{"id":148516,"date":"2025-08-07T08:19:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=148516"},"modified":"2025-08-07T14:27:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T18:27:43","slug":"ucf-double-knight-harnesses-unique-interdisciplinary-research-path-in-quest-for-m-d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-double-knight-harnesses-unique-interdisciplinary-research-path-in-quest-for-m-d\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF \u2018Double Knight\u2019 Harnesses Unique Interdisciplinary Research Path\u202fin Quest for M.D."},"content":{"rendered":"

As a graduate researcher at UCF, Viviana Rivera<\/strong> \u201923<\/strong> \u201924MS <\/strong>helped create bionic arms for children needing prostheses, and she still remembers how patients lit up when they received their customized limbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watched my first patient evolve before my eyes from a shy girl to an outspoken, charismatic and funny individual,\u201d she says. \u201cThat was always who she was, but the prosthesis gave her more confidence to speak up and make her voice heard. It is something that I will cherish forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera\u2019s journey at UCF, marked by interdisciplinary research<\/a> and partnerships<\/a>, allowed her to expand her education beyond the classroom. On Aug. 4, she began her third UCF degree, donning a doctor\u2019s white coat as part of the College of Medicine\u2019s<\/a> White Coat ceremony.<\/p>\n

A \u201cdouble Knight\u201d is a term used amongst those at UCF to describe students or alumni who have earned two degrees. The level of \u201cknighthood\u201d increases as the student earns more degrees, and in Rivera\u2019s case, she is working her way toward becoming a triple Knight.<\/p>\n

Rivera earned her bachelor\u2019s degree followed by her master\u2019s in biomedical sciences while helping to design prosthetic arms through Limbitless Solutions, a UCF-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people through accessible technologies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so proud of all of Viviana\u2019s successes and it\u2019s been a real privilege to be part of her journey,\u201d says Limbitless Solutions Executive Director and Co-Founder Albert Manero \u201912 \u201914MS \u201916PhD<\/strong>, who honored Rivera\u2019s milestone by sponsoring her white coat. \u201cToday we\u2019re proud to stand with her as she prepares to take her next steps and is on her way to becoming a really incredible doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n