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�

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�

Globally, a total of 230 emerging inventors were named to the list this year, making it the largest cohort in NAI history. The inductees will be honored during the NAI 15^th annual conference in Los Angeles in June. Solihin says he feels honored to join this distinguished group of researchers.

�鶹��Ʒ S�What sets the NAI senior member designation apart is that it focuses on innovations with real-world impact. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�This induction means a lot to me, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�What sets the NAI senior member designation apart is that it focuses on innovations with real-world impact. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Solihin �鶹��Ʒ S�s work has significantly impacted society and the way that our technology works. The Pegasus Professor and director of the UCF Cyber Security and Privacy faculty cluster initiative has made computing systems faster, more reliable and more secure.

Among his most influential inventios are a security mechanism known as the Bonsai Merkle Tree and a system called Cache Quality of Service. The former protects computer memory from unauthorized modifications at significantly lower cost than previous methods, while the latter addresses performance slowdowns that occur when multiple applications share processor resources.

Both innovations have influenced processors that are now widely used in data centers.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My journey of making real-world impact from my research spanned many years ago, starting in 2012, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Since that time, my work has garnered 57 U.S. patents in the area of chip design. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Solihin, who is also an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery and Japan Society for Promotion of Science fellow, says his process for taking an invention from an idea to a tangible product starts with identifying a problem that is worth solving. From there, he analyzes literature and technical documents for solutions, identifies the key technical challenges to overcome and then works to refine the solution. He encourages young inventors to just start by �鶹��Ʒ S�brainspilling, �鶹��Ʒ S� or getting the idea out on paper.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When I have an idea in my head, it is typically not very clear, �鶹��Ʒ S� Solihin says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It appears vague, like seeing it through fog. Translating this into an invention requires working the brain to conceptualize the solution, to visualize it in much deeper details, to enumerate all the cases in which it shows benefits and drawbacks and solves key technical challenges. This process, brainspilling, requires long hours with pencil and paper to remove the fog. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Ultimately, he says, the motivation to continue innovating comes from the satisfaction of solving complex problems.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s the good feeling of gaining clarity on something that was once unclear, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s similar to solving a puzzle but with open-ended problems and unpredictable timelines. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A newly published study in  is taking a broader look at how societies have organized power across history, combining archaeological and historical evidence to better understand governance over time.

Coauthor Sarah �鶹��Ʒ S�Stacy �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber, professor and associate chair for UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s , says the project was driven in part by the growing availability of archaeological data and a need to think more expansively about human history.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Archaeology has been a scientific area of study for about a century, so we now have 100 years of aggregate data about ancient societies, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber says.

She explains that many past societies are often excluded from research because they did not leave behind written records the way most European, South Asian and East Asian societies did. Incorporating archaeological evidence ensures that the interpretation of ancient governance is not limited to societies with written history but instead allows for the reflection of an array of human experience.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When we forget about huge swaths of our past, we are weakening our ability to make decisions in the present, so anything that broadens our knowledge of how people can be people is a good thing, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It opens paths to other options that may be more sustainable or more just in the future. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Challenging Assumptions About Power

One of the study �鶹��Ʒ S�s key findings challenges the assumption that population size determines how power is organized.

Although very densely populated societies are more likely to align with an autocracy �鶹��Ʒ S� one person ruling with absolute power  �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber says the study found there are other options for managing large populations that do not require autocratic governance.

Instead, access to resources and funding play a more critical role in shaping governance structures.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When the governing entities are relying on funding that comes from taxation and the general population, the population is going to have more influence in governing decisions, and leaders are constrained in how they can decide to use those resources, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says.

The study also points to a connection between governance and potential for imbalance.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The less your governing regime has to answer to the populace, the more your governing regime can amass wealth for its own interests as opposed to the interests of everyone, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber says.

Expanding the Definition of Governance

The study approaches governance as a spectrum rather than a set of fixed categories, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of how societies function and the wide range of ways that humans organize themselves. To analyze governance across societies, the research team developed an index focused on two key factors: how concentrated power is and how much of the population is involved in decision making.

“We broke it down in terms of how many individuals or entities were involved in making decisions for a general population, and what proportion of the population was involved or had a voice in governing decisions, �鶹��Ʒ S� Barber says.

Looking Ahead

Barber says the team �鶹��Ʒ S�s plans for future research could expand the number of cases studied to determine whether findings shift as more societies from additional world regions are included.

More broadly, she says the work creates space for scholars to revisit fundamental ideas about governance.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This research offers opportunities for scholars across the social sciences to reconsider what we mean by �鶹��Ʒ S�democracy �鶹��Ʒ S� and to try and refine our understanding of how different aspects of governance affect the well-being of everyday citizens, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. “We have the choice to reframe the way we live and redirect our futures, if we as a society deem it necessary. The future is not inevitable, and history shows us that.”

The funding for this project was provided to the project leads by The Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis, the Amerind Foundation, and the Field Museum of Natural History provided the funds to hold two workshops at the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, Arizona. Publication support was provided to co-author David Stasavage by Arts & Science at New York University.

Some of the nation �鶹��Ʒ S�s most promising scientists can be found in Will Furiosi �鶹��Ʒ S�13 �鶹��Ʒ S�14MAT �鶹��Ʒ S�s Oviedo High School classroom.

Spend five minutes talking to Ankan Das, Angela Calvo-Chumbimuni and Moitri Santra about their research innovations in robotics, mental health and agriculture, and one truth becomes quite clear: These teens are the real deal.

Backed by UCF associate professors Ellen Kang (physics and NanoScience Technology Center) and Candice Bridge �鶹��Ʒ S�07�ʳ�� (chemistry) and researcher Max Kuehn �鶹��Ʒ S�22 (Exolith Lab), the Oviedo High trio recently earned recognition as the top three projects at Seminole County �鶹��Ʒ S�s regional science fair.

With Oviedo �鶹��Ʒ S�s proximity to main campus, the collaboration highlights UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s steadfast commitment to supporting STEM education across Central Florida.

They went on to represent the county admirably at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, where they took home several prizes against more than 1,700 high schoolers from around the globe.

Most notably, Santra took home first place and $6,000 in the Plant Sciences category and received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award. She will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this September in Kiel, Germany.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Working in Dr. Kang �鶹��Ʒ S�s lab played pretty big role in choosing materials science and engineering as my major for college because I was exposed to just how many different things someone can do in the area I work with, nanotechnology, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Santra, a senior bound for Stanford who has worked with Kang since she was a freshman. �鶹��Ʒ S�The lab provided a lot of resources �鶹��Ʒ S� not just the instruments, but also mentorship, advice and support. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A Will to Succeed

The hallway leading to Furiosi �鶹��Ʒ S�s classroom is decorated with rows of blue, red, white, green, yellow and pink paper accomplishment ribbons. More ribbons, pennants and certificates adorn his walls, along with eight Science and Engineering Fair of Florida best-in-fair grand award senior division trophies �鶹��Ʒ S� more than any other high school in the state.

During his own primary education, Furiosi attended eight schools over 12 years. As a seventh-grader at Stone Magnet Middle School in Brevard County, he was initially prohibited from participating in science fair because officials couldn �鶹��Ʒ S�t verify Furiosi was capable of the coursework from his transfer transcripts. He would later go on to earn Order of Pegasus as a Burnett Honors Scholar majoring in biomedical sciences before earning his master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in teacher education.

Every day, he saw a wall of ribbons, much like the ones in his classroom now. And every day he would tell himself, �鶹��Ʒ S�I want to be one of those kids. �鶹��Ʒ S�

That experience fundamentally shaped how the UCF grad runs his program today.

�鶹��Ʒ S�What keeps me motivated is knowing that I have the opportunity to get people to be really prepared, informed citizens who are good thinkers, and who, when faced with a problem, smile and tackle it instead of running away, �鶹��Ʒ S� Furosi says.

Infusing Life into Science

Furiosi began teaching at Oviedo High School in 2013 as he pursued his accelerated master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree, made possible by the College of Community Innovation and Education �鶹��Ʒ S�s Resident Teacher Professional Preparation Program. The program, funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, was created in response to the growing need for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Four years later, he took over the school �鶹��Ʒ S�s science fair program and was determined to breathe new life into it, which at the time involved just four kids.

He cold called students in his AP Biology and Honors Chemistry courses, begging anyone who had shown a glimmer of interest during class to sign up so they wouldn �鶹��Ʒ S�t have to fold the program.

Today, he �鶹��Ʒ S�s at 46 students, with some, like Calvo-Chumbimuni, interested in joining the program as soon as they arrive at Oviedo High.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My seventh grade science fair teacher knew Mr. Furiosi and spoke highly of him, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Calvo-Chumbimuni, who earned fourth place ISEF’s biochemistry category this year. �鶹��Ʒ S�When I came to Oviedo High and met him, I immediately understood why. The research program stood out to me as a valuable opportunity. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Furiosi fosters a safe space to fail, learn and grow from the research. There are no barriers to entry; no project deemed too insignificant. And he stresses the merits of high-quality mentorship, like the ones Das, Santra, and Calvo-Chumbimuni formed with UCF faculty and STEM labs.

Some of his students have earned thousands of dollars in prizes �鶹��Ʒ S� one alone pulled in $70,000 and is now studying at the University of Glasgow �鶹��Ʒ S� at prestigious competitions sponsored by some of the tech industry �鶹��Ʒ S�s biggest names, including Regeneron and Lockheed Martin, a UCF Pegasus Partner.

His alums have gone on to top research institutions including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Stanford, and of course, UCF. One of those Knights is aerospace engineering grad Daniel Dyson �鶹��Ʒ S�21 �鶹��Ʒ S�22MS �鶹��Ʒ S�25PhD, who studied in Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Subith Vasu �鶹��Ʒ S�s lab and now works for Relativity Space at NASA �鶹��Ʒ S�s Stennis Space Center, America �鶹��Ʒ S�s largest rocket propulsion test site.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Mr. Furiosi really pushes you toward excellence, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Das, a sophomore building a tensegrity robot with shape memory alloys that he tested at UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Exolith Lab.

Supporting Excellence

An award-winning researcher who has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Kang is not easily impressed. Still, Santra made an immediate impression as an eighth grader when she first popped up Kang �鶹��Ʒ S�s inbox, asking if she could present her idea on a nanoparticle treatment for citrus greening disease in Florida.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I could clearly see that she had a firm understanding of the material and just thought, �鶹��Ʒ S�Wow, she is really a force. �鶹��Ʒ S� I actually wanted to have my undergrad students see her presentation because of how professional she was, even at that young age, �鶹��Ʒ S� Kang says. �鶹��Ʒ S�She has this creativity, passion, persistence and resilience �鶹��Ʒ S� all the key elements that you need as a successful STEM field researcher. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Similarly, Bridge immediately noticed Calvo-Chumbimuni �鶹��Ʒ S�s persistence and go-getter attitude when she initially connected with her two years ago. Driven by her interest in the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and analytical chemistry, Calvo-Chumbimuni pitched her idea to develop an electrochemical sensor and biosensor to improve diagnostic methods for mental health disorders.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve always appreciated her sense of humanity, �鶹��Ʒ S� Bridge says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I thought, �鶹��Ʒ S�If you can foster someone who has this sort of compassion already, there are infinite possibilities for what they can do to benefit the community. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S�

The two have been dedicated, active participants in their labs, regularly conducting research multiple days per week during the school year and, at times, daily over the summer.

The faculty and their doctoral students have mentored the high schoolers through instrumentation methods, analyzing data, the literature review process and their presentations.

Both presented continuations of their projects at ISEF �鶹��Ʒ S� Calvo-Chumbimuni for her second-straight year, Santra for her third �鶹��Ʒ S� while Das made his first time at the competition memorable with his fourth-place finish in the engineering technology: statics and dynamics category.

Kuehn, who is an engineer at , is accustomed to working with a variety of researchers and scientists who test their experiments and equipment at the Highland Regolith Test Bin. He says he was quickly intrigued by Das �鶹��Ʒ S� project, a lightweight and nimble robot that can expand, contract and move through electric current.

Das wanted to test the robot in lunar regolith �鶹��Ʒ S� simulated moon dirt �鶹��Ʒ S� because he envisions the tech behind his robot one day being utilized in lunar missions or search and rescue efforts in unstable environments.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Max noticed that sometimes the motion was a little slow, so he gave some suggestions, �鶹��Ʒ S� Das says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Working in the lunar regolith chamber was a very insightful and eye-opening experience. I know I �鶹��Ʒ S�m still in high school, but I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve learned I want to do research for as long as I can because I really find this interesting. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Which, at the end of the day, has been Furiosi �鶹��Ʒ S�s mission all along.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Research is not just in science. It is in all disciplines. There �鶹��Ʒ S�s a lot of cool things that need to be discovered in all fields, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s expertise has been so invaluable in preparing my students for the future. A lot of these kids have wonderful ideas, and I really hope we can continue growing more professional support for them in any capacity. �鶹��Ʒ S�

When NASA launches its latest voyage to the International Space Station on May 12, it will carry a blood clotting experiment from the UCF College of Medicine �鶹��Ʒ S�s newest faculty member. The research will include illuminated bone marrow cells floating in space to find better ways to keep astronauts and Earthlings healthier.

Hansjorg Schwertz specializes in occupational health and focuses his research on how microgravity and radiation in space impact the body �鶹��Ʒ S�s blood-clotting functions. After an extensive career overseas and at the University of Utah, he comes to UCF to serve as the associate director for Translational Aerospace Medicine Research at the UCF Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM).

As humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, the center is exploring how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than UCF, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says.

NASA Concerned About Blood Clots in Space

Pre- and post-mission medical testing of astronauts on the International Space Station has shown that spaceflight changes their immune system and blood clotting ability. A few astronauts have even developed blood clots during a flight or after returning. For that reason, Schwertz is leading the NASA-funded Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth (MOON) study, which he began working on at the University of Utah and continues to collaborate with the university’s researchers on.

�鶹��Ʒ S�When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than UCF. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Hansjorg Schwertz

Megakaryocytes are bone marrow cells that create platelets, which circulate in the blood stream and can stop bleeding or form blood clots. Both cells also play a key role in immune responses.

The MOON study is examining how space flight affects the development and function of megakaryocytes as they create platelets. The results could provide important knowledge about the risks of inflammation, immune responses and blood clot formation that will help space travelers and patients on Earth, Schwertz says.

His team is sending human cells to the ISS on board the SpaceX 34 resupply mission. Once they are aboard the space station, astronauts will culture the cells and help to develop megakaryocytes in space.

One part of the experiment is to watch the cells in real time, and how they develop their �鶹��Ʒ S�daughter cell, �鶹��Ʒ S� the platelets. Because the research will be in microgravity, the cells will float. They �鶹��Ʒ S�ll be stained with fluorescent dye so UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s researcher can examine them remotely at better accuracy.

Schwertz says mentors taught him, �鶹��Ʒ S�seeing is believing, �鶹��Ʒ S� so he is �鶹��Ʒ S�genuinely excited �鶹��Ʒ S� to see megakaryocytes float in space.

Advancing Personalized Medicine

One of the challenges of space medicine research is that so few people have gone to space, so the sample pool is small. As space travel and colonization progress, more people will be traveling to and working on the moon and beyond.

Healthwise, many will be different than astronauts who are selected after going through vigorous testing and selection criteria. Thus, space is a new frontier of healthcare.

Schwertz hopes his study will unlock technologies and therapies to keep astronauts �鶹��Ʒ S� blood clotting mechanisms controlled, prevent abnormal clotting and bring those discoveries back to Earth.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re examining the impact of space flight on each person �鶹��Ʒ S�s cells, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�This is personalized medicine, and isn �鶹��Ʒ S�t that what healthcare is all about? �鶹��Ʒ S�

Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair for Aerospace Medicine at the UCF College of Medicine and founding director of CASEEM, Schwertz’s work reflects the program’s broader mission to connect spaceflight research with practical clinical and operational solutions.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our aerospace medicine program is intentionally designed to be operational and translational in nature, �鶹��Ʒ S� Urquieta says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We are building a program that can support the real medical needs of exploration missions while rapidly translating discoveries from spaceflight and extreme environments into innovations that improve health here on Earth. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Schwertz received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the School of Medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. After a residency in Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the University of Halle, Germany, he did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Utah, where he also served as faculty.

In 2012, he  was awarded a prestigious Lichtenberg-Professorship for Experimental Hemostasis and returned to Germany where he directed a research laboratory. He returned to Utah in 2015, where he completed his residency training in Occupational Medicine and was a faculty member, researcher and community physician.

The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award No. 80NSSC22K0255. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

They �鶹��Ʒ S�re already renowned researchers and experts in emergency management. Now, professors and are expanding their impact to the federal level after being hand-selected for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Vanguard Executive Crisis Leaders Fellowship.

The fellowship, housed within FEMA �鶹��Ʒ S�s National Disaster and Emergency Management University (NDEMU), brings together top crisis leaders from across the nation to strengthen the future of emergency and crisis management. Emrich was selected for the 11th cohort in New Orleans (May 11-15) and Washington D.C. (June 22-26), and Knox will join the 12th in Washington D.C. (July 20-24) and Houston (Aug. 17-21).

Researchers Sought Out by FEMA

Prior to joining the s Emergency Management and Homeland Security program, Emrich and Knox each worked with FEMA in separate capacities.

Emrich spent years working in the organization, from mapping hurricane impacts in Florida in 2004 to helping rebuild trust in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Knox has worked with FEMA through its Higher Education Program, which she has participated in since 2011, lead focus group initiatives, established an annual award, and aided in training curriculum development.

When assembling these new cohorts, FEMA sought out and hand-selected each of them. Typically, it is rare to include multiple academics in these groups, let alone two from one university in consecutive cohorts.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The fact that there’s two of us from UCF is a really big deal, �鶹��Ʒ S� Knox says.

�鶹��Ʒ S�By bringing together these multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral leaders, it will help us better prepare for uncertainty in future disasters. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Chris Emrich

FEMA formed the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s cohort model knowing that the future of disaster response depends not on any single agency or sector but on the strength of connections between them. Each cohort brings together crisis leaders from government, academia, nonprofits and the private sector to build the kind of cross-sectoral networks that are nearly impossible to forge during an actual disaster.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This program is part of a more recent attempt to try to engage across sectors more efficiently, �鶹��Ʒ S� Emrich says. �鶹��Ʒ S�By bringing together these multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral leaders, it will help us better prepare for uncertainty in future disasters. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Strengthening the Field, Benefiting Students

Emrich and Knox will participate in roundtable seminars, site visits and discussions with fellow experts to examine emerging risks and shifts in the emergency management landscape, explore leadership frameworks for navigating crises, and brainstorm strategies to strengthen the field, all while building this trusted, cross-sector network.

Knox sees the fellowship as a chance to build new partnerships and bring national insights back to UCF, ultimately benefiting students.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Emergency management changes constantly, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We don �鶹��Ʒ S�t have the luxury of rinse and repeat. This gives us another avenue to bring the latest thinking directly into our courses. I’m looking forward to exploring these issues through both the lens of researcher and the lens of program director. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Emrich also sees opportunities for expanding research and collaboration by learning where those in the field are currently struggling.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�d love to be a fly on the wall to hear what people’s troubles are, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�In academia, we’re fortunate to have the time to think about these things and reflect on how to better support them. Those insights turn into grant proposals, student support and expanding the knowledge base. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Enhancing UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Cutting-Edge Research

The fellowship also aligns with emerging research areas that UCF is already exploring when it comes to cutting-edge innovations in crisis management.

For example, Emrich is currently using AI to build educational games that teach students about social vulnerability. What would once have taken years of programming work can now be produced from existing course materials and exercise content �鶹��Ʒ S� opening the door to educational tools that weren’t previously feasible.

�鶹��Ʒ S�What AI has been able to produce from my knowledge is something I could not have produced on my own, �鶹��Ʒ S� Emrich says. �鶹��Ʒ S�One of the things emergency managers are grappling with now is how to use AI productively. I look forward to being part of the conversation. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Knox is interested in real-time digital replicas of communities, called �鶹��Ʒ S�digital twins, �鶹��Ʒ S� that can be used to model disaster scenarios, as well as to test recovery and mitigation plans before they’re needed.

�鶹��Ʒ S�A lot of emergency management boots-on-the-ground work is to help make decisions with the incomplete information in a very timely manner, �鶹��Ʒ S� Knox says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We �鶹��Ʒ S�re looking at how AI can complement critical thinking skills with new capabilities. I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve seen it take off in engineering and computer sciences disciplines using real-time social media data to understand evacuation patterns. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Beyond their individual research, both professors see the fellowship as a catalyst for something bigger within UCF and beyond. They hope it will help them identify new ways to connect expanded emergency management expertise across disciplines.

�鶹��Ʒ S�M���Բ� faculty members in different departments are doing research that can actively support emergency management, �鶹��Ʒ S� Emrich says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I think it might be incumbent upon us to come back to the university and say, �鶹��Ʒ S�This is where we need to be. This is how we connect all of our different experts, stakeholders and partners to make our program even stronger. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Parchment is one of just two nurse leaders in Florida �鶹��Ʒ S� and the only one from a Florida university �鶹��Ʒ S� inducted into the 2026 class of fellows. The distinction honors individuals who �鶹��Ʒ S�ve made sustained contributions to nursing leadership and are influencing the future of healthcare.

With more than two decades in the field, including her recent role as corporate director of nursing strategy implementation at Orlando Health, Parchment has guided two hospitals to Magnet Recognition, an honor for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovation in practice. She �鶹��Ʒ S�s actively mentored nurses and built systems that help them progress. At one multi-hospital health system, her framework supported 62% of clinical nurse leaders in advancing professionally.

Turning Mentorship Into Momentum

Since 2022, Parchment has mentored graduate students at UCF as an assistant professor in the College of Nursing, helping prepare future nurse leaders.

�鶹��Ʒ S�In my career, I have learned that continual growth and lifelong learning are essential, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�As our profession continues to evolve, it is crucial that experienced leaders help guide the path forward, navigate new norms and provide support during times of change. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Filling the Gaps in Leadership Training

Her research �鶹��Ʒ S� cited nearly 50 times in national and international journals and books �鶹��Ʒ S� examines professional nursing practice and leadership science, including defining role-specific factors behind workplace bullying among nurse managers and its effects on those in these leadership positions.

One of her most notable contributions is an evidence-based manual for interim nurse managers that addresses a critical gap in leadership training. It equips managers with the skills and resources to lead in complex, demanding environments and has been downloaded nearly 200 times to date. The manual was recognized by the Association for Leadership Science in Nursing as an innovative solution to the nurse manager workforce crisis and adopted by a 357-bed hospital to support its nurse manager transition-to-practice program.

Advancing Nursing at the National Level

Beyond the classroom and research lab, Parchment �鶹��Ʒ S�s influence extends nationally. She serves as the academic commissioner for the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Magnet Recognition and sits on The Nurses Legacy Institute board. She �鶹��Ʒ S�s also an active member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the Association of Leadership Science in Nursing, where she co-led three funded national research studies on nursing leadership and system science priorities within healthcare leadership.

“I will continue to advocate for the profession, advance nursing leadership [and] nurture future leaders …”

�鶹��Ʒ S�It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, an organization that has encouraged me to seize opportunities and use my voice to inspire transformation across levels of healthcare, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I will continue to advocate for the profession, advance nursing leadership, nurture future leaders and empower them to excel in today �鶹��Ʒ S�s challenging healthcare landscape. �鶹��Ʒ S�

To better understand Assistant Professor Hamzeh Ghasemzadeh and his work, he goes back to a childhood memory of broken toys. Within hours of receiving little robotic figures or remote-control cars, he �鶹��Ʒ S�d dissembled what had once been a carefully crafted package of technology. To him, sitting among the remnants of a new gift meant he was sitting in a circle of fun.

�鶹��Ʒ S�My favorite game was to take the toys apart to see how they work and then try to put them back together, �鶹��Ʒ S� Ghasemzadeh says. �鶹��Ʒ S�My parents saw my curiosity as a great thing. �鶹��Ʒ S�

“This is why I came to UCF. I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve been able to jump right in and address mysteries that haven �鶹��Ʒ S�t received much attention.”

That same curiosity now drives his research at , where he seeks to take apart discomforted voices, figuratively, so he can develop strategies to make each one whole again. Ghasemzadeh, who joined UCF in late Summer 2025 and will teach in the school �鶹��Ʒ S�s newly launched , has already secured one research project funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and is developing another.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This is why I came to UCF, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve been able to jump right in and address mysteries that haven �鶹��Ʒ S�t received much attention until now. �鶹��Ʒ S�

A Common Problem Without Clear Answers

The first such mystery sounds quite straightforward: vocal fatigue, a common vocal complaint. Beneath the surface, however, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s deceptive. Solutions have mostly evaded scientists, leaving vocal fatigue as an ongoing problem for many people who rely on their voices, like coaches, public speakers, singers and teachers. Many of Ghasemzadeh �鶹��Ʒ S�s colleagues experience the very throat discomfort that he �鶹��Ʒ S�s deconstructing during the funded project just underway.

“We want to collect … multi-modal data and use machine learning models to analyze [vocal fatigue] and develop recommendations for each person.”

�鶹��Ʒ S�Some instructors get vocal fatigue quickly, some get it slowly and some don �鶹��Ʒ S�t get it at all, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�There �鶹��Ʒ S�s a genetic component, but there are also behavioral components. How do they use their voice? How often do they use it? What about the environment where they �鶹��Ʒ S�re using it? What about personality? We want to collect such comprehensive multi-modal data and use machine learning models to analyze it and develop recommendations for each person. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The recommendations might include pacing voice usage, projecting the voice efficiently and allowing the voice to recover. Ghasemzadeh envisions this model being predictive and �鶹��Ʒ S� this is the part he stresses most �鶹��Ʒ S� personalized.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The approach to general medicine started with an assumption that while we �鶹��Ʒ S�re different on the outside, we are very similar inside. Patients with similar ailments took the same medications and [the] same dosages. But we now know that people don �鶹��Ʒ S�t always respond to pills the same way. If we can quantify how we �鶹��Ʒ S�re different inside, we can create a computational model to predict responses to medications and optimize treatment plans. �鶹��Ʒ S�

To integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into vocal fatigue solutions, subjects in Ghasemzadeh �鶹��Ʒ S�s study will wear sensors that track how and where they use their voices. He �鶹��Ʒ S�ll prompt them to perform specific vocal tasks and monitor their phonatory function throughout the day. The AI model will analyze these patterns in real time to identify early signs of vocal strain and predict when fatigue is likely to occur.

“We are different. Every prescribed solution should be different, too.”

Participants will also visit his lab at the in Central Florida Research Park, where specialists will collect imaging, aerodynamic and acoustic data. The highly equipped facility brings together America �鶹��Ʒ S�s leading hearing and voice scientists to develop new technologies and clinical tools for people with hearing loss or voice disorders.

With all of that in hand, including the technology, Ghasemzadeh and his team hope to unwind the mystery of vocal fatigue �鶹��Ʒ S� one person at a time.

�鶹��Ʒ S�That �鶹��Ʒ S�s the idea I want to put forward with every project, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We are different. Every prescribed solution should be different, too. �鶹��Ʒ S�

From Engineering to Human Connection

Many would think a toy-reassembling boy is destined to become an engineer. That �鶹��Ʒ S�s what Ghasemzadeh thought, too. He earned bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s and master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in electrical engineering and began his career with a focus on telecommunications and signal processing.

�鶹��Ʒ S�There was something important missing, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�Human connection. �鶹��Ʒ S�

“Speech became my research interest because … it sets us apart as a species and as individuals.”

He crossed paths with a close friend who mentioned his own research in a field Ghasemzadeh was vaguely familiar with: communication sciences and disorders. The conversation sparked Ghasemzadeh’s enthusiasm for applying his expertise in areas such as signal processing to personally help others.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Speech became my research interest because it �鶹��Ʒ S�s the signal we predominantly use to communicate, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says. �鶹��Ʒ S�It sets us apart as a species and as individuals. �鶹��Ʒ S�

For example, it �鶹��Ʒ S�s quite easy to identify Ghasemzadeh without even seeing him. He sounds young yet intelligent enough to have dual doctoral degrees. There �鶹��Ʒ S�s an inflection of humility in his voice. The curiosity is always there, too. In fact, his peers have noticed, from his work, what his parents noticed among his broken toys: his curiosity leading to great things. Shortly after arriving at UCF, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association chose Ghasemzadeh for its Early Career Contributions in Research Award.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It �鶹��Ʒ S�s also a reminder that I �鶹��Ʒ S�m early in my career, �鶹��Ʒ S� he says, �鶹��Ʒ S�and the sky is the limit. �鶹��Ʒ S�

At the center of his work as a principal investigator is a belief that progress doesn �鶹��Ʒ S�t happen alone, but through teamwork.

�鶹��Ʒ S�You have to surround yourself with different skillsets, all of us willing to take things apart that have never been taken apart, with everyone focused on one goal, �鶹��Ʒ S� Ghasemzadeh says. �鶹��Ʒ S�When you win, I win and everyone wins. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health under award number R00DC021235. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Burke was recognized for her exceptional contributions to advancing the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology, as well as her sustained impact on the professional community. The distinction of SIOP Fellow is awarded to individuals who have made significant, enduring contributions to research, leadership and application within the field.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I �鶹��Ʒ S�m honored to be named a SIOP Fellow, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Burke, director of IST �鶹��Ʒ S�s Team Research and Adaptability in Complex Environments (TRACE) Lab. �鶹��Ʒ S�This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I �鶹��Ʒ S�ve had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Shawn Burke, research professor

At UCF IST, Burke leads the TRACE Lab, where her work focuses on team performance, adaptive training and human-centered approaches to complex systems. Her research has supported advancements in high-stakes environments across defense, healthcare and industry, reinforcing UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s leadership in modeling, simulation and training.

�鶹��Ʒ S�This honor recognizes not only Dr. Burke �鶹��Ʒ S�s scientific contributions, but also her leadership and mentorship within the research community, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Carolina Cruz-Neira, interim director of UCF IST. �鶹��Ʒ S�She has played a vital role in developing the next generation of scholars and practitioners in industrial-organizational psychology. �鶹��Ʒ S�

New fellows will be formally recognized during the SIOP Annual Conference, with a ceremony held on April 29 in New Orleans. The honor represents a significant milestone in Burke �鶹��Ʒ S�s career and highlights the continued impact of UCF IST in shaping the future of workforce research, training and performance.

About UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training

UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary institute conducting basic and applied human-centric research that affects nearly all sectors of industry and government, from healthcare to national defense and education to manufacturing. UCF and IST have built the industry, together with more than 200 Central Florida modeling, simulation and training companies and the U.S. Department of Defense. IST is an early adopter whose vision and leadership have spurred new applications and opportunities. (ist.ucf.edu)