UCF honored seven faculty members as shining examples of excellence, dedication and inspiration during the 2025 Luminary Awards.
Established in 2017, the annual awards recognize faculty whose achievements reflect the university’s highest standards in advancing knowledge, inspiring others and elevating UCF’s impact across disciplines and communities.“
Thank you for the ideas you pursue, the people you inspire and the impact you create,” said UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright at Wednesday’s celebration at the Burnett House, home of UCF’s president and first lady. “You are advancing what is possible for our students, our state and our world — and proving every day that UCF’s brightest light comes from our people.”
Honorees were selected based on nominations by deans, department chairs and directors from across UCF. The event gathered family members and friends, fellow faculty, former awardees and community leaders to celebrate their achievements.
Joining in recognizing the honorees were UCF Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter, Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld, and Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Joel Cramer.
Here are this year’s luminaries.
Mohamed Abdel-Aty
Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair, Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abdel-Aty is recognized globally as a leading light in transportation engineering and traffic safety, ranking as the world’s most cited researcher in his field for the past five years.
Through innovations in technology, computing, artificial intelligence and sensing, he has contributed to preserving lives and preventing crashes for drivers and pedestrians alike. His pioneering technologies to better manage traffic have been deployed across Florida, the United States and the world, including in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
“Dr. Abdel-Aty is a one-of-a-kind researcher whose individual and research group achievements are paralleled only by the state, national and global impacts he has made,” said Kevin Mackie, the engineering department chair who nominated Abdel-Aty for his award.
Over three decades at UCF, Abel-Aty has secured more than $32 million for research and managed more than 90 related projects. This includes development by him and his team of CitySim, a drone-based database capturing driving behaviors at challenging highway sites that has led to new insights for preventing traffic mishaps. Among other accomplishments, Abdel-Aty also developed the nation’s first master’s degree in smart cities.
Kareem Ahmed
Trustee Chair and professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Ahmed is reshaping the future of air flight and space travel. A world expert in hypersonic and space propulsion, his pioneering work includes developing technology that makes a 15-minute flight from coast to coast a future possibility.
Ahmed heads the UCF Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion, which develops technology and innovation aimed at enhancing national defense and fostering new frontiers in space exploration. Beyond advancing faster air and space travel, Ahmed and his team’s research holds promise for enabling lighter, energy-efficient rockets that burn clean fuel and travel farther at a reduced cost.
The U.S. Department of Defense supports Ahmed’s work through multiple research grants, which also offer opportunities for his students — the next generation of innovators and explorers — to prepare for space industry careers.
“Throughout his career, Dr. Ahmed has demonstrated exceptional leadership in both research and education,” said Hyoung Jin Cho, Ahmed’s interim department chair, who nominated him for the award. “His pioneering work on detonation-based propulsion and supersonic combustion has expanded our understanding of aerospace engineering and has been recognized by prestigious awards, media coverage, competitive funding and high-impact publications.”
Tim Brown
Associate professor, School of Performing Arts, College of Arts and Humanities
Brown is an internationally renowned theater and music tour designer in demand for his artistry, creativity and ingenuity.
His scene designs are sought by celebrities that have included late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and rapper and music producer J. Cole. Brown has designed environments in world-class venues, such as Madison Square Garden, and for the Festival Musica in Strasbourg, France. When the Los Angeles Philharmonic premiered an original opera, Place, it called on Brown to recreate his designs from the world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, another premier theatrical venue.
Locally, Brown brings his talents to the Orlando Shakes and Orlando Family Stage. At UCF, he teaches various theatre technology and design courses, sharing his professional insights and leading-edge industry practices to prepare students for successful careers.
“Professor Brown is richly deserving of a Luminary Award. He is one of the school’s top achieving theater artists with an international reputation for excellence and the credits to back that up,” said Michael Wainstein, director of the School of Performing Arts.
Yue “Gurt” Ge
Associate professor, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ge aims to make cities safer and more resilient to disasters, from hurricanes to disease outbreaks. He explores how governments, organizations and communities can collaborate more effectively on strategies and action plans to create for stronger and more adaptable places to live.
As faculty co-lead of UCF’s Urban Resilience Initiative, he brought more than 50 scholars and community partners together to boost urban resilience. This work led to two major U.S. National Science Foundation-funded projects: a Smart and Connected Communities grant focused on artificial intelligence to improve risk communication, and a Civic Innovation Challenge grant for establishing educational and urban resilience hubs. Ge is among a few social scientists nationwide to lead both types of NSF projects.
His research is shaping public policy and practice, including through a mobile emergency training app being adopted by UCF’s Office of Emergency Management and a city-supported resilience hub serving Orlando neighborhoods.
“Dr. Ge is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in the interdisciplinary fields of community resilience and smart cities,” said Doug Goodman, director of the School of Public Administration. “His work exemplifies UCF’s mission to unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world.”
Carmen Giurgescu
Chatlos Foundation Endowed Chair and associate dean for research, College of Nursing
Giurgescu excels as a world-renowned maternal researcher and game changer for elevating her college’s excellence and national prominence.
As a women’s health nurse practitioner, she works to give mothers and babies the best possible start by reducing preterm births and improving health outcomes. Her impactful research portfolio involves multi-millions in grants — including from the National Institutes of Health — as both a principal and co-investigator.
Giurgescu has spearheaded innovative research initiatives, developed training programs and provided critical support to steadily grow her college’s research expenditures, placing it among the top 50 nursing schools nationwide.
“Her research is not only advancing scientific understanding but also transforming clinical practice,” former College of Nursing Dean Mary Lou Sole said in Giurgescu’s award nomination. “Across her college, Dr. Giurgescu has fostered a culture of discovery and collaboration.”
Chiara Mazzucchelli
Associate professor and Dr. Neil Euliano Chair in Italian Studies, College of Arts and Humanities
Mazzucchelli’s passion for scholarship and teaching fosters connections to other cultures that expand learning opportunities for students.
She directs UCF’s Italian studies program and is internationally recognized for her scholarship in Italian American studies, particularly on Sicilian migration. Her leadership in strengthening ties between the United States and Italy, including with the Italian consulate in Miami, have led to various grants from Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such partnerships have enhanced course offerings and created new opportunities for students to engage with Italian language, culture and global perspectives.
Meanwhile, Mazzucchelli’s contributions have earned prestigious honors in Italy. Last year, she was named a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy — the nation’s second-highest civilian honor and awarded by Italy’s president to citizens who foster meaningful international relations. In 2023, she received the Euno Award from Kiwanis International in Enna, Italy, for her impact on education and the next generation of scholars.
“Her exceptional combination of research, academic leadership and international reputation make her eminently worthy of this recognition,” said Geri Smith, chair of UCF’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
Keri Watson
Professor of art history and assistant director, School of Visual Arts and Design, College of Arts and Humanities
Watson’s scholarship and community engagement show how the humanities can lift lives and benefit society.
Watson has attracted over $1.7 million from national foundations in the past three years to power her research and the Florida Prison Education Project. She founded and directs the program to open college doors for incarcerated Floridians and change the course of their lives.
Watson’s publications and curated exhibitions, such as Silent Protest: Perspectives on War and Disability and Illuminating the Darkness: Our Carceral Landscape, have sparked widespread dialogue on incarceration, disability and civic engagement.
“Dr. Watson exemplifies what it means to be a luminary at UCF,” said Rudy McDaniel, director of the School of Visual Arts and Design. “Through her scholarship, teaching and public humanities leadership, she advances interdisciplinary research excellence and extends the university’s reach far beyond campus.”
