Physics professor nominated for Don Quijote award

UCF professor Humberto Campins is a finalist for the Don Quijote award. Photo by Jason Greene

University of Central Florida professor Humberto Campins is a finalist for the 13th-annual Don Quijote Award.

The award is sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund. The award recognizes and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals who have shown character of great strength, courage and determination, just as the timeless literary character Don Quijote did.

Campins, who has worked at UCF since 2002, is a physics professor and head of the Planetary Sciences group. He’s considered an international expert on asteroids, and this past year he garnered international attention for finding water ice and organic material on two distant asteroids.

“It’s quite an honor to be considered,” Campins said. “Orlando and Central Florida enjoy a great cultural diversity, which in turn continues to attract talented people from around the world. It’s a wonderful place to live and work.”

There are two other finalists in the competition. The winner will be announced Dec. 4 during a gala event. Several members of the UCF family have earned the Don Quijote award. They include College of Arts and Humanities Dean Jose Fernandez, Board of Trustees member Olga Calvet and former Board of Trustees member Conrad Santiago.

Article courtesy of UCFTODAY.