Four outstanding undergraduate students are redefining the boundaries of STEM through their high-impact research — and in doing so, placing the university among the nation’s top producers of Goldwater Scholars.

The prestigious Goldwater Scholarship identifies and supports the nation’s best student researchers in the fields of engineering, mathematics and natural sciences.

This year’s honorees — all expected to graduate next spring — have propelled UCF into an elite tier of research institutions, surpassing several Ivy League institutions and tying for fourth in the nation in total Goldwater Scholars produced alongside Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago. Their impactful work reflects UCF’s commitment to building a high-level research environment that empowers students to lead projects addressing significant global and scientific challenges.

Supporting Space Exploration

Goldwater Scholar: Keanu Brayman

Major: Mechanical engineering

Ultimate Goal: To develop robotic systems to support human exploration on Mars.

Keanu Brayman’s passion for space began early.

“One of my earliest memories is watching a Space Shuttle streak across the sky from a beach in South Florida,” Brayman says. “I remember being amazed there were people on board and feeling drawn to one day help explore the stars and discover what lies beyond our planet.”

É«»šÌĂ, Brayman has refined that dream with the support of faculty and mentors — including Associate Professors Adrienne Dove (physics) and Tarek Elgohary (mechanical and aerospace engineering), and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Engineer Christopher Proctor — as well as through programs like the .

He plans to pursue a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering to support lunar exploration and NASA’s Artemis program, as well as develop robotic systems that can extract resources and build infrastructure to support human exploration on Mars.

Engineering the Brain

Goldwater Scholar: Kyle Coutray

Majors: Computer engineering and biomedical sciences

Ultimate Goal: To research ways to restore communication, movement and cognitive function to the brain through engineering methods.

Kyle Coutray is focused on the intersection of neuroscience and technology.

“I’m interested in building systems that interact directly with the brain,” Coutray says. “In the lab, 
 [I’m] blending [both majors] into one approach.”

He aims to pursue a doctoral degree in neural engineering to further his research on brain-computer interfaces that translate complex brain activity into useful functions.

A 2026 Order of Pegasus inductee and a Burnett Honors Scholar, Coutray credits his success to disciplined focus and strong mentorship, particularly from Charles N. Millican Professor of Computer Science Joseph LaViola and Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Helen Huang.

Advancing Patient Care

Goldwater Scholar: Varun Nannuri

Major: Molecular and cellular biology

Ultimate Goal: To pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

Varun Nannuri is driven by a desire to understand why people experience different health outcomes and improve care.

“Through my clinical experiences, I have seen how much patients and families rely on physicians during some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” Nannuri says. “My research experiences have shown me that better care depends on asking better questions.”

Nannuri plans to pursue a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree and become a physician-scientist. His ambition earned him recognition as a 2026 Order of Pegasus inductee while also completing his Honors Undergraduate Thesis. Nannuri is also a member of the Burnett Honors College as a Burnett Medical Scholar, a program that offers guaranteed admission to the UCF College of Medicine upon completion.

“UCF has given me opportunities to grow as a student, researcher, leader and future physician,” Nannuri says.

Restoring Human Senses

Goldwater Scholar: Trevor Overton

Majors: Electrical engineering and biomedical sciences

Ultimate Goal: To improve the lives of people with disabilities through advanced robotic prostheses.

Burnett Honors Scholar Trevor Overton’s work centers on neuroengineering and next-generation prosthetics.

“I’ve always had a passion for building things, and I also love reading and watching sci-fi,” Overton says. “When UCF offered me the opportunity to join the MEDD [ 
 I knew I had to take it.”

UCF’s MEDD program provides scientifically driven students like Overton with a unique opportunity to integrate engineering principles into medicine.

Much like the development of cochlear implants, Overton imagines similar breakthroughs with vision and touch.

“I envision a future where robotic prostheses are so advanced that they could completely replace or enhance the abilities of humans,” Overton says. “It’s not entirely impossible.”

After earning a doctoral degree in electrical engineering with a focus on neuroengineering, he hopes to inspire the next generation — just as his professors inspired him — emphasizing that UCF’s strength lies in professors who actively invest in their students.

A Growing Research Powerhouse

With four 2026 Goldwater Scholarship recipients, UCF continues to strengthen its position as a leader in undergraduate research. The achievement reflects both students’ immense dedication and a university-wide commitment to driving innovation, mentorship and hands-on discovery. As these Knights prepare for the next steps in their academic journeys, they carry forward a shared mission: to turn research into real-world impact.

Students interested in applying for the Goldwater Scholarship or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.

To advance knowledge in this area, UCF Assistant Professor of Biology , collaborated with international researchers through the Antscan, a global initiave led by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), with contributions from universities and museums.

The effort has led to a Nature Methods publication and created a freely available, morphological database of over 2,000 ant specimens representing nearly 800 species.

“Ants are important to study because they are ubiquitous, abundant and highly varied, ecologically dominant, and some species practice agriculture, facing challenges similar to human agriculture, such as crop pests,” says Sosa-Calvo, who began researching insect diversity at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the University of Maryland.

Using a fast and powerful X-ray scanning technique, researchers created phenotypically accurate 3D models, providing a detailed look at both ants’ external and internal anatomy that can benefit a wide range of fields.

“There is strong potential for more ant species to be added to Antscan and that other small insect or invertebrate groups create similar repositories of phenotypic data to advance our understanding of biological morphology,” Sosa-Calvo says.

Closing the Gap Between Genetic and Morphological Data

Standard imaging tools used to photograph specimens, like high-resolution cameras, can capture the external morphology of ants from multiple angles, and micro-CT scanning can capture the internal morphology like organs and muscle tissue. However, these methods are time-consuming and limit how many specimens can be studied.

The Antscan initiative is filling this gap of available data by providing a library of morphologically accurate 3D models of ant anatomy. To solve the throughput bottleneck, the team of researchers is using high-throughput X-ray micro-CT scanning powered by a synchrotron particle accelerator.

“The synchrotron particle accelerator produces much higher intensity light beams, resulting in images with higher contrast and faster processing times than a normal micro-CT scanner,” Sosa-Calvo says. “It takes about 3,000 images per specimen in a short period of time. So instead of taking most of the day to scan a single specimen, researchers can scan a single ant in about a minute or so.”

Once the 2D images are captured, they are reconstructed into a 3D tomogram of the specimen, allowing researchers to see fine details from the exoskeleton to internal structures like the nervous system.

Why This Tech Matters for Biodiversity Research

By streamlining the process of scanning smaller specimens and making the 3D models publicly available, the Antscan initiative has opened the door for researchers to study morphology at a scale previously only possible for genetic data, helping morphological research catch up with its molecular counterpart.

It has also helped document the presence of characteristics previously thought to occur in only a single species.

“A few years ago, we discovered that fungus-farming ants—a group of ants that grow fungus for food and are the subject of Sosa-Calvo’s research at UCF—have biomineralized armor that protects them like the shell of marine crustaceans and mollusks,” he says. “With the scans performed in this project, we now know that other species, within fungus-farming ants also have this armor, which appears to be a unique feature among ants.”

Applications in Art and Media

Scientists aren’t the only group that benefits from this extensive library. Since the files are open to the public, Sosa-Calvo says artists are using them to better understand and animate natural ant movement and is a valuable tool for education by engaging students.

He adds that this proven method of collecting morphological data could encourage researchers to generate similar databases, including other Hymenopteran groups, such as wasps andbees, as well as other insect groups like beetles, and other invertebrates.

Sosa-Calvo’s work contributed expertise on insect diversity, particularly within the order Hymenoptera, which includes ants, bees, and wasps. His research focuses on fungus-farming ants, a group known for their highly organized, cooperative colonies and unique agricultural behavior, or fungiculture.

This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (DEB-1927161).

Researchers and students in the Department of Biology within UCF’s College of Sciences, including the Sosa-Calvo Ant Lab, have contributed to the Antscan initiative.

The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging and was led by UCF Nanoscience Technology Center Professor James Hickman and Research Professor Xiufang “Nadine” Guo. In collaboration with researchers at healthcare tech company Hesperos, the team used lab-grown, human-cell systems designed to model how the body functions to examined how genetic mutations associated with familial Alzheimer’s affects movement. Today, the study was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Motor deficits may be an earlier indication [of Alzheimer’s],” she says. “If we can detect those changes and intervene earlier, that could help delay the onset of central nervous system symptoms.”

How Movement and Alzheimer’s Are Connected

Familial Alzheimer’s is a rare form of the disease that is hereditary and appears earlier (from 40 to 65 years of age) in people affected than those with the typical condition.

While Alzheimer’s disease is widely associated with memory loss and dementia, clinicians have long observed that some patients show changes in balance, gait (manner of walking) or movement years before cognitive symptoms appear. These early motor changes raise questions about whether parts of the disease begin outside the brain.

Through a tech-powered approach, the team found that the diseased motor neurons — even without involvement from the brain — disrupted the neuromuscular junction, which is central to daily movement.

“This is the first time it’s been demonstrated that deficits in the peripheral nervous system can arise directly from these mutations,” Hickman says. “It means drugs that target the brain may not fix problems in the rest of the body.”

Maintaining motor function may also support overall brain health, as physical activity is known to play a role in cognitive well-being, Guo notes.

How Researchers Build Human Disease Models in the Lab

To explore how these mutations affect movement, the researchers turned to a cutting-edge approach called “human-on-a-chip” technology, which is manufactured through Hesperos, a company co-founded by Hickman. These miniature lab systems recreate the way human cells interact and function in the body, allowing scientists to study disease in a more realistic way than traditional lab or animal models.

The team built a neuromuscular junction-on-a-chip — a small system that mimics the connection between motor neurons and muscle cells. What makes this system powerful is what’s left out: the brain and spinal cord. By isolating motor neurons and muscle cells, the researchers could determine whether movement problems could arise without the central nervous system being involved.

To test this, the researchers paired healthy muscle cells with motor neurons that were created from stem cells and carried familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations. The findings suggest that Alzheimer’s-related movement issues may begin in the network of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord rather than being caused solely by brain degeneration.

Why the Nerve-to-Muscle Connection Matters

The neuromuscular junction is the point where a nerve cell signals a muscle to contract, making movement possible. If that connection is damaged, the body may lose strength, coordination or endurance.

In the study, the researchers measured several aspects of neuromuscular function, including how reliably nerve signals triggered muscle contraction and how long muscles could remain contracted before fatiguing. These measurements mirror the kinds of tests doctors use to evaluate movement disorders.

“You can’t move unless the motor circuit works,” Hickman says. “When a doctor taps your knee to check your reflex, they’re testing that exact connection.”

The Future of ‘Human-on-a-Chip’ Technology

The researchers believe their approach will become increasingly important as drug developers look for more accurate ways to study human disease.

Because the models use human cells and measure real biological function, they can reveal effects that may not appear in animal studies.

For Hickman, the work reflects 30 years of research to better understand disease and help people.

“These systems let us study disease in a way that’s closer to what actually happens in the human body, and that’s what we need to develop better treatments,” he says.

Research reported in this article was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging under award number R01AG077651 and R44AG071386. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

To reduce these challenges, associate professors of health sciences Michael Rovito and Keith Brazendale in UCF’s Department of Health Sciences are conducting a 6-month intervention study, which is funded by the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund.

The National Cancer Institute estimates survival rates for testicular cancer are high, as about 10,000 men are diagnosed each year and fewer than 5% die from the disease — underscoring the need to improve quality of life for these patients.

“Our focus is on finding ways to improve the quality of life for these survivors, and to improve their mental, emotional and social health,” says Rovito, who has researched testicular cancer and men’s health for nearly two decades.

A New Approach to Survivorship Care

Previous survivorship programs have often focused on high-intensity exercise, which can be difficult for patients managing recovery, work and family demands. To develop a more sustainable path to recovery, Rovito and Brazendale are testing a uniquely designed intervention in Florida, known as the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program.

PACT combines low-impact, remote, physical activity with an online support network to help survivors navigate psychosocial challenges. Participants engage in regular low-intensity physical activity, such as walking or taking the stairs, and track their progress using Fitbit devices. The devices provide real-time feedback, allowing researchers to set weekly goals and offer personalized guidance. This feedback loop helps participants stay engaged while building sustainable habits.

“We’re seeking an intervention they can do for the rest of their lives,” Brazendale says. “We want these healthy supports to become habit.”

Support Beyond Physical Recovery

Connected through Zoom sessions, PACT program participants receive personalized counsel and encouragement from the researchers directly. They also take part in virtual peer-support sessions led by a social worker and a survivor advocate trained in trauma-informed care. Monthly sessions include breathwork, meditation and discussions on common concerns such as fertility, relationship changes and fear of recurrence.

“The online support session provides coping strategies and tools for the participants to use during the day, when they can feel anxious or depressed or overwhelmed,” Rovito says.

Outside of the meetings, researchers stay in touch regularly with individual messages to participants, sending tailored motivational text messages.

“Our hope is that we are providing realistic physical activity changes that are sustainable when the monitoring ends,” says Brazendale. “We want these survivors to have adopted habits and skills that result in them being healthier over the long-term.”

The researchers say they hope to expand the program to other cancer survivor groups and integrate it into broader survivorship care across Florida, while securing additional funding for larger-scale trials.

The Feasibility of the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program is supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund grant number 25C33. 

Presented by the SCHOTT Group and the Ernst Abbe Fund, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to research and technology in glass, glass-ceramics and advanced materials. Richardson shares this year’s honor with Iowa State University researcher Steve Martin.

Together, their work reflects how advances in material structure can translate into real-world applications across industries including healthcare, energy, electronics and advanced technologies.

A Career of Innovation

Over the course of her career, Richardson has focused on advancing the science of optical materials, helping to expand how glass can be used in increasingly complex and demanding environments.

Her work has contributed to the development of materials that can be precisely engineered for performance, supporting innovations in imaging, sensing and optical systems.

“This award recognizes a lifetime of investment in know-how, specialized facilities creation and professional development of skilled personnel, which has resulted in unique prototype materials and technology development,” Richardson says. “These efforts have resulted in products that have gone on to be licensed to partners in this critical application space. I am truly honored to be recognized by one of the global leaders in advanced optical materials for our team’s sustained work in IR materials.”

Advancing Optical Materials

Richardson is recognized for her contributions to the development of optical glasses and infrared materials — specialized materials that control how light is transmitted and detected.

Her research focuses on designing glass compositions at the atomic level to achieve precise optical properties, enabling high-performance systems for infrared imaging, sensing technologies and advanced optics.

“Dr. Richardson’s sustained career has driven significant advancement in infrared material technologies, laying the foundation for next-generation sensing capabilities,” says Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation at UCF. “Her relentless pursuit of discovery in optical and infrared materials illuminates UCF’s expanding impact on the frontiers of advanced technologies that continue to shape the future.”

From Fundamental Science to Application

The Otto Schott Research Award highlights the critical connection between fundamental research and industrial application, a hallmark of Richardson’s work. By advancing how glass materials are engineered and processed, her research helps expand the performance limits of existing materials while opening the door to entirely new classes of optical systems.

These innovations include glasses with improved infrared transmission and tailored properties that support emerging technologies in fields including aerospace, electronics, energy production and medical technologies.  Her work has benefited from diverse support ranging from government to industry (local and international) as well as state funding from Florida’s High Technology Corridor (FHTC) which has provided extensive matching funds that have leveraged state funds to support education and training of several dozen graduate and undergraduate students from the Richardson group, over her career.

Why Infrared Materials Matter

Infrared materials play a critical role in technologies that rely on detecting and transmitting light beyond the visible spectrum. These systems are used in applications ranging from medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to advanced imaging and sensing technologies.

Unlike conventional optical materials, infrared (IR) glasses must be carefully engineered to maintain transparency and performance under demanding conditions, including extreme temperatures and radiation.   Their chemistry is difficult requiring specialized facilities unique to UCF, present in the University’s Optical Material Laboratory, which houses the Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL).  As a result, workforce training in such novel optical material science benefits not only local industry, a stronghold in IR optical materials manufacturing and systems, but government agencies as well.

Richardson’s work focuses on developing glass compositions that meet these challenges while offering greater flexibility than traditional crystalline materials, which are often more expensive and difficult to manufacture.

By enabling more adaptable and scalable materials, her research supports continued advances in imaging systems, sensing technologies and other applications that rely on precise optical performance.

A Global Recognition

The award, endowed with about $29,000, was presented April 13 during the annual meeting at the International Commission on Glass in Lyon, France.

“The research of Steve Martin and Kathleen Richardson clearly shows how essential a deep understanding of material structures is for technological progress,” says Matthias MĂŒller, head of research and development at SCHOTT. “These insights form the basis for developing new glass solutions that perform reliably in real-world applications and expand the boundaries of what is possible.”

Awarded every two years, the Otto Schott Research Award recognizes scientists whose work bridges scientific discovery and practical innovation.

About the Awardee

Richardson is a UCF trustee chair and Pegasus Professor of optics and materials science and engineering in CREOL. She is also Director É«»šÌĂ’s Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL).

She earned her bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering and her master’s and doctoral degrees in glass science from Alfred University. Richardson has spent more than two decades at UCF, following earlier work at Clemson University.

Nearly half of the world’s citizens live in areas with a risk of catching dengue fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the mosquito-borne illness rapidly spreads, especially in the Americas and Caribbean, a  researcher is playing a crucial role in finding solutions.

James Earnest, an assistant professor at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, is leading two new research projects to examine how humans build an immune response to dengue and the Zika virus over time, in pursuit of creating better preventative measures.

Tackling a Global Problem

Both dengue and Zika are carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which has expanded its habitat from Africa to tropical, subtropical and even temperate areas worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, dengue infections in humans climbed from 505,430 in 2000 to 14.6 million in 2024, an increase of more than 2,700%.

Dengue can be asymptomatic or cause severe pain, fatigue and high fever. Repeated infections can be fatal.

Since 2017, there have been few cases of Zika recorded in the U.S., but the disease persists sporadically in Africa, the Americas and Asia. The virus’ biggest health concern is for pregnant women because contracting Zika can increase risks for serious congenital birth defects.

While people in Mexico and Uganda may benefit from this research, Florida’s location as a worldwide travel destination adds to the growing need for solutions. U.S. dengue cases are on the rise and have been reported in Florida, California, Texas and Hawaii. Most are related to travel. Dengue is also prevalent in Puerto Rico.

“The threat to the U.S. is growing over time. … We want to be the leaders at looking at these viruses.” — James Earnest, UCF Assistant Professor

“With more favorable temperatures and with people traveling around the globe these days, the threat to the U.S. is growing over time,” Earnest says. “I think, especially here in Florida, the potential for these mosquitoes to live in these areas and start transmitting these diseases in the very near future is high. UCF recognizes that this is an important avenue of research for this region, and so we want to be the leaders at looking at these viruses.”

How the UCF Research Works

Earnest’s lab is focused on how the immune system responds to mosquito-borne viruses. Before arriving at UCF in 2024, he tracked dengue via longitudinal sampling in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Earnest is collaborating with the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) through a five-year $970,813 subcontract, part of a larger grant awarded to UVRI from Wellcome, a London-based charitable organization that supports science to solve urgent health challenges. The project aims to study immune system and antibody responses to dengue and Zika in large cohorts of people in Uganda and in Mexico.

UCF will also collaborate with Emory University on a $578,157 grant from the National Institutes of Health, with Earnest subcontracted to Emory to study whether combining two current dengue inoculations used in Brazil gives humans better protection against repeat infections.

“It’s important that we understand what good and bad immune responses look like to these viruses.” — James Earnest, UCF Assistant Professor

“It’s important that we understand what good and bad immune responses look like to these viruses,” Earnest says. “When we know those factors, then we can try to steer people in the right direction so that their antibodies will protect them from disease.”

Earnest will coordinate with teams in other countries to regularly collect blood samples and measure antibody production to get a comprehensive look at how different people’s bodies react to dengue and Zika over time. The samples will be collected and processed in Mexico and Uganda, and Earnest will analyze the results in his lab.

“I think what’s unique about this work is that we’re following people over time and not necessarily just when they get sick,” Earnest says.

His research focuses on B cells, which are white blood cells that make antibodies and help the body remember how to fight infections. By tracking how people’s B cells change over time, his team aims to understand how immune responses differ across regions.

In a related project with Emory, the lab will identify the most effective memory B cells and antibodies induced by two existing methods of inoculation for dengue, then test whether combining those methods in Brazilian trial participants produces a stronger immune response.

Students Aim to Save Lives Through Lab Work

With this new research, Earnest’s lab has welcomed two new UCF students who have personal experience with dengue and Zika.

Maiesha Mahmood, a second-year biotechnology master’s student, is from Bangladesh, where the threat of dengue looms.

“I have been around dengue a lot growing up,” Mahmood says. “I know people who have been in hospital with severe forms of dengue, and people who’ve passed away suddenly. People become scared of mosquitos and dengue.”

She says she hopes UCF’s research will someday save lives.

“Back in Bangladesh, we don’t really have a lot of facilities that can support virology research,” she says. “It was a huge opportunity to be able to come here and be able to work with Dr. Earnest. I want to continue looking into these kinds of viruses and find a way to help people who keep suffering from these diseases.”

”ț°ùłÜČÔŽÇÌę±ÊŸ±ČÔłó±đŸ±°ùŽÇÌę’25, a first-year Ph.D. candidate, joined Earnest’s lab to further his education and hopes research will help people close to him.

“My family is from Brazil and so Zika was a very big thing for them,” says Pinheiro, who earned his bachelor’s degree in biotechnology “It’s great to work on something that you can feel will impact the community that you’re a part of.”

Researcher Credentials:

Earnest joined UCF’s College of Medicine as an assistant professor in 2024. He earned his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from Loyola University Chicago in 2017. He performed postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis studying antibody responses to mosquito-borne viruses and Emory University where he managed clinical field trials in Latin America.

Funding and Disclosure:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U01AI186860. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

With more than 200 participating funds and so many opportunities for inspiration, activation and growth — we’re counting down to liftoff by highlighting unique areas to consider supporting with your gift this UCF Day of Giving.

As Knights, we challenge status quo. We charge boldly ahead toward industry evolutions and technological advancements. We dare to build a future the world has only begun to imagine. And it’s all driven through moments like this and individuals like you.

Together, we’re launching Knights to new heights.

When the unexpected arises, help sometimes comes in the form of . Created to support Knights facing hardship that may hinder their education, this fund provides financial support for textbooks, fees and other education-related expenses for qualifying students.

Your gift ensures that when life’s trials test our Knights, they pass with flying colors, securing the education and future they deserve.

The  provides services, programming and resources for thousands of military-connected students currently enrolled at UCF.

helps ensure that those who have served and their connected students are fully supported as they pursue their educational and career goals.

UCF has been recognized with a Gold Award on the Military Friendly Schools list, as a Florida Collegiate Purple Star Campus, a Best Military-Friendly Online College and on the Military Times’  2025 Best for Vets Colleges List. Help us continue that legacy of serving those who’ve served.

offers an intensive, comprehensive therapy program to those navigating Aphasia, a language disorder that can arise from health challenges such as stroke, brain cancer and brain injury, and affects an individual’s ability to read, write, speak and comprehend language.

Through the program, individuals are empowered to make progress on their long-held goals, like talking with their grandchildren or ordering their favorite restaurant meal.

 on UCF Day of Giving supports the continuation of this important service for our community, as well as the hands-on experience UCF student clinicians receive.

Support UCF College of Medicine researchers as they break into new realms of understanding around the country’s second leading cause of death — cancer. Through innovative science, they’re exploring key avenues of discovery including the role that genes play in determining a person’s cancer risk, what causes cancer to spread and how to harness the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells.

The goal: to prevent cancer and find new therapies that improve quality of life for patients.  brings us one step closer to lives saved, families unburdened and a cure realized.

Did you know that UCF has one of the top Moot Court teams in the nation, ranking among the top 15 overall by the American Moot Court Association? Supervised by the , these student advocates are challenged with arguing mock supreme court cases on constitutional amendments.

and national leadership by making a gift on UCF Day of Giving. Help cover competition travel expenses, as well as the cost of the annual tournament hosted at UCF Downtown each fall.

It’s time for launch, Knight Nation! Join us as we rally around our favorite causes, and maybe even uncover some new ones, during UCF Day of Giving. Find more areas of support by ±đłæ±è±ôŽÇ°ùŸ±ČÔČ”ÌęłÙłó±đÌę, and save the date to  on Thursday, April 9.  

The National Leader in Emergency and Crisis Management

UCF earned the No. 1 Homeland/National Security and Emergency Management Graduate Program ranking in the nation for the  third consecutive year.

At the forefront of this year’s ranking is the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE)’s online emergency and crisis management program, signaling UCF’s long-standing leadership in programs that keep people safe from disasters of all kinds.

“To maintain the U.S. News No. 1 ranking of graduate programs in homeland security and emergency management is truly a team endeavor,” Associate Professor of Public Administration Yue ‘Gurt’ Ge says. “It reflects our nationally and internationally renowned faculty in education and research, our stellar students and alumni — who have become the backbone of the emergency management profession in Florida and beyond — and our signature staff members and advisory board representing government, nonprofit, and business sectors across Central Florida.”

That strong connection to practice is central to the program’s success. Faculty research influences policy nationwide, while students gain real-world insight through close partnerships with emergency managers at the local, state and federal levels. Graduates leave prepared to respond to complex crises, from natural disasters to public health emergencies, at a time when the need for highly trained professionals continues to grow.

A Top-10 School Preparing Student Counselors

UCF’s College of Community Innovation and Education also earned the No. 9 ranking for Student Counseling and Personnel Services Graduate Programs in the nation.

Recognition for CCIE’s student counseling  graduate program reflects UCF’s high-touch faculty mentorship model and its emphasis on integrating research, service, and professional preparation.

For Benoit Aubin, a first-year doctoral student in counselor education, that support has been transformative. A former firefighter and medic, Aubin now works as a mental health clinician for his former fire station while serving as a graduate research assistant with UCF’s Marriage and Family Research Institute (MFRI).

With guidance from Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology Chair and MFRI Executive Director Sejal Barden, Aubin has conducted clinical research focused on trauma and relationship stress among first-responder couples. His work has already contributed to a funded grant, conference presentations, a published book and the development of a training program — achievements he credits to a highly supportive learning environment.

“UCF knows how to prepare us to compete professionally,” Aubin says.

A 34-Spot Rise in Advanced Nursing Education

UCF’s College of Nursing jumped  34 spots to No. 37 for Doctor of Nursing Practice Graduate Programs in the nation — the highest ranking in the college’s history.

UCF’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP) improved ranking reflects a continued investment in academic rigor, faculty expertise and hands-on clinical training designed to address the nation’s growing need for nurse practitioners.

Graduates from the DNP program consistently outperform national first-time pass rates on nurse practitioner certification exams. They also often receive job offers before they even complete their degrees, according to Christopher Blackwell ’00 ’01MSN ’05PhD, director É«»šÌĂ’s adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program. All full-time faculty hold at least one doctoral degree, more than half remain actively practicing clinicians and many are nationally recognized fellows. Through partnerships with healthcare organizations across Central Florida students gain applied experience alongside expert preceptors in varied clinical settings.

“The incredible amount of support I’ve received from UCF’s nursing professors and the opportunities to make an impact through my research and clinical practice solidified that I made the best choice in my graduate degree,” says Mimi Alliance ’21, a family nurse practitioner doctoral student who provides care and conducts research on the UCF Mobile Health Clinic.

Some of that training is anchored in the college’s Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center, an internationally recognized simulation facility that strengthens clinical skills and decision-making before students enter patient-care environments. The STIM Center, as well as UCF’s nursing programs, are housed in the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, which opened in Lake Nona in Fall 2025 thanks to generous state and industry support — a proof point É«»šÌĂ’s ability to solve real-world issues.

Building on a Legacy of Aerospace Engineering Excellence

As Florida’s Technological University, UCF continues to build on our strength in technology-driven fields by ranking No. 38 for Aerospace Engineering Graduate Programs in the nation.

The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Sciences‘ aerospace engineering graduate program ranking reinforces the university’s legacy in a field deeply tied to Florida’s Space Coast and NASA’s recent Artemis II launch.

“It is gratifying to see the hard work and exciting research of our faculty and students recognized by our peers,” says Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Jeffrey Kauffman, noting that since launching the aerospace engineering doctoral program in 2019, UCF has steadily climbed in rankings while program enrollment has grown to more than 100 doctoral students.

Fueling that growth are advances in hypersonic flight, space exploration and defense research, with UCF’s HyperSpace Center serving as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration. Faculty success in securing competitive federal research funding has strengthened infrastructure and expanded opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students.

The result is a vibrant research environment where students engage directly in cutting-edge projects and build industry connections well before entering the workforce.

Across disciplines, UCF’s growth in the U.S. News & World Report’s graduate rankings reflects a shared commitment to student success — driven by faculty who mentor closely, curricula that align with real-world needs and an institutional culture focused on impact. As UCF’s graduate programs continue to climb, they reinforce the university’s role as a national leader preparing professionals to tackle society’s most urgent challenges.

Florida is turning to UCF experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give survivors a stronger voice in the services they need.

Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty from UCF’s Violence Against Women research cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policymakers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower survivors.

“The collective goal of our work is to give people working in these programs and people using these services a voice,” says Bethany Backes, associate professor of social work at , who leads the Violence Against Women cluster and is the project’s principal investigator. “Having research that practitioners can understand and interpret in a way that’s helpful is important to us. “What we’re creating now is hopefully something that can be used for years to come.”

The World’s Women

Violence against women is a global issue. According to UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. In 2024, around 50,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members.

“We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.” — Kim Anderson, Professor of Social Work

UCF’s faculty cluster — working across the disciplines of education, social work, criminal justice, sociology and medicine — was created a decade ago to change these outcomes. “We know how complex this social problem is,” says Kim Anderson, a professor of social work and cluster member. “We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.”

Informing Florida’s Strategy

The researchers have already identified some key needs for the state to examine.

“For example, we’re seeing people facing abuse who are having to spend more on food or other necessities as they navigate shifts in funding for certain assistance programs,” Backes says. “What we’re also seeing is the effect of population booms, and how rapid growth and rapid decline in some areas affects the need for services.”

The researchers are analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Florida’s Departments of Law Enforcement and Children and Families and are surveying organizations that provide domestic violence services. They are interviewing survivors who sought services and those who didn’t to understand access to care and risk factors.

Creating opportunities where more people feel comfortable sharing their domestic violence experiences is cluster member Karina Villalba’s expertise.

“My focus is on intimate partner violence, specifically within the Hispanic community,” says Villalba, an assistant professor in the ’s Population Health Sciences Division. “There are certain beliefs, like the concept of ‘machismo’, that may give an avenue for some men to pursue this kind of violence. Because it can be part of the cultural acceptance, it might not even be seen as violence by the survivors.”

She hopes efforts to prevent domestic violence in the U.S. will have impact globally.

“You’re seeing a ripple effect in countries in Latin America where people are becoming more aware,” Villalba says. “It helps us keep pushing forward with our work so we cannot just be a beacon here in Florida and the United States, but to show the world what we can do.”

Keys to Preventing Violence

Preventing domestic violence means identifying early warning signs and behaviors and providing services to lower the risk of continuing violence, Backes says.

Domestic violence is “not always physical and it’s not just seeing someone with a black eye,” she says. “Physical violence can happen after there’s been psychological abuse such as coercion, controlling, isolation or stalking.”

Cluster member Alison Cares, associate professor of sociology at , says preventing domestic abuse involves changing misconceptions.

“There’s this expectation of how abusers or survivors look. It’s easy to think the people doing this abuse look like monsters,” she says. “But the reality is these are people we know. They can be friends or family members or people we work with.”

The researchers say they are encouraged by the resilience of the survivors and service providers they have met.

“We see incredible bravery of people who talk to a support person,” Anderson says. “We’re hoping that information we get from this assessment can elevate the voices of staff and survivors.”

Recipients will include this year’s awardees of some of the highest honors the university bestows, including: Pegasus Professor; the Medal of Societal Impact; the Reach for the Stars Award; the Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award; and the Champion of Student Success and Well-Being.

Also being honored are university excellence award winners; those who recently reached milestone years of service; Faculty Senate service awardees; faculty granted ±đłŸ±đ°ùŸ±łÙłÜČő ŽÇ°ù ±đłŸ±đ°ùŸ±łÙČč status; and retired or retiring faculty members.

This year’s celebration includes recognition of Chuck Dziuban, one of the longest-serving and most trailblazing faculty members in school history. His remarkable 55-year-career includes being UCF’s inaugural Pegasus Professor and founding director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Starting this year at Founders’ Day, the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching will be given to underscore the talented faculty behind UCF’s nationally renowned reputation as a leader in in online teaching and learning.

Here are this year’s faculty honorees.

Pegasus Professor Award

Hassan Foroosh, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Carmen Giurgescu, College of Nursing

Annette R. Khaled, College of Medicine

Matthew Marino, College of Community Innovation and Education

Reach for the Stars Award

John Bush, College of Business

Ana Carolina de Souza Feliciano, Office of Research

Shyam Kattel, College of Sciences

Kevin Moran, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Soyoung Park, College of Community Innovation and Education

Hao Zheng, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Medal of Societal Impact Award

Zhihua Qu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award

Suha Saleh, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year

Deborah Beidel, College of Sciences

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

College Awardees

Tanvir Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Matthew Bryan, College of Arts and Humanities

Peter Delfyett, College of Optics and Photonics

Nyla Dil, College of Medicine

Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Deborah Horzen, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Jerousek, College of Sciences

Betsy Kalin, College of Sciences

Evelin Pegoraro, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Plate, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alfons Schulte, College of Sciences

Nicholas Shrubsole, College of Arts and Humanities

Daniel Stephens, College of Community Innovation and Education

Wei Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Danielle Webster, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Sara Willox, College of Business

Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

Widaad Zaman, College of Sciences

University Winner

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Excellence in Graduate Teaching

College Awardees

Shaurya Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kim Anderson, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Shannon Carter, College of Sciences

Sasan Fathpour, College of Optics and Photonics

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dana Joseph, College of Business

Magdalena Pasarica, College of Medicine

Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities

Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Winner

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Excellence in Research

College Awardees

Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education

Zixi (Jack) Cheng, College of Medicine

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Romain Gaume, College of Optics and Photonics

Nan Hua, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Kevin Mullally, College of Business

Matthew Stock, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Ladda Thiamwong, College of Nursing

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Cyrus Zargar, College of Arts and Humanities

University Winner

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching

Nicole Lapeyrouse, College of Sciences

Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising

Emily Proulx, College of Arts and Humanities

Excellence in Professional Service

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Excellence in Librarianship

Katy Miller, UCF Libraries

Excellence in Instructional Design

Amy Sugar, Division of Digital Learning

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health

David Boote, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral Scholars

Kausik Mukhopadhyay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Thomas Wahl, College of Engineering and Computer Science

20 Years of Service

Haiyan Bai, College of Community Innovation and Education

Brian Barone, College of Arts and Humanities

Aman Behal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Corinne Bishop, UCF Libraries

Joseph Brennan, College of Sciences

Mark Calabrese, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Li-Mei Chen, College of Medicine

Baiyun Chen, Division of Digital Learning

Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences

William Crampton, College of Sciences

Richard Curcio, College of Business

Donovan Dixon, College of Sciences

Martin Dupuis, Burnett Honors College

Michelle Dusseau, College of Sciences

Dorin Dutkay, College of Sciences

Kirk Gay, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah German, College of Medicine

William Hagedorn, College of Community Innovation and Education

Joseph Harrington, College of Sciences

Fayeza Hasanat, College of Arts and Humanities

Bobby Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elizabeth Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alisha Janowsky, College of Sciences

Abdelkader Kara, College of Sciences

David Kwun, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Peter Larson, College of Arts and Humanities

Joseph LaViola Jr., College of Engineering and Computer Science

Edgard Maboudou, College of Sciences

Kevin Mackie, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Iryna Malendevych, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences

Holly McDonald, College of Arts and Humanities

Florin Mihai, College of Arts and Humanities

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

George Musambira, College of Sciences

Nina Orlovskaya, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Talat Rahman, College of Sciences

25 Years of Service

Laura Albers-Biddle, College of Community Innovation and Education

Steven Berman, College of Sciences

Tarek Buhagiar, College of Business

Melissa Dagley, College of Sciences

Sabatino DiBernardo, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Dickie, College of Business

Ivan Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Anthony Grajeda, College of Arts and Humanities

Bari Hoffman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Steven Hornik, College of Business

Anna Jones, College of Arts and Humanities

Mikhail Klimov, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stefanie Mayfield Garcia, College of Business

Rudy McDaniel, College of Arts and Humanities

Rachel Mulvihill, UCF Libraries

Christopher Niess, College of Arts and Humanities

Eugene Paoline, College of Community Innovation and Education

Sumanta Pattanaik, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

Walter Sotero, College of Sciences

Suren Tatulian, College of Sciences

Nizam Uddin, College of Sciences

Lei Wei, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Graham Worthy, College of Sciences

Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics

30 Years of Service

Charlie Abraham, College of Arts and Humanities

Helen Becker, College of Business

James Campbell, College of Arts and Humanities

Karl X. Chai, College of Medicine

Ratna Chakrabarti, College of Medicine

Jill Fjelstul, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Barbara Fritzsche, College of Sciences

Nora Lee GarcĂ­a, College of Arts and Humanities

Linwood Jones, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alexander Katsevich, College of Sciences

Kuotsai Tom Liou, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Logan, College of Arts and Humanities

Humberto LĂłpez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Eric Martin, Office of Research

Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities

Charles H. Reilly, Office of the Provost

Timothy Rotarius, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peter Spyers-Duran, UCF Libraries

Alexander Tovbis, College of Sciences

Laurence von Kalm, College of Sciences

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Bruce Wilson, College of Sciences

Hong Zhang, College of Arts and Humanities

Ying Zhang, UCF Libraries

35 Years of Service

Issa Batarseh, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alain Kassab, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Chung-Ching Wang, College of Sciences

40 Years of Service

Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Georgiopoulos, College of Engineering and Computer Science

David Hagan, College of Optics and Photonics

Anna Lillios, College of Arts and Humanities

Mubarak Shah, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kalpathy Sundaram, College of Engineering and Computer Science

45 Years of Service

Robert Rivers, College of Arts and Humanities

55 Years of Service

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Faculty Emeritus and Emerita

Lynn Casmier-Paz, College of Arts and Humanities

James Clark, College of Arts and Humanities

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Robin Kohn, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Donna Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Robin Roberts, College of Business

Sherron Killingsworth Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Roney, College of Arts and Humanities

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Retired Faculty

Ahlam Al-Rawi, College of Sciences

Donna Breit, College of Nursing

Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities

Chinyen Chuo, Student Success and Well-Being

Therese Coleman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Philip Fairey, Office of Research

John Fauth, College of Sciences

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Roger Handberg, College of Sciences

C. Keith Harrison, College of Business

Randall Hewitt, College of Community Innovation and Education

Rebecca Hines, College of Community Innovation and Education

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Charlie Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alvaro Islas, College of Sciences

Mourad Ismail, College of Sciences

David Jenkins, College of Sciences

Michael Johnson, Office of the Provost

Dayle Jones, College of Community Innovation and Education

Denise Kay, College of Medicine

Gary Leavens, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mary Little, College of Community Innovation and Education

Humberto LĂłpez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Macedonia, Office of Research

Wasfy Mikhael, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Roslyn Miller, Division of Digital Learning

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Vicki Montoya, College of Nursing

Brian Moore, College of Sciences

Donna Felber Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peggy Nuhn, UCF Libraries

Joyce Nutta, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jeffrey O’Brien, College of Business

Bendegul Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Brian Plamondon, Office of Research

Michael Proctor, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Enrique Puig, College of Community Innovation and Education

Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, College of Sciences

Mark Rapport, College of Sciences

Sherron Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Kelly Schaffer, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elzbieta Sikorska, College of Sciences

Jo Smith, Division of Digital Learning

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Steiner, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Raymond Surette, College of Community Innovation and Education

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Patti Thielemann, College of Nursing

Cheryl Van De Mark, College of Community Innovation and Education

Martine Vanryckeghem, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Jane Vaughan, College of Arts and Humanities

Scott Warfield, College of Arts and Humanities

Debbie Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Philip Wessel, College of Community Innovation and Education

James Whitworth, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Boguslawa Anna Wolford, College of Community Innovation and Education

Laine Wyatt, College of Arts and Humanities

Cherie Yestrebsky, College of Sciences

Martin Klapheke, College of Medicine

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Euripides Montagne, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Darlin’ Neal, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Pape, College of Business

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

David Young, College of Sciences