Our students are groundbreaking national and global scholarship winners, researchers, athletes, teaching assistants, residence assistants and leaders in campus organizations, including Student Government, LEAD Scholars and the President’s Leadership Council. The honorees include transfer students, those from first-generation and international backgrounds and members of the Burnett Honors College.

Aside from focusing on academics and campus causes, many of the student honorees volunteered at hospitals, schools, parks, food banks, shelters, clinics, youth clubs and with many community service organizations — at times as organizers and coordinators for support drives and campaigns.

“When you look at this group, you see trajectory.” — John Buckwalter, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

“The students we recognize at our Founders’ Day Student Honors Celebration are extraordinary not just for what they’ve achieved, but for how they’ve shaped their time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. They’ve pursued opportunities, challenged themselves and lifted others along the way,” says John Buckwalter, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “When you look at this group, you see trajectory — students whose experiences here are opening doors in meaningful ways and changing the direction of their futures, the trajectories of their families and the communities they inhabit.”

Student award categories highlight new inductees of the Order of Pegasus, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s highest student honor; graduate awards for outstanding master’s thesis and outstanding dissertation; undergraduate awards for honors thesis; and individual college awardees as chosen by the respective college deans. All honorees earned financial awards.

This year’s 37 inductees into the Order of Pegasus mark the 25^th anniversary class of top-achieving Knights. The average GPA of the 2026 class is 3.912.

The campus community is invited to attend the Student Honors Celebration on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom. A brief reception will follow.

Here are the students to be recognized.

Order of Pegasus Inductees

• Fatima Alziyad, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Andy Ayup, College of Sciences
• Megan Bailey, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Stacie Becker ’23, College of Arts and Humanities
• Akash Hari Bharath ’25MS, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Swati Bhargava ’25MS, College of Optics and Photonics
• Sanjana Bhatt, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Griffon Binkowski ’24, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Nico Chen, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Kyle Coutray, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Allyson Crighton, College of Nursing and Burnett Honors College
• Nyauni Crowelle-Feggins, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Cameron Cummins, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Andrew “Drew” Hansen ’25, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Andrea Hernandez Gomez, College of Sciences
• Lindsey Hildebrand, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Ariana Johnson, College of Medicine
• Sanjan Kumar ’23, College of Medicine
• Kworweinski Lafontant, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Meera Lakshmanan, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
• Ilana Logvinov, College of Nursing
• Hannah Lovejoy, College of Business
• Taiel Lucile, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Robin Marquez, College of Sciences
• Shanel Moya Aguero, College of Community Innovation and Education and Burnett Honors College
• Gabrielle “Gabby” Murison, College of Sciences
• Varun Nannuri, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Natalie Otero, College of Business and Burnett Honors College
• Om Pathak, College of Medicine, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Pritha Sarkar ’24, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Jacob Vierling, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Janapriya Vijayakumar, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Ornella Vintimilla, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Om Vishanagra, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College

Undergraduate Student Awards

College Founders’ Award

• Liam Pivnichny, Burnett Honors College
• Antonella Bisbal Hernandez, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jordan Nell, College of Business
• Jude Hagan, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Timothy Horanic, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Sun Latt, College of Medicine
• Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
• Jacob Silver, College of Optics and Photonics
• Emily Willis, College of Sciences
• Fabian Rodriguez Gomez, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis

• Edwin Garcia ’25, College of Arts and Humanities, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Arts, Humanities and Creative Inquiry
• Eric Haseman ’25, College of Sciences, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Social Sciences
• Shreya S. Pawar ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Natural Sciences
• Andrea C. Molero Perez ’25, College of Medicine, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Health Sciences
• Nicholas Rose ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Engineering and Technology

Graduate Student Awards

Outstanding Dissertation

• Jessica Moon ’25PhD, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Michael Pierro ’20 ’23MS ’25PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science

“There has always been a need for open educational resources in higher education,” says Nicole Lapeyrouse, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ chemistry professor and 2023 Affordable Instructional Materials (AIM) High Impact Award winner. “By adopting or creating OER, you are able to further support students by making your courses more affordable and helping reduce the financial burden on students.”

Isabella Griffin, a student in Lapeyrouse’s Chemistry Fundamentals I course, confirms those benefits.

“The free textbook has helped ease the financial burden associated with being a college student.,” she says. “Sometimes, high prices prevent students from having textbook access — to the detriment of student learning. I greatly appreciate the free and open access to [the eBook]. It has increased my ability to access relevant and useful resources related to class.”

“From my own personal experience with not always having access to affordable resources,” says Lapeyrouse, “I wanted to prevent students from having to make a tough call on [whether to] buy the required resources or pay a bill.”

According to the 2022 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey conducted by Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), 53% of students from Florida’s public higher education institutions indicated they did not purchase a required textbook for financial reasons. Forty-four percent took fewer courses. Thirty-eight percent did not register for a specific course. And 24% dropped a course due to the high cost of textbooks.

During the Fall 2022 semester, at least 61 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ faculty members provided their required course materials at no cost to students through the use of OER. These efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $1,439,063.64 for 12,306 students enrolled in 99 course sections across four colleges and 12 departments. Since the Fall 2020 semester, roughly 18% of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students took a course offering OER — a 9% increase.

“We are grateful to our faculty who go the extra distance to make student course materials affordable,” says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “The success of our students is paramount, and these efforts are being felt university-wide.”

The growth of OER across Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ has been fueled by a mixture of highly-motivated teams situated within Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ , , Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL), Student Government, registered student organizations, such as , and most importantly, the faculty units intent on delivering free, openly-licensed course materials to replace costly versions of the same or very similar content being sold on the free market.

“The work that Nicole and her colleagues are doing on OER is remarkable in several aspects,” says Department of Chemistry Chair Michael Hampton. “These OER materials are readily available at any time, at no charge, and can be used as a library for students to review and reinforce their studies. Additionally, faculty, including Nicole and her colleagues, are preparing these materials free of charge — [an example of] action arising from dedication.”

Data, such as those reported in the FLVC survey, continue to motivate Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ faculty, staff and students to devise actionable plans for creating viable open solutions that promote equitable access to customizable, shareable and impactful course materials.

This year, Student Government  has been a major talking point at recent meetings with high-level administration, and units across campus have already offered support to amplify student voices on this topic.

The FCTL, for example, expressed a willingness to deliver select communications about open education and shared ideas for a tabling opportunity to increase faculty awareness. Registered student organization Florida PIRG Students at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is also back in swing and working with the to help bring textbook affordability to the forefront.

Additionally, the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Libraries continues to offer support to the open education initiative by collaborating during bi-weekly team meetings, supporting Wiki Knights tabling events and generally helping advance strategic aspects of the OER movement.

How to Get Tickets

Students must use their Knights email to create an account and claim their tickets online through Ticketmaster March 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets are limited and will be first come, first served.

Once students have claimed their tickets, they will receive email from Student Government with a link to sign up for a pick-up date and time during a three-week distribution period. Students will need their Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ ID to pick-up their tickets.

Digital ticket vouchers will not provide students access to the event.

Guest Tickets

This year, guest tickets will not be sold for Universal Knights.

Pass Holders

Universal Studios annual and seasonal pass holders still need to get a Universal Knights ticket to attend the entire event. Only attendees with the Universal Knights wristband will be allowed inside the park after 8 p.m. Annual passholders without a Universal Knights wristband must leave the park by 8 p.m.

Transient Students

Students who are enrolled at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ but currently taking courses at another college or university for the Spring 2021 semester are unable to receive a free Universal Knights ticket.

Transferring Tickets

Students who have claimed a ticket and no longer wish to or are unable to attend Universal Knights may give their ticket to another student. To do so, do not use the transfer ticket option on Ticketmaster. Students who originally claimed a ticket must pick up physical tickets in-person before giving it to another student.

Reselling Tickets

Selling a Universal Knights ticket is a violation of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Golden Rule. Violations are handled on a case-by-case basis by the Golden Rule Review Committee.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

Universal has implemented COVID-19 guidelines to ensure safety guidelines for all of their guests, which includes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students during the entire Universal Knights event.  These safety measures include:

• Temperature checks will be required upon arrival, and guests with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater will not be admitted.
• Wearing a face covering throughout the park, including while waiting for and on rides, is required.
• Practice social distancing and keep at least 6 feet between your travel party and others.
• While in lines at the parks, standing on the floor markings until the group in front of you moves forward.
• At select locations including prior to boarding ride vehicles, guests will be required to use hand sanitizer.
• Washing hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds.
• Following directions from team members and having patience as Universal works through these new operational procedures.

Transportation

Students who plan to drive to and from Universal Studios must use the free parking pass provided by SG. The parking pass becomes valid at 3 p.m. on the day of the event.

SG will provide limited busing to Universal Studios from main campus and back. Students must sign up for separate rides to and from the park between 3 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. on the day of the event.  Students will need to bring their Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ IDs to ride these buses.

Food and Drinks

You are allowed to take bottled water and small snacks in a backpack or soft-sided bag.

There are different quick-service dining plans that include meals, snack and drinks available between $15.99 and $29.99 plus tax. They can be purchased online in advance or at guest services on the day of your visit.

What to Wear

Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you will be on your feet for hours.

Don’t forget sunscreen and hats to help keep you protected from the heat before the sun goes down.

A lightweight jacket might also be useful at night in case it gets cooler.

What to Take

Students must present a valid Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ ID at the entrance of the parks on April 12 in order to attend Universal Knights.

To save money, take a small backpack with snacks and sealed water bottles.

Be sure to put your phone on low-battery mode and, if you have one, take a portable charger to make sure your phone doesn’t die.

Wait Times for Rides

You can save time looking for the shortest lines by downloading the Magic Guide: Universal Orlando app to keep track of each ride’s wait time.

Share your experience on social media by tagging @Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, @Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝SG and using #UniversalKnights2021.

The segment focuses on newly implemented safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including Plexiglas in high-contact areas, classroom and resident hall capacities, and sanitizing stations around campus.

“To me, student safety is the priority, and we have to focus on that,” Student Government President Sabrina La Rosa says in the clip.

This year’s inductees include seven LEAD Scholars, five President’s Leadership Council members, seven Student Government leaders, 11 Burnett Honors College scholars, three Greek members, two student-athletes and three transfer students, including one as a master’s degree student. Their collective GPA is 3.88.

Undergraduate students are selected based on academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community service. Graduate students additionally are chosen based on publication or research experiences.

This year’s recipients will be honored at 5 p.m. April 6 at a ceremony in the Pegasus Ballroom.

The names and pictures of the recipients will be added to the wall showcasing past and present Order of Pegasus recipients in the Pegasus Lounge on the second floor of the Student Union. Inductees also receive commemorative medals and scholarships from Student Government.

This year’s recipients are:

• Yaser Ahmad, biomedical sciences (College of Medicine, Burnett Honors College)
• Karla Badillo-Urquiloa ’14 ’15MS, modeling and simulation (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Kyle Benkel, biomedical sciences (College of Medicine, Burnett Honors College)
• Samantha Berg, (College of Sciences, Burnett Honors College)
• Giorgi Beruashvili, international and global studies (College of Sciences, Burnett Honors College)
• Safia Centner, – pre-clinical (College of Health Professions and Sciences, Burnett Honors College)
• Breon Clark, – pre-clinical (College of Health Professions and Sciences)
• Kristen Detz, elementary education (College of Community Innovation and Education, Burnett Honors College)
• Jenna Dovydaitis, political science/biology (College of Sciences, Burnett Honors College)
• Taylor Duffy, – pre-clinical (College of Health Professions and Sciences)
• Kyler Gray, (College of Community Innovation and Education)
• Timothy Hill ’18, /criminal justice (College of Community Innovation and Education)
• Stephanie Jarmak, physics/planetary science (College of Sciences)
• Samuel Mikhail, biomedical sciences (College of Medicine, Burnett Honors College)
• Victoria Millington, biomedical sciences (College of Medicine, Burnett Honors College)
• Madeline Mills, political science/pre-law (College of Sciences)
• Sharon Park ’19, (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Taylor Pryor, English literature (College of Arts and Humanities, Burnett Honors College)
• Ryan Ridenbaugh ’16, biology (College of Sciences)
• Allison Sabol, (College of Business)
• Rachel Sampson, (College of Optics and Photonics)
• Sirikanya Sellers, (College of Medicine)
• Sarah Swiersz, (College of Undergraduate Studies, Burnett Honors College)
• George Walters-Marrah, biomedical sciences (College of Medicine)

More than 20 of our students are from the Bahamas, and our hearts go out to them, their families and their communities. In addition, many of our faculty and staff have connections to these islands.

There are a those hurt by Hurricane Dorian, and I encourage you to support the Bahamas the way that seems best to you. You also can reach out to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Global or Student Government to learn more about local relief efforts. Other efforts are underway for any affected students and will be shared soon.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ was fortunately spared the worst of Hurricane Dorian. Our experience preparing for the storm made me very proud of our university’s response.

Katie and I applaud the professionalism of our emergency management and public safety teams. They prepared our campuses this past week and ensured everything is up and running today. We also saw firsthand the compassion of those from Housing and Residence Life .

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s financial aid, student account services and finance and accounting teams worked throughout the closure, as well, to complete disbursements and refunds this week.

Our medical students volunteered in Seminole County shelters to care for people who had to leave their homes. There’s no better way to give back than when it’s needed most.

The Knights Helping Knights Pantry, which reopens today, provides free clothing, food, toiletries and other items to students, no questions asked.

If you purchased more food than needed to prepare for the storm, consider donating those items to Knights Pantry. You can drop off items at the pantry in Ferrell Commons, at the President’s Office in Millican Hall or in donation bins set up across campus, which can be found under “Maps” in the .

Storm closures are never easy, but I encourage our faculty to be flexible with students who heeded early warnings and chose to evacuate. Equally important, any student who has difficulty returning in time for Friday classes should contact their faculty member directly.

Times like these remind me of the many reasons why Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is so special — and why our campus community truly is a family.

Charge On!