Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s faculty are renowned thinkers, doers and creators delivering high-quality education and leading-industry research with purpose. They are the campus culture-setters — inspiring ingenuity while upholding our mission to change lives and livelihoods.

The most exceptional among them are recognized annually with the distinction of the university’s highest honor, the Pegasus Professor award. This year, Hassan Foroosh (College of Computer Science and Engineering); Carmen Giurgescu (College of Nursing); Annette Khaled (College of Medicine); and Matthew Marino (College of Community Innovation and Education) become the newest inductees of this esteemed group.

Their work and research have been motivated by a pursuit to positively impact society — redefining our capabilities with artificial intelligence (AI) systems; improving pre-term birth outcomes for mothers and their babies; curing cancer; and enhancing quality of life for people with disabilities.

Each will be recognized during Founders’ Day, which is April 1 this year and receive $5,000.

Meet the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Pegasus Professors for 2026:

Hassan Foroosh

CAE-Link Professor of computer science
Director of the Computational Imaging Laboratory

One day your research will solve:

My goal has always been not to solve one specific problem but build a machine that is the problem solver. I work with explainable AI and efficient or high-performance AI. My goal is to build general-purpose machines, whether in robotics or autonomous driving or data analytics, etc. I have always thought that there is a way to find a general solution to almost any problem. We just then have to specialize the machines and models to solve specific problems.

What motivates you to pursue this line of research?

I was fascinated by sci-fi movies as a kid. Not many people know this, but I’m a Trekkie. What always fascinated me were the technologies in that world — tele-transportation, warp speed, and others. I had not even seen a computer as a kid. Because back then, computers fit in rooms five times the size of my office. I was always interested in electronics and building things. In 1992, I moved back to France to do my Ph.D. and my advisor pushed me in the direction of AI and it’s been that ever since.

What makes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ the right place to do what you do?

When I first came to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ 24 years ago, I saw opportunity for growth, and I saw all the industries around here. I saw Kennedy Space Center next door. I like to build partnerships. I like to see my research used in practice. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ has given me the ability to do that throughout my career.

What has been your favorite moment as a professor?

There are many I can think of. But, once I was vacationing with my family in North Carolina about 10 years ago or so. We were in a mall, and this young man ran toward me. I said, “What’s going on?” He shook my hand and said, “Dr. Foroosh! I wanted to thank you. You affected my life.” Back then I was teaching classes of 200 students every semester, so it wasn’t easy to build relationships with every student or remember everyone’s name. It felt humbling to know that he felt that way and that I impacted his life like that. It was a very good moment.

Carmen Giurgescu

Chatlos Foundation Endowed Chair in Nursing Associate Dean of Research 
Professor of nursing 

One day your research will:
Reduce the rate of pre-term births. For the past 20 years, my research has been examining how social determinants of health influence maternal health and birth outcomes, including preterm birth. Pre-term infants, born at less than 37-weeks gestation, are more likely to have developmental delays, hearing problems and blindness than infants born at term. Their mothers are more likely to have stress, depression, and anxiety. I am focused on improving the health of mothers and their babies.

What motivates you to take this on?
I’ve always been passionate about obstetrics, even since childhood. One of my aunts was pregnant with my cousin when I was a young child, and she was a physician, so she felt comfortable telling me about fetal development. I came to the United States in 1990, and I started working in a mother-baby unit. I had the opportunity to talk with mothers and provide care for their babies. And that put me on the trajectory and my passion for pregnancy and birth outcomes.

In what ways do your students inspire you?
They come up with new, innovative ideas that I never thought of. It’s not a matter of just them learning from me, but me also learning from them. When I see their passion for what they are doing and when I see them being successful, it drives me to be more innovative, to keep pursuing opportunities, and be more resilient.

What contributions at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ are you most proud of?
I came here in fall of 2019, and back then the College of Nursing had $1.7 million in research funding. In the 2024-25 academic year, we had $3.8 million. That’s a 124% increase in funding in five years. I am really proud of the commitment of our faculty and the interprofessional collaboration that has increased research and advanced scholarship in our college.

Annette Khaled

Professor of Medicine Cancer Division Head
Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs 

One day your research will solve:
Cancer. Today, even if you treat it, the patient isn’t sure if it will come back. Cancer diagnosis is almost like a lifetime death threat. I want to get to a place where, much like when we have a cold and take an antibiotic, I want people to be able to say, “I have cancer, take my medicine, I’m done. It’s not going to come back. It’s not going to kill me.”

What motivates you to take this on?
I grew up in California, and my grandparents visited us when I was a teenager. I remember my grandfather asked, “What do you want to do?” And I told him, “I want to cure cancer.” I think for some reason my whole life I’ve been aware of this deadly disease. I want to help people. I want to make a difference.

What are you most proud of during your tenure at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝?
I think the resiliency. We are a young college and have struggled with the ups and downs that the world throws at you. Sometimes you won’t have funding, sometimes you will have tons of funding. Sometimes things go your way with your studies, but this might be after 20 years of doing experiments that »ĺľ±»ĺ˛Ô’tĚýwork. So I think what I’m most proud of is that I haven’t given up, and I still see that there’s an optimistic future.

°Âłó˛ąłŮ’sĚý˛Ô±đłćłŮ?
Cancer is a really difficult disease because everybody’s cancer is different. But personalized drug therapies — although good in theory — is very hard to implement because you would have to have 100 different drugs for each person. That’s how complicated it is. Our research and method take a different track.

We’ve found that all cancer cells share something in common, a protein-folding complex. With this insight we developed a drug that we’re partnering with the Orlando VA Healthcare System, thanks to the generous support of Orlando Sports Foundation and Alan Gooch ’84 ’89MA,  to test with patient specimens. We have a lot more to do — this is very preliminary. But I am so pleased with the data. I want to eventually get this into clinical trials and get this into the hands of people.

Matthew Marino

Professor of Exceptional Student Education
Director of the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute (TJEEI)

One day your research will:
Empower independence for people living with disabilities. People with disabilities struggle to find and maintain employment. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor noted a workforce participation rate of just 42% for people with disabilities, compared to 78% for those without. This lack of employment leads to downstream effects such as the inability to live independently. Our dynamic team is utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to leverage emerging technologies in a way that enhances the lives of people with disabilities across our community.

What motivates you to take this problem on?
When I was in college, I suffered a severe spinal cord injury while playing rugby. I had no idea what a disability was prior to that event, but when you are confined to a wheelchair, you quickly learn how challenging life can be. It took me years of rehabilitation to recover from the injury. I have been working to improve the lives of people with disabilities who are less fortunate than me ever since. My goal is to help them find the tools to open the doors of employment.

What makes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ the right place to do what you do?
The work we do at TJEEI is based on interdisciplinary partnerships and efficient, effective teamwork. I have traveled to universities throughout the country and have not found an institution where there is more ambition to change the world for the better, technology resources to make the change, and collaborative vigor to make it happen than there is at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. We are truly blessed to work in this environment.

°Âłó˛ąłŮ’sĚý˛Ô±đłćłŮ?
When we published our first article on  no one was talking about the impact it would have on education. AI has tremendous potential for people with disabilities, which is something we are actively exploring at the National Center on Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning, where I am a co-principle investigator. I’m not sure where it will take us, but I am extremely optimistic that it can enhance the lives of people with disabilities while improving employment and independent living outcomes.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Trustee Chair Subith Vasu and postdoctoral scholar Justin Urso ’15 ’22PhD have been awarded a $750,000 grant from NASA to study the effects that AAM may have on communities. The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers have partnered with Ocala International Airport on this project, which will specifically explore the effects of pollution and noise on the surrounding neighborhoods.

“We partnered with Ocala International Airport because of the air traffic around that community,” Vasu says. “Anything that flies makes noise, and it can be annoying for residents. We’re looking at how to minimize the risk so the community isn’t bothered.”

Ocala International Airport was a prime partner due to its potential for implementation. Vertiports are the specialized launch pads for electrical air vehicles such as drones and air taxis. Companies like Amazon are interested in using AAM technology for fast and convenient home deliveries while organizations like NASA aim to develop this new transportation system that will deliver both goods and people around the world, safely and efficiently.

“If you live in Ocala and want to take a flight to Europe, California or New York, where do you go?” Vasu says. “The Tampa and Orlando airports are two hours away by car. Depending on where you live, AAM can be very helpful.”

Urso says we could see the development of a vertiport at the Ocala International Airport by 2035. The City of Orlando also has a vested interest in AAM and is working with NASA to develop an air transportation system plan. Vasu says, in the future, they may expand their project to include Orlando International Airport.

An additional partner on the project is Yingru Li, a professor of sociology at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, who will conduct community assessments to provide important data on the City of Ocala. Vasu says the goal is to put Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ at the forefront of this developing industry.

“There’s a lot of opportunity within AAM for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and the state of Florida,” Vasu says. “We just want to push Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ as a leader in that field.”

The $150,000 award recognizes young NF researchers across the globe who have made groundbreaking findings early in their careers.

Nagel is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Cristina Fernández-Valle, a Pegasus Professor who leads the Neuroscience Division at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. Fernández-Valle has dedicated her research to NF2 and finding drugs that can induce cell death in these tumors.

Born in Poland, Nagel’s interest in medicine stemmed from her childhood, where she spent time in hospitals helping her sister, who suffered from myopathy, a disorder that causes severe muscle weakness. That inspired her to earn a bachelor’s and master’s in biotechnology and a doctoral degree in breast cancer and tumor microenvironments at the University of Gdansk. She then earned a Fulbright BioLAB Scholarship to join the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation to study the genetics of autoimmune diseases like lupus. After two years, she wished to return to cancer research and joined Fernández-Valle in 2022.

While NF2 tumors are benign, Fernández-Valle’s lab is testing existing, FDA-approved cancer drugs to see if they can kill NF2 tumors. In addition to hearing loss and balance issues, the tumors — called vestibular schwannomas — can cause patients to have difficulty controlling facial expressions, ringing in the ears, and dizziness. While the tumors can be removed surgically, they often grow back quickly and worse than before.

Nagel says she chose to work with Fernández-Valle because “she sees the research as translational. We want to give back to the community.”

With the award, Nagel will identify the tumors’ internal cellular workings and the best way to kill them. She will present her latest findings at the 2024 Global NF Conference in Brussels later this month.

Her advice to young researchers is to stay open to new avenues for pursuing scientific discoveries.

“Be open-minded. Apply for many things,” she says. “Don’t be discouraged when you get rejected. Being a scientist is a great opportunity. There are great science facilities all around the world. Just have fun.”

Pegasus Professors Arlen and Diane Chase were at the Boston Museum of Science to lead about 70 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alumni on a special viewing of the largest Maya exhibit ever mounted in the United States. Michael Johnson, dean of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Sciences and a Boston native, was also on hand.

Only a portion of the full exhibit is on display in Boston, as it travels around the country, but it includes ample materials unearthed by the Chases and the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students who dig alongside them in Belize. The husband-and-wife team have been leading excavations of Maya treasures there since 1979, first at Santa Rita Corozal and since 1985 at Caracol.

The Chases, who came to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 1984 to establish a program in Maya archaeology, work only with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students or graduates at Caracol, which at 200 square kilometers is the largest known Maya site. The couple was fresh off their 2015 digging season when they traveled to Boston to point out exhibit highlights for alumni and answer their questions. The Chases consulted heavily on the exhibit.

“We read every label and proofed them,” said Diane of the displays of their work. She serves as Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s vice provost for academic program quality. Arlen is an associate dean in the College of Sciences.

“I already had tickets to come to this exhibit, so I was planning to come anyway,” said Roberto Santamaria ’09, deputy director of public health for the town of Framingham, Mass. “But it’s unbelievable that we can be with the people who actually did the archaeology. It’s a little surreal.”

Ariel Shapiro ’11, a behavior therapist for Southbay Mental Health, said she never thought she’d see a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alumni event in Massachusetts. “I thought I’d have to go to Florida,” she said. She was so pleased when she heard of the Museum of Science event, she immediately decided to attend.

Santamaria is Costa Rican, and was thrilled to see his own culture and heritage presented in such depth. And the fact that professors from his alma mater were involved? “That makes it even better,” he said.

More Info

www.caracol.org

The award for work that has significantly contributed to advancing the nursing profession was presented in San Antonio at the association’s annual conference.

“Dr. Sole has made exceptional contributions to the body of knowledge of nursing science. Her work has improved the outcomes of numerous patients and she continues to mentor future CNS researchers,” said Carol Manchester, president of the association.

Sole’s primary research is on improving outcomes with critical illness, with a focus on airway management and infection. Her secondary research interest is in the application of technology in clinical and educational settings. She has published more than 65 articles in peer-reviewed journals, mostly covering critical care and nursing education.

Sole has worked at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ since 1991 and was named a Pegasus Professor, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s top faculty honor, in 2008. She is a fellow in both the American Academy of Nursing and the American College of Critical Care Medicine. Her textbook, Introduction to Critical Care Nursing (5th edition) by Sole, Deborah Goldenberg Klein and Marthe J. Moseley, was named Book of the Year in 2010 by the American Journal of Nursing.

She was the lead investigator on a National Institutes of Health nursing research grant related to airway management in critically ill patients, and in 2006 her expertise and commitment earned a gubernatorial nomination to the Florida Biomedical Research Advisory Council, on which she continues to serve.

The Orlando Health Distinguished Professor at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s College of Nursing, Sole received a BSN from Ohio University, a master’s degree in nursing from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified as a critical care clinical nurse specialist.

Eric Van Stryland, professor of optics, is the joint winner of the R.W. Wood Prize, endowed by the Xerox Corporation and presented by the Optical Society of America. The prize is shared with Mansoor Sheik-Bahae, formerly of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, and now a physicist at the University of New Mexico.

The award is given annually in recognition of an outstanding discovery, scientific achievement or invention in the field of optics that opens a new era of research or significantly expands an existing one.

Bahaa Saleh, dean of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s College of Optics & Photonics, said the Wood Prize is an honor that only the most dedicated scientists receive and he is especially proud that Van Stryland is the third faculty member from the college to receive the award.

Professor Demetri Christodoulides received the award in 2011 and George Stegeman, now emeritus professor of optics, was chosen in 2003.

“We are pleased that the Optical Society of America recognizes the vast talent we have here at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝,” Saleh said.

Van Stryland and Sheik-Bahae developed the Z-scan technique that allows researchers to better understand the interaction of high-intensity light with materials and discover new nonlinear optical phenomena. Scientists from all over the world now use this technique to easily measure how materials respond to laser light by simply measuring the transmittance of a material sample as it is moved in and out of the focus of a laser beam.

Using Z-scan measurements, scientists and engineers have been able to select and design materials that can be used to control and manipulate light in specific ways, leading to advances in optics and lasers.

Their technique was published in the IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics in 1989 and remains the most highly cited paper in that journal’s history.

Van Stryland said the award would not have been possible without the support of longtime Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ collaborators, including MJ Soileau, vice president for research & commercialization, and David Hagan, associate dean for academic programs and professor of optics and physics.

“I am greatly honored to win the R.W. Wood Prize and want to be sure to thank, in addition to my colleagues, all the graduate students, post-docs, research scientists and visitors who have taught me so much over the years,” Van Stryland said.

The ability to manipulate light through materials opens up myriad possibilities for applications. Currently, optical communications are via fiber optics where short pulses of light carry information. These pulses are currently detected electronically and sent to the proper destinations. New research is showing that electronics in many areas can be replaced by “smart” optical materials that will greatly speed up communications and allow more information capacity. There are many examples of how specially engineered materials are finding uses in energy, defense, and medicine.

Van Stryland is one of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s most decorated scientists. He is a fellow and past president of the 19,000-member Optical Society of America and a past member of its board of directors. He is also a senior member of the Laser Institute of America, and a fellow of IEEE LEOS, the American Physical Society and SPIE. In 2003 he was awarded Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Pegasus Professor award.

More than 100 elected officials, business executives, journalists and other notables were nominated for consideration because of their demonstrated leadership and contributions to the enrichment and overall growth of Hispanics in Central Florida. The quarterly magazine is published by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.

Fernández moved with his family from Cuba to the United States when he was 12, and is now the highest ranking Hispanic administrator at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. He is responsible for the administrative oversight of the college, building new college policies and developing new programs of excellence.

He earned a doctorate at Florida State University in 1973 and came to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ as a visiting Spanish-language professor in 1981. He was chairman of the Foreign Language and Literature Department before he was named dean.

In addition to winning the Pegasus Professor Award, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s highest honor for teaching, research and service, Fernández has written dozens of books both in English and Spanish. In 2008, President George W. Bush appointed him to the National Museum of the American Latino Commission.

In an article about him in the magazine, Fernandez compares himself to “the first Hispanic explorers visiting the New World.”

Other university-related recipients named to the magazine’s top-25 list were: Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alumnus Tico Perez, a member of the Board of Governors of the State University System, and Conrad Santiago, a former Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Board of Trustees member.

Perez, a son of Cuban immigrants, is co-founder of Edge Public Affairs and serves as national commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America.

Santiago, managing director of Conrad Santiago & Associates/Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., was a founding member and the first president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.