Briefs

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Moon dust poses a unique danger both to astronauts and their equipment during lunar missions, by coating and clinging to everything. A team of UCF students, led by Professor of Chemistry Lei Zhai, was one of seven teams from universities across the nation selected to help tackle this dirty problem as winners of NASA’s Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge. Collaborating with Morphotonics, the team will design a new type of material that will cover the exterior of spacesuits, thus making it easier to remove and prevent moon dust from entering lunar habitats.

SOLAR POWERHOUSE

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office awarded UCF researchers $9.64 million for four solar projects — the most of any university in 2020. The projects range from securing our nation’s power grids to optimizing solar energy. UCF is increasing its leadership in solar research, having received 14 awards from the DOE since 2011 to pursue solar research and development.

“We are committed to advancing the rapid transition to a sustainable energy economy and collaborating with key partners. UCF ‘walks the talk’ by the university’s commitment to being climate neutral by 2050.”

— James Fenton, director of the FSEC Energy Research Center

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from cell phones to electric cars but are fire-prone and contain toxic materials that can leak and contaminate soil and groundwater. To combat this, UCF researchers partnered with researchers from the University of Houston, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oregon State University and Argonne National Laboratory to develop a new battery using seawater that’s safer for both humans and the environment. Awarded to UCF from the National Science Foundation to provide cybersecurity scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. UCF was one of six universities nationwide to receive a grant and will join NSF’s 78 current CyberCorps Scholarship for Service universities.

“That’s what big data analytics can solve. If you dig deeper through seemingly messy data, you can find some truths.”

— Shunpu Zhang, professor and chair of statistics and data science, on helping to develop data-driven AI systems to predict COVID-19 infection rates and prescribe intervention plans. He is part of one of two UCF teams that advanced to Phase 2 of the Pandemic Response Challenge and are competing against 48 other teams from 17 countries.

SHINING BRIGHT

UCF was named a top producer of Fulbright students, according to the annual list compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Twelve UCF graduates were selected to participate in the program abroad this year to work on research projects or teach English. Out of 600 higher-education institutions that participate in the Fulbright program, 58 made the list of top producers and UCF was the only public university in Florida on the list.

LEARNING HUB

UCF partnered with the University of Kansas and the Center for Applied Special Technology to launch a national technical support hub for university professors who are teaching remotely. The Center for Innovation, Design and Digital Learning launched late last year with a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

NEW LEADERS

MATTHEW HALL

Vice President for Information Technology and CIO

GERALD HECTOR

Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance

GUS MALZAHN

Head Football Coach

TERRY MOHAJIR

Vice President and Director of Athletics

NEW TRUSTEES NEW TRUSTEES

TIFFANY ALTIZER ’90MS

Shareholder and Senior Tax Manager, Keith Altizer and Company

BILL CHRISTY ’86

CEO, Cognitive Kinetics

JEFF CONDELLO

President and CEO, Randall UCF Board of Trustees Chair Bev Seay was named 2021 Businesswoman of the Year by Orlando Business Journal.

#2

Cyberdefense competitor in the nation. Graduate student Michael Roberts ’19 beat more than 450 students in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2020 Cyberforce Competition.

#12 Best online graduate criminal justice programs (U.S. News & World Report)

#14

Best undergraduate online programs in the nation (U.S. News & World Report)

#20 Best online bachelor’s programs for veterans (U.S. News & World

Report)

25

Years UCF has been teaching online

26

Consecutive semesters studentathletes have posted a 3.0 GPA or better

#27

Best online master’s in nursing programs (U.S. News & World Report)