On how the ocean changed him:

I鈥檝e never been as calm as I’ve been since returning to land. I鈥檓 a kind of restless person in general, somewhat impulsive in certain contexts. I always feel the need to do something, another adventure in nature. I have this fire in me that just makes me adventurous. But I think the success of the crossing, including the three years of preparation, gave me a lot of confidence. And with confidence, I think came the calmness of knowing I didn鈥檛 need to prove anything to anyone anymore.

World Ocean Day is June 8.

On 麻豆原创鈥檚 influence in pursuing his dreams:

It was once a dream of mine to leave my home country and do research with NASA. Coming to 麻豆原创, I realized that dream. Maybe at one point I wouldn’t have been able to think rowing an ocean was possible, but achieving my dream at 麻豆原创 gave me the courage to try.

On the role a common goal can have in a team鈥檚 viability:

Our ultimate goal was to cross the ocean such that we would be willing and able to do it again in the next few years with the same team. This is the first time I am admitting out loud, I think we failed at that 鈥� none of us wishes to row an ocean again, nor are we planning another adventure with the same team.

So, though I have to admit we didn鈥檛 succeed in the ultimate holistic goal that we had, I think our crossing in general was quite successful. What I didn鈥檛 understand going into this was how strongly a common goal can influence your ability to withstand stress, interpersonal stress or annoyances from other team members. Everyone in this team had to work properly for us to be able to complete the goal. So even though we had that interpersonal tension and occasional conflicts, because of the salience of the shared goal, we were able to work through it.

On the breathtaking force of mother nature:

The ocean is so vast and so powerful. You鈥檙e nothing. We felt that the most when we had a school of whales approaching us from the stern. We saw them breaching, and then one whale swam under our boat, and we saw that it was longer than our boat, like 30 feet at least. It could have just pushed our boat over and do whatever it wanted with us. We had no power whatsoever.

And I really enjoyed the storms. During the last week we had such a strong wind coming from behind, with rain falling literally horizontally. It hurts when it hits you. The rain comes on so strong. And then the wind was so strong that it just pushed our boat. We usually did like 3 knots on our own, but the speed at that moment was 7 knots without rowing. We raised our oars and they became sails basically. We felt how the wind pushed through our oars. You鈥檙e just experiencing this unbelievable power of nature. It was amazing.

On his new motto 鈥� 鈥淒on鈥檛 fight with the ocean鈥�:

Just don鈥檛 fight with the ocean because you can鈥檛 win. There is no point. Just let things be, let them go. I think this was one of the things that I really took back with me from the experience. I can apply this anywhere. Like at the workplace, if we have colleagues who are difficult to deal with, you can’t change them. You can鈥檛 fight with the ocean. You can only change your own reactions and thoughts.

On halfway home still being a far way to go:

After we crossed the halfway point, it became more difficult. You would expect that maybe it gets easier because, oh, half is done, only half more to go, but only half more is still 20 days. It鈥檚 three more weeks. It鈥檚 still a lot of time to be thinking about, What do you want do when you finish? What do you want to eat? What are you going to do when you get back home? I think we as a team mentally got to the finish too fast. We really had to take a step back and remind ourselves to take it two hours at a time.

On the feeling of seeing land for the first time after 39 days:

We arrived at sunrise. When the light appeared and we saw those cliffs, it鈥檚 just something so overwhelming and unique, this feeling of, 鈥業t鈥檚 over. It’s done 鈥� 40 days of suffering basically has ended.鈥� As we entered the harbor, we saw our family and friends were up there on the cliff, waving the flags and then the finish flare going off. It was the high point, definitely.

On how the experience gave insight into his research on teams in extreme, isolated and confined environments:

I think one of the main takeaways that I got from this project was really that preparation is everything. Everyone externally was focusing on the mission, the row, because of course that鈥檚 the exciting part. For us, completing the row was the goal, but it鈥檚 the smallest piece of the whole project. The three years of preparation and those difficulties that we had, this was much more important.

So now for my research, I鈥檓 thinking, we鈥檙e always focusing on the part or the actual mission. It鈥檚 not necessarily irrelevant, but the mission is the outcome. The input that we should study is before the mission, the preparations. So that informs my future research quite a bit.

On what鈥檚 next:

I graduate in the summer. Days before we started the race, I accepted a job offer, which was a relief. I was prepared to take job interviews on the boat. I鈥檓聽starting as聽an assistant聽professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey in August.

I realized that I don鈥檛 like this type of several-weeks-endurance events, it鈥檚 too monotonous, too dull. I was thinking that my next big thing would be skiing across Greenland, which is more than a month as well. But now, no, thank you. There鈥檚 not enough variability, or excitement, for me. I love mountaineering, summiting a mountain in a few days. I just bought new mountain boots, so I think this will be my next thing.

Burke was recognized for her exceptional contributions to advancing the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology, as well as her sustained impact on the professional community. The distinction of SIOP Fellow is awarded to individuals who have made significant, enduring contributions to research, leadership and application within the field.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be named a SIOP Fellow,鈥� says Burke, director of IST鈥檚 Team Research and Adaptability in Complex Environments聽(TRACE) Lab. 鈥淭his recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I鈥檝e had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments.鈥�

鈥淭his recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the students, researchers and partners I鈥檝e had the privilege to work with, and the importance of advancing training and decision-making in complex environments.鈥� 鈥� Shawn Burke, research professor

At 麻豆原创 IST, Burke leads the TRACE Lab, where her work focuses on team performance, adaptive training and human-centered approaches to complex systems. Her research has supported advancements in high-stakes environments across defense, healthcare and industry, reinforcing 麻豆原创鈥檚 leadership in modeling, simulation and training.

鈥淭his honor recognizes not only Dr. Burke鈥檚 scientific contributions, but also her leadership and mentorship within the research community,鈥� says Carolina Cruz-Neira, interim director of 麻豆原创 IST. 鈥淪he has played a vital role in developing the next generation of scholars and practitioners in industrial-organizational psychology.鈥�

New fellows will be formally recognized during the SIOP Annual Conference, with a ceremony held on April 29 in New Orleans. The honor represents a significant milestone in Burke鈥檚 career and highlights the continued impact of 麻豆原创 IST in shaping the future of workforce research, training and performance.

About 麻豆原创’s Institute for Simulation and Training

麻豆原创’s Institute for Simulation and Training is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary institute conducting basic and applied human-centric research that affects nearly all sectors of industry and government, from healthcare to national defense and education to manufacturing. 麻豆原创 and IST have built the industry, together with more than 200 Central Florida modeling, simulation and training companies and the U.S. Department of Defense. IST is an early adopter whose vision and leadership have spurred new applications and opportunities. (ist.ucf.edu)

They proclaimed there is no better place than 麻豆原创, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.

鈥淵ou are in a global destination for medical innovation,鈥� Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona鈥檚 Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.

Space medicine is one of the council鈥檚 priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine鈥檚 focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

Former NASA Administrator and U.S. Senator Bill Nelson told attendees the Artemis voyage鈥檚 return to the moon should inspire space medicine experts to make new discoveries.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in a whole new era, an exciting era, of space exploration that makes this time so special,鈥� Nelson said.

Star Nona鈥檚 goal was to bring together experts to understand current research on the health impacts of space travel and what challenges need to be addressed as more professional and commercial space travelers go to the moon and beyond.

The Physical Challenges of Space Flight

Former NASA astronaut Robert Curbeam holds the record for most spacewalks on a single mission. He described how the body feels during launch and splashdown when G-forces are so strong you must remind yourself to breathe. He presented with his former NASA flight surgeon, Smith Johnson, now a faculty member at 麻豆原创鈥檚 new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM). The two discussed the important relationship between physicians and space travelers before, during and after a mission.

鈥淚 loved being an astronaut and flying space shuttles,鈥� Curbeam says. 鈥淭he only problem with space travel is that not a lot of people get to do it.鈥�

Your Brain Actually Shifts in Space

Living in space causes the body鈥檚 fluids to move up to the head and brain. But symptoms of that condition do more than cause puffy faces. Space travel actually causes the brain to shift. Jogi Pattisapu, of the Hydrocephalus and Neuroscience Institute, said as astronauts go to Mars for years-long missions and settle on the moon, scientists will have to understand how living in space affects brain function and create predictive tests and preventative measures. Eye health will be key, as fluid buildup has caused spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS)聽in 70% of astronauts on the International Space Station, leading to farsightedness, optic nerve swelling and eyeball flattening.

鈥淲hat are we going to do if the pilot goes blind 210 million miles from Earth?鈥� he said.

Team Dynamics in Space

Interpersonal communication is key to any team鈥檚 success, but how do relationships change for crews in confined spaces and face additional challenges such as sleep deprivation, isolation and differences in rank and roles. Shawn Burke and Stephen Fiore from 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Simulation and Training have researched team dynamics in space to understand and prevent collaboration failures that can impact mission success.

Their research has also identified the formal and informal roles crew members play in encouraging positive social interactions and teamwork, especially in long-term missions. Missions to Mars may take up to 36 months and include 20-minute communications delays to and from Mission Control. Team dynamics will impact performance, mental health and affect, Burke said, because 鈥測ou鈥檙e stuck with the people you have.鈥�

Conducting Medical Research in Microgravity: Everything鈥檚 Upside Down

The weightlessness of space provides a unique research environment for new discoveries in areas including nutrient production, waste treatment, crystallization and biomanufacturing, said Alain Berinstain, director of the Florida Space Institute at 麻豆原创.

鈥淭errestrially, whenever space can make a difference, it’s a great economic driver,鈥� he said.

In space, air doesn鈥檛 slow down processes, he explained, so experiments that involve weight, separation, sedimentation, fluid flow and buoyancy change. His advice to researchers considering space as a lab?

鈥淭urn your experiment upside down. Does it still work? If the answer is no, you have a lot of work to do.鈥�

That philosophy has landed the 麻豆原创 industrial and organizational psychology doctoral candidate on a mountain in the middle of a blizzard during an Arctic ski trip. It鈥檚 what has encouraged him to complete 50-mile ultramarathons. And it鈥檚 a big part of what is pushing him into his next big endeavor: rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the , 1,736 rowers have successfully crossed an ocean as of November 2025. Exponentially more people (over 7,000) have summited Mount Everest.

Motivated by the pursuit of a life well lived, and for the betterment of his research into optimizing teamwork in isolated, confined and extreme environments like outer , K盲osaar has every intention of adding his name to that exclusive list despite what his team is up against.

They are not experienced sailors or fishermen. In fact, in their everyday lives they are a wood chemist, a geneticist, a psychologist and a banker who had never held an oar in their hands until three years ago when they committed to this goal.

鈥淲e just have one life. We have to allow ourselves to dream, even if they seem wild.鈥� 鈥� Andres K盲osaar, 麻豆原创 student

They had not attempted to actually row on the Atlantic, whose waves can measure up to 20 feet high, until a few days ago when they performed a test run ahead of their official embarkment Dec. 11.

Their 30-foot-by-5-foot vessel must be self-sustaining with enough food and provisions to withstand a 5,000-calorie/day diet over their 3,000-mile voyage westward. There is no getting off the boat once the endeavor has started. If an emergency dictates otherwise, they will forfeit their journey.

They intend to row in pairs in two-hour time blocks. That鈥檚 12 hours of rowing a day, with never more than a two-hour break in between shifts, for 40 days straight.

The challenges 鈥� and potential glory 鈥� ahead are as vast and wide as the ocean itself.

鈥淲e just have one life. We have to allow ourselves to dream, even if they seem wild,鈥� K盲osaar says. 鈥淚f someone asks me if I would like to do something extraordinary, I can’t say no.鈥�

What It Takes to Row the Ocean

Races across the Atlantic have been formally organized since 1997, and since 2015, the World鈥檚 Toughest Row Atlantic competition has been held annually every December.

In 2025, more than 30 teams and another 10 individuals in solo boats will participate in the challenge. K盲osaar鈥檚 team, Team Rowtalia, will be on the starting line Dec. 11, in San Sebastian de la Gomera, Canary Islands, when they push off for English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda.

鈥淭he race organizers actually say that 80% of the whole endeavor is getting to the starting line,鈥� K盲osaar says. 鈥淭he rowing itself is the easy part. There is nothing else to do. There is nothing to think about anymore. You just have to cross the ocean.鈥�

K盲osaar learned about the World鈥檚 Toughest Row three years ago when a friend in his home country of Estonia approached him with the idea to enter the race. His now teammate prepared a 30-minute presentation to sell him on the idea.

K盲osaar isn鈥檛 easily intimidated. He spent a month in Antarctica for research earlier this year. He was willing to say yes 60 seconds into his buddy鈥檚 presentation, but he politely sat through the full pitch before agreeing. They decided to recruit two of their former fraternity members 鈥渂old and na茂ve enough鈥� to join their daring mission.

They found a coach to teach them the rowing technique since none of them had any experience. They raised $163,000 of their $184,000 goal, which includes the cost of the boat they purchased in May. They accumulated 200 hours of individual training time on the Baltic Sea, with more than half of those hours accumulated during a five-day practice session. Most of their training has been done on indoor rowing machines.

They have listened to podcasts of former ocean-crossers to get a sense of what to expect. Their biggest takeaway: 鈥淲hile it’s going to be hard, you鈥檙e there to get the experience. Just try to enjoy it.鈥�

They also prepared with a team-building trip to the Finnish Arctic, camping in a tent in remote snowfields for six days to pressure test how they worked as a team in such a harsh environment.

K盲osaar鈥檚 field of research and the expertise he has gained in his years studying at 麻豆原创 make him uniquely suited to navigate how their team dynamic and effectiveness will be impacted by factors like emotions, personalities and situational behaviors that will inevitably reveal themselves under such environmental strain.

While they each have their individual motivations and aspirations for this endeavor, they have also discussed their shared vision as a unit. One definition of a successful mission, K盲osaar points out, is solely focused on the optimization of the desired outcome. A team could despise each other and the experience throughout the entire process, never wanting to interact with their teammates again once the mission is complete, but still be considered successful if the goal is completed.

K盲osaar likes to define a successful team more holistically.

鈥淚 think a better way of looking at it is to think about this concept of team viability; do we think that in the future we could work again successfully?鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is that we hope to cross the ocean such that we are willing and able to do that again in the next few years with the same team.鈥�

Ocean Tides to Outer Space

Part of what makes this journey so appealing to K盲osaar is the insight and street cred he will gain in his field and research subjects.

The psychology behind teamwork in isolated, confined and extreme environments applies to fields with life-and-death stakes on the line: think submariners, certain military deployments, oil riggers and his specialties, astronauts and Antarctic-based researchers.

K盲osaar first zeroed in on this specialized field as a clinical psychology graduate student in Estonia as he wrote a cover letter applying for a European Space Agency internship.

鈥淚 was thinking in space we have astronauts, we have people, so we need psychologists,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 realized that that鈥檚 me. That鈥檚 what I want to do. That鈥檚 my life. My eyes went big and I was like, 鈥榃ow, OK, let’s go.鈥� 聽From that moment I started dedicating my life and time toward that.鈥�

As he looked for research opportunities, he came across Research Professor Shawn Burke at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute of Simulation and Training, whose work in team leadership and resiliency has been funded by powerhouse names including the U.S. Army Research Institute, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, the U.S. National Science Foundation, DARPA and NASA.

Since joining her lab in 2021, he has contributed to two NASA research grants, once an unfathomable dream that has now become his reality. He credits Burke for molding him into a confident researcher who has grown considerably from his immersive experiences.

鈥淲ithout 麻豆原创 being so big in its focus on the space field, seeing rockets launching in the evening when I’m driving home, just this widening of understanding what鈥檚 [achievable] 鈥� I think this has been something that wouldn鈥檛 be possible without being exactly here,鈥� K盲osaar says.

He hopes this rowing challenge will build upon the practical skills he has gained at 麻豆原创 for his future research by providing him with firsthand knowledge of the isolation and extreme circumstances his astronaut subjects in space work through.

鈥淚 don’t think I would be able to fully understand the participants of the studies or the subjects we鈥檙e studying without putting myself in that situation and really being like, 鈥極K, that’s what you guys feel,鈥� 鈥� K盲osaar says.

With his impending graduation in the spring, K盲osaar is looking forward to continuing his work, making real contributions and impact to this next frontier of space exploration.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to use the cliche words of becoming interplanetary species, but that鈥檚 basically what we are thinking about. I think this could have huge implications for the sustainability of humans in space,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think being able to support those endeavors and support this development of humanity, that鈥檚 a big part of why I do it, and I鈥檓 passionate about it.鈥�

Andres K盲osaar鈥檚 team, Team Rowtalia, will have solar-powered internet on board. You can follow their journey across the Atlantic on Instagram at .

Stephen Fiore and Shawn Burke鈥檚 project is one of 27 selected from 18 institutions around the country, which will receive money from a $12 million pool over three years. The projects were selected because NASA is preparing to send astronauts on distant missions, including Mars.

Most of the studies selected will look at space travel鈥檚 impact on the human body, including visual impairment, bone and muscle loss, human performance, cardiovascular health, and sensory and motor adaptations, among other issues.

鈥淭his is important because studies suggest that cognitive processes may be negatively affected by the spaceflight context,鈥� Fiore said. 鈥淪o we need to understand how problems with memory or attention will impact the spaceflight team’s ability to function and successfully perform their mission.鈥�

The idea is to mitigate the effects as much as possible, he said.

Fiore, the lead investigator, is director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory and a faculty member with the cognitive sciences program in the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for Simulation & Training.

Burke is a research professor at the IST specializing in team dynamics and behavior.

Burke said this is just one of several studies they have been working on for NASA that look at team dynamics. The others address issues such as leadership behavior, crew dynamics, impact of confined spaces on these dynamics, and cultural differences. NASA has been funding the grants the past couple of years, she said.

This project is funded by the agency鈥檚 Human Research Program and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, which seek to answer questions on astronaut health and performance in long-duration space missions. The Human Research Program also plans strategies to monitor and mitigate risks humans may face on missions.

NASA has been pushing to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. That effort would be in preparation to travel to Mars, a planet believed to be capable of hosting life, and possibly beyond.

The goal of the current studies is to better prepare astronauts to manage the mental and physical demands of space travel.

Some of the studies will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, NASA said. Others, including 麻豆原创鈥檚 studies, will be conducted in settings that mimic the space environment.

It鈥檚 estimated that a round trip to Mars will take at least two years. That鈥檚 why is investing millions of dollars trying to figure out the right recipe for creating highly effective, collaborative teams that can troubleshoot themselves out of any problem. The space agency is investigating the role leadership plays in such dynamic groups, as well.

For the past several years several experts on teamwork have been helping NASA with that question. This month, several University of Central experts earned more than $1.2 million to continue their work as NASA looks to prepare its workforce of the future.

鈥淲e are looking for ways to identify key social and task-oriented roles on long-duration missions,鈥� said Eduardo Salas, a psychologist and the lead investigator for the NASA Human Research Program grant. 鈥淕enerally, we know you want people on a team who are emotionally stable, extroverts, catalysts. But by the end of this three-year study we hope to have a taxonomy to allow NASA to select or compose teams according to desirable social roles.鈥�

Seems like common sense, but difficult to deliver. Everyone who has co-workers knows how a disagreement or clash of personalities can create a nightmare work environment that is depressing and demoralizing if not handled correctly. From a business point of view, that kind of conflict can lead to distractions that take away from productivity and cost the company money.

And unlike most office environments, a clash between astronauts could result in dire consequences for the entire crew. And unlike missions to the moon or the International Space Station, where astronauts can call Houston to help solve a problem, that won鈥檛 be so easy on long missions when the communication lag is expected to be 20 minutes each way to and from Earth.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of hard science yet with respect to team dynamics in long-duration exploration missions,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淭here are several groups working on it. We鈥檝e been doing it for a while with other teams as well. But we hope to have a good foundation by the time we finish our study.鈥�

Salas is a trustee chair and Pegasus professor of psychology at 麻豆原创. He also holds an appointment as program director for the Human Systems Integration Research Department at the university鈥檚 (IST). His co-investigators on this grant are Stephen Fiore, director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory at IST and an associate professor of cognitive sciences in the philosophy department, and James Driskell, a social psychologist with Florida Maxima Corp. in Winter Park.

To compliment Salas鈥� work, NASA awarded a $100,000 grant to associate professor of research Shawn Burke so she can look at the role leadership plays in dynamic and stressful environments. Burke works next door to Salas at IST and is also a co-investigator on Salas鈥� new grant.

鈥淐omplex environments, especially like those seen in long-duration exploration mission, will require more autonomous teams,鈥� Burke said. 鈥淪o we need to identify the challenges to leadership in such environments and the most effective forms of leadership to combat the challenges. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking at.鈥�

Burke will review behavioral data from NASA experiments conducted in remote environments that are designed with many of the same characteristics expected as long duration space flight.聽 Archival documentation from other teams that work in isolated and extreme environments (oil rigs, Antarctic exploration, firefighting, military) will be examined to look for clues.聽 Interviews with astronauts and key NASA personnel will also be conducted in an effort to gain their perspective and learn from their experience.

Burke earned her Masters and Doctorate degrees in Industrial/Organizational psychology from George Mason University. Her areas of expertise are team dynamics and leadership roles. She鈥檚 been at IST since 2000 and was a research fellow at the U.S. Army Research Institute before that. She鈥檚 published more than 80 journal articles and book chapters related to teams and leadership and has presented at more than 100 conferences.

Burke鈥檚 co-investigators on this project are Salas and Marissa Shuffler, an assistant professor of industrial/organization psychology at Clemson University and a 麻豆原创 alumnae.

Salas and Burke will also likely bump into each other in Houston when they travel to Houston as part of their grants to visit NASA鈥檚 research facility that focuses on behavioral health and performance. The facility mimics some of the isolated and harsh conditions astronauts are likely to encounter, which should aid researchers.

The conclusion of 麻豆原创 studies will not only help NASA, but may also help companies and organizations that work in extreme environments on earth, such as oilrigs and the military.

The 麻豆原创 teams were selected from 123 proposals. NASA awarded $17 million in grants to 26 projects from 16 institutions in eight states.

麻豆原创 has a long history working with NASA, from helping it develop hardware to take accurate color pictures of the Mars surface to groundbreaking work on teamwork conducted by Salas and psychologist Kimberly Smith-Jentsch.