Three UCF faculty members have been recognized by the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL) for the impact they’ve had on their fields of study. Associate professors Ranajay Ghosh and Chen Chen of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and Associate Professor Lindsay Taliaferro of the College of Medicine have been named 2024 Rising Star awardees and will be recognized at the ASEMFL annual meeting on Nov. 1.

The Rising Stars are selected based on their academic and scientific contributions to the field as well as their potential to become future ASEMFL inductees. This year, a total of 19 Rising Star awards will be given to mid-career academics from both public and private universities in the state.

“ASEMFL recognizes the importance of new investigators whose work shows great promise in addressing critical issues towards ensuring the growth and success in its mission,” says Angela Laird, the ASEMFL secretary and a distinguished university professor at Florida International University. “Through the Rising Stars program, ASEMFL hopes to engage with mid-career researchers more actively throughout the State of Florida, anticipating that these individuals will provide valuable insight for how to grow the society and ensure its continued relevance for current and future generations.”

Ranajay Ghosh

Citation: For pioneering research in nonlinear metamaterials and metasurfaces, significantly advancing the understanding of their nonlinear elasticity, dynamics, and dissipative behavior with applications to aerospace and robotics

Over the past several years, Ghosh, an associate professor of aerospace engineering, has garnered both media attention and industry support for his research, which mixes the fundamentals of engineering with cutting-edge technology to create advanced materials and systems for space applications. His work on 3D-printed bricks made of lunar regolith was featured in Popular Science in 2022 and his research on exoskeletons was funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2020.

Despite the accolades he’s received and milestones he’s achieved, Ghosh was surprised but pleased to be named a 2024 ASEMFL Rising Star.

“I’m truly honored to be recognized as a Rising Star by the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida,” Ghosh says. “The academy’s mission to address pressing challenges, especially those impacting on the state of Florida, closely aligns with my work in advanced materials for aerospace and robotics. This recognition inspires me not only to push the boundaries of technology but also to mentor my students to become problem solvers who are able to tackle the complex issues the academy aims to address.”

Chen Chen

Citation: For pioneering advancements in real-time, privacy-preserving video analytics and impactful contributions to public safety and healthcare engineering

Chen, an associate professor of computer science, is highly cited and recognized globally for his work in computer vision. His work on deep learning algorithms for edge computing was supported by organizations like Intel and the National Science Foundation. Within the past decade, he’s published more than 80 journal articles, and has served as an associate editor for multiple research journals. He holds two patents for the development of depth sensors for movement recognition and for a wearable medication adherence monitor.

Lindsay Taliaferro

Citation: For addressing social inequities and health disparities among LGBTQ+ youth by identifying modifiable factors that protect against suicide and facilitate healthcare utilization

Taliaferro is an associate professor of medicine in the Department of Population Health Sciences. Her research focuses on the delivery of quality care to LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults, with an emphasis on mental health outcomes, suicide prevention and healthcare utilization. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

She’s a prior recipient of the UCF Research for the Stars Award, a UCF Women of Distinction Award and a UCF College of Medicine Early Career Investigator Award for Achievement in Research, but she says she’s just as honored to be selected for the ASEMFL Rising Stars Award.

“I feel honored and very grateful for this recognition of my research with LGBTQ+ young people,” Taliaferro says.

Housed at UCF, ASEMFL is a nonprofit organization for the top scholars and researchers in Florida who aim to discover solutions to global and statewide challenges. To view the full list of Rising Stars, the 2024 ASEMFL inductees or to learn more about the organization, visit the ASEMFL website.