2025 Florida Engineer

18 RESEARCHER TARGETS COMMON INFECTION

With a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Ivana Parker, Ph.D., is targeting one of the most common infections in women.

26 DIGITAL DEFENSE

As cyber threats grow, innovations in cybersecurity, semiconductors, national security and IoT are critical to protecting infrastructure, data and public safety.

34 ENGINEERING THE EYE

How UF’s storm teams captured hurricane Helene in real time.

42 SMARTER FARMING TAKES ROOT

Engineers revolutionize agriculture with AI, drones and data.

Publisher Forrest Masters, Ph.D., P.E. (FL)

Executive Editor

Creative Director & Designer Tina Banner, APR, CPRC Allison Logan, M.A.

Contributors

J. Scott Angle, Drew Brown, Rebecca Burton, Kevin Butler, Katherine Canev, Royce Copeland, Candi Crimmins, Karen Dooley, Paige Fry, Helen Goh, Lauren Gonzalez, Moriah Henderson, Megan Howard, Samantha Jones, Ada Lang, Jennifer Romero, Dave Schlenker and Naomi Villa.

Photo: Dave Schlenker

INTERIM DEAN’S MESSAGE

Amid a year of national change and uncertainty, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has not only persevered but set new records, forging ahead with unwavering momentum.

From record-breaking undergraduate enrollment in the fall to unprecedented research awards and major infrastructure investments, 2024 demonstrated that it was just the beginning. We marked the one-year anniversary of the state-of-the-art, 263,000-squarefoot Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology while launching transformative, cross-college partnerships in generative AI, AI-powered athletics, digital twins, semiconductors, industrialized construction engineering (in partnership with Autodesk), quantum computing and space exploration.

Our student teams dominated national competitions, from Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe to Solar Gators and iGEM. Meanwhile, our Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers earned top national honors. We successfully completed ABET accreditation for 12 degree programs while pushing forward new initiatives to enhance the student experience — including two new degree programs in AI Systems and Applied Data Science, seven remote Ph.D. programs and the launch of the Experiential Learning Center.

In this issue, you’ll discover the remarkable ways our students and faculty are driving innovation in global health and safety. From pioneering HIV prevention and testing to tracking the spread of cholera worldwide and ensuring a secure food supply, our college is making a tangible impact. We’re also tackling critical challenges in cybersafety, public health and the future of smart manufacturing — advancing solutions that shape industries and improve lives.

My journey will continue at Oregon State University as I take on the role as the Kearney Dean of Engineering this summer. But my heart will remain with the University of Florida. Once a Gator, always a Gator. And as the search for a permanent dean nears its conclusion, I am deeply honored to have served this college for the past two and a half years. The vision and foundation set by those before me have propelled us to new heights — an extraordinary journey I first experienced as a student. This full-circle moment reaffirms our commitment to excellence, resilience and the pursuit of groundbreaking discoveries that empower our students, faculty and staff.

Now, as we move into the second half of 2025, the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is on an unstoppable rise. The momentum is building, and we can’t wait to share what’s next!

Forrest J. Masters, Ph.D., P.E. (FL) Professor and Interim Dean of Engineering

In September, the college Hurricane Research team deployed to several locations along the west coast of Florida to install storm-monitoring towers. These 33-foot-tall structures collect data on wind, storm surge, waves and water quality before, during and after a hurricane makes landfall. Masters, who helped develop the towers, joined the group in Cedar Key the day before Helene hit. Read more on page 34.

A LEGACY THAT LEADS

THE CHARGE

The Wertheim Transformation is more than a chapter in our history — it’s a living legacy written by one extraordinary individual whose belief in people, education and possibility reshaped engineering at the University of Florida. On October 1, 2015, the college was renamed the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, marking the beginning of a bold new era. Now, in 2025, we proudly celebrate the 10th anniversary of that transformation — a decade of empowering generations of students and faculty to lead in groundbreaking ways.

Dr. Wertheim’s unwavering commitment continues to elevate lives, unlock discovery and accelerate impact across Florida and far beyond.

On behalf of every student empowered, every discovery advanced and every boundary pushed, we offer our deepest gratitude.

Thanks to Herbie, we are not only Powering the New Engineer to Transform the Future — we are Future Ready.

TOP 10 IMPACTS OF THE WERTHEIM TRANSFORMATION

Transforming Engineering Education: The Wertheim Lab

The Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence anchors UF’s vision for the Home of the New Engineer. Completed in 2021, it delivers immersive experiential learning to every Gator Engineering student beginning in their first year — advancing real-world readiness through interdisciplinary, hands-on learning.

Innovation in Action: The Wertheim Makerspace

Wertheim Makerspace brings design thinking to life — where students prototype startup ideas, solve real-world engineering challenges for companies and build competition-winning components. It’s the launchpad for the next generation of creators and engineering entrepreneurs.

Herbert Wertheim, Ph.D.

Expanding Research Impact Across Disciplines

UF Engineering grew its research awards from $79 million in 2015 to $130 million last year, advancing smart health systems, privacy-preserving cybersecurity and next-gen semiconductor technology — all through ethical and interdisciplinary AI applications.

Driving National Defense and Infrastructure Solutions

UF led a $26.4 million Department of Energy consortium to train nuclear forensic experts and developed Transportation Security Administration workforce optimization tools, reinforcing national security and improving transportation systems with engineering-powered solutions.

Breakthroughs in the Connected World

The Warren B. Nelms Institute grew research funding by 426% in just six years, leading the frontier of the Internet of Things, wearables and now the AI of Things. With 75 projects, 65 faculty and $12.6 million devoted to workforce development, the Institute is shaping the technologies of tomorrow.

Protecting Waterways and Coastal Communities

Since 2020, the Center for Coastal Solutions has secured $36 million in funding and produced 140+ peer-reviewed publications. It delivers AI-powered tools and global partnerships for resilient ecosystems, clean water and sustainable coastal futures — from Florida to the Middle East.

Student Achievement on the National Stage

Gator Engineering student teams have achieved unprecedented success, with the Eckhoff Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe teams capturing nine national titles in total over the decade. Their victories exemplify the teamwork, innovation and competitive excellence central to UF engineering.

Pioneering Environmental Sustainability

Gator Engineers are creating data-driven solutions for clean energy, cholera outbreak prediction and ecological resilience — impacting global policy and promoting environmental justice in vulnerable regions.

Fueling Florida’s Innovation Economy

Through programs like the Research & Engineering Education Facility, or REEF, UF Engineering is partnering with industry and the military to strengthen the state’s tech workforce. Efforts in healthcare, infrastructure and agriculture are transforming Florida’s economy through entrepreneurial excellence.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers

Over 2,300 UF Engineering undergraduate, graduate and working professional students take courses from the Engineering Leadership Institute and the Engineering Innovation Institute annually.

WAYNE’S WORLD

A LEGACY OF PURPOSE: SHAPING WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE MATTER

By Helen Goh

Wayne H. (Hwa-wei) Chen, Ph.D., was a pioneer who shaped the defining trajectory of the college with a lasting tradition of academic excellence and a commitment to service.

Chen started at the University of Florida in 1952 as an assistant professor and quickly rose to prominence through his visionary leadership and commitment to interdisciplinary innovation. By 1965, he had assumed the role of chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering. His appointment as the fifth dean of the College of Engineering by the State of Florida Board of Regents in 1973 marked the beginning of a transformative era that lasted until 1988.

The college flourished. Academic programs expanded significantly and, most notably, he led pioneering advancements in electronic distance learning, computer engineering and environmental engineering. Graduate student enrollment soared and groundbreaking, interdisciplinary teaching and research thrived as innovation with global impact reached new heights. Chen’s tenure ushered in a new era defined by a rich culture of diversity, collaboration and service — a tradition that continues to define who and what Gator Engineers are today.

▪ IEEE Fellow Award Courtesy UF Archives

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

▪ Florida Blue Key Outstanding Faculty Award

▪ Tau Beta Pi Eminent Engineer Award

▪ UF Florida Teacher-Scholar Award

A pathfinder who firmly believed that academic excellence must be rooted in robust research with meaningful societal impact, Chen exemplified this philosophy through his own actions. As a scholar and servant at heart, he continued to author influential books and earn prestigious professional and community accolades throughout his tenure.

Truly a legacy of vision, innovation and impact, Wayne’s World is a foundation that shaped the future of Gator Engineering.

EVERY ENGINEER, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE

From 1973 to 1988, Chen elevated the college to national prominence, driving research expenditures from $4 million to $30 million and securing a ranking of 16th in national public higher education research. During this transformative era, UF pioneered the nation’s foremost engineering distance education program, GENESYS. Long before live video

communication became commonplace, GENESYS, short for Graduate Engineering Education System, utilized a revolutionary two-way live TV platform to connect students with professors in real time, no matter their location. At its peak, it was the world’s largest educational television network, with stations in Melbourne, Orlando, Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral.

DOTTING THE ‘I’S AND CROSSING THE ‘T’S

Chen believed in the transformative power of engineering to elevate society’s well-being. He understood that building healthy and sustainable communities required both immediate action today and visionary stewardship tomorrow. Guided by this belief, he championed applied engineering in critical areas, especially in health, the environment and agriculture, while advancing exciting newly emergent technologies in computer, mechanical and energy engineering. What truly distinguished him was his embrace of interdisciplinary research and holistic integration across diverse fields.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Chen forged a legacy rooted in the belief that engineering must serve the greater good by delivering meaningful solutions. His vision ensured that individuals, society, and the global community would benefit from UF’s innovation. His strategy of holistic integration firmly established the college as a hub for improving lives and safeguarding natural resources. By championing a human-centered, service-driven approach, he shaped not only what we achieve as Gator Engineers, but who we are and why our work matters.

To honor this legacy, his children, Avis Chen Boulter (BS ’82; MD ’85) and Benjamin Timothy Chen (BSME ’83), have established several honors within the College. These include two annual awards recognizing faculty excellence, and the dedication of a conference room in Malachowsky Hall in honor of their parents, Wayne H. and Dorothy Chen.

Courtesy UF Archives

CHARGING Ahead

By Helen Goh

Every academic year brings a sense of renewal — a fresh start filled with new ideas, bold leadership and forward-thinking initiatives. At the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, we are leading the charge and charging ahead with exciting developments that will shape our future. As we continue to push boundaries and foster excellence, these development milestones mark the next chapter in our future-forward journey.

ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE WELCOMES INTERIM DIRECTOR

The Engineering Leadership Institute (ELI) continues its mission of shaping the next generation of engineering leaders with the appointment of Angela Lindner, Ph.D., as the interim director. With over 36 years of service in higher education, Lindner’s career spans academia, industry and government, bringing a wealth of knowledge and leadership to this role. A Gator since 1988, she has held key leadership roles at UF, including associate dean for Student Affairs, associate provost for Undergraduate Affairs and interim vice provost for Undergraduate Affairs. Her expertise — bringing transformative student experience beyond the classroom — is shaped by her leadership experiences at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, General Motors and multiple academic institutions. Yet, most importantly, her unwavering passion for holistic engineering education and leadership development bring a dynamic perspective to ELI’s mission.

earned recognition for excellence in teaching, research and mentorship, including the Teacher of the Year Award.

UF MOVES FORWARD WITH JACKSONVILLE CAMPUS NEAR CONVENTION CENTER

The UF Board of Trustees’ Governance, Government Relations and Internal Affairs Committee has endorsed a plan to establish UF’s new Jacksonville campus near the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Designed to meet the region’s growing workforce demands, the campus will offer advanced graduate and professional degree programs, including fields such as engineering, computer science, AI in biomedical and health sciences, business and law. A major research hub will take shape through the Florida Semiconductor Institute led by the college in advancing semiconductor technology and reinforcing Florida’s leadership in this critical industry. The proposed site will occupy at least 22 acres of buildable land in close proximity to major corporate headquarters, the historic LaVilla district and the expanding Brooklyn neighborhood, aligning with broader efforts to revitalize downtown Jacksonville.

NEW CENTER ELEVATES EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR GATOR ENGINEERS

Launched last winter, the Office of Student Affairs’ Center for Experiential Learning will serve as a central hub for students, faculty, advisors and industry partners seeking guidance on hands-on learning opportunities. Led by inaugural director Sarah Furtney, Ph.D., the center will support and enhance co-curricular experiences such as student organizations, design teams, study abroad, internships, co-ops, undergraduate research and professional development. Furtney brings a strong background in mentorship, curriculum development and student advocacy to this role. Previously with the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, she has

ADVANCE. UPSKILL. LEAD: NEW REMOTE PH.D. PROGRAMS FOR CAREER TRAILBLAZERS

Bold new opportunities announced: The college launched seven new remote Ph.D. programs designed for career accelerators ready to lead, learn and level up on their own schedule, from anywhere in the world. Spanning high-demand fields like aerospace engineering, civil engineering, coastal and oceanographic engineering, environmental engineering sciences, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering sciences, these programs combine the prestige of a top-tier research institution with the flexibility today’s driven professionals need to stay ahead. As part of the college’s Engineering for Life pathway, these programs reinforce our commitment to lifelong learning, equipping engineers at every stage of their careers with advanced skills, knowledge and credentials to drive innovation, shape industries and define the future of their professions.

A rendering of the Jacksonville campus.

Sarah Furtney, Ph.D.

Angela Lindner, Ph.D.

CHARTING A PATH FORWARD WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

By Tina Banner

Gone are the days when artificial intelligence was a novelty used to thump chess champions. Today, AI is not the future, it is the now.

The University of Florida is no stranger to AI, as it is home to HiPerGator, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers. In fact, UF is one of the first universities to offer AI curriculum, integrating AI into its core mission in an ambitious quest to become an AI university.

This initiative allows students to be part of a groundbreaking journey that equips them with invaluable skills. To be an AI university is to be a leader in innovation that harnesses the technology to prepare a savvy workforce.

In 2022, the first steps included incorporating AI instruction into all disciplines, hiring more than 100 expert AI faculty across all 16 colleges and offering more than 230 courses in AI and data science to all students, regardless of their major.

Even students without a background in computer or data science can learn the basics of AI and explore AI ethics because AI technology is a force in most workplaces.

As of 2024, nearly 12,000 students have enrolled in UF courses with access to HiPerGator, a generous gift from UF alumnus and NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky (BSEE ‘80) that provided the hardware, software, training and services from NVIDIA.

In Engineering, the college offers several classes with an AI focus, one of them is a requirement for the undergraduate Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals and Applications certificate.

Since the program started in 2021, 673 students have received this certificate, and 1,126 students are in the process of completing it.

“We are really starting to see tremendous growth in the certificate because students are looking for a more formal recognition of their knowledge base,” said Hans van Oostrom, Ph.D., faculty chair of the University Curriculum Committee and former chair of the Department of Engineering Education (EEd). “The

certificate provides that level of validation of their learning and application.”

The certificate is intended for undergraduates of all majors to understand AI fundamentals, applications to real-world problems in various disciplines and AI ethical and professional responsibilities. The certificate consists of a required fundamentals course, a college-specific application course and an ethics course.

“The courses are set up where they don’t require programing,” said van Oostrom, who was recently named the UF AI2 Center interim director. “There are enough highlevel tools out there for non-engineers to use AI properly and understand how it works.”

The AI Fundamentals course had more than 500 enrolled in the certificate program this past fall and over 700 students enrolled in the spring. A class once held in-person has now moved online to accommodate its popularity.

Diego Alvarado, an EEd instructional assistant professor, was involved from the ground floor on this course and has seen the evolution of the Fundamentals of AI.

For Alvarado, it has been a very rewarding experience. AI is for everyone, he contends, and everyone should have access to it.

“When it first started in 2019, we were asked to create a course in digital literacy that was designed for everyone — how to live in a digital world, how to behave online and understand that what you put out there can affect the hiring process,” Alvarado said. “But with the onset of AI, we pivoted and knew that we needed to create something to address the AI wave.”

One of the unique things about this class is that it brings students from all disciplines together.

“In the past, it would have been rare to see engineering talking to business or business talking to science,” Alvarado said. “But with the AI University model you see professors in linguistics working with professionals in computer science working on AI projects. And the class mimics that.”

Alvarado, who was named UF’s AI Educator of the Year in 2024, continues to embrace the promise of AI, which he brings into the class for relatable lessons. One lesson simulates a sea turtle conservation

internship where they train their own AI algorithms and practice using real-world applications.

“It’s a great way to make the class fun and engaging,” Alvarado said. “The students expand their skills by teaching a bot how to answer questions. They do regression analysis and learn how to analyze data and then work on image recognition.”

Professional courses are also available for working professionals seeking to gain insight into artificial intelligence. While similar to those offered to students, these courses are condensed They aim to demystify AI concepts and require no prior knowledge of mathematics or programming. The curriculum emphasizes practical applications, exploring how AI can effectively integrate within various industries. UF also provides a series of professional development courses designed to help higher education faculty and administrators enhance their skills through UF’s AI Learning Academy, hosted by the AI2 Center. This immersive four-day program equips participants with AI-driven content and practical applications they can integrate into their courses, empowering them to educate and prepare the next generation of AI-enabled professionals.

With the addition of two master’s degrees with Applied Data Science and AI Systems in 2024, UF engineering is expanding options beyond the certificate.

The Applied Data Science degree is open to students or working professionals who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-computing engineering field.

The AI Systems degree is designed for students or working professionals with a bachelor’s degree and strong analytical and computing backgrounds such as computer engineering or science, industrial and systems engineering, or physics.

Incidentally, Florida is one of the pioneering states to implement a K-12 artificial intelligence education program to equip students for the increasing global demand for an AI-skilled workforce. From AI curriculum development to experiential learning and teacher education and assessment, UF is making sure that as the flagship institution it is providing resources in this area that will pay dividends for future generations.

In the past, it would have been rare to see engineering talking to business or business talking to science.

But with the AI University model you see professors in linguistics working with professionals in computer science working on AI projects. And the class mimics that.”

Diego Alvarado

Instructional Assistant Professor, Engineering Education

DECADES OF LEADERSHIP. LASTING IMPACT.

Cammy Abernathy, long-time former engineering dean, retires after three decades

By Dave Schlenker

Cammy Abernathy, Ph.D.

LEADERSHIP. IMPACT.

decades at the University of Florida.

Cammy Abernathy, Ph.D., the transformative former dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, retired from the University of Florida after more than 31 years of service as a professor, college administrator and institute director.

Under her 13-year leadership as dean, the college significantly grew in stature and size. Engineering undergraduate admissions increased more than 50%, new degree programs emerged and faculty numbers swelled. With an increase in gifts and research funding, the college’s campus footprint expanded by two state-of-the-art signature buildings. Abernathy is a fellow of the Materials Research Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Vacuum Society, American Physical Society and of the Electrochemical Society.

She is also the former chair of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Engineering Deans Council and Council Delegate for the Industrial Science and Technology Section of the AAAS. She is the author of over 500 journal publications, over 430 conference papers, one co-authored book, seven edited books, eight book chapters and seven patents.

“Many would agree that she is one of the most gifted thought leaders they have ever met,” said Forrest Masters, Ph.D., the college's interim dean. “She could see over the horizon  and excelled at executing a far-ranging vision.”

Abernathy was instrumental in cultivating the $50 million catalyst gift from Herbert Wertheim and his family in 2015, a gift that named the college, created the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence and launched a wave of new energy and funding for innovation, research and instruction.

“This gift marked a momentous day for the college with the launch of a $300 million public-private partnership that leveraged funds from the state, university and private donors to support the college in becoming a world-class engineering college,” Abernathy noted in 2023.

Abernathy started with UF in 1993 as a professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, following a highly successful career at Bell Labs. She served as the college's associate dean for academic affairs from June 2002 to

“Many would agree that she is one of the most gifted thought leaders they have ever met.”

Forrest Masters, Ph.D. Interim Dean, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

July 2009, when she became dean until fall 2022.

Under Abernathy’s leadership, the college accomplished the following:

■ Raised research-funding awards to a record $118 million in 2022.

■ Established the Department of Engineering Education in 2019. The department focuses on engineering education research and effective instructional methods.

■ Catalyzed the completion of the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence, which opened in 2020, and the development of the Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology, which opened in 2023.

■ Facilitated the opening of the Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World in 2017. The Institute has been a catalyst for research connecting people, things, processes and data to address world challenges such as health, energy, transportation and manufacturing.

■ Expanded interdisciplinary research programs by forming wildly successful institutes, including the Engineering Innovation Institute, Engineering Leadership Institute, Center for Coastal Solutions, Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research and the UF Transportation Institute.

“These institutes represent strategic initiatives that seek to address the most pressing issues facing society — smart traffic systems and smart cities, coastal hazards and resiliency, the Internet of Things and cybersecurity,” Abernathy wrote in 2022 upon announcing the end of her time as dean. “Outcomes from these initiatives not only put the college on par with other world-renowned engineering colleges but are also transforming the way we live and work.”

And while these numbers frame Abernathy’s success as a forward-thinking leader, her colleagues contend she was just as valuable — and loved — as an instructor.

“I think her legacy, to a degree, stems from the passion she has for students,” said Erik Sander, the Michael Durham executive director of UF’s Engineering Innovation Institute. “In all those years, she never lost that passion for the students.”

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TEACHING

By Rebecca Burton

EXPLORING SHARK TEETH THROUGH MACHINE LEARNING

To inspire more students to pursue STEM and computer science careers, a team from the University of Florida’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute, College of Education and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has joined forces with the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland. Backed by a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, this collaboration aims to equip Florida middle school teachers and students with the skills to use AI to identify fossilized shark teeth.

Leveraging machine learning, the team developed a curriculum to help middle school teachers introduce students to artificial intelligence, with a focus on machine learning through the study of fossilized shark teeth.

Students begin by making scientific observations of different tooth characteristics, which they input into a computer algorithm. After training the system to recognize megalodon teeth, they apply the same process to identify teeth from other shark species commonly found along Florida’s beaches and riverbeds.

A key aspect of the project is its annual professional development workshops, where 76 middle school teachers collaborate with paleontologists, education researchers and engineers to create standards-based lesson plans. Priority is

LESSONS AT THE UF WIND TUNNEL

When Zonnelle Hanley’s high school students returned to class last fall, they dove into hands-on, project-based lessons on how storms affect Florida’s northern coasts.

Thanks to the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Teacher Training Institute at the University of Florida, Hanley’s students studied storm-related vulnerabilities and resilience on the Gulf coast and the Atlantic coast. They also engaged in research, built models, examined ecosystems and reviewed Florida geography.

“Some of our students have not been out of Tallahassee,” Hanley told a group of her peers while she presented her lesson plan gleaned from a week of NHERI teacher training at UF last summer.

Hanley was one of six Florida high school educators selected to study at UF last summer. After four days, they left with extensive project-based lesson plans on wind resistance, new ways to think about STEM teaching and memories of trying to stay upright in a wind tunnel.

The fourth year of the five-year NHERI workshops, part of the NHERI experimental facility award, the 2024 session wrapped with presentations by the teachers demonstrating how, exactly,

given to educators from Title I schools to support low-income students with additional resources. The project also offers free access to customizable lesson plans and interactive machine learning models on its website.

Co-principal investigator Jeremy Waisome, Ph.D., the Thomas O. Hunter Rising Star Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education, guides students and teachers in developing and understanding machine learning models.

“This project helps us understand ways to integrate AI in science classrooms that are accessible, engaging and exciting,” Waisome said. “We believe this is foundational knowledge that can inspire students to consider careers in STEM.”

they will integrate those lessons–and UF resources—into their classrooms. They also spent time in UF’s wind hazard experimental facility on East Campus in northeast Gainesville. The facility — where the teachers battled high wind gusts in the tunnel — is one of seven NHERI facilities in the United States that support research on tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes, along with structural-damage mitigation and societal impacts.

High school educators and Kurt Gurley, Ph.D., interim director of Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, stand at UF’s wind tunnel on East Campus.

(Credit: Jeremy Waisome)

Exploring shark teeth. (Credit: Jeremy Waisome)

LEADING WITH LEARNING

EXCELLING IN LIFE

The Engineering Lifelong Learning Model is built on a bold, visionary framework. This four-phased pathway offers a continuous, experiential education journey designed to cultivate a future-ready workforce, strengthen academiaindustry partnerships and create a lasting societal impact by preparing Gator Engineers for every stage of their lives.

SALUTING OUR

TRAILBLAZERS

Interdisciplinary faculty members at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering continue to garner prestigious recognition for their contributions to science and engineering. With honors ranging from the National Academy of Medicine to the National Academy of Inventors, these accomplished individuals represent excellence across various

fields. Notably, several faculty members have been named Fellows of esteemed organizations.

View a full list of our faculty’s accomplishments online.

FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS (PECASE)

JUAN E. GILBERT NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD

LAURA KIM

DARPA YOUNG FACULTY AWARD

ALISON DUNN PRESIDENTAL EARLY CAREER AWARDS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS (PECASE)

CHRISTINE SCHMIDT NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE

PATRICK MUSGRAVE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE YOUNG INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM

PARISA RASHIDI PRESIDENTAL EARLY CAREER AWARDS

FAN REN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS

CAREER AWARDS

RINALDI-RAMOS

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

KYLE RIDING

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

LAKIESHA WILLIAMS BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SOCIETY

LEE MURFEE

AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

SCOTT WASHBURN

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

GHATU SUBHASH SOCIETY OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE

LILY ELEFTERIADOU

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

AYSEGUL GUNDUZ BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SOCIETY

IRIS V. RIVERO SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS

MEGAN BUTALA

IVAN RUCHKIN

ALEKSANDR KAZACHKOV

YINGYING WU

GE (GABY) OU

CARLOS

Ivana Parker, Ph.D.

WITH AN NIH PIONEER AWARD,

RESEARCHER TARGETS COMMON INFECTION

By Dave Schlenker

Armed with a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, University of Florida biomedical professor Ivana Parker, Ph.D., is targeting one of the most common — and dangerous — infections in women.

The prestigious 2024 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for High Risk, High Reward provides a five-year grant that will allow Parker to study Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and, ultimately, offer more effective personalized treatments.

“This award recognizes Ivana’s innovative approach in delineating the unique relationship between HIV and resident immune cells by combining AI and benchtop research using

diverse clinical samples,” said Cherie Stabler, chair of UF’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME ) with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Gathering samples from 400 women from all walks of life and corners of the globe, Parker and her team will analyze the effects and interactions of BV on immune cells and vaginal tissue.

“Bacterial Vaginosis is a driver of the HIV epidemic, increasing HIV risk up to 60%. BV is the most common vaginal condition among women of reproductive age,” noted Parker, a BME assistant professor.

Symptoms can cause extreme discomfort, including burning, vaginal malodor and itching.

BV also can increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-term birth and cervical cancer, Parker said. Global BV prevalence among women of reproductive age range is up to 29%, according to the World Health Organization. The percentage is higher among African American women.

“We are looking to understand how bacteria that live in the vagina contribute to HIV risk and the interaction of bacteria and immune cells,” said Parker, who worked at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention during her postdoctoral studies. These immune cells, called macrophages, can live in tissue for a long time, and few researchers have examined the effects of BV in the tissue, Parker contends. As of now, BV is usually treated with antibiotics.

“We’re also interested in understanding how the bacterial communities are different based on where people are from, race and ethnicity, or how people live. The treatments for BV right now aren’t great,” Parker said.

Parker and her graduate students are collecting vaginal swabs from local and global participants — young and old from many walks of life. Some samples will come from partners in Ghana and South Africa.

They want to understand the nuances of diverse groups, particularly black and Hispanic women who are more susceptible to BV and recurrent BV.

“We want to be able to use this to predict and create computational models and, for that, you need quite a bit of data,” Parker said.

“In this grant,” she added, “success will be understanding the role macrophages may play in HIV risk. Are there certain bacteria that increase the macrophage’s ability to be a reservoir for HIV? Success would be unveiling an important mechanism that has not been studied that allows us to understand how immune cells and bacteria interact to increase HIV risk.”

Parker will take all the inputs and use UF’s supercomputer, HiPerGator, to predict inflammatory markers based on a person’s bacterial make-up.

“We are also trying to understand what is healthy, as well,” Parker said. “That is another question. You have all these different groups of bacteria, and you have women who may have been diagnosed with BV, but they have no symptoms. They seem like they’re fine.”

Established in 2004, the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award supports highly innovative researchers who propose bold and unusual research projects with broad scientific impacts, according to the NIH.

“Ivana’s NIH Pioneer Award highlights the transformative potential of her work, and we are incredibly proud to support her as she advances both scientific knowledge and health

outcomes for women,” Stabler said. “Ivana’s contributions inspire our community and underscore our commitment to impactful research at UF BME.”

In October, Parker also won the inaugural A. Oveta Fuller Award, which honors emerging leaders working in microbiology and immunology, infectious disease or health disparities. A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D., who died in 2022, was a virologist and the first Black woman hired in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan.

“We were impressed with the clear parallels between Dr. Parker’s work and Dr. Fuller’s legacy. We are delighted that Dr. Parker shares Dr. Fuller’s passion for research that impacts marginalized communities and public health,” noted Beth Moore, Ph.D., the Nancy Williams Walls Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan.

In 2018–2019, Parker was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she worked to alleviate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Parker’s other accolades include the 2023 UF 40 under 40 Award and a UF International Center Global Fellowship in 2021.

TEST KIT HIV HOME YOUR FOR

By Ada Lang

A new, easy-to-use HIV-detection test kit being developed at the University of Florida using advanced CRISPR technology shows promise as an early warning alarm system that could save millions of lives.

While at-home test kits have become increasingly common for various health screenings, innovations in HIV testing have been limited. Current HIV tests are effective only several weeks after infection, which could lead to unintentional transmission.

Piyush Jain, Ph.D., an associate professor at UF’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and his team are finalizing their HIV infection-detection method. With results in minutes, the test will help patients receive treatment sooner and potentially lower the amount of virus in their bodies to undetectable levels.

“Our goal is to develop a test kit that is not only highly advanced but also user-friendly, like a reliable alarm that detects potential issues before they escalate,” said Jain, holder of the Shah Rising Star Professorship. “This research is crucial given

the staggering global impact of HIV and the critical need for early detection.”

With 1.3 million new cases of HIV and 630,000 HIVrelated deaths reported in 2022 by the World Health Organization (WHO), improving and simplifying how the virus is discovered in patients can reduce outbreaks and ultimately the number of deaths caused by HIV, Jain said.

The new CRISPR-based test kit aims to detect HIV RNA levels in patients using a small microfluidic device. The palm-size prototype allows someone to quickly check themselves after possible exposure. It can potentially test and detect results in just minutes.

With further refinement, the self-testing kit could be ready for use within five years in homes, doctor’s offices, community clinics or in the field like homeless shelters or outreach sites.

The research is funded by an approximately $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded over five years. The NIH provided $1.3 million for the initial three years of development, with an additional $1.5 million available for the next two years of clinical testing.

Jain’s preliminary work on HIV testing has shown promising results, and he noted that the newly funded project aligns with the WHO's ASSURED criteria for testing: affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid and robust, equipment-free and deliverable to end users.

CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is an innovative genetic technology that enables scientists to selectively alter the DNA of living organisms in laboratory settings. The technology uses naturally occurring genome editing systems found in bacteria.

PIYUSH JAIN, PH.D.

Equipped with a cutting-edge nanoparticle imaging technology, federal funds and a quest to quash pain, researchers at the University of Florida are working to revolutionize osteoarthritis treatments.

Central to the research is the Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) technology, a scanner with unparalleled precision in tracking nanoparticles in the body. With intravenously administered nanoparticles, the team uses the scanner to track how well the particles — with potential as diagnostic and therapeutic agents — reach inflamed joints.

“Osteoarthritis is a debilitating and degenerative joint disease with no current cure or effective long-term therapy,” said Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., an associate professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering and co-lead on the project. “Our research seeks to overcome the significant challenges in delivering therapeutics directly to the site of disease, which has hindered the success of many promising treatments.”

Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this research is a partnership between UF’s biomedical and chemical engineering researchers. Sharma’s co-principal investigator is Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. The team also is working with the University of Central Florida on this project.

The MPI scanner has been a transformative research tool at UF for years. It is one of five Magnetic Insight MPI scanners in North America, Rinaldi-Ramos said. And while the team is knee-deep in the osteoarthritis research, they hope the scanner will, one day, also track how well therapies and medications reach cancerous tumors.

With the osteoarthritis project, the test subjects will be mice with knee injuries. In this model, if the nanoparticle scanner can show the arrival of intravenously administered nanoparticles to the joint, then the researchers will seek to develop novel methods to monitor disease progression and deliver therapies without the need for direct injection into the joint.

TO IMPROVE RESEARCHERS GO

OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATMENTS

By Dave Schlenker and Candi Crimmins

“This technology helps inform the clinician on the best strategies to treat a patient,” Rinaldi-Ramos said.

Affecting more than 33 million adults in the United States, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s highly prevalent, and we have no therapy currently that is actually disease-modifying,” Sharma said. “Everything now is symptom management until someone needs a total joint replacement. Joint replacements are great for certain populations — the elderly and those strong enough to undergo the surgery — but it is not ideal for younger patients because of the lifespan of the implants. They also do not fully replicate the function of your joints.”

It is challenging to get therapies to the joint — what researchers refer to as bioavailability. Taking medicine orally may result in a small amount of the drug reaching the joint. Direct injections also are problematic; there are only so many times you can inject meds into the joint without tissue damage or infection.

The project’s grant is for two years. But success, Sharma said, may beget another timeline.

“Moving forward,” she said, “there are opportunities to apply this either in veterinary patients, as well as larger animal models that would be needed for getting approval to go into humans.”

Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, Ph.D., and Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., demonstrate how to load a sample into the Magnetic Particle Imaging nanoparticle scanner.

A DISEASE-PREDICTION DASHBOARD LOOKS TOWARD TROUBLED GULF WATERS

By Dave Schlenker

After deploying life-saving cholera-prediction systems in Africa and Asia, a University of Florida researcher is turning his attention to the pathogen-plagued waters off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

In the fight to end cholera deaths by 2030 — a goal set by the World Health Organization — UF researcher and professor Antar Jutla, Ph.D., has deployed his Cholera Risk Dashboard in about 20 countries, most recently in Kenya. Using NASA and NOAA satellite images and artificial intelligence algorithms, the dashboard is an interactive web interface that pinpoints areas ripe for thriving cholera bacteria.

It can predict cholera risk four weeks out, allowing early and proactive humanitarian efforts, medical preparation and health warnings. Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through

contaminated food and water; it causes severe intestinal issues and can be fatal if untreated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports between 21,000 and 143,000 cholera deaths each year globally.

Make no mistake, the Cholera Risk Dashboard saves lives, existing users contend.

His team now wants to set up a similar pathogen-monitoring and disease-prediction system for pathogenic bacteria in the warm, pathogen-fertile waters of the Gulf of America.

CLOSER TO HOME

Jutla is seeking funding to develop a pathogen-prediction model to identify dangerous bacteria in the Gulf to warn people — particularly rescue workers — to use protective gear or avoid

Antar Jutla, Ph.D.

contaminated areas. He envisions post-hurricane systems for the Gulf that will help the U.S. Navy/Coast Guard and other rescue workers make informed health decisions before entering the water.

And he wants UF to be at the forefront of this technology.

“If we have enough resources, I think within a year we should have a prototype ready for the Gulf,” said Jutla, an associate professor with UF’s Engineering School Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment. “We want to build that expertise here at UF for the entire Gulf of America.”

Jutla and his co-investigators have applied for a five-year, $4 million NOAA RESTORE grant to study pathogens known as vibrios off Florida’s West Coast and develop the Vibrio Warning System.

These vibrios in the Gulf can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. One alarming example is Vibrio vulnificus, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, a bacterium that often leads to amputations or death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported increases in vibrio infections in the Gulf region, particularly from 2000 to 2018. The warm and ecologically sensitive Gulf waters provide a thriving habitat for harmful pathogens.

“The grant builds directly on the success of our choleraprediction system,” Jutla noted. “By integrating AI technologies into public health decision-making, we would not only lead the nation but also become self-reliant in understanding the movement of environmentally sensitive pathogens, positioning ourselves as global leaders.”

LEARNING FROM PREPARING EARLY

Jutla’s dashboards are critical tools for global health and humanitarian officials, said Linet Kwamboka Nyang’au, a senior program manager for Data4Now, a United Nations initiative.

“Its timeliness, its predictiveness and its ease of access to the right data is a game changer in responding to outbreaks and preventing potentially catastrophic occurrences,” Kwamboka Nyang’au said.

Over the last few years, Jutla and several health/government leaders have been working to deploy the cholera-predictive dashboard.

“Our partnership with UF, the government of Kenya and others on the cholera dashboard is a life-saving mission for high-risk, extremely vulnerable populations in Africa. By predicting potential cholera outbreaks and coordinating multi-stakeholder interventions, we are enabling swift action and empowering local governments and communities to prevent crises before they unfold,” said Davis Adieno, senior director of programs for the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, a UN Foundation affiliate.

The early warnings for waterborne pathogens also allow the United Nations time to issue early assistance to residents in

the outbreak’s path, said Juan Chaves-Gonzalez, a program advisor with the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“There are several things we do with the money ahead of time. We provide hygiene kits. We repair and protect water sources. We start chlorination, we set up hand-washing stations, train and deploy rapid-response teams. At the community level, we try to inject funding to procure rapid-diagnostic tests,” he said.

“We identify those very, very specific barriers and put money in organizations’ hands in advance to remove those barriers.”

EYES ON THE GULF

In the United States, hurricanes stir up vibrios in the Gulf, posing a high risk of infection for humans in the water. There has been a nearly 200% increase in these cases over the last 20 years in the U.S., according to the CDC.

“After Hurricane Ian, we saw a very heavy presence of these vibrios in Sarasota Bay and the Charlotte Bay region. Not only that, but they were showing signs of antibiotic-resistance. Last year, we had one of the largest number of cases of vibriosis in the history of Florida,” Jutla said.

Samples from 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton are being analyzed with AI and complex bioinformatics algorithms.

“If there is a risky operation by rescue personnel, not using personal protective equipment, then we would want them to know there is a significant concentration of these bacteria in the water,” Jutla said. “As an example, Navy divers operating in contaminated waters are at risk of infections from vibrios and other enteric pathogens, which can cause severe gastrointestinal and wound infections.”

SAFETY AND ECONOMICS

“Exposure to vibrios and other enteric pathogens,” Jutla added, “can disrupt economic activities, particularly in coastal regions that are dependent on tourism and fishing. And vibrios may be considered potential bioterrorism agents due to their ability to cause widespread illness and panic.”

In developing the Vibrio Warning System, Jutla noted, he and his team want to significantly enhance public health safety and preparedness along the Gulf Coast. By leveraging advanced AI technologies, satellite datasets and predictive modeling, they plan to mitigate the risks posed by environmentally sensitive pathogenic bacteria, ensuring timely interventions and safeguarding human health and economic activities.

“Hospital systems and healthcare providers in the Gulf region will have a tool for anticipatory decision making on where and when to anticipate illness from these environmentally sensitive vibrios and issue a potential warning to the general public,” he said. “With the potential to become a leader in environmental pathogen prediction, UF stands at the forefront of this critical research, poised to make a lasting impact on local, regional, national and global health and safety.”

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION

Christine Schmidt is a researcher, professor, chocolate dealer and one of UF’s brightest stars.

By Dave Schlenker, Karen Dooley and Tina Banner

NEB 363 tells many stories.

This is the office of Christine Schmidt, Ph.D., one of the University of Florida’s most celebrated researchers and the Pruitt Family Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering. She was the highly sought-after former chair of the department who, in 2024, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering.

Those are career-defining awards that elbow for room with other trophies on shelves stuffed with toy UF gators, University of Texas (UT) longhorn awards, books and family photos. Lots and lots of family photos. On her desk is a gumball machine, more gators, a lava lamp, a LEGO scientist and a candy dish — with full bars — for stressed colleagues and students.

These stories frame the rich life of a distinguished professor, researcher and parent of two UF engineering students and a high schooler who knits caps for cancer patients.

She loves escape rooms, cooking classes, geocaching, geckos, gadgets and the occasional margarita.

She is also a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Society for the

Advancement of Science, the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering. She also holds 39 U.S. patents.

‘I ENDED UP WITH A BUNCH OF WET STRING’

The daughter of a concrete company manager and a bookkeeper, Schmidt grew up in Texas. She loved the outdoors, math and chemistry. In high school, she combined those worlds in a science fair project that showcased copepods she plucked out of creeks.

“I looked at how they adapted to changes in salinity,” she recalled of the tiny crustaceans. “I would go out and catch these things and put them in little dishes. I had a string that would attach one dish to another dish; one would have changes in salinity, so I would see if they would migrate.”

The results?

“I think I ended up with a bunch of wet string, but there was a certain level of tolerance,” she said. “The next year, I looked at the run-off of a local dump into creeks near neighborhoods.”

That project also took her to the International Science and Engineering Fair, where scientists grilled her on research that outlined real health risks.

“That cinched it. I really liked the process of exploring questions and answering questions,” she recalled.

‘I WAS THE ONLY WOMAN IN THAT GROUP’

She enrolled at UT as an “undecided.”

“I was talking to one of the advisers, who was a chemical engineering professor, and he said, ‘Just take my class,’” she said.

She took it, loved it and set a path in chemical engineering research in the mid 1980s.

“I was the only woman in that group. The lab was filled with posters of women in bikinis. Nobody thought anything of this. I fought back,” she recalled. “I had this one poster of the Soloflex guy, and I put a poster of a Monet over it. The professor finally says, ‘Guys, it’s probably not appropriate to have all these

Schmidt Lab team members (from left) Amanda De Castro Jurasky and Gopal Agarwal.

Christine Schmidt, Ph.D., in her office surrounded by career-defining awards, toy gators, books and family photos.

posters of women in here. Look at Christine. She’s bringing some class to this place.’ He pointed to the Monet.”

When he left, she lifted up the Monet to reveal a poster of the Soloflex hottie.

“We all burst out laughing,” she recalled, “and I said, ‘Guys, I can dish it out as much as you can dish it out.’”

After graduating from UT, Schmidt earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She returned to UT as the first female professor in chemical engineering, where her research gravitated toward biological applications.

‘THAT’S HELPED OVER 100,000 PATIENTS’

Schmidt was fascinated by cell movement and how that could help damaged nerves and wounds.

“You have cells in the body, and they actually move around,” she said. “You don’t think about that, but when you have an injury, those cells are closing the wound.”

Schmidt’s research on neural regeneration eventually resulted in a biochemically processed nerve graft. It was licensed to Axogen Inc. in  Alachua, Florida. The AVANCE nerve graft is available to treatment centers and hospitals globally.

“That’s helped over 100,000 patients now,” she said. Her research also led to a startup company, Alafair Biosciences, which develops materials to help post-operative adhesions. The Alafair material her research helped develop has been used in over 25,000 implants.

“Alafair was founded to commercialize technology from Dr. Schmidt’s lab,” said Sarah Mayes, Ph.D., one of Schmidt’s former students at UT who is now chief scientific officer and co-founder of Alafair.

‘SHE REALLY PUT US ON THE RADAR’

Schmidt’s work at UT caught the attention of Cammy Abernathy, Ph.D., then the dean of UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Abernathy was looking for a department chair to take UF’s biomedical engineering program to the next level.

“We needed someone who had a clear vision of what biomedical sciences can be, someone who has a real eye for talent, is a good mentor and a good recruiter. Someone who knew what excellence looks like,” Abernathy said. “When Christine came across our radar, she clearly stood out as someone who would be an outstanding addition.”

As chair of UF’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering from 2013 to 2023, Schmidt recruited 24 faculty members to the department and tripled research expenditures per faculty member.

“She really put us on the radar,” Abernathy said. “She did an excellent job recruiting a diverse faculty. We were successfully competing against some of the top programs in the country for talent, which is a testament to her reputation, her eye for talent and her ability to recruit and mentor.”

Schmidt continues to head UF’s Schmidt Lab for Biomimetic Materials & Neural Engineering, which focuses on materials and therapeutic systems to stimulate damaged peripheral and spinal neurons to regenerate.

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STRENGTHENING GLOBAL HEALTH & SECURITY IN A CONNECTED WORLD DIGITAL DEFENSE

By Kevin Butler,Karen Dooley, Lauren Gonzalez, Moriah Henderson, Dave Schlenker and Naomi Villa

As cyber threats grow, innovations in cybersecurity, semiconductors, national security and IoT are critical to protecting infrastructure, data and public safety.

Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research

University of Florida cybersecurity professor Kevin Butler, Ph.D., developed the framework that helps countries prevent fraud and abuse on mobile cash apps. Cash apps are the prominent form of banking in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia, and they can leave people vulnerable to losing their life savings.

As mobile-money services were growing at a rapid clip in the developing world 10 years ago, UF cybersecurity experts and professors in the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering Butler and Patrick Traynor, Ph.D., were early sentinels, raising concerns about the lack of security that could lead to real problems for the user.

In a 2014 study, the two professors uncovered security vulnerabilities of mobile cash apps, especially in the Global South, where such technologies were becoming essential in the absence of robust banking systems.

“Our early work uncovered issues of security and privacy when

using finance apps,” said Butler, director of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research. “We showed these apps could be hacked, and the consumer has no recourse. We’re often talking about populations where they have very little money to start with, so any type of hack could wipe them out.”

Butler and his colleagues have developed a comprehensive framework for securing mobile money applications that earlier this year was ratified and endorsed by the International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations-specialized agency, marking a significant step toward safer digital financial transactions worldwide. All United Nations member states voted to endorse these recommendations.

The framework includes 120 detailed recommendations and controls designed to systematically secure every facet of the financial ecosystem, ensuring comprehensive protection for users and transactions. While the recommendations are non-binding, they are widely followed by telecom providers due

to their high quality and the interoperability they provide among networks.

Butler said their work focused on all stakeholders in the digital finance ecosystem, including the user with a smartphone, the phone manufacturer who is responsible for the security of the phone, the cellular networks, base stations, telecommunications providers and third-party regulators.

“We addressed each of the participants and identified what threats they face and the risks, and we provided recommendations for ensuring those risks are mitigated through the system,” Butler said.

Mobile transactions through apps (like those used in the United States, including PayPal and Zelle) are important to people who don’t have easy access to banking. In fact, mobile money transactions account for about 59% of the gross domestic product in Kenya, according to a Forbes report. A similar trend is taking place in South America, Asia and India, Butler said.

Butler and Traynor’s research revealed a variety of vulnerabilities, including a popular payment app based in India that appeared to use encryption to protect user data but failed to do so securely. They found the app transmitted sensitive data to its server without encryption, only encrypting it afterward. This lapse in protection could expose users’ personal information to potential theft during the unprotected transmission step.

Another app used encryption but relied on a weak key — a fixed series of eight characters followed by the user’s phone and account numbers — making it easy for attackers to decode.

“We looked at this from many angles and created the list of recommended controls to thoroughly safeguard all parts of the digital finance network,” Butler said.

With the digital finance security framework complete, Butler is working to help deploy the recommendations, meeting with stakeholders in several countries. He recently presented best practices for secure mobile banking systems in Jakarta. He also co-chaired the Security, Infrastructure, and Trust Working Group under the Financial Inclusion Global Initiative, a collaboration involving the United Nations, World Bank and Bank for International Settlements.

Additionally, the International Telecommunications Union is conducting security clinics across Sub-Saharan Africa that incorporate many of the document’s recommendations. Clinics have already been held in Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, aimed at empowering local stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance the security of mobile money applications.

“By fostering collaboration and providing targeted training, the International Telecommunications Union is helping to bolster the resilience of the financial ecosystem in these regions,” Butler said.

Florida Institute for National Security

When Engineering graduates attain jobs with the government, defense contractors, or any company that requires authorizations to work, they usually do not hit the ground running on Day 1. Or Day 2. Or Month 12.

The authorization process for new employees can take up to a year, which causes considerable problems for employers eager to integrate newly acquired talent and for graduates eager to put their degrees to work.

But a University of Florida program piloted by the Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) is eliminating these background delays for participating undergraduates of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Now in its second semester, the FINS Talent Pipeline (FTP) not only pre-screens students for national defense jobs but also provides mentors and connects students to prospective employers early in their undergraduate studies.

The goal: By the time they graduate, undergraduate students will have jobs they can start immediately.

“The problem is when you have graduates coming out of college and getting jobs with, say, the federal government or defense contractors in positions that require authorization. But the process takes a significant amount of time,” said UF professor Damon Woodard, Ph.D., FINS director and FTP lead.

“Background screening can take upwards of a year,” he added.

“They can’t start working until that process is completed, causing productivity issues. In some cases, the employer might lose the new employee because they are waiting and waiting.

Graduates will say, ‘Well, maybe I can just go get another job.’”

FTP is funded by a strategic grant from the UF president’s office and is designed to increase UF’s profile in national security.

The program is anchored by sessions that focus on navigating the employment landscape, zeroing in on specific employer needs and working closely with companies — including local — who rely on top-quality UF Engineering graduates, particularly Lockheed Martin, Leidos and L3 Harris Technologies.

“First and foremost, the FINS FTP program addresses talent shortages in areas of national need, specifically artificial intelligence and security,” noted UF professor Domenic Forte, Ph.D., associate director of FINS and a key player in the FTP initiative.

There are more than 457,000 cybersecurity job openings in the United States, according to cyberseek.org. The growing need for increased cybersecurity protection is driving much of the demand for qualified Engineering graduates. The

global cybersecurity workforce grew by 12.6% between 2022 and 2023, but a significant talent shortage remains. The cybersecurity industry needs 4 million workers worldwide, according to the World Economic Forum.

“Delays in filling critical roles or hiring unsuitable candidates can be costly for companies, particularly when authorized personnel are essential. The FINS Talent Pipeline program reduces the financial burden of long authorization processing times or employee turnover, leading to cost savings for public and private sector organizations,” added Forte.

“The program involves partnerships between industry and UF, helping to align educational curricula with the specific needs of the security industry.”

In the FTP sessions, students are trained on UF’s supercomputer, HiPerGator, and delve into undergraduate research, specifically AI and its relationship with national security.

“We are very focused on artificial intelligence for national security, which makes these students very attractive to various employers,” Woodard said.

Katherine Adams, the Florida Institute for National Security Talent Pipeline Program Lead.

FTP students are trained in technical writing, oral communication and pitching ideas.

“This is as important as their technical ability,” Woodard said. “I tell the students you may be in an elevator with a CEO one day, and you have two minutes to tell them what you are working on.”

Another critical element is early networking with potential employers.

There were 15 students in the program during the 2024 fall semester, and Woodard hopes to double that as the program evolves. Plus, Woodard noted, companies have been inquiring about instituting an FTP program at the graduate-school level.

For now, FTP accepts applications from domestic students from all engineering majors in their second or third year.

“Throughout the program, I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible faculty and professionals who possess extensive experience working in government, industry and entrepreneurship,” said FTP student Paige Anderson, a senior computer science major from Ohio who plans to go to graduate school.

With a background in national security, Woodard contends the initiative will continue to make UF graduates more attractive to companies with big stakes and high salaries.

“I guess this is a little bit of an obsession for me,” he said. “Working with these organizations over the years, I have a pretty good idea of what’s needed, and we need as many people as possible. National security affects everyone, so I think this is a golden opportunity for UF.”

Florida Semiconductor Institute

The Florida Semiconductor Institute (FSI), headquartered at the University of Florida, is leading a transformative movement in semiconductor technology. Serving as the statewide hub for research, development and workforce initiatives, FSI is driving Florida toward global leadership in specialty electronics. As technology evolves, so too does the need for cutting-edge solutions in fields ranging from healthcare to cybersecurity. With its wealth of expertise in emerging materials, chip design, process development, microsystems, heterogeneous integration, advanced packaging and cybersecurity, FSI is pioneering research that will have far-reaching impacts across industries.

In collaboration with UF faculty, FSI is tackling critical global issues, such as counterfeit chip detection — a crucial issue in national security — and advanced medical technologies aimed at treating neurodegenerative diseases, pain and mental health disorders.

Navid Asadi, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), director of the SCAN Lab, associate director of the Micro-Electronics Security Training (MEST) Center and R&D deputy director of FSI, and his team work on developing advanced detection methods for counterfeit chips, including physical examination, reverse engineering and vulnerability analysis. They examine the IC package exterior, interior and range via visual inspection and high-tech imaging solutions that require X-ray microscopy, infrared imaging, transmission electron microscopy (TEMs), focused ion beams (FIBs), THz imaging, Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and more.

FSI’s collaboration with the UF Nanoscience Institute for Medical and Engineering Technology (NIMET) is pushing boundaries of medical technology. Researchers, including Jack Judy, Ph.D., director of NIMET and FSI’s deputy director for workforce development, are developing advanced bioelectronic interfaces to interact with the human nervous system. These interfaces were originally designed for the semiconductor

Located on the first floor of the Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology, the FSI lab offers stateof-the-art equipment in a hands-on environment for students and collaborators.

industry but are now being adapted to treat conditions like neurodegenerative diseases, chronic pain and addiction.

Adam Khalifa, Ph.D. ECE assistant professor and FSI faculty member, is working on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop medical procedures more precise and less invasive with wireless microdevices that can be injected rather than surgically implanted. These devices use electrical stimulation to treat diseases like Parkinson’s, epilepsy and mental health disorders.

Khalifa was awarded a $1.5 million New Innovator Award last fall. This award supports creative early career investigators to pursue innovative, high-impact projects.

At the heart of these three innovations is advanced

semiconductor packaging, which enables devices to be smaller, more efficient and more reliable. With bioelectronics, microdevices and imaging technologies, semiconductor packaging is crucial for making these advancements applicable in real-world settings to address global health and safety needs. As the world moves toward an increasingly digital future, FSI is

driving research and development in healthcare, cybersecurity and energy. It is shaping the future of the semiconductor industry and ensuring that Florida remains a global hub for high-tech solutions.

FSI is not only advancing semiconductor technology but is also helping define a healthier, safer and more connected world.

National Science Foundation

Center for Privacy & Security of Marginalized & Vulnerable Populations

Computing systems and services have become ubiquitous in modern society and are deeply embedded in people’s daily lives. However, as practices and technologies for computing security and privacy emerge in this rapidly changing technological landscape, the needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations have been largely unaddressed, as have the consequences of their exclusion.

Only recently have we seen initial work to characterize the security and privacy needs of users in marginalized and vulnerable communities and to understand the unique threats and risks they face. These independent investigations that tailor analysis toward individual populations are necessary, but they do not provide a holistic means to comprehensively systematize the similarities and differences in the security and privacy needs of marginalized communities. This limits our ability to design security interventions to protect the most marginalized of users.

The Center for Privacy and Security of Marginalized and Vulnerable Populations funded by the National Science Foundation focuses on examining three major themes: assessing the security and privacy needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations, informing and co-creating solutions that intersect with current and emerging technologies, and systematizing and applying foundational design principles.

The first area involves quantitative and qualitative humancentered research methods and direct community input to address the unique challenges and needs of different populations. The second area involves identifying how technology can be leveraged or reimagined to address these needs through methodologies that consider security and privacy goals for systems and data. The final area involves iteratively synthesizing lessons and experiences from the previous two areas to support integrating security, privacy and safety needs of marginalized and vulnerable populations into future technology design and researcher efforts.

The project creates a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary effort to develop a holistic approach to security and privacy for marginalized and vulnerable populations. Ambitious goals include creating security and privacy design principles that can mitigate harm and improve the benefit of technology for those populations. These principles are based on strong technical foundations, social science theory and direct collaboration with the communities; they are synthesized through sustained investigation of different marginalized populations and their needs and the existing and emerging technologies with which they interact.

PRISM is led by Kevin Butler, Ph.D., along with UF investigators Eakta Jain, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE), and Patrick Traynor, Ph.D., the interim CISE department chair and a professor. Current research at the center includes projects by several Ph.D. students: Ana Crowder studies censorship measurement and user experience with deepfake audio under the guidance of Butler; Magdalena Pasternak, also advised by Butler, is focusing on cybersecurity; and Ethan Wilson, advised by Jain, is exploring computer graphics, computer vision and machine learning.

The PRISM team is comprised of three faculty from the University of Florida, two from the University of Washington, two from Indiana University Bloomington and one from the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems.

Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World

In recent years, there has been a significant push toward greater connectivity, increased automation and the smarter utilization of technology to revolutionize industries, particularly through the Internet of Things (IoT).

But how do we know connected devices are safe, secure and efficient? How can we create smarter and connected communities while reducing hazards, mitigating cybersecurity threats and improving global well-being? The Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World is working to address these concerns.

or AIoT. The institute’s mission centers around developing groundbreaking AIoT solutions and their innovative applications to address global challenges.

“Most of what we do at the Nelms Institute is focused around developing better, safer, more efficient connected devices and networks in the sphere of AIoT,” said Swarup Bhunia, Ph.D., director of the Nelms Institute. “And when we take those technologies and apply them in novel and exciting ways, we can make a really big global impact.”

The institute is advancing research, education and outreach in core aspects of IoT technology and its convergence with artificial intelligence, known as Artificial Intelligence of Things

TECHNOLOGY FOR MEDICINE & FOOD SAFETY

Nelms research spans a wide range of topics with applications in public health, construction, energy, agriculture, manufacturing and workforce development.

Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) technology is revolutionizing global health and safety by providing innovative solutions to critical challenges. This advanced spectroscopy technique allows for noninvasive, on-site detection of illegal substances and authentication of pharmaceutical substances. It serves as a powerful tool to combat illegal distribution of controlled substances as well as counterfeit and tampered medications, packaged foods and supplements in modern supply chains.

“NQR offers a transformative solution for low-cost chemical analysis that ensures safety and authenticity,” said Kelsey Horace-Herron, a Ph.D. student in the Nelms Institute. “Its potential to impact our medicine, food and supplement sectors on a global scale is unmatched.”

WEARABLE SENSORS FOR POST-SURGERY PATIENT SAFETY

Bhunia is collaborating with R. James Toussaint, M.D., chief of UF’s foot and ankle division in the department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, to develop a system of wearable sensors to help with post-surgery care and remote monitoring for foot and ankle patients.

The sensors, which can be inserted into the sole of a shoe or pasted on a limb, can measure things like pressure, temperature and force, ensuring patients are following post-surgery care instructions. With real-time alerts, doctors and patients would be able to correct any missteps to facilitate better healing. This unique sensor system could even be applied to a wide range of other uses, such as performance measurements in sports and real-time feedback in fitness training.

Right: The non-intrusive NQR-based authentication system.

Left: The sensor shown as it might be worn in a patient’s shoe.

TEACHING VETERANS

By Dave Schlenker

In Spring 2024, 11 U.S. veterans gathered at the University of Florida to learn how to hack into computer systems. With the intensity and persistence of a shady cyber-criminal, the Florida veterans learned — through trial and much error — how to invade protected computer networks and become serious cyber-security threats.

What’s more, they were very good at it.

“You cannot learn how to hack without actually hacking. They learned how to hack in way that is safe for them and safe for society,” said Sandip Ray, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, who led the group of military veterans to study hardware security.

The three-year project is called Pivots: VETS-HASTE: Veterans SkillBridge through Industry-Based Hardware Security Training and Education. It is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation and is led by Ray, director of Industry Programs at the Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World, and Wanli Xing of the College of Education.

The study teaches veterans in-demand skills in a chaotic cyber-world that is constantly under attack from crafty hackers. This is an intense program that hosted the veterans on campus for a week and had them working on home studies through the fall with access to UF resources, including Ray.

Next will be three-month internships with businesses anxious to hire additional cybersecurity experts. After that, the veterans will have the skills, the experience, the resume and the

confidence for the workforce, said Ray holder of the Warren B. Nelms Endowed Professorship.

“This is something that has a humongous amount of promise,” Ray said. “It’s not just hardware security. We have to do something for veterans as they transition to civilian life. We need the workforce, and here are well-disciplined people.”

Working with Veterans Florida, UF selected from 300 VETS-HASTE applicants.

“It was an extremely hard job to find 11 out of 300,” Ray said. “We really didn’t like that we had to reduce it so much. We are trying to get more funding, so hopefully, in the next couple of years, we will have a bigger program.”

Andre Yates, an Army veteran from Fort Lauderdale who fixed weapons during two tours in Afghanistan, was thrilled he made the cut.

“When I saw the information on HASTE, I thought, ‘That sounds exactly like what

I am trying to find,” he said during a video-taped interview.

“I can use my hands and still be current with technology. The goal is to learn, gather experience and keep moving forward in this field. I’m kind of hungry when it comes to this right now,” he said with smile, “so learning is a top priority.”

Ray said the time on campus went better than expected, meaning the veterans caught on very quickly and worked hard to keep up with the program’s pace.

“The whole idea was to have a very intensive one-week in-person session,” he said. “The in-person part being so intense, the expectation is that somebody with very little familiarity with the topic will be independent after one week.”

“They need to understand how the hardware can be hacked and how to prevent those hackings,” he said.

“Hacking is not a science. It is kind of an art. The thing with hacking is you will try, you will fail, but you learn from the failure to do something better.”

IN PLAIN SIGHT

By Drew Brown

Steganography, the art of concealing secret messages within other pieces of text or media, has been in practice for centuries. Its history dates to Ancient Greece, but the first recorded use of the term was in 1499 in a book disguised as a book about magic titled Steganographia. Even today, this method remains relevant, with people altering images to hide messages by changing pixels and encoding the information. A computer can then compare the two images and decipher the hidden message for the recipient. However, traditional methods of using steganographic images have a significant flaw: An adversary can find the original image, making it possible to compare it with the image containing the hidden message. This comparison allows them to decode the message and potentially compromise the sender's security. Luke Bauer, a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida conducting research at the Florida Institute of Cybersecurity Research (FICS), is working to eliminate this vulnerability by developing an innovative approach that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) image generation.

THE FUTURE OF STEGANOGRAPHY

Bauer's innovative research focuses on using AI to create images that already contain hidden messages, eliminating the need for a comparison between the original and encoded images. This means that a message sender can upload the hidden message to public platforms without arousing suspicion, making it difficult for an adversary to identify the post containing the encoded message. Meanwhile, the message receiver can decipher the hidden message using the same AI model, without requiring specialized software.

Bauer is driven by the real-world applications of his research, particularly in situations where people face danger or live under oppressive regimes with strict censorship. He hopes that his work can provide a valuable tool for those seeking to communicate secretly. Bauer's initial research focused

on steganography through text utilizing large language models was conducted as part of the DARPA Resilient Anonymous Communication for Everyone (RACE) project, in partnership with Galois, a company that leverages research to deliver solutions and tools that increase security, reliability and operational efficiency. Galois has continued to develop the project and plans to release an app, making it accessible to a broader audience. Applying the knowledge gained from this research to images was a natural next step in the process of furthering steganographic techniques through the use of AI.

“Generative models were just beginning to take off when I began my Ph.D. Although there were obvious uses for them as personal or commercial tools, I wished to examine how they could be used to help people,” Bauer said. “Through my research here at FICS, I was able to discover and improve ways that these models could be used to protect people's privacy, freedom of expression and safety.”

Bauer's fascination with cybersecurity began during his undergraduate studies at Duke University, where he took a class on hardening systems against attacks. This interest led him to work on steganography with his advisor, Vincent Bindschaedler, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering.

“Despite numerous challenges in his Ph.D. journey, Luke has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to research. In fact, his unending efforts and tenacity were instrumental for the project's success,” Bindschaedler said.

Bauer’s previous research explored another form of steganography by hiding messages in text through large language models. He plans to continue this line of research by incorporating steganographic audio and video AI generation, further expanding the possibilities of secure communication.

The Hurricane Research team installing storm-monitoring towers called Sentinels.

How UF’s Storm Teams Captured Hurricane Helene in Real Time THE EYE

By Dave Schlenker

ENGINEERING I

In the final hours before deadly Hurricane Helene made landfall in September, research teams from the University of Florida scrambled up Florida’s west coast in a two-day blitz to set up stormmonitoring equipment that will provide valuable insights into environmental, structural and human survival.

On Sept. 25 — the day before Helene slammed into the Big Bend — about a dozen UF faculty members, staff and graduate students from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering arrived at Cedar Key’s beach to install one of two UF-developed storm-monitoring towers called Sentinels. These 33-foot-tall devices collect data on wind, storm surge, waves, and water quality before, during and after a hurricane makes landfall.

The towers report data to researchers in real time. The goal is to analyze the data collected on wind, storm surge and water impacts that could be used to mitigate coastal damage, property damage and structural vulnerabilities that could endanger life.

This was the Sentinels’ first full deployment — a “landmark moment,” noted Forrest Masters, Ph.D., the college’s interim dean, who helped launch the program and design the Sentinel.

“This is a first-of-its-kind monitoring station developed by civil, coastal and environmental engineers in our program to measure the dangerous effects of wind, storm surge, and waves on civil infrastructure,” Masters said from Cedar Key.

As that team was erecting the Sentinels, another UF-led team was spreading out across Cedar Key, Horseshoe Beach and Suwannee to place wave gages, water-pressure sensors, and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure water levels, waves, and the pace of the water.

The team also used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems and drones to document detailed pre-storm conditions.

Nina Stark, Ph.D., an associate professor with UF’s Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering, led a team from the Nearshore Extreme Events Nearshore

Extreme Events Reconnaissance (NEER) Association and collaborated with the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) RAPID facility team, both funded by the National Science Foundation, collecting storm data before and during the storm.

Both teams wrapped up in Cedar Key around noon on Sept. 25. The Sentinel team then hustled up the coast to deploy a second Sentinel tower on Mashes Sands Beach in Panacea, very close to where Helene’s eye was expected to hit the following day.

They arrived back in Gainesville that evening, and about a dozen Hurricane Research team members hit the road again at 5 a.m. the next day to install two portable wind towers, one at Taylor Correctional Institution in Taylor County, the other off U.S. 98 in Wakulla County.

In Cedar Key, the Sentinel recorded wind speeds of up to 85 mph with about 6.5 feet of storm surge.

Less than two weeks later, the same team deployed again along Florida’s west coast hours before Hurricane Milton hit. The Sentinel was set up for Milton at Holmes Beach and recorded wind speeds of up to 106 mph.

UF researchers have used the wind towers during earlier storms. The wind towers are designed for inland measurements, while the Sentinels are designed for wind, water, floods and other severe coastal conditions and can withstand about 16 feet of storm surge. For both hurricanes, the team placed the inland wind towers as close to the storm track as possible before the conditions became unsafe.

“The Sentinel at Cedar Key provided a critical live data stream,” said Brian Phillips, Ph.D., the project lead and an associate professor with the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering. “We were watching it as the storm approached and made landfall. NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] had access to it and quoted our wind-speed measurements on the official updates. It made an immediate impact.”

UF researchers continue to analyze the results.

“The Sentinels gave us important data. They survived structurally and performed exactly to our expectations,” Phillips said, noting this is the first time UF researchers have collocated wind and storm surge data together at the point of landfall.

“Now we can see how much wind is contributing to the surge and how the waves are affecting the wind measurements. There is an interaction between the wind and waves, and now we have a lot more data with a better understanding,” he added. “We’re very excited to see what kind of data we will get with this because it will help us to interpret the observed damage. Ultimately, the data will be used to help reduce the loss of life and property during extreme wind events.”

Top: A team from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering installs a storm-monitoring tower the day before Hurricane Helene slammed into Cedar Key. Middle: The team moves the tower, called Sentinel, to its base. Bottom: UF’s Scott Powell, left, discusses raising Sentinel with other team members.

Stark also was pleased with the performance of her equipment, noting all but one of the devices provided data.

“At some locations in Cedar Key, even further back along [State Road] 24, we saw water levels at 3.5 meters above what low tide would be,” she said. “These are very severe heights.”

Stark’s data collection before, during and after the storm looks at coastal damages, failures and impacts, and the processes leading to those; they can provide data on erosion around building foundations, for example.

Meanwhile, Phillips’ team is applying the Sentinel and tower data to points inland. The best use of their data will be in storm preparedness; Before people pick sunny spots and build structures on the coast, they need to know the risks of storm surge. Data UF collected from Helene helps researchers know what loads buildings can withstand in specific locations.

“We now have full-scale field data on surge, waves and wind, a step toward simulating and re-creating these hazards in numerical models and in laboratory experiments,” Phillips said.

The Sentinel placement was a personal victory for Masters, who, prior to becoming interim dean, was knee-deep in coastal, wind and storm-mitigation research. The Sentinels started with his vision, and he watched the first installation like a proud papa.

“After years of preparation and hard work, watching this project come to life, collecting valuable data in real time, is a huge milestone for all of us,” Masters said. “It’s more than just research — it’s a culmination of passion and our strong desire to understand hurricanes better to make coastal communities more resilient to wind and water hazards.”

INVESTIGATING WITH LASERS AND WIND

By Dave Schlenker

In October 2024, a film crew from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) visited the University of Florida’s wind-hazard research facility as part of its investigation into the building and infrastructure failure in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The NIST researchers collaborated with UF structural engineering researcher Brian Phillips, Ph.D., associate professor with the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE). Using fog machines, adjustable wind speeds and green lasers, the crew examined the wind effects on a model of Hospital Bella Vista in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The idea was to visualize hurricane-force winds moving through regional topography and buildings using the model in the wind tunnel. The crew filmed into the night, watching as the laser-lit fog wrapped around the hospital model in high winds generated at the facility.

The wind-hazard research facility is in Powell Family Structure and Materials Laboratory on UF’s East Campus.

The research team installing the tower for the sentinel.

BOD3 ARRIVES IN THE GATOR NATION

3D CONSTRUCTION PRINTER TO PROVIDE KEY LESSONS ON HOMEBUILDING

By Dave Schlenker

One of the country’s largest and most-advanced 3D construction printers — as in a printer that makes homes — has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived at the University of Florida.

Manufactured by COBOD International in Denmark, the twostory printer was shipped in pieces to the Port of Savannah in Georgia in 2024. It now lives in “The Pit” (Weil Hall Structures and Materials Lab), a large industrial space in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering on the main campus.

Make no mistake, UF’s new BOD3 is a big deal in size, scope and significance.

This is COBOD’s newest 3D construction printer, the first of its third-generation models sold in the United States. Collectively, the primary three elements — mixer/cement silo, concrete piston pump and the 3D-printer components — weigh 27,000 pounds.

“The opportunities for the interplay of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and smart manufacturing will be one of a kind in the country,” said Iris V. Rivero, Ph.D., the Paul and Heidi Brown Preeminent Chair in Industrial & Systems Engineering who launched the effort to secure the 3D printer.

With UF’s access to the Space Coast, vast areas of shoreline and infrastructure needs, the university will be the hub of innovation in Industrial Manufacturing Construction Engineering.

“UFs Industrial & Systems Engineering department will lead the path defining one-of-a-kind, infrastructure-driven interdisciplinary research and education,” she added.

The printer will be incorporated into curriculum for multiple departments in the College of Engineering, including lessons and projects in construction, manufacturing, materials, data analytics and operations research, structural health monitoring, coastal resilience, safety, design and sustainability.

UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP) offers an advanced construction technology course dedicated to teaching students about the fundamentals of 3D printing, including material selection, design processes and printing techniques, noted Joey Mazzaferro, DCP’s director of communications.

The development of the DCP 3D-printing course is supported by a successful National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal with a focus on construction — the first of its kind at a university — demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to incorporating advanced construction technologies into the curriculum, said Chaofeng Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of AI in the Built Environment at UF's M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Construction Management.

“We are collaborating with the College of Engineering to expand this course, reaching more students interested in these innovations,” Wang said. “The acquisition of this new 3D printer will bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry experience, while also driving research in additive manufacturing, material science and construction automation.”

Aladdin Alwisy, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Rinker School of Construction Management, said the technology

has the potential to become a viable alternative to traditional concrete and steel construction.

“We aim to enhance the quality, speed and applicability of 3D-printed structures for various building types and heights,” he added.

Forrest Masters, Ph.D., UF’s interim engineering dean, looks forward to seeing the printer’s impact on curriculum, research and tangible industry outcomes.

“The addition of this cutting-edge equipment will distinguish UF from its peers by offering unique experiential learning opportunities,” Masters said. “UF remains at the forefront of addressing industry needs, and through the introduction of our new Industrialized Construction program, the 3D printer will exemplify the latest advancements in technology aimed at addressing critical societal challenges.”

While new and relatively rare in the United States, 3D printing in construction is gaining ground in the industry. The machines print structures by layering rows of wet concrete with a nozzle moved by an overhead robotic arm — back and forth, one layer on top of the next to create walls.

Proponents contend 3D construction printing is faster than traditional construction, produces less material waste and is more cost effective. Some companies report homes built within weeks with a handful of workers on site to run the machine.

“Beyond the clear societal benefits of cheaper, faster and higher-quality buildings and infrastructure, the automated prefabrication system will also improve the working conditions of construction workers by significantly reducing physically demanding and hazardous tasks,” Alwisy said.

There are several printer manufacturers and vendors who do business in Florida. Printed Farms in South Florida used a COBOD model to build the state’s very first 3D-printed home, which is in Tallahassee.

“We have a customer at a large Air Force base in Florida. In addition, our customer, 1Print (in Broward County), is using our technology to 3D print various structures, including coastal barriers,” noted Philip Lund-Nielsen, co-founder and head of Americas for COBOD International. “We collaborate with many universities for research grants, including NSF, printer deployment, lectures and building programs.”

UF’s printer is one of the Presidential Strategic Initiatives, which allotted $2.5 million over two years to “help harness the power of digital design, AI and robotic automation to enhance productivity, safety and quality in residential and commercial construction.”

Additional funding came from a $1.5 million grant from Autodesk, a California-based software company for design, construction and engineering.

There has been significant interest in 3D construction printing to ease home prices and enhance sustainable housing. ICON,

a printer manufacturer in Texas, built six houses for homeless residents in partnership with Texas nonprofit Community First. The first resident of a 3D-printed home in the country, in fact, was a 73-year-old former heroin addict restarting life in 2020, according to a 2023 report on “60 Minutes.”

“The growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly construction practices is a key driver of the 3D printing construction market,” SNS Insider Research reported. The market research company contends the 3D-construction market was valued at $36.7 million in 2023 and is expected to reach $20.56 billion by 2032.

And at UF, the BOD3 will go well beyond making walls.

“Within the next two to five years, the 3D printer is anticipated to become an integral component of an automated prefabrication system alongside other robotic technologies, such as industrial robotic arms, mobile robots, legged robots and collaborative robots,” Alwisy said. “This automated setup will expand the 3D printer's applications beyond building structures to encompass a wide range of tasks supporting substructures, shells, MEP systems [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] and finishing work.”

The BOD3 3D construction printer assembled in the Weil Hall Structures and Materials Lab at the University of Florida.

A NEW ERA OF NUCLEAR?

The Potential of Gas Core Reactors

By Royce Copeland

JUSTIN WATSON, PH.D.

As the demand for clean, high-efficiency energy grows, a research team led by Justin Watson, Ph.D., and Chris McDevitt, Ph.D., associate professors of nuclear engineering at the Department of Material Science & Engineering, is exploring gas core nuclear reactors (GCRs). This next-generation reactor design could offer a safer and more efficient way to generate atomic power by replacing traditional solid fuel rods with gaseous uranium fuel.

Traditional nuclear power plants have long provided a non-CO2 emitting alternative to fossil fuels. They operate using solid uranium dioxide fuel encased in zirconium alloy rods and cooled by water. While this approach has been effective, it comes with challenges, particularly the risk of fuel melting in extreme conditions.

Gas core reactors take a different approach. Unlike conventional reactors that rely on water as both a coolant and neutron moderator, gas core reactors operate at temperatures high enough to cause the partial or complete ionization of the uranium fuel to form a plasma, enabling innovative confinement schemes to be deployed. This unique configuration allows for continuous fuel cycling, reducing nuclear waste and minimizing plutonium production. This has implications for nuclear security, as it reduces the amount of material that could be repurposed for weapons.

This concept also eliminates the risk of a core meltdown and allows the reactor to operate at much higher temperatures than traditional designs. These higher operating temperatures allow for increased thermal efficiency when generating electricity, or higher temperature propellants for space applications.

If successfully developed and deployed, GCRs could have a broad range of applications beyond conventional electricity production:

■ Electric Grid Support: As the electricity demand grows, particularly with the expansion of electric vehicles and energy-intensive AI data centers, GCRs could provide a stable, high-output source of carbon-free energy.

■ Process Heat Production: The high operating temperatures of GCR’s make them a prime candidate to supply process heat for industrial applications such as hydrogen production, coal gasification, fertilizer production, etc.

■ Space Exploration: The ability to generate and control ultra-high-temperature plasmas makes GCR technology relevant for space propulsion. A nuclear-powered rocket using a gas core reactor could enable faster and more efficient space travel.

■ Tritium Production: GCR structures can be lined with materials to bread tritium, a fuel source for fusion reactors.

CHRIS MCDEVITT, PH.D.

“Gas core reactors represent a paradigm shift in how we approach nuclear power,” Watson said. “By harnessing the properties of high-temperature plasmas and improving material durability, we can create a safer and more sustainable energy system.”

One of the most significant advantages of GCRs is their potential for higher efficiency. Conventional light water reactors (LWRs) convert about 33% of their generated heat into electricity, with the rest lost as waste heat. GCRs, thanks to their high operating temperatures, could achieve efficiencies above 60%, making better use of the fuel and reducing the overall cost of energy production.

Another key benefit is their fuel cycle. Unlike solid-fuel reactors, which require refueling and produce spent fuel that must be managed, GCRs could operate with a continuous fuel cycle. This means they could burn nuclear fuel more completely, reducing long-term waste. Additionally, GCRs produce significantly less plutonium than conventional reactors, which has implications for nuclear security.

“These are areas we need to study in detail,” Watson said. “If gas core reactors can operate as efficiently as we expect, they could help address some of the major concerns surrounding nuclear energy.”

Despite their promise, GCRs face technical and regulatory challenges. One major hurdle is ensuring the stability of the plasma, as maintaining the reaction within a magnetic field is complex. Material selection is another issue—reactor components must withstand extreme temperatures and radiation over long periods without degrading. Watson and his team are working to overcome these hurdles through advanced computational modeling and experimental validation.

There are also societal and regulatory challenges. Public perception of nuclear power remains mixed, and any new reactor design must undergo extensive testing to ensure safety and environmental responsibility.

“We are at the beginning stages of understanding how to control and optimize these factors,” added Watson. “With continued research and investment, we can help pave the way for a new era of nuclear energy.”

Funding from organizations like the John Hauck Foundation and collaborative efforts with interdisciplinary teams in physics, engineering and material science are critical in advancing GCR technology. While commercialization remains years away, ongoing research at UF offers a glimpse of tomorrow’s nuclear energy technology.

SMARTER AGRICULTURE

TAKES ROOT

Engineers Revolutionize Farming with AI, Drones and Data

By Dave Schlenker

BE IT IN THE FIELD WITH ROBOTIC SPRAYERS, ON A SUPERCOMPUTER WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OR IN THE AIR WITH SHARP-EYED DRONES, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCHERS ARE BRINGING INNOVATION AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO FARMING.

SMART AGRICULTURE TARGETS EFFICIENCY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THESE TECHNOLOGIES SAVE TIME AND MONEY, AS WELL AS REDUCE WASTE AND PESTICIDES. UF RESEARCHERS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE TENDING MULTIPLE TEST FIELDS IN FLORIDA, FROM QUINCY IN THE PANHANDLE TO IMMOKALEE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

MUCH OF THAT WORK TOUCHES THE HERBERT WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PARTICULARLY WITH AI USE AND DIGITAL APPLICATIONS.

HERE ARE SOME SAMPLES OF UF’S SMART AGRICULTURE WORK:

INTERNET OF THINGS 4 AG

David Arnold, Ph.D., UF’s George Kirkland Engineering Leadership Professor with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), is a lead for the multi-university, National Science Foundation-funded precision agriculture research program called IoT4Ag (IoT stands for the Internet of Things). The $50 million partnership with UF, University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University and the University of California Merced is designed to increase crop production by advancing technology.

The UF team is developing novel sensors, carrying out agricultural research leveraging the unique data from these sensors and developing new AI algorithms to process and understand the data collected automatically.

“UF is providing (A) deployable sensing systems, either stationary or mounted on ground robots, and also underground sensor networks; (B) new power and energy solutions — wireless power for charging sensors, fast-charging batteries for robots and solar-powered energy stations that are deployed in fields; (C) AI-image processing algorithms; and (D) AI- and data-informed crop growth models and digital twins,” noted Arnold, also the director of the Florida Semiconductor Institute. Arnold is the UF site director/innovation ecosystem director for the IoT4Ag partnership. Working in UF’s test fields in Quincy and Live Oak, UF’s IoT4Ag facilitates early detection and mitigates diseases and mold-related toxins in peanut crops. The technologies include automated crop monitoring using aerial and ground-based robotic imaging, AI methods for detecting toxins from hyperspectral images of peanut pods and kernels, and predictive models to process data to inform crop management.

The team consists of Arnold, Ph.D. (ECE), Carlos Messina, Ph.D., Ian Small, Ph.D., Katie Stofer, Ph.D., Ramdeo Seepaul, Ph.D., Charlie Li, Ph.D., Vivek Sharma, Ph.D. (all of IFAS), Alina Zare, Ph.D., Sanjeev Koppal, Ph.D., William Eisenstadt, Ph.D. (all of ECE), Brent Sumerlin, Ph.D. (chemistry), research coordinator Marcy Lee, and graduate and undergraduate students.

A HARVEST OF NETWORKS

UF researchers, including Jose Dubeux, Ph.D., Chang Zhao, Ph.D. (both from IFAS), Joel Harley, Ph.D., and Zare are developing mechanisms for data-collection networks and measuring plant biodiversity using AI across the state to determine the relationships between plant biodiversity and land use. They collect the data from field measurements, flying drones equipped with hyperspectral cameras and satelliteimagery analysis.

The project’s goal is to quantify the ecosystem services provided by natural or agricultural lands to help incentivize certain management practices and better understand the impacts of land management practices on the overall environment and ecosystem.

AI

FOR NUTRIENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Another multi-college UF team is developing methods for nutrient recommendations of agricultural fields (with a focus on potatoes) using data, crop models and artificial intelligence. The project is led by Zare, Harley, Lincoln Zotarelli, Ph.D. (IFAS), Lakesh Sharma, Ph.D. and Marcio Resende, Ph.D. (both from IFAS)

The team, including students and postdocs, developed AI algorithms and advancements to crop modeling (that

leverages and embeds AI into the processing) for nutrient recommendations in agricultural fields, Zare said. With the use of UF’s supercomputer, HiPerGator, this project helps farmers pinpoint optimal timing and amounts of fertilizer use, which could reduce hefty fertilizer costs.

SWITCHGRASS INTO BIOFUEL

UF is one of nine universities and research facilities studying how to make switchgrass — a fast-growing perennial native to the U.S. — into biofuel to enrich soil for crops, optimize climate adaptation and improve sustainability.

Zare is this project’s UF team member. The idea is to increase biofuels to meet the global demand, as current biofuel production requires more water, fertilizer and other energy sources compared to switchgrass.

Working from a Department of Energy grant, the team transplanted switchgrass in 10 fields in multiple states, from Texas to South Dakota. Examining the same plants in different locales allowed the team to see how the plant’s genes interact with different environments.

In nature, switchgrass sequesters carbon underground in its roots, produces cellulose that can be used to make ethanol and typically grows in soils that are unsuitable for food crops — all characteristics that make it a great candidate for biofuel. Current biofuels come primarily from agricultural crops or feedstocks such as corn.

MEANWHILE, IN IMMOKALEE …

At UF’s Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee — one of 12 UF agricultural research fields in the state — there is a smart tree sprayer that uses artificial intelligence to apply pesticides efficiently and only to the existing trees (as opposed to a steady stream that hits all spots, including vacant patches).

The work at this 320-acre facility is part of UF professor Yiannis Ampatzidis’ AI-Enhanced Precision Nutrient Management

for Tree Crops program. A key component of Ampatzidis’ work is Agroview, a cloud-based application that processes information gathered by drones taking aerial pictures; it can provide nutrient information on crops, calculate the number of gaps in citrus tree rows, tree height, canopy area and leaf density.

An assistant professor with UF’s Southwest Research & Education Center, Ampatzidis contends Agroview’s reporting is 95% accurate and certainly more cost effective than traditional crop-management applications. In a study of 10 citrus orchards, the amount of trees detected in drone photos were thousands more per orchard than those detected by airplane photos.

Ampatzidis and his team also developed Agrosense, a nowpatented, AI-enabled and ground-based sensing system that provides plant-based analytics such as tree crop counting, canopy density classification, tree-height estimation and fruit counts, all critical for precision orchard management. Agrosense was also used on a tree crop sprayer to optimize agro-chemical usage by applying the right amount of chemicals to individual trees based on canopy size and leaf density.

The team also is on their third prototype of an AI-enabled robot sprayer in Immokalee. It, too, is designed to spray only where necessary to minimize chemicals and waste.

Additionally, the UF team in Immokalee is working with automated tree-trunk injection methods, which have needles on a support-frame apparatus affixed to a field vehicle equipped with a depth-sensing camera and a touch-screen monitor. Trees with signs of citrus greening are injected antibiotic materials.

TUBES AND HYPERSPECTRAL SIGNALS

UF researchers from ECE and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) received a $1.2 million grant in 2024 from the United States Department of Agriculture to use machine learning, hyperspectral cameras and minirhizotron (MR) tubes (clear plastic tubes inserted into the ground

next to a plant) to study plant root systems over time. SiTS: Hyperspectral Signal in Soil is led by Zare with Sanjeev Koppal, Ph.D., from ECE, Chris Wilson, Ph.D., and Diane Rowland, both from Agronomy, and Stefan Gerber from Soil and Water Sciences at IFAS.

Researchers have used minirhizotron tubes for years. A camera is inserted into the tube to take pictures of the roots as they grow. But this method has its challenges: Analysis is tedious and time-consuming and the cameras provide limited types of data.

The SiTS project tackles these limitations by developing AI algorithms and tools to automatically trace the roots and pull out important root features using AI methods. Second, the grant supports work to develop a hyperspectral camera to be installed into the MR tubes. Hyperspectral imaging can obtain much more information than traditional RGB cameras — for example, carbon levels in the soil, chemical composition in soil and in the roots.

HIGH-TECH PEANUT CARE

In Quincy, UF professor William Eisenstadt, Ph.D., of ECE, is leading a team honing high-tech communications systems to monitor peanut and cotton crops.

“It’s difficult to communicate across a large farm area,” he said. “We’re trying to improve the technology so that we move data across the farm to a central point and then process it.”

Currently, the UF team is using LoRaWAN devices placed around the fields to communicate with overhead drones about temperature and other numerical readings that can indicate crop health. But this technology cannot transmit large chunks of data such as multiple high-resolution photos from drones.

The team is looking at DECT NR+, a powerful 5G wireless technology.

“It’s supposed to be able to move about 2MB of data in about a second. Of course, these are all optimal conditions, and it can go up to about two miles,” Eisenstadt said.

A flying drone, for example, would automatically survey a farm and push images back to a central point. That will allow realtime decisions for the farmers.

“You send the images back to a central point, and then you need to put an AI machine-learning system in there to help make automated decisions — ‘Oh, we look dry here. We may have plant diseases there. We have to look closer, take some more data,’” Eisenstadt said.

SMART SPRAYERS

UF researcher Nathan Boyd is using an AI smart sprayer to reduce herbicide sprayed on crops.

“We are building multiple AI-powered herbicide-application units, each of which works in different ways,” said Boyd a UF/ IFAS weed scientist and horticultural sciences professor at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC).

Targeted herbicide applications kill weeds by applying the

chemicals only where the weeds grow.

Boyd and his colleagues developed a precision-spraying system designed to make sure herbicide goes through the holes that scientists punch in the plastic mulch and into the soil where tomatoes are growing.

With the AI smart sprayer, researchers at the GCREC showed that the new technology found the punch holes 86% of the time, which translates to a savings of more than 90% on herbicide use in tomato fields at the research center.

“This equipment applies herbicide on the soil wherever there is a hole in the plastic, because that is the only place that weeds can emerge rather than over the entire bed top,” Boyd said.

SATELLITES AND SOIL

Earlier this year, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded UF engineering professor Joel Hartley a Sustainable Agricultural Systems grant for his project “Hybridizing Ecological Data for Mapping Soil Organic Carbon from Satellite Imagery.”

The research will use AI/machine learning to predict carbon in soil satellite imagery. It will explore opportunities to promote winter cropping systems in the Southeast.

“This team will use new AI strategies to overcome the scarcity of ecosystem service data, focusing on one particular service: carbon sequestration,” according to the National Agricultural Data Producers Cooperative. “They will integrate artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, geographic information systems and in situ measurements to predict, track and visualize ecosystem services at scale.”

“The hypothesis,” Hartley noted, “is that the overall ecosystem (vegetarian, soil, nearby water sources, etc.) will all play a role in helping us predict the soil carbon levels.”

VERTICAL A Glimpse Into What’s Next FARMING

By Samantha Jones

In a world where climate uncertainty and food scarcity are becoming increasingly pressing issues, Ying Zhang, Ph.D., an assistant professor at UF’s Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, is working on solutions.

Her research focuses on cultivating optimal growing conditions through vertical farming, a method that allows for the cultivation of crops in a controlled environment using modified hydroponics, LED lighting and advanced climatecontrol systems. By maximizing space and reducing water consumption, vertical farming has the potential to increase crop yields while minimizing environmental impact. Precise lighting and temperature control allow farmers to create an ideal environment for plant growth, regardless of outside conditions.

Climate-controlled container farming gives a new spin on the idea of a secret garden; from the modest exterior, you’d never expect what’s going on inside.

When you open the shipping container door to Zhang’s vertical garden, a lettuce party lies within. A bright red hue bathes the interior, casting deep burgundy shadows under the plants that are plugged into their substrate pots lining shelves that are organized like rows of books in a library. At timed intervals the light switches to a blue spectrum and the whole mood changes.

“The beauty of using LED lights is we can customize the light ‘recipe’ or the combination of the light’s color or spectrum to maximize production. Blue and red lights are identified as the most photosynthetic, effective light for leafy greens,” Zhang explained.

In addition to saving space and protecting plants from weather events, vertical container farms also have a substantial capacity for conserving water. By recirculating water and using advanced irrigation systems, farmers can conserve up to 90% of the water used in traditional farming methods. This not only reduces the strain on local water resources but also makes vertical farming an attractive option for areas with limited water availability.

“Vertical farming is water efficient, much higher than open-field production. Think about the water balance in an indoor farming system — the plants take up the water and they consume the water but also transpire the water into the atmosphere. The water evaporated into the atmosphere can be condensed through the air conditioning system and back into the nutrient tank,” she said.

Whether vertical container farming is a financially viable option for small-scale farming is not a simple yes or no. While the initial investment in vertical farming infrastructure is high, Zhang’s research has shown that the long-term benefits of increased crop yields, reduced water consumption and improved food quality.

In these circumstances, vertical farming can be comparable to greenhouse compact production in terms of energy efficiency. This means that farmers in areas like Canada or Scandinavia may be able to reap the benefits of vertical farming without breaking the bank.

So what’s next for this revolutionary technology?

Zhang is currently working on developing smart climate control solutions using AI to optimize greenhouse control. While her vertical indoor farming project has far-reaching applications for climate uncertainty or food scarcity, her program also looks into other controlled agriculture systems such as greenhouse production systems.

As we look to the future of agriculture, the innovation of vertical farming, with its ability to provide optimal growing conditions, reduce water consumption, and increase crop yields, has the potential to feed a growing global population.

A vertical leafy green container farm.

GROWING THE FUTURE:

HOW AI IS RESHAPING AGRICULTURE IN FLORIDA

By J. Scott Angle, Ph.D. | Column

Fewer than 2% of Americans live on a farm, so the other 98% can be excused for a misperception of farming based on YouTube reruns of “Green Acres.” Here’s the reality: 21st-century American agriculture is a high-tech enterprise. Since the days of farmer-president Thomas Jefferson, American farmers have relied on cutting-edge technology to provide more nutritious food more affordably for American families.

That’s why the University of Florida is pioneering new programs in artificial intelligence to make the Florida farmer more productive. At the same time, these efforts show the way to new career paths for high school and college students who have never considered farming. And we can use AI to protect the environment — and farmers’ finances — by using only what fertilizers and pesticides the crops actually need rather than wasting them and, worse, letting them wash into Florida’s precious waterways.

Here’s one example: UF’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm (Hillsborough County) is building an AI center that plans to hire 13 faculty positions, as well as multiple technical and support positions. Add in technicians and graduate students, and we anticipate upwards of 100 staff in the new building. What will they do?

Using AI to supercharge their research, they will help growers harvest better tomatoes, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables through genetics, precise fertilization and watering, and computerized responses to disease and insects. AI can see patterns that humans can’t, can think much faster than we do and can instantaneously answer questions that lead to more productive farming practices that are also better for the environment.

Combine that with robotics and farmers will be able to plant and harvest their crops more cheaply and quickly than having workers laboriously handpicking each row. AI will let farmers see why one row of tomatoes is prospering while another is wilting or worse. And AI will allow the farmer to quickly diagnose problems and fix them.

This is only the beginning. AI is so new that we are only starting to see its promise in agriculture, but we plan to continue cutting-edge innovation in food production as we make Florida the Silicon Valley of agriculture.

UF is uniquely suited to this role. Its Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has a long-standing relationship with Florida farmers in developing deep knowledge in agricultural and natural resources. And with HiPerGator, UF has one of the fastest supercomputers in the world. Combine those two factors, and UF is strongly positioned to use AI to assist the Florida farmer to feed us.

Already, UF researchers have created a prize-winning system called Agroview, which takes images from drones, satellites and ground level to assess plant health, detect plants that are stressed and map out an action plan, including precise application of fertilizer. Agroview can cut data collection and analysis time and cost by up to 90% compared to doing it by hand.

This is made possible by AI, which uses computers to learn, reason and act in ways that a human would but much, much quicker. AI crunches data in the time that humans would have just taken their first nibble.

In such a fast-changing world, UF is thinking about its students’ futures, too. We have two SmartAg certificate

programs offered by the  Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering. Any graduate student can apply, learn how to use AI concepts and earn a certificate that will demonstrate their competence to a future employer. For students who are anxious about their careers in an uncertain and ever-shifting landscape, this is an opportunity to feed the future.

In addition to the SmartAg programs, members of faculty teach and mentor students in labs and fields across Florida. This gives UF students, the vast majority of whom have never lived on a farm, a new outlook and adds a career path they probably have never considered.

Pursuing a career in AI and agriculture doesn’t have to mean getting your hands dirty — although it certainly can if you’d like! Students who prefer the lab to the land will have many opportunities in AI agriculture, most of which we can only imagine.

At the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, we are supercomputing for the future right now. Combining AI with our human expertise, we will help Florida farmers become more productive, give students exciting career options and keep putting nutritious, affordable food on Florida tables. Amping up agriculture with AI? It’s only natural.

J. Scott Angle, Ph.D., is the senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at UF and the leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Combining Creativity

STEM

By Dave Schlenker

Captivated by cubism, color, construction and deconstruction, Rokheyatou “Roxie” Faye is the first Gator to double major in art and mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. Her creative and technical focus epitomizes how UF students are diversifying their academic pursuits to get a leg up in the competitive job market. At a university that encourages cross-disciplinary academics, this pathway also helps students approach scientific challenges with creative perspectives, leading them to find innovative, real-world solutions.

“I was always taking things apart and putting them back together [when I was younger],” said Faye, a third-year engineering undergrad. “I liked playing with LEGOs and deconstructing my Barbies, making a mess. I thought it was fascinating. It made my parents upset, but I found it interesting how you could make and manipulate things.”

But it wasn’t until Faye’s sophomore year in college that she brought the creativity component into her studies. During a study abroad summer program in France, while in the cathedral-laden Lille, she admired the art on the ancient museum walls and set a new career course for herself — adding art as a second major.

AN INSPIRING PATHWAY

By the time Faye had made this academic move, she had already been living her best life at UF. She came to Gainesville from her hometown of Miramar, Florida. Her family is originally from Senegal, where her father still lives, and Faye speaks French and Wolof (a Senegalese language). She also plays the kora — a 22-string West African guitar that is about half her size. Faye dove into campus life early at UF, serving on the fundraising committee for Engineers Without Borders Nepal as a freshman, and the organization raised $30,000 for projects that year. Faye is also a research assistant for a National Science Foundation-funded project on peer-mentoring preparation in makerspaces called Mentoring You is Learning for Me.

“I am creating and filming training videos for future teaching assistants in makerspaces,” Faye said of the project. “We cover

issues such as learning to ‘fail forward’ in engineering and troubleshooting with students.”

AN INQUISITIVE MIND

Joel Parker, the engineering assistant director of academic support services, attributes much of Faye’s success to being inquisitive.

“Roxie is not afraid of experiencing new or challenging things, but instead, she is willing to observe and respond in multiple forms by being a maker,” Parker said. “I think that is at the heart of being creative, and it is what drives Roxie.”

Faye’s current medium is painting, but the trappings of engineering add new possibilities. Her latest obsession is 3D-printed designs — a passion she indulged during a recent engineering design in society class.

“Once I graduate, I’d love to work in a museum space,” Faye said. “I want to do exhibition design, and I’d love to have that mechanical-engineering knowledge informing what I do. I also need the art knowledge so I know about the history and how best to support the works that are there.”

Faye certainly has a full plate for a UF undergraduate. Or any human, really. Yet, Faye contends, that is what college is for: Dive in.

“I definitely didn’t have as much access to the resources and the community as I do here,” Faye said. “So, as soon as I saw all the opportunities at UF, I had no choice but to take them.”

Rokheyatou “Roxie” Faye with her kora — a 22-string West African guitar.

UF IGEM TEAM WINS IN PARIS

By Katherine Canev

The UF Chapter of iGEM dazzled 2024 Grand Jamboree judges, earning a gold medal for their research into sepsis, a lifethreatening condition that results from the body’s dysregulated response to infection.

International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) is a global competition where student teams design and build genetically engineered systems to solve real-world problems using synthetic biology. Teams present their projects at the annual Grand Jamboree, competing for medals based on their ingenuity, technical achievements and societal impact.

This project was built on the team’s work from 2023, for which they won a silver medal. Their mentor, Jing Pan, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, enabled them to hone their skills through hands-on experience. Under the guidance of Pan, the all-undergraduate team developed the procedures for their project and split into teams: Wet Lab, Dry Lab and Human Practices.

“I’m really proud of them,” Pan said. “They put so much effort into this year’s competition, and receiving the gold medal is a huge accomplishment for them. It’s not just about the award—

GOLD

The all-undergraduate team developed the procedures for their project and split into teams: Wet Lab, Dry Lab and Human Practices.

it’s about recognizing the impact of their work and the passion they brought to this project.”

Julia Jamieson, captain of the Human Practices team, said “At the Jamboree, we were able to connect with students and scientists from across the globe and learn from their unique work. It was an amazing experience, and we are grateful for the support we have received from our sponsors.”

UF’s Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Named One of the Strongest National Chapters

By Megan Howard

Members of the University of Florida’s Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) describe their beloved organization in two simple words: home and community.

“The most impactful thing that SASE has provided is all the friends I have right now,” said Vincent Lin, a computer science major and SASE president. “It provides a community where I feel at home.”

In 2007, the national chapter of SASE was founded in Denver to connect Asian science and engineering students with working professionals. Three years later, students pioneered a UF chapter, and the society has been cultivating a peer and professional support network ever since.

Currently at 800 members, the UF chapter has grown in size and stature. In fact, in 2024 the national SASE chapter named UF as one of its two Overall Strongest Chapters (out of 86 chapters). UF itself also recognized the society as the Student Organization of the Year for 2023-2024 and the Life-Long Learner Excellence in Career Readiness award.

Lin has been part of the organization since his freshman year. Through the society, he has celebrated his culture, learned

leadership skills, cultivated a large network of professional engineers and made friends with a passion for engineering.

“They provided a lot of resources that helped me both academically and professionally,” he said.

As freshmen, new members can shadow society officers through an internship program where leadership skills are cultivated.

Many of Lin’s close friends are fellow SASE members, some of whom he met through the chapter’s internal mentorship program. As a third-year student and society president, he now has a cohort of students he mentors.

During his time as an intern, he helped plan a social event inspired by “Squid Game,” the widely popular South Korean competition-to-the-death fiction series. SASE members competed in challenges — minus the show’s violence — as they got to know each other.

“It’s a fun way to be able to bond and gain leadership experience,” he said, noting SASE is an “everything organization.”

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN ICELAND

By Royce Copeland

Brooke Lastinger’s academic journey is a testament to the power of exploring new frontiers. An undergraduate student in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE), Lastinger found her path through a combination of mentorship, research opportunities and following her passion.

Her decision on a major was inspired by advice from two sources: her high school chemistry teacher and her dad, a mechanical engineer.

Lastinger was looking for something in between chemical and mechanical engineering and saw MSE as the perfect mix of both. With the University of Florida’s reputation in the field and the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering offering multiple options should she decide to choose another major, the choice of where to apply was easy.

metallurgy and or non-destructive inspection (NDI).

“The Botic Fund helped fulfill the study-abroad experience for me.”

Brooke Lastinger Beyond the Classroom..

“For the past two summers, I participated in the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, working in the Metals & Ceramics, NDI and Polymers & Composites Branch of the Materials Engineering Laboratory,” Lastinger said. “I spent a significant amount of time with NDI and metallurgy, performing material engineering service requests, as well as working on failure analysis, engineering investigations and service life assessment programs.”

A more recent highlight of Lastinger’s time at UF is her study-abroad excursion to Iceland in spring 2024. The trip was made possible in part thanks to the Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways Fund, which provides support for MSE and nuclear engineering students.

Currently a rising senior, Lastinger sees herself specializing in

“UF in Iceland has been one of my favorite experiences, as it

A geothermal plant in Iceland. (Credit: Brooke Lastinger)

was my first time out of the country,” she said. “Plus, I had the chance to meet new people from UF and beyond.”

The UF in Iceland — Renewable Energy and Sustainability Program is an eight-day study abroad opportunity that allows students to explore Iceland’s energy solutions up close. In a country where nearly 100% of the electricity comes from renewable sources, students receive an in-depth look at geothermal energy, hydroelectric power and sustainable energy policies.

With seminars from experts, tours of geothermal and hydroelectric power plants, and visits to industries practicing sustainability. It’s an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge renewable technologies while experiencing Iceland’s stunning landscapes and power-generation initiatives.

During the trip, Lastinger stayed in Reykjavík with day excursions to waterfalls, geothermal springs, geothermal power plants and visits with local experts in the public and private sector.

“I was curious to learn about the various materials used in geothermal power plants and witness firsthand the material selection and screening process,” Lastinger said. “I was also surprised to learn about the potential of magma energy, which still needs additional material research to be better utilized.”

Lastinger also learned about just how versatile geothermal energy can be.

“One of the highlights of my trip was visiting a geothermal bakery and a greenhouse. At the bakery, they bury the dough in a large ceramic pot above a geothermal hot spring, where it bakes underground for 24 hours. It was amazing to see the steam rising from the boiling ground!” Lastinger said. “Later that day, we toured a geothermal greenhouse that produces 40% of Iceland’s tomatoes. The tomatoes were incredible, and we ended the visit with a delicious tomato soup buffet. All in all, that was one of my favorite days in Iceland.”

Created by MSE alumni Branimir “Ben” Botic (MS MSE ‘71) and his family, the Botic Family Scholars Professional Pathways Fund is designed to help students gain valuable hands-on experiences that enhance their professional skills. Botic established this fund to ensure financial constraints do not hinder hardworking students. The fund supports experientiallearning opportunities worldwide, including industry internships, national lab placements and other programs that provide practical experience outside the classroom.

As a Botic Family Scholar, Lastinger holds high praise for the fund and its purpose.

“My experience in Iceland introduced me to areas of research I had not considered before and may not have ever known about,” she said. “The Botic Fund helped fulfill the study-abroad experience for me, and I couldn’t be thankful enough for it.”

Top: Brooke Lastinger during her study abroad trip to Iceland. Middle: A geothermal bakery where they bury dough in a large ceramic pot above a geothermal hot spring and bake it underground for 24 hours. (Credit: Ava Clymo) Bottom: A geothermal greenhouse that produces 40% of Iceland’s tomatoes. (Credit: Ethan Yeh)

FeelingFamiliaA

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Named a Gold Chapter of the Year.

By Dave Schlenker

When Pedro Camargo started studying engineering at the University of Florida in 2020, he felt like most freshmen do: Lost and a little lonely.

He made friends, but when semesters changed, those friends dispersed into other classrooms. There was no sense of community or social continuity.

But in his sophomore year, the South Florida-bred computer science major dove headfirst into UF’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter. It was a game-changer — socially, academically and professionally.

“I find the best part about SHPE is the community,” he said. That community provided study partners, social guidance, feedback on professors and, certainly, a steady core of friends. It also focused on professional development, which was huge for Camargo, who started working at Microsoft after graduation earlier this year.

Such success continues to catch the attention of the national SHPE chapter, which selected UF as one of six Gold Chapters of the Year — out of more than 300 chapters and 15,000 attendees — at its 2024 conference in California. UF’s Gold comes a year after a Silver Chapter of the Year in 2023 and a Gold in 2022.

The national honors are based on the chapters’ professional development, recruitment and retention. UF’s SHPE chapter is 42 years old. The national organization itself just turned 50.

The UF chapter has more than 800 registered members, with about 300 active members. Its cabinets conduct regular workshops, including community service, social engagement, technical skills, marketing and professional development.

“We cover many aspects of student life and academic development. The structure of the organization allows us to have something for everyone,” said chapter President Juan M. Valderrama.

As part of its professional development efforts, the chapter partners with 35 businesses, including several large tech employers such as SpaceX.

“These partners get to access the talent pool at UF. They come to our recruitment events,” Valderrama said. “Most of our students go right into the workforce after graduation. They work at companies that are giants in technology, giants in construction, giants in engineering. Students go to work at Fortune 500 companies.”

UF SHPE hosts events almost every day, he said. These include “boot camp workshops” that cover how to talk to recruiters, how to create effective resumes, how to nail interviews and how to stand out at a career fair.

“Those events are great for getting people started. As a freshman and sophomore, you have no idea about finding a job,” Camargo said. “But the network SHPE gives you provides access to people who have been through the process, people who have worked for these great companies.”

The chapter hosts six first-year leadership programs per semester, as well as graduate workshops for students considering graduate school.

“We have financial literacy workshops. Most students in the chapter are engineers, but they are not getting the financialliteracy aspect, which is so important, in their classes,”

Valderrama said.

Also of note: “SHPE is the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, but we always stress that it is a community for anyone who wants to be a part of it,” Valderrama said. It has many students who are not Hispanic, even in leadership roles.

“Community is something that we value a lot, and that is something that has attracted students,” Valderrama said. “They see that beyond just a volunteer position or a thing to put on their resume, it is a feeling of familia, which is what we call our chapter — Familia.”

From left: Sofi Serna and Juan M. Valderrama with the SHPE Gold Chapter Award.

Student Wins UF INVOLVEMENT AWARDS

DATA SCIENCE AND INFORMATICS

Student Organization of Year-GRSO

GATOR USER DESIGN

Most Innovative New Event

GENERATIONAL RELIEF IN PROSTHETICS

“Greater Good” Event of the Year

SACNAS FLORIDA CHAPTER

Career Catalyst Award

SOCIETY OF ASIAN SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERING

Excellence in Member Engagement

WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Student Organization of the Year-USSO

STUDENT COMPETITIONS

CHEME CAR

First Place, Regional AIChE meeting

ESSIE CAPSTONE DESIGN TEAM

Winner Environmental Design, Water Environment Federation

Student Design Competition

MSE MATERIALS BOWL TEAM

2025 Materials Bowl Winner

SOLAR GATOR

Electrek American Solar Challenge 2024

SWAMPHACKS

Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Student Group of the Year, 2024-2025

UF SWE

SAI Student Organization of the Year (USSO) Award

Silver in the National SWE Mission Awards

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ASCE CHAPTERS

ASCE Southeast Student Symposium

■ First Place overall

■ First Place, Eckhoff Steel Bridge team

■ First Place, Concrete Canoe

■ First university in the region to win first place in Steel Bridge, Concrete Canoe and overall four years in a row.

■ First Place at Audrey’s Traffic Control Competition

First Place, Eckhoff Steel Bridge team, 2025 Student Steel

Bridge National Competition

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT INFORMATION SECURITY TEAM

First Place Overall, Regional Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition

“Cloud 9” Category Award, Regional Collegiate Penetration

Testing Competition

“Best Slide” Category Award, Regional Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition

FULL CIRCLE

One of the first Machen Florida Opportunity Scholar graduates looks back on the program’s generational impact, while celebrating her daughter’s own UF journey.

Khrysten Sears Spencer wore an orange University of Florida alumni t-shirt and a blue Gator logo belt as she walked up the large white staircase in the Reitz Union. Her eyes widened as she quickly took out her phone, paused and used it to scan the interior.

“It’s changed so much,” the 36-year-old said as she followed the crowd toward the freshman orientation.

Sears Spencer’s 18-year-old daughter, Allannah Dean, stuck to her side as they found seats in the first row in the ballroom for the beginning of Preview. They opened their pamphlets and chatted with another Gator family seated behind them before the speaker began.

This first-year orientation experience isn’t new to them. Eighteen years earlier, Sears Spencer traveled with Allannah, who was under a year old, from their home in Belle Glade — a rural town lined with sugar cane and spotted with football fields about 255 miles south of Gainesville — to begin her own freshman year. It was a life-changing feat she may not have managed without being accepted into the inaugural 2006 class of Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars, UF’s nationally known and recognized program for low-income, first-generation college students.

COLLEGE DREAMS COME TO LIFE

Sears Spencer found out that she would be the valedictorian of Glades Central Community High School the day after she gave birth to Allannah. Both of her parents attended college but neither graduated. Her father worked as a carpenter and her mother worked as a child-care provider.

Despite her academic achievements, doubt crept in. Some people around her said she should shelve her dreams because of the responsibilities of motherhood. But she refused to give up.

“Just proving them wrong. It could be done. It would be difficult, but not impossible,” she said.

Sears Spencer’s mother was initially worried for her daughter. She had been a teen mom herself and intimately understood those complexities and hardships. But she quickly turned her concern to support, telling Sears Spencer to hunt for scholarships that would ease her financial burden. By then, she had already secured a Bright Futures scholarship to cover 75% of her tuition. They both hoped a full ride opportunity would present itself.

That’s where the newly created Machen Florida Opportunity Scholarship (MFOS) came in.

Story by Paige Fry (BS ’19), Photos by: Jennifer Romero (BS ’19)

Khrysten Sears Spencer (left) and her daughter, Allannah Dean.

Leslie Pendleton, the founding director of MFOS and now the executive director of University Initiatives for UF Advancement, said former UF president Bernie Machen drove the program’s creation. He had assembled a similar program for firstgeneration students during his prior role as president at the University of Utah and dreamed of doing something larger and more impactful at UF.

“There is a hole in our financial-aid system,” Machen said when the program was announced in 2006. He went on to describe how UF was losing out on hundreds of students every year who might qualify for Bright Futures Scholarships but otherwise didn’t have the money to pay for room, board and assorted living costs. The MFOS program was designed to close that gap.

Pendleton helped build up the early stages of MFOS. Not only did the university invest in scholarship support from the beginning, but it also provided numerous support resources like peer mentors, financial literacy education and community building activities to make these students feel at home on UF’s campus.

The program was designed to build an inclusive community of scholars who would be the first in their families to graduate from college and who would go on to share their success across their communities, she said. The program has grown into a national standout. MFOS students graduate at the same rate as their peers, they are successful in the workplace, and they give back to the university faster than anyone else, Machen said in a recent interview.

around. I have someone to raise.”

During her time at UF, she did her best to experience campus life, going to sporting events and even having dinner at the president’s house where she met her scholarship’s namesake, President Machen. Sears Spencer graduated from UF in 2009.

If not for MFOS and UF, Sears Spencer said she might never have found her current career path. She started as a psychology major but transitioned to a communications science and disorders degree. She now works as a speech-language pathologist in the Palm Beach County school district, where she diagnoses and treats kids who have speech and language disorders. She didn’t initially plan to go back to her hometown of Belle Glade, but she is happy to give back to her community.

“I do feel like being able to go off to UF, have everything paid for, that I was able to get into a career that I had never heard of before,” she said. “I am extremely grateful for it. I do not know where I would be without it because it really changed my whole path in life.”

Eighteen years earlier, Sears Spencer came to UF with Allannah, who was under a year old.

“I don’t know how the trajectory of life would’ve gone without MFOS,” Sears Spencer said. “That scholarship paid for everything and more.”

A LIFE-CHANGING GATOR EXPERIENCE

Sears Spencer and her mother drove to Gainesville a week or two before officially moving to find a daycare that was reasonably priced and close to campus. She didn’t have a car her first year, so the woman who ran the daycare would pick up Allannah in the mornings.

She was also able to form a small community on campus. Her and another student who had two children would schedule playdates with Allannah, and a friend who Sears Spencer knew from high school offered to help whenever she could.

“I didn’t really have the traditional college experience because I was known as the girl who took her kid to college with her,” she said. “I had to take care of her. I had to get through it. That was sort of my mindset. I don’t have the luxury of playing

THROUGH HER DAUGHTER’S EYES

Allannah’s final decision was between the University of Miami and UF, but she found herself drawn to her mother’s alma mater. She visited Gainesville in the summer of 2023 for the UF Student Science Training Program, and she said she liked the college-town feel.

“I was raised to be a Gator,” she said. “It was a no-brainer.”

Allannah plans to pursue an engineering degree — for now she has her sights set on nuclear engineering. She started UF in Summer 2024 in the STEPUP (the Successful Transition and Enhanced Preparation for Undergraduates program) within the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The program offers an accelerated transition into university life and connects students to a community of mentors, faculty and industry leaders.

Allannah’s UF bucket list consists of studying abroad, cheering at Gator football games and tanning at Lake Wauburg.

Sears Spencer said Allannah is quiet but more independent than she was at her age. She filled out every college application and financial aid paperwork on her own, and she was proactive at finding organizations to join at UF. But she still makes time to call her mom every day.

“This is where it all began for us,” she said. “I tell her all the time, ‘Enjoy your college experience. You’ll make lifelong friends, enjoy it. Don’t get too crazy, definitely, but enjoy it and also take advantage of the opportunities.’”

GATOR ENGINEER THE ESSENCE OF A

WGI CO-FOUNDER NAMED UF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

By Dave Schlenker

Truth be told, David Wantman was a little uneasy about being selected as a University of Florida Distinguished Alumnus.

The co-founder of WGI, a successful South Florida-based consulting, planning, surveying and design firm, Wantman was

A 1990 UF engineering graduate, Wantman remains a member of the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board. He established the Wantman Group Endowed Fund for Excellence in Civil Engineering in 2012 to support UF’s civil engineering teaching and research.

Hatfield noted Wantman was an active member of the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering’s (CCE) External Advisory Board from 2005 to 2011. He served on ESSIE’s advisory board starting in 2011, taking the leadership helm in

Wantman said he is proud to be a part the college’s progress and is honored by the award.

Asked how his UF engineering education affected his success, he said, “This is going to sound a little bit strange, but it’s not so much the calculus and the physics or the chemistry — which I was miserable at it — or the technical skills. It’s more the fact that UF doesn’t hold your hand.

“When I was in school, there were no cellphones. We stood in line for a pay phone in a dorm if we wanted to call somebody. UF obviously wanted their students to do well, but they also weren’t going to coddle you. So the biggest thing I say when I meet students is this university has taught you how to survive.”

After graduation, Wantman worked at his father’s firm for a short time before moving to Tampa to work at a peer’s firm for 10 years.

“Then my second child was born, and my wife wanted to stop work. I had to make some decisions about how to close an income gap because she was making more money than I was. My dad had gone back into business, so I approached him,” he

He and his father, Joel Wantman, developed WGI — Wantman Group Inc. — into a firm with more than 600 employees in more than 20 locations.

WGI’s mission: Creatively transform how our world is envisioned, designed, and experienced. The firm touches many aspects of civil engineering and technology.

“Practical application is something you can relate to — roads, bridges,” he said. “You turn on your faucet and you want fresh water, that’s us. You turn on your light switch and you want light, that’s us.”

And while he was a little uneasy, the Distinguished Alumnus honor is greatly appreciated.

“It’s something I won’t forget,” he said.

Read Full Story

David Wantman

ALWAYS A

LEADER’ WALLY RHINES HAS DEEP UF ROOTS Gator

‘VISIONARY

By Dave Schlenker

You can take the Gator out of Gainesville, but you can’t take Gainesville out of the Gator.

Or so it goes with Wally Rhines, a wildly successful businessman, engineer and philanthropist who grew up shadowing his professor father and savoring every aspect of University of Florida culture. And while Gainesville-bred Rhines attended college elsewhere, he remains heavily invested in UF, monetarily and emotionally.

“My parents believed that moving away from home is part of the value of a college experience,” he said of his time at the University of Michigan (UM). “In the end, my father concluded that Michigan had the best undergraduate engineering program in the U.S., and I concluded that it was right for me.”

But make no mistake, Rhines is as much a part of Gator Engineering as Weil Hall, where his engineer father, Frederick, worked and eventually founded the college’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering.

In 2016, UF presented Rhines with an honorary doctorate degree of technology — UF’s highest honor.

“I come to Gainesville a couple times a year for the Dean's Advisory Board and the ECE (Electrical & Computer Engineering) advisory board, of which I’ve chaired,” he said from his office in Dallas. “I have a bunch of friends from Gainesville High School. We get together on a call about once a month, so they're always full of discussion about Florida football.”

Rhines, now the president and CEO of Texas-based Cornami Inc., went to Gainesville High School shortly before Tom Petty.

In addition to roaming the halls of Weil Hall as a teen, Rhines held several local jobs.

“My first paid job at UF was in the Computer Science Department,” he recalled. “We were based in a small building on Archer Road with an IBM 709 mainframe computer (the last of IBM's vacuum tube-based computers before moving to solid state switching) along with an IBM 1401. The next summer

(1966) I worked for Professor Robert Walker in the Chemical Engineering Department doing differential thermal analysis of materials. My final summer job during my undergraduate years was at the General Electric Battery Business in Alachua, north of Gainesville.”

After Rhines graduated from UM, he earned a master’s and doctorate at Stanford, and then an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

At Stanford, Rhines co-invented a blue light-emitting diode that served as a building block for another scientist’s Nobel Prize in Physics. After college, he worked at Texas Instruments for 21 years, leaving as executive vice president in 1993 to become CEO of Mentor Graphics for 24 years (chairman of the board for 17 of those years). Rhines joined Cornami in 2020.

As his career progressed and his accolades mounted, Rhines never forgot about UF, particularly the College of Engineering. He established the Walden C. Rhines Endowed Professor for Quantum Engineering, which was given to Philip Feng, Ph.D. In 2023, and the Rhines Professorship in Hardware Security, given to UF’s Farimah Farahmandi, Ph.D., in 2024 for her hardware security research. Additionally, the Walden and Paula Rhines Endowed Professorship in Semiconductor Photonics was awarded to Volker Sorger, Ph.D.

In ECE Rhines established the Rhines Professorship I Semiconductor Photonics. And in MSE, Rhines’ foundation also supports the Frederick N. Rhines Chair Professorship and two Rhines Rising Star Faculty Development Funds: the Larry Hench Fund and the Robert DeHoff Fund.

Rhines, 78, also serves on five corporate boards — two public companies, three private.

“I don't take much time off,” he said. “I'm pretty well occupied full time, and that's my intention.”

Retirement? Not any time soon.

“I think my wife would go crazy if I had all that free time,” he said, laughing.

Read Full Story

ENGINEERING A

DIEGO ACEVEDO’S CURIOUS PATH ACROSS CONTINENTS AND OCEANS BETTER ISLAND

By Dave Schlenker

Diego Acevedo’s grand life — from kite surfing in his Aruba neighborhood to three engineering degrees from three countries — stems from mere curiosity. Maybe a bit of restlessness, too.

Born in Colombia, Acevedo, Ph.D., earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Florida in 2003. There, he met his wife, Monica Nucete, and within 20 years of marriage, the two embarked on a global tour of education and engineering that wove through Gainesville, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and, now, Aruba. They are the parents of Lucas, 2, and Ema, 15.

Nucete is a high school biology teacher, and Acevedo is a professor and researcher at the University of Aruba. He serves on the Pan-American Marine Energy Association board and has done much work on ocean thermal energy systems and offshore solar systems.

“In Aruba, Diego has been exploring the high penetration of renewables on small grids and resource recovery from desalination brines,” noted Mary Church, senior director of development for UF’s Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.

Next to the academic career, Acevedo and his business partner, Frank Timmen, operate Happyponics VBA, a hydroponics farm that hosts weekly farmers markets. Yet a large chunk of Acevedo’s life is making Aruba more sustainable and resilient to environmental changes.

“My daughter says I have three or four jobs,” Acevedo said.

“My day job is working at the University of Aruba. The way I try to explain the program is an academic startup. We’ve come up with a new program for islands, by islands. This was done with the support of the European Union.”

He and his students look at energy, waste, water and wastewater. They examine how the built environment relates to the natural environment, and they tour the island once a year to see every system.

“Where do we get our water? Where does the waste go? How do we get our energy — renewables such as wind and solar,” he said of the annual island tour.

Part of the program includes bio-environmental sciences, with an eye on mangroves ecosystems, coral ecosystems and beach erosion.

“Because I am an engineer,” he said, “I am attracted to technical solutions. We have this program here called Sustainable Island Solutions Through STEM (SISSTEM). It is not a traditional engineering degree. It is a STEM-focused degree — bachelor’s and master’s. What we really try to do is solve issues that are common on islands.”

His Ph.D. research centered on the valorization of brines from the desalination systems, which could result in diversification of an island economy while providing stronger-and-lighter materials for the global energy transition.

“There is quite a lot of opportunity to recover some resources from the salt water,” he explained. “We put a lot of energy and effort into processing seawater, making freshwater out of it. It’s

a shame if those concentrated salts return to the ocean. We can actually recover, for instance, magnesium; I think there is a huge potential in that.”

This has large implications, especially as automobile manufacturers are looking to reduce the weight of vehicles.

“Magnesium is one of the lightest structural metals,” he said. “One of the things I have been obsessed with over the last year is that potential for magnesium to provide a very interesting alternative to structural metals, like aluminum or steel. If we can do this cheap enough, and I think we can, when we take it out of concentrated brine sources, like the desalination brine and use a cheap renewable energy source in places where you have a lot of wind and solar, like in Aruba, I believe we can get to an important enough contribution to generate magnesium metal, to provide alternatives on the bigger scale.”

Those are big ideas from a small island. But Acevedo contends, “The islands can show the way.”

Most of the world looks to the future capped in crisis — shortages of water, energy, food.

“But in a place like Aruba, we don’t have that,” he said. “For decades, we’ve been 100% dependent on the water from the ocean. Energy has always been imported. We don’t have oil reserves here, so we were pioneers in large-scale renewable energy. Same with food systems, which is one of my other jobs. I have a technology-focused greenhouse. How do we grow things in a tropical desert location?”

“Gainesville was fun,” he said. “I found it very easy to relate to people there. There were people from all over the place, and I was able to get involved in a lot of things.”

He also took the LSAT and was accepted into UF’s law school.

“I registered, and then a couple of weeks before I was to start classes, I got this job offer to work on the commercial side for an engineering company, so I did not follow that path to go to law school,” he said. “I still think before 60 I’m going to get a law degree just because I’m curious — curious and a little crazy.”

Crazy?

Perhaps. But Acevedo wants to combine the social and environmental sides of his work — the man-made laws with nature’s laws.

“To get important solutions out there, it’s not just the technology,” he said. “A lot of engineers are dead set on efficiency and dead set on making the perfect machine. You still need people. Social acceptance. You still need to comply with regulations. You still need to make sure the political climate where this thing will be implemented actually works because it is going to generate jobs or not take away jobs.

The work is the latest chapter in globetrotting after he and Nucete graduated from UF. They moved to South Florida, where he worked for a machinery company; it bought a factory in France, where the Acevedos lived until their daughter was born.

They earned their master’s degrees in The Netherlands, Nucete’s in biology and education from Leiden University and Acevedo’s in sustainable energy from Delft University of Technology. They eventually moved to Aruba where after a few years Diego got a joint Ph.D. position at the University of Aruba and the KU Leuven in Belgium. He defended his Ph.D. in May 2024.

Nucete is originally from Aruba, and Acevedo said the island is a great place to raise a family, a safe place with good people, beaches and enough challenges to satisfy an engineer. Much of that curiosity started in Gainesville.

“I get concerned sometimes that on the engineering side, we forget these things. We forget the people sometimes, so I try to bring those together.”

Acevedo also is a runner who took on the Paris marathon in 2022.

“I just wanted to see if I could do it because I was never very sporty,” he said.

“I also picked up an instrument recently. I am not very musical, but I wondered if YouTube could teach me how to play the guitar. It’s not so bad,” he said. “It’s been on the wall for maybe eight years. Then I decided, ‘Well, let me see if I can tune it and see if anything can come out of it.”

The first song he learned was “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley.

“I’m now realizing I’m hyperactive,” he said, laughing. Indeed, that is a big plate with many noble quests. So what makes him most proud?

“That’s very difficult,” he answered. “I haven’t gotten there yet. I want to do something impactful. I have been very lucky. I have a very good life. But there is still a lot of work to do.”

Acevedo and his business partner, Frank Timmen, operate Happyponics VBA, a hydroponics farm in Aruba that hosts weekly farmers markets.

40 UNDER 40

WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT FOUR HERBERT WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ALUMNI HAVE BEEN HONORED WITH THE UNIVERSITY’S 2025 “40 GATORS UNDER 40” AWARDS. THESE INDIVIDUALS EXEMPLIFY THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP, MAKING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS. THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS REFLECT THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR COLLEGE AND SHOWCASE THE ENDURING IMPACT OF THE GATOR NATION.

Lindsay DeWeese (BSNE ’07 | MSNE ’09 | Ph.D. ’13 Biomedical/Medical Physics)

Lindsay DeWeese, Ph.D., is a medical physicist and associate professor in the Department of Radiology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

She is a triple Gator with a bachelor's and master's in nuclear engineering sciences, and Ph.D. in medical physics.

Teaching and mentoring are her life’s passions. She is the assistant director of the medical physics graduate program and director of the residency program, which she founded in 2020. DeWeese was honored

with the graduate program’s first Faculty Impact Award in 2017 (and again in 2020 and 2022), a student-chosen award that honors the faculty with the greatest impact on students.

This year, DeWeese became the imaging physics section chief. In the field of medical physics, women make up just 25% of the workforce but only 12% of clinical leadership roles. She seeks to improve access for other women in her field. She has been invited to presentations on breaking down barriers to leadership for women in medical physics and given talks on improving gender equity through the establishment of a women-focused faculty development program at OHSU.

She has prominent national leadership roles volunteering with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American Board of Radiology and the Society of Directors of Medical Physics Programs. She is an active participant in UF alumni events at national meetings annually. In 2023, she was featured in the Alumni Spotlight for the UF Medical Physics Graduate Program.

Alumni from the University of Florida have created and guided some of the most innovative and profitable businesses globally. The Alumni Association is proud to recognize these amazing business owners and entrepreneurs through the Gator100. Congratulations to our talented Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering alumni who made the 2025 list.

#6 GLEN HARRIS III, BSCE ’01, MECE ’03

Alair Homes Sanibel

#10 BRYAN VEITH, BSCE ’93

Veith Engineering & Business Solutions

#20 WESLEY FOSTER, BSCE ’12, MECE ’13

Pacifica Engineering Services, LLC

#30 REX B. KIRBY, BSCE ’80

Verdex Construction

#32 SCOTT BARTNICK, BSISE ’15

Otter PR

#43 DAN RUA, BSCSE ’91

Admiral

#65 JOHN EVERSON, BSCE ’17

Everson Construction Group, LLC

#70 CHRISTIAN DECKER, MECE ’89

Planate Management Group

#75 JAY R. CONROY, BABA ’00, BSEN ’00

Hydro-Dyne Engineering, Inc.

#79 BOB BEACH, BSME ’85

Beach Engineering Solutions Team, Inc.

#84 JAMES HACKENBERG, BSME ’01

Hackenberg Engineering

#93 PAM AND RUSSELL HYATT, BSSV ’90

Hyatt Survey Services, Inc.

#94 JASON GONOS, BSME ’05

PPM Solar

LINDSAY DEWEESE

Wesley Foster (BSCE ’12 | MECE ’13)

WESLEY FOSTER

Wesley Foster epitomizes leadership in engineering and philanthropy. As president and founder of Pacifica Engineering Services and CEO of the Wesley Foster Foundation, he has significantly impacted both sectors. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from UF, Foster advanced his technical and managerial skills with a master's of engineering from UF and an MBA from Louisiana State University.

Under his direction, Pacifica has become a benchmark in engineering with over 100 employees, achieving notable

Sherin Thomas (MSCEN ’12)

Sherin Thomas is a software engineering leader, artist and climate change advocate with an impressive 15-year career at prestigious companies like Slack, Google, Twitter, Netflix and Lyft. A technical expert in low-latency, high-throughput data processing with several patents, she is a sought-after speaker at international conferences (including a keynote address) and serves on program committees of international conferences. Thomas also contributes to advisory board in the UF Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering and has been a featured author in notable

Christopher Tien (Ph.D. ’11 BME/ Medical Physics)

Christopher Tien is an associate professor of therapeutic radiology at the Yale University School of Medicine. Tien was able to graduate with his Ph.D. in medical physics from UF at 25, funded by the prestigious UF Alumni Graduate Fellowship. After stints at Brown University for residency and Chicago for private practice, he has been at Yale since 2016.

At Yale, Tien has risen in academic rank largely propelled by the strength of his expertise in brachytherapy, a specialized

accolades such as No. 6 Fastest Growing Gator-led Company in 2023, No. 28 in 2024 among the Gator100 and recognition in the Inc. Magazine’s 5000 list. His strategic vision extends beyond professional achievements, dedicating significant efforts to societal betterment through the Wesley Foster Foundation. This initiative focuses on enhancing socioeconomic conditions via crucial pillars of nutrition and education, providing substantial support.

Colleagues describe Foster as a dynamic innovator and compassionate leader, committed to both community upliftment and professional excellence. His ability to blend empathy with strategic action has not only propelled his companies forward but also nurtured the next generation of engineers and philanthropists. Foster’s career and charitable activities illustrate a profound dedication to building more than just infrastructure; he is dedicated to fostering enduring legacies that resonate within and beyond his immediate community.

publications, such as the InfoQ AI/ML and Data Trends report, which influences the technical strategies of major software companies.

Thomas is deeply involved in social impact causes, particularly climate change and promoting diversity in STEM. She collaborated with NASA and led the development of an AIpowered tool to automate the detection of weather patterns, saving scientists thousands of hours of data prep. This project, involving students from UF’s Women in Computer Science chapter, led to open-source contributions, publications and career opportunities for those involved, including a mentee who joined Blue Origin.

Currently, Thomas leads the Aicacia lab at Collaborative Earth, focusing on scaling ecological restoration using AI. She collaborates with ETH Zurich to develop specialized language models for restoration methodologies, further advancing her commitment to mitigating climate change.

form of medical radiation used to treat cancer. This method of cancer treatment and its underlying radiobiology have produced more than 100 conference proceedings, 25 journal articles and 35 invited talks, including a national plenary session for the American Brachytherapy Society. Annually, Tien teaches classes to first-year doctors and was chosen to serve on the national Medical Physics Education and Training Council, which establishes teaching curriculum used nationwide in radiation oncology residencies.

At 38, Tien became one of the youngest fellows elected in the history of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Yet, while his academic pursuits have gained him national academic acclaim, Tien still maintains his steadfast commitment to utilize his board-certified medical physics expertise to help the cancer patients treated daily at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

SHERIN THOMAS

CHRISTOPHER TIEN

HONORING LIVES OF IMPACT AND LEGACY

Carlos del Sol

Carlos del Sol (BSISE ’72), a member of Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, died on Nov. 24, 2024.

Del Sol served as chair of the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE) Advisory Board and was a member of the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors.

After graduating from UF, del Sol worked for General Electric Co. before moving with his family to New Jersey to join the Campbell Soup

Frank Gillette

Frank Gillette (BSME ’62), who designed fighter jet engines, died on Oct. 29, 2024.

He served on the MAE External Advisory Board and earned a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2010 “for his technical contributions as an aerospace engineer and for his longstanding support of the university and our department.”

He enrolled at UF after seven years in the Navy Reserves. During a 36-year career at the aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, he became the director of Advanced Military

Glenn Renwick

Glenn Renwick (MSISE ’78), 70, chairman of the board and former president/CEO of the Progressive Corp., died May 16, 2025.

Renwick and his wife, Deborah (BSN ’77), were substantial UF donors, including a $3 million gift that established the endowed Glenn and Deborah Renwick Leadership Professorship, the Renwick Leadership Program in AI and Ethics, and the Renwick Faculty Fellows in AI and Research. Their donations also funded the Renwick Engineering Scholars Fund. He was awarded the UF Distinguished Alumnus Award in

Co., where he served for 23 years.

Upon retirement, del Sol moved back to Gainesville with his wife, Olga (BAE ‘74), dedicating much of his time and service to the community and UF. He was recognized with the UF Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013 and the UF ISE Alumni Leadership Award in 2010.

The del Sols supported student scholarships, UF’s STEP-UP program, the ISE department and the Herbert Wertheim Laboratory for Engineering Excellence.

Programs while designing engines that continue to be used in fighter jets worldwide.  Specifically, he designed the combustor and turbine modules for engines that power the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon jets. His signature achievement, however, was the development of the F119 engine as Pratt & Whitney’s project lead. The F119’s ability to go supersonic without using afterburners increased flight range and thrust.

After his retirement, Gillette taught propulsion courses as a volunteer at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

2011. During Renwick’s 32 years at Progressive, annual revenues grew from about $800 million in 1986 to $30 billion in 2016. Forbes twice listed him as one of the 40 most admired CEOs in the world. Renwick also received a Congressional commendation for having all water-damaged, Progressive-insured cars in New Orleans destroyed, protecting unsuspecting buyers from purchasing them later.

In 1977, he graduated from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and then moved to the U.S. to continue his education at UF.

GATOR ENGINEERING

OUR

COMMON

BOND IS MORE THAN A RALLYING CRY. IT’S A CALLING.

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND THE HERBERT WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, WE ASK NOT ABOUT WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED, BUT WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.

Fueled by the work of New Engineers, outstanding engineering faculty and students who are both technically excellent and capable of leading and innovating in a world that is increasingly global and interdisciplinary, UF Engineers have transformed the state and begun to make a national and global impact on education and society.

Armed with passion and driven by purpose, UF engineers face limitless horizons, turning everyday opportunity into uncommon reality.

DEAN’S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Leadership giving has a dynamic and vital impact on the college. These gifts can be made in support of faculty and students through investments in the endowment, capital projects or programmatic operations. Your gift ensures that the tradition of excellence known to all Gator Engineers continues, as we prepare the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Your contributions make certain undergraduate and graduate students have access to the financial resources, laboratories, technologies, facilities and top-rated faculty to become LEADERS IN THE FIELD.

The Dean’s Leadership Circle recognizes those who give a minimum total of $1,000 or more annually to any fund(s) at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.

*Membership is based on fiscal year (July 1 — June 30) Giving Levels:

▪ Luminary

$25,000 and Above

▪ Visionary

▪ Innovator

▪ Pioneer

$10,000 — $24,999

$5,000 — $9,999

$1,000 — $4,999

As a member of the Dean’s Leadership Circle, you will be:

▪ Among the first to hear college updates and proud accomplishments

▪ Recognized by the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

▪ Invited to exclusive events with college leadership

▪ Opportunities to engage virtually with college leadership and faculty

For more information, contact JJ Szwanke at jszwanke@eng.ufl.edu.

Scan here to support the Dean’s Excellence Fund.

Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA

P.O. BOX 116120

GAINESVILLE, FL 32611

WWW.ENG.UFL.EDU

@UF WERTHEIM

Engineering graduates light up the arena as they sing along to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” during the Spring 2025 University of Florida commencement ceremony — a beloved Gator tradition.