Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s 2024 Pegasus Professors represent different disciplines and colleges. But they are more alike than not. All are global influences in their fields and deeply passionate about advancing student success, making valuable discoveries and elevating their university’s reputation for excellence and impact.

Each will also receive $5,000 in earning Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s most prestigious faculty honor.

The campus community is invited to celebrate them and other exceptional faculty for their remarkable teaching, research and service at Wednesday’s Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.

Meet the 2024 Pegasus Professors.

Thomas Bryer

College of Community Innovation and Education, School of Public Administration

Fun fact: He enjoys acting in community theater. His first role was Bobby Brady in a theatrical adaptation of The Brady Bunch.

Thomas Bryer champions civic engagement and partnership as an antidote for political dysfunction and discord.

Bryer’s timely research on teaching and conveying democratic principles and how communities, government, business and organizations can collaborate for better results has made him a global authority on civic engagement. He says his best insights come from rolling up his shirt sleeves and delving into communities, gleaning from their realities and challenges what residents and local organizations can do together to brighten the future.

“Broadly speaking, my work focuses on institutional design to create more civically healthy communities,â€� says Bryer, who arrived at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2007, fresh from earning his doctorate at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “How do we help develop active, ethical citizens? How do we restructure institutions — including governments, nonprofit organizations and universities — to adapt to the changing environments around us and to better empower folks in a democracy? That’s what I try to do.â€�

His prolific work is resonating. His 10 books address democracy’s great challenges, including teaching the next generation about democratic ideals and overcoming civic apathy and paralysis to improve neighborhoods and communities. His latest book, Integrating Community Engagement in Public Affairs Education: Solutions for Professors Working in Divisive Environments, was just released, and a future book is under contract. Publishing, however, is one aspect of Bryer’s impact at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

For instance, in league with Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, he developed a first-of-its-kind international undergraduate dual-degree program in public administration and nonprofit management. It offers civic insights not found elsewhere to students here and abroad. His work helped earn him the Global Lithuanian Leader Award for Scientific Contribution.

At the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Downtown campus, where he is based, Bryer serves as director of community-engaged scholarship. He focuses on ways students, faculty, staff and surrounding community stakeholders can engage for positive results. He says Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Downtown is becoming what he expected when it opened in 2019, “which is a campus to empower not only faculty, staff and students but also the neighbors, the neighborhoods and the residents of the Orlando area.â€�

What Bryer enjoys most about Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is interacting with students. He’s supervised 14 Ph.D. students, with three more to help hood on stage during May commencement.

“As a young university, we have an entrepreneurial spirit, which is critical for the success of the work I do and the kinds of big-vision ideas I try to put forward.� —  Thomas Bryer, Pegasus Professor

“Being able to mentor students is the most special thing for me,� he says. “Their passion is infectious.�

Bryer’s next research adventure, funded by the National Park Service, starts in May. Bryer, his wife, Andrea, and 4-year-old son, Edward, will spend more than a year in a 20-foot travel camper at selected national parks as Bryer chronicles the contributions and impact of park volunteers. He’s writing a blog about a journey expected to yield three books, including one that might be offered at park service gift shops and a children’s book he’ll co-author with his son.

At a university that surpasses boundaries, Bryer is on the leading edge in his field — just as he had hoped to be when Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s opportunities, innovation and potential attracted him years ago.

“As a young university, we have an entrepreneurial spirit, which is critical for the success of the work I do and the kinds of big-vision ideas I try to put forward,� Bryer says.

Debopam Chakrabarti

College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, head of the Division of Molecular Microbiology

Fun fact: Close friends know him as a “foodie� who grows gorgeous English roses.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ infectious disease specialist Debopam Chakrabarti fights malaria, the world’s deadliest mosquito-borne illness. And he’s landing significant punches.

Chakrabarti is a pioneering leader in his field who pursues novel approaches with other expert researchers for conquering a disease that in 2022 inflicted nearly 250 million people and killed 600,000 around the globe, hitting sub-Saharan Africa especially hard. The researchers’ efforts include enlisting cancer drugs, repurposing other approved medicines and identifying promising natural product-derived antimalarials from sources such as fungi, bacteria and coral and sponges from the ocean.

It’s painstaking work in a race to save lives. Current drugs are losing traction in preventing and curing malaria cases. The disease is getting tougher to treat as parasites become more resistant. Led by Chakrabarti, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is at the forefront of finding and accelerating fresh alternatives.

“My anti-malaria drug discovery program started at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,” said Chakrabarti, who joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 1995. “It’s a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-grown program that is finding the cure for malaria.”

His early research on malaria produced a major breakthrough by initiating gene fragment sequencing used to better understand and target parasites. Chakrabarti was also among the first to explore repurposing cancer drugs for malaria therapy. Now, a 5-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health partners Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ researchers with scientists at Stanford University and the University of California San Diego to test cancer drugs for malaria-thwarting properties. Their study was published recently in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Through a second $3.8 million NIH grant, Chakrabarti’s team partners with a University of Oklahoma chemist to examine how fungus-derived compounds kill the malaria parasite, with insights detailed last month in Cell Chemical Biology.

Chakrabarti’s prominence in malaria research developed after he left the University of Florida as the scientific director of molecular biology services for a new research opportunity at a smaller school of 25,000 students near Orlando. He wasn’t sold initially on leaving Gainesville.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ was known for optics, lasers and engineering, yet the university had done little research in the biomedical sciences and lacked a doctoral program in the discipline.

“Once I got the offer, I had to think about whether it would be a wise decision to join when there was nothing there almost,� he says.

But Chakrabarti saw a bold future for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and Orlando, already a fast-growing major metropolitan area with potential for attracting a medical school and more health-related research. His vision proved to be spot on over time, and Chakrabarti has thrived as an impactful force for progress.

“Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is a young institution. Its growth is creating new opportunities and directions, and that’s very gratifying.â€� — Debopam Chakrabarti, Pegasus Professor

He was deeply involved in the expansion of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s biomedical research programs, which eventually led to the development of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. Chakrabarti was part of the team that created a doctoral program in biomedical sciences and a bachelor’s degree program in biotechnology. He also fashioned a biotechnology laboratory course that gained international attention.

In the mid-1990s, Chakrabarti was among Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s first faculty members to attain a NIH grant, starting a funding streak with the federal agency that continues. His work has resulted in four patents for innovative antimalarial programs and four more applications are pending.

He also takes pride in training the next generation of scientists, preparing Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students for successful careers and fostering interest among high school students in biomedical studies. A professed around-the-clock scientist, Chakrabarti has no plans to wind down.

“Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is a young institution. Its growth is creating new opportunities and directions, and that’s very gratifying,â€� he says.

Damla Turgut

College of Engineering and Computer Science, chair of the Department of Computer Science 

Fun fact: She likes swimming: “I don’t get to swim a lot, but every year I promise myself I should swim more,� she says.

Damla Turgut’s packed days at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ leave little room for the pool. But she’s OK with it. She’s jazzed by her work, the growth of her students and faculty colleagues — and future possibilities.

“When people say ‘Your work is your life,’ I think I’m probably a good example of that. I don’t think I really associate with 8 to 5 or 8 to 8. There’s no timeline for me,’’ says Turgut, who is known to answer emails late at night and before sunrise. “There’s never a dull moment in computer science.�

Turgut joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2002 when it had half of today’s 69,000 enrollment. Having just earned her doctoral degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, she faced an intriguing career decision: Start at a prominent university with grand old buildings and set ways or take a chance on a promising young school with an entrepreneurial spirit.

“I think the reason I ended up at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is because it was an institution that was trying to become something more. It had all this ambition and ideas, and they were inviting me to be part of it,â€� she says. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is never satisfied with the status quo. We’re always looking for ways to improve ourselves.â€�

As Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ developed into a remarkable success story, so did Turgut.

She became an internationally known researcher in emerging technologies such as wireless communication networks, mobile computing and sensor networks. She’s had visiting researcher roles at the University of Rome, the Imperial College London and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and she engages with other top thought leaders in her field through professional service roles. For instance, she’s the editor-in-chief of Computer Communications, an international journal for the computer and telecommunications industry.

“I think the reason I ended up at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is because it was an institution that was trying to become something more. It had all this ambition and ideas, and they were inviting me to be part of it.â€� — Damla Turgut, Pegasus Professor

In 2022, Turgut became chair of her college’s largest division, the Department of Computer Science. She enjoys promoting faculty growth and helping shape programs to advance student success and meet industry needs. She’s especially passionate about teaching and mentoring students.

“I think the best thing about being a faculty member is to just see your students grow,� Turgut says. “I try to encourage those students who did not have the same opportunity as me or the same encouragement that I had growing up.�

Turgut grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. Her father was an architect, and her mother and aunt were teachers and her role models. Turgut wanted to teach as they did, and she still tears up when she speaks of being hooded as a doctoral graduate.

Now she’s a role model. Eight of every 10 computer science students tend to be male, and Turgut recalls being far outnumbered in college where computer science hooked her right away. She never felt out of place, however.

“Professors were so nice and never made us feel like ‘you are not a man, and we don’t expect the same,’ � Turgut says. “I don’t want people to treat me differently because I’m a woman. I want to be here because of my merit. I’m here because I can do this.�

Turgut sees an exciting future for the college’s teaching and research in areas such as computer vision, artificial intelligence and digital twin technology. She’s proud of the journey she shares with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and its ascent as Florida’s premier school for engineering and technology.

Gone are the days when she meets conference goers who haven’t heard of her university.

“Now they say ‘Oh, we heard you guys are doing this’ or they will know about a program,â€� Turgut says. “You feel like you contributed to that growth, and that’s a really good feeling.â€�

The transdisciplinary, global reach of the program will impact students at both universities, as well as the communities they serve.

“Our universities are now bound with a history-making program,â€� says Professor Thomas Bryer, the lead in development for the dual-degree agreement. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students will build knowledge in global awareness and competency in public administration and governance. KTU students will build on their experience and professionalism to carry with them as future leaders in the nonprofit sector.â€�

Bryer has worked closely with KTU officials, students and professors since 2014. He was a Fulbright Scholar living for two months each fall from 2015-2017 in Lithuania to conduct research on citizen participation with municipal governments. Today, Bryer leads a research project at KTU, with funding from the Lithuanian Science Council, focusing on non-economic factors of emigration from the country.

Modern history of Lithuania includes its occupation during World War II by Germany, and following the war, by the Soviet Union. Soviet occupation lasted for 45 years, until Lithuania declared independence in 1990. Lithuania is part of the European Union and maintains a population of approximately 3 million people. Geographically, Lithuania neighbors Poland, Latvia and Belarus.

EglÄ— VaidelytÄ—, lead program designer and associate professor at KTU, says the agreement provides a unique opportunity for students to expand their studies.

“The dual degree program is a remarkable event in the academic history of both universities. The program focuses on key issues of governance and nonprofit leadership in a globalizing world. It allows students to acquire a thorough understanding of how public policies affect outcomes and citizens in a context of changing political and social settings.�

Before this program, the two universities signed another landmark agreement. Erasmus+ is a European-funded exchange program that supports students studying at partnering universities for up to one year and allows professors and staff to visit for teaching or professional development.

Under the new dual degree agreement, students obtain undergraduate degrees from both universities, expanding opportunities for international interaction and understanding. The first cohort will study together at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in Spring 2022 and in Lithuania the following semester. New cohorts will study at both universities each spring and fall thereafter.

“In fifty years, I hope our successors remember this semester as the start of a long-lasting and globally recognized program built on a partnership that started with a simple idea. We can improve studies, research and lives by breaking down some walls and opening our doors,� says Bryer.

Those are two of the stops being made this week by several dozen Romanian officials participating in a pilot exchange program coordinated by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Center for Public and Nonprofit Management, the American Society for Public Administration and the Romanian Magazine of Local Public Administration.

The Romanians are local elected officials and public servants interested in learning firsthand about the United States’ approach to public management, said Associate Professor Thomas Bryer, director of the center and a coordinator of the event.

“Romania is an emerging democracy seeking fresh insights,� he explained.

During the four-day program, the group is meeting with local leaders from government, nonprofit and school organizations; attending presentations on topics such as American governance and cross-sector collaboration; and visiting sites concerned with social services, environmental sustainability and education.

On Tuesday the group traveled to Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. Cristina Mita, managing editor of the Romanian magazine, thought Second Harvest’s work was “amazing.�

“The group was visibly impressed by the size of the food bank, the partnerships involved in supporting the food bank and the commitment to help hungry citizens in central Florida citizens,� Bryer said.

On schedule for today are morning presentations on citizen and community engagement and on public health, with the latter led by Dr. Kevin Sherin, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and a member of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ center’s advisory council. The schedule also includes an afternoon tour of the Orange County Emergency Operations Center, as well as time to reflect and asked questions.

“The center is very proud to host this distinguished delegation,â€� Bryer shared. “I look forward to strengthening these new relationships — and new friendships — in the months and years ahead.â€�

Learn more about the program at .

For additional photos of the food bank tour, visit http://bit.ly/17hry4Y.

The day is set aside to give children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the benefits of walking, according to the International Walk to School website.

In the United States, walkers began celebrating in 1997 with hopes of creating communities that are safe places to walk. Last year more than 4,000 groups walked in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, which coordinates efforts nationwide.

In Central Florida, the Walking School Bus, a national project that has its local base at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Center for Public and Nonprofit Management, will participate in the day through its ongoing walking programs at Sybelia Elementary in Maitland, Eagle’s Nest in Orlando’s Metro West and Robert Louis Stevenson School of the Arts on Merritt Island among others.

Each program has been tailored to meet the school’s needs. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students mapped the route, presented the program to parents and helped launch the walking program at Stevenson, for example, while Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is conducting research about the benefits of walking for the fourth-year program at Sybelia. At Eagle’s Nest, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ helped volunteers from the non-profit Soldiers to School organization get the program rolling. Parents and community members have responded with volunteers and enthusiasm. Recently, Spirit Elementary in Deltona also joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Walking School Bus program.

“This is a program that is good for kids and brings communities together,� said Tim Pehlke, the center’s assistant director for the program. “We’re hitting very important areas – safety, health and even helping the environment.�

Administrators at Stevenson Elementary, a school of choice in Brevard County, were looking for a way to help alleviate potential traffic problems when budget cuts eliminated buses to the school.

The school sits next to Kelly Park, and Principal Michael Corneau thought he could somehow use that park to help offset traffic while keeping students safe. That’s when he connected with the Walking School Bus.

“It is a great opportunity because we hit the challenge on many different levels,� he said. “It’s great for kids to get the chance to walk. Parents don’t have to sit in – shall we say – a challenging car loop, and with the volunteers we keep the kids safe from point A to point C.�

Ten parent volunteers line a pathway from a drop off point in Kelly Park to the school’s back fields. There, school staff members meet the children and walk them to the main campus. Heavy backpacks, musical instruments and other large items are loaded into a golf cart that is driven to the school so children don’t hurt their backs on the ¾-mile walk. Local business IAP Worldwide Services donated the cart when its owner heard about the program. The principal hopes to recruit more volunteers from the community as the year unfolds.

“The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students made the presentation to my parent group,â€� Corneau said. “Then we pitched it before and during registration. We started with about 10 students on day one, and this week we have about 85. The kids love it because they get to hang out with their friends on the walk. The parents love the ease and I like it because I know my kids are safe, getting some exercise and we’re being good neighbors.â€�

At Lake Sybelia, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is helping by monitoring the walking and conducting some research to see the impact it can have on children’s health.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our student to get exercise and get the wiggles out before the school day begins,â€� said Lake Sybelia Principal and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ alum Julie Paradise. “We highly encourage it.â€�

Lake Sybelia  has two routes starting in different neighborhoods. About 15-20 students participate in each route with three to six escorts. One parent usually pulls a little red wagon piled with backpacks so the walkers can proceed unrestricted, Paradise said.

In Orlando’s Metro West, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is helping the volunteers from Soldiers to Scholars (). The organization helps veterans get four-year degrees while the veterans help their local communities by volunteering for different projects. The Walking School Bus was a perfect fit. Volunteers from Soldiers to Scholars meet at an apartment complex on Kirkham Road that is home to many school children. Together they walk the mile and half to a park near the school. From there they watch the children walk through the school’s front doors.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ mapped the route, provided reflective vests and whistles to the soldier volunteers, and helped spread the word about the program. There are about 35 students who make the walk each morning and afternoon.

“We’re just getting started,â€� said Thomas Bryer, the director of the center for public and nonprofit management at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. “We have plans to help 20 more schools get going by 2014 in Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, Volusia counties.â€�

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ team is already in discussions with several schools, and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students in an urban and regional planning class are busy mapping out potential routes in those areas so they can be ready to go once agreements have been reached. The routes are being mapped with safety features in mind such as: availability of sidewalks, width of sidewalk, distance between street and sidewalk, speed limits on streets, and speed mitigation/traffic-calming devices such as speed bumps. Funding for the Walking School Bus is provided by several grants including money from the Florida Department of Transportation.

“It’s a feel-good project that really has no losers,� Pehlke said. “I mean, we’re keeping kids safe from getting hit by cars and strangers, we’re helping them get their exercise and we’re helping the environment by giving parents a good option to driving to school. Who can be against that?�

Thomas Bryer, assistant professor of public administration, has been lending his expertise in community engagement and process design at meetings convened by Seminole County’s Department of Community Services. 

He has helped the county facilitate two “community conversations” among those who provide services to the county’s homeless.  And, most recently, he helped design and implement a survey of the service providers.

Both the meetings and survey results will help the county identify the “paths” homeless clients take in accessing services. They also may reveal areas where improvements can be made — valuable information for the county as it develops strategies to reduce homelessness.

Bryer joined the effort thanks to Nancy Ellis, director of the Center for Community Partnerships in the College of Health and Public Affairs. She was aware of the county’s plans to hold the meetings and knew Bryer could help. She also secured funding from the college to support Bryer’s efforts.

To hear Bryer help facilitate Seminole County’s most recent “community conversation,” held in March in Altamonte Springs, visit http://cmfmedia.org/2011/04/homelessness-a-community-conversation/

July 2011 UPDATE: Assistant Professor Bryer has continued his work with the Seminole County homeless community.