The UCF Alumni Association honored Limbitless Solutions with its 2015 Michelle Akers Award at the annual Black & Gold Gala on Oct. 22.

Limbitless Solutions, which manufactures personalized bionics and solutions for disabilities, is a nonprofit organization founded by UCF students, which is dedicated to building a generation of innovators who use their skills and passion to improve the world around them.

This is the first time the Michelle Akers Award has been presented to students, and to a group. It’s the university’s highest award given to alumni who have brought international, positive attention to UCF through their accomplishments.

Previous winners include:

  • Olympic gold-medalist volleyball player Phil Dalhausser, ’02 (2009)
  • “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress Cheryl Hines, ’90 (2008)
  • Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap, ’05 (2004)
  • “Blair Witch Project” creators, Robin Cowie, ’93; Gregg Hale, ’95; Mike Monello, ’92; Dan Myrick, ’93; and Ed Sanchez, ’93 (1999)
  • 1991 & 1999 Women’s World Cup champion soccer player Michelle Akers, ’89 (1996)

    • The alumni association recognized the Limbitless Solutions team for its life-changing, innovative solutions it has provided to children.

    With the help of actor Robert Downey Jr., they presented then 6-year-old Alex Pring with an “Iron Man”-themed bionic arm — a video (see link below) that has more than 53 million views. And, the team’s work has brought about media opportunities in more than 150 countries, totaling more than three billion impressions on social and conventional media for Limbitless Solutions and UCF.

    The team plans to bring 75 bionic limbs, and books, to displaced Syrian children this year, but that’s just the beginning of what they hope will be a broad-based, global, humanitarian effort.

    WATCH LIMBITLESS SOLUTIONS’ AWARD VIDEO

    Watch other Limbitless Solutions videos:

    Iron Man

    Blue Man Group

    Dolphin Tale

    Read more stories about alumni at ucfalumnitoday.com.