A bird bursting from the ocean or a mobula ray launching skyward makes the transition from water to air look effortless. For unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, it鈥檚 one of the hardest maneuvers to replicate.

Now, 麻豆原创 researchers are studying how wing shape and motion affect that split-second transition 鈥� work that could help improve future amphibious UAVs.

Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and aerospace engineering master鈥檚 student Dominic Polidoro 鈥�25 are investigating the physical forces that interact as a wing exits the water and enters the air, a process known as egress. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM Army Research Office, the nine-month project aims to develop mathematical models to improve the technology used in military amphibious vehicles.

“This technology can 鈥� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles.”

The research could also expand the use of amphibious UAVs in civilian scenarios such as search-and-rescue missions in coastal areas, ocean monitoring and disaster response.

鈥淭his technology can 鈥� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles,鈥� Bhattacharya says. 鈥淚n 10 years, amphibious UAVs could perform reliable and stable dives and exits with better payload capacity and autonomous control in complex environments, far beyond today鈥檚 unreliable transitions.鈥�

While researchers have extensively studied how drones enter water, far less is understood about how they exit it. Previous studies show that as a wing rises from the water, the lift generated by it will increase until it suddenly reverses direction before stabilizing. Why this occurs is not yet known, but the answer is crucial to understanding UAV performance.

鈥淚n general, when a UAV egresses, it causes lift overshoot followed by a sharp drop,鈥� Bhattacharya says. 鈥淪uch rapid changes in lift forces can create instability, leading to loss of control. Understanding this transition will not only improve our knowledge of creatures in nature but also allow for drone designs that can use or mitigate the lift increase and decrease that occurs.鈥�

Inside the in , Bhattacharya and Polidoro use a water tank and 3D-printed wings to study how surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding interact during egress. They aim to better understand the physical forces that drive this transition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to disentangle the effects of surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding because they occur simultaneously on very short timescales and strongly influence each other,鈥� Bhattacharya says.

The duo presented earlier findings from their research at the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum in January.

Faculty Background

Bhattacharya joined 麻豆原创 in 2016. He earned his doctoral degree in aerospace engineering from The Ohio State University, his master鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and his bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Warangal, located in India.

For almost a century, researchers have known that vertical land motion 鈥� the lifting and sinking of the ground 鈥� affects sea level locally. As the ground sinks, the sea level rises relative to the land. Scientists also assumed this process generally occurred at a steady rate over time. But a research team that includes Thomas Wahl, a 麻豆原创 researcher and associate professor in the , has found that ground subsidence has undergone phases of variable change, creating significant implications for coastal communities.

“In many places, … sea level is going up one to three millimeters a year, but the land is going down 10, 15 times as fast.”

In an article recently published in Nature Geosciences, Wahl and his research collaborators demonstrate that the rate of vertical land motion is nonlinear in many coastal communities, particularly in Louisiana and along the Mississippi Delta. As the land sinks, relative sea level rises, increasing the risk of coastal flooding from high tides and storm surge that can damage homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.

鈥淚n many places like Louisiana, sea level is going up one to three millimeters a year, but the land is going down 10, 15 times as fast,鈥� Wahl says. 鈥淎nd that compounds the effect of sea level rise. As the sea level goes up and land goes down, you have a bigger problem.鈥�

A New Challenge for Coastal Communities

“Our results reveal that … groundwater extraction and … earthquakes have led to periods of rapid sinking or rising of coastal land.”

Current projections of future sea-level change typically assume that ground motion behaves linearly over time. However, the study challenges that assumption. Using observational data from tide gauges, the team, led by Associate Professor S缨nke Dangendorf of Tulane University, reconstructed vertical land motion dating back to the early 20th century.

鈥淥ur results reveal that human activities such as groundwater extraction and natural phenomena such as earthquakes have led to periods of rapid sinking or rising of coastal land,鈥� Dagendorf says. 鈥淭his has largely increased the rates of sea level rise relative to the land, particularly in cities where increasing water demand led to increased groundwater withdrawals and subsequent compaction of the ground.鈥�

The Silver Lining

Wahl says these findings have important implications for coastal infrastructure, including in Florida.

鈥淚t makes it even more critical to plan early and to create adaptation strategies to keep the water away from places where you don鈥檛 want it to be for as long as you can,鈥� Wahl says.

The silver lining, he says, is that some causes of land motion can be managed. Cities such as Tokyo and Shanghai once experienced extreme subsidence 鈥� up to several centimeters per year during the mid鈥�20th century 鈥� but have dramatically slowed the sinking after implementing strict groundwater extraction controls and related land鈥憁anagement policies.

When it comes to addressing the combined challenges of sea level rise and land subsidence, Wahl acknowledges that some areas will be harder to protect than others, and that protection may not be possible everywhere. Still, he remains hopeful.

鈥淗istory has shown that humans are very creative, especially when they have to be,鈥� Wahl says. 鈥淚f you look back to where we were 100 or even 50 years ago and where we are now, there are probably technologies and strategies that we haven鈥檛 even thought of yet that might come up in the future that will be beneficial in that context.鈥�

About the Researcher
Wahl collaborated on the study with researchers from Tulane University, Harvard University and various academic and research institutions in Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to joining 麻豆原创 in 2017, Wahl was a Marie Sklodowska Curie fellow of the European Union at the University of Southampton and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida. His research focuses on coastal flood risk, sea level rise and storm surges.

On most days, DeAscanis is focused on something many people never think about: the invisible systems that keep modern life running.

Hospitals must power critical equipment. Cities endure record-breaking heat. Data centers aim to hum without interruption. Behind those moments are gas turbines the size of buildings, and a team of engineers determined to make them 聽smarter, faster and more reliable.

At Siemens Energy, DeAscanis helps lead that charge.

Rising to Energy Design Challenges

His bold goal is ambitious: transform how turbines are tested, inspected and manufactured so they can be delivered at the speed and scale global demand now requires. As electricity needs surge worldwide, efficiency is no longer optional.

鈥淚f the turbines don鈥檛 work, the power doesn鈥檛 exist,鈥� he says.

After earning his aerospace engineering degree from 麻豆原创, DeAscanis joined Siemens Energy located just steps from campus. He began on a small team of three engineers developing custom tools to test next-generation engines. The work was intensely hands-on and involved long days refining inspection systems, improving automation and solving problems in real time.

Colleagues describe DeAscanis as calm under pressure and relentlessly curious. He sees constraints not as roadblocks but as design challenges.

That perspective proved essential during lean years in the energy sector, when fluctuating demand forced teams to justify every investment. Rather than scale back, DeAscanis and his colleagues innovated their way forward 鈥� streamlining inspection processes, reducing testing time and building automation systems that improved both speed and precision.

Those efforts produced measurable results. DeAscanis now holds 11 patents, with dozens more innovations developed across his team. Some advances are patented; others remain proprietary trade secrets that strengthen Siemens Energy鈥檚 competitive position in a global marketplace.

Enhancing Expertise to Deliver Impact

Over the past decade, he has also helped grow his organization from fewer than five engineers to nearly 100. His role expanded from technical contributor to strategic leader, overseeing budgets, setting research priorities and securing U.S. Department of Defense contracts to accelerate development. Recognizing the importance of business fluency, he returned to 麻豆原创 to earn his MBA.

鈥淚 knew how to build technology,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to understand how to scale it.鈥�

His journey traces back to his 麻豆原创 senior design project, where he and three classmates developed a system to manufacture thin carbon nanofiber sheets designed to reinforce aircraft structures against lightning strikes. The project demanded technical rigor, collaboration and applied problem-solving 鈥� the same qualities Siemens Energy looks for in its engineers. It also helped open the door to his first role at Siemens Energy, proving that classroom innovation can translate directly into industry impact.

Fueling the Energy Industry

Learn more about how are accelerating innovation, fueling workforce development and strengthening the future of energy infrastructure.

Today, more than half of the engineers in his facility are 麻豆原创 graduates. Through the Pegasus Partnership, Siemens Energy and 麻豆原创 are not simply recruiting talent 鈥� they are co-developing it. Students gain exposure to real-world challenges long before graduation. Industry gains engineers who are ready to lead from day one.

For DeAscanis, that cycle feels deeply personal.

鈥溌槎乖� gave me the foundation to solve complex problems and the confidence to think bigger,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ow I get to help build the systems 鈥� and the teams 鈥� that will power what comes next.鈥�

As global energy demand accelerates and infrastructure grows more sophisticated, the stakes are rising. The partnership between Siemens Energy and 麻豆原创 reflects a shared belief: that bold thinking, applied research and prepared graduates can shape not just an industry, but the future of how the world runs.

Globally, a total of 230 emerging inventors were named to the list this year, making it the largest cohort in NAI history. The inductees will be honored during the NAI 15^th annual conference in Los Angeles in June. Solihin says he feels honored to join this distinguished group of researchers.

鈥淲hat sets the NAI senior member designation apart is that it focuses on innovations with real-world impact.鈥�

鈥淭his induction means a lot to me,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat sets the NAI senior member designation apart is that it focuses on innovations with real-world impact.鈥�

Solihin鈥檚 work has significantly impacted society and the way that our technology works. The Pegasus Professor and director of the 麻豆原创 Cyber Security and Privacy faculty cluster initiative has made computing systems faster, more reliable and more secure.

Among his most influential inventios are a security mechanism known as the Bonsai Merkle Tree and a system called Cache Quality of Service. The former protects computer memory from unauthorized modifications at significantly lower cost than previous methods, while the latter addresses performance slowdowns that occur when multiple applications share processor resources.

Both innovations have influenced processors that are now widely used in data centers.

鈥淢y journey of making real-world impact from my research spanned many years ago, starting in 2012,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ince that time, my work has garnered 57 U.S. patents in the area of chip design.鈥�

Solihin, who is also an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery and Japan Society for Promotion of Science fellow, says his process for taking an invention from an idea to a tangible product starts with identifying a problem that is worth solving. From there, he analyzes literature and technical documents for solutions, identifies the key technical challenges to overcome and then works to refine the solution. He encourages young inventors to just start by 鈥渂rainspilling,鈥� or getting the idea out on paper.

鈥淲hen I have an idea in my head, it is typically not very clear,鈥� Solihin says. 鈥淚t appears vague, like seeing it through fog. Translating this into an invention requires working the brain to conceptualize the solution, to visualize it in much deeper details, to enumerate all the cases in which it shows benefits and drawbacks and solves key technical challenges. This process, brainspilling, requires long hours with pencil and paper to remove the fog.鈥�

Ultimately, he says, the motivation to continue innovating comes from the satisfaction of solving complex problems.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the good feeling of gaining clarity on something that was once unclear,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 similar to solving a puzzle but with open-ended problems and unpredictable timelines.鈥�

Five years after 麻豆原创 computer science students first helped the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) build a tech solution to enhance efficiency, Knights are still improving the platform 鈥� and the impact keeps growing.

Reserve Mercury, a mobile and web application designed to replace slow, paper-based administrative processes used by Army Reserve units, is now being used by thousands of reservists nationwide. What started as Project Mercury 鈥� a student-led effort to replace paper forms 鈥� has evolved into a long-running collaboration between student developers in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Senior Seminar Course, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the USAR.

Originally launched in 2023, the app digitized the Army Reserve鈥檚 DA 1380 submission process 鈥� a manual workflow that once required soldiers to print forms, physically route paperwork through chains of command and wait for approvals tied to compensation and service records.

Now, soldiers can digitally submit pay, absence and medical forms within the platform from any device. Leaders can then review and approve submissions instantly, helping reduce delays and ensure soldiers are paid on time.

But the momentum behind Project Mercury didn’t end at launch.

Each semester, new student teams continue building on the work of those before them 鈥� refining features, fixing issues and expanding the platform based on direct user feedback from soldiers.

鈥淎s technology continues to advance, it鈥檚 important that critical systems like those used by the Army Reserve evolve as well,鈥� says Shaun Gorllapati ’26, functional test and continuous improvement lead on the Fall 2025鈥揝pring 2026 Senior Design II team. 鈥淧rojects like this help bridge that gap by introducing more efficient, scalable and modern solutions that improve overall operations.鈥�

Inheriting a Mission Already in Motion

Under the guidance of Associate Lecturers Matthew Gerber and Richard Leinecker in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science, Project Mercury has become one of the university鈥檚 most ambitious long-term software projects since its inception in 2021.

Senior Design students work alongside Army Reserve subject matter experts led by Reserve Mercury Program Manager Lt. Col. Jonathan LacKamp while gaining experience in large-scale software engineering, testing and deployment management.

This year鈥檚 team included 15 students with expertise in data science, artificial intelligence and application and web-based development. Organized into three groups, they focused on backend development, bug fixes and maintenance, and new feature development.

At the start of the semester, the team inherited a nearly five-year-old codebase from previous students. Through documentation reviews, handoff meetings and collaboration with prior developers, they learned how to maintain and expand a living software system already serving military users nationwide.

New Features Focus on Speed, Security and Simplicity

For Spring 2026, 84 new users from the 6th Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment were onboarded and trained on the platform. Their feedback directly shaped several new improvements.

Among the latest updates was a Pay Type Limits feature that helps commanders monitor annual submission thresholds tied to DA 1380 compensation requests. Students also improved the app鈥檚 dental form process by adding required field validation, submission confirmation and better signature handling to help ensure medical documentation is completed accurately for deployment readiness.

Another major upgrade was a redesigned notification system.

鈥淚鈥檓 especially proud of the notification system, which significantly improves how reservists stay informed and act within the application,鈥� Gorllapati says. 鈥淧reviously, 鈥� users had to rely on an activity log to view updates. Notifications were not actionable, lacked clear read and unread indicators, and did not guide users to the relevant part of the app.鈥�

Additional enhancements currently in development include multi-factor authentication for stronger security and a large-scale user interface redesign to modernize the platform and improve accessibility.

The response from reservists has reinforced the project鈥檚 impact.

鈥淲e recently onboarded a unit that was struggling with an HR administrator shortage across multiple companies,鈥� says Maj. Jeffrey Garner, Reserve Mercury onboarding and implementation lead. 鈥淎fter they started using Reserve Mercury, the feedback was immediate 鈥� they called it a 鈥榞ame changer鈥� and asked to onboard their additional units as soon as possible.鈥�

Developing Career-Ready Skills Through Mission-Driven Work

For students, the experience goes far beyond the classroom.

鈥淲orking on a project with real-world, national-level impact while still a student has been a very meaningful experience,鈥� Gorllapati says. 鈥淸It has] prepared me to handle real-world engineering challenges more effectively and has reinforced my goal of pursuing a career in software engineering, where I can contribute to large-scale, impactful systems.鈥�

Senior Design team members build experience in frontend and backend development, AWS services, deployment management, software testing, and release cycles while collaborating directly with military stakeholders in an environment that mirrors professional software engineering teams.

But for many, the most rewarding part is knowing their work directly supports service members.

鈥淜nowing that the end users are real service members adds purpose to every feature we build,鈥� Gorllapati says. 鈥淚t motivates us to learn new tools, improve our technical skills, and apply best practices to ensure the application is reliable, efficient, and easy to use.鈥�

That purpose continues driving Reserve Mercury forward 鈥� one update, one deployment and one student at a time.

“What we’ve seen over the life of the project is the power of collaboration between reservists as both customers and subject matter experts, innovation sponsors like DIU and the incredible dedication of successive student teams,” LacKamp says. “The program is currently poised for wider adoption across USAR, but that wouldn’t be possible without the strong foundation built by our 麻豆原创 partners.聽 At Reserve Mercury, we believe that administrative efficiency is directly related to both operational readiness and the retention of qualified soldiers. 麻豆原创 is helping make this belief a reality.”

Now a global project manager for wire technology at Alleima Advanced Materials, the materials science and engineering alum has earned the company鈥檚 2026 Innovation Prize for her work advancing wires used in critical medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors, hearing implants and pacemakers. The annual award recognizes excellence in product development.

鈥淭he work I do is very rewarding. Every day, I get to contribute to advancing medical care and treatment,鈥� McDorman says. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 a medical device and it has a wire, Alleima is likely contributing to it somehow.鈥�

McDorman earned her doctoral degree from 麻豆原创 under Associate Professor Swaminathan Rajaraman, who directs the , where researchers develop micro- and nanoscale solutions spanning biotechnology, pharmacology, plant sciences and medical devices.

鈥淚 chose 麻豆原创 because the [materials science and engineering] program was highly rated … and had a wide variety of research areas …鈥�

Before coming to 麻豆原创, McDorman earned her master鈥檚 and bachelor鈥檚 degrees in physics, but discovered a passion for applied research that required a deeper focus on materials.

鈥淲hen I decided to pursue a Ph.D., materials science and engineering was a natural choice,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 chose 麻豆原创 because the program was highly rated, small and had a wide variety of research areas that I was interested in.鈥�

Through her doctoral studies, McDorman found a more biology-focused side of materials science. Her work with biosensors in Rajaraman鈥檚 lab ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in the medical device industry.

She credits her research experience at 麻豆原创 with preparing her for work at Alleima, where 90% of her unit鈥檚 business supports medical device manufacturing.

鈥淭he company has a rich history of materials innovation in steel and nickel-based alloys,鈥� McDorman says. 鈥淪ince we produce wire, I am constantly using base materials science knowledge to process the material in a way that achieves a specific set of properties in the end product.鈥�

She says she has always aimed for a position that would allow her to make a positive contribution to society, an opportunity she is grateful to have at Alleima.

For new graduates considering a similar path, McDorman encourages them to connect with 麻豆原创 alumni on LinkedIn and to explore job opportunities in Florida鈥檚 growing manufacturing industry, particularly in Volusia and Flagler counties.

鈥淲e put a lot into our work every day because we truly care about ensuring the best possible patient outcomes,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is great that our efforts have been recognized by the business.鈥�

The same curiosity that once led Jeonghyun Song to shape clay with his hands now drives him to engineer materials at an atomic level, combining chemistry and creativity.

He began his college journey in the arts, drawn to pottery. But as he worked with ceramics, his attention shifted beneath the surface 鈥� to the chemistry of the materials and the possibilities within them. That shift in perspective pushed him from the art studio into the lab 鈥� and now to a national fellowship.

A materials science and engineering major, Song will join the University of Notre Dame this summer as a recipient of its Nanoscience and Technology Undergraduate Research Fellowship, hosted from May 18 through July 24.

“I chose to attend 麻豆原创 because of the opportunities it offers 鈥� especially in research 鈥� along with its strong engineering program.”

The opportunity marks a turning point in his journey from an arts major to an engineering major, which he began when he transferred to 麻豆原创 in Fall 2025.

鈥淚 chose to attend 麻豆原创 because of the opportunities it offers 鈥� especially in research 鈥� along with its strong engineering program,鈥� Song says. 鈥淭he MSE (Materials Science and Engineering) Program is relatively new and rapidly growing, which gives students more chances to get involved and grow.鈥�

He didn鈥檛 waste time getting started.

As a new Knight and burgeoning materials researcher, Song set his sights on working with Assistant Professor Kausik Mukhopadhyay, whose research bridges materials, chemistry, biology and engineering to develop solutions for surfaces, coatings, electrochemistry and more.

Now in Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 , Song studies clay-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

鈥淎s a student who comes from a ceramics background, Dr. Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 research was the most interesting to me,鈥� Song says. 鈥淏ased on his work in chemistry and materials science, I knew his lab would be a place where I could grow and actively engage in research.鈥�

The lab quickly became more than a workspace 鈥� it became a launchpad, which Song says he鈥檚 grateful for.

鈥淚 would like to thank Dr. Mukhopadhyay and the people in our group for their support,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for them, I would have had a hard time blending into the 麻豆原创 community.鈥�

His perspective as a researcher is evolving, too.

“I find it more interesting to study how common … materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties.”

Once drawn to examining rare and expensive materials for their unique characteristics, Song is now focused on factors in materials costs and environmental impact.

鈥淲hile studying rare materials is interesting due to their distinct properties, I find it more interesting to study how common and inexpensive materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties,鈥� he says.

That mindset will guide his work at Notre Dame.

His project, 鈥淧rototyping High-speed Synthesis of Gold Microplates,鈥� tackles a key challenge in nanotechnology: efficiently producing ultrathin gold coatings. These coatings are useful in technology like biosensors and electronics, but current synthesis methods are slow, and controlling their size, shape and placement is challenging.

Song will help explore faster synthesis methods using a reaction chamber to study the process through three activation approaches: light, temperature and merging chemical streams.

As he prepares to spend the summer in Indiana, Song acknowledges some anxiety 鈥� the kind that comes with stepping into something bigger 鈥� as he looks ahead to what could be a pivotal moment in his journey as a researcher.

鈥淚 would like to meet new people, learn from them and also expand my vision for research,鈥� Song says. 鈥淚 think this summer will be the most important for me in terms of deciding my future.鈥�

Starting this fall, 麻豆原创 students enrolled in an undergraduate engineering program can take CGN 4120: Forensic Investigation for Engineering, a new technical elective focused on the forensic investigation process. This course is the first of its kind in the nation and will be taught by Dennis Filler, a senior lecturer in the College of Engineering and Computer Science鈥檚 Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering.

Filler has written a forthcoming book on the subject and says that the topic is critical to the future of engineering.

鈥淭he frequency of engineering disasters, engineering failures, has not reduced in 100 years,鈥� Filler says. 鈥淒uring that time, we’ve been improving our design codes. That鈥檚 not working though, and engineering judgment, I believe, is at the core to why the frequency of failures continues.鈥�

Filler cites the pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University in 2018 as an example of bad engineering judgment. The event, which resulted in six deaths and multiple injuries, was caused by engineering design errors and inadequate peer review, as determined by the National Transportation Safety Board after a forensic investigation.

Students who take the course can expect to learn about the history of forensic engineering, the nature of failures and the forensic investigation process. The first half of the course will delve into the legal system, civil engineering law and jurisprudence. The goal is to prepare students to reduce liability and be an expert witness should an investigation occur during their careers.

In the second half of course, students will explore a number of case studies that cover real investigations across engineering disciplines, from automobile accidents to product liability, environmental disasters to water treatment design flaws, and other failure scenarios over the past 25 years.

Filler says students will gain three crucial skills in this course: critical thinking, attention to detail, and cause and effect as it relates to engineering failures.

Students of all engineering disciplines are welcome to enroll, but Filler says that mature senior-level students who desire to think like a scientist or a forensic criminologist are best suited to this course 鈥� even if they don鈥檛 plan to pursue a career in forensic engineering.

鈥淵ou don’t have to become a forensic engineer to use the skills that we’ll develop in forensic engineering,鈥� Filler says. 鈥淭hey’ll aid their practice no matter what discipline they go into.鈥�

Interested students who want to learn more about the course can connect with Filler at dennis.filler@ucf.edu.

Fueled by engineering ingenuity and months of testing, a team of 麻豆原创 mechanical engineering students raced its human-powered vehicle past competitors from across the country to claim a national championship.

What began as a Spring 2026 Senior Design project ended with the e-HPVC Senior Design team earning three first-place trophies at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) e-Human Powered Vehicle (e-HPVC) Challenge.

Hosted on 麻豆原创鈥檚 main campus, the annual competition challenges university teams to design, fabricate and race human-powered vehicles, testing everything from vehicle design and safety to endurance and speed.

麻豆原创鈥檚 team took first place in both the endurance and drag race events, second place in design and first place overall, earning four trophies and $2,500 in prize money.

鈥淏ecoming national champions while representing 麻豆原创 feels surreal, says Estefano Cicci, a mechanical engineering major and member of the e-HPVC team. 鈥淚 hope these trophies remind future students that the goals that feel out of reach are exactly the ones worth chasing, and that a small, dedicated team from 麻豆原创 can prove itself on a national stage.鈥�

Building a Better Ride

In previous years, 麻豆原创鈥檚 e-HPVC teams have placed well in the competition with recumbent tricycles, but each new group strives to improve upon the last. Eric Cruz-Hernandez, a mechanical engineering student and member of this year鈥檚 team, says the group closely studied past designs to determine what worked and what needed improvement.

This year鈥檚 vehicle featured a mid-drive motor with electronic shifting to improve speed and battery endurance. The team also redesigned the frame to make it lighter and more accessible for riders of varying heights.

Engineering Excellence Across the Board

The e-HPVC team wasn鈥檛 the only group of Knights to win their competition.

A second 麻豆原创 team placed second in the ASME Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D Challenge, which asks students to re-engineer an existing product or create a new design. Teams were judged on ingenuity, engineering design principles and their use of additive manufacturing.

A third 麻豆原创 team also showcased a fully functioning robot in the Student Design Competition, but didn鈥檛 place.

The Teamwork Behind the Trophies

For Bryce Ballard, a mechanical engineering student and external outreach chair for ASME at 麻豆原创, hosting the 2026 EFx event on campus was just as meaningful as competing in it. It not only gave students the chance to represent the university, but also to create a welcoming and supportive environment for teams traveling from across the country.

鈥淥ne of the most impactful parts of hosting was being able to support other teams when they encountered issues with their trikes,鈥� Ballard says. 鈥淲hether it was lending tools, helping troubleshoot problems or offering guidance, those interactions stood out the most. It reinforced that the competition is not only about performance, but also about collaboration, sportsmanship and building connections within the engineering community.鈥�

麻豆原创 has made a name for itself globally in programming and cybersecurity thanks to student-run clubs that deliver championships year after year. They now have company in another area of technology 鈥� robotics.

The Robotics Club of Central Florida (RCCF) witnessed two teams, Knightmare and Daydream, dominate with an impressive number of wins over this past academic year. The teams won a total of 83 head-to-head matches against more than 40 universities, and ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for individual robotic skills at the VEX University Robotics Competition (VURC) 2025-26, besting teams from Georgia Tech, Purdue and Texas A&M.

Kushal Patel, an aerospace engineering major and a member of the Knightmare team, says the secret to the teams鈥� success this year has been their experience and passion for competitive robotics.

鈥淐ombined, the team has over 50 years of VEX robotics experience, with our most senior member competing since third grade,鈥� Patel says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just participate in this project for bullet points on our resumes 鈥� our team competes for the love of competition.鈥�

The team structure intentionally empowers all students to gain valuable experience during these robotics competitions. Daydream is a beginner friendly team focused on students without prior experience while Knightmare is suitable for more advanced students.

鈥淯nlike other design teams, where new members typically participate in internal competitions, those who join Daydream are able to hit the ground running and compete against other schools right away,鈥� says Kapri O鈥橞rien, a mechanical engineering major and the project lead for RCCF. 鈥淭his structure allowed for both project teams to naturally grow and strengthen, and created the unique opportunity for us to compete against each other for awards at times this season, leading to the fantastic achievement of both Knightmare and Daydream qualifying for this year鈥檚 world championship.鈥�

Both teams also participate in outreach events, volunteering at VEX competitions around the country. They also recently hosted the VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the 麻豆原创 campus to great success. Patel also works for the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, which logistically and operationally runs the VEX robotics competitions.

With Central Florida鈥檚 reputation as a leader in dynamic, high-tech fields, they envision the next phase of success and growth for their program in industry partnerships. 麻豆原创 is known as one of the nation鈥檚 most innovative universities and is responsible for one out of every four of Florida鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduates.

鈥淥ur team provides a space for engineers to grow the skills you need outside of the classroom to be a skillful engineer in industry,鈥� O鈥橞rien says. 鈥淪upport, whether it鈥檚 through financial or material donations, allows that space to survive. We regularly prototype with computer vision and machine learning algorithms, gaining hands-on experience with the technology that will power our future.鈥�

Industry partners or students who are interested in learning more about RCCF and its competition teams can email outreach@rccf.club.