Rosen College of Hospitality Management Archives | 91�Թ�� News

Relive the Excitement of 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026

Jenna Marina Lee — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:26:33 +0000

Born from the challenge of the Space Race, 91�Թ�� was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits.

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

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

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

Students take in the 91�Թ�� John C. Hitt Library’s From Orbit to Archives exhibition. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

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

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

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

(Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

Salma Tujjar (left) talks with Rosen College of Hospitality Management students at the fall career fair. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

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

(Photo by Dana Weisman)

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

91�Թ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright and First Lady Melinda Cartwright join in celebrating 91�Թ�� Space Week.

91�Թ��’s newly renovated Roth Tower shines during the Mission X Space Game’s drone show. (Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

A drone show lit up the sky above Acrisure Bounce House during the 91�Թ�� Football Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

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

Students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science revamped their custom Citronaut saucer robot for pregame events ahead of the 91�Թ�� football team’s Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

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

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

Orlando Health sports medicine physician Tracy Nogle (left) and 91�Թ�� Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Jennifer Tucker ’23PhD (right) were recognized with a custom-built Go Baby Go! car that was recently donated to a child with mobility challenges.

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

Acrisure Bounce House hosted homecoming and the Space Game over six days. (Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

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

91�Թ�� students decked out in space-themed gear for the Mission X Space Game. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22)

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

(Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

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

Beyond the Scare: What Dark Tourism Teaches Us About Experience Design

Vinay Manukonda ’25 — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 19:04:26 +0000

Halloween is all about the thrill of a good scare. But what makes people seek out frightening experiences, and how do those experiences differ from visiting places associated with real tragedy?

For Brianna Wyatt, an assistant professor at the 91�Թ�� Rosen College of Hospitality Management, understanding those distinctions is an important part of her work in dark tourism and experience design.

Wyatt has worked beneath the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the Real Mary King’s Close, managed both the Edinburgh Dungeon and the London Dungeon, written scripts for Halloween tours at prison museums and recently co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Dark Events.

Her academic work explores dark tourism, or travel to places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

More Than a Good Scare

While haunted attractions and dark tourism can share elements of fear and storytelling, there’s an important distinction. Dark tourism involves places associated with real historical events and experiences, while haunted attractions are typically created for entertainment.

To illustrate that distinction, Wyatt points to Philip Stone’s Dark Tourism Spectrum, which places sites along a scale of darkness. At one end are commemorative sites such as the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. At the other are ‘edutainment’ attractions such as the London Dungeon, where actors bring historical events like the Great Fire of 1666 to life.

Purpose-built haunted attractions are better understood through concepts such as fright tourism or ‘thrillertainment,’ where the primary appeal is the excitement of being scared.

“These thrillertainment experiences allow people to experience being scared in an environment they know is designed to be safe,” Wyatt says. “However, fear is an individual experience, so visitors will respond to scare tactics in attractions in different ways.”

The Role of the Visitor

Understanding how visitors experience and interact with their surroundings is also central to Wyatt’s research.

In a recent study published in Annals of Tourism Research, Wyatt and colleagues from Robert Gordon University, Edinburgh Napier University and King’s College London examined how visitors experience prison museums.

Their findings highlight how visitors help shape their experiences through conversations, gestures and interactions with others, influencing how they interpret difficult history.

While the emotional responses in entertainment attractions can be very different, visitor interactions also help shape those experiences.

According to Wyatt, effective performers bring stories to life “by responding to visitors’ behavior, making each encounter feel unique and immersive.”

Designing Experiences With Care

Whether creating a haunted attraction or interpreting historical events, experience designers must consider how visitors will respond.

“What one visitor finds scary and fun, another may find genuinely distressing,” Wyatt says.

That awareness is something Wyatt emphasizes in her classes at Rosen College, where students learn to think like attraction managers and experience designers.

She challenges students to redesign experiences to make them scarier, more engaging or more educational, while recognizing the responsibilities that come with telling stories rooted in real history.

“It is important to acknowledge the difference between visiting a thrillertainment attraction designed to scare, and visiting historical sites where real people lived, suffered and died,” Wyatt says. “For future attraction managers, understanding this difference is essential.”

For students preparing to enter the attractions industry, those lessons demonstrate how research, storytelling and thoughtful experience design can shape everything from Halloween thrills to meaningful encounters with history.

Interested in a career designing unforgettable experiences? Explore Rosen College’s undergraduate degree programs in theme park and attraction management and related fields.

Mission X: Honoring 91�Թ��’s Origin Story for 10th Annual Space Game

Jenna Marina Lee, Juzanne Martin and Nicole Dudenhoefer ’17 — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:10:35 +0000

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

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

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

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

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

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

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

91�Թ��’s inaugural Space Game uniform in 2017 (left) and the 10th anniversary Space Game uniform (right). The 2017 uniform The helmet included a picture of the surface of the moon sublimated in the 91�Թ�� logo and included a special stripe down the center of the helmet. The 2026 uniform is heavily influenced by the astronauts of NASA’s earliest human spaceflight missions Mercury, Gemini and Apollo during the 1960s when the university was founded.

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

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

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

A message from 91�Թ��’s founding President Charles N. Millican emphasized the university’s connections to space from the beginning of the university. (President message content from Central Florida Future’s Oct. 7, 1968 edition)

1960s | Building the Space Workforce

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

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

Some of the first buildings on 91�Թ��’s campus in 1968.

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

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

The late astronaut John Young spoke at 91�Թ��’s first commencement ceremony in 1970. Young was an Orlando native and flew on the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. (Content from Central Florida Future‘s June 19, 1970 edition)

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

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

Computer science doctoral student Hiroshi Furuya uses a virtual reality headset to simulate a moon mission, aiming to improve human decision-making and astronaut–autonomous system interactions. The work is part of a NASA-funded project in partnership with Cislune. (Photo by Melanie Cedeño-López)

1970s | Connecting Education to Industry

Electrical engineering alum Bob Butterfield ’75 discovered a new method for reading X-rays while a co-op student at NASA. (Content from Central Florida Future‘s May 31, 1974 edition)

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

Luis Jimenez-Chavez ’22 ’25MS, who has conducted human health related research for NASA, working in a research lab on campus.

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

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

1980s | Developing the Foundation of Space Medicine

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

Vice Chair of Aerospace Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine Emmanuel Urquieta (Photo by Jordan Smith)

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

1990s | Creating a Place for Space

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

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

In May 2026, 91�Թ�� hosted the quarterfinal of NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge, a competition for college students to design and build a prototype off-world construction robots, for the second year. During 91�Թ�� Space Week, Oct. 25-30, the university hosts the international final for the first time.

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

Physics alum Catherine Millwater ’23 gazes at the night sky near 91�Թ��’s Robinson Observatory. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

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

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

2000s | Entering the Space Renaissance

In 2009, Stott completed the first painting done in space. The Wave is based on a photo taken through the International Space Station window.

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

The Rosen College Career Fair 2025 featured a space theme as students consider possibilities in space hospitality. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

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

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

2010s | Return to Liftoff

The inaugural Space Game uniform launched in 2017. (Photo courtesy of 91�Թ�� Athletics)

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

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

91�Թ�� running back and interdisciplinary studies major Taevion Swint models the 2026 91�Թ�� Space Game uniform, which pays homage to NASA’s earliest missions. (Photo by Conor Kvatek, 91�Թ�� Athletics)

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

In 2013, College of Sciences Dean Joshua Colwell’s experiment was one of eight winners for the Florida International Space Station Research Competition. The experiment, which was supported by Department of Physics Chair Adrienne Dove, aimed to investigate how planets form and was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

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

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

2020s and Beyond

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

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

Aerospace engineering alum and researcher Rachel Hytovick ’20 ’24MS ’25PhD (left) with Trustee Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed (right) at the 91�Թ�� HyperSpace Center. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

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

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

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

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

91�Թ�� Honors 8 Trailblazing Faculty with 2026 Luminary Awards

Joe Adams | Photos by Antoine Hart and Kadeem Stewart ’17 — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:55:37 +0000

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

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

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

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

Meet this year’s luminaries.

Haitham Al-Deek

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andrea Blanco Redondo

Andrea Blanco-Redondo

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

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

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

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

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

William Crampton

Professor, Department of Biology, College of Sciences

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

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

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

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

Alan Fyall

Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing,

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

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

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

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

Ivan Garibay

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claire Connolly Knox

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq

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

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

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

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

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

Mel Stanfill

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gratitude and Giving Back: 91�Թ�� Alum, Hilton Grand Vacations Executive’s Journey to the Heart of Hospitality

Kris Wallace — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:00:59 +0000

Today, Derek De Salvia ’03 ’11MS serves as executive vice president and chief customer officer for Hilton Grand Vacations, where he is responsible for more than 200 resorts across 10 countries, 9,400 employees and $1.4 billion in revenue.

It’s an enormous operation, but for De Salvia, hospitality has never been simply about delivering excellence at scale.

His approach is grounded in empathy and care. He understands the power of that kind of service because long before he was responsible for hospitality on a global level, he experienced it himself as a 91�Թ�� student.

It began when De Salvia became a Knight in 1999, pursuing his bachelor’s in marketing and discovering a natural connection to consumer behavior and marketing intelligence. While his 91�Թ�� journey deepened his academic understanding of hospitality, it would ultimately contribute toward the formation of his belief that true service occurs when life hits hardest.

Humanity, Hard Work and Honor

De Salvia arrived at 91�Թ�� ready to begin a new chapter. But just weeks before starting his first year at 91�Թ��, he lost his best friend to an asthma attack.

“He was the one that always pushed me to continue pursuing my academics,” he recalls. “He always told me I was so much smarter than I thought, and that I had to keep going.”

Inspired by his friend’s belief in him, De Salvia forged on with his bachelor’s until he was rocked by another loss a month later: his brother George, an Orlando police officer, was killed in the line of duty at only 29 years old.

Derek De Salvia ’03 ’11MS and his family celebrate his 91�Թ�� graduation. (Photo courtesy of Derek De Salvia ’03 ’11MS)

Suddenly, De Salvia’s degree hinged on two things: his will to succeed, and the support from 91�Թ�� faculty and administration who rallied around him.

“I’ll never forget that,” he recalls fondly. “They kept me on track. I didn’t have to drop classes or change things. They were there for me every step of the way.”

Together, they transformed a trying and challenging semester into a successful journey that forever tethered De Salvia’s heart to 91�Թ��.

“I decided not to let my brother and best friend down; to work hard, outpace and outperform everyone to honor their memory,” he says. “I can’t express how big a part 91�Թ�� played in my life, ensuring I could make them proud.”

De Salvia stood by his decision by earning his bachelor’s degree and, in 2004, establishing the at 91�Թ��. True to his promise to excel, he returned in 2009 to earn his .

New Knowledge, New Horizons

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career,” De Salvia says. “It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

The program challenged him to recognize his capabilities and reconsider his professional direction. Empowered by an expanded mindset and greater self-awareness, he resolved to take his knowledge to an organization where he could implement it.

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

That meant acknowledging he was unhappy and unfulfilled in the job he held at the time. In a bold move, he resigned two days after graduating.

There was no plan b.

He credits that step with granting him the life he has today, and 91�Թ�� with giving him the personal insight to take it.

His newfound freedom led to an eight-year career with Disney overseeing their Vacation Club sales and marketing, ultimately propelling him to his current position with Hilton Grand Vacations.

De Salvia largely measures the value of his success by how much he gives back, especially to 91�Թ��.

In addition to the scholarship honoring his brother, he sits on both the Entrepreneurial Leadership Board and the management board at the Barry S. Miller College of Business, mentors students, supports the and speaks at

A supporter of 91�Թ��’s business students, Derek De Salvia ’03 11MS attends the Barry S. Miller College of Business Hall of Fame for his induction as a Legendary Knight. (Photo courtesy of Derek De Salvia ’03 ’11MS)

Through Hilton Grand Vacations, he’s also working to establish the Hilton Grand Vacations Scholarship Fund to help reduce financial barriers for hospitality students and bring Knights into the Hilton Grand Vacations family.

It’s a level of support that gives 91�Թ�� students greater access to the industry while deepening the partnerships that are central to their experience at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“The scholarship reflects Hilton Grand Vacations’ commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders,” says Kyle Trager, director of development for Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“Derek recognizes the long-term impact an endowed scholarship can have on attracting, supporting and retaining exceptional hospitality students,” he continues. “His leadership has been instrumental in advancing both the scholarship and broader partnership opportunities between HGV and Rosen College.”

Life, Lessons and Leading the Next Generation of Knights

De Salvia says he strongly believes 91�Թ�� alumni share a responsibility to return and pay their knowledge forward. One of his key lessons is encouraging students to enter the world with their eyes wide open.

“Don’t look at just one path you feel you need to be on,” he says. “Whatever feels like an opportunity you want to pursue with passion, go for it. The thing people can never take from you is passion.”

And De Salvia’s devotion to his alma mater won’t be waning. He wants to pursue his doctoral degree at 91�Թ�� and when he retires, he’d be happy to teach here and share what he’s learned to help students get a better start.

Are you interested in matching De Salvia’s spirit of service and helping 91�Թ�� succeed in our next great mission? Learn more about the that’s elevating student success and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

What Is a “Full College Experience” at 91�Թ��?

Robert Stephens — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:30:08 +0000

In April 2023, a few days after senior prom, Gabby Murison ’26 and her family drove 650 miles from New Orleans to Orlando. They’d vacationed in previous years to the area’s theme parks, but this time they had just one destination on the itinerary: 91�Թ��. The university interested Murison for its strong film program through the . She also knew 91�Թ�� offered a variety of pathways in case she discovered a new interest.

“I’ll never forget stepping onto Memory Mall,” she says. “My thoughts about college changed. I got caught up in this environment of ‘we support each other because we’re all Knights’ and I was ready to move.”

“… I discovered something bigger outside the classroom. I built my world here.”

Moving was nothing new to Murison. Her dad serves in the U.S. Army, so she’d already lived in eight cities across six states.

“But I’d never been anywhere like 91�Թ��,” she says. “I had big goals: to develop my creative side and learn about social media and film. But I discovered something bigger outside the classroom. I built my world here.”

The Curious Freshman Looking for Community

At the beginning, Murison was like most first-year students: a bit uncertain, searching for a connection.

“I realized quickly that the 670 clubs and organizations at 91�Թ�� need people,” says Murison, who minored in event management. “As soon as I got involved, the student population of 70,000 got smaller. It ignited passions I didn’t know existed.”

“My perspective grew by talking with people … and observing how mentors … guided others.”

Her first connection came through an academic and community engagement initiative, which she saw as an opportunity to get out of her dorm and become involved in service, which runs in her family of military veterans, educators and nurses. On day one, she asked a fellow member, civil engineering major Luisa Cordova, to go for a walk. Murison learned about life in Venezuela on that walk. She also found a best friend and roommate.

“My perspective grew by talking with people like Luisa and observing how mentors … guided others,” Murison says.

A mentor gently persuaded Murison to apply her communication skills to the campus community. Still in her first semester and despite a full plate, Murison volunteered for Spirit Splash during Homecoming Week.

“It was supposed to be a simple way to pitch in,” Murison says, “but as I guarded the pool, I was struck by the impact students were making by running this big event.”

By her sophomore year, Murison had been named to the executive board for Homecoming.

“My involvement grew to the point where I’d see students wearing merchandise I helped design,” she says. “My confidence and connections to 91�Թ�� kept expanding.”

A Full-Circle Moment

At the beginning of Murison’s junior year, Malaret suggested that Murison transition from LEAD to the President’s Leadership Council (PLC). Murison found PLC to be another way to inspire 91�Թ�� students to make the most of their entire college experience, just as she’d been doing herself. Around the same time, she discovered an ideal outlet to share her knowledge and growing love for 91�Թ��: as an Undergraduate Admissions Ambassador.

“When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Hannah Montana,” she says. “Being a tour guide is as close as I’ve come to that dream. Talking about 91�Թ�� to groups became like a performance, except everything I say is true.”

“My advice to students is to funnel your energy into organizations you care about. Make a difference. Grow your work ethic. Have fun.”

During at least 100 tours, Murison spoke with more than 1,000 prospective students and VIP guests. She walked them along Memory Mall, through the “we’re all Knights” environment that changed her view of college, and described firsthand the transformative power of campus involvement.

“My advice to students is to funnel your energy into organizations you care about,” she says. “Make a difference. Grow your work ethic. Have fun. And don’t be involved for the sake of a resume.”

On one tour in 2025, she met a girl from her high school in Louisiana, an 18-year-old version of herself, with one foot at prom and the other reaching toward the next phase of life.

“I must have given a decent tour because she just finished her freshman year at 91�Թ��,” Murison says. “She’s [involved on campus] and serves on the Homecoming committee. Isn’t that amazing? It’s gratifying to have made an impact, but even better to know that she’s creating her own path, and a personal story to share with others.”

Murison’s experience reflects the vibrant community and opportunities available across 91�Թ�� — where getting involved can lead to lifelong friendships, new skills and a growing sense of belonging. It’s an experience reflected in 91�Թ��’s Grade A overall rating and its No. 19 ranking for Best Student Life in America and No. 21 for Best College Campuses in America by .

Gabby Murison ’26 stands with 91�Թ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright (left) and Provost John Buckwalter (right) after being named to the 2026 Order of Pegasus class during 91�Թ��’s annual Founders’ Day student honors ceremony.

The Accomplished Graduate Ready for the World

In April, 91�Թ�� and Universal Destinations & Experiences launched a Pegasus Partnership to strengthen three decades of collaboration with aligning education with real-world experience, creating career pathways and developing themed innovations.

In April, three years after her first step onto campus, Murison was awarded the Order of Pegasus, 91�Թ��’s most prestigious student award. She was notified that she had received the honor while on a retreat with admission tour guides, with whom she became friends.

“The honor meant more because they were there to celebrate with me,” she says.

A few weeks later, Murison graduated and finished an event management internship at Universal Orlando Resort, where she further strengthened her ability to prioritize responsibilities and find balance. She now has job offers from several companies in Orlando, though she could envision a move to California to pursue filmmaking or scriptwriting. There will be plenty of time to decide.

“I’m the kid who watched with awe when the credits rolled at the end of Disney movies,” Murison says. “Building something big from scratch always fascinated me, especially when it involves a team. That’s what my 91�Թ�� experience has been like. For now, though, I’ll just — exhale. I want to spend time being 22 for a little while.”

91�Թ��’s Football Stadium Gains 2, Alumni-Made Murals

Jenna Marina Lee | Video by Daniel Forcella — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:30:54 +0000

When droves of fans step inside the gates of the new and improved Roth Tower at Acrisure Bounce House, they’ll be greeted with two one-of-a-kind, alumni-made murals and a welcome message that’s 100% 91�Թ��:

“It’s a perfect day to bounce in Orange County, Florida.”

The Roth Tower project, made possible by a $90 million commitment of Tourist Development Tax revenues from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, represents a pivotal addition to the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village that strengthens Orange County as a premier destination for sports tourism and community engagement.

When the investment was greenlit in 2023, university and athletics administration knew they wanted to add to the stadium’s art collection, which already features several installations around the concourse that include Knightro, wings of Pegasus (the university’s official seal), 91�Թ��’s Big 12 ties and Orlando.

91�Թ�� commissioned Harry Foreman ’18 to deliver two murals that pay homage to the 91�Թ�� story and the university’s relationship to Orlando and Orange County. To execute the installation in the week leading up to the tower’s unveiling, Foreman utilized virtual reality technology as part of his process and enlisted the help of fellow alumni: Nicole Lind ’11, a Burnett Honors Scholar who graduated with a degree in an elementary education, and Paulaiden Minerva ’15, who earned his bachelor’s in marketing through the program.

Foreman studied graphic design and emerging media management and previously completed murals for the 91�Թ�� Downtown and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campuses.

91�Թ�� alumni Harry Foreman ’18 and Nicole Lind ’11 installed two custom murals in the week leading up to the Roth Tower grand opening. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

“When I was a student I always had so much fun on games days,” Foreman says. “It’s magic being back here.”

The Florida native, who now splits his time between Orlando and Denver, has been an active contributor to the Central Florida’s arts scene for years. He recently was selected to be part of the City of Orlando’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, Art Pollination — a prestigious opportunity as Orlando was one of eight cities selected for the $1 million grant out of more than 150 submissions from around the country.

Acrisure Bounce House is his third football stadium mural project. He previously completed installations for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I always knew I wanted to paint big,” he says.

One mural is centered in an Art Deco theme and is an ode to how the university is entwined with Orlando. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Here he shares more about his latest creation.

What excited you about this project?

The campus personnel were so willing and excited about my ideas and style that I brought into this that it was almost a perfect match. I led with fun first and then presented some safer ideas. And they said, “Nope. We want the fun.”

I’m grateful and appreciative that I’m creating in a way that is so well received by so many people. Especially with the way we’re doing these murals with minimal color and a gold approach, I think it’s a style that has an elevated look while also having this fun, bubbly, childlike feeling, which is perfect for a football stadium on game day.

Where did you pull inspiration from for the two murals?

A staple in a lot of my mural work is my “orange blossom gang.” They are fun, smiling orange characters that I will sprinkle in throughout a lot of my murals. They act almost as the glue that keeps other imagery and assets like together. They appear in both murals.

For the 91�Թ��-themed mural, we have my signature doodle collage style. We’re in the Bounce House, baby. So I tried to have this flowy, bubbly movement with the clouds. I wanted it to feel like it was light and airy.

With regards to Easter eggs, when I was a student, I did artwork around Orlando and I would do this little emanating whoopsie daisy flower. I snuck it into a postcard stamp. The manatee celebrates Central Florida’s natural springs, which is in my opinion, one of the most magical parts about the entire state. I also snuck in a variation of the rubber duck for Spirit Splash.

For the Orange County mural, it is centered in an Art Deco theme and is an ode to how the university is entwined with Orlando. From the downtown corridor to our relationship with the hospitality sector around I-Drive to space and 91�Թ��’s engineering and technology roots. And we wanted to include a message to what helped make this possible: “In appreciation of Orange County, Florida, whose continued belief, support and investment will welcome millions through these gates to bounce.”

Harry Foreman ’18 began using VR technology a year ago to aide his artistic process in forecasting his artwork onto large-scale walls. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

How do you apply virtual reality technology in your process?

I first started using the VR headset to project my artwork on walls last year. There are many different ways to get your art on your walls through grid systems, sketching freehand, projectors and now through headsets. In this circumstance, I have another mural next week. I’ve got to get in and out. I didn’t want to wait till the nighttime to use a projector. What’s great about the headset is no matter the time of day, you are able to work and operate, and forecast your artwork on a wall.

It’s a really weird, immersive and amazing technology. If you got vertigo like I do, tread lightly. As I’m wearing it, I’m constantly thinking, ‘We are in the future.’ ”

How did your 91�Թ�� experience help you hone your craft?

“Being at 91�Թ�� pushed me to be great.” — Harry Foreman ’18, muralist

My 91�Թ�� experience was not just a four-year degree. I used nearly every offering 91�Թ�� had — I was in different clubs, at the gym all the time. I was in the engineering lab using the laser cutter for a lot of my school projects. My experience was almost competitive nurture in a sense, learning in a school setting with so many talented creatives around me. Being at 91�Թ�� pushed me to be great and taught me how to be a shape shifter.

I already was running a business while in school. I immediately graduated and went right into freelancing, and the Orlando community and 91�Թ�� network at large welcomed me right when I needed it. I booked amazing jobs right out of school. The 91�Թ�� Downtown project, I would say, is still some of my most impactful work that gets me jobs to this day.

I never in a million years thought murals would allow me to be traveling all over the nation. I’m about to buy my wife a house. It’s a great time to be a muralist. It’s the best job in the world.

Two murals designed by 91�Թ�� alum Harry Foreman ’18 are now part of the new Roth Tower. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

What does it mean to you to be able to give back to your alma mater and Orlando in this way?

It’s so special. As a student, and even as an artist, there’s no textbook for success, no single game plan for how to do things. The fact that I get to paint and create in spaces like this, I hope it can inspire the next student. I hope they see this and they say, “That is so cool. I want to do that,” because whenever I saw someone doing it, that was my first response.

If you’re a student that is worried about the creative world that we’re entering into, as long as you’re pushing yourself to make great work, everything you could ever want is already there waiting for you. Orlando as a canvas is the best place to blossom. It was for me.

91�Թ�� Alumnus Engineers Wonder Across Generations

Camille Dolan ’98 | Photos courtesy of Doug Akers ’07 — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:25:48 +0000

A child clutches a wand before stepping into Hogsmeade for the first time. Nearby, a father smiles, remembering his own first visit years earlier. Grandparents pause for a photo. Teenagers race toward their favorite coaster. Doug Akers ’07 notices all of it.

As senior vice president of operations for Universal Destinations & Experiences, the 91�Թ�� hospitality management alumnus helps oversee the intricate systems that make those moments possible. But after more than 20 years in the themed entertainment industry, he’s learned that operations isn’t really about attractions, transportation or crowd flow.

It’s about protecting something surprisingly fragile: wonder.

Finding the Right Path

Akers’ love of theme parks began early. He found himself happily spending hours designing his own theme parks inside video games and paying far more attention to the operational details than anyone else his age thought necessary. While friends obsessed over bigger roller coasters and taller drop towers, he wondered where deliveries arrived, where maintenance crews parked and what made the fantasy feel believable.

“I had my own little fan website,” he says. “People think I’m obsessive, but I’d ask myself, ‘Where’s my service road? Where’s my warehouse? The park doesn’t look real. It needs the support buildings.'”

As a child, Akers helped his parents with the annual school carnival, arriving before the crowds to watch an empty schoolyard transform into something magical.

Looking back, though, the curiosity started even earlier. As a child, Akers helped his parents with the annual carnival at his elementary school, arriving before the crowds to watch vendors transform an empty schoolyard into something magical.

“I think that’s really where I got my roots,” he says, reflecting on early mornings spent watching adults solve problems, adapt to surprises and somehow make it all look effortless.

By high school, that curiosity had become impossible to ignore. He enrolled in Honors Physics after hearing about a key design project that challenged students to apply scientific principles to something they cared about. He knew immediately that he wanted to create a theme park.

At 91�Թ��, he discovered that operations offered the same intellectual challenge that first drew him to engineering.

The project quickly grew beyond a classroom assignment. Along with crafting miniature toothpick landscapes and designing attractions, Akers wrote fictional press releases announcing the park’s grand opening and carefully mapped out how every element fit together. He wasn’t just building rides — he was creating an experience.

Engineering seemed like an obvious choice when Akers began college. He had always been fascinated by how systems worked and how their pieces fit together. At 91�Թ��, he discovered that operations offered the same intellectual challenge that first drew him to engineering, while adding a dimension he hadn’t expected: human behavior.

How do thousands of moving parts and people come together so seamlessly that guests never stop to think about them? How do all those unseen details shape what people remember long after they return home?

Those questions ultimately led him to , where he discovered an academic environment that blended entertainment, finance, guest service, leadership, operations and strategic thinking.

Learning to See the Invisible

Doug Akers ’07 at Mel’s Drive-In during his time in food and beverage at Universal Studios Florida.

A college job at Universal Orlando Resort became something much bigger — a cauldron of knowledge, more wondrous than anything else he had known. Each new opportunity brought greater responsibility. Akers worked in transportation, attractions, food and beverage, entry operations and special events across multiple parks and international projects. By building a reputation for thoughtful leadership and a willingness to learn every corner of the business, he rose from a college employee to one of the company’s senior executives.

Along the way, he learned one lesson that has shaped his career: the most exceptional operations are often the least visible.

When every detail is executed seamlessly, guests never think about logistics, staffing or transportation. They’re focused on making memories with family and friends.

That’s when Akers realized operations were never the end goal. They were the foundations that made those meaningful experiences possible.

Wonder Doesn’t Have an Age Limit

Spend a day in the parks with Akers and one thing becomes clear: he spends as much time watching guests as he does monitoring attractions. A child experiences a beloved story for the first time. Parents revisit childhood memories. Grandparents watch a new generation imagine and dream.

For Akers, those moments are the true measure of success.

Wonder doesn’t disappear as people grow older. It simply takes on new meaning with every stage of life, creating memories and connections that span generations.

Creating and operating the spaces where those moments take place has quietly become the work of his career.

Leading Through Curiosity

Today, Akers oversees operations on a scale he never imagined as a college student. His career has taken him across the U.S. and around the world, including helping open Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Beijing.

Doug Akers ’07 (middle right) stands with colleagues at Universal Studios Singapore.

Those experiences also help shape the future of the industry. Through the first-of-its-kind housed within 91�Թ��’s Rosen College — created in partnership with Universal Destinations & Experiences — students will learn how storytelling, technology and operations work together while designing experiences that inspire wonder, with Universal helping craft the curriculum.

At 91�Թ��, professors and mentors challenged Akers to think differently and encouraged him to pursue opportunities he hadn’t considered. They helped him recognize that careers rarely follow a straight path and that curiosity is often a better guide than certainty.

It’s the same advice he shares with 91�Թ�� students: Don’t become so attached to your original plan that you miss the opportunity in front of you. The best experiences are the ones held together by thousands of invisible details working in perfect harmony, Akers says.

Somewhere today, another child will step through Universal Orlando Resort’s gates carrying a wand almost as tall as they are. Years from now, they may return with children of their own.

Akers hopes they never think about the thousands of unseen details that made the day possible.

He hopes they remember only how they felt.

He hopes they remember the wonder.

is about more than reaching a destination. It’s about creating the conditions for bold ideas, transformative experiences and life-changing opportunities, similar to the ones that shaped Akers’ career. Join us in investing in students, strengthening our university and helping 91�Թ�� continue to reach ever higher.

Guide to Social Activities, Belonging at 91�Թ��

Jenna Marina Lee — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 15:09:48 +0000

Earning your degree is just one, albeit important, part of the college experience. Just as significant are the connections you make, the communities you join and the experiences that shape your time as a Knight.

This guide is a resource to help you develop a sense of belonging, find community and build lifelong friendships while studying at 91�Թ��.

Every year, students vie for special-edition rubber ducks at the Homecoming Week tradition, Spirit Splash.

Marquee Events

Whether you’re studying at 91�Թ�� Downtown, the , Rosen College of Hospitality Management or the main campus, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Some signature events have become beloved 91�Թ�� traditions with not-to-be-missed programming:

Pegasus Palooza, 91�Թ��’s annual welcome week, greets new and returning students to campus with a variety of events including notable headliners at Comedy Knight and Concert Knight.

91�Թ�� Homecoming Week,��ڱ𲹳ٳܰ��Բ��Spirit Splash, kicks off Monday, Oct. 19, and concludes with the 91�Թ�� football team’s matchup against BYU on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Space Game, a football game unlike any other in the nation, pays tribute to our 91�Թ��’s roots as America’s Space University. This year’s matchup against Baylor on Friday, Oct. 30, marks 10 years of the Space Game.

, held each spring at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, showcases the artistic talents of 91�Թ��’s faculty and students in performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences.

Gather Luncheon, a community-building event in the spring hosted by Wellness & Health Promotion Services and Dining Services, brings hundreds of students together for a free, three-course meal.

The 91�Թ�� flag football team bested the Florida Gators to win the Fiesta Bowl Classic championship on live, national television in April 2026. (Photo by Patty Kennedy / Fiesta Sports Foundation)

Recreation, Intramurals and Sports Clubs

In addition to its fitness and recreation facilities, the Recreation and Wellness Center has longstanding intramural and sports club programs that allow students to form friendships and win championships, sometimes on the brightest of stages.

The RWC’s intramural sports program welcomes all 91�Թ�� students, especially those who are new to Orlando and haven’t met enough peers to form their own team. Thanks to its free agency feature, individuals ca be matched up with others or be paired with an established team.

The sports club includes 45 different sports, encompassing everything from judo to lacrosse to wakeboarding and have produced some of 91�Թ��’s most notable alumni. Gold medalist Phil Dalhausser ’02, who played club volleyball while pursuing his business degree, and bronze medalist Kristen Thomas ’16, who began her rugby career as a theatre studies major at 91�Թ��, both went on to represent Team USA at multiple Summer Olympic Games.

For more information, visit .

The Collegiate Cyber Defense Club is a renowned and highly accomplished defensive and offensive cybersecurity student organization that has seen alums go on to work at some of the world’s largest companies, including Google, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon and more. (Photo courtesy of Hack@91�Թ��)

Registered Student Organizations

91�Թ�� offers more than 650 registered student organizations spanning academic, professional, cultural and spiritual, social and recreational, and sports interests.

KnightConnect is 91�Թ��’s official involvement platform where students can explore these organizations or even create a new one. Each organization has its own page with meeting times, contact information, and ways to get involved.

Visit the to find the organization right for you.

The Elite Epsilon Chapter of Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. was established at 91�Թ�� in 2005.

Greek Life

The fraternity and sorority experience has long been a part of campus life. Since the 1970s, fraternities and sororities have been providing spaces of belonging for students to grow together during their collegiate years.

Currently our 91�Թ�� Greek community is comprised of 47 organizations, which all share the values of scholarship, leadership, service and brotherhood/sisterhood.

For more information visit .

91�Թ�� students wave palm fronds as a distraction tactic during opponent free throws. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22, 91�Թ�� Athletics)

91�Թ�� Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

91�Թ�� is a member of one of the premiere conferences in the nation, the Big 12. From Fear the Fronds to Zombie Nation, the student section’s energy is an integral part of the game day atmosphere and gives the Knights a distinct home field (and court) advantage.

All full-time 91�Թ��-enrolled students (except 91�Թ�� Online) are eligible for free tickets to home sporting events. Please note: all seating is first-come, first-served and admission is not guaranteed. For more information, especially for football and men’s basketball student tickets, please visit .

�ճ�� is an organization built and run by 91�Թ�� students and supported by 91�Թ�� Athletics. Joining the official group has its perks, including football tickets automatically loaded to members’ Ticketmaster accounts, a dedicated fast pass entrance at all 91�Թ�� men’s basketball games, and first access to post-season student ticket claims.

Students can also contribute to game-day experiences by joining , a more than 390-member marching band student organization that performs at pregame shows, halftime shows, pep rallies and other fan-fest events. By creating the soundtrack for these dynamic events, the Marching Knights serve as one of the most vibrant and visible forces for school spirit.

Knights work alongside expert faculty on research — like Professor Kareem Ahmed (right) at the HyperSpace Center — that is shaping our future and society. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)

Engage in Research

Undergraduate research provides opportunities to build a learning community with faculty and fellow students while engaging in meaningful work that develops solutions for challenges facing our communities, industries and the world.

In addition to forging connections with peers and mentors, this practical experience allows students to build their professional resumes before they graduate.

, 91�Թ��’s annual university-wide celebration of research and creative scholarship showcases graduate and undergraduate research. The week is scheduled for March 29 through April 2, 2027, featuring presentations, exhibitions and other events showcasing student research.

For more information on how to get involved with undergraduate research, visit .

Every spring semester, 91�Թ�� students enjoy free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)

��ǰ��Ի��

91�Թ�� students live in one of the most vibrant destinations in the world, Orlando. Whatever your interest, Orlando likely has it: theme parks, elite sporting events, electric festivals, Michelin-rated restaurants, nearby coastlines and natural springs.

Orlando is what you make it, and there are ways to experience it all on a student budget.

�ճ�� offers discounted tickets to various attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Kennedy Space Center. Every spring semester, 91�Թ�� students enjoy free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights.

gives Knights of all experience levels opportunities to go on hiking and camping trips at nearby springs, learn to surf, paddle through bioluminescent waters and more.

Several cultural museums in the area offer free entry, including the on the main campus, Rollins Museum of Art and Mead Garden in nearby Winter Park, and the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida in Maitland. �ճ��acclaimed Orlando Museum of Art offers free entry on the third Thursday of each month as part of its Access for All initiative.

Held annually at the start of the fall semester, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining offers a chance to sample some the area’s exceptional restaurants at a fraction of the normal cost. Savor three-course, prix-fixe dinners — including at Aurora at the on-campus The Celeste Hotel — for just $40 or $60 per person from Aug. 14 – Sept. 30, 2026.

91�Թ�� Grad Helps Shape Humanity’s Next Giant Leap

Robert Stephens — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:30:56 +0000

When Alex Williams ’09 says, “these are exciting times,” just consider where he’s been and where he believes humanity is going.

Williams recently traveled between Virgin Galactic’s headquarters in Tustin, California, and its spaceship factory in Mesa, Arizona, 350 miles from Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Today, fewer than 800 people have traveled to space. But Virgin Galactic projects that soon 750 or more people — “astronauts” — will ride its spaceships annually.

“My wheelhouse, [going] back to Disney and 91�Թ��, is designing experiences that are different, larger than ourselves.”

As the company’s senior manager of program design, Williams is among those responsible for producing a full “experience” around each pinnacle moment.

“My wheelhouse, [going] back to Disney and 91�Թ��, is designing experiences that are different, larger than ourselves,” Williams says. “Here, I get to be part of opening space as the next layer of humanity.”

While Virgin Galactic’s early flights made headlines for carrying company founder Sir Richard Branson and a few private astronauts, those brief trips had a bigger purpose.

“We believe deeply in making space accessible for all,” Williams says. “Each spaceflight brings everyone closer. The day is coming for everyday people who watched Apollo and Artemis missions with wonder. It’s coming for the person looking for perspective or the next adventure. They can be astronauts.”

Inside and Outside a Flight to Space

The official term for a flight with Virgin Galactic is “spaceflight expedition.” Passengers don’t board a rocket.

“It’s a spaceship,” Williams says.

Part of the experience, then, is knowing your way into a spacesuit and into your seat aboard the spaceship. It’s bonding with crewmates and being prepared for Mach 3 speed. Preparation is critical, but it’s designed to be much less intense than fortifying oneself for a Mount Everest expedition.

“You’re in New Mexico for less than a week,” Williams says. “We don’t want it to be physically taxing because we want you fully immersed in this monumental experience.”

(Photo courtesy of Alex Williams ’09)

The spaceflight expedition is approximately 90 minutes from boarding to landing, including several minutes of weightlessness.

“Safety is paramount, so we use an air launch system where a launch vehicle carries our spaceship to a release point of 45,000 feet,” Williams says. “Then the rocket motor kicks in, and the spaceship accelerates to Mach 3. The astronauts are sent back into their seats comfortably. When the motor shuts off, you coast to your highest point. And then the spaceship glides back to Spaceport for a graceful runway landing.”

The immersion surrounds those 90 minutes. It includes hospitality, food and beverage, and bringing astronauts and their families into the culture of the Las Cruces area.

“We test everything,” Williams says. “I’ve learned, for example, that I like hatch chiles.”

They are now part of the carefully designed experience.

Stretching His Own Mind

After four years at Virgin Galactic, Williams has explained the experience so many times that he feels as if he’s taken flight himself.

Even so, he still occasionally struggles to find the words.

“It’s indescribable,” he says.

The technology of safe spaceflight is mostly beyond his understanding, which only adds to the fascination for a kid at heart who grew up in Citrus County, just 90 minutes from Orlando’s theme parks, where he first began stretching his imagination.

“Disney had this unbridled positivity for what the future could be,” Williams says. “I wanted to be a part of something like that, helping push humanity forward, but I wasn’t sure how.”

He began to discover how at 91�Թ��, where he majored in art and says he had the freedom to “Frankenstein my educational program together.” The first day he walked into the Student Union, he happened to be walking into auditions for Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights.

“That experience became a piece to the puzzle,” he says.

A themed attraction class, where he helped design a ride, added another piece. So did operations courses through his hospitality management minor at .

He used all these lessons during his 16 years with Disney, including Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and D23.

“And then my ears perked up when I heard about the direction of Virgin Galactic,” Williams says. “I saw it like my own story — in a constant state of becoming.”

“This is a rare experience that can connect us to each other, to our planet and to possibilities to do something good.”

His mindset also parallels Virgin Galactic’s ultimate intent for spaceflight.

“It comes down to optimism,” he says. “This is a rare experience that can connect us to each other, to our planet and to possibilities to do something good. You don’t go up on our spaceship to look out at space — you go up to look back at Earth. As more people do that, we can’t begin to imagine how much good can result from those few minutes.”

Rosen College of Hospitality Management Archives | 91�Թ��� News

Relive the Excitement of 91�Թ��� Space Week 2026

Beyond the Scare: What Dark Tourism Teaches Us About Experience Design

More Than a Good Scare

The Role of the Visitor

Mission X: Honoring 91�Թ���’s Origin Story for 10th Annual Space Game

1960s | Building the Space Workforce

1970s | Connecting Education to Industry

1980s | Developing the Foundation of Space Medicine

1990s | Creating a Place for Space

2000s | Entering the Space Renaissance

2010s | Return to Liftoff

2020s and Beyond

91�Թ��� Honors 8 Trailblazing Faculty with 2026 Luminary Awards

Haitham Al-Deek

Andrea Blanco-Redondo

William Crampton

Alan Fyall

Ivan Garibay

Claire Connolly Knox

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq

Mel Stanfill

Gratitude and Giving Back: 91�Թ��� Alum, Hilton Grand Vacations Executive’s Journey to the Heart of Hospitality

Humanity, Hard Work and Honor

New Knowledge, New Horizons

Life, Lessons and Leading the Next Generation of Knights

What Is a “Full College Experience” at 91�Թ���?

The Curious Freshman Looking for Community

A Full-Circle Moment

The Accomplished Graduate Ready for the World

91�Թ���’s Football Stadium Gains 2, Alumni-Made Murals

91�Թ��� Alumnus Engineers Wonder Across Generations

Finding the Right Path

Learning to See the Invisible

Wonder Doesn’t Have an Age Limit

Leading Through Curiosity

Guide to Social Activities, Belonging at 91�Թ���

Marquee Events

Recreation, Intramurals and Sports Clubs

Registered Student Organizations

Greek Life

91�Թ��� Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

Engage in Research

�������ǰ��������������Ի��

91�Թ��� Grad Helps Shape Humanity’s Next Giant Leap

Inside and Outside a Flight to Space

Stretching His Own Mind

Rosen College of Hospitality Management Archives | 91�Թ�� News

Relive the Excitement of 91�Թ�� Space Week 2026

Mission X: Honoring 91�Թ��’s Origin Story for 10th Annual Space Game

91�Թ�� Honors 8 Trailblazing Faculty with 2026 Luminary Awards

Gratitude and Giving Back: 91�Թ�� Alum, Hilton Grand Vacations Executive’s Journey to the Heart of Hospitality

What Is a “Full College Experience” at 91�Թ��?

91�Թ��’s Football Stadium Gains 2, Alumni-Made Murals

91�Թ�� Alumnus Engineers Wonder Across Generations

Guide to Social Activities, Belonging at 91�Թ��

91�Թ�� Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

��ǰ��Ի��

91�Թ�� Grad Helps Shape Humanity’s Next Giant Leap