After years of research and development led by experts at UCF in collaboration with researchers from universities across the U.S. and in Europe, the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) has reached two major milestones: powering its first full-scale study to address one of virtual reality �鶹��Ʒ S�s most persistent barriers to adoption and awarding its first use grant to enhance immersive learning and information across industries.

VERA, a platform funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is the first, large-scale system for extended reality human subjects research and designed to advance the speed, scale and scope of immersive research. The platform enables immersive researchers to design, deploy, and manage virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studies with remote participants therefore significantly improving the quality of the science, while reducing costs, lowering logistical barriers and expanding participant reach.

�鶹��Ʒ S�No one has built anything like VERA before, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch, lead principal investigator on VERA. �鶹��Ʒ S�The team was really starting from scratch to create this national platform, integrating AI technologies and establishing policies and procedures that will produce methodologically rigorous behavioral data. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re excited for VERA to now start to run in an open beta mode and reach these two firsts, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch continues.

Accelerating Understanding of Cybersickness

For its first major large-scale study leveraging remote participants, VERA is helping researchers address one of the most persistent challenges in virtual reality: cybersickness.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user �鶹��Ʒ S�s physical motion. Associate Professor of Computer Science Gerd Bruder, who is an affiliate researcher in the Institute of Simulation and Training, is leading the research study in collaboration with other UCF researchers and external partners.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Understanding who is susceptible to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility, making VR more comfortable for all users and enabling broader adoption across research, education and industry, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bruder says.

Early data collection highlights the powerful capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research at an unprecedented scale.

In just 15 cumulative days, VERA had more than 250 participants complete the full study protocol. In comparison, the original in-lab study collected data from just 30 participants and in traditional VR research settings, studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.

For the study, each participant experiences a controlled VR rollercoaster ride on their own headset and provides sickness ratings at periodic intervals, a pre- and post- exposure questionnaire, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data. Each session is completed in approximately 30 minutes at home.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness.

�鶹��Ʒ S�VERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale and experimental complexity not previously possible, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Project

For the first project selected in its Use Grant program, VERA is supporting innovative research to study how different immersive technologies engage learners in different ways. The study will help inform how to leverage emerging technologies in education, cultural institutions, public engagement and more.

The grant was awarded to the San José State University School of Information Library Technology Integration Lab in Silicon Valley and New Media Learning, one of the largest providers of virtual reality programming in public libraries.

The project will support a collaborative virtual reality research environment integrated with VERA with participants from across the U.S. in public libraries, universities and other sites.

Researchers will collect behavioral and interaction data including attention patterns, object interaction, navigation pathways, movement, clicks, engagement metrics, and time-on-task, supplemented by surveys and participant feedback. The resulting research environment will serve a scalable prototype for future applications to make immersive learning experiences more accessible to communities worldwide.

A distinguishing feature of the project is the active involvement of San José State University undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Information who will work alongside faculty researchers and technology partners to gain hands-on experience.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Being selected as the first VERA Use Grant recipient is both an honor and an extraordinary opportunity, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Anthony S. Chow, professor in the San José State University School of Information and founder of the Library Technology Integration Lab. �鶹��Ʒ S�Through this collaboration, we hope to generate research that helps libraries, educators, museums and community organizations leverage virtual reality to address some of society �鶹��Ʒ S�s most important challenges while creating meaningful research opportunities for students. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�We are excited to welcome San José State University and New Media Learning as the first recipients of a VERA Use Grant, �鶹��Ʒ S� Welch says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Their expertise in libraries, immersive learning, public engagement and emerging technologies makes them ideal partners for demonstrating how VERA can accelerate impactful XR research. We believe this collaboration will help establish new models for studying learning, engagement, and information behavior in immersive environments. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Berinstain, director of the Florida Space Institute at UCF,  has more than 30 years of experience spanning government, industry and academia. Throughout his career, he has led major space initiatives, advanced international collaborations and worked to expand opportunities across the rapidly evolving space sector.

Founded in 1963 to fuel the space race, UCF is America’s Space University. Berinstain’s appointment to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium underscores UCF’s leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

The consortium is a statewide partnership uniting Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s major research universities �鶹��Ʒ S� Embry �鶹��Ʒ S�Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida A&M University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida State University, UCF, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida �鶹��Ʒ S� with government, industry and investment partners.

“I am honored to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation.” �鶹��Ʒ S� Alain Berinstain, Florida Space Institute director at UCF

“I am honored to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation,” says Berinstain, who is a resident of Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s Space Coast. “Florida is the world �鶹��Ʒ S�s busiest and best place to launch to space. I look forward to working with Florida universities, industry and government partners to accomplish together what no individual member of the consortium can achieve on their own and to advance Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s leadership in space. �鶹��Ʒ S�

From 1997 to 2013, Berinstain worked at the Canadian Space Agency, including serving as director of planetary exploration and space astronomy. He has advised companies such as Virgin Galactic and served as chief strategy officer at Space Tango and at CSS Inc.

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector,” says David Norton, vice president for research at the University of Florida and chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board. “He has a proven ability to build partnerships and advance the collaborative mission of the Florida Space Research Consortium.”

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector.” �鶹��Ʒ S� David Norton,  chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board

Faculty and students at the member universities are advancing a wide range of space research that supports everything from exploration and discovery to practical technologies needed for future missions. Ongoing work across the consortium includes developing smarter spacecraft and satellites; improving propulsion, navigation and communications systems; designing new materials that can withstand the harsh conditions of space; and creating technologies to manufacture, build and operate in space and on the lunar surface.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Researchers are also focused on using space for the benefit of Earth, addressing human health issues including aging, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson �鶹��Ʒ S�s disease, �鶹��Ʒ S� Berinstain says. �鶹��Ʒ S�As Earthlings prepare to explore the moon, mars and beyond, understanding the human side of spaceflight is key. This includes studies of how people, plants and biological systems function in space; efforts to grow food in lunar and Martian conditions; and research in planetary science, astrophysics, space weather and Earth observation. As a team, we can take on bold, new challenges. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Together, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to advancing knowledge, supporting long �鶹��Ʒ S�duration space missions, strengthening the space economy and translating scientific breakthroughs into real �鶹��Ʒ S�world benefits, Norton says.

At the threshold of retirement on June 30, UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s first Pegasus Professor (honored in 2000) and original architect of online learning would rather talk about his ultimate inspiration.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Dziuban, an inaugural Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan Consortium) fellow.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Those students often showed up for Dziuban �鶹��Ʒ S�s statistics and research design classes. Many of these students were daunted by the subjects only to find that the person teaching them listened intently, making himself, and the material, approachable.

This is Dziuban �鶹��Ʒ S�s style �鶹��Ʒ S� with students, colleagues, everyone. To effectively teach, he knows he must begin with the right questions. That curiosity-driven approach has guided UCF to be a leader in online education, including the UCF Online program which serves 9,000 students annually, for over 30 years �鶹��Ʒ S� earning recognition among the nation �鶹��Ʒ S�s best programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Here, UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s longest serving faculty member is finally on the other side of the questions, sharing insightful reflection and parting wise words.

Humble Roots

�鶹��Ʒ S�I never set out to achieve any of this, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says, �鶹��Ʒ S�but the smallest incidences can make significant impacts. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Dziuban grew up near Utica, New York, where most boys graduated from high school and followed their fathers into the mills. Dziuban, avid about hunting and fishing, began to develop a routine that exists to this day: reading two books every week.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The truth is, I didn �鶹��Ʒ S�t want to work in a mill, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Reading led to college and college allowed me to reinvent myself. People had called me Charlie. I hated it. In college, I became Chuck. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Chuck earned degrees, moved, taught, and discovered a connection with statistics and research. At the University of Wisconsin, a mentor, Chester Harris, changed his life.

�鶹��Ʒ S�He was terrifyingly smart, �鶹��Ʒ S� Dziuban says, �鶹��Ʒ S�but he knew the importance of understanding students before expecting them to understand the subject. I still have a picture of Chester on my desk. It keeps me humble. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Humility was among the factors that drew Dziuban to a new university in Orlando, where parking lots were dirt and a cardboard box housed the university �鶹��Ʒ S�s entire computing output.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�I saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It was like a Silicon Valley startup. You weren �鶹��Ʒ S�t sure how it might go, but at least the vibe was positive. �鶹��Ʒ S�

He developed one of his first ideas following a three-hour statistics lecture.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My students should have been in an emergency room after that lecture, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I realized they �鶹��Ʒ S�d learn better by running data first and then coming back for an abbreviated lesson �鶹��Ʒ S� similar to what we call a �鶹��Ʒ S�flipped classroom. �鶹��Ʒ S� Students said, �鶹��Ʒ S�Oh, I get it now. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S�

Pioneering Digital Learning

Dziuban was called upon to use his expertise in and research design to develop a plethora of ideas that would attract international attention to UCF.

One of those early ideas led to a seismic shift that thousands of UCF and UCF Online students are still benefitting from today.

While developing what would become the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness, Dziuban mentioned to the university �鶹��Ʒ S�s fourth president, John C. Hitt, the concept of remote learning through the use of VHS tapes.

�鶹��Ʒ S�He told me to innovate, �鶹��Ʒ S� Dziuban says, �鶹��Ʒ S�so we used computers instead of tapes. Eventually, we had the most sophisticated online learning model in the country, and the walls of classrooms came down. �鶹��Ʒ S�

This is why, the annual Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, established in 2012, is bestowed to one UCF instructor who teaches an exemplary online or video course.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Like I said, I never planned any of this, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says.

Staying True to �鶹��Ʒ S�Doing the Right Thing �鶹��Ʒ S�

If you ever stepped near Dziuban �鶹��Ʒ S�s office, you �鶹��Ʒ S�d see a poster featuring a child with hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen �鶹��Ʒ S� namesake of UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Rosen used an adage that �鶹��Ʒ S�s echoed in Dziuban �鶹��Ʒ S�s mind since they began to break barriers to education in communities in need 31 years ago: �鶹��Ʒ S�Do the right thing. �鶹��Ʒ S�

With this as his guide, Dziuban helped The Rosen Foundation institute a program to ensure free preschool and resources through high school. College and trade school would also be free. Instead of directing the program, they empowered people in Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S�s Tangelo Park and Parramore communities to lead it.

They �鶹��Ʒ S�ve expanded that impact across Florida as well, and the results have been remarkable �鶹��Ʒ S� including a recent $50,000 donation from the Harris Rosen Foundation to Gainesville for All in honor of Dziuban �鶹��Ʒ S�s work transformative community initiatives.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The odds of earning a college education have gone from nine-to-one against to three-to-one in favor, �鶹��Ʒ S� Dziuban says. �鶹��Ʒ S�There �鶹��Ʒ S�s immense talent in every community. We can �鶹��Ʒ S�t let it go to waste. It �鶹��Ʒ S�s why we start young and celebrate every success. �鶹��Ʒ S�

At the end of this school year, he will be on stage for just such a celebration.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�ll have the honor of moving tassels from the right to the left on the graduation caps of pre-k students, �鶹��Ʒ S� Dziuban says.

The man with six decades of achievements in higher education will stand back and enjoy a moment the 4- and 5-year-old kids can tell others about.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I can �鶹��Ʒ S�t imagine anything more meaningful than that. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A new educational partnership between UCF and the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) is creating opportunities for research, student training and workforce development in one of the country �鶹��Ʒ S�s most specialized scientific fields. The collaboration strengthens critical scientific capabilities, facilitates the sharing of resources and expertise, helps build the radiochemistry talent pipeline and positions UCF at the forefront of nuclear chemistry research that supports national security missions.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Through collaborative research projects and summer internships, UCF students gain hands-on experience working alongside federal scientists and access to AFTAC �鶹��Ʒ S�s facilities and instrumentation for research supporting national security missions, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, associate professor of chemistry in the UCF College of Sciences and principal investigator of the partnership.

Only a small number of universities nationwide have established this type of relationship with AFTAC, the Department of the Air Force responsible for monitoring nuclear treaty compliance and detecting nuclear events worldwide.

A Nationally Recognized Program

�鶹��Ʒ S�The fact that we were invited by AFTAC to be one of their official academic partners says a lot about the recognition of our program and the important role chemistry and radiochemistry play in the national security landscape.”

According to Anagnostopoulos �鶹��Ʒ S� director of UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fellowship and UCF principal investigator for the multi-institutional NNSA-funded Consortium for Nuclear Forensics �鶹��Ʒ S� UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s growing reputation in radiochemistry and analytical chemistry helped distinguish the university as a strong academic partner.

The collaboration also reflects UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s broader role in supporting Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s rapidly growing aerospace, defense and national security ecosystem through research, workforce development and federal partnerships.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our radiochemistry program is gaining national recognition through multiple research grants and collaborative proposals, �鶹��Ʒ S� Anagnostopoulos says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The fact that we were invited by AFTAC to be one of their official academic partners says a lot about the recognition of our program and the important role chemistry and radiochemistry play in the national security landscape. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The partnership builds on UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s advanced research infrastructure, including radiochemistry laboratories, mass spectrometry capabilities and materials characterization resources. Together, these facilities enable researchers to analyze complex nuclear materials and conduct detailed characterization studies for national and international security applications.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We have cutting-edge facilities and instrumentation for sensitive and precise analysis, �鶹��Ʒ S� Anagnostopoulos says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The combination of radiochemistry, advanced analytical capabilities and access to radioactive materials allows us to address complicated real-world problems and provide technical information that can support our federal partners �鶹��Ʒ S� missions. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Unique Opportunities for Students

For students, the partnership opens the door to hands-on experiences rarely available in a traditional academic setting.

Through internships and collaborative research projects, students will work alongside multidisciplinary teams of chemists, engineers and scientists while gaining exposure to federal laboratory environments and national security protocols.

Few universities nationwide offer students direct pathways into operational nuclear security environments, making the partnership a unique training opportunity for UCF students interested in chemistry, national security and federal science careers.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Beyond the technical training, they gain exposure to mission-focused work, interdisciplinary collaboration and communication skills that are essential in federal and defense environments, �鶹��Ʒ S� Anagnostopoulos says.

Building the Future Workforce

The agreement also addresses a national need for trained experts in radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry, highly specialized disciplines offered at only a limited number of institutions nationwide, Anagnostopoulos says.

As federal agencies and national laboratories work to strengthen expertise in nuclear security, treaty monitoring and advanced nuclear technologies, partnerships like this help ensure a pipeline of future highly skilled scientists is ready to contribute.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This partnership helps prepare the next generation of scientists while keeping the country at the forefront of nuclear security and global safety, �鶹��Ʒ S� Anagnostopoulos says.

As the collaboration grows, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s expected to expand opportunities for faculty, researchers, and students in other fields, such as big data analytics and cybersecurity, while further establishing UCF as a hub for radiochemistry, defense-related chemistry, and national security research.

Industry professionals who want to sharpen their skills in this area can now enroll in the graduate certificate in systems verification, validation and test, offered through the UCF Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The certificate teaches students to ensure that complex hardware and software systems are reliable, robust and accurate for the end user.

This certificate is the first of its kind in the state and was developed at the behest of industry partners like AMD, Intel and Lockheed Martin that have a strong demand for professionals who are skilled in testing and validation.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our industry partners gave us feedback that it was hard to find students who are skilled in this area, �鶹��Ʒ S� says College of Engineering and Computer Science Associate Professor Mike Borowczak, the coordinator of the graduate certificate program. �鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s one of those cases where we listened to industry and now it �鶹��Ʒ S�s producing results. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Students who enroll in the program will take four core courses in topics related to Very-Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design, testing and verification. They will have the chance to use industry tools in every courses as well as real-world scenarios from industry partners that they must test, validate and resolve. There are no capstone, internship or portfolio requirements. The program is offered both in person and online, providing flexibility for working professionals.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The rough estimate is that for every one person working on one design, they need two to four other people who can verify that what �鶹��Ʒ S�s designed meets the specification and what �鶹��Ʒ S�s built meets the design. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Borowczak says that graduate programs in verification, validation and test are rare �鶹��Ʒ S� particularly with the breadth of verification coursework that UCF offers �鶹��Ʒ S� with only a handful of institutions nationwide offering comparable options. Because of the lack of academic programs nationwide, the skills earned from this certificate will put students in demand.

�鶹��Ʒ S�There �鶹��Ʒ S�s a huge emphasis on the development of complex systems, �鶹��Ʒ S� Borowczak says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The rough estimate is that for every one person working on one design, they need two to four other people who can verify that what �鶹��Ʒ S�s designed meets the specification and what �鶹��Ʒ S�s built meets the design. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Another benefit for students who gain skills in validation and testing is that the jobs they pursue won �鶹��Ʒ S�t be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). While AI does enhance the validation process, the core problem of detecting mismatches between specification, design and implementation still require creative and independent arbiters.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When you entrust someone or something to verify, you have to trust that they know how to verify and that you can follow a logical, explainable argument, �鶹��Ʒ S� Borowczak says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Explainable AI is not there yet. We still need humans in the loop, because the hardest bugs are the ones AI still misses. �鶹��Ʒ S�

In aquatic ecosystems, some species use active sensing systems, emitting echolocation sounds or electric fields to navigate dark or murky waters.

This sensory ability can come with trade-offs. For electric eels and their weakly electric knifefish prey, generating electric fields helps them navigate and hunt, but those same signals can also reveal their location.

In a recent study published in , UCF researchers found that both electric eels and knifefish strategically suppress and resume their electric signals to avoid detection.

The findings provide new insight into how animals balance sensing their surroundings while remaining hidden from predators or prey, a challenge that also appears in technologies such as sonar and radar. This work also expands scientific understanding of how active sensory systems evolve in competitive environments where being detected can mean losing a meal or becoming one.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our findings show that active sensing creates a paradox: the same electric signals these animals need to navigate and hunt can also reveal them to eavesdropping predators or prey, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Professor of Biology William Crampton, who co-led the study with biology doctoral graduate Lok Poon �鶹��Ʒ S�26PhD. �鶹��Ʒ S�Both eels and knifefish appear to resolve this paradox through electric stealth, briefly suppressing their signals when concealment matters, then resuming them when sensing becomes more important. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Tracking Electric Signals in the Amazon

To test these predator-prey interactions, the researchers deployed six custom-designed electric signal loggers along a 150-meter section of an Amazonian stream. Each logger recorded 60-second segments of electric signals over 27 nights. In total, nearly 107,000 minutes of data were collected.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Electric fish are ideal for this kind of study because their signals let us monitor their presence and movements electronically, simply by recording how often they pass near submerged electrodes, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Our loggers allowed us, for the first time, to monitor predator-prey electric signaling interactions continuously in the wild. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Researchers then analyzed the recordings to distinguish species by their unique electric signal signatures.

How Eels and Knifefish Use �鶹��Ʒ S�Electric Stealth �鶹��Ʒ S�

“With knifefish, we found that when they detect electric eel signals, some flee while some pulse-type species switch off their own electric discharges for several seconds. “ �鶹��Ʒ S�William Crampton, professor of biology

�鶹��Ʒ S�With knifefish, we found that when they detect electric eel signals, some flee while some pulse-type species switch off their own electric discharges for several seconds, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�In our logger recordings, a knifefish could be producing its normal train of pulses to sense its environment, then suddenly become electrically silent as soon as eel signals appeared. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Laboratory tests showed that low-frequency components of electric eel signals play a key role in triggering this response, with knifefish reacting far less when those components were reduced.

Electric eels were also found to pause their low-voltage electrolocation pulses before high-voltage bursts used to probe for or stun prey. This silence would make an approaching eel less detectable to electroreceptive prey such as knifefish. Once the eel produces a high-voltage burst, however, it has revealed its presence, temporarily reducing the benefit of stealth.  The eel promptly resumes its regular low-voltage pulses, likely to rapidly relocate, track or capture prey.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The field recordings revealed these phenomena in the ecological context, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�The laboratory experiments then allowed us to isolate the eel signal features that trigger knifefish responses. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Parallels in Nature and Technology

In nature, the only well-studied comparison to this behavior is the predator-prey dynamic between killer whales and their toothed-whale prey.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Killer whales and smaller toothed whales such as beaked whales use echolocation, relying on sound rather than electric signals to sense their surroundings, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Mammal-eating killer whales can suppress echolocation and calls while hunting, while beaked whales and other prey species may reduce vocal activity or take evasive action when they detect killer whale sounds. The eel-knifefish system shows a remarkably similar trade-off in the electric sense. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The findings suggest convergent evolutionary pressures favoring the ability of both predators and prey to modulate active-sensing signals to improve survival.

Similar trade-offs also occur in human active-sensing technologies such as sonar and radar. A submarine, for instance, can use active signals to detect its surroundings, but each outgoing ping can also reveal the vessel �鶹��Ʒ S�s location.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Just as we found in electric eels and knifefish, operators of these systems balance the need to gather information with the need to remain hidden, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�In submarines, that can mean alternating between active sonar and passive listening depending on the situation. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Electric eels, knifefish, echolocating whales and human operators all face the same challenge: balancing the benefits of active sensing with the risk of detection.

Future Research Applications

Electric fish have long contributed to scientists �鶹��Ʒ S� understanding of concepts beyond biology, including electricity, nerves and sensing.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Electric fishes have played an outsized role in the history of biology and physics, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�For example, their discharges helped shape early research on electricity, including Alessandro Volta �鶹��Ʒ S�s invention of the first battery, and their electric organs later became important model tissues for studying acetylcholine receptors �鶹��Ʒ S� protein channels that help nerves send signals to other cells. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The new findings build on this legacy, showing how electric fish can reveal principles related to sensing, stealth and decision making. Similar trade-offs shape sonar, radar and autonomous sensing technologies, suggesting that nature’s solutions to stealth and detection may offer insights for future adaptive sensing systems.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This study shows that active sensing is not just about gathering information, but also about managing the risk of being detected, �鶹��Ʒ S� Crampton says. �鶹��Ʒ S�This opens opportunities for future research, from understanding how other aquatic species respond to electric signals to uncovering whether similar stealth strategies occur in other sensory systems. �鶹��Ʒ S�

This work was funded by National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant 2035702 (L.P.), an American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research grant (L.P.), and National Science Foundation grant DEB-1146374 (W.G.R.C.).

While immune systems are well studied in mammals and birds, reptiles �鶹��Ʒ S� particularly sea turtles �鶹��Ʒ S� remain less explored, leaving critical gaps in scientific understanding.

New research published in helps address this gap by examining the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a critical group of immune system genes that enables organisms to recognize and fight diseases.

The study, which examined four species �鶹��Ʒ S� loggerheads, green turtles, Kemp �鶹��Ʒ S�s ridleys and leatherbacks �鶹��Ʒ S� found that most sea turtles maintain high levels of immune gene variation, likely inherited from a common ancestor. However, variation differs across species and different copies of these genes can function in distinct ways.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Sea turtles are an interesting case for studying immune system evolution, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Katherine Martin �鶹��Ʒ S�24PhD, an integrative conservation biology alum and postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University who led the study. �鶹��Ʒ S�They live for a long time and encounter many different types of pathogens across multiple habitats. �鶹��Ʒ S�

How MHC and Genetic Variation Work Together

MHC plays a key role in identifying and flagging pathogens for destruction by the immune system.

�鶹��Ʒ S�MHC is essentially holding a small molecular flag that says to T cells, �鶹��Ʒ S�This is the invader that you need to seek and destroy �鶹��Ʒ S�, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Martin, who specializes in immune system genetics in sea turtles.

Because pathogens vary widely, immune defenses must also adapt, creating strong evolutionary pressure for variation in MHC genes.

�鶹��Ʒ S�For each different pathogen, you need a different MHC protein, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�You can think of it kind of like a lock and key. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Martin adds that immune gene variation is critical for population health and studying this builds insight on how well a population might respond to disease.

Key Findings and Evolutionary Insights

The study revealed differences in genetic variation across species, with leatherbacks showing lower MHC diversity than others.

�鶹��Ʒ S�One of the things that can contribute to low genetic variation is low population size, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We think this might be the case with leatherbacks. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Another key finding was the presence of shared genetic variants across species, suggesting deep evolutionary roots.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The results indicate that shared ancestry is the most likely explanation, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�That likely underscores their importance and their function. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Martin also identified balancing selection as a key evolutionary force maintaining immune gene variation.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Instead of selecting for a single trait, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s the variation within that trait that �鶹��Ʒ S�s advantageous, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says.

A Comparative Approach Across Species

�鶹��Ʒ S�The turtle species have different diets, habitats and disease prevalence, and [these samples] provided a useful comparison of the different ways of living that sea turtles have and how that might bear out in patterns of MHC variation.”

To establish a baseline for variations, Martin analyzed MHC genes from more than 300 turtles samples collected through and collaborators, highlighting the shared effort behind large-scale conservation research.

�鶹��Ʒ S�[The turtle species] have different diets, habitats and disease prevalence, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�[These samples] provided a useful comparison of the different ways of living that sea turtles have and how that might bear out in patterns of MHC variation. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Martin extracted DNA from samples across coastal nesting sites, lagoons and offshore waters. She then amplified target genes and sequenced them using next-generation DNA sequencing technology.

�鶹��Ʒ S�In a single sequencing run, you can analyze multiple individuals all at once, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We also get high sequencing depth, meaning each bit of DNA is sequenced multiple times. �鶹��Ʒ S�

This approach improves accuracy, especially for highly variable genes like MHC.

Expanding Studies and Conservation Efforts

Martin plans to expand her research to additional sea turtle populations worldwide rather than just the northwest Atlantic, as well as to reptiles more broadly.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I really love being able to ask questions about how that variation arises in the first place and what forces maintain it over time, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says.  Understanding immune gene variation has direct applications for conservation strategies, particularly as sea turtles face increasing environmental pressures.

�鶹��Ʒ S�If we protect the habitats these sea turtles rely on, we can bolster population sizes and, in turn, maintain genetic variation across all genes, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says.

While advanced interventions such as gene editing may be possible in the future, Martin emphasizes that habitat protection remains the most practical and effective approach.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The most effective solution is public advocacy for [protection of] the natural world, �鶹��Ʒ S� Martin says.

Funding and support for this research was provided in part by the Sea Turtle Grants Program funded from the proceeds of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate, the Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research Program, the NOAA Oil Spill Supplemental Spend Plan, the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program administered through the Florida Institute of Oceanography and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Turtle handling conducted as part of permitted research (FL-MTP-225, FL-MTP-231, NMFS 19508, and predecessors).

This project was paid for in part with federal funding from the Department of the Treasury under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Treasury.

In keeping with that responsibility, and in accordance with state law and Board of Governors regulation, this is public notice that the UCF Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to increase out-of-state student fees by 15% at a meeting on July 16.

If approved, the increase would take effect beginning Fall 2026. This proposal would not affect tuition or fees for in-state students or graduate students.

Fee Changes for Out-of-State Students

This proposed adjustment would help the university continue to meet rising costs while preserving the quality of instruction, academic programs, and support services that benefit all students.

The proposed increase would better align out-of-state student fees with the actual costs of delivering a high-quality educational experience. Increases will fund investments in faculty, classroom instruction, and academic advising.

Even with the proposed increase, UCF would remain among the most affordable leading public research universities in the nation and continue to offer exceptional value to students from Florida and beyond.

UCF recognizes that any change in cost may affect students and families. If the proposal is approved, the university will communicate directly with affected out-of-state students and work with them to identify available financial assistance options.

Board of Trustees Meeting Information

The virtual UCF Board of Trustees meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 16, 2026. Additional information is available on the .

This notice is being posted and emailed to all enrolled students in accordance with state law and Board of Governors regulation.

A new study published in Nature Climate Change co-authored by Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Thomas Wahl shows that historically rare coastal water level extremes that were expected to occur on average only once in 100 years are now 12 times more likely to occur. This is the average across all coastal locations, in some regions what used to be a 1-in-100-year event is now expected annually.

�鶹��Ʒ S�If you live within FEMA �鶹��Ʒ S�s 100-year flood zone, you have a 100-sided die that you roll every year, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Wahl, a College of Engineering and Computer Science researcher and UCF Coastal faculty cluster initiative member. �鶹��Ʒ S�So you have 99 chances of being fine and one chance of being impacted by storm surge. Now, because of sea level rise, that die is losing sides and at some point there are so few sides left that it becomes a risk that not everybody may be willing to take going forward. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The catalyst for increased coastal water level extremes and associated flooding is sea level rise, which has increased globally by nearly eight inches over the past 126 years. Using various observational data sets and leveraging model simulations, Wahl and his research collaborators were able to distinguish the various factors that cause sea level rise. Although natural variability is still a large factor, anthropogenic forcing is now the primary cause.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We leveraged tide gauge and satellite observations along with existing model outputs to distinguish between the part of sea level rise that could easily be natural variability �鶹��Ʒ S� the ups and downs we �鶹��Ʒ S�ve experienced for hundreds of thousands of years �鶹��Ʒ S� and the part that cannot be explained by natural variability, �鶹��Ʒ S� Wahl says. �鶹��Ʒ S�And we found that anthropogenic forcing alone leads to a four-fold increase in this likelihood of a one-in-a-100-year event to occur, and it �鶹��Ʒ S�s now the main driver of the increased likelihood of these extreme water levels to occur. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Recently, Wahl also contributed to a study published in Nature Geosciences that reveals that sinking ground levels and rising sea levels are occurring more rapidly than previously understood, often worsening flooding in coastal communities. These combined findings a need to reassess coastal infrastructure and flood-planning efforts as past flood frequency estimates may no longer represent modern-day conditions.

Wahl collaborated on this study with researchers from Tulane University, Harvard University and various academic and research institutions in both Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to joining UCF in 2017, Wahl was a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow of the European Union at the University of Southampton and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida. His research spans the areas of coastal flood risk, sea level rise and storm surges.

A bird bursting from the ocean or a mobula ray launching skyward makes the transition from water to air look effortless. For unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s one of the hardest maneuvers to replicate.

Now, UCF researchers are studying how wing shape and motion affect that split-second transition �鶹��Ʒ S� work that could help improve future amphibious UAVs.

Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and aerospace engineering master �鶹��Ʒ S�s student Dominic Polidoro �鶹��Ʒ S�25 are investigating the physical forces that interact as a wing exits the water and enters the air, a process known as egress. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM Army Research Office, the nine-month project aims to develop mathematical models to improve the technology used in military amphibious vehicles.

“This technology can �鶹��Ʒ S� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles.”

The research could also expand the use of amphibious UAVs in civilian scenarios such as search-and-rescue missions in coastal areas, ocean monitoring and disaster response.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This technology can �鶹��Ʒ S� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bhattacharya says. �鶹��Ʒ S�In 10 years, amphibious UAVs could perform reliable and stable dives and exits with better payload capacity and autonomous control in complex environments, far beyond today �鶹��Ʒ S�s unreliable transitions. �鶹��Ʒ S�

While researchers have extensively studied how drones enter water, far less is understood about how they exit it. Previous studies show that as a wing rises from the water, the lift generated by it will increase until it suddenly reverses direction before stabilizing. Why this occurs is not yet known, but the answer is crucial to understanding UAV performance.

�鶹��Ʒ S�In general, when a UAV egresses, it causes lift overshoot followed by a sharp drop, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bhattacharya says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Such rapid changes in lift forces can create instability, leading to loss of control. Understanding this transition will not only improve our knowledge of creatures in nature but also allow for drone designs that can use or mitigate the lift increase and decrease that occurs. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Inside the in , Bhattacharya and Polidoro use a water tank and 3D-printed wings to study how surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding interact during egress. They aim to better understand the physical forces that drive this transition.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s difficult to disentangle the effects of surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding because they occur simultaneously on very short timescales and strongly influence each other, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bhattacharya says.

The duo presented earlier findings from their research at the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum in January.

Faculty Background

Bhattacharya joined UCF in 2016. He earned his doctoral degree in aerospace engineering from The Ohio State University, his master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and his bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Warangal, located in India.