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.”

Cemeteries, if we think about it, are innovative places and spaces for body disposition in the U.S. During the time of the Industrial Revolution in the country, cities expanded rapidly — and so did the rise of pollution and the spread of disease in tightly packed cities. At the time, death was more communal and family-centered, with many homes even having death rooms. Burial grounds were located in city centers and churchyards. But as cities became more crowded and diseases moved quickly, there was a desire for public health interventions, including burials on the outskirts of town.

Where Mourning and Innovation Meet

This gave rise to what was called the rural (or garden) cemetery movement. The name is a misnomer because these areas were not what we think of as urban versus rural today. The rural cemeteries were miles away from city centers to prevent the spread of disease, especially in packed burial grounds. Many credit the first rural garden cemetery in the U.S. as Mount Auburn in Massachusetts, with its sprawling green spaces, carefully planned streets and beautiful sculptures. Elites took trips to the cemetery to see and be seen. It became a space for people to breathe clean air, take picnics and recreate. The cemetery was an innovation in how people buried their loved ones. Some convincing was needed to bury people there because it was a new way of body disposition, but with some creative marketing, the cemetery movement took off.

Cremation changed the sector once again, but that also took some convincing because of religious opposition to burning bodies in Western culture. Again, the innovation was not what many people in the West were used to — burial was always in-ground. How can people mourn when there is no body? My research at Durham University as a Durham Collections Fellow allowed me to look at the archives of The Cremation Society in the United Kingdom, where many records traced the long history of trying to convince Western societies to adopt the practice. Eventually, cremation surpassed in-ground burial as the preferred disposition method globally. We do not often think about our final wishes having anything to do with technology and innovation, but they are so closely linked and ideally should match how we feel about those things during life.

Engineering Sustainable Deathcare Alternatives

Today, the deathcare industry continues to embrace innovative practices. One is natural organic reduction — sometimes called human composting. It is a greener burial option that turns the body into soil through innovative technology based on a process typically found on farms. For humans, bodies are placed in purpose-built vessels that break down the body slowly and eventually turn it into soil that can be used to enrich land. This process, as of now, is legal in 14 states. Aquamation, also called alkaline hydrolysis, is water cremation — another innovative alternative to flame-based cremation.

In my interviews with public servants running municipal cemeteries throughout the U.S., it was interesting to hear how they were handling changes in burial practices. One person in the state of Washington detailed creating a new portion of their cemetery specifically for “cremains” that included paved walkways, water features and a view of Mt. Rainier (when the mountain is visible). Even though cremation plots there are a bit expensive, he said community members are buying them up in droves. Another person in Massachusetts talked to me about finding ways to do green burial in their municipal cemetery without it costing upward of $10,000 and ensuring worker safety because there is no equipment to help lower the decedent into the ground.

Community Service Powered by Humanity

This is why I find it fascinating to be a professor of public administration studying the public servants who choose a life surrounded by death. They provide vital services we rarely see yet might need someday. I have asked about 70 of them why they do what they do. For all of them, it is about helping people through tough times, giving back to the communities they serve and making the lives of the living a bit better. Perhaps innovation lies in the emotional connection they build with other humans. That connection should be at the root of all technology.

About the Researcher
Staci Zavattaro is a professor of public administration in 91�Թ���’s School of Public Administration. Her latest research focuses on the public management of death. She served as 91�Թ���’s inaugural Big 12 Faculty Fellow in 2026, when she visited Iowa State University and the Johnson County Medical Examiner Department to continue her collaborative research. She also served as a in 2022.

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.”

Crime analysts are an essential backbone of the criminal justice system, solving and preventing crime through data analysis and mapping. It’s a role that requires substantial qualifications — something that 91�Թ���, in partnership with the state of Florida, has now embedded into its criminal justice coursework to ensure a seamless transition from classroom to crime analysis work.

Completing the Florida Core Analytical Training (FCAT) and Florida Law Enforcement Analyst Training (FLEAT) and Florida Core Analyst Training (FCAT) typically requires a 16-hour and 40-hour course, respectively, at a location designated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), as well as hundreds of hours of field experience. Now, students pursuing a career in crime analysis can complete the newly developed FCAT/FLEAT Academic Certificate as part of their studies at 91�Թ��� while gaining the field experience they need.

The 91�Թ��� Department of Criminal Justice’s new pathway sends future investigative and intelligence analysts straight into the field. It also builds on decades of partnership with the organization, including the strategic relocation of FDLE toxicology lab to 91�Թ���’s Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona earlier this year.

Embedding the FLEAT and FCAT Academic Certificate curriculum into two criminal justice courses is another result of the years of partnership between FDLE and Associate Professor . This makes 91�Թ��� one of three institutions in Florida authorized to deliver the certificate through academic coursework — and fully online.

With many agencies embracing data driven policing to guide decision-making in safety, crime prevention and more, this partnership positions 91�Թ��� as a statewide leader in preparing analysts who will support law enforcement, guide resource allocation and strengthen public safety across Florida communities.

“There is a growing population that … want to work in the crime intelligence division or a real time crime center — the ones grinding the numbers and turning those numbers into intelligence,” Watkins says. “The analysts are fundamental workhorses behind the scenes providing information for different levels of management and practitioners to be able to make decisions.”

The curriculum for the FCAT/FLEAT Academic Certificate is embedded into Crime Intelligence and Investigative Support (CCJ 4076) at the undergraduate level, and Data Management Systems and Crime Analysis (CCJ 6073) at the graduate level. Taking either course and earning at least an 80% will grant students the academic certificate, rendering them eligible to combine these credentials with crime analysis experience to move straight into the state’s final analyst course within FDLE’s Florida Law Enforcement Analyst Training Program – the Florida Law Enforcement Analyst Academy. credentialing program in Tallahassee, Florida.

For students, the pathway offers an expedited route into a growing field — especially coupled with internships to gain the 300 necessary hours of field experience needed to become an analyst. The graduate course is also open to non-degree seeking students, meaning that working analysts across Florida can enroll to earn the FCAT/FLEAT Academic Certificate through 91�Թ��� without leaving their home.

“My interest has always been helping the different criminal justice agencies get some of the best talent that they can get their hands on by creating a curriculum that makes our graduates very sought-after candidates for employment.” — ��Cory Watkin, associate professor

Watkins says he always designs his course curriculum with the intention of ensuring students are the most prepared they can possibly be to enter the field.

“Many of our students are looking to go right to work: Criminal justice is a book-to-pavement program,” he says. “My interest has always been helping the different criminal justice agencies get some of the best talent that they can get their hands on by creating a curriculum that makes our graduates very sought-after candidates for employment.”

This initiative follows suit with the department’s continuing dedication to getting students into the field and working at an accelerated rate. In 2024, the department launched the professional track in the criminal justice bachelor’s program to streamline students’ pathway from college to a career in law enforcement or correctional leadership by allowing them to graduate with state certification in law enforcement or corrections.

Looking ahead, Watkins says he believes the long-term implications of such partnerships will be transformative.

“We’re going to get the best of the best, and it’s going to have an impact,” he says. “Down the road, you could look at reduced crime, better trained officers, and better analysis leading to less use of force, greater citizen satisfaction and improved public safety.”

“This important collaboration between 91�Թ���, JPMorganChase and the Parramore community is a significant step toward expanding economic opportunity and building Central Florida’s next-generation workforce.” — Betsheell “Billie” Udofia, vice president and program officer for global philanthropy at JPMorganChase

An initiative driven by the 91�Թ��� College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE), the newly funded Parramore Launch Pad initiative aims to reach K–12 students in Orlando’s Parramore community earlier, helping prepare them for STEM-related higher education tracks and careers, while creating clearer pathways into these in-demand fields and improving long-term opportunity for students and their families.

Over the next three years, this funding will allow CCIE and 91�Թ��� Downtown, which borders the Parramore community, to implement a holistic educational approach that integrates academic enrichment with community-based support. This approach is intended to support student success in STEM in and out of the classroom while also addressing broader community needs that contribute to sustained achievement.

“This important collaboration between 91�Թ���, JPMorganChase and the Parramore community is a significant step toward expanding economic opportunity and building Central Florida’s next-generation workforce,” says Betsheell “Billie” Udofia, vice president and program officer for global philanthropy at JPMorganChase. “Efforts like this help ensure students at every level have the skills, tools and support they need to succeed and build futures they’re proud of. We’re committed to supporting strong STEM pathways and the resources students need to reach them.”

Bolstering STEM Education

Expanding on an established relationship between 91�Թ��� and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS), CCIE’s School of Teacher Education (STE) and 91�Թ���’s College of Engineering and Computer Science will work with leaders and educators at the OCPS Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and another school, a pre-K through eighth-grade community school located in the heart of Parramore, to engage students in innovative STEM instruction during the school year, as well as throughout the summer.

ECLIPSE Summer Camp launched in Summer 2026, offering a free week of STEM activities for third- through fifth-graders. Delivered through a partnership between 91�Թ��� STE, OCPS ACE, and the Boys and Girls Club Levy-Hughes branch, the program is open to all students in the Parramore community and includes a complimentary Boys and Girls Club membership to the Levy-Hughes branch for the academic year.

Going Beyond 91�Թ���, Prioritizing Well-Being

While academic rigor is important, well-being also influences success. Stressors outside of school can interfere with a student’s capacity for learning. Creating a safe space for them to work through life’s hurdles is key to improving student outcomes.

By integrating both the Healing Oasis for Peace and Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) Circle, a positive youth development afterschool program with the Central Florida Boys & Girls Clubs, and the complementary in-school H.O.P.E. Huddles program for Parramore youth at OCPS ACE, Jones High School, and Evans High School, 91�Թ��� hopes to help students build positive, emotionally safe bonds with their peers, as well as reliable relationships with caring adults and mentors outside of their families. Programming focuses on helping students build critical skills around research, leadership, conflict resolution, teamwork and more.

“Central to the youth development programs is a reciprocal approach that redistributes traditional power dynamics between adults, researchers and youth in the community. While this model is less conventional, it is this shared ownership and co-creation that will ultimately drive meaningful, sustainable impact in the lives of youth, their families, and the broader Parramore community,” says L. Trenton S. Marsh, associate professor of urban education in the Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research��and founder of the H.O.P.E. Lab at 91�Թ���.

Growing Social and Civic Prosperity

Launch Pad will also provide support to the Parramore Community Engagement Council (PCEC). University researchers and community leaders will work together on research-informed solutions for PCEC’s pillars of education, affordable housing, employment and holistic health. Further, there is a collaborative partnership with 91�Թ��� and PCEC through a new university-community fellowship program. This summer an asynchronous open-source training with nine sequential modules was developed to support the fellowship.

Over the next two years, the program will award two fellowships per year to university-based researchers and two per year to community leaders active within the council. The program is intended to serve as a model that can be replicated in communities across the country.

“We’ve already seen such positive impacts from 91�Թ��� Downtown and its proximity to our community. I’m thrilled for this evolution in our work with 91�Թ���,” says the Rev. Robert M. Spooney, outgoing chair of the Parramore Community Engagement Council and pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “What makes this next phase so meaningful is the university’s commitment to not only being present, but to ensuring our community is resourced, supported and positioned to benefit from this work.”

A Shared Vision for a Thriving Parramore

In 2019, JPMorganChase, the Helios Education Foundation and the Kresge Foundation funded the Parramore Education and Innovation District, through which 91�Թ��� aimed to ensure residents of the Parramore community benefited from incoming economic growth and development and had access to the 91�Թ��� Downtown and Valencia College Downtown campuses. This latest support from JPMorganChase represents an evolution in this work, and a shared alignment in growing opportunity within the Parramore community.

“At 91�Թ���, we are building a future the world has only begun to imagine. A robust talent pipeline of STEM professionals is critical to that vision,” says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for 91�Թ��� Advancement and Partnerships, and CEO of the 91�Թ��� Foundation Inc. “These skillsets are already sought-after, but they’ll be increasingly important with the evolution of AI, space, themed experience and more. By investing in students early and surrounding them with the support they need to succeed, we’re helping create pathways to higher education, meaningful careers and lifelong impact for our region. That commitment is at the heart of Go For Launch.”

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

Since 91�Թ��� first held classes on Oct. 7, 1968, we have always been driven by an ambitious charge: “Reach for the stars.” The first moon landing followed in 1969. Decades later, 91�Թ��� keeps reaching as that founding mission lives on in the Knights developing the talent, discoveries and technologies taking humanity deeper into space — and transforming life here on Earth.

Before 91�Թ��� had a single classroom, we had a mission: provide the talent to help humanity reach the moon.

91�Թ���, America’s Space University, was built for the Space Age. We have spent every decade since building what’s next.

This year’s Mission X Space Game celebrates that momentum during a year of milestones: the 10th anniversary of 91�Թ���’s Space Game, the 20th season of the university’s on-campus football stadium, the 30th anniversary of 91�Թ��� football’s rise to the highest division of collegiate athletics and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Together, these milestones offer a chance to reflect on how far 91�Թ��� has come — and look toward where Knights are headed next.

Across six decades, every breakthrough has built on what came before. The goalposts have moved from reaching the moon to sustaining life beyond it. New fields have joined the mission. Once-distant ideas have become experiments, breakthroughs and careers powered by Knights.

The moments that follow trace those threads across generations: then, the bold moves that launched 91�Թ���’s space legacy; now, the people and possibilities building on that foundation to push exploration even further.

1960s | Building the Space Workforce

1963: Florida Technological University, now 91�Թ���, is founded to provide talent for the growing space industry as the United States is challenged with landing a man on the moon before 1970.

Today: 91�Թ��� is the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries by Aviation Week. That impact is especially visible along Florida’s Space Coast, where 29% of Kennedy Space Center employees are 91�Թ��� graduates.

1968: Classes begin across 91�Թ���’s original five colleges, with aerospace sciences among the university’s earliest degree programs.

Today: Space at 91�Թ��� extends far beyond a single discipline. Students can choose from more than 35 space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy — preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

1968: 91�Թ��� receives its first research grant — $12,500 from NASA — establishing an early connection between the university and the agency.

Today: 91�Թ��� has received $204 million in NASA awards since 1991, supporting work that advances planetary exploration, propulsion, space medicine, technologies and more. This underscores the strong decades-long collaboration between the university and the agency.

1970s | Connecting Education to Industry

1971: NASA employs 18 students through 91�Թ���’s Co-Operative Education initiative, which leverages the university’s metropolitan location to let students alternate quarters of study with off-campus work in their academic fields.

Today: 91�Թ��� students are conducting hands-on research alongside Johnson Space Center astronauts and testing technology on the world’s largest simulated lunar surface.

These experiences strengthen students’ resumes while giving them workforce-ready skills and professional connections to step directly into the fast-growing space industry — and start contributing immediately.

1980s | Developing the Foundation of Space Medicine

1985: As rockets soared off Florida’s Space Coast for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, 91�Թ��� students were already exploring spaceflight’s impact on people. A group of 91�Թ��� health sciences graduate students, including respiratory health alum Charles Gutierrez ’82 ’85MS, conducted experiments in labs on campus and on a field used as a makeshift launch site to understand how rockets impact heart and lung health. The research, published in The Physiologist,��reflects 91�Թ���’s spirit of turning curiosity into action.

Today: Reaching farther into space requires an understanding of how humans will live, work and stay healthy there. As the closest medical school to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, 91�Թ��� established the Led by Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair of aerospace medicine and associate professor of medicine, the center brings together 91�Թ��� experts across disciplines to lead research and develop technologies that will help humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. Urquieta also leads .

1990s | Creating a Place for Space

1990: 91�Թ��� establishes the Space Education and Research Center, which later becomes the . The institute is a hub for space research, education and technology development connected to Florida’s space industry.

Today: FSI research ranges from studying the Earth’s upper atmosphere to the origin of the planets to propulsion technologies for aerospace vehicles. Through research, operations oversight and educational programs, the institute continues to position Florida as a global leader in the space industry and contributes to the state’s economic development.

Among its facilities is the , home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface. Filled with 240,000 pounds of simulated lunar soil, the lab’s Lunar Highland Regolith Test Bin lets researchers, students and space organizations test how rovers, tools and other technologies perform on a moonlike surface.

1996: Robinson Observatory opens on 91�Թ���’s main campus, providing students and faculty a place to study planetary systems, asteroids and more. By 2004, it housed what the Orlando Sentinel described as the largest telescope in the Southeast open to the public.

Today: 91�Թ��� researchers use observations from some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, to investigate comets, asteroids, and the origins and evolution of our solar system.

2000s | Entering the Space Renaissance

2009: Engineering alum Nicole Stott ’92MS launches aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the first 91�Թ��� graduate to fly aboard a NASA shuttle and live on the International Space Station.

Today: 91�Թ��� is preparing students not only to travel to space, but also to build the industries, policies and experiences surrounding it.

Through the Barry S. Miller College of Business, students can earn the nation’s first fully online MBA in space commercialization. A Space Policy and Management course in the College of Community Innovation and Education examines the decisions and administrative mechanisms that help power the space industry. Students can help imagine the future of dining and hospitality in spaceports, shuttles and orbital hotels at the , a global leader in hospitality and tourism education.

2010s | Return to Liftoff

2017: Invigorated by a new uniform line and excitement around the hiring of Scott Frost as head coach in 2016, 91�Թ��� Athletics decides to debut the Space Game — an idea conceptualized three years prior by 91�Թ��� Athletics’ brand experience department.

“It’s a unique part of the 91�Թ��� story that it was too good of an opportunity not to use the athletics platform to amplify,” Jimmy Skiles ’06 said in a 2022 article about the origin of the Space Game.

Today: The annual Space Game — which has crossed over into 91�Թ���’s other sports — has grown into a spectacular, fan favorite event that promotes our talented people, the revolutionary work done here and has laid the groundwork for what has become 91�Թ��� Space Week.

2019: 91�Թ��� sends five research projects into space with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights after launch activity resumes in full force following the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

Today:��91�Թ��� has worked with NASA on almost 600 projects since the 1990s, including the Lunar-VISE mission led by Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Department of Physics Chair Adrienne Dove. The $35 million project��will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before: the Gruithuisen Domes.

2020s and Beyond

The next era of space exploration is already taking shape — and 91�Թ��� is helping lead it.

NASA is targeting 2028 for the first crewed Artemis lunar landing. At the same time, commercial launches are accelerating — with the White House aiming to enable over 1,000 launches and reentries on American soil annually by 2030 — new markets are emerging, and the demand for space-ready talent and technology continues to grow. Our future on Earth will be shaped by our future advancements in space, and 91�Թ��� will be an influential driver of that progress.

As the next phase of space exploration, launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, providing a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

In May 2027, Knights from Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics aim to launch a rocket from sea through a partnership with Seagate. The ambitious effort aims to be to first sea-based launch by university students in the nation — an example of how we continue to forge a path forward for space exploration.

91�Թ��� is also helping connect Florida’s universities, NASA and industry through the Florida University Space Research Consortium. The partnership creates new paths for shared space research, technology development and workforce preparation tied to Kennedy Space Center — strengthening Florida’s ability to lead the United States’ future space efforts.

Six decades in, 91�Թ���’s space legacy is still being written — in classrooms, labs and places we are determined to reach.

Questions asked at 91�Թ��� rarely stay put.

The answers travel — making highways safer, informing disaster planning, shaping conversations about life-changing technologies and more. Behind that reach are brilliant minds, including eight faculty members whose research and scholarship are being celebrated at the 2026 Luminary Awards. Their achievements demonstrate how 91�Թ��� expertise reaches beyond campus to address challenges facing Florida and the world.

Now in its 10th year, the annual awards honor faculty whose work brings 91�Թ��� national and international recognition while elevating the university’s influence across disciplines and communities.

Selected from nominations submitted by deans, directors and department chairs across 91�Թ���, the 2026 awardees will be celebrated Oct. 20. Joining the ceremony will be President Cartwright; John Buckwalter, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation; and Kelly Ferris Lester, vice provost for faculty excellence.

Meet this year’s luminaries.

Haitham Al-Deek

Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Haitham Al-Deek is helping stop wrong-way drivers before a dangerous turn becomes a devastating crash.

Working with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, he helped create and implement North America’s first highly accurate wrong-way driving detection and deterrence system. Since its introduction in 2015, thousands of drivers have corrected course before heading in the wrong direction, helping prevent potentially fatal or debilitating crashes.

His algorithm for cost-effectively addressing the highway exits most at risk for wrong-way driving has been widely adopted in Florida and Idaho. Al-Deek’s broader expertise includes freeway operations, intelligent transportation systems and traffic safety. His work has influenced public policy and advanced transportation planning, freight transportation, and the deployment of life-saving technologies on high-speed toll roads and freeways.

Since joining 91�Թ��� in 1992, Al-Deek has secured more than $10 million in research funding and developed innovations that have resulted in multiple patents for the university while preparing the next generation of transportation engineers to make an impact on society. His honors include awards from the U.S. National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board.

Kevin Mackie, Al-Deek’s department chair, says his extensive efforts to improve highway safety and transportation “are contributions that touch the lives of all of us.”

Andrea Blanco-Redondo

Florida Photonics Center of Excellence Endowed Professor, College of Optics and Photonics

Andrea Blanco-Redondo is harnessing light to push the boundaries of quantum technology.

Her research develops scalable ways to generate and control quantum states of light — advances that could unlock new possibilities in computing, communications and information processing. She’s internationally known for discovering a new class of optical pulses that behave like a particle and can help researchers and industry shape what’s next. In three years at 91�Թ���, her scholarship has informed roughly two dozen conferences and produced papers in prestigious journals, including Science, Nature Materials, Nature Communications and Nature Photonics.

An Optica (Optical Society of America) Fellow, Blanco-Redondo also serves as chair of the SPIE OPTO Symposium at Photonics West, a premier annual conference of the international society for optics and photonics. Alongside her research and professional leadership, she mentors future scientists and helps expand opportunities in engineering and optics.

“Through internationally recognized scholarship, sustained external engagement and demonstrable impact, Dr. Blanco-Redondo exemplifies the 91�Թ��� Luminary ideal through globally impactful work that both broadens understanding and inspires future scientists,” 91�Թ��� College of Optics and Photonics Dean David Hagan says.

William Crampton

Professor, Department of Biology, College of Sciences

William Crampton’s research on electric fish is revealing extraordinary capabilities — and has even earned a world record.

A leading global authority in his field, Crampton recorded an 860-volt eel in the Amazon Basin, the highest voltage ever documented from a living organism, according to Guinness World Records. His work advances species discovery, documentation, and conservation while revealing principles of biological sensing relevant to radar, sonar, and autonomous sensing technologies.

In a recent study, Crampton and other 91�Թ��� researchers uncovered how eels and knifefish strategically suppress their electric signals to avoid detection, balancing the need to sense their surroundings with the need to remain concealed. His open-source tools are also expanding how scientists study behavior in natural systems. Crampton’s discoveries have also reached audiences worldwide through major media outlets, including National Geographic.

“His recent work combines innovative discovery, international recognition and exceptional public visibility, producing scholarship that advances knowledge while capturing the imagination of both the scientific community and the public,” 91�Թ��� Department of Biology Chair Eric Hoffman says.

Alan Fyall

Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing,

Alan Fyall is helping destinations worldwide rethink how tourism can better serve the people who visit and the communities that call them home.

His research addresses destination planning, travel accessibility, resilience, sustainability and tourism’s impact on communities. His appointment to the United Nations Pool of Experts for Global Reporting on the State of the Marine Environment brings 91�Թ��� expertise into international ocean governance.

An elected fellow and leader with the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Fyall has advised organizations and governments across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. His scholarship includes eight books, 105 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 100 conference papers and editorials. The New York Times, USA Today and Forbes have featured his expertise.

“Dr. Fyall’s work connects local relevancy to global impact,” says Rosen College of Hospitality Management Dean Cynthia Mejia. “His research on accessible tourism through mega-events, the well-being impacts of tourism on residents and the vulnerability of coastal destinations to climate disruption is improving how communities around the world plan for and benefit from tourism.”

Ivan Garibay

Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Ivan Garibay is advancing artificial intelligence (AI) to confront challenges ranging from social media misinformation to disease.

He uses AI to model and predict complex human behavior and develops data-driven strategies to counter misinformation and propaganda. This year, he co-founded a biotechnology research company to commercialize AI research aimed at accelerating the search for cures for diseases – an effort supported by a patent filing.

Since joining 91�Թ��� in 2016, Garibay has secured more than $36 million in research funding and testified before Congress about AI’s challenges and opportunities. The master’s program in data analytics he founded has produced 240 91�Թ��� graduates for the workforce.

His work has attracted media attention on four continents, including on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His honors include election as an associate member of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.

“[Garibay] exemplifies the externally recognized, world-changing scholarship the Luminary Award celebrates,” says Waldemar Karwowski, chair of the 91�Թ��� Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Claire Connolly Knox

Professor, School of Public Administration, College of Community Innovation and Education

Claire Connolly Knox is strengthening how communities prepare for and mitigate disasters, respond when they strike and recover in their aftermath.

Her nationally recognized research connects coastal resilience, emergency management, environmental vulnerability and equitable delivery of public services. Supported by millions of dollars in grant funding, her work informs federal policy, disaster response, emergency management capacity and strategies for building more resilient communities.

As founder and director of 91�Թ���’s Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program, Knox also helps prepare future leaders in the field. Her contributions have helped advance 91�Թ���’s homeland security and emergency management graduate programs, which U.S. News & World Report ranks No. 1 nationally.

Knox was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2024 — one of the field’s highest honors — and received the International Association of Emergency Managers’ 2025 Emergency Management Educator of the Year Award.

“Her sustained scholarly productivity, national prominence, public engagement and commitment to addressing complex societal challenges have enhanced 91�Թ���’s reputation while advancing more equitable and resilient communities,” says Bradley Heim, director of the 91�Թ��� School of Public Administration.

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq

Professor, School of Public Administration, College of Community Innovation and Education

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq helps governments and communities prepare for complex threats while equipping the next generation of researchers to take them on.

His interdisciplinary research spans floods, infrastructure failures, human trafficking and other emerging crises. By examining disaster preparedness, emergency communication systems, organizational mitigation strategies and equitable disaster response, he generates insights that inform public policy and professional practice.

Sadiq also leads a U.S. National Science Foundation initiative to develop future hazards and disaster researchers. He recently brought scholars from across the nation to 91�Թ��� to strengthen collaboration and workforce development in disaster science. His honors include election as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, one of the field’s highest distinctions.

“Dr. Sadiq has established himself as a nationally and internationally recognized scholar whose research, leadership and public engagement have significantly advanced the fields of emergency management and public administration while elevating 91�Թ���’s visibility as a leader in disaster resilience and public service scholarship,” Heim says.

Mel Stanfill

Professor, Texts and Technology Program and Department of English, College of Arts and Humanities

Mel Stanfill brings critical insight to the technologies and online communities reshaping digital culture.

In examining how technology, identity, law and economics influence cultural participation, Stanfill explores fandoms, music, AI, digital games, social media governance, parasocial relationships and more.

Stanfill’s book Fandom Is Ugly: Networked Harassment in Participatory Culture earned the National Communication Association’s 2025 Diamond Anniversary Book Award for its analysis of politics, online communities and harassment.

Stanfill’s expertise has reached the public through commentary for NPR, The Guardian, National Geographic, Forbes, NBC News and Teen Vogue, bringing scholarly insight to contemporary conversations about technology and popular culture.

“Dr. Stanfill has made 91�Թ��� a national player in the discussion of the cultural effects of technology,” 91�Թ��� Department of English Chair James Campbell says. “91�Թ��� needs to be a place not just where new technology is conceived, but where it is questioned, critiqued, and has its cultural meanings and effects made clear, and Dr. Stanfill is making that happen.”

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

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

“I’m providing evidence that somebody cares,” says Ferrante, an engineering management graduate and a special instructor in 91�Թ���’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) who has championed student success for over 50 years. “That’s important to students — knowing that somebody is listening.”

His peers at the Florida Engineering Society have tuned in as well, naming Ferrante their 2026 Engineering Faculty Member of the Year. The recognition came as a surprise to Ferrante, who does not teach full-time. Instead, he wears many other hats, all displaying an unwavering devotion to expanding engineering opportunities
at 91�Թ���.

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

Tau Beta Pi Is In His DNA

Ferrante’s legacy began in the 1970s when he helped record 91�Թ��� courses on Betamax tape for traveling engineers. Since then, he has been deeply embedded in campus engineering organizations. He is the chief advisor for Tau Beta Pi — the National Engineering Honor Society — and has served on numerous leadership committees, including the CECS Alumni Council, the Engineering Leadership and Innovation Institute (eli2) and the 91�Թ��� student chapter of the Florida Engineering Society.

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

“The thing I’m most proud of involves Tau Beta Pi,” Ferrante says. “These students are the cream of the crop. When I began advising the 91�Թ��� chapter 12 years ago, we had just three students. Today, our chapter has grown to more than 100 students and we regularly initiate dozens of new members each semester.”

Until Ferrante secured approval at a Tau Beta Pi national convention several years ago, computer science majors at 91�Թ��� were ineligible to join the prestigious engineering honor society. Today, 91�Թ��� stands as one of only an elite number of colleges nationwide permitted to induct computer science students into the organization.

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

Computer science major Julia Moras is one of those select members. Since being initiated during her first year, Moras has spent the past two years leading the 91�Թ��� chapter as its president.

“Mr. Ferrante is the kind of person who is always around and has his hands in everything,” says Moras, who has taken on the role of student advisor for the 91�Թ��� chapter. “Nothing is too much for him. He’ll make the time for it.”

Next year, the Florida Delta chapter of Tau Beta Pi will celebrate its 50th anniversary at 91�Թ���. As the chapter prepares to host the District 5 conference for the third time, Ferrante will be busy organizing the landmark event. The numerous chapter awards lining his office walls stand as a testament to his impact — even if he is quick to deflect credit by insisting he is “just the advisor.” Yet, his influence extends far beyond the campus borders.

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

No Slowing Down

His wife and fellow 91�Թ��� graduate, Pamela Ferrante ’85 MEd’95 EdS ’00, insists that retirement is out of the question. Even at 73, slowing down is simply not an option for her husband, a past recipient of the CECS Alumni Night Leadership and Service Award.

As a student advisor, Ferrante believes his job is to show up, listen and help. Sometimes that mentorship means writing letters of recommendation for scholarships or graduate schools, introducing students to prospective employers or providing them with advice. He and his wife also donate food, clothing and supplies to the 91�Թ��� Knights Pantry, which provides for students’ immediate needs.

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

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

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

One thing is for sure. Ferrante’s goal remains the same: to pay forward the education and opportunities that 91�Թ��� provided him and his four children — Matthew ’16, Aimee ’17, Deanna ’17 and Jennifer ’19.

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

��ǰ���seven consecutive years, the��Rosen College of Hospitality Management�������԰����No. 1 in the nation��for Hospitality and Tourism Management Programs, according to��ShanghaiRanking’s 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

“The ranking recognizes what Rosen College has accomplished over the past two decades,” Rosen College Dean Cynthia Mejia says. “What excites me most is how we build on that foundation. Our goal is to influence the future of hospitality through the students we educate, the research we produce, the partnerships we create and the solutions we help develop for the industry’s most important challenges.”

Additionally, 91�Թ��� ranks��No. 2 in the nation��for Transportation Science and Technology — and in the top 10 for the seventh year in a row. The recognition reflects the breadth of research underway across 91�Թ��� to develop solutions and advancements for the future of the transportation industry while improving safety and mobility on the nation’s most critical and busiest roadways.

“I am happy that our hard work and expanding our transportation faculty have paid off in this continuous recognition,” 91�Թ��� Pegasus Professor Mohamed Abdel-Aty says. “We have opened new fronts in transportation systems, technology and ideas looking to the future. We balance traditional transportation research with cutting-edge and high-impact new directions.”

The rankings represent significant industries that drive international economies with travel and tourism contributing to a global GDP (gross domestic product) of $11.6 trillion and supporting about one in every nine jobs around the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2025 report.

The ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects evaluates universities by academic discipline using research-focused indicators, these include measures related to research output, research quality, international collaboration and academic influence.

A Global Leader in Hospitality and Tourism Research

Located in the nation’s top tourism destination, Rosen College students, faculty and staff are embedded in industry, allowing them to directly explore emerging areas in the field.

“This ranking reflects the depth, quality and consistency of the research being produced by our faculty,” Manuel Rivera, associate dean of research at Rosen College says. “To be recognized once again among the world’s leading hospitality and tourism programs is a testament to the collective efforts of our faculty, students, alumni and industry partners. The ranking recognizes the foundation Rosen College has built over the past two decades. Building on that foundation, Rosen College is helping shape the future of hospitality through impactful research, innovation, industry partnerships and the development of future leaders.”

Faculty research spans areas including tourism, lodging, events, food service, consumer behavior, technology, and the management of destinations and hospitality organizations, including:

• HFTP Professor of Hospitality Financial Management and Technology Mehmet Altin’s study on entrepreneurial ecosystems in hospitality and tourism with a comparative analysis across economic contexts, which was published in Tourism Economics.
• Associate Professor Yun Ying Zhong, a research faculty member of 91�Թ���’s Disability, Aging and Technology faculty cluster initiative, completed a systematic review of 30-year research on hospitality in healthcare, which was published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
• Assistant Professor Frank Badu-Baiden’s study of the factors influencing consumers’ acceptance of drone food delivery, including the role of usefulness, emotions and perceived risk, which was published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.

The No. 1 ShanghaiRanking placement builds on Rosen College’s continued excellence in curriculum, research and workforce impact as Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX) joined 91�Թ��� as a Pegasus Partner in June to establish the Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation. Through this partnership, 91�Թ��� and UDX will further explore:

• Service robotics and human-centered approaches to shape guest and employee interactions

• AR and VR simulation technologies for training, operations, and immersive environments
• AI and digital twins for optimizing and personalizing the guest experience

Advancing Transportation Safety and Technology

With more than 23.4 million residents in 2025, Florida is the nation’s third most populated state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In the same year, the Sunshine State welcomed 143.3 million visitors��as America’s No. 1 domestic travel destination, according to Visit Florida.

As residents and tourists navigate around the state, 91�Թ��� researchers are working to improve transportation challenges related to roadway safety, emerging mobility technologies and other areas.

Abdel-Aty and Associate Professor Shaurya Agarwal lead multiple projects funded by U.S. and Florida Departments of Transportation to develop safety plans and demonstrate technologies across various Florida counties.

One examines Florida’s Regional Advanced Mobility Elements, or IFRAME, project along Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa. The study is evaluating the performance of advanced transportation technologies to inform decisions about future investments to enhance safety and mobility.

Research Assistant Professor Zubayer Islam and Abdel-Aty’s Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) project — the first of its kind in the Southeast — evaluates the effectiveness and enhancements of the agency’s Flex Lanes Program on sections of its expressway. It is the latest development in 91�Թ���’s longstanding partnership with the CFX.

For nearly 14 years, 91�Թ��� has worked to make highways safer by tackling wrong-way driving, one of the nation’s deadliest roadway hazards. An international expert in transportation engineering, planning and operations, Professor Haitham Al-Deek, in partnership with CFX, designed, implemented and evaluated wrong-way driving and prevention system technology to detect and deter wrong-way driving on high-speed roads. Deployed across the CFX system, it has achieved an 88.5% driver self-correction rate, the highest known worldwide, which is well supported by the largest amount of data collected on the performance of the invented technology.

Al-Deek and his students also invented the nation’s first algorithm to help transportation agencies identify wrong-way driving hotspots and prioritize improvements for greatest safety impact with maximum economic efficiency. Through competitively won contracts at state and national levels, this algorithm was implemented for five transportation networks throughout Florida and Idaho.

“According to the data we collected, the deployed lifesaving technology on CFX transportation network helped 2,541 out of the detected 2,870 wrong-way drivers self-correct and turn around safely as of June 2026,” Al-Deek says.

Research That Translates to Daily Impact

91�Թ���’s performance in transportation science and technology and hospitality and tourism management reflects two distinct research strengths while also demonstrating how the university is improve daily life across the region, state and nation. The 2026 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects also show 91�Թ��� is making an impact in Public Administration as the No. 11 program in the nation and Law as the No. 25 program across the U.S.

When was growing up, she struggled so much in mathematics that a teacher once told her she would never make it in life.

Today, the double Knight — a graduate of both the and the 91�Թ���-OCPS Noyce Teacher Leader Academy — is one of six finalists nationwide for the 2026 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year award.

As part of a 30-year partnership between Toyota and the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), the award honors extraordinary educators nationwide whose approach to teaching focuses on building strong, multigenerational family-school partnerships that support student learning outcomes. Winners and runners-up receive grant funding toward their innovative, teacher-led projects.

For Malahoo, it’s a full-circle moment that started with her decision to take a chance on herself.

A Change in Mindset

Malahoo remembers being kicked out of that same mathematics teacher’s class for not completing homework she didn’t understand. For years, she internalized the belief that she wouldn’t be successful.

But after her daughter was born, Malahoo decided to go back to school to better her own understanding of math so she could one day help her children with it. While at 91�Թ���, she finally began to deconstruct what she’d spent most of her life believing about herself.

“My professors spoke life into me,” Malahoo says. “Going through LMA made me realize it is OK to make mistakes, and it is OK to persevere. They broke down the work in a way that made it conceptual, meaningful and applicable to me. They were the type of teachers I never had.”

While at 91�Թ���, she was a recipient of the Order of Pegasus — the highest honor a 91�Թ��� student can receive. She also got involved with the professional organization NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education and went on to present at its annual conference. In finding mentors and professors who built her up, Malahoo’s growth as a mathematics educator was exponential.

“I started emulating my professors’ way of teaching. Because of them, I became the teacher that I never had… ” — Nisha Phillip Malahoo

“What one teacher broke, another one fixed,” she says. “My mindset changed, and I started emulating my professors’ way of teaching. Because of them, I became the teacher that I never had, and then I was able to turn around and help children develop positive relationships with math at an earlier age. I owe everything to them, and to the LMA and Noyce programs. They’ve given me leadership capabilities and an example of what to follow.”

, professor of K-12 STEM education, met Malahoo eight years ago during her first semester pursuing a master’s degree in K-8 mathematics and science education through LMA. Later, as principal investigator of the Noyce grant, Bush would help Malahoo take her knowledge to the next level in emerging as a teacher leader.

“Watching her growth from a dedicated classroom teacher to a transformative leader has been incredibly rewarding,” Bush says. “Today, she is taking that leadership even further in her new role — empowering others to see and strengthen the powerful connections among mathematics learning, families and communities.”

Creating Mathematicians, Empowering Communities

That experience further primed her to become a champion for her own third-grade students at Pinewood Elementary School. For the past seven years, Malahoo has also served as a partner-in-education coordinator with local nonprofit Above and Beyond for Change, which educates and empowers local youth by connecting them with community resources.

She recently transitioned out of the classroom and into a full-time leadership position with the nonprofit. As its director of education programs and community engagement, she is now able to expand school-community partnership and educational programming, as well as access to resources for students and families. She even gets to stay at Pinewood in a liaison role.

“It is the most amazing nonprofit that’s giving me the space to do this work,” she says. “They gave me a platform where I could share the needs of our school, leverage connections, and tap into those resources to bring it back to our students and families.”

The impact has been substantial. Through Malahoo’s work and partnership with Above and Beyond for Change, family engagement at Pinewood grew from a handful of families attending school events to hundreds. Her passion for mathematics has driven multiple initiatives to make it more relatable for her students and more conducive to family and community involvement.

One such program, Monster Math Night, takes place in partnership with the local Publix each year around Halloween. Parents, teachers and students dress up in their costumes and meet at the local Publix, where they work together on learning to use math in a real-life situation with a budget worksheet and finding the best deals.

“If you make learning conceptual, something that makes sense to them and in their lives, trust me, they’re going to learn,” Malahoo says. “The kids are seeing math in real life, with their parents and even random shoppers doing math with them. It’s bringing back that wonder, joy and beauty of math. It validates everybody’s background and their math knowledge, and now the whole community is getting involved.”

Such moments make the effort that goes into them even more important. With the national spotlight now on Malahoo’s work in her recognition as a Toyota Family Teacher of the Year finalist, she hopes to be able to create more spaces and educational opportunities that bridge gaps between families, communities and schools — and invites anyone who would like to collaborate in doing so to reach out to her.

“Being in this space where I can bring all these pieces together brings me such joy, but by no means do I do this on my own,” she says. “There’s a network of community helpers, volunteers and teachers who support our efforts. This recognition makes me feel like the work that we do at Pinewood is seen, valued and appreciated. It just reiterates the importance of pouring your heart and soul into something.”

For more information on Malahoo’s work or to engage in potential community-school partnerships, contact her at Nisha.Phillip-Malahoo@ucf.edu.