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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘A Chart Doesn’t Provide the Whole Picture’

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

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

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

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

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

That lesson stuck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘The People Who Show Up Run the World’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Tucker, that person includes herself.

‘Present, Resilient and Always Moving Forward’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

91�Թ��� celebrated seven dynamic contributors to Central Florida’s robust space ecosystem with its 2026 SpaceU Awards.

America’s Space University honored two students, three faculty, a Pegasus Partner, and a space company leader for advancing space development, discovery, exploration and engagement. The awards were part of the second 91�Թ��� Space Week, which runs Oct. 25-30 and showcases the university’s impact across the space sector.

Tuesday’s SpaceU Awards ceremony at the Celeste Hotel drew more than 200 community leaders and supporters from 91�Թ���, industry and government. The event also spotlighted the inaugural 91�Թ��� Space Ideation Challenge, a national competition showcasing practical, forward-looking ideas to strengthen U.S. leadership in space and accelerate the emerging space economy.

“Their achievements remind us that exploration is about more than reaching new frontiers — it is about advancing knowledge, creating opportunities and improving lives on Earth and beyond.” — Alexander N. Cartwright, 91�Թ��� president

“Our SpaceU Award recipients embody the ingenuity and determination that have defined 91�Թ��� from the start. They ask bold questions, take on difficult challenges, and pursue ideas that have the potential to change what we know, what we can do and where we can go,” said 91�Թ��� President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Their achievements remind us that exploration is about more than reaching new frontiers — it is about advancing knowledge, creating opportunities and improving lives on Earth and beyond.”

91�Թ��� originated in 1963 to help supply talent and technology for Central Florida’s growing space program. Today, SpaceU has become a vital force for enhancing Florida’s vibrant space economy through excellence in research, innovation and workforce development — leading the nation in producing talent for the aerospace and defense industries.

Other Space Week events include the inaugural 91�Թ��� Innovate Day, which highlights how university research translates into real-world applications; The Economist’s fourth-annual Space Economy Summit; the National Space Society’s Space Settlement Summit; and the SpaceU Symposium, featuring student, faculty and staff research. The week also includes a SpaceU Drone Show on Memory Mall and the 10th-annual Space Game against Baylor at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium.

Here are the 2026 SpaceU Awardees.

Student Space Research Award

Noah Brockhoff, Junior, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Brockhoff’s research is helping to address the critical challenge of minimizing the effects of moon dust on spacecraft and landing sites. At 91�Թ���’s Exolith Lab, the mechanical engineering major spent 300 hours building a simulated lunar lander to study how lunar dust traveling at terminal velocity could damage spacecraft. NASA is partnering with 91�Թ��� on the research and plans to use the findings, connecting Brockhoff’s work directly to the future of space exploration.

Student Space Innovator Award

Keanu Brayman, Senior, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Burnett Honors College

Brayman, a mechanical engineering major, is making contributions to space innovations with commercial applications. As an intern at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, he has worked on trajectory optimization for the Human Landing System, additive manufacturing technology for lunar resource utilization and robotic in-space laser welding — a necessity for assembling large structures on the lunar surface. Brayman is also a researcher in 91�Թ���’s Astrodynamics, Space and Robotics Laboratory, a Goldwater Scholar, and an Astronaut Scholar.

Early Career Space Achievement Faculty Award

Paula do Vale Pereira, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science

do Vale Pereira develops approaches for exploring the hidden oceans of icy moons. She specializes in space systems, spacecraft engineering, and planetary exploration technologies for navigating some of the solar system’s most challenging environments. do Vale Pereira contributes to shaping the next decade of planetary exploration through NASA’s Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy and the Ocean Worlds Working Group. Her lab investigates spacecraft thermal performance, orbital dynamics, lunar surface power transmission, and innovative satellite structures.

Mid-Career Space Achievement Faculty Award

Emmanuel Urquieta, Associate Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for Aerospace Medicine, College of Medicine

Urquieta is a physician and scientist helping to make human spaceflight safer through research, education, and aerospace-medicine leadership. He founded and directs SpaceU’s Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine, leading 91�Թ���’s efforts to promote research, education, clinical care, and operational capabilities to protect human health and performance in space. At 91�Թ���, he established Florida’s first academic Division of Aerospace Medicine and spearheaded the development of an aerospace medicine residency, master’s degree program, and specialized research and simulation capabilities for future exploration missions.

Lifetime Space Achievement Faculty Award

Daniel Britt, Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, College of Sciences

Britt’s trailblazing contributions to planetary science have expanded the world’s understanding of the solar system. A member of several NASA mission teams, he managed the camera project for Mars Pathfinder and has contributed hardware to Mars missions, extending 91�Թ��� technology in reaching the stars. He directs 91�Թ���’s Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science and studies the physical properties of asteroids, comets, the moon and Mars. Since joining 91�Թ��� in 2003, his honors include six NASA Achievement Awards and an asteroid named 4395 Danbritt.

Industry Partner Impact Award

Lockheed Martin

Global industry leader Lockheed Martin is a cornerstone of Florida’s space ecosystem and a long-time champion of 91�Թ���. Since 1981, Lockheed Martin’s College Work Experience Program at 91�Թ��� has provided paid professional opportunities to more than 10,000 students. Many have gone on to join the company. The partnership also supports mentorship, scholarships and cutting-edge faculty research in robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing and hypersonics. Last year, Lockheed Martin became a Pegasus Partner, expanding collaboration with 91�Թ��� on research, workforce development and economic growth.

Innovative Space Leader Award

Michael Edmonds, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Origin

Edmonds’ leadership fosters business, government and customer relationships essential to the growth of commercial space. He also serves as president of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Under Edmonds’ leadership, the organization has awarded $1 million in grants to 19 space-focused nonprofits, extending STEAM outreach worldwide. Through educational challenges and postcards flown to space and back, the club makes exploration tangible for students across the globe.

Through the new program, funded by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, 91�Թ��� is building a more intentional curriculum-to-career experience that connects transfer students with career preparation, mentorship, and High-Impact Practices (HIP) learning opportunities, such as internships, work-based learning, and undergraduate research experiences.

Oct. 19-23 is National Transfer Student Week

Graduation data shows that transfer students are less likely to secure post-graduation employment or graduate school placement compared to those who begin their higher education at 91�Թ���. However, transfer students who engaged in hands-on learning, like research and internships, are significantly more likely to have secured opportunities at the time of graduation.

“Transfer students bring extraordinary talent, resilience and ambition to 91�Թ���,” says project lead, Kimberly Schneider, assistant vice provost for at 91�Թ���. “This partnership allows us to remove barriers, strengthen support systems, engage in HIPs, and create clearer pathways from college to meaningful careers.”

As one of the nation’s largest universities, 91�Թ��� serves nearly half of its 60,300 undergraduates through transfer pathways. Debuting in August 2027, the Pegasus Launch Program will provide targeted support before and after transfer through technology integration and intentional programming to help students:

• Make informed academic decisions
• Participate in High-Impact Practices
• Stay committed through graduation
• Successfully transition into the workforce or graduate education

— a nationally recognized model for student success since it began in 2005 — guarantees admission to 91�Թ��� when students earn an associate degree at one of the seven state colleges. Each year, 5,000 students take advantage of the program, improving access to higher education and fueling the region’s workforce.

“Through DirectConnect to 91�Թ���, we help transfer students make informed academic decisions, align their coursework with their intended 91�Թ��� major, and prepare for a successful transition,” says Kimberly Hardy, assistant vice provost for 91�Թ��� Connect. “The Pegasus Launch Program takes that support a step further by helping students connect their education with hands-on learning experiences, so they are better prepared to enter the workforce after graduation.”

Even before students transfer, they will utilize a digital curriculum-to-career degree map that aligns academic coursework directly with real-time job market data. To accelerate professional development, the improved program integrates advanced career-readiness tools, including VMock AI feedback for interviews and Focus2Career, a self-guided career planning system, as well as HIPs, which include research and internships.

Pegasus Launch Program seeks to increase HIP participation. The current university-wide goal is for 100% of undergraduate students to complete at least one High-Impact Practice experience by graduation.

“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.”

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the 91�Թ��� Board of Trustees approved renaming the to the Dr. Yvette Kanouff School of Data, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. The renaming initiative was the in honor of a transformational gift Kanouff — a highly successful leader in mathematics and technology — made to 91�Թ��� and establishes the school as one of the very few named mathematical schools in the United States.

Kanouff’s investment also establishes an endowed fund that will help advance 91�Թ���’s mission of expanding student success and maximizing excellence. The fund will support outstanding graduate students, expand scholarships that increase access and achievement, and recognize excellence in teaching and research among students, faculty and postdoctoral fellows across the school, which is in the .

Creating Paths to Success

Kanouff says she believes everyone can contribute to 91�Թ��� student success, whether through mentoring, professional connections, volunteer service or financial support.

“I want our students and future students to know that what I’m investing in is them,” Kanouff says. “I want them and their children to have an amazing opportunity at a college that is able to fully develop their capabilities and talents.”

Her gift reflects a belief shared by many supporters of 91�Թ���’s Go For Launch campaign: that investing in students creates opportunities that extend far beyond graduation and strengthens the university’s impact for generations to come.

Kanouff knows firsthand how any financial assistance can help make a student’s college journey easier, which she says the new endowment and school name will help promote. Kanouff worked to pay for her studies while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at 91�Թ���. At the time, she says she did not understand how scholarships worked or what financial assistance might have been available. From this personal experience she knows there are students who have the ability and determination to succeed but they may not know where to find help.

“If you have the skill and you have the grit, there should be a path for you to have a wonderful career,” Kanouff says.

A Foundation for What Comes Next

In addition to access to opportunities funded by philanthropy, Kanouff says that students should seek out their professors and maintain lifelong relationships with them whenever possible.

When Kanouff was in graduate school at the College of Sciences, she chose a challenging topic on wavelets and their application to digital signal processing and centroids for her master’s thesis. She selected Ahmed Zayed, the former associate chair for graduate studies in 91�Թ���’s College of Sciences, as her advisor. Zayed became her “thesis father,” a term that reflected the lifelong commitment he made to mentoring her. The two have remained close ever since.

Zayed encouraged Kanouff to pursue a doctorate in mathematics, but her career ultimately took her in another direction. In 2025, 91�Թ��� recognized her many contributions to mathematics, data science and technology by awarding her an honorary Doctor of Science. Zayed, now at DePaul University, traveled from Chicago to attend the ceremony.

“That relationship was something really, really special,” Kanouff says, “And that is something most students don’t have.”

In addition to lifelong friends and mentors, 91�Թ��� gave Kanouff a strong foundation in mathematics. She began her career as a mathematician in the defense industry, applying pattern-recognition algorithms she had learned at 91�Թ���. She later carried that foundation into technology and other emerging fields, discovering how mathematical principles could be applied across industries and disciplines.

Over the years, Kanouff has often visited the campus to see how her professors were doing and occasionally taught a calculus class as a guest lecturer. When speaking with students, she often shares some of the emerging technologies that require the advanced math skills they are learning.

Kanouff points to artificial intelligence as one example of how mathematics drives emerging technology. AI systems rely on mathematical concepts such as pattern recognition, clustering, and association.

“People look at AI and think computer science,” Kanouff says. “I love computer science, but guess what else you have to take? You have to take data science and math and statistics.”

Expanding What’s Possible

Through Knights like Yvette Kanouff are helping 91�Թ��� expand student success, fuel discovery and build a future the world has only begun to imagine. Join the mission at goforlaunch.ucf.edu.

That sense of possibility that Kanouff foresees reflects the vision behind 91�Թ���’s Go For Launch campaign and will shape the newly named school, bringing mathematics, statistics and data science together to help students understand complex problems and contribute across disciplines and industries.

“Yvette’s relationship with 91�Թ��� demonstrates what can happen when graduates remain connected and invest in those who follow,” says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for advancement and partnerships at 91�Թ��� and CEO of the 91�Թ��� Foundation Inc. “Her generosity advances the vision of Go For Launch by expanding opportunity for students, strengthening academic excellence and inspiring others to help build what comes next.”

Kanouff says she believes creating those possibilities is not the university’s responsibility alone. Alumni, friends and industry partners can strengthen students’ paths in large and small ways by staying connected, sharing their experience, mentoring or contributing to scholarships.

“Mathematics teaches us how to solve complex problems, but supporting students helps create opportunities for them,” Kanouff says. “Whether we give money, time, mentorship or opportunity, each of us can help a student see a path forward.”

Often, the daily challenges of life block graduation more than academic ability. With support from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, 91�Թ��� aims to address these challenges and redefine how it champions upward mobility and student well-being. The future site of this center will be within Howard Phillips Hall on 91�Թ���’s main campus and will house a unified ecosystem that integrates enrollment, academic navigation, mental health resources, food security programs and emergency financial aid to serve nearly 70,000 students annually.

“Our partnership with 91�Թ��� reflects a shared belief that when you remove barriers and invest in people, you unlock potential at scale.” — Susan Connelly, Darden Restaurants Foundation president

“This investment from the Darden Restaurants Foundation reflects what is possible when partners share a commitment to students, opportunity and the future of our workforce,” 91�Թ��� President Alexander N. Cartwright says. “Together, 91�Թ��� and the Darden Restaurants Foundation are helping more Knights persist, graduate and step into meaningful careers that strengthen Florida’s economy and expand opportunity for generations to come.”

“Our partnership with 91�Թ��� reflects a shared belief that when you remove barriers and invest in people, you unlock potential at scale,” President of the Darden Restaurants Foundation Susan Connelly says. “The primary focus areas of the Darden Restaurants Foundation are helping fight hunger and investing in education. Through the Darden Restaurants Foundation Student Success Center, we are helping create a model that supports students holistically — from academic navigation to basic needs — so they can persist, graduate, and thrive in their careers and communities.”

This investment strengthens a comprehensive approach to student success by growing access to scholarships, enhancing proactive  success coaching, and delivering innovative, integrated support systems that remove barriers before they can derail progress. It reflects a shared commitment to creating an environment where students are prepared to graduate with confidence, step into meaningful careers and lead in a rapidly changing world.

The $5 million investment also establishes the Darden Restaurants Foundation Student Success Fund, which will directly support four core pillars of the partnership:

• Integrated Support: Implementing 91�Թ���’s next-generation student support system, a personalized, holistic coaching framework designed to empower students.
• Persistence Initiatives: Strengthening student well-being and academic momentum by pairing individualized academic success coaching with wrap-around care.
• Essential Care: Funding food security programs and emergency assistance, which provide comprehensive relief through free groceries, fresh meals and short-term financial aid.
• Capital Infrastructure: Transforming Howard Phillips Hall into a modern student success hub designed to improve four-year graduation rates and career readiness.

Through this gift, — 91�Թ���’s $3.5 billion campaign to accelerate its next era of impact — continues to turn ambition into action, opening doors of opportunity and shaping a future where every student has the tools to succeed and the momentum to go further than they ever imagined. This gift powers the campaign’s Student Success pillar, advancing a bold vision to ensure every Knight has the support, resources and opportunities to thrive from enrollment through graduation and beyond.

Approximately 22% of 91�Թ��� students are the first in their families to attend college. The innovative hub will redesign student care from initial recruitment through graduation, helping to build upon 91�Թ���’s exceptional 93% first-year student retention rate and further accelerate our four-year and six-year graduation metrics.

Darden Restaurants Inc. (Darden) and the Darden Restaurants Foundation have been longstanding partners with 91�Թ��� for more than 47 years, supporting key areas across the university including the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, the Barry S. Miller College of Business and Athletics. Most recently, this enduring relationship was strengthened by the establishment of the Joe R. Lee Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of the legacy of Darden’s first CEO.

On most days, DeAscanis is focused on something many people never think about: the invisible systems that keep modern life running.

Hospitals must power critical equipment. Cities endure record-breaking heat. Data centers aim to hum without interruption. Behind those moments are gas turbines the size of buildings, and a team of engineers determined to make them  smarter, faster and more reliable.

At Siemens Energy, DeAscanis helps lead that charge.

Rising to Energy Design Challenges

His bold goal is ambitious: transform how turbines are tested, inspected and manufactured so they can be delivered at the speed and scale global demand now requires. As electricity needs surge worldwide, efficiency is no longer optional.

“If the turbines don’t work, the power doesn’t exist,” he says.

After earning his aerospace engineering degree from 91�Թ���, DeAscanis joined Siemens Energy located just steps from campus. He began on a small team of three engineers developing custom tools to test next-generation engines. The work was intensely hands-on and involved long days refining inspection systems, improving automation and solving problems in real time.

Colleagues describe DeAscanis as calm under pressure and relentlessly curious. He sees constraints not as roadblocks but as design challenges.

That perspective proved essential during lean years in the energy sector, when fluctuating demand forced teams to justify every investment. Rather than scale back, DeAscanis and his colleagues innovated their way forward — streamlining inspection processes, reducing testing time and building automation systems that improved both speed and precision.

Those efforts produced measurable results. DeAscanis now holds 11 patents, with dozens more innovations developed across his team. Some advances are patented; others remain proprietary trade secrets that strengthen Siemens Energy’s competitive position in a global marketplace.

Enhancing Expertise to Deliver Impact

Over the past decade, he has also helped grow his organization from fewer than five engineers to nearly 100. His role expanded from technical contributor to strategic leader, overseeing budgets, setting research priorities and securing U.S. Department of Defense contracts to accelerate development. Recognizing the importance of business fluency, he returned to 91�Թ��� to earn his MBA.

“I knew how to build technology,” he says. “I wanted to understand how to scale it.”

His journey traces back to his 91�Թ��� senior design project, where he and three classmates developed a system to manufacture thin carbon nanofiber sheets designed to reinforce aircraft structures against lightning strikes. The project demanded technical rigor, collaboration and applied problem-solving — the same qualities Siemens Energy looks for in its engineers. It also helped open the door to his first role at Siemens Energy, proving that classroom innovation can translate directly into industry impact.

Fueling the Energy Industry

Learn more about how are accelerating innovation, fueling workforce development and strengthening the future of energy infrastructure.

Today, more than half of the engineers in his facility are 91�Թ��� graduates. Through the Pegasus Partnership, Siemens Energy and 91�Թ��� are not simply recruiting talent — they are co-developing it. Students gain exposure to real-world challenges long before graduation. Industry gains engineers who are ready to lead from day one.

For DeAscanis, that cycle feels deeply personal.

“91�Թ��� gave me the foundation to solve complex problems and the confidence to think bigger,” he says. “Now I get to help build the systems — and the teams — that will power what comes next.”

As global energy demand accelerates and infrastructure grows more sophisticated, the stakes are rising. The partnership between Siemens Energy and 91�Թ��� reflects a shared belief: that bold thinking, applied research and prepared graduates can shape not just an industry, but the future of how the world runs.

Last year, Spencer was promoted to his first leadership role as a performance coordinator with the Entertainment Events team at Universal Orlando Resort — guiding performers, maintaining show quality, and collaborating with creative and technical teams to deliver live events and immersive guest experiences. He credits 91�Թ��� with helping him achieve a decades-long goal.

That dream started during his childhood in Virginia, when his parents went through a difficult divorce, and he found his happy place at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. He went on to become a theater student, and in high school he took a job at the park as a performer.

That’s when he knew he could turn his passion into a career.

“As a kid, I could immerse myself in a show and have a reprieve from difficult times at home. I knew that someday I wanted to create that happiness for others,” Spencer says. “Once I had the opportunity to work there, I was fascinated by what it took behind the scenes to bring a theme park experience to life. I wanted a career filled with days like those.”

To pursue this path, he set his sights on attending , where he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in entertainment management in 2023. Just this week, 91�Թ��� welcomed  as its first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner and announced the creation of The Universal School of Experience Leadership and Innovation at Rosen College.

“When I found Rosen College, I knew it was the place for me,” he says. “On the first day of class, my professor talked about the joys of a career in the theme park industry. It was a dream I’d had for so long that it moved me to tears.”

He sent his mom a text that said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’m exactly where I need to be.”

However, as an out-of-state student, tuition was a challenge for Spencer. His mom did all she could to help him, but he has worked hard to pay for his education. He became a resident assistant on campus and also received a Rosen College scholarship. Throughout school, he has worked as a performer in all three major Central Florida theme parks simultaneously.

He also became a leader on campus and in the industry, serving as vice president of 91�Թ���’s Future Theme Park Leaders Association while he was a Rosen College student.

He credits his professors with believing in him and supporting him throughout his journey, helping him to work toward his goal of becoming a show director in one of the local world-class theme parks.

The same professor who inspired him on day one later encouraged him to pursue a master’s degree in themed experience, part of 91�Թ���’s College of Arts and Humanities. This program is designed for the next generation of creators, artists and leaders who are redefining what it means to be entertained, and Spencer just graduated in early May.

“My 91�Թ��� journey has been the experience of a lifetime,” he says. “And the best part is that I’ll spend my career creating experiences that are just as life-changing for others.”

Last year, Spencer received a Universal Orlando Impact Award recognizing his contributions to the grand opening celebration of Epic Universe, the resort’s newest theme park.

��������, inspiring the 91�Թ��� community and demonstrating the power of a Knight education to reshape what it means to be entertained and what the future of experiences holds for people everywhere.

The 91�Թ���-Universal Pegasus Partnership is a significant early milestone of  — a $3.5 billion campaign to expand opportunity, advance discovery and drive impact across the university.

Spencer’s story shows why  is so important: Investments in 91�Թ��� help students ignite meaningful careers, discover new frontiers and create a bold tomorrow. Students like him are launching a new era of innovation and making their mark across every industry.

Dinender Singla, professor and head of the College of Medicine’s Division of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Sciences, developed a system that turns exosomes — vesicles that cells secrete to communicate with one another — into delivery vehicles for medical treatments.

This innovative technology, for which 91�Թ��� is seeking patent protection, places therapeutics inside exosomes and coats them with cell-specific markers that direct them to an exact area of the body to deliver the drug.

“I call these smart tiny bubbles,” Singla says. “Millions of people have heart disease, and they take multiple drugs in extremely high doses. But we have no way to be certain these drugs are getting to where they need to go. We need innovative technologies to get treatments exactly where they need to go to cure the problem.”

How the Therapy Works

This discovery is part of Singla’s work to provide therapies to treat and prevent heart disease, including heart damage caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted radiation to the chest. That heart damage seems to be caused by inflammatory factors that treatments use to kill cancer cells. Technology developed by Singla encapsulates anti-inflammatory heart treatments in exosomes and then delivers the drug to the exact area of heart damage.

“They can treat cancer and protect the heart.” — 91�Թ��� Professor Dinender Singla

As part of this research, Singla’s team also developed technologies to deliver cancer-killing drugs inside exosomes. They chose triple-negative breast cancer for their research, the deadliest form of the disease, with a 77%–78% five-year survival rate. In the lab, the therapy showed significant promise in killing cancer cells – at much lower doses that are used in chemotherapy – while also protecting the heart. So the exosome therapy could help cancer patients without the severe side effects of chemotherapy.

“These therapies can work hand-in-hand,” Singla said. “They can treat cancer and protect the heart.”

Financial Investment is Key for Drug Development

The next step will be manufacturing the therapy for clinical use and advancing into FDA clinical trials for heart disease and cancer treatment. To help accelerate that path, Singla partnered with Orlando investor and 91�Թ��� donor Chakri Toleti, a healthcare technology entrepreneur focused on building category-defining businesses through AI and agentic platforms, biomedical innovation and ambient intelligence including most recently care.ai, which was acquired by Stryker in 2024.

Through his innovation fund, TCapital, Toleti backs transformative technologies designed to improve healthcare delivery and reduce human suffering at scale. Together, Singla and Toleti invested in and formed Exomic to fund continued research, clinical development, and commercialization of the technology.

“This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment.” — Chakri Toleti, 91�Թ��� donor

Toleti says his passion for advancing cancer research is deeply personal after losing his father to the disease.

“This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment,” he says. “Dr. Singla’s work represents a fundamental shift toward new biomedical platforms not only in how targeted therapies are delivered in the human body, but in how we think about treatment and healing itself.”

Such public-private partnerships are one of the goals of , which drives innovation, enterprise, and collaboration across disciplines.

“Dr. Singla’s groundbreaking exosome delivery system perfectly exemplifies how university innovation translates into significant, life-saving benefits for society,” says Winston V. Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation. “As demonstrated by the creation of Exomic, industry partnership is essential for driving such pioneering technologies towards successful translation and real-world clinical use.”

The effort is also providing exciting learning opportunities for College of Medicine graduate students. Jonatas De Mendonca Rolando ’23MS ’26PhD earned his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences earlier this month. He is staying at 91�Թ��� as a post-doctoral researcher to continue creating the exosome therapy.

He helped develop protocols and procedures for the delicate technology and saw its impact in the lab. He’s excited to have a financial supporter who can help take the therapy from lab to, he hopes, patients.

“It’s been amazing to part of a high-tech project and see leadership in science,” he says. “I am very excited for my future.”

Researcher Background

Singla is the AdventHealth Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and is a faculty fellow with the 91�Թ��� Office of Research. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Punjabi University, Patiala, India, and his Ph.D. from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and has continually been funded by the American Heart Association and/or the National Institutes of Health since 2004.

About TCapital

TCapital is an AI, Frontier Tech and Life Sciences innovation fund investing in category-defining platforms and infrastructure. Founded by healthcare technology entrepreneur Chakri Toleti, T-Capital invests in companies shaping the future of treatment, care, and biomedical innovation. For more information, visit TCapital.com.