Tag: 2026 Spring Newsletter

Dear faculty, students, alumni and friends, 

It’s been a busy spring, and I’m pleased to share with you some of the accomplishments from our students and faculty. 

First, some truly exciting news: Please join me in congratulating Curtis Taylor, Ph.D., for being one of only 230 people named as a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors this year.  This remarkable achievement is a testament to his innovation and impact.

EEd Chair Idalis Villanueva’s research on hidden curriculum—uncovering communication gaps and translating them into actionable solutions—earned national recognition and informed her work as a Fulbright Specialist in London.

Amanpreet Kapoor, Ph.D., earned two major UF honors for his innovative teaching, including a student-driven bug bounty program and forward-looking plans to integrate AI into engineering education.

Second-year electrical engineering student Rikki DeOreo is helping fellow Gators master MATLAB as the University of Florida’s new MathWorks Student Ambassador and a peer mentor in Programming for Engineers. Through workshops, mentoring and a new MATLAB Student Club, she’s sharing her technical skills while building a supportive learning community.

No one will ever accuse Edward Kempa of being an underachiever.  

Kempa is graduating this spring with double majors – his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Department of Computer and Information Science (CISE) and a bachelor’s in economics. As well as double minors in German and business administration. After graduation, he plans to pursue his doctorate in computer science, with a research focus on applications of machine learning in health care.

As IPPD marks its 31st year, here is a look at some of the program’s notable products still in use. 

Rethinking how engineering students are evaluated, Amie Baisley, Ph.D., is transforming assessments from one-time grades into tools that track conceptual growth, support persistence and give students meaningful feedback throughout the semester.