UCF honored seven faculty members as shining examples of excellence, dedication and inspiration during the 2025 Luminary Awards. Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair Mohamed Abdel-Aty and Trustee Chair and Professor Kareem Ahmed were recognized from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Established in 2017, the annual awards recognize faculty whose achievements reflect the university’s highest standards in advancing knowledge, inspiring others and elevating UCF’s impact across disciplines and communities.
“Thank you for the ideas you pursue, the people you inspire and the impact you create,” said UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright at Wednesday’s celebration at the Burnett House, home of UCF’s president and first lady. “You are advancing what is possible for our students, our state and our world — and proving every day that UCF’s brightest light comes from our people.”
Honorees were selected based on nominations by deans, department chairs and directors from across UCF. The event gathered family members and friends, fellow faculty, former awardees and community leaders to celebrate their achievements.
Joining in recognizing the honorees were UCF Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter, Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld, and Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Joel Cramer.
Mohamed Abdel-Aty
Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair, Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Abdel-Aty is recognized globally as a leading light in transportation engineering and traffic safety, ranking as the world’s most cited researcher in his field for the past five years.
Through innovations in technology, computing, artificial intelligence and sensing, he has contributed to preserving lives and preventing crashes for drivers and pedestrians alike. His pioneering technologies to better manage traffic have been deployed across Florida, the United States and the world, including in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
“Dr. Abdel-Aty is a one-of-a-kind researcher whose individual and research group achievements are paralleled only by the state, national and global impacts he has made,” said Kevin Mackie, the engineering department chair who nominated Abdel-Aty for his award.
Over three decades at UCF, Abel-Aty has secured more than $32 million for research and managed more than 90 related projects. This includes development by him and his team of CitySim, a drone-based database capturing driving behaviors at challenging highway sites that has led to new insights for preventing traffic mishaps. Among other accomplishments, Abdel-Aty also developed the nation’s first master’s degree in smart cities.
- Written by Joe Adams
- October 30, 2025