This month’s edition of the S.P.A.C.E. Newsletter marks the start of a new semester at UCF. We are pleased to welcome our students, faculty, and staff back to campus and hope you had a restful and enjoyable break. As we Charge On into the semester ahead, we look forward to another chapter of innovation, student success, and achievement, highlighting the research, learning experiences, and initiatives that continue to propel the College of Sciences to new heights.

Share your (or your student, colleague, or fellow alumni’s) research, achievements, and unique stories with our COS Marketing team by filling out the COS Submit News form on our website. We will review and consider possibilities for sharing news. Make sure to include any relevant links, files, and photos!

A UCF-led study found that American flamingos in Florida have strong genetic diversity and close connections to Caribbean and zoo-managed populations, supporting future conservation and potential reintroduction efforts.

Meet two students who say UCF inspired them to pursue scientific discovery and innovation to solve real-world problems in medicine and Florida’s coastal habitats. Michael Bassett wants to use his UCF engineering and medical training to create better surgical instruments, while Melissa Deinys, a graduating Knight, is helping save Florida’s mangroves. Both Florida natives, credit UCF with instilling in them a spirit of scientific discovery and a passion to use their love of science to help others.

Andres Käosaar is motivated in life by one simple truth: We are capable of doing more than we think we can. That philosophy has landed the UCF industrial and organizational psychology doctoral candidate on a mountain in the middle of a blizzard during an Arctic ski trip, encouraged him to complete 50-mile ultramarathons, and now take on his next big endeavor: rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.

UCF is breaking down barriers to STEM success with Math Launch, an accelerated program designed to prepare incoming students for Calculus I — the critical starting point for engineering, computer science and other science majors. 

By strengthening skills in algebra, trigonometry and pre-calculus, Math Launch enables students to become calculus-ready in just one semester through a boot camp-style course.

A team of UCF researchers and students recently earned a second-place finish in the National Algorithms for Threat Detection (ATD) 2025 Challenge. The contest pushes participants to develop advanced algorithmic solutions for large-scale, complex and often incomplete spatiotemporal datasets related to national security.

Under twinkling lights and spirited applause, the College of Sciences Scholarship Dinner gathered students, faculty and donors to celebrate academic achievement and the transformative power of philanthropy. The evening was more than a formal event — it was a testament to how financial support unlocks opportunity, fuels ambition and shapes futures across the university.

In two recent studies, UCF Assistant Professor Sarah Freidline and her collaborators analyzed fossil evidence from sites in eastern and northwestern Africa, uncovering new insights into human evolution dating back nearly 1.5 million years.

UCF Physics Professor Lauren McKeown and colleagues are studying a spider-like formation on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to understand how it formed and what it reveals about subsurface brine pools and potential habitability.

Pioneering UCF RESTORES Director Deborah Beidel of the College of Sciences is UCF’s 2025 Big 12 Faculty of the Year Award recipient. The annual honor highlights exceptional researchers, innovators and difference makers at each of the athletic conference’s 16 universities.

Professor Debashis Chanda (right), working with researchers including physics doctoral student Mahdi Soudi (left), created a smartphone-based biosensor to improve infectious disease detection. The platform provides a faster, more affordable option for communities with limited access to traditional diagnostics.

UCF and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recently joined together for the Educational Colloquium on Recent Advances in Forensic Sexual Assault Investigations, paired with a student open house that immersed attendees in both research and real-world forensic practice. The event highlighted UCF’s long-standing commitment to advancing forensic science and strengthening the pipeline between academic programs and the state’s crime laboratories.

UCF’s College of Sciences and its National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) are at the heart of the real science behind the real-life cases, along with the larger field that goes beyond criminal justice. Now, thanks to the work of UCF researchers, the field of forensic science around the world is receiving a massive boost of knowledge through the release of the “fantastic four” chemical standards; the four, hard biomaterials — nails, hair, bones and teeth — that provide a consistent and critical reference point for forensic anthropology and toxicology work.

As Kerry Knapp, Administrative Assistant III for the College of Sciences (COS) Advancement and Partnerships team, begins a new chapter at UCF, she reflects most fondly on the people and teamwork that defined her time in the College of Sciences. Working alongside creative, dedicated colleagues who supported one another, brainstormed bold ideas, and celebrated successes — both big and small — left a lasting personal and professional impact. 

Kerry started her UCF journey with the team when it consisted of just two development officers and grew alongside the unit as it expanded. Over the years, she became the go-to person for planning, project management, and has worked closely with the COS Dean’s Office to establish a consistent weekly stewardship process for donor gifts. One of her proudest accomplishments was helping transform Day of Giving from a small lunchtime effort into a full-day, collegewide celebration, resulting in the COS’ highest fundraising totals to date.

What Kerry enjoyed most was the opportunity to be creative and try new approaches to achieve shared goals. A favorite memory was the 2025 Day of Giving, themed Mission Control, which brought together COS teams through immersive decorations, events, and activities that made the day a standout success. 

Outside of work, she enjoys walking and exercising daily, cooking and trying new recipes, and serving as a Crew Leader for Scouts. This summer, she’ll travel to Scotland for the Blair Athol Jamborette alongside her granddaughter, who will be attending as a scout. 

Reflecting on her time with COS, Kerry shares, “The College of Sciences is not only the biggest college on campus but also has one of the biggest hearts.”

The Good Men Project 

Sea turtles live complex lives that have mostly gone unstudied and unobserved by human researchers. But new technology, including lightweight satellite transmitters as small as a thumb drive, is increasing the ability of scientists to tag and track the turtles at every stage of their development. The resulting data have upended several major assumptions and revealed details of the movements of these highly migratory marine reptiles — details that could support efforts to protect them.

Central Florida Health News 

AdventHealth has named Caitlin Lewis CEO of AdventHealth East Orlando, effective Feb. 2, 2026. Lewis has served as chief operating officer at AdventHealth East Orlando for the past three years. With more than 15 years of experience at AdventHealth, she has held a variety of leadership roles, beginning her career in human resources before transitioning into operational leadership. Lewis holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in health service administration from the University of Central Florida.

Bloomberg 

SpaceX’s eye-watering plans for a more than $30 billion initial public offering in 2026 revolve around raising capital for Elon Musk’s latest grand vision: putting a vast array of data centers into space. It sounds like a plan out of science fiction, but it’s not just Musk who envisions a future where data centers orbiting Earth do complex computing for artificial intelligence. “If you can just get a bulk launch license from the FAA and get a bulk constellation license from the FCC, that’s just two applications,” Phil Metzger, a research professor in planetary science and space technology at the University of Central Florida, said.

Smithsonian Magazine 

Octopuses and cuttlefish are sneaky sea creatures. To hide from predators and surprise prey, many can morph their skin’s color and texture to blend in with the surrounding environment. Humans have long wanted to replicate the quick-change ability in synthetic materials, which could help create better robotics or electronic displays.

Central Florida Public Media 

The beginning of January is peak New Year’s resolutions season. It’s a time when many swear off fast food. Then the resolution starts to crumble. To understand what research says about the reasons fresh starts around fast food often fail, Ty Matejowsky, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at UCF, joins Engage. He specializes in cultural anthropology and food studies.

The Invading Sea 

University of Central Florida researchers using genetic information say that, with intervention, depleted flamingo populations in Florida can recover. 

A study led by biology graduate student Jessica Folsom used genomic data in determining the flamingo population and its genetics in Florida and proposes strategies to restore the population. 

Researchers found that flamingos in Florida and around the Caribbean display few genetic differences, including those held in captivity.

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