{"id":149784,"date":"2025-11-07T14:21:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=149784"},"modified":"2025-11-10T09:41:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:41:00","slug":"ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Born from the challenge of the Space Race, UCF was created to transform imagination into innovation and prepare people to launch humanity beyond its limits. Today, we are still are a place where our people\u2019s curiosity drives discovery, bold questions shape the future and exploration advances life on Earth.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Founded to reach the moon, we\u2019re already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America\u2019s Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t<section class=\"ucf-section ucf-section-space-week \" style>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bg-inverse text-inverse\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row no-gutters\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\" col-md-5 col-lg-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"media-background-container h-100\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/10\/telescope-575x296-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two UCF researchers working on a telescope \" class=\"w-100\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Two UCF researchers working on a telescope \" class=\"w-100 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/10\/telescope-575x296-1.jpg\"><br>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\" col-md-7 col-lg-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"w-75 mx-auto pt-3\">\n<noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/10\/UCF-SpaceWeek-2025-WCB-WEB-72dpi.png\" alt=\"UCF Space Week | Nov 3-7, 2025\" class=\"w-100\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"UCF Space Week | Nov 3-7, 2025\" class=\"w-100 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/10\/UCF-SpaceWeek-2025-WCB-WEB-72dpi.png\">\n<p class=\"text-center pt-4 line-height-1 font-size-sm\">Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\n<hr>\n<p>UCF launched a new showcase to spotlight trailblazers of Central Florida\u2019s thriving space ecosystem with its inaugural SpaceU Awards.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEveryone in this room, and across our university, reminds us that curiosity is humanity\u2019s greatest engine, that reach for the stars is more than our motto. It is our mission and our promise.\u201d \u2014 Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>America&#8217;s Space University celebrated eight honorees \u2014 two students, three faculty, two organizations and a record-setting astronaut \u2014 for pushing the boundaries of what\u2019s possible in space development, discovery and exploration.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond space faculty and top UCF leaders, Thursday\u2019s packed Space Week awards ceremony at the <em>FAIRWINDS <\/em>Alumni Center attracted community supporters and government and industry leaders, including U.S. Space Force Maj. Gen. John Olson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmerica\u2019s Space University stands at the intersection of exploration and opportunity \u2014 where discovery fuels industry and where learning transforms lives,\u201d UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright said in congratulating awardees.<\/p>\n<p>The state created UCF in 1963 to help meet the talent and technological needs of Florida\u2019s growing space program. SpaceU has since become a vital force for enhancing Florida\u2019s robust space economy through excellence in research, innovation and workforce development \u2014 leading the nation in producing talent for the aerospace and defense industries.<\/p>\n<p>UCF launched its inaugural Space Week from Nov. 3-7 in celebration of the university\u2019s growing influence in space research and industry impact. Festivities included <em>The Economist<\/em>\u2019s third annual Space Economy Summit, the National Space Society\u2019s Space Settlement Summit, a SpaceU Symposium featuring faculty and staff research projects, a Memory Mall drone show, and the annual SpaceU football game. Here are the inaugural 2025 SpaceU Awardees.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149788\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149788 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149788 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4496-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Optics and photonics doctoral student Tara Crowe \u201925MS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Student Space Research Award<\/h1>\n<p><strong>Tara Crowe \u201925MS, doctoral student, College of Optics and Photonics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Crowe\u2019s research focuses on developing the next generation of instruments for telescopes to enable deeper views into the universe, using new technologies like quantum-inspired imaging and photonic lanterns. Crowe\u2019s instruments and devices have been installed and operated at the Lick Observatory in California and the U.S. Department of Defense AEOS telescope in Maui, Hawaii.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149789\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149789 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Adam Kotle\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149789 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Adam Kotle\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4498-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Mechanical engineering alum Adam Kotler \u201923MS \u201925PhD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Student Space Innovator Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Adam Kotler<\/strong> <strong>\u201923MS \u201925PhD,<\/strong> <strong>mechanical engineering alum, College of Engineering and Computer Science<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kotler has contributed significantly to space innovations with commercial applications. An expert in hypersonic detonation and co-founder of Halo Engines LLC, he is pioneering the development of cutting-edge propulsion systems that aim to revolutionize space travel by increasing efficiency and reducing launch costs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149790\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149790 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149790 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4502-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Assistant Professor Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Early Career Space Achievement Faculty Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano, assistant professor, Florida Space Institute<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>De Souza-Feliciano studies the surface properties of small bodies in the solar system, with a special focus on trans-Neptunian objects \u2014 icy worlds orbiting beyond Neptune. Actively involved in research with the James Webb Space Telescope, her work seeks to help unravel the mineralogy and evolution of asteroids, moons and planets.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149791\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149791 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Kerri Donaldson Hanna\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149791 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Kerri Donaldson Hanna\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4506-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Assistant Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Mid-Career Space Achievement Faculty Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Kerri Donaldson Hanna, planetary geologist and assistant professor, College of Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Donaldson Hanna has rapidly advanced the field of lunar science. She is the principal investigator of Lunar-VISE, UCF\u2019s first NASA mission to the moon\u2019s surface, which will explore the mysterious Gruithuisen Domes. Her research seeks to better understand the formation and evolution of airless bodies like the moon, Mercury and asteroids.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149792\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149792 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Peter Delfyett\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149792 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Peter Delfyett\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4508-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair Peter Delfyett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Lifetime Space Achievement Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Peter Delfyett, Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair, College of Optics and Photonics<br>\n<\/strong><br>\nDelfyett&#8217;s innovations have expanded the horizons of the space industry. His pioneering research has enabled more accurate distance measurements and timing synchronization for space missions, supporting both astrophysical research and satellite-based observation of Earth. Among his many honors since joining UCF in 1993, he is the first faculty member to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering for work done while currently at the university.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149785\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149785 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation President &amp; CEO David Odahowski (left)Board of Directors Chairman Richard Walsh (center) and Board of Directors Member Brian Butler (right).\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149785 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation President &amp; CEO David Odahowski (left)Board of Directors Chairman Richard Walsh (center) and Board of Directors Member Brian Butler (right).\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4529-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Inc. President &amp; CEO David Odahowski (left), )Board of Directors Chairman Richard Walsh&#8217; 77 &#8217;83MS (center) and Board of Directors Member Brian Butler (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Philanthropic Champion Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A supporter of UCF since 1974, the foundation\u2019s Reach for the Stars gift for the College of Medicine funds the International Space Health Symposium for three years, positioning SpaceU at the forefront of research to improve health in space and on Earth. The event will focus on the physiological, biomedical and psychological challenges of living and performing in space \u2014 and in extreme environments on Earth such as polar regions, the deep sea and high altitudes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149786\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149786 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Robert Long holding an award\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149786 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Robert Long holding an award\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4532-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Industry Partner Impact Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Space Florida<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Space Florida \u2014 Florida\u2019s aerospace finance and development authority \u2014 helped the university launch the inaugural UCF Space Week celebration and strongly supports its mission to invent a bold future of space discovery and impact. UCF has joined the authority, the University of Florida and Embry-Riddle University in creating the Florida Space Research Consortium to facilitate the awarding of NASA research grants in partnership with Kennedy Space Center. The consortium aims to tackle complex research challenges, expand workforce development and boost Florida\u2019s competitive edge in the space industry.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149787\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149787 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium.jpg\" alt=\"Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda,\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-149787 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda,\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/NLP_4535-medium.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Axiom Space Chief Astronaut Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Innovative Space Leader Award<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Michael L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda, chief astronaut, Axiom Space<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A thought leader in the commercial spaceflight industry, L\u00f3pez-Alegr\u00eda is a pioneering astronaut who commanded the International Space Station (ISS) and holds NASA records that include the most spacewalks and activities in space outside a spacecraft. A six-time astronaut, his many accomplishments include commanding the crew of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first-ever private mission to the ISS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":149793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,23,24],"tags":[14751,3703,14916,4361],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-149784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-research","category-science-technology","tag-faculty-excellence","tag-philanthropy","tag-research","tag-space"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards | University of Central Florida News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University of Central Florida News | UCF Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nicole Dudenhoefer &#039;17\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nicole Dudenhoefer &#039;17\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407\"},\"headline\":\"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1092,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/20\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Faculty Excellence\",\"Philanthropy\",\"Research\",\"space\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Colleges &amp; Campus\",\"Research\",\"Science &amp; Technology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards | University of Central Florida News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/20\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407\"},\"description\":\"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/20\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/20\\\/files\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright (center) with recipients at the inaugural SpaceU Awards. (Photo by Antoine Hart)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"University of Central Florida News | UCF Today\",\"description\":\"Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407\",\"name\":\"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/ni563285\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\\\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"University of Central Florida\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards | University of Central Florida News","description":"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards","og_description":"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/","og_site_name":"University of Central Florida News | UCF Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF","article_published_time":"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UCF","twitter_site":"@UCF","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/"},"author":{"name":"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407"},"headline":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards","datePublished":"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/"},"wordCount":1092,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg","keywords":["Faculty Excellence","Philanthropy","Research","space"],"articleSection":["Colleges &amp; Campus","Research","Science &amp; Technology"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/","name":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards | University of Central Florida News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-07T19:21:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-10T14:41:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407"},"description":"The awards debuted during UCF Space Week to recognize talent and contributions that are fueling the future of space.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright (center) with recipients at the inaugural SpaceU Awards. (Photo by Antoine Hart)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UCF Honors 8 Shining Stars with Inaugural SpaceU Awards"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/","name":"University of Central Florida News | UCF Today","description":"Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407","name":"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0eafe9f8522ea36420e16503c4ea5eded2f876d29a0c189ed66c195f65ced6e9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17"},"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/author\/ni563285\/"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-honors-8-shining-stars-with-inaugural-spaceu-award\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"University of Central Florida"}]}},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2025\/11\/UCF_SpaceU-Awards-Dinner-300x200.jpg","primary_category":5,"primary_tag":14751,"author_byline":"Joe Adams | Photos by Nick Leyva '15","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149784"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149811,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149784\/revisions\/149811"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149784"},{"taxonomy":"tu_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tu_author?post=149784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}