As the Summer 2026 semester comes to a close, the College of Sciences (COS) community celebrates the accomplishments of our Knights while looking ahead to the opportunities of a new academic year. We congratulate our summer graduates as they reach this important milestone and prepare to take their next steps as alumni. With a new semester just around the corner, COS continues to welcome new opportunities for discovery, collaboration and growth.

This month’s featured stories highlight alumni making their mark in Hollywood, a professor’s trip to Uzbekistan opening global collaboration and Knights earning prestigious fellowships, showcasing the impactful research, achievements and initiatives happening across the college. Together, these stories reflect the dedication of our students, faculty, staff and alumni who continue to advance knowledge and make a difference across the globe.

Five College of Sciences students put their national security knowledge to the test and came out on top, earning first place at the inaugural International Security Strategy Competition hosted by the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute.

The team, composed of Jeffrey Betz, Bryan Fernandez, Amylyn Miller, Rebecca Richner and Cannon Wisley, competed against students from universities, military colleges and intelligence-focused programs from around the world. Their winning proposal, “The Frozen Frontier,” addressed emerging security challenges in the Arctic as climate change opens new trade routes and increases competition for strategic resources.

Chemistry doctoral student and Graduate Research Assistant Wilfredo Rivera Rodriguez has been selected for the prestigious GEM Fellowship, a nationally recognized graduate fellowship that supports students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields and helps develop future leaders in science and engineering.

For Rivera Rodriguez, receiving the fellowship represents both a major academic achievement and an important step toward a future career in radiochemistry and nuclear forensics research.

The GEM Fellowship provides financial support, mentorship, professional development opportunities and internships with industry partners and national laboratories. It also helps strengthen collaboration between universities, industry and government research institutions.

What does it take to study how some of the earliest galaxies in the universe evolved, develop cleaner energy technologies or better understand the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth? For a group of seven UCF graduate students and alums, it starts with curiosity and a willingness to explore the unknown.

Four College of Sciences students and alum have earned recognition through the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). One of the nation’s most competitive honors, the fellowship supports students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM fields while helping develop the next generation of innovators and scientific leaders.

For Stephen Gordon Walker '12, success in the entertainment industry begins with embracing what makes you different.

After graduating from the then-named Nicholson School of Communication’s TV production program in 2012, Walker spent more than 15 years building a career across television production, live entertainment and artist management before launching WalkTheWalk Talent in Los Angeles in 2023. Today, the company represents comedians, musicians, actors, writers and producers while helping clients grow their careers through live touring, digital media, publishing, brand partnerships as well as TV and film production.

Through the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, UCF physicist Han Zhao is developing a new method for stabilizing quantum operations that could help make future quantum computers more reliable.

Quantum computers could one day solve problems beyond the reach of even the world’s most powerful supercomputers, accelerating everything from drug discovery to the development of advanced materials and cleaner energy technologies.

To help address the challenge of fragile quantum states, the assistant professor of physics is developing a new approach that combines superconducting quantum systems with nanomechanical devices to make quantum operations more resistant to noise and errors.

As an industrial-organizational psychologist, Professor of Psychology Mark Ehrhart studies how leadership, workplace culture and organizational systems influence whether evidence-based practices are successfully implemented. That expertise brought him to Malawi, where he helped lead a yearlong initiative to strengthen leadership in district hospitals.

The ALIGN project began after researchers at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill identified leadership as one of the biggest barriers to implementing mental health screening programs in Malawi’s healthcare system. Although clinics were working to integrate depression and anxiety screenings into routine medical care, many lacked the organizational systems needed to support those efforts.

In partnership with researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, Ehrhart and his colleagues at the University of California, San Diego adapted their leadership intervention called Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) for Malawi’s healthcare system.

UCF researchers are known worldwide for their innovative studies, groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to patented technologies that have impacted society and influenced other leaders in the field.

Two College of Engineering and Computer Science professors and a three-time College of Sciences alum-turned-courtesy faculty appointee are now being recognized for their achievements that have advanced the quality of life for the state of Florida and the nation.

Professors Reza Abdolvand and Ni-bin Chang and Lockheed Martin Fellow Clara Rivero Baleine ’01 ’03MS ’05PhD have been named 2026 inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame (FIHF). This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

When Hsin-Hsiung “Bill” Huang, professor of statistics and data science, traveled to Uzbekistan this spring as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, the visit represented far more than a short-term teaching appointment. The project created new opportunities for international collaboration, expanded UCF’s visibility in emerging areas of artificial intelligence and data science and strengthened the university’s role in global academic engagement.

Hosted by Al-Khwarazmi University from April 20 to May 29, 2026, the Fulbright Specialist project, “Machine Learning and Advanced Filtering Techniques,” focused on machine learning, data science, statistics, Python computing, reproducible research and advanced computational methods. Through lectures, workshops, computer lab sessions, mentoring and faculty discussions, Huang worked directly with students and faculty eager to strengthen AKHU’s growing capacity in artificial intelligence and data science.

Carlentz Gilot is a fourth-year Aerospace Engineering student at UCF who supports the College of Sciences community as a Front Desk Assistant. In his role, he helps with events, answers questions and manages the front desk, serving as a welcoming resource for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

What he enjoys most about his position is the opportunity to interact with staff and find new ways to be helpful. Whether answering questions, covering the front desk or assisting with event setup, he appreciates that each day brings new experiences and opportunities to contribute. As one of the first points of contact for many students and visitors, he takes pride in helping create a positive and welcoming environment.

One of his favorite memories from his time with the College of Sciences was when the entire front desk team came together at the end of the year to celebrate their accomplishments. The gathering was a great opportunity to reflect on the team’s hard work and enjoy time together outside their daily responsibilities.

Outside of work, Carlentz enjoys weightlifting, playing basketball and learning about personal finance. He is also passionate about aviation, which inspired his decision to pursue Aerospace Engineering and continues to be an interest he explores both inside and outside the classroom.

Florida Politics 

College student Ashley LaFlamme had been studying the Troubles when she got an opportunity to see history firsthand.

She was one of the University of Central Florida students who recently returned from an eight-day trip through the school’s new Conflict Transformation Program to learn more about Northern Ireland’s peace.

“Being in person and seeing the neighborhoods where this historical event was happening … it makes what you’ve learned real,” said LaFlamme, 19, a rising junior from Longwood. “That is a whole other level than just sitting in a classroom and learning about something.

Quantum Insider 

Quantum computers could one day solve problems beyond the reach of even the world’s most powerful supercomputers, accelerating everything from drug discovery to the development of advanced materials and cleaner energy technologies.

Assistant Professor Han Zhao is developing a new method that uses tiny mechanical vibrations and superconducting systems to make quantum operations more resistant to noise and errors, addressing one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing.

The project is supported through the highly competitive Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award program, which provides seed funding to early-career faculty conducting research in science and engineering. The funding supports graduate student research and the acquisition of specialized superconducting quantum hardware used in the experiments. The project will also leverage UCF’s nanofabrication facilities and quantum research infrastructure, including advanced waveform control systems and superconducting quantum hardware.

Click Orlando 

A new forensic training and research lab has opened in Lake Nona, giving University of Central Florida students a chance to learn alongside working Florida Department of Law Enforcement scientists while supporting research into emerging substances.

FDLE and UCF leaders said the space is the first co-located lab of its kind in Florida, designed to better prepare forensic science students for careers in crime labs and related fields.

FDLE leaders said the additional space is expected to strengthen law enforcement support by allowing more capacity for casework and staffing.

“It allows us to expand,” said Jason Bundy, FDLE’s assistant commissioner. “We’ve been quite restricted on space and forensics for quite some time. And this expansion allows us to do more work and add more people into our ranks."

FDLE’s Orlando forensic lab processes about 10,000 cases each year. Officials said the new Lake Nona lab will create more opportunities for students to gain experience while helping move investigations forward.

Office of Inspector General 

Securing America’s future in space requires protecting vital assets on Earth and in orbit, while also pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. Former NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) SkillBridge Fellow and College of Sciences alumnus, Arthur “AJ” Thibert has forged a unique career at this intersection, merging national defense and data analytics. As a former scientist, he’s a critical thinker with a knack for translating complex research findings into actionable insights. As a U.S. Air Force and Space Force veteran, he’s adept at leading intelligence teams that support vital aerospace and satellite operations. Today, he’s combining his technical skills and military acumen to help the Navy chart another frontier: the depths of the ocean.

As a civilian data analyst at the Naval Oceanographic Office, he gathers data about global seas to help the Navy operate safely and effectively. He uses tools like Python and ArcGIS to manage these vast data collections, performing quality control assessments and ensuring the Navy has accurate, easily retrievable marine data for its daily operations. Even now, he’s not too far from NASA—the Naval Oceanographic Office shares a campus with Stennis Space Center.

Florida Today 

Shielded by white protective suits and powered air-purifying respirators, four college students dug into dusty, sharp-edged simulated moon soil amid the otherworldly environment of the University of Central Florida's Regolith Bin.

This airlock-equipped 10-by-10-meter enclosure at UCF's Exolith Lab serves as a rare space-hardware test bed where researchers can help refine NASA's vision of building humanity's first lunar base near the moon's south pole from ground level.

Jared Long-Fox, a UCF planetary exploration research scientist, said simulated moon regolith feels like flour to the touch — but this material proves extremely abrasive.

"We live in this oxygen-poisoned, water-saturated environment that exists nowhere else in the solar system. And so, trying to apply Earth-logic and Earth-understanding to places like the moon and Mars will just get you into trouble. You'll just fail," said Dan Britt, UCF's Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences.

Fox35 Orlando 

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Wednesday he is launching an investigation into former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci after Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a U.S. Senate hearing on the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Hanley, a political science lecturer at the University of Central Florida, said witnesses who invoke the Fifth Amendment generally must do so consistently throughout questioning because selectively answering questions could expose them to perjury or other legal risks, including potential state prosecutions not covered by a federal pardon. Hanley also said lawmakers appeared prepared to ask numerous questions that would require Fauci to repeatedly invoke the Fifth Amendment.

Orlando Sentinel  

In a flash of curled tails, mottled stripes and neon scales, invasive lizards are moving into Central Florida. And they’re here to stay.

Experts worry about potential ecological domino effects, as the intruders often compete with or eat native species and throw ecosystems off balance. Invasive lizards can also cause electrical or plumbing problems by crawling into manmade systems, and they can carry diseases like malaria and salmonella, said Matthew Atkinson, a herpetologist at UCF.

“There are some human-level impacts to this, from just kind of an ornamental perspective, just kind of a nuisance perspective, as well as some potential health risks,” Atkinson said.

Warmer winters have likely spurred their spread to the area, he said, and more species could be on their way. Most of the lizards are tropical and thrive in a built environment where they can bask in the sun one second and dart off to hide the next.

Launch your career to new heights by joining the UCF Grad Fair, hosted by the College of Graduate Studies. Explore graduate degree opportunities, connect with faculty and program representatives, and discover the next step in your academic journey. Graduate programs and departments are invited to participate and showcase what makes their programs unique.

Students who are interested in furthering their education can register to attend here.

Graduate programs and departments that are interested in hosting a table can register here by August 10, 2026.

Share your research, achievements, and unique stories (or those of a student, colleague, or fellow alum) with the COS Marketing team. Our team will review each submission and explore opportunities to feature your news. Be sure to include any relevant links, files, and photos to help us tell your story.

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