Seven faculty members from the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science have been recognized for their achievements in the field of engineering by the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL).
The following faculty have been selected for membership as part of the 2026 cohort – the largest group of inductees in ASEMFL history:
- Professor Jayanta Kapat – Full Member
- Professor Damla Turgut – Full Member
- Associate Professor Chen Chen – Associate Member
- Professor Ivan Garibay – Associate Member
- Associate Professor Thomas Wahl – Associate Member
- Associate Professor Dazhong Wu – Associate Member
- Associate Professor Yang Yang – Associate Member
Full members are recognized as established leaders with a sustained record of exceptional impact in their respective fields. Associate members, which are new to ASEMFL this year, are recognized for their professional accomplishments and emerging leadership.
“We are proud to welcome this exceptional group of scholars and innovators to ASEMFL, including our inaugural class of associate members,” says Yogi Goswami, the ASEMFL president. “Their lifelong dedication and creativity have led to transformational advances in their fields, improving lives and strengthening our communities.”
All new members will be inducted at the ASEMFL annual meeting, which takes place in November at the University of South Florida.
ASEMFL Membership Citations:
Jayanta Kapat
Director, Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research
Citation: For innovative research and digital twin modeling and their impact on improved costs, efficiency and emissions in advanced turbines and energy systems.
Damla Turgut
Pegasus Professor and Chair of Computer Science
Citation: For pioneering contributions to the application of value of information in wireless networks, and for outstanding leadership in advancing research and education at both the university and international professional society levels.
Chen Chen
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Institute of Artificial Intelligence
Citation: For pioneering contributions to multimodal and federated learning and real-time, privacy-preserving video analytics, advancing trustworthy and efficient AI systems for public safety, healthcare, and societal well-being.
Ivan Garibay
Professor, Industrial Engineering and Management Systems
Citation: For pioneering work in artificial intelligence for modeling complex human behavior, including the development of inverse generative social science, evolutionary model discovery, green technological innovation, and AI for social resilience against disinformation and polarization.
Thomas Wahl
Associate Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering and Center for Integrated Coastal Research
Citation: For pioneering work on flood risk analysis, coastal compound flooding, and assessment of coastal hazards at multiple scales under weather extremes.
Dazhong Wu
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Citation: For contributions to the development and implementation of machine learning-based techniques for part qualification and certification in advanced manufacturing.
Yang Yang
Associate Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Citation: For being an accomplished scholar in developing energy materials using nanotechnology.
Nasser Kutkut, a graduate faculty scholar for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has also been named a full member for 2026.