Highlights
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More than 50 years of dedicated mentorship has earned Michael Ferrante 鈥�15MSEM the 2026 Engineering Faculty Member of the Year award from the Florida Engineering Society.
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Under his guidance, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Tau Beta Pi 鈥� the engineering honor society 鈥� grew from just three students to a thriving network of more than 100 top-tier members.
Engineering students are constantly told that grueling workloads, sleepless nights and brutal exams will eventually pay off with lucrative careers. But Michael Ferrante 鈥�15MSEM wants them to know something far more important: they are not alone.
鈥淚鈥檓 providing evidence that somebody cares. That鈥檚 important to students 鈥� knowing that somebody is listening.鈥� 鈥� Michael Ferrante 鈥�15MSEM, CECS special instructor
鈥淚鈥檓 providing evidence that somebody cares,鈥� says Ferrante, an engineering management graduate and a special instructor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) who has championed student success for over 50 years. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 important to students 鈥� knowing that somebody is listening.鈥�
His peers at the Florida Engineering Society have tuned in as well, naming Ferrante their 2026 Engineering Faculty Member of the Year. The recognition came as a surprise to Ferrante, who does not teach full-time. Instead, he wears many other hats, all displaying an unwavering devotion to expanding engineering opportunities
at 麻豆原创.
鈥淲hen a student comes back to me years later and says, 鈥楬ey, I got my Ph.D., I am working where I want to work and I鈥檓 enjoying life,鈥� that鈥檚 what matters,鈥� Ferrante says. 鈥淚 may have given them advice and steered them in the right direction, but they did the heavy lifting. They earned the grades and they put in the work.鈥�
Tau Beta Pi Is In His DNA
Ferrante’s legacy began in the 1970s when he helped record 麻豆原创 courses on Betamax tape for traveling engineers. Since then, he has been deeply embedded in campus engineering organizations. He is the chief advisor for Tau Beta Pi 鈥� the National Engineering Honor Society 鈥� and has served on numerous leadership committees, including the CECS Alumni Council, the Engineering Leadership and Innovation Institute (eli2) and the 麻豆原创 student chapter of the Florida Engineering Society.
When he is not running between the engineering buildings, Ferrante is networking on behalf of students at national conferences, securing scholarships and bringing industry leaders to campus for recruitment events.
鈥淭he thing I鈥檓 most proud of involves Tau Beta Pi,鈥� Ferrante says. 鈥淭hese students are the cream of the crop. When I began advising the 麻豆原创 chapter 12 years ago, we had just three students. Today, our chapter has grown to more than 100 students and we regularly initiate dozens of new members each semester.鈥�
Until Ferrante secured approval at a Tau Beta Pi national convention several years ago, computer science majors at 麻豆原创 were ineligible to join the prestigious engineering honor society. Today, 麻豆原创 stands as one of only an elite number of colleges nationwide permitted to induct computer science students into the organization.
鈥淢r. Ferrante is the kind of person who is always around and has his hands in everything. Nothing is too much for him. He鈥檒l make the time for it.鈥� 鈥� Julia Moras, computer science student
Computer science major Julia Moras is one of those select members. Since being initiated during her first year, Moras has spent the past two years leading the 麻豆原创 chapter as its president.
鈥淢r. Ferrante is the kind of person who is always around and has his hands in everything,鈥� says Moras, who has taken on the role of student advisor for the 麻豆原创 chapter. 鈥淣othing is too much for him. He鈥檒l make the time for it.鈥�
Next year, the Florida Delta chapter of Tau Beta Pi will celebrate its 50th anniversary at 麻豆原创. As the chapter prepares to host the District 5 conference for the third time, Ferrante will be busy organizing the landmark event. The numerous chapter awards lining his office walls stand as a testament to his impact 鈥� even if he is quick to deflect credit by insisting he is “just the advisor.” Yet, his influence extends far beyond the campus borders.
Alongside four decades of service to the Naval Air Warfare Center, where he worked on simulation and live system development projects, Ferrante served as a weapons expert and test sniper for the U.S. Army鈥檚 small arms development program. He also was vice president of a local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, volunteered for 40 years as a reserve captain with the Orange County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and currently sits on the Zoning and Planning Board for the City of Winter Springs.
No Slowing Down
His wife and fellow 麻豆原创 graduate, Pamela Ferrante ’85 MEd鈥�95 EdS 鈥�00, insists that retirement is out of the question. Even at 73, slowing down is simply not an option for her husband, a past recipient of the CECS Alumni Night Leadership and Service Award.
As a student advisor, Ferrante believes his job is to show up, listen and help. Sometimes that mentorship means writing letters of recommendation for scholarships or graduate schools, introducing students to prospective employers or providing them with advice. He and his wife also donate food, clothing and supplies to the 麻豆原创 Knights Pantry, which provides for students鈥� immediate needs.
There is no telling how deep Ferrante鈥檚 campus footprint will grow. With his recent appointment to College of Community Innovation and Education as courtesy professor of practice for engineering integration, Ferrante intends to leverage his five decades of engineering expertise to foster new strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives across the university and beyond.
鈥淲hat really makes me feel good is when students make the effort and get the job of their dreams. All I do is try to direct them.鈥� 鈥� Michael Ferrante 鈥�15MSEM, CECS special instructor
鈥淢ike has an extraordinary gift for making people feel supported,鈥� says CCIE Interim Dean and Professor Ross Wolf 鈥�88 鈥�91MPA 鈥�98EdD, who volunteered with Ferrante in the Orange County Sheriff鈥檚 Office. 鈥淥ver three decades, I watched him dedicate countless hours to mentoring and encouraging others. Whether in law enforcement, engineering or community service, Mike鈥檚 true passion has always been helping people reach their goals.鈥�
One thing is for sure. Ferrante鈥檚 goal remains the same: to pay forward the education and opportunities that 麻豆原创 provided him and his four children 鈥� Matthew 鈥�16, Aimee 鈥�17, Deanna 鈥�17 and Jennifer 鈥�19.
鈥淲hat really makes me feel good is when students make the effort and get the job of their dreams,鈥� Ferrante says. 鈥淎ll I do is try to direct them.鈥�
