As the technology industry grows each year, so does the need for experts who create innovations that fuel this sector and educate the workforce that powers it.
With this demand in mind, UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) has broken a hiring record with a total of 39 new faculty members joining the college’s seven departments in Fall 2025. This marks the third consecutive academic year that CECS has appointed more than 30 new faculty members, although it’s the first time this many have started in one semester.
The new professors, instructors and lecturers bring a wide range of expertise to the college, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity to hypersonics and semiconductors. Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of CECS, says the new faculty’s breadth of knowledge aligns with the university’s strategic plan and enhances its reputation.
“The College of Engineering and Computer Science has hired several faculty members in the areas of AI, energy, digital twins and hypersonics, among others,” Georgiopoulos says. “It has expanded the college’s research and educational expertise in areas that are of national importance and are in line with UCF’s vision of being Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University.”
A total of eight new faculty are UCF alums, with three who graduated this past summer. Ali Gordon, the dean of graduate affairs, attributes this to the quality of the college’s graduates.
“In recent hiring cycles, applications for faculty positions here in CECS have been very high,” Gordon says. “Landing a professor or lecturer role here is more challenging every year. The success that our alumni have exhibited in attaining positions here speaks to the excellence of our college and its programs.”
The college is expected to bring aboard five additional faculty members in the spring semester, bringing the total number of new hires for the academic year to 44. Learn more about the industrial engineering faculty below.
Minas Pantelidakis
Assistant Professor
Pantelidakis joins UCF from Auburn University, where he earned a doctoral degree and a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering. His academic accomplishments have been recognized with the JT Black Lean Engineering Student of the Year award and the Walt and Virginia Woltosz Fellowship. His research focuses on digital twins, advanced manufacturing, modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence, extended reality and the Internet of Things.
Jorge Sarmiento ’16 ’18MS ’24PHD
Lecturer
Not only is Sarmiento a three-time industrial engineering alumnus, but he has served as an adjunct professor for the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems since January. This fall, he returns to the department as a lecturer, committed to advancing engineering education and mentoring the next generation of professionals. He is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified, which validates his problem-solving skills with an emphasis on the industry’s Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) model. His research focuses on agile systems, discrete event simulation, queuing systems, quality engineering and continuous improvement, particularly for the healthcare and service industries. Sarmiento has been published in Applied Sciences, is a member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers’ Miami chapter, and is a 2024 recipient of the UCF Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award.