Over its 40-year history, the ASF has awarded scholarships totaling over $9 million to more than 850 students. This year, 71 undergraduate students from 48 U.S. colleges and universities were named Astronaut Scholars, including three exceptional leaders from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Abigail Glover

To Abigail Glover, a Burnett Honors Scholar and mechanical engineering student at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, earning a prestigious award like the Astronaut Scholarship represents far more than just financial support. For her, it’s entry into a network of ambitious individuals sharing her passion for space, engineering and scientific discovery. Glover describes the Astronaut community as “a family of like-minded individuals who will always support you.â€�

Much of Glover’s research has focused on planetary science. Some of her undergraduate research initiatives include studying the influence of humidity on simulated lunar highlands regolith properties and terra mechanics. Currently, her Honors Undergraduate Thesis is on “Quantifying the Performance of the SPARTA Toolkit for use in Planetary Regolith Characterization Missions.�

Glover is a project manager with the Regolith Interactions for the Development of Extraterrestrial Rovers (RIDER) program at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s , where she coordinates with industry experts and leads a team focused on enhancing technologies for lunar regolith and rover wheel interaction. She has also worked with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems — assisting the Human Systems Integration team in preparing for Artemis II. Beyond her professional experiences, she founded the Lake-Sumter State College Astronomical Society in 2016. She also served as the social media and marketing chair for the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ chapter of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and is the creative chair for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Glover came to STEM from a background in art and theater, which initially left her feeling like an outsider in the world of engineering and research. In her first semester, she had difficulty adjusting to the demanding load of her STEM classes. With some encouragement from her mother, she returned to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ for her second semester with renewed determination.

“It has been a long journey of discovering my capabilities and limits, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,� she says.

Glover’s courage in asking questions and seeking new opportunities has been a powerful force in her development. A conversation with a professor led her to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Exolith Lab, and a class interview connected her to the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program, which set off a chain of experiences she says “opened doors to opportunities I would never have thought possible.â€� Glover has received multiple scholarships and awards throughout her academic career such as the Office of Undergraduate Research Grant, the Pell Grant, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Looking ahead, Glover hopes to contribute to long-term lunar habitation. She envisions herself continuing with lunar regolith research and building systems for sustainable human presence beyond Earth’s atmosphere. However, Glover’s past experiences have inspired her to remain adaptable, confident that “life has a funny way of working out.�

Charlotte Moore

With a passion for astronomy and a double major in and physics, Burnett Honors Scholar Charlotte Moore sees research as a way to learn more about the universe. Her research journey began in her first year and has transformed her academic experience, allowing her to build meaningful relationships and discover the collaborative spirit of the STEM community.

With her sights set on a doctoral degree in astronomy, Moore plans to focus on galaxy mergers, especially in tidal features at higher redshifts. “Once I finish my Ph.D., I hope to work at a university or other research institution to continue my research,â€� she says. Currently, Moore is an undergraduate student researcher with Eric Bell from the University of Michigan working on the time constraints of the merger of Centaurus A from the Stellar Halo. She is also an undergraduate researcher with Theodora Karalidi, associate professor of physics at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, working on the impact of optical thickness on the polarization of the light of Jupiter.

Despite her accomplishments, Moore candidly acknowledges the challenge of imposter syndrome.

“There are very few moments where I haven’t had doubts about what I’m doing,� she says.

However, by immersing herself in new topics and projects, she has cultivated a sense of belonging in astronomy. Her hard work was marked by her first official publication, a moment that reinforced that she could make waves in the field of astronomy.

Moore credits her success to the incredible mentors she has encountered along her journey.

“Dr. Karalidi has always pushed me to pursue outside opportunities that will help me towards my goal of graduate school,� she says.

Additionally, she has benefited from the experiences of peers who have previously received the Astronaut Scholarship, utilizing their insights as she navigated her application process.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Moore is committed to helping others find their footing in research. As the secretary of the Society of Physics Students, she mentors fellow students, sharing her knowledge and experiences to guide them. Additionally, Moore has received multiple honors and awards, such as the Order of Pegasus in 2024, the Knights Achievement Scholarship, and the Allyn M. Stearman Scholarship. Moore embodies the academic excellence, commitment to community, and passion for discovery that the Astronaut Scholarship seeks to promote.

Luis Santori

As a second-time recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship Luis Santori, a Burnett Honors Scholar and mathematics major, also appreciates the opportunities the ASF community will offer for his growth as a researcher.

“The doors that the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation opens will be crucial to my career,� he says.

For Santori, the ASF community provides opportunities to collaborate, learn and grow as a researcher.

Santori is an undergraduate research assistant involved in multiple projects, including two with Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove, associate professors in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½’s Department of Physics, focusing on lunar craters and lunar regolith. He describes his mentors — Hanna, Dove, and Professor Eduardo Teixeira from the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Department of Mathematics — as instrumental in his growth and development as a researcher.

Santori’s research journey has been transformative for both his academic and personal development.

“Research has fostered personal growth by keeping me curious and introducing me to subjects beyond my curriculum,� he says.

His research experiences have improved his communication skills, something that will be a necessity for him as he continues to promote his work.

Santori has also had to deal with the challenges that come with imposter syndrome, common in research where the uncertainty of discovery can lead to self-doubt. However, he reflects that by recognizing that it’s not productive to compare his path to the path of others, he has moved beyond this challenge. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance in sustaining a research career. His ability to work through these challenges and his dedication to his academic career have earned him the Allyn M. Stearman Research Fellowship, the Summer@ICERM 2023 Fellowship, and the 2024 NASA Exploration Science Forum Student Travel Grant.

Looking ahead, Santori plans to apply to doctoral programs in applied mathematics and planetary science, aiming to contribute to advancements in these fields. He is considering a career in academia, national labs or industry. With his passion and resilience, Santori is ready to make meaningful contributions to planetary science and mathematics as he continues on his academic journey as an Astronaut Scholar.

Those interested in the Astronaut Scholarship and other opportunities should reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards atÌýOPA@ucf.edu.

These K-8 STEM educators, who comprise the Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship program cohort, are each graduating with a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in K-8 mathematics education. However, their program doesn’t just end here. They are also serving as teacher leaders advocating for evidence-based instructional practices and transforming the ways in which mathematics education is approached.

The state of Florida has not only faced challenges posed by a shortage of teachers, but also by struggles in retaining highly qualified educators. These needs are often exacerbated in Title I schools, in which many of the Noyce program fellows work. Housed in the College of Community Innovation and Education’s and funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant, the five-year program directly addresses the issue of teacher retention through investing in quality educators by increasing their leadership capacity and mathematics expertise. It is led by Sarah Bush, principal investigator, as well as co-principal investigators Lisa Brooks ’92 ’06MEd ’14EdD, Juli Dixon and Brian Moore.

“Leadership capacity entails a combination of knowledge, experience, confidence, passion and opportunity,� Brooks says. “Our fellows are all natural leaders, and they are thriving because they harness the tools given to them and capitalize on every opportunity to follow their passion for ensuring that all students are provided with positive mathematics learning experiences.�

For Shane Wiggan, a Noyce fellow and eighth-grade teacher at Liberty Middle School, being prepared with the knowledge and strategies for effective mathematics instruction has not only helped him support his students’ learning gains but also in encouraging a love of learning.

“This program has equipped me with the tools to encourage students to harness their innate curiosity to solve math problems,â€� Wiggan says. “Instead of solely aiming to ‘get the correct answer,’ we now approach math tasks by thoroughly comprehending the problem and utilizing our existing knowledge. As a result of this change,ÌýI have noticed my students become more confident and enthusiastic.â€�

Although summer commencement marks the end of the Noyce Fellows’ academic journey, they’ll continue honing their leadership skills through the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-Orange County Public Schools Noyce Teacher Leader Academy over the next two years. The academy provides mentorship opportunities — including supervising Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ teacher education interns — that allow the fellows to share their expertise and positively impact both current and future teachers while continuing to teach in their own classrooms.

They’ll also continue an ongoing partnership with nonprofit City Year Orlando, an organization that provides support and resources for high-needs schools through their members taking on roles as volunteer student success coaches. Fellows serve as mentors to these volunteers, some of whom are interested in becoming teachers themselves.

“As I grow in my leadership capacity through the Teacher Leader Academy, I am looking forward to mentoring and supporting … STEM education professionals,â€� says Nisha Phillip-Malahoo ’21MEd, a Noyce Fellow and third-grade teacher at Pinewood Elementary. “I’m excited to work with these individuals to create opportunities for our students to explore STEM learning by utilizingÌýthis professional network to share and gain valuable insights, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within our schools.â€�

However, their leadership capacity transcends the classroom. Many of the fellows serve on boards and standing committees for national professional organizations, lead districtwide initiatives, present at mathematics education conferences and are publishing their research.

“Our work through the Teacher Leader Academy has always been centered on being responsive to the needs of the fellows and positioning them as leaders,� Brooks says. “We also focus on meeting the needs of Orange County Public Schools and City Year Orlando. Our project has regular online and in-person meetings where we provide ongoing professional learning, mentoring and support to fellows as they continue to serve as leaders, mentors, teachers and advocates.�

For Abigail Ruiz ’16 ’21MEd, another Noyce Fellow and fourth-grade teacher at Hidden Oaks Elementary School, her passion for sparking joy in mathematics with her students is rooted in her own academic journey. Growing up, she had a teacher who inspired her to not only persevere despite finding math difficult, but also to study education at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. It was while working toward her master’s degree that Ruiz learned to love math and science education.

“I never experienced the joy in a classroom until then,� Ruiz told a group of fellow teachers at a recent conference for NCSM, a mathematics education leadership organization for which she also sits on the board. “My mission is to help students experience this type of joy much sooner than I did because this type of revelation should not be confined to post-graduate education. Every learner deserves access to the wonder, joy and beauty of mathematics.�

Wiggan adds that teachers can sometimes become accustomed to affecting a finite space, such as a classroom or campus, in which they feel they can make a difference. However, he’s since learned his impact can extend far beyond.

“Overall, the Teacher Leader Academy has helped me realize that the only thing stopping me from making a more significant impact has been myself,� Wiggan says.

Only 410 college students were selected after a rigorous screening process. Universities are only allowed to nominate four students, five if one of them is transfer student. According to the award website, the Goldwater Scholarship program “is among the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics and seeks to identify and support sophomores and juniors who demonstrate exceptional promise in becoming the next research leaders in these fields.�

Harvard, MIT, Yale and Johns Hopkins had the same number of students awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.

The awards are not only coveted because of the money, but also because recipients are thought to have great promise. Many have gone onto receive additional prestigious awards such as Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill and Hertz scholarships as well as National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships to help them pay for graduate school.

Awardees receive a scholarship to cover tuition, fees, books and room and board costs for a maximum of two years at their home institution. All four of this year’s winners have worked with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Academic Advancement Programs.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s winners are an impressive group, each already making an impact in the areas of health, math, chemistry and space. They have unique stories about what led them to research and their career goals.

Devin Burris

Major: Biomedical Sciences
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar, RAMP scholar, EXCEL, GEMS, and National Institutes of Health sponsored BP-ENDURE
Career Aspiration: Gene therapy innovator at a private company
Mentors: Assistant Professor of Biology Charissa De Bekker and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Alicia Hawthorne at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and Harrison Gabel, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Washington University Saint Louis School of Medicine in Missouri.
Research: At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, Burris is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Charissa de Bekker looking at the genes in a fungus that infects ‘zombie ants’ and how they change the ant behavior. At the Washington University School of Medicine, she is working with Assistant Professor Harrison Gabel looking at the genetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. She is using computational modeling to understand how mutations in one gene (DNMT3A) can disrupt brain development and function.
Advice for Fellow Students: “Be proud of the work you have done. It is easy to fall victim to imposter syndrome in STEM, especially if you are an underrepresented minority. Once you become an academic, you realize how little you really know about the world. Once you become a researcher, you realize how little everyone else knows too, which in a way can be comforting as you pursue the edge of knowledge together.�
The Importance of Mentors: All three of Burris’ mentors describe her as a rising star thanks to her intellect, hard work and grit, which explains how she’s not only conducting research at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, but also at a medical school in Missouri. Burris received the National Institutes of Health funded BP-ENDURE Neuroscience Summer Research Program and began working with Gabel last summer and she’ll be headed there again this summer.

“I was lucky enough to recruit Devin to work in my lab at Washington University in St. Louis through our BP-ENDURE program,� Gabel says. “… She has already made key insights into the genetics basis of this disorder, and I am looking forward to her continued work in the lab.�

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, Burris works with Bekker and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Alicia Hawthorne, who call her a delight.

“Devin has been resilient and has maintained her passion and excellent work ethic,� Hawthorne says. “… I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future.�

Burris says she is thrilled to be getting the scholarship because it means an opportunity to continue her research and achieve her ultimate goal. She says her mentors were critical to helping her find her way and supporting her. She also says each of the programs she was involved in at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and Washington have taught her skills that have led to her success so far.

“I want to go into working on gene therapy in the industry because there are many opportunities to be at the front of medicine here,� she says.

Spencer Tamagni

Majors: Mathematics
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar, National Merit Scholar, member of the Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP)
Career Aspiration: Teaching and applying complex math problems to physics at a university.
Mentor: Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Associate Professor of Physics Costas Efthimiou
Research: Solving problems at the boundary of mathematics and physics.
Advice to Fellow Students: “Everyone should do research and ‘drink from the fire hose,’ in other words consume as much content in the field as humanly possible… Go as deep as possible with subjects that interest you and do not hesitate to discard things that bore you.�
Take Control of Your Education: Tamagni always loved math and solving puzzles.

“It was the only thing I can see myself being able to get up and do every day without getting dreadfully bored,� says the Tampa native. “Sometime in high school, I developed a bizarre obsession with learning as much math and physics as possible and picked up the habit of trying to solve hard math and physics problems in my free time with variable success.�

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, his mentor helped him realize he could make a career out of his “bizarreâ€� behavior. He says that while coursework is absolutely critical for knowledge acquisition, research is where a student can exert control over his or her education.

“Unlike in coursework, where everything is manufactured and comes from a textbook, in research you get to have much more control over how you spend your time, what content you learn, and how you approach solving problems…It can be very empowering to take control of your learning.�

He also urges his fellow students to recognize their weaknesses and find ways to improve. For him, the Research and Mentoring Program at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was instrumental in helping him get organized.

“RAMP has been very helpful in helping me untangle and map out the process of getting from where I am currently at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to my desired graduate program,â€� he says. “They provide lots of support and assignments that help me plan my decisions … I am not a naturally skilled planner, so I benefit greatly from the extra support.â€�

Oluwagbotemi Akinsoji

Major: Chemistry
University Involvement: McNair Scholar
Career Aspiration: To own her own company.
Mentors: Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Associate Professor of Chemistry Fernando Uribe-Romo, Georgia Southern Professor of Organic Chemistry Karelle Aiken, UF Assistant Professor of Microbiology Willm Martens-Habbena
Research: Conducting research with metal organic frameworks with a goal of creating rechargeable batteries, which will be a source of reliable electrochemical energy storage that emit less toxins into the environment.
Advice to Fellow Students: “Don’t be afraid to apply to these types of scholarships and opportunities. Even if you do not get it at the first, do not lose motivation. Participate and engage in multiple opportunities available on campus. Find things that interest you and make you happy and pursue the best you can.�
Paying it Forward: Akinsoji grew up in Nigeria and moved to Maimi Lakes in 2015. She’s benefited from a good education, which is why she is keen on paying it forward.

“My career goal is to set up a company that will be able to provide everyday material at a minimal cost to people of third world countries, such as chemicals needed for the manufacturing of soaps, colognes, makeup, and toiletries,� she says. “Coming from a country where everyday materials are not readily available even to the general public, I have made it my mission to make these materials accessible.�

She knows it will take a lot of work to set up her own company, but that’s why she says it is important to take advantage of every opportunity. At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, she says the AAP office was a great resource that led her to other opportunities.

“With this program, I was selected to participate in a National Science Foundation-funded research experience for undergraduate students at the Cornell Center for Material Science Research [at UF] this coming summer,� she says. “I have also conducted research at Georgia Southern University… and am a STEM Transfers Opportunities for Nurtured Growth Scholar and an American Chemistry Society Scholar.�

Riley Havel

Major: Physics
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar and member of RAMP
Career Aspiration: Planetary Scientist, which could lead to becoming an astronaut, research scientist, a (NASA) mission leader or a professor.
Mentors: Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Assistant Professors of Physics Christopher Bennett and Adrienne Dove, and Research Associate Jose Aponte at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Research: Using simulation of the space environment to study organic material produced and preserved in different areas of space and how they contribute to the origin of life. She has also been involved in designing parts and machining them, conducted quantum mechanical calculations and worked with ultrahigh vacuum instrumentation. She also came up with her own research project to perform spectroscopic measurements studying the interaction of hydrated salts with simulated Martian regolith Ìý(created at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½) and presented the results at the 2020 Division for Planetary Sciences conference.
Advice to Fellow Students: “Find a friend. My best friend Abigail Reynolds and I have always worked on applications together, discussed our aspirations in-depth, and challenged one another to be more intentional with our time as undergrads. I would recommend that everyone find a friend who has similar goals, but not necessarily similar interests and recognize the value that friendship can add in any endeavor.�
Secret to Success: Havel says talking to people helped her chart her path and helped build her leadership skills, which have helped her land impressive opportunities.

“I spent a lot of time talking to upperclassmen in the Society of Physics Students about getting involved in research,� she says. “Eventually, a few of them helped me draft an email to Dr. Bennett. Soon after, I started attending group meetings and training in the lab.�

And that led to one huge opportunity. Last year she was selected as an Undergraduate Research Associate (URA) in Astrobiology under the advisement of Jose Aponte, an astrochemist and Research Associate at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She was supposed to be working in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory, which is the same laboratory that will be primarily responsible for performing analysis of the OSIRIS-REx and Hyabusa-2 asteroid sample return missions. The lab is internationally recognized as the leader in the world for analyzing extraterrestrial samples. Because of COVID-19, she was unable to perform research at Goddard in person, but she still managed to perform a high-level of research, with limited guidance, Bennett says.

Dove hasn’t worked with Havel on any research, but says she stood out in classes and within the department. She often spoke to Dove after classes.

“Riley is an amazing person, a stellar student, and invested in giving back to her communities,â€� Dove says. “She’s been actively involved in the physics department since she was a freshman through the Society of Physics Students and the Women in Physics groups. Her leadership and impact in those groups has been impressive. She has already made a lasting impact here at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and will continue to do so as she advances to her PhD and beyond.â€�

Students interested in applying for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship or other major national awards should contact Morgan Bauer in the Office of Prestigious Awards atÌýopa@ucf.edu.

American Scientist magazine this month notified Shivamoggi that a blog featuring his work — the first systematic theoretical formulation to describe the effect of stellar rotation in driving stellar winds faster — was one of the magazine’s top 10 blogs for 2020.

“It is good to see my work validated and I was lucky I didn’t have to wait as long as my mentor did,� Shivamoggi said. “It is gratifying to contribute to our understanding of solar winds. They control space weather, which has consequences on earth.�

Understanding how solar winds affect the space weather around the planet is critical because it can cause all sorts of havoc. GPS that helps airplanes and vehicles navigate safely and the electrical grid can be negatively impacted. Some solar wind blasts have knocked out cell phone coverage and caused widespread power blackouts.

Shivamoggi caught the space community’s attention late last year. He published a research paper in the journal Physics of Plasmas, in which he proposed a new physical mechanism that explains the effect of a star’s rotation in driving stellar winds faster.

This paper provided a novel understanding of how fast rotating stars spin down. Some of the key premises in his theoretical model were validated by the solar wind data sent back from the sun by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe in December 2019. His journal article was selected as an editor’s pick for 2020. And he’s been receiving congratulatory notes from scientists around the world ever since.

Shivamoggi credits much of his success in this research to the encouragement and mentoring he received from Gene Parker. Parker was the first to point out the existence of solar wind and in 1958 gave an ingenious theory explaining the dynamics of supersonic solar wind. Shivamoggi met Parker, now an eminent astrophysicist at University of Chicago, during an astrophysics conference 10 years ago.

The solar wind concept wasn’t easily accepted by many, and Parker had to wait four years before NASA’s Mariner II confirmed its validity, Shivamoggi says. In 2018, NASA sent the Parker Solar Probe (named for Parker, the first NASA mission named for a living person) to gather data on the solar wind via increasingly close encounters with the sun.

The solar wind data sent by the Parker probe in 2019 indicated that the solar wind rotates around the sun much faster than previously considered, supporting Shivamoggi’s mathematical theory.

Shivamoggi emphasizes that Parker’s encouragement and guidance were crucial to his success.

“Dr. Parker was so reassuring and encouraging,� he says. “And when I was struggling, hearing his kind words from time to time was stimulating. I am lucky and thankful for his mentorship, and I try to do the same for my students. The material is challenging, but I want them to learn. They are the future and I try to encourage them to reach because they, too, can change the world.�

Shivamoggi joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 1985. He teaches in the Mathematics and departments. He has multiple degrees from MIT and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before joining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University, the Australian National University, a scientist at the Physical Research Laboratory in India and an associate professor at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences also in India.

Hanna Reed, a mathematics major, accepted the National Institute for Mathematical and Biology Synthesis’ highly competitive Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates. Reed heads to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to work on a biology project. Reed has experience with interdisciplinary research. She’s been working with Zhisheng Shuai to model phenomena, such as how disease spreads.

“It’s really interesting working with math models. You can describe a process with math and figure out other things you couldn’t before.�

“It’s really interesting working with math models,� Reed says. “You can describe a process with math and figure out other things you couldn’t before.�

Reed explains what math models can do with an example of how the influenza virus spreads. She says you begin with different populations: people who are susceptible to the flu, infected by the flu and people who have recovered from a strain of flu. Working in a lab, Reed can trace contact rates, duration of infection and recovery. Using math, Reed can show how the flu moves through susceptible people, to infection and to recovered people.

“By using the biology of what happens with the flu virus, we can figure out the rates, contact rates and duration of infection and recovery,� Reed says. “If we incorporate quarantine or vaccination you can model that too, and answer questions like ‘How many people do we need to vaccinate for the flu to stop?’ �

Last year, Reed studied the modeling of cholera with a team of undergraduate and graduate students, under the guidance of Shuai. The team studied the cholera outbreaks in Haiti, taking into to account the impact of educational intervention regarding sanitation and hygiene. The team presented their findings at the 2017 MMA Mathfest in Chicago, Illinois.

“You have to work with biologists, computer scientists and mathematicians to get a thing that’s going to work.”

The skills Reed learned at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ are what granted her the opportunity to spend her summer researching mosquito-borne illnesses and mosquitos’ response to environmental factors. She will work with UT’s Suzanne Lenhart, an applied mathematician, and Rebecca Trout Fryxell, an entomologist.

“You have to work with biologists, computer scientists and mathematicians to get a thing that’s going to work,� Reed says.

Mosquitos can be infected by a bacterium that changes the mosquito’s immune system, almost like a parasite, but it can benefit the environment by creating an accessory to the bug’s immune system, preventing it from coming infected with Dengue or Zika. If biologists and mathematicians can come up with how to best infect mosquitoes with bacteria, there is a chance there could be a decrease in mosquito-borne illnesses.

“People have been doing this in some places like Australia and Vietnam where they’ve released mosquitoes into the environment,� Reed said. “They’ve seen a decay in mosquito-borne illnesses because of it.�

When Reed returns to Central Florida she will graduate in August and begin teaching at a local high school.

Velez-Ginorio, a 2017 Goldwater Scholar, caught the attention of Oxford with his work in artificial intelligence research. Velez-Ginorio is interested in building programs and machines that think as the human brain does, and he hopes to continue developing his research at Oxford.

“By studying people and how they accomplish certain tasks so well, you can apply that to machines,� says Velez-Ginorio.

Velez-Ginorio is majoring in computer engineering and minoring in mathematics and will pursue a master’s degree in mathematics focusing on programming languages and computer science.

The McNair Scholar’s passion for research lead him to encourage others to get involved. Through working with the Academic Advancement Programs office at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and the organization SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science), Velez-Ginorio helps make research opportunities more accessible to underrepresented students.

After completing the master’s program at Oxford, Velez-Ginorio will pursue his doctorate in brain and cognitive sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dieffenbach earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences and participated in multiple undergraduate research opportunities. Through involvement with the Research and Mentoring Program and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Dieffenbach conducted research on molecular biology, genetics and cancer. As a student of The Burnett Honors College, Dieffenbach completed his Honors in the Major thesis, which discussed his findings from studying cancer cells and how they absorb nutrients to grow.

Dieffenbach will study pharmacology this year and says he is excited for the experiences to come. “[Oxford] has a lot of resources and a fantastic reputation. I think it will be an excellent chance to further my research and explore new opportunities,� he says.

After completing the program at Oxford, Dieffenbach hopes to pursue a doctorate focusing on cancer biology or drug design.

Upon applying to one of the approved master’s programs at Oxford, students are automatically considered for the Frost Scholarship and selected based on academic merit and accomplishments. Frost Scholarship recipients take full course loads of classes during the fall and spring semesters, and conduct research for a thesis in the summer months.

Students interested in similar graduate scholarship opportunities should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.

“I never would have imagined I would’ve made it to the finals and was so happy that I did,� she says. “No matter what happened during those two matches, I was extremely excited about whatever the outcome would be and was just proud of myself for having accomplished so much.�

“I am very proud to be a Knight and to represent one of the few public universities in the tournament this year,� Sage says.

Representing one of only three public universities in the competition, Sage says she was thrilled to share her love for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ on a national scale.

“I am very proud to be a Knight and to represent one of the few public universities in the tournament this year,� says Sage. “I am showing that no matter what school you go to, you can accomplish whatever goals you have and can even exceed them.�

The Road to Jeopardy!

An avid quiz competitor, Sage prepared by participating on the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Quiz Bowl team, which travels around the state battling other college teams. The Manatee County student also attributes her time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to helping her prepare for the academic rapid-fire of the quiz show. An honors student majoring in math and minoring in art history, Sage has developed a wide range of knowledge for the competition. The National Merit Scholar also participates in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ programs that encourage academic excellence and help develop leadership skills.

“The honors program has helped me prepare by allowing me to have a great education and diving further in depth on topics that interest me — and helped me grow my passion for learning and trivia,� she says. “LEAD Scholars has taught me about my own leadership style and given me my self-confidence to work toward my goal of being on Jeopardy!�

Sage’s Jeopardy! journey began with an online test. She was given 50 questions with 10 seconds to type each response. Her high score landed her an invitation to an audition in Atlanta. After passing a second test, Sage participated in a mock game show with other hopeful students. Finally, she had a short interview with producers and was told they would contact her if selected for a show.

She received a call inviting her to compete last fall during final exams.

What’s Next

Since filming began over spring break, Sage admitted the hardest part of the experience was not being able to tell her friends the results. She enjoyed packing her friends into her room for a watch party for the finals, and receiving countless text messages from those watching from afar.

The College Championship consists of three rounds: a quarterfinal, a semifinal, and a two-day final event. With her winnings, Sage dreams of travel and further schooling. “I want to go to Italy to see all of the art in person, rather than the tiny photos in my textbooks,� says Sage. “Then I’d probably save a chunk of that for medical school — I want to be a dermatologist.�

The $999,994 grant – STEM TRansfer Students Opportunity for Nurtured Growth, or STRONG for short – was awarded to the Office of Research & Commercialization to run from next month to February 2023.

More than half of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s new undergraduates are transfer students. The recipients of the new scholarships must demonstrate academic potential or ability, and demonstrate a financial need. Project STRONG will support about 30 scholarships per year in the disciplines of engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics, chemistry and biology.

“Students entering the university in STEM programs will receive the support needed to feel at home in their fields of study, at a time when they are 90 percent more likely to leave STEM than at any other time,� according to the program overview. “Talented, low-income students, of whom one out of three would otherwise leave STEM within six years, will develop interest and proficiency in STEM disciplines through opportunities provided by the program.�

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ will provide one-on-one faculty-student mentoring, regular discipline-specific seminars, research lab internship opportunities, financial-literacy counseling and other services. The overview also says the project for STEM transfers will be conducted as “a model to be tested, improved, and ready for dissemination nationwide.â€�

The interdisciplinary project will be under the direction of Mubarak Shah, Trustee Chair Professor of computer science; Brian Moore, associate professor of mathematics; Malcolm B. Butler, professor of secondary education; Nazanin Rahnavar, associate professor of electric and computer engineering; and Gordon Chavis, associate vice president for enrollment services.

However, in general, these are highly selective programs leaving the vast majority of students with minimal exposure to science or engineering. Many of their exposures range from “I have to take it and I can forget it as soon as the course is over� to thinking that the subjects are painfully dull and have no relevance to their lives. Consequently, in either case, most students graduating from high school and entering college or the work force are what I call scientifically illiterate.

In college, students who are not in the sciences or engineering must take some science classes as part of the general education program requirements. Though dedicated instructors doing their best often teach these classes, the students are only motivated by the “I must take this class to graduate� requirement. The subject not only turns them off, but they very likely forget the material moments after the final is taken.

So, the majority of people in this country who will use the amazing new technologies that are being developed and who will be asked to make decisions on scientific and engineering issues (solar energy, nuclear power, fracking, energy efficiency, genetically modified plants and foods, to name a few) are scientifically illiterate.

Sometime back I was in a group discussing the problem of keeping young children interested in science. One member of the group was a very experienced elementary school educator.

I will never forget her outline of the subject matter that would hold the attention of elementary school children. She said: “Children between ages 5 and 8 will love working on dinosaurs, from 8 to 11 you can keep them interested by space (rockets, satellites, Hubble, distant planets, the Big Bang and so on) but after 11 they will discover sex and you can’t distract them from that.�

The point of this story is that to create a scientifically literate public it is necessary to identify how to get their attention and how to make the material stick with them beyond the final exam.

In the mid-1990s, together with a colleague from the philosophy department, I put together a course for The Burnett Honors College at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ called the Culture of Science. It dealt with the who, when, where, why and how science was done – and most importantly what effects science had on society and what effects society had on science.

This course proved extraordinarily successful and was given for six semesters instead of the three in the original proposal to the college. I have since given a somewhat modified version of this course for graduate students in the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Optics & Photonics and other engineering or science departments. Notice that the course does not deal with the what of science. That already is taught very well in the existing classes in the various specialties.

Such a course places science and technology in the context of our world and deals with the impact of science. Some examples of this are the discussions I have with the students of such things as the internet or nuclear weapons or the early organized church’s problem with Galileo.

I also discuss pathological science, which is what happens when scientists become emotionally involved with a marginal or dubious phenomenon that if true would violate well-established scientific principles. If they were right, lots of money and prestigious prizes would come their way. This is called pathological science because the scientists are pathologically involved with it and cannot see their errors.

It is important that scientifically literate citizens be able to recognize this flaw. In the early 1990s, scientists in Utah thought they observed nuclear fusion in a quite standard electrolysis experiment. They dubbed it cold fusion, and if it were true it would have solved the world’s energy problems. Of course, it was not true.

I make it a point to discuss scientific ethics about being honest, doing meaningful experiments, reporting all the results and performing careful analyses. The class and I view the play “Copenhagen� to understand and discuss the pressures nuclear scientists experienced during the second World War. We also get into modern-day cosmology and this leads to discussion of the need for a God in the universe.

In my opinion, this type of course should be offered as part of the general-education program for undergraduates to satisfy their science requirements. Such courses dealing with the impacts of science and engineering just might result in more scientifically literate graduates.

Most people don’t have to know what makes an airplane fly but they should know how greatly airplanes have and will change our society. The same can be said for the internet or electric power.

Most people don’t have to know the details but they certainly should know the impacts. Their lifestyles and maybe their lives will depend on such knowledge.

Michael Bass is a professor emeritus of optics at CREOL (Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers) in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s College of Optics & Photonics. He can be reached at bass@creol.ucf.edu.

Johnson, also the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Coordinator at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, brings a wealth of experience to the Board including four years assisting in the coordination of a statewide PSM initiative between 12 state universities.

The appointment of a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ employee to the NPSMA represents a national interest in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s role in expanding the PSM program’s collaborative graduate education. And, perhaps more importantly, the move enhances Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s position as America’s Leading Partnership University.

The PSM is a unique, innovative program that prepares graduates for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit sectors. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has five PSM programs including Health Care Informatics, Modeling and Simulation, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, and Professional Engineering Management.

The hybrid degree program combines rigorous technical study in science or mathematics with practical training in leadership, management, ethics, and communication. Designed to increase industry partnerships, the PSM connects students directly to potential employers through required internships and employer/industry advisory boards. Each PSM program is guided by employer advisory boards. The goal is to provide industry, government, and nonprofits with employees who have a deep scientific knowledge as well as skills to apply that knowledge in innovative ways.

The PSM was started in 2000, and there are now more thanÌý302 programs atÌýover 139Ìýuniversities.

The National Professional Science Master’s Association (NPSMA) joins together PSM degree program directors, faculty, administrators, industry representatives, alumni, and students that support PSM degree initiatives.ÌýThe mission of NPSMA is to promote and support the growth and development of professional science master’s degree programs.

Johnson and four other individuals begin their three year terms with NPSMA on January 1, 2014. The new board members also include professionals and educators from SUNY Buffalo State College, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.