We are America鈥檚 Space 海角直播. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what鈥檚 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鈥檚 Space Coast, UCF continues to prove why it鈥檚 America鈥檚 Space 海角直播 鈥� 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鈥檚 vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida鈥檚 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 鈥� and take action 鈥� by supplying talent and research to the nearby space industry based on the Space Coast just 35 miles east. UCF鈥檚 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 鈥� including the听aerospace medicine program 鈥� directly connected to industry, preparing them for in-demand roles across the space sector.

The university鈥檚 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鈥檚 degrees in (2025):

• Aerospace engineering (No. 4)
• Mechanical engineering (No. 5)
• Computer science (No. 5)
• And No. 10 for awarding engineering bachelor鈥檚 degrees overall 鈥� the highest in Florida

Advancing Research That Reaches New Frontiers

When visionaries look to the future, they also look to UCF 鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 innovation enterprise to launch the听. 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鈥憆elated 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 鈥� underscoring UCF鈥檚 leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

Powering Florida鈥檚 Space Economy

Space is no longer just a frontier 鈥� it鈥檚 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鈥檚 future beyond Earth.

Reaching for What鈥檚 Next

UCF Space Week isn鈥檛 just about looking back at past achievements 鈥� it鈥檚 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鈥檚 possible.

Because at UCF, space isn鈥檛 the final frontier 鈥� it鈥檚 just the beginning.

Welcome to UCF鈥檚听 anechoic chamber.

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

鈥淎nechoic chambers are designed to do two things: to keep outside sound outside and to absorb reflected sound inside,鈥� says Pavel Zahorik, professor of communication sciences and disorders. 鈥淭his allows us to make acoustical measurements that are highly accurate and precise, by limiting background noise and reflected sound.鈥�

Precision is critical in Zahorik鈥檚 research.

An expert in hearing devices and technologies, hearing science and psychoacoustics, he鈥檚 part of UCF鈥檚 growing , which in just two years ago has attracted some of the nation鈥檚 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 鈥� roughly 37.5 million people 鈥� 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 鈥渨ithout echo,鈥� 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鈥檙e 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 accurate 鈥� but it鈥檚 also artificial.

Ears aren鈥檛 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鈥檚 response to how they hear.

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

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

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

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 ears and heads are shaped differently, meaning acoustics are different for different people,鈥� he says. 鈥淯nderstanding how the brain processes that different acoustical information could be really important for improving hearing.鈥�

Zahorik鈥檚 longtime collaboration with Sonova 鈥� a global manufacturer of hearing aids, cochlear implants and wireless communication systems 鈥� 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鈥檛 just about volume.

It鈥檚 also about space: direction and distance.

It鈥檚 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.

鈥淔or the longest time, I thought I was in this huge space, and that the sounds were quite far away,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut when they took the blindfold off, I realized the space wasn鈥檛 very big at all. It was actually smaller than the chamber we have here.鈥�

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.

鈥淲e still don鈥檛 know, for example, exactly how our brain decodes acoustical information to represent space,鈥� says Zahorik, a self-described sound nerd whose office setup includes state-of-the-art headphones and microphones. 鈥淲e still don鈥檛 know how it is we know sounds are coming from a particular location and distance, and how the acoustical environment can change these perceptions.鈥�

鈥淭hink of it like creating a 3D scan 鈥� but for sound.鈥� 鈥� 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.

鈥淭hink of it like creating a 3D scan 鈥� but for sound,鈥澨齔ahorik 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 鈥� resonating far beyond the chamber鈥檚 foam-lined walls.

Through a nearly five-year, $943,000-plus grant from the National Institutes of Health, Calarco鈥檚 lab is examining how neurons 鈥� nerve cells in the brain 鈥� 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.

鈥淲e want to understand what鈥檚 really influencing the neuron,鈥� says Calarco, who began work on this project in 2024 as a postdoctoral scholar at the 海角直播 of Maryland, Baltimore, before joining UCF in January as an assistant professor. 鈥淲hich component is critical for the neuron function that leads to drug-seeking behavior?鈥�

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

鈥淚 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,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e want to understand what’s really influencing the neuron. Which component is critical for the neuron function that leads to drug-seeking behavior?鈥� 鈥� Cali Calarco, assistant professor

The nucleus accumbens contains multiple types of brain cells, and Calarco鈥檚 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.

鈥淢itochondria have been underappreciated in neurons previously,鈥� she says. 鈥淣eurons 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鈥檙e super important for gene transcription and translation and for steroid hormone production.鈥�

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

鈥淭here aren鈥檛 that many substance use disorder treatments, and the ones available only work for a subset of people,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here is room for improvement in nicotine use disorder therapies, and new pathway targets may provide more effective treatments with fewer side effects.鈥�

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鈥檚 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 海角直播 before conducting postdoctoral research at the 海角直播 of Maryland, Baltimore, where she studied mitochondria and cocaine-seeking behavior. She joined the UCF College of Medicine鈥檚 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.听

When Xiayu Summer Chen left home in Canton, China, where she grew up 鈥� first for college in Beijing, then for graduate school in New York City 鈥� 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鈥檛 call it research. It was just what you do for the people you love.

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

That instinct 鈥� helping people remain independent, safe and connected 鈥� now drives Chen鈥檚 research at UCF. She鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檛 designed with their age in mind, citing a lack of confidence in their digital skills and concerns about technology鈥檚 design, according to AARP鈥檚 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus report.

鈥淲e are living in the digital era,鈥� Chen says. 鈥淎s we use AI more in our daily activities, we have to provide ways for aging populations to learn and adapt just like everybody else.鈥�

Improving Digital Literacy for Older Adults

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

鈥淎ll 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,鈥� 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鈥檚 job shifted with them, and she spent much of her time walking patients through screens, one click at a time.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when it occurred to me to explore the digital divide and help equip older adults with digital literacy,鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥� 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鈥檚 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.

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

Using AI to Support Caregivers

Chen鈥檚 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听Services investigating how AI could support caregivers of people with Alzheimer鈥檚 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 鈥渉old considerable promise as supportive tools.鈥�

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鈥檚 Association鈥檚 2026 report. In Florida alone, more than a quarter of dementia caregivers report experiencing depression, the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association鈥檚 2024 report found.

鈥淪ome caregivers are quitting their jobs to become full-time caregivers without pay and are experiencing a lot of stress, loneliness, and self-neglect,鈥� Chen says. 鈥淚nstead of having users search for answers via text, we鈥檙e hoping AI-generated [avatars] can better deliver the content they鈥檙e looking for.鈥�

“If AI is designed in a humanized way, it [could] 听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鈥檛 simply about making technology smarter. It鈥檚 about making it more human.

鈥淢ore and more older adults are living alone and feeling lonely,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 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.鈥�

What if an existing drug could be repurposed to treat a rare disease?

That鈥檚 the question UCF researchers are exploring with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to find a cure for rare nerve tumors that can cause paralysis, hearing and balance loss.

Led by UCF College of Medicine Pegasus Professor Cristina Fern谩ndez-Valle, the team is investigating whether medications already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for other conditions could be swiftly repurposed to treat schwannoma tumors.

The researchers have narrowed a field of about 200 potential drugs to 10 of interest, with three emerging as the most favorable targets.

Their goal is to find new treatment options for patients with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related schwannomatosis. The genetic disorder causes benign tumors to develop on nerves throughout the body and head. As the tumors grow, they can damage nerves responsible for movement and sensation, including those needed to hear and balance.

The disease affects about one in 25,000 newborns worldwide, according to the Children鈥檚 Tumor Foundation, with symptoms often appearing during adolescence and early adulthood. When diagnosed in children, the disorder can be severe and may require multiple surgeries during puberty to reduce tumor size and prevent further loss of function. The Children鈥檚 Tumor Foundation is supporting UCF鈥檚 research with a $280,020 grant.

鈥淭he Children鈥檚 Tumor Foundation was critical to us because they fund the exploratory research that helps advance science,鈥� Fern谩ndez-Valle says. 鈥淎ll of this foundational data is needed to attract the additional support needed to demonstrate a treatment holds real promise.鈥�

Looking for Treatments Beyond Surgery

Schwann cells normally help repair nerves and transmit electrical signals throughout the nervous system. In patients with NF2, however, these cells can form visible tumors that cause chronic pain and neurological issues depending on the affected spinal or cranial nerve.

Current treatments center on surgery and radiation, but removing these tumors can be challenging without damaging critical nerves, including those that affect hearing. Surgery also is not curative, as tumors can regrow.

That鈥檚 why the research team is looking beyond surgery to potential drug therapies.

While schwannomas are not cancerous, the researchers believe some cancer-fighting drugs may help patients with NF2.

The research began with an AI model called TxGNN, developed by Marinka Zitnik鈥檚 laboratory at Harvard Medical School. The model analyzes data and biological mechanisms across thousands of diseases and FDA-approved drugs to identify potential treatments for a queried disease.

鈥淚t essentially generates a map for a disease or condition, like schwannomas, and finds overlaps in targeting similar pathways or related diseases,鈥� says Ethan Hass, a UCF College of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. candidate working in the lab.

Researchers at Sage Bionetworks used the TxGNN model to identify about 200 FDA-approved medications that could potentially benefit schwannoma patients. Fern谩ndez-Valle鈥檚 team then used an innovative imaging system to observe how each drug affected human schwannoma cells.

Using a camera inside a microscope, the team watched how schwannoma cells in a dish reacted to small amounts of each drug. The most promising candidates 鈥� medications currently used to treat diseases as varied as lung cancer and acne 鈥� stopped tumor cell growth by impacting different cellular mechanisms.

A Step Towards Personalized Treatment

The research continues.

The UCF scientists are determining therapeutic doses for the most promising drugs using patient-derived schwannoma cells. They鈥檙e also studying how the drugs affect the tumor growth pathways at the RNA level.

Ultimately, the researchers hope their findings will help identify drug combinations tailored to individual patients. Complicated and understudied genetic conditions like NF2-related schwannomatosis often require treatments that address multiple targets, Fern谩ndez-Valle says.

鈥淚 think this work is encouraging, and I鈥檇 say like with many cancers, you need a cocktail of drugs to treat it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think what we鈥檙e doing here is helping to identify some of the ingredients you might need to make an effective cocktail.鈥�

From Lab Bench to Patient Bedside

The project also provides UCF students with the opportunity to participate in research that can make a real-world impact.

Since joining Fern谩ndez-Valle鈥檚 lab, Hass says his interest in caring for patients with difficult neurologic conditions has grown.

鈥淎s an M.D./Ph.D. student, translation is the magic word for me,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 absolutely love seeing research that can be brought from the bench to the bedside. I want to be that bridge between patients and research.鈥�

Powerful innovation changes more than technology. Put to work for UCF students, it expands what they can learn, discover and achieve.

Across UCF, innovation takes shape through meaningful experiences. Students navigate patient care through immersive simulations, explore new possibilities for prosthetics, and learn from world-class faculty who bring industry expertise and mentorship into the classroom.

That approach has helped place UCF among the nation鈥檚 top five most innovative public universities and earn recognition as Florida鈥檚 most innovative university for the 10th consecutive year, according to the 2027 Best Colleges rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report.

鈥淲e are proud to see UCF recognized as Florida鈥檚 most innovative university and among the best in the nation for the opportunities we provide our students,鈥� says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淥ur students work alongside outstanding faculty, contribute to meaningful research and gain experience taking on real problems. We want them to graduate from UCF knowing what they are capable of and ready to put that experience to work in our state and beyond.鈥�

The distinction reflects the university鈥檚 commitment to elevating how students learn, how discoveries are made and how higher education strengthens the state it serves.

Preparing Talent That Strengthens Florida

For UCF nursing students, learning to care for critically ill patients can begin well before they enter a hospital room.

At UCF鈥檚 Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling (STIM) Center, a global leader in healthcare simulation education, nursing students build patient care skills in realistic clinical environments.

“[We] continue to evolve the way we teach our nursing students because healthcare and technology are constantly evolving.” 鈥� Frances Armstrong, UCF clinical assistant professor

Clinical Assistant Professor and Graduate Simulation Coordinator Frances Armstrong recently combined鈥痶he center鈥檚 immersive cave, a virtual ventilator and an artificial intelligence-enhanced platform to create a simulation for acute care nurse practitioner DNP students. The experience brings theory to life, challenging students to apply what they鈥檝e learned as they prepare for the complexities of patient care.

鈥淚t’s鈥痠mportant for us to continue to evolve the way we teach our nursing students because healthcare and technology are constantly evolving,鈥� Armstrong says. 鈥淥ne of the main ways to do that is by being innovative.鈥�

That impact extends beyond the classroom. UCF has educated more than 17,000 Knight nursing alumni to date, with over 80% living and working in Florida. Our undergraduate nursing program also ranks among the top 50 public universities nationally.

When Research Meets the Real World

UCF also ranks among the nation鈥檚 top 15 public universities for Best Undergraduate Teaching and top 10 for public universities for Best Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects 鈥� and is the only Florida university recognized in the latter category. Those strengths converge as students work alongside faculty to answer questions without obvious solutions.

More than 2,000 UCF undergraduate students conduct research each year. For computer science graduate student Eugenio Diaz 鈥�26, that opportunity began as a sophomore through a research event that matches students with faculty experts.

There, he connected with Mohsen Rakhshan, an assistant professor in . Together, they began exploring a question with life-changing potential: Could technology help a prosthetic hand recognize what it touches?

Their project, 鈥淭exture Classification Using Neuromorphically Encoded Tactile Sensing Data,鈥� combines AI, neuroscience and engineering to identify textures from tactile data. The technology relies on spiking neural networks, which more closely mimic how biological neurons communicate. The research could eventually help prostheses restore a sense of touch.

“This project showed me how satisfying it can be to take [theoretical] ideas … and turn them into something that addresses a tangible problem.” 鈥� Eugenio Diaz 鈥�26, UCF student

Diaz helped redesign the data-collection system, train models, analyze results and author a paper now under review.

Progress wasn’t immediate. For months, the models performed little better than random guessing. Guided by Rakhshan, Diaz kept experimenting until accuracy surpassed 80%.

鈥淢entoring undergraduate students is both teaching and research,鈥� Rakhshan says. 鈥淚 try to teach students how to think and guide them to find answers to what is known and unknown.鈥�

For Diaz, the breakthrough revealed what his skills could accomplish.

鈥淭his project showed me how satisfying it can be to take ideas that are interesting theoretically and turn them into something that addresses a tangible problem,鈥� Diaz says.

Putting More Opportunity Within Reach

Experiences like these have a greater impact when more students can reach them.

UCF is among the nation鈥檚 top 30 public universities for Best Value for In-State Students.

Value goes beyond the cost of a UCF degree. It鈥檚 reflected in the opportunities students have to learn and collaborate with faculty experts, contribute to hands-on research, work with emerging technology and develop skills that prepare them for graduate study and the workforce.

Together, the rankings reinforce innovation with a clear purpose: creating more possibilities for students to learn, discover and build what鈥檚 next.

To see the full list of U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit ucf.edu/academics/us-news-rankings.

A double-barreled T-shirt launcher that can fire shirts higher than the 60-foot walls of Acrisure Bounce House.

A decked-out golf cart, rescued from its fate at the salvage yard and repurposed instead into Knightro鈥檚 preferred mode of transportation.

A 3D-printed, robotic Citronaut piloting a spaceship that blasts AC/DC鈥檚 Thunderstruck through surround-sound speakers.

And set to make its debut later this year, a powerful projection spotlight designed to summon Knightro onto the field 鈥� his own version of Batman鈥檚 iconic bat signal.

As the students explain the ins-and-outs of these custom innovations 鈥� all built in university labs with tools, technology and machines at their disposal 鈥� facility manager Pete Alfieris stands off to the side with a dash of pride on his face.

鈥淩emember what Pete stands for,鈥� the longtime UCF staff member calls out. 鈥�Preparing engineers through e诲耻肠补迟颈辞苍.鈥�

They collectively groan, but in a tone that clearly shows they cherish this man and his dad jokes.

鈥淚f you graduate from [UCF鈥檚] engineering college without meeting Pete, you didn鈥檛 really go to the engineering college,鈥� says Caden Peters 鈥�26, a computer engineering alum who co-created the Knight signal. 鈥淗e really shows that anyone can make an impact. You don鈥檛 have to be a professor. You don鈥檛 have to be an advisor. He鈥檚 the facilities manager of the engineering building. And he still has such a strong impact on the college and inspires so many students. There鈥檚 really no one like him.鈥�

Alfieris oversees daily operations, lab safety and security for UCF鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science buildings since he took the role in 2008. Nowhere in his job responsibilities does it list mentoring and collaborating with students.

Yet for the past five years, since the football season ticket holder was first inspired to introduce a T-shirt launcher at UCF football games, Alfieris has been the driving force behind the growing partnership between the college and UCF Athletics, pitching his ideas to elevate the game-day experience for fans.

The partnership reflects what UCF does best: connecting classroom learning with real-world experience. As SpaceU, UCF Athletics provides a fitting stage for students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science 鈥� the nation’s No. 1 supplier of talent to the aerospace and defense industries, according to Aviation Week Network 鈥� to apply their academics and flex their skills.

鈥淔or years I have seen the potential in these students,鈥� Alfieris says. 鈥淎 lot of them go on to work at SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin, L3 Harris, Northrop Grumman. They鈥檙e so smart and talented.鈥�

The students are always on board to oblige in bringing his visions to life because he believes in them; sometimes more than anyone.

鈥淭here are only a few people here that I would say even scratch the surface compared to Pete when it comes to their belief in students,鈥� says recent mechanical engineering grad Ayden Jordan 鈥�26, who also created Knightro鈥檚 signal. 鈥淧ete believed in us from day one.鈥�

Peters interjects: 鈥淒ay zero.鈥�

That belief and hard work have led to some of the most engaging moments in UCF football鈥檚 game day experience today.

The Idea That Started it All: A T-Shirt Launcher

Austin Harkins 鈥�24 鈥�26MS had listened through two weeks of senior design project ideas, waiting for one worth claiming. The year-long group projects require engineering students to design, build and present a functional prototype before graduation.

Then his professor said two words: T-shirt launcher.

鈥淵ou could just see everyone鈥檚 ears kind of perk up around the room,鈥� says Harkins on a call from Texas, where he鈥檚 currently working as a mechanical design engineer for L3 Harris. 鈥淚 grew up in Oviedo, Florida. My parents went to UCF. I couldn鈥檛 tell you how many UCF football games I鈥檝e been to. I thought, 鈥榊eah, I鈥檓 doing this.鈥� 鈥�

Harkins led one of the teams to score the project. Mechanical engineering graduate student Luciana Carreras 鈥�25 led another.

Over the next several months, both teams designed launchers capable of firing dozens of shirts into the stands during the brief 30-second window they鈥檇 have on the field between plays.

When the prototypes were ready, Carreras and Harkins brought them to the football stadium in the summer for a test run in front of UCF Athletics鈥� game day operations staff.

鈥淚 think [UCF Athletics] had some hesitations, which I understand because they didn鈥檛 know who we were,鈥� Alfieris says. 鈥淲e were launching [T-shirts] all over the field 鈥� one even went out of the stadium 鈥� and [UCF Athletics staff] all looked at me and said, 鈥極h, we鈥檙e definitely doing this.鈥� 鈥�

While the athletic department staff has worked hard to build and protect traditions that span generations of Knights fans, they always embrace trying new things.

鈥淚 think some of UCF鈥檚 best qualities have always been a spirit of collaboration and an attitude of, 鈥榳hat if we try鈥�?鈥� Pete and the engineering students embody that completely,鈥� says Alex Cesarano, associate athletics director for brand experience. 鈥淲hat they鈥檝e delivered over the last few years is a testament to what鈥檚 possible when we have a strong partnership between the university and athletic department. We are immensely grateful for all they鈥檝e added, and continue to add, in service of our fans and student-athletes鈥� experiences.鈥�

Beyond practicality, the teams took design aesthetic into account.

Harkins鈥� launcher resembles a rocket, a nod to UCF鈥檚 SpaceU identity. Carreras鈥� team chose a double-barreled design that maximizes the number of shirts they could launch before leaving the field.

鈥淚 never went to a football game until I had to launch this thing,鈥� Carreras says. 鈥淏ut seeing it out there on game day and seeing the excitement from everyone, it鈥檚 great to leave something behind, especially when it鈥檚 a place that you鈥檝e gotten education from, and you鈥檝e found your friends and a life around the campus.鈥�

Knightro鈥檚 Wheels

Once word spread that Alfieris and the engineering students were behind the T-shirt launchers, the UCF spirit team wanted in.

Knightro head coach Michael Callahan 鈥�05 鈥�09MBA 鈥�17EdD, who also serves as director of knowledge management for UCF鈥檚 College of Medicine, invited Alfieris to tour the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village and discuss future collaborations.

As they drove around in a standard golf cart with Knightro on board, Alfieris couldn鈥檛 help but notice the mascot clinging to the seat.

鈥淜nightro was holding on for dear life, and I looked at Michael and said, 鈥楬ow come Knightro doesn鈥檛 have his own cart?鈥� 鈥� Alfieris says. 鈥淗e looked at me and said, 鈥楪ood question.鈥� 鈥�

Without a dedicated budget or funding, Alfieris has gotten good at being resourceful. He scoured the university鈥檚 surplus property system database, which offers discounted equipment and items in need of repair. One person鈥檚 trash is another鈥檚 treasure.

He found a cart in serious need of electrical work to run again. He turned to the looking for some talent.

Josh Alper, then a first-year mechanical engineering student, answered without knowing a single detail about what he was showing up for.

Alper, who is primarily self-taught, rewired the cart鈥檚 electrical system and fixed the battery charger. He installed LED lighting, four surround-sound speakers and a custom 鈥淏ounce Button鈥� horn to the tune of Zombie Nation鈥檚 Kernkraft 400. He even rigged a 鈥淜nightro phone鈥� that pauses the music for Team Knightro to interact with fans while tailgating. When the phone is placed back on the receiver, the music immediately resumes at maximum vibe levels.

鈥淚 was a new student who basically knew nothing about the school, and in my first few weeks, Pete was touring me around and introducing me to lab managers and faculty,鈥� Alper says. 鈥淚 was able to use 3D printers and tools in the . I鈥檝e gone to football games and shot the T-shirt cannon, which was a really cool experience for my first football season. Working with Pete has opened so many doors.鈥�

Here Comes Citronaut

Alfieris鈥� next big idea was a robot. Mechanical engineering student Andrew Anderson thought Citronaut seemed like a logical choice.

Anderson, who has completed professional internships with Pegasus Partner Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort refurbishing high-profile rides, spent a year creating what the team affectionately refers to as 鈥淐itronaut鈥檚 Thunderstruck鈥� 鈥� a 3D-printed Citronaut piloting a spaceship that rolls through campus blasting AC/DC鈥檚 hit song.

The project began as an oversized foam cube measuring roughly 5 feet on each side.

鈥淔iguring out how to safely cut the foam and see it take that saucer shape, it felt like I was working at Disney,鈥� says Anderson, who has dreamed of developing theme park rides since he was 9 years old.

The team equipped the spaceship with tilting and movement capabilities and an accelerometer to give it a sense of flight.

Meanwhile, computer science major Melanie Allen became Alfieris鈥� go-to team member for precision work. She designed, laser cut and 3D-printed the Citronaut figure to fit snuggly in his spaceship.

鈥淚鈥檝e taken advantage of our machine shop, our 3D printers, laser cutters [and] the 5-axis CNC machine to make aluminum parts. I didn鈥檛 think I would ever be good at painting, and now I know how to paint. So I think a lot of these experiences have given me skills that really make me stand out,鈥� Allen says.

Citronaut鈥檚 Thunderstruck debuted at the 2025 Mission IX Space Game as part of the pregame march to the stadium and was an immediate hit.

鈥淎 lot of kids were really excited when they saw it, and fans wanted to take pictures with it. It was fun to be part of the march and know that I helped create something that looks cool and something that people want to interact with,鈥� Allen says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel like I was just another student commuting and taking classes. I felt like I was making a difference and actually contributing to the university.鈥�

Coming Soon: Knightro鈥檚 Own 鈥楤at鈥� Signal

One of Alfieris鈥� most theatrical, ambitious ideas yet is expected to debut this year thanks to Peters, Jordan and the other three engineers of their senior design project team.

Similar to Batman鈥檚 鈥渂at signal,鈥� the team designed a custom cylinder-shaped light projector capable of summoning Knightro into action to amp the crowd.

鈥淲e faced a lot of questions and doubt when we pitched this for senior design. Could the physics actually work out? Will [the light] actually project at that far of a distance?鈥� Jordan says. 鈥淲hen you have a good team, anything is possible. And we believed we could make the impossible happen.鈥�

The biggest hurdle came early.

The specialized lights required for the design cost $700, leaving Jordan unsure if the project would ever get off the ground.

A week later, his team got an email that the lights were in, purchased by the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from the budget dedicated to supporting senior design projects.

鈥淧ete worked his magic,鈥� Peters says.

Engineering this from a concept drawing into an actual functioning contraption was no small feat.

The high-powered lights generated enough heat to require radiators and a water-cooling loop. The team also developed an innovative method to display the projected image by using a laser cutter to burn away the coating on mirror slides. And ensuring safety throughout their design, down to the emergency stop button, was paramount.

When their first successful test happened at 3 a.m. on the side of Engineering II, the first person they told was Alfieris.

鈥淚 remember walking up my apartment stairs that night thinking, I want this feeling for the rest of my life,鈥� Peters says.

Funds and hours in a day are the only things holding back Alfieris and the students at this point. They have a few more ideas and projects in the works that they鈥檙e eager to share with Knight Nation when they鈥檙e ready.

Alfieris says he鈥檚 grateful to his supervisor, College of Engineering and Computer Science Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and NCAA faculty representative Manoj Chopra, for allowing him to engage with the students in these ventures. It鈥檚 been one of the greatest gifts of his career.

鈥淎ll [the] stuff that I wanted to do is coming to life, and it鈥檚 so much fun,鈥� Alfieris says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any kids, so they鈥檙e like my kids. I get that proud parent moment when they come to me and say, 鈥楾hank you.鈥� And I’m like, 鈥榃hat are you thanking me for?鈥� And they say, 鈥榊ou helped me. You were just always there.鈥� And it just makes me feel really good. It really does.鈥�

A groundbreaking discovery in a university laboratory may solve a scientific problem but turning that discovery into a successful company is an entirely different challenge. Researchers must determine whether customers actually need their technology, develop a viable business model, attract investors, and build the expertise and infrastructure needed to compete in the marketplace. Even promising technologies can stall somewhere along that journey.

After decades of helping researchers bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization, UCF is now bringing that proven model to a national stage.

Small U.S. businesses based in a variety of technologies that are seeking support to scale their reach can .

With a $20 million investment from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), UCF is leading the National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI), a two-year pilot program designed to help late-stage federally funded technology companies make the difficult transition from validated technology to commercial success.

The effort has drawn support from more than 30 organizations across industry, academia, national laboratories and the innovation community. Samsung, Siemens, Lockheed Martin and L3Harris are a small sample of the industry leaders that submitted letters of support. Research and higher education institutions supporting the effort include UC Berkeley, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory. Together, these organizations and others that will be brought into the mix represent the kind of national network NCTI aims to bring together to help promising technologies reach the marketplace.

How NCTI Will Support Small Businesses

Under the leadership of UCF鈥檚 experts, NCTI will build on that commercialization experience by studying companies that have progressed beyond the initial stages of research and development. Researchers will examine how different combinations of support, including capital investment, mentorship, training, prototyping and testing, and market validation, can most effectively accelerate commercialization.

鈥淣CTI completes that pipeline rather than duplicating any part of it.鈥� 鈥� Ivan Garibay, professor

UCF Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems 鈥�00MS 鈥�04PhD, principal investigator for NCTI, will lead the institute. For more than 20 years, the UCF computer science alum has advanced research focused on modeling and simulating complex systems that combine social, technological, and economic factors. Through his previous positions at UCF, including serving as the Office of Research鈥檚 director of technology and innovation, Garibay has gained unique expertise on how to transform developments from the lab into real-world innovations.

Garibay says NCTI is designed to build upon existing federal research translation and commercialization programs by providing support at a later stage, when promising technologies have been developed but companies may still struggle to reach the market. NCTI also builds on another NSF effort Garibay has been leading at UCF since 2024, the Accelerating Research Translation program, which has strengthened internal processes at the university to enhance potential for developing viable business.

鈥淣CTI completes that pipeline rather than duplicating any part of it,鈥� Garibay says. 鈥淲e coordinate the full continuum of federal resources, managing the handoffs from [the NSF] Innovation-Corps customer discovery through to commercialization support, so each company knows where it stands and what comes next.鈥�

鈥淔urthermore, the research study conducted in this effort will discover which interventions applied to enhance commercialization efforts of deep tech companies have the intended impact.鈥� 鈥� Michael Georgiopoulos, CECS dean

, dean of UCF鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science for over a decade, will also contribute expertise as a co-principal investigator for NCTI. Georgiopoulos is a seasoned researcher in electrical and computer engineering whose areas of interest include machine learning and neural networks. Georgiopoulos has also helped lead NSF-supported efforts focused on strengthening STEM education and student success 鈥� fueling a talent pipeline for future innovators and entrepreneurs.

鈥淭his is a great opportunity for UCF with its prior expertise with TIP (Technology, Innovation and Partnership) programs such as ART, I-Corps, Engines to bring together a national network of entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to help deep-tech companies with proven technologies to successfully commercialize their efforts and attain the expected impact that their technologies are destined for,鈥� Georgiopoulos says. 鈥淔urthermore, the research study conducted in this effort will discover which interventions applied to enhance commercialization efforts of deep tech companies have the intended impact.鈥�

Enhancing a Commercialization Ecosystem

Over time, UCF has steadily expanded its efforts to help faculty researchers move discoveries beyond the laboratory, from establishing the UCF Business Incubation Program in 1999 to taking leadership roles in major economic-focused NSF initiatives.

听 鈥�96MS 鈥�96MBA 鈥�05PhD, a professor of industrial engineering and management systems, has been involved in many of these efforts. He founded the UCF Business Incubation Program, which Time magazine recently named the No. 17 on its inaugural America鈥檚 Best Incubators and Accelerators 2026 鈥� and the top ranked traditional business incubator in the country.

鈥淭he notion now is bringing all these disparate tools together to help an engineer or a scientist get the training, processes, and tools that they need to transfer that technology into something beneficial to society.鈥� 鈥� Thomas O’Neal, professor

鈥淭he whole notion is to build a robust ecosystem at the 海角直播 to help us get technology out of the laboratory and into the marketplace,鈥� O鈥橬eal says.O鈥橬eal also serves as the co-principal investigator for UCF鈥檚 NSF Innovation-Corps (I-Corps) program, which launched at UCF in 2014 as the first NSF-sponsored economic effort at the university. Through the program, researchers undergo a structured customer-discovery process that helps them evaluate the market for their technology and ultimately reach what O鈥橬eal describes as a 鈥済o or no-go鈥� decision about pursuing commercialization.

鈥淚t is a formal process that helps engineers and scientists transfer their technology into viable business opportunities,鈥� O鈥橬eal says.

UCF is also strengthening the broader infrastructure surrounding research commercialization through NSF ART, which O鈥橬eal is a co-principal investigator on.

鈥淲e were really siloed before,鈥� O鈥橬eal says. 鈥淭he notion now is bringing all these disparate tools together to help an engineer or a scientist get the training, processes, and tools that they need to transfer that technology into something beneficial to society.鈥�

Expanding Tech Focuses and Business Insights

That commercialization experience at UCF also extends to the Florida Semiconductor Engine, an NSF-funded initiative led by UCF Galloway Professor of Management , a co-principal investigator of NCTI.

鈥淪ome of the most critical factors include sufficient capital investment, clarity on customer need, business savvy and focused leaders, and the discipline to execute.鈥� 鈥� Ron Piccolo, professor

鈥淭he Florida Semiconductor Engine is charged with translating and commercializing promising technologies in the semiconductor domain,鈥� Piccolo says. 鈥淚 am hopeful that we can support similar efforts in adjacent technologies. 鈥� NCTI extends the university鈥檚 portfolio of programs that support entrepreneurship, technology development and market readiness.鈥�

As an NCTI co-principal investigator, Piccolo will draw on his experience as a business scholar to help develop and execute the institute鈥檚 research plan. His work with the Florida Semiconductor Engine will also help connect NCTI with a national network of NSF Engines spanning critical technology areas, including energy, textiles, quantum computing, critical materials, semiconductors and natural resources.

Determining why some promising technologies become viable companies while others do not will be a central part of NCTI鈥檚 research.

鈥淪ome of the most critical factors include sufficient capital investment, clarity on customer need, business savvy and focused leaders, and the discipline to execute,鈥� Piccolo says.

Ready to Grow Your Business?

NCTI supports a select group of NSF-funded U.S. small businesses (NSF-funded SBIR and STTTR Phase II and Phase IIB companies) at the later stages of deep technology research and development 鈥� such as AI, biotechnology, quantum computing and other fields 鈥� 听through funding, mentoring and connections, paired with individualized support that includes diagnostic triage, a commercialization plan, dedicated mentor teams and curated introductions to customers, investors, industry and national laboratories.

Small businesses across America based in a variety of technologies that are seeking support to scale their reach can .

To build the ultrafast computers of the future, scientists are looking beyond the electrical charge of electrons to another property: their spin. While conventional hardware relies entirely on the movement of charge to process data, the ability to tap into this intrinsic quantum property could enable researchers to completely reinvent how information travels through a circuit.

Now, a team led by UCF Professor of Physics has identified a promising candidate. Neupane and his collaborators found evidence of altermagnetism, an emerging form of magnetism that combines useful characteristics of the two more familiar types of magnetism: ferromagnetism and antiferromagnetism.

Ferromagnetism produces the behavior most people associate with everyday magnets. In these materials, magnetic moments align in the same direction, creating a magnetic field. That property can be useful in electronics, but the resulting stray magnetic fields can interfere with nearby components.

Antiferromagnets behave differently. Their magnetic moments point in opposing directions and cancel one another out, largely avoiding the stray fields. However, they lack some of the useful electronic properties found in ferromagnets.

Altermagnets offer another possibility by combining desirable characteristics of both.

Like antiferromagnets, they can avoid producing unwanted stray magnetic fields. But they can also generate and detect spin currents 鈥� the movement of electron spins through a material 鈥� that researchers hope to use for future electronics.

Neupane and his collaborators experimentally identified signatures of this unusual magnetic state in Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧�, a layered material containing magnetic cobalt atoms. The discovery gives researchers a promising, versatile platform for studying altermagnetism and could help advance future electronic and spintronic technologies.

鈥淭hese materials are distinguished from more conventional antiferromagnets by their ability to generate and detect spin currents without the negative effect of producing stray fields,鈥� Neupane says. 鈥淭his new property makes them very well positioned for use in many different applications 鈥� including spintronics, ultrafast memory devices, terahertz networks and energy-efficient electronics.鈥�

Tracking the Signs of Altermagnetism

To determine whether Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧� exhibited altermagnetism, the researchers needed to examine how its electrons behaved.

They used a technique called angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, or ARPES, which allows scientists to measure the energy and movement of electrons and map a material鈥檚 electronic structure.

鈥淥ur approach was to use higher-resolution methods that were insensitive to the electron鈥檚 spin to measure the splitting in the energy levels,鈥� Neupane says. 鈥淭hen, we complemented this measurement with spin-resolved ARPES to conclusively tell if this looks like altermagnetism.鈥�

The team first detected a characteristic splitting in the material鈥檚 electronic bands. They then used spin-resolved ARPES to take a closer look and found that those split states carried opposite spin polarizations, key evidence of altermagnetism.

Getting a clear look at that behavior presented another challenge. Photoemission measurements are extremely sensitive to a material鈥檚 surface, so researchers needed exceptionally clean samples to accurately observe what was happening.

While collaborators produced high-quality Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧� samples, Neupane鈥檚 team carefully screened them for ultra-clean surfaces before mapping the material鈥檚 electronic behavior.

鈥淭he significance became clear once the experimental measurements consistently matched our theoretical predictions,鈥� Neupane says. 鈥淪eeing those independent pieces of evidence converge gave us confidence that we had identified a genuine layered altermagnet.鈥�

Why Layered Materials Are Changing the Game

Finding evidence of altermagnetism was only part of what made Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧� interesting to researchers.

The material is built from extremely thin layers stacked on top of one another. Because those layers are weakly bound, scientists can separate and combine them into extremely thin structures, making layered materials promising for use in thin-film devices and other emerging technologies.

Scientists call this family of layered materials transition-metal dichalcogenides, or TMDs.

In Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧�, magnetic cobalt atoms inserted between the layers help create the material鈥檚 unusual magnetic properties. Its layered structure also makes the material highly tunable, allowing researchers to modify it and study how those changes affect its electronic and magnetic behavior.

The team also wanted to understand where that unusual electronic behavior originated. Before the study, it was unclear whether the key signatures of altermagnetism in layered materials would come primarily from the surface or from deeper within the material.

Their measurements showed that the relevant electronic state originated primarily within the material itself and displayed clear signatures of altermagnetic order.

鈥淓vidence for altermagnetism in a versatile materials platform opens a lot of new possibilities,鈥� says Milo Sprague, the study鈥檚 lead graduate student researcher. 鈥淭here鈥檚 currently a lot of debate in altermagnetic theory about how the spin-polarized electronic states interact with other magnetic phenomena. Now we have a material that we can easily modify to explore these new questions.鈥�

Building the Foundation for Future Technologies

Most conventional electronics rely on the electrical charge of electrons to transmit and process information. But electrons possess another property, their spin, that researchers are exploring as another way to carry information.

This emerging field is known as spintronics.

Altermagnets could be particularly useful for spintronics because they can generate and detect spin currents without producing the stray magnetic fields that can interfere with densely packed electronic components.

鈥淎s electronic devices continue to shrink, researchers need new materials that can operate faster while consuming less energy,鈥� Neupane says.

Layered materials are already being investigated for use in extremely small transistors, optical technologies and other electronic devices. At the same time, researchers are exploring whether spin currents can provide new ways to transmit digital information.

Layered altermagnets could bring those two areas of research together, providing extremely thin, adaptable materials capable of controlling electron spin without producing the same unwanted magnetic interference as conventional magnets.

鈥淚f this approach proves viable, then layered altermagnets will be at the forefront of electronics development,鈥� Neupane says.

What Researchers Still Don鈥檛 Know

The study gives researchers something particularly valuable: a material they can use to investigate the many unanswered questions surrounding altermagnetism in Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧�.

Scientists still don鈥檛 fully understand why this unusual magnetic state forms or why it can become favored over other possible magnetic structures 鈥� including ferromagnetism and other forms of antiferromagnetism 鈥� and how it behaves.

Theoretical studies suggest that competition among different interactions between electrons may help determine which magnetic state forms, but researchers are still working to determine how completely those theories describe the behavior of real materials.

鈥淭here are many details to the theory of how altermagnets work that haven鈥檛 been explored or verified yet,鈥� Neupane says. 鈥淣ow that we have identified several platforms for answering these questions, more advanced studies into these materials are underway.鈥�

Because scientists can modify Co鈧�/鈧凾aSe鈧� and observe how its properties change, the material provides researchers with a new experimental platform for investigating unanswered questions and exploring how altermagnetism interacts with other magnetic and electronic phenomena.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science under Award Number DE-SC0024304.

Deaner鈥檚 dissertation centers on a first-of-its-kind Florida scrub jay translocation initiative examining genetic rescue, a conservation strategy that introduces individuals from other populations to increase genetic diversity and improve the health and viability of an imperiled population.

鈥淭his project gives us a unique opportunity to understand the effects of a large-scale translocation on population recovery, how mate choice is influenced when birds from different genetic units are brought together and how genetic variation changes over time,鈥� Deaner says.

The project build on regional recovery efforts that began in the late 1990s through mitigation efforts led by the with guidance from the late , a prominent Florida avian biologist. Raoul Boughton, senior manager of ecology and wildlife at the Mosaic Company, leads the current recovery effort, with Deaner and Sahas Barve, program director of avian ecology at Archbold Biological Station, serving as co-principal investigators.

Testing Genetic Rescue at an Unprecedented Scale

Researchers translocated 48 Florida scrub jays to a new recipient site 鈥� enough birds to fill the site to its estimated carrying capacity. Previous translocations typically moved smaller numbers of birds over several years. All 48 birds were hatched in 2025, minimizing age-related competitive advantages.

Six months after the translocation, Deaner has already observed promising signs.

Florida scrub jays typically do not become breeders until they are 2 or 3 years old.听 Across six decades of monitoring at Archbold Biological Station and two decades of data from the local population, fewer than 0.25% of recorded nesting attempts involved pairs of one-year-old birds.

At the recipient site, however, four of the 10 newly formed pairs of one-year-old birds attempted to nest this year 鈥� a rate of 40%. Researchers had expected approximately half of the groups to include young birds serving as helpers听 but instead, most translocated birds sought their own breeding positions.

The early breeding activity is significant because genetic rescue ultimately depends on translocated birds establishing themselves, reproducing and passing their genetic variation into the recipient population. Although it is too early to determine the translocation鈥檚 long-term effect, the nesting attempts allow researchers to begin studying whether and how that genetic integration occurs.

Combining Genomics and Field Monitoring

Genomic data allows researchers to examine genetic variation among source populations, while long-term field monitoring provides information about survival, reproduction, territory establishment, dispersal and population growth. The team combines this data using Vortex, a population viability analysis software, to assess how genetic, environmental and demographic factors could affect the species鈥� long-term survival.

Researchers also equipped the birds with RFID tags and established feeding stations where each jay must stand on an antenna to access peanuts. The system allows Deaner to track visits and social feeding behavior, including patterns that may indicate pair formation and help researchers target birds for reproductive monitoring.

Deaner says UCF was the right place to pursue those questions because of the university鈥檚 collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to biology.

鈥淢y dissertation combines conservation genomics, population ecology, behavior, spatial analysis and population modeling and UCF has given me access to researchers with expertise across those fields,鈥� she says.

Deaner conducts her research in UCF Department of Biology Chair and Professor , where she works alongside students studying similar conservation questions.

Building on Nearly Two Decades of Fieldwork

Deaner鈥檚 path to UCF has been shaped by her years working directly with Florida scrub jays.

Between earning her undergraduate degree at the 海角直播 of Delaware and her master鈥檚 degree at Georgia Southern 海角直播, she spent six years conducting early translocations involving the same Florida scrub jay population she studies today.

鈥淐ollecting those data and knowing so many answers lie just beneath the surface of each spreadsheet is what first inspired me to pursue graduate school,鈥� Deaner says.

After earning her master鈥檚 degree, she returned to the Florida scrub jay recovery project, where her work reinforced the importance of genetic recovery to the population鈥檚 long-term persistence. At UCF, Deaner has been able to bring those experiences together, combining the perspective of a field biologist with the tools of a researcher.

She hopes the research will ultimately help conservationists recover imperiled species more quickly and with fewer resources. In September, Deaner presented preliminary findings at the International Conservation Translocation Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.

鈥淚t’s not the taxa (group of organisms) that’s important, it’s the questions,鈥� Deaner says. 鈥淎s long as the questions are the ones that trigger your curiosity, you are heading in the right direction.鈥�