UCF spotlighted more than 240 faculty members for academic excellence and service Wednesday at the 2025 Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom.
The celebration honored recipients of the Pegasus Professor Award, UCF’s highest faculty honor; the Reach for the Stars Award; the recipient of the Medal of Societal Impact award; the inaugural Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award, university excellence award winners; those who recently reached 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service; a Faculty Senate service award; faculty granted emeritus or emerita status; and retired faculty members.
The event also included the announcement of this year’s faculty Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award, which went to Manoj Chopra, professor and associate dean of Undergraduate Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and a special presentation of provost emeritus status to Michael D. Johnson, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. Johnson, UCF’s provost since 2020, will retire this summer after 35 years at UCF in various teaching and leadership roles.
The faculty event was part of a Founders’ Day Celebration that also included separate employee and staff recognition ceremonies. Here are the faculty honorees.
Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising
Chen Chen, College of Engineering and Computer Science