What you need to know: This U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship program is among the most prestigious honors possible for students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM fields around the U.S.
Why this year is significant for UCF: From the 13,000 graduates who applied for the fellowship nationwide, the NSF awarded only 1,500 (about one in nine). Those honorees receive financial support for advanced education and a stipend for their research. Six of them are UCF alums who are now set up to advance research in the areas of interest they discovered as undergraduates.
If you only remember one item: The NSF considers these six graduates among our nation’s next high-achieving scientists and engineers.
Alejandro Aparcedo Gonzalez ’24
Computer science alum and computer vision graduate student
He’s working on his master’s in computer vision at UCF, with an eye on “advancing video understanding with multimodal artificial intelligence (AI).” In short, Gonzalez sees into the future.
Research Interest: In professional terms, I’m finding ways for computer vision to improve human understanding of the real world. In practical terms, the end goal is to give humans time for leisure activities. The way I see it, that’s essentially the goal of AI research.
Research Inspiration: My parents owned a computer shop when I was a kid, so I’ve always been comfortable with technology. Turns out, my parents (like a lot of people) still had a lot to learn. Now they use AI in their own work, and I see how it leaves them more time to engage in other activities.
For Example: With the perfect video understanding model, we could make a device to help blind people to navigate the world by asking the device questions, like, “Is it safe to cross the street?” Using AI, the device would understand the visual context of traffic, obstacles, and pedestrian signals, and give reliable guidance.
How UCF Provided a Path: I was introduced to this field in the Center for Research in Computer Vision, the same place where I learned about the fellowship. I’m now the first person in my family to pursue a Ph.D.
Career Vision: I’d like to work in a top AI lab and then transition into academia — or maybe the other way around.
Madisyn Brooks ’23
Physics alum
As Gonzales sees into the future, Brooks sees into the past, using the largest telescope in space — the James Webb Space Telescope — as a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut.
Research Interest: I study the earliest observable galaxies and black holes (BHs) to find out how they grow and evolve, and how they differ from those in closer galaxies like the Milky Way — always asking why.
Research Inspiration: It’s simple — I love observational astronomy. It’s amazing that we can use technology to observe objects that existed in the first 500 Mega years of the birth of the universe.
How UCF has Provided a Path: I studied Saturn’s rings in the Planetary Rings group under the direction of Dr. Joshua Colwell. That fun and welcoming environment allowed me to grow my skills and discover a new love: observational data analysis.
Career Vision: I came to UCF because of its connection to the Space Coast, and now I’m looking at the real possibility of working as a research scientist at a NASA institute, hopefully while also working at a planetarium.
Katia Destine ’25
Interdisciplinary studies alum, Burnett Honors Scholar and McNair Scholar
She just began work on a doctoral degree in sociology at the University of Maryland where, thanks to financial support from the NSF Graduate Fellowship, she’s training to be a social scientist.
Research Interest: I look at working-class artists and the creator economy to find how power structures work in media, technology, community resources and public policy. My goal is a more equitable media landscape, better working conditions for artists and accessible resources for all.
Research Inspiration: My mother immigrated from Haiti and raised me on housekeeper wages. I realized higher education would be the best way to improve our social mobility and socioeconomic reality. Those experiences ignited my interest in researching social [dynamics] in media.
How UCF has Provided a Path: The clubs and organizations at UCF were my first steps. Then I did a study with Dr. Sharon Woodill on Hollywood’s socio-political and economic structures. I’m grateful for the McNair Scholarship, which helps low-income and first-gen students prepare for graduate school while mentoring undergraduate researchers.
Career Vision: I want to work as a social scientist and public scholar, and to make science more equitable and accessible to everyone.
Darrel Nieves Lugo ’24
Aerospace engineering alum and graduate student
The B.S.-to-M.S. aerospace program at UCF allowed him a seamless transition to begin focusing on his rotorcraft research, with plans to share his research with aerospace professionals through the NSF Fellowship.
Research Interest: Helicopter and tiltrotor blades can be unstable. So, I’m using computational fluid dynamics and machine learning to show that instability can be mitigated through a novel approach.
Research Inspiration: As kid from Puerto Rico, I visited KSC with my family in 2015. That experience filled me with awe and instilled a desire to be an aerospace engineer.
How UCF has Provided a Path: As a sophomore, I participated in a quadcopter design project through my engineering club (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) … and got hooked. Making FPV (first-person view) drones became my hobby, which grew into a specific interest in computational methods.
Career Vision: I’d like to advance the technology of rotorcraft, planetary vehicles, and in the emerging field of air mobility. With God’s favor, perhaps I can inspire the next generation, especially those from Puerto Rico, to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Chris Sarkis ’22
She grew up in Orlando, enrolled at UCF to stay close to the ocean, and is staying in the place she loves so she can pursue a doctoral degree in integrative and conservation biology.
Research Interest: My interests center around the population genomics of fish and rays. By using DNA, we can better understand how populations are related, how they move and how they adapt to their environment. The end goal is to improve species management and conservation efforts.
Research Inspiration: I’ve always been captivated by how much we don’t know about the ocean and the species living in it. This research feels like working on a giant puzzle with no edges.
How UCF has Provided a Path: I joined Dr. Anna Forsman and Dr. Erin Seney in the Marine Turtle Research Group to use genomic methods in a study of the sea turtle diet. That project inspired me to continue applying genomics to ecology and conservation.
Career Vision: I’m still exploring options, but my experiences at UCF have helped me uncover a passion for working with genomic data.
Connor Shrader ’23
Mathematics alum and Burnett Honors Scholar
Because the NSF Fellowship is portable, Shrader has landed at the University of Utah, which he calls an amazing place to be a mathematics doctoral student. “A mathematical biologist, to be exact,” he says.
Research Interest: I use math tools, such as probability and calculus, to model and simulate biological processes. These models can then be used to test theories against data, or to predict what will happen if we alter a biological system.
For Example: These models can help us understand how aging affects male fertility. I’m currently doing that by using data from a biology lab that studies spermatogonia stem cells in zebrafish.
Research Inspiration: Math inspiration is all around us. I find it amazing how well math can represent the world in a way that meaningfully creates new understanding.
How UCF has Provided a Path: I always loved math but didn’t know about mathematical biology until I took a course with Dr. Andrew Nevai during my sophomore year. It became my field of interest.
Career Vision: I want to do interdisciplinary research that advances math and biology. The NSF honor doesn’t define my future goals, but it does give me autonomy to work my way closer to them.
Students interested in applying for the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.
