¹û¶³´«Ã½

Skip to main content

US News and World Report Most Innovative University 2025

The brightest minds are solving the biggest challenges through innovative technology

In the past two centuries, humanity has made incredible strides in developing and refining technologies that enhance our lives and safeguard ourselves and others. Pioneering innovations such as the automobile, radio, and television emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, followed by personal computing, wireless technologies, and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. These technological advancements continue to profoundly impact our lives, the global economy, national defense, and society as a whole.

At UCF, we recognize the critical role that transformative technologies and national security hold across a diverse range of research fields and disciplines. Our research efforts aim to address the ongoing digital transformation of industries and organizations, along with the U.S. Department of Defense’s requirements for new operational concepts, joint operations, and the latest scientific and technological trends. Our goal is to expand research activities that support national security and technology integration, invest in infrastructure for classified and sensitive work, and expedite technology development.

From every perspective, Central Florida is the hub of simulation and training for the United States Armed Services, as well as our customers throughout the globe. The innovations, the investments in technology, the partnership with industry and academia is absolutely critical to the long-term support of the Central Florida area.”

— Victor Torla, Business Development Director, Lockheed Martin

Research that Fuels a Safer and More Innovative Future

¹û¶³´«Ã½ professors drive the advancement of cutting-edge technology to solidify national security and drive technological solutions. Their innovative research spans across areas such as cybersecurity, simulation and training, artificial intelligence, optics and photonics, and more — making significant contributions to the nation’s defense and security.

Portrait of Dr. Yan Solihin

Yan Solihin, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Cyber Security & Privacy

Solihin’s research interests include computer architecture, system software, and security. He has published over 200 research articles and has received numerous awards for his work, including the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Reach for the Stars Award, and the IBM Faculty Award.

Portrait of Grace Bochenek

Grace Bochenek, Ph.D.

Director and Professor, School of Modeling, Simulation and Training

Grace Bochenek is a pioneer in research and technology development, with over 30 years of technical and administrative experience. As the director of the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training at UCF, she is leveraging the university’s 40-year history as a human-centered modeling and simulation research pioneer to expand modeling and simulation at UCF. Bochenek is well-versed in science, technology investment strategies, commercialization and performance, technology maturation and integration, and performance analyses, and has been recognized with numerous awards for her exceptional service in the federal government.

Portrait of Peter Delfyett

Peter Delfyett, Ph.D.

UCF Trustee Chair and Pegasus Professor

Delfyett has made significant contributions to the field of photonics, particularly the underlying physics, device development and application of semiconductor-based mode-locked laser diodes. He has also received numerous awards for his achievements, including the Bellcore Synergy Award, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Presidential Faculty Fellow Early Career Award and the APS Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science.



Portrait of Yan Solihin

Yan Solihin, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Cyber Security & Privacy

Solihin’s research interests include computer architecture, system software, and security. He has published over 200 research articles and has received numerous awards for his work, including the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Reach for the Stars Award, and the IBM Faculty Award.

Portrait of Grace Bochenek

Grace Bochenek, Ph.D.

Director and Professor, School of Modeling, Simulation and Training

Grace Bochenek is a pioneer in research and technology development, with over 30 years of technical and administrative experience. As the director of the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training at UCF, she is leveraging the university’s 40-year history as a human-centered modeling and simulation research pioneer to expand modeling and simulation at UCF. Bochenek is well-versed in science, technology investment strategies, commercialization and performance, technology maturation and integration, and performance analyses, and has been recognized with numerous awards for her exceptional service in the federal government.

Portrait of Peter Delfyett

Peter Delfyett, Ph.D.

UCF Trustee Chair and Pegasus Professor

Delfyett has made significant contributions to the field of photonics, particularly the underlying physics, device development and application of semiconductor-based mode-locked laser diodes. He has also received numerous awards for his achievements, including the Bellcore Synergy Award, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Presidential Faculty Fellow Early Career Award and the APS Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science.


Powering Defense and Technological Industries

Our location in Central Florida — the modeling, simulation and training capital of the world and a hub for national defense — provides UCF researchers, alumni and students with unparalleled opportunities to work alongside top industry leaders on groundbreaking initiatives in the sciences, engineering, photonics and optics and modeling and simulation. These strong partnerships — combined with strong academic programs — is one of the reasons UCF received $21.6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022, for research projects ranging from making faster computers to advancing work in the area of lasers and photonics. And by providing the necessary talent and brainpower to fuel industry partners such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA and Northrop Gruman, ¹û¶³´«Ã½ is fulfilling a demand for critical, high-value jobs across the state.

#1

Collegiate cybersecurity team in the nation for 6 years

1st

Smart cities master’s degree track offered in the nation

40+

Years of research since UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training was founded

44%

of UCF faculty are recognized as being among the world’s top scholars
PLOS Biology

27%

Lockheed Martin employees in Orlando are UCF grads

230

Aviation, aerospace and defense companies in Orlando

#7

Fastest-Growing Research University
¹û¶³´«Ã½ is ranked the No. 7 fastest-growing research spending university in the nation by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

top 5 most innovative public university in the nation - U.S. News & World Report 2025

Top 5 Most Innovative Public University in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF as one of the most innovative in its annual list of best colleges.

#21

University for Producing Patents
¹û¶³´«Ã½ is ranked No. 21 for producing patents among public universities in the nation by the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (2023).

#29

Best Global Optics Universities
¹û¶³´«Ã½ is ranked No. 29 in Best University for Optics in the world by U.S. News & World Report.

Top 40

University for Defense Funding
UCF ranks No. 38 nationally for U.S. Department of Defense funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

#47

Best Aerospace/ Aeronautical/ Astronautical Engineering Schools
¹û¶³´«Ã½ is ranked No. 47 in Best Graduate Schools for Aerospace/ Aeronautical/ Astronautical Engineering in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Institutes, Associations and Affiliations

  • Florida High Tech Corridor
  • Florida Space Institute
  • Siemens
  • Institute for Simulation and Training
  • Federal Aviation Administration
  • U.S. Cyber Command
  • Defense Intelligence Agency
  • Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC)
  • National Security Agency
  • National Science Foundation

Companies Employing UCF Graduates

  • NASA
  • Boeing
  • Lockheed Martin
  • Northrop Grumman
  • Siemens
  • L3Harris Technologies
  • Raytheon Technical Services Company
  • Leidos
  • Luminar Technologies
  • Florida Department of Transportation

Using Nanotechnology to Create Pigment-free Paint

UCF researcher, Debashis Chanda, is leading the charge towards a more sustainable future with his world-first energy-saving paint. The paint is made of millions of ultrafine particles called nanorods, which interact with light and produce different colors based on their size and shape. Inspired by the iridescence of butterfly wings, this innovative solution reduces energy consumption by up to 45% compared to conventional paint.

By working towards a future where buildings, cars and planes all use less energy and have a smaller impact on the environment, Chanda is helping to create a better world for us all. ¹û¶³´«Ã½ is proud to support researchers like Chanda who are shaping the future and driving positive change through their groundbreaking work.

See how colorless paint can positively change our world

Portrait of Jason Eichenholtz

Alumni Spotlight: Jason Eichenholz ’95MS ’98PhD

Self-driving cars have become the next major frontier in transportation. At the forefront of this movement is Luminar, a 7-year-old company co-founded by Jason Eichenholz ’95MS ’98PhD. The company, which is based in Silicon Valley and Central Florida Research Park, has developed more efficient and affordable methods for creating the technology behind these vehicles — earning partnerships with Audi, Toyota, Volvo and more than a dozen other autonomous vehicle programs. Among its crowning achievement is its development of a new lidar sensor that can see almost 10 times farther than other sensors and sells for as little as $500, compared with $75,000 for the current industry leader.

Find out how he’s driving the future.

Shaping Innovation and Securing our Nation Through Technology

Safeguarding our national infrastructure and interests is a complex and continuous effort. At UCF, our research drives the next evolution of technology to protect our borders and build a more sustainable and productive future.

Acoustoelectric Microdevice

Turning Radio Waves into Energy

Researchers at the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ have developed a technology that can convert radio frequency signals into direct current electricity, harvesting ambient energy to meet the growing energy needs of the Internet of Things (IoT). The resulting passive module could eliminate the need for power-hungry radio frequency sensing modules and reduce the industry’s reliance on batteries, thereby broadening the expansion of the IoT and its energy needs.

Drug Intervention Research

Accelerating New Drug Discovery With AI

Ozlem Garibay has developed a new drug screening process using artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to speed up the development of life-saving medicines. This method achieved up to 97% accuracy in identifying promising drug candidates using a method that models drug and target protein interactions using natural language processing techniques. The model, known as AttentionSiteDTI, is the first to be interpretable using the language of protein binding sites.

UCF Nanotechnology Laurene Tetard

$1.25M Nanoscale Materials Mapping and Manipulation Project

The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ has been awarded a $1.25 million project led by Laurene Tetard, an associate professor and associate chair of UCF’s Department of Physics, which aims to advance nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy tools, including atomic force microscopy, to unlock new capabilities of materials at the nanoscale. The researchers will manipulate the chemical compound hexagonal boron nitride at the nanoscale level to have a defect that allows it to capture carbon from greenhouse gases, such as methane, and release value-added byproducts. The research will advance the fundamental understanding of materials behavior at the nanoscale, potentially leading to new catalysts and other compounds that could be applicable in a range of areas, including quantum science, renewable energy, life sciences, and sustainability.

Research in Motion

UCF faculty and researchers discuss how their research is changing our future.

Moving Technology Forward

Peter Delfyett discusses how UCF’s focus on discovery and entrepreneurship drives institutional research and innovation.

Quantum Physics for Technologies of Tomorrow

UCF Pegasus Professor Enrique Del Barco, a physics professor and associate dean in the College of Sciences, explains quantum physics that propel us toward future technologies.

Transformative Technologies and National Security Degrees

As the Transformative Technologies and National Security industry continues to evolve and change over time, UCF Transformative Technologies and National Security programs keep students current with the latest techniques and curriculum — ensuring they are prepared from day one.

Bachelor’s Degrees

Best bachelor’s degrees for a career in civil engineering.

Graduate Degrees

Top master’s degrees for advancement in the civil engineering industry.

Transformative Technologies and National Security News


Colleges & Campus
UCF Graduate Programs in Engineering, Computer Science Highlight Research in U.S. News Rankings
Breakthroughs in AI, virtual and augmented reality, hypersonic propulsion, cybersecurity, robotics and more are pushing the envelope for UCF’s engineering programs.
Colleges & Campus
UCF Partners with NASA on New Engineering Graduate Certificate
The certificate program will train students to evaluate and test the electrical and electronic components of devices and equipment used in the harsh environment of…
Colleges & Campus
UCF’s New Master’s Degree Creates Pathway to Careers in Robotics for Students
Students who enroll in the program will learn to analyze, design and develop the robotics and autonomous systems that are used in society.

Areas of Focus

Innovation. Partnership. Impact. Our integrated approach to teaching, learning and research unleashes the potential of our faculty and students — empowering them to make a difference in their communities and around the world.

Space Technologies & Systems
Entertainment & Immersive Experiences
Health & Human Performance
Energy & Sustainability
Transformative Technologies & National Security