To reduce these challenges, associate professors of health sciences Michael Rovito and Keith Brazendale in UCF’s Department of Health Sciences are conducting a 6-month intervention study, which is funded by the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund.

The National Cancer Institute estimates survival rates for testicular cancer are high, as about 10,000 men are diagnosed each year and fewer than 5% die from the disease — underscoring the need to improve quality of life for these patients.

“Our focus is on finding ways to improve the quality of life for these survivors, and to improve their mental, emotional and social health,” says Rovito, who has researched testicular cancer and men’s health for nearly two decades.

A New Approach to Survivorship Care

Previous survivorship programs have often focused on high-intensity exercise, which can be difficult for patients managing recovery, work and family demands. To develop a more sustainable path to recovery, Rovito and Brazendale are testing a uniquely designed intervention in Florida, known as the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program.

PACT combines low-impact, remote, physical activity with an online support network to help survivors navigate psychosocial challenges. Participants engage in regular low-intensity physical activity, such as walking or taking the stairs, and track their progress using Fitbit devices. The devices provide real-time feedback, allowing researchers to set weekly goals and offer personalized guidance. This feedback loop helps participants stay engaged while building sustainable habits.

“We’re seeking an intervention they can do for the rest of their lives,” Brazendale says. “We want these healthy supports to become habit.”

Support Beyond Physical Recovery

Connected through Zoom sessions, PACT program participants receive personalized counsel and encouragement from the researchers directly. They also take part in virtual peer-support sessions led by a social worker and a survivor advocate trained in trauma-informed care. Monthly sessions include breathwork, meditation and discussions on common concerns such as fertility, relationship changes and fear of recurrence.

“The online support session provides coping strategies and tools for the participants to use during the day, when they can feel anxious or depressed or overwhelmed,” Rovito says.

Outside of the meetings, researchers stay in touch regularly with individual messages to participants, sending tailored motivational text messages.

“Our hope is that we are providing realistic physical activity changes that are sustainable when the monitoring ends,” says Brazendale. “We want these survivors to have adopted habits and skills that result in them being healthier over the long-term.”

The researchers say they hope to expand the program to other cancer survivor groups and integrate it into broader survivorship care across Florida, while securing additional funding for larger-scale trials.

The Feasibility of the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program is supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund grant number 25C33. 

Florida is turning to UCF experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give survivors a stronger voice in the services they need.

Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty from UCF’s Violence Against Women research cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policymakers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower survivors.

“The collective goal of our work is to give people working in these programs and people using these services a voice,” says Bethany Backes, associate professor of social work at , who leads the Violence Against Women cluster and is the project’s principal investigator. “Having research that practitioners can understand and interpret in a way that’s helpful is important to us. “What we’re creating now is hopefully something that can be used for years to come.”

The World’s Women

Violence against women is a global issue. According to UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. In 2024, around 50,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members.

“We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.” — Kim Anderson, Professor of Social Work

UCF’s faculty cluster — working across the disciplines of education, social work, criminal justice, sociology and medicine — was created a decade ago to change these outcomes. “We know how complex this social problem is,” says Kim Anderson, a professor of social work and cluster member. “We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.”

Informing Florida’s Strategy

The researchers have already identified some key needs for the state to examine.

“For example, we’re seeing people facing abuse who are having to spend more on food or other necessities as they navigate shifts in funding for certain assistance programs,” Backes says. “What we’re also seeing is the effect of population booms, and how rapid growth and rapid decline in some areas affects the need for services.”

The researchers are analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Florida’s Departments of Law Enforcement and Children and Families and are surveying organizations that provide domestic violence services. They are interviewing survivors who sought services and those who didn’t to understand access to care and risk factors.

Creating opportunities where more people feel comfortable sharing their domestic violence experiences is cluster member Karina Villalba’s expertise.

“My focus is on intimate partner violence, specifically within the Hispanic community,” says Villalba, an assistant professor in the ’s Population Health Sciences Division. “There are certain beliefs, like the concept of ‘machismo’, that may give an avenue for some men to pursue this kind of violence. Because it can be part of the cultural acceptance, it might not even be seen as violence by the survivors.”

She hopes efforts to prevent domestic violence in the U.S. will have impact globally.

“You’re seeing a ripple effect in countries in Latin America where people are becoming more aware,” Villalba says. “It helps us keep pushing forward with our work so we cannot just be a beacon here in Florida and the United States, but to show the world what we can do.”

Keys to Preventing Violence

Preventing domestic violence means identifying early warning signs and behaviors and providing services to lower the risk of continuing violence, Backes says.

Domestic violence is “not always physical and it’s not just seeing someone with a black eye,” she says. “Physical violence can happen after there’s been psychological abuse such as coercion, controlling, isolation or stalking.”

Cluster member Alison Cares, associate professor of sociology at , says preventing domestic abuse involves changing misconceptions.

“There’s this expectation of how abusers or survivors look. It’s easy to think the people doing this abuse look like monsters,” she says. “But the reality is these are people we know. They can be friends or family members or people we work with.”

The researchers say they are encouraged by the resilience of the survivors and service providers they have met.

“We see incredible bravery of people who talk to a support person,” Anderson says. “We’re hoping that information we get from this assessment can elevate the voices of staff and survivors.”

Our students are groundbreaking national and global scholarship winners, researchers, athletes, teaching assistants, residence assistants and leaders in campus organizations, including Student Government, LEAD Scholars and the President’s Leadership Council. The honorees include transfer students, those from first-generation and international backgrounds and members of the Burnett Honors College.

Aside from focusing on academics and campus causes, many of the student honorees volunteered at hospitals, schools, parks, food banks, shelters, clinics, youth clubs and with many community service organizations — at times as organizers and coordinators for support drives and campaigns.

“When you look at this group, you see trajectory.” — John Buckwalter, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

“The students we recognize at our Founders’ Day Student Honors Celebration are extraordinary not just for what they’ve achieved, but for how they’ve shaped their time at UCF. They’ve pursued opportunities, challenged themselves and lifted others along the way,” says John Buckwalter, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “When you look at this group, you see trajectory — students whose experiences here are opening doors in meaningful ways and changing the direction of their futures, the trajectories of their families and the communities they inhabit.”

Student award categories highlight new inductees of the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s highest student honor; graduate awards for outstanding master’s thesis and outstanding dissertation; undergraduate awards for honors thesis; and individual college awardees as chosen by the respective college deans. All honorees earned financial awards.

This year’s 37 inductees into the Order of Pegasus mark the 25^th anniversary class of top-achieving Knights. The average GPA of the 2026 class is 3.912.

The campus community is invited to attend the Student Honors Celebration on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom. A brief reception will follow.

Here are the students to be recognized.

Order of Pegasus Inductees

• Fatima Alziyad, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Andy Ayup, College of Sciences
• Megan Bailey, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Stacie Becker ’23, College of Arts and Humanities
• Akash Hari Bharath ’25MS, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Swati Bhargava ’25MS, College of Optics and Photonics
• Sanjana Bhatt, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Griffon Binkowski ’24, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Nico Chen, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Kyle Coutray, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
• Allyson Crighton, College of Nursing and Burnett Honors College
• Nyauni Crowelle-Feggins, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Cameron Cummins, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Andrew “Drew” Hansen ’25, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Andrea Hernandez Gomez, College of Sciences
• Lindsey Hildebrand, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Ariana Johnson, College of Medicine
• Sanjan Kumar ’23, College of Medicine
• Kworweinski Lafontant, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Meera Lakshmanan, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
• Ilana Logvinov, College of Nursing
• Hannah Lovejoy, College of Business
• Taiel Lucile, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Robin Marquez, College of Sciences
• Shanel Moya Aguero, College of Community Innovation and Education and Burnett Honors College
• Gabrielle “Gabby” Murison, College of Sciences
• Varun Nannuri, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Natalie Otero, College of Business and Burnett Honors College
• Om Pathak, College of Medicine, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
• Pritha Sarkar ’24, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Jacob Vierling, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Janapriya Vijayakumar, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Ornella Vintimilla, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
• Om Vishanagra, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College

Undergraduate Student Awards

College Founders’ Award

• Liam Pivnichny, Burnett Honors College
• Antonella Bisbal Hernandez, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jordan Nell, College of Business
• Jude Hagan, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Timothy Horanic, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Sun Latt, College of Medicine
• Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
• Jacob Silver, College of Optics and Photonics
• Emily Willis, College of Sciences
• Fabian Rodriguez Gomez, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis

• Edwin Garcia ’25, College of Arts and Humanities, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Arts, Humanities and Creative Inquiry
• Eric Haseman ’25, College of Sciences, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Social Sciences
• Shreya S. Pawar ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Natural Sciences
• Andrea C. Molero Perez ’25, College of Medicine, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Health Sciences
• Nicholas Rose ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Engineering and Technology

Graduate Student Awards

Outstanding Dissertation

• Jessica Moon ’25PhD, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Michael Pierro ’20 ’23MS ’25PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science

The prestigious recognition is awarded to scholars who have made outstanding contributions to advance practice, education, research and policy in a healthcare profession and who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to interprofessional practice.

UCF’s inductees and their respective academies are: Mindi Anderson (Nursing), Morris Beato (Physical Therapy), Susan Dyess (Nursing), David Eddins (Audiology), Julie Feuerstein (Speech-Language Pathology), Kristine Gauthier (Nursing), Valerie Martinez (Nursing), Jacqueline Towson (Speech-Language Pathology), and Asli Yalim (Social Work).

The awardees were inducted during the National Academies of Practice Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on March 14.

College of Nursing Fellows

Mindi Anderson

Mindi Anderson, interim associate dean of academic affairs and professor at the College of Nursing, is one of the world’s leading experts in healthcare simulation. Her research, which has established best practices in healthcare simulation education, includes developing and evaluating simulation experiences to prepare healthcare students for clinical practice. She is also part of an interdisciplinary team at UCF whose research has contributed to multiple patents to advance simulation and training.

Susan Dyess

With over 30 years of academic, clinical, and administrative experience, Professor Susan Dyess is a nationally recognized leader in interprofessional education, curricular design and holistic nursing. An expert in aging, vulnerable populations and quality, safety and patient outcomes, she has played a pivotal role in advancing interprofessional learning through institutional councils, statewide initiatives and community-based partnerships. Previously, she held senior academic leadership positions that strengthened cross-disciplinary education and fostered student success through innovative models.

Kristine Gauthier

Kristine Gauthier, assistant dean for clinical affairs in the College of Nursing, is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner who collaborates on interdisciplinary teams to improve health outcomes for underserved pediatric populations. Her collaboration extends into academic settings with curriculum development and research to address childhood health and wellness. In addition to her UCF appointment, Gauthier leads a national center on child health and safety where she collaborates to develop resources, metrics, policies and research.

Valerie Martinez

As a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, Valerie Martinez collaborates across disciplines as a researcher and educator to improve health outcomes for children and families. In her role as director of the advanced practice in UCF’s doctor of nursing practice program, Martinez has designed courses and simulations to prepare future nurse practitioners to collaborate effectively across health professions. Her research seeks to generate evidence to improve care across healthcare professions.

College of Health Professions and Sciences Fellows

Morris “Rick” Beato

Morris “Rick” Beato, a clinical associate professor in the , has extensive experience in multidisciplinary clinical settings, including the UCF Huntington’s Clinic. He educates physical therapy students in IPE competencies and has received multiple national and state awards for teaching and professional service. His scholarly contributions include multiple collaborations in neurology and geriatrics. He is the director of the UCF and Orlando Health Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program.

David Eddins

Professor David Eddins is a nationally recognized certified clinical audiologist in the . Eddins is the founding director of the Communication Technologies Research Center at UCF, an interdisciplinary center that focuses on hearing technologies, simulation, auditory neuroscience, voice and aerodigestive systems, and simulation and virtualization. His contributions to the interprofessional community include extensive research, mentoring and editorial service focused on improving diagnostics and treatment in hearing, speech and voice.

Julie Feuerstein

Assistant Professor Julie Feuerstein is a speech-language pathologist, educator and clinical researcher who leads interdisciplinary initiatives uniting professionals in speech-language pathology, physical therapy and assistive technology. Her research and service in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders are centered around improving systems of care for young children with complex communication needs. Feuerstein’s expertise spans early intervention, augmentative and alternative communication, and implementation science.

Jacqueline Towson

Jacqueline Towson is a speech-language pathologist and associate professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders committed to improve outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. Towson has published and presented extensively on her research focusing on dialogic reading, early language and literacy and training. She has led multiple large-scale interdisciplinary projects, designed to deliver statewide training to ensure the use of evidence-based practices in serving children with high-intensity needs.

Asli Yalim

Associate Professor Asli Yalim has served as the School of Social Work’s Interprofessional Education Research Liaison since 2024. She develops and leads IPE activities that integrate wellness content into her coursework, creating experimental learning opportunities that foster collaboration across different professions. Yalim has collaborated on several funded projects, including an interprofessional, evidence-based virtual program to prevent burnout, suicide and mental health conditions among healthcare workers.

Additionally, six UCF faculty members from the Colleges of Health Professions and Sciences and Nursing were elected as new professional members. Membership is extended to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and dedication to interprofessional healthcare.

UCF’s new professional members and their respective academies are: Frances Armstrong (Nursing), Jonathan Decker (Nursing), William Hanney (Physical Therapy), Ilana Logvinov (Nursing), Ayse Malatyali (Nursing), and Shari Norte (Athletic Training).

UCF’s new distinguished fellows join 17 previously inducted faculty, 11 from the College of Health Professions and Sciences and six

This year, UCF honored 84 faculty members during the fifth biennial Faculty Authors’ Celebration, held Feb. 17 in the Solarium Room at the John C. Hitt Library on the university’s main campus. The event celebrates faculty whose published books — from novels and poetry to textbooks and manuals — contribute to scholarly excellence and creativity in their respective fields.

The event, which is sponsored by the Office of Research�����Ի���, drew many guests, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter and Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address. Salter is the author or co-author of 10 books on digital culture and electronic literature, including most recently Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope, which invites readers to rethink their relationship with gaming and game characters.

2026 Faculty Author Honorees

• Yara Asi ’07MA ’15PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jonathan Annand,
• Greg Autry, College of Business Administration
• William Ayers, College of Arts and Humanities
• James Bacchus, College of Sciences
• Morris Beato, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• James Beckman, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities
• Andrea Borowczak ’92, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Wayne Bowen, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Jessica Campbell ’12MA ’20PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Shannon Carter, College of Sciences
• Robert Cassanello, College of Arts and Humanities
• Necati Catbas, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Thomas Cavanagh ’06PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Karl Chai, College of Medicine
• Baiyun Chen ’07PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
• Amy Cicchino, College of Arts and Humanities
• Brian Collins,
• Ilenia Colón Mendoza, College of Arts and Humanities
• Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences
• Aimee Denoyelles ’00, Center for Distributed Learning
• Taseen Desin, College of Medicine
• Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Julie Feuerstein, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Scot French, College of Arts and Humanities
• Martha Garcia ’97 ’00MA, College of Arts and Humanities
• Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
• Carolyn Glasshoff ’11MA ’21PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Donita Grissom ’14PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Gulsah Hancerliogullari Koksalmis, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Duncan Hardy, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Emily Johnson ’15PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
• Naim Kapucu, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Lauren Kehoe,
• Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
• Nolan Kline, College of Medicine
• Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
• David Lerner Schwartz, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hsiu-fen Lin, College of Health Professions and Sciences
• Robert Littlefield, College of Sciences
• Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
• Stephen Masyada, College of Sciences
• Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences
• Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities
• Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
• Hakan Özoğlu, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jason Phillips, UCF Libraries
• Laurie Pinkert, College of Arts and Humanities
• Ghaith Rabadi ’96MSIE ’99PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Sherry Rankins-Robertson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
• Lee Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Mary Rubin ’12 ’19MA, UCF Libraries
• Houman Sadri, College of Sciences
• Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
• Scott Carter, College of Sciences
• Melina Sherman, College of Sciences
• Marwan Simaan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Christopher Spinale ’04MEd ’24PhD, College of Sciences
• Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
• Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
• Bulent Soykan, Institute for Simulation and Training
• Sidney Turner, College of Arts and Humanities
• Jennie Wagner, College of Nursing
• Linda Walters, College of Sciences
• Chung Ching (Morgan) Wang, College of Sciences
• Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
• Taylar Wenzel ’11EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Amanda Wilkerson ’16EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Florence Williams, Center for Distributed Learning
• Andrew Williams Jr., College of Community Innovation and Education
• Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Sharon Woodill, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Kuppalapalle Vajravelu, College of Sciences
• Jill Viglione, College of Community Innovation and Education
• Staci Zavattaro, College of Community Innovation and Education

The IPA is a universal system that uses symbols to represent speech sounds. It’s a foundational skill for speech-language pathologists (SLP) who use the IPA to track and target a client’s articulation of speech sounds during speech therapy.

“I was really excited to try this because I feel like you can see everything that we’ve built up to and everything that I’ve been teaching throughout the course,” Leeming says. “This is even more real world for students to be able to read somebody else’s transcription and figure out what a client said and how they said it.”

Held in the Blended Learning Interactive Simulation Suite (BLISS), students had 20 minutes to use the suite’s three touchscreen, interactive walls to solve a series of clues written in IPA that led students to complete tasks and locate specific items around the “room” to look for a way to escape. Students moved through the exercise in groups of five or six, testing their phonetic skills as well as encouraging communication and collaboration.

“This could easily be a class where you just make it about memorization, and a teacher could say ‘Here’s symbols you have to memorize for a test,’ ” says student Carrie Miles.  “This was a really great way to take all the things that we learned throughout the year and apply them to actual language and actual conversation, because when we get to the real world, we’re not going to be memorizing something off a piece of paper. We’re going to have to be listening and reading transcriptions and applying the things that we know about phonetics that way.”

More than 120 undergraduate communication sciences and disorders students moved through the escape room, earning their final exam grade. Leeming says that the feedback and engagement from student participants was exactly what she hoped for; they found it digestible, challenging and less nerve-racking than a normal final exam.

“Incorporating this simulation technology brought a completely new perspective to teaching and testing. … It enhanced engagement and reinforced learning in a creative, fast-paced way.” — Erin Leeming, lecturer

“They like being able to see that they’ve learned something and that they’re able to use it in a different way than they might in the classroom,” Leeming says. “Incorporating this simulation technology brought a completely new perspective to teaching and testing. The field of communication sciences and disorders relies on collaboration and problem-solving, so instead of a traditional test, this gave students the opportunity to apply their skills in an interactive environment. It enhanced engagement and reinforced learning in a creative, fast-paced way.”

BLISS, the immersive simulation suite, has added a new dimension to healthcare education and clinical training possibilities for the college. The space has been used extensively for teaching and learning, with scenarios ranging from physical therapy students experiencing fragile infants in a simulated NICU, to , to communication sciences and disorders students .

The interactive phonetics escape room is part of a broader continuum of technology-driven simulations developed within the Rehabilitation Innovation Center to model real-world complexity and support the development of workforce ready healthcare professionals.

“Poetry gives us permission to feel without judgment,” she says. “And when we share those feelings out loud, we remember that we’re not alone.”

As a mental health therapist at Heart Bonds Counseling, working toward becoming a licensed social worker, Gaither has built her life around helping people find their voice. Whether she’s guiding veterans through trauma, leading poetry workshops for youth or performing for packed audiences, her message is the same: words can transform pain into power.

“Poetry gives us a place to put pain,” says Gaither, who earned a master’s in social work from UCF. “It’s an accessible way to approach emotions that feel too threatening to face directly.”

A Call for Change

Before she ever found the courage to share her poetry publicly, Gaither was navigating a season of change. Seven years ago, she and her husband moved to Orlando with their infant daughter, drawn by opportunity and the promise of new beginnings. Gaither had worked in the nonprofit sector for several years but felt called to something deeper — something that could merge advocacy, creativity and care.

When the pandemic arrived, that call grew louder.

“I realized I couldn’t keep waiting for the perfect time to go back to school,” she says. “The world was changing — and so was I.”

She applied to UCF’s social work program in the College of Health Professions and Sciences, drawn by its emphasis on evidence-based practice and serving others. The program offered her flexibility to balance graduate studies with motherhood and work, and it challenged her to explore the intersections between mental health, identity and storytelling.

A Transformative Journey

During her field placement at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gaither worked closely with veterans processing trauma and loss. There, she saw the power of creative expression in action.

“When we create a metaphor for something painful, we give ourselves a little space from it — enough to begin understanding,” she says. “A veteran once described grief as ‘my neighbor.’ That line stuck with me. It gave him language for something that felt impossible to name.”

Camara Gaither ’23MSW now uses her training to lead workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.

That moment became a turning point. Gaither began studying poetry therapy, a clinical practice that uses creative writing to foster emotional healing. She later trained through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy and now facilitates workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.

“People who have been silenced in different ways often rediscover their agency through language,” Gaither says. “Poetry becomes a form of resistance and restoration.”

Her dual background in art and social work allows her to see poetry as both medicine and a mirror. In her therapeutic work, she encourages clients to explore their experiences through metaphor and rhythm. In her performances, she models that same courage, voicing joy, grief and transformation in equal measure.

“The holes in our lives — the losses, the wounds — they can be filled with good things,” she says. “That’s what poetry has done for me.”

Gaither’s own journey with spoken word began as an undergraduate student in Tampa, where she first encountered the art form that would later shape her identity. She had been writing poetry since childhood, but the first time she experienced the spoken word genre was pivotal to her journey as a poet.

“It was the first time I saw poetry embodied,” she says. “The way performers used not only words, but also vocal cadence and physicality to tell a story — it all expanded what I believed poetry could be. I remember thinking, ‘I want to do that.’”

After graduation, she continued writing and performing, eventually becoming a fixture in Orlando’s poetry community. Her work, known for its emotional depth and precise rhythm, explores themes of identity, mental health and faith. She has performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and at events across Central Florida, earning recognition as one of the region’s most resonant and thoughtful voices.

Strengthening Orlando’s Community

In 2025, the City of Orlando named Gaither its third poet laureate — and the third consecutive UCF alumni to hold the title ( and Shawn Welcome ’17 ’25MA in 2021. In this role, Gaither will use poetry to connect communities, celebrate culture and promote literacy across the city. She plans to create youth workshops, write commissioned works for civic events, and lead Orlando’s Words and Wonders poetry contest, where winning poems are displayed at the Orlando International Airport.

“Being poet laureate isn’t just about performing, it’s about service — showing people that poetry belongs to everyone.”

Despite the growing spotlight, Gaither remains grounded in her purpose as both a clinician and an artist. She continues to work in mental health, blending her clinical training with creative approaches to trauma recovery. She says she believes that healing often begins with expression — with finding a way to say what has long gone unsaid.

“When someone writes, I’m angry, that’s a start,” she says. “But when they write, my anger is a storm that doesn’t know where to land, suddenly, we have something to hold and understand. That’s the power of poetry.”

For Gaither, every poem is an act of courage and an invitation to connection. It’s a truth she carries from her UCF days to every stage she stands on: that the human voice, when used with honesty and empathy, can help others heal.

The clinic also serves as a mobile classroom, preparing UCF healthcare students in programs including medicine, nursing, physical therapy and speech-language pathology with hands-on experience delivering community-based care.

The clinic is the first interdisciplinary clinical care program offered by UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC). The center unites UCF’s colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine and Nursing to create more interprofessional health education, research and patient care efforts.

“This new mobile health clinic is expanding access to healthcare in our community,” says Deborah German, who as vice president for health affairs leads the AHSC and serves as College of Medicine dean. “Our goal is simple and powerful – when healthcare providers work together, the patient receives better care.”

The clinic is focused on low income, uninsured and underinsured populations in Orange and Osceola counties, helping patients who face transportation, mobility or financial barriers that restrict their access to healthcare.

Services include screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and hearing, along with chronic disease monitoring, fall-risk assessments, medication reviews, audiology services and health education.

With two private exam rooms, diagnostic equipment, and point-of-care testing capabilities, the clinic is aiming to reduce preventable conditions and improve long-term health for the Central Florida region.

“The UCF Health Mobile Health Clinic is designed to complement the incredible work being done by community health centers, federally qualified health centers and charitable clinics across Central Florida,” says Caridad Hernandez, chair of medical education at the College of Medicine, who has worked for years to make the mobile clinic a reality. “Our goal is to fill gaps and meet people where they are, working hand in hand with these organizations to amplify resources and create a seamless continuum of care.”

Training Future Health Leaders

UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center is made up of healthcare providers, faculty, researchers, staff and students committed to improving healthcare. It is focused on educating the next generation of healthcare leaders and finding better ways to treat disease through innovation, discovery and collaboration.

The mobile clinic serves as a classroom on wheels that provides future ��AV physicians, nurses, audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and others with the opportunity to learn in real-world settings, side by side, as part of interprofessional teams.

“These experiences prepare graduates who are not only clinically skilled but know how to work and communicate better in healthcare teams.” — Caridad Hernandez, chair of medical education at the College of Medicine

“They will see firsthand how life and social circumstances impact health and care, and how collaboration strengthens outcomes,” Hernandez says. “These experiences prepare graduates who are not only clinically skilled but know how to work and communicate better in healthcare teams. That training stays with them when they go into clinics and hospitals to care for us all.”

Mimi Alliance ’22 is a family nurse practitioner doctoral student at UCF’s College of Nursing who is providing care on the mobile health unit and conducting doctoral research on hearing screenings for seniors.

“UCF’s mobile health clinic is an incredible and innovative tool that will allow us, as a group of providers, the ability to care for patients by serving them where they are,” she says. “Ultimately, this is going to improve the health of our communities.”

Addressing a Community Need

The mobile clinic serves Florida residents who are uninsured or underinsured with income levels at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Nearly 15% of both Orange and Osceola County residents are not insured, regardless of income level. In addition, 27% of Floridians say they do not have a personal physician.

Since March, almost 500 patients have visited the clinic for blood pressure checks, hearing screenings and point-of-care testing for blood sugar levels and cholesterol. It has provided care at Four Roots Farm, Kinneret Council on Aging, Grace Medical Home, the Central Florida Fairgrounds and four Central Florida YMCA locations. UCF has also reached an agreement with Osceola County to provide care at community centers in the future.

Thanks to a grant from the Florida Department of Health, the clinic is working to improve care for the community’s diabetic patients with limited access to care.

Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic. In Florida, at least 2.17 million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 550,000 more are unaware they have it. The state’s diabetes rate is higher than the national average and it is getting worse – an additional 6 million adults in Florida have prediabetes.

“Many of our neighbors with diabetes have no access to healthcare. That leads to premature death, blindness, loss of limbs and kidney failure,” Hernandez says. “Through the FDOH grant, we can help provide these patients with needed care. We screen patients for diabetes, can provide prescriptions at no cost, and offer education on diet changes that will help them manage their disease.”

As one recent patient at Kinneret Council on Aging explains, “UCF helped me know what kind of food and protein I can eat to help my blood sugar not get too high or too low. Thank you so much. You are helping.”

The clinic also started a diabetic foot program after one of the Kinneret patients said she and other diabetics lacked mobility and eyesight to regularly check their feet for ulcers or blisters. Diabetes increases a patient’s risk for foot ulcers that can lead to amputation. Thanks to the foot program, UCF College of Nursing faculty and students are providing hands-on education and preventive screenings to patients, who also received their own telescoping mirrors to do regular foot checks at home.

Providing Needed Audiology Care

One of the clinic’s major health services is hearing health and the prevention of hearing loss.

“This is not just a ‘nice to have’ screening,” says Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, associate dean for clinical affairs at UCF’s College of Health Professions and Sciences and a certified speech pathologist who has helped lead the mobile clinic effort. “Hearing loss is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular and cardiometabolic conditions, balance, cognition and overall health. When we catch hearing loss early, we can intervene before it affects someone’s safety, memory, their social connections, or their long-term health trajectory.”

Thanks to a gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, ��AV purchased diagnostic hearing equipment to provide clinical-grade hearing assessments in the community. And though a collaboration with Central Florida Hearing Aid Recycling Programs, the mobile clinic can help connect patients with reprogrammed, refurbished hearing aids at no cost.

“This is such a meaningful addition,” Hoffman says. “Identifying hearing loss is important, but ensuring people have access to hearing aids is what truly changes lives.”

The mobile unit is also supported by the Community Fund of our teaching hospital – UCF Lake Nona Hospital and our partners HCA Florida Healthcare and The Jules B. Chapman MD and Annie Lou Chapman Private Foundation.

Stephanie Garris is CEO of Orlando’s Grace Medical Home, which provides high-quality, continuous care to some of Orange County’s more than 160,000 uninsured residents. Grace patients have received audiology care from the UCF mobile clinic.

“This mobile clinic is an incredible resource for our patients, offering essential services they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.” —Stephanie Garris, CEO of Orlando’s Grace Medical Home

“This mobile clinic is an incredible resource for our patients, offering essential services they otherwise wouldn’t have access to,” Garris says. “Through our partnership with UCF, we are expanding access to care—especially for the working poor, whose jobs often don’t include healthcare benefits.”

Expanding Efforts

Mobile clinic leaders are eager to expand services and work with additional community organizations.

Plans also include expanding the mobile clinic into an innovation hub to pilot and evaluate emerging aging-in-place and digital health technologies and integrate new diagnostic and disease prevention tools.

UCF research faculty also want to use the vehicle’s services to study better ways to advance health accessibility and chronic disease management. Educators from the AHSC’s three colleges also plan to grow interdisciplinary student training across areas including audiology, nursing, medicine, physical therapy and speech language pathology.

Community organizations wishing to partner with the mobile health clinic can contact anna.cisneros@ucf.edu.

The funding will be used in a study to advance the evidence base for non-pharmacological interventions in memory care settings, with the goal of finding effective ways to support mental health and wellness in older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment.

Robots for Connection

Beltran and Gryglewicz are evaluating the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of the PARO therapeutic robot — in this case, a soft, fluffy baby harp seal — to improve mood, behavior and social interactions. While studies have shown that non-pharmacological interventions, like pet therapy, have positive effects, access to animals in healthcare settings is limited due to allergies, hygiene and cost. Therapeutic robots could replicate the benefits of pet therapy without those limitations.

CHPS obtained its first PARO robot, nicknamed Sully the Seal, in 2023.

Social work faculty have already used Sully to support domestic violence victims during debriefing sessions and to provide companionship and interactive stimulation for neurodiverse adults. Beltran, a former nursing home social worker specializing in end-of-life care, saw an opportunity to bring Sully to older adults in long-term care settings to improve social engagement, foster connection and reduce loneliness.

The PARO robot is already in use in over 30 countries, including in hospitals, long-term care and behavioral health settings. The FDA recognizes it as a Class II medical device. Clinical studies have shown that the robot reduces cortisol levels and improves mood. Equipped with voice and vocal tone recognition, heart rate monitoring, and light and touch sensors, its behaviors are designed to elicit nurturing responses from users, which have been associated with physiological and psychological benefits.

CHPS will acquire a second PARO robotic seal for use in the study.

“Many older adults in long-term care have few opportunities for consistent, meaningful connections,” Beltran says. “Social engagement robots like PARO offer a simple way to create moments of interaction in settings where social connection doesn’t always happen naturally.”

An Alternative Method of Care

Memory care settings often heavily rely on medication to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Still, these approaches can have limited effectiveness, carry side effects and may not be appropriate for all residents. Beltran and Gryglewicz’s research will address critical gaps in research by developing and testing a structured intervention that combines guided group sessions and one-on-one interactions using PARO robots.

“Our intervention is not only innovative but also offers therapeutic benefits for enhancing the quality of life for residents,” Gryglewicz says.

Human-animal bonds are linked to healthy aging and an improved quality of life, including decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, feelings of loneliness, anxiety and symptoms of PTSD, according to the American Humane Society. Yet many older adults in memory care are unable to manage the responsibilities of pet ownership.

Robotic companions like PARO may be an alternative to a “living” house pet, with the ability to “sense” its environment and provide comfort to human companions.

How the Study Will Be Conducted

The UCF study will take place at two Central Florida memory care facilities, where 50 older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia will participate in both group and individual sessions with the robotic seals.

Master’s in social work students will lead group sessions, guiding participants through nurturing interactions, such as petting and talking to PARO. Nursing staff at the memory care facilities will help track behavioral and emotional responses before, during and after the sessions.

“For residents who may struggle with verbal communication, Sully can become a shared point of engagement, triggering smiles, memories or moments of interaction that might not otherwise occur,” Beltran says.

A Surprising Showcase

This past summer, Beltran showcased Sully at Orlando Health’s Second Annual Mental Health Conference, where she shared her experience using the robotic seal to enhance clinical impact. Social work professionals from around the state were able to experience Sully’s nurturing mannerisms in real time.

As Beltran presented, conference attendees heard soft squeals and subtle movements from a table in the back corner of the room. It was Sully, ready for attention before the seal was even introduced to the stage.

Sully purred as he was passed around from attendee to attendee, whining when he wasn’t petted.

“When I first introduce Sully, many social work practitioners expect that clients won’t connect with it or are skeptical that a robotic animal could be meaningful,” Beltran says. “The feedback I hear most often is surprise at how quickly Sully sparks real warmth, comfort and engagement.”

Future Efforts

Looking ahead, Beltran and Gryglewicz plan to expand the college’s robotic “zoo” within the next year to include other robotic animals like cats, dogs and birds.

“The goal of our research is to facilitate meaningful connections with these robotic companions, enhancing socialization and emotional well-being for individuals with limited social interactions and capabilities,” Gryglewicz says. “We plan to scale this intervention for widespread dissemination in healthcare settings in the future.”

Their determined pursuit of excellence and transformation of knowledge into breakthroughs have catapulted UCF to become Florida’s Next-Generation Preeminent University.

President Alexander N. Cartwright announced Monday that UCF has reached the 12 metrics required to earn the designation of Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors. Qualifying for the state’s highest designation highlights UCF’s achievements in student success, research and more — and the talents and hard work of so many in the UCF community who made this happen.

“From the very beginning, UCF has been a university that defies expectations, turning scrubland into a next-generation university built for discovery, innovation and opportunity,” President Cartwright says. “Reaching the 12 metrics necessary for Florida’s Preeminent State Research University designation reflects the grit and ambition of our students, faculty, and staff, and the power of this community to dream bigger and achieve more. Preeminence is not an arrival point but a launchpad for an even bolder future.”

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and one that reflects the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students, and leadership team — with this Board’s unwavering support,” says Board of Trustees Chair Alex Martins ’01MBA. “It is a milestone that belongs to the entire UCF community, and I am proud we have reached this point together.”

A Community Dedicated to Student Success

UCF adopted a new model of student success support in 2023 with academic success coaches. Each student is paired with a success coach who works one-on-one with them, helping them develop their academic and career goals, and guiding them on the path to success. Success coaches help remove barriers for students and empower them to thrive on campus and beyond.

When DirectConnect to UCF student Hayley Ellis transferred from Daytona State College, she had to adjust to a much larger school in a new city. Mostly homeschooled growing up, Ellis is an aspiring pathologist double majoring in health sciences, and molecular and cellular biology.

Just as she began feeling overwhelmed in Organic Chemistry, senior academic success coach Christian Viau reached out to champion her success.

“When I got [Christian’s] email, I was like, ‘Someone here wants me to succeed and help me map out my classes,’ ” Ellis says. “That was a huge relief. It felt good to have someone there for me.”

“I think providing [a] support system from inside the institution is vital. As a success coach, that’s a driving factor for me — because in my undergrad, I would’ve loved to have someone I could lean on.” — Christian Viau, senior academic success coach

Since then, they’ve met several times to build a manageable academic schedule and discuss how to get involved and connect with Knights across campus.

Every student Viau works with receives individualized support. That includes Ellis, whom he knew needed extra help due to the unique challenges double majors face. Now approaching graduation, she’s stayed on track to finish in four years.

Thanks to the efforts of Viau and dozens of other academic success coaches across campus, along with caring faculty members who mentor students, and many other people, UCF has increased our four-year graduation rate to 63.8%, which is up 14 percentage points in four years.

Another example of efforts that have greatly benefited students is in the College of Arts and Humanities, where faculty in writing and rhetoric are strengthening student success in first-year composition courses. Shane Wood, associate professor and director of first-year composition and Professor Sherry Rankins-Robertson facilitated a progress report initiative that identifies at-risk students early in Composition I and II courses. Students are then connected to support and resources to help them succeed in these subjects, which nearly every UCF student takes, and which directly affect key preeminence metrics like freshman retention and four-year graduation rates.

“Serving more than 6,500 students a year, success in these [composition] courses plays a pivotal role in helping students persevere at UCF and ultimately graduate.” — Shane Wood, associate professor

What began as a small pilot program with about 10% faculty participation has grown to be embraced by nearly 90% of instructors today. That shift has contributed to a remarkable 96% persistence rate, which measures percentage of students who continue, in composition courses — helping bolster student success across the university.

“Serving more than 6,500 students a year, success in these courses plays a pivotal role in helping students persevere at UCF and ultimately graduate,” Wood says.

Rankins-Robertson says the initiative also reflects the dedication of faculty who support students from their very first semester.

“We’re trying to make students feel like they belong here, and when they feel supported, they’re more likely to continue,” Rankins-Robertson says. “Preeminence, to me, highlights the dedication of our faculty and the intentional ways they approach the classroom in order to make a meaningful impact on students’ lives.”

From Ingenuity to Impact: Boosting Research Funding and Technology Transfer

UCF’s world-class faculty are bold innovators who drive over $285 million in annual research expenditures across fields like space exploration, engineering, optics and photonics, modeling and simulation, healthcare, cybersecurity and more. Their work has helped UCF become a National Academy of Inventors top 20 public university for patents in the U.S. — and meet preeminence metrics.

“When the Office of Technology Transfer showcases Ů��AV innovations, we not only generate interest in licensing intellectual property, but also create pathways for industry partnerships that extend far beyond licensing alone.”  — Svetlana Shtrom ’08MBA, director of Technology Transfer

The Office of Technology Transfer, which oversees the filing and issuance of patents, is part of the university’s Economic Development and Innovation division within the Office of Research. Technology Transfer plays an integral role in overseeing research commercialization, strengthening industry relationships and facilitating formation of new startup companies. Supporting the efforts of the Technology Transfer team are a host of  other Office of Research staff who submit proposals, process funding awards and much more.

“UCF’s Office of Technology Transfer is dedicated to serving the university research community by identifying innovative research that has commercial potential and attracts interest from industry partners, entrepreneurs, and investors with the goal of bringing promising research results to the market for the betterment of society,” says Svetlana Shtrom ’08MBA, director of Technology Transfer.

Being a strong producer of patents enhances UCF’s national prominence, attracting more talented students and researchers who further fuel the cycle of innovation.

“We are committed to supporting researchers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders in turning ideas into impact,” says Raju Nagaiah, Technology Transfer’s assistant director of licensing. “We are passionateabout our work — we love science and technology, and get very excited when we learn about new inventions and the opportunity to improve people’s lives through innovation.”

Companies frequently approach the Technology Transfer to explore available technologies, and this often leads to deeper research collaborations and more funding opportunities for faculty, Shtrom says.

Driving Student Achievement and Innovation

Preeminence also acknowledges the many ways that students excel in the classroom and transform ideas into impact.

Zackary Zuniga, a dual major undergraduate student studying photonics science and engineering, and electrical engineering, founded ZuLeris Interactive in 2023 after taking UCF’s Entrepreneurship for Defense course. The company, now part of the UCF Business Incubation Program, creates immersive simulations for electromagnetic defense training.

“At UCF, I found a community that supported me every step of the way,” Zuniga says. “From mentors to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, I’ve never experienced this level of encouragement anywhere else.”

Set to graduate in December, Zuniga and his team spent the summer on a national fellowship sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit, which focuses on helping startup companies. He credits UCF for connecting him with opportunities that have shaped his startup, allowing it to make training more accessible and scalable.

Leading Florida’s Future

As UCF attracts top talent, strengthens industry partnerships and drives innovation that benefits the state and nation, the university’s impact is felt across key sectors — from healthcare and nursing to space and defense — positioning UCF as a vital contributor to Florida’s prosperity.

For the 2025-26 academic year, UCF boasts its strongest class in years. The university received a record 65,900 applicants from first-year students for 8,100 spots in the Summer and Fall 2025 semesters. The average high school GPA for fall freshmen was 4.24 and the class posted a 1347 average SAT score.

What Comes Next

When it comes to preeminence, the Board of Governors must first verify the results of UCF’s 12 metrics. Once verified, the 12 metrics will come before the UCF Board of Trustees for approval in April 2026, and would then move onto the Board of Governors for certification and official designation in June.

President Cartwright shared that his priority for any new dollars that come with the official preeminence designation is investment in the faculty and staff who propel the university’s excellence.

From there, the sky is the limit as UCF continues to build on our innovations in student success at scale, grow as Florida’s Premier University for Engineering, Technology and Innovation, and become a top 25 public research university.