Now, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken notice.

Dene茅 Lichtenberg was awarded the DOE鈥檚 Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, giving her the opportunity to further her research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. This premier multidisciplinary research institution is advancing breakthroughs in science and technology to address national security challenges.

The opportunity brings her closer to achieving one of her biggest goals: working at a national laboratory, where she鈥檒l collaborate with experienced researchers and learn how large-scale scientific projects are conducted.

Raised in Titusville, less than an hour away from 麻豆原创鈥檚 main campus, Lichtenberg says she always knew she鈥檇 attend 麻豆原创, especially given the strength of its engineering programs. What she didn鈥檛 yet know was how far that decision would take her.

“The ability to design and improve materials that impact a variety of fields really motivated me to pursue this discipline.”

She found her path in materials science 鈥� a field where physics, chemistry and engineering intersect 鈥� which would allow her to study materials from the atomic level to real-world applications.

鈥淯ltimately, everything is made up of materials,鈥� she says. 鈥淏y changing a material鈥檚 structure or composition, you can drastically alter its performance. The ability to design and improve materials that impact a variety of fields really motivated me to pursue this discipline.鈥�

That curiosity has evolved into something bigger: tackling the challenge of sustainably recovering rare earth metals that are vital to the future of energy and technology.

Advancing Sustainable Extraction

Over the past year in the , led by Assistant Professor of Engineering Kausik Mukhopadhyay, Lichtenberg has focused on a breakthrough approach that uses a naturally occurring protein, lanmoudulin.

鈥淭he protein can capture rare earth elements from dilute waste streams, and then a small temperature change can trigger the protein to release them so they can be collected,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his could create a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to recover valuable materials.鈥�

Those materials are critical to everything from renewable energy systems to manufacturing; however, traditional extraction methods rely heavily on large amounts of energy and chemicals sourced from acid mine drainage, coal byproducts and electronic waste.

Lichtenberg鈥檚 work points to a sustainable future.

鈥淏y developing protein-based systems that selectively capture and release these elements, we could potentially reduce the reliance on traditional extraction,鈥� she says.

At Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lichtenberg will take that work further, designing modified proteins, producing them in the lab and testing how effectively they bind and release rare earth elements.

鈥淚t is a very exciting interdisciplinary project that combines protein engineering, materials science and sustainability,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 hope to continue this research after the internship ends.鈥�

It Takes a Lab 鈥� and a Team

But just as impactful as the research has been, the environment that鈥檚 shaped it has been.

鈥淒r. Mukhopadhyay is a fantastic mentor who creates a very supportive and positive environment that encourages learning [both] in and out of the lab,鈥� Lichtenberg says. 鈥淭he graduate students in the lab have [also] played a huge role in 鈥� helping me learn new techniques and [understand] the experiments and science itself.鈥�

Next, she plans to continue her journey as a Knight by pursuing a doctoral degree at 麻豆原创, advancing her research as a graduate member of the KM Lab.

For Lichtenberg, this internship isn鈥檛 the finish line 鈥� it鈥檚 just the beginning of reimagining how the world sources its most essential materials.

The Thermo Fisher Talos F200X analytical transmission electron microscope enables researchers 鈥� both at 麻豆原创 and in industries across Florida 鈥� to observe and analyze materials at the atomic scale. Equipped with advanced nanoanalysis tools, the instrument allows direct observation of elemental, chemical, electrical and magnetic states, dramatically enhancing what scientists can measure and understand.

The instrument will be housed in 麻豆原创鈥檚 AMPAC Materials Characterization Facility (MCF), directed by Professor Jiyu Fang, and will operate as a shared university resource supporting interdisciplinary research and external partnerships.

鈥淭he new Thermo Fisher Talos F200X analytical transmission electron microscope will revolutionize materials science and engineering at the nanoscale,鈥� says Professor Sudipta Seal, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. 鈥淚ts advanced analytical capabilities will enable unprecedented insight into structure鈥損roperty relationships, accelerating innovation across next-generation semiconductors, quantum materials, space and hypersonic systems, and cutting-edge biomedical applications.鈥�

鈥淭his instrument is a catalyst for discovery,鈥� says Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld. 鈥淏y giving our researchers and students the ability to see and understand materials at the atomic scale, 麻豆原创 is unlocking new pathways for innovation across energy, aerospace, semiconductors and beyond.鈥�

A Unique Capability in Florida

While other institutions in Florida operate microscopes within the Talos series, 麻豆原创鈥檚 system offers a distinct combination of capabilities.

It is the only Talos F200X in the state equipped with both a cold field emission gun and a super X energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector. This configuration significantly enhances energy resolution and high-contrast imaging, enabling exceptionally precise chemical mapping at the atomic scale.

According to Professor Akihiro Kushima, the cold field emission gun allows advanced atomistic-scale analysis even for beam-sensitive materials 鈥� samples that can be damaged under conventional imaging conditions. The improved resolution and signal collection make it possible to analyze delicate materials in ways that were previously difficult or impossible.

In addition to supporting engineering and computer science research, the instrument will expand capabilities in fields such as planetary science, where nanoscale characterization of extraterrestrial materials can provide new insight into the origins and composition of planetary bodies.

Supporting Florida鈥檚 Innovation Ecosystem

Beyond academic research, the microscope is expected to strengthen partnerships with Florida鈥檚 high-tech industries.

The Talos F200X enables deep structural understanding of advanced materials, opening new opportunities for collaboration with companies across aerospace, defense, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, electronics, semiconductors, energy and environmental sectors.

Kushima notes that the microscope is already supporting collaborations with local industry partners developing advanced battery materials. Using the Talos F200X, researchers can study how material structures evolve during charge and discharge processes, providing deeper insight into reaction mechanisms and helping optimize performance. The acquisition was made possible by the 麻豆原创 Office of Research, with support from the Office of the Provost.

Training the Next Generation

The Talos F200X will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate coursework in electron microscopy and advanced characterization techniques. Students conducting research can also gain hands-on experience after completing required training.

Understanding materials at the nano and atomic scales is essential in advanced manufacturing and semiconductor sectors, where structural insights inform synthesis optimization and failure analysis. Students trained in advanced characterization techniques such as transmission electron microscopy are highly valued in industry, positioning 麻豆原创 graduates to contribute directly to Florida鈥檚 advanced manufacturing and semiconductor workforce.

Industry partners interested in utilizing the AMPAC Materials Characterization Facility may request instrument time by contacting ampacmcf@ucf.edu.

鈥淎I should learn chemistry the way humans do 鈥� by seeing molecular structures, not just reading linear strings,鈥� Vyas says. 鈥淲hile large language models have shown promise for molecular property prediction, their reliance on representations like SMILES or SELFIES [textual representations] limits their ability to capture the rich structural cues chemists rely on.鈥�

According to Vyas, this work opens a new pathway for chemical predictions and molecular analysis, by creating an AI system that operates more intuitively.

A Challenging Vision

According to Vyas, one of the biggest challenges facing the field of artificial intelligence and computer vision is in shifting AI models from a textual to a visual understanding of chemical reactions.

鈥淢olecular images represent a very different data domain compared to the natural images or text that vision-language models are typically trained on.鈥� Vyas says, 鈥淢olecules contain highly specific structural relationships 鈥� bonding patterns, stereochemistry, and functional group arrangements 鈥� that are subtle yet crucial for property prediction.鈥�

Many VLM models have limited exposure to visual representations of scientific data, which makes training and adapting them to understand the nuances of molecules and their atomic structure a primary challenge.

Transforming How Scientists and AI See Chemistry

To address these challenges, Vyas and her research team developed a multi-modal data set for MolVision to refer to during its training. The data set pairs 2D diagrams with text-based descriptions on a variety of molecules and different atomic structures. Using this data set was crucial for training the MolVision VLM to integrate textual and visual information effectively. Using a LoRA (low rank adaptation) algorithm, the MolVision VLM is able to engage in billions of parameters worth of data enabling it to complete complex tasks such as molecular property prediction or chemical description without the cost of full retraining.

鈥淩ecent advances in vision鈥搇anguage models have transformed how AI understands the world, but most of that progress has focused on natural images and everyday language,鈥� says Yogesh Singh Rawat. 鈥淲ith MolVision, we鈥檙e bringing those same AI capabilities into chemistry 鈥� allowing models to reason about molecules visually, in ways that are much closer to how scientists actually think.鈥�

This work has the potential to transform drug discovery, the personalization of medicine, and even sustainable design and engineering. The research team also expects that 鈥渙ver the next few years we can expect this multimodal approach to reduce experimental screening burdens, support faster identification of promising drug candidates and materials, and offer more interpretable insights into structure-property relationships,鈥� Vyas says.

Vyas and her team here at 麻豆原创 plan to scale up the MolVision VLM project in terms of its data set and capabilities. The team plans to integrate the VLM model in chemistry with technologies using current AI neural networks and large molecular simulators to create hybrid systems that can combine symbolic, visual and physical reasoning.

Vyas will also participate in the upcoming where she will be presenting an exhibit on AI for chemistry and molecules. Those interested in viewing the exhibit can attend from 7:45 to 11:00 p.m. this Saturday on the 4th Floor.

January is National Mentoring Month, celebrating the value of mentorship and its positive impact on individuals and communities.

The Florida Education Fund (FEF) unanimously selected Assistant Professor Kausik Mukhopadhyay as the recipient of the 2025-26 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award, honoring faculty who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting McKnight Doctoral fellows.

It Began with a Nomination

For Mukhopadhyay, the recognition carries added meaning because it came from the people he prioritizes most: his students.

He was nominated by Amanda Bernard 鈥�22, a first-year doctoral student, McKnight Doctoral fellow and member of Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 . A faculty member in materials science and engineering, Mukhopadhyay says the award came as a complete surprise, as he didn鈥檛 even know he was nominated.

鈥淚t鈥檚 special knowing that this is a student-nominated award,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says. 鈥淪pecial thanks to my student, Ms. Amanda Bernard, for secretly nominating me for this award. This is also my first award for mentorship, so it is very special to me. I am so thankful to the FEF committee for this.鈥�

Support That Opens Doors

Bernard鈥檚 path to doctoral study reflects the kind of trajectory Mukhopadhyay works to develop. She first joined the KM Lab as an undergraduate biology student and has remained a member for the past year. After earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree, she planned to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in materials science and engineering, until Mukhopadhyay 鈥� known simply as 鈥淒r. K鈥� to his students 鈥� encouraged her to aim for a doctoral degree.

“Rarely do you meet a professor whose passion is to see his students succeed without expecting anything back.” 鈥� Amanda Bernard 鈥�22, 麻豆原创 doctoral student

Mukhopadhyay quickly began helping Bernard envision a future she hadn鈥檛 fully considered for herself. Within weeks of her joining the KM Lab, Bernard says that he was researching fellowships and internships to support her graduate journey, which led her to the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship.

鈥淥nce you join Dr. K鈥檚 lab, he always has your back,鈥� Bernard says. 鈥淗e defends his students, advocates for them and does the behind-the-scenes work most mentors never bother with.鈥�

When Bernard learned she could nominate a professor for the Outstanding Mentor Award, it wasn鈥檛 a question of who; it was just a matter of winning.

鈥淒uring my time at 麻豆原创, I have met many professors, some of whom have passions in research, teaching, social service and more,鈥� Bernard says. 鈥淩arely do you meet a professor whose passion is to see his students succeed without expecting anything back.鈥�

Mentorship That Starts with Students

That belief defines Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 approach to mentorship. Over the years, he has mentored nearly 50 students, including visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers and high school students. His advising philosophy has evolved over the years, shaped by what he鈥檚 learned from conferences, books and his personal experience.

“Every scholar is like a puzzle, and I love being able to serve as a resource to help connect the pieces for each one.” 鈥� Kausik Mukhopadhyay, 麻豆原创 assistant professor

Mukhopadhyay says the key to his success as a mentor lies in how he approaches his mentees. He views them as colleagues, not students, and listens to their thoughts and questions.

鈥淚 believe a faculty鈥檚 success depends on how successful their students are,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says. 鈥淓very scholar is like a puzzle, and I love being able to serve as a resource to help connect the pieces for each one 鈥� whether by answering questions about a plan of work and training, pointing them to resources, helping them set and achieve academic and career goals, or simply offering words of encouragement and support when plans don鈥檛 get going.鈥�

For Bernard, that support has been transformative. It reflects the power of 麻豆原创 鈥� a university where mentorship fuels momentum and where faculty invest not only in solving the world鈥檚 greatest problems, but also in its people.

鈥淏eing intentional about creating or modifying my philosophy allows me to reflect on how I interact with [students], make space for their independence and improvement as needed, and contribute to society and the next generation of students,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says.

For the students who walk into his lab, it often marks the moment they begin to see a bigger future and realize they鈥檙e capable of achieving it.

麻豆原创 researchers Needa Brown and Aleksandra Petelski-Kulik, assistant professors in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, plan to study the microenvironment of TNBC to understand how age may play a role in the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a promising therapy for the disease. Their work is supported through a $100,000 grant from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.

鈥淩ecent studies suggest that younger and older women may respond differently to breast cancer therapies due to differences in their immune systems and tumor biology,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淗owever, we still do not fully understand how age affects the immune response in TNBC.鈥�

The researchers aim to discover how age shapes the immune landscape of TNBC and if this age-driven dysfunction can be reversed, leading to improved patient outcomes.

The team鈥檚 approach combines Brown鈥檚 knowledge of cancer biology with Petelski鈥檚 expertise in proteomics, the large-scale study of protein abundance and functional networks in biological systems. Using advanced mass spectrometry techniques, the team hopes to identify the age-related proteomic biomarkers associated with TNBC progression, immune invasion and a poor response to ICI treatment. With Florida鈥檚 aging population, Petelski says these findings could have a significant impact on treatments within the state and across the nation.

鈥淏y understanding how age influences TNBC and immune therapy response, our findings could translate to improved outcomes for thousands of patients both in Florida and beyond,鈥� Petelski says. 鈥淣ew biomarkers identified could set the stage for age-specific health screenings and personalized treatment strategies.鈥�

One promising therapeutic strategy involves targeting the STING pathway, a critical immune pathway that can either inhibit or promote cancer growth. The team plans to investigate how the STING pathway could be used to turn 鈥渃old鈥� tumors that evade immune detection into 鈥渉ot鈥� tumors that could be attacked by the immune system.

Brown and Petelski will co-mentor a postdoctoral researcher who will gain hands-on experience with the project while fostering collaboration between the two labs.

“We鈥檙e excited to have the chance to work together on new research opportunities that can help shape the future of cancer therapies.鈥� 鈥� Aleksandra Petelski-Kulik, assistant professor

鈥淭hrough this project, we will jointly mentor a postdoctoral fellow to allow for professional development in cross-disciplinary fields,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淲e hope this project will set-up a pipeline of next-generation doctoral students who can traverse the fields of materials science, proteomics and cancer biology.鈥�

While the researchers are also open to collaborations with other 麻豆原创 faculty, they look forward to working with each other. Ironically, they followed a similar path from Boston to Orlando this past year.

鈥淲e both started at 麻豆原创 in Fall 2024 and were looking for opportunities to merge our respective fields to allow us to make an impact within the Florida community,鈥� Petelski says. 鈥淎lthough we both had been a part of Northeastern University in Boston, our paths never crossed until we met at 麻豆原创. We鈥檙e excited to have the chance to work together on new research opportunities that can help shape the future of cancer therapies.鈥�

Annette Khaled, who leads the College of Medicine鈥檚 cancer research division, recently received more than $2 million in grant funding to expand her work with Z-TOP, a peptide she discovered in 2012 that stops the spread of metastatic cancer cells. She is collaborating with colleagues to design a better cellular delivery system for the treatment.

An almost $258,000 grant through the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program鈥檚 Florida Cancer Innovation Fund will help Khaled鈥檚 team further their efforts to stop metastatic breast cancer by disrupting the cellular activities that allow cancer cells to spread.鈥疉nd nearly $1.8 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), in partnership with the Orlando Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, will allow her to develop the treatment for men with late-stage metastatic prostate cancer.

Khaled says her research has expanded thanks to the support of the Orlando Sports Foundation, which funds cancer research through sports-related fundraising events. The nonprofit鈥檚 flagship event is the StaffDNA Cure Bowl, a unique college football game with the goal of ending cancer.

鈥淲hen you get funding for a research project, you can only do the work that is described in the specific aims of the project,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he donations from the Orlando Sports Foundation do not have this limitation.鈥疻ithout their support, I would not have been awarded the DOD grant. Using the donations, I was able to generate the preliminary data that made me competitive for the DOD and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) grants we received this year.鈥�

Alan Gooch 鈥�84 鈥�89MA, CEO of the Orlando Sports Foundation and executive director of the StaffDNA Cure Bowl, says he鈥檚 grateful to continue partnering with 麻豆原创.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all about bringing teams together,鈥� says Gooch, who played football at 麻豆原创 and later coached the team for 22 years. 鈥淥ur relationship with Dr. Khaled is outstanding, and we are honored to continue to partner with her and sponsor her research.鈥�

The Science Behind Khaled鈥檚 Work

The two new grants expand Khaled鈥檚 portfolio of research to understand how and why cancer cells spread.

鈥淐ancer treatments are very effective when the cancer is localized, but the problem is that cancer doesn鈥檛 stay at one site,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t spreads to other sites of the body. Usually, the cause of death is not the primary cancer, but metastasis.鈥疨reventing that can be a cancer cure, and that is what we鈥檙e looking at here in our lab.鈥�

Khaled鈥檚 latest research focuses on the spread of cell fragments called extracellular vesicles that are shed by cancer cells during the early stages of the disease. These vesicles are resilient to early cancer treatment and can travel through the bloodstream, acting as tumor 鈥渟eeds鈥� by preparing future sites for metastasis.

The vesicles are mediated by a molecular structure called a chaperonin. Chaperonins help fold proteins that support the body鈥檚 normal cell function. But cancer cells hijack the folding process because they need more chaperonins to grow and spread.

Khaled鈥檚 breast cancer research project aims to distinguish which chaperonins help facilitate cancer cells’ growth and stop them without harming normal chaperonins. She hopes to develop a treatment that could regularly deliver her peptide to cancer patients to prevent metastasis. Patients, Khaled says, could receive her treatment while they are receiving chemotherapy and radiation to kill the original tumor.

Her prostate cancer research will confirm the chaperonin as a viable treatment target for prostate cancer, and if so, optimize the peptide specifically for use in men who have lethal forms of metastatic prostate cancer.鈥疷nlike breast cancer treatment, which seeks to prevent metastasis, prostate cancer research will see if a strengthened variant of the peptide can eliminate cancer that has already spread.

Fielding a Team Against Cancer

In the lab, Khaled鈥檚 peptide has shown success in preventing cancer cells from spreading. The challenge is how to engineer and deliver the treatment. For that, she is collaborating with Lorraine Leon, associate professor of materials science at 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science.

They are working to create a system that delivers the peptide to where the cancer has spread and at the same time protects the peptide from being destroyed in the bloodstream by the body鈥檚 immune and digestive systems.

鈥淭he College of Engineering and Computer Science is a great collaborator,鈥� Khaled says. 鈥淣ormally this peptide is very fragile but we鈥檙e working with materials sciences to create a protected peptide and then find [a] way to get it to the right spot. By having a variety of expertise and interests, we can work together to find new technologies and new ways to combat cancer.鈥�

Leon specializes in biomaterials and polymer science. Her team studies how to build and program molecules to form assemblies for many purposes, including biomedical transport. She developed a specialized polymer that binds to the peptide, forming a large, water-soluble molecule. This allows it to travel easily through the bloodstream while keeping the peptide intact as it reaches its destination. The system drives the molecules to form self-assembled structures called micelles, which are assemblies of around 100 or so individual molecules, Leon says.

鈥淚n addition, we can tune the shape of these micelles, decorate them with targeting elements and make mixed versions of them where we incorporate different functionalities,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur original designs have had great preliminary results so far. We will continue to optimize the designs moving forward.鈥�

Leon is excited to team up with Khaled, and she says she looks forward to achieving more breakthroughs together as the projects progress.

鈥淲orking with Dr. Khaled has been very fun,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur labs really complement each other. This is the beginning of a very long collaboration.鈥�

Khaled and Leon are also working with Cancer Specialist and Associate Professor of Medicine Deborah Altomare, along with Burnett School of Biomedical Science Biostatistician Xiang Zhu, on the prostate cancer research project.

Khaled says strong research and community collaborations are critical to beating cancer.

鈥淐ancer is a tough enemy,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut we have a great team.鈥�

These studies are the first phase of preclinical research that may lead to new drugs in the future.

This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs,听in the amount of聽$1,771,271,听through the聽Prostate Cancer Research Program Idea Development Award聽under Award No.聽HT9425-25-1-0487. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the聽U.S. Department of Defense.

Researchers鈥� Credentials:

Khaled joined 麻豆原创 in 2002 after receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Florida and doing post-graduate training at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A tenured professor, she has been funded by multiple R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the FDOH. She has published more than 100 manuscripts and abstracts and presented her research at numerous national and international scientific meetings. She has been recognized with research, leadership and teaching awards, including the NCI CURE Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to her research responsibilities, she teaches molecular immunology to 麻豆原创 graduate students and serves as the College of Medicine鈥檚 assistant dean for faculty affairs.

Leon joined 麻豆原创 in 2017 after postdoctoral appointments at the University of聽Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, and she received her doctoral degree from the City University of New York. She is a recently tenured professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where she also serves as the education director for the U.S. National Science Foundation PREM Center for Quantum Materials Innovation and Education Excellence. She has published more than 20 refereed publications. Other accomplishments include her being named a 2019 Emerging Investigator by the Journal of Materials Chemistry B, receiving an NSF CAREER award in 2021 and a 3M Non-Tenured Faculty award in 2022.

All five awardees teach and conduct research through 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), and together their funding totals an estimated $3 million to advance real world technologies and positively impact the world.

The annual award program from NSF supports an estimated 500 early-career STEM faculty nationwide from either institutes of higher education or academic nonprofit organizations who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Since the program launched in FY 1995, nearly 100 麻豆原创 faculty have qualified for NSF CAREER grants, generating more than $40 million in research funding. It has supported a pathway to implement their research through 麻豆原创鈥檚 Office of Technology Transfer, which helps bring discoveries to the marketplace through licensing 麻豆原创 technologies and providing information about sponsored research opportunities.

麻豆原创 Associate Professors Sidong Lei and Truong Nghiem along with Assistant Professors Kevin Moran, Wen Shen and Hao Zheng continue to accelerate research in their respective fields through their NSF CAREER projects.

Studying Specialized Semiconductors

Sidong Lei

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

NanoScience Technology Center (NTSC)

Project Title: Van der Waals Semiconductor Integration via Surface and Interface Tailoring

Award: A total of $516,085 over five years, with $449,136 over three years at 麻豆原创

Sidong Lei endeavors to meet the demand for better materials to help make smaller devices run more efficiently.

鈥淲e all want our phones, smartwatches and laptops to be lighter, faster and more powerful,鈥� says Lei, an associate professor of materials science and engineering. 鈥淭o make that happen, we need to shrink the size of the electronic circuits so that more components, such as transistors, which are tiny switches for computing, can fit onto a single chip.鈥�

Lei researches new methods of developing innovative microelectronics by studying electronic and optoelectronic properties of emerging materials.

鈥淎s we push the limits of traditional silicon technology into the sub-10 nanometer range, it becomes extremely difficulty to make the chips even smaller,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t the same time, new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are demanding faster speeds, lower energy use and many more. All these make current microelectronics struggle and urge new materials and device architecture.鈥�

Through the NSF CAREER award he received in 2023 and brought with him to 麻豆原创 the following year, Lei is exploring how Van der Waals semiconductors may be integrated at the 3D level versus the 2D level. These specialized semiconductors represent a major frontier in materials science, offering a path to ultrathin, flexible and high-performance electronic and photonic devices鈥� pushing beyond the limits of traditional bulk semiconductors such as silicon.

鈥淭he question is how can we produce functional devices with these materials?鈥� Lei says. 鈥淥ther than fundamental investigations, we want to see our explorations and innovations find practical applications in critical fields. My research aims to find pathways towards this purpose.鈥�

His NSF CAREER project, much like the advanced materials he studies, integrates well with his group鈥檚 portfolio of research and translates into real-world applications.

鈥淲e are developing methods to fabricate very large-scale integration circuit based on 2D materials and looking for strategies to combine them with mature silicon technology to further enhance their functionality,鈥� Lei says. 鈥淲e are also investigating strategies to fabricate very-large-scale integrated circuits in flexible and stretchable packaging materials. This research will allow us to implement next-generation wearable and implantable electronics devices for health monitoring and disease treatment, for example, on Parkinson鈥檚 disease.鈥�

The vast opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance research at 麻豆原创 were a significant factor in Lei鈥檚 decision to expanding his career here.

鈥溌槎乖� offers a comprehensive platform to elevate my research,鈥� he says. 鈥淢odern scientific and technological challenges are typically highly complex, requiring the integration of expertise from different fields. The integration is truly happening here. Only a few months after joining, I have already become acquainted with many new colleagues who are experts in their respective fields, continually refreshing my perspective.鈥�

Lei considers his triumph in earning an NSF CAREER award funding a shared effort, and he credits 麻豆原创 and his colleagues for their unwavering support and guidance.

鈥淭he award represents a meaningful confirmation from my peers of my efforts and endeavors,鈥� he says. 鈥淗owever, the most enjoyable and exciting part was the journey itself, which included deciding on research directions, building a research team and then gradually generating results.鈥�

Improving User Interface Experiences

Kevin Moran

Department of Computer Science

Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster

Project Title: Enhanced UI Engineering via Automated Semantic Screen Understanding

Award: $582,308 over five years

Whether it鈥檚 a smart phone or a computer, the user interface (UI) is a critical gateway for people interacting with software and technology.

An intuitive UI can make a world of difference to new users and ultimately be the deciding factor for users when it comes to feeling comfortable with technology, says Kevin Moran, assistant professor of computer science.

His research group at 麻豆原创 aims to make it easier for software engineers to build complex yet user-friendly systems that translate into practical use.

鈥淢ore aspects of daily life rely on software than at any point in human history,鈥� he says. 鈥淔rom banking to social media, the importance of the quality of the software that we interact with on a daily basis has never been more important. My lab at 麻豆原创 aims to help provide engineers the tools that they need to wrangle this complexity, using machine learning, program analysis, and careful tool design.鈥�

Through his Software Automation, Generation, and Engineering (SAGE) Lab, Moran and his research group help simplify the difficulties engineers may face in building and troubleshooting such complicated systems. His research tackles two challenges in software engineering: making issue tracking (also known as bug reporting) more robust and improving the UI engineering process.

UI engineering is the practice of developing, testing and managing UI software, which is an emerging topic his group specializes in, and it is the focus of his newly awarded NSF CAREER project.

鈥淢y team and I have done quite a bit of work on UI engineering, a research area we pioneered,鈥� Moran says. 鈥淏uilding the user interfaces for software has long been documented to be a particularly challenging task. My team and I were among the first to combine program analysis, computer vision, and machine learning techniques to develop tools to help aid developers in engineering high quality UIs.鈥�

His project focuses on automating tedious tasks for software engineers through artificial intelligence (AI). The proposed AI model will learn from UI interactions, understand UI features, and automatically translate them to code for engineers.

Ultimately, this may save software engineers time and increase their efficiency in developing UIs, Moran says.

鈥淥ur aim with this work is to get our developed programming tools to software engineers so that they can improve the quality of the UIs they are building,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or the general public that uses software, this means UIs that are easier to use and contain fewer bugs.鈥�

The path to earning such a prestigious grant like the NSF CAREER award requires a high level of detail and Moran says receiving one is incredibly gratifying.

鈥淐AREER proposals are rigorously reviewed by other scientists in my area of research, and receiving the grant is tremendous validation for a very ambitious future research agenda related to improving UI engineering,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his award will fund students who will be working on projects to help make it easier for developers to build high quality user interfaces, so that hopefully in the future, we can reduce the frustrating interactions that users may have when interacting with software.鈥�

Moran says 麻豆原创 provided a space for professional growth. The university鈥檚 vast resources, which include welcoming and collaborative faculty, helped to further hone his skills that ultimately led to receiving his NSF CAREER award.

鈥淏eing a part of this academic community lead to the formation of some of the ideas in my proposal and I am excited to be a part of computer science at 麻豆原创, particularly as we expand our department and expertise in AI,鈥� Moran says. 鈥淐ECS has a CAREER mentoring program where I was paired with senior scientists in my area of work who were able to give me early feedback on my proposal. They helped me to refine the plan of work and gave me invaluable suggestions. 麻豆原创 played a key part in my success for this award鈥�

Machine Learning Guidance to Make Smart Systems Even Smarter

Truong Nghiem

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Project Title: Composite Physics-Informed Learning of Dynamics Systems

Award: $477,585 over five years

Associate Professor Truong Nghiem came to 麻豆原创 in Fall 2024, bringing expertise in machine learning and autonomous systems.

His research focuses on developing new methods that blend machine learning with physical principles to improve complex systems such as autonomous vehicles, smart buildings and industrial automation systems.

鈥淢y work aims to help create the intelligent, autonomous systems of the future鈥攕ystems that will enhance productivity, improve safety, and make everyday life more convenient and sustainable,鈥� says Nghiem, whose research group is called the intelligent Cyber-Physical Systems (iCPS) Lab. 鈥淚 specialize in intelligent cyber-physical systems 鈥� engineered systems that seamlessly integrate the cyber world, which includes computation, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), with the physical world, which includes mechanical and dynamic systems like vehicles, buildings and robots.鈥�

His CAREER project, which he transferred from his previous university, directly supports his ongoing efforts and broadens the scope of his machine learning research.

鈥淭his research aims to create a composite physics-informed machine learning (CPIML) framework,鈥� Nghiem says. 鈥淧hysics-informed machine learning (PIML) embeds the laws of physics into the learning process, leading to models that are more accurate, physically consistent and interpretable compared to traditional machine learning approaches. CPIML takes this a step further by enabling the composition of both physics-based models and PIML components 鈥� along with their physical properties 鈥� to model more complex, large-scale systems.鈥�

Applications of machine learning that may be integrated into everyday life include improved response times of autonomous vehicles and robots, smarter energy systems that optimize energy use and temperature control, and more reliable industrial robotic systems that require minimal supervision.

Nghiem says he strives for his research to not only provide foundational knowledge but to also have a direct impact on real technologies that people are using right now.

鈥淎s our world becomes increasingly automated, ensuring that systems are safe, efficient and trustworthy isn鈥檛 just a scientific goal 鈥� it鈥檚 a societal necessity,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 have developed efficient models for HVAC systems in buildings that improve energy management, and I’ve also worked on predictive models for autonomous racing cars, pushing the boundaries of what AI can do in dynamic, high-speed environments.鈥�

Like the complex systems Nghiem studies, a university鈥檚 network of resources should be robust and reliable. He says he鈥檚 fortunate that his research fits perfectly into 麻豆原创鈥檚 supportive interdisciplinary ecosystem.

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 commitment is evident through initiatives like the and the ,鈥� Nghiem says. 鈥淭his work also underscores the importance of combining knowledge from different domains, bringing together AI, engineering and physics to create solutions for real-world problems.鈥�

Elevating Rare Earth Elements to Make Powerful Magnets

Wen Shen

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)

NanoScience Technology Center

Project Title: Manufacturing of Rare Earth Permanent Magnets via Three-dimensional Printing and Decomposition of Hydrogels

Award: $697,264 over five years

Rare earth permanent magnets (REPMs) 鈥� composed of alloys containing rare-earth elements 鈥� are the strongest permanent magnets with numerous applications across aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical devices and renewable energy industries due to their exceptional magnetic properties.

REPMs generate strong magnetic fields through aligned atomic structures, attracting ferromagnetic materials by inducing a magnetic field, enabling them to lift heavy loads, power motors and generate energy in various technologies.

Despite their widespread use, current REPMs manufacturing techniques are energy- intensive, complex and struggle to fabricate magnets with intricate shapes and minimal defects.

That鈥檚 where Wen Shen, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at 麻豆原创, comes in. Her NSF CAREER project aims to develop a new hydrogel-based additive manufacturing process that fabricates high-quality REPMs more efficiently.

The new fabrication process, which uses 3D printing and decomposition of hydrogels containing rare-earth elements, has tremendous potential, Shen says.

鈥淭his research will enable an energy-efficient and laser-free additive manufacturing process that fabricates REPMs with near-zero defects as well as excellent magnetic and mechanical properties,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f successful, the outcome of this research will significantly impact the global REPMs market.鈥�

Shen says she鈥檚 honored to be an NSF CAREER award recipient and continues to elevate her impactful research.

鈥淭he CAREER award allows me to conduct in-depth studies,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t fits well into my career, allowing me to advance my goals as both a researcher and educator while fostering impactful contributions to academia and industry.鈥�

麻豆原创 encourages state-of-the-art research through its resources, educational opportunities and collaborative environment. Shen says that she and her colleagues are grateful for the vast availability of university-wide support that helps advance their research and allows faculty to thrive.

鈥淭he fellowships as well as the research facilities and infrastructure provided by the MAE department, CECS [the College of Engineering and Computer Science] and NSTC [NanoScience Technology Center] to my group allowed me to conduct unique and transformative research that can make potential societal impacts,鈥� Shen says. 鈥淚 would like to acknowledge my department chair, the CECS dean, [and] the NSTC director, who have been very supportive of my research since I joined 麻豆原创.鈥�

New Chips to Keep Pace with Modern Processing Demands

Hao Zheng

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Project Title: A Scalable, Polymorphic, and Efficient Architecture for Irregular and Sparse Computations (APEX)

Award: $550,000 over five years

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, while transformative, has created new challenges for today鈥檚 computing hardware.

Hao Zheng, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, says he鈥檚 determined to navigate these challenges and arrive at solutions. His NSF CAREER project, much like his research, focuses on how to enhance the performance, energy efficiency and utility of chip processors to support the evolving landscape of AI workloads.

鈥淢y research lies in the area of computer architecture and machine learning,鈥� Zheng says. 鈥淚 aim to design versatile chip processors that can greatly speed up machine learning applications with significantly reduced power consumption.鈥�

Creating general-purpose or fully customized chips have been the most common methods of addressing emerging challenges in computational tasks, but both approaches have drawbacks.

Zheng鈥檚 bold solution is to design a chip that can adapt to any applications with various computing tasks. His research group, the Intelligent Computer Architecture and Technology (iCAT) Laboratory, is working to revolutionize current chip architectures, such as graphics processing units (GPUs), to handle the rising complexity of modern AI workloads. These include not just large models but multimodal systems, robotics, simulations and real-time decision-making.

鈥淪pecializing the underlying hardware architecture has become a trending solution to meet the computational demands of modern applications,鈥� Zheng says. 鈥淗owever, current specialized hardware, in the form of accelerators, is either fully customized for regular applications or lacks the generality to support a wide range of applications. However, today鈥檚 applications are evolving rapidly with increasingly complex workloads such as large language models, multi-modal models, embodied AI, among others.鈥�

Some real-world applications of his research can directly affect how robotics, augmented and virtual reality, autonomous driving, simulations and biological discoveries operate.

鈥淭his award will introduce a transformative concept 鈥� the polymorphic chip processor 鈥� to support ubiquitous irregular and complex applications with intensive data,鈥� Zheng says. 鈥淭he research will invent a new class of chip processors, grounded in graph theory, that can dynamically adapt to irregular and complex workloads at runtime. We believe this can have a transformative impact on computer architecture, compilers, scheduling and many other key areas in computing.鈥�

Zheng says his NSF CAREER award is just the beginning of what he can achieve here at 麻豆原创.

鈥淭his honor is a testament to the collective efforts of my entire research team,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 truly appreciate the collaborative research culture here at 麻豆原创. I鈥檝e also benefited greatly from the guidance and encouragement of my colleagues, and I would like to thank our department chair, Dr. Reza Abdolvand, for his support over the past several years. Most importantly, I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with four exceptional Ph.D. students who have grown alongside me throughout this journey.鈥�

Opportunities for growth and enrichment at 麻豆原创 are plenty, Zheng says. Exploring emerging unconventional applications for chips, strengthening educational development and collaborating with industry are three pillars he aspires to focus on and expand as he continues his research.

鈥淔irst, I plan to establish a solid theoretical foundation for irregular application acceleration,鈥� Zheng says. 鈥淪econd, I intend to collaborate with industry to prototype the concept. By the end of the award period, we aim to have a functional chip processor running in the lab, demonstrating the practicality of our idea.鈥�

One of the most important and personal components of his future efforts is his emphasis on education.

鈥淭his is the core mission of both our university and the academic community,鈥� Zheng says. 鈥淎s a first-generation college student, I am aware that a significant number of 麻豆原创 students come from similar backgrounds. I will provide mentorship to both undergraduate and graduate students interested in the chip industry.鈥�

Two 麻豆原创 researchers, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and CREOL Assistant Professor Leland Nordin, and CREOL Professor Shuo Sean Pang, are developing an infrared imager that can overcome these limitations. Their team is led by Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory. The three-year, $450,000 project is funded by the Photonic Enabled Tera-scale InfraRed Imager (PETRI) Grand Challenge Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, which asks researchers to create the next generation of infrared-imaging technologies.

鈥淭he Grand Challenge programs bring people with expertise together to solve a problem for a period of three years, says Shuo Sean Pang, a professor in CREOL and co-principal investigator of the project. 鈥淭hrough the program, we can tackle solving a technology problem that we choose.鈥�

Building a Better Camera

The lead on the project is Nordin, who shares a joint appointment between the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and CREOL. He is using his knowledge of materials and his expertise in photonics to create some of the hardware for the camera while Pang and his team work on data encoding and transmission.

Nordin will use radiation-tolerant materials and a form of nanostructuring known as atomic layer deposition to fabricate the semiconductor that can detect infrared light.

鈥淵ou put the wafer, known as the substrate, and different target elements inside the chamber, you then warm up the ovens which hold the elements so they come out of the oven and fly toward the substrate, building it up atomic layer by atomic layer,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like spray-painting with atoms.鈥�

At the same time, Pang and his team, which includes optics and photonics doctoral student Andrew Klein, will determine how to transmit a high-resolution image from space with minimum energy consumption from the hardware. Pang says the collaboration with Sandia allows them to try out different ideas, including non-traditional forms of data encoding to achieve high efficiency in communication, while maintaining the image quality.

The Key Component: Collaboration

For this team, collaboration is a key component of the project. Pang has worked with Sandia for three years now and Klein previously completed an internship with the national laboratory.

Klein says his internship provided a great training ground for this current project and he hopes to work for a national lab or a space-focused engineering organization after graduation.

鈥淚 love the Space Coast,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think there are lots of opportunities to apply space photonics. Engineers don鈥檛 usually consider using optics to solve problems like communication, but they can benefit from seeing things differently.鈥�

Nordin says he鈥檚 particularly excited about working with fellow CREOL researchers and is glad this national challenge fostered a partnership with someone who literally works next door.

鈥淭hese projects are fun because it鈥檚 a new modality,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou get to learn about problems and find solutions to things that you don鈥檛 particularly do.鈥�

About the Researchers

Leland Nordin is an assistant professor in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and holds a joint appointment with CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics. His cutting-edge research focuses on next-generation semiconductor materials and devices, covering design, growth, fabrication and characterization. For his work, Nordin has received the Army Research Office Early Career Program Award. Prior to 麻豆原创, Nordin was a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University鈥檚 Geballe Lab for Advanced Materials. He earned his doctoral and master鈥檚 degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.De

Sean Pang is an associate professor at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Caltech and conducted his postdoctoral research at Duke University. His current research focuses on the intersection on computing and imaging systems. His group is interested in modeling and developing optoelectronic system for sensing, imaging and computing applications, including the application of AI in solving imaging and photonic design problems.

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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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 麻豆原创鈥檚 highest faculty honor.

The 麻豆原创 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鈥� Day Faculty Honors Celebration.

This year鈥檚 Reach for the Stars honorees are:

Amrita Ghosh

• Assistant professor of South Asian literature at 麻豆原创鈥檚 within its and a member of The India Center at 麻豆原创
• 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 麻豆原创 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.

鈥淢y 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,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t enables us to build cross border solidarity with a part of the world that鈥檚 often mired in essentialized representations.鈥�

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

鈥淭hrough 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,鈥� she says. 鈥淪outh 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淧rior to researching the Partition, I was always interested in this huge historical rupture because of stories I heard within the family,鈥� Ghosh says. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

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鈥檚 largest film industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood, and literary and media analysis of the militarized border zone such as Kashmir.

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

鈥淚 am also very excited about upcoming research that is coming out on intersecting the narratives of Partition and [artificial intelligence] AI,鈥� Ghosh says. 鈥淭his 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淟iterature, arts and the humanities have an important role at a time when the world is rapidly shifting through technology, scientific and business innovations constantly,鈥� she says. 鈥淟iterature 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 麻豆原创 has been such a space where knowledge is built together alongside many different divergent fields.鈥�

Ghosh鈥檚 proficiencies aligned with 麻豆原创鈥檚 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.

鈥淲hen I interviewed with 麻豆原创, I was very impressed with the wide variety of different research expertise that is there in my department,鈥� Ghosh says. 鈥淎fter 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.鈥�

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

鈥淲hen I first visited Orlando, I was particularly impressed with the dynamism of the city and what it offers to the people,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n my third year here, I call myself a Floridian now.鈥�

Although Ghosh is comfortable here at 麻豆原创, she says that she鈥檚 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 麻豆原创.

鈥淚 am so thankful for the support 麻豆原创 has shown me and this award means the world to me to be able to continue my research,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 feel overjoyed and so grateful for all the amazing opportunities that last three years of 麻豆原创 have provided me that led to this award.鈥�

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 鈥� including the phone that Leland Nordin answered to hear President Alexander N. Cartwright congratulating him on earning a 2025 Reach for the Stars award.

鈥淚t was a great honor and surreal moment to receive a call from 麻豆原创鈥檚 president informing me of the award,鈥� says Nordin, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering whose research focuses on semiconductors. 鈥淚 deeply appreciate that 麻豆原创 recognizes the hard work my students and I are doing, and I am excited about the research opportunities this award will unlock.鈥�

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 鈥� such as lasers, LEDs and photodetectors like those found in a cell phone camera.

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

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.

鈥淚 strive to develop semiconductor materials and devices that make a real impact,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or 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.鈥�

Nordin leverages 麻豆原创鈥檚 plentiful semiconductor resources, such as its state-of-the-art cleanrooms, to grow his research and educate students.

鈥淲e take a 鈥榝ull stack鈥� approach to semiconductor materials and devices, meaning we design, synthesize, fabricate and test our own materials and devices,鈥� he says. 鈥淯sing 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.鈥�

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

鈥淏efore joining 麻豆原创, I worked across a range of disciplines, including physics, electrical engineering, and materials science and engineering,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 chose 麻豆原创 because it is the ideal place to pursue this interdisciplinary work, offering world-class facilities, outstanding colleagues and as I鈥檝e come to appreciate, exceptional research support. I am especially fortunate to have a joint appointment as well.鈥�

Since joining 麻豆原创 in 2023, Nordin has not only prioritized accelerating semiconductor and optoelectronic research but preparing students for a career in STEM.

鈥淥ne of my primary goals is to train the next generation of the U.S. semiconductor workforce,鈥� he says. 鈥淎s 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淚 know it may sound corny, but I鈥檓 especially proud of the research group I鈥檝e built and their enthusiasm for semiconductor materials and devices,鈥� he says, 鈥淭here鈥檚 always some risk in joining a junior faculty member鈥檚 lab, and I couldn鈥檛 be more grateful for the students in my group.鈥�

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

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

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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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.

鈥淭he world generates massive amounts of video data every second 鈥� whether through CCTV cameras, medical imaging or autonomous systems,鈥� Rawat says. 鈥淗owever, 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淭he ability to analyze video in real time has immense potential to make our world safer and more efficient,鈥� Rawat says. 鈥淔rom 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.

鈥淭he intersection of technology and real-world impact is what drives my passion for this field,鈥� Rawat says.

He credits 麻豆原创鈥檚 enduring legacy as one of the top computer vision programs in the world to several key factors which ultimately led him here.

鈥溌槎乖� is one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, with a strong commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary research,鈥� Rawat says. 鈥淚t 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.鈥�

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

鈥淚t 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,鈥� Rawat says. 鈥淭his award is not just a personal achievement 鈥� it is a testament to the hard work of my students, collaborators and the incredible research environment at 麻豆原创.鈥�

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 麻豆原创.

鈥淭his recognition would not have been possible without the unwavering support of 麻豆原创,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

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

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

Kelly Stevens

• Assistant professor of public administration at within its , and a member of聽麻豆原创鈥檚 Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Faculty Cluster听补苍诲听.
• Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University.

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

Kelly Stevens, assistant professor of public administration at 麻豆原创, thrives by navigating Florida鈥檚 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.

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

Before she adopted the signature black and gold of 麻豆原创, she donned shades of garnet and gold while earning her master鈥檚 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.

鈥淚’m excited to be back in Florida applying what I’ve learned to different energy and environmental projects here in Central Florida,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淲ith 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 麻豆原创 are useful and user-friendly.鈥�

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

鈥淭he project I am most proud of is the NSF-funded Resilience, Education and Advocacy Center for Hazard preparedness, the REACH hub,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淲ith community feedback 鈥� 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,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淭he 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.鈥�

Stevens says she鈥檚 grateful for the collaborative nature of 麻豆原创, particularly for the Faculty Cluster Initiative, which links faculty from different colleges, institutes and centers together to accomplish interdisciplinary breakthroughs.

鈥淚 am deeply grateful to be part of a talented and innovative team of researchers who embrace challenging questions and different perspectives in their work,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淚t is a huge honor to be recognized for this early-career award,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he research funding will be beneficial for funding more students to continue research on power outages and resilience over the next few years.鈥�

As a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor and chair of materials science and engineering department, Seal takes his research down to the nanoscale.

He focuses on cerium oxide nanoparticles known as nanoceria. These specialized nanoparticles are versatile and can be tailored for a variety of medical applications.

Since arriving at 麻豆原创 in 1997, Seal has 92 麻豆原创 patents to his credit, with more than 450 journal papers. A pioneer in nanoceria research for the biomedical sector, his work focuses on the nanoscience of advanced materials processing and materials science and engineering.

Nanoceria and Biomedical Applications

As Seal continued his research, he realized nanoceria was being used for microelectronic processing, but not yet in the biomedical sector. 鈥淲e at 麻豆原创 are the first ones to show that this has wonderful properties,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淲e filed a patent and were the very first to show nano cerium cell survivability,鈥� he says 鈥淭hen of course, after that, the field has really blossomed. There is a wide range of applications in biomedical sciences 鈥� from cancer research to bone regeneration, tissue regeneration and radiation protection. All from this almost accidental discovery made at 麻豆原创.鈥�

Since then, Seal and his research team have found that nanoceria are non-toxic and great carriers for delivering therapeutic agents and have regenerative oxidative properties.

Seal says that the nanoceria structure can be tweaked depending on the application.

鈥淚n layman’s terms, I would say I create openings in that crystal structure that I can tinker with,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is where the functional materials come in. I can take one opening and use it to send something, maybe I can load a drug on it. I can take another opening and keep it open to destroy nasty radicals produced by cells that are not needed.鈥�

Seal says that nanoceria鈥檚 versatility enables companies to put them in pills or injectables. 鈥淭he sky’s the limit,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also recent data that when combined with drugs, the nanoceria material actually protects the good cells, while the drug kills cancer cells even more potently.鈥�

Seal鈥檚 cerium oxide research has led to four technologies that he co-developed with Kenneth Liechty, division chief of pediatric surgery and vice chair of surgery research at the University of Arizona. Liechty was previously at the University of Colorado鈥檚 Anschutz Medical Campus, which is where he and Seal had collaborated.

Seal and Liechty combined 麻豆原创鈥檚 nanoceria platform with the University of Colorado鈥檚 experience in microRNA (miRNA) to engineer a specialized miRNA that can assist with diabetic wound healing. Found in all human cells, miRNA plays important roles in many biological processes such as cell proliferation or development of specific cell functions and characteristics.

Wound Healing for Diabetic Patients

Seal and collaborators leveraged the cerium oxide molecules to deliver specialized miRNA to an enflamed wound site in patients with diabetes to correct the inflammatory response at the molecular level. Once there, the molecules shorten the time of diabetic wound closure and help avoid the complications associated with impaired diabetic wound healing as those with diabetes often experience slower wound healing.

The molecules specifically combat excess reactive oxygen species molecules, which may build up as a result of prolonged inflammation and ultimately delay proper wound closure and healing. With that kind of inflammatory response, the body can produce a build-up of excess reactive oxygen species molecules, which then leads to increased oxidative stress inside cells.

Nanosilk Fibers to Protect Skin and Treat Injuries

Nanosilk fibers created from silkworms or spiders is another unique healing invention developed by 麻豆原创 and the University of Colorado.

The patented invention includes biocompatible and hypoallergenic compositions to heal, protect and strengthen skin. It also employs a combined nanoceria-miRNA specialized composition.

Silk comprises two proteins: fibroin and sericin. The silk core is fibroin, often used to make surgical sutures because it is non-toxic and biocompatible with human tissues. Fibroin solution converts to many forms, including films, sponges, gels and powders.

During their research, the inventors found that applying a layered system of silk fibroin fibers in solution and spun mat formats can effectively protect and strengthen skin, especially in weak areas that are injury-prone or stressed repetitively.

Also, they found that when integrated with cerium oxide molecules conjugated with the miRNA, the silk fibroin fiber solution and mat enhanced wound healing.

鈥淲e are now using biodegradable material to deliver therapeutics in disease sites,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淪ilk ceria composite is one of them 鈥� it鈥檚 green and sustainable technology.鈥�

The solution of silk fibroin fibers may be applied as a spray, liquid, form or gel, and the fibroin mat can be applied as a mat, sheet, gel or fiber.

The invention can be used as a protective layer to improve the skin鈥檚 elasticity, thus preventing or reducing injury, even minor blisters and skin ulcers. It can also treat a variety of wounds, and it can be used to treat injuries to subcutaneous tissue.

Nanoceria and miRNA for Tissue Regeneration

麻豆原创 and the University of Colorado collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania to develop a nanoceria-miRNA conjugate that not only assists with wound healing, but with tissue regeneration and angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels).

鈥淵ou need angiogenesis, and you need blood vessels to grow,鈥� Seal says.

For instance, after a heart attack, the invention aids recovery by reducing the body鈥檚 inflammatory response and helping it to generate new tissue for blood vessels.

As with diabetic wounds, heart attacks can cause the body to produce excess reactive oxygen species, increase oxidative stress and inflammation.

Offering both treatment and prevention, the patented invention can significantly mitigate heart damage and prevent adverse ventricular remodeling during recovery.

Treating and Preventing Lung Injury

Seal says that his earlier work 10-15 years ago on lung injury and cancer therapy radiation helped to develop new technology with the University of Colorado to promote lung repair, reduce lung inflammation and help treat or prevent pulmonary diseases or conditions.

鈥淲hen you treat the lungs with nanoceria, the good cells around the lungs are protected from the radiotherapy while the radiotherapy is killing the cancer cells,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淭he cerium oxide has this bifunctionality to protect the good cells from the radiation.鈥�

He explained that the nanocerium oxide has multivalent states, meaning the invention鈥檚 nanoparticles can stay silent when they want to and stay active when needed.

鈥淲hat we have seen in nanoscale depends on the microenvironment in the cell,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t can switch back and forth.鈥�

The cerium oxide and miRNA compositions of the invention can be administered in different forms as a spray or a pump.

Seal says he plans to continue promoting the commercialization aspect of technology developed within his department.

鈥淚’m really a proponent of people creating new IPs and taking them to the next level,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he world of nanomaterials is quite intriguing and the potential benefit of the nanomaterials, nanotechnology is immense.鈥�

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials
Seal is a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor, 麻豆原创 trustee chair, and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Seal joined the department and the Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center, which is part of, in 1997. He has an appointment at and is a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 prosthetics Biionix faculty cluster initiative. He is a past director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center. Seal received his doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.

Technology Available for License
To learn more about Seal鈥檚 work and potential licensing of these 麻豆原创 technologies or for more information about sponsored research opportunities, contact Andrea White (andrea.white@ucf.edu) at (407) 823-0138.