THE LATEST FROM THE UNIVERSITY
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Two engineering alumni leaders, celebrated for their achievements and warmth, were the commencement speakers at Spring Commencement in May. Sachio Semmoto (Ph.D. '71), a UF alumnus and entrepreneur who founded one of the largest telecommunications companies in Japan, addressed graduates at the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony and David Wantman (BSCE '90), co-founder of a successful South Florida-based consulting, planning, surveying and design firm, was selected as a Distinguished Alumnus from the University of Florida.
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The University of Florida Research Foundation has named 35 of the university’s most productive and promising faculty members as UFRF Professors for 2025. The UFRF Professors were recommended by their college deans based on nominations from their department chairs, a personal statement and an evaluation of their recent research accomplishments as evidenced by publications in scholarly journals, external funding, honors and awards, development of intellectual property and other measures appropriate to their field of expertise. Read more about the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering's honorees here!
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UF engineering students Mollie Brewer and Kevin Childs are co-primary investigators on a paper exploring how coaches analyze data – often from wearable sensors – to shape training and strategy and, ultimately, win more games. Their paper was selected for presentation at the renowned Association for Computing Machinery CHI conference in Yokohama, Japan, which ran April 26 to May 2.
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The research is funded by two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grants for two phases, totaling $4.4 million. The project is led by David Kaplan, Ph.D., a professor with the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and director of the Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands, and Mauricio Arias, Ph.D., an associate professor at USF.
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Lily Elefteriadou Ph.D., Barbara Goldsby Professor of Civil Engineering, was invited to the Peggy Smedley Show to speak about how artificial intelligence is transforming innovations in transportation, including autonomous vehicles and infrastructure while emphasizing how human creativity is still important.
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE
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Four faculty members have received the prestigious 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) Early CAREER Awards. Spanning a wide range of disciplines and specialties across the college, these exceptional faculty exemplify the highest standards of research and education.
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When Sagid Salah, Ph.D., (B.S. ’58, M.S. ’60, Ph.D. ’64) first arrived in Gainesville in 1954, he was 21 years old, had just survived nearly four years as a prisoner during the Korean War, and was technically stateless. What he had was persistence, curiosity and an unshakable belief that education could open the door to a new life. The University of Florida opened that door.
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Dengjun Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, focused his doctoral research on the transport, transformation, and remediation of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment, specifically the impact of PFAS on water quality and agriculture. Wang hopes to mitigate adverse effects from these contaminants to our soil, water and plants, eventually to achieve sustainable agriculture.
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CELEBRATING OUR FUTURE ENGINEERS
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The Eckhoff Steel Bridge Team made history again last week, capturing its fifth consecutive national title. The championship marks the UF team’s seventh first-place win since 1997, the most wins by a single team in the competition’s 33-year history. The team also scored second-place wins in 1995, 2005, 2008 and 2019, as well as placing third in 2003 and 2016.
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This year’s National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) only awarded 1,000 grants, nearly half as many as in the past, and yet eight University of Florida Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering students were selected to receive awards for their exemplary work and contributions to their departments. The NSF GRFP recognizes outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Recipients are identified as high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers.
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Four of the 25 students recently inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame are engineering majors from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The Hall of Fame recognizes students who consistently enhance the student experience through community involvement, campus activities and scholastic achievement.
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This summer, more than 20 University of Florida student mentors will fan out across 16 Florida counties to help lead 39 engineering summer camps for nearly 400 students. As part of UF Engineering’s 2025 Engaged Quality Instruction Through Professional Development, or EQuIPD camps, high school and middle school students will delve into design challenges that incorporate artificial intelligence, programming and machine learning with engineering design thinking.
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Twice every school day, student musicians climb 194 stairs to perform mini-concerts 157 feet above the University of Florida campus. For the last two semesters, students of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering made up a substantial chunk of those carillonneurs. Last fall, four engineering students were among the 10 carillonneurs. This semester, three of the nine performers are engineering students.
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Four exceptional Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering alumni have been honored with the University of Florida’s “40 Gators Under 40” awards. These remarkable individuals exemplify the spirit of innovation and leadership, making significant contributions to their respective fields. Their achievements reflect the excellence of our college and showcase the enduring impact of The Gator Nation, both locally and on a global scale.
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This April marked the 11th anniversary of the UF Alumni Association’s Gator100, celebrating Gator business leaders who have launched and led some of the most innovative and successful companies across the nation and around the world. Join us in congratulating our outstanding alumni who earned their place among the 2025 Gator100 — the world’s fastest-growing Gator-led businesses!
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GRATEFUL RECOGNITION - $100,000+ GIFTS
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We are deeply grateful to those whose generosity helps Gator Engineers be future-ready leaders through bold research, hands-on learning and forward-thinking innovation!
Dr. Travis Anderson (ChE) - Legacy gift to recruit and retain graduate students in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Steve (ECE) and Wendy Blum (CLAS) - Supporting a new Professorship in Industrialized Construction Engineering.
Avis Chen Boulter (CLAS) and Timothy Chen (MAE) - Honoring their father, former dean Wayne Chen, with two Faculty Excellence Awards and the naming of a conference room in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Headquarters.
Margaret Kayo (MSE) and Daniel Urbaniak (MSE) - Endowed graduate support in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering.
Robert and Cari Walsh Family Foundation (ISE) - supporting needs-based undergraduate scholarships in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering.
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SUPPORT ENGINEERING STUDENTS
Gifts made to the Dean’s Excellence Fund help students through experiential learning opportunities that emphasize team-based learning, hands-on projects, student-organized competitions, internships, and externships to develop their leadership and innovation skills.
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