UCF in the News

Indian-origin philanthropist Suree Vyas and his wife Zaby Vyas donated to the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine to support scholarships for students pursuing medical degrees. The university honored the couple's donation on Nov. 2 with the unveiling of the Suree and Zaby Vyas, MD Tower and the Suree and Zaby Vyas, MD Classroom on UCF's Health Sciences Campus. The contribution supports the college's dean's Excellence Fund and the S&Z Vyas Charitable Foundation Endowed MD Scholarship. The funds are intended to expand financial support for medical students and strengthen the college's educational programs. Deborah German, dean of the UCF College of Medicine, said the contribution would help students pursue medical careers while providing additional resources for the institution.

Millions of Americans board cruise ships every year expecting a relaxing vacation, plenty of food and a clean place to stay. But a Channel 9 investigation into federal cruise ship inspections found that not every vessel is meeting the government’s sanitation standards. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts unannounced sanitation inspections of cruise ships, generally twice a year, looking for everything from food safety violations to problems with drinking water, cleaning procedures and conditions that could contribute to the spread of illness. While most ships receive passing grades, 9 Investigates found several cruise ships failed inspections in 2026, with inspectors documenting problems ranging from contaminated food to dirty equipment. But a low inspection score does not necessarily mean a ship will experience an outbreak. Dr. Cindy Prins, a professor at the University of Central Florida, said cleanliness remains an important part of preventing illness. “Cleanliness does matter,” Prins told Channel 9.

Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, said Florida remains a red state, a breakwater that stopped the Democrats' wave so it never reached the high-water mark it did in Republican strongholds of Texas, Kansas and Iowa.

Senior scientist Anish Roshi Damodaran is one of 18 researchers selected for Phase I of NASA’s 2026 NIAC program, receiving $175,000 to study the PHOENIX concept. Damodaran collaborated with strategic partners from UCF’s College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), Florida Space Institute (FSI), Department of Physics and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the project. PHOENIX would use advanced photonic technologies developed in collaboration with researchers from CREOL to connect up to 25 spacecraft that could work together as a powerful virtual telescope. The concept could allow scientists to observe structures involved in planet formation, star formation and the evolution of distant galaxies that existing observatories cannot directly resolve.

For UCF faculty and students, the notion that all roads lead to space is alive and well — especially during Space Week events this week celebrating the school’s status as SpaceU. “Getting our research out in front of the whole community is part of my mission,” said Greg Autry, UCF Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy, aka UCF”s Space Czar. “I want everybody at UCF to understand that SpaceU is more than a football game.” The week culminates with the football game on Friday night when the Knights take on Baylor, but the campus has been host to multiple conferences during the week as well as events open to the public, such as a Thursday night drone show and free movies and lectures at the library.

As UCF celebrates Space Week, Engage launches into the science of space medicine and what their researchers are learning about human health beyond Earth. During UCF Space Week, the University of Central Florida hosts events celebrating its role in supporting the U.S. space program and Florida’s aerospace industry. As space exploration advances, researchers continue to study how to keep astronauts healthy beyond Earth. Dr. Hansjorg Schwertz, an assistant professor of aerospace medicine at UCF, shares insights into how space travel affects the human body.

The University of Central Florida is beginning to put a $50 million investment from alumnus Barry S. Miller to work, starting with endowed chairs focused on the intersection of technology and business. UCF unveiled the sign Oct. 23 for the Barry S. Miller College of Business, named for Miller, president and co-founder of Jupiter-based hedge fund Voloridge Investment Management. Miller attended UCF in the early 1990s, graduating in 1995 with a degree in finance, according to the university's website. Paul Jarley, dean of the college, told Orlando Business Journal that UCF has started using the first $10 million of the investment to establish five endowed chairs. The positions will focus on the intersection of technology and business, including how emerging technologies are changing industries and the skills employers need.

The path from high school to a career used to seem straightforward. You graduate from high school, attend a four-year university, earn a degree and enter the workforce. And for many students, this remains the case. But some of today’s Central Florida students are taking a different approach, building their education around their individual goals, circumstances and career interests. For some students, the college experience starts while they are still enrolled in high school. With dual enrollment, students can take college courses and earn credits before graduating. Depending on the student’s goals and program, these credits can help reduce the number of courses needed later on and potentially shorten the time and cost of earning a degree. The University of Central Florida also makes career development part of the college experience from the beginning. “When students understand how their coursework, campus involvement and work experiences connect to their future goals, they can make purposeful choices about their education,” says Chanda Torres, assistant vice president of UCF’s Dixon Career Development Center.

University of Central Florida alumni comprise nearly 30% of the workforce at Cape Canaveral, located 43 miles to the east of UCF’s Orlando campus. The school’s link to the U.S. space program is hinted at in certain athletics department marks, such as a knight’s sword that subtly resembles a skyward rocket launch or Polaris, but it’s within the new Galaxy Club at Acrisure Bounce House that the space theme truly shines. Designers of the club, which debuted Sept. 3 during UCF’s football season opener, created a circular “Star Chamber” entry portal that features 1,500 twinkling fiber-optic lights, some forming recognizable constellations that match campus street names. Once inside the Galaxy Club, visitors look up toward a 600-square-foot silicone edge graphic captured by UCF telescopes and backlit for maximum visual impact. UCF officials envision the club accommodating networking events and wedding receptions in addition to stellar gameday hospitality. “They really wanted it to be this highly immersive kind of transformational experience,” says Ashley Loch, creative director at Kansas City-based Dimensional Innovations. “They wanted it to feel like you’re making a transition from the rest of the football stadium into this exclusive club space. It doesn’t feature football as heavily, but I think that it does integrate their brand nicely in a way that feels elevated but still very appropriate with the rest of their assets used throughout campus.”