UCF in the News

Navigating the Dark Side of the Moon America is looking to return to the moon – it’s been more than fifty years since the last Apollo mission and the Artemis program has set a goal of putting people back on the lunar surface by 2026. The mission is focused on the moon’s south pole, where there is believed to be a presence of ice. Because this is an relatively unexplored region, NASA has initiated a challenge to professional and citizen scientists – devise a navigation and mapping system to help astronauts orient their way to and from a lunar lander without getting lost. This may seem like a simple concept in 2024, but remember – this is the moon: no GPS, no compasses, no Google Maps or Waze. The prospect of getting lost on the lunar surface is terrifying so we asked Dr. Addie Dove, a planetary scientist and associate professor in the Department of Physics at UCF to set us at ease.

As office manager of an Indiana recruiting firm, Jolene Rosario enjoyed the predictable nature of her weekly duties – handling payroll and workers’ compensation insurance, paying invoices and answering employment questions from state agencies. Several months ago, her boss asked her to also take on the responsibilities of front-office coordinator after a colleague was laid off because of declining revenue at the firm, called Express Employment Professionals. That meant responding to in-person visitors (from the UPS delivery person to job applicants), interviewing job candidates, onboarding new employees, sometimes answering phone calls and more. Some experts also worry about burnout, which was widespread when many Americans left the labor force in the early days of the pandemic, leaving colleagues with bigger workloads. "When your work increases beyond the point where you have the resources to succeed and successfully do the work...you do get burnout, fatigue and workers looking for other jobs," said Mindy Shoss, a professor of industrial and organizational psychology at the University of Central Florida. "It's a well-being crisis, it's a public health crisis and it's an economic crisis." Such a scenario harms both workers and their employers, she said. At the same time, she said, if workers are given the tools to do their jobs, increasing their skills and responsibilities can help them advance in their careers.

On Episode 133 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Greg Autry on the progress of the Artemis moon program, space science, and the challenges posed by a fast-rising Chinese space program. Dr. Autry is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy at the University of Central Florida, visiting Professor at Imperial College London, former NASA transition team member, and author of "Red Moon Rising." We'll also highlight the recent launch of SpaceX's Starship and the amazing catch of the booster by the Mechazilla Launch tower, Michael Bloomberg's recent article condemning the slow progress of the Artemis program, and this weekend's Orionids meteor shower!

Mandatory evacuations along Florida's west coast are underway as Hurricane Milton churns toward the state and could make landfall as one of the most devastating hurricanes to hit the area in over a century. "Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. "The wide continental shelf with shallow water allows storms like Helene and Milton to create very large storm surges," Thomas Wahl, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Central Florida who studies flood-prone areas, tells NPR. Excessive rainfall and elevated river discharge can combine with storm surge to create what's known as compound flooding, Wahl says. Excessive rainfall and elevated river discharge can combine with storm surge to create what's known as compound flooding, Wahl says.

Millions of Americans are still struggling to find their bearings after Hurricane Helene made landfall last week, killing at least 230 people across six states, washing away homes, and leaving thousands without clean water or electricity for days across the southeastern United States. Given that there are so many variables in natural disasters and the communities they afflict, how do you gauge whether your government is doing a good job against a force of nature? And when things go sideways, when should you blame your mayor, your governor, or your president? I posed these questions to Claire Connolly Knox, who founded the Emergency and Crisis Management program at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She spoke to me from her home in Florida where she was making preparations for Milton’s arrival. There are a number of things. This is going to be one for the record books. One is that it highlights that so much of the conversation focuses on disasters, hurricanes specifically, and the immediately impacted area. Everyone was really concerned about Florida and the Big Bend and Tallahassee, and rightly so, because everyone primarily looks at where the eye of the storm is going and then looking at those initial brunt forces and the impacts. . I think what this hurricane is teaching us is that there’s so much more to hurricanes that we sometimes forget: That’s the rain. That’s the storm surge. That is the spin-off tornadoes. Those cascading impacts we frequently do not focus on. With the Helene system going into North Carolina, the amount of rain that fell is very reminiscent of Hurricane Harvey with the amount of devastation and the flooding that took place.

Hurricane Milton is hurtling toward the western coast of Florida, and thousands of people are fleeing their homes for inland counties—or even other states. Fifteen counties, which include the populous Tampa Bay area, have issued mandatory evacuation orders for those living in high-risk storm surge and flood zones. Traffic has been massively congested, and some gas stations report running out of fuel. The Category 4 storm is approaching on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida and ripped through five more states two weeks ago, killing more than 200 people. Many people, still trying to recover their lives amid the aftermath, are now bracing for this new system—which may bring storm surges twice as high to the Tampa Bay area. “Our ground is completely saturated,” says Claire Knox, a professor and director of the Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program at the University of Central Florida, “and now you’re having this massive system that’s going to bring anywhere from eight to 12 feet of storm surge on the west coast [of Florida], probably about five to seven on the [state’s] east coast.” What factors are considered for hurricane evacuation orders? KNOX: There are a lot of things in play. FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency], in partnership with two other agencies, has a tool called HURREVAC in which emergency responders can look at nearby hazards, potential evacuation zones, different scenarios, different categories of the hurricane, anticipated time of landfall. All those go into play, and the tool will help make assessments: What's your clearance time? How many hours is it going to take to evacuate different [storm surge and flood] zones, different populations? You want to get your more socially vulnerable, your coastal areas, individuals in mobile homes and camp sites out first.

AdventHealth has announced it is using $1.4 million in community impact grants to address the need for workforce development, funding the efforts of six leading Central Florida nonprofits to lead the effort. Here, the leaders of those organizations address the importance of the issue. Keith Bourkney, employU executive director: employU’s workforce development program for individuals with disabilities, ages 14 to 65, is transforming lives and strengthening our community. By offering industry-specific training, certifications and hands-on learning in the hospitality sector, we equip participants with the skills needed for meaningful employment. Workshops focus on essential skills such as resume building, interview preparation and workplace etiquette, while certifications provide industry-recognized credentials. In collaboration with partners like UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, the program offers immersive experiences, access to job fairs and continuous support to ensure long-term success. This initiative not only addresses the high unemployment rates among people with disabilities but also fosters an inclusive workforce, enhancing financial independence and promoting economic growth across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Our goal is to empower individuals, break down barriers and build a thriving, inclusive community for all.

As space agencies and private companies plan to build colonies on the Moon and Mars, the ability to produce building materials on site will be crucial. Recent breakthroughs in this area are bringing humankind one step closer to making sustainable space settlements a reality. Furthermore, these developments have the potential to revolutionize construction practices on Earth. One of the key advantages of these regolith-based bricks is their electrical conductivity. This allows them to serve as internal sensors, monitoring the structural health of extraterrestrial buildings. A few years ago, a team of University of Central Florida researchers found that bricks made of lunar regolith and saltwater could help NASA establish a long-term presence on the Moon by building a base camp that includes a modern lunar cabin, rover and mobile home. Associate Professor Ranajay Ghosh of UCF's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, along with his research group, created 3D-printed bricks of lunar regolith that are able to withstand the extreme environments of space. To create the bricks, Ghosh's team used a combination of 3D printing and binder jet technology (BJT), an additive manufacturing method that forces out a liquid binding agent – in this case saltwater – onto a bed of powder.

Nemours Children’s Health in Orlando, Florida, has announced a $5 million commitment to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in support of pediatric nursing training and interdisciplinary research. The investment includes $2.5 million for a pediatric nursing training unit at UCF’s Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion and $2.5 million for an interdisciplinary research impact fund. The investment includes $2.5 million for a pediatric nursing training unit at UCF’s Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion and $2.5 million for an interdisciplinary research impact fund. The new pediatric unit will include specialized pediatric equipment, neonatal, pediatric, and expectant mother mannequins, as well as augmented reality simulations. Simulation scenarios will give UCF nursing students hands-on, clinical experiences.