The University of Central Florida announced on Mar. 27 that four faculty members have been named Pegasus Professors for 2026, the university’s highest faculty honor. The recipients will be recognized during the Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration on April 1 in the Student Union Pegasus Ballroom.
The Pegasus Professor award is given annually to honor exceptional faculty whose work has made significant contributions in their fields and to society. This year’s honorees represent expertise in artificial intelligence, nursing, cancer research, and special education.
Hassan Foroosh from the College of Computer Science and Engineering was recognized for his work in explainable and high-performance AI. “My goal has always been not to solve one specific problem but build a machine that is the problem solver,” Foroosh said. He credited UCF’s environment for supporting partnerships with industry and practical application of research.
Carmen Giurgescu from the College of Nursing focuses her research on improving maternal health outcomes, especially reducing pre-term births. “For the past 20 years, my research has been examining how social determinants of health influence maternal health and birth outcomes,” Giurgescu said. She highlighted an increase in college research funding since joining UCF as a sign of growing collaboration among faculty.
Annette Khaled from the College of Medicine aims to find new ways to treat cancer by targeting commonalities among cancer cells rather than personalized therapies alone. “Cancer diagnosis is almost like a lifetime death threat,” Khaled said. She described current efforts with local partners to move her team’s discoveries toward clinical trials.
Matthew Marino from the College of Community Innovation and Education works on technology-driven solutions for people with disabilities. “People with disabilities struggle to find and maintain employment,” Marino said, citing lower workforce participation rates compared to those without disabilities. His team at UCF leverages interdisciplinary partnerships to develop tools that promote independence through employment opportunities.
Each recipient will receive $5,000 as part of their recognition during Founders’ Day events.
