Over its 40-year history, the ASF has awarded scholarships totaling over $9 million to more than 850 students. This year, 71 undergraduate students from 48 U.S. colleges and universities were named Astronaut Scholars, including three exceptional leaders from 麻豆原创.

Abigail Glover

To Abigail Glover, a Burnett Honors Scholar and mechanical engineering student at 麻豆原创, earning a prestigious award like the Astronaut Scholarship represents far more than just financial support. For her, it鈥檚 entry into a network of ambitious individuals sharing her passion for space, engineering and scientific discovery. Glover describes the Astronaut community as 鈥渁 family of like-minded individuals who will always support you.鈥�

Much of Glover鈥檚 research has focused on planetary science. Some of her undergraduate research initiatives include studying the influence of humidity on simulated lunar highlands regolith properties and terra mechanics. Currently, her Honors Undergraduate Thesis is on 鈥淨uantifying the Performance of the SPARTA Toolkit for use in Planetary Regolith Characterization Missions.鈥�

Glover is a project manager with the Regolith Interactions for the Development of Extraterrestrial Rovers (RIDER) program at 麻豆原创鈥檚 , where she coordinates with industry experts and leads a team focused on enhancing technologies for lunar regolith and rover wheel interaction. She has also worked with NASA鈥檚 Exploration Ground Systems 鈥� assisting the Human Systems Integration team in preparing for Artemis II. Beyond her professional experiences, she founded the Lake-Sumter State College Astronomical Society in 2016. She also served as the social media and marketing chair for the 麻豆原创 chapter of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and is the creative chair for Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at 麻豆原创.

Glover came to STEM from a background in art and theater, which initially left her feeling like an outsider in the world of engineering and research. In her first semester, she had difficulty adjusting to the demanding load of her STEM classes. With some encouragement from her mother, she returned to 麻豆原创 for her second semester with renewed determination.

鈥淚t has been a long journey of discovering my capabilities and limits, but I wouldn鈥檛 trade it for anything,鈥� she says.

Glover鈥檚 courage in asking questions and seeking new opportunities has been a powerful force in her development. A conversation with a professor led her to 麻豆原创鈥檚 Exolith Lab, and a class interview connected her to the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program, which set off a chain of experiences she says 鈥渙pened doors to opportunities I would never have thought possible.鈥� Glover has received multiple scholarships and awards throughout her academic career such as the Office of Undergraduate Research Grant, the Pell Grant, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Looking ahead, Glover hopes to contribute to long-term lunar habitation. She envisions herself continuing with lunar regolith research and building systems for sustainable human presence beyond Earth鈥檚 atmosphere. However, Glover鈥檚 past experiences have inspired her to remain adaptable, confident that 鈥渓ife has a funny way of working out.鈥�

Charlotte Moore

With a passion for astronomy and a double major in and physics, Burnett Honors Scholar Charlotte Moore sees research as a way to learn more about the universe. Her research journey began in her first year and has transformed her academic experience, allowing her to build meaningful relationships and discover the collaborative spirit of the STEM community.

With her sights set on a doctoral degree in astronomy, Moore plans to focus on galaxy mergers, especially in tidal features at higher redshifts. 鈥淥nce I finish my Ph.D., I hope to work at a university or other research institution to continue my research,鈥� she says. Currently, Moore is an undergraduate student researcher with Eric Bell from the University of Michigan working on the time constraints of the merger of Centaurus A from the Stellar Halo. She is also an undergraduate researcher with Theodora Karalidi, associate professor of physics at 麻豆原创, working on the impact of optical thickness on the polarization of the light of Jupiter.

Despite her accomplishments, Moore candidly acknowledges the challenge of imposter syndrome.

鈥淭here are very few moments where I haven鈥檛 had doubts about what I鈥檓 doing,鈥� she says.

However, by immersing herself in new topics and projects, she has cultivated a sense of belonging in astronomy. Her hard work was marked by her first official publication, a moment that reinforced that she could make waves in the field of astronomy.

Moore credits her success to the incredible mentors she has encountered along her journey.

鈥淒r. Karalidi has always pushed me to pursue outside opportunities that will help me towards my goal of graduate school,鈥� she says.

Additionally, she has benefited from the experiences of peers who have previously received the Astronaut Scholarship, utilizing their insights as she navigated her application process.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Moore is committed to helping others find their footing in research. As the secretary of the Society of Physics Students, she mentors fellow students, sharing her knowledge and experiences to guide them. Additionally, Moore has received multiple honors and awards, such as the Order of Pegasus in 2024, the Knights Achievement Scholarship, and the Allyn M. Stearman Scholarship. Moore embodies the academic excellence, commitment to community, and passion for discovery that the Astronaut Scholarship seeks to promote.

Luis Santori

As a second-time recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship Luis Santori, a Burnett Honors Scholar and mathematics major, also appreciates the opportunities the ASF community will offer for his growth as a researcher.

鈥淭he doors that the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation opens will be crucial to my career,鈥� he says.

For Santori, the ASF community provides opportunities to collaborate, learn and grow as a researcher.

Santori is an undergraduate research assistant involved in multiple projects, including two with Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Adrienne Dove, associate professors in 麻豆原创’s Department of Physics, focusing on lunar craters and lunar regolith. He describes his mentors 鈥� Hanna, Dove, and Professor Eduardo Teixeira from the 麻豆原创 Department of Mathematics 鈥� as instrumental in his growth and development as a researcher.

Santori鈥檚 research journey has been transformative for both his academic and personal development.

鈥淩esearch has fostered personal growth by keeping me curious and introducing me to subjects beyond my curriculum,鈥� he says.

His research experiences have improved his communication skills, something that will be a necessity for him as he continues to promote his work.

Santori has also had to deal with the challenges that come with imposter syndrome, common in research where the uncertainty of discovery can lead to self-doubt. However, he reflects that by recognizing that it鈥檚 not productive to compare his path to the path of others, he has moved beyond this challenge. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance in sustaining a research career. His ability to work through these challenges and his dedication to his academic career have earned him the Allyn M. Stearman Research Fellowship, the Summer@ICERM 2023 Fellowship, and the 2024 NASA Exploration Science Forum Student Travel Grant.

Looking ahead, Santori plans to apply to doctoral programs in applied mathematics and planetary science, aiming to contribute to advancements in these fields. He is considering a career in academia, national labs or industry. With his passion and resilience, Santori is ready to make meaningful contributions to planetary science and mathematics as he continues on his academic journey as an Astronaut Scholar.

Those interested in the Astronaut Scholarship and other opportunities should reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at听OPA@ucf.edu.

These K-8 STEM educators, who comprise the Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship program cohort, are each graduating with a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in K-8 mathematics education. However, their program doesn鈥檛 just end here. They are also serving as teacher leaders advocating for evidence-based instructional practices and transforming the ways in which mathematics education is approached.

The state of Florida has not only faced challenges posed by a shortage of teachers, but also by struggles in retaining highly qualified educators. These needs are often exacerbated in Title I schools, in which many of the Noyce program fellows work. Housed in the College of Community Innovation and Education鈥檚 and funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant, the five-year program directly addresses the issue of teacher retention through investing in quality educators by increasing their leadership capacity and mathematics expertise. It is led by Sarah Bush, principal investigator, as well as co-principal investigators Lisa Brooks 鈥�92 鈥�06MEd 鈥�14EdD, Juli Dixon and Brian Moore.

鈥淟eadership capacity entails a combination of knowledge, experience, confidence, passion and opportunity,鈥� Brooks says. 鈥淥ur fellows are all natural leaders, and they are thriving because they harness the tools given to them and capitalize on every opportunity to follow their passion for ensuring that all students are provided with positive mathematics learning experiences.鈥�

For Shane Wiggan, a Noyce fellow and eighth-grade teacher at Liberty Middle School, being prepared with the knowledge and strategies for effective mathematics instruction has not only helped him support his students鈥� learning gains but also in encouraging a love of learning.

鈥淭his program has equipped me with the tools to encourage students to harness their innate curiosity to solve math problems,鈥� Wiggan says. 鈥淚nstead of solely aiming to 鈥榞et the correct answer,鈥� we now approach math tasks by thoroughly comprehending the problem and utilizing our existing knowledge. As a result of this change,听I have noticed my students become more confident and enthusiastic.鈥�

Although summer commencement marks the end of the Noyce Fellows鈥� academic journey, they鈥檒l continue honing their leadership skills through the 麻豆原创-Orange County Public Schools Noyce Teacher Leader Academy over the next two years. The academy provides mentorship opportunities 鈥� including supervising 麻豆原创 teacher education interns 鈥� that allow the fellows to share their expertise and positively impact both current and future teachers while continuing to teach in their own classrooms.

They鈥檒l also continue an ongoing partnership with nonprofit City Year Orlando, an organization that provides support and resources for high-needs schools through their members taking on roles as volunteer student success coaches. Fellows serve as mentors to these volunteers, some of whom are interested in becoming teachers themselves.

鈥淎s I grow in my leadership capacity through the Teacher Leader Academy, I am looking forward to mentoring and supporting … STEM education professionals,鈥� says Nisha Phillip-Malahoo 鈥�21MEd, a Noyce Fellow and third-grade teacher at Pinewood Elementary. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to work with these individuals to create opportunities for our students to explore STEM learning by utilizing听this professional network to share and gain valuable insights, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within our schools.鈥�

However, their leadership capacity transcends the classroom. Many of the fellows serve on boards and standing committees for national professional organizations, lead districtwide initiatives, present at mathematics education conferences and are publishing their research.

鈥淥ur work through the Teacher Leader Academy has always been centered on being responsive to the needs of the fellows and positioning them as leaders,鈥� Brooks says. 鈥淲e also focus on meeting the needs of Orange County Public Schools and City Year Orlando. Our project has regular online and in-person meetings where we provide ongoing professional learning, mentoring and support to fellows as they continue to serve as leaders, mentors, teachers and advocates.鈥�

For Abigail Ruiz 鈥�16 鈥�21MEd, another Noyce Fellow and fourth-grade teacher at Hidden Oaks Elementary School, her passion for sparking joy in mathematics with her students is rooted in her own academic journey. Growing up, she had a teacher who inspired her to not only persevere despite finding math difficult, but also to study education at 麻豆原创. It was while working toward her master鈥檚 degree that Ruiz learned to love math and science education.

鈥淚 never experienced the joy in a classroom until then,鈥� Ruiz told a group of fellow teachers at a recent conference for NCSM, a mathematics education leadership organization for which she also sits on the board. 鈥淢y mission is to help students experience this type of joy much sooner than I did because this type of revelation should not be confined to post-graduate education. Every learner deserves access to the wonder, joy and beauty of mathematics.鈥�

Wiggan adds that teachers can sometimes become accustomed to affecting a finite space, such as a classroom or campus, in which they feel they can make a difference. However, he鈥檚 since learned his impact can extend far beyond.

鈥淥verall, the Teacher Leader Academy has helped me realize that the only thing stopping me from making a more significant impact has been myself,鈥� Wiggan says.

Only 410 college students were selected after a rigorous screening process. Universities are only allowed to nominate four students, five if one of them is transfer student. According to the award website, the Goldwater Scholarship program 鈥渋s among the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics and seeks to identify and support sophomores and juniors who demonstrate exceptional promise in becoming the next research leaders in these fields.鈥�

Harvard, MIT, Yale and Johns Hopkins had the same number of students awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.

The awards are not only coveted because of the money, but also because recipients are thought to have great promise. Many have gone onto receive additional prestigious awards such as Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill and Hertz scholarships as well as National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships to help them pay for graduate school.

Awardees receive a scholarship to cover tuition, fees, books and room and board costs for a maximum of two years at their home institution. All four of this year鈥檚 winners have worked with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Academic Advancement Programs.

麻豆原创鈥檚 winners are an impressive group, each already making an impact in the areas of health, math, chemistry and space. They have unique stories about what led them to research and their career goals.

Devin Burris

Major: Biomedical Sciences
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar, RAMP scholar, EXCEL, GEMS, and National Institutes of Health sponsored BP-ENDURE
Career Aspiration: Gene therapy innovator at a private company
Mentors: Assistant Professor of Biology Charissa De Bekker and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Alicia Hawthorne at 麻豆原创 and Harrison Gabel, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Washington University Saint Louis School of Medicine in Missouri.
Research: At 麻豆原创, Burris is working with Assistant Professor of Biology Charissa de Bekker looking at the genes in a fungus that infects 鈥榸ombie ants鈥� and how they change the ant behavior. At the Washington University School of Medicine, she is working with Assistant Professor Harrison Gabel looking at the genetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. She is using computational modeling to understand how mutations in one gene (DNMT3A) can disrupt brain development and function.
Advice for Fellow Students: 鈥淏e proud of the work you have done. It is easy to fall victim to imposter syndrome in STEM, especially if you are an underrepresented minority. Once you become an academic, you realize how little you really know about the world. Once you become a researcher, you realize how little everyone else knows too, which in a way can be comforting as you pursue the edge of knowledge together.鈥�
The Importance of Mentors: All three of Burris鈥� mentors describe her as a rising star thanks to her intellect, hard work and grit, which explains how she鈥檚 not only conducting research at 麻豆原创, but also at a medical school in Missouri. Burris received the National Institutes of Health funded BP-ENDURE Neuroscience Summer Research Program and began working with Gabel last summer and she鈥檒l be headed there again this summer.

鈥淚 was lucky enough to recruit Devin to work in my lab at Washington University in St. Louis through our BP-ENDURE program,鈥� Gabel says. 鈥溾�� She has already made key insights into the genetics basis of this disorder, and I am looking forward to her continued work in the lab.鈥�

At 麻豆原创, Burris works with Bekker and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Alicia Hawthorne, who call her a delight.

鈥淒evin has been resilient and has maintained her passion and excellent work ethic,鈥� Hawthorne says. 鈥溾�� I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future.鈥�

Burris says she is thrilled to be getting the scholarship because it means an opportunity to continue her research and achieve her ultimate goal. She says her mentors were critical to helping her find her way and supporting her. She also says each of the programs she was involved in at 麻豆原创 and Washington have taught her skills that have led to her success so far.

鈥淚 want to go into working on gene therapy in the industry because there are many opportunities to be at the front of medicine here,鈥� she says.

Spencer Tamagni

Majors: Mathematics
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar, National Merit Scholar, member of the Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP)
Career Aspiration: Teaching and applying complex math problems to physics at a university.
Mentor: 麻豆原创 Associate Professor of Physics Costas Efthimiou
Research: Solving problems at the boundary of mathematics and physics.
Advice to Fellow Students: 鈥淓veryone should do research and 鈥榙rink from the fire hose,鈥� in other words consume as much content in the field as humanly possible鈥� Go as deep as possible with subjects that interest you and do not hesitate to discard things that bore you.鈥�
Take Control of Your Education: Tamagni always loved math and solving puzzles.

鈥淚t was the only thing I can see myself being able to get up and do every day without getting dreadfully bored,鈥� says the Tampa native. 鈥淪ometime in high school, I developed a bizarre obsession with learning as much math and physics as possible and picked up the habit of trying to solve hard math and physics problems in my free time with variable success.鈥�

At 麻豆原创, his mentor helped him realize he could make a career out of his 鈥渂izarre鈥� behavior. He says that while coursework is absolutely critical for knowledge acquisition, research is where a student can exert control over his or her education.

鈥淯nlike in coursework, where everything is manufactured and comes from a textbook, in research you get to have much more control over how you spend your time, what content you learn, and how you approach solving problems鈥t can be very empowering to take control of your learning.鈥�

He also urges his fellow students to recognize their weaknesses and find ways to improve. For him, the Research and Mentoring Program at 麻豆原创 was instrumental in helping him get organized.

鈥淩AMP has been very helpful in helping me untangle and map out the process of getting from where I am currently at 麻豆原创 to my desired graduate program,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey provide lots of support and assignments that help me plan my decisions 鈥� I am not a naturally skilled planner, so I benefit greatly from the extra support.鈥�

Oluwagbotemi Akinsoji

Major: Chemistry
University Involvement: McNair Scholar
Career Aspiration: To own her own company.
Mentors: 麻豆原创 Associate Professor of Chemistry Fernando Uribe-Romo, Georgia Southern Professor of Organic Chemistry Karelle Aiken, UF Assistant Professor of Microbiology Willm Martens-Habbena
Research: Conducting research with metal organic frameworks with a goal of creating rechargeable batteries, which will be a source of reliable electrochemical energy storage that emit less toxins into the environment.
Advice to Fellow Students: 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid to apply to these types of scholarships and opportunities. Even if you do not get it at the first, do not lose motivation. Participate and engage in multiple opportunities available on campus. Find things that interest you and make you happy and pursue the best you can.鈥�
Paying it Forward: Akinsoji grew up in Nigeria and moved to Maimi Lakes in 2015. She鈥檚 benefited from a good education, which is why she is keen on paying it forward.

鈥淢y career goal is to set up a company that will be able to provide everyday material at a minimal cost to people of third world countries, such as chemicals needed for the manufacturing of soaps, colognes, makeup, and toiletries,鈥� she says. 鈥淐oming from a country where everyday materials are not readily available even to the general public, I have made it my mission to make these materials accessible.鈥�

She knows it will take a lot of work to set up her own company, but that鈥檚 why she says it is important to take advantage of every opportunity. At 麻豆原创, she says the AAP office was a great resource that led her to other opportunities.

鈥淲ith this program, I was selected to participate in a National Science Foundation-funded research experience for undergraduate students at the Cornell Center for Material Science Research [at UF] this coming summer,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have also conducted research at Georgia Southern University鈥� and am a STEM Transfers Opportunities for Nurtured Growth Scholar and an American Chemistry Society Scholar.鈥�

Riley Havel

Major: Physics
University Involvement: Burnett Honors Scholar and member of RAMP
Career Aspiration: Planetary Scientist, which could lead to becoming an astronaut, research scientist, a (NASA) mission leader or a professor.
Mentors: 麻豆原创 Assistant Professors of Physics Christopher Bennett and Adrienne Dove, and Research Associate Jose Aponte at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Research: Using simulation of the space environment to study organic material produced and preserved in different areas of space and how they contribute to the origin of life. She has also been involved in designing parts and machining them, conducted quantum mechanical calculations and worked with ultrahigh vacuum instrumentation. She also came up with her own research project to perform spectroscopic measurements studying the interaction of hydrated salts with simulated Martian regolith 听(created at 麻豆原创) and presented the results at the 2020 Division for Planetary Sciences conference.
Advice to Fellow Students: 鈥淔ind a friend. My best friend Abigail Reynolds and I have always worked on applications together, discussed our aspirations in-depth, and challenged one another to be more intentional with our time as undergrads. I would recommend that everyone find a friend who has similar goals, but not necessarily similar interests and recognize the value that friendship can add in any endeavor.鈥�
Secret to Success: Havel says talking to people helped her chart her path and helped build her leadership skills, which have helped her land impressive opportunities.

鈥淚 spent a lot of time talking to upperclassmen in the Society of Physics Students about getting involved in research,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ventually, a few of them helped me draft an email to Dr. Bennett. Soon after, I started attending group meetings and training in the lab.鈥�

And that led to one huge opportunity. Last year she was selected as an Undergraduate Research Associate (URA) in Astrobiology under the advisement of Jose Aponte, an astrochemist and Research Associate at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She was supposed to be working in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory, which is the same laboratory that will be primarily responsible for performing analysis of the OSIRIS-REx and Hyabusa-2 asteroid sample return missions. The lab is internationally recognized as the leader in the world for analyzing extraterrestrial samples. Because of COVID-19, she was unable to perform research at Goddard in person, but she still managed to perform a high-level of research, with limited guidance, Bennett says.

Dove hasn鈥檛 worked with Havel on any research, but says she stood out in classes and within the department. She often spoke to Dove after classes.

鈥淩iley is an amazing person, a stellar student, and invested in giving back to her communities,鈥� Dove says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been actively involved in the physics department since she was a freshman through the Society of Physics Students and the Women in Physics groups. Her leadership and impact in those groups has been impressive. She has already made a lasting impact here at 麻豆原创 and will continue to do so as she advances to her PhD and beyond.鈥�

Students interested in applying for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship or other major national awards should contact Morgan Bauer in the Office of Prestigious Awards at听opa@ucf.edu.

American Scientist magazine this month notified Shivamoggi that a blog featuring his work 鈥� the first systematic theoretical formulation to describe the effect of stellar rotation in driving stellar winds faster 鈥� was one of the magazine鈥檚 top 10 blogs for 2020.

鈥淚t is good to see my work validated and I was lucky I didn鈥檛 have to wait as long as my mentor did,鈥� Shivamoggi said. 鈥淚t is gratifying to contribute to our understanding of solar winds. They control space weather, which has consequences on earth.鈥�

Understanding how solar winds affect the space weather around the planet is critical because it can cause all sorts of havoc. GPS that helps airplanes and vehicles navigate safely and the electrical grid can be negatively impacted. Some solar wind blasts have knocked out cell phone coverage and caused widespread power blackouts.

Shivamoggi caught the space community鈥檚 attention late last year. He published a research paper in the journal Physics of Plasmas, in which he proposed a new physical mechanism that explains the effect of a star鈥檚 rotation in driving stellar winds faster.

This paper provided a novel understanding of how fast rotating stars spin down. Some of the key premises in his theoretical model were validated by the solar wind data sent back from the sun by NASA鈥檚 Parker Solar Probe in December 2019. His journal article was selected as an editor鈥檚 pick for 2020. And he鈥檚 been receiving congratulatory notes from scientists around the world ever since.

Shivamoggi credits much of his success in this research to the encouragement and mentoring he received from Gene Parker. Parker was the first to point out the existence of solar wind and in 1958 gave an ingenious theory explaining the dynamics of supersonic solar wind. Shivamoggi met Parker, now an eminent astrophysicist at University of Chicago, during an astrophysics conference 10 years ago.

The solar wind concept wasn鈥檛 easily accepted by many, and Parker had to wait four years before NASA鈥檚 Mariner II confirmed its validity, Shivamoggi says. In 2018, NASA sent the Parker Solar Probe (named for Parker, the first NASA mission named for a living person) to gather data on the solar wind via increasingly close encounters with the sun.

The solar wind data sent by the Parker probe in 2019 indicated that the solar wind rotates around the sun much faster than previously considered, supporting Shivamoggi鈥檚 mathematical theory.

Shivamoggi emphasizes that Parker鈥檚 encouragement and guidance were crucial to his success.

鈥淒r. Parker was so reassuring and encouraging,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd when I was struggling, hearing his kind words from time to time was stimulating. I am lucky and thankful for his mentorship, and I try to do the same for my students. The material is challenging, but I want them to learn. They are the future and I try to encourage them to reach because they, too, can change the world.鈥�

Shivamoggi joined 麻豆原创 in 1985. He teaches in the Mathematics and departments. He has multiple degrees from MIT and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before joining 麻豆原创, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University, the Australian National University, a scientist at the Physical Research Laboratory in India and an associate professor at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences also in India.

Hanna Reed, a mathematics major, accepted the National Institute for Mathematical and Biology Synthesis鈥� highly competitive Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates. Reed heads to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to work on a biology project. Reed has experience with interdisciplinary research. She鈥檚 been working with Zhisheng Shuai to model phenomena, such as how disease spreads.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting working with math models. You can describe a process with math and figure out other things you couldn鈥檛 before.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting working with math models,鈥� Reed says. 鈥淵ou can describe a process with math and figure out other things you couldn鈥檛 before.鈥�

Reed explains what math models can do with an example of how the influenza virus spreads. She says you begin with different populations: people who are susceptible to the flu, infected by the flu and people who have recovered from a strain of flu. Working in a lab, Reed can trace contact rates, duration of infection and recovery. Using math, Reed can show how the flu moves through susceptible people, to infection and to recovered people.

鈥淏y using the biology of what happens with the flu virus, we can figure out the rates, contact rates and duration of infection and recovery,鈥� Reed says. 鈥淚f we incorporate quarantine or vaccination you can model that too, and answer questions like 鈥楬ow many people do we need to vaccinate for the flu to stop?鈥� 鈥�

Last year, Reed studied the modeling of cholera with a team of undergraduate and graduate students, under the guidance of Shuai. The team studied the cholera outbreaks in Haiti, taking into to account the impact of educational intervention regarding sanitation and hygiene. The team presented their findings at the 2017 MMA Mathfest in Chicago, Illinois.

鈥淵ou have to work with biologists, computer scientists and mathematicians to get a thing that鈥檚 going to work.”

The skills Reed learned at 麻豆原创 are what granted her the opportunity to spend her summer researching mosquito-borne illnesses and mosquitos鈥� response to environmental factors. She will work with UT’s Suzanne Lenhart, an applied mathematician, and Rebecca Trout Fryxell, an entomologist.

鈥淵ou have to work with biologists, computer scientists and mathematicians to get a thing that鈥檚 going to work,鈥� Reed says.

Mosquitos can be infected by a bacterium that changes the mosquito鈥檚 immune system, almost like a parasite, but it can benefit the environment by creating an accessory to the bug鈥檚 immune system, preventing it from coming infected with Dengue or Zika. If biologists and mathematicians can come up with how to best infect mosquitoes with bacteria, there is a chance there could be a decrease in mosquito-borne illnesses.

鈥淧eople have been doing this in some places like Australia and Vietnam where they鈥檝e released mosquitoes into the environment,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e seen a decay in mosquito-borne illnesses because of it.鈥�

When Reed returns to Central Florida she will graduate in August and begin teaching at a local high school.

Velez-Ginorio, a 2017 Goldwater Scholar, caught the attention of Oxford with his work in artificial intelligence research. Velez-Ginorio is interested in building programs and machines that think as the human brain does, and he hopes to continue developing his research at Oxford.

鈥淏y studying people and how they accomplish certain tasks so well, you can apply that to machines,鈥� says Velez-Ginorio.

Velez-Ginorio is majoring in computer engineering and minoring in mathematics and will pursue a master鈥檚 degree in mathematics focusing on programming languages and computer science.

The McNair Scholar鈥檚 passion for research lead him to encourage others to get involved. Through working with the Academic Advancement Programs office at 麻豆原创 and the organization SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science), Velez-Ginorio helps make research opportunities more accessible to underrepresented students.

After completing the master鈥檚 program at Oxford, Velez-Ginorio will pursue his doctorate in brain and cognitive sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dieffenbach earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in biomedical sciences and participated in multiple undergraduate research opportunities. Through involvement with the Research and Mentoring Program and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Dieffenbach conducted research on molecular biology, genetics and cancer. As a student of The Burnett Honors College, Dieffenbach completed his Honors in the Major thesis, which discussed his findings from studying cancer cells and how they absorb nutrients to grow.

Dieffenbach will study pharmacology this year and says he is excited for the experiences to come. 鈥淸Oxford] has a lot of resources and a fantastic reputation. I think it will be an excellent chance to further my research and explore new opportunities,鈥� he says.

After completing the program at Oxford, Dieffenbach hopes to pursue a doctorate focusing on cancer biology or drug design.

Upon applying to one of the approved master鈥檚 programs at Oxford, students are automatically considered for the Frost Scholarship and selected based on academic merit and accomplishments. Frost Scholarship recipients take full course loads of classes during the fall and spring semesters, and conduct research for a thesis in the summer months.

Students interested in similar graduate scholarship opportunities should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.

鈥淚 never would have imagined I would鈥檝e made it to the finals and was so happy that I did,鈥� she says. 鈥淣o matter what happened during those two matches, I was extremely excited about whatever the outcome would be and was just proud of myself for having accomplished so much.鈥�

鈥淚 am very proud to be a Knight and to represent one of the few public universities in the tournament this year,鈥� Sage says.

Representing one of only three public universities in the competition, Sage says she was thrilled to share her love for 麻豆原创 on a national scale.

鈥淚 am very proud to be a Knight and to represent one of the few public universities in the tournament this year,鈥� says Sage. 鈥淚 am showing that no matter what school you go to, you can accomplish whatever goals you have and can even exceed them.鈥�

The Road to Jeopardy!

An avid quiz competitor, Sage prepared by participating on the 麻豆原创 Quiz Bowl team, which travels around the state battling other college teams. The Manatee County student also attributes her time at 麻豆原创 to helping her prepare for the academic rapid-fire of the quiz show. An honors student majoring in math and minoring in art history, Sage has developed a wide range of knowledge for the competition. The National Merit Scholar also participates in 麻豆原创 programs that encourage academic excellence and help develop leadership skills.

鈥淭he honors program has helped me prepare by allowing me to have a great education and diving further in depth on topics that interest me 鈥� and helped me grow my passion for learning and trivia,鈥� she says. 鈥淟EAD Scholars has taught me about my own leadership style and given me my self-confidence to work toward my goal of being on Jeopardy!鈥�

Sage鈥檚 Jeopardy! journey began with an online test. She was given 50 questions with 10 seconds to type each response. Her high score landed her an invitation to an audition in Atlanta. After passing a second test, Sage participated in a mock game show with other hopeful students. Finally, she had a short interview with producers and was told they would contact her if selected for a show.

She received a call inviting her to compete last fall during final exams.

What鈥檚 Next

Since filming began over spring break, Sage admitted the hardest part of the experience was not being able to tell her friends the results. She enjoyed packing her friends into her room for a watch party for the finals, and receiving countless text messages from those watching from afar.

The College Championship consists of three rounds: a quarterfinal, a semifinal, and a two-day final event. With her winnings, Sage dreams of travel and further schooling. 鈥淚 want to go to Italy to see all of the art in person, rather than the tiny photos in my textbooks,鈥� says Sage. 鈥淭hen I鈥檇 probably save a chunk of that for medical school 鈥� I want to be a dermatologist.鈥�

The $999,994 grant 鈥� STEM TRansfer Students Opportunity for Nurtured Growth, or STRONG for short 鈥� was awarded to the Office of Research & Commercialization to run from next month to February 2023.

More than half of 麻豆原创鈥檚 new undergraduates are transfer students. The recipients of the new scholarships must demonstrate academic potential or ability, and demonstrate a financial need. Project STRONG will support about 30 scholarships per year in the disciplines of engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, statistics, chemistry and biology.

鈥淪tudents entering the university in STEM programs will receive the support needed to feel at home in their fields of study, at a time when they are 90 percent more likely to leave STEM than at any other time,鈥� according to the program overview. 鈥淭alented, low-income students, of whom one out of three would otherwise leave STEM within six years, will develop interest and proficiency in STEM disciplines through opportunities provided by the program.鈥�

麻豆原创 will provide one-on-one faculty-student mentoring, regular discipline-specific seminars, research lab internship opportunities, financial-literacy counseling and other services. The overview also says the project for STEM transfers will be conducted as 鈥渁 model to be tested, improved, and ready for dissemination nationwide.鈥�

The interdisciplinary project will be under the direction of Mubarak Shah, Trustee Chair Professor of computer science; Brian Moore, associate professor of mathematics; Malcolm B. Butler, professor of secondary education; Nazanin Rahnavar, associate professor of electric and computer engineering; and Gordon Chavis, associate vice president for enrollment services.

However, in general, these are highly selective programs leaving the vast majority of students with minimal exposure to science or engineering. Many of their exposures range from 鈥淚 have to take it and I can forget it as soon as the course is over鈥� to thinking that the subjects are painfully dull and have no relevance to their lives. Consequently, in either case, most students graduating from high school and entering college or the work force are what I call scientifically illiterate.

In college, students who are not in the sciences or engineering must take some science classes as part of the general education program requirements. Though dedicated instructors doing their best often teach these classes, the students are only motivated by the 鈥淚 must take this class to graduate鈥� requirement. The subject not only turns them off, but they very likely forget the material moments after the final is taken.

So, the majority of people in this country who will use the amazing new technologies that are being developed and who will be asked to make decisions on scientific and engineering issues (solar energy, nuclear power, fracking, energy efficiency, genetically modified plants and foods, to name a few) are scientifically illiterate.

Sometime back I was in a group discussing the problem of keeping young children interested in science. One member of the group was a very experienced elementary school educator.

I will never forget her outline of the subject matter that would hold the attention of elementary school children. She said: 鈥淐hildren between ages 5 and 8 will love working on dinosaurs, from 8 to 11 you can keep them interested by space (rockets, satellites, Hubble, distant planets, the Big Bang and so on) but after 11 they will discover sex and you can鈥檛 distract them from that.鈥�

The point of this story is that to create a scientifically literate public it is necessary to identify how to get their attention and how to make the material stick with them beyond the final exam.

In the mid-1990s, together with a colleague from the philosophy department, I put together a course for The Burnett Honors College at 麻豆原创 called the Culture of Science. It dealt with the who, when, where, why and how science was done 鈥� and most importantly what effects science had on society and what effects society had on science.

This course proved extraordinarily successful and was given for six semesters instead of the three in the original proposal to the college. I have since given a somewhat modified version of this course for graduate students in the 麻豆原创 College of Optics & Photonics and other engineering or science departments. Notice that the course does not deal with the what of science. That already is taught very well in the existing classes in the various specialties.

Such a course places science and technology in the context of our world and deals with the impact of science. Some examples of this are the discussions I have with the students of such things as the internet or nuclear weapons or the early organized church鈥檚 problem with Galileo.

I also discuss pathological science, which is what happens when scientists become emotionally involved with a marginal or dubious phenomenon that if true would violate well-established scientific principles. If they were right, lots of money and prestigious prizes would come their way. This is called pathological science because the scientists are pathologically involved with it and cannot see their errors.

It is important that scientifically literate citizens be able to recognize this flaw. In the early 1990s, scientists in Utah thought they observed nuclear fusion in a quite standard electrolysis experiment. They dubbed it cold fusion, and if it were true it would have solved the world鈥檚 energy problems. Of course, it was not true.

I make it a point to discuss scientific ethics about being honest, doing meaningful experiments, reporting all the results and performing careful analyses. The class and I view the play 鈥淐openhagen鈥� to understand and discuss the pressures nuclear scientists experienced during the second World War. We also get into modern-day cosmology and this leads to discussion of the need for a God in the universe.

In my opinion, this type of course should be offered as part of the general-education program for undergraduates to satisfy their science requirements. Such courses dealing with the impacts of science and engineering just might result in more scientifically literate graduates.

Most people don鈥檛 have to know what makes an airplane fly but they should know how greatly airplanes have and will change our society. The same can be said for the internet or electric power.

Most people don鈥檛 have to know the details but they certainly should know the impacts. Their lifestyles and maybe their lives will depend on such knowledge.

Michael Bass is a professor emeritus of optics at CREOL (Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers) in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Optics & Photonics. He can be reached at bass@creol.ucf.edu.

Johnson, also the Professional Science Master鈥檚 (PSM) Coordinator at 麻豆原创, brings a wealth of experience to the Board including four years assisting in the coordination of a statewide PSM initiative between 12 state universities.

The appointment of a 麻豆原创 employee to the NPSMA represents a national interest in 麻豆原创鈥檚 role in expanding the PSM program鈥檚 collaborative graduate education. And, perhaps more importantly, the move enhances 麻豆原创鈥檚 position as America鈥檚 Leading Partnership University.

The PSM is a unique, innovative program that prepares graduates for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit sectors. 麻豆原创 has five PSM programs including Health Care Informatics, Modeling and Simulation, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, and Professional Engineering Management.

The hybrid degree program combines rigorous technical study in science or mathematics with practical training in leadership, management, ethics, and communication. Designed to increase industry partnerships, the PSM connects students directly to potential employers through required internships and employer/industry advisory boards. Each PSM program is guided by employer advisory boards. The goal is to provide industry, government, and nonprofits with employees who have a deep scientific knowledge as well as skills to apply that knowledge in innovative ways.

The PSM was started in 2000, and there are now more than听302 programs at听over 139听universities.

The National Professional Science Master鈥檚 Association (NPSMA) joins together PSM degree program directors, faculty, administrators, industry representatives, alumni, and students that support PSM degree initiatives.听The mission of NPSMA is to promote and support the growth and development of professional science master鈥檚 degree programs.

Johnson and four other individuals begin their three year terms with NPSMA on January 1, 2014. The new board members also include professionals and educators from SUNY Buffalo State College, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.