“I’ve always had this curiosity bug,” says Sharon Tucker, dean of 91�Թ���’s College of Nursing. “Since I was a kid, I used to ask all those ‘why’ questions. I was probably terribly annoying, but I wanted to know things.”

One of the first she remembers asking was why her grandmother died of cancer when other grandmothers didn’t. Tucker was 5. She would eventually learn that genetics, environmental factors, age and lifestyle can all play a part. But as a child, she simply wanted to understand why some people got sick and others didn’t.

That question, along with an aunt who was a nurse, led Tucker to nursing.

“Nursing gave me a way to translate my curiosity into service,” she says. By her second year of nursing school, she knew she wanted to pursue research, earn a Ph.D. and teach.

“Dr. Tucker’s research supports our efforts to empower nurses and elevate clinical excellence to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care.” — Kelly Edmondson, Orlando Health’s senior vice president of nursing and patient care services

On Thursday, Oct. 29, Tucker was officially invested as the Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing, recognizing her service to nursing education, evidence-based practice and healthcare innovation. She is the second faculty member to hold the position, which 91�Թ��� Pegasus Partner Orlando Health established in 2009 to support nursing research with a direct impact on patient care — the kind of work Tucker has pursued throughout her career. The investment also positions Tucker to help shape what’s next in nursing education, workforce development and patient care, advancing 91�Թ���’s commitment to preparing the healthcare leaders Florida and the nation will need in the decades ahead.

“Dr. Tucker’s research supports our efforts to empower nurses and elevate clinical excellence to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care,” says Kelly Edmondson, Orlando Health’s senior vice president of nursing and patient care services. “It is an honor to continue to partner with 91�Թ��� to strengthen the nursing workforce and create a healthier future for all.”

The title is new. The curiosity behind it is not. Curiosity drives Tucker’s questions; evidence is how she answers them. Together, they have driven her career and practice defined by wanting to know more about: what it means to care for someone, what it takes to lead well and why it all begins with the self.

‘A Chart Doesn’t Provide the Whole Picture’

Tucker began her career in intensive care at the Mayo Clinic, caring for people during some of the most critical moments of their lives. There, she saw how some health crises were unavoidable, while others could be prevented or improved through healthier behaviors. But changing those behaviors, she learned, was rarely simple. A person’s history, circumstances and support systems all mattered.

She wanted to understand all of it, not just the illness.

In the late 1980s, while working as a nurse counselor at the Sexual Assault Resource Service in Minneapolis, Tucker had an experience that changed how she approached the people in her care.

“Because of her, I learned the importance of seeing things from the patient’s perspective, being open to the reality that there can be more than one truth and understanding each person’s journey is critical to truly helping them.” — Sharon Tucker, Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing

“This patient had endured a lot of adversity and taught me how to help help someone heal,” says Tucker. Because of her, I learned the importance of seeing things from the patient’s perspective, being open to the reality that there can be more than one truth and understanding each person’s journey is critical to truly helping them. That was pivotal for me.”

That lesson stuck.

For nearly 40 years, understanding the world from the other person’s point of view has been Tucker’s guiding philosophy. From the ICU to the dean’s office, Tucker has built a career spanning patient care, research, teaching and leadership, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, securing more than $40 million in research and training funding, and helping advance evidence-based practice across the profession. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice in Nursing.

She is also a board-certified adult psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialist and integrative nurse coach — two credentials that reflect her interest in the whole person, not just a diagnosis, and a focus she would also turn on herself.

“I know at the core of who I am that science improves lives,” says Tucker. “Evidence-informed care is really important to me, but I have to apply the evidence we get from research within a patient’s preferences and circumstances. A chart doesn’t provide the whole picture of a patient. It has critical information but what’s missing is often just as important.”

Focusing on what’s missing led Tucker to wonder how prepared future nurses are to enter a field where five nursing roles rank among the 30 most stressful jobs in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. She didn’t guess. In 2009, she and two colleagues developed a self-efficacy assessment now used by more than 4,000 people in over 40 countries to identify learning gaps and strengthen evidence-based practice.

“Developing that scale continues to teach me that capability, context, confidence and culture all matter,” says Tucker. “Today, it informs how I approach education, leadership and implementation science: we must assess where people and organizations are, build the right supports and create conditions where evidence can become routine practice rather than an extra task.”

The question, in other words, is never just what people should know. It’s what they need to put that knowledge into practice.

‘The People Who Show Up Run the World’

After years in hospital leadership, Tucker recognized the same resistance to change she had seen in individual patients. Even when people understand what needs to change, acting on it can be difficult.

“We all want to keep doing what we know, what’s comfortable, especially when we’ve already got enough on our plate or are feeling overwhelmed,” she says.

Tucker knows that feeling herself. In 2007, while balancing hospital leadership, university teaching and raising two young daughters, she began a three-year Robert Wood Johnson Nursing Executive Fellowship. At the time, she was accustomed to translating scientific research into evidence-based bedside care. Sharing her research findings came easily. Sharing her opinions was another matter. The fellowship asked her to do exactly that, and left her with a question: How do we influence meaningful change?

“… I teach all my students, you have to step up to the mic whenever you can and voice your opinion. That’s how we influence change. The people who show up run the world. I think in nursing that’s more important today than ever.” — Sharon Tucker, 91�Թ��� College of Nursing Dean

“That experience taught me to be courageous and to step up to a mic when I didn’t want to,” she says. “It can be uncomfortable, but I teach all my students, you have to step up to the mic whenever you can and voice your opinion. That’s how we influence change. The people who show up run the world. I think in nursing that’s more important today than ever.”

The fellowship, like the patient years ago, pointed Tucker back to individuals. Being good at one thing, she learned, doesn’t mean someone feels prepared for the next. A leader’s job, like a clinician’s, starts with the person, not the task. That means getting curious about the people doing the work: what motivates them, what challenges they face and what support they need to succeed.

Now, in her second year as dean, Tucker is applying that lesson to the next chapter of the College of Nursing. She is asking how artificial intelligence could change both the profession and the way nurses are taught. Her vision for what’s next focuses on what’s always been important — empowering highly skilled and practice-ready nurses, research opportunities that improve care for patients, and the partnerships, like the one with Orlando Health, that make it all possible.

“The evidence, the practitioner and the patient are all important,” she says. “As are continuing to promote a culture of honesty, trust, well-being and professional growth.”

Tucker is equally committed to all of those when it comes to herself. She recently competed a six-month dean development program and led her leadership team through a book club on The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

“When things get challenging, I return to the belief that people can grow, organizations can change and nursing has a powerful role in improving health and well-being,” she says. “That focus helps me stay grounded: Listen carefully, act with integrity, use evidence wisely, and keep the person at the center of the work.”

For Tucker, that person includes herself.

‘Present, Resilient and Always Moving Forward’

Endowed gifts provide permanent support, generating annual resources that strengthen 91�Թ��� year after year. Through , endowments help power student success, groundbreaking research and community impact for generations.

For 20 years, Tucker has journaled and meditated, but her longest-standing practice is more about momentum than stillness. Tucker has been running for 40 years, including competing in several marathons. The miles give her space to think and a chance to test what she believes about herself.

“Running has taught me so much about myself, what I’m capable of, and what I can give to others, mainly because it gives me a chance to have some silent time to think,” she says. “When you’re running, you have to be present, resilient and always moving forward.”

At 5, Tucker wanted to know why. Today, backed by the Orlando Health Endowed Chair and a university committed to shaping the future, she is still asking bold questions, helping launch new ideas, stronger nursing leaders and better outcomes for the patients they serve.

In Orange County, a health educator teaches students in schools and after-school programs how to eat nutritious foods and be more active, helping lower their risk of obesity and chronic disease. In Pennsylvania, infection preventionists work to contain a measles outbreak by isolating affected patients, ensuring healthcare staff use appropriate protective equipment and tracking new cases. In Indonesia, hospital leaders and public health officials mobilize practitioners, establish clean-air sanctuaries and deliver supplies to communities threatened by wildfire smoke.

These are just a few of the many health challenges being addressed and mitigated around the clock.

“We’re training the people who make sure [public health work] never stops. That’s a badge we wear with pride.” — Michael Rovito, 91�Թ��� MPH program director

Public health professionals plan for them every day. Beginning Fall 2027, 91�Թ���’s new Master of Public Health (MPH) program in the College of Health Professions and Sciences will prepare students to prevent disease, respond to emerging threats and lead efforts to build healthier communities in Central Florida and around the world.

“Public health is the work nobody notices until it stops,” says Michael Rovito, director of the program and associate professor of health sciences at 91�Թ���. “We’re training the people who make sure it never stops: the people who keep our communities healthy, who make sure children understand their own bodies and who help cancer survivors live full lives after treatment. That’s a badge we wear with pride.”

Across the nation, public health departments work to prevent disease and injury, contain outbreaks, monitor community health, provide scientific expertise and respond to emergencies. Meeting those demands requires a skilled workforce. A 2021 analysis by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Public Health National Center for Innovations estimated that state and local public health departments needed at least 80,000 additional full-time positions — an increase of nearly 80% — to provide foundational public health services nationwide.

“91�Թ��� has a really comprehensive focus on … making the world healthier and helping individuals be healthier.” — Catherine Bush, interim coordinator for the MPH program’s Health Policy, Planning and Leadership track

91�Թ���’s program will prepare the next generation of public health professionals to meet that need through research, policy, leadership and collaboration with communities. Central Florida provides a unique training ground where students can confront a range of challenges. Florida ranks among the top 20 states for the number of residents age 65 or older, second for projected new cancer diagnoses, fourth for reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases and third for HIV diagnoses.

“91�Թ��� has a really comprehensive focus on health, both in making the world healthier and helping individuals be healthier,” says Catherine Bush, interim coordinator for the program’s Health Policy, Planning and Leadership track and instructor of health management and informatics. “Public health is a really natural fit with something we’re already doing really well and with great success.”

Researchers in the College of Health Professions and Sciences are already addressing many of those challenges, with work spanning health policy, substance use and more. Rovito and 91�Թ��� Associate Professor Keith Brazendale are leading a study to improve the quality of life of testicular cancer survivors. 91�Թ��� Assistant Professor Jacob Bleasdale is studying the health-related needs of older patients living with HIV. 91�Թ��� Assistant Professor Latarsha Chisholm is working to improve end-of-life care for dementia patients.

“There’s a lot of good work to be done here in Central Florida, and 91�Թ��� is uniquely positioned to lead in public health by collaborating with partners on campus and across the region and drawing on our strength as one of the most innovative universities in the nation,” Rovito says.

Built for the work ahead, the program offers two tracks:

• Health promotion and behavioral science: For students who want to work directly with communities to improve access to health resources, reduce chronic disease risk and strengthen well-being.
• Health policy, planning and leadership: For students who want lead public health organizations, influence policy and turn evidence into solutions for complex health challenges.

Applications are open now through May 1 for the Fall 2027 class. The program will be offered primarily in person on 91�Թ���’s main and downtown campuses, with some courses offering a synchronous online option.

For more information, visit .

A one-hour virtual information session about 91�Թ���’s MPH program will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 5 to 6 p.m.

Growing up in a well-traveled family with a father who worked as a flight attendant, Kaylie Savitz ’22MECM dreamed of flying planes herself.

That’s what first led her to earn an aeronautical science degree and a commercial pilot’s license. Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the industry — and her plans.

Savitz changed course and pursued a master’s degree in emergency and crisis management (MECM) at 91�Թ���. The decision connected her with aviation emergency management professionals and gave her the confidence to pursue a career at the intersection of what she’s most passionate about.

Today, Savitz isn’t in the pilot’s seat. She’s among the boots on the ground driving business continuity and emergency response initiatives across JetBlue operations.

Preparing for Career Takeoff

When Savitz graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2020, she planned to take straight to the skies.

“Everything was shut down; all the airlines stopped hiring, and my original plan was out the window,” she says. “I thought, ‘OK, what am I going to do in the interim?’”

91�Թ���’s MECM is the first emergency management graduate program to earn accreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration.

She began exploring programs and career paths in aviation safety. That search led her to 91�Թ���’s MECM, where she could apply her aviation knowledge to emergency and crisis management.

“I was immediately enthralled with every single course, and I hadn’t experienced that before,” she says. “I would make every single project that I had the opportunity to do so about response to an aviation disaster or legislation surrounding aviation. That really cemented my future goals.”

91�Թ��� also became the launchpad for professional relationships, beginning with her mentor, 91�Թ��� public administration/emergency management alum Keila Walker-Denis ’07.

“When we were being paired with mentors, I was hoping for someone in the aviation industry, and they ended up pairing me with Keila — who at the time was the assistant vice president of airport operations for emergency management with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority,” Savitz says. “I was over the moon when I discovered that a career like that could exist for me in the future, and I knew I wanted to work in emergency management and response in aviation.”

Later in the program, Savitz accepted an environmental health and safety internship with Delta Air Lines in Atlanta. She learned Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and regulatory language while expanding her professional network.

What began as a three-semester internship rotation became a full-time role with Delta’s environmental health and safety team while she was still in the program.

Raising Her Hand, Climbing the Ranks

Since then, Savitz has followed a simple mantra: Raise your hand at every opportunity. A year later, that approach brought her to JetBlue’s flight operations and safety team.

“[I completed] a lot of data work, change management and looking at safety reports from pilots. It was exciting to be part of having a pulse on safety like that.”

“It was a lot of data work, change management and looking at safety reports from pilots,” Savitz says. “In aviation, they use something called the Swiss Cheese Model. You have all these slices of Swiss cheese with all their different holes. Every so often, all the holes will line up, and that’s when an accident occurs. The role of any aviation safety team is focusing on not letting them line up. It was exciting to be part of having a pulse on safety like that.”

She kept raising her hand. After connecting with JetBlue’s director of emergency management and completing an emergency response apprenticeship with the team, Savitz was promoted in February 2026 to senior analyst of business continuity and emergency response — a role the team created for her.

She helps write and maintain emergency and business continuity plans, identify risks and training opportunities, and coordinate response readiness with both internal and external stakeholders.

No two days are exactly alike. One week might involve updating plans and incorporating recommendations from recent training exercises. The next could bring a full-scale exercise with airport employees and administrators, emergency response liaisons, crew members, and JetBlue’s care and ground operations teams.

“In an actual emergency, there are so many people involved in a response that your own team is also coordinating with the airline, airport first responders and government agencies,” she says. “Creating and maintaining those relationships ahead of time really helps in real-life situations. That way you already know these people, and you might even know what to expect from them or what they would want from you during these events.”

“91�Թ���’s emergency and crisis management program really gave me a baseline for every single thing that I do.”

Her relationship with Walker-Denis is a prime example of how those early connections continue to shape her work.

“She introduced me to some of her colleagues, and now I’m in a role with JetBlue where I get to work with her team at Orlando International Airport,” Savitz says. “91�Թ���’s emergency and crisis management program really gave me a baseline for every single thing that I do.”

The gift supports the Dean’s Excellence Fund and the S&Z Vyas Charitable Foundation Endowed MD Scholarship, expanding opportunities for future physicians and advancing 91�Թ���’s Go For Launch campaign priorities.

“Dr. Zaby and Suree Vyas understand that excellence in healthcare begins with investing in people,” says Deborah German, dean of the 91�Թ��� College of Medicine. “Their generosity will help talented students pursue their dreams of becoming physicians while providing the resources that allow our college to continue raising the standard of medical education. Their gift embodies the goals of by supporting student success and helping 91�Թ��� maximize excellence for generations to come.”

For 91�Թ��� College of Medicine student Nicole Stevens ’25, donor support helped turn possibility into reality. A mother of three and nontraditional student, Stevens shared how scholarships, mentorship and research opportunities empowered her to pursue medicine and redefine what she believed was possible for herself and her family.

The clock tower stands at the center of 91�Թ���’s Health Sciences Campus and serves as an iconic symbol of the College of Medicine, welcoming students, faculty and visitors while reflecting the importance of time, innovation and excellence in training the next generation of physicians. All those entering the medical education building, where every 91�Թ��� future physician is trained, will see the commitment that the Vyas’ have made to the college, to the healthcare landscape of Florida and to the future generation of healthcare providers.

“One represents the daily work of learning, discovery and growth” says President Alexander N. Cartwright. “The other serves as a bold and enduring presence on the horizon. Together, they reflect the lasting impact the Vyas family is making on 91�Թ��� and the future of healthcare.”

After being forced to leave Uganda in 1972, the newly married couple rebuilt their lives in England before eventually settling in Central Florida, where Vyas established a successful family medicine practice. Their journey shaped a lifelong commitment to expanding opportunity for others, particularly future healthcare professionals.The Suree & Zaby Vyas Foundation was created to invest in the next generation of caregivers by supporting students in 91�Թ���’s College of Medicine and College of Nursing and creating an endowment to provide perpetual scholarship support. Their name is also recognized inside the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, home of the College of Nursing with the Zaby & Suree Vyas Collaboration Concourse.

91�Թ��� Space Week celebrates this mission annually by welcoming global space leaders, researchers, students, partners, and fans to campus for collaboration, discovery, and the development of Florida’s growing space economy.

Take a look back at some of the standout sights and celebrations from 91�Թ��� Space Week 2026.

Knightro brought SpaceU spirit to the Celeste Hotel, welcoming industry partners gathered for 91�Թ��� Space Week 2026.

91�Թ��� Libraries hosted several events, special programs and multiple exhibitions built from University Archives and Special Collections in celebration of 91�Թ��� Space Week 2026.

One exhibit in the Digital Exploration Center’s Immersion Studio, curated by graduate research assistant Eric Thompson ’19, brought six decades of 91�Թ���, United States and international space history and culture beyond the archives and into visitors’ hands.

The inaugural 91�Թ��� Innovate Day showcased how 91�Թ��� transforms research into impact through entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and strategic partnerships. During the event, representatives from the City of Orlando and Orange County government presented 91�Թ��� with a special proclamation honoring 91�Թ��� Space Week.

A featured panel during 91�Թ��� Innovate Day brought together (from left) moderator Ben Patz ’85MS, co-founder and general managing partner of DeepWork Capital; Joe Sleppy ’18, CEO of Capacitech Energy; Guifang Li, 91�Թ��� professor of optics and photonics; Jason Eichenholz ’95MS ’98PhD; Melanie Coathup, a professor in 91�Թ���’s College of Medicine; and Jonathan Reyes ’15 ’17MS ’19PhD, CEO of Halo Engines.

91�Թ���’s Florida Space Institute and its Exolith Lab hosted NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. The Exolith Lab is home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface, where NASA tests rovers and equipment for upcoming moon missions. from Exolith Lab Chief Engineer Max Kuehn ’22.

91�Թ��� honored seven contributors helping shape Central Florida’s thriving space ecosystem at the 2026 SpaceU Awards. 91�Թ��� President Alexander N. Cartwright (center left) joined the honorees and their representatives. From left: planetary exploration research scientist and 91�Թ��� physics alum Jared Long-Fox ’26PhD, accepting on behalf of Daniel Britt; mechanical engineering major Noah Brockhoff; 91�Թ��� Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta; 91�Թ��� Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering Paula do Vale Pereira; mechanical engineering major Keanu Brayman; Tahllee Baynard, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of system prototypes; and Michael Edmonds, Blue Origin’s chief commercial officer.

hosted its fall career fair, which welcomed some of the world’s top companies, including Pegasus Partner Universal Orlando Resort, Marriott International, Walt Disney World Resort’s Swan and Dolphin Resort, and SpaceX.

Drone shows on 91�Թ���’s main campus and at Acrisure Bounce House commemorated 91�Թ���’s identity as America’s Space University, including a special show presented by BNY that brought the community together on Memory Mall.

Space Week’s grand finale was marked by the 10th anniversary of the 91�Թ��� Space Game. This year’s unique uniform theme paid tribute to 91�Թ���’s origin story as America’s Space University.

A Citronaut robot is one of several inventions built by 91�Թ��� students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science that make the game day atmosphere uniquely 91�Թ���.

91�Թ��� President Alexander N. Cartwright and 91�Թ��� donor, consultant and space visitor Marc Hagle take in the atmosphere at Acrisure Bounce House.

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Space Game, 91�Թ���’s Go Baby Go program, Orlando Health and 91�Թ��� Athletics partnered to build 10 space-themed vehicles (like the one pictured above) customized for children with mobility challenges.

91�Թ��� took on Baylor at Acrisure Bounce House for the Mission X Space Game.

The 91�Թ��� football team’s Space Game has become a fan favorite.

The dance team helped lead the “Lights Up, Lights Down” tradition during the Mission X Space Game.

From transforming how images illuminate complex surfaces to creating new tools for healthcare simulation, 91�Թ��� Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch has spent more than three decades expanding what immersive technology can do.

Now, the field he has helped advance is honoring his lasting influence.

Welch received the 2026 Career Impact Award at the 25th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), which brings together the world’s leading researchers, practitioners and innovators shaping the future of extended reality.

The AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation at 91�Թ���’s College of Nursing and co-director of the Synthetic Reality Lab at 91�Թ���’s , Welch was recognized for his significant and sustained contributions to the field.

“This award is especially meaningful to be recognized by a community I have been a part of for decades.”

For Welch, that work reflects a deep dedication to both the technology and the people who’ll take it further, especially students and educators.

“This award is especially meaningful to be recognized by a community I have been a part of for decades,” says Welch. “It is also fulfilling to know that all of my efforts, the leadership, service, research and education, not only have been noticed by my peers, but have been judged to have had a long-term impact.”

Throughout his career, Welch has collaborated across disciplines to tackle challenges facing industries ranging from defense to healthcare. His research spans virtual and augmented (VR/AR) reality, virtual beings, motion tracking, displays and healthcare technology. Much of his work focuses on human-computer interaction — blending analytical thinking and creativity to build effective interactive experiences.

Among his most influential contributions is research on spatial augmented reality that he co-developed in 1998. That work earned the ISMAR Long Lasting Impact Paper Award nearly two decades later, and its impact remains visible today.

Using mathematical equations, Welch and his co-authors created a way to adjust projected imagery to appear realistic on complex surfaces. Their work helped advance projection mapping — the technology behind spectacles such as the light shows at Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom.

“That work is still something I’m deeply proud of — it was something that came together as a result of a lot of work with a lot of different people. It’s rewarding to see it now used all over the world,” says Welch.

Turning Patented Ideas into Powerful Solutions

Welch has authored more than 200 publications and is a named inventor on 31 patents. His inventions include a physical-virtual patient simulator, a “smart” wound simulator, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation and tactile telepresence for isolated patients.

His list of inventions continues to grow. Two new patents issued this year build on a record of innovation that has helped place 91�Թ��� among the top 20 U.S. public universities for utility patents granted.

One new invention provides a system for generating spatially explicit auditory cues — sounds that convey direction, distance and height — through devices such as AR/VR headsets or vehicle speakers to enhance a recipient’s situational understanding.

Potential applications include helping military personnel track the positions and movements of squad members and equipment, improving vehicle navigation and making emergency vehicle sirens easier for drivers to perceive.

“It’s about using components of different home automation systems to help each other.”

The most recent patent addresses a gap in home automation: A home automation controller can send a command to a device, but did the intended change actually happen?

A lightbulb could be burned out. A broken sprinkler head could send water over the curb instead of onto the lawn. In either case, confirmation by another nearby device can allow the problem to be detected.

“It’s about using components of different home automation systems to help each other, in a sense,” says Welch. “Such as using a camera on another device in a room to determine if a light is illuminating or using home security cameras to confirm the sprinkler system worked properly — and if they didn’t, help the homeowner determine why.”

By connecting devices with complementary capabilities, the system could help users verify that their devices are functioning as intended and identify problems when they’re not.

Strengthening Future Generations

Welch’s impact extends beyond his innovations. An active leader, volunteer and mentor in IEEE communities, he has served in numerous board roles and shared his expertise through more than 100 presentations, panels and workshops worldwide.

“ My … passion to help others … continues to energize me every day in my work to advance immersive technologies, create solutions and support the next generation of researchers …”

He also leads the , a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded platform designed to transform research using immersive technologies. The project recently reached two major milestones for virtual reality research.

His contributions have earned dozens of awards and honors, including recognition as an IEEE fellow, a National Academy of Inventors fellow and a Pegasus Professor — 91�Թ���’s highest faculty honor. He received the IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award in 2018 and the IEEE Virtual Reality Service Award earlier this year.

For Welch, the drive to discover remains inseparable from helping others do the same.

“My career, in this industry and in academia, is driven by a passion to help others — that’s what continues to energize me every day in my work to advance immersive technologies, create solutions and support the next generation of researchers who will make the next discoveries.”

Robin Marquez ’26 has re-prioritized his necessities at the University of Minnesota: he has clothes for exploring, clothes for frigid winters and somewhere he’s safely stored a new passport. This is Marquez’s latest stop in a lifelong itinerary that’s taken him from Brooklyn, New York, to Palm Beach County to Tampa, Florida, to 91�Թ���.

Nov. 2-6 is First Generation Week at 91�Թ���.

“I created a new road by going offroad,” he says.

Marquez is coming up on his 31^st birthday. He graduated from 91�Թ��� in May with a biology degree and an unexpected interest. Among the possessions he took north are arthropod samples collected from the 91�Թ��� Arboretum, an 80-acre parcel of research-rich ecosystems. He’s studying the microscopic insects for information about biological diversity. They’ve already provided the direction Marquez sought for so long.

“What I’m doing now, I couldn’t fathom a few years ago,” he says.

In his mid-20s, Marquez felt as if he were stuck in the weeds with a high school education and blurry future. Today, this same Robin Marquez has achieved the following: awarded the Order of Pegasus, recognition as the first student nominated through Valencia College for a Goldwater Scholarship, collaborated with researchers at Yale University and the Smithsonian Institution, and stood as the only undergraduate to receive the coveted Entomological Society of America Alate Award in 2025.

All of this has led him to the Twin Cities to work on a Ph.D. in entomology.

“I still don’t know where the limit is,” Marquez says.

His successes aren’t just for him. They’re for anyone who thinks they’ve wandered off the academic road.

“I no longer buy the narrative of hitting traditional checkpoints, like [completing an uninterrupted path to graduation] and starting a career by your early 20s,” he says. “It might take time to find the right people to propel you in ways you never thought possible.”

Marquez tried the “traditional checkpoints” route after high school, enrolling at the University of South Florida on a full ride in 2013. He imagined cruising along to medical school. However, 16 months later he departed USF with a failing GPA and mounting mental health challenges.

“I felt crushed,” he says. “I thought college would be my ticket out of socioeconomic hardship, that I’d be a first-generation graduate and break a cycle. Instead, it came to a grinding halt. I had the capability but not the right mindset. So, I kind of floated in this nebulous space of ‘adulthood.’ ”

Marquez carried the label “college dropout” in his mind for years. To this day, it’s hard for him to explain how misunderstood he felt.

Volunteering at an animal shelter became an escape. He moved to Orlando and grew plants in his apartment, hoping to shake himself out of stasis. A friend noticed how he enjoyed gardening and said he could make a career at it.

“I grew up in the concrete jungle of Brooklyn before my family moved to Florida,” Marquez says. “A gardening career sounded impossible until I heard Valencia [College] offers a degree in plant science. I thought I’d take a class, set the bar low and get back on my feet.”

A botany instructor at Valencia, Fabiano Isenhour, told Marquez to aim higher and consider research. The program director, Javier Garces, suggested he pursue a doctorate.

“I went from thinking two years of college would be my path into the workforce,” Marquez says, “to wondering where research might take me.”

The Fascinated Bug Librarian

In January of 2024, nearly 10 years after leaving college with a 0.9 GPA, Marquez transferred through the DirectConnect to 91�Թ��� program with multiple plant certifications and a 4.0 earned at Valencia. His mental health had improved, too.

“Everything snowballed,” he says. “At 91�Թ���, I spent time with a wellness coach in the McNair Scholars Program. Mentors like (former Professor) Patrick Bohlen were invested in my potential. I found this intersection of passion, support and community, which fueled my drive.

Marquez also discovered the Arboretum and 91�Թ���’s Bug Closet, a collection of more than 575,000 specimens — one of the largest completely databased collections in the world — that heightened his new curiosity about the relationship between insects and agriculture.

“Insect specimens are like books,” he says. “They provide knowledge about the world. In the Bug Closet, I was the librarian. My research there led me to the Smithsonian, where I worked with species that are new to science. Someday I could be involved in giving them names.”

On His Own Track in Life

“When I look back at where I’ve been and where I’ve come, it’s exhilarating. I can’t imagine making it this far if my path hadn’t led to 91�Թ���.”

The dispiriting label Marquez once shouldered has been shed. In its place, he has that new passport, which he’s using to present research at international conferences. He envisions completing his doctorate and working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture or Smithsonian to support America’s natural resources through entomology.

“I’m just now finding where I belong,” he says. “When I look back at where I’ve been and where I’ve come, it’s exhilarating. I can’t imagine making it this far if my path hadn’t led to 91�Թ���.”

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate 91�Թ��� Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

at 91�Թ��� extends far beyond a single discipline.

91�Թ��� students can choose from numerous space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy — preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

Joining a space-focused student organization can strengthen your skills, connect you with like-minded peers and offer opportunities to turn your studies into real-world work.

Learn more about some of these groups and how to get involved.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Who they are: 91�Թ���’s chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a technical society dedicated to the aerospace profession, welcomes students of all experience levels and academic disciplines. It boasts nearly 400 active members, with many  studying aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering or computer science.

Ways to get involved: AIAA@91�Թ��� sponsors industry tours, guest speakers, professional development events, socials and creative engineering projects. One is a multi-year effort in partnership with SEDS and Seagate Space to engineer the first sea-based launch by university students in the nation.

How to find them: Join the to stay up to date with announcements and general information, or follow on Instagram.

Astronomy Society

Who they are: The Astronomy Society is dedicated to cultivating a deep appreciation for space while providing valuable opportunities for students aspiring to build careers in astronomy.

Ways to get involved: Members can participate in resume workshops, physics conferences, space-themed social meet-ups, and telescope operation training, and help organize or attend Knights Under the Stars stargazing events at Robinson Observatory on 91�Թ���’s main campus.

How to find them: Attend a general board meeting, follow on Instagram or join the .

Knights Experimental Rocketry

Who they are: Knights Experimental Rocketry designs and builds experimental rockets and payloads for collegiate competitions.

Ways to get involved: Students can get involved in a wide range of projects, from designing and building rockets, developing liquid rocket propulsion systems, and researching and testing electric thrusters.

How to find them: Join the follow on Instagram or visit .

Knights Satellite Club

Who they are: Knights Satellite Club is 91�Թ���’s center for satellite and space systems development. Students can join with little to no satellite experience and gain  engineering skills through low-cost projects that introduce them to spaceflight hardware, integration, testing, communications, recovery, and systems engineering.

Ways to get involved: Members can join progressively more challenging projects as their experience, skills and knowledge develop. Weekly committee meetings also welcome members with interests beyond engineering and science, including fundraising, event management and public relations.

How to find them: Find the latest information at .

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)

Who they are: SEDS empowers members to make an impact in space exploration through an interdisciplinary community spanning engineering, biology, economics, history, photography and more.

Ways to get involved: Attend speaker series, social events like space-movie viewings, professional workshops, rocketry tutorials and tours of space-industry companies. Members can also take part in research projects ranging from agriculture in simulated Martian regolith and space economics to solving space exploration challenges for NASA.

How to find them: �վ������� , stay up to date  through the or follow on Instagram.

Landing humans on the moon was just a dream when 91�Թ��� was founded in 1963. But we dared to believe — developing the talent and inventing the technologies to make it reality. That same spirit still drives us today.

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate 91�Թ��� Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

91�Թ��� Professor Anish Roshi Damodaran is investigating a new approach for a virtual super telescope that could allow scientists to observe planet formation and the early universe in unprecedented detail.

Damodaran previously led radio astronomy for the Arecibo Observatory, which 91�Թ��� began co-managing in 2018 under an agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation. Following the telescope’s structural collapse in 2020, he continued to advance his research activities at 91�Թ���.

Damodaran is now one of 18 researchers in the U.S. selected for Phase I of NASA’s 2026 Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The nine-month, $175,000 award funds early development of technologies that demonstrate transformative potential and possible feasibility for eventual implementation.

“Having the opportunity to explore such a bold idea at its earliest stage, and to do so with the support of NASA and the NIAC community, is both professionally and personally inspiring,” Damodaran says.

The concept is known as PHOENIX — short for Photonics-Enabled Heterodyne Submillimeter/Far-Infrared Interferometer.

PHOENIX proposes using advanced photonic technologies to connect up to 25 spacecraft into a powerful space-based interferometer. Working together, the spacecraft could effectively function as a much larger telescope, capable of producing ultra-high-resolution observations at submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths.

The project also brings together expertise in astronomy, photonics and space instrumentation from 91�Թ��� and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This includes CREOL Pegasus Professor Peter Delfyett; CREOL professors Guifang Li and Stephen Eikenberry; Florida Space Institute researcher Julie Brisset; College of Sciences Professor Yan Fernandez; and JPL researchers Jacob Kooi and Jonathan Kawamura.

Jumpstarting a New Wave of Space Technology

Some of the most important stages in the evolution of the universe are also among the most difficult to observe. Stars, planets and galaxies often form from cold gas and dust that are invisible to the human eye.

Falling between infrared and radio wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, submillimeter astronomy gives scientists a window into this otherwise hidden universe.

But observing these phenomena at extremely high resolution requires capabilities that are difficult to achieve with a conventional space telescope. A single telescope with an aperture measuring tens or even hundreds of meters would face significant launch constraints. Dividing that observing power across multiple smaller satellites presents its own challenges, including precisely synchronizing the spacecraft, and processing and transmitting the enormous amounts of data they collect.

“While existing facilities can detect cold gas and dust associated with planet formation, star formation, and galaxy evolution, they cannot directly resolve many of the critical structures where these processes occur,” Damodaran says.

Seeing the Universe in New Detail

PHOENIX could also provide new insights into how stars form within dense, dust-enshrouded environments. By combining high-resolution imaging with spectroscopy — an observation technique that uses light to analyze the chemical composition of matter — the observatory concept could allow astronomers to examine how turbulence, gravity and gas dynamics interact where stars form.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars,” Damodaran says, referring to the rotating disks of gas and dust which form planets. “PHOENIX could resolve structures on scales comparable to the size of the inner solar system — allowing scientists to observe how water, water ice, molecular gas and dust are assembled into planets, identify the signatures of newly forming worlds, and investigate the conditions that lead to potentially habitable planetary systems.”

On a larger scale, observations of gas and dust within distant galaxies could help researchers examine how star formation and supermassive black holes have influenced galaxy evolution over billions of years.

“One of the most exciting applications would be the direct observation of planet formation in protoplanetary disks around young stars.” — Anish Roshi Damodaran, Florida Space Institute professor

Testing an Ambitious Idea

The nine-month Phase I study represents an early step toward determining whether that vision could eventually become technically achievable. Rather than building the observatory itself, Damodaran and his collaborators will use the NIAC award to develop a more detailed mission architecture, identify critical enabling technologies, evaluate performance requirements, assess technology readiness and further define the scientific capabilities PHOENIX could provide.

Following his selection, Damodaran attended the NIAC orientation and symposium, where he met other NIAC fellows and learned about the range of early-stage concepts being pursued through the NASA program.

“In many ways, the process feels like undertaking a second Ph.D. thesis,” Damodaran says. “It requires questioning assumptions, exploring alternative approaches, identifying critical technology gaps and developing a compelling scientific case. As a scientist and instrument developer, I find that immensely rewarding.”

Future Stages of NASA’s NIAC Program

NASA’s NIAC program supports visionary aerospace concepts through progressive phases of study. Eligible Phase I recipients can propose for Phase II, which provides up to $750,000 for two years of further concept development and requires researchers to prepare a roadmap for continued development.

Phase III provides up to $2 million for another two years of exploration and development, with the goal of strategically transitioning concepts with the highest potential impact for NASA, other government agencies or commercial partners. NASA plans to make six to eight Phase II awards and one Phase III award annually.

The PHOENIX project is supported by a $175,000 Phase I award through NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program. 

What happens when students from an entertainment law class and a podcasting class walk into a graveyard together? At 91�Թ���, they bring to life the most ambitious cross-college collaboration yet from an Emmy-winning faculty duo.

Legal studies senior lecturer was inspired one day when she came across a video of someone wandering through cemeteries, reading headstones and telling the stories of the people buried beneath them. The videos were pulling in millions of views. Pons, who teaches both entertainment law and funeral law at 91�Թ���, saw a learning opportunity for her legal studies students.

She reached out to , a senior instructor in 91�Թ���’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media (NSCM) and veteran broadcast journalist, as the first step to what would go on to become a student-produced podcast, The Dead Speak.

Pons’ entertainment law students paired with Brunson’s audio reporting and podcasting students during the Spring 2026 semester — creating a cross-disciplinary collaboration unlike anything either department had attempted before.

The two faculty members are repeat collaborators. Their prior work legal studies-related documentaries that have earned five regional Emmy awards.

But this project presented a whole new challenge. It required bringing together nearly 100 students of very different skill sets to deliver a finished product that would both accurately and legally “bringing the dead back to life.”

Bringing the Dead to Life in Sound

Each class took on a distinct role in the production. Pons’ legal studies students were the researchers. Using legal databases, death records, obituaries and cemetery records — while exercising the entertainment law and copyright skills they were developing in class — they identified deceased Floridians or people with strong Florida ties whose stories were compelling, historically verifiable and legally safe to tell.

A few students even ventured into cemeteries to find their subjects, while others utilized websites for virtual tours of burial grounds.

“Law comes into play because a lot of research goes into databases where death records are kept,” Pons says. “The entertainment law aspect comes in because we have ethical considerations, like copyright, public domain and how to verify the veracity of a record. ‘Did that person really die in 1867?’ Those are the kinds of questions that sharpened our legal research skills.”

“The entertainment law aspect comes in because we have ethical considerations, like copyright, public domain and how to verify the veracity of a record.” — Irene Pons ’00, senior lecturer

Once initial research was completed, the classes met together in person, divided into groups, in NSCM’s state-of-the-art podcasting studio. They pitched their research and determined which subjects would make the strongest episodes.

“My students were coming at this from what I call ‘seeing with your ears,’” Brunson says. “Does this subject and the time period they’re in present rich audio and sound opportunities? Does their story present rich opportunities to tell it in a sonic way?”

From there, Brunson’s students took over, writing scripts that would be narrated in first person and finding voice actors to give an accurate voice to the deceased.

Some students reached out to professional voice-acting collectives, and several professionals were so intrigued that they volunteered their voices. Other students recruited friends, family members or peers who matched the voice characterization they needed.

They further enhanced the production by recording real-world ambient sounds like crickets chirping, musical instruments or an audience cheering to create the backtracks that bring each episode to life.

In total, the collaboration produced 12 publicly accessible episodes that can be streamed on .

Everlasting Benefits

The response from students on both sides was immediate and enthusiastic. Pons’ law students were so enamored by the experience that many asked if they could come into the studio themselves to see their research brought to life.

“They were so invested in what they were doing,” Pons says. “At the end of class, they were like, ‘Do we have to leave?’ That was their favorite part of the whole semester.”

For Brunson’s podcasting students, the project offered an avenue for creativity while still adhering to journalism’s standards of accuracy and reporting and will ultimately serve them well on their resumes.

“The benefits are two-way. You get smarter by working with really smart and creative people, and you push understanding of ourselves as humans and as a community forward.” — Rick Brunson ’84, senior instructor

“We have dead-set rules against making things up over here,” Brunson says. “They really enjoyed this opportunity to go out, get sound, create a period of time and make it immersive in a listener’s mind. It stretched their muscles as audio storytellers. Students can say, ‘This is something I built. This is something that went out and is public-facing.’ I think that is so much more valuable to students than just getting an A on a test.”

He adds that the experience reaffirmed what he’s always believed about project-based learning.

“It’s cross-pollination,” he says. “The benefits are two-way. You get smarter by working with really smart and creative people, and you push understanding of ourselves as humans and as a community forward.”

Pons hopes to continue The Dead Speak podcast and partnership with Brunson’s class with her Entertainment Law course in Spring 2027 and her Death, Dying and the Law course in Fall 2027.

“When faculty have the opportunity, they should take advantage of collaborating like this,” she says. “It was so rewarding for the students and for us as professors just to see the smiles on their faces. That says it all.”