University of Florida Research and Engineering Education Facility: A Hub for Innovation and Collaboration
The University of Florida (UF) Research and Engineering Education Facility (REEF), also known as the University of Florida Innovation Station (UFIS), plays a vital role in fostering innovation and supporting the research needs of the Air Force and the broader community. As an extension of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering (HWCOE), the REEF provides advanced educational opportunities and facilitates collaboration between academia, the military, and the private sector.
Historical Context and Mission
Established in 1969 as the Eglin Graduate Center, the REEF has been located in its present facility since 1995. Its primary mission is to support the greater community and respond to the research needs of the Air Force, particularly Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB), which is located adjacent to the facility in Shalimar, Florida. UF-REEF supports the greater Eglin Air Force Base community, including Air Force Research Laboratory and 96th Test Wing, and offers courses that may lead to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering. The REEF aims to drive the growth of the region’s innovation economy by offering courses and curricula in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering and industrial systems engineering.
The REEF works with the Air Force on its research requirements while students gain experience working with UF and USAF researchers on a variety of complex subjects, particularly autonomy, data science and solid mechanics.
Academic Programs and Research Focus
The REEF offers courses and curricula that lead to Masters and Doctorate degree programs in several engineering disciplines, including:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
The facility's close proximity to Eglin Air Force Base allows students and faculty to engage in research projects that directly address the Air Force's needs. Areas of research strength include autonomy, data science, and solid mechanics.
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Enhancing Education and Research Capability
The REEF's significance is underscored by its role in a recent indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with the Air Force. This contract emphasizes the academic core of a regional innovation, education, and workforce development competency. Through this agreement, the University of Florida will provide open and applied research capability that supports Air Force Research Laboratory and Eglin Air Force Base missions. Under the sole source acquisition contract, UF will perform work at Shalimar, Florida. It is anticipated to be completed by Feb. 7, 2030. The contracting activity is the AFRL in Eglin AFB, which is located adjacent to the university. It will not allocate funds at the time of the award.
Supporting Team Eglin and Fostering Innovation
The REEF extends its resources to all members of Team Eglin, including active duty, civilian, and contractor personnel. The facility offers programs designed to equip participants with emerging technical skills that support rapid prototyping, code modification, and self-sufficiency in troubleshooting and repairing communications equipment.
One example of this support is a recent workshop that introduced participants to core principles and practical applications of software defined radio, including spectrum analysis, FM signal demodulation, signal processing using GNU Radio, tone transmission, and signal replay. Participants lauded the opportunity to learn new skills and collaborate with others in the field.
These initiatives align with the broader vision of technology maneuver, a concept developed by AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, which empowers Airmen to experiment with and field advanced technologies through spark cells. The Innovation Office directly contributes to warfighter lethality by providing these opportunities.
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Transformation
HWCOE is currently under the transformation of powering the new engineer. This transformation will fund additional faculty to increase tenure and tenure-track faculty to 300, several state-of-the-art facilities and enhancements in engineering education delivery. Successful candidates are expected to teach distance learning graduate courses in industrial and systems engineering, and develop an interdisciplinary research program in collaboration with other ISE and HWCOE faculty. The incumbent will also supervise postdoctoral work at the REEF, and will closely coordinate between REEF and main-campus ISE faculty in the development of research and teaching agendas. Candidates with interests in Defense; Big Data Analytics; Machine Learning; Network Security; and Systems Engineering and Design are encouraged to apply. A strong background in methodologies of optimization, simulation, or statistics is preferred. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
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Industrial and Systems Engineering Department
The Department of ISE has 11 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, one teaching faculty member, two assistant research scientists, five postdoctoral fellows, 500 undergraduate students, and 165 graduate students. The department's current external research expenditures exceed $2.1 million annually. The Department of ISE offers BS, ME, MS, and PhD programs. Areas of strength include deterministic and stochastic optimization and their applications to financial, manufacturing, supply chain and health care systems.
Commitment to Diversity and Equal Opportunity
University of Florida counts among its greatest strengths -and a major component of its excellence- that it values broad diversity in its faculty, students, and staff and that it creates a robust, inclusive, and welcoming climate for learning, research, and professional service. The University of Florida is committed to equal educational and employment opportunity and access, and it seeks individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders and other attributes who, among their many exceptional qualifications, have a record of including a broad diversity of individuals in work and learning activities. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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