The UCF community celebrated the accomplishments of 15 exceptional faculty members at its annual Luminary Awards Wednesday.
UCF leadership lauded faculty members for being leaders in their fields and conducting work that has had a significant impact on the world.
COVID-19 disrupted plans for the recognition ceremony in 2020 so UCF honored the 2020 and 2021 winners together. UCF President Alex Cartwright, Interim Provost Michael Johnson, Vice President for Research Elizabeth Klonoff and Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Jana Jasinski were on hand to recognize each winner with glass awards.
Deans, chairs and directors from across the university nominate candidates for the award and a selection committee determines the winners. Many deans and chairs joined previous Luminaries and close friends and family of Wednesday’s honorees to celebrate.
In addition to the glass award, faculty members will be featured on the new Luminary Awards Recognition website launched after the event.
2020 Winner: Helen Huang, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Helen Huang is a major asset to UCF as a trailblazer in the field of brain dynamics and human locomotion. Her current research is focused on brain and body adaptations – how movement patterns are established and altered. Her promising work has been recognized with an NSF CAREER award, an NIH R01 and about $2 million in research grants as her efforts are paving the way for new rehabilitation devices and practices. Huang is also passionate about our next generation of engineers. She has worked tirelessly to establish a new master’s program in biomedical engineering as well as assisting in plans for a new doctoral program. As a mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students, she constantly inspires and passes on her passion for advancing human locomotion and improving overall quality of life.