EXCEL - Key Persons
Christine Sarkis is currently a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies. Christine is in her fourth year being involved with EXCEL. This is her fourth semester as a Learning Assistant for the EXCEL Calculus 1 course. She credits the experience she gained as an LA as the reason for her interest in teaching and pursuing a career as a science educator after she graduates. In addition, she served as a GEMS mentor during the 2018-2019 school year, supporting incoming females in their pursuit in STEM.
Since her freshman year, Christine has been involved in research, analyzing genomic methods for determining the diet of green sea turtles. She has presented at national and international conferences and was awarded Judge's Choice at UCF SURE 2019. She is excited to be investigating this new method for diet identification in marine sea turtles.
She is thankful for the amazing opportunities she has had and the awesome people she has met, while participating in the EXCEL program.
Devin Burris is an EXCEL and GEMS member pursing a Biomedical Sciences Major with a Minor in Chemistry. Devin was recently selected as one of four UCF students to receive the Barry Goldwater Scholarship of $7500. The rigorous application is a chance for students in Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics to showcase their dedication to research and potential to become leading scientists in their fields. Many students that receive the Goldwater Scholarship get into top graduate programs of their choice and other scholarships like Rhodes and Marshall. Devin aspires to obtain a Ph.D. in either Neuroscience or Cellular and Molecular Biology performing research on gene therapies for neurological disorders. She has a passion for medical science and is determined to contribute to the field's leading edge.
Devin performs research with Dr. Charissa de Bekker on Ophiocordyceps fungus-infected "Zombie Ants". She is creating modified fungi to uncover the genetic basis of the parasite-host behavior manipulation relationship. She is also in an NIH-funded 2-year long summer neuroscience program at The University of Washington in Saint Louis under Dr. Harrison Gabel. She is working on the deleterious mutations in a developmental protein ( DNMT3A) found in patients with Tatton-Brown-Rahman Syndrome (TBRS), an autism-associated disorder also related to Rett Syndrome. Devin is also the Vice President of the RSO Neuroscience Alliance and works closely with the Central Florida Brain Bee, a high school competition focusing on neuroscience topics.
Job Titles:
- Director of Biomedical Engineering for the MAE Department
- Mechanical Engineering
- Professor
- Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department
Dr. Alain Kassab is a professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCF. His primary research interests are in bio-engineering, computational heat transfer and fluid flow, inverse problems, boundary elements and meshless methods. He has over 300 scientific publications including 108 journal papers, 218 refereed international and national archival conference papers, 3 books, and 9 invited chapters in research monographs, and 10 edited proceedings of international conferences. Professor Kassab has chaired or co-chaired 10 international conferences, and he is editor of 2 scientific journals and member of 3 journal editorial boards. He has mentored and supervised to graduation 17 PhD and 28 MS students. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the Wessex Institute of Technology, and a UCF Pegasus Professor. He is the recipient of several teaching and research awards at UCF, including the 2000 UCF Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award.
He served as MAE Graduate Program Coordinator from 1996-2001 and again 2008-2015. Professor Kassab is currently Director of Biomedical Engineering for the MAE Department at UCF. He is the director of the Bioengineering Minor for the College of Engineering and Computer Science at UCF and was principal author of the MS in Biomedical Engineering Master Program that was established in Fall 2016 in the MAE Department. The program has produced its first 5 graduates in 2018 and currently has 25 enrolled and active graduate students. He is currently leading a committee developing the PhD in Biomedical Engineering program proposal.
Professor Kassab currently leads a three-year study under the support of American Heart Association (AHA) Transformative Grant that is utilizing multi-scale Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling to investigate a novel surgical manoeuver aimed at reducing stroke risk in Left Ventricular Assist Devices by tailoring the outflow graft implantation. Over the past ten years, his research group has been engaged in a general program bridging engineering and medicine by utilizing computational modeling to aid in treatment planning of congenital heart disease. These studies include the investigation of the hemodynamics of a novel hybrid approach to the comprehensive Stage II operation for single ventricle, the design of a self-powered Fontan circulation, and the detailed hemodynamics resulting from a range of placement of shunts and varying diameters in the Hybrid Norwood palliation of single ventricle congenital heart disease.
Dr. Josh Colwell is a Planetary Scientist and Professor of Physics at the University of Central Florida. Since 2011 he has been Associate Chair of the Department of Physics, Assistant Director of the Florida Space Institute, and Director of the Center for Microgravity Research. He came to UCF in 2006 from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado where he earned his Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences. His research interests are in the origin and evolution of the solar system with a particular emphasis on planet formation, asteroids, planetary rings, comets, and interplanetary dust. He was a Co-Investigator on the international Cassini mission to Saturn that orbited the ringed planet from 2004-2017. He studies the structure and dynamics of Saturn's rings with data from Cassini. He has led experiments that have flown on the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, suborbital rockets, parabolic airplane flights, and is developing a CubeSat for launch in 2019. His other interests include running, writing, and movies. He was a comet advisor for, and actor in, the Dreamworks picture "Deep Impact" and has been a walker in "The Walking Dead" among other background acting activities.
Dr. Kate Mansfield is a marine scientist and sea turtle biologist. Her research focuses on sea turtle biology, ecology, behavior, management, and conservation. Using various census and telemetry methods, Dr. Mansfield's research interests include sea turtle and other marine vertebrate movements, migration, and habitat utilization. Dr. Mansfield's recent projects include testing and deploying small-scale, solar-powered satellite tags on young, oceanic stage sea turtles with the goal of describing early sea turtle dispersal and habitat use.
Dr. Mansfield's lab and field sites include the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group's (MTRG) long-term nesting beach and coastal juvenile research programs. The UCF MTRG has monitored beaches within and adjacent to the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge for many decades, focusing on the reproductive biology and population trends of Atlantic sea turtles. In addition to this beach program, MTRG's in-water netting program has monitored coastal (neritic) juvenile sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon for over three decades. Combining these programs with Dr. Mansfield's oceanic juvenile tracking work, the MTRG provides a whole life history approach to understanding the biology, ecology, and conservation needs of Atlantic sea turtles.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Center for Initiatives in STEM ( ISTEM )
Job Titles:
- Advisor III, EXCEL / COMPASS, ISTEM
Mariana is double-majoring in Mechanical Engineering and International and Global Studies. She has expressed that Engineering has always been a huge interest of hers which is one of her biggest reasons for coming to UCF. As a member of the EXCEL program, she has received a lot of guidance as a female entering a STEM field and feels very fortunate to be able to pay that back by providing guidance to others through participating in the GEMS Mentoring program as a mentor the last two years. As a GEMS mentor, Mariana strived to remind her mentees that even though STEM can be challenging, it is also very rewarding and they are more than capable! She encourages students to push through the difficulties and to remember that even though being a student (especially a female) in STEM can be rough, they are tough! EXCEL has also helped her with networking, such as leading her to participate in Fairways to Leadership, where she learned how to play golf and gained additional leadership skills. Through her relationships with those leading the EXCEL program, she received assistance to become an ambassador on the President's Leadership Council and on getting an internship with the Minority Serving Institution Internship Program. From 2021-2022, she supported the National Nuclear Security's Administration Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence and she is currently supporting the Office of Radiological Security; these are both offices that do work to protect people from nuclear and radiological threats both domestically and internationally. Mariana has additional involvement such as being a campus ambassador, a STEM ambassador, serving on the student code of conduct board, and volunteering at a local animal shelter. She hopes to continue contributing to EXCEL and expresses being immensely grateful for the positive impacts this program has had and continues to have on her life and career!
Job Titles:
- STEM Engagement Coordinator, ISTEM
Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Scranton in 2011; he received his Masters of Science in Pure Mathematics, with Distinction, from DePaul University in 2020; he is currently in his third year of the Pure Math PhD Program at UCF, with an interest in Discrete Mathematics.
From 2011 through 2021, Michael worked as a quantitative analyst for several Banks (ING, USAA, BMO, Citizens Bank), where he specialized in risk management; in particular, holistically managing a bank across risk factors (Market, Credit, Liquidity and Interest Rate). In his spare time, Michael has an artistic passion - painting with acrylics and writing poetry; and occasionally, will do stand-up comedy. If Michael is not being artistic or working on his math research, you will likely find him golfing!
Moses Hinrichsen is studying Aerospace Engineering. He is a second year EXCEL student, and lived in the LLC during his freshman year. He has been very happy to make new friends through the program, and opportunities to advance my educational and professional abilities. As a member of EXCEL and the LLC he has been able to participate and enjoy social activities put on by the EXCEL LLC Mentors. This year, Moses will be serving as a COMPASS mentor for the program.
Other than EXCEL, Moses is a Student Committee Member of ELi2, an Outreach Officer on the Internal Affairs Committee of SEDS-UCF, a member of First Step, along with being a member of the Society of Sales Engineers. In his capacity as a member of the Student Committee Member of ELi2 and Outreach Officer of SEDS-UCF, he works with other student to encourage others to pursue and enjoy Engineering, and volunteers with both groups.
His awards include "Top Ten Knights", earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and Earning the "Dr. Bernard Harris Super Nova Award". In his free time he works on personal engineering projects from homemade rockets, too building a surfboard from scratch along with his inventions. After he graduates he wants to pursue a Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering and eventually apply for the astronaut corp.
Congratulations to the 2018-2019 Black Faculty and Staff Association ‘Mentee of the Year' Award Winner, Rebecca Vollmann! Rebecca has been a dedicated member of the UCF EXCEL program since she started at UCF in 2016. During her second year at UCF, Rebecca began mentoring women entering the EXCEL program and has aided in increasing the retention rates of women in the STEM disciplines. Along with these achievements, Rebecca's mentorship in the WISE program at UCF has set her apart from other students and led to her nomination for the BFSA ‘Mentee of the Year' Award. Rebecca sets challenging goals for herself with the help of her mentors and this quality has helped her to truly excel at UCF.
Every opportunity Rebecca takes at UCF has allowed for her to partake in even greater opportunities off-campus. She attended the Empowering Women Summit hosted by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, where the GEMS program received a kind donation. Rebecca was also an invited guest to a VIP breakfast hosted for the United Launch Alliance CEO, Mr. Bruno, and was also invited to be a guest at a luncheon for Dr. Nair, the Deputy Director for Basic Research within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Rebecca's invitations to these events are a reflection of her hard work within her major and what makes her an excellent STEM representative at UCF. Along with the many opportunities she is engaged in with her major, Rebecca also enjoys participating in volunteer opportunities, such as Habitat for Humanity. Congratulations on the award, Rebecca!
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, EXCEL / COMPASS, ISTEM
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, ISTEM
Job Titles:
- Advisor III, EXCEL Transfer, ISTEM