The two are among 6,000 undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. students who will graduate from UCF Dec. 12-13.

Bassett and Deinys, both Florida natives, credit UCF with instilling in them a spirit of scientific discovery and a passion to use their love of science to help others.

Transforming Healthcare Through Tech

Bassett will graduate with a medicine-engineering double degree in molecular and cellular biology and mechanical engineering. The degree program, one of UCF’s most challenging, recognizes that the future of healthcare is in technology, and the workforce needs trained professionals who can understand both the biology of disease and the engineering principles to create new healthcare solutions.

The double major requires 163 credit hours and a lot of time management skills. With back-to-back engineering and biomedical sciences labs as part of his routine, Bassett jokes he could actually feel his mind transform as he walked from one classroom to the next to absorb and process two vastly different topics.

While at UCF Bassett completed multiple internships at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. A Burnett Honors College scholar, he served as a teaching assistant and a chemistry undergraduate lab researcher.

Bassett says UCF helped him understand the medical “whys” of the medical engineering he creates and wants to go into an industry that will allow him to design and test better medical tools that can make surgery less invasive, more efficient and safer.

“With my training, I know the what and the why,” he says. “I can use that knowledge to solve more medical problems. I hope I can help my colleagues understand why something is happening in the body.”

Making Florida’s Mangroves More Resilient

Born in Miami, Deinys knew science was her passion at an early age while attending a STEM-focused middle and high school. During an internship at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, she discovered a pathogen that was threatening to kill Florida mangroves.

Later, in collaboration with the Marine Resources Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, they determined that 80% of the mangroves they had sampled tested positive for at least one of the pathogens.

Through her research at UCF, she helped create a nutrient of magnesium and sulfur nanoparticles called “Mag Sun” (MgSuN) that acts like an antimicrobial solution while helping nourish the plant. Mag Sun is also sustainable so it’s safe for the environment. The product, which reduced pathogens by 95%, has now been approved for use across Florida, and Deinys hopes it will soon receive EPA clearance for use nationwide.

“I grew up in South Florida and developed a deep love for the beach and coast,” she said. “And I knew something was happening to my mangroves. I’m committed to the community I’m from and I want to help people – that’s the goal.”

As an undergraduate, she was lead research assistant in an agricultural artificial intelligence effort between UCF and Cornell University and UCF’s Material Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Lab. She also served as an Office of Undergraduate Research peer mentor and has presented her research at conferences across the state and nation.

An Order of Pegasus honoree, Deinys will stay at UCF to earn her Ph.D. in chemistry with a specialization in nanoscience. She said her goal is to be a “jack-of-all-trades,” in science because she’s excited by too many opportunities to use her inquisitive mind to solve real-world problems. As she speaks from her lab office filled with plants, she says she wants to use her love of agriculture to help find ways to link plant life and space travel.

The $5 million, five-year commitment reimagines how universities and global enterprises can work together to prepare the workforce of the future, leveraging collaborations to enhance career readiness for UCF students, as well as talent development and acquisition for BNY.

At the heart of this collaboration is the 8,400 square-foot Next-Gen Cybersecurity Technology and Operations Center Lab (CTOC Lab). This dedicated space on UCF’s campus will host an experiential learning course, Introduction to Applied Technology in Banking.

This hands-on course, led by BNY executives, teaches students how to translate their technical skills learned from coursework to industry applications. It also includes a special topics seminar course, guest lectures, adjunct instruction and more.

“My favorite part has been the people,” says Katrina Gumerov, a computer science major at UCF, who is participating in the course this semester. “There are so many BNY leaders who fly in from all different kinds of industries within the company. And we also have great leaders who are here every week. It’s a very mentorship-style environment where I’m never afraid to ask questions. Having that support behind me has been incredible.”

This marks a milestone in realizing UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright’s vision of co-located industry and academia collaboration. It will give UCF students real-world experience with one of the world’s most respected financial institutions, while leveraging the university’s faculty excellence, research power, and startup-like agility to anticipate market and technology disruptions in fintech and wealth management.

“Ů��AV is built to work at the intersection of opportunity and innovation,” ��Cartwright says. “Our Pegasus Partnership with BNY brings that to life, creating a dynamic environment where talent, ideas and industry converge together, as we accelerate the future of finance and technology.”

“By working with UCF, we’re deepening and broadening our connection to Central Florida, home to our Lake Mary office,” Chief Executive Officer of BNY Robin Vince, says.

“This collaboration is an opportunity to help build a workforce ready to succeed in the rapidly changing technology landscape — which in turn helps our local community grow and thrive.” — Robin Vince, BNY CEO

Upon completing the initial course, students will progress through a semester of advanced coursework in application development and infrastructure engineering using real-world examples. High performers will��be invited to apply for summer internships during their senior year with the goal of being hired as full-time analysts at BNY after graduation.

The inaugural CTOC Lab class launched in the fall with 27 students, and BNY expects to continue enrolling an additional 25-30 new students into the program each semester.

“This is such an exciting evolution of our work with UCF,” says Chief Technology Officer at BNY Sabet Elias. “We’re bridging the gap between the classroom and the workforce and getting in front of the bright talent cultivated at UCF. Together, we’re committed to giving back to our community, nurturing these innovative minds, identifying curricular gaps and equipping students with the skills to drive the industry forward.”

Investing in Students and the Future

BNY’s investment extends beyond the classroom. BNY has committed to be platinum partners for the College of Business for the duration of this agreement, including support for case competitions, student activities and enhanced recruiting opportunities.��Through the BNY Scholars program, UCF Burnett Honors College students will be selected to receive scholarships to support their academic journey. Additional investment is also being made in student cybersecurity initiatives, including Hack@UCF and the internationally acclaimed Collegiate Cybersecurity Competition (CP3) Team.

Additional initiatives include unique Meet the Firm on-campus events designed to elevate BNY’s profile and strengthen talent recruitment across all disciplines; lifelong learning and training for BNY employees through facilitated executive education; and professional development to complement the��company’s internal resources.

Founded to reach the moon, we’re already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America’s Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

America’s first astronauts, known as “the Mercury Seven,” will forever be known as the men who began this country’s journey into space. Twenty-five years after beginning their quest, the surviving astronauts from our original space race launched the Astronaut Scholarship to help ensure the U.S. would be the global STEM leader for the next space races

The Mercury crew would be impressed with what’s happening at SpaceU in 2025: a , an , a HyperSpace Center and three more recipients of the prestigious scholarship they established. This year, the committee chose 74 juniors and seniors from 51 universities, and Ů��AV is one of only three universities with a trio of winners — Keanu Brayman, Kyle Coutray and Sun Latt.

Each student reminds us that you never truly know what fuels a person’s trajectory toward discovery until you reflect on the journey that brought them into orbit.

Keanu Brayman

Mechanical engineering student and Burnett Honors Scholar

There’s a good reason Keanu Brayman changed his major a few times before settling on mechanical engineering.

“Space exploration is a broad topic,” he says, “and I want to understand everything — the development of the spacecraft, sending it, landing it and discovering with it.”

His curiosity led him to consider aerospace engineering, robotics, computer science and the ultimate: sitting in a capsule aimed at the moon or Mars.

“Like a lot of kids, I always wanted to be an astronaut,” Brayman says.

A childhood fantasy that began with Legos in the living room has blossomed in multiple labs at UCF. In the Optical Imaging System Lab, he designed a 3D printed housing for optical vision systems with space applications. In the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research, he advanced a rover wheel testbed to simulate conditions on the moon’s surface. Today, in his fourth year, he’s working in the Astrodynamics, Space and Robotics Laboratory (ASRL) researching optimal control on a robotic arm for space proximity operations.

“My overarching goal is to help humans become multi-planetary, with enough sustained lunar infrastructure to take us further into space.” —Keanu Brayman, student

“I never imagined the steppingstones in my life would take me this far,” he says.

He can vividly describe each step, with his mom encouraging him to dream big. When she noticed his interest in science, she and Brayman’s dad saved enough money to buy a Lego robotics kit. They invested in a modest telescope so he could spot Jupiter from their home in South Florida. One night, Brayman’s mom took him to the beach, where they watched the streaking speck of a distant space shuttle launch up the coast.

“That small glimpse made space technology more tantalizing for me,” Brayman says.

No one in his family had a STEM background. They lived paycheck to paycheck, and he didn’t know if college would be affordable. That changed when his FIRST Robotics team visited UCF, where he heard faculty say they wanted students like him to join their research teams.

“It was hard for my mom when I left home,” says Brayman, who earned the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, “but she knew I needed to follow my ambitions.”

Those ambitions unearthed more steppingstones at UCF. He joined a competitive rocketry team, earned an internship with NASA, and started a club: the Society of Innovation and Neurodiversity in Engineering, a community of students overcoming challenges like ADHD.

And now the Astronaut Scholarship.

“It was always a pipe dream to meet an astronaut someday. But at our ceremony, every time I turned around, I met another astronaut and expanded my network of mentors,” he says.

The support came at a time when Brayman needed it most as he was going through significant personal struggles.

“The scholarship has been a light. It reinforces what my mom always told me: ‘You can achieve anything you set your mind to.’ Her belief in me will always be my driving force,” he says.

Kyle Coutray

Computer engineering and biomedical sciences student, and Burnett Honors Scholar

It may sound modest when Kyle Coutray says, “I don’t absorb complex topics instantly.” Yet this is a senior pursuing two demanding majors, devoting his time at UCF to understanding the most complex system ever discovered — the brain —and turning that knowledge into tools that help people.

Managing material at that level requires discipline, and Coutray relies on habits like writing things down, studying late with flashcards and breaking big ideas into manageable parts. That steady approach reflects a deeper drive, one he credits to both his parents and his faith.

“I truly have the world’s best parents. They always encouraged me to push my limits and become the best version of myself,” he says. “I also believe God blessed me with a healthy mind, and I have a responsibility to use it where I can make the greatest impact.”

That mindset took root in high school, when Coutray launched an apparel brand by teaching himself the step-by-step process from design to sale. While it found success, he sensed there had to be another door into a more meaningful future. That conviction deepened when he came upon a neighbor lying in the road after a skateboarding accident.

“Some say space is the final frontier. I believe it’s the brain, with its 100 trillion connections. Exploring it will take the same spirit of discovery that drives us to the stars, and the Astronaut Scholarship fuels my own spirit to make the next discoveries.” — Kyle Coutray, student

“I had done the same thing with my friends countless times, and in an instant his life was changed forever. That was the moment I realized how fragile the brain is. Later, when I began studying neuroscience at UCF, it offered me a way to reconcile that experience and a clear sense of purpose.”

At UCF, Coutray has found ways to act on that purpose. He volunteers for ACEing Autism, where he facilitates adaptive tennis activities for children on the autism spectrum. Even intramural sports have offered him practical lessons that carry into his research.

“During my first year I was juggling so much that I stopped taking care of myself, and my productivity dropped,” he says. “When I got back into sports and focused on my health, everything improved — school, relationships and research. I’m a firm believer that a healthy body is critical to keeping the mind sharp.”

Coutray carries that same philosophy into the intersection of engineering and neuroscience. His focus is on decoding neural signals and developing assistive technologies that restore function and empower people of all abilities. What began as a way to process his neighbor’s accident has grown into a life’s mission: to give people their lives back.

Sun Latt

Biomedical sciences student and Burnett Honors Scholar

Sun Latt is having a moment. Actually, he’s having a year. You might remember Latt for winning a Goldwater Scholarship last spring. Or he could look familiar as an Order of Pegasus recipient. Here he is a few months later with the Astronaut Scholarship to complete a student triple crown of sorts — although Latt is too modest to say so himself.

“It’s been surreal and I’m thankful beyond words,” Latt says, “but there’s so much more to be done.”

Latt has worked on nanomedicine research with urgent focus since he found his first lab as a first-year student. Three years later, he has worked alongside a team of researchers to investigate the advantages of using a novel nanoparticle in magnesium orthopedic implants: the bone heals faster and the implant dissolves without leeching toxins. He has also contributed to nanomedicine research with preventive applications, such as a delivery system to silence the gene that causes osteoporosis.

“I’ve been challenging myself for three reasons; To become a good scientist, to make sure my mentors and the people who’ve supported me are not let down, and ��so I can be the best mentor possible in the future. — Sun Latt, student

“We’ve explored the basic working principles in a glass dish,” Latt says, “so now other researchers can see how the nanoparticle interacts for healing applications beyond bone.”

This doesn’t mean he’s finished.

“When you’re always trying to innovate, you’re never finished,” Latt says.

For his honors undergraduate thesis, Latt is leading a project that incorporates nanobubbles to deliver medicine into the body before releasing it precisely where and when it’s needed. He envisions using AI to take another leap and future applications for nanobubbles in space.

“For me, it’s all about healing the body,” he says. “That’s what motivated my dad, even with his limited resources and without formal recognition or awards.”

Latt’s parents immigrated from Myanmar. His dad learned to be a doctor so he could care for people who needed the most help — especially in rural areas. Latt carries that same compassion into his research, fully conscious that accomplishments are not his alone.

“I’ve been a lifelong learner, and I look forward to being a lifelong teacher,” he says.

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

Each semester, Gideon Lewis ’04‘s unique internship provides three or four pre-medical students exposure to the operating room alongside community surgeons. Interns don’t just stand in the corner and observe. They participate in patient care and research and get a firsthand understanding of surgical procedures and medical pathologies.

Over the past 15 years, Lewis’ internship has trained 85 interns and 98% of them have gone on to medical school, at universities including UCF, Case Western, Harvard, Miami and University of Pennsylvania.

“This program was born from a desire to provide students with something I never had — hands-on, immersive exposure to surgical medicine while still in college,” says Lewis, who is an affiliated faculty member with the UCF College of Medicine and director of the Foot & Ankle Sports Medicine Institute. “It’s incredibly fulfilling to see former interns now thriving as medical students, residents and even practicing physicians.”

Deborah German, UCF’s vice president for health affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine, praised Dr. Lewis’ commitment to education. “When I came here to build this medical school, I did not know that I would find such generous and talented physicians as we have in our community,” she says. “Dr. Lewis is an example of someone who exemplifies the portion of the Hippocratic Oath that says each of us must be committed to training the next generation of doctors.”

How the Program Works

The UCF Surgical Internship Program is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world clinical exposure for undergraduate students interested in careers in medicine.

The internship selection process is selective and rigorous. Candidates must have at least a 3.5 grade point average, have taken both Human Anatomy and Human Physiology at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, have a letter of recommendation and participate in an interview with internship leaders. Interns spend at least eight hours a week with Dr. Lewis’ team, including time in operating rooms at AdventHealth Winter Park,��Downtown Surgery Center, and Foot and Ankle Sports Medicine Institute.

They also gain insights into patient interactions, clinical decision-making, and the humanistic side of healthcare. Participants are mentored by Lewis and a team of experienced providers across multiple specialties. Mentors include community physicians in neuro, vascular, orthopedic, plastic, trauma and general surgery.

“This participation with so many different physicians makes this one of the most unique and sought-after undergraduate medical experiences in the country.” — Gideon Lewis ’04, alum and physician

“This participation with so many different physicians makes this one of the most unique and sought-after undergraduate medical experiences in the country,” Dr. Lewis says.

Mark Chaet has been one of those participating physicians. A pediatric surgeon at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Advent Health Children’s Hospital, he is now dean of the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Orlando Regional Campus. He says the mentorship program is successful because it involves “incredibly motivated and enthusiastic students who are new to the world of medicine.” And as a practicing surgeon, he says the UCF students “really invigorated my love for teaching.”

UCF students shadowed Chaet during a variety of pediatric surgical procedures, including hernia repairs, chest reconstruction and removal of benign growths. Many of the treatments were done at the surgery center, allowing students to learn and interact with their physician mentor in a smaller, less intimidating session, he said. ��They also had the opportunity to see the dynamics of how a pediatric surgical team works with frightened young patients and their families. Chaet says such real world experiences are critical for pre-med students to really understand what it means to be a doctor and to decide if the challenging career is right for them.

“Dr. Lewis’s program is unique and one of the best internship experiences I have seen because he allows our UCF students to be immersed in a clinical environment,” says Kersten Schroeder, coordinator the UCF’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Clinical Internship Program. “Dr. Lewis allows UCF students to work with him and see the collaborative effort it takes with other specialties to help patients on their way to the healing process.”

Interns are required to write and present a surgical case study and Chaet says the presentations he saw from UCF undergraduates were comparable to those done by medical students and resident physicians.

Current and past interns often have the opportunity to learn suturing techniques during workshops with Lewis and participate in sessions with representatives from medical device companies, athletics organizations and business leaders. Those who complete the internship have the chance to come back as program administrators. The mission, Lewis says, is to train young people to pay forward their blessings and opportunities.

Students Say Surgical Experience Is Life-Changing

Taylor Duffy ’20 and Emily Larson ’25 are two of those students.

Duffy is now a second-year M.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He’d never been in an operating room before the internship and said the hand-on surgical workshops and mentoring clarified his dreams and gave him the confidence to pursue them. He hopes to become an anesthesiologist and said he carries with him in medical school the clinical insights, professionalism and leadership skills he learned in the program. He also carries important life lessons.

“Dr. Lewis taught me to take advantage of every opportunity I was given and then use it to lift up others.” — Taylor Duffy ’20, student

“Dr. Lewis taught me to take advantage of every opportunity I was given,” Duffy says, “and then use it to lift up others.”

Larson is now an assistant director for the internship, where she has grown her leadership skills as she helps provide important learning experiences for new cohorts of Ů��AV pre-med students. She still remembers meeting with a patient who had multiple questions and worries before surgery. Larson worked closely with the patient, writing down all the information she wanted to know. When the doctor arrived moments before surgery began, the patient said she didn’t have any questions or concerns because of Larson’s dedicated care.

“The UCF Surgical Internship Program has been invaluable to my pursuit of a career in medicine,” she says. “Dr. Lewis’ mentorship has inspired me to become a better patient advocate, leader, and future physician.”