Faculty, Staff, Students Honored at Founders’ Day Ceremonies
Every year on the first Wednesday of April, UCF honors the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our people on Founders’ Day, our annual celebration of the employees, faculty and students who keep reaching for the stars.
More than 150 faculty members were recognized across the university, including several from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
“It’s a joy to celebrate extraordinary faculty who model academic excellence, student success and societal impact,” says Michael D. Johnson, UCF provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “Their remarkable work lifts up the university’s excellence and shows us all what UCF can become.”
The students honored include undergraduate and graduate students who are groundbreaking national and global scholarship winners, researchers, athletes, teaching assistants, residence assistants and leaders in campus organizations such as Student Government, LEAD Scholars and the President’s Leadership Council.
University Level Awards
Pegasus Professor
Damla Turgut, Department of Computer Science
Reach for the Stars Award
Dazhong Wu, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students
Ahmad Elshennawy, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Excellence in Mentoring Post-Doctoral Students
Mubarak Shah, Center for Research in Computer Vision
Excellence in Research
Yongho Sohn, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Faculty Senate – 10 Years of Service
Kevin Coffey, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sumanta Pattanaik, Department of Computer Science
Order of Pegasus
Lauren Ray, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Mariana Sorroza Aguilar, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Founders’ Award
Natalie Longtin, Department of Computer Science
Outstanding Dissertation
Ce Zheng ‘23PhD, Department of Computer Science
Outstanding Thesis
Tajnuba Hasan ‘23MS, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis
Kevin Hanekom, Department of Computer Science
Employee Excellence Award for Discovery and Innovation
Avra Kundu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Five Years of Service
Angela Jackson
Marisa Ramiccio
Lorna Rodriguez
Melissa Saint James
Juliana Zink
10 Years of Service
Jennifer Fackler
Vernet Lasrado
Derrick McQuern
Donald Scrip
Giji Skaria
15 Years of Service
Pete Alfieris
20 Years of Service
Sophie Cortes-Thomas
Lisa Massi
Ozlem Garibay, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
25 Years of Service
Pedro Cordero
30 Years of Service
Jeanine Clements
Michael Proctor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
35 Years of Service
Kari Stiles
Retired
Angie Feliciano
Ellen McDade
Kari Stiles
Richard Biehl, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Samuel Richie, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor Emeritus
Kevin Coffey, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
College Level Awards
Excellence in Research
Akihiro Kushima, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Sudeshna Pal, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Zakhia Abichar, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Excellence in Graduate Teaching
George Atia, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Excellence by a Graduate Teaching Assistant
Mousam Hossain, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Excellence by a Graduate Student Instructor
Jorge Sarmiento, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Outstanding Creative Work
Junayed Mahmud, Department of Computer Science