning, travel accessibility, resilience, sustainability and tourism’s impact on communities. His appointment to the United Nations Pool of Experts for Global Reporting on the State of the Marine Environment brings UCF expertise into international ocean governance.

An elected fellow and leader with the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Fyall has advised organizations and governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. His scholarship includes eight books, 105 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 100 conference papers and editorials. The New York Times, USA Today and Forbes have featured his expertise.

“Dr. Fyall’s work connects local relevancy to global impact,” says Rosen College of Hospitality Management Dean Cynthia Mejia. “His research on accessible tourism through mega-events, the well-being impacts of tourism on residents and the vulnerability of coastal destinations to climate disruption is improving how communities around the world plan for and benefit from tourism.”

Ivan Garibay

Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Ivan Garibay is advancing artificial intelligence (AI) to confront challenges ranging from social media misinformation to disease.

He uses AI to model and predict complex human behavior and develops data-driven strategies to counter misinformation and propaganda. This year, he co-founded a biotechnology research company to commercialize AI research aimed at accelerating the search for cures for diseases – an effort supported by a patent filing.

Since joining UCF in 2016, Garibay has secured more than $36 million in research funding and testified before Congress about AI’s challenges and opportunities. The master’s program in data analytics he founded has produced 240 UCF graduates for the workforce.

His work has attracted media attention on four continents, including on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His honors include election as an associate member of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.

“[Garibay] exemplifies the externally recognized, world-changing scholarship the Luminary Award celebrates,” says Waldemar Karwowski, chair of the UCF Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Claire Connolly Knox

Professor, School of Public Administration, College of Community Innovation and Education

Claire Connolly Knox is strengthening how communities prepare for and mitigate disasters, respond when they strike and recover in their aftermath.

Her nationally recognized research connects coastal resilience, emergency management, environmental vulnerability and equitable delivery of public services. Supported by millions of dollars in grant funding, her work informs federal policy, disaster response, emergency management capacity and strategies for building more resilient communities.

As founder and director of UCF’s Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program, Knox also helps prepare future leaders in the field. Her contributions have helped advance UCF’s homeland security and emergency management graduate programs, which U.S. News & World Report ranks No. 1 nationally.

Knox was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2024 — one of the field’s highest honors — and received the International Association of Emergency Managers’ 2025 Emergency Management Educator of the Year Award.

“Her sustained scholarly productivity, national prominence, public engagement and commitment to addressing complex societal challenges have enhanced UCF’s reputation while advancing more equitable and resilient communities,” says Bradley Heim, director of the UCF School of Public Administration.

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq

Professor, School of Public Administration, College of Community Innovation and Education

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq helps governments and communities prepare for complex threats while equipping the next generation of researchers to take them on.

His interdisciplinary research spans floods, infrastructure failures, human trafficking and other emerging crises. By examining disaster preparedness, emergency communication systems, organizational mitigation strategies and equitable disaster response, he generates insights that inform public policy and professional practice.

Sadiq also leads a U.S. National Science Foundation initiative to develop future hazards and disaster researchers. He recently brought scholars from across the nation to UCF to strengthen collaboration and workforce development in disaster science. His honors include election as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, one of the field’s highest distinctions.

“Dr. Sadiq has established himself as a nationally and internationally recognized scholar whose research, leadership and public engagement have significantly advanced the fields of emergency management and public administration while elevating UCF’s visibility as a leader in disaster resilience and public service scholarship,” Heim says.

Mel Stanfill

Professor, Texts and Technology Program and Department of English, College of Arts and Humanities

Mel Stanfill brings critical insight to the technologies and online communities reshaping digital culture.

In examining how technology, identity, law and economics influence cultural participation, Stanfill explores fandoms, music, AI, digital games, social media governance, parasocial relationships and more.

Stanfill’s book Fandom Is Ugly: Networked Harassment in Participatory Culture earned the National Communication Association’s 2025 Diamond Anniversary Book Award for its analysis of politics, online communities and harassment.

Stanfill’s expertise has reached the public through commentary for NPR, The Guardian, National Geographic, Forbes, NBC News and Teen Vogue, bringing scholarly insight to contemporary conversations about technology and popular culture.

“Dr. Stanfill has made UCF a national player in the discussion of the cultural effects of technology,” UCF Department of English Chair James Campbell says. “UCF needs to be a place not just where new technology is conceived, but where it is questioned, critiqued, and has its cultural meanings and effects made clear, and Dr. Stanfill is making that happen.”

We’re starting to see signs of tourism’s anticipated comeback this summer as more of the country’s population becomes vaccinated.

As of April 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that people who are fully vaccinated do not need to get tested before or after travel unless their destination requires it, and do not need to self-quarantine. However, travelers are required to wear a face covering on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. Additionally, the CDC still recommends avoiding crowds and washing hands often even if you’ve been vaccinated.

What else can travelers expect from their planned adventures this summer?

Alan Fyall is a travel expert, the associate dean of academic affairs and Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Fyall has published widely in the areas of tourism and destination marketing and management, including 22 books, and has conducted numerous consulting and applied research projects for clients in Africa, the Caribbean, the European Union, South East Asia, the United Kingdom and United States.

A British native, he estimates he has visited more than 40 countries. Below he shares his predictions for the 2021 summer travel season.

How will tourism impact the Central Florida region this summer?

I think ultimately it’s going to be very positive, but it’s also complicated. Florida in essence is no different from anywhere else. There’s a split pressure with the pandemic between wanting to open because commercially, that makes sense — but it only makes sense to those people that are willing to come here knowing that the situation may not be perfect.

So what do I mean by that? Saying that there’s no mask mandate, essentially you’re pleasing half the market, but the other half of the market will be far more wary and may  stay away. And that’s not a political thing — that is just how the market’s behaving both here in the US and internationally. Every single country has got these dynamics and you’re never going to please everybody.

But I think that the positive for Florida, particularly Central Florida, is for the most part, the industry has been really, really responsible. I think that the city and the county mayors have done a good job in a very, very difficult situation. The theme parks have done an excellent job in terms of their adaptations. I think Florida has done as much as it possibly can in the circumstances of COVID. And I think we will reap the benefit of that in the summer.

What places will be desirable destinations this summer?

I would say anywhere that’s near a national park, state park or coastal resorts. I think they will boom this summer. You’ve got places like Zion up in Utah that are doing limited times and restricted shuttle buses because they just know the demand is going to go crazy. Obviously these destinations are amazing sites to see anyway, but what works in their favor is they’re outside, so they’re as healthy as you’re going to get. Even places that really aren’t on the tourist trail — even Pittsburgh, for instance, is going to be busy. People want to see their parents. They want to see their cousins and family. So I think people will travel anywhere and everywhere just to reconnect.

When will the peak travel time hit, and how long will it last?

There’s a lot of good articles at the moment predicting that the next seven or eight years are going to be the booming ’20s like the 1920s. I sort of buy that. The Florida and domestic market is picking up now, but I expect will be fully functioning by probably summer 2022. You won’t see  the international market back in large numbers until maybe 2023 just because of the booking cycle. So I think two, three years down the line, it’ll be flying again. The biggest challenge is going to be business travel because of all the technology platforms and options for virtual meetings and conferences available now that have worked so well during the pandemic.

There is a precedent of vaccines for other illnesses being required or recommended for international travel. Why is the COVID vaccine passport such a contentious issue?

Politics. And that is a simple answer, but essentially that is the answer. The big problem at the moment is there is no consensus anywhere really as to what’s the right thing to do. For many destinations, these “passports” offer confidence to the industry and the market that it is safe to return with the economic benefits of opening outweighing the “rights” of individuals. Many European and Asian countries are accepting such passports, somewhat reluctantly, as the price to be paid for re-opening after a year of industry closure. The alternative viewpoint is that COVID passports create a “two-tier” society between vaccinated and un-vaccinated individuals with freedom to travel constrained by individual views on vaccinations or access to vaccines. There is no easy answer with strong arguments both for and against COVID passports.

I’m not particularly pro-COVID passports, but if you’re an industry that’s absolutely bursting to at least get something going — like cruises, for example, then they make sense. If you want cruises to start, there are very strong arguments to say, we’ll have a COVID passport for a defined period of time to at least get the industry moving again. So if that is the compromise and what’s necessary to get three or four ships at least up and running, it’s not ideal, but it’s a compromise, so why not? Either you get it going, or you don’t get it going. You can’t have it both ways.

How will air travel compare to road travel?

The airlines are doing pretty well. They have cut lots of the routes so they’ve got reduced supply, but what they do offer they are filling out. I think cars will be booming. This will be the road trip summer, as we’ve talked about because of the national parks, the coastlines and even the theme parks because they’ve demonstrated they can operate safely and they’ve done a good job.

Refundable has been the name of the game for the last year. What changes do you foresee?

I would cash your vouchers in quick.

Are you a believer in travel insurance?

It depends where I’m going and what the healthcare provisions are. In the U.S., no. If I’m traveling internationally, yes.

Are there any tools you’d recommend for travelers to make their lives run smoother while they’re traveling?

That’s a good question because keeping up with all the changes right now can be a headache. You need to be mindful of travel advisories. So let’s say for the sake of argument you’re traveling to France. You need to review what the advisory for travel is to France from the U.S. government, as well as the reciprocal advice from the French authorities.  Bookmark them onto your phone and stick to the government advice, because ultimately that’s the advice that carries weight.

“The increasingly complex business environment the travel and tourism industry is facing requires an interdisciplinary approach to produce professionals who not only have a strong technology foundation but also understand the business context in which the technology is applied.”
— Youcheng Wang

The proliferation of new and emerging technologies that make traveling more convenient and efficient, such as ride-sharing mobile apps and third-party booking services, is fueling the industry’s demand for high-tech workers.

The master’s degree program — the first of its kind in the nation — will be offered by UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science and Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is ranked No. 4 in the world for hospitality education by CEOWorld magazine. The degree was approved by the UCF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors last year.

“This innovative program is the result of strong collaboration between our two colleges, and illustrates how UCF continually strives to create opportunity beyond traditional academic boundaries,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“The increasingly complex business environment the travel and tourism industry is facing requires an interdisciplinary approach to produce professionals who not only have a strong technology foundation but also understand the business context in which the technology is applied,” says Youcheng Wang, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “Such a partnership program between the two colleges is definitely the right answer to the industry call.”

Orlando, where UCF is located, is the No. 1 travel destination in the United States and provides an ideal learning environment for technology professionals who may want to apply their skills in the travel industry.

The program has been designed by a team ɫ���� faculty led by Alan Fyall, associate dean of academic affairs, Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism and a professor of hospitality. Fyall is an expert in global travel industry workforce trends.

“There is no better place than Orlando to get hands-on experience in the travel industry,” Fyall says. “Students in this degree program can work for airlines, hotels, resorts, travel companies, entertainment companies, theme parks — the opportunities are endless here.”

The travel technology and analytics master’s degree will appeal to technology professionals who may be working in other industries, according to Ali Gordon, associate dean for Graduate Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Many of our computer science and information technology graduates are recruited by large-scale technology companies, and therefore may not initially consider the travel industry when they make early-career moves,” Gordon says. “This new degree gives these professionals another exciting career choice.”

Also on the faculty team is Naveen Eluru, associate professor of civil engineering. Eluru is an expert in transportation engineering and technology and heads the Transportation Econometric Modeling Group at UCF. He will teach one of the core analytics courses in the program.

Eluru notes that while the COVID-19 global pandemic has disproportionately affected the travel and tourism industry, this time can present an opportunity for professionals to broaden their skills and engage in the industry’s resurgence.

“The revival of the travel and tourism industry will lay increased emphasis on the application of technology and analytics in the future,” says Eluru. “With the rapid emergence of new technologies, the opportunity for career growth in travel technology and analytics is huge, as the role of smart infrastructure expands in tourism and hospitality sectors along with burgeoning smart transportation systems across cities.”

Eluru is also on the faculty team that designed and oversees UCF’s master’s degree in smart cities program — another first-of-its-kind program in the nation — that began last fall.

The 30-hour master’s degree program in travel technology and analytics is offered partially or fully online. In-person classes are scheduled to be held at both the Rosen College campus near International Drive and UCF’s main campus in east Orlando.

The coursework follows an appropriate mix of required core courses and elective options. The core courses will cover concepts in travel technology, hospitality management and travel analytics, providing STEM students with a solid foundation in the travel and tourism industry. The program also includes a capstone course to provide students with hands-on tourism industry experience.

Core courses include Smart Travel and Tourism, International Tourism and Management, Service System Quality Engineering, Discrete Choice Modeling in Transportation, Algorithms and Models for Smart Cities, and a capstone course.

The deadline to apply for the program is July 1, 2020.

Wang is the William C. Peeper Preeminent Professor in Destination Marketing and has been the recipient ɫ����’s Researcher of the Year Award, Rosen College’s Distinguished Researcher of the Year Award, as well as the Keeling Dissertation Award at the Travel and Tourism Research Association conference.

His research and consulting interest focuses on hospitality marketing and management, destination marketing and management, collaborative strategies, and technology management. He is a member of several professional associations including the Travel and Tourism Research Association and the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators. Wang is the author of four books and more than 150 scientific publications, and is a frequent speaker at international and national conferences and industry forums.

Fyall also is the Visit Orlando Endowed Chair and the interim chair of the tourism, events and attractions department at UCF Rosen College. He has published widely in the areas of tourism, destination marketing and management, including 22 books.

Fyall is a former member of the Bournemouth Tourism Management Board and has conducted numerous consulting and applied tourism research projects for clients in the United Kingdom, European Union, Africa, the Caribbean, United States, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. Fyall also teaches International Tourism Management and has examined 30 doctoral students around the world. He is a co-organizer with the City of Orlando of the upcoming Tourism 2030 workshop to be held in May.

Wang and Fyall will be inducted into the academy at its next biennial conference in 2021.

The academy is housed at the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1988 and has 87 fellows worldwide.

“Now that our master’s degree program is fully online, it makes the decision to get an advanced degree even easier for busy professionals,” said Dr. Alan Fyall, graduate programs director at Rosen College. “We want to help students customize the program to fit their needs, so they can take the next step in their career and advance into top level management roles.”

Rosen College is also introducing two new graduate certificate programs in Event Management and Destination Marketing and Management. These shorter, more flexible niche programs are for students who do not currently have the time nor desire to complete a full master’s degree program. Students can enroll in the certificate programs starting Fall 2015.

Rosen College is accepting applications for the M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and will host several graduate program information sessions this spring at its Orlando campus. Visit to register and learn more or contact Dr. Alan Fyall at 407.903.8808 or Alan.Fyall@ucf.edu.

Bournemouth University has a growing population of 17,706 students and 2,000 international students from 100 countries. Situated in the center of the south coast, Bournemouth is a tourist destination located about two hours from central London by train or coach and about 1.5 hours from Heathrow Airport. Its relaxed beach lifestyle is the perfect setting for studying subject areas like hospitality, tourism, events, leisure, retail and sport.

Students will be able to attend Bournemouth University starting in Spring 2015.

For more information, please contact , Rosen College’s study abroad coordinator at Fazal.Jameer@ucf.edu.

Published by Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, the Journal of Destination Marketing & Management provides a critical understanding of all aspects of destination marketing and management, as they are situated in their particular policy, planning, economic, geographical and historical contexts.

The journal will be of particular interest to those involved in the interdisciplinary approach of marketing and management, economic development and planning, geography, sociology, psychology, anthropology, retailing, policy making and public administration of tourist destinations.

“For academics to fully understand destinations, engagement with professionals in the field is critical to ensure that research is contemporary, relevant and of value to those making decisions and allocating funds for infrastructure, attractions and marketing campaigns,” said Fyall. “It is for this reason that the Regional Spotlight feature of short, contemporary and critical opinion pieces from those very close to the workings of destinations, is such an important aspect of the new journal. It is thus hoped that our new journal will serve as a catalyst for both academics and professionals who are passionate about tourism destinations in advancing academic scrutiny and management expertise to the ultimate benefit of the visitor.”

According to Fyall, destinations are arguably the single most important prerequisite for the continued success of the global tourism industry, and warrant serious and sustained academic scrutiny.

“The journal is a timely and significant contribution to an area of study which is relatively under-researched but important to scholars and professionals who are treating destinations as units of analysis in the context of tourism studies,” said Wang. “We are committed to developing Journal of Destination Marketing & Management as the leading international journal for the study of tourism destinations.”

Elsevier will offer free online access to the publication’s content for the next 12 months, before switching to a paid subscription format.