New Trustee Chairs
Pegasus Professor of Psychology at UCF, Deborah Beidel, Ph.D., and Pegasus and Distinguished Professor of Physics and Optics, Zenghu Chang, Ph.D., are two of three new Trustee Chairs honored at the UCF Board of Trustees meeting on May 31. Director of Jazz Studies at UCF, Jeff Rupert, Ph.D., joins the five previously named Trustee Chairs for a total of eight.
Dr. Beidel is a Pegasus Professor of Psychology and Medical Education, the associate chair for research, and director of the clinical Ph.D. program in the Psychology Department, as well as a leader in research related to anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. She has authored over 250 scientific publications on the treatment of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder and has been the recipient of over $19 million in research funding throughout her career. In recognition of her teaching excellence, Dr. Beidel received the 1995 Distinguished Educator Award from the Association of Medical School Psychologists. Dr. Beidel has graduated eleven doctoral and twelve master’s students, and has mentored many undergraduates including seven honors theses.
Dr. Chang is a Pegasus and Distinguished Professor of Physics and Optics, with a joint appointment in the College of Sciences and the College of Optics and Photonics, and Trustee Chair. He directs the Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology laboratory and is a fellow of the American Physical Society. In 2012, Dr. Chang demonstrated the shortest isolated light pulse ever produced (67 attoseconds). This accomplishment received worldwide attention. Exceptional young scientists are attracted to UCF because of Dr. Chang’s reputation. Dr. Chang has supervised many Ph.D. students, four of whom have gone on to tenure-track positions in research universities and others into top companies including Microsoft.
Dr. Rupert is a Pegasus Professor of Music, the director of UCF’s Jazz Studies program, a Grammy Award winner, a saxophonist, composer and arranger, as well as an internationally recognized jazz luminary.
These faculty members join the five previously named Trustee Chairs for a total of eight. The existing Trustee Chairs are Peter Delfyett, Ph.D., Peter Hancock, Ph.D., Martin Richardson, Ph.D., Mubarak Shah, Ph.D., and Eric Van Stryland, Ph.D.
Designed to both retain and attract exceptional faculty, these five-year Trustee Chair appointments offer an annual stipend of $50,000. In order to be eligible, nominees must be professors who are ranked as a “foremost scholar” in their chosen area of expertise and known for making a positive scholarly impact on others at UCF.
Learn more about each of these exceptional scholars on the Office of Faculty Excellence’s website.