The Magazine of the University of Central Florida THE SPACE ISSUEPEGASUS | SUMMER MAGAZINE 2016

WHERE TO NEXT?

UCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 1 PEGASUS MAGAZINE

ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA NOOM

NOTE: We know the constellation here isn’t accurate, but we didn’t feel right turning our beloved winged horse upside down. UCF’s motto is “Reach for the Stars,” and the constellation To see how Pegasus looks in the night sky and to learn more about the constellation, go to ucf.edu/pegasus. Pegasus shows us the way. For centuries, it has been a guide for travelers and astronomers alike, whether by land, sea or air. 2 | SUMMER 2016 Written in t he S t ars UCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 3 PEGASUS PEGASUS MAGAZINE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND UCF STANDS MARKETING CONTENTS Grant J. Heston ’13 WITH ORLANDO. ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT 6 In Focus FOR MARKETING Patrick Burt ’08 Just as this issue of Pegasus was scheduled 12 The Feed MANAGING EDITOR to print, the Pulse nightclub in downtown 13 Heavy Metal Laura J. Cole Orlando was attacked. 14 On Campus EDITORIAL DIRECTOR All of UCF grieves with the victims and 16 Briefs Eric Michael ’96 their friends and families. As President 18 Destination Downtown CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ron Boucher ’92 Hitt wrote the day of the attack, “I tell our 20 One Small Step for Man, ART DIRECTORS LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and alumni One Giant Leap for UCF Lauren Haar ’06 this: You are not alone. Your university 22 It’s All Geek to Me Steve Webb stands with you.” 24 Knights in Space DESIGNERS In future issues, we will share memories Mario Carrillo 26 Opinion: Space Tourism Adam Smajstrla ’11 of the Knights who were killed and show 28 Where to Next? COPY EDITOR how the UCF family rallied to help our 34 Such Great Heights Peg Martin hometown recover. AlumKnights PHOTOGRAPHERS What we know today is this: Orlando is 39 Steven Diaz UCF’s home, and the Orlando community 46 Why I Jumped Nick Leyva ’15 Bernard Wilchusky is the UCF community. PRODUCTION MANAGER Sandy Pouliot Together, we grieve. ONLINE PRODUCER Together, we heal. Roger Wolf ’07 Together, we stand. WEB PROGRAMMERS Jim Barnes — The staff at Pegasus Keegan Berry ’12 RJ Bruneel ’97 Jo Dickson ’11 CONTRIBUTORS Jeffrey Billman ’01 Brian Boesch “In attempting to make sense of this Konstantin Datz Pat Duggins ’84 senselessness, my mind is drawn to wise Alan Eustace ’79 words Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke Alan Fyall Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala nearly 50 years ago. Gene Kruckemyer ’73 Josh Letchworth Angie Lewis ’03 Elijah McNeal When our days become dreary with low- Joshua Noom Greg Razoky hovering clouds of despair, and when our Jeffrey San Juan Bill Stanford nights become darker than a thousand Asli Tasci Susan White midnights, let us remember that there is a Paige Wilson creative force in this universe, working to PEGASUS ADVISORY BOARD Barb Abney ’03 pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, Chad Binette ’06 Anne Botteri a power that is able to make a way out of Richard Brunson ’84 Cristina Calvet-Harrold ’01 no way, and transform dark yesterdays John Gill ’86 Michael Griffin ’84 into bright tomorrows. Let us realize that Mike Hinn ’92 Gerald McGratty Jr. ’71 the arc of the moral universe is long but it Michael O’Shaughnessy ’81 Dan Ward ’92 bends toward justice.

MAILBOX SUBMISSIONS As they were true then, so are Dr. King’s Emails to the editor should be sent with the writer’s name, graduation year, address and daytime phone words true today.” number to [email protected]. — An excerpt from President Hitt’s June 12 letter to the Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may UCF community be published in any medium. Due to volume, we regret that we cannot reply to every letter.

MOVED RECENTLY? NEED TO UPDATE YOUR INFO? #ORLANDOUNITED Update your contact information: ucfalumni.com/contactupdates 4 | SUMMER 2016 UCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 5 IN FOCUS PEGASUS MAGAZINE

KNIGHT VIEW

Dedicated on April 25, 1996, the Robinson Observatory provides research and educational opportunities for students and the community alike. The facility, which houses a 20-inch telescope, offers students a training ground to collect solid data and conduct original research. And the popular “Knights Under the Stars,” a series of free events held throughout the academic year, invites the community to learn more about the solar system from knowledgeable volunteers. “People will literally gasp the first time they see an up-close view of Saturn’s rings or craters on the moon. It’s very satisfying for us to be able to bring the night sky to people in such a visceral way.”

— Yan Fernandez, associate professor of planetary science and director of the Robinson Observatory 88 Number of constellations 100 billion+ Number of stars in the Milky Way 100-200 billion Number of galaxies seen from the Hubble telescope 1 trillion Potential number of galaxies in the universe 100 sextillion (100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) Estimated number of stars in the universe

Sources: Space.com and Forbes

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INTERGALACTIC SYMPHONY

In April, UCF Celebrates the Arts offered a multimedia performance that combined music, science and visual art. Titled “The Warped Side of the Universe” and held at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the event featured work from composer Hans Zimmer, astrophysicist Kip Thorne and visual effects artist Paul Franklin, who worked together on Interstellar. Through music, videos, lectures, artistic renderings and computer simulations, the trio produced a journey through warped space and time, including colliding black holes, exploding supernovas and the birth of our universe. “Thirty-five years ago, I had this idea of playing in a planetarium. I didn’t want anyone to watch me. … So even though I have my friends with me here tonight … [I hope you] go on this journey with us.”

— Hans Zimmer, Oscar-winning composer 9,541 Total number of people who attended UCF Celebrates the Arts 2,099 People who attended “The Warped Side of the Universe” 10 Musicians 4 Hours for tickets to sell out 2 Visual artists 1 Astrophysicist

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GO FOR LAUNCH

On April 2, 2016, a team of UCF scientists made history as their experiment became the first to go to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard. The project, known as MEDEA and led by Professor Joshua Colwell, examines how space dust builds up to form planets and the rings around planets. The experiment is one of several that Colwell, along with Assistant Professor Adrienne Dove, Post Doctoral Associate Julie Brisset (pictured bottom right) and a team of UCF students, has worked on. The others include four experiments that were conducted on parabolic flights and two on the International Space Station — earning the team another historic distinction: the first to partner with Blue Origin and the ISS to conduct research. “We want to understand how planets form and what conditions are needed to form planets — in particular, planets that could be habitable like Earth.”

— Joshua Colwell, UCF professor

339,138 Height reached in feet (2 miles above the Kármán line, which marks the boundary of space) 3,635 Feet at which rocket engine was re-ignited for landing 11 Minutes from liftoff to landing 3 Minutes in high-quality microgravity environment 3rd Test flight of this vehicle to space 1st Science payload on New Shepard

IMAGES COURTESY OF BLUE ORIGIN

10 | SUMMER 2016 UCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 1 1 PEGASUS MAGAZINE The Feed Artifact Find more @ today.ucf.edu @UCF Facebook.com/UCF

Suit Up UCF football is getting faster — Heart to Heart and more fashionable. 3-D printed hearts are a great tool bit.ly/ucf-suit-up Heavy Metal for pediatric surgeons. bit.ly/ucf-heart-to-heart Drumroll, Please Meteorites give physics students a Jeffrey Moore has been named dean of the College rock-solid connection to cosmic theories. of Arts and Humanities. bit.ly/ucf-drumroll- BY ERIC MICHAEL ’96 please In the study of physics, some of the best lessons fall from the sky. To help his 1 students better comprehend the composition of asteroids, planets and other celestial bodies, Professor Daniel Britt began building a collection of UNIFORM IMAGE COURTESY OF UCF ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS OF UCF ATHLETICS COURTESY IMAGE UNIFORM meteorites in 2003 with the help of Guy Consolmagno, curator of the Vatican’s meteorite collection. “Meteorites tell us about the mineralogy of asteroids — how they’re put together, how strong they are and how they’ll react to shock,” says Britt, who has worked for NASA on Mars missions, including Pathfinder, the Spirit rover and the Phoenix lander, and was named to Pluto’s New Horizons mission team. The current collection of 15 meteorites, which all date from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago, come primarily from northern Africa and China, and represent a diversity of ancient cosmic materials that are valuable Floating Farm for study. An on-campus solar “When you ‘see’ the oldest thing 2 farm could one day offset in the solar system, it’s more the energy used by Bright House The Buzz on Elephants concrete, more tactile,” Networks Stadium. How bees are keeping elephants Britt says. “There are bit.ly/ucf-floating-solar-farm safe in Kenya. lots of things we don’t bit.ly/ucf-the-buzz-on-elephants understand yet, but that’s what science is about.” WHAT’S TRENDING ON... UCF TODAY TWITTER FACEBOOK

Squirm to Learn April 29 • @UCF 400KG is how much water is University of Central Florida May 4, 2016 Letting kids with ADHD squirm needed for 4 astronauts for 30 days in space. 3 helps them learn. #NASASocial bit.ly/ucf-squirm-to-learn “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” - Nora Ephron (Photo by Aung Tun ’16) 4 May 4 • @TinaInTheSun New Threads You know Our clothes may eventually monitor 5 our health, sense the environment you’re and harvest energy. graduating bit.ly/ucf-new-threads from @UCF 1 2 3 4 5 We Are Family when... PALLASITE Intense radiation FUSION CRUST As a CHONDRITE Constructed GIBEON Discovered in HOWARDITE Essentially After a fire destroyed a family home, Here’s what Britt liquefies the internal materials meteorite hurtles through of many different types of Namibia in 1836, the Gibeon a piece of the melted fellow Knights stepped in to help. teaches his students May 5 • @UCF_Knightro Don’t worry, Knight fans. of some asteroids and space and slams into the materials drawn together by iron meteorite field is one external crust of an asteroid, bit.ly/ucf-no-harm about meteorites: I’m not having any uniform changes. Just the reorganizes them based on Earth’s atmosphere, friction gravity, these are some of of the largest on Earth. Iron howardite is composed of same, suave Knight you all love. density. This cross section of strips away approximately the most common meteorites meteorites are thought to fragments of lighter rocks 3.1K 36 comments a pallasite shows what Britt 90 percent of its mass. found on Earth. “Ordinary be the remnants of asteroids fused together. According to describes as “a framework of “The rock literally boils off,” chondrites are kind of the that had cosmic impacts that Britt, this example, found in May 14 • @UCFDannyWhite Couldn’t be more DOWNLOAD Arthur Haas For the 1973 Graduation, the fountain was metal surrounding a bunch of Britt explains, leaving a sand of the solar system,” stripped off the crust and the Sahara Desert, is likely proud of @UCF_Rowing for winning the the digital edition drained and that is where the graduates sat. President olivine crystals.” As a result of millimeter-thick “layer of Britt says. “It’s basically what mantle. “The fact that you’ve from the asteroid Vesta, Nixon gave the commencement address. of Pegasus at @American_Conf Championship today! impact, “What you’re looking glassy melted stuff.” He says, all the planets are made of, got a piece of the core in which is one of the largest May 4, 2016 bit.ly/ucf-pegasus. Awesome accomplishment - Go Knights! at is the boundary between “That’s one of the ways you the stuff that’s the original your hand means that the objects in the asteroid belt Charge On! Lucdwin Luck Aung Tun, that's my boi!!! Xi Class! the core and the mantle [of can identify a meteorite — material of the solar system.” asteroid no longer exists,” between Mars and Jupiter. May 5, 2016 an asteroid].” if it has fusion crust.” Britt explains.

12 | SUMMER 2016 UCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 1 3 PEGASUS MAGAZINE MAY 5-7 APRIL 15 MARCH 15 Nearly 8,000 students Electrical engineering Bill Nye the Science Guy graduated during the Spring student Joe Sleppy’s spoke on campus about 2016 commencement Capacitech Energy won the scientific discovery and ceremonies, bringing the UCF Joust New Venture environmental sustainability, total number of degrees Competition for developing encouraging students to awarded to 294,345 since technology that reduces change the world. classes started in 1968. battery size.

APRIL 3 Participants at this year’s Knight-Thon raised $1,001,678.20 for Children’s Miracle Network, making UCF the eighth institution out of 350 to reach the $1 million milestone.

APRIL 16 This year’s spring football game provided fans with a first look at the Knights as led by new head football coach Scott Frost.

APRIL 21 The UCF community gathered around the Reflecting Pond MARCH 16 for Symphony Under the Ten-year-old Julianna Stars, a UCF tradition for Linton practiced with the more than 25 years. cheerleading team, which presented her with a new 14 | SUMMER 2016 3-D printed bionic arm from Sophomore Spencer ShackUCF.EDU/PEGASUS | 1 5 Limbitless Solutions. APRIL 27 caught some air between classes. PEGASUS MAGAZINE Briefs 3,000,000,000 miles from Earth to the orbit of Pluto, which is in the Kuiper Belt UCF Professor Daniel Britt was named to NASA’s New Horizons mission team, NEW LEADERS which made history last year when it flew near Pluto. He joins the team as they SHINING STARS begin the next leg of their momentous journey exploring the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system that extends billions of miles beyond Neptune. JOHNNY DAWKINS MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH “This is a great opportunity. It demonstrates that UCF is the place to go for expertise in Dawkins comes to UCF after an eight-year asteroid and comet geology.” #1 stint at Stanford University that included five For student- postseason appearances. athlete graduation — Professor Daniel Britt, New Horizons mission team success rate among #1 public universities Among colleges in the nation that attract the most transfer students KATIE (U.S. News & World Report) ABRAHAMSON- HENDERSON FUELING WOMEN’S HEAD SPACING OUT BASKETBALL COACH NASA awarded UCF researchers Stephen Fiore and DISCOVERY #5 Abrahamson-Henderson led the University OF NASA COURTESY IMAGES Shawn Burke $900,000 to study the effects of long Hospitality and hotel at Albany-SUNY to six winning seasons space missions on astronauts, including issues such Leigh Nash ’14 was one of 10 graduate students management school in the world as head coach, including their first NCAA in the U.S. to be awarded a highly competitive Rosen College of Hospitality Management as memory and attention span. The grant is part of a Tournament victory. (CEOWorld Magazine) larger study, being conducted at institutions across NASA two-year fellowship where she will work the country, to learn more about space travel’s impact on new methods to test jet fuels. In addition to on the human body. conducting her research at UCF, the Advanced #2 #1 STEM Training and Research Fellowship will For number of Graduate game design #9 Counselor education partner Nash, a mechanical engineering graduate National Merit program in the nation program in the nation student, with a NASA researcher during a Scholars in Florida Florida Interactive College of Education JOHN RODDICK Entertainment Academy two-month summer program at NASA’s Glenn & Human Performance DIRECTOR OF TENNIS (The Princeton Review and Research Center in Cleveland. (U.S. News & World Report) PC Gamer magazine)

Roddick joins UCF Athletics after seven seasons as the men’s head tennis coach at the HEAVENLY University of Oklahoma, which included three

#17 consecutive national runner-up finishes. Nonprofit management VIEW graduate program in the nation #2 College of Health & Public Affairs Cheerleading Leos Pohl, a planetary science doctoral (U.S. News & World Report) ELIZABETH team in the student, was one of only 25 people nation for the KLONOFF worldwide selected to study at the Vatican VICE PRESIDENT FOR third year in Observatory this summer. He joined #20 RESEARCH AND DEAN a row Online bachelor’s #1 students from more than 20 nations Collegiate Cyber OF THE COLLEGE OF to examine the role of water in the program in the nation Defense Club in the (U.S. News & World Report) GRADUATE STUDIES solar system. nation for the third year in a row Klonoff was previously co-director of the joint doctoral program in clinical psychology at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. She has received more than $23 million in state and federal funding

#13 for her research into tobacco control and Most Innovative psychosocial issues related to cancer. university in the nation (U.S. News & World Report)

#14 #1 Atomic, molecular and optical Higher education sciences graduate program in the nation performance College of Optics & Photonics in the state of Florida (U.S. News & World Report) (Florida Board of Governors)

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CITY HALL

DESTINATION DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

AMWAY CENTER

CHURCH ST. TECH HUB

UCF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTER At UCF’s new downtown Orlando campus, thousands of students will tap into the heart of the City Beautiful.

BY ERIC MICHAEL ’96 ORANGE COUNTY COURTHOUSE FAMU LAW SCHOOL ORLANDO CITY MLS STADIUM

ig things are happening in downtown Orlando. The city center is home to a “Twenty-four years ago, LYNX CENTRAL STATION burgeoning tech industry, global business enterprise, the Orange County legal Bcommunity, a vibrant arts scene and a growing group of entrepreneurs. And I became UCF’s president. with the opening of UCF Downtown in 2018, it will be the home to thousands of students In all the years since, few taking advantage of unprecedented access to industry experts, internship and education opportunities, cultural stimulation and the energy of a thriving urban environment. moments have been as important as today. Today, we can plant a seed in Design Priorities Academic Programs UCF DOWNTOWN

Building a Destination The academic environment of UCF downtown Orlando that UCF Downtown will be a destination for Downtown puts education on display. will benefit our students, 1 students, visitors and the residents of By breaking traditional barriers, selected downtown Orlando and will feature a central plaza programs will combine the innovation and pavilion for events and gatherings. and rigor of a UCF education with the community and state for opportunities and accessibility Opening Gateways of downtown Orlando. decades to come.” The new campus will engage three distinct communities: downtown Digital Entertainment — UCF President John C. Hitt 2 PARRAMORE K-8 SCHOOL Orlando, the Creative Village and the Parramore and Communication to the Board of Governors on March 2, 2016 Heritage Community. These borders will become • Communication (M.A.) distinct pedestrian gateways linking the current • Corporate Communication urban fabric into UCF Downtown and creating a (Certificate) borderless campus. • Digital Media (B.A., M.A.) • Emerging Media: Character Celebrating the Urban Environment Animation Track (B.F.A.) Leading the UCF Downtown will create a unique • Human Communication (B.A.) Charge environment that is simultaneously in • Interactive Entertainment (M.S.) 3 UCF has named ILLUSTRATION BY KONSTANTIN DATZ the city and of the city — one that is designed with Thad Seymour Jr. walkability and accessibility in mind. Health Care Technology Numbers Partners and Administration the vice provost for Maximizing Space • Health Care Informatics (M.S.) UCF Downtown. The urban campus will layer public • Health Informatics and Information Seymour, who previously led strategic $3M Dr. Phillips $1M BB&T Corporation spaces vertically to maximize the outdoor Management (B.S.) Charities 4 planning and business development for $500K Alan Ginsburg spaces available on the compact site and add to the • Health Sciences (M.S.) 7,700 1,000+ $3M Orange County Lake Nona Medical City and recently dynamic landscape. • Health Services Administration (B.S.) Total students (5,400 UCF, Internships available each year Government $300K Orlando City served as the senior advisor for UCF’s Soccer Club 2,300 Valencia College) at downtown Orlando-based Valencia College strategic planning process, will manage $2M Public Service and Other Programs government agencies $250K CNL Campus Life Orlando Magic • Legal Studies (B.A., B.S.) the project. $1.5M Financial Group Located at the intersection of Livingston Street and • Military Social Work (Certificate) $1.5M CFE Federal $250K Universal Orlando 1,800 Credit Union Foundation and Terry Avenue, the campus center and public urban • Social Work (B.S.W., M.S.W.) Degrees awarded annually 100+ Universal $1.5M Florida Hospital plaza will include housing, a one-stop shop for Local businesses that Orlando Resort student services, a café and study spaces. $1M UCF Leadership have pledged support $100K Dr. Bruce Douglas and Boards to UCF Downtown 14 $100K Coca-Cola Academic programs $1M Creative Village Development

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UCF has been ONE SMALL committed to space And they’re not the only UCF connection that’s out of this world. In 1968, our first president, Charles exploration since Millican, established the motto “Reach for the Stars” MARS ONE STEP FOR before man’s first to represent the university’s promising aerospace 2015 PROJECT education in engineering, electronics and other 2014 ENGINEERING SPACE STAMINA step on the moon. technological professions. The theme continued EDUCATION In November 2014, a team of UCF A 2015 Aviation Week MAN, with his presentation of the university’s seal, Pegasus, engineering students debuted a workforce study named BY ANGIE LEWIS ’03 which was intended to “bridge the gap between the method to administer IVs in space, UCF the No. 1 supplier of humanities and space technology.” which will be important when engineers to aerospace ONE GIANT Ever notice how the street names astronauts begin long-range and defense industries. on campus represent constellations, It was the height of space exploration in America, so space missions. galaxies and spacecraft? Gemini given the university’s proximity to Kennedy Space Center LEAP FOR Boulevard, Andromeda Loop and (KSC), it meant our then-little campus would be a big Apollo Circle aren’t just happy part of educating future generations of NASA engineers, coincidences. They reflect UCF’s administrators and even astronauts. And our connections UCF beginnings as a “space university.” to space have continued to grow over the past 53 years. POWERFUL UCF-1.01 PARTNERSHIPS 2026 UCF partners with a range of MISSION: MARS agencies and companies to Two Knights are standing by as conduct research, including finalists for a one-way flight to NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin. Mars as part of the Mars One 1968 NASA GRANT In addition to conducting project to colonize the planet. 1968 1968 research in the stratosphere Crews are scheduled to begin MODEL MASCOT $ GALACTIC GRANTS and beyond, UCF has partnered departing in 2026. FTU’s first suggested mascot 12.5K In 1968, UCF received its first research grant — $12,500 from with NASA to offer a joint paired Florida’s citrus and 2013 NASA GRANT NASA. Nearly 45 years later, NASA helped UCF make history master’s training program for space industries with the again by awarding the single largest grant in the university’s industrial engineering, where 2012 UCF instructors teach courses introduction of the Citronaut — $ history, $55 million, to fund the GOLD mission. The GOLD EXTRAORDINARY EXOPLANET at KSC. a character with an astronaut’s 55M mission will build and launch an instrument that will provide UCF had a planet named after it. In 2012, UCF head and an orange for a TOTAL SPACE GRANTS unprecedented imaging of Earth’s upper atmosphere, also researchers discovered an exoplanet candidate body — which made his debut making UCF the first Florida university to lead a satellite they named UCF-1.01, which is only two-thirds the on the cover of the 1968–69 $ mission for NASA. To date, UCF has received more than size of Earth and 33 light-years away, with surface Student Handbook. 124M $124 million in space-related research grants. temperatures of more than 1,000 F.

DISCOVERY ISS

1990 ASTRONOMICAL SAVVY SCIENTISTS ARCHIVES The Florida Space Institute (FSI) is based at UCF. UCF Libraries hold 8,400 print Founded in 1990 as the Space Education and Research publications from NASA as well CITRONAUT Center, FSI conducts research that ranges from studying as 28,000 NASA publications on the Earth’s upper atmosphere and the origin of planets microfiche. Special Collections to the workings of asteroids and propulsion technologies and University Archives has 42 for high-Mach aerospace vehicles. (To read more about boxes and 33 volumes of NASA UCF’s space research, turn to page 24.) photos, spacecraft models, reports, 1981 manuals and memorabilia. PICTURE NASA PRINT PUBLICATIONS PERFECT On April 12, 1981, EXPERT EXPLORERS As home to NASA’s Center for UCF students 8,400 Lunar and Asteroid Surface watched from 1996 STAR SEARCHING 2009 NASA MICROFICHE PUBLICATIONS Science, UCF is a leader in the campus as NASA’s ALUMNI ASTRONAUTS The Robinson Observatory was dedicated area of solar system exploration, first space shuttle, 1986 UCF boasts two astronauts: Fernando “Frank” on UCF’s main campus in 1996 and provides providing critical research in areas Columbia, launched GRAVITATIONAL Caldeiro ’95 and Nicole Stott ’92. On August 28, 28,000 key to future robotic and human hands-on learning for from KSC. Rocket GAUGE 2009, as a mission specialist on space shuttle BOXES IN THE SPACE COLLECTIONS astronomy students. space exploration missions. launches can still Florida’s first disc to measure Discovery, Stott became the first UCF grad to (See page 6.) (To read more about UCF’s space be seen from the Earth’s gravitational field was blast off into space and the first UCF grad to research, turn to page 24.) main campus. installed at UCF in 1986. live on the International Space Station. She flew 42 again on February 24, 2011, on the final mission of Discovery. (To read more about Stott, turn to page 34.) ROBINSON OBSERVATORY

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IT’S ALL GEEK TO ME John Joseph Adams ’00 is discovering the next generation of sci-fi authors.

BY ANGIE LEWIS ’03

John Joseph Adams ’00 is a self-proclaimed geek, but What’s the state of science fiction today? 5 Recent Sci-fi even he never imagined that his name would one day be I like to say that we’re in the golden age of science fiction synonymous with science fiction. because there’s more wonderful material being written Novels Adams, who majored in creative writing at UCF, is the right now than ever. Science fiction and fantasy is That Get series editor of Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy; largely an American-grown genre, but there are multiple the editor and publisher of digital magazines Nightmare anthologies over the last several years that are specifically Space Right and Hugo Award-winning Lightspeed; the editor of many geared toward promoting international science fiction and (With thanks to Andrew Liptak, anthologies, including Wastelands, The Living Dead and fantasy. It’s interesting to see these perspectives from all weekend editor for io9/Gizmodo) The Apocalypse Triptych; and the producer of Wired’s over the world. It’s also becoming more inclusive of racial The Red trilogy “Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy” podcast. Last year, he and gender issues. Linda Nagata served as a judge for the young adult category of the Gets the mechanics for getting National Book Awards, and received an Alfie Award for If someone wrote a book about you, what would to orbit correct and portrays best editor of short form from the king of sci-fi himself, the title be? how space habitats might George R.R. Martin. Why Did I Eat So Much Pizza: The John Joseph Adams Story work, but more importantly, He also recently partnered with Houghton Mifflin outlines the supporting Harcourt to launch their new science fiction and What would you bring with you on a one-way economics. fantasy imprint, named, fittingly enough, John Joseph trip to Mars? Adams Books. My Kindle. I would definitely includeMars by Ben Aurora Bova — and The Martian by Andy Weir because it has Kim Stanley Robinson Q &A some useful tips. Imagines the challenges facing a generation ship as well as of What draws you to science fiction? If you could witness any event — past, present living in space and ultimately, The sense of wonder. Trying to imagine what the world or future — what would it be? anywhere other than Earth. would be like if certain things were different just seems If I could see the press conference where we finally inherently interesting to me. announce that we conquered climate change, and the Arkwright world’s not going to continue to overheat and kill us all, Allen Steele What do you love most about your job? that would be cool. Features realistic space Discovering a brand new writer. It’s always wonderful travel and how we have the when you publish something, and it really resonates Zombies, vampires or superheroes? technology to go to other with people. The other thing [I love] is being a curator Vampires would be on the bottom of my list. I really planets now, with the only for others. If you want to read a book of post-apocalyptic love zombies, and I really love superheroes, but if I constraints being funding fiction, for example, you probably don’t want to have to had to choose between the two, I’d pick superheroes. and organization. read 1,000 stories to find the best one. That’s what I do. I read everything on that topic I can, then distill it down What’s your greatest professional to the best 20 or so stories, so you don’t have to. accomplishment? Remembrance of My body of work as an editor. I think founding Lightspeed Earth’s Past trilogy How did your podcast with Wired come about? and building it to become one of the leading magazines in Liu Cixin David [Barr Kirtley, the host] and I lived in the same area the field is my biggest publishing accomplishment. Having Features realistic treatment near New York. We always got into these deep, involved just recently launched Best American Science Fiction and of astronomy, astrophysics, discussions with our friends about science fiction and Fantasy is something I’m also very proud of because it the search for extraterrestrial fantasy. We were also really big fans of documentaries. gives me an opportunity to be the evangelist-in-chief for intelligence, and interstellar There was one about competitive Scrabble players, and bringing those genres to the masses. warfare within the constraints I thought it’d be great if somebody did a science fiction of slower-than-light space and fantasy [documentary] that really delved into what What three things do you absolutely need travel. it’s like to be a fan. Dave said maybe we could do a while working? podcast [instead]. Coffee, coffee and coffee. Lightless series C.A. Higgins What’s a deal breaker for you, as far as writing Which fictional character would you most like Though primarily about is concerned? to have coffee with? emergent artificial The most frequent mistake I see is that the writer doesn’t Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Bonus: I’d intelligence, the story takes have a strong voice. You can tell a story with simple prose, probably also get to drink his coffee since he’d have no place within a realistic solar but you have to have a voice. It’s a hard thing to teach, use for it. Extra bonus: Hopefully this meeting would take system and sets up a society and it’s hard to point out to writers all the ways that a place on the Enterprise, and I could meet some of the other that is wholly believable in

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY SAN JUAN JEFFREY SAN BY PHOTOGRAPHY voice fails. crew as well. this environment.

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VENUS

PLUTO NEW HORIZONS KNIGHTS RESEARCHER: Alan Stern, principal investigator SATURN OBJECTIVE: To study the surface composition, IN SPACE atmosphere and temperature of the icy dwarf planet MARS CASSINI Pluto and its moon, Charon. STATUS: In progress Since our beginnings in 1963 as one of America’s first “space (see Kuiper belt) CURIOSITY RESEARCHER: Joshua Colwell, co-investigator universities,” UCF researchers have focused their attention beyond OBJECTIVE: To observe, analyze and interpret our Central Florida skies to investigate cosmic mysteries about nearly RESEARCHER: Daniel Britt OBJECTIVE: To develop data from Saturn’s rings using an ultraviolet and build radiometric calibration targets that imaging spectrograph. STATUS: In progress every planet in the solar system,* plus a few other celestial objects. enable scientists to “see” Mars colors as they would be on Earth. STATUS: In progress (used on every URANUS & NEPTUNE Mars rover)

VOYAGER 2 NEPTUNE RESEARCHER: Joshua Colwell, science team member MERCURY OBJECTIVE: To study the structure, origin and history MESSENGER of the rings of Uranus and Neptune. STATUS: Completed RESEARCHER: Todd Bradley, principal investigator for Planetary Mission Data Analysis Program grant ASTEROID OBJECTIVE: To learn more about the thin exosphere of Mercury, the smallest and swiftest planet in our solar OSIRIS-REX URANUS KUIPER BELT system. STATUS: In progress RESEARCHERS: Humberto Campins, co- investigator, and Yan Fernandez, contributing NEW HORIZONS scientist OBJECTIVE: To send a spacecraft to one of RESEARCHERS: Alan Stern, principal investigator, and the oldest asteroids in the solar system, Bennu, and Daniel Britt, science team member OBJECTIVE: To study EARTH’S MOON bring back samples to analyze. STATUS: Scheduled the solar system’s outskirts and discover how ice dwarf RESOURCE PROSPECTOR to launch September 2016 planets have evolved over time. STATUS: In progress RESEARCHER: Philip Metzger, cooperating scientist OBJECTIVE: To examine the soil on the moon’s poles in EARTH order to excavate potential resources including hydrogen, oxygen and water. STATUS: Planning GOLD JUPITER RESEARCHER: Richard Eastes, principal investigator BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTIVE: To better understand solar wind’s impact GALILEO on the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Scheduled UPSILON ANDROMEDAE B STATUS: RESEARCHER: Ramon Lugo ’79, NASA engineer to launch in 2017 EXPLORATION RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To measure the atmosphere of VIRTUAL INSTITUTE Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, SPITZER EXOPLANET TARGETS RESEARCHER: Adrienne Dove, co-investigator OBJECTIVE: and observe the planet and its moons from OF OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM orbit. STATUS: Completed To understand the dynamics of dust on and near the lunar RESEARCHER: Joseph Harrington, principal investigator OBJECTIVE: To measure the surface to prepare for future manned and unmanned missions chemistry and temperature of the atmosphere of exoplanets, which are planets that to the moon and asteroids. STATUS: In progress orbit stars other than the sun. STATUS: In progress

THE RESEARCHERS

TODD BRADLEY DANIEL BRITT HUMBERTO CAMPINS JOSHUA COLWELL ADRIENNE DOVE RICHARD EASTES YAN FERNANDEZ JOSEPH HARRINGTON RAMON LUGO ’79 PHILIP METZGER ALAN STERN Associate scientist at Florida Professor of planetary science Pegasus Professor of Professor of planetary science Assistant professor of Assistant scientist at FSI Associate professor of Professor of planetary science Director of FSI Associate in planetary science Chief scientist at FSI Space Institute (FSI) planetary science and assistant director of FSI planetary science planetary science research at FSI

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ILLUSTRATION BY ELIJAH MCNEAL SPACE TOURISM The Next Big Adventure The Next Big Disaster Space tourism has come a long symbol for the super rich, this trend is Travel & Tourism Council, tourism As innovative, exciting and of space travel on our planet puts all from adequate to set healthy premises not unusual in the history of tourism. generated $7.2 trillion (9.8 percent humans — not to mention plants for sound industry development. way since 1967 when Barron And there’s reason to believe that of the global gross domestic product) lucrative as it may sound, and animals — at risk. Entrepreneurs In addition to the lack of biological Hilton, then president of eventually this particular brand of and provided 284 million jobs — for a commercial space travel investing in space travel, such as and physical evidence on causes and tourism will advance a new form total of one out of every 11 jobs on the Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic, effects, there is also a lack of legal Hilton Hotels, described his of adventure, boost the economy planet in 2015. There’s every reason by civilians is a dangerous argue that space travel would reveal precedent for addressing our carbon vision for a hotel on the moon. and make people more aware of the to believe that commercial space endeavor, not only for humans a smaller carbon footprint than footprint in space. Environmental vulnerability of our planet. travel will have a similar impact on normal air travel. But scientists worry law professional Jon Krois warns that It was envisioned — complete but also for our planet. That’s because tourists have the economy. about the soot or black carbon that while the National Environmental with a Galaxy Lounge where always pushed boundaries, seeking As space adventure will boost the In November, Congress voted to results from rocket emissions. Soot Policy and Clean Air acts “partially new places and experiences. You economy, it likewise will increase our approve the U.S. Commercial Space accumulated in the stratosphere address the licensing of commercial visitors could enjoy a martini see this playing out in how people appreciation of how rare and valuable Launch Competitiveness Act, which (approximately 5 to 31 miles above spaceflights by the Federal Aviation while looking at the stars — as are choosing to travel. According our own planet is. The experience of limits regulatory oversight, at least the Earth) cannot be washed away Administration, neither space law nor to Leisure and Aging, “Adventure traveling out of Earth’s atmosphere for eight more years, temporarily by rain or winds, as it is in the lower current environmental law respond a luxury for the wealthy elite. tourism is one of the fastest-growing and looking back on the world we putting the responsibility on atmosphere. As a result, black carbon sufficiently to the environmental Today, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin segments of the tourism market. inhabit produces a sense of awe and passengers instead of companies. may linger in the stratosphere threat posed by this industry.” Galactic aims to be the world’s first It has become so popular that respect. Space travelers will gain a For innovation and exploration, this for years, causing exponentially As long as the space tourism commercial “spaceline,” offering a approximately 100 million adults deeper appreciation for our planet lack of regulation is great news; for more climate change. Some studies industry is developed without the 2.5-hour flight with six minutes of have chosen vacations that are and hopefully want to take a more humans wanting to travel to space, — estimating the potential soot necessary cautions, it remains weightlessness and some incredible classified as soft adventure.” Space active approach to protecting it when it’s less so. In just the past two years accumulation based on assumed at risk of becoming the most views. It even has more than 700 tourism is a logical next step for this they return to terra firma. the industry has experienced three demand levels and simulations — anti-sustainable tourism sector, with confirmed customers patiently growing trend. While risks remain, it is fair to catastrophic failures — two rockets reveal a grim picture, including pervasive negative impacts at the waiting for flights. Additionally, Blue In addition to adding another assume that space tourism has exploding and one test flight crashing, massive sea ice loss, ozone layer global scale. And I for one do not feel Origin, led by Amazon founder outlet for thrill seekers, space further to travel before it becomes the resulting in the death of a pilot. depletion and temperature increases. comfortable promoting the Jeff Bezos, aims to provide space tourism offers a new way to boost affordable domain of the middle class. One could argue that space tourists Even if these estimates are based fancy of the few at the risk tourism as well. While space the world’s economy. According to But once it does, I am ready for the travel at their own risk, but even on slightly dated technology, the of our planet and all that call tourism remains largely a status a report conducted by the World stellar adventure. that’s not entirely true. The impact current research in this area is far it home.

ALAN FYALL | Orange County Professor of Tourism Marketing, Rosen College of Hospitality Management ASLI TASCI | Assistant Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

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WHERE TO NEXT? BY PAT DUGGINS ’84 AND LAURA J. COLE

he final countdown of the space shuttle Building Partnerships With research expanding program began on July 8, 2011, when Since the shuttering of the shuttle program, TAtlantis blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy there has been media discussion about the throughout our solar Space Center (KSC). It came to an end 13 days privatization of space. While it’s true that later when the spacecraft glided down KSC’s private companies will have a larger role in system and beyond, the 15,000-foot runway and rolled to a stop. space exploration, NASA will continue to play For some, this final flight signaled the end an integral role. In fact, commercial companies human race is on the of U.S. space exploration. But nothing could be and NASA have always worked together. cusp of a new Space further from the truth. “There’s a little bit of a misconception about Since then, the Curiosity rover successfully that,” says Joshua Colwell, professor of planetary Age. We turned to UCF landed on Mars. Voyager 1 became the first science and assistant director of the Florida man-made spacecraft to reach interstellar space. Space Institute (FSI). “Private industry has scientists to reveal what New Horizons flew past Pluto, sending back the always been involved in everything NASA does. first images of the dwarf planet. Commercial Huge parts of the space shuttle were built by space exploration will space flight companies Blue Origins and SpaceX private companies.” successfully launched and landed rockets back Officials at NASA agree. One example of this look like in the future. on Earth, proving the viability of reusable is the Apollo program. During the race to the rockets. And Scott Kelly broke the record for moon in the ’60s, commercial companies played the longest consecutive time spent in space by a a meaningful role in building the hardware U.S. astronaut1 — spending 340 days aboard the that put Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface. International Space Station — providing valuable Growing up, Dale Thomas, former associate information about the impact of extended space director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, travel on the human body. remembers watching his father, an employee It’s safe to say that space exploration is a more for General Electric, build the Apollo launch robust endeavor than ever before with both the sequencer. private and public sectors working to find new, That experience piqued his interest in the cheaper ways to explore our solar system and space business, especially in terms of how beyond. With all we’re learning about the final public companies like NASA and private frontier, scientists at UCF and elsewhere are industries could better work together. He began looking ahead with anticipation. Their interest exploring this more in the early 2000s with raises questions of who funds these exploratory the Space Launch Initiative, a joint research endeavors, how we reach distant planets, who and technology project between NASA and the leads the charge and why cosmic curiosity is Department of Defense that began with reusable as worthwhile now as it was when NASA began vehicle study contracts, much like the rockets more than 50 years ago. developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN BOESCH ¹ Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov holds the longest record with 437 consecutive days spent aboard the Mir space station.

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Throughout the process, Thomas and his team have on the ISS. These collaborations have already at the Marshall Center provided guidance and begun with projects like NASA’s Orion spacecraft, discussed possible solutions for the problems which aims to carry astronauts farther into space [Professors are SpaceX was encountering. than ever before and is scheduled to launch in 2017. Of the partnerships, he says, “We never saw it as To achieve this, NASA partnered with the European reviewing] a concept an either/or proposition. We saw it as good all along Space Agency, which provided the service module — that private industry was trying to develop cheaper the part of the spacecraft that carries fuel. that will send a robotic ways to get to orbit.” “In the long term, we’ll be working with all of According to Colwell, the major change going the international partners, including the Chinese spacecraft to a near- forward is “we’ll let SpaceX design a rocket, and and Russians,” says Daniel Dumbacher, former NASA will purchase the services to take astronauts deputy associate administrator for Exploration Earth asteroid, grab or materials to a space station instead of launching Systems Development at NASA Headquarters it on a rocket designed and owned by NASA.” in Washington, D.C. “It’s going to evolve into a a multiton boulder Ultimately, these types of partnerships reduce partnership because no one country can do this the overall costs associated with building, flying by themselves.” from its surface, and and maintaining space vehicles. But NASA will still shoulder the expense of reaching new heights Reducing Costs relocate the chunk of in space. If you think driving across the country takes a long Think of NASA’s partnership with commercial time and gas prices are expensive, try flying to space rock into orbit companies as being similar to the development of Mars. At its closest, it’s still 34.8 million miles from the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s, which Earth and can take anywhere from about 150 to around the moon. provided a faster, cheaper way to travel from New 330 days to reach. And even with the most efficient York to California. Government agencies funded flight plan, it’s still an energy-intensive venture that the initial infrastructure, clearing paths and laying requires several tons of propellant. first-stage boosters, and they’ve announced plans track. And once the infrastructure was established, As for the actual cost, industry sources estimate to send a capsule to land on Mars in 2018 at a much private industry was brought in to run, schedule between $200 billion to $400 billion for NASA to lower cost than what it would have been with the and maintain the trains. put humans in contact with Mars’ red, dusty soil old launch architectures.” The same principle could apply in the future to — far exceeding their $8 billion annual budget for Another way to reduce costs is by finding low Earth orbit. human exploration. Even the modestly priced Mars creative solutions to reduce fuel use and minimize “We’ve created capabilities for commercial One, the Netherlands-based nonprofit that wants hazards. That’s where Pegasus Professor Humberto operators to do a lot of what needs to be done in to send people on a one-way trip to colonize the red Campins, an asteroid expert, may play a big role. He low Earth orbit,” says Ramon Lugo, director of FSI, planet, estimates $6 billion to send the first four and Professor Daniel Britt were selected to review which is based at UCF. Lugo, a former director of people. (Though experts are highly skeptical of that a concept that will send a robotic spacecraft to a NASA’s Glenn Research Center, continues, “I see estimate.) near-Earth asteroid, grab a multiton boulder from that market being really the domain of commercial And that’s just getting to one of the closest its surface, and relocate the chunk of space rock services while the government continues to push planets in our solar system. To make such a trip into orbit around the moon. The new technologies the frontier out.” possible, scientists are looking at ways to reduce needed for this mission will allow scientists to study Lugo, Colwell and Thomas all agree this would the cost, including developing reusable rockets the asteroid closer to Earth and also help pave the be an ideal relationship. The government should and identifying potential stopovers to reduce the way for a manned mission to Mars in the next 15 to pay for the resources and new technology to learn amount of fuel used. 20 years. more about our solar system while private industry “A lot of the future of space exploration is Here’s how that might work. Instead of having should find new ways to improve on how that’s reusability, and SpaceX is looking at that,” says astronauts fly directly to the surface of the red being done. Colwell. “The space shuttle was reusable, but planet, which would involve a hazardous landing, This partnership extends beyond the U.S. as well. because it was such a large and complex system NASA is thinking about a stopover on one of Mars’ In order to reach new depths of the solar system, … it didn’t really bring the cost down the way they two moons. Each of these orbiting satellites has less NASA and private industries will need to work with had originally imagined it would. SpaceX, on the gravity to crash a spacecraft and no atmosphere to Europeans, Russians and the Japanese, much as we other hand, is now regularly recovering their burn it up. Once on Phobos, the larger of Mars’ two moons, astronauts could scout a safe landing site on Mars and make the touchdown when they’re better prepared, also allowing them to conserve fuel. “Phobos appears to have a similar composition as “Appropriately designed robots will not have the many types of carbonaceous asteroids, so learning problems traveling the vast distances of the solar how to use [an asteroid’s resources] is a first step before going to Phobos,” says Philip Metzger, system that humans have, and they can set up the a planetary scientist at FSI who specializes in technologies for mining asteroids, the Earth’s infrastructure that will enable us to follow.” moon and Mars.

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Metzger is currently working to make that burning skin, rashes and flu-like symptoms. Even last part possible. He will be the lead contact for three months after returning to Earth, he reported UCF on a recently awarded project to develop having sore feet, stiff legs and fatigue. [Moon and Mars] the 3-D printing technology to create buildings “But that’s why we do this,” he said during his bases would allow on Mars, using the natural clays found on the red first major address to NASA employees in May. “We planet. By creating simulated Martian clay based need to learn these things if we’re going to go to astronauts to use on information they know from Mars rovers, Mars.” Metzger and his team, in collaboration with Deep While he was in space, his identical twin brother, natural resources for Space Industries, will show how using robots to Mark, a retired astronaut, took part in medical construct buildings from available resources could experiments here on Earth, so NASA could much of what they be possible. more accurately compare the effects of different And while the game plan is to have robots environments on the brothers. Scientists continue need to live and work precede humans to Mars, robots will also be vital to to monitor the twins to learn more, in hopes of every part of the mission once astronauts do arrive, addressing issues like bone and muscle loss before as well as pave the way acting as guides, scouts and assistants. The word for sending humans on lengthy journeys into the this is co-robotics. void. And those solutions can translate to medical for exploration of more “Robots will be everywhere,” Metzger says. “Let’s advances on Earth. say you’re driving in a rover. You could send a drone In addition to a better understanding of health distant destinations, ahead of you to scout where you’re going. The drone issues, Lugo points to the potential for more takes pictures and sends them back. The astronauts, efficient communication satellites, which could like Jupiter’s moons. with help from Mission Control, make decisions result in better satellite-related services here on about where to go next, so they don’t drive off a cliff Earth. New technology is needed for longer space or so they can get to a more interesting geological missions, and one potential solution is an electrical Within the next 50 years, scientists predict NASA site to find better samples.” ion engine that uses less fuel. That idea could lower will have well-established bases on both the moon Combining robotic and astronaut missions could the costs of orbiting satellites, and, in turn, the and Mars. These bases would allow astronauts to potentially put to rest the age-old argument of price of consumer services like cable and internet. use natural resources for much of what they need to whether to use manned or unmanned spacecraft to Lugo contends that refuelable engines will make live and work as well as pave the way for exploration explore the cosmos. satellites last longer. of more distant destinations, like Jupiter’s moons. “A lot of times, a satellite is taken out of service, Learning More not because the satellite is no longer viable from Using Robots Whenever arguments begin over funding the U.S. an operations standpoint, but because we run out NASA is hoping to send astronauts to Mars in space program, someone invariably asks, “Why of gas,” he says. “And instead of lasting 10 years, [a the 2030s, but there’s still a long way to go before don’t we spend that money here on Earth?” Studies, satellite with refuelable engines] might last 30 or 40 people will be permanently living there. One however, show a $7 to $40 return for every dollar years.” Lugo says those cost savings could be passed popular strategy of prepping other planets for invested in space, with much of the technology along to consumers. humans involves using robots. and inventions made for space exploration having Metzger, who worked at NASA for more than 29 applications on Earth. Passing the Torch years, calls this bootstrapping the solar system. In Assuming the space program’s goals become For Colwell, the biggest benefit of space exploration 2013, he wrote a paper for the Journal of Aerospace more ambitious in the future, so will the problems — now and in the future — is empowering the next Engineering about doing just that, garnering the that will need to be solved. Exploring these generation of space explorers to look to the stars immediate attention of the White House. problems, however, produces several benefits. Take and see endless possibilities. “Appropriately designed robots will not have the for example the issues of vision, bone and muscle “I think broader access to space is great for us as a problems traveling the vast distances of the solar loss found in astronauts after returning from space. university because it gives us more opportunities to system that humans have, and they can set up the Dumbacher is familiar with this type of research. get students involved in space projects. That’s one infrastructure that will enable us to follow,” wrote He previously ran NASA’s Payload Operations of the things we really strive for,” he says. “So much Metzger. “Within the first several decades, a vital Center, where it was his job to supervise science progress is being made in space, and students are industry could be established on the moon and in research aboard the ISS. This included studies on in a position now where they can really create the the asteroid belt using technologies that are, for how weightlessness impacts the human body. future.” the most part, only modestly advanced beyond “Macular degeneration and muscle and bone today’s state of the art. After that, human outposts, loss seen after long space flights are very analogous laboratories and observatories can spring up to the natural aging process here on Earth,” everywhere between the Kuiper Belt and Mercury.” Dumbacher says. “Through longer time spent in Pat Duggins ’84 is news director for Alabama On Mars, Metzger envisions robots using soil and space, we can learn more about the human body Public Radio and an international award- 3-D printers to create necessities, such as landing and how it works.” winning journalist. He has covered 103 space pads for safer arrivals and radiation shields around Astronaut Scott Kelly’s 340-day flight aboard the shuttle missions and written two books: Final habitats to minimize astronauts’ exposure to the ISS is a case study on the impact of long-duration Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space harsh environment. Robots would also be used to space flight on the human body. After landing Shuttle Program and Trailblazing Mars: NASA’s construct buildings. in Kazakhstan in March, Kelly reported having Next Giant Leap.

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er voice, which typically effuses confidence and energy but now sounds almost wistful, Htrails off, like she’s searching for the right word. And then she lands on it: “Surreal. I’m so thankful for the pictures and videos. They remind THE WHOLE me I was really there.” Nicole Stott ’92 has been on this planet for a little over 19,000 days — and off it for 104, in two space shuttles and a three-month stay on the SPACEFLIGHT International Space Station. She’s one of 533 people to enter Earth’s orbit and the 52nd woman to do so — and the 10th woman to perform a spacewalk. EXPERIENCE… Stott doesn’t dwell on her place in history. But the enormity of what she accomplished — the decades of preparation, the fearlessness of riding a rocket into the sky at more than 25,000 mph, and the six hours and 35 minutes spent in the vacuum of space, with only a bulky spacesuit and a thin white tether protecting her from the starlit abyss — stays with her. But when she was in space, the surrealism wasn’t as daunting; the focus was on the specific, nitty-gritty objectives of each particular mission: fix this thing, check on that thing, make sure this other thing is running properly. Stott, like most astronauts, can talk for hours about the technical minutia that goes into keeping a football-field-size station operating while hurtling through space at 17,500 mph.

In 2009, Nicole Stott ’92 spent 91 days in space, which gave her a new perspective on life. Now she wants to share it with the world through art. PEGASUS MAGAZINE

Down here, those things feel brush and canvas, creating paintings three females; all three were classified class. And like most of them, she went Stott had a knack for this sort impossibly complex. Up there, that portray what it’s like to live and as mission specialists, not pilots. This to space twice. of public relations, says Michael it’s the job you came to do — work in space and offer a sense of wasn’t uncommon. As Amy Foster, The first time, she spent three Barratt, who overlapped with Stott unglamorous but necessary. And our place in the grand scope of a UCF associate professor of history months on the International Space on the station for three weeks. She so you focus on the task at hand. the cosmos. who has studied women in space, Station, where she performed is “intense and really bright but also Then you come home and have “I want people to look at [the points out, many of the pilots are maintenance tasks, did a spacewalk, warm and affable. She could have time to reflect on what you’ve paintings] and maybe think drawn from the male-dominated Air assisted with research activities, and been my long-lost sister, kidnapped just experienced. “I’ll tell you, a differently about where we live,” Force. The women, on the other hand, helped track and capture a Japanese by gypsies,” Barratt says. spacewalk, that’s one of the times Stott says. “You can see Earth as tend to come up through the science cargo vehicle. While on the station, she and YOU REALIZE YOU’RE of my life where I felt the most your home, really looking at your and engineering fields, like Stott did. On the space station, Stott says, Barratt were tapped for another, alone and detached from any other home planet. People don’t consider And — at least at the dawn of the 21st astronauts’ days are planned from higher-profile mission, one for which NOT FROM FLORIDA human being,” Stott says. “But at it that way all the time. People don’t century — they stood out. the ground, sometimes down to 5- the space agency wanted to put its the same time, I also felt the closest realize they’re in space.” “They definitely get appreciation,” or 10-minute increments: when to best foot forward — the final space OR THE UNITED and most connected to humanity.” And if you think about it that way, says Kevin Ford, a member of the wake up, when to eat, daily tasks, the shuttle flight. (As it turned out, this STATES. YOU’RE She was alone in a literal sense, she says, perhaps you’ll take better 2000 astronaut class and the pilot of occasional moment of free time and, was not the last one, but STS-133, floating more than 200 miles care of it. STS-128. “They had to come through finally, sleep. which Stott was on, was Discovery’s AN EARTHLING. above the Earth, far removed a little tougher path to get there.” As regimented as that sounds, Stott 39th and final mission.) from life on terra firma. But from Stott’s path began in Clearwater, says, each day was a new adventure. “We were looking for specific THE BOTTOM LINE such great heights, you also see tott’s first-ever tweet was full of Florida. Like most children of her “The only thing normal about every astronauts,” says Steven Lindsey, that indescribably beautiful blue exclamation points. “On orbit! generation, she watched the Apollo day is that every day is different.” who commanded STS-133, “with IS WE ARE ALL marble, set against the blackest SFeeling great! Launch was an missions and the moon landing. She superb technical capabilities but black, differently. The distinctions incredible kick off the pad! Smiled the thought being an astronaut was cool, that could also represent NASA EARTHLINGS. that drive so much conflict — race, whole way! Got a ‘woo hoo’ in there but it seemed far removed from her ut one day was more different well. [Stott] was specifically chosen class, religion and ideology — are for good measure!” reality. Airplanes interested her more; than the others: September because we knew she could do that.” no longer visible. Her first flight, aboardDiscovery her father flew them. B1, 2009, her spacewalk. Her “Everybody has members of a “You realize you’re not from STS-128 — STS-128, meaning the “I wanted my dad to show me not prep for the spacewalk began the day dream team,” Barratt says. “She Florida or the United States. You’re 128th space shuttle mission — blasted just how planes are built but how they before with a deliberate process to was on a lot of people’s lists.” an earthling. The bottom line is we off from Kennedy Space Center at fly,” she says. “The idea of flying into remove nitrogen from the body since, are all earthlings,” Stott says. 11:59 p.m. on August 28, 2009. There space evolved from a love of flying in like divers, spacewalkers are at risk So last year, when Stott retired were seven crew members; Stott was general.” of getting the bends. Just before the from NASA after 27 years, she the only woman. She didn’t want to be a pilot, at least walk came another elaborate process: decided that conveying this sense While the astronaut class of 2013 not as a vocation. She wanted instead getting suited up. After that, the of awe and wonder was her new had as many men as women, Stott’s to become an engineer. She earned her airlock was completely depressurized, mission. And she does this with a class in 2000 had 14 males and only private pilot’s license and attended and the hatch opened. She was in Embry-Riddle, earning a B.S. in the void. aeronautical engineering in 1987. “I had spoken to a lot of people She soon got her first job with who had done spacewalks,” Stott says. THE ONLY THING NORMAL NASA, as an operations engineer at “People have come out of the airlock Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Over and felt immediately disoriented. I ABOUT EVERY DAY IS the next decade, she held a number was very pleased to not experience of positions at KSC and went to grad any of that.” THAT EVERY DAY IS school, earning a master’s degree She and fellow spacewalker Danny in engineering management from Olivas had a couple of jobs that day. DIFFERENT. UCF in 1992, which she says was They had to remove a massive old “like the icing on the cake, preparing ammonia tank and attach it to the me for what I wanted to do with the station’s robotic arm. They also astronaut office.” She started to retrieved a technology experiment realize that going into space didn’t to be returned to Earth. seem so far-fetched. Stott rode on the robotic arm for 20 So in 1998, she applied for the minutes, holding the bulky tank in her astronaut program. Two years later, hands. “I felt like I was standing on she was accepted. the floor,” she says, “and everything NASA officials told her class it else was moving around me.” It was would take about six years for them to very peaceful, almost Zen-like — I Clockwise from left: Stott and Michael get into space. In reality, it took nine could nap here, she thought to herself. Barratt participate in a training session as NASA assessed the loss of Columbia “You don’t want to do that,” she adds. in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility and its crew. In the meantime, During her stay, Stott did two things in 2010; Stott at Johnson Space Center Stott spent 18 days in 2006 living that no one else had ever done. She earlier this year; and commander Rick underwater as part of NASA’s Extreme was the first person to paint in space. Sturckow, Stott and mission specialist Environment Mission Operations And about halfway through her tenure, Tim Kopra pose for a photo on Discovery program, earning the title of aquanaut Stott co-hosted the first live NASA while docked at the ISS. and claiming the women’s world “tweetup” from the station, interacting record for saturation diving. But fly with Twitter followers at NASA she did, as did all 17 members of her headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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Our team has grown EXTRATERRESTRIAL from a few guys working out of INTELLIGENCE my spare bedroom In that vein, last year Stott was one hen we first profiledJason of several astronauts who participated in California and a Dunn ’07 ’09MS in the in a video message delivered to the spring 2014 issue of Pegasus, the company diplomats gathered at the Paris garage in Orlando to climate conference, calling on them an amazing 24-person he co-founded, Made In Space, was to act now to save the planet’s future. preparing to install the first 3-D printer And, as a speaker who visits schools group changing the on the International Space Station. With that all over the country, she also wants groundbreaking machine, they manufactured the to inspire kids to do what she’s done way the world thinks first tool constructed in space — a wrench for ISS in her second career: Blend art with astronaut Barry Wilmore. science. The acronym is “STEAM,” of space exploration. Today, their second-generation 3-D efore she went into space, Stott time with her son, Roman, who is a play on STEM (science, technology, JASON DUNN ’07 ’09MS printer is operating on board the station, In 2009, Stott completed the first remembers listening to the 13. “From a family standpoint,” she engineering and math) with an “A” and they’re partnering with NASA, painting done in space. The Wave Bformer Apollo astronauts, the says, “it was the best decision I could for “art” thrown in. CHIEF TECHNOLOGY Northrop Grumman and Oceaneering is based on a photo taken through guys who went to the moon, talk about have made.” That didn’t make it easy, “There’s always been this need to OFFICER, MADE IN SPACE Space Systems to develop the Archinaut, the window of the ISS. She has since seeing Earth from up there. The word however. “You have to be in a place keep the arts in play with the science a 3-D printer equipped with robotics that created a mixed media piece (right) she kept hearing was insignificant — where you’re moving on to another and tech stuff,” she says. “Even the will be installed in an external space based on the same photo of the as in, humanity and our little planet adventure — not that you’re running STEM people, if they really thought station pod. While in orbit, Archinaut Los Roques archipelago in Venezuela. seem very small in this grandest away from something.” about it, they’d see that everything we will manufacture and assemble scheme of things. That new adventure was her art. do in engineering or in the lab, just large-scale, complex structures. “That really bothered me,” she says. She’d painted before; in fact, she’d being curious, is very artistic. The way “How can ‘insignificant’ be the word?” grown up doing artsy-craftsy things we communicate math is very artistic, That wasn’t how she felt at all like woodworking and painting as is the imaging of astronomical amidst the stars; she felt awed. Think Christmas cards. Before her first data. It really all comes down to about it: If the Earth was a little journey to space, she decided she communication.” closer or farther from the sun, if the wanted to do something creative Integrate art into STEM fields, she ionosphere and magnetosphere were while there, so she brought a small argues, and you’ll not only have more not there to stave off solar flares, if watercolor kit. well-rounded students but more the atmosphere wasn’t able to fend off Her first painting in space — engaged students. “With STEAM,” she X-rays and gamma rays, life here could the first painting in space, made says, “we’re starting to realize that we never have emerged or evolved. None on the space station in 2009 — was need to think about education again of what we know — our histories, our a watercolor called The Wave, based in a more Renaissance kind of way.” civilizations, our very consciousness on a picture she took from space of Similarly, she says, her time in — would exist. the Los Roques chain of islands, off space has made her fonder of science We hit the cosmic jackpot. the northern coast of Venezuela. To fiction. At its best, Stott says, sci-fi is One day on the keep the paint from floating away, she a combination of artistry and science space station, Stott dipped her brush into a drop of water that tickles our imaginations and ... THEY’D SEE THAT EVERYTHING says, she floated in before dipping it into the dry paint. expands the boundaries of what we front of a window The result was an image as seen from conceive as possible. WE DO IN ENGINEERING OR IN and saw her home space, a thin stretch of green land There’s another reason science outside, so small jutting into a blue ocean. fiction appeals to Stott: She hasn’t THE LAB, JUST BEING CURIOUS, and immense at “I wanted to find a way that would quite shed the space bug. “That desire IS VERY ARTISTIC. the same time. allow me to creatively express the to go into space will never go away,” “If we never find experiences I’ve had,” she says. she says. “When I’m 95, you can ask another one of us, that’s fine,” she She has two series of paintings. me if I want to go into space, and the thought. “It reinforces that we are The first is what she calls the answer will be yes, unequivocally yes.” significant; we were put in this perfect spacecraft collection, which captures place for a reason.” life and work scenes from her space After her last mission, Stott led shuttle and space station flights. The Jeffrey Billman ’01 ’10MA graduated several different groups at NASA and other is a collection of paintings based from UCF with a B.A. in journalism was in line to fly again, but by 2015, on the photos she took from space — and an M.A. in political science. He she started to wonder if it wasn’t time an effort to spread the message that is currently the editor in chief of to step aside, to tackle something “this is our planet, and we need to take INDY Week in Raleigh-Durham,

new. She wanted to spend more care of it.” North Carolina. STOTT AND NICOLE BILL STAFFORD OF NASA, COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHY

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1972 2011

Robert Munsey retired from the Esmaeil Banaei was named among wireless telecommunications industry. the 2016 Faces of Technology by Florida High Tech Corridor. 1979 Roberto Berrios passed the New York bar exam. Bettina (Tina) Pope retired from her position as a mental health 2012 recreational therapist. Christopher Pombonyo was named 1980 Seminole County’s teacher of the year. Dave Jernigan retired after 29 years as an FBI special agent and is now Alexa Porter is a clinical assistant chief deputy of the Madison County nurse manager for ORMC Sheriff’s Office in Huntsville, AL. orthopedics. Mark Landau is chief operating Laura Scala is an attorney with officer for the Capstone Health Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith in Alliance in Asheville, NC. West Palm Beach, FL. Stephen Walker is a project manager 1981 at Levity Entertainment Group in Los Angeles. retired. Bettie (Burleigh) Bailey WILDCAT DAILY / ARIZONA BAKAS OF DARIEN COURTESY IMAGE 2013 1983 Julie Iromuanya ’04 was nominated for the 2016 PEN/Faulkner Award and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction for her novel Mr. and Mrs. Doctor. The book explores the hardships of a Nigerian couple whose Frankie Catalfumo is serving as a Martin Drake retired after 35 years arranged marriage is based on an unraveling lie. Iromuanya’s idea for the novel started as a character sketch during Peace Corps health volunteer in in state and local government. a creative writing class she took at UCF and was further developed during a trip to Nigeria. / USTA OF KEN WEINGARTER COURTESY IMAGE Senegal. Michelle Ubben was named a “Top This September, top amateur harness “Hopefully I can Andrew Chang is a senior manager Woman in PR” by PR News. 1991 1995 2001 driver Hannah Miller ’14 will represent of market planning and research at the U.S. at the world championships — encourage more Florida Hospital. 1984 Mark Boyer earned an M.B.A. from Armando Solares celebrated 10 Ashley (Elmore) Drew joined Burr & considered the Super Bowl of amateur women to start the University of Tennessee at years as a commercial and editorial Forman’s financial services litigation Lauren (Thyhsen) Love is a training racing — in Budapest, Hungary. Known as driving and get Bob Potter retired. Chattanooga in December. photographer. practice in Tampa. “Hurricane Hannah” for taking this male- director for Mathnasium. Erin Hankins is a regional human out there. It really is the president of 1985 1996 2002 dominated sport by storm, she became Jacob Zepf resources manager for Barton Malow. the first woman to win the National is a man’s world Outfitters Company, an online men’s Amateur Driver of the Year Award in 2015. fashion advice and buying club, Beverly Snyder has earned eight 1992 Keisha Bell received a mayoral Brooks Brunson is a member of the on the track.” college degrees — three from UCF, appointment to serve on the government relations department at which has a store in Winter Park, FL. — Hannah Miller ’14 Community Planning & Preservation Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. including an Ed.D. in educational Cindy Dalecki was named Charitable 2014 leadership in 2015. Commission in St. Petersburg, FL. Woman of the Year by the Volusia/ Jessica Davis was named a 2016 Ohio 2005 2008 2010 Flagler Business Report. Super Lawyer in the field of personal is a financial advisor 1986 1997 Jeffrey White Mark Deutsch is CEO of Pediatric injury and medical malpractice Joe Ritter was promoted to Aaron Brown was appointed to the Jason Clerkin is a corporate at Raymond James. defense. Partners of Virginia. was named volunteer senior vice president of business U.S. Army JAG Corps Reserve. partnership manager with the Jill (Nieman) Picerno was featured Steve Conti 2015 on CNTV in Denver. leadership board chairman of the Jessica Simeone is a news development at Seminole Financial Andrea Ketcham is a business Orlando Magic. 1993 American Cancer Society – Central assignment editor for Services. Paul Taylor retired after 30 years development executive with Fidelity Jacqueline Rubio is the office Edith Wakida is the pioneer research Florida. BuzzFeed News. National Title. manager at Singular Sleep. in the insurance industry. Chris Tomasso is the president 2006 manager for medical faculty at of First Watch Restaurants. Craig Evans is the vice president for 2004 John Liberatore was promoted to Philesha Torrence practices law Mbarara University of Science and 1988 advancement at Wells College in regional director of ICS staffing at Huggins Law Firm in Daytona Hector Vargas was listed in the Laura Salpeter was named an Technology in Uganda. Aurora, NY. Laura (Creegan) Matthews was associate at Cassel Salpeter & Co., and recruiting agency in Fort Beach, FL. Roy Reid is the executive director of Leading Physicians of the World. elected to the international board an investment banking firm. Lauderdale, FL. communications for Adventist Health 1999 of directors for the Association for Systems’ Florida Division. 1994 Student Conduct Administration. 2007 2009 Mark Hales was named a principal Laura (Saunders) Parkel is the owner Joseph Keezel is a senior project at Inwood Consulting Engineers in Tamaria (Jackson) Williams is the is an outreach of Pond Science in Melbourne, FL. manager in Dewberry’s Orlando Christopher Johncke is CEO of Jessica Anderson Oviedo, FL. director of developmental studies coordinator for the Lake County office. iFixYouri. at Florida A&M University. Library System. Richard Adicks, professor Briel Zagarow ’07 passed away on 1990 Christopher Levine wrote and stars In Memoriam Marcia King is participating in a 2000 was appointed as emeritus of English, passed away January 26, 2016, after a long fight Cassandra Lafser in the movie Perception. Christina Johnson is an operations Michelle (Creery) Swift is a financial yearlong fellowship for nursing on August 15, 2015. with cancer. press secretary by Orlando Mayor specialist for Lennar Multifamily specialist at TreeHouse Private leaders sponsored by Duke University. David Robertson was promoted Tiffany Walters joined GrayRobinson Buddy Dyer. development group. Brands in Omaha, NE. Michael Thomas joined the board to lead case manager at Family in Melbourne, FL, as an associate On June 12, 2016, two members of the UCF community were killed at Physicians Group in Casselberry, FL. litigator. Carey Sobel was featured in the Pulse nightclub. We mourn and honor student and Jean (Newell) Adams-Harris is a of directors for the Art & History Juan Ramon Guerrero Orlando Business Journal for his partner at Johnson Lambert in Museums – Maitland. Rob Tessmer Jr. was elected May and June Wong ’09 founded alumnus Christopher Andrew “Drew” Leinonen ’07 ’09MA, and our hearts marketing agency, Three21 Creative. Jacksonville, FL. president of the Realtors Association MJ Tax & Consulting. are with all of the victims, as well as their families, friends and colleagues. of Citrus County for 2016. To see a full list of victims, visit cityoforlando.net/blogs/victims.

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Weddings& BIRTHS 10 13 6 7 8

married Kimberly Perdew in and welcomed Robert Anthony ’71 17 Erin (Brock) ’08 Andrew Irvin ’08 13 November 2014. Hudson on April 29, 2015.

married Rodrigo Lenartowicz on welcomed Aubrey Camilla on 1 Seth Daub ’00 18 Aaron Brown ’08 January 16, 2016. September 18, 2015.

and wife, Rori, welcomed married 2 Heath Schoen ’02 19 Elizabeth Dellner ’08 Michael Anthony Mason Wriley on February 18, 2016. Logsdon ’07 on March 20, 2015.

married Timothy Brown on married Sloane Mathis on 10 1111 11 13 12 3 Karin Grant ’03 20 Robin Denton ’08 November 21, 2015. December 12, 2015.

married Marc McConkey married on 4 Maegan Hambor ’03 21 Skye Guthrie ’08 Eric Brown ’12 on October 10, 2015. May 2, 2015.

and married Heath Friedel on 5 Melissa (Laconca) ’03 Tom Alexander ’03 22 Deana Kenny ’08 welcomed Nicholas on November 12, 2015. October 15, 2015.

married married Rebecca Hebner 6 Jennifer Skirrow ’03 Matthew Meno ’05 23 Aaron Roppolo ’08 on November 29, 2015. on October 11, 2015. 25 14 14 15 26 16 17 married Jeffrey Kessel on and 7 Jessica Malave ’05 24 Gina (Busciglio) ’09 Matthew Messenger ’07 September 25, 2015. welcomed Olivia Hazel on May 25, 2015.

married married on 8 Lauren (Haar) ’06 Danny Waters ’05 25 Laura Donini ’09 Ryan Verdel ’05 21 on October 24, 2015. October 10, 2015.

and husband, Andrew Levy, married Brittney Norton on 9 Heather Lee ’06 26 Ricky Straub ’09 welcomed London Fayth on August 31, 2015. March 12, 2016.

married Brandon Thompson married Brian King on 10 Krista Peckyno ’06 Tracey Culbreath ’10 on December 19, 2015. August 29, 2015. 30 21 17 18 19 20 married Matthew Quinn on married on 11 Jennifer Raposo ’06 Lana Dickerson ’10 Bryan Wagner ’08 October 24, 2015. October 30, 2015.

25 25 married Wade Johnson on married Justin 12 Jaclyn Grass ’07 27 Savitre Geeratisoontorn ’10 November 14, 2015. Schaefferkoetter on March 14, 2015.

married Chris McGrath on and husband, Mark DeRosa, 13 Katie Johnson ’07 28 Kaitlyn (Pearson) ’10 June 12, 2015. welcomed Daniel on February 9, 2016.

and wife, Jill, welcomed Luke and husband, Brenton, 14 Steve Lander ’07 29 Alayna (Rivera) ’10 Stephen on November 22, 2015. welcomed Clayton Paul on January 29, 2016. 22 23 23 24 25 26 and married Brett Woodley on 15 Dana (Peacock) ’07 Robert “Jake” 30 Mallory Short ’10 Bebber ’07 recently adopted Zachary. January 30, 2016. 27 31 married Andrew Evans married Arla Cook on 16 Michelle Armesto ’08 31 John Alexander ’11 on October 18, 2015. November 22, 2015.

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Weddings& BIRTHS 36

married Charles Arnold on 32 Lauren Alfano ’11 Authors June 16, 2015. Steve Durkee ’82, who uses the pen name Steven J. Bradley ’01 wrote The Adventures of Jesus Christ, Boy married Nicholas Chestnut on Paul, wrote Abused, Obscure or Misused Scripture to Detective, in which Jesus Christ is trapped in the body 33 Brittany Burns ’11 October 15, 2015. help guide readers through the Bible, using multiple of a boy and is forced by his Father to solve mysteries. interpretations and translations. Paige Jarosz ’11 married Michael Locke on 3835 December 31, 2015. Elizabeth (Leavens) married on Cruickshank ’84 wrote File 13, 34 Megan Reid ’11 Daniel Andrews ’12 September 13, 2015. which details the thrilling Brady Koch ’01 wrote adventure of a duo on Guns, Gods & Robots, a LEGENDS: collection of sci-fi and Kristin Serio ’11 married Paul Dobrow on a mission to save the THE NEXT October 9, 2015. free world while horror stories about GENERATION on the run from the people struggling to Lisa Sternschein ’11 married Garrett Dunn ’09 Russian Mafia. solve problems. 35 AN EXHIBITION on March 12, 2016. FEATURING UCF ALUMNI married 37 3837 39 36 Elizabeth Theiss ’11 David Morris ’12 James Kearns ’85 wrote Finding Proof of Jesus, a on October 3, 2015. compilation of stories and science that helps prove SEPTEMBER 6 – God’s existence. OCTOBER 13, 2016 Aimee McPartlan ’01 wrote Alycia Cardiff ’12 married Matthew Corpiel ’14 UCF GALLERY 37 Don’t You Cry and Don’t on February 15, 2014. You Tell, two books in a “Legends: The Next series about a social worker Generation” is the final married Blake Ford on Jon Sargent ’94 wrote Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Megan Hale ’12 event in the series Art 38 Masculine Journey, which tells an original myth through who helps children who November 7, 2015. Legends of Orange haikus and nude black and white photography. have been abused by their adoptive parents. County, comprised of married 39 Lindsay Howley ’12 Richard 15 exhibitions at cultural Wellbrock ’12 on February 6, 2016. venues in Orlando. It 4037 41 4042 features alumni of the married 40 Brittany Narzissenfeld ’12 James Mario Grasso ’97 wrote School of Visual Arts Erigo ’09 on April 11, 2015. The Observer, which and Design, including:

contemplates the Samuel Borkson ’01 married on 41 Margaux Ring ’12 Alex Pratt ’13 human instinct to let Christopher Davison ’02 November 14, 2015. opportunities pass while Kris Porter ’02 Glenn Ricci ’02 wrote Through worrying about possible Elana Rubinfeld ’02 the Mind of an Artist: My Art, Perry Angelora ’03 Jennifer Vigilante ’12 married Jake Howard ’10 outcomes instead. 42 Influences and Inspirations – Jason Scuilla ’03 on June 5, 2015. Nate Anspaugh ’04 1968 to Present, which details Erika Heffernan ’04 the creative inner workings of Jessica Chodos ’13 married Todd Robbins ’11 Ian Larson ’04 43 an artist’s mind. Ginger Leigh ’04 on April 25, 2015. Amanda Mathis ’04 Ryan Parker ’04 4341 44 Stephanie Sanders ’00 wrote The FILTER Approach: Jenna Gwaltney ’13 married Jacob Booth ’11 Nathan Selikoff ’04 44 Social Communication Skills for Students with Autism on May 30, 2015. Lisa Wicka ’05 Spectrum Disorders as a guide for speech-language Aryna Ryan ’12 wrote Creativity: The Ultimate Teen Melissa Diaz ’06 46 pathologists to help students who struggle with autism Guide, a book to help teenagers cultivate their natural Marla Hernandez ’11 Jennifer Andreasson ’14 married Isaac Sherri Littlefield ’12 45 and social disorders. creativity, even if they don’t know it’s there. Babcock ’04 on March 28, 2015. Bryce Hammond ’13

married Ty Stringfellow 46 Melissa Ostrander ’14 on December 12, 2015. Send us your announcements and high-resolution Alecia Shore ’14 and Michael Patrick ’14 WEB 47 photos (minimum 3 megapixels, 300 dpi). ucfalumni.com/classnotes welcomed Aiden on July 30, 2015. SHARE  38 45 Submissions are included as space permits. Class married YOUR NEWS notes may be edited for length and clarity, and may 48 Alyssa Pirlo ’15 Christian Weeks ’15 on November 7, 2015. be published in any medium.  EMAIL [email protected] 48 and 49 Stephanie (Rivera) ’16 Matthew Forrester ’09 welcomed Alexa on September 16, 2015.  MAIL Pegasus Class Notes P.O. Box 160046 Moved recently? Changed your email address? Orlando, FL 32816-0046

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47 49 WHY I... PEGASUS MAGAZINE

On the morning of October 24, 2014, I put on a special space suit, attached myself to a huge helium-filled balloon and began my ascent from Roswell, New Mexico. I kept rising through the blue sky until I reached 135,890 feet, where I nudged the darkened edge of space.

No human, without a rocket, has ever been higher. As I floated up there, suspended from the balloon, I could see the curvature of the Earth. And somewhere below, StratEx project flight director Sebastian Padilla began After a year of painstaking research, I was convinced counting down: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1. there was a simpler, safer way. A smarter person would have declared success, written a paper and moved I broke free from the balloon, did a slow back roll and on, but I wanted to build the new system and, more headed down, intent on advancing scientific knowledge importantly, I wanted to fly it. and setting the world record for free falling. So began a three-year engineering odyssey involving During my nearly 26-mile drop from the stratosphere, I some of the brightest and most supportive people I hit speeds of 822 mph. I broke the sound barrier, though know. First, I needed to validate my idea — I wanted I didn’t feel any particular turbulence. But back on the an expert to confirm it was well-grounded and not ground, my team heard the thundering sonic boom. Four a flight of fancy. A close friend suggested I talk to minutes and 27 seconds later, I opened my parachute Taber MacCallum from Paragon Space Development and floated the last 10,000 feet in about 10 minutes to Corporation. They make suits for hazardous a safe landing. environments and build environmental systems for spacecraft. MacCallum not only believed it was possible, To put that world record in local context, imagine sky but he assembled the best talent at his company to diving a distance equivalent to walking from the Student develop a plan. Paragon had contacts at ILC Dover, the Union on campus, all the way down University Boulevard, perfect space suit company for the job. We recruited past Winter Park, past College Park and Ocoee, and into Mark Procos at United Parachute Technologies to Winter Garden — in just four and a half minutes. build the parachute systems, world-famous balloonist Julian Nott to consult, Jonathon Clark to serve as flight Why would I — a sane man in his 50s with a loving surgeon, and Don Day as the chief meteorologist. family and a great job as a vice president at Google — do something that must strike many as crazy? I’m no Over the next three years, we ran more than 250 system daredevil or thrill-seeker; I’m a computer scientist with tests as we slowly learned to do something no one had three degrees from UCF. But growing up in Central ever done before. We redesigned the parachute system Florida, I developed a love of space exploration. I saw 11 times. We completed five airplane tests from 18,000 NASA rockets blasting off from Kennedy Space Center, feet, and three balloon tests from 57,000 feet, 105,000 exciting the nation and leaving white trails in the sky. feet and the record flight at 135,890 feet.

I think, in some way, I always wanted to see where In the end, our team not only set a world record, but those trails led. I’d often wondered about the layers we invented several new technologies for stratospheric of atmosphere where rockets fly. And I’d become exploration. Rather than turn our effort into a media particularly fascinated by the last expanse on the edge event, we invited only one reporter to the record- of space — the stratosphere. It has surprising properties breaking attempt, and we worked with Jerry Kolber, and temperature variations but is little studied. the executive producer of the TV series “Brain Games,” to produce the documentary 14 Minutes from Earth. Our project started with a simple question: Is it possible It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in mid-April to build a scuba diving system for stratospheric in New York. exploration? Previous attempts to skydive from high altitudes had always included using a capsule, but Our hope is that the film and my jump will excite a capsules are heavy, expensive, complex and dangerous. new generation of students to challenge themselves, explore their world and redefine what is possible.

Alan Eustace ’79 ’81MS ’84PhD graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s, a master’s and a doctoral degree in computer science. Last year, he retired from Google after serving as senior vice president of engineering and senior vice president of knowledge.

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