Gator engineer and Olympic gold medalist Erin Jackson to carry U.S. flag at Winter Games opening ceremony

When gold medalist Erin Jackson laces up her skates and puts on her game face for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, her stateside cheering squad will include many rowdy reptiles.

The Ocala-bred speedskater is also a Gator engineer who graduated with honors from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering in 2015.

“Erin is someone UF should be proud of,” said Professor Nancy Ruzycki, Ph.D., master lecturer and MSE’s director of undergraduate laboratories.

Make no mistake, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is proud of Jackson. Professors are certified fans who plan to go berserk when their Gator engineer takes to the ice to defend her gold medal. Professors remember Jackson as an ambitious student who maintained exceptional grades while darting back and forth to Ocala for training.

Read the full story here.