Now a global project manager for wire technology at Alleima Advanced Materials, the materials science and engineering alum has earned the company’s 2026 Innovation Prize for her work advancing wires used in critical medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors, hearing implants and pacemakers. The annual award recognizes excellence in product development.

“The work I do is very rewarding. Every day, I get to contribute to advancing medical care and treatment,” McDorman says. “If it’s a medical device and it has a wire, Alleima is likely contributing to it somehow.”

McDorman earned her doctoral degree from UCF under Associate Professor Swaminathan Rajaraman, who directs the , where researchers develop micro- and nanoscale solutions spanning biotechnology, pharmacology, plant sciences and medical devices.

“I chose UCF because the [materials science and engineering] program was highly rated … and had a wide variety of research areas …”

Before coming to UCF, McDorman earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physics, but discovered a passion for applied research that required a deeper focus on materials.

“When I decided to pursue a Ph.D., materials science and engineering was a natural choice,” she says. “I chose UCF because the program was highly rated, small and had a wide variety of research areas that I was interested in.”

Through her doctoral studies, McDorman found a more biology-focused side of materials science. Her work with biosensors in Rajaraman’s lab ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in the medical device industry.

She credits her research experience at UCF with preparing her for work at Alleima, where 90% of her unit’s business supports medical device manufacturing.

“The company has a rich history of materials innovation in steel and nickel-based alloys,” McDorman says. “Since we produce wire, I am constantly using base materials science knowledge to process the material in a way that achieves a specific set of properties in the end product.”

She says she has always aimed for a position that would allow her to make a positive contribution to society, an opportunity she is grateful to have at Alleima.

For new graduates considering a similar path, McDorman encourages them to connect with UCF alumni on LinkedIn and to explore job opportunities in Florida’s growing manufacturing industry, particularly in Volusia and Flagler counties.

“We put a lot into our work every day because we truly care about ensuring the best possible patient outcomes,” she says. “It is great that our efforts have been recognized by the business.”

By modifying the material at the atomic level, the researchers at , led by , significantly improved the reaction’s energy efficiency while maintaining industrial production rates.

The findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

Atomically Perfect Imperfections

The new material was created using a method known as defect modification.

At the nanoscale, carbon materials contain atomic-level imperfections, or “defects,” Yang says. Some of these defects help drive chemical reactions, while others reduce efficiency and create instability. Yang and his team focused on stabilizing the harmful defects while preserving the beneficial ones.

“We found that adding a small amount of fluorine — the same element found in toothpaste — can ‘heal’ or stabilize the harmful defects while keeping the helpful ones active,” Yang says.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) plays a critical role across industries, including wastewater treatment, semiconductor manufacturing, and medical sterilization.

“Today, most hydrogen peroxide is produced in large, centralized factories using an energy-intensive process,” Yang says. “It then has to be transported, which adds cost and safety risks. Our work offers a simpler, cleaner, and more efficient way to produce hydrogen peroxide using electricity, potentially, wherever it is needed.”

Engineered Efficiency

After stabilizing the atomic defects, the team observed minimal wasted reactions and high production rates. The material can withstand industrial-level electrical currents of 1 amp per square centimeter and maintain stable performance for more than 100 hours.

When paired with methanol oxidation, the system requires less energy than conventional approaches. The researchers’ economic modeling suggests a commercial version of the system could reduce environmental impact while remaining financially competitive.

Beyond hydrogen peroxide production, the research demonstrates a broader strategy for materials engineering.

“Instead of randomly modifying materials and hoping for improvement, we used computer modeling, statistical screening, and careful experimental validation to design the exact atomic structures that work best,” Yang says.

UCF filed a patent application for this technology to cover its novelty and use, with the intent of commercializing the technology and expanding collaboration with industry partners.

Some of the nation’s most promising scientists can be found in Will Furiosi ’13 ’14MAT’s Oviedo High School classroom.

Spend five minutes talking to Ankan Das, Angela Calvo-Chumbimuni and Moitri Santra about their research innovations in robotics, mental health and agriculture, and one truth becomes quite clear: These teens are the real deal.

Backed by UCF associate professors Ellen Kang (physics and NanoScience Technology Center) and Candice Bridge ’07�ʳ�� (chemistry) and researcher Max Kuehn ’22 (Exolith Lab), the Oviedo High trio recently earned recognition as the top three projects at Seminole County’s regional science fair.

With Oviedo’s proximity to main campus, the collaboration highlights UCF’s steadfast commitment to supporting STEM education across Central Florida.

They went on to represent the county admirably at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, where they took home several prizes against more than 1,700 high schoolers from around the globe.

Most notably, Santra took home first place and $6,000 in the Plant Sciences category and received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award. She will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this September in Kiel, Germany.

“Working in Dr. Kang’s lab played pretty big role in choosing materials science and engineering as my major for college because I was exposed to just how many different things someone can do in the area I work with, nanotechnology,” says Santra, a senior bound for Stanford who has worked with Kang since she was a freshman. “The lab provided a lot of resources — not just the instruments, but also mentorship, advice and support.”

A Will to Succeed

The hallway leading to Furiosi’s classroom is decorated with rows of blue, red, white, green, yellow and pink paper accomplishment ribbons. More ribbons, pennants and certificates adorn his walls, along with eight Science and Engineering Fair of Florida best-in-fair grand award senior division trophies — more than any other high school in the state.

During his own primary education, Furiosi attended eight schools over 12 years. As a seventh-grader at Stone Magnet Middle School in Brevard County, he was initially prohibited from participating in science fair because officials couldn’t verify Furiosi was capable of the coursework from his transfer transcripts. He would later go on to earn Order of Pegasus as a Burnett Honors Scholar majoring in biomedical sciences before earning his master’s degree in teacher education.

Every day, he saw a wall of ribbons, much like the ones in his classroom now. And every day he would tell himself, “I want to be one of those kids.”

That experience fundamentally shaped how the UCF grad runs his program today.

“What keeps me motivated is knowing that I have the opportunity to get people to be really prepared, informed citizens who are good thinkers, and who, when faced with a problem, smile and tackle it instead of running away,” Furosi says.

Infusing Life into Science

Furiosi began teaching at Oviedo High School in 2013 as he pursued his accelerated master’s degree, made possible by the College of Community Innovation and Education’s Resident Teacher Professional Preparation Program. The program, funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, was created in response to the growing need for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Four years later, he took over the school’s science fair program and was determined to breathe new life into it, which at the time involved just four kids.

He cold called students in his AP Biology and Honors Chemistry courses, begging anyone who had shown a glimmer of interest during class to sign up so they wouldn’t have to fold the program.

Today, he’s at 46 students, with some, like Calvo-Chumbimuni, interested in joining the program as soon as they arrive at Oviedo High.

“My seventh grade science fair teacher knew Mr. Furiosi and spoke highly of him,” says Calvo-Chumbimuni, who earned fourth place ISEF’s biochemistry category this year. “When I came to Oviedo High and met him, I immediately understood why. The research program stood out to me as a valuable opportunity.”

Furiosi fosters a safe space to fail, learn and grow from the research. There are no barriers to entry; no project deemed too insignificant. And he stresses the merits of high-quality mentorship, like the ones Das, Santra, and Calvo-Chumbimuni formed with UCF faculty and STEM labs.

Some of his students have earned thousands of dollars in prizes — one alone pulled in $70,000 and is now studying at the ����ֱ�� of Glasgow — at prestigious competitions sponsored by some of the tech industry’s biggest names, including Regeneron and Lockheed Martin, a UCF Pegasus Partner.

His alums have gone on to top research institutions including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Stanford, and of course, UCF. One of those Knights is aerospace engineering grad Daniel Dyson ’21 ’22MS ’25PhD, who studied in Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Subith Vasu’s lab and now works for Relativity Space at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site.

“Mr. Furiosi really pushes you toward excellence,” says Das, a sophomore building a tensegrity robot with shape memory alloys that he tested at UCF’s Exolith Lab.

Supporting Excellence

An award-winning researcher who has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Kang is not easily impressed. Still, Santra made an immediate impression as an eighth grader when she first popped up Kang’s inbox, asking if she could present her idea on a nanoparticle treatment for citrus greening disease in Florida.

“I could clearly see that she had a firm understanding of the material and just thought, ‘Wow, she is really a force.’ I actually wanted to have my undergrad students see her presentation because of how professional she was, even at that young age,” Kang says. “She has this creativity, passion, persistence and resilience — all the key elements that you need as a successful STEM field researcher.”

Similarly, Bridge immediately noticed Calvo-Chumbimuni’s persistence and go-getter attitude when she initially connected with her two years ago. Driven by her interest in the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and analytical chemistry, Calvo-Chumbimuni pitched her idea to develop an electrochemical sensor and biosensor to improve diagnostic methods for mental health disorders.

“I’ve always appreciated her sense of humanity,” Bridge says. “I thought, ‘If you can foster someone who has this sort of compassion already, there are infinite possibilities for what they can do to benefit the community.’ ”

The two have been dedicated, active participants in their labs, regularly conducting research multiple days per week during the school year and, at times, daily over the summer.

The faculty and their doctoral students have mentored the high schoolers through instrumentation methods, analyzing data, the literature review process and their presentations.

Both presented continuations of their projects at ISEF — Calvo-Chumbimuni for her second-straight year, Santra for her third — while Das made his first time at the competition memorable with his fourth-place finish in the engineering technology: statics and dynamics category.

Kuehn, who is an engineer at , is accustomed to working with a variety of researchers and scientists who test their experiments and equipment at the Highland Regolith Test Bin. He says he was quickly intrigued by Das’ project, a lightweight and nimble robot that can expand, contract and move through electric current.

Das wanted to test the robot in lunar regolith — simulated moon dirt — because he envisions the tech behind his robot one day being utilized in lunar missions or search and rescue efforts in unstable environments.

“Max noticed that sometimes the motion was a little slow, so he gave some suggestions,” Das says. “Working in the lunar regolith chamber was a very insightful and eye-opening experience. I know I’m still in high school, but I’ve learned I want to do research for as long as I can because I really find this interesting.”

Which, at the end of the day, has been Furiosi’s mission all along.

“Research is not just in science. It is in all disciplines. There’s a lot of cool things that need to be discovered in all fields,” he says. “UCF’s expertise has been so invaluable in preparing my students for the future. A lot of these kids have wonderful ideas, and I really hope we can continue growing more professional support for them in any capacity.”

The same curiosity that once led Jeonghyun Song to shape clay with his hands now drives him to engineer materials at an atomic level, combining chemistry and creativity.

He began his college journey in the arts, drawn to pottery. But as he worked with ceramics, his attention shifted beneath the surface — to the chemistry of the materials and the possibilities within them. That shift in perspective pushed him from the art studio into the lab — and now to a national fellowship.

A materials science and engineering major, Song will join the ����ֱ�� of Notre Dame this summer as a recipient of its Nanoscience and Technology Undergraduate Research Fellowship, hosted from May 18 through July 24.

“I chose to attend UCF because of the opportunities it offers — especially in research — along with its strong engineering program.”

The opportunity marks a turning point in his journey from an arts major to an engineering major, which he began when he transferred to UCF in Fall 2025.

“I chose to attend UCF because of the opportunities it offers — especially in research — along with its strong engineering program,” Song says. “The MSE (Materials Science and Engineering) Program is relatively new and rapidly growing, which gives students more chances to get involved and grow.”

He didn’t waste time getting started.

As a new Knight and burgeoning materials researcher, Song set his sights on working with Assistant Professor Kausik Mukhopadhyay, whose research bridges materials, chemistry, biology and engineering to develop solutions for surfaces, coatings, electrochemistry and more.

Now in Mukhopadhyay’s , Song studies clay-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

“As a student who comes from a ceramics background, Dr. Mukhopadhyay’s research was the most interesting to me,” Song says. “Based on his work in chemistry and materials science, I knew his lab would be a place where I could grow and actively engage in research.”

The lab quickly became more than a workspace — it became a launchpad, which Song says he’s grateful for.

“I would like to thank Dr. Mukhopadhyay and the people in our group for their support,” he says. “If it wasn’t for them, I would have had a hard time blending into the UCF community.”

His perspective as a researcher is evolving, too.

“I find it more interesting to study how common … materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties.”

Once drawn to examining rare and expensive materials for their unique characteristics, Song is now focused on factors in materials costs and environmental impact.

“While studying rare materials is interesting due to their distinct properties, I find it more interesting to study how common and inexpensive materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties,” he says.

That mindset will guide his work at Notre Dame.

His project, “Prototyping High-speed Synthesis of Gold Microplates,” tackles a key challenge in nanotechnology: efficiently producing ultrathin gold coatings. These coatings are useful in technology like biosensors and electronics, but current synthesis methods are slow, and controlling their size, shape and placement is challenging.

Song will help explore faster synthesis methods using a reaction chamber to study the process through three activation approaches: light, temperature and merging chemical streams.

As he prepares to spend the summer in Indiana, Song acknowledges some anxiety — the kind that comes with stepping into something bigger — as he looks ahead to what could be a pivotal moment in his journey as a researcher.

“I would like to meet new people, learn from them and also expand my vision for research,” Song says. “I think this summer will be the most important for me in terms of deciding my future.”

The study, led by UCF , identifies hydrazinoacetic acid as a key building block in the production of N-nitroglycine, a rare compound that offers new insight into how living systems carry out sophisticated chemical processes.These processes could be used to create safer and more efficient chemical reactions across manufacturing, healthcare and more. The research has been accepted for publication in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology and was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Graham Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Zdilla Laboratory at Temple ����ֱ��.

“Enzymes — or bacteria, more broadly — are capable of generating many interesting types of molecules, including ones we would think are explosive,” Caranto says. “We don’t know why they’re making them, but it’s fairly interesting that they do.”

While compounds like nitramines are often associated with industrial and energetic applications, their role in biology remains poorly understood. By identifying hydrazinoacetic acid as a key precursor to N-nitroglycine, the team begins to explain how bacteria construct these unusual nitrogen-rich molecules — and what those pathways may tell scientists about chemistry in living systems.

Why It Matters

Understanding how bacteria produce nitrogen-rich compounds could have implications across multiple fields, from industrial chemistry to medicine. Traditional methods for synthesizing these compounds often require energy-intensive processes or hazardous materials. Biological systems, by contrast, operate under milder conditions and could offer a blueprint for alternative production methods.

“Currently, the way these compounds are made requires a lot of very corrosive, hazardous and environmentally detrimental materials, having a bacterium make it instead would present a lot of advantages in terms of eliminating waste.”— Jonathan Caranto, associate professor of chemistry, UCF College of Sciences

“Currently, the way these compounds are made requires a lot of very corrosive, hazardous and environmentally detrimental materials,” Caranto says. “Having a bacterium make it instead would present a lot of advantages in terms of eliminating waste.”

At the same time, the discovery opens new avenues for studying how these molecules function in biological systems, including potential applications in drug development and enzyme engineering.

Uncovering Nature’s Hidden Chemistry

At the center of the discovery is hydrazinoacetic acid, a small but highly reactive molecule that functions as a precursor, or starting material, in the bacterial synthesis of N-nitroglycine. By identifying its role, researchers were able to map a previously unknown biosynthetic pathway, showing insight into how bacteria construct these compounds. For postdoctoral scholar Ben Rathman, the discovery highlights how much remains unknown about these molecules.

“The biological role of these compounds is not really well understood,” Rathman says. “We have a lot to learn from nature, and that’s where my interest in the project lies.”

That uncertainty is central to the work. While these compounds have been studied in synthetic contexts for decades, their presence in biology raises new questions about how and why organisms produce them.

A Paradox in Biology

Part of what makes the finding compelling is the tension between how these molecules are typically understood and how they behave in living systems.

“It’s one of those things where, at first, you might say this shouldn’t be a biomolecule,” chemistry doctoral student Gabriel Padilla ’17 says. “These types of functional groups are usually associated with energetics, but here they’re produced by living systems.”

Rather than behaving like traditional energetic materials, the compounds studied do not detonate under normal conditions. Instead, they appear to exist as stable intermediates within biological systems, suggesting they may serve entirely different functions.  In addition, most hydrazines are regarded as highly toxic.

For Caranto, this reflects a broader theme in the research.

“One insight from our work is that life is pretty remarkable in how it can safely and productively use molecules that would otherwise be toxic,” he says.

For the team, the work represents an early step in a much larger effort to understand the role these compounds play in nature.

“We’re really interested in why bacteria make these nitramines,” Caranto says. “This is the first step on a much longer road toward understanding that.”

Work in the Caranto and Graham labs was supported by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) projects WP24-4206 and WP2332, respectively. Work of the Caranto lab was also supported by the National Institutes of Health (R35GM147515).Work from the Zdilla lab was supported by an NSF (CHE-2215854). and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-22-1-2266).

“The Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow’s leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences.” — Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences

The first-of-its-kind Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation is housed within the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, ranked No. 1 nationally. With the addition of Universal’s new school and the college’s School of Hospitality Leadership, students now have access to a dual-school model that brings together experience-focused education with business strategy, operations, and service leadership.

“The Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow’s leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences,” says Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences Mark Woodbury.

“UCF was built to power what’s next for our students, for industry, and for the State of Florida,” UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright says. “This collaboration with Universal Destinations & Experiences represents our mission at its best, creating an environment where students are learning in direct connection with the people and ideas shaping the future of immersive experiences.”

A First-of-its-Kind Model for Experience Education

The Universal and UCF partnership will also support research through a new Hospitality Technology Lab, designed to be a creative sandbox for students to collaborate, test ideas, and gain practical hands-on experience working alongside UCF faculty, Universal professionals, and industry stakeholders. Students will gain timely insight that reflects industry needs as part of their education. Built around innovation and interdisciplinary teaming, the lab embeds coursework, student projects, and faculty research in a shared space, equipping graduates with both current skills and the adaptability to lead in a constantly evolving technology ecosystem.

The new school’s research will build on UCF’s existing strengths, applying university expertise to one of the world’s most dynamic industries. Focus areas for teaching, learning, and research will include:

• Service robotics and human-centered approaches to shape guest and employee interactions
• AR and VR simulation technologies for training, operations, and immersive environments
• AI and digital twins for optimizing and personalizing the guest experience

This work extends a decades-long partnership between UCF and Universal rooted in collaboration and shared success. For more than 20 years, Rosen College has served as a key talent pipeline for Universal, with thousands of graduates contributing across its parks, experiences, and operations, alongside hands-on learning opportunities like the UCF/Universal Creative Lab.

“Together with UCF we have opened doors for students and helped strengthen our industry with valued talent — and the next chapter will be even better,” Chief Administrative Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences John Sprouls says. “We’re creating a distinctive academic home that will expand pathways into fulfilling and dynamic careers.”

“Rosen College has long been a global leader in hospitality education, and this next step reflects how our industry is evolving,” says UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management Dean Cynthia Mejia. “By strengthening our relationship with our longtime partners at Universal Destinations & Experiences, we are creating a first-of-its-kind two-school model that blends creativity, technology and leadership, preparing students to lead the future of guest experiences.”

Pegasus Partners: Scaling Impact Through Collaboration

As UCF’s first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner, Universal Destinations & Experiences joins a group of industry leaders working with the university to solve real-world challenges, accelerate discovery, and strengthen the workforce talent pipeline. Universal is also the first Pegasus Partner to enter into a master research agreement with UCF, enabling collaboration at scale and unlocking new opportunities for applied research.

The Pegasus Partners program offers opportunities for select partners to engage across the university in ways that create meaningful value for both organizations. That engagement includes talent development and recruitment, shared research projects, joint ventures and collaborations, strategic philanthropy, and co-location at UCF.

As the first Pegasus Partner since the start of , UCF’s $3.5 billion campaign to accelerate its next era of impact, Universal’s commitment is a powerful model that combines philanthropy and strategic industry investment to drive innovation, expand opportunity, and fuel shared success.

At UCF, researchers are developing a new approach inspired by squids, octopuses and other cephalopods, one that doesn’t wait for targets to arrive, but actively reaches out to capture them. Led by , a professor in UCF’s , the work introduces a DNA-based system designed to capture target molecules more efficiently by extending into the surrounding solution.

“One of the biggest challenges in biosensing is something surprisingly simple: molecules take time to move,” Kolpashchikov says. “Imagine trying to catch fish in a huge lake with a tiny net, most fish will never come close enough to be caught. Traditional sensors work the same way: they passively wait for target molecules (analytes) to randomly bump into them.”

The project, supported by a $272,000 award from the U.S. National Science Foundation, reframes how biosensors operate, shifting from passive detection toward active engagement.

Targeting Molecules Through DNA

Conventional biosensors rely on diffusion, meaning target molecules must randomly move through a solution before encountering a sensing surface. This process, known as mass transport limitation, can slow detection and limit performance in time-sensitive applications.

Kolpashchikov’s approach addresses this constraint by incorporating nanostructures composed of DNA strands that extend outward from the sensor. These flexible extensions function like molecular tentacles, weakly interacting with passing targets and increasing the likelihood that they will be captured.

Rather than waiting for signals to arrive, the system draws them closer.

Speeding Detection

The speed at which a sensor can detect its target is often as important as detection sensitivity and specificity. In contexts such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and food safety, delays can reduce reliability or limit usefulness altogether.

By increasing the rate at which target molecules are gathered and concentrated near the sensing surface, the DNA cephalopod approach may enable faster, more responsive detection systems, particularly in applications that depend on real-time or near-real-time analysis.

“Slow sensors can miss short-lived biological signals, allow samples to degrade, and delay responses to threats,” Kolpashchikov says, “Faster detection reduces costs (less time, fewer reagents), improves accuracy, and enables real-time monitoring — something essential for healthcare, environmental safety, and biosecurity.”

DNA as Structure and Sensor

The system uses DNA not only as a recognition element but also as a structural material. Engineered strands extend from the sensor into the surrounding environment, forming a dynamic interface that interacts with nearby molecules.

These extensions do not bind targets permanently at first. Instead, they weakly capture and release them, effectively increasing the local concentration of target molecules near the sensor’s core detection region. This process improves detection efficiency without requiring additional mechanical or chemical input.

By designing DNA nanostructures that actively interact with nearby molecules, the system creates a sensing environment that is more responsive and efficient.

“DNA is uniquely suited for building nanoscale machines,” Kolpashchikov says. “It’s programmable, predictable and relatively inexpensive.”

In this system, DNA strands self-assemble into a structure resembling a microscopic octopus, what the team calls  a “‘DNA cephalopod.’.” A central sensor is surrounded by long, flexible “‘tentacles”’ that extend into the solution. Each tentacle carries weak binding sites that briefly capture target molecules and pass them along from one site to the next, guiding them toward the center, where the sensor binds them more strongly and triggers detection.

Applications Across Fields

The improved speed and sensitivity of this approach expand the potential use of biosensors across multiple domains.

Possible applications include rapid detection of harmful bacteria in water and food systems, early-stage diagnosis through identification of DNA or RNA biomarkers, and forensic analysis requiring precise detection of biological material

By enabling sensors to detect smaller quantities of target molecules more quickly, the technology may support more timely and accurate decision-making in both clinical and field settings.

“The potential applications are broad: rapid disease diagnostics, including early cancer detection, and real-time monitoring of pathogens in water and food. Perhaps most exciting is that this is a general strategy. The same ‘tentacle’ concept could be applied for detection of proteins and small biological molecules.” — Dmitry Kolpashchikov, professor of chemistry, UCF College of Sciences

“This approach could dramatically improve how we detect biological molecules,” Kolpashchikov says. “The potential applications are broad: rapid disease diagnostics, including early cancer detection, real-time monitoring of pathogens in water and food. Perhaps most exciting is that this is a general strategy. The same ‘tentacle’ concept could be applied for detection of proteins and small biological molecules.”

A New Method of Rapid Analyte Detection

As with many emerging technologies, translating laboratory advances into real-world systems presents challenges. Performance in complex environments, where multiple substances interact simultaneously, remains an area for further study.

Scaling the technology and integrating it into existing diagnostic platforms will also be critical steps in determining its broader applicability.

Rather than treating biosensing as a passive process governed by chance encounters, Kolpashchikov’s work suggests a different model, one in which sensors actively engage with their environment, reaching into the surrounding space to capture what drifts.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2555933. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Fueled by engineering ingenuity and months of testing, a team of UCF mechanical engineering students raced its human-powered vehicle past competitors from across the country to claim a national championship.

What began as a Spring 2026 Senior Design project ended with the e-HPVC Senior Design team earning three first-place trophies at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) e-Human Powered Vehicle (e-HPVC) Challenge.

Hosted on UCF’s main campus, the annual competition challenges university teams to design, fabricate and race human-powered vehicles, testing everything from vehicle design and safety to endurance and speed.

UCF’s team took first place in both the endurance and drag race events, second place in design and first place overall, earning four trophies and $2,500 in prize money.

“Becoming national champions while representing UCF feels surreal, says Estefano Cicci, a mechanical engineering major and member of the e-HPVC team. “I hope these trophies remind future students that the goals that feel out of reach are exactly the ones worth chasing, and that a small, dedicated team from UCF can prove itself on a national stage.”

Building a Better Ride

In previous years, UCF’s e-HPVC teams have placed well in the competition with recumbent tricycles, but each new group strives to improve upon the last. Eric Cruz-Hernandez, a mechanical engineering student and member of this year’s team, says the group closely studied past designs to determine what worked and what needed improvement.

This year’s vehicle featured a mid-drive motor with electronic shifting to improve speed and battery endurance. The team also redesigned the frame to make it lighter and more accessible for riders of varying heights.

Engineering Excellence Across the Board

The e-HPVC team wasn’t the only group of Knights to win their competition.

A second UCF team placed second in the ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D Challenge, which asks students to re-engineer an existing product or create a new design. Teams were judged on ingenuity, engineering design principles and their use of additive manufacturing.

A third UCF team also showcased a fully functioning robot in the Student Design Competition, but didn’t place.

The Teamwork Behind the Trophies

For Bryce Ballard, a mechanical engineering student and external outreach chair for ASME at UCF, hosting the 2026 EFx event on campus was just as meaningful as competing in it. It not only gave students the chance to represent the university, but also to create a welcoming and supportive environment for teams traveling from across the country.

“One of the most impactful parts of hosting was being able to support other teams when they encountered issues with their trikes,” Ballard says. “Whether it was lending tools, helping troubleshoot problems or offering guidance, those interactions stood out the most. It reinforced that the competition is not only about performance, but also about collaboration, sportsmanship and building connections within the engineering community.”

UCF has made a name for itself globally in programming and cybersecurity thanks to student-run clubs that deliver championships year after year. They now have company in another area of technology — robotics.

The Robotics Club of Central Florida (RCCF) witnessed two teams, Knightmare and Daydream, dominate with an impressive number of wins over this past academic year. The teams won a total of 83 head-to-head matches against more than 40 universities, and ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for individual robotic skills at the VEX ����ֱ�� Robotics Competition (VURC) 2025-26, besting teams from Georgia Tech, Purdue and Texas A&M.

Kushal Patel, an aerospace engineering major and a member of the Knightmare team, says the secret to the teams’ success this year has been their experience and passion for competitive robotics.

“Combined, the team has over 50 years of VEX robotics experience, with our most senior member competing since third grade,” Patel says. “We don’t just participate in this project for bullet points on our resumes — our team competes for the love of competition.”

The team structure intentionally empowers all students to gain valuable experience during these robotics competitions. Daydream is a beginner friendly team focused on students without prior experience while Knightmare is suitable for more advanced students.

“Unlike other design teams, where new members typically participate in internal competitions, those who join Daydream are able to hit the ground running and compete against other schools right away,” says Kapri O’Brien, a mechanical engineering major and the project lead for RCCF. “This structure allowed for both project teams to naturally grow and strengthen, and created the unique opportunity for us to compete against each other for awards at times this season, leading to the fantastic achievement of both Knightmare and Daydream qualifying for this year’s world championship.”

Both teams also participate in outreach events, volunteering at VEX competitions around the country. They also recently hosted the VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the UCF campus to great success. Patel also works for the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, which logistically and operationally runs the VEX robotics competitions.

With Central Florida’s reputation as a leader in dynamic, high-tech fields, they envision the next phase of success and growth for their program in industry partnerships. UCF is known as one of the nation’s most innovative universities and is responsible for one out of every four of Florida’s engineering and computer science graduates.

“Our team provides a space for engineers to grow the skills you need outside of the classroom to be a skillful engineer in industry,” O’Brien says. “Support, whether it’s through financial or material donations, allows that space to survive. We regularly prototype with computer vision and machine learning algorithms, gaining hands-on experience with the technology that will power our future.”

Industry partners or students who are interested in learning more about RCCF and its competition teams can email outreach@rccf.club.

While Batarseh has plenty of reasons to focus on what he alone has achieved, he doesn’t see success as a singular effort.

“The quality of the people who have passed through my labs at UCF is extraordinary,” he says of a long list that includes 45 doctoral students. “Their work is making a lasting impact.”

For Bararseh, that lasting impact among Knights began 35 years ago from a corner on campus where he began to pursue his bold (some call them “crazy”) ideas.

Is it true your first lab at UCF wasn’t really a lab at all?
There was no research space available when I arrived in 1991. So, I set up a bench in a corner of the senior design lab to stay out of the way of students coming and going. After a couple of years of progress, I moved into a 200-square-foot space. When the dean came to inspect it, he saw students busy with active hardware and said, “Yes, Issa deserves this lab.” Over the years I moved into larger spaces and eventually built the Florida Power Electronics Center, but that first lab is a reminder of why it’s essential to focus on genuine work and real results, no matter where you’re working.

The dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Michael Georgiopolous, once said you’ve done things that people thought were impossible.
I believe he’s referring to our development of the microinverter 20 years ago. My team and I proposed placing a small inverter on each solar panel rather than using large string inverters. Skeptics said our idea would be too expensive, too complex, and that the market would never support it. Today, hundreds of millions of microinverters have been sold worldwide.

If you were to show us the impact of your research, where would you take us?
I just took my kids to New York City for the new year. On the way to the airport in Newark, New Jersey, I saw some of the 200,000 panels that Petra Solar — a company our team at UCF co-founded — installed on utility poles. My kids have heard me mention the panels, which we call photovoltaic (PV) modules with microinverters, but for the first time they were able to directly connect my research and entrepreneurship activities to real-world impact.

I’m deeply passionate about renewable energy technology. My students and postdocs amplify that passion, which is why I truly owe my success to them. Our shared creativity and collective dedication turn what others call “crazy ideas” into something useful and real.

What about impact around Central Florida?
Start in our lab. You see generations of products and prototypes my students have helped design over the years. I see those prototypes as timestamps of their technical growth from academia to industry. Next, I’d show you the solar chargers at the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center carports and the PV system on top of the L3Harris Engineering Center. Several of my doctoral and master’s students have founded companies in the Central Florida area, generating millions of dollars in revenue and many jobs — a result of the work we’ve done at UCF and because of the constant support from the Florida High Tech Corridor. From here, our impact extends to multi-megawatt solar projects across the U.S. and abroad.

Why are you able to see solutions where others see impossibilities?
I’m deeply passionate about renewable energy technology. My students and postdocs amplify that passion, which is why I truly owe my success to them. Our shared creativity and collective dedication turn what others call “crazy ideas” into something useful and real.

Were you a budding inventor as a kid growing up in Jordan?
Believe it or not, I didn’t do many hands-on projects. I didn’t fix things either. But I did enjoy the problem-solving of math and science. My parents encouraged me to pursue higher education, and their support played a major role in motivating me.

Most people hadn’t even heard of renewable energy when you came to UCF. Why did you come here to pursue breakthroughs?

I saw UCF as a university open to innovation, hungry for growth. Renewable energy wasn’t yet a mainstream research area, so I proposed to work on it through power electronics. Student interest grew rapidly as we pioneered a new field.

I’ve had opportunities in the private sector, but I love teaching and working with students. Seeing their curiosity ignite and watching them succeed is something no financial reward can replace.

Among all of your patents and honors, what do you consider your hallmark?
My hallmark isn’t any single patent or award. It’s three areas of long-term impact. First are the people who have trained in my labs. Second are the technical solutions that have helped advance renewable energy, including resonant converters and the microinverter. And third is our entrepreneurial impact. Many of my students have launched private companies, which contributes to economic growth, globally. It’s all incredibly fulfilling.

You could have done well for yourself as an inventor based in industry. Why stay in academia?
UCF has given me the freedom to pursue ideas and build meaningful research programs around them. I’ve had opportunities in the private sector, but I love teaching and working with students. Seeing their curiosity ignite and watching them succeed is something no financial reward can replace. The true measure of academic success lies in the lives you influence and the lasting contributions you leave behind. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Find out more about Batarseh’s lab at fpec.ucf.edu.