At UCF
— one of the largest universities in the U . S . — being big empowers us to pioneer a whole new category of higher education . Our researchers tackle society ’ s most pressing problems by harnessing the strength of our scale and innovative thinking to create lasting , positive impact on our local community and the world . To learn more , visit ucf . edu / research .
19 TH
UCF ’ s rank among U . S . public universities for number of patents in 2015 according to the National Academy of Inventors
U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T R A L F L O R I D A
THE BENEFITS OF BIG
Collaborative Approach
UCF ’ s Faculty Cluster Initiative fosters the development of interdisciplinary teams focused on solving today ’ s toughest scientific and societal challenges through research and teaching .
O R L A N D O
Analyze This
Assistant professor Fei Liu developed an algorithm to help computers learn and derive meaning from written text — and generate it , too .
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Lofty Goals
A team of UCF scientists led by physicist Joshua Colwell made history as their experiment to study how space dust builds up to form planets became the first to go to space aboard Blue Origin ’ s New Shepard .
Smart Sensors
In Osceola County , the UCF-supported consortium for advanced manufacturing research , BRIDG , will host commercial researchers developing smart sensors and next-generation photonics and optics to enable the internet of things . One of the first to join is imec , an international research institute specializing in nanoelectronics .
Cyber Security and Privacy
RESEARCH CLUSTER
Creating tools and protocols to
prevent , discover and mitigate cyberattacks
Energy Conversion and Propulsion
RESEARCH CLUSTER
Improving the production , storage and use of energy
ENERGY
H 2
O 2 + +
Br 2
2H 2
O
REACTION
Renewable Energy Systems
RESEARCH CLUSTER
Expanding the potential of sustainable energy sources and distribution
Prosthetic Interfaces
RESEARCH CLUSTER
Developing technology to improve human capacity
Seeing Red
Daniel Britt , director of UCF ’ s Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science , developed the radiometric calibration targets for NASA ’ s Curiosity rover that enable scientists to “ see ” Mars ’ colors as they would be on Earth .
Image Courtesy of NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
Mission Ready
Humberto Campins , physics professor and head of the UCF Planetary Sciences Group , and Yan Fernández , associate professor and director of UCF ’ s Robinson Observatory , are contributing to the OSIRIS-REx mission , which will bring back samples from one of the oldest asteroids in the solar system , Bennu .
DNA Decoder
Shibu Yooseph , a member of the original team to sequence the human genome , leads UCF ’ s Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Cluster .
Sustainable Coastal Systems
RESEARCH CLUSTER
Uniting environmental , social and economic needs to safeguard resources