As summer terms kick off, we’re excited to share some incredible stories from across the College of Sciences. This month, we highlight groundbreaking research in quantum physics, celebrate the awarding of an honorary doctorate, and honor the legacy of a biology professor. Learn more about these inspiring stories and others as we continue to push the boundaries of science and celebrate the people who make it possible.

Carla Perscky, a master’s student in the UCF Department of Biology and Navy veteran, received the Women Divers Hall of Fame’s (WDHOF) Susan L. Williams Memorial Graduate Marine Conservation Scholarship, a prestigious award that will help her fund critical research on how varying ocean temperatures affect tropical seagrass — a first-time study on this specific species.   

The scholarship is named in honor of the late Susan L. Williams, an internationally recognized WDHOF member and biology professor at the University of California, Davis. Williams was known for her influential research on seagrass and coral reef ecosystems. The award supports graduate student research proposals in marine ecology and encourages leadership early in students’ careers. 

“This scholarship will help me advance research on seagrass genomics and raise awareness about the importance of conserving these ecosystems,” says Perscky. 

This summer UCF student Kendal Asbury will embark on an exciting journey as one of four interns at The New York Times through the prestigious Dow Jones News Fund (DJNF) summer internship program. For more than 60 years, the Dow Jones News Fund has placed top journalism students in internships at media outlets across the country — from local newspapers to leading digital newsrooms. 

Asbury, an English literature and journalism double major, was selected as one of only 81 college students nationwide for the program — and out of nearly 1,050 applicants. She will serve as a multiplatform editing intern on The Times’ flexible editing desk in the national newsroom, working alongside two recent graduates and one graduate student from the DJNF program. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without UCF, its programs, and its professors,” shares  Asbury. “I’m also immensely grateful to my journalism professors [and College of Sciences faculty], Eric Adelson and Richard Brunson, who have supported and believed in me every step of the way.” 

The College of Sciences Spring 2025 commencement ceremony featured a special guest speaker, alumna Yvette Kanouff, who received one of the highest honors bestowed by UCF, an honorary doctoral degree. Kanouff earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from UCF and has remained engaged with UCF in the subsequent years, currently serving on the College of Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. 

“I am so humbled by this honor,” Kanouff says. “When I received my master’s degree, Dr. Ahmed Zayed — my ‘thesis father’ and mentor — told me that my work in math was worthy of a doctorate. However, I was not in a position to pursue that level of education at the time. I am so grateful, proud and honored to stand here now and receive this degree from UCF.” 

In her commencement remarks, she expressed appreciation to her family and friends and spoke to the power of mentorship in her life, encouraging graduates to give back, especially to their alma mater. 

“It’s up to you to create something more and to help future students and others accomplish what you have accomplished today,” Kanouff said to graduates. “UCF has always welcomed me, as well as other alumni, and that’s a relationship that will continue [for you] after this [ceremony] — continue to be a part of this special place wherever life takes you.” 

This month’s Staff Feature shines a spotlight on Ana Hidalgo, who contributes to visual storytelling as a Communications Specialist II on the College of Sciences Marketing and Communications team. Ana is a proud UCF alumna with a Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Bachelor of Arts in Radio-Television Broadcasting.  

She recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Ecuador, where she explored the Amazon Rainforest, spent time with her family, and sampled incredible local cuisine.  

“Visiting the Amazon Rainforest was an incredible experience,” she says. “Meeting and learning from an Indigenous community in the Napo province and having the chance to see and photograph the region’s unique wildlife was truly inspiring. Not many people get to explore these somewhat remote places, so I feel very fortunate for the opportunity.” 

With a lifelong passion for wildlife conservation, she volunteers her time as an Advisory Board member of the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in Central Florida. Ana’s fondness for animals and nature is matched by her creative eye for photography and graphic design. Whether she's behind a camera lens or crafting visual stories for the College of Sciences, Ana brings creativity and a deep appreciation for the world around her to her work. 

“Working for the College of Sciences at UCF has only strengthened my passion for conservation,” Ana shares. “I have the opportunity to learn from so many experts in the sciences and share their stories with the world through photography and writing. It’s fulfilling to use my skills and creativity for a greater purpose.” 

The COS Staff Council helps to support, acknowledge, and celebrate the work of staff members, like Ana Hidalgo, who help ensure the College of Sciences delivers impact.

UCF RESTORES unveiled its groundbreaking Resiliency Command Center this month— a first-of-its-kind mobile behavioral health facility designed to provide a safe environment for evidence-based behavioral health care to first responders at the scenes of crises, including natural disasters, mass casualty events and line-of-duty tragedies. 

Supported by the Florida Legislature, the Florida Division of State Fire Marshal, Lockheed Martin and UCF, the mobile command center is equipped to deliver trauma-informed care and mental health resources to emergency responders statewide.  

UCF RESTORES Executive Director Deborah Beidel expressed her gratitude to the Florida Legislature, Lockheed Martin, Rice and the first responder community for their support in bringing UCF RESTORES’ vision to life. 

“We sincerely hope this unit is never needed, but the reality is that catastrophic events are beyond our control,” Beidel says. “What we can control is how we respond. With the UCF RESTORES Resiliency Command Center, we’re ensuring that when disaster strikes, the men and women who run toward danger have the resources they need for optimal physical and mental wellness.” 

Researchers from across the Florida university system, as well as other organizations connected to cognition, gathered at the University of Central Florida May 8 and 9 to discuss the latest research in the field and exchange ideas and advancements in neuroscience.    

The Florida Consortium on the Neurobiology of Cognition (FCNC) is an annual convening that provides opportunities for Florida researchers at all stages of their career to present their work. The overall aim of FCNC is to discover the fundamental brain mechanisms for cognition, which has the potential to transform education, technology, and brain health across the lifespan. Over the course of two days, the FCNC program included five sessions of panel speakers featuring researchers from Florida universities on topics of aging and cognition.

Nichole Lighthall, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Ph.D. Program in Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology at UCF gave introductory remarks 

“We are excited to host this incredibly important annual consortium here at our UCF campus for the first time,” says Lighthall. “It’s a unique opportunity to gather and meet new people as well as reconnect with colleagues you may not have seen in a while. Importantly, it’s a chance to learn about new discoveries and see what’s possible in the neurobiology of cognition. Thanks so much to everyone for being here to be a part of this event.”  

In the heart of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (ACNWR), a 34-acre stretch of conservation land, known as the Barrier Island Sanctuary, was renamed on April 26 in honor of the late biology professor Llewellyn “Doc” Ehrhart (1942–2022). This newly named sanctuary recognizes his groundbreaking research on sea turtle ecology and coastal conservation. 

Hosted by the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department’s Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program, in cooperation with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the ceremony took place in the sanctuary’s visitor center and featured the unveiling of a new roadside sign bearing Ehrhart’s name, followed by a reception celebrating his life’s work and lasting impact on marine wildlife and habitat conservation. 

An important part of Ehrhart’s legacy, the sea turtle nesting surveys, continues under the supervision of Kate Mansfield, professor of biology at UCF and director of the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group. 

“Ehrhart would have been thrilled with this honor. He loved the barrier island deeply. While he ended his career as a sea turtle biologist, he began studying small mammals — so he always saw the bigger picture beyond just the beach,” Mansfield says. “I’m excited to share the connection between Doc, our lab, and this coastal landscape with future graduate students and interns. I hope it inspires the next generation of conservation biologists and shows that conservation efforts can succeed.” 

Konstantin Vodopyanov, a professor at the College of Sciences and CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, recently co-authored a study published in the journal Optica. This research examines electro-optic sampling (EOS), a technique that advances fields such as quantum physics, molecular spectroscopy, and biomedical sensing. 

As a professor at the two colleges, Vodopyanov shows how working across different fields can lead to new ideas. The Optica Fellow’s research, which combines interdisciplinary work, is shaping the future of quantum physics and other areas of science. 

His new study explores how EOS transmits ultrashort laser pulses through crystals that change in response to an applied electric field. This technique allows researchers to accurately capture the shape and timing of electric fields across a broad range of frequencies.

UCF faculty members across the university marked a major achievement in earning promotions and tenure for the 2024-25 cycle. The promotions and tenure take effect Aug. 8 

The approved faculty underwent a comprehensive performance evaluation by peers, college and university leaders that took nearly one academic year. This includes 24 faculty from across the College of Sciences. 

“Earning promotion and tenure is a major career milestone for faculty. It reflects years of hard work, excellence, and outstanding contributions in teaching, research, and service,” says Michael D. Johnson, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.  “I’m proud of these faculty members and confident they will play a major role in advancing UCF’s future success.” 

This April, The India Center at UCF hosted its inaugural Distinguished Lecture, featuring Vivek Lall, Ph.D., Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation. In a conversation with Professor Jayanta Kapat, Pegasus Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER), Lall provided insights into the growing synergies between the United States and India in science and technology.  The public event welcomed UCF students, staff, and faculty, as well as members of industry and the Central Florida community. 

“Dr. Lall is a very impactful and influential voice in decision-making and policy circles not only in the U.S. but also in multilateral and global forums,” says Yogesh Joshi, Director of The India Center.  “From aerospace and defense to information technology, renewable energy, and healthcare, the potential for collaborative innovation is limitless. Dr. Lall’s extensive experience as Aerospace engineer, a corporate leader and a high impact policy maker, with integral links to both the United States and India allows him to provide a unique perspective on India-US technological cooperation.” 

Zachary Knauer (right) with Kerstin Hamman (left), Pegasus Professor & Senior Associate Dean in the College of Sciences, at his farewell party.  

The College of Sciences recently celebrated staff member Zack Knauer as he transitions to a new role at UCF in the Office of Faculty Excellence. Zack has served as an integral part of our team for over 12 years, serving as the Academic Support Services Manager for our faculty. Before joining the College of Sciences team, he spent many years as a musician in a band and brought that creativity and energy to his work.  

We look forward to seeing all the great things he will accomplish in his new role. 

Note: Faculty may write to COSFacultyServices@ucf.edu for helpful resources, materials, and information regarding faculty opportunities and programs. 

Florida Trend 

Located in east Orlando less than 50 miles from Kennedy Space Center’s launch complex, the University of Central Florida — also known by the moniker SpaceU — has long been recognized as a top supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industries and a hotspot for space research. Nearly 30% of KSC employees are UCF alumni — and over 60-plus years, UCF faculty and students have worked on about 700 NASA projects, with 40 active projects totaling more than $67 million in funding. 

Among them is the NASA Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) investigation. Spearheaded by UCF planetary scientists Kerry Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove, the $35-million mission scheduled for 2028 will send a robotic lander and rover to an unexplored region of the moon known as the Gruithuisen Domes. Scientists have long wondered what these volcanic features are made of and how they formed. The mission may also help us better understand how other planets, including the Earth, formed, and how to navigate the moon’s terrain. 

UCF faculty and researchers are also focusing on everything from space propulsion to aerospace medicine to simulating moon and Martian dirt. 

The actual term for that “dirt” is regolith — and regolith simulants, created by UCF’s Exolith Lab, are a hot commodity among companies that need them to test out how their landers, rovers and rockets will operate on the surface of the moon or Mars. Other researchers are using regolith simulants to learn how to farm in space and extract water, oxygen and other materials from the surface of the moon and Mars.  

Click Orlando 

Florida is no stranger to tragedy, and the people who protect us need protection, too. 

But until now, help wasn’t always there for first responders facing the emotional toll of their work. 

That changed this week as UCF RESTORES, a nationally recognized mental health program, unveiled its first-of-its-kind Resiliency Command Center at the University of Central Florida. 

“It’s long overdue. Because every day our first responders put themselves in dangerous situations to protect the rest of us, and we need to be there for them. So, this unit allows us to go where we are most needed, when we are most needed, and help them in their time of recovery,” said Dr. Deborah Beidel, director of UCF RESTORES. 

The program, supported by the Florida Legislature, the State Fire Marshal, Lockheed Martin and UCF, aims to fill a critical gap in emergency response. Until now, mental health support was often provided in makeshift spaces, lacking privacy and structure. The new command center features private consultation rooms for one-on-one counseling, staff quarters, and areas for first responders to rest and recover. 

Science Magazine 

This pioneering research delves into the intricacies of electro-optic sampling (EOS), an advanced technique that is rapidly transforming several scientific disciplines including quantum physics, molecular spectroscopy, and biomedical sensing. 

At the heart of Vodopyanov’s study is the transmission of ultrashort laser pulses through specially designed electro-optic crystals. These crystals exhibit dynamic refractive index changes in direct response to applied electric fields. This property enables EOS to act as a precise probe that can map the amplitude and phase of rapidly oscillating electromagnetic waves. Through these interactions, scientists gain the ability to capture the detailed time evolution of electric fields with extraordinary accuracy, spanning a broad frequency range from terahertz to mid-infrared and potentially beyond. 

His work not only advances the frontier of high-precision measurement but also solidifies the University of Central Florida’s position as a hub for cutting-edge discovery and technological leadership. 

Scientific American 

The only consistent thing about NASA’s VIPER lunar rover is that the road to the moon has been a rocky one. And now the space agency has nixed its attempt to find a commercial partner to launch VIPER moonward, leaving the nearly complete little space vehicle in a continued state of limbo. 

This is the second time NASA has nixed a lunar rover mission in recent years, says Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2018 NASA axed the Resource Prospector rover, which would have done similar exploration. 

VIPER could also answer basic science questions about the origin of the water on the moon, says UCF’s Metzger. It may have been part of the lunar core from the moment of its formation, or the water could have arrived with planetary dust or large impactors over time, among other possibilities. “Understanding those processes is crucial for understanding our solar system,” Metzger says. The answers could reveal more about how common water-rich bodies are in the galaxy and how many planets or moons might host life. 

Space 

Thanks to JWST, we've learned key details about methanol — a key building block for organic compounds necessary for life — on distant icy worlds. 

These ancient minor planets are called trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), and they date back to the formation of the solar system. 

Researchers participating in the Discovering the Surface Compositions of Trans-Neptunian Objects program, led by the University of Central Florida (UCF), recently studied these dim objects using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Their work has revealed new information about surface ice methanol — a key building block for organic compounds necessary for life, including sugars — on TNOs. 

"Methanol, a simple alcohol, has been found on comets and distant TNOs, hinting that it may be a primitive ingredient inherited from the early days of our solar system — or even from interstellar space," former UCF professor Noemí Pinilla-Alonso, who now works at Spain's University of Oviedo, said in a statement. 

“But methanol is more than just a leftover from the past," Pinilla-Alonso added. "When exposed to radiation, it transforms into new compounds, acting as a chemical time capsule that reveals how these icy worlds have evolved over billions of years." 

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