We are America’s Space ����ֱ��. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

What will astronauts eat on Mars? How have books and movies fueled our fascination with space? And how much space pride can we pack into Acrisure Bounce House?

There’s a whole week to explore the answers.

Beginning Oct. 25, the second annual UCF Space Week puts the university’s founding mission in the spotlight: advancing the United States’ space program and preparing the people who’ll take it further. Today, that work spans labs, classrooms and industries, driving discovery and supporting Florida’s growing space economy. UCF Space Week brings that industry connection to campus, welcoming global space leaders, researchers, students, partners and fans for a celebration of ideas and discovery.

Explore ideas for life beyond Earth, revisit the curiosity and bold determination behind historic achievements and join traditions that bring UCF’s space legacy to life, culminating in the UCF football team’s 10th annual Space Game.

Cue up the curated by UCF Libraries faculty, staff and students, then make room on your calendar to experience UCF Space Week 2026.

Space Industry Events

Sunday, Oct. 25

National Space Society Space Settlement Summit
Running through Monday, Oct. 26, this two-day summit explores the challenges and innovations shaping lunar settlement and exploration. Hosted in partnership with the National Space Society, it features technical panels, visionary talks and networking opportunities centered on the moon and cislunar space.

Monday, Oct. 26

UCF Innovate Day
The inaugural UCF Innovate Day showcases how UCF transforms research into real-world impact through entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and strategic partnerships. Explore breakthrough ideas, hear pitches from emerging innovators and connect with industry leaders helping shape the future of innovation in Central Florida and beyond.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

SpaceU Symposium
Leaders, researchers and students from across Florida will discuss the latest innovations and research driving the future of space science.

UCF SpaceU Awards Dinner
The university’s second annual SpaceU Awards Dinner will recognize excellence and innovation within the UCF space ecosystem, including key partners, industry leaders, and outstanding faculty and students.

The Economist’s 4th Annual Space Economy Summit
The fourth annual Space Economy Summit brings the space sector together with the industries it’s beginning to reshape. Over two days, senior leaders from business, government, and investment will examine how space-enabled tools can solve problems on Earth, what customers need before they adopt them, and how partnerships can move promising technologies from impressive pilots to everyday use.

Community Events

Monday, Oct. 26

Space in the Popular Imagination
John C. Hitt Library | 1–3 p.m.

Explore how literature and film have imagined the cosmos — and our place in it — during a panel spanning literature and film from the early 20th century to today.

Moderated by UCF Associate Librarian Michael Furlong ’22EdD, the discussion features Michael Taylor, writer and emeritus faculty member in UCF’s School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences; Barry Sandler, screenwriter, filmmaker and associate professor in UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media; and Adrienne Dove, planetary scientist, professor and chair of UCF’s Department of Physics and co-host of the Walkabout the Galaxy podcast. Visit the for more information.

Knights Under the Stars: Full Moon Observation
Robinson Observatory | 7:30–9 p.m.

Whether you’re a space enthusiast or simply curious, join an evening of and share in the excitement of a fully illuminated moon.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Movie Night: Starman (2025)
John C. Hitt Library | 5–7 p.m.

Are we alone in the universe? NASA robotics engineer and best-selling science fiction author Gentry Lee has spent a lifetime wondering. This documentary follows his search for answers and the conclusion he reaches at age 82. Learn more about the film and watch its trailer on the .

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Mars to Table: Feeding the Future of Human Space Exploration
John C. Hitt Library | 1:30–3 p.m.

Join UCF Associate Professor Amy Gregory ’11PhD and Chef Cesar Rivera-Cruzado from as they showcase the university’s Closed-Loop Culinary Ecosystem, a Mars food system that brings together food production, culinary experience, behavioral health and crew performance. Learn more on the .

Thursday, Oct. 29

Movie Night: Hidden Figures (2016)
John C. Hitt Library | 5–7 p.m.

Behind a milestone in American spaceflight were brilliant mathematicians. Hidden Figures tells the story of three Black women at NASA whose work played a pivotal role in sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Learn more about the film on the .

SpaceU Drone Show
Memory Mall | 7 p.m.

Gather on Memory Mall as synchronized drones illuminate the night in a display celebrating UCF’s space legacy and spirit of discovery. Presented by Pegasus Partner BNY, the show brings the campus community together for an evening of wonder and SpaceU pride.

Friday, Oct. 30

UCF Space Hospitality Student Challenge
UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management – Disney Dining Room | 9 a.m.–12 p.m.

What will dinner, sleep and an unforgettable guest experience look like in orbit? Discover how UCF students envision the answers at the ’s Final Pitch Day.

The event caps Rosen College’s inaugural eight-week competition challenging students across disciplines to make life in space more habitable. Hear a keynote address and industry panel, watch the top three teams pitch their concepts to industry judges and explore more student ideas at a poster showcase.

UCF Space Game: Knights vs. Baylor
Acrisure Bounce House | 7:30–11 p.m.

UCF Football takes on Baylor in the 10th annual Space Game, concluding Space Week with a tradition that turns our space legacy into a stadium-wide celebration. Since its debut in 2017, . Building the anticipation is the reveal of the 2026 UCF Space Game uniform, which honors NASA’s earliest missions and brings SpaceU’s legacy to life on the field. Cheer on our football team in the stadium or tune in on ESPN. For the latest updates, visit .

Explore All Week

These weeklong exhibits and activities offer more ways to connect with UCF’s space story.

From Orbit to Archives Exhibit
John C. Hitt Library | Fourth-Floor gallery

Visit the Special Collections & ����ֱ�� Archives exhibit for a look at UCF’s space heritage and history behind the SpaceU identity we celebrate today.

SpaceU: A Universe of Possibilities Exhibit
John C. Hitt Library | Second-Floor Gallery Wall

Check out the curiosity driving UCF forward. This exhibit highlights some of the many projects UCF faculty and students are working on, offering a glimpse of the ideas taking shape across America’s Space ����ֱ��.

Space Out in the Digital Exploration Center
John C. Hitt Library | Digital Exploration Center, Immersion Studio

Step into the Immersion Studio for space-themed meditative experiences designed to help students relax and recharge.

Space Movies Social Media Bracket Challenge
Which space movie deserves the top spot? Put your favorite films in the running in an interactive social media bracket challenge. Follow along as contenders compete for the title of best space movie and find out if your pick goes the distance.

Find the Hidden Citronaut
John C. Hitt Library

Set out on a self-paced scavenger hunt to find the hidden Citronaut as you explore library spaces and uncover fun SpaceU facts along the way.

We are America’s Space ����ֱ��. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

With world-renowned faculty, hands-on learning experiences and a location less than an hour from Florida’s Space Coast, UCF continues to prove why it’s America’s Space ����ֱ�� — where education, industry and exploration unite to shape the future of space.

Oct. 25 marks the start of the second UCF Space Week, a university-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF’s vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida’s fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Here are a few key reasons why we celebrate UCF Space Week and how SpaceU is launching the next era of space innovation.

A Legacy in Fueling the Space Industry’s Talent Pipeline

When the university first opened in 1963, landing humans on the moon was a dream that seemed out of reach. Yet UCF dared to believe — and take action — by supplying talent and research to the nearby space industry based on the Space Coast just 35 miles east. UCF’s purpose has only grown stronger more than six decades later as space exploration fuels transformative innovation here on Earth.

Every year, thousands of students gain real-world experience, conduct interdisciplinary research and participate in programs — including the aerospace medicine program — directly connected to industry, preparing them for in-demand roles across the space sector.

The university’s excellence in providing talent is supported by data, as the American Society of Engineering Education consistently ranks UCF in the top five nationally for awarding bachelor’s degrees in (2025):

• Aerospace engineering (No. 4)
• Mechanical engineering (No. 5)
• Computer science (No. 5)
• And No. 10 for awarding engineering bachelor’s degrees overall — the highest in Florida

Advancing Research That Reaches New Frontiers

When visionaries look to the future, they also look to UCF — a leader in space research, innovation and education with 14 experiments sent to space aboard commercial rockets since 2016. UCF Space Week spotlights these breakthroughs, connecting the community with the pioneering work happening right on campus.

Studying Aging in Space

Researcher: Professor Michal Masternak, College of Medicine
Project: Masternak and his team study how the extreme conditions of space affect human aging and health. By simulating microgravity and space radiation, the researchers identified molecular changes associated with accelerated aging, offering insights that could help protect astronauts on long-duration missions and inform future therapies for age-related diseases on Earth.

Unlocking Lunar Resources

Researchers: Planetary Geologist and Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Interim Department Chair of Physics and Associate Professor Adrienne Dove
Project: Donaldson Hanna and Dove are leading NASA’s Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer) mission, which aims to uncover clues about an unexplored part of the moon and potential insight for deeper space exploration.

Detecting Habitable Worlds

Researcher: Professor Stephen Eikenberry, College of Optics and Photonics
Project: Eikenberry and his team are developing advanced photonics technology to help future space telescopes detect Earth-like planets hidden by the brightness of nearby stars. The NASA-funded project could improve scientists’ ability to directly observe potentially habitable worlds and search their atmospheres for signs of life.

Building Partnerships That Propel Discovery

UCF Space Week highlights these crucial collaborations with support from Blue Origin, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Space Florida and SpaceX.

At the heart of UCF’s success is collaboration. The university works closely with NASA, government agencies, private companies, and research institutions to create opportunities that bridge education, research, and real-world application. These partnerships help students gain experience and industry insight while advancing technologies that will define the next phase of space exploration.

On Sept. 9, UCF partnered with the U.S. Space Force’s innovation enterprise to launch the . The effort strengthens connections between government, academia, industry and entrepreneurs to help promising ideas move faster from research to real-world capability.

UCF is also helping space‑related research, innovation and workforce development across through the Florida Space Research Consortium. Alain Berinstain, who joined UCF in January as director of the Florida Space Institute, now leads the eight-university initiative — underscoring UCF’s leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

Powering Florida’s Space Economy

Space is no longer just a frontier — it’s the future. With the global space economy projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, UCF is preparing the visionaries who will fuel discovery and shape that growth.

Now expanding its impact into the business of space, UCF is helping lead the business of space under the direction of Space Commercialization and Strategy Program Director Zaheer Ali . His work is building a pipeline of leaders ready to drive innovation, strengthen national security and unlock opportunities that will advance humanity’s future beyond Earth.

Reaching for What’s Next

UCF Space Week isn’t just about looking back at past achievements — it’s about imagining what comes next. With a legacy built on exploration and a community fueled by curiosity, UCF continues to inspire students and researchers to reach higher, think bolder and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Because at UCF, space isn’t the final frontier — it’s just the beginning.

We are America’s Space ����ֱ��. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

Anniversaries remind us of everything we’ve achieved, and of everything still possible. They tell us that to step forward, sometimes we must look back.

On the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, this year’s draw upon NASA’s beginnings and honor the courage it took to stand on the precipice of our greatest frontier.

The design was heavily influenced by the astronauts of NASA’s earliest human spaceflight missions Mercury, Gemini and Apollo during the 1960s when the university was founded.

John Young, an Orlando native, is the only astronaut to have flown during the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. He received an honorary degree as the featured guest speaker at the university’s first commencement ceremony in 1970, two years before he became the ninth person to walk on the moon.

Learn more details about the Mission X Space Game uniforms at .

The Space Game is now one of the signature events of a larger Space Week held at the university.

UCF Space Week

Oct. 25 marks the start of the second UCF Space Week, a university-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF’s vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida’s fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers and entrepreneurs.

This year’s space week features summits in partnership with the National Space Society and The Economist, a space-themed drone show, the inaugural UCF Innovate Day and more.

2026 Space Game Matchup

The football team will face Baylor in the 10^th anniversary of the annual Space Game on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Tickets are available for purchase at .

UCF students can attend the game for free. A complete guide to student ticket information can be found at .

Welcome to UCF’s  anechoic chamber.

Located in the UCF Innovative Center, the 217-square-foot chamber is not big by any means — but the impact it will play in understanding and improving hearing certainly is.

“Anechoic chambers are designed to do two things: to keep outside sound outside and to absorb reflected sound inside,” says Pavel Zahorik, professor of communication sciences and disorders. “This allows us to make acoustical measurements that are highly accurate and precise, by limiting background noise and reflected sound.”

Precision is critical in Zahorik’s research.

An expert in hearing devices and technologies, hearing science and psychoacoustics, he’s part of UCF’s growing , which in just two years ago has attracted some of the nation’s top hearing scientists to the College of Health Professions and Sciences.

In the new chamber, Zahorik will focus on improving hearing aids and listening devices, and learning more about how the shape of our ears and heads impacts how we hear.

Fine-Tuning Tech

Hearing loss is far from rare. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 15% of American adults — roughly 37.5 million people — report some trouble hearing. Among adults ages 65 to 74, roughly a third have hearing loss in one or both ears.

The effects extend well beyond missed conversations. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to higher rates of depression, increased risks of falls and even a greater likelihood of developing dementia.

By stripping away stray noise, Zahorik can ensure the devices designed to restore hearing are as accurate, effective, and life-changing as possible. To do that, inside of the anechoic chamber, every inch of the walls and ceiling is covered in sound-absorbing foam wedges (that look not unlike oversized monochromatic Monopoly houses) affixed at alternating angels. The floor is a steel mesh grid suspended over a layer of the same wall-to-wall wedges, swallowing stray sound waves before they can ricochet.

Anechoic derives from the Greek words meaning “without echo,” and the chamber delivers just that.

It may seem like overkill, but for manufacturers developing everything from hearing aids and AirPods to car communication systems, antennas and loudspeakers, quality and consistency depend on this level of acoustic control.

In fact, the first anechoic chamber was built to improve high-altitude military communication during World War II. Today, they’re used to test everything from telecommunications and aerodynamics to medical devices, including MRI machines and pacemakers.

The one at UCF brings the distinctive designation of being devoted solely to research human health.

For Your Listening Pleasure

According to the NIH, an estimated 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from hearing aids. Yet the way we test these devices hasn’t always matched the way we actually use them.

Traditionally, hearing aids are placed inside a testing box fitted with loudspeakers. Researchers measure output and distortion in a controlled environment. It’s accurate — but it’s also artificial.

Ears aren’t boxes.

They have unique curves and angles and sit on heads of different shapes and sizes. Each ridge and contour subtly bends incoming sound before it reaches the eardrum, changing each individual’s response to how they hear.

Inside the anechoic chamber, Zahorik can test [hearing aid] devices the way they’re meant to function: in ears.

Inside the anechoic chamber, Zahorik can test devices the way they’re meant to function: in ears.

Using both mannequins and human participants, he can measure how sound behaves in real anatomical context — how it interacts acoustically with the head and ears before sound information ultimately reaches the brain.

“Everyone’s ears and heads are shaped differently, meaning acoustics are different for different people,” he says. “Understanding how the brain processes that different acoustical information could be really important for improving hearing.”

Zahorik’s longtime collaboration with Sonova — a global manufacturer of hearing aids, cochlear implants and wireless communication systems — builds upon this principle. By capturing cleaner, more realistic measurements, Zahorik hopes to refine how these devices amplify sound for users in everyday environments.

Because hearing isn’t just about volume.

It’s also about space: direction and distance.

It’s how we know a voice is behind us, a siren is blocks away or a friend is calling from across the room.

Zahorik has been fascinated by that puzzle ever since he was an undergraduate. A course on perception introduced him to the psychology of vision, but as a music enthusiast who dabbled in production, he was more interested in sound. His professor connected him with a researcher studying virtual sound simulation, and Zahorik volunteered for a study inside an anechoic chamber.

Blindfolded, he was led into the silent room. He sat there as a speaker emitted sounds and moved around him. His task was to say where he heard the sounds.

He was accurate in identifying direction. Distance, however, was another story.

“For the longest time, I thought I was in this huge space, and that the sounds were quite far away,” he says. “But when they took the blindfold off, I realized the space wasn’t very big at all. It was actually smaller than the chamber we have here.”

Without sight and echoes, the room distorted his sense of scale. That was in the late 1980s, and while technology has advanced dramatically since then, some of our understanding of auditory perception has not.

“We still don’t know, for example, exactly how our brain decodes acoustical information to represent space,” says Zahorik, a self-described sound nerd whose office setup includes state-of-the-art headphones and microphones. “We still don’t know how it is we know sounds are coming from a particular location and distance, and how the acoustical environment can change these perceptions.”

“Think of it like creating a 3D scan — but for sound.” — Pavel Zahorik, UCF researcher

The new chamber will eventually help probe those questions. For now, the room has one loudspeaker, but the plan is to install a movable speaker arc that will allow researchers to measure acoustical responses from nearly any position around a listener.

“Think of it like creating a 3D scan — but for sound,” Zahorik says.

And just as 3D imaging has transformed how we see, measure and interact with the physical world, the discoveries made in the quietest place on campus will help transform how we hear — resonating far beyond the chamber’s foam-lined walls.

Know Your Enrollment Window

You can view your enrollment window in . This information relays the earliest date and time you can register, so add it to your calendar. To find it, sign in to myUCF, open your Student Center, and look for your enrollment appointment under Manage Classes.

Get Guidance

Undergraduate students should connect with their Academic Success Coach if they have questions or would like guidance selecting classes. to make sure you’re fulfilling your degree requirements and staying on track.

Graduate students should and the Fall Registration Overview ahead of . For more assistance, reach out to the or the College of Graduate Studies.

Clear Holds

Check your in myUCF. A hold may keep you from registering until it’s resolved. If you need help, .

Plan Your Schedule

Use to preview and compare class schedules. To navigate to mySchedule Builder, open your Student Center in myUCF, locate the Manage Classes tile where you will find Planner Tools. This feature allows you to preview and compare every possible class schedule until you find the one that works for you.

Load Your Shopping Cart

Once you develop your game plan, you can start adding your selected classes to your Student Center shopping cart. Even if your assigned enrollment window has not opened, you can pre-load your shopping cart with your classes so that you can quickly enroll once your enrollment window opens. This saves you time and increases the chances of claiming a spot in your selected classes.

Get Familiar with Registration in myUCF

If you haven’t worked through Campus Solutions yet, to see how to search for courses, manage your schedule, and enroll.

Key Dates to Remember

• Sept. 28, 2026: Your registration window for Spring 2027 is available to view on myUCF. Your enrollment window cannot be changed.

• Oct. 1, 2026-Jan. 10, 2027: Registration open for Spring 2027.

• Jan. 8, 2027:
  • 1 p.m.: Registration for UCF employees, UCF employees’ spouses and dependents, state, non-degree, dual enrollment, transients and audits begins.
  • 3 p.m.: Registration for UCF Athletics Association employees begins.

• Jan. 11, 2027: Classes begin.

• Jan. 11-15, 2027: Late registration period.

• Jan. 15, 2027: Drop/swap and add deadline.

Need Help?

Undergraduates can contact their or for assistance.

Engineering students are constantly told that grueling workloads, sleepless nights and brutal exams will eventually pay off with lucrative careers. But Michael Ferrante ’15MSEM wants them to know something far more important: they are not alone.

“I’m providing evidence that somebody cares. That’s important to students — knowing that somebody is listening.” — Michael Ferrante ’15MSEM, CECS special instructor

“I’m providing evidence that somebody cares,” says Ferrante, an engineering management graduate and a special instructor in UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) who has championed student success for over 50 years. “That’s important to students — knowing that somebody is listening.”

His peers at the Florida Engineering Society have tuned in as well, naming Ferrante their 2026 Engineering Faculty Member of the Year. The recognition came as a surprise to Ferrante, who does not teach full-time. Instead, he wears many other hats, all displaying an unwavering devotion to expanding engineering opportunities
at UCF.

“When a student comes back to me years later and says, ‘Hey, I got my Ph.D., I am working where I want to work and I’m enjoying life,’ that’s what matters,” Ferrante says. “I may have given them advice and steered them in the right direction, but they did the heavy lifting. They earned the grades and they put in the work.”

Tau Beta Pi Is In His DNA

Ferrante’s legacy began in the 1970s when he helped record UCF courses on Betamax tape for traveling engineers. Since then, he has been deeply embedded in campus engineering organizations. He is the chief advisor for Tau Beta Pi — the National Engineering Honor Society — and has served on numerous leadership committees, including the CECS Alumni Council, the Engineering Leadership and Innovation Institute (eli2) and the UCF student chapter of the Florida Engineering Society.

When he is not running between the engineering buildings, Ferrante is networking on behalf of students at national conferences, securing scholarships and bringing industry leaders to campus for recruitment events.

“The thing I’m most proud of involves Tau Beta Pi,” Ferrante says. “These students are the cream of the crop. When I began advising the UCF chapter 12 years ago, we had just three students. Today, our chapter has grown to more than 100 students and we regularly initiate dozens of new members each semester.”

Until Ferrante secured approval at a Tau Beta Pi national convention several years ago, computer science majors at UCF were ineligible to join the prestigious engineering honor society. Today, UCF stands as one of only an elite number of colleges nationwide permitted to induct computer science students into the organization.

“Mr. Ferrante is the kind of person who is always around and has his hands in everything. Nothing is too much for him. He’ll make the time for it.” — Julia Moras, computer science student

Computer science major Julia Moras is one of those select members. Since being initiated during her first year, Moras has spent the past two years leading the UCF chapter as its president.

“Mr. Ferrante is the kind of person who is always around and has his hands in everything,” says Moras, who has taken on the role of student advisor for the UCF chapter. “Nothing is too much for him. He’ll make the time for it.”

Next year, the Florida Delta chapter of Tau Beta Pi will celebrate its 50th anniversary at UCF. As the chapter prepares to host the District 5 conference for the third time, Ferrante will be busy organizing the landmark event. The numerous chapter awards lining his office walls stand as a testament to his impact — even if he is quick to deflect credit by insisting he is “just the advisor.” Yet, his influence extends far beyond the campus borders.

Alongside four decades of service to the Naval Air Warfare Center, where he worked on simulation and live system development projects, Ferrante served as a weapons expert and test sniper for the U.S. Army’s small arms development program. He also was vice president of a local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, volunteered for 40 years as a reserve captain with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and currently sits on the Zoning and Planning Board for the City of Winter Springs.

No Slowing Down

His wife and fellow UCF graduate, Pamela Ferrante ’85 MEd’95 EdS ’00, insists that retirement is out of the question. Even at 73, slowing down is simply not an option for her husband, a past recipient of the CECS Alumni Night Leadership and Service Award.

As a student advisor, Ferrante believes his job is to show up, listen and help. Sometimes that mentorship means writing letters of recommendation for scholarships or graduate schools, introducing students to prospective employers or providing them with advice. He and his wife also donate food, clothing and supplies to the UCF Knights Pantry, which provides for students’ immediate needs.

There is no telling how deep Ferrante’s campus footprint will grow. With his recent  appointment to College of Community Innovation and Education as courtesy professor of practice for engineering integration, Ferrante intends to leverage his five decades of engineering expertise to foster new strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives across the university and beyond.

“What really makes me feel good is when students make the effort and get the job of their dreams. All I do is try to direct them.” — Michael Ferrante ’15MSEM, CECS special instructor

“Mike has an extraordinary gift for making people feel supported,” says CCIE Interim Dean and Professor Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD, who volunteered with Ferrante in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “Over three decades, I watched him dedicate countless hours to mentoring and encouraging others. Whether in law enforcement, engineering or community service, Mike’s true passion has always been helping people reach their goals.”

One thing is for sure. Ferrante’s goal remains the same: to pay forward the education and opportunities that UCF provided him and his four children — Matthew ’16, Aimee ’17, Deanna ’17 and Jennifer ’19.

“What really makes me feel good is when students make the effort and get the job of their dreams,” Ferrante says. “All I do is try to direct them.”

It’s an enormous operation, but for De Salvia, hospitality has never been simply about delivering excellence at scale.

His approach is grounded in empathy and care. He understands the power of that kind of service because long before he was responsible for hospitality on a global level, he experienced it himself as a UCF student.

It began when De Salvia became a Knight in 1999, pursuing his bachelor’s in marketing and discovering a natural connection to consumer behavior and marketing intelligence. While his UCF journey deepened his academic understanding of hospitality, it would ultimately contribute toward the formation of his belief that true service occurs when life hits hardest.

Humanity, Hard Work and Honor

De Salvia arrived at UCF ready to begin a new chapter. But just weeks before starting his first year at UCF, he lost his best friend to an asthma attack.

“He was the one that always pushed me to continue pursuing my academics,” he recalls. “He always told me I was so much smarter than I thought, and that I had to keep going.”

Inspired by his friend’s belief in him, De Salvia forged on with his bachelor’s until he was rocked by another loss a month later: his brother George, an Orlando police officer, was killed in the line of duty at only 29 years old.

Suddenly, De Salvia’s degree hinged on two things: his will to succeed, and the support from UCF faculty and administration who rallied around him.

“I’ll never forget that,” he recalls fondly. “They kept me on track. I didn’t have to drop classes or change things. They were there for me every step of the way.”

Together, they transformed a trying and challenging semester into a successful journey that forever tethered De Salvia’s heart to UCF.

“I decided not to let my brother and best friend down; to work hard, outpace and outperform everyone to honor their memory,” he says. “I can’t express how big a part UCF played in my life, ensuring I could make them proud.”

De Salvia stood by his decision by earning his bachelor’s degree and, in 2004, establishing the at UCF. True to his promise to excel, he returned in 2009 to earn his .

New Knowledge, New Horizons

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career,” De Salvia says. “It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

The program challenged him to recognize his capabilities and reconsider his professional direction. Empowered by an expanded mindset and greater self-awareness, he resolved to take his knowledge to an organization where he could implement it.

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

That meant acknowledging he was unhappy and unfulfilled in the job he held at the time. In a bold move, he resigned two days after graduating.

There was no plan b.

He credits that step with granting him the life he has today, and UCF with giving him the personal insight to take it.

His newfound freedom led to an eight-year career with Disney overseeing their Vacation Club sales and marketing, ultimately propelling him to his current position with Hilton Grand Vacations.

De Salvia largely measures the value of his success by how much he gives back, especially to UCF.

In addition to the scholarship honoring his brother, he sits on both the Entrepreneurial Leadership Board and the management board at the Barry S. Miller College of Business, mentors students, supports the and speaks at

Through Hilton Grand Vacations, he’s also working to establish the Hilton Grand Vacations Scholarship Fund to help reduce financial barriers for hospitality students and bring Knights into the Hilton Grand Vacations family.

It’s a level of support that gives UCF students greater access to the industry while deepening the partnerships that are central to their experience at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“The scholarship reflects Hilton Grand Vacations’ commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders,” says Kyle Trager, director of development for Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“Derek recognizes the long-term impact an endowed scholarship can have on attracting, supporting and retaining exceptional hospitality students,” he continues. “His leadership has been instrumental in advancing both the scholarship and broader partnership opportunities between HGV and Rosen College.”

Life, Lessons and Leading the Next Generation of Knights

De Salvia says he strongly believes UCF alumni share a responsibility to return and pay their knowledge forward. One of his key lessons is encouraging students to enter the world with their eyes wide open.

“Don’t look at just one path you feel you need to be on,” he says. “Whatever feels like an opportunity you want to pursue with passion, go for it. The thing people can never take from you is passion.”

And De Salvia’s devotion to his alma mater won’t be waning. He wants to pursue his doctoral degree at UCF and when he retires, he’d be happy to teach here and share what he’s learned to help students get a better start.

Are you interested in matching De Salvia’s spirit of service and helping UCF succeed in our next great mission? Learn more about the that’s elevating student success and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

Through a nearly five-year, $943,000-plus grant from the National Institutes of Health, Calarco’s lab is examining how neurons — nerve cells in the brain — and their molecules change when exposed to nicotine and other drugs. The goal is to understand how microscopic changes in the brain eventually influence behavioral decisions, including those associated with addiction.

“We want to understand what’s really influencing the neuron,” says Calarco, who began work on this project in 2024 as a postdoctoral scholar at the ����ֱ�� of Maryland, Baltimore, before joining UCF in January as an assistant professor. “Which component is critical for the neuron function that leads to drug-seeking behavior?”

For this research, Calarco’s lab is focused on the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain involved in reward, learning and behavior.

“I call it a little computer that integrates a lot of signals that come in relationship to reward learning from a lot of other parts of the brain to guide behavioral choices,” she says.

“We want to understand what’s really influencing the neuron. Which component is critical for the neuron function that leads to drug-seeking behavior?” — Cali Calarco, assistant professor

The nucleus accumbens contains multiple types of brain cells, and Calarco’s research examines how individual cell types respond to nicotine and other drugs. Her lab is particularly interested in mitochondria, the structures within cells that produce the energy they need to function. Recent studies suggest mitochondria may also play an important role in drug-seeking behavior.

“Mitochondria have been underappreciated in neurons previously,” she says. “Neurons are incredibly complex cells that do incredibly complex tasks, both electrically and chemically that require a ton of energy, so we knew they were really important. But mitochondria also influence how neurons communicate with each other. They’re super important for gene transcription and translation and for steroid hormone production.”

By understanding addiction at the molecular level, researchers may ultimately be able to develop better treatments for substance use disorder.

“There aren’t that many substance use disorder treatments, and the ones available only work for a subset of people,” she says. “There is room for improvement in nicotine use disorder therapies, and new pathway targets may provide more effective treatments with fewer side effects.”

Nicotine use has persisted even as the products used to consume it have changed. Calarco compares the trend to a game of whack-a-mole, with new nicotine products gaining popularity as older ones decline. While cigarette smoking has declined, consumers now have access to products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches placed between the lips and gum. According to data from the FDA and CDC’s 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey, nicotine pouch use nearly quadrupled among U.S. youth and young adults between 2022 and 2025.

While her research is focused on nicotine, Calarco says her findings could have implications for other substances and even social media addiction.

Calarco earned her doctorate in neuroscience from Yale ����ֱ�� before conducting postdoctoral research at the ����ֱ�� of Maryland, Baltimore, where she studied mitochondria and cocaine-seeking behavior. She joined the UCF College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in January 2026.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under award number K01DA061048. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the ����ֱ�� Board of Trustees approved renaming the to the Dr. Yvette Kanouff School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. The renaming initiative was the in honor of a transformational gift Kanouff — a highly successful leader in mathematics and technology — made to UCF and establishes the school as one of the very few named mathematical schools in the United States.

Kanouff’s investment also establishes an endowed fund that will help advance UCF’s mission of expanding student success and maximizing excellence. The fund will support outstanding graduate students, expand scholarships that increase access and achievement, and recognize excellence in teaching and research among students, faculty and postdoctoral fellows across the school, which is in the .

Creating Paths to Success

Kanouff says she believes everyone can contribute to UCF student success, whether through mentoring, professional connections, volunteer service or financial support.

“I want our students and future students to know that what I’m investing in is them,” Kanouff says. “I want them and their children to have an amazing opportunity at a college that is able to fully develop their capabilities and talents.”

Her gift reflects a belief shared by many supporters of UCF’s Go For Launch campaign: that investing in students creates opportunities that extend far beyond graduation and strengthens the university’s impact for generations to come.

Kanouff knows firsthand how any financial assistance can help make a student’s college journey easier, which she says the new endowment and school name will help promote. Kanouff worked to pay for her studies while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at UCF. At the time, she says she did not understand how scholarships worked or what financial assistance might have been available. From this personal experience she knows there are students who have the ability and determination to succeed but they may not know where to find help.

“If you have the skill and you have the grit, there should be a path for you to have a wonderful career,” Kanouff says.

A Foundation for What Comes Next

In addition to access to opportunities funded by philanthropy, Kanouff says that students should seek out their professors and maintain lifelong relationships with them whenever possible.

When Kanouff was in graduate school at the College of Sciences, she chose a challenging topic on wavelets and their application to digital signal processing and centroids for her master’s thesis. She selected Ahmed Zayed, the former associate chair for graduate studies in UCF’s College of Sciences, as her advisor. Zayed became her “thesis father,” a term that reflected the lifelong commitment he made to mentoring her. The two have remained close ever since.

Zayed encouraged Kanouff to pursue a doctorate in mathematics, but her career ultimately took her in another direction. In 2025, UCF recognized her many contributions to mathematics, data science and technology by awarding her an honorary Doctor of Science. Zayed, now at DePaul ����ֱ��, traveled from Chicago to attend the ceremony.

“That relationship was something really, really special,” Kanouff says, “And that is something most students don’t have.”

In addition to lifelong friends and mentors, UCF gave Kanouff a strong foundation in mathematics. She began her career as a mathematician in the defense industry, applying pattern-recognition algorithms she had learned at UCF. She later carried that foundation into technology and other emerging fields, discovering how mathematical principles could be applied across industries and disciplines.

Over the years, Kanouff has often visited the campus to see how her professors were doing and occasionally taught a calculus class as a guest lecturer. When speaking with students, she often shares some of the emerging technologies that require the advanced math skills they are learning.

Kanouff points to artificial intelligence as one example of how mathematics drives emerging technology. AI systems rely on mathematical concepts such as pattern recognition, clustering, and association.

“People look at AI and think computer science,” Kanouff says. “I love computer science, but guess what else you have to take? You have to take data science and math and statistics.”

Expanding What’s Possible

Through Knights like Yvette Kanouff are helping UCF expand student success, fuel discovery and build a future the world has only begun to imagine. Join the mission at goforlaunch.ucf.edu.

That sense of possibility that Kanouff foresees reflects the vision behind UCF’s Go For Launch campaign and will shape the newly named school, bringing mathematics, statistics and data science together to help students understand complex problems and contribute across disciplines and industries.

“Yvette’s relationship with UCF demonstrates what can happen when graduates remain connected and invest in those who follow,” says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for advancement and partnerships at UCF and CEO of the UCF Foundation Inc. “Her generosity advances the vision of Go For Launch by expanding opportunity for students, strengthening academic excellence and inspiring others to help build what comes next.”

Kanouff says she believes creating those possibilities is not the university’s responsibility alone. Alumni, friends and industry partners can strengthen students’ paths in large and small ways by staying connected, sharing their experience, mentoring or contributing to scholarships.

“Mathematics teaches us how to solve complex problems, but supporting students helps create opportunities for them,” Kanouff says. “Whether we give money, time, mentorship or opportunity, each of us can help a student see a path forward.”

When Xiayu Summer Chen left home in Canton, China, where she grew up — first for college in Beijing, then for graduate school in New York City — she faced a problem familiar to students everywhere: How do you stay close to family from thousands of miles away

Her challenge came with an added complication. Chen was raised by her grandparents, who had never used social media or FaceTime.

So she turned to the technology she knew best: painting. She drew step-by-step instructions showing them how to use both. When her grandmother died during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chen began creating video tutorials her grandfather could watch on his phone.

She didn’t call it research. It was just what you do for the people you love.

“I went from seeing my grandparents as very independent people to watching their functional capacity decrease, and I wanted to do something to help,” says Chen, assistant professor of social work in UCF’s College of Health Professions and Sciences.

That instinct — helping people remain independent, safe and connected — now drives Chen’s research at UCF. She’s using generative artificial intelligence to help older adults and their caregivers navigate an increasingly digital world.

Approximately 60% of adults age 50 and older feel that technology isn’t designed with their age in mind.

By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 or older, outnumbering children under the age of 18 for the first time in history, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. At the same time, more older adults are adopting new technologies. Yet 60% of adults age 50 and older feel that technology isn’t designed with their age in mind, citing a lack of confidence in their digital skills and concerns about technology’s design, according to AARP’s 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus report.

“We are living in the digital era,” Chen says. “As we use AI more in our daily activities, we have to provide ways for aging populations to learn and adapt just like everybody else.”

Improving Digital Literacy for Older Adults

After graduating from New York ����ֱ�� in 2019, Chen worked as a patient ambassador at Maimonides Cancer Center. A few months later, COVID-19 hit.

“All of a sudden, our services transitioned from face-to-face to being online, but a lot of my patients were older adults and immigrants who had low digital literacy,” she says.

Beyond navigating diagnoses and treatments, patients had to learn how to log in to a telehealth portal, order prescriptions and pay their bills. Chen’s job shifted with them, and she spent much of her time walking patients through screens, one click at a time.

“That’s when it occurred to me to explore the digital divide and help equip older adults with digital literacy,” she says.

Over the past two years, Chen has authored nine journal articles and book chapters examining the digital divide among older adults and the use of technology to address dementia, loneliness and mental health.

That work has culminated in Wise to AI, a gamified learning platform Chen built with generative AI. Alongside lessons introducing AI and chatbots, the platform teaches users how to recognize when AI is being used to scam them, guided by a trusty animated dog modeled after Chen’s own Shiba Inu, Rumi.

The stakes are real and growing. Americans age 60 and older reported losing $7.7 billion to online scams in 2025 alone — up 59% from the previous year, according to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Actual losses are likely higher, as many victims never report being scammed.

“I created this game to teach older adults some of the tricks and scams they may experience.”

One Wise to AI module tackles the growing problem of AI romance scams. Users choose a persona, such as Rose, and enter a scenario in which Robert, a charming older man she has been talking to online, tells her he’s making money by investing in cryptocurrency. A few days later, he offers to help her get started.

Would she send him $500?

Users must decide whether to send the money, think it over, or say no. If they choose incorrectly, the Rumi-inspired avatar steps in and suggests they call a family member first. The family member then warns them not to send a dime.

After completing enough lessons, users earn a certificate.

“I created this game to teach older adults some of the tricks and scams they may experience,” says Chen, who plans to pilot the platform in senior living facilities.

Using AI to Support Caregivers

Chen’s work extends beyond older adults to the people caring for them.

Last January, Chen and a team of researchers published a study in the Journal of Technology in Human Services investigating how AI could support caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Drawing on interviews with caregivers and a review of 20 studies on interactive AI in dementia care, the team concluded that realistic AI-generated human avatars “hold considerable promise as supportive tools.”

The findings build on a review Chen co-authored earlier this year in the Aging & Mental Health journal, which found that AI-based conversational agents show strong usability and acceptance among older adults.

To test those findings, Chen is using generative AI to pull information from sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Alliance for Caregiving into a series of YouTube videos presented by AI avatars. The videos will cover topics such as shared caregiving and coping with grief and guilt. The team plans to start recruiting caregivers for feedback this fall.

The need is urgent. Caregivers of people with dementia report greater emotional, financial and physical challenges than their peers, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 report. In Florida alone, more than a quarter of dementia caregivers report experiencing depression, the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2024 report found.

“Some caregivers are quitting their jobs to become full-time caregivers without pay and are experiencing a lot of stress, loneliness, and self-neglect,” Chen says. “Instead of having users search for answers via text, we’re hoping AI-generated [avatars] can better deliver the content they’re looking for.”

“If AI is designed in a humanized way, it [could]  provide the comfort and companionship … we all need.”

Across both projects, Chen is exploring a bigger question: Can AI help address some of the complex challenges facing the growing elderly population and their caregivers?

For Chen, the answer isn’t simply about making technology smarter. It’s about making it more human.

“More and more older adults are living alone and feeling lonely,” she says. “It’s getting hard for them to go out and visit community centers and participate in social activities. There are valid concerns about the ethics, equity and transparency of AI, but if AI is designed in a humanized way, it may be able to provide the comfort and companionship that we all need.”