{"id":151794,"date":"2026-03-30T00:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T04:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//?p=151794"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T14:37:11","slug":"meet-ucfs-2026-reach-for-the-stars-honorees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//meet-ucfs-2026-reach-for-the-stars-honorees/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794//","title":{"rendered":"Bold, Relentless, Rising: Meet Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s 2026 Reach for the Stars Honorees"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Big ideas don/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019t wait /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2014 and neither do the researchers behind them./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

The 2026 Reach for the Stars honorees /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2014 six Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ assistant professors /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2014 are already making a substantial impact on their respective fields through meaningful research and creative work that extends far beyond campus, with national and international influence./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Across disciplines, their work and research reflect a shared mission to advance ideas into impact /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2014 uncovering what shapes ethical decision-making in the workplace; exploring the origins of our solar system; developing computational solutions to meet future energy demands; designing more intuitive and reliable software experiences; strengthening education for students with disabilities; and engineering faster, more energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) systems./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Together, this brilliant group represents the kind of bold, forward-thinking innovation Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ continues to champion./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Each year, the Reach for the Stars awards recognize early-career faculty opening new doors for what/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s possible across their fields. The prestigious award is second only to Pegasus Professor as Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s highest faculty honor./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

In recognition of their achievements, each honoree will receive a $10,000 annual research grant for three years in addition to the distinction of being an award recipient./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community is cordially invited to come and congratulate the recipients from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, in the Pegasus Ballroom at the Student Union as part of the 2026 Founders/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019 Day Faculty Honors Celebration./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

This year/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s Reach for the Stars honorees are:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

John Bush/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Assistant professor of management in the College of Business/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

What/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s something few people know about you? /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Working at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is a homecoming for me. Growing up in Florida, I had the opportunity to experience all the great things this state and its universities have to offer. And while my younger self might not have predicted I’d end up in Black & Gold, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and Orlando have been incredible homes./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

What does your research focus on?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

I study when, why, and how employees cross ethical lines, and what role leaders, management policies, and organizational systems play in those decisions. A big part of what makes my work unique is that I focus on an important puzzle: how things we typically think of as “good” can promote unethical behavior. We tend to assume that well-intentioned management practices will always lead to good outcomes. However, my research shows that’s not always the case, and the unintended consequences can be significant./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

What drives you to take on this challenge?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

Before I entered academia, I worked in corporate finance and accounting. That experience meaningfully shaped how I think about ethics in organizations./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

There’s a common assumption that unethical behavior is a /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u201cbad apple/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u201d problem, or rather, that it comes down to an individual’s character or integrity. But as my work has shown, it’s often a /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u201cbad barrel/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u201d problem. The environments organizations create, the systems they put in place and the ways managers approach leadership profoundly influence how people behave./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

What makes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ the right place for you to do this kind of work?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

I’m a firm believer that the people make the place /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2014 and the faculty, staff and students of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ are truly what make it such a great place to be. The College of Business has a management department full of colleagues who are both excellent scholars and genuinely collaborative people./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

What/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s next for you or your research?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n

I’m excited about several new directions, each of which builds upon my existing work. I’m particularly interested in examining more nuanced, less studied drivers of ethical decision-making. For example, what happens when someone becomes an accidental witness to unethical behavior? How does that experience shape what they do next and the moral burden that/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/u2019s placed on them?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/151794/n