UCF spotlighted more than 240 faculty members for academic excellence and service Wednesday at the 2025 Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom.
The celebration honored recipients of the Pegasus Professor Award, UCF’s highest faculty honor; the Reach for the Stars Award; the recipient of the Medal of Societal Impact award; the inaugural Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award, university excellence award winners; those who recently reached 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service; a Faculty Senate service award; faculty granted emeritus or emerita status; and retired faculty members.
The event also included the announcement of this year’s faculty Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award, which went to Manoj Chopra, professor and associate dean of Undergraduate Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and a special presentation of provost emeritus status to Michael D. Johnson, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. Johnson, UCF’s provost since 2020, will retire this summer after 35 years at UCF in various teaching and leadership roles.
The faculty event was part of a Founders’ Day Celebration that also included separate employee and staff recognition ceremonies. Here are the faculty honorees.
Pegasus Professor Award
Roger Azevedo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Yan Solihin, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Reach for the Stars Award
Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
Leland Nordin, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Yogesh Rawat, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Kelly Stevens, College of Community Innovation and Education
Societal Medal of Impact Award
Mohamed Abdel-Aty, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award
Manoj Chopra, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year
Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
College Awardees
Robert Borgon, College of Medicine
Karin Chumbimuni Torres, College of Sciences
Stacey DiLiberto, College of Arts and Humanities
Archana Dubey, College of Sciences
Leah Gaines, College of Undergraduate Studies
Christine Hanlon, College of Sciences
Gail Humiston, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ethan Hill, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
Kelly Kibler, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Eunkyung Lee, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Michael Mousseau, College of Sciences
Brian Reese, College of Arts and Humanities
Jeffrey Reinking, College of Business Administration
Meredith Robertson, College of Community Innovation and Education
Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
Dawn Turnage, College of Nursing
Rani Vajravelu, College of Sciences
Konstantin Vodopyanov, College of Optics and Photonics
Amanda Walden, College of Community Innovation and Education
Wei Wei, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
University Winner
Christine Hanlon, College of Sciences
Excellence in Graduate Teaching
College Awardees
Tuhin Das, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Melissa Frye, College of Business Administration
Erica Hoyt, College of Nursing
Pieter Kik, College of Optics and Photonics
Jihyun Kim, College of Sciences
Christine Kolaya, College of Arts and Humanities
Sheila Moore, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ahmet Ozturk, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Carey Rothschild, College of Health Professions and Sciences
University Winner
Erica Hoyt, College of Nursing
Excellence in Research
College Awardees
Barbara Andraka-Christou, College of Community Innovation and Education
Desiree Díaz, College of Nursing
Naveen Eluru, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Xin He, College of Business Administration
Emily Johnson, College of Arts and Humanities
Guifang Li, College of Optics and Photonics
Humberto Lopez Castillo, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Michal Masternak, College of Medicine
Richard Plate, College of Undergraduate Studies
Wei Wei, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences
University Winner
Barbara Andraka-Christou, College of Community Innovation and Education
Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising
Chen Chen, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Excellence in Professional Service
Jessica Wickey, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Excellence in Librarianship
Sai Deng, UCF Libraries
Excellence in Instructional Design
Amanda Major, Digital Learning
University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students
Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences
David Mohaisen, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health
Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education
University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral Scholars
Ghaith Rabadi, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Senate Service Awards
10 Years of Service
Karol Lucken, College of Community Innovation and Education
Service Awards
20 Years of Service
Ni-bin Chang, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Zixi Cheng, College of Medicine
Max Croft, College of Sciences
Leslee Damato-Kubiet, College of Nursing
Kenneth Fedorka, College of Sciences
Yanga Fernandez, College of Sciences
Amy Foster, College of Arts and Humanities
Martha Garcia, College of Arts and Humanities
Vladimir Gatchev, College of Business Administration
Andre Gesquiere, Office of Research
Xun Gong, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Constance Goodman, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ali Gordon, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Richard Hall, College of Sciences
William Hanney, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Tadayuki Hara, Rosen, College of Hospitality Management
Sally Hastings, College of Sciences
Eric Hoffman, College of Sciences
Jeremy Hunt, College of Arts and Humanities
Qun Huo, Office of Research
Hyung Jung, Rosen, College of Hospitality Management
Saiful Khondaker, Office of Research
Jacqueline Lamanna, College of Nursing
Glenn Lambie, College of Community Innovation and Education
Connie Lester, College of Arts and Humanities
Michael Leuenberger Office of Research
Amelia Lyons, College of Arts and Humanities
Carolyn Massiah, College of Business Administration
Daniel Novatnak, College of Sciences
Fevzi Okumus, Rosen, College of Hospitality Management
Thomas Potter, College of Arts and Humanities
Fernando Rivera, College of Sciences
Sean Robb, College of Business Administration
John Rotolo, College of Sciences
Swadeshmukul Santra, Office of Research
Zixia Song, College of Sciences
Judit Szente, College of Community Innovation and Education
Alexandru Tamasan, College of Sciences
Scott Waring, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ronald Weaver, College of Sciences
Harry Weger, College of Sciences
Margaret Zaho, College of Arts and Humanities
Lei Zhai, Office of Research
Changchun Zou, College of Engineering and Computer Science
25 Years of Service
Sue Bauer, Digital Learning
Aniket Bhattacharya, College of Sciences
David Boote, College of Community Innovation and Education
Shawn Burke, College of Graduate Studies
Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education
Patricia Farless, College of Arts and Humanities
Deguang Han, College of Sciences
Peter Hancock, College of Sciences
Christine Hanlon, College of Sciences
Rae Hanson, College of Graduate Studies
Robin Kohn, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Jaydeep Mukherjee, Office of Research
Carla Poindexter, College of Arts and Humanities
Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Dean Reed, College of Graduate Studies
Kimberly Renk, College of Sciences
Kirk Scammon, College of Engineering and Computer Science
David Scrogin, College of Business Administration
Stephen Sivo, College of Community Innovation and Education
Yongho Sohn, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Nancy Swenson, Digital Learning
Terry Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities
Pamela Thomas, College of Sciences
Kristina Tollefson, College of Arts and Humanities
Rajan Vaidyanathan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Mark Winton, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ross Wolf, UCF Downtown
Ronnie Zimmerman, College of Community Innovation and Education
30 Years of Service
Hadi Abbas, College of Arts and Humanities
Mohamed Abdel-Aty, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Debopam Chakrabarti, College of Medicine
David Chasar, Office of Research
Leslie Connell, College of Business Administration
Dina Fabery, College of Arts and Humanities
Cristina Fernandez-Valle, College of Medicine
Kevin Haran, College of Arts and Humanities
James Helsinger, College of Arts and Humanities
Athena Hoeppner, UCF Libraries
Aubrey Jewett, College of Sciences
Timothy Kotnour, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Heath Martin, College of Sciences
Janet McIlvaine, Office of Research
Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
Saleh Naser, College of Medicine
Marianna Pensky, College of Sciences
Otto Phanstiel, College of Medicine
Jeanne Piascik, UCF Libraries
Jeffrey Rupert, College of Arts and Humanities
Raymond Surette, College of Community Innovation and Education
John Weishampel, College of Graduate Studies
35 Years of Service
Kien Hua, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Zhihua Qu, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Clint Bowers, College of Sciences
Lyman Brodie, College of Arts and Humanities
Sudipto Choudhury, College of Sciences
Shelley Park, College of Arts and Humanities
Alfons Schulte, College of Sciences
40 Years of Service
Karen Biraimah, College of Community Innovation and Education
Gene Lee, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences
Ady Milman, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Bhimsen Shivamoggi, College of Sciences
45 Years of Service
Charles Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Emeritus and Emerita
Gregg A. Buckingham, College of Community Innovation and Education
Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Joseph DiNapoli, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education
Denise Gammonley, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Roger Handberg, College of Sciences
Charles E. Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Joe Hutchinson, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
David Jenkins, College of Sciences
Michael D. Johnson, Office of the Provost
Elizabeth A. Klonoff, College of Sciences
Gary Leavens, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Joyce Nutta, College of Community Innovation and Education
Pedro Francisco Quintana-Ascencio, College of Sciences
Abraham Pizam, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Melvin Rogers, College of Community Innovation and Education
Linda Rosa-Lugo, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Maria Cristina Santana-Rogers, College of Arts and Humanities
Michael Sigman, College of Sciences
Mary Lou Sole, College of Nursing
Martine Vanryckeghem, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Cherie Yestrebsky, College of Sciences
Retired Faculty
Richard Ajayi, College of Business Administration
Kelly Allred, College of Nursing
Maureen Ambrose, College of Business Administration
Blaise Bossy, College of Medicine
Ella Bossy-Wetzel, College of Medicine
Gregg Buckingham, College of Community Innovation and Education
Scott Bukstein, College of Business Administration
Carol Burgunder, College of Nursing
Angeline Bushy, College of Nursing
Lynn Casmier-Paz, College of Arts and Humanities
Kevin Coffey, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Maureen Covelli, College of Nursing
Barry Edwards, College of Sciences
Azza Fahim, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Lynette Feder, College of Community Innovation and Education
Denise Gammonley, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Leonid Glebov, College of Optics and Photonics
Paul Goldwater, College of Business Administration
Lixing Gu, Office of Research
Shari Hodgson, College of Sciences
Joe Hutchinson, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Frances Iacobellis, College of Nursing
Steve Jex, College of Sciences
Eric Johnson, Office of Research
Mark Kerlin, UCF Global
Joo Kim, College of Arts and Humanities
Barbara Kinsey, College of Sciences
Elizabeth Klonoff, College of Graduate Studies
Keith Koons, College of Arts and Humanities
Alice Korosy, College of Arts and Humanities
Judith Levin, College of Community Innovation and Education
Michael McManus, College of Community Innovation and Education
Zuhair Nashed, College of Sciences
Pedro Patino Marin, College of Sciences
Abraham Pizam, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Robert Reedy, College of Arts and Humanities
Bahaa Saleh, College of Optics and Photonics
Maria Cristina Santana-Rogers, College of Arts and Humanities
Melvin Rogers, College of Community Innovation and Education
Marshall Schminke, College of Business Administration
Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore College of Community Innovation and Education
Timothy Sellnow, College of Sciences
Michael Sigman, College of Sciences
Verner Smith, College of Business Administration
Janan Smither, College of Sciences
Ula Stoeckl, College of Sciences
Joseph Vasquez, College of Sciences
Lewis Worrell, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Xin Yan, College of Sciences
