Recipients will include this year鈥檚 awardees of some of the highest honors the university bestows, including: Pegasus Professor; the鈥疢edal of Societal Impact; the Reach for the Stars Award; the Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award; and the Champion of Student Success and Well-Being.

Also being honored are university excellence award winners; those who recently reached milestone years of service; Faculty Senate service awardees; faculty granted鈥�别尘别谤颈迟耻蝉鈥�辞谤鈥�别尘别谤颈迟补鈥�status; and retired or retiring faculty members.

This year鈥檚 celebration includes recognition of Chuck Dziuban, one of the longest-serving and most trailblazing faculty members in school history. His remarkable 55-year-career includes being 麻豆原创鈥檚 inaugural Pegasus Professor and founding director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Starting this year at Founders鈥� Day, the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching will be given to underscore the talented faculty behind 麻豆原创鈥檚 nationally renowned reputation as a leader in in online teaching and learning.

Here are this year鈥檚 faculty honorees.

Pegasus Professor Award

Hassan聽Foroosh,聽College of Engineering and Computer Science

Carmen聽Giurgescu, College of Nursing

Annette R. Khaled, College of Medicine

Matthew Marino, College of聽Community Innovation and Education

Reach for the Stars Award

John Bush, College of Business

Ana Carolina聽de Souza Feliciano, Office of Research

Shyam Kattel, College of Sciences

Kevin Moran, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Soyoung Park, College of Community Innovation and Education

Hao Zheng, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Medal of Societal Impact Award

Zhihua Qu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award

Suha Saleh,聽College of Health Professions and Sciences

Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year

Deborah Beidel, College of Sciences

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

College Awardees

Tanvir Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Matthew Bryan, College of Arts and Humanities

Peter Delfyett, College of Optics and Photonics

Nyla Dil, College of Medicine

Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Deborah Horzen, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Jerousek, College of Sciences

Betsy Kalin, College of Sciences

Evelin Pegoraro, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Plate, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alfons Schulte, College of Sciences

Nicholas Shrubsole, College of Arts and Humanities

Daniel Stephens, College of Community Innovation and Education

Wei Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Danielle Webster, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Sara Willox, College of Business

Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

Widaad Zaman, College of Sciences

University Winner

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Excellence in Graduate Teaching

College Awardees

Shaurya Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kim Anderson, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Shannon Carter, College of Sciences

Sasan Fathpour, College of Optics and Photonics

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dana Joseph, College of Business

Magdalena Pasarica, College of Medicine

Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities

Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Winner

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Excellence in Research

College Awardees

Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education

Zixi (Jack) Cheng, College of Medicine

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Romain Gaume, College of Optics and Photonics

Nan Hua, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Kevin Mullally, College of Business

Matthew Stock, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Ladda Thiamwong, College of Nursing

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Cyrus Zargar, College of Arts and Humanities

University Winner

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching

Nicole Lapeyrouse, College of Sciences

Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising

Emily Proulx, College of Arts and Humanities

Excellence in Professional Service

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Excellence in Librarianship

Katy Miller, 麻豆原创 Libraries

Excellence in Instructional Design

Amy Sugar, Division of Digital Learning

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health

David Boote, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral Scholars

Kausik Mukhopadhyay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Thomas Wahl, College of Engineering and Computer Science

20 Years of Service

Haiyan Bai, College of Community Innovation and Education

Brian Barone, College of Arts and Humanities

Aman Behal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Corinne Bishop, 麻豆原创 Libraries

Joseph Brennan, College of Sciences

Mark Calabrese, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Li-Mei Chen, College of Medicine

Baiyun Chen, Division of Digital Learning

Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences

William Crampton, College of Sciences

Richard Curcio, College of Business

Donovan Dixon, College of Sciences

Martin Dupuis, Burnett Honors College

Michelle Dusseau, College of Sciences

Dorin Dutkay, College of Sciences

Kirk Gay, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah German, College of Medicine

William Hagedorn, College of Community Innovation and Education

Joseph Harrington, College of Sciences

Fayeza Hasanat, College of Arts and Humanities

Bobby Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elizabeth Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alisha Janowsky, College of Sciences

Abdelkader Kara, College of Sciences

David Kwun, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Peter Larson, College of Arts and Humanities

Joseph LaViola Jr., College of Engineering and Computer Science

Edgard Maboudou, College of Sciences

Kevin Mackie, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Iryna Malendevych, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences

Holly McDonald, College of Arts and Humanities

Florin Mihai, College of Arts and Humanities

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

George Musambira, College of Sciences

Nina Orlovskaya, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Talat Rahman, College of Sciences

25 Years of Service

Laura Albers-Biddle, College of Community Innovation and Education

Steven Berman, College of Sciences

Tarek Buhagiar, College of Business

Melissa Dagley, College of Sciences

Sabatino DiBernardo, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Dickie, College of Business

Ivan Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Anthony Grajeda, College of Arts and Humanities

Bari Hoffman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Steven Hornik, College of Business

Anna Jones, College of Arts and Humanities

Mikhail Klimov, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stefanie Mayfield Garcia, College of Business

Rudy McDaniel, College of Arts and Humanities

Rachel Mulvihill, 麻豆原创 Libraries

Christopher Niess, College of Arts and Humanities

Eugene Paoline, College of Community Innovation and Education

Sumanta Pattanaik, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

Walter Sotero, College of Sciences

Suren Tatulian, College of Sciences

Nizam Uddin, College of Sciences

Lei Wei, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Graham Worthy, College of Sciences

Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics

30 Years of Service

Charlie Abraham, College of Arts and Humanities

Helen Becker, College of Business

James Campbell, College of Arts and Humanities

Karl X. Chai, College of Medicine

Ratna Chakrabarti, College of Medicine

Jill Fjelstul, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Barbara Fritzsche, College of Sciences

Nora Lee Garc铆a, College of Arts and Humanities

Linwood Jones, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alexander Katsevich, College of Sciences

Kuotsai Tom Liou, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Logan, College of Arts and Humanities

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Eric Martin, Office of Research

Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities

Charles H. Reilly, Office of the Provost

Timothy Rotarius, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peter Spyers-Duran, 麻豆原创 Libraries

Alexander Tovbis, College of Sciences

Laurence von Kalm, College of Sciences

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Bruce Wilson, College of Sciences

Hong Zhang, College of Arts and Humanities

Ying Zhang, 麻豆原创 Libraries

35 Years of Service

Issa Batarseh, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alain Kassab, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Chung-Ching Wang, College of Sciences

40 Years of Service

Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Georgiopoulos, College of Engineering and Computer Science

David Hagan, College of Optics and Photonics

Anna Lillios, College of Arts and Humanities

Mubarak Shah, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kalpathy Sundaram, College of Engineering and Computer Science

45 Years of Service

Robert Rivers, College of Arts and Humanities

55 Years of Service

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Faculty Emeritus and Emerita

Lynn Casmier-Paz, College of Arts and Humanities

James Clark, College of Arts and Humanities

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Robin Kohn, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Donna Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Robin Roberts, College of Business

Sherron Killingsworth Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Roney, College of Arts and Humanities

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Retired Faculty

Ahlam Al-Rawi, College of Sciences

Donna Breit, College of Nursing

Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities

Chinyen Chuo, Student Success and Well-Being

Therese Coleman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Philip Fairey, Office of Research

John Fauth, College of Sciences

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Roger Handberg, College of Sciences

C. Keith Harrison, College of Business

Randall Hewitt, College of Community Innovation and Education

Rebecca Hines, College of Community Innovation and Education

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Charlie Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alvaro Islas, College of Sciences

Mourad Ismail, College of Sciences

David Jenkins, College of Sciences

Michael Johnson, Office of the Provost

Dayle Jones, College of Community Innovation and Education

Denise Kay, College of Medicine

Gary Leavens, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mary Little, College of Community Innovation and Education

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Macedonia, Office of Research

Wasfy Mikhael, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Roslyn Miller, Division of Digital Learning

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Vicki Montoya, College of Nursing

Brian Moore, College of Sciences

Donna Felber Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peggy Nuhn, 麻豆原创 Libraries

Joyce Nutta, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jeffrey O鈥橞rien, College of Business

Bendegul Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Brian Plamondon, Office of Research

Michael Proctor, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Enrique Puig, College of Community Innovation and Education

Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, College of Sciences

Mark Rapport, College of Sciences

Sherron Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Kelly Schaffer, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elzbieta Sikorska, College of Sciences

Jo Smith, Division of Digital Learning

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Steiner, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Raymond Surette, College of Community Innovation and Education

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Patti Thielemann, College of Nursing

Cheryl Van De Mark, College of Community Innovation and Education

Martine Vanryckeghem, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Jane Vaughan, College of Arts and Humanities

Scott Warfield, College of Arts and Humanities

Debbie Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Philip Wessel, College of Community Innovation and Education

James Whitworth, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Boguslawa Anna Wolford, College of Community Innovation and Education

Laine Wyatt, College of Arts and Humanities

Cherie Yestrebsky, College of Sciences

Martin Klapheke, College of Medicine

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Euripides Montagne, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Darlin’ Neal, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Pape, College of Business

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

David Young, College of Sciences

Few researchers have recharged and revitalized the electric power industry as Pegasus Professor Zhihua Qu has. Through his efforts, the energy systems that power our everyday lives are smarter, cleaner and more resilient.

In recognition of his influence, 麻豆原创 will award Qu with the Medal of Societal Impact. This honor is bestowed upon faculty whose research in science, engineering or medicine has significantly impacted humankind. Recipients are selected by an external committee of members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Qu will receive the award during the Founders鈥� Day event on April 1.

鈥� This award represents what we should be doing as researchers 鈥� contributing to society, teaching younger engineers and making an impact through research.鈥�

鈥淚 feel very honored,鈥� Qu says. 鈥淚 appreciate the recognition. This award represents what we should be doing as researchers 鈥� contributing to society, teaching younger engineers and making an impact through research.鈥�

Qu鈥檚 research spans the areas of power system stability, self-organizing microgrids and advanced control of distributed energy resources. His goal is to make power systems more efficient, reliable and secure. In 2017, he partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to create a plug-and-play grid platform that controls large distributed energy networks and enables utilities to add new components like EV stations and solar farms without the need for a power grid redesign. He also led a DoE team that developed smart inverters to stabilize power grids that run on renewable energy.

His most recent research has focused on making power infrastructure resilient against cybersecurity attacks and extreme weather events. Looking ahead, Qu plans to address the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the large amounts of energy they consume. He says that using his expertise to solve societal problems is a duty, and one that all research faculty should fulfill.

鈥淎s engineers, as research faculty, as instructors of students, we have the obligation to solve real-world problems,鈥� Qu says. 鈥淭hrough our research, we can improve people鈥檚 lives and enhance economic competitiveness.鈥�

Decades of Industry Impact

鈥淓xternal researchers and engineers come to 麻豆原创 to conduct their experiments here. Without this kind of infrastructure, we can鈥檛 do the state-of-the-art research that we鈥檙e required to do.鈥�

During the decades that Qu has spent working with industry partners such as Siemens, Florida Power & Light (FPL), and General Electric (GE), he鈥檚 found that they want power engineers capable of developing viable solutions to their challenges, not just academic papers or presentations. By bringing those industry partners to 麻豆原创, he鈥檚 strengthened their ties to researchers and students who can develop the technologies they need.

In 2016, 麻豆原创 opened the Siemens Digital Grid Lab to train students on the software and hardware used to manage smart grids and assets such as solar power and autonomous vehicles. The software donated was worth $68 million and was the largest grant awarded in university history.

Just five years later, GE Digital and FPL launched the Microgrid Control Lab, which is used to conduct workforce training and research on advanced distribution management systems and grid resilience.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the fact that we鈥檝e built modern facilities for students,鈥� Qu says. 鈥淓xternal researchers and engineers come to 麻豆原创 to conduct their experiments here. Without this kind of infrastructure, we can鈥檛 do the state-of-the-art research that we鈥檙e required to do.鈥�

Impacting the Next Generation

Qu鈥檚 impact doesn鈥檛 just extend to the industry 鈥� he鈥檚 also built a legacy through the next generation of engineers. The labs that Qu has developed at 麻豆原创 have become a training ground for students, a place to prepare for their careers.

Graduate students can work on federally funded projects alongside faculty mentors and develop novel solutions to real-world problems. Qu says he enjoys the excited responses from students who see the resulting benefits of their work.

鈥� When [students] see the impact of their work, the more they study and the more effort they put into their work.鈥�

鈥淚t helps students feel more attached, more inspired,鈥� Qu says. 鈥淚t creates a positive feedback loop. When they see the impact of their work, the more they study and the more effort they put into their work.鈥�

Qu also has the opportunity to mentor and guide junior faculty through the Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) center, composed of an interdisciplinary group of researchers from across the university who work together to address challenges within the energy sector.

Under Qu鈥檚 leadership, RISES has grown from a faculty cluster to a center that boasts a $14 million research portfolio.

鈥淚 want to thank the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the university and the Office of Research for supporting RISES,鈥� Qu says. 鈥淚 think the center sets the stage for the continued success of our faculty and students.鈥�

Enter the Resilience, Education, and Advocacy Center for Hazard Preparedness (REACH) hub 鈥� the product of a partnership between researchers from 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Community Innovation and Education, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the City of Orlando. Officially unveiled Jan. 28 at the Orlando Emergency Operations Center, the hub is a self-sustaining mobile unit designed to be deployed to neighborhoods in need of critical services following emergencies. These include air-conditioning, mobile charging stations, broadband internet connection, and an onboard refrigerator and freezer that can assist with food storage and distribution.

鈥淭he program is focused on community-centered projects in close partnership with civic agencies, which was perfect for this idea.鈥� 鈥� Kelly Stevens, assistant professor

Kelly Stevens, principal investigator and assistant professor in the , says the city approached the team with an idea for a mobile resilience hub over five years ago. She found the U.S. National Science Foundation鈥檚 (NSF) Civic Innovation program shortly after.

鈥淭he program is focused on community-centered projects in close partnership with civic agencies, which was perfect for this idea,鈥� Stevens says.

Funded by a total of $1 million in grants from both the NSF and U.S. Department of Energy, the project kicked off in 2022 with a planning phase before receiving approval to begin the design and development phase in 2023. Stevens has led the REACH hub project alongside co-principal investigators Yue 鈥淕urt鈥� Ge, public administration associate professor; L. Trenton S. Marsh, urban education assistant professor; Liqiang Wang, computer science professor; and Zhihua Qu, electrical and computer engineering professor. Other faculty on the project include Maritza Concha, nonprofit management lecturer; Christopher Emrich, emergency management professor; and Kristopher Davis, associate professor of materials science and engineering.

The solar-powered REACH hub will be deployed to neighborhoods in need of critical services to improve disaster response and recovery efforts. Although designed primarily with 鈥済ray skies鈥� or emergency situations in mind, the pilot hub will not go unused during 鈥渂lue skies鈥� conditions. The REACH team has taken a collaborative approach that engages community partners in helping drive not only the hub鈥檚 design process but also ideas for its use outside of emergency deployment. That includes an educational component, which uses 360-degree video technology and virtual-reality headsets.

鈥淧artnerships have been the cornerstone of this project,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淥ne of the strengths in our proposal was the demonstrated partnership 麻豆原创 has with the city of Orlando. Further, we have two core partners on this project 鈥攖he Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida鈥檚 Levy-Hughes Clubhouse and Hebni Nutrition, both located in Parramore 鈥� and they have provided feedback on how the hub could be useful to the work they do in the community with residents and Orlando youth.鈥�

Michael Hess, director of sustainability and resilience for the City of Orlando, also served as director of its Future Ready program, which focused on guiding the city toward a smarter and more sustainable future. It was during the plan鈥檚 development phase that he and his staff met Stevens and began collaborating on bringing the resilience hubs to life.

鈥淭he hub is the result of the city, 麻豆原创 and our other partners taking the concept of resilience and creating something with it,鈥� Hess says. 鈥淚t’s going to get used in 鈥榖lue skies鈥� 99% of the time 鈥� hopefully, we don鈥檛 have too many disasters 鈥� which means our sustainability and resilience team can use it for both education and fun. That could be anything from a movie night to teaching kids how to harvest from our community gardens. We鈥檙e looking at different types of educational content to help people be more sustainable and resilient.鈥�

The city will ultimately be responsible for deploying and maintaining the hub, but Stevens and her team will remain closely involved throughout the rest of the grant period, which runs through the end of September. Currently, they are continuing to collect insight from community members and partners that will further inform and hone the hub鈥檚 possible uses.

鈥淲e will be conducting demonstrations over the next few months where we will be collecting feedback from residents about the hub, evaluating the educational programs, and making adjustments to the resilience educational programming,鈥� Stevens says.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says the hub is a welcome addition to the city鈥檚 six existing community centers 鈥� which double as resource distribution centers for residents following disasters 鈥� as it provides a means to bring resources straight to those who need them most.

鈥淲e’re always excited when we can provide additional support to our residents 鈥� especially after heat events, hurricanes or whatever other storms we may have,鈥� Dyer says. 鈥溌槎乖� has partnered with the city on so many different things, including designing and providing this deployable mobile hub, which I would say is pretty incredible. We are ecstatic to now have the ability to locate a resiliency hub anywhere in the city.鈥�

Researcher Credentials
Stevens joined 麻豆原创 in 2017 and holds a doctorate in public administration from Syracuse University.聽She is also a member of聽麻豆原创鈥檚 Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Cluster听补苍诲听.

Ge joined the College of Community Innovation and Education in 2018 and serves as co-lead of the Urban Resilience Initiative. He is also part of the Center for Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy System (RISES) faculty research cluster. He holds a doctorate in urban and regional science from Texas A&M University.

Marsh earned his doctorate in teaching and learning with a concentration in urban education from New York University. He joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Community Innovation and Education in 2019.

Qu arrived at 麻豆原创 in 1990 after earning a doctorate in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is both a Pegasus Professor and the Thomas J. Riordan and Herbert C. Towle Chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚聽Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Additionally, Qu is the founding director of both RISES and the multi-institutional聽Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources Center听(贵贰贰顿贰搁).

Wang earned his doctorate in computer science from Stony Brook University in 2006 and joined the 麻豆原创聽Department of Computer Science聽in 2015.

Neighborhoods throughout Orlando could easily find themselves without power, internet and mobility after significant weather events. Effective local response requires a mobile, self-sustaining solution to provide residents with services ranging from device charging and air-conditioned space to laundry to food distribution and even ice for food preservation. Even more, could such a solution also provide educational resources for residents to prepare for future emergencies more effectively?

Kelly Stevens, assistant professor of public administration and the project鈥檚 principal investigator, has been working with fellow 麻豆原创 researchers to bring this vision to life. Together with the City of Orlando and other community leaders, the team has spent the past year conceptualizing what an effective Resilience, Education, and Advocacy Center for Hazard Preparedness (REACH) hub would look like.

Now, they鈥檙e ready to put their ideas into action.

The team recently received approval and funding for the project鈥檚 second phase from the National Science Foundation鈥檚 CIVIC program, which involved presenting the findings from the project鈥檚 first phase and successfully demonstrating its feasibility.

Stevens serves on the REACH project team with Yue 鈥淕urt鈥� Ge, public administration associate professor, L. Trenton S. Marsh, urban education assistant professor, Liqiang Wang, computer science professor, and Zhihua Qu, electrical and computer engineering professor, who serve as co-principal investigators. Senior personnel on the project include Maritza Concha, nonprofit management lecturer; Christopher Emrich, emergency management professor; and Kristopher Davis, associate professor of materials science and engineering.

鈥淲e are extremely happy with the success of Phase I,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淲e had over 300 responses from residents to the community survey we built with our partners, which informed our design process in a way that allowed us to really co-design these hubs with and for the community.鈥�

Stevens says feedback from the community was critical because residents鈥� responses provided insight into potential resources and amenities for the hub beyond the original concept 鈥� from an onboard ice maker to finding a more efficient way to distribute water than simply having water bottles onboard.

The architectural design produced by the team is critical to Phase II of the project, the principal goal of which is to build and test a prototype REACH hub in the communities where it will ultimately be used.

The hub is designed as a trailer chassis-based mobile unit that can be easily deployed in neighborhoods without power or service access. The unit will contain a slew of appliances and usable services for residents to charge their devices, cool off, access the internet and more. The key to the hub is its self-sustaining power, principally supplied through solar panels and supplemented by a conventional generator when under heavy load.

鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e working to select vendors that will construct the hub and everything on it,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for someone who can build the hub itself, design the electrical and solar components, install the appliances, and ultimately provide us with a fully realized and working hub.鈥�

Stevens also notes the hub itself is only half the battle. Critical to the project鈥檚 value in the community is its educational component, designed to provide affected residents with necessary information about disaster preparedness and recovery before and after a disaster.

鈥淥ur 鈥榖lue skies鈥� curriculum will consist of community-driven, interactive and immersive STEM education learning stations,鈥� says Marsh, who serves as the project鈥檚 education lead. 鈥淲e want to build the programming around what residents recognize; the landmarks they view as signs of strength and resiliency, as well as areas they feel are more vulnerable or susceptible to inclement weather.鈥�

The hubs will also host just-in-time preparedness content for residents to assist with preparation and decision-making ahead of a potential emergency. Evacuation plans and food preparation, Marsh says, are plans the team hopes to focus content on.

Ideally, the team hopes to leverage emerging augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies in developing educational programming to provide residents with in-depth, immersive experiences. The 麻豆原创-led HazardAware project also collects data that can provide individual address-based natural hazard and home resilience information tailored to residents鈥� specific homes.

鈥淲e hope that we鈥檒l be able to further leverage our resources at 麻豆原创 to accomplish these goals with virtual and augmented reality programming, specifically through a potential partnership with the university鈥檚 ,鈥� Marsh says.

Once the prototype hub has been built and the educational programming completed, the team will run extensive tests and experiments on the hub鈥檚 appliances and power systems to ensure its viability in real-world scenarios. After that, testing will move into the community 鈥� where Stevens says the team will really get a sense of how the hub will work.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to implement four test deployments in local neighborhoods 鈥� three during 鈥榖lue skies鈥� and one after an actual emergency,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淲e want to see how people actually interact with the hub 鈥� what they鈥檙e interested in, what parts are functional and even what parts aren鈥檛 super functional.鈥�

The final step, once testing is completed, is to hand off ownership of the hub to the city of Orlando. The city will be responsible for the deployment, maintenance and future development of the project. Michael Hess, director of the City of Orlando鈥檚 Future Ready program, and Ian Lahiff, an energy project manager with the city, serve as senior personnel on the project.

鈥淭he city has been our core partner from Day One, so we know they鈥檙e in this for the long haul,鈥� Stevens says. 鈥淥ur team is confident they will be good stewards of the project and its impact on the community.鈥�

The ultimate goal, Stevens says, is to produce an effective and efficient means of increasing resilience in the community.

鈥淲hen we can show our community that 麻豆原创 is leveraging its expertise and resources to produce technology 鈥� in a quick timeframe and at a very local scale 鈥� that can actually be used in the community, that鈥檚 the real impact,鈥� she says.

Researcher Credentials

Stevens received her doctorate in public administration from Syracuse University and joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 School of Public Administration, part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Community Innovation and Education, in 2017.聽She is a member of聽麻豆原创鈥檚 Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Cluster听补苍诲听

Ge joined 麻豆原创 in 2018 and serves as co-lead of the Urban Resilience Initiative based at 麻豆原创 Downtown. He has also served on the RISES faculty research cluster since 2021. He holds a doctorate in urban and regional science from Texas A&M University.

Marsh earned his doctorate in teaching and learning with a concentration in urban education from New York University and joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Community Innovation and Education in 2019 after a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan 鈥� Ann Arbor.

Qu arrived at 麻豆原创 in 1990 after earning a doctorate in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Currently the Thomas J. Riordan and Herbert C. Towle Chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚聽Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, he is also the founding director of both RISES 鈥� a university research center on energy systems 鈥� and the multi-institutional聽听(贵贰贰顿贰搁).

Wang earned his doctorate in computer science from Stony Brook University in 2006 and joined the 麻豆原创聽Department of Computer Science聽in 2015.

AVRA Medical Robotics Inc., which has an office in the 麻豆原创 Business Incubator, has partnered with Professor Zhihua Qu and research Professor Eytan Pollak of the College of Engineering & Computer Science to develop algorithms and sensors to navigate and control a robot capable of assisting physicians with performing minimally invasive surgical procedures in an ambulatory setting or operating room.

Barry F. Cohen, AVRA founder and chairman, said he was drawn to 麻豆原创 because of its engineering strength for the development of a modular, robotic-assistive system that will be portable, precise and affordable.

鈥溌槎乖� research is providing the precision and guidance necessary for a computer-driven robotic system that will facilitate superior outcomes,鈥� Cohen said.

AVRA partnered with a new industry-sponsored innovation program at 麻豆原创 by providing $200,000 initially with planned follow-up funding for the research and the rights to any intellectual property developed during the project. In addition, AVRA will pay 麻豆原创 1 percent in royalty fees for annual sales exceeding $20 million resulting from the intellectual property.

鈥淎t 麻豆原创 we encourage the collaboration between our research and industry. Initiatives such as this innovation program help streamline the process and move pioneering research into the market,鈥� said Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Qu and Pollak have extensive backgrounds in the development of computer-operated systems that encompass the integration of tools and sensors, real-time image/data processing, navigation, control and human-machine interface. Qu鈥檚 research has included robotic platforms and autonomous vehicles for the Department of Defense, applications and 聽and intelligent robotic systems for life support on Mars among others, autonomous coordination of robotic devices, and human-robot teaming.

Pollak has 30 years鈥� experience in managing complex research and development programs, holds several patents and has published papers in control systems and robotics. He is also the director of strategic technologies at L-3 Communications Link Simulation & Training.

Based on an original concept proposed by Qu, his graduate students Niladri Basu Bal and Deepalakshmi Babu Venkateswaran have implemented navigation/control algorithms and completed a 3-D computer visualization of how such a robotic device would work. Computer-aided design and development of a graphic user interface for surgeons are now under way.

AVRA has recently added some industry partners to its team. Anthony Nicholson, a longtime benefactor of 麻豆原创, serves as a senior advisor of the company, and Peter Carnegie, CEO of Minimally Invasive Solutions in Ocoee, and Dr. Nikhil Shah of Atlanta, are new directors.

For more information go to info@avramedical.com.

A new lab unveiled Thursday at the 麻豆原创 holds the promise of making these challenges a thing of the past. The new Siemens Digital Grid Lab features cutting-edge technology used by many private and public utilities to manage the nation鈥檚 power systems.

Longtime partners 麻豆原创 and Siemens said the lab will help produce the next generation of engineers to modernize America鈥檚 energy grid. Students will now have hands-on training with real-world software and hardware to design and manage self-healing power-distribution grids to quickly recover from natural disasters, cyberattacks and other outages. They鈥檒l also train on the industry鈥檚 latest microgrid software to manage and operate dynamic generation assets such as solar, wind power, storage and electric vehicles.

The 660-square-foot lab will equip students with the latest skills needed to land jobs in the evolving energy field, an industry currently facing a skills gap. A recent Department of Energy jobs report found that the nation does not have enough workers to fill 1.5 million new energy jobs by 2030, and 75 percent of companies have challenges in hiring qualified candidates.

鈥淭he power grid is getting smarter, yet it will never be smart enough to run without workers who can manage it. The industry, even as it builds out a smarter 鈥� and yes, more automated 鈥� grid, needs more people like engineers who can work in control centers or design electrical systems,鈥� said Mike Carlson, president of Siemens Digital Grid in North America. 鈥淭he energy jobs of today and tomorrow require the skills to match the new technologies that are moving our grid into the 21st century. We鈥檙e thrilled that this partnership with 麻豆原创 will help further close the energy-skills gap and give these students the experience that will strongly position them and our country for success.鈥�

The lab is one of only a handful across the nation that gives students hands-on experience in electrical-grid technology and incorporates traditional and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

鈥淭he energy industry is rapidly evolving and demands highly skilled workers who can innovate and reimagine solutions,鈥� 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt said. 鈥淭his new lab bolsters 麻豆原创鈥檚 leading role in providing the top-notch talent that employers require and the problem solvers that society needs. And this elite facility will help expand a Siemens internship program at 麻豆原创 that is one of the premier opportunities in our country for emerging engineers and computer science professionals.鈥�

The lab will also feature software platforms that map out grid-transmission needs and simulated models of the 麻豆原创 campus power system where students will learn how to design and test a self-healing distribution grid. The lab can also be used to conduct simulations for profit for commercial customers, helping energy users better analyze distributed-generation assets. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. It also offers rich data for research to look at challenges in the future. Engineering Professor Wei Sun will lead the lab, which expects to accommodate about 120 students a year.

The lab adds to the growing hub of expertise at 麻豆原创, which includes programs aimed at modernizing and sustaining the nation鈥檚 power grid. Through collaborations such as , programs such as , multiple facilities on campus and research projects, students benefit from learning everything from theory and critical thinking, to experimentation and practical applications.

鈥淧eople talk about making the grid efficient, incorporating different types of energy from traditional to renewable, but that鈥檚 not the only challenge,鈥� said Zhihua Qu, chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 鈥淲e need to look at making the system smart, so it knows what customers want and how to efficiently deliver it. And we must also make the entire system resilient.鈥�

That means that if a storm or a man-made attack takes out part of the grid, it doesn鈥檛 result in entire communities being left without power for days or weeks.

鈥淢aking the power grid smart is a fantastic thing because it will improve lives and the economy,鈥� Qu said. 鈥淭he lab and the collaborative efforts of several professors and students here are leading us to that trigger point and we fully expect that the experience students get here will not only make them marketable, but it will make them leaders in the industry. They will innovate probably in ways we haven鈥檛 even envisioned yet.鈥�

Students who have had early access to the lab are already raving about it.

鈥淪ome [other] curricula in general lacks what the industry is actually using 鈥� it can be more of a research tool for academia,鈥� said Matt Aberman, an electrical engineering graduate student. 鈥淭he technology in this lab is the same technology used by industry. It ignites a spark in students for them to be passionate about the energy industry because while they鈥檙e in school they can actually work on something that鈥檚 real, that鈥檚 right in front of them. It can change how students are learning.鈥�

This comprehensive program builds upon a decades-long strategic partnership between Siemens and 麻豆原创, focused on fostering innovation, advancing technology and developing the next-generation workforce.

鈥淔or decades, Siemens has grown to be one of Orlando鈥檚 largest employers with a strong commitment to our community and a long history of collaborating with our hometown university, 麻豆原创,鈥� said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. 鈥淟ike the many other successful partnerships forged between Siemens and 麻豆原创, the new Digital Smart Grid Lab supports the city鈥檚 continued efforts to make Orlando a national leader in sustainability, in training the next generation of high-tech workers and helping create high-wage jobs in emerging career fields.”

This past fall, Siemens provided 麻豆原创 with an in-kind grant of product lifecycle management software with a commercial value of $68 million 鈥� marking the largest grant in university history. Siemens has been in Orlando more than three decades, with a nearly 5,000-employee footprint spanning power generation, transmission and distribution, energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure, medical imaging and health care diagnostics.

The 660-square-foot Smart Grid lab, located in the Harris Engineering Center on 麻豆原创’s main campus, will provide a real-world environment and hands-on experience using advanced technology 鈥� real-time digital simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, power system protection and more 鈥� for research faculty and about 220 students per year.

“The lab will enable us to perform advanced smart grid research, develop curriculum and course offerings, partner with utility companies on their research and development projects, and collaborate with other universities,” said Zhihua Qu, chair, 麻豆原创 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The new Smart Grid lab will be connected to power sources on campus, such as solar arrays and an on-campus power plant. The Smart Grid lab at 麻豆原创 is the latest development in a national, multi-partner consortium that Qu leads, known as “FEEDER,” or the Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources.

FEEDER launched in 2013 with an initial grant of $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy that brought together eight universities, eight utilities, 11 industry partners and two national labs. It has grown to more than 50 partners 鈥� located nationwide from the east coast to California and as far as Hawaii.

The partners are upgrading and sustaining the power grid though research, and by educating the current grid workforce, and recruiting and educating the future workforce.

鈥淥ur nation relies on a vital, robust power grid that integrates renewable energy sources to maintain basic societal and economic needs. But the current infrastructure needs to be upgraded with advanced 鈥榮mart鈥櫬爐echnology, and the current grid workforce needs to learn the technology,鈥� Qu said. 鈥淲hat’s more, it鈥檚 critical that our nation鈥檚 engineering schools recruit students to the field to ensure an adequate supply of smart grid engineers in the years to come.鈥�

麻豆原创 is one of the nation鈥檚 largest producers of engineers, and its expertise in electrical and computer engineering makes 麻豆原创 an ideal leader for the project.

Researchers in FEEDER are analyzing the infrastructure inside the current grid to find ways to enhance its capacity and make it more efficient. They are also exploring ways to safely and efficiently process the amount of fluctuating energy currently fed into the grid from an increasing number of small, decentralized power producers, many of which generate power from renewable sources such as wind and solar farms. They are also envisioning and designing potentially new and better ways of integrating renewables.

On the education front, the intent is for FEEDER universities to educate the nation鈥檚 current and future smart grid workforce by working together to develop and deploy updated, shared curricula, guest lectures and workforce training activities.

FEEDER aims to attract and educate more students to become future power engineers, to address real-world research and development challenges, to train existing workforce and speed up technology transfers, and to realize smart grid implementation.

Research and Education in Renewable Energy Systems at 麻豆原创

麻豆原创’s many power and energy resources provide hundreds of electrical and computer engineering students hands-on, real-world smart-grid experience that will help them in their careers.

麻豆原创’s Florida Solar Energy Center, also part of the FEEDER effort, has numerous research projects underway, including a study of the impact that the nation’s increasing number of electric vehicles on the road will have on the power grid.

And last fall, the university announced a faculty research cluster to bring together and recruit multi-disciplinary experts to advance power systems science. The Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) cluster, also led by Qu, will facilitate collaborative research in the deployment and integration of renewable energy resources, and provide innovative solutions that make electricity grids self-organizing, efficient and resilient.

麻豆原创 is committed to green initiatives and supports the Climate Action Plan, an ambitious guide that the university is taking to become climate neutral by 2050.

Qu is a nationally renowned expert in distributed control and optimization of smart grids. In 2009, he was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his scientific contributions in electrical and computer engineering. He joined 麻豆原创’s faculty in 1990, and was named chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The DistribuTECH conference, Feb. 9-11, at Orange County Convention Center, will also feature some work produced by 麻豆原创 engineering students. Five research posters created by 10 麻豆原创 electrical and computer engineering students will be presented at the conference, and more than 40 students will attend along with Qu.

鈥淭hese individuals have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished,鈥� according to the AAAS.

麻豆原创鈥檚 recipients are:

The 麻豆原创 recipients said they were honored and humbled.

鈥淚t is gratifying to have your scientific contributions recognized by your peers,鈥� said Chase, the chair of the anthropology department. 鈥淔or Anthropology, this is one of the few truly聽national-level honors that is available to our discipline.鈥�

Others said they were thrilled to see so many 麻豆原创 faculty members honored.

鈥淚 am very proud and honored to be named a Fellow of AAAS and to join with colleagues from 麻豆原创 who are sharing in this status,鈥� said Hancock a Pegasus professor of psychology with appointments to the Institute for Simulation & Training, the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Industrial Engineering. 鈥淚 think it is a mark of the growing prestige of our institution that we have a 鈥榗lass鈥� of this size.鈥�

A total of 702 fellows were named including 28 from Florida institutions. New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin during the 2013 AAAS annual meeting in Boston on Feb. 16.

The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the steering group of their respective sections, by three Fellows, or by the association’s chief executive officer. Each steering group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and forwards a final list to the AAAS Council.

The AAAS Council votes on the final aggregate list.聽The council is the policymaking body of the association, chaired by the president, and consisting of the members of the board of directors, the retiring section chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Association of Academies of Science.

Dr. Qu鈥檚 research interests include system theory, advanced controls, and their applications to autonomous vehicles and intelligent systems. He has received a number of awards, authored three books, and published over one hundred refereed journal papers. Dr. Qu has been an Associate Editor for Automatica, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, and International Journal of Robotics and Automation. Currently, he is on the Board of Governors of the IEEE Control Systems Society.

Zhihua Qu received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990. In August 1990, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at 麻豆原创. From 1995 to 1997, he served as the assistant chair of the department, and the director/chair from 1999 to 2004. He is currently the SAIC Distinguished Professor at 麻豆原创.