UCF in the News

To help when someone in space feels ill, NASA typically uses telemedicine to help. Those virtual doctors can guide astronauts using diagnostic tools like ultrasounds. Dr. Manny Urquieta is the vice chair of Aerospace Medicine and associate professor of medicine at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine. He said new medical technologies and procedures prepare every crew if a medical issue were to happen during their time in space. When it came to veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke’s evacuation from the ISS, Urquieta said the crew was as prepared as they could be. “All astronauts before they go to space, they undergo a very stringent multi-year training process,” he said. “As they are astronaut candidates and they go through multiple simulations of what could go wrong, both from an environment perspective, but also from a medical perspective…luckily enough for the astronauts on the space station, no matter where they are around, they have access basically 24/7 to Houston Mission Control. So, anything that requires feedback from a specialist on Earth, they can just grab the phone and ask for recommendations and what not.”

A professor in Orlando is watching the deadly fallout of flooding back home in Nepal. A massive flash flood tore through the Himalayas along the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds dead and more missing. Sanam Aksha grew up in the Nuwakot District in central Nepal. He studies disaster recovery and emergency management at UCF. “As a researcher, flooding that basin, it’s something I was thinking,” Aksha said. However, when he saw the images and video of the floodwater online, he couldn’t believe it. “I was completely heartbroken,” Aksha said. A day passed before he was able to reach his brother by phone. Their home is above the flooding, but his brother’s wife was at work. Aksha said his sister-in-law had to crisscross in front of large shipping containers to escape the waters. “Those trucks are gone, including several dozens of people, that’s what she told me,” he said. “They could not make it.” Aksha said survivors had only seconds to react as the water moved through the area. “One or two people, she told me, they were pulling her hands,” Aksha said. “I heard people saying, ‘I had to choose between me and my mother.’” Experts believe the flood was the result of a glacier collapse. Ivan Haigh, director of UCF’s Center for Integrated Coastal Research, said a massive amount of ice and rock fell from a mountain high in the Himalayas. “This volume was huge, and it fell down into the valley, and it actually caused a dam,” he explained. “So the water dammed up behind this, and over time as the water dams up, eventually the dam can’t hold it anymore.”

University of Central Florida students are returning to class as the fall semester kicks off Monday. To help students get settled on campus, the university is hosting Welcome Week events. They can attend a Support Pop-Up Station at the Student Union on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Thursday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Academic Success Coaches will be available to provide on-the-spot support and guidance. UCF’s Welcome Expo is scheduled for Wednesday in the Student Union Key West Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Outside the classroom, students can get free sports tickets to home games or join one of more than 650 student organizations. Dwayne Jones, a UCF student studying electronic journalism, said the best advice he has for freshmen is to get involved. “I would say any interest that you have, anything that you’re curious about, just do it. Put yourself out there,” Jones said. “That’s kind of how I was able to grow throughout my past two years here, and I’ve met some of the best people of my entire life and friends for a lifetime." Jones, now a senior and the student government vice president, described the first day back on campus as “electric.”

s the University of Central Florida celebrates two decades of football on campus, the Knights are kicking off their new season with a major 90 million-dollar upgrade. UCF has officially unveiled the newly transformed Roth Tower at the Bounce House. The brand-new, four-level facility represents the culmination of a major construction effort that first began in December 2024. Following 20 months of work and a $90 million investment, the expanded tower more than triples the stadium's available club space for both game-day and non-game-day operations.

The University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program has been ranked the top business incubator in Florida and 17th nationally on Time magazine’s inaugural list of America’s Best Incubators and Accelerators. The 2026 ranking, developed with research firm Statista, evaluated 80 programs nationwide based on alumni feedback, company performance and recommendations from investors, entrepreneurs and other business experts. UCF said its program was the highest-ranked Florida organization on the list and the highest-ranked program nationally focused entirely on traditional business incubation. Unlike many accelerators, which generally operate short-term, cohort-based programs, traditional incubators typically provide companies with support over longer periods. The recognition comes as UCF points to continued growth among companies participating in the program. In 2025, more than 100 client companies collectively employed more than 600 full- and part-time workers, secured more than $78 million in contracts and attracted nearly $35 million in investment.

he University of Central Florida is using multiple move-in locations, staff and volunteers to help about 7,500 students settle into campus housing during move-in, which began Thursday. The university said the system is designed to keep the process moving as students and families arrive with furniture, boxes, bags and other dorm room essentials. The busiest day so far was Thursday, when about 3,000 students moved in. Chris McDonald, UCF’s assistant vice president of student success and well-being, said the move-in process typically takes about two hours from the time a student arrives. “They check in, they unload, and then we move them off so the next round can come in behind them,” McDonald said. “So it's never 100% perfect, but we get pretty close every year.” UCF staff said the goal is to make move-in as quick and stress-free as possible for students and families.

A University of Central Florida economic development initiative is expanding its services to help more international and out-of-state companies determine whether Central Florida is the right place to expand or establish operations. The UCF Business Incubation Program’s Soft Landing initiative launched a Discovery and Validation Program earlier this month, adding services such as advising, ecosystem engagement, opportunity validation and risk management and financial feasibility analysis. Rafael Caamano, interim director of Innovation Districts and the Incubator, told OBJ the resources provided through the program help companies become strategically positioned to launch and grow their presence in Central Florida. “We’ve been a catalyst in bringing companies to Central Florida, thus creating high-wage jobs and outside capital that might have struggled in coming here,” he said. There are 104 companies in the business incubator, with 52 focused on supporting space, defense, fiber optics, simulation and training, Caamano said.

A new study digs into whether artificial intelligence is better than humans at recognizing faces. Facial recognition is now a fixture of modern life, powering everything from national border security to the simple convenience of unlocking a smartphone. However, these advancements bring significant risks to privacy, equity, and civil rights. While AI can now match faces as accurately as humans, the specific logic these algorithms use to calculate similarity remains a “black box” (closed source). Ultimately, the research suggests that as we move toward an AI-integrated future, we must evaluate the reliability of both the machine and the human making the final decision. Additional coauthors are from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Central Florida, New Mexico State University, and the University of Virginia.

Travelers are accustomed to seeing an all-inclusive price for airfare when browsing flights online, but they may soon need to read the fine print before purchasing as the federal government is trying to change disclosure requirements. The Department of Transportation proposed new regulations last month that would allow airlines to highlight fares without individual components such as taxes. The change could mislead consumers, marketing and aviation experts said. “The airlines would have more leeway in terms of showing the price of the actual flight compared to the additional taxes and fees,” said Stephen Pratt, a professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “Transparency in pricing is a good thing for consumers and gives the power back to the consumers.”