been studying the effects of space on the health of astronauts for years, she’s determined to increase inclusion and access to health-related space research.
As 2022 nears its end, our annual Rhines Report magazine is an opportunity to reflect on a year of success and change on our campus. While we can’t possibly feature every achievement of our outstanding students, staff and faculty, we have selected a few notable ones to highlight.
In this issue’s cover story, get to know Angelika Neitzel, Ph.D., our newest faculty member, and holder of the Rhines Rising Star Robert DeHoff Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering Dr. Neitzel, whose research expertise includes polymer synthesis and characterization, including understanding polymerization kinetics and its associated mechanisms, will join us on campus in January.
It was another exceptional year for research in the department. The Nuclear Engineering Program earned over $2.5 million in Nuclear Energy University Program awards, and Erika Moore, Ph.D., received the prestigious NIH Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award for her groundbreaking biomaterials work exploring the connections between one’s ancestry and how it affects wound healing and the role of the immune system in regenerative engineering.
Ryan Need, Ph.D., earned an NSF CAREER Award for their research in developing the next generation of data storage and information processing technology. Tori Miller, Ph.D., will use her DARPA Award to develop laser processes that will enable astronauts to manufacture parts while in orbit.
In an effort to elevate and support diverse communities in space health research, Josephine Allen, Ph.D., in collaboration with NASA and the Translational Research Institute for Space Health is working to address the lack of diversity in the space biology community. As a researcher who has
In engineering, the demand for AI skills is not likely to wane, and Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., is leading multiple K-12 engineering education initiatives around the state of Florida to develop the teachers and the students to help fill those expected STEM needs.
Also in this issue, a remarkable alumni spotlight story featuring Branimir “Ben” Botic (M.S. ’71, MSE), whose generous donations to the department this year established the Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways Fund.
And, as always, thank you for your continued generosity and support for the department’s students, faculty and staff. To keep up with all the department’s news, stories and events, please connect with us on our social media channels!
Dear alumni, colleagues and friends,Michele MSE.UFL @UFMSE @UFMSE
Erika Moore, Ph.D., Rhines Rising Star Larry Hench Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, has received the prestigious National Institutes of Health Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Dr. Moore and her team will use the
clinical wound healing, we do not understand how it influences cell function or cell-to-cell communication in the wound response,” Dr. Moore said. “We want to learn exactly how ancestry informs differences at the cellular level.”
five-year, $1.85 million award to address critical gaps in understanding the relationship between ancestry and cell responses in wound healing. In the long term, this research will lead to biomaterial models of health disparities for the improved identification of wound healing risks and outcomes.
Compared to people of European ancestry, people of African ancestry are more likely to develop excessive scar tissue, or keloids, as wounds heal. An individual’s ancestral background also dictates fibrosis and chronic inflammation.
“While we know ancestry influences
Erika Moore, Ph.D.
between patients of different selfidentified ancestry, e.g., those of African vs. European background, Dr. Moore’s preliminary data demonstrate differences in the genes expressed in each person’s immune cells. To identify ancestral components beyond selfidentification, her team of researchers will also investigate genetic ancestry and sociocultural factors to quantify ancestry.
“To determine how each ancestral component influences cell function, we will conduct RNA sequencing and proteomic methodologies in tandem with mechanistic inhibitors to assess cell function differences in monocytes
“WE WANT TO LEARN EXACTLY HOW ANCESTRY INFORMS THESE DIFFERENCES IN THE CELLULAR RESPONSE TO A WOUND.”
Erika Moore, Ph.D.
and progenitor stem cells,” Dr. Moore said.
While African ancestry can correlate with elevated scar formation, previous clinical studies do not provide mechanistic insights into the cellular interactions occurring within a wound.
“We’ll address this data shortfall by using biomaterials to replicate a wound environment,” Dr. Moore said. “Injury responses necessitate cellto-cell communication, and using biomaterial models to simulate a wound environment will allow us to assess how ancestry influences that communication in these conditions.”
MIRA awards are intended to provide investigators with greater stability and flexibility in funding, while enhancing their ability to take on ambitious scientific projects and approach problems more creatively.
“We are so excited and honored to be chosen for this MIRA award,” Dr. Moore said. “It moves our work towards the promise of personalized medicine, pushing the intersection of lived experiences and clinical outcomes by allowing us to answer how one’s ancestry contributes to differences in how wounds heal.”
Erika Moore, Ph.D., is the first Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering faculty member to be selected for the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (NTFA).
The 3M NTFA was created over 25 years ago and recognizes outstanding young faculty who excel in STEM research while demonstrating academic leadership. The award is intended to help them achieve tenure, remain in their teaching positions and conduct research. Awardees are nominated by 3M researchers.
“I’ve recently become familiar with Dr. Moore’s work at the intersection of biomaterials science and immunology. I also attended her February 3M Tech Forum seminar, during which I learned more about the research focus of her lab and current projects,” said Federica Sgolastra, Ph.D., Sr. Technical Supervisor of Biosciences at 3M and one of Dr. Moore’s nominators. “I was highly impressed by how much she had already accomplished in such a short time.
“Her focus on the areas of inflammation responses as well as model systems of macrophages that can simulate the M1 to M2 transitions represent a critical area of understanding the body’s response to damage, stimulus and ultimately healing. As a global leader in wound care, 3M has always been devoted to research and development to improve existing products and introduce new technologies through innovation. Dr. Moore’s work is well-aligned with the mission of 3M Health Care to identify new therapeutic targets in wound care.”
“It is a true honor to be nominated and awarded the 3M Non-Tenure Faculty Award by the 3MBiosciences Division,” Dr. Moore said. “As the first UF engineering faculty member to receive this award, it’s wonderful to connect my group’s work to 3M and further our research in understanding wound healing through immune cell manipulation.”
The award provides a discretionary research fund of $15,000 per year for up to three years to support Dr. Moore’s research.
“The Moore Lab is focused on developing preclinical models to investigate macrophage biology,” Dr. Moore said. “We’re also designing new materials to inform macrophage function and plan on leveraging in vivo animal models to assess our ability to manipulate the wound healing cascade.”
Since starting the lab in July 2020, Dr. Moore also received the Space Research Initiative grant and the National Institute of Health KL2 Scholar award, was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, selected as a Keystone Fellow and invited to speak at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
“The support from the 3M NTFA will enable flexibility in designing preclinical models, working towards the integration of personalized medicine and isolating immune cell contribution to tissue repair,” Dr. Moore said. “I am deeply grateful to have been selected!”
Douglas Spearot, Ph.D., professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and principal investigator, and Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D., associate professor of MSE, are collaborating on an $800,000 NEUP study investigating neutron irradiation-induced embrittlement in nuclear reactor pressure vessels. Along with scientists from the University of Wisconsin and Los Alamos and Idaho National Laboratories, they are working to predict the operating lifespan of nuclear reactors more accurately.
The materials that make up a nuclear reactor are exposed to some of the harshest environments on Earth. The combination of radiation, high temperatures and stress creates an environment that can harden and embrittle pressure vessel steels, potentially weakening the structure. The U.S. has the largest number of operating reactors in the world, which provide over half of the country’s clean energy. With the average age of our nuclear plants approaching four decades of operation, wear and tear on the major components inevitably comes into play.
“It’s one of the major concerns for extending the service life of the existing reactor fleet. Unfortunately, we do not fully grasp the mechanisms responsible for hardening and embrittlement,”
Dr. Aitkaliyeva said. “We don’t have a lot of experimental data for materials being irradiated to high fluences, which accurately represent conditions a reactor pressure vessel experiences during its lifetime of use.”
Dr. Aitkaliyeva said that the combination of talent and the state-of-the-art tools not available at other institutions constitute a distinct scientific advantage for their group’s research.
“Our project is unique because it allows us to approach the problem using both experimental and modeling data, where each will provide impactful results,” Dr. Aitkaliyeva said. “Experimentally, we deal with highly radioactive specimens and perform microstructural characterization of material irradiated to high fluences. This data has been a knowledge bottleneck in the past because we simply did not have the information. Fortunately, with our Nuclear Fuels and Materials Characterization
facility and direct connections to national labs, we are well-positioned to tackle this.”
The modeling team enables the group to work at two different length scales, allowing them to establish a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that drive the problem and couple it with their experimental efforts.
“At the atomistic length scale, our partner at the University of Wisconsin will conduct simulations to understand how Mn-Ni rich precipitates (MNPs) form in the neighborhood of dislocations in steel,” Dr. Spearot said. “This information will be important as input to simulations at the mesoscale where my group, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, will be conducting discrete dislocation dynamics simulations to predict yield strength in the presence of MNPs. Collectively, our goal is to understand and predict the role of MNP distribution on steel hardening and embrittlement.”
As nuclear power plants age, reactor vessels are not the only elements falling under analysis. In 2010, the Department of Energy established the Light Water Reactor
“WE DON’T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIMENTAL DATA FOR MATERIALS BEING IRRADIATED TO HIGH FLUENCES, WHICH ACCURATELY REPRESENT CONDITIONS A REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL EXPERIENCES DURING ITS LIFETIME OF USE.”
Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D.
Sustainability (LWRS) program to help preserve the safety of and extend the operation of these facilities far beyond the 40 years they were expected to last. Under initiatives such as these, virtually every component, from cabling to concrete, is regularly monitored and inspected for signs of integrity loss. As a result, multiple nuclear plants around the country are now licensed to operate for up to 80 years.
Dr. Aitkaliyeva and the team’s research will help further enhance the safety and longevity of nuclear plants, thus helping safeguard a significant part of our country’s clean energy future.
Michael Tonks, Ph.D., Alumni Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, and his research team are using their $692,088 award to improve the alloy corrosion modeling software program known as Yellowjacket, a platform first developed by Dr. Tonks in 2018 and used in the design of molten salt reactors (MSRs).
“MSRs are one of latest nuclear reactor concepts, and utilize extremely hot, liquidized salt as fuel instead of traditional solid pellets or rods,” said Dr. Tonks. “The molten salt acts as both fuel and coolant for the reactor, and it’s an innovative technology with the potential to make nuclear power even safer and more efficient. But, as with nearly any material that is in constant contact with salt, corrosion is a primary concern.”
Upgrading Yellowjacket to include the impact of stress and irradiation
“IN THE LONG TERM, WE’RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND THE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS OF NUCLEAR POWER. ANY TIME A NUCLEAR REACTOR IS SHUT DOWN FOR REFUELING, IT’S LOSING MONEY.”
Justin Watson, Ph.D.
will improve the team’s ability to predict the microstructure changes caused by alloy corrosion due to molten salt. They can then validate the improvements by comparing the outcomes to new experimental data.
burnup Uranium Dioxide (UO2) and accident tolerant fuels (ATFs) during transient conditions.
University of Florida Training Reactor (UFTR) Director Donald Wall, Ph.D., received a $282,000 award for infrastructure upgrades. The UFTR will acquire an upgraded, automated pneumatic sample transfer system to move samples into the reactor for irradiation and then back to the laboratories.
“The samples will be inside small shuttles that resemble miniature versions of what you use at a bank drive-through,” said Dr. Wall. “The purpose is to transfer them quickly from the lab to the reactor and back, in a very direct way.”
The new format also minimizes physical contact with the samples. “This kind of system allows us to handle a larger number of samples quickly and precisely and will also enable us to complete experiments that are time-sensitive,” added Dr. Wall. “The way we currently transfer samples is already safe, of course. This pneumatic upgrade enlarges the experimental capability of the entire facility.”
Justin Watson, Ph.D., associate professor, received an $800,000 award to help develop a high-fidelity modeling tool that can capture some of the critical phenomena in high
ATFs are a combination of new fuel and cladding designs that improve the safety and performance of the fuel during normal operation and severe accident conditions. Due to these performance increases, these new ATFs can potentially have higher burnups than traditional fuel. There is currently little data on the performance and structure of high burnup UO2 fuel and ATFs under transient (or accident) conditions. Dr. Watson’s research will use existing data and the experimental results from the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at the Idaho National Laboratory to improve the mechanical behavior of nuclear fuel. With improved computational models available, he can analyze and quantify the safety of these fuels and improve on the codes that predict fuel behavior at high burnup conditions.
“In the long term, we’re looking to improve the safety and the economic competitiveness of nuclear power,” said Dr. Watson.
“ATF designs use new materials that can reduce hydrogen buildup, have better fission product retention and improved structural integrity in high radiation and temperature environments. All these factors have an overall effect on improving the safety of the current and future nuclear fleet. ATF design also improves how the fuel reacts during severe accidents. This performance improvement could lead to longer cycle lengths for nuclear reactors. Any time a nuclear reactor is shut down for refueling, it’s losing money.”
Angelika Neitzel, Ph.D., will join the University of Florida Department of Materials Science & Engineering as the Rhines Rising Star Robert DeHoff Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering in January 2023.
Dr. Neitzel’s areas of research expertise include monomer and polymer synthesis, sustainable plastics, and the physics of oppositely charged polymer complexes.
Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Neitzel moved to the United States soon after she finished high school.
“After graduating high school, I was unsure what I wanted to do. I had an interest in nutrition but felt like I had no background to help me critically evaluate which dietary advice was grounded in reliable science,” Dr. Neitzel said. “There are no scientists in my family, so it never occurred to me that I could or would even want to be a scientist, let alone an engineer.”
To help build up her knowledge base, Dr. Neitzel enrolled in some introductory physics and chemistry courses at a local community college in Minneapolis. After completing those courses, she transferred to the University of Minnesota to continue her studies.
“Once I took organic chemistry, I knew I wanted to be a chemist,” Dr. Neitzel said.
She earned a bachelor’s in chemistry, but following an unfulfilling stint in graduate school, Dr. Neitzel returned to Minneapolis to reevaluate her career path.
“I didn’t even know what materials science was until after I left graduate school,” Dr. Neitzel said. “I researched biomedical engineering, pharmacology and pharmaceutics. Eventually, I realized that pursuing polymer science would make the most sense considering my expertise in organic chemistry.”
This path eventually led Dr. Neitzel to materials science with a focus on polymers, which allowed her to continue working as a synthetic chemist making macromolecules rather than small molecules.
While Dr. Neitzel’s path to studying materials science may have taken a few twists and turns, her zeal for teaching is rooted in childhood. There may not have been any engineers in her family, but Dr. Neitzel’s parents are also academics.
“My dad was a professor of classical philology, and my mom earned a doctorate in the same area,” Dr. Neitzel said. “I practically grew up in a library, with all available surfaces in our house covered in books. My parents are great teachers and extremely passionate about learning and sharing their enthusiasm for a subject with other people.”
Every time I teach a student in the lab, I learn something new. The fact that I’m constantly learning new things is extremely satisfying and keeps me interested.”
“With much enthusiasm, we look forward to Dr. Neitzel joining our department and the Gator nation, where she will continue the grand tradition of excellence in thermodynamics and polymeric materials, both of which are ingrained in our department’s history,” Michele Manuel, Ph.D., department chair, said. “Furthermore, her focus on sustainability, an area of intense interest to the global community and especially the next generation of students, will add a new, forwardthinking dimension to our program.”
Dr. Neitzel is eager to get started in both the classroom and the lab.
“My vision is to create a worldrenowned polymer science program here at UF and to establish strong connections with other polymer scientists in the chemical engineering and chemistry departments,” Dr. Neitzel said. “I want to build a dynamic and diverse team that will make valuable contributions to our understanding of the self-assembly and phase behavior of charged polymers and to use this in the development of advanced materials that will be of relevance to human health and sustainability.”
Welcome to UF, Dr. Neitzel!
The National Academy of Engineering has elected Michele Manuel, Ph.D., to join the organization’s ranks, among the highest professional honors in engineering for those who have distinguished themselves in academia, private industry or government agencies.
Dr. Manuel was recognized for her research, implementation and teaching involving dissolving medical implants for surgery as well as self-healing metals and lightweight, highperformance alloys.
In the airline and aerospace industries, as an example, she contributed to the development of self-repairing metals that mend cracks caused by stress and fatigue without the need for skilled technicians or direct contact. Traditionally, the airline industry relies heavily on metallic materials, such as aluminum alloys, that can crack or even fail under the physical stress of frequent reloading. Repairing these fissures typically
requires additional materials, an expert in repair techniques or even the replacement of entire components of the air or spacecraft. The self-repairing alloys are also more robust than the traditional repair technology.
Manuel received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida and a Ph.D. at Northwestern University, both in materials science and engineering. She then worked for NASA and General Motors Corp. before joining UF Materials Science and Engineering faculty as an assistant professor in 2008. In 2017, she was appointed as the first woman and person of color to hold the position of department chair in the department’s 60 plus-year history.
“Dr. Manuel is emblematic of the New Engineer who emerges from our college. Her research has given NASA and other industries game-changing technology and her leadership as chair of our department of Materials Science and Engineering lends immeasurable inspiration to our Gator Engineering students and graduates,” said Cammy Abernathy, Ph.D., dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. “We’re honored to share the news of this well-deserved accolade. Congratulations, Michele!”
BOOKS, TUITION, RENT, FOOD – THE EXPENSES OF HIGHER EDUCATION CAN ADD UP QUICKLY, AND SCHOLARSHIPS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS ON THEIR AWARDS.
Alan M. Jacobs Memorial Scholarship
Madison Bushloper Kervin CossFlores Jacob Hunt Tyler Mark
James E. Swander Memorial Scholarship
Emily Kwapis Kyle Latty
N.L. Griesheimer Memorial Scholarship
Kaylee Cunningham Caitlin Martin
Ohanian Scholarship
Paul McIntyre Claudia TaricheFortes
Roberto Pagano Memorial Scholarship
Jonathan Arnaud
Virginia Lucas
Mitchell Mika Seth Netterstrom Aileen Sarceno
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Kaylee Cunningham
F.N. Rhines and W.R. Tarr Scholarship Charles D’Ambra Shornam Gandhi Dominick Sylvia Garrett Toenjes
Jonathan Hack Memorial Scholarship for Materials Science Danielle Alverson Yuan Liu Nagarajan Rajagopal
Richard G. Connell Scholarship Alexander Bordas Noah Caracuel Miles Kendall
Robert David Adamson Scholarship
Ashley Baringer Mauricio Ceballos Noah Molko Kade Nelson Jason Schibler Julinna Villarta
Robert E. Reed-Hill Scholarship
Gavin Latham Vaness Ritota Peter Toma
Vladimir Grodsky Memorial Fund Scholarship Mitchell Shields
Wolf Research Fund Nagarajan Rajagopal
Tori Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor, received an award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop advanced laser sheet metal forming technology to enable metal fabrication in space. With a goal of deploying robotic assembly technology on spacecraft for onboard part manufacturing capabilities, the five-year, $1.08 million study will help bypass the size constraints and costs of manufacturing large space systems on Earth.
Currently, virtually everything that goes into space, such as telescopes and solar arrays, must be built prior to launch, with size, weight and durability all factoring into (and limiting) design and production. With laser forming capabilities on board, the astronauts of tomorrow can manufacture and
deploy the needed parts and equipment that will benefit multiple types of space missions, including astronomy, Earth observation, space exploration, telecommunications and national security.
Usable space on an orbiting vessel is at a premium, so any onboard manufacturing system must be designed with both size and task flexibility in mind. One proposed solution could be additive manufacturing or 3D printing, but it is unsuitable for printing the thin-walled parts that make up most spacecraft structures.
Laser sheet metal forming, a technique that uses laser-induced thermal distortion to help shape parts from sheet metal without the need for tools or other external forces, is an alternative manufacturing strategy. It’s also more adaptable to the types of structures that need to be built on-site while in space.
“Laser sheet metal forming is an ideal manufacturing technology for an orbiting spacecraft,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s fast, flexible, and can cut, form and potentially weld a wide range of materials, including metals, ceramics and semiconductors. Unfortunately, one major issue with laser forming is the same problem with additive manufacturing: while complex geometries can routinely be achieved with extreme precision, the material’s final properties can’t be accurately predicted. As a result of that uncertainty, laser-formed components typically cannot be put into engineering service – particularly onboard a spacecraft.”
Tori Miller, Ph.D.
However, Dr. Miller’s approach to implementing laser forming technology differs from previous attempts. In the past, laser forming was approached primarily from a controls or systems engineering standpoint. In her research, Dr. Miller addresses it as a metallurgical engineer focusing on the material’s evolution during its thermomechanical processing.
“Nearly all previous research treated material parameters such as yield strength and grain size as isotropic constants which would not change during the laser forming process - even as the material is subjected to tens or hundreds of local laser passes,” Dr. Miller said. “In some experiments, the material parameters were treated as unchanging even as the bend region was partially melted.”
Dr. Miller proposes an innovative modeling strategy: incorporating the time- and temperature-dependent evolution of material parameters based on local state variables into more conventional finite element method and machine learning modeling approaches.
“These material-process models will enable laser-forming technology to have an unprecedented level of simultaneous control over geometry and mechanical properties,” Dr. Miller said. “For example, the model would help us predict the impact that heat from a repair would have on surrounding structural components.”
Read the full story on our website.
Ryan Need, Ph.D., assistant professor, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. As one of NSF’s most prestigious honors, CAREER Awards recognize junior faculty who possess the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Dr. Need’s research will create new measurement capabilities and knowledge in the field of nanoscale ion diffusion.
Traditionally, computers have relied on electronic technologies (moving electrons back and forth between different materials) for information storage and data processing tasks. However, new technologies are now emerging that move oxygen ions in and out of ceramic thin films to alter their chemistry, and in turn, change their properties, like electrical resistance or magnetism, to enable faster and more efficient computing.
By engineering the vacancies in the atomic structure of transition metal oxides, e.g., iron oxide or cobalt oxide, as a pathway for oxygen ions to move between materials, Dr. Need and their team hope to span the gaps between the existing ionic and electronic technologies to create something brand new.
“It’s sometimes referred to as ‘ionotronics’ or ‘ion-tronics,’ and has immense potential for the next generation of information storage and processing technology,” Dr. Need said.
The expected advantages of this approach include greater energy efficiency, longer information storage lifetimes and the ability to support new computing paradigms like quantum computing.
“Unfortunately,” Dr. Need said, “the inherent challenge of making accurate measurements of oxygen diffusion in these nanoscale thin films creates a bottleneck in our ability to understand how different materials and interfaces might help or hamper oxygen ion movement at such small scales.”
Dr. Need’s research addresses that measurement challenge by developing a new technique based on X-ray and neutron scattering to accurately calculate oxygen migration through stacks of different thin films.
Ryan Need, Ph.D.
“From that data, we can extract information about the oxygen migration barriers created by each layer and also the interfaces between them,” they said. “We can then use this insight to design technologies based on ion motion with the same precision that enables silicon-based electronics today.”
In addition to the research, the CAREER award also supports an educational outreach component to provide low-cost activity kits and free training videos to help K-12 teachers introduce students to materials science concepts. Free, online videos will complement these kits to reinforce the concepts learned and connect them back to the ongoing research.
“Experiences like this help create a pipeline of enthusiastic young scientists with an early knowledge of materials science principles and ideas about how they can use them to create greener technologies for the future,” Dr. Need said.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the future of employment in this country is firmly anchored in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a skill is foremost in demand within STEM and the University of Florida wants to ensure that the state’s K-12 students and teachers are ready to lead the way right from the start.
With that forecast in mind, Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., instructional associate professor, is leading multiple K-12 engineering education initiatives to develop the teachers and the students to help fill those prospective job openings.
An Okaloosa County AI-Gulf Triumph Foundation Grant award of $798,000 will support creating an AI, machine learning (ML) and data science program for K-12 schools within the Okaloosa County school district. It will also assist
in creating an AI/ML/Data Science pathway for its students.
Additionally, an AI Foundations Framework Professional Development Model award of $409,000 will support creating and implementing a professional development track to teachers across Florida to administer the state’s AI Framework in their
credentials,” Dr. Ruzycki said. “The AI Frameworks grant will help high school teachers learn how to implement AI in the classroom with a 40-hour summer boot camp on AI principles and practices, one-on-one coaching and follow-up professional development programs.”
classrooms. It will also prepare them with the pedagogical knowledge necessary to teach the course content effectively.
“Both of the projects we’re working on fit under the larger umbrella goal of UF’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academic Initiative Center to provide wraparound services to the state for AI skills, knowledge, practices and applications,” Dr. Ruzycki said. “We’re developing the networks to connect Florida’s teachers and students with the innovative workforce needs of the future and developing the teaching pedagogy and professional development resources to put educators in the best position to help do that.
“In Okaloosa County, we’re developing a high school-level program focusing on computational programming, data science fundamentals and machine learning that will also provide curriculum modules for the courses and avenues for teachers to earn industry
Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D.segments for the AI Frameworks program and the Okaloosa Triumph Gulf Foundation award will use the researchbased, highly successful EQuIPD grant’s professional development model as its design base.
EQuIPD uses a system thinking and design engineering framework and pedagogical practices that support conceptual model development in students. The program also prepares teachers to create relevant, engaged, collaborative and technology-enhanced lessons to help students acquire the skills and knowledge needed for complex content.
“We are extremely excited to work with the Florida Career and Technical Education Division and Okaloosa Public Schools on the development and implementation of AI and Data Science Frameworks to provide students with an avenue to the cutting-edge careers of the future,” Dr. Ruzycki said.
“WE’RE DEVELOPING THE NETWORKS TO CONNECT FLORIDA’S TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH THE INNOVATIVE WORKFORCE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE.”
With its Mars Exploration Program, NASA has set its sights on landing a human on the red planet by the end of the 2030s. While that might seem far away, researchers like Josephine Allen, Ph.D., Genzyme Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering are already hard at work studying how to protect the astronauts’ health for the estimated 21-month, 185-million-mile journey into deep space - and back.
Dr. Allen is not new to space health research, having already sent cells to the International Space Station in 2019 as part of a study on space’s effects on vascular cells and its link to cardiovascular disease. But in her time researching how microgravity and space radiation affect the human body, she also saw something familiar: very few faces who looked like hers.
“As an active member of the space biology community, I see first-hand the lack of diversity within the space
For someone new to working with NASA, TRISH, or new to space health research, the most significant barrier is a lack of knowledge on navigating this arena properly. With that in mind, Dr. Allen’s team designed their program to help guide participants through the first steps to launching their new space health research programs in their own labs.
“We were very intentional about the program elements we included. We know the importance of mentorship, so we included one-onone mentorship from an established investigator in space health research,” Dr. Allen said. “Equally important is integrating these new investigators into the space health research community, so we included an opportunity for conference attendance with their mentor who can serve as a bridge to networking within the community.”
Ph.D.health research field,” Dr. Allen said. “For almost the entirety of my career, I have been one of very few underrepresented minority (URM) scientists in the room. My team and I wanted to change this dynamic, so when an opportunity arose to develop a diversity program and partner with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to help make it happen, we were extremely excited to submit our proposal.”
Dr. Allen viewed this as an opportunity to establish a program that she, as a URM scientist, would want to participate in.
“We filled it with program elements that I wished I had when I was just starting my career in space biology,” she said. “This really is an opportunity for us to ‘open the door’ for those interested in working in space health research but not quite sure how to get started.”
With lack of funding for URM scientists already an issue, navigating the different portals for grant submission and identifying opportunities for space health research funding and focus areas takes experience and can present an entry barrier into the field. With that in mind, Dr. Allen and her team also organized a three-day “Foundations of Funding” workshop to demystify the funding process and further support participants in submitting and ultimately receiving funds to launch their research into space health.
“The more we include diverse researchers, their vision, their voice and their scientific contributions,” Dr. Allen said, “the more significant the innovations and advancements we can expect to emerge from the space health research field. I am grateful for my team, who see the same challenges and have the same vision, and I am thankful for the support from TRISH.”
On the tropical patio of his Longwood, Florida, home nestled against the Wekiva River, Ben Botic pulls out a small dusty suitcase and unpacks a tattered trove of adventure, risk and dogged persistence. “These are friends from my Serbian community,” he gestures, holding up a weathered silver gelatin memento that dimly reflects a halfcentury old memory. He unfolds a creased work permit, then thumbs proudly through a yellowed graphic notebook of formulas — a chronicle of intellectual rigor and encounters that changed his stars.
Now a nearly retired president of Suncraft Engineering & Construction, Branimir “Ben” Botic navigates the downramp of his career by enjoying the hard-won fruits of his American life —literally, sharing the valuable bottles that occupy his two refrigerated wine cellars — and by sharing his passion for educational opportunity as he would uncorking one of his vintage Bordeauxregion cabernets.
“There’s no substitute for experience,” Botic says. “I liked the idea of supporting engineering students by providing access to things that give them an advantage after college. For those who want that and have the work ethic, I don’t want them to be constrained by a lack of means.”
More than most, this political refugee
from the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia) understands both the need and the value of the convergence of hard work and unexpected opportunity. Along with Hella, his wife of 54 years, son, Bryan (UF BS Building Construction ’93) and daughter, Michelle Botic Hughes (UF BS Business Administration ’92), Ben established the Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways Fund, which provides experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE).
Growing up in the totalitarian regime of 1950s Yugoslavia, Botic didn’t have the connections needed to attend college. His father was killed by the government, and they refused to allow the 16-yearold Ben to leave the country to join his uncle who had emigrated to the United States. When his mother heard that one of their neighbors were going to flee the country, she told Ben to go with him.
“YOU MUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! FAILING THAT, YOU’LL NEVER SUCCEED. I REMIND PEOPLE THAT ‘GOD CREATED ONLY ONE YOU.’ DON’T PUT YOURSELF IN A BOX DEFINED BY RACE, NATIONALITY OR CLASS. EACH HUMAN BEING IS UNIQUE, AND THEY OFFER THE WORLD SOMETHING NO ONE ELSE CAN.”
“EDUCATION IS PARAMOUNT. MY LIFE WOULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WITHOUT IT. THE MORE EDUCATED WE ARE, THE BETTER WE ARE AS A COUNTRY, A PEOPLE AND AS A WORLD. YOU’RE NOT BORN WITH KNOWLEDGE; IT’S ACQUIRED. WHEN I FIRST GOT TO DETROIT, NO ONE WOULD GIVE ME A CHANCE. BUT I ADVANCED BECAUSE I PERSISTED AND ATTENDED CLASSES.”
“USE YOUR CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. I WOULD ASK MY EMPLOYEES WHY THEY DID A CERTAIN THING A PARTICULAR WAY. IF THEIR ANSWER WAS ‘I DON’T KNOW WHY,’ I COULDN’T USE THEM. BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU DO.”
“LASTLY … AT SOME POINT, WE ALL NEED COMPASSION AND TOLERANCE. IT IS SOMETHING IN SHORT SUPPLY RIGHT NOW. I THINK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY. THERE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHOSE PATHS CAN BE COMPLETELY CHANGED FOR THE BETTER BY A SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS.”
