麻豆精品 S淚 want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that 麻豆精品 S檚 about to take off, no matter what field they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Greg Autry, 聽UCF’s associate provost for space commercialization

A national leader in online education, and the top supplier of talent to the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 aerospace and defense industries, UCF launched a in Spring 2026. It aims to meet the expanding needs of the booming industry on Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Coast and around the world. Graduates will emerge ready to shape a fast-growing, high-impact global industry, applying their skills across aerospace, commercial space, government, startups and emerging tech.

麻豆精品 S淲e have world-class researchers, direct connections to the space industry and the very best location, 麻豆精品 S� says Greg Autry, creator of the pioneering program and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at UCF. 聽 麻豆精品 S淚 want students to come to UCF knowing they can participate in an industry that 麻豆精品 S檚 about to take off, no matter what field they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in. This is the place to launch the next stage of your career. 麻豆精品 S�

The space MBA merges the university 麻豆精品 S檚 excellence in both space and online education to develop forward-thinking leaders ready to shape the future of the space sector. This part-time, fully online graduate business program spans 24 months and blends core MBA courses with four specialized electives in space entrepreneurship, governmental and commercial space finance, space leadership and the global space domain. With its flexible, asynchronous format, students can learn from anywhere on Earth 麻豆精品 S� or even in orbit.

At the forefront of this future-ready pathway is Zaheer Ali, a new instructor in the College of Business, and program director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 space commercialization and strategy initiative. He spent more than a decade at NASA and previously led space efforts across the defense and national security enterprise.

“The space industry isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the future. It 麻豆精品 S檚 happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Paul Jarley, UCF College of Business dean

Ali is ready to guide the next generation of space business leaders at SpaceU 麻豆精品 S� and he 麻豆精品 S檚 hoping to recruit students from every major to find their place in space. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 here helping build what I think is the greatest program in the world for space

business, 麻豆精品 S� Ali says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur students are 麻豆精品 S� given direct access to leaders in every aspect of space, creating a space network for them that will be unmatched by graduates of any other program. 麻豆精品 S�

Through more than 25 years of providing highly ranked online degrees, UCF is a trusted source for innovative academic programs and pathways, and is recognized among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 leaders in online education. Courses across more than 130 fully online degree programs are led by world-class faculty with extensive industry and academic experience, equipped to prepare students to succeed in their

careers and advance their fields. 麻豆精品 S淭he space industry isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the future. It 麻豆精品 S檚 happening now. Our new space MBA will put talent at the center of that movement, 麻豆精品 S� says Paul Jarley, dean of the College of Business, which houses the program. As the business school at Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Technological University, our goal is not just to fuel the talent pipeline, but to help shape the market 麻豆精品 S� even if it 麻豆精品 S檚 in space.

Four outstanding undergraduate students are redefining the boundaries of STEM through their high-impact research 麻豆精品 S� and in doing so, placing the university among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 top producers of Goldwater Scholars.

The prestigious Goldwater Scholarship identifies and supports the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 best student researchers in the fields of engineering, mathematics and natural sciences.

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

Supporting Space Exploration

Goldwater Scholar: Keanu Brayman

Major: Mechanical engineering

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

Keanu Brayman 麻豆精品 S檚 passion for space began early.

麻豆精品 S淥ne of my earliest memories is watching a Space Shuttle streak across the sky from a beach in South Florida, 麻豆精品 S� Brayman says. 麻豆精品 S淚 remember being amazed there were people on board and feeling drawn to one day help explore the stars and discover what lies beyond our planet. 麻豆精品 S�

At UCF, Brayman has refined that dream with the support of faculty and mentors 麻豆精品 S� including Department of Physics Chair and Professor Adrienne Dove, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Tarek Elgohary and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Engineer Christopher Proctor 麻豆精品 S� as well as through programs like the .

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

Engineering the Brain

Goldwater Scholar: Kyle Coutray

Majors: Computer engineering and biomedical sciences

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

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

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 interested in building systems that interact directly with the brain, 麻豆精品 S� Coutray says. 麻豆精品 S淚n the lab, 麻豆精品 S� [I 麻豆精品 S檓] blending [both majors] into one approach. 麻豆精品 S�

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

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

Advancing Patient Care

Goldwater Scholar: Varun Nannuri

Major: Molecular and cellular biology

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

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

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

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

麻豆精品 S淯CF has given me opportunities to grow as a student, researcher, leader and future physician, 麻豆精品 S� Nannuri says.

Restoring Human Senses

Goldwater Scholar: Trevor Overton

Majors: Electrical engineering and biomedical sciences

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

Burnett Honors Scholar Trevor Overton 麻豆精品 S檚 work centers on neuroengineering and next-generation prosthetics.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e always had a passion for building things, and I also love reading and watching sci-fi, 麻豆精品 S� Overton says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen UCF offered me the opportunity to join the MEDD [ 麻豆精品 S� I knew I had to take it. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 MEDD program provides scientifically driven students like Overton with a unique opportunity to integrate engineering principles into medicine.

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

麻豆精品 S淚 envision a future where robotic prostheses are so advanced that they could completely replace or enhance the abilities of humans, 麻豆精品 S� Overton says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 not entirely impossible. 麻豆精品 S�

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

A Growing Research Powerhouse

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

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

They proclaimed there is no better place than UCF, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.

麻豆精品 S淵ou are in a global destination for medical innovation, 麻豆精品 S� Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S檚 Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the UCF College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.

Space medicine is one of the council 麻豆精品 S檚 priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 focuses on 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.

Former NASA Administrator and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson told attendees the Artemis voyage 麻豆精品 S檚 return to the moon should inspire space medicine experts to make new discoveries.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e in a whole new era, an exciting era, of space exploration that makes this time so special, 麻豆精品 S� Nelson said.

Star Nona 麻豆精品 S檚 goal was to bring together experts to understand current research on the health impacts of space travel and what challenges need to be addressed as more professional and commercial space travelers go to the moon and beyond.

The Physical Challenges of Space Flight

Former NASA astronaut Robert Curbeam holds the record for most spacewalks on a single mission. He described how the body feels during launch and splashdown when G-forces are so strong you must remind yourself to breathe. He presented with his former NASA flight surgeon, Smith Johnson, now a faculty member at UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM). The two discussed the important relationship between physicians and space travelers before, during and after a mission.

麻豆精品 S淚 loved being an astronaut and flying space shuttles, 麻豆精品 S� Curbeam says. 麻豆精品 S淭he only problem with space travel is that not a lot of people get to do it. 麻豆精品 S�

Your Brain Actually Shifts in Space

Living in space causes the body 麻豆精品 S檚 fluids to move up to the head and brain. But symptoms of that condition do more than cause puffy faces. Space travel actually causes the brain to shift. Jogi Pattisapu, of the Hydrocephalus and Neuroscience Institute, said as astronauts go to Mars for years-long missions and settle on the moon, scientists will have to understand how living in space affects brain function and create predictive tests and preventative measures. Eye health will be key, as fluid buildup has caused spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS)聽in 70% of astronauts on the International Space Station, leading to farsightedness, optic nerve swelling and eyeball flattening.

麻豆精品 S淲hat are we going to do if the pilot goes blind 210 million miles from Earth? 麻豆精品 S� he said.

Team Dynamics in Space

Interpersonal communication is key to any team 麻豆精品 S檚 success, but how do relationships change for crews in confined spaces and face additional challenges such as sleep deprivation, isolation and differences in rank and roles. Shawn Burke and Stephen Fiore from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Institute for Simulation and Training have researched team dynamics in space to understand and prevent collaboration failures that can impact mission success.

Their research has also identified the formal and informal roles crew members play in encouraging positive social interactions and teamwork, especially in long-term missions. Missions to Mars may take up to 36 months and include 20-minute communications delays to and from Mission Control. Team dynamics will impact performance, mental health and affect, Burke said, because 麻豆精品 S測ou 麻豆精品 S檙e stuck with the people you have. 麻豆精品 S�

Conducting Medical Research in Microgravity: Everything 麻豆精品 S檚 Upside Down

The weightlessness of space provides a unique research environment for new discoveries in areas including nutrient production, waste treatment, crystallization and biomanufacturing, said Alain Berinstain, director of the Florida Space Institute at UCF.

麻豆精品 S淭errestrially, whenever space can make a difference, it’s a great economic driver, 麻豆精品 S� he said.

In space, air doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 slow down processes, he explained, so experiments that involve weight, separation, sedimentation, fluid flow and buoyancy change. His advice to researchers considering space as a lab?

麻豆精品 S淭urn your experiment upside down. Does it still work? If the answer is no, you have a lot of work to do. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF and the Big 12 unveiled the 2026 schedule in January, with every game initially scheduled on Saturday. Two of those games are now shifted to Friday:

• Oct. 30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)

TV and streaming designations and kickoff times will be revealed at a later date.

2026 Schedule & Game Day Themes

-Home games in bold-

9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Season-Opener)
9/12 at Pittsburgh
9/19 vs. Georgia State (Family Weekend)
9/26 vs. TCU (Big 12 Opener)
10/3 at Houston
10/10 at Oklahoma State
10/24 vs. BYU (Homecoming)
10/30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
11/7 at Kansas
11/14 vs. Arizona State
11/20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)
11/28 at Colorado

The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, and will once again be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, Texas.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Frost, UCF carries early momentum into the 2026 season after landing quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a strong group of transfers through the portal. The Knights also secured a pair of four-star high school recruits, highlighting a solid overall class.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2026 campaign can be purchased at . Single game tickets are not yet for sale.

WHY WE BOUNCE

The 2026 campaign will mark the 20th season that UCF football plays its home games in Acrisure Bounce House. To recognize UCF’s 20 years of Acrisure Bounce House, 聽a season-long celebration of the countless memories made inside the place Knight Nation calls home. The 2026 campaign is more than just another season. It is a chance to tell our story.

We want to know why YOU bounce. If you 麻豆精品 S檇 like to help us tell our story of the bonds built through game day experiences, , and be ready to include photos.

The mission will include multiple health studies on the four astronauts to determine how radiation, microgravity, isolation and other factors impact their physical health, mind and behavior 麻豆精品 S� crucial information that will help pave the way for future lunar surface missions and develop our understanding about humans 麻豆精品 S� deep space capabilities.

Thanks to new technology and modern medicine, researchers have better ways to understand the impact of space flight on human health.

麻豆精品 S淎rtemis II is both a historic and biomedically important mission, 麻豆精品 S� says 聽Emmanuel Urquieta, the UCF College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 vice chair for aerospace medicine and director of the university 麻豆精品 S檚 new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM).

麻豆精品 S淔or the first time since Apollo 17, humans will travel beyond the Earth 麻豆精品 S檚 magnetic field. That matters enormously from a research perspective, because now we have technology to thoroughly understand the health impact of embarking into deep space. The knowledge gained from Artemis II will help shape the future of safe human space exploration and drive innovations that can benefit medicine here on Earth and help us start preparing us for a mission to Mars. 麻豆精品 S�

The Space Coast 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine

As the closest medical school to the Kennedy Space Center, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine is charting a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon and Mars, and commercial space flights take more civilians into space.

The goal: explore 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 on Earth.

To further those efforts, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 CASEEM includes faculty experts in medicine, engineering, computer science, psychology, arts and educational leadership. This interdisciplinary group will work together to research and develop new technologies for keeping space travelers healthy, as well as soldiers on military missions, deep sea explorers and mountain climbers.

What Lies Ahead for Artemis II 麻豆精品 S檚 Astronauts

• Understanding Radiation Exposure Effects

Traveling to the moon 麻豆精品 S� which humans haven 麻豆精品 S檛 returned to since 1972 麻豆精品 S� means astronauts will go beyond Earth 麻豆精品 S檚 Van Allen belts, which protect humans from cosmic radiation and solar storms. Space travelers to the International Space Station stay within Earth 麻豆精品 S檚 magnetic field. During their 10-day mission, Artemis II is anticipated to break Apollo 13 麻豆精品 S檚 record (248,655 miles) for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.

Fifty years ago, researchers could do little more than measure radiation. This time will be different, says UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 William 麻豆精品 S淓d 麻豆精品 S� Powers, chief medical officer of CASEEM and the former chief of NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Medical Operations branch where he was a primary medical support physician for six shuttle missions.

麻豆精品 S淢edical knowledge, technology and the ability to diagnose disease have advanced significantly since then, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

Physicians and scientists will be able to determine how radiation impacts cells, organs, blood proteins and other molecular functions.

Artemis crew members will carry dosimeters in their pockets that measure radiation exposure in real time. Monitors inside the Orion spacecraft will also gather radiation information throughout the flight for future analysis.

An astronaut suffering a medical condition in space is always a concern, but deep space travel brings additional challenges, Powers explains. While astronauts on the International Space Station can be returned to Earth in about a day, as happened recently when a crew member became ill, returning from the moon may take several days or more.

麻豆精品 S淣one of the four astronauts on this flight is a physician, 麻豆精品 S� Powers says. 麻豆精品 S淎nd a space capsule certainly doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 have the same equipment you 麻豆精品 S檇 have in a hospital emergency room. 麻豆精品 S�

• Does Space Flight Reduce Immunity?

Previous research has shown that spaceflight missions alter the and reactivate dormant viruses in the human body. As part of the Artemis II mission, NASA will conduct an AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response) experiment that will investigate how deep space impacts specific cells and tissues as well as some vital bodily functions including immune system responses.

For this experiment, NASA-funded scientists created 麻豆精品 S渙rgan-on-a-chip 麻豆精品 S� devices that contain each astronaut 麻豆精品 S檚 bone marrow cells. This technology allows scientists to examine molecular changes and cell function.

麻豆精品 S淲ith this technology we can see how the body responds to stimuli across the whole mission, 麻豆精品 S� says Jennifer Fogarty, CASEEM 麻豆精品 S檚 chief scientist who came to UCF after serving as chief scientist for NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Human Research Program. 麻豆精品 S淭his capability will help us map the body 麻豆精品 S檚 molecular changes with tissue/organ function and much better predictive capabilities. 麻豆精品 S�

As the 麻豆精品 S渙rgan-on-a-chip 麻豆精品 S� technology advances and proves accurate, it will allow NASA physicians to provide personalized and proactive medicine to astronauts because they will be able to predict a crew member 麻豆精品 S檚 biological response to space flight. Such technology could be used before NASA sends an actual crew to Mars. The space agency could place the crew 麻豆精品 S檚 personalized chips on unmanned flights to the Red Planet to better understand the potential health risks for each individual.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 basically sending small versions of astronauts to Mars before we send astronauts to Mars, 麻豆精品 S� Fogarty says.

• Teamwork and Behavior

Selecting an astronaut crew that will perform well under the stresses of space flight is always a top NASA priority. But deep space missions present additional personnel challenges, including communication delays, increased isolation and resource constraints.

Astronauts on moon and Mars missions also must live in a capsule that is significantly smaller than the International Space Station, highlighting the need for crews to work together seamlessly and be able to manage any conflicts.

The Artemis flight will conduct an experiment called ARCHeR (Artemis Research for Crew Health and Readiness) that will evaluate how astronauts perform individually and as a team during the mission.

They will wear sleep and movement monitors before, during and after the mission to evaluate their cognition and team dynamics.

麻豆精品 S淵ou watch the astronauts on TV, and it looks so easy, 麻豆精品 S� Fogarty says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut human performance is critical in space. You have multiple duties to conduct and you 麻豆精品 S檙e always pushing operations. So we need to understand how the team performs, their reserve and resilience. The mission itself is the experiment. 麻豆精品 S�

Star Nona 2026

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 leading space medicine experts, valued strategic partners and an astronaut who holds NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 record for spacewalks will gather April 10 in Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S檚 Medical City to discuss how they can work together to keep space travelers healthy and use that research to create groundbreaking clinical innovations on Earth.

The 麻豆精品 S淪tar Nona 2026 麻豆精品 S� event is led by the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.

The council includes physicians and researchers from UCF, Orlando Health, AdventHealth, the Florida Space Institute, the Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Health, business and industry.

For more information, including how to register for the event, visit www.ucf.edu/news/progressing-the-final-frontier-of-medicine-space.

Big ideas don 麻豆精品 S檛 wait 麻豆精品 S� and neither do the researchers behind them.

The 2026 Reach for the Stars honorees 麻豆精品 S� six UCF assistant professors 麻豆精品 S� are already making a substantial impact on their respective fields through meaningful research and creative work that extends far beyond campus, with national and international influence.

Across disciplines, their work and research reflect a shared mission to advance ideas into impact 麻豆精品 S� uncovering what shapes ethical decision-making in the workplace; exploring the origins of our solar system; developing computational solutions to meet future energy demands; designing more intuitive and reliable software experiences; strengthening education for students with disabilities; and engineering faster, more energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Together, this brilliant group represents the kind of bold, forward-thinking innovation UCF continues to champion.

Each year, the Reach for the Stars awards recognize early-career faculty opening new doors for what 麻豆精品 S檚 possible across their fields. The prestigious award is second only to Pegasus Professor as UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 highest faculty honor.

In recognition of their achievements, each honoree will receive a $10,000 annual research grant for three years in addition to the distinction of being an award recipient.

The UCF community is cordially invited to come and congratulate the recipients from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, in the Pegasus Ballroom at the Student Union as part of the 2026 Founders 麻豆精品 S� Day Faculty Honors Celebration.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 Reach for the Stars honorees are:

John Bush

Assistant professor of management in the College of Business

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

Working at UCF is a homecoming for me. Growing up in Florida, I had the opportunity to experience all the great things this state and its universities have to offer. And while my younger self might not have predicted I’d end up in Black & Gold, UCF and Orlando have been incredible homes.

What does your research focus on?

I study when, why, and how employees cross ethical lines, and what role leaders, management policies, and organizational systems play in those decisions. A big part of what makes my work unique is that I focus on an important puzzle: how things we typically think of as “good” can promote unethical behavior. We tend to assume that well-intentioned management practices will always lead to good outcomes. However, my research shows that’s not always the case, and the unintended consequences can be significant.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

Before I entered academia, I worked in corporate finance and accounting. That experience meaningfully shaped how I think about ethics in organizations.

There’s a common assumption that unethical behavior is a 麻豆精品 S渂ad apple 麻豆精品 S� problem, or rather, that it comes down to an individual’s character or integrity. But as my work has shown, it’s often a 麻豆精品 S渂ad barrel 麻豆精品 S� problem. The environments organizations create, the systems they put in place and the ways managers approach leadership profoundly influence how people behave.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

I’m a firm believer that the people make the place 麻豆精品 S� and the faculty, staff and students of UCF are truly what make it such a great place to be. The College of Business has a management department full of colleagues who are both excellent scholars and genuinely collaborative people.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

I’m excited about several new directions, each of which builds upon my existing work. I’m particularly interested in examining more nuanced, less studied drivers of ethical decision-making. For example, what happens when someone becomes an accidental witness to unethical behavior? How does that experience shape what they do next and the moral burden that 麻豆精品 S檚 placed on them?

Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano

Assistant professor at the

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

While many people know I 麻豆精品 S檓 not afraid to face challenges, few know that I 麻豆精品 S檓 afraid of roller coasters.

What does your research focus on?

I study the small bodies of our solar system (objects such as asteroids, Trojans and trans-Neptunian objects) from an observational perspective to try to understand how our planetary system formed and evolved. The small bodies that remain from the early solar system still preserve clues about the materials and conditions that existed when planets formed. By observing their surfaces, compositions and physical properties, we can piece together the history of how the solar system came to be.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

The solar system still holds many unanswered questions, and every observation has the potential to reveal something completely new about its history. I 麻豆精品 S檓 especially motivated by the idea that these small and distant objects preserve a record of the earliest stages of planetary formation, and since we still don 麻豆精品 S檛 know much about them, we need to better characterize these groups to have a chance of getting closer to important scientific answers.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

UCF provides a dynamic research environment with strong collaborations and access to facilities that help me achieve my scientific goals.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

I aim to expand my research group and continue developing new projects exploring the composition and physical properties of small bodies in the outer solar system.

Shyam Kattel

Assistant professor of physics in the College of Sciences

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

I enjoy long, quiet walks or runs. It 麻豆精品 S檚 when I do my best thinking and come up with new ideas for teaching and research.

What does your research focus on?

My research group is interested in understanding chemical processes through computer simulations. These chemical processes are central to many energy and fuel generation and energy conversion processes. We are exploring the design of catalytic materials that selectively convert abundant small molecules, such as CO2, N2, NO3, O2 and H2O, to a wide variety of synthetic chemicals and fuels in a carbon-neutral way to fulfill the growing energy demand of the future.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

I 麻豆精品 S檓 a huge advocate of sustainability. I 麻豆精品 S檓 fascinated by the rapid development and advancement of modern computers, machine learning (ML) and AI, which have enabled us to understand complex science on a time scale that 麻豆精品 S檚 impossible with traditional trial and error methods. This unique opportunity to utilize supercomputers with ML and AI to tackle energy and sustainability challenges keeps me awake at night.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

By training, I 麻豆精品 S檓 a physicist, but my research focuses on looking into chemical reactions. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 physics department is among a handful of institutions in the U.S. with a very strong catalysis program. This allows me to collaborate within the department and teach a physics course, which I enjoy. Additionally, the university 麻豆精品 S檚 large size and research facilities present opportunities to recruit the best students and to collaborate both within and beyond the department.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

My lab is developing capabilities to integrate ML and AI into our methods for understanding structure-materials property relationships across a large set of materials, driving the development of the next generation of clean and sustainable energy and fuel generation technologies. Our goal is to develop an integrated materials design framework that anyone can use for their research and for teaching research-based undergraduate and graduate courses.

Kevin Moran

Assistant professor of computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, director of the Software Automation, Generation and Engineering Research Lab and affiliate of the Cyber Security and Privacy faculty cluster initiative

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

I was a Division 1 rower as an undergraduate at the College of the Holy Cross. Our team competed in the national championship regatta my senior year and was ranked among the top 20 teams in the country.

What does your research focus on?

If you 麻豆精品 S檝e ever been frustrated by glitches in apps or websites, my students, collaborators and I aim to give engineers the tools they need to build more reliable software. My group has pioneered work in user interface engineering, focusing on user-facing systems and making software easier to use.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

Since I was young, I 麻豆精品 S檝e enjoyed building things, taking them apart and understanding how they work. I view software as the ultimate engineering medium, where abstract ideas can quickly become reality. What excites me most is tackling the complexity of modern software systems by developing tools that engineers can easily adopt. Seeing those tools save engineers hours or days of time is truly fun.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

UCF has been an excellent place to grow as an early-career researcher. I 麻豆精品 S檝e received invaluable mentorship from department and college leadership, as well as senior faculty. The university 麻豆精品 S檚 connection to the local tech industry is also exciting, and I look forward to forming connections with local companies to put our tools into practice.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

Software engineering is rapidly shifting toward agentic workflows, where AI-powered agents perform engineering tasks autonomously. While this increases speed, it also introduces complex errors that are harder to spot. My lab aims to understand these software engineering agents, improve their reliability and create tools that help developers use them effectively.

Soyoung Park

Assistant professor of teacher education in the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE)

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

When I travel for conferences, I love to explore local bookstores and cafes.

What does your research focus on?

My research focuses on transforming educator preparation to better support students with disabilities. Supported by more than $3.75 million in U.S. Department of Education funding, my work prepares special education teachers, speech-language pathologists and school psychologists to serve students with autism spectrum disorders and high-intensity needs. I also develop evidence-based mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

Mathematics remains an area where both research and practice need stronger alignment. Teachers need accessible, evidence-based guidance on how to teach effectively, but it isn 麻豆精品 S檛 always easy to find or interpret. Students need consistent access to high-quality instruction that meets their individual needs. I 麻豆精品 S檓 interested in helping bridge that gap so that research can better support educators and the students they serve.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 strong infrastructure for research and collaboration further amplifies my work. Support from the Office of Research has been instrumental in advancing my research development, grant capacity and interdisciplinary collaboration. As a CCIE research fellow and affiliated faculty member at the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute, I have valuable opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration across colleges.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

Our next project focuses on synthesizing large data sets to help educators identify mathematics interventions that align with their students 麻豆精品 S� needs. We 麻豆精品 S檙e also exploring how AI can support this process through pedagogical AI chatbots and interactive web-based platforms that guide educators in interpreting and applying research evidence in practice. Ultimately, this work aims to strengthen both instruction and student outcomes at scale.

Hao Zheng

Assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

What 麻豆精品 S檚 something few people know about you?

I enjoy traveling, especially visiting national parks and exploring new cities. Each trip helps me recharge, and I often come back with fresh perspectives and new ideas.

What does your research focus on?

My research focuses on making today 麻豆精品 S檚 AI systems faster, more energy-efficient and more reliable by bridging the gap between algorithms and hardware. AI has reshaped daily life, but behind the scenes, modern AI models require enormous amounts of computation and energy. My work explores new ways to co-design hardware and software so AI can run efficiently, especially for irregular or sparse data structures, such as graphs.

What drives you to take on this challenge?

I 麻豆精品 S檓 driven by both the importance and the difficulty of the problem. We 麻豆精品 S檙e at the turning point of rethinking future computing systems. Defining a new computing paradigm, despite its challenges, can have a far-reaching impact across society. Our research can fundamentally reshape how future computers are designed and how AI is deployed at scale.

What makes UCF the right place for you to do this kind of work?

UCF is an ideal place to pursue bold research ideas, supported by strong momentum in engineering, computing and interdisciplinary collaboration. The university also offers an exceptional and supportive community of mentors and collaborators, including students, who set a high bar for excellence. I 麻豆精品 S檝e been fortunate to work with many outstanding colleagues, and those experiences have shaped how I think about building a high-impact research program and growing as a scholar.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 next for you or your research?

Next, we 麻豆精品 S檙e expanding our work toward real-world deployments, including applications in healthcare and robotics. We 麻豆精品 S檙e also continuing to strengthen our research in building processors for AI and scientific computing so that our ideas can translate into improvements in performance and energy efficiency.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 leading space medicine experts, valued strategic partners and an astronaut who holds NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 record for spacewalks will gather April 10 in Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S檚 Medical City to discuss how they can work together to keep space travelers healthy and use that research to create groundbreaking clinical innovations on Earth.

The 麻豆精品 S淪tar Nona 2026 麻豆精品 S� event is led by the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.

The council includes physicians and researchers from UCF, Orlando Health, AdventHealth, the , the Orlando VA Medical Center, Nemours Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Health, business and industry.

Star Nona 2026 Event Details

麻豆精品 S淥ur goal is to bring together space medicine leaders and experts from academia, medicine and the space industry to find more ways we can work together to research the health impacts of space flight and how our discoveries can also improve healthcare on Earth, 麻豆精品 S� says Michal Masternak, UCF professor of medicine.

An anti-aging and cancer researcher, Masternak leads the Lake Nona Research Council 麻豆精品 S檚 space medicine research group. He also leads the College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 program that processes astronaut samples so physicians and scientists can analyze the immediate impact of space travel on astronauts 麻豆精品 S� bodies.

Sessions will include presentations on:

• Microgravity and radiation exposure and their impact on human physical and mental health
• How space travel affects muscles, bones, cells, vision and the brain
• Protecting muscles in space (led by AdventHealth researchers)
• Next generation of the space station
• New technologies for diagnosing how space travel impacts human cells.

These presentations will feature UCF researchers from medicine, , and . UCF graduate students and post-doctoral scientists will also present research posters on space medicine.

The plenary speaker is NASA astronaut Robert Curbeam, a U.S. Navy captain who completed four spacewalks during space shuttle Discovery 麻豆精品 S檚 2006 mission to the International Space Station.

The Space Coast 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine

Located 45 miles west of the Space Coast and Kennedy Space Center, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine is the perfect partner to chart a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon and Mars, and commercial space flights take more civilians into space.

The goal: explore 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 on Earth.

To further those efforts, UCF has created a new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM), which includes UCF faculty experts in medicine, engineering, computer science, psychology, arts and educational leadership. This interdisciplinary group will work together to research and develop new technologies for keeping space travelers healthy, as well as soldiers on military missions, deep sea explorers and mountain climbers.

About the Lake Nona Research Council

Edward Ross, the College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 chair of medicine and assistant dean for research, leads the Lake Nona Research Council.

Ross says Star Nona and the partnerships it creates will help solidify UCF and Medical City 麻豆精品 S檚 reputation as a premier center for space medicine.

麻豆精品 S淲hen people think of keeping space visitors healthy, we want them to immediately think UCF. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Edward Ross, College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 chair of medicine

麻豆精品 S淎s a university, UCF was born to create the workforce to send humans to the moon, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e continuing that legacy with space medicine. When people think of keeping space visitors healthy, we want them to immediately think UCF. 麻豆精品 S�

Event Registration

Star Nona 2026 will be held at the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center, with registration beginning at 8:15 a.m. Star Nona is made possible by support and sponsorships from Dr. Jogi Pattisapu and the Hydrocephalus and Neuroscience Institute, Tavistock Development Company and the Florida Space Institute. To sign up to attend the event, please visit .

Nov. 13, 2025, 3:55 p.m.聽Jillian Gloria 麻豆精品 S�22聽stands on a balcony at Blue Origin headquarters in Cape Canaveral, Florida, her eyes fixed on the horizon at Launch Complex 36 麻豆精品 S� the very launchpad her grandfather helped construct as a NASA engineer in the 1960s.

Engines ignite. Gloria 麻豆精品 S檚 breath catches as she wills the rocket to climb. Then she hears those crucial words: 麻豆精品 S淟iftoff detected. New Glenn has cleared the tower. 麻豆精品 S�

The Blue Origin rocket scientist has just witnessed the launch of her first NASA mission. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a goal the Orlando native has dreamed about since childhood; one marked by visions of the space shuttle soaring upward as she commuted to school and the roar of sonic booms when it returned to Earth 麻豆精品 S檚 atmosphere.

What makes this milestone even more rewarding is the determination, the hard work and the relentless tenacity it took her to get here.

麻豆精品 S淵our dreams are possible, 麻豆精品 S� Gloria says. 麻豆精品 S淎ll you need is passion and persistence. As long as you keep going, you can do anything in this world. You 麻豆精品 S檙e always going to end up where you 麻豆精品 S檙e meant to be. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檒l Never Graduate 麻豆精品 S�

Gloria 麻豆精品 S檚 college journey began outside of Florida despite the numerous space-related research and partnerships available in her backyard at UCF. Like many of her peers, she thought she had to branch out from her hometown to gain the most out of her college experience.

She realized quickly she had made a mistake.

Not long after arriving at the University in Texas at Arlington, an academic advisor told her she would never graduate with an engineering degree if she started her academic career in algebra. She would need an additional 1.5 years of math and science classes alone before she could set foot in an engineering class.

Rather than catch up on the mathematics education and credits she needed to pursue engineering, he advised she 麻豆精品 S檇 be better off going after 麻豆精品 S渟omething more realistic for her current path like a business degree. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淎s an impressionable 18-19 year old, you listen to your adviser, right? 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 just remember dropping the business class a few weeks in because I thought, 麻豆精品 S楾his is not what I want to do, and I don 麻豆精品 S檛 care how long it takes me, I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to do get an engineering degree. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Opportunity Comes Calling

She course-corrected and enrolled in the program at Valencia College. Valencia provided her the academic resources and tutoring she needed to overcome her initial struggles in math and science.

In 2018 ahead of transferring to UCF, she applied to the Central Florida Physics Research Exchange Program, a former initiative for undergraduate students to participate in a 10-week funded research project over the summer with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 physics department.

She remembers doubting her chances of acceptance. After all, she was an aspiring aerospace engineer, not a true physics major. But the program came with the promise of $5,000, and for someone who was working her way through school, what did she have to lose?

As part of her application, she wrote a compelling letter to Professor of Physics William Kaden about his space weathering effects research for NASA and how much she 麻豆精品 S檇 love the chance to work in his lab.

The letter worked. Kaden would go on to become Gloria 麻豆精品 S檚 mentor throughout her 2.5 years at UCF and kickstarted her hand in research that yielded projects on finding water on the moon, collaborations with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), work with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 and a co-authorship on a NASA-funded paper published in 2021 in the聽Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology.

麻豆精品 S淭he world of research at UCF really provided me the actual work experience and opportunities to turn me into an engineer and a candidate that these companies sought after. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jillian Gloria 麻豆精品 S�22, Blue Origin engineer

麻豆精品 S淭he world of research at UCF really provided me the actual work experience and opportunities to turn me into an engineer and a candidate that these companies sought after, 麻豆精品 S� says Gloria, who keeps her senior-year textbook Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, Second Edition on her office desk. 麻豆精品 S淚 worked with industry hardware, a vacuum chamber that 麻豆精品 S檚 worth hundreds of thousands of dollars at NASA, flew a payload on a Masten Space Systems Xodiac rocket to track rocket plumes during launch and landing on the moon. I was a published author before I graduated. It all was such an amazing opportunity. That was the first time when I felt like I was actually doing the work I had dreamed about. The things I was exposed to at UCF really 聽just opened my eyes onto what 麻豆精品 S檚 available out there in terms of my career. 麻豆精品 S�

Building a Road to Space

Since graduating in 2022, Gloria launched over a dozen successful missions across three launch-vehicle programs (Atlas V, Delta Heavy, Vulcan Centaur) at United Launch Alliance as a propulsion systems test engineer.

In January 2025, she joined the Blue Origin team as an integrated vehicle test engineer, specializing in the integration, testing, refurbishment, and optimization of complex fluid and pneumatic systems for her fourth launch vehicle, New Glenn.

In other words, she validates the build of the rocket, ensuring its integrity and functionality through every build stage before launch.

She is energized every day by the opportunities available to her to grow and learn within the company, who in addition to their rocket program is also developing a lunar lander and space station.

麻豆精品 S淭his work matters. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the future. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jillian Gloria

麻豆精品 S�We 麻豆精品 S檙e all working together for the benefit of Earth, and you feel it every day you go to work at Blue Origin, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭his work matters. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the future, it 麻豆精品 S檚 the next generation launch vehicle, and it just plays a hand in Blue 麻豆精品 S檚 mission statement that we want to build a road to space. 麻豆精品 S�

Every milestone they hit 麻豆精品 S� like the recent successful launch and first-time landing of the New Glenn rocket that ferried NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 twin ESCAPADE spacecraft to begin their journey to Mars 麻豆精品 S� helps get them closer to that goal.

While current generations may not see it, she knows the work she is doing at Blue Origin is developing the infrastructure for future generations who will one day consistently travel to and live on other celestial bodies.

麻豆精品 S淭he stars are the final frontier. It calls to us, 麻豆精品 S� Gloria says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can 麻豆精品 S檛 really explain it, but when you look up at the sky, it kind of touches your soul. It just makes me feel more connected to something that 麻豆精品 S檚 so far away and so beautiful. It 麻豆精品 S檚 everything. 麻豆精品 S�

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

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

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

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

A Career Built on Making Connections

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why UCF 麻豆精品 S� and Why Now

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Momentum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Bigger Picture of Impact

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

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

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

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

Here are the highlights that shaped an unforgettable year.

Daring to Boldly Invent the Future: Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Next-Generation Preeminent University

UCF met the 12 metrics required to earn the Preeminent State Research University designation from the Florida Board of Governors, the highest designation for state research universities. This landmark achievement highlights sustained progress in student success, research and more 麻豆精品 S� affirming UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 leadership in advancing opportunity and impact in Florida and beyond.

UCF Opens Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in Lake Nona, Fueling a Talent Pipeline and Healthcare Innovation

UCF opened the 麻豆精品 S疍r. 麻豆精品 S疨hillips Nursing Pavilion 麻豆精品 S痮n the Academic Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S� a 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility dedicated to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. The pavilion expands immersive simulation technology and interdisciplinary learning spaces, enabling UCF to graduate more nurses ready to serve communities across the region.

Pegasus Partners Expand with BNY and Lockheed Martin

This year saw strategic growth of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S疨egasus Partners 麻豆精品 S痯rogram, with major collaborations forged with global financial services company BNY and aerospace and defense leader Lockheed Martin. The BNY co-located educational innovation hub on UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus 麻豆精品 S� the first of its kind in Florida 麻豆精品 S� brings experiential learning and cybersecurity education directly to students. Additionally, the expanded Lockheed Martin partnership will grow the highly successful College Work Experience Program and expand research in vital areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and hypersonic technologies.

Elevating Impact Across Space

As America 麻豆精品 S檚 Space University, UCF deepened its influence across the space sector this year, highlighted by the inaugural UCF Space Week that took place Nov. 3-7. The university-wide celebration showcased all the ways Knight Nation is advancing space research, supporting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The observance also marked the debut of the SpaceU Awards, which celebrated eight honorees 麻豆精品 S� two students, three faculty, two organizations and a record-setting astronaut 麻豆精品 S� for pushing the boundaries of what 麻豆精品 S檚 possible in space development, discovery and exploration.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 impact also extended into human health in space. Two internationally known 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S痚xperts 麻豆精品 S� William Powers and Jennifer Fogarty 麻豆精品 S� joined the College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 faculty as part of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine that will lead 麻豆精品 S痳esearch and technology development for improving health in extreme environments such as space.

As the top talent provider to the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 aerospace and defense industries, UCF also launched a new online space MBA program to meet the expanding needs of the booming space industry on Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Coast and around the world. The 24-month part-time graduate business program focuses on space commercialization, business strategy and innovation, preparing graduates to lead in high-impact roles across the commercial space, aerospace, government, startups and emerging tech industries.

UCF Launches Institute of Artificial Intelligence to Advance Research, Talent Development Across Disciplines

UCF launched the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, a new university-wide initiative bringing together top faculty, industry partnerships and cross-campus collaboration to position the university as a national leader in AI. The institute will also support UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 AI for All Initiative, which integrates AI into teaching and learning across disciplines, ensuring students graduate with the ability to use AI effectively in their careers.

Honoring Excellence on Founders 麻豆精品 S� Day

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 annual Founders 麻豆精品 S� Day honored the outstanding achievements of the university 麻豆精品 S檚 employees, faculty and students. Hundreds of Knights were recognized for their 麻豆精品 S痚xcellence and impact 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� among them 麻豆精品 S�Pegasus Professors 麻豆精品 S疪oger Azevedo, Fevzi Okumus and Yan Solihin; Medal of Societal Impact honoree Mohamed Abdel-Aty; Reach for the Stars honorees 麻豆精品 S疉mrita Ghosh, Leland Nordin, Yogesh Rawat and Kelly Stevens; and 37 Order of Pegasus inductees 麻豆精品 S� the university 麻豆精品 S檚 highest student honor.

Epic Universe Launch Provides Immersive Learning Opportunities at UCF

Universal Orlando Resort 麻豆精品 S檚 highly anticipated new theme park, Epic Universe, opened its gates this spring, and Knights played a role in bringing it to life. Located less than a mile away, UCF’s 麻豆精品 S� ranked No. 1 in the world for hospitality education (CEOWORLD magazine) 麻豆精品 S� turned Epic Universe into a living case study for hands-on learning in hospitality, themed experience, engineering and beyond. While the park attracts millions of guests with its immersive worlds and attractions, it 麻豆精品 S檚 also transforming hospitality education for Rosen College students, building a direct talent pipeline into the park and developing a workforce ready to lead the industry.

Introducing John Buckwalter, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Next Provost 麻豆精品 S�

Following a competitive national search, John Buckwalter was appointed UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. He and his wife, Amalia, officially joined Knight Nation on Aug. 1. Buckwalter brings more than 20 years of experience in academia to UCF. He most recently served as provost at Boise State University, where he led transformative interdisciplinary initiatives and championed student achievement. He succeeds Provost Michael D. Johnson, who retired this summer following 35 years of service to UCF.

Knights Shine in Athletics

UCF Athletics delivered unforgettable moments this year 麻豆精品 S� from the rowing team claiming its first Big 12 Championship in program history, to men’s soccer’s conference title, to men 麻豆精品 S檚 tennis clinching its , to 82-78 victory over Hofstra at Additional Financial Arena that sparked the best start (8-1) in head coach Johnny Dawkins’ tenure.

Together, We Unleashed Impact: Thank You, Knight Nation, for a Transformational Day of Giving 2025

Knights made a collective impact for another record-breaking celebration of all things Black & Gold. raised more than 麻豆精品 S�$14.8 麻豆精品 S�million 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� a 63% increase from last year and the most in university history. 麻豆精品 S疻ith 麻豆精品 S�10,472 麻豆精品 S�gifts, inspired donors across the globe rallied together for the community-driven effort 麻豆精品 S� fueling UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 academic programs, life-changing scholarships, groundbreaking research and more. These contributions were made across all 50 U.S. states, as well as globally, including Australia, France, Panama and the United Kingdom.