Highlights

  • The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is a state-wide initiative dedicated to honoring and celebrating Florida inventors whose achievements have significantly advanced the quality of life for all Americans.

  • Professor Reza Abdolvand was named an inductee for his contributions to the field of micro-electromechanical systems, which has significant applications in telecommunications, bioengineering and sensor technology.

  • Professor Ni-bin Chang was selected for his groundbreaking invention of green sorption media and sustainable water treatment technologies that improve water quality.

  • A fellow at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Clara Rivero Baleine 麻豆精品 S�01 麻豆精品 S�03MS 麻豆精品 S�05PhD 麻豆精品 S檚 gradient refractive index optical materials and metamaterial coatings transformed infrared sensing systems for defense and advanced photonics applications.

  • The three will be officially inducted during a formal ceremony on Nov. 6 in Tampa, Florida.

UCF researchers are known worldwide for their innovative studies, groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to patented technologies that have impacted society and influenced other leaders in the field.

Two College of Engineering and Computer Science professors and a three-time UCF alum-turned-courtesy faculty appointee are now being recognized for their achievements that have advanced the quality of life for the state of Florida and the nation.

Professors Reza Abdolvand and Ni-bin Chang and Lockheed Martin Fellow Clara Rivero Baleine 麻豆精品 S�01 麻豆精品 S�03MS 麻豆精品 S�05PhD have been named 2026 inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame (FIHF). This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This year, 10 inventors from Florida will be inducted during a formal ceremony in Tampa on Nov. 6. Since FIHF was founded in 2013, five faculty inventors from UCF have been recognized with the distinction.

麻豆精品 S淚nduction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame represents the ultimate validation of a lifelong commitment to translating academic research into industry practice, 麻豆精品 S� Chang says. 麻豆精品 S淏eing inducted into the Hall of Fame, which includes over 90 inventors in different fields is also a testament to the thriving Florida innovation ecosystem and the power of continuous, groundbreaking discovery. 麻豆精品 S�

Portrait of smiling Asian man wearing glasses and black business jacket with white shirt and black tie in front of yellow backdrop
Ni-bin Chang’s research is focused on sustainable water treatment technologies that improve water quality.

A Career in Environmental Innovation

Chang was selected for induction based on his groundbreaking invention of green sorption media (GSM) and sustainable water treatment technologies that improve water quality.

GSM is a cost-effective and sustainable type of filtration media that uses recycled byproducts and natural minerals to treat stormwater runoff, wastewater effluent, groundwater flow and agricultural discharge.

There are a variety of patented GSM blends that can filter heavy metals, pathogens and contaminants from water systems. This process not only restores aquatic ecosystems but halts the transmission of waterborne diseases, and eliminates cyanotoxins and 麻豆精品 S渇orever chemicals 麻豆精品 S� from water that can harm both humans and animals.

麻豆精品 S淩emoving these diverse contaminants from water matrices provides profound, cascading benefits for both human health and aquatic ecosystems, 麻豆精品 S� Chang says. 麻豆精品 S淏y eliminating the risk pathways associated with both acute exposure and chronic bioaccumulation, these GSM-based treatment technologies support fundamental ecological balance and public well-being. 麻豆精品 S�

GSM blends are already used at more than 300 water treatment sites across the U.S.

Gray-hair man in blue long sleeve collar shirt stands with hands clasped in front of him next to a screen
Reza Abdolvand serves as chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Inventor of Advanced Electronics

Abdolvand, the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named an inductee for his contributions to the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) 麻豆精品 S� incredibly small devices that have mighty power. Specifically, he is the inventor of a class of microelectronics called Thin-Film Piezoelectric-on-Substrate (TPoS) devices, which improve the reliability and efficiency of a wide range of electronics, including cell phones.

麻豆精品 S淏y improving the efficiency and reliability of the components that make up these systems, the impact, while often invisible to the end user, is very real, 麻豆精品 S� Abdolvand says. 麻豆精品 S淏etter performance, lower power consumption, and more reliable devices are the kinds of improvements that quietly make everyday technology work better for everyone. 麻豆精品 S�

Abdolvand 麻豆精品 S檚 interest in innovation stems from his natural sense of curiosity. He says his tendency to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated events or systems has served him well throughout his career in research and academia.

麻豆精品 S淭he moment it all clicked was during my Ph.D., when I was first given the opportunity to work on genuinely hard technical problems, 麻豆精品 S� Abdolvand says. 麻豆精品 S淚 realized I could come up with solutions that simply did not exist yet. That realization was a turning point. 麻豆精品 S�

As his career progresses, Abdolvand hopes to leave behind a legacy that is less about devices and innovation and more about people. His passion for educating, inspiring and creating opportunities for students means more than the impacts of his inventions.

麻豆精品 S淲hat excites me most is seeing students take the seed ideas developed at the university and carry them forward into their own companies, their own inventions, their own contributions to society, 麻豆精品 S� Abdolvand says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat chain of innovation 麻豆精品 S� from a research lab to a startup to a product that improves people’s lives 麻豆精品 S� is what I find truly meaningful. If I can play even a small role in setting that chain in motion for as many students as possible, that is the legacy I would be interested to leave behind. 麻豆精品 S�

Portrait of smiling woman with gray short hair wearing black business jacket, black and red beaded necklace and white under shirt on a white backdrop
Clara Rivero Baleine continues to maintain strong ties with UCF through a courtesy faculty appointment at CREOL and serves on the CREOL Dean Advisory Board and the UCF Material Science Industrial Advisory board.

On the Cutting Edge of Infrared Materials and Optics

Driven by a desire to protect people and advance technologies that matter, Rivero Baleine joined Lockheed Martin, a UCF Pegasus Partner, in 2005 after completing three degrees in six years at UCF.

Rivero Baleine now serves as a Lockheed Martin fellow, contributing to cutting 麻豆精品 S慹dge innovation in infrared materials and optics.

Rivero-Baleine 麻豆精品 S檚 gradient refractive index optical materials and metamaterial coatings transformed infrared sensing systems for defense and advanced photonics applications.

麻豆精品 S淚 am profoundly proud and deeply humbled to be welcomed into such an extraordinary community of inventors and innovators, 麻豆精品 S� Rivero-Baleine says. 麻豆精品 S淲hat inspires me most is knowing that these innovations will become part of systems that protect service members, strengthen national security and expand the capabilities of the platforms we rely on. That sense of purpose continues to drive my work every day. 麻豆精品 S�

Rivero Baleine continues to maintain strong ties with UCF through a courtesy faculty appointment at CREOL and serves on the CREOL Dean Advisory Board and the UCF Material Science Industrial Advisory board.

Rivero Baleine is a Burnett Honors Scholar and earned a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in physics, and a 尘补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚 and a doctorate in optics.