UCF is intensifying its commitment to addressing the rising demand for skilled engineers and computer scientists. Recognized as Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University, UCF has launched an ambitious faculty hiring initiative to solidify its role as a leader in education, research and innovation.
In 2025, UCF plans to hire up to 36 engineering and computer science faculty members in fields critical to Florida’s economic growth, including artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace, energy, advanced manufacturing, logistics, digital twin and other strategic areas. This bold initiative comes as UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) celebrates record-breaking enrollment, with over 15,500 students — making it one of the nation’s largest engineering colleges.
This growth is closely tied to Orlando’s rise as a top tech hub. A study by CommercialCafe, an organization that tracks industry trends, recently named Orlando as one of the leading technology centers in the South, citing UCF as a robust source of talent driving advancements in simulation technology and beyond.
“The rapid growth of technological expertise needed by industry and government means that engineers and computer scientists are more essential than ever,” says CECS Dean Michael Georgiopoulos. “UCF is committed to meeting this demand by recruiting outstanding cadres of faculty talent to educate and mentor the next generation of technology innovators. We are grateful to the Florida Legislature for its support in enabling us to expand our faculty resources and strengthen Florida’s workforce.”
Enrollment in UCF’s engineering and computer science programs has increased 17% in just three years, and the college aims to grow to 20,000 students in the coming years. This expansion has been accompanied by significant faculty growth, with 17 new members added in Fall 2024 and another 11 joining this spring, bolstering the 30+ faculty hired in the 2023-24 academic year, Georgiopoulos adds.
The expansion of the college’s faculty and research capabilities means more opportunities for student engagement, mentorship and hands-on learning. This ensures that students are well-prepared for their careers and ready to become future leaders and innovators across a wide range of engineering and computer science fields.
Beyond the world-class faculty, what makes CECS so distinctive and attractive to students are exceptional industry partnerships, all of which are in close proximity to Knight Nation. UCF is the nation’s No. 2 workforce supplier to the aerospace and defense industries, and a top producer of degrees in the areas of mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering.
Partnerships such as the ones with NASA, Disney, Lockheed Martin, SiemensEnergy, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, FPL, Duke Energy and other industry leaders, offer students invaluable opportunities for internships, research and networking, while driving cutting-edge innovations in areas such as aerospace and energy, and advancing research in AI, machine learning, cyber and other fundamental technologies.
With support from the Florida Legislature, UCF’s hiring initiative elevates the university’s role as a vital contributor to the state’s economic future.
“It’s nice to join a university making strides to have greater impact,” says David Mitchell, an associate professor who joined UCF’s materials science and engineering department in 2024 after serving as a senior research and development materials scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In his previous industry work over the years, he had made connections with several UCF engineering faculty members.
At UCF, Mitchell holds a joint appointment with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and collaborates with the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER). His research focuses on developing novel materials for advanced manufacturing and hypersonic engines.
He will transition to a lab at the new UCF HyperSpace Center of Excellence. Currently, Mitchell is establishing his XTREMES Lab, recruiting students to contribute to groundbreaking research. He is also building interdisciplinary connections to advance the development of next-generation composite materials for applications in hypersonic, nuclear and advanced energy systems.
Needa Brown, who joined UCF in 2024, was previously an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University, where she also was a co-founder and program director of the Masters of Science in Nanomedicine program. Now an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at UCF, Brown focuses her research on developing nanomaterials that can reprogram the immune system’s microenvironment to combat cancerous tumors and infectious diseases.
“I was impressed by UCF’s growing reputation in materials science and engineering, particularly at the intersection of medicine and engineering,” Brown said. “The highly collaborative environment, multidisciplinary faculty, excellent core facilities, and connection to the medical sector and industrial sector via the Florida High Tech Corridor made UCF an obvious choice.”
