UCF celebrated seven dynamic contributors to Central Florida’s robust space ecosystem with its 2026 SpaceU Awards, including the College of Medicine’s Dr. Emmanuel Urquieta.
The awards were part of the second UCF Space Week, which runs Oct. 25-30 and highlights the university’s impact across the space sector.
Tuesday’s SpaceU Awards ceremony at the Celeste Hotel drew more than 200 community leaders and supporters from UCF, industry and government. The event also spotlighted the inaugural UCF Space Ideation Challenge, a national competition showcasing practical, forward-looking ideas to strengthen U.S. leadership in space and accelerate the emerging space economy.
“Our SpaceU Award recipients embody the ingenuity and determination that have defined UCF from the start. They ask bold questions, take on difficult challenges, and pursue ideas that have the potential to change what we know, what we can do and where we can go,” said UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Their achievements remind us that exploration is about more than reaching new frontiers — it is about advancing knowledge, creating opportunities and improving lives on Earth and beyond.”
UCF originated in 1963 to help supply talent and technology for Central Florida’s growing space program. Today, SpaceU has become a vital force for enhancing Florida’s vibrant space economy through excellence in research, innovation and workforce development — leading the nation in producing talent for the aerospace and defense industries.
Urquieta is a physician and scientist helping to make human spaceflight safer through research, education, and aerospace-medicine leadership. He founded and directs SpaceU’s Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine, leading UCF’s efforts to promote research, education, clinical care and operational capabilities to protect human health and performance in space. At UCF, he established Florida’s first academic Division of Aerospace Medicine and spearheaded the development of an aerospace medicine residency, master’s degree program, and specialized research and simulation capabilities for future exploration missions.
Here are the other honorees:
Student Space Research Award — Noah Brockhoff, Junior, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Student Space Innovator Award — Keanu Brayman, Senior, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Early Career Space Achievement Faculty Award — Paula do Vale Pereira, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Lifetime Space Achievement Faculty Award — Daniel Britt, Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, College of Sciences
Industry Partner Impact Award — Lockheed Martin
Innovative Space Leader Award — Michael Edmonds, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Origin
For more information on the awards, please link here.