Each early-career faculty researcher is making a substantial impact through their respective areas of expertise.

As in previous years, the variety of disciplines represented through the awards showcases �����’s commitment to cultivating and recognizing groundbreaking and academically diverse research.

Honorees will receive a $10,000 annual research grant for three years in addition to the distinction of being an award recipient.

The prestigious award is second only to Pegasus Professor as �����’s highest faculty honor.

The �鶹ԭ�� community is cordially invited to come and congratulate the recipients from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2 in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union as part of the 2025 Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration.

This year’s Reach for the Stars honorees are:

Amrita Ghosh

• Assistant professor of South Asian literature at �����’s within its and a member of The India Center at �鶹ԭ��
• Ph.D. in postcolonial literature and theory from Drew University.

Amrita Ghosh hopes to create an understanding in conflict zones and bridge gaps in cultural interpretations spanning the varied peoples of South Asia through her cultural and literary research.

Her research as an assistant professor of South Asian literature at �鶹ԭ�� focuses on studying literature and media from countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, among others.

Ghosh says she hopes to bring to light a better understanding of the nearly 2 billion people inhabiting these countries and how some of them have adapted since gaining independence and sovereignty from occupying nations.

“My research is important because it creates an understanding of the effects that colonialism had over South Asia for over 200 years, including the sources of conflicts, but also the resilience of the people,” she says. “It enables us to build cross border solidarity with a part of the world that’s often mired in essentialized representations.”

Ghosh says she believes there is value in learning about South Asia’s profoundly rich history for not just the 2 billion people living there, but for everyone.

“Through my research I hope to underscore solidarities and critical intimacies that can help mitigate the increasing rhetoric of division and fragmentation that is there in some South Asian nations,” she says. “South Asia has many different communities, ethnicities, identities and cultures living together. Through my work I hope to highlight syncretic pasts and how to also forge ahead together toward ethical futures.”

Ghosh was inspired by her family history tracing back to modern day Bangladesh. She had studied the aftermaths of the British partitions of the Indian subcontinent into Bangladesh, India, Pakistan.

“Prior to researching the Partition, I was always interested in this huge historical rupture because of stories I heard within the family,” Ghosh says. “I grew up hearing stories of Partition, of courage, resilience and of friendship of cross border relations. Many such families exist in South Asia with stories of Partition that are there buried within families and that created an interest for me to enter this field of study.”

In addition to her research and student mentorship, Ghosh has shared her prolific findings through authoring or editing a variety of unique books spanning topics on India’s largest film industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood, and literary and media analysis of the militarized border zone such as Kashmir.

She says she’s also working on more enlightening discoveries to be published soon.

“I am also very excited about upcoming research that is coming out on intersecting the narratives of Partition and [artificial intelligence] AI,” Ghosh says. “This upcoming journal article is on how AI can be used in creative imaginations to rethink hatred and foster solidarities and friendships in the so-called rival nations of India and Pakistan.”

While some people may think the arts and humanities are distinct from STEM, Ghosh says she believes they are is both complementary to science and essential in enhancing the human experience.

“Literature, arts and the humanities have an important role at a time when the world is rapidly shifting through technology, scientific and business innovations constantly,” she says. “Literature and the arts can enable us to understand the significance of human reliance towards each other, the values of pluralistic thinking and help us come closer. I say this with hope especially because �鶹ԭ�� has been such a space where knowledge is built together alongside many different divergent fields.”

Ghosh’s proficiencies aligned with �����’s desire to expand its literary offerings, as the university was looking for an expert in South Asian literature. She says she the mutual interest was evident almost instantly.

“When I interviewed with �鶹ԭ��, I was very impressed with the wide variety of different research expertise that is there in my department,” Ghosh says. “After getting to know the department and my colleagues, I knew it was absolutely the right place for me. I also had the chance to meet with students for an interview and I still remember the fantastic energy they had even in a short meeting.”

While she still holds dear the memories of where she had lived before, Ghosh says she feels at home here in Orlando.

“When I first visited Orlando, I was particularly impressed with the dynamism of the city and what it offers to the people,” she says. “In my third year here, I call myself a Floridian now.”

Although Ghosh is comfortable here at �鶹ԭ��, she says that she’s far from finished with furthering her aspirations.

She says that being a Reach for the Stars honoree is incredibly humbling, and that it encourages her to continue growing with �鶹ԭ��.

“I am so thankful for the support �鶹ԭ�� has shown me and this award means the world to me to be able to continue my research,” she says. “I feel overjoyed and so grateful for all the amazing opportunities that last three years of �鶹ԭ�� have provided me that led to this award.”

Leland Nordin

• Assistant Professor of materials science and engineering at within its with a joint appointment with .
• Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Semiconductors are specialized components omnipresent in everyday electronics — including the phone that Leland Nordin answered to hear President Alexander N. Cartwright congratulating him on earning a 2025 Reach for the Stars award.

“It was a great honor and surreal moment to receive a call from �����’s president informing me of the award,” says Nordin, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering whose research focuses on semiconductors. “I deeply appreciate that �鶹ԭ�� recognizes the hard work my students and I are doing, and I am excited about the research opportunities this award will unlock.”

Nordin, who also holds a joint appointment at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, works to realize better and more efficient semiconductor materials and devices. Specifically, he and his group of students work on specialty devices that emit, detect, or manipulate light — such as lasers, LEDs and photodetectors like those found in a cell phone camera.

“My research is important because semiconductor materials and advanced devices drive nearly every critical technology today and will be central to future innovations,” Nordin says. “These future applications include, but are not limited to, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, next generation 5G/6G communications, autonomous systems, space exploration, and hypersonics.”

While many of these terms may seem cumbersome and unfamiliar, Nordin says he hopes his research helps to translate these technologies into ways that improve the lives of people everywhere.

“I strive to develop semiconductor materials and devices that make a real impact,” he says. “For example, we are working on ultraviolet light emitters, particularly lasers, that could help efficiently sterilize hospitals and other critical environments. Additionally, we are exploring ways to improve computer memory, which is a key bottleneck in modern data centers that power the AI revolution.”

Nordin leverages �����’s plentiful semiconductor resources, such as its state-of-the-art cleanrooms, to grow his research and educate students.

“We take a ‘full stack’ approach to semiconductor materials and devices, meaning we design, synthesize, fabricate and test our own materials and devices,” he says. “Using molecular beam epitaxy (a process akin to spray painting with atoms) we grow high-quality semiconductor materials. We then carve these materials into working devices in a cleanroom before testing their performance in our lab.”

In evaluating universities where he could launch his career, Nordin says he found �鶹ԭ�� to be the most opportune place to harness his multidisciplinary research without excluding or overplaying any one aspect of his work.

“Before joining �鶹ԭ��, I worked across a range of disciplines, including physics, electrical engineering, and materials science and engineering,” he says. “I chose �鶹ԭ�� because it is the ideal place to pursue this interdisciplinary work, offering world-class facilities, outstanding colleagues and as I’ve come to appreciate, exceptional research support. I am especially fortunate to have a joint appointment as well.”

Since joining �鶹ԭ�� in 2023, Nordin has not only prioritized accelerating semiconductor and optoelectronic research but preparing students for a career in STEM.

“One of my primary goals is to train the next generation of the U.S. semiconductor workforce,” he says. “As an educator, I believe my most significant contribution is the students I mentor and graduate. I want them to be the most hardworking, well-equipped scientists and engineers in the field.”

Nordin says he takes great pride in the student research group he assembled, and that he greatly appreciates their trust in his ability to focus and guide meaningful research.

“I know it may sound corny, but I’m especially proud of the research group I’ve built and their enthusiasm for semiconductor materials and devices,” he says, “There’s always some risk in joining a junior faculty member’s lab, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the students in my group.”

Nordin says he is elated to receive this award, and he reiterates his appreciation for the support of his many close collaborators and friends.

“I am incredibly honored, humbled, and excited to receive this award,” he says. “I would like to express my gratitude to my current graduate students, undergraduate students and my academic mentors.”

Yogesh Rawat

• Assistant professor at the .
• Ph.D. in computer science at the National University of Singapore.

Yogesh Rawat aspires toward a future where artificial intelligence (AI) is accurate, efficient and ultimately trustworthy.

Rawat, who completed his postdoctoral training at �����’s Center for Research in Computer Vision (CRCV) from 2017 to 2019, continues to hone his expertise in AI and computer vision as an assistant professor.

His work with computer vision focuses on video understanding, which enables AI to interpret media and respond to real-world events automatically.

“The world generates massive amounts of video data every second — whether through CCTV cameras, medical imaging or autonomous systems,” Rawat says. “However, manually analyzing such data is nearly impossible. My research focuses on developing AI models that can efficiently process and understand video streams in real time, allowing for faster decision-making in high-stakes environments.”

Allowing AI and machine learning to sift through and decipher video datasets may prove to be valuable as data interpretation can be automated to free up human expertise for high-level decision making, he says.

“The ability to analyze video in real time has immense potential to make our world safer and more efficient,” Rawat says. “From healthcare to security, disaster response and law enforcement, AI can provide instant insights where human analysis may be slow or impractical.

His research is funded by a variety of sources including the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity as part of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and it has resulted in multiple patents and even a startup company. Among his proudest accomplishments are his contributions to secure and AI-powered identification systems.

“The intersection of technology and real-world impact is what drives my passion for this field,” Rawat says.

He credits �����’s enduring legacy as one of the top computer vision programs in the world to several key factors which ultimately led him here.

“�鶹ԭ�� is one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, with a strong commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary research,” Rawat says. “It is home to one of the top computer vision research groups, led by [CRCV Director] Mubarak Shah, and offers a collaborative, resource-rich environment that enables groundbreaking AI research. The university’s strong connections with government agencies also provide an excellent platform for translating research into real world impact.”

Earning a Reach for the Stars award is something, he says, that is both humbling and profoundly inspiring.

“It is incredibly motivating to see my research acknowledged in this way and it reaffirms my commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI for societal benefit,” Rawat says. “This award is not just a personal achievement — it is a testament to the hard work of my students, collaborators and the incredible research environment at �鶹ԭ��.”

Similar to how his work with AI and computer vision is guided by human guidance, Rawat says his success is guided by those who support him at �鶹ԭ��.

“This recognition would not have been possible without the unwavering support of �鶹ԭ��,” he says. “I am deeply grateful to the technical assistance team, Mubarak Shah, [Department of Computer Science Chair] Damla Turgut, [Professor] Gary Leavens and [CECS Dean] Michael Georgiopoulos. I must give special recognition to [CRCV Administrative Coordinator] Cherry Place, whose incredible support has made a profound impact on my success.”

There are so many people at �鶹ԭ�� to thank that at times it may be challenging to quantify just how crucial of a role they play, but Rawat says he’s particularly grateful for Place’s assistance and coordination.

“To be honest, at least 30% of what I have achieved would not have been possible without her,” he says. “I truly appreciate everything she has done for me and for our research group.”

Kelly Stevens

• Assistant professor of public administration at within its , and a member of �����’s Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Faculty Cluster�����Ի���.
• Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University.

There’s no better place for remaining resilient and adaptive than the Sunshine State.

Kelly Stevens, assistant professor of public administration at �鶹ԭ��, thrives by navigating Florida’s unique weather conditions, energy opportunities and challenges through her research in sustainable and resilient technologies.

Much like the technologies she researches, Stevens harnesses creative methods of pursuing a bright future.

“A major part of my work right now looks at what community members identify as problems related to energy, resilience, and sustainability,” says Stevens, who is a member of �����’s Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Faculty Cluster. “It’s useful for people who are engineers or policy makers to understand how something like a power outage impacts people differently across the state — the elderly, the poor, people with medical conditions.”

Before she adopted the signature black and gold of �鶹ԭ��, she donned shades of garnet and gold while earning her master’s in meteorology from Florida State University and working as a meteorologist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in the Division of Air Resource Management. Stevens says she was drawn to policy and program design as she continued immersing herself in the field of air quality modeling and monitoring.

Stevens returned to Florida after completing her doctoral degree in public administration from Syracuse University and supplementing her existing background with electricity and energy expertise.

She says bridging the gap between academic research and practice within Florida and beyond is part of how she ensures work makes a positive impact.

“I’m excited to be back in Florida applying what I’ve learned to different energy and environmental projects here in Central Florida,” Stevens says. “With my background in both social and physical sciences, I try to move beyond typically siloed disciplines to talk about complex questions in our energy system from a more holistic perspective. I believe this strategy is important to so we can better translate from science to practice by making sure technologies we create here at �鶹ԭ�� are useful and user-friendly.”

Disaster preparedness is a critical component of resiliency, and it is something Floridians need to be particularly aware of given the state’s susceptibility to adverse weather such as hurricanes, she says. Her efforts to help local people is something Stevens says is incredibly rewarding.

“The project I am most proud of is the NSF-funded Resilience, Education and Advocacy Center for Hazard preparedness, the REACH hub,” she says. “We worked closely with the City of Orlando to design a portable and innovative resilience hub to provide energy-related services before and after disasters here.”

The hub eventually will be delivered to and used by the City of Orlando for local use to help residents stay safe, recharged and informed.

“With community feedback … we designed a solar-powered, portable hub with an extensive battery system to provide internet connection, cooling, information via display screens, and device charging that can help residents prepare for and respond to a disaster,” Stevens says. “The hub is built, we are conducting demonstrations, and anticipate the hub will be used by the City of Orlando as soon as this hurricane season.”

Stevens says she’s grateful for the collaborative nature of �鶹ԭ��, particularly for the Faculty Cluster Initiative, which links faculty from different colleges, institutes and centers together to accomplish interdisciplinary breakthroughs.

“I am deeply grateful to be part of a talented and innovative team of researchers who embrace challenging questions and different perspectives in their work,” she says. “I am also grateful for the support and opportunities provided by the Faculty Cluster Initiative in fostering interdisciplinary work, as well as support from the College of Community Innovation and Education as well as the School of Public Administration for highlighting the great work that happens here.”

Stevens says that the funds earned from the Reach for Stars award will sustain and further her research while helping to inspire and energize students.

“It is a huge honor to be recognized for this early-career award,” she says. “The research funding will be beneficial for funding more students to continue research on power outages and resilience over the next few years.”

Aycrigg has won first place in the undergraduate division of the 2022 Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Annual Essay Contest for her paper, “The Old Well-Established Grievance: Generational Conflict in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility” out of more than 200 papers submitted. She has been awarded a check for $1,000, a Norton Critical Edition of every Jane Austen novel and a free invitation to JASNA’s annual general body meeting. There, she will discuss Austen’s work with fellow “Janeites” while attending presentations, banquets and even a regency-era ball.

While now an accomplished student, Aycrigg recalls struggling through her first bachelor’s degree in political science, philosophy and economics. But after graduating and teaching middle school English for several years, she found a renewed love for learning, which spurred her to enroll at �鶹ԭ�� for a second degree to pursue her true passion: literature.

“Once I got back on my feet and found a career I enjoyed, I thought: I’d really like to go back to school and study the subject I love at a university I’m proud of,” Aycrigg says. “At �鶹ԭ��, I realized how much fun school actually is, getting to read interesting things and have cool discussions with cool people.”

A lifelong reader, Aycrigg grew up reading Jane Austen. Now as a student in the , she has discovered the value of analyzing classic works from a variety of perspectives.

“You can simultaneously read for enjoyment, and for the broader cultural context, which I find fascinating,” Aycrigg says. “One of the things I’ve learned from my literature degree at �鶹ԭ�� is that just because you’re asked to critically analyze a text you used to have an uncomplicated love for, doesn’t mean that you can’t still love that text. It’s just that you’re being taught to look at it through multiple lenses.”

The paper Aycrigg submitted to JASNA’s essay contest was the final assignment for the course British Authors: Jane Austen, taught by senior lecturer Kathleen Hohenleitner, who encouraged her students to apply. According to Hohenleitner, Aycrigg was extremely proactive in the class, always collaborating with her peers in discussions.

“Emily is an excellent writer, thinker and researcher,” Hohenleitner says, “but what I most admire about her is how actively she engages with her peers and their ideas in every class she takes, whether in person or online. Every class she takes is better because she is in it. I think she richly deserves this award.”

What’s next in store for Aycrigg? Graduate school, she says. Ever the learner, Aycrigg hopes to continue her education with a doctoral degree, and keep doing what she loves: reading, writing and talking about books.

Aycrigg’s paper can be read on the of the JASNA website.

�����’s English literature bachelor’s program helps students develop the ability to read discerningly, think critically and write clearly. This track encompasses the study of literature in its historical, cultural and theoretical contexts. Students learn about the ways of people and society, as well as develop a lifelong pleasure to be found in this art form. The degree track is offered fully online and also on campus, providing an opportunity to learn where and how individuals want.

That’s why the �鶹ԭ�� and a team of researchers from across the country have just released a new online tool that can help people determine how ready their home, or future home, is for the next big storm.

The tool, called HazardAware, is now live, just ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The easy-to-use tool allows users to plug in an address and instantly receive the property’s HazardReady score. The score shows just how resilient, or disaster-ready, a home is, and projects how much hazards, such as winds and flooding, could cost a homeowner each year.

HazardAware can provide reports for 13.3 million addresses in 196 counties along the Gulf of Mexico — including all of Florida, and parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.  This is a region that is historically impacted by hurricanes and other large hydrometeorological hazards each year.

With continued funding, HazardAware could also be expanded to cover the entire U.S. and other disasters such as wildfires and earthquakes.

A property’s HazardReady score takes into account 15 potential threats, including hurricane winds and flooding. The score also considers social and environmental vulnerability, community resilience, and home construction factors.

Users can choose to receive an emailed custom home report for their address, and they will also receive a renter and homebuyer checklist that can help ensure they ask the right questions next time they are in the market for a home.

The tool is part of a larger $3.4 million, multi-institution �鶹ԭ��-led project funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program.

“When people buy houses, they generally think about location, pricing, crime, walkability and things like that,” says Christopher Emrich, principal investigator of the research and a Boardman Endowed Associate Professor of Environmental Science and at �鶹ԭ��. “But rarely do people think about how much hazards will cost. By going to HazardAware, people can compare houses and get more information they can use to make crucial decisions and smart choices about where they live.”

For example, the score includes work by international expert and �鶹ԭ�� coastal risk engineer Thomas Wahl. Using his models of changes in future coastal flood risk, the tool produces an estimate of when a property will see coastal flooding or when flooding potential will double for properties already in coastal flood zones.

“We want to democratize this very scarce and very difficult to find hazard disaster and impact information,” says Emrich, who also co-leads �����’s and Sustainable Coastal Systems research cluster. “Some of this data would require a Ph.D. and 40 hours of investment to make sense of, but we want to put it into everyone’s hands. HazardAware has built a team capable of pulling together this type of ‘fugitive’ or hard-to-find information for homeowners and renters in the coastal zone.”

For next steps, the researchers want to provide customized mitigation information through the tool for each home highlighting what can be done to reduce future hazard loss. They also want to implement an option where users can improve their home’s resiliency score by inputting upgrades they’ve made, such as installing stormproof windows or a certified roof.

“I think the impetus for all this is to help people stay in their homes after a disaster by mitigating the threats hazards pose,” Emrich says. “If we can protect people’s homes, and people don’t have to leave, then they don’t suffer mental distress as deeply, and they don’t lose jobs as frequently. We can avoid a bunch of losses just by keeping people in their homes.”

Partner institutions in the project are the University of South Carolina, Arizona State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Florida, the University of New Orleans, Louisiana Sea Grant, Florida Atlantic University and the RAND Corporation.

The project’s cross-discipline research team includes experts in geography, engineering, economics, hospitality and tourism, political science, ecology, environmental law, sustainability, mitigation, resilience, behavioral health sciences, housing policy, climate adaptation, and science and technical communication.

�����’s contributors include Wahl, a assistant professor; Assistant Professor Kristy Lewis; Rosen College of Hospitality Management Assistant Professor Sergio Alvarez; Associate Professor Jacopo Baggio; Associate Professor Sonia Stephens; Public Administration Associate Professor Claire Knox; Project Coordinator Roel Fleuren; (SMST) Information Systems Engineer Susan Bethel; SMST Senior Information Systems Engineer Eric Johnson; SMST Department of Information Systems Technology Program Director Tammie McClellan and SMST Web Designer Erica Recktenwald.

Emrich received his doctoral degree in geography from the University of South Carolina and joined �����’s School of Public Administration, part of the , in 2016.

In 2016, Ningsih took part in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in TESOL, a short-term program for emerging foreign leaders. After returning to Indonesia in 2017, she became involved in a project called Emerging Future Community Teacher (EFCT), for which she was awarded a U.S. Exchange Alumni grant. The project aims to provide pre-service training for English teachers in Pontianak, which is in Indonesia’s province of West Kalimantan, on English language teaching strategies and leadership skills to help them improve education in rural communities.

Ningsih found her way to �鶹ԭ�� in 2021 as part of the Fulbright Scholars program — one of the largest and most prestigious educational exchange programs worldwide. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of State and Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, awards approximately 8,000 grants each year to recent graduates, graduate students, and young professionals to continue their development through research and study in a foreign country.

Ningsih has completed her master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and will be graduating from �鶹ԭ�� this week. She describes how studying at �鶹ԭ�� allowed her to further her knowledge of language and cultures while providing her with new skills she can use to teach students.

“As an international student, I received full support from my professors, faculty, staff and friends from starting my first semester in online learning in Indonesia until I came here,” she says.

Ningsih knows that the rich breadth of knowledge she attained at the university and the expertise imparted by her professors have equipped her with a strong foundation in English language teaching.

“All my professors in the TESOL program inspire me to be an English teacher who will be able to provide a good support for students from various social-cultural backgrounds — to become a teacher who not only teaches the language but also respects the differences within individuals” she says. Ningsih is also inspired by her mother, who encourages her to help people with her knowledge.

However, the most rewarding part of her experience at �鶹ԭ�� was getting the opportunity to teach English and work with immigrant students in EOL classes.

“This is a rare and valuable experience for me as an English as a foreign language teacher,” Ningsih says. The opportunity taught her new methods of language teaching and how to support immigrant students in class. “I am grateful to have such an experience.”

After graduation, Ningsih plans to teach at a university and work with pre-service teachers. She advises her peers to enjoy their studies and to have some fun with the �鶹ԭ�� community.

Judges for the award, presented by the Whiting Foundation, say the book is “packed with indelible images of violence and tenderness that evoke landscapes and neighborhoods, families and strangers.”

The Whiting Award is based on early-career achievement and the promise of literary work to come. Her book was declared one of the must-read books of 2019 by O, The Oprah Magazine; Time; Publishers Weekly and others.

Díaz, who now splits her time between Miami and Montreal, says that when she started taking creative writing courses at �鶹ԭ�� that she knew she would become a writer one day, and that her most important lesson in school was: “I learned to call myself a writer.”

“I didn’t know how, or when, but I saw it as a dream that would eventually come true, because I would never stop working for it,” she says. “I learned discipline, drive, focus. I learned not to wait for inspiration, to keep writing, keep reading, keep learning. Eventually, I was confident enough to call myself a writer, and that changed everything.”

She says all of her �鶹ԭ�� professors were supportive, especially recalling the direction of Cecilia Rodríguez-Milanés, Terry Thaxton, Jocelyn Bartkevicius and Kathleen Bell.

‘They (instructors) made me feel seen, like they understood my vision, like they believed in my work.’ – Jaquira Díaz

“They made me feel seen, like they understood my vision, like they believed in my work,” she says. “Honestly, even though it wasn’t my best work at the time—I was an undergrad, all ambition and drive and bravado—they helped me see that what I wanted would take hard work, and time, but that it was possible.”

For other students who want to go into writing, her advice would be: “Read. Read. Read. Then write.”

Díaz, also a former visiting assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s MFA program in creative writing, won her Whiting Award for nonfiction, but she says her next project is a novel.

“To be a writer, to be successful, you have to want this more than anything else in the world,” she says. “Get used to the idea that ‘success’ might mean you have to work another job to pay the bills. Get used to the idea that you will spend the rest of your life learning. Learning doesn’t stop when you get your degree, when you leave college or grad school. That’s just the beginning.”

As I’m an old school Star Wars fan, it was the original films that captured my imagination and symbolize my childhood. Recently, The Mandalorian on Disney+ has recaptured the magic of those original stories and has critics calling it the best Star Wars yet.

Other shows like Stranger Things and the upcoming Wonder Woman sequel are transporting us back in time, and audiences seem to be loving it. Netflix documentaries such as The Toys that Made Us share the behind-the-scenes drama of an industry we grew up with. The list of nostalgia-driven entertainment is endless.

So why are we stuck in the past? Why is retro so cool? My parents said don’t dwell on the past. Focus on the future.

As an educator, I spend most of my time preparing students for the road ahead. Even Star Wars’ esteemed First Order leader Kylo Ren said, “Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you were meant to be.”

A stroll down memory lane is good medicine, just like mom’s old cooking, rich and savory and always making you feel better.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a ton of research on nostalgia, and if you can imagine the good old days of actually stepping foot in a library, then go one step farther and picture rows of shelves buckling under the weight of this work. Suffice it to say that thousands of researchers (or at least four whose articles I read) agree that nostalgia can boost creativity, evoke inspiration, increase optimism, and even combat loneliness, boredom and anxiety.

Nostalgic memories shared by couples and friends bring them closer. Apparently, a stroll down memory lane is good medicine, just like mom’s old cooking, rich and savory and always making you feel better.

So this is why we cling to our old clothes, photos, record albums, jewelry, coins, baseball cards, and most importantly in my case, Star Wars action figures. These are the talismans of our youth, the magical objects that remind us we are still the kids who owned them way back when. And sure, they are valuable and we could sell them for a profit, but sometimes you can’t put a price on your past.

In an article for The New Yorker entitled “The True Meaning of Nostalgia,” Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon defines the feeling as something that “overcomes you when some minor vanished beauty of the world is momentarily restored.”

Chabon alludes to a Latin phrase sic transit gloria mundi: thus passeth the glory of the world. Consequently, every time I dust off and admire my original Star Wars figures from the 1970s, I am 12 again. My parents are still married. When I grow up, I will be Luke Skywalker.

My action figures—or your photos or films or songs—help you recall the wonders of your half-remembered, half-imagined childhood. You need them because you’re afraid to lose yourself to the future. And we’re reminded of that secret when we play with our old Legos or buy new ones for our children—but we do most of the playing.

This is all OK. We’re not slackers stuck in the past. In fact, photos or songs or other objects from tougher times are important to remind us how we overcame that adversity. In this case, nostalgia becomes a defense mechanism to reassure us that those painful moments are only temporary. The past can, indeed, coexist with the present and give us courage to face the future.

But beware the dark side. Collecting pieces of nostalgia can turn into an obsession, into hoarding, a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

There’s an adrenaline rush I get when I’m able to score a hard-to-find action figure and add it to my collection, but if I take it too far and start down the dark path, forever will it dominate my destiny. I don’t want to wind up half-man, half-machine wearing a breathing mask—because that’s what my wife will do to me if I blow our life savings on little pieces of plastic.

Nostalgia is a powerful force. It’s the house we grew up in, the toys we played with, and the TV shows we watched. It’s the smell of hot dogs cooking on a barbecue grill and that song your mom sang before tucking you in at night. It’s everything we were, everything we still are, if only we remember.

And so a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a little boy playing with Star Wars figures. And now, all these years later, I’m still knocking on your door and asking, “You wanna come out and play?”

Peter Telep is a senior instructor in �����’s Department of English. He can be reached at Peter.Telep@ucf.edu.

The �鶹ԭ�� Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on �鶹ԭ�� Today and then broadcast on W�鶹ԭ��-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. ) Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the �鶹ԭ��.

His new debuted this fall with 60 students, all eager to boost their creative-writing abilities while immersing themselves in one of the most epic stories of all time. “Some of the students had already read the textbooks before class began,” says Telep. “There are lectures where it’s hard to get through the material because there are 15 hands up.”

Telep has already secured his tickets for the upcoming movie, The Rise of Skywalker, snagging seats for the very first showing on Dec. 19, the day before the film’s official release on the 20^th. We asked him to share his expectations for the last film in the Skywalker Saga, and what the future holds for a galaxy far, far away….

Do you have a personal Star Wars memory that you’d like to share?

When Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, my parents took me to a standalone theatre in Nassau County, New York. When we arrived, the line was wrapped around the building. We waited in line for two hours and were finally ushered inside, only to discover that the showing had been oversold. My sister and I (ages 11 and 12 respectively) sat on the floor in the aisle, along with dozens of other kids. We didn’t care. The movie was like nothing we’d ever seen before. I remember everyone bursting to their feet and cheering at the end! It was an event. A life-altering experience. After that, I started buying everything Star Wars: books, posters, T-shirts, the original Kenner action figures, you name it. I built Star Wars Lego before there was Star Wars Lego. I had X-wings hanging from fishing line in my bedroom. When The Empire Strikes Back came out, I rode my bicycle to the local theatre every weekend for months and saw the film 13 times. I memorized every line of dialogue. I was driving a car by the time Return of the Jedi came out, and I probably saw that film at least a dozen times. When I was growing up, Star Wars was life!

The Rise of Skywalker is the ninth Star Wars film over the course of three generations. For you, how does this new trilogy stack up with the previous two trilogies? 

I’m what we call an old school OT (Original Trilogy) fan, and as an OT fan we argue fiercely that the first three films will always be the best, and that of the prequel films only Revenge of the Sith is really any good. The Force Awakens is very good but let’s be honest: it’s a reboot of the first Star Wars film and an apology for the prequels. The Last Jedi has become the most contentious film in Star Wars history because the characters and story failed to live up to the promises established in the prior film. If every good story is a promise, then Jedi breaks too many promises and divided the fan base.

In regard to the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker (ROS), writer/director J.J. Abrams has been faced with the nearly impossible task of trying to placate an already disappointed fan base while tying up over 40 years worth of storylines in a single film. There’s another unique problem facing ROS: It’s called The Mandalorian. This weekly TV show on the new Disney+ streaming service has been hailed as the Star Wars we’ve all been waiting for, and fans have flooded social media with predictions that the movie will never be as good as The Mandalorian. But all is not lost. There is a strategy that can help save The Rise of Skywalker. The storytellers can draw from the characters and situations of The Mandalorianand incorporate them into their epic conclusion to the saga. This would be a genius stroke and respect the fan base’s desire for more stories drawn from the rich lore of the Star Wars universe.

Speaking of The Mandalorian, the internet is buzzing about the super cute Baby Yoda, who first appeared in the show. Will this creature make an appearance in The Rise of Skywalker?

It’s been confirmed that Baby Yoda is 50 years old and could easily be alive during the events of ROS. There are hundreds of fan theories on social media speculating on the baby’s origin, its purpose, and whether or not it will play a pivotal role in the future of Star Wars stories. I can tell you this: I want Baby Yoda to play a role in the final Skywalker story. The Mandalorian’s storyline confirms that there are others of Yoda’s species out there. It’d be incredible for Baby Yoda to rally millions of others from its home world in order to help save our heroes from the ultimate evil. That would make for an epic final showdown.

Will we learn more about the Knights of Ren in The Rise of Skywalker? Will Rey defeat Kylo Ren?

The Knights of Ren were mentioned in The Force Awakens, and fans spent two years speculating on who they were and exactly what Kylo’s past was with them (as “Master of the Knights of Ren”). None of those questions were answered in The Last Jedi (a broken promise). Now, from what I’ve read, J.J. Abrams asserts that we will learn more about them. In regard to Rey defeating Kylo, there is already some speculation that they might need to team up to defeat an even greater evil. Personally, I would like to see Kylo sacrifice himself to save Rey, even though I think Kylo is one of the most interesting and complex villains in Star Wars.

Other than Darth Vader, who do you think is the best Star Wars villain?

While some fans initially dismissed Kylo Ren as a whiny brat (there’s even a Twitter account called “emo Kylo Ren”), I found him to be a fun and complex character. We’re not used to seeing dark side villains throw temper tantrums, kill their own fathers, and be torn between the dark side and the light. Kylo Ren is one of the centerpieces of the new trilogy, and without him, I doubt the stories would hold up. Marvel comics also recognizes how engaging Kylo Ren can be and is releasing a new series called Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren. The comics will provide some great backstory on Kylo and the Knights of Ren. Here, take my money!

Why do you feel the Star Wars franchise has been so successful for so long?

For over 40 years the stars of the first three films have been asked this very question, and I remember Mark Hamill in an interview saying something like it’s a classic tale of good versus evil. Indeed, those tales have universal appeal and will always stand the test of time. In my Star Wars course, we dive deeper into this notion of taking heroes out of their ordinary worlds and thrusting them into extraordinary places where they are tested, challenged and eventually return home as wiser and more empowered individuals. Millions of fans have embraced this concept, relying upon Star Wars to help them escape from their mundane or problem-filled lives to go on an adventure and return much better for the journey. For some fans, Star Wars allows them to relive or actually never leave their childhoods. For others, Star Wars is cathartic, the medicine needed to make it though painful experiences in their lives. Above all, Star Wars is community and has led to meaningful, life-long relationships. Our shared love for Star Wars has permeated popular culture forever. When a franchise is able to harness that kind of intimacy among fans, it will always be successful.

Will this really be the final Star Wars film? Do you anticipate this film breaking box office records?

This will be the final film in the Skywalker story, but it will not be the last Star Wars movie. I do hope the film breaks box office records. However, this final chapter faces some considerable challenges: a divided fan base now rallying behind The Mandalorian; a prior film that broke promises and disappointed a lot of diehard fans; and, finally, rumors spread that early test screenings of ROS failed miserably with their audiences and that the film has been retooled many times during the last few months. J.J. Abrams did a fine job with The Force Awakens and I have all the faith in the world that this film will be good; however, The Rise of Skywalker will not make everyone happy. Let’s hope that we feel satisfied by the story, that promises are kept, and above all, that the filmmakers demonstrate a deep respect for a world whose characters have been our best friends since childhood.

Now it’s that same dictionary that needs preserving, and �鶹ԭ�� researchers are stepping up to the task.

With a recently received $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, �鶹ԭ�� researchers are working to bring Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language, into the digital age.

“[Johnson’s dictionary] is also very important to the history of the language, and it’s still important to scholarship today.” – Beth Rapp Young, �鶹ԭ�� professor

The project will create the first complete, online and fully searchable version of the famous 18th century writer’s magnum opus from 1755. The dictionary is considered one of the most influential works of English literature of all time.

The researchers will also do the same for the fourth edition from 1773, the most updated version before Johnson’s death in 1784.

“It’s a major piece of English literature,” says Beth Rapp Young, the project’s principal investigator and an associate professor in �����’s . “The 18th century has been called the age of Johnson. People have credited it with helping to establish the literary cannon. It’s also very important to the history of the language, and it’s still important to scholarship today. There are a lot of reasons we want to know what words meant back in the 18th century, and this is the book people turn to in order to find out.”

Johnson, born in 1709, was an author known for his humor and extensive literary knowledge, both of which were reflected in the two-volume, more than 2,000-page dictionary that contains over 42,000 words and has a combined weight of more than 20 pounds.

Not only did his dictionary entries contain witty definitions, such as the one for a lexicographer which defines a dictionary writer as “a harmless drudge,” but also illustrative quotations from literature of the day to give an entry context.

Being quoted in Johnson’s dictionary gave an author’s work literary legitimacy. And because the dictionary offers a snapshot of the vocabulary of the time, it is also a resource for present-day legal, historical and literature scholars.

“[18th century scholars] hoped the dictionary would stop the language from changing so fast, so that future generations could understand them.” – Beth Rapp Young, �鶹ԭ�� associate professor

For example, a legal scholar may want to look up the precise meaning of a word used by America’s founders at the time of the writing of the U.S. Constitution, as Johnson’s dictionary was a contemporary literary work.

Johnson’s dictionary is one of the earliest dictionaries of the English language and is distinct in its comprehensive entries that included almost all of the words of the time, not just the hard ones. It is also noted for its memorable definitions and illustrative quotations, which made it not just a study aid, but also a readable book. Johnson was hired to write the dictionary, a work that many 18th century scholars hoped would codify the English language that had been changing throughout the centuries.

“They hoped the dictionary would stop the language from changing so fast, so that future generations could understand them,” Young says. “It was a way to keep their language from becoming obsolete, the way some of Chaucer’s language had and the way Shakespeare’s was heading.”

Compared to today’s dictionaries, Johnson’s contains less entries and more wit, but it was still used to learn what words mean. The thoroughness of Johnson’s work set the precedent for comprehensive dictionaries, such as Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language and the Oxford English Dictionary, both of which were heavily influenced by Johnson.

To get the dictionary online and ready for scholarly searches, Young and her team will have high-quality scans of the dictionary generated, which will then be transcribed by a private company into editable, digital text with some initial coding to format the entries.

“I’m really excited, and I’m really proud. We’re going to do something that’s great, that’s useful, and it’s going to make �鶹ԭ�� look good.” – Beth Rapp Young, �鶹ԭ�� professor

Young’s team will then proof the text and add additional XML codes to enable thorough searching throughout the work and to allow linking to Library of Congress records. They will build a custom database to provide sophisticated search functions. The entire work will be eventually uploaded to a website for anyone to peruse. It’s expected to take about three years to complete.

The finished project will be a major upgrade compared to existing digital versions of the dictionary, which were either crowdsourced, incomplete and contained errors or only available on an expensive, hard-to-find, 20-year-old CD-ROM with slow and limited search features.

“I’m really excited, and I’m really proud,” Young says. “We’re going to do something that’s great, that’s useful, and it’s going to make �鶹ԭ�� look good.”

Collaborators on the project include co-principal investigator Jack Lynch, a professor of English at Rutgers University and a Johnson scholar; co-principal investigator Carmen Faye Mathes, an assistant professor in �����’s Department of English; co-principal investigator Amy Larner Giroux ’85 ’09MA ’14PhD, the associate director of �����’s ; and project assistant William Dorner ’07 ’10MA ’15PhD, an instructional technology coordinator with �����’s Faculty .

Young received her doctorate and master’s degree in English from the University of Southern California and her bachelor’s degree in English from Rollins College. She joined �鶹ԭ�� in 1997. Her areas of expertise include composition, grammar and online teaching.

The Pegasus Professor award is the highest academic award a professor can receive at the �鶹ԭ��. During an entire career at �鶹ԭ��, faculty who are exceptional in every area — teaching, research and service — are recognized for their work. These awards are determined by the president, and recipients receive a $5,000 stipend and a $5,000 research grant.

Josh Colwell, Naim Kapucu, Tison Pugh ���Ի���Martine Vanryckeghem have been selected as the 2019 Pegasus Professors who have impacted students, fellow faculty and the community through their research and dedication to education.

Josh Colwell

Department of Physics, Florida Space Institute, College of Sciences

Josh Colwell has been interested in space exploration and science since he was a child. His mother likes to joke that he was bit by the space bug when she was eight months pregnant and saw the launch of Gemini 1. His career started in research, but after 17 years at the University of Colorado he came to �鶹ԭ�� to pursue his passion for teaching.

“One of my goals is to make science, physics and astronomy more accessible to people. I love seeing that light bulb moment with students.” — Josh Colwell

“One of my goals is to make science, physics and astronomy more accessible to people,” he says. “I love seeing that light bulb moment with students. I’m always looking for new ways to make complicated subject matters relatable and understandable.”

While Colwell loves his students, he’s also known for conducting experiments in what’s sometimes called the vomit comet — a plane that descends rapidly to create weightless conditions. Has he thrown up? Too often to count, but many of his students have fared better on the plane.

His research works to uncover the story of the solar system and the formation of habitable planets like Earth throughout the galaxy. Colwell has been involved in multiple NASA missions, most notably the Cassini mission that orbited Saturn 13 years sending back views of the ringed planet and its dozens of moons never seen before. He also hosts a podcast, Walkabout the Galaxy, which he calls “accidentally educational.”

His advice to students is simple: “Take advantage of the resources at �鶹ԭ��. Go see your teachers. They want to be asked questions, and they want to help you understand so you can succeed.”

Naim Kapucu

Director, School of Public Administration, College of Community Innovation and Education

Naim Kapucu came to �鶹ԭ�� in 2003 fresh off of his doctoral program at the University of Pittsburgh with his dissertation about emergency and crisis management during 9/11. His father wanted him to become a politician and eventually a governor, but he told his father he would one day become “a professor of governors,” specializing in public administration and policy.

While his work on 9/11 became well-known, Kapucu planned to never touch emergency-management research again, but the opposite happened after his move to Florida.

“My passion is being an academic, scholar leader and having a big vision for our school.” — Naim Kapucu

“I’ve focused on leadership and emergency and crisis management,” Kapucu said. “My passion is being an academic, scholar leader and having a big vision for our school.”

For the past four years, Kapucu has directed the School of Public Administration. He’s led creation of six new degree programs, including the fully online Masters in Research Administration, and has brought top journals in the field to �鶹ԭ��. Kapucu’s leadership and relationships put the school’s programs on the map. The school has two U.S. News & World Report nationally ranked graduate degree programs: No. 7 emergency management and No. 8 nonprofit management.

The Emergency Operations Center at �鶹ԭ�� was one of the first in the nation at a university – thanks to a grant that Kapucu helped secure.

“Coming to �鶹ԭ�� was the best decision I ever made,” he says. “I tell students, faculty and staff to be yourself, know yourself and let other people be themselves. Have a vision with a solid plan to accomplish your goals. But keep in mind: In the world of public administration and policy, a vision without execution is hallucination.”

Tison Pugh

Professor, Department of English, College of Arts and Humanities

Tison Pugh is best known among students for his Harry Potter studies class, but that’s not what he’s most proud of. He arrived at �鶹ԭ�� in 2001 after receiving his doctorate in English literature from the University of Oregon, and he has also published 19 books in 17 years.

“Two of the things I’m proud of is the minor in medieval and renaissance studies. And I was the founding faculty editor of the �鶹ԭ�� undergraduate research journal, The Pegasus Review,” Pugh says. “These are curricular initiatives that will still be available to students after I’m long gone.”

“I always stress to students that I love literature and that I love to read and study it.” — Tison Pugh

Pugh hopes his enthusiasm and love for literature shines through in his teaching, even for any resistant students. He believes the key to keeping students engaged is to tap into their passions.

“I always stress to students that I love literature and that I love to read and study it,” he says. “I don’t think I would be a good professor if I didn’t do that for my students. When they start reading, they find the hidden humor — and once they find it — they are addicted to it as well.”

Martine Vanryckeghem

Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Martine Vanryckeghem began her work in fluency disorders in Belgium, which has shaped her international career. A fluency disorder involves the interruption in the flow of speaking, and the most common one is stuttering. Vanryckeghem is an expert in how to diagnose and treat stuttering in children and adults.

Her research in fluency disorders has led her to co-author standardized diagnostic tests for children and adults that investigate the emotional, behavioral and cognitive effects stuttering can have on an individual. Her work has been translated, researched and published in 30 different countries.

“The tests provide an inventory and give a good idea of the different dimensions that surround the person who stutters,” she says. “An individual who stutters typically thinks negatively about him or herself and will use coping mechanisms to not stutter. The tests give the clinician a good assessment of the disorder and how to treat it.”

Vanryckeghem credits her late husband with a lot of her success. They met while he was in Belgium giving a workshop.

“�鶹ԭ�� made me an all-around citizen.” — Martine Vanryckeghem

“His high standards and scientific rigor served as a role model for me,” she says. “I have tried to continue to lead by that model and if I can use the Pegasus mythology, he was the wind beneath my wings.”

As for her students, Vanryckeghem hopes to make a small impact on their lives through academic and clinical instruction and research.

“�鶹ԭ�� made me an all-around citizen. I don’t see myself as only an academician or researcher, I see myself as a faculty team member and leader – a �鶹ԭ�� ambassador around the world,” she says.

Fowler, who lives in St. Augustine, has written several novels, including “Before Women had Wings,” which won the 1996 Southern Book Critics Circle Award and was adapted for an Emmy-winning film starring Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Barkin and Julia Stiles.

“Connie May Fowler writes in ways that make magical the most humble of characters and events,” said Lisa Roney, an associate professor in the Department of English, which hosts the series. “We wanted to bring her to �鶹ԭ�� because she is both a quintessential Florida writer, and also because she brings such a sharp eye to this landscape that she makes us see it in a new light.”

Fowler writes from a background of hardship and overcoming, and has spent years as an activist against domestic violence.

In a 2009 interview she commented about how many in Florida seem to abandon memories of the past as other residents move in and redefine the state:

“Our cultural, sociological, and historical memories seem to vanish with each new skyscraper,” she said. “So for me, writing is a madwoman’s attempt at trying to remember what is and was real in a place whose primary constant is change.”

Fowler will read from her work 4:30-5:45 p.m. Jan. 21 in the College of Health & Public Affairs, Room 119, and will sign books 6-7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble in the John T. Washington Center.