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Highlights

• Alain Berinstain joins UCF with about 30 years of experience across the public and private space sectors, including leadership roles at the Canadian Space Agency, advising at Virgin Galactic and Sierra Nevada Corporation, and generating $10+ million in revenue for in-space manufacturing of health and technology products.

• That cross-sector experience now shapes his vision for FSI, with one of his key priorities being to diversify funding beyond traditional government grants by expanding private and commercial partnerships.

• Berinstain describes his leadership style as parental, noting he is team-oriented, resilient and deals with situations head-on.

When Alain Berinstain talks about space, he doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just talk about rockets or research missions 麻豆精品 S� he talks about people, partnerships and the power of doing things that haven 麻豆精品 S檛 been done before.

That daring mindset is exactly what he 麻豆精品 S檚 bringing to his new role as director of the (FSI) at UCF, which supports space research, development and education activities, along with the development of Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 space economy 麻豆精品 S� civil, defense and commercial.

A business and research strategist, Berinstain brings more than 30 years of experience in the space industry, driving strategic growth and domestic and international partnerships. He officially stepped into the role in December of last year, ready to elevate FSI into a nationally recognized institute while strengthening UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 research profile, supporting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 rapidly growing space economy and driving even greater global impact.

麻豆精品 S淏eing bold is having ideas and doing things that nobody has ever done before, 麻豆精品 S� Berinstain says. 麻豆精品 S淚f you do that in a collaborative way, then 麻豆精品 S� pardon the pun 麻豆精品 S� the sky 麻豆精品 S檚 the limit. 麻豆精品 S�

A Career Built on Making Connections

Berinstain 麻豆精品 S檚 path to UCF wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a straight line 麻豆精品 S� and that 麻豆精品 S檚 by design. Trained as a chemist, he earned a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in honors chemistry from Concordia University, a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in space studies from the International Space University and a doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Ottawa. Early in his career, he saw space as a powerful platform for science, but also one that demanded collaboration across disciplines, sectors and borders.

From 1997 to 2013, Berinstain held leadership roles at the Canadian Space Agency, including director of planetary exploration and space astronomy. There, he managed annual budgets exceeding $25 million and helped negotiate Canada 麻豆精品 S檚 participation in major NASA missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope, OSIRIS-REx and the Mars Phoenix Lander. He also co-authored the original Global Exploration Roadmap, aligning international partners around shared exploration goals.

“I aim to show people how FSI can help meet their goals … and, in the end, raise the research profile in space at UCF, in Florida and in the world.”

Berinstain later moved between public service and the private sector, advising companies such as Virgin Galactic and Sierra Nevada Corporation, leading global development at Moon Express Inc. and most recently serving as chief strategy officer at science-based solutions company CSS Inc. Along the way, he helped generate more than $10 million in revenue for in-space manufacturing of health and technology products and cultivated strategic partnerships with academia, government and industry stakeholders.

That cross-sector experience now shapes his vision for FSI 麻豆精品 S� especially when it comes to funding. A key priority, he says, is diversifying funding beyond traditional government grants by expanding private and commercial partnerships.

麻豆精品 S淪ince I’ve spent time in other sectors and made contacts, I look forward to mining those to help collaborate and redevelop those relationships, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 aim to show people how FSI can help meet their goals and come up with new opportunities that we can respond to, and, in the end, raise the research profile in space at UCF, in Florida and in the world. 麻豆精品 S�

Why UCF 麻豆精品 S� and Why Now

Berinstain 麻豆精品 S檚 appointment will fuel the momentum of space exploration and research at SpaceU 麻豆精品 S� the top provider of graduates in the nation to the aerospace and defense industry 麻豆精品 S� and the new Florida Space Research Consortium.

麻豆精品 S淎lain is a daring innovator internationally recognized for his leadership throughout space 麻豆精品 S檚 public and private sectors, 麻豆精品 S� says Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation. 麻豆精品 S淗is experience, bold vision and strategic pursuit of partnerships will elevate the impact of our research at America 麻豆精品 S檚 Space University and further strengthen Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 rapidly growing space economy. 麻豆精品 S�

FSI 麻豆精品 S檚 unique position within a deeply collaborative campus and a statewide network of space researchers is what Berinstain says drew him to UCF.

麻豆精品 S淲e lead our own world-class science, but we also partner with researchers across colleges and departments … There’s real strength in numbers.”

麻豆精品 S淲here FSI fits within the UCF ecosystem is really interesting. We lead our own world-class science, but we also partner with researchers across colleges and departments, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲hat also attracted me is the collaboration among state universities in Florida. With the new consortium for university space research, in which we’re in a leadership position, there 麻豆精品 S檚 real strength in numbers. 麻豆精品 S�

From the Earth 麻豆精品 S檚 upper atmosphere to the origins of the planets and the dynamics of asteroids, FSI 麻豆精品 S檚 research tackles some of the biggest questions in space science. Building on those strengths, Berinstain is setting his sights on what comes next: expanding into areas shaping the future of commercial space, including microgravity research, pharmaceuticals and defense.

麻豆精品 S淚 plan to grow FSI in areas that are of national and economic importance. They all need help from strong research groups, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t’s not so much about what we want to do 麻豆精品 S� it’s about what they need us for. And that creates all kinds of cool opportunities for us for amazing research and mutually beneficial collaboration. 麻豆精品 S�

Building on Momentum

Just weeks into the role, Berinstain says he 麻豆精品 S檚 already felt the energy that surrounds space at UCF.

麻豆精品 S淚 participated in Space Week at UCF 麻豆精品 S� and I came away [from that experience realizing] how pervasive and important space is to the culture of the institute, 麻豆精品 S� he says. “So it feels like I 麻豆精品 S檝e got to catch up to that momentum. It 麻豆精品 S檚 an honor. It’s a challenge. It’s wonderful to leverage that for FSI. 麻豆精品 S�

Ask Berinstain about his leadership style, and don 麻豆精品 S檛 be surprised if he starts with a pop culture reference.

麻豆精品 S淒o you watch聽The Big Bang Theory? 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淪heldon Cooper has that line: 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 not crazy. My mom got me tested. 麻豆精品 S� Well, I 麻豆精品 S檝e been tested for my leadership style. 麻豆精品 S�

According to that assessment, Berinstain falls into what 麻豆精品 S檚 known as a 麻豆精品 S減arental 麻豆精品 S� leadership style 麻豆精品 S� a label he 麻豆精品 S檚 quick to unpack.

麻豆精品 S淚t sounds funny, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut what it really means is guided leadership. I 麻豆精品 S檓 very team-oriented. I 麻豆精品 S檓 resilient. I deal with situations head-on. 麻豆精品 S�

At the core of that approach is trust 麻豆精品 S� trusting people to do their best work when they feel supported and empowered.

麻豆精品 S淭here are people here who’ve been doing amazing work for a long time. I want to build on that, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

A Bigger Picture of Impact

For Berinstain, success at FSI isn 麻豆精品 S檛 just about dollars raised 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 about alignment and purpose.

麻豆精品 S淚 prefer to think of research funding as impact, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渁s contributions to UCF, to Florida and to our country. Let’s meet our own priorities and help others meet theirs. That 麻豆精品 S檒l help in our growth. 麻豆精品 S�

With a strong space legacy, a collaborative spirit and a rapidly expanding frontier ahead, Berinstain sees FSI entering a new era of possibility as a leader in space research.

Simply put, 麻豆精品 S渋t 麻豆精品 S檚 a dream job, 麻豆精品 S� he says.