From transforming how images illuminate complex surfaces to creating new tools for healthcare simulation, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø 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 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s College of Nursing and co-director of the Synthetic Reality Lab at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’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 91³Ô¹ÏÍø 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 …â€�

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 — 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’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.�

That’s the future a team of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø researchers is building, and their groundbreaking work has earned international recognition.

A team of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø researchers has won an industry award for using robotics and digital twins to blend human intuition with technological innovation.

Their work, Be There Without Being There: Humanoid Robot Immersive Telepresence, received the Auggie Award for Best Interaction Product at this year’s Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California. Auggie Awards, which received over 330 entries across 18 categories, are among the world’s most recognized honors in the augmented and virtual reality industry.

The award-winning 91³Ô¹ÏÍø team includes computer science student researchers Judah Rowe ’23 ’25MS, junior Liam Abramov, seniors Seniah McField and Megan Bailey, Assistant Professor Mohsen Rakhshan, and is led by 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Institute for Simulation and Training Interim Director and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science Carolina Cruz-Neira. In addition to this honor, Cruz-Neira received the 2026 Auggie Award for Innovator of the Year.

Together, they developed a system that pairs a humanoid robot with an immersive digital environment, allowing a person to interact with a remote location as if they were physically there.

The technology creates a real-time digital twin of the robot’s surroundings while mapping the user’s body movements directly onto the robot.

“From a technical [standpoint], this is perhaps the first working product or system that actually [allows] a human to be physically functional in a remote location as if they were really there,â€� Cruz-Neira says. “We map the body of the human to the robot. So the human walks, the robot walks. The human moves, and the robot moves. The human turns the head, the robot turns the head. It’s almost like the concept in the movie Avatar.â€�

While Cruz-Neira and Rakhshan guided the project, she says the talented 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students are responsible for successfully implementing physical telepresence.

“This project was done entirely by 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students,â€� she says. “They are the ones who solved all the problems. They brought it to this level of sophistication to win the award.â€�

The technology has applications across industries wherever people cannot safely or easily be physically present.

A robot could enter buildings damaged by hurricanes or earthquakes to assess structural damage and search for survivors. Healthcare providers could remotely examine patients with limited mobility or those living far from medical facilities.  Someone unable to travel could experience strolling along the Champs-Élysées in Paris through the robot’s perspective.

The most important aspect of the work is its ability to blend human intuition with technological innovation, Cruz-Neira says.

“At the end of the day, we have a human element, and robots can help us extend our human capabilities through this amazing technology,� she says. “This project is about [using] technology to augment or extend our human capabilities to help us do things more safely and more effectively.�

The team continues refining the technology to enhance the human experience. Future developments include incorporating artificial intelligence to give the robot greater autonomy and adding a sense of touch that would allow users to remotely feel temperature and texture, as well as manipulate objects.

Cruz-Neira says the project demonstrates not only what’s possible through emerging technologies, but also what 91³Ô¹ÏÍø students can accomplish when given the opportunity to tackle complex real-world challenges. The students have taken this project from the lab into the real world. They’ve built a robust working prototype that’s an exceptional display of real value for the community.

“91³Ô¹ÏÍø is making [its] mark in the world as the technology university,â€� she says. “This project demonstrates that as a university, we’re part of the future that we like to talk about. [We’re helping build it.]â€�

After years of research and development led by experts at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø in collaboration with researchers from universities across the U.S. and in Europe, the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) has reached two major milestones: powering its first full-scale study to address one of virtual reality’s most persistent barriers to adoption and awarding its first use grant to enhance immersive learning and information across industries.

VERA, a platform funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is the first, large-scale system for extended reality human subjects research and designed to advance the speed, scale and scope of immersive research. The platform enables immersive researchers to design, deploy, and manage virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studies with remote participants therefore significantly improving the quality of the science, while reducing costs, lowering logistical barriers and expanding participant reach.

“No one has built anything like VERA before,� says Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch, lead principal investigator on VERA. “The team was really starting from scratch to create this national platform, integrating AI technologies and establishing policies and procedures that will produce methodologically rigorous behavioral data.�

“We’re excited for VERA to now start to run in an open beta mode and reach these two firsts,� Welch continues.

Accelerating Understanding of Cybersickness

For its first major large-scale study leveraging remote participants, VERA is helping researchers address one of the most persistent challenges in virtual reality: cybersickness.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user’s physical motion. Associate Professor of Computer Science Gerd Bruder, who is an affiliate researcher in the Institute of Simulation and Training, is leading the research study in collaboration with other 91³Ô¹ÏÍø researchers and external partners.

“Understanding who is susceptible to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility, making VR more comfortable for all usersÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýenabling broader adoption across research, education and industry,â€� Bruder says.

Early data collection highlights the powerful capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research at an unprecedented scale.

In just 15 cumulative days, VERA had more than 250 participants complete the full study protocol. In comparison, the original in-lab study collected data from just 30 participants and in traditional VR research settings, studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.

For the study, each participant experiences a controlled VR rollercoaster ride on their own headset and provides sickness ratings at periodic intervals, a pre- and post- exposure questionnaire, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data. Each session is completed in approximately 30 minutes at home.

“The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.�

Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness.

“VERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale and experimental complexity not previously possible,� Welch says. “The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.�

Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Project

For the first project selected in its Use Grant program, VERA is supporting innovative research to study how different immersive technologies engage learners in different ways. The study will help inform how to leverage emerging technologies in education, cultural institutions, public engagement and more.

The grant was awarded to the San José State University School of Information Library Technology Integration Lab in Silicon Valley and New Media Learning, one of the largest providers of virtual reality programming in public libraries.

The project will support a collaborative virtual reality research environment integrated with VERA with participants from across the U.S. in public libraries, universities and other sites.

Researchers will collect behavioral and interaction data including attention patterns, object interaction, navigation pathways, movement, clicks, engagement metrics, and time-on-task, supplemented by surveys and participant feedback. The resulting research environment will serve a scalable prototype for future applications to make immersive learning experiences more accessible to communities worldwide.

A distinguishing feature of the project is the active involvement of San José State University undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Information who will work alongside faculty researchers and technology partners to gain hands-on experience.

“Being selected as the first VERA Use Grant recipient is both an honor and an extraordinary opportunity,� says Anthony S. Chow, professor in the San José State University School of Information and founder of the Library Technology Integration Lab. “Through this collaboration, we hope to generate research that helps libraries, educators, museums and community organizations leverage virtual reality to address some of society’s most important challenges while creating meaningful research opportunities for students.�

“We are excited to welcome San José State University and New Media Learning as the first recipients of a VERA Use Grant,� Welch says. “Their expertise in libraries, immersive learning, public engagement and emerging technologies makes them ideal partners for demonstrating how VERA can accelerate impactful XR research. We believe this collaboration will help establish new models for studying learning, engagement, and information behavior in immersive environments.�

Burke was recognized for her exceptional contributions to advancing the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology, as well as her sustained impact on the professional community. The distinction of SIOP Fellow is awarded to individuals who have made significant, enduring contributions to research, leadership and application within the field.

“I’m honored to be named a SIOP Fellow,� says Burke, director of IST’s Team Research and Adaptability in Complex Environments (TRACE) Lab. “This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I’ve had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments.�

“This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I’ve had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments.� — Shawn Burke, research professor

At 91³Ô¹ÏÍø IST, Burke leads the TRACE Lab, where her work focuses on team performance, adaptive training and human-centered approaches to complex systems. Her research has supported advancements in high-stakes environments across defense, healthcare and industry, reinforcing 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s leadership in modeling, simulation and training.

“This honor recognizes not only Dr. Burke’s scientific contributions, but also her leadership and mentorship within the research community,â€� says Carolina Cruz-Neira, interim director of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø IST. “She has played a vital role in developing the next generation of scholars and practitioners in industrial-organizational psychology.â€�

New fellows will be formally recognized during the SIOP Annual Conference, with a ceremony held on April 29 in New Orleans. The honor represents a significant milestone in Burke’s career and highlights the continued impact of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø IST in shaping the future of workforce research, training and performance.

About 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Institute for Simulation and Training

91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Institute for Simulation and Training is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary institute conducting basic and applied human-centric research that affects nearly all sectors of industry and government, from healthcare to national defense and education to manufacturing. 91³Ô¹ÏÍø and IST have built the industry, together with more than 200 Central Florida modeling, simulation and training companies and the U.S. Department of Defense. IST is an early adopter whose vision and leadership have spurred new applications and opportunities. (ist.ucf.edu)

They proclaimed there is no better place than 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.

“You are in a global destination for medical innovation,â€� Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona’s Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.

Space medicine is one of the council’s priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine’s focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

Former NASA Administrator and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson told attendees the Artemis voyage’s return to the moon should inspire space medicine experts to make new discoveries.

“We’re in a whole new era, an exciting era, of space exploration that makes this time so special,� Nelson said.

Star Nona’s goal was to bring together experts to understand current research on the health impacts of space travel and what challenges need to be addressed as more professional and commercial space travelers go to the moon and beyond.

The Physical Challenges of Space Flight

Former NASA astronaut Robert Curbeam holds the record for most spacewalks on a single mission. He described how the body feels during launch and splashdown when G-forces are so strong you must remind yourself to breathe. He presented with his former NASA flight surgeon, Smith Johnson, now a faculty member at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM). The two discussed the important relationship between physicians and space travelers before, during and after a mission.

“I loved being an astronaut and flying space shuttles,� Curbeam says. “The only problem with space travel is that not a lot of people get to do it.�

Your Brain Actually Shifts in Space

Living in space causes the body’s fluids to move up to the head and brain. But symptoms of that condition do more than cause puffy faces. Space travel actually causes the brain to shift. Jogi Pattisapu, of the Hydrocephalus and Neuroscience Institute, said as astronauts go to Mars for years-long missions and settle on the moon, scientists will have to understand how living in space affects brain function and create predictive tests and preventative measures. Eye health will be key, as fluid buildup has caused spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) in 70% of astronauts on the International Space Station, leading to farsightedness, optic nerve swelling and eyeball flattening.

“What are we going to do if the pilot goes blind 210 million miles from Earth?� he said.

Team Dynamics in Space

Interpersonal communication is key to any team’s success, but how do relationships change for crews in confined spaces and face additional challenges such as sleep deprivation, isolation and differences in rank and roles. Shawn Burke and Stephen Fiore from 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Institute for Simulation and Training have researched team dynamics in space to understand and prevent collaboration failures that can impact mission success.

Their research has also identified the formal and informal roles crew members play in encouraging positive social interactions and teamwork, especially in long-term missions. Missions to Mars may take up to 36 months and include 20-minute communications delays to and from Mission Control. Team dynamics will impact performance, mental health and affect, Burke said, because “you’re stuck with the people you have.�

Conducting Medical Research in Microgravity: Everything’s Upside Down

The weightlessness of space provides a unique research environment for new discoveries in areas including nutrient production, waste treatment, crystallization and biomanufacturing, said Alain Berinstain, director of the Florida Space Institute at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø.

“Terrestrially, whenever space can make a difference, it’s a great economic driver,â€� he said.

In space, air doesn’t slow down processes, he explained, so experiments that involve weight, separation, sedimentation, fluid flow and buoyancy change. His advice to researchers considering space as a lab?

“Turn your experiment upside down. Does it still work? If the answer is no, you have a lot of work to do.�

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

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

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

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

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

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

Powering the Future of Simulation

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

By the Numbers: A Lasting Impact

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

“My philosophy as a researcher has always been to take on projects that are a little risky,â€� says Cruz-Neira, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Agere Chair Professor of computer science. “I tell my students that we do research with a purpose. And yes, it’s challenging. But if we have that vision of where this thing is going, our talent and creativity have a terrific playground.â€�

That bold spirit of exploration drew her to 91³Ô¹ÏÍø in 2020 — a university recognized for its strength in computer science and deep partnerships and collaborators across several sectors, including space, defense, entertainment and healthcare.

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

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

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

Among those collaborators is longtime colleague and IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Service awardee, Gregory Welch. Cruz-Neira says they first met as “Ph.D. babies,â€� beginning a collaboration that has now spanned nearly 38 years. Since joining 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, she has continued working closely with Welch and his team on several joint research projects and publications.

What’s Next: Blending Physical and Virtual Worlds

As IST director, Cruz-Neira is helping broaden 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s modeling and simulation legacy while leading several cutting-edge research projects in collaboration with talented students and faculty. One such project explores humanoid robots as extensions of the human body, allowing a person to navigate remote or inaccessible locations in real time. Using artificial intelligence, the robot captures its surroundings and transmits a live digital replica into the CAVE, where a human operator’s movements control the robot, creating a seamless exchange between physical and virtual worlds.

“This project opens a lot of possibilities and aligns with where we want to go at IST and 91³Ô¹ÏÍø,â€� Cruz-Neira says. “We do a lot of work with defense, first responders and healthcare professionals, and in many cases, we see the need for a human [presence in locations] that aren’t feasible. By combining mature technologies available in the commercial world with some of our more advanced algorithms and system designs at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø, we’ve finally been able to come together to make this prototype and showcase it in December 2025 at [the Interservice/Industry Training Simulation and Education Conference], a major defense training environment.â€�

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

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

Carolina Cruz-Neira, interim director of (IST) and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science, received the IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement Award — an honor recognizing an individual’s lifetime contribution to the field.

Gregory Welch, Pegasus Professor, AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation at the College of Nursing and co-director of the Synthetic Reality Lab at IST, received the IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Service Award, which celebrates outstanding dedication, support and service contributions to the virtual/augmented reality community.

Their recognition comes full circle. Cruz-Neira (2007) and Welch (2018) are both past recipients of the IEEE VGTC Technical Achievement Award, which honors seminal technical achievements in VR. In 2022, they were both inducted into the inaugural class of the VGTC VR Academy, a prestigious distinction recognizing pioneers whose work has shaped the discipline at the highest level.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø is among a handful of institutions with multiple recipients of the IEEE VGTC awards.

For Cruz-Neira, the Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement Award is deeply personal.

“[This award] is dear to me because I was part of the founding team of the IEEE VR community back in 1992, when I was still in the early stages of my career — a Ph.D. student,â€� Cruz-Neira says. “It is especially meaningful to see that, having been there from the very beginning, the VR community recognizes [my contributions]. This honor truly belongs to the teams of students and collaborators who have worked alongside me to build and shape the field over the years. Awards like this also help sustain and elevate 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s excellence, strengthening its national standing and reinforcing its reputation as a preeminent university.”

For Welch, the Virtual Reality Service Award underscores his driving principle of servant leadership.

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

Learn more about why Cruz-Neira and Welch received honors for their significant and sustained contributions to the VR community in the following stories:

• IEEE 2026 Awardee Carolina Cruz-Neira: Turning a “Plan Bâ€� Into a Global Legacy

• IEEE 2026 Awardee Gregory Welch: Strengthening the VR Research Community Through Leadership and Service

This year, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø honored 84 faculty members during the fifth biennial Faculty Authors’ Celebration, held Feb. 17 in the Solarium Room at the John C. Hitt Library on the university’s main campus. The event celebrates faculty whose published books — from novels and poetry to textbooks and manuals — contribute to scholarly excellence and creativity in their respective fields.

The event, which is sponsored by the Office of ResearchÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý, drew many guests, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter and Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address. Salter is the author or co-author of 10 books on digital culture and electronic literature, including most recently Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope, which invites readers to rethink their relationship with gaming and game characters.

2026 Faculty Author Honorees

• Yara Asi ’07MA ’15PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jonathan Annand,
• Greg Autry, College of Business Administration
• William Ayers, College of Arts and Humanities
• James Bacchus, College of Sciences
• Morris Beato, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• James Beckman, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities
• Andrea Borowczak ’92, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Wayne Bowen, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jessica Campbell ’12MA ’20PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Shannon Carter, College of Sciences
• Robert Cassanello, College of Arts and Humanities
• Necati Catbas, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Thomas Cavanagh ’06PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Karl Chai, College of Medicine
• Baiyun Chen ’07PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Amy Cicchino, College of Arts and Humanities
• Brian Collins,
• Ilenia Colón Mendoza, College of Arts and Humanities
• Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences
• Aimee Denoyelles ’00, Center for Distributed Learning
• Taseen Desin, College of Medicine
• Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Julie Feuerstein, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Scot French, College of Arts and Humanities
• Martha Garcia ’97 ’00MA, College of Arts and Humanities
• Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
• Carolyn Glasshoff ’11MA ’21PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Donita Grissom ’14PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Gulsah Hancerliogullari Koksalmis, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Duncan Hardy, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Emily Johnson ’15PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Naim Kapucu, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Lauren Kehoe,
• Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
• Nolan Kline, College of Medicine
• Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Lerner Schwartz, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hsiu-fen Lin, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Robert Littlefield, College of Sciences
• Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
• Stephen Masyada, College of Sciences
• Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences
• Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hakan ÖzoÄŸlu, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jason Phillips, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Libraries
• Laurie Pinkert, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ghaith Rabadi ’96MSIE ’99PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Sherry Rankins-Robertson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Lee Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Mary Rubin ’12 ’19MA, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Libraries
• Houman Sadri, College of Sciences
• Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
• Scott Carter, College of Sciences
• Melina Sherman, College of Sciences
• Marwan Simaan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Christopher Spinale ’04MEd ’24PhD, College of Sciences
• Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bulent Soykan, Institute for Simulation and Training
• Sidney Turner, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jennie Wagner, College of Nursing
• Linda Walters, College of Sciences
• Chung Ching (Morgan) Wang, College of Sciences
• Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Taylar Wenzel ’11EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Amanda Wilkerson ’16EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Florence Williams, Center for Distributed Learning
• Andrew Williams Jr., College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Sharon Woodill, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Kuppalapalle Vajravelu, College of Sciences
• Jill Viglione, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Staci Zavattaro, College of Community Innovation and Education

91³Ô¹ÏÍø will aid in the development of this technology through a new regional research hub led by the University of Florida. The goal is to use digital twins, virtual representations of physical objects or processes, to optimize semiconductor manufacturing. The Florida/Caribbean hub is one of seven research hubs across the U.S. that comprise the Manufacturing USA institute called SMART USA, which was funded through a $285 million award from the federal administration earlier this year.

The funding was highly competitive and is a result of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute competition, which selected the SMART USA proposal from dozens of entries. SMART, which stands for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins, is led by the Semiconductor Research Corporation.

“The focus of this hub is going to be on digital twins,â€� says Professor Reza Abdolvand, the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who co-led 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s portion of the proposal alongside Grace Bochenek ’98PhD, the executive director of the Pegasus Research Institute and the director of the Institute for Simulation and Training. “The goal is to accurately virtualize the manufacturing process so we can find out what could go wrong before starting the costly and time-consuming manufacturing process.â€�

The Problems With Semiconductor Manufacturing

Semiconductor chips aren’t simple to make. They are fabricated in huge facilities called semiconductor fabrication plants which consist of highly controlled environments called cleanrooms. Here, the air is constantly filtered to remove small particles that could create defects in the final product. Most chips are made from silicon wafers, which are more brittle than glass, and the process of turning these silicon substrates into semiconductor chips is lengthy and complex — it can take hundreds of steps and up to six months to produce one batch of silicon wafers from start to finish.

“Mistakes in this process are very expensive and they can be made in many steps,� Abdolvand says. “In the design, for example — if what you design is faulty, the end product will be faulty and you could lose billions of dollars.�

Currently, the industry can and does use modeling and simulation in the design process, so they can better predict if the final product will work as intended. But this technology has not caught up to the manufacturing process.

“Manufacturing is basically trial and error until you’re happy with what you see,� Abdolvand says. “The hope is to extend the modeling concept to what the tool can do with the substrate. What if we can simulate what the tool does before it happens?�

The tools used in the manufacturing process can become outdated and obsolete very quickly, which have also posed challenges for the industry, specifically increasing the modeling reiteration cost for manufacturing.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Role in the Research Hub

Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning now allows for development of realistic models that could solve the semiconductor industry’s challenges. AI-enabled digital twins can be used to mimic the manufacturing process, allowing tech businesses to predict what errors could be made before they occur, saving both time and money.

Abdolvand and Bochenek are leading the charge for the university. Together, ECE and IST researchers will gather, collect, analyze and interpret data that can be used to create a digital twin.

“We’re excited about this partnership and 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s contributions to SMART USA’s effort to achieve national security goals through innovative digital transformation,â€� Bochenek says. “This region will be key in ensuring the U.S. global competitive advantage in this semiconductor chip manufacturing.â€�

Bringing semiconductor manufacturing to the U.S. is a key goal for the institute, to not only remain dominant in the global market, but to be more cost effective.

“The largest companies with semiconductor business are in the U.S. They do the design here, but the manufacturing is outside the U.S.,� Abdolvand says. “The plan is to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. If manufacturing cost could be reduced through digital twining, manufacturing can be done in the U.S. and still be very cost competitive.�

The tour included visits with key 91³Ô¹ÏÍø research centers, such as (IST), , and the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (HyperSpace Center).

While Grady toured 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s defense-related research, his wife, Christine Grady, visited 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Success; , a clinic dedicated to treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and met with 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Army and Air Force ROTC cadets.

“The visit from Admiral and Mrs. Grady underscores the vital role 91³Ô¹ÏÍø plays in advancing national security and defense research, supporting critical DOD needs, and preparing the next generation of military leaders,â€� says Winston V. Schoenfeld, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s vice president for research and innovation. “Over 30% of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s federal funding has come from the DOD for more than a decade, positioning 91³Ô¹ÏÍø as a national leader in delivering key innovations to the DOD.â€�

The Tour

Grady began his visit with a meeting alongside 91³Ô¹ÏÍø President Alexander N. Cartwright, where they discussed 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s longstanding commitment to supporting the nation’s defense through cutting-edge research and workforce development.

While with CREOL, Admiral Grady received a briefing on directed energy research and its applications for DOD missions, particularly the capabilities of the Townes Institute for Science and Technology Experimentation Facility. The institute, located at Kennedy Space Center, supports multidisciplinary research with a focus on space science, optics and other advanced technologies.

At IST, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø showcased the latest advancements in digital twin technology, such as real-time 3D digital twins of structures and areas, and artificial intelligence for DOD-decision making tools.

Grady’s visit to the HyperSpace Center focused on the integration of students into the research process and the timeline for the hypersonic technology, which would allow air travel at speeds of up to 13,000 miles per hour (Mach 17).

Commitment to National Defense and Military Success

91³Ô¹ÏÍø is a national leader in supporting military and defense initiatives through education, research and industry partnerships.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Success supports more than 3,200 military-connected students, including veterans, active-duty and dependents, by providing academic advising, transition assistance and tailored guidance.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø RESTORES offers innovative, no-cost PTSD treatment for veterans and first responders, with clinical trials achieving a 100% success rate in just 14 days for participants completing VR-assisted exposure therapy. The program has treated more than 500 veterans and 950 first responders, with the majority no longer meeting PTSD criteria.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø also boasts top-ranked ROTC programs, with the Army ROTC Fighting Knights Battalion and Air Force Detachment 159 preparing leaders for military and civilian careers. 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s AFROTC program, which has been developing officers for the Air Force and Space Force for more than 50 years, has earned the DOD’s ROTC and Educational Institutional Partnership Excellence Award for multiple areas of excellence.

In research, 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s close ties to the defense industry are amplified through Central Florida Research Park, a $7 billion hub for modeling and simulation adjacent to 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s main campus, which is also home to six DOD headquarters. 91³Ô¹ÏÍø also ranks No. 1 in Florida for VA certifications, is leading the nation in the number of cybersecurity championships, and is the top supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industries.