Justin Press ’24, a UCF photonic science and engineering major, may have developed a solution that benefits both employers and applicants. His brainchild, Hire Match AI, is an analytics layer that integrates with existing applicant tracking systems to better analyze and interpret hiring data.

“We reparse resumes, structure candidate data more accurately and use statistics to identify which combinations of skills and experiences tend to stay longer and perform better in a company over time,” Press says. “That helps teams look past what I call ‘checklist champion’ resumes, where a candidate appears perfect on paper but is really just optimized for a filter.”

Press says what sets his digital tool apart is its focus on analytics, fit and compliance.

From Frustration to Framework

He developed the idea as head of professional development for the Engineering Leadership and Innovation Institute — part of UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science — where students develop professional skills through a certificate program, specialized courses, maker spaces and mentorship. In that role, he helped students optimize their resumes for job listings and quickly realized the process wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.

“At UCF, I was going through hundreds of applications and postings each year, and it became obvious how much of the process was turning into a game,” Press says. “That gave me a firsthand look at how inefficient and frustrating the process was for both applicants and the people trying to help them.”

Launching What Hiring Lacks

From that frustration came Hire Match AI. Press brought the idea to the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, where he received guidance on turning the concept into a business. Now, as he prepares for launch, several businesses have already expressed interest in using the platform to analyze their hiring data more deeply. Press says the goal is to make data analytics more accessible, no matter which ATS a company uses.

“The bigger vision is to make hiring more data-driven, more transparent and less dependent on surface-level filtering.”

“We want Hire Match AI to plug into every major ATS so companies can get better visibility into candidate fit, hiring patterns and compliance risk without having to switch the systems they already rely on,” he says. “Down the line, that means expanding into larger platforms like Workday and other major enterprise systems. The bigger vision is to make hiring more data-driven, more transparent and less dependent on surface-level filtering.”

Engineering with Purpose

Press says he was drawn to the field of photonic science and engineering by a desire to create technology that improves people’s lives. His advice to students with similar ambitions: focus on what makes their idea unique.

“For engineering students especially, having a wide range of experiences is a huge advantage,” Press says. “A lot of the best ideas come from [understanding] how technical problems connect to business problems, user behavior or broken systems in the real world. That matters even more now, with tools like large language models making it easier to build quickly.”

Companies interested in using Hire Match AI can or sign up for early access.

AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation Gregory Welch has made countless contributions to the fields of virtual, augmented and mixed reality as an inventor and researcher, but some of the ones he’s most proud of aren’t documented in patent applications or peer-reviewed publications.

For more than two decades, Welch has extended his passion into purposeful action within and beyond the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Visualization and Graphics Technical Community (VGTC) to empower future generations, foster collaboration and growth, and advance the fields of visualization, computer graphics, and virtual/augmented reality. Through his dedication and leadership, he has made a sustained impact on the global community.

His service includes volunteering at dozens of IEEE VGTC conferences since 2000 and serving as general chair for three international events, each drawing hundreds of attendees.

“… I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] … could experience VR technology.”

One of the most memorable was the 2013 Virtual Reality Conference in Orlando, which he co-chaired and where he created the Florida Academic VR Showcase (FLAVRS).

“Conferences typically bus attendees to the host institution for demonstrations, but nobody enjoys long bus rides late at night,” Welch says. “With FLAVRS, I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] could bring their families and experience VR technology.”

Welch, IEEE VR 2013 co-chair, joined ����ֱ�� of Florida Professor Benjamin Lok and a group of student volunteers to transform the event ballroom into the makeup of Florida, complete with cities, lakes and well-known landmarks. Twenty-two demonstrations from researchers across the state were arranged by their institutions’ geographic locations.

Attendees received “passports” to collect stamps at each demonstration and earn prizes.

“I still have people tell me that it was the best VR conference event they have ever attended,” Welch says.

Mentoring the VR Researchers of Tomorrow

To further advance the field, Welch serves as an associate editor for two journals and has organized several professional development opportunities for students, researchers and developers, including international research retreats focused on specific topics.

He has also focused on inspiring future generations of virtual reality researchers. One of the contributions he’s most proud of is the creation of the XR Future Faculty Forum, or F3.

“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations … and to build a community among future faculty.”

Launched in 2023 with UCF computer science doctoral student Matthew Gottsacker, F3 connects faculty volunteers with graduate students through panels, talks and one-on-one mentoring to prepare future scholars for careers in academia. What began as an idea has grown into an annual event supporting hundreds of participants, with plans to continue expanding. F3 will take place again at the 2026 IEEE VR Conference in Daegu, Korea, where Welch will be honored for his service.

“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations, to help reduce fears about research funding and tenure, and to build a community among future faculty,” Welch says. “It’s been so gratifying to see this idea impact real people and expand to other conferences.”

His impact on future generations extends to his work at UCF, where he has advised and mentored dozens of students from undergraduates to postdoctoral scholars.

Driving Discovery in Simulation and Technology

Welch has made sustained contributions to the field through innovative research in virtual/augmented reality, virtual beings, motion tracking display and healthcare technology.

He currently leads the development of the , supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. VERA, which is the first large-scale system for extended reality research, aims to create a powerful platform for human subjects research and behavioral data collection in VR. IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement awardee and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science, Carolina Cruz-Neira, is also working on the project, which is a collaboration across multiple universities.

To date, Welch has authored more than 150 publications and his work has contributed to 25 patents. His 1995 Introduction to the Kalman Filter has been cited more than 12,500 times. His patented innovations span a wide range of applications, from projection mapping — like what’s used on Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom — to physical-virtual patient simulators, “smart” wound simulators, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation, tactile telepresence for isolated patients and spatially explicit auditory cues for enhanced situational awareness.

A Legacy of Service

For his outstanding contributions and career achievements, Welch has earned numerous honors, including being named to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He’s also a fellow of IEEE, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Pegasus Professor — UCF’s highest faculty honor.

“[My] unique blend of analytical and creative thinking [inspires] my work to … create interactive experiences that … solve challenges and help people.”

Welch sees value in real-life events that bring people together. He attributes his dedication to service and success as an innovator to his family and upbringing.

“My mother was a mathematician and computer programmer, and my father was a musician, so I have this unique blend of analytical and creative thinking,” he says. “That has inspired my work to use computer science to create interactive experiences that feel like the real world to solve challenges and help people.”

Welch’s commitment to helping others began long before his noteworthy career, with involvement in service organizations dating back to high school. For him, service is a way of life — not an obligation, but an opportunity to make an impact.

“There is so much that we can and should do to help our communities,” he says. “It takes people to step up, commit and invest time to make things happen. I hope my service and leadership inspire others.”

(IST) Director Carolina Cruz-Neira’s career in virtual reality (VR) began as a backup plan.

She spent her childhood training as a ballet dancer. When a knee injury at 21 ended her professional dance aspirations, she leaned on the engineering degree her father had encouraged her to pursue.

While earning her doctoral degree in electrical engineering and computer science at the ����ֱ�� of Illinois Chicago, she discovered the Electronic Visualization Laboratory — and with it, a way to merge art and technology.

“My philosophy as a researcher has always been to take on projects that are a little risky.”

In 1992, she unveiled the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), an immersive VR system that transforms a room-sized cube into an interactive 3D digital world. Unlike early VR headsets that isolated users, the CAVE allows multiple people to step inside the same digital environment, fostering shared exploration and real-time collaboration.

Today, CAVE systems are used worldwide, from gaming and art installations to military training and automotive design, helping industries visualize complex problems, improve safety and refine products before building them in the real world.

Powering the Future of Simulation

Over nearly four decades, Cruz-Neira has made significant contributions to the fields of VR, interactive visualization, high-performance computing and digital twins, which are dynamic virtual replicas of real-world objects used for simulation and testing across industries. Her innovations have influenced training and research for NASA, the U.S. military and U.S. National Laboratories.

By the Numbers: A Lasting Impact

• Secured more than $200 million in research funding
• Authored more than 100 publications
• Elected to the National Academy of Engineering — one of the highest professional distinctions for engineers in the U.S.
• Named an IEEE fellow and Forbes’ 50 Over 50 honoree for innovation
• Inducted into the inaugural Augmented World Expo XR Hall of Fame and the Orlando Tech Community Hall of Fame for her contributions to Central Florida’s tech ecosystem
• Recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record for the national impact of her work

“My philosophy as a researcher has always been to take on projects that are a little risky,” says Cruz-Neira, UCF’s Agere Chair Professor of computer science. “I tell my students that we do research with a purpose. And yes, it’s challenging. But if we have that vision of where this thing is going, our talent and creativity have a terrific playground.”

That bold spirit of exploration drew her to UCF in 2020 — a university recognized for its strength in computer science and deep partnerships and collaborators across several sectors, including space, defense, entertainment and healthcare.

“There’s a whole community of researchers, faculty and students here who are passionate about this kind of work.”

Since arriving, she says she has found something even more powerful: a culture that pairs high-level excellence with a nurturing environment — where ambitious ideas are energized, challenged and brought to life through collaboration.

“There’s a whole community of researchers, faculty and students here who are passionate about this kind of work. That has allowed us to expand our ideas tremendously,” Cruz-Neira says. “We’re now collaborating with teams across the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Medicine, the College of Arts and Humanities and the , which broadens what we’re able to do. It’s nice to have a tribe around you, where everyone helps each other and works together.”

Among those collaborators is longtime colleague and IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Service awardee, Gregory Welch. Cruz-Neira says they first met as “Ph.D. babies,” beginning a collaboration that has now spanned nearly 38 years. Since joining UCF, she has continued working closely with Welch and his team on several joint research projects and publications.

What’s Next: Blending Physical and Virtual Worlds

As IST director, Cruz-Neira is helping broaden UCF’s modeling and simulation legacy while leading several cutting-edge research projects in collaboration with talented students and faculty. One such project explores humanoid robots as extensions of the human body, allowing a person to navigate remote or inaccessible locations in real time. Using artificial intelligence, the robot captures its surroundings and transmits a live digital replica into the CAVE, where a human operator’s movements control the robot, creating a seamless exchange between physical and virtual worlds.

“This project opens a lot of possibilities and aligns with where we want to go at IST and UCF,” Cruz-Neira says. “We do a lot of work with defense, first responders and healthcare professionals, and in many cases, we see the need for a human [presence in locations] that aren’t feasible. By combining mature technologies available in the commercial world with some of our more advanced algorithms and system designs at UCF, we’ve finally been able to come together to make this prototype and showcase it in December 2025 at [the Interservice/Industry Training Simulation and Education Conference], a major defense training environment.”

Cruz-Neira continues to push boundaries, bringing people together and asking questions like, “What can we create next?” and “How far can we take this?”

And despite a lifetime achievement award, she’s clear about one thing: “I’m not done yet.”

For computer engineering major Kamalakkannan Ravi ’20MSCpE ’25PhD, the goal was never to just earn a doctorate — it was to build artificial intelligence (AI) systems people could trust in the moments that matter most.

That bold vision found its momentum at UCF. As a student, Ravi was drawn to a university that encouraged big questions and interdisciplinary thinking, along with strong engineering fundamentals — the kind UCF is rapidly becoming known for as a rising force in engineering and technology. The university’s dynamic research environment gave him the freedom to explore where machine learning, biomedical applications and human-centered AI converge, while mentorship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering helped sharpen his purpose.

Now, he’s carrying that UCF-driven determination to Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, where he’ll begin a research fellowship with the Division of Genetics and Genomics to advance trustworthy AI for clinical decision-making in healthcare.

At Harvard, Ravi will work on a project that aims to help physicians identify rare diseases earlier and respond more quickly. His research focuses on developing and evaluating clinical decision support tools that analyze electronic health record data and natural language processing to detect patterns that may signal a rare condition. These tools are designed to support clinicians in identifying patients who may benefit from further genetic evaluation, testing or a specialist referral. Ravi’s role centers on creating trustworthy, transparent AI methods that align with clinical systems, helping ensure these technologies are used responsibly in real-world healthcare.

Overcoming Obstacles Without a Blueprint

Ravi’s path to this opportunity was shaped by his persistence and commitment to making an impact long before he arrived at UCF.

Originally from Chennai, India, he’s a first-generation college student who entered higher education without a family blueprint to guide him. That experience influenced how he navigated graduate school and advanced research environments, reinforcing the importance of mentorship, community and resilience.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Anna ����ֱ��, Ravi worked as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. There, he gained early exposure to data-driven modeling and applied systems research at the intersection of engineering and medicine — experiences that shaped his interest in applying computational methods to biomedical and societal challenges. He’d take this interest on his pursuit of graduate education abroad.

Finding Interdisciplinary Opportunity at UCF

Ravi chose UCF specifically for its strength in engineering combined with opportunities for interdisciplinary, human-centered research.

Within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, he found an environment that encouraged him to explore machine learning, biomedical applications and ethical AI.

Under the mentorship of Pegasus Professor Jiann-Shiun Yuan, who oversees the NSF-sponsored Multi-functional Integrated System Technology Center and specializes in developing the next generation of smart systems, Ravi refined his research, which bridges technical innovation with societal impact.

At UCF, Ravi’s research focused on trustworthy and comprehensible AI in critical settings, including healthcare and public safety. His dissertation, “Artificial Intelligence for Social Wellness: Threats and Ideology Detection in Online Texts,” examined how scalable and ethically grounded AI systems can be designed for real-world applications. His work emphasized interpretability, reliability and evaluation with human decision-makers in mind.

His doctoral work led to the development of several datasets and frameworks, including:

• RICo, a large-scale dataset analyzing ideological discourse in online communities
• ALERT, a threat detection framework that combines active learning with AI to support transparency and reduce labeling burden
• TRuST-M, a human-subject study exploring how explanation quality affects user trust in AI-assisted moderation systems.

Portions of this work were supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — a testament to its national relevance and real-world value.

Growing Through Leadership, Mentorship and Community

Beyond his studies, Ravi immersed himself in the UCF graduate community, taking on leadership roles that reflected his commitment to service and mentorship.

He served as senator for the in student government, director of professional development for the Graduate Student Association and president of the . He also led Alpha Alpha Alpha, the national honor society for first-generation college students, advocating for the success of first-generation graduate students.

Mentorship remained central to his experience through his involvement in the NSF-funded L.E.A.R.N. (Learning Environment and Academic Research Network) program, a STEM-focused living-learning community for first-year and transfer college students, and his service as a senior design project judge.

Ravi’s academic excellence, leadership and mentorship at UCF were recognized through multiple awards, including the ORCGS Doctoral Fellowship, the Graduate Presentation Fellowship, the Graduate Research Mentor Award, the UCF Alumni Fellows Leadership Scholarship and the Reuel Buchanan Aspire to Inspire Scholarship. These honors provided valuable support and enabled him to focus on research throughout his doctoral studies.

Advancing Impact Beyond UCF

As Ravi prepares to begin his fellowship at Harvard Medical School, he credits UCF with shaping both his research approach and his sense of responsibility as a scholar. He hopes his journey encourages other students, especially first-generation scholars, to pursue ambitious, interdisciplinary work while remaining grounded in mentorship, ethics and service to the broader community.

Founded to reach the moon, we’re already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America’s Space ����ֱ�� celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

When humans return to the moon, they won’t be alone. NASA will send robotic machines with them, and like all relationships, trust will be critical.

Through a partnership with Cislune Inc., UCF is using immersive technologies to improve trust between humans and artificial intelligence for decision-making in space when circumstances are changing and data remains uncertain — ultimately ensuring astronaut safety and mission success.

Led by UCF Associate Professor Gerd Bruder as principal investigator, Phase I of the project was funded through a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant in which UCF collaborated with Cislune to design and build a moon mission simulator. The system was used to refine human decision-making behavior and optimize interactions between astronauts and autonomous systems across the mission timeline.

The project aims to help reduce cognitive workload for astronauts while enhancing critical data, such as breathable oxygen levels, propellant stores and rover range. It’s also an example of how Knights are developing tech solutions that will propel humanity’s possibilities in space, which UCF was founded to fuel.

“In future lunar missions, humans will be working in concert with highly autonomous machines — and both will be making decisions while inundated with data from an ever-growing network of sensors and computers,” says Hiroshi Furuya, a UCF computer science doctoral student and graduate research assistant who worked on the project.

Cislune provided insights into space mission operations from previous work with space robotics and rovers, while experts from UCF’s supplied expertise in using virtual reality (VR) to create immersive simulations. The collaboration highlights how UCF often works with industry to generate collective impact.

UCF’s team leveraged interdisciplinary knowledge from computer science, engineering and human factors in healthcare — examining decision support systems designed for nurses and medical professionals.

“The healthcare research gave us an insightful window into how practitioners evaluate systems when risk and time pressure are critical features of the workplace, which has important connections for space health and missions,” says Furuya, who was previously awarded a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship for his graduate studies.

AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation , co-director of SREAL, provided insights into factors that influence trust and the design of human subject experiments.

“I find it fascinating how seemingly subtle changes in how relevant information is conveyed can impact trust and decision making,” says Welch, a computer scientist and engineer in UCF’s College of Nursing.

The team studied how human-machine trust, uncertainty and decision-making intersect by using VR simulations. The resulting simulator prototype immerses users in a realistic, mission-relevant environment.

The simulator could be crucial not only for the Artemis program, but also for future lunar and deep space exploration missions.

Cislune and UCF have submitted a proposal for Phase II of the project, which will expand the simulator and conduct research studies to improve the way machine assistants can help astronauts make decisions under stress and uncertainty.

Editing videos with those same AI commands isn’t quite as simple, however, UCF researchers in the College of Engineering and Computer Science aim to change that.

Professor Nazanin Rahnavard, Associate Professor Chen Chen, and UCF alumni Nazmul Karim ’20MS ’23PhD and Umar Khalid ’20MS ’23PhD have developed novel text-to-video AI technology that can dramatically change videos in minutes.

“Our system takes the ‘brain’ of an AI that’s already skilled at generating images from text and adapts it for video, without losing the creative power that makes it effective in the first place,” Rahnavard says. “Our breakthrough came from recognizing a fundamental inefficiency in existing text-to-video editing approaches. Current systems either require massive text-to-video datasets for training or rely on computationally expensive, per-video adaptations of text-to-image models. We believed there had to be a more efficient and elegant solution.”

With Rahnavard’s background in electrical engineering and Chen’s background in computer science, the team used linear algebra techniques to examine the numerical parameters of an AI model that are optimized and adjusted while learning a new task. They realized that instead of fine-tuning the entire parameter set, they could update only the singular values, preserving the AI model’s ability to generalize while speeding up its adaptation time.

“The key was learning which parts of the AI’s ‘memory’ to adjust, and which to preserve,” Rahnavard says. “By focusing only on the most essential elements and leaving the rest untouched, we created a method that adapts much faster and more efficiently while still producing high-quality, expressive results.”

The AI model works best on existing video clips and can edit them in minutes. It can change the colors of clothing, swap a cat for a dog or transform the clip into a cartoon. The more complex the commands, the longer the editing time. But Rahnavard says the process can still be completed in minutes, not hours.

The university was recently awarded a patent for the technology, which movie studios and social media companies could use.

“This technology has the potential to revolutionize video editing across a wide range of industries,” Rahnavard says. “Movie studios could use it for rapid scene modifications without the need for costly reshoots, while social media platforms could offer their users instant, highly sophisticated video filters far beyond what’s available today.”

Students who enroll in UCF’s new graduate certificate in digital twins can explore the answers to these questions and a whole lot more. The 12-credit-hour program, launching this fall in the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training (SMST), will teach students to design, implement and analyze advanced digital twin systems that can mimic the behavior and performance of their physical counterparts.

“The program emphasizes innovation and hands-on learning, preparing students to apply cutting-edge digital twin technologies to real-world challenges across sectors such as smart cities, healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing and defense,” SMST Interim Director and Program Coordinator Ghaith Rabadi says. “The program is strategically designed to strengthen Central Florida’s digital twin talent pipeline and offers students access to industry-aligned training and career-ready skills. Graduates will emerge equipped to drive transformative digital solutions in high-demand fields.”

Various industries already utilize digital twins to test and analyze products or environments before they are created. For example, NASA uses digital twins to predict the behavior of spacecraft and increase the success of future missions. Siemens Healthcare employs digital twins of organs to help doctors better understand their physiology and to develop more targeted treatments.

Industry professionals who want to develop skills in this type of digital modeling are welcome to apply to the program. A background in engineering or computer science is not required, although an undergraduate degree from a STEM-related discipline and some experience with programming are preferred.

Assistant Professor Soheil Sabri says that graduates of the program may be better positioned to pursue job titles such as digital twin engineer, simulation analyst, systems integration specialist, smart infrastructure developer or digital transformation consultant across a wide range of industries.

“With the growing adoption of digital twin technologies in industries such as aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, transportation and national defense, graduates will be equipped to lead efforts in optimizing operations, enhancing predictive maintenance and driving innovation in complex systems,” Sabri says. “The program’s strong emphasis on real-world applications and industry collaboration further enhances graduates’ readiness for impactful, future-forward careers.”

The SMST faculty aims to enroll 10 to 15 students in the first year of the program and already have strong interest from students enrolled in the school’s graduate degrees. The program can be completed online, offering convenience to students who need to balance coursework with a full-time job.

“The program is designed to be accessible to working professionals and students from diverse STEM backgrounds, providing flexible pathways to deepen understanding into emerging fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence,” Assistant Professor Sean Modesire says. “As digital twins continue to revolutionize sectors from healthcare to aerospace, this program positions UCF at the forefront of preparing the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.”

Other collaborators on the project include Roger Azevedo, Vishnu Prabhu and Bulent Soykan.

This strategic collaboration combines Operator Solutions’ hands-on operational expertise with UCF’s academic and research excellence to develop cutting-edge training programs, pioneer medical research and enhance real-world response capabilities in high-risk environments.

Key Initiatives of the Partnership

The collaboration will drive multiple initiatives aimed at improving medical preparedness in spaceflight and extreme environments.

• Developing Medical Training Modules for Commercial Spaceflight

Operator Solutions and UCF will provide specialized training for physicians, paramedics, flight nurses, medical students and resident physicians. The focus will be on triage procedures, in-flight patient care using helicopters and managing mass casualty incidents at sea. Operator Solutions is also developing a medical skills lab at UCF, where paramedics can master critical techniques such as wound care, fluid resuscitation and stabilization under high-stress conditions. Additionally, trainees will gain hands-on experience in the College of Medicine’s Anatomy Lab, learning life-saving procedures like chest tube insertion and evisceration treatment.

• Enhancing In-flight Medical Care for Space Travelers

With the number of space travelers increasing and missions lasting longer, Operator Solutions and UCF aim to develop new technologies to improve point-of-care medical treatment in space. Their research will focus on ultrasound and telemedicine systems for treating conditions such as kidney stones and blood clots, as well as real-time health monitoring solutions for astronauts — critical for long-duration missions, including those planned for Mars.

Advancing the Future of Aerospace Medicine

As America’s Space ����ֱ��, UCF is the ideal academic partner for this endeavor. The university was founded to provide talent to fuel the nation’s space program and today is a national leader in many areas of space research, including developing new technologies for space missions and advancing the health and well-being of space travelers.

This partnership strengthens an unrivaled opportunity for UCF students to prepare for careers in this rapidly growing field. UCF is creating a new space medicine curriculum that will involve students from many disciplines, including medicine, nursing, engineering, computer science, optics and photonics — and establishing what will be the nation’s first master’s degree in space medicine.

Located in Melbourne, Florida, Operator Solutions combines decades of military, spaceflight and medical expertise to offer operational, rescue and recovery services to government and private companies. Its pararescuers are qualified to offer paramedic-level care anywhere in the world, including parachuting into remote rescue sites. The company specializes in open-ocean rescue of boaters and astronauts and helped develop procedures for astronaut rescue and retrieval for the commercial space program. Its workforce is 100% military veterans.

“This partnership represents a significant leap forward in aerospace medical training,” says Christopher Lais of Operator Solutions. “By combining our hands-on operational expertise with UCF’s world-class academic research, we are creating a framework that will shape the future of spaceflight medical preparedness and emergency response.”

Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair of at UCF’s College of Medicine, emphasized the growing importance of aerospace medical training.

“As commercial space travel expands, ensuring that astronauts, spaceflight crews and emergency responders are equipped with essential medical knowledge and skills is critical,” Urquieta says. “This collaboration will push the boundaries of medical science and training, helping us ensure safety and preparedness in extreme environments.”

Urquieta is one of the world’s foremost leaders in space medicine. He came to UCF after serving as chief medical officer of the NASA-funded Translational Institute for Space Health led by the Baylor College of Medicine. His goal is to make UCF a model of interdisciplinary medical research focused on improving the health of space travelers and also those on Earth.

Setting the Standard for Space Mission Readiness

By leveraging their combined expertise, Operator Solutions and UCF’s College of Medicine are establishing new benchmarks in medical education, research and operational readiness for both spaceflight and emergency response. This partnership is poised to transform aerospace medicine, delivering life-saving solutions for the next generation of space missions.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the grant to the National Institute of Student Success (NISS) at Georgia State ����ֱ��, which partners with UCF, Perimeter College at GSU and Morgan State ����ֱ�� in Maryland to test student outcomes linked to artificial intelligence-enhanced chatbots. The highly competitive Postsecondary Student Success Program supports innovative approaches to improving national student outcomes.

Previous studies demonstrated chatbots increase grades and retention rates among lower-income and first-generation students through personalized and timely support. For instance, the chatbot complements the course instructor’s work by reminding students of upcoming assignments and offering encouragement and tips when they struggle.

“Because of their schedules, students with jobs and families currently are less likely to attend after-class tutoring and study sessions,” says Tim Renick, NISS founding executive director and project lead for the grant. “The chatbots we are developing can support students 24/7, answer questions after hours and keep students on track in these challenging courses.”

KnightBot powered by Mainstay launched at UCF in 2020 as both a two-way text feature to reach specific students and an interactive web tool on select websites. It’s used, for example, to remind students of upcoming financial aid and enrollment deadlines. High-traffic websites that field frequent questions like Housing and Residence Life can offer 24/7 availability thanks to KnightBot.

“Student success is a top priority at UCF, and we’re excited to elevate our use of this promising technology to positively impact student outcomes,” says Ryan Goodwin, assistant vice president for strategy and innovation in UCF’s Division of Student Success and Well-Being. “We are excited to work with our partners at Georgia State ����ֱ�� and Morgan State ����ֱ�� at the forefront of the student success movement to make an even greater impact on our students.”

Georgia State’s use of AI-enhanced chatbot technology dates to 2016 when it piloted a program aimed at reducing “summer melt,” a term describing the phenomenon of high school graduates accepted to college failing to register for fall classes. By communicating with students over the summer through text message reminders and two-way question-and-answer capabilities, Georgia State reduced summer melt from 19% to 9%, according to Renick.

Now chatbots are expanding with an integration into core math and English courses. The objective is higher grades in those foundational courses, setting students up for better performance in later courses and, ultimately, a degree.

Performing well in their first college math and English courses has an outsized impact on a student’s later academic success, according to Renick. A student who passes the courses during their initial 12 months at Perimeter College, for example, is nine times more likely to graduate.

“It’s not just because they are required courses,” Renick says. “It’s because the skills that students are learning in those courses are disproportionately impactful on how they’ll do in subsequent courses.”

By Fall 2024, researchers will begin piloting the chatbots in courses at each location with the aim of demonstrating the effectiveness of the tool across a variety of demographic profiles served by each institution.

The traveling display, the third and final stop in the United States, presents artwork, artifacts, interactive devices and multimedia experiences to show the effects of the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which buried the Roman city of Pompeii.

Life and Death in Pompeii will be a UCF webinar presentation and discussion at noon Friday, Nov. 6, about the era and what was going on at the time of the eruption. Historians of art, archaeology, and classical languages and literatures will present their research. Ilenia Colón Mendoza will moderate the symposium and a Q&A will follow each of three topics:

• “Greek and Roman Myths in the Houses of Pompeii and the Bay of Naples” with Robert Vander Poppen, an associate professor of classical art and archaeology at Rollins College.

• “Public Entertainment in Pompeii” with Edward Dandrow, an assistant professor of history at UCF.

• “Pompeii: Cultural Heritage and Preservation” with Margaret Ann Zaho, an associate professor of art history.

Registration for the online program is required.

The College of Sciences has scheduled Zoom virtual talks and Q&As to help exhibit visitors walk back in time. The one-hour programs begin at noon and are recommended for those 13 and older. Reservations can be made by clicking on the program titles:

Dailies and Delicacies: Getting a Taste of Pompeii – Nov. 19 with Lana Williams, associate lecturer from the Department of Anthropology. Williams, a bioarchaeologist, specializes in research of human health and diet. Her program will discuss the food and drink of the day: fresh breads, herbed olives, raisin wine, posca (cold, watered-down vinegar), peppery fish sauce and other items

Fleeing Pompeii: Bodies Frozen in Time – Dec. 10 with Sandra Wheeler, associate lecturer from the Department of Anthropology. Wheeler, who specializes in bioarchaeology, will talk about the research undertaken on so called “ash mummies,” the city’s inhabitants whose bodies were preserved in the volcanic eruption. Ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius covered them and formed formed a shell around their bodies.

Learning From Lasers: Uncovering Pompeii With Chemical Laser Analysis – Jan. 14 with Matthiew Baudlet, associate professor from the Department of Chemistry. Baudlet, who specializes in spectroscopy, will discuss the research of Pompeii using laser spectroscopy.

Some original Pompeii frescos that were buried under ash will be part of the science center’s ongoing exhibit — as well as some frescos made by elementary school students from Lake Eola Charter School. The plaster-and-pigment examples were made as part of the UCF Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE)’s Extended Classroom Experience program.

CREATE introduced the children to the art and science of making frescos, a painting technique common in ancient times. Their tile frescoes depict plants and animals similar to the frescos found in Pompeii.