One-hundred-forty-three UCF faculty members recently achieved significant career milestones in earning promotions and tenure for the 2022-23 cycle.
The approved faculty — 93 for promotion, 49 for promotion and tenure and one for tenure — underwent a rigorous evaluation of their work and performance by peers, college and university leaders that took nearly an academic year.
Tenure is a key factor in UCF’s drive to fulfill its strategic vision of becoming a preeminent state university, a national top 25 public institution and the world’s leading public metropolitan research university. Aside from helping recruit and retain elite faculty, tenure helps safeguard academic freedom and encourage faculty to tackle challenging and important problems to benefit society.
Tenure must be approved by the UCF Board of Trustees. Of the 50 candidates approved by the board on June 29, 49 received a promotion to associate professor. The president and provost make final decisions on promotions following reviews and recommendations from individual colleges and units.
“The faculty members approved this year for promotion and tenure distinguish themselves through excellence and high productivity in teaching, research and service. I am very happy to have such colleagues at UCF,” says Michael D. Johnson, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “They have met a lofty and demanding standard, and I am confident they will contribute significantly to advancing UCF as the University for the Future.”
The new promotion and tenure approvals take effect Aug. 8. Congratulations to the following faculty.
Promotion to Professor
- Kareem Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- John Applen, College of Arts and Humanities
- William Crampton, College of Sciences
- Tuhin Das, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Desiree Diaz, College of Nursing
- Robert Dvorak, College of Sciences
- David Fukuda, College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Barbara Gannon, College of Arts and Humanities
- Xiufang Guo, College of Graduate Studies
- Sally Hastings, College of Sciences
- Haiyan Hu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Qian Hu, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Joshua King, College of Sciences
- Claire Knox, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Peter Larson, College of Arts and Humanities
- Mingjie Lin, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Katherine Mansfield, College of Sciences
- Hansen Mansy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Christo Pirinsky, College of Business Administration
- Yaser Pourmohammadi Fallah, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Beatriz Reyes-Foster, College of Sciences
- John Sacher, College of Arts and Humanities
- Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
- Megan Sherod, College of Sciences
- Jennifer Marla Toyne, College of Sciences
- Azadeh Vosoughi, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Cyrus Zargar, College of Arts and Humanities
Promotion to Professor of Medicine
- Adrienne Gorman, College of Medicine
- David Harris, College of Medicine
- Mollie Jewett, College of Medicine
- Michal Masternak, College of Medicine
- Vladimir Neychev, College of Medicine
Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure
- Barbara Andraka-Christou, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Luis Arboleda, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Konstantin Ash, College of Sciences
- Bethany Backes, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Christopher Bennett, College of Sciences
- Samik Bhattacharya, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Karina Cespedes, College of Arts and Humanities
- Zhongzhou Chen, College of Sciences
- Jesse Cook, College of Arts and Humanities
- Veronica Decker, College of Nursing
- Sean Dennis, College of Business Administration
- Kerri Donaldson Hanna, College of Sciences
- Tarek Elgohary, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Yanjie Fu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Michelle Gaither, College of Sciences
- Francisco Guido-Sanz, College of Nursing
- Shana Harris, College of Sciences
- Yan Huang, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
- Tengfei Jiang, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Jamila Kareem, College of Arts and Humanities
- Heather Keathley, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Christian King, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Michael Kinzel, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Michael Knight, College of Arts and Humanities
- Akihiro Kushima, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Ka Wai Kwok, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Benjamin Lieser, College of Arts and Humanities
- Nichole Lighthall, College of Sciences
- Alexander Mantzaris, College of Sciences
- Esther Milu, College of Arts and Humanities
- Kevin Mullally, College of Business Administration
- Yasuyuki Nakajima, College of Sciences
- Shuo Pang, College of Optics and Photonics
- David Rozek, College of Sciences
- Eric Rutkow, College of Arts and Humanities
- Valeriya Shapoval, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
- Michael Strawser, College of Sciences
- Samuel Towne, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Mihai Vaida, College of Sciences
- Adan Vela, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Ross Winter, College of Arts and Humanities
- Xiaoming Yu, College of Optics and Photonics
- Haofei Yu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Wei Zhang, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Qun Zhou Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure
- Salvador Almagro-Moreno, College of Medicine
- Amber Southwell, College of Medicine
- Tara Strutt, College of Medicine
- Lindsay Taliaferro, College of Medicine
Tenure Awarded
- Vivian Majkowski, College of Arts and Humanities
Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine
- Tina Chiarelli, College of Medicine
- Nyla Dil, College of Medicine
- Alicia Hawthorne, College of Medicine
- Anuja Mehta, College of Medicine
- Kyle Riding, College of Medicine
Promotion to Associate Professor
- Erik Fernandez, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Promotion to Senior Lecturer
- Chung Yong Chan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Robert Gennaro, College of Arts and Humanities
- Nathan Holic, College of Arts and Humanities
- Hyung Jung, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
- Gregg Klowden, College of Sciences
- Brett Meltzer, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Victoria Pace, College of Sciences
- Jennifer Plant, College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Jeffrey Reinking, College of Business Administration
- William Saunders, College of Sciences
- Judi Siegfried, College of Arts and Humanities
- Walter Sotero, College of Sciences
- Carlos Valdez, College of Business Administration
- Jane Vaughan, College of Arts and Humanities
- Sandra Wheeler, College of Sciences
- Grace White, College of Sciences
- Chrysalis Wright, College of Sciences
- Ricardo Zaurin, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Promotion to Associate Lecturer
- Zakhia Abichar, College of Engineering and Computer Science
- JoAnne Adams, College of Arts and Humanities
- Devon Cadwell Bazata, College of Undergraduate Studies
- Jason Chesnut, College of Sciences
- Christine Deatrick, College of Nursing
- Dana-Marie Dennis, College of Sciences
- Brandy Dieterle, College of Arts and Humanities
- Esmerelda Duarte, College of Arts and Humanities
- Danielle Eadens, College of Undergraduate Studies
- Melissa Geppert, College of Arts and Humanities
- Derek Green, College of Arts and Humanities
- John Hanley, College of Sciences
- Michelle Holm, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
- Nathan Ilderton, College of Sciences
- Andrew Johnson, College of Business Administration
- Shannon Lindsey, College of Arts and Humanities
- Lisa Martino, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Richard Plate, College of Undergraduate Studies
- Debra Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Dawn Turnage, College of Nursing
- Angela White-Jones, College of Community Innovation and Education
- Sharon Woodill, College of Undergraduate Studies
Promotion to Senior Instructor
- Scott Bukstein, College of Business Administration
- Karen Cox, College of Sciences
- Lindsay Hudock, College of Sciences
- Shellene Mazany, College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Katherine Wilson, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Promotion to Associate Instructor
- Garrett Arban, College of Arts and Humanities
- Carolyn Buchanan, College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Nick-Myrca Gauthier, College of Arts and Humanities
- Roberta Jensen, College of Arts and Humanities
- Shelley Maccini, College of Business Administration
- Emily Proulx, College of Arts and Humanities
- Estelli Ramos, College of Health Professions and Sciences
- Jennifer Short, College of Arts and Humanities
Promotion to Medical Associate Librarian
- Terri Gotschall, College of Medicine
Promotion to Associate Instructional Designer
- Jessica Tojo-Raible, Division of Digital Learning
