Five Questions Feature

1. What made you want to call UCF home? UCF helped me to become a better teacher before I ever worked here. When I was finishing my Ph.D., I was also teaching online and always looking for new ideas that I could put into practice. One place I turned was TOPcast, the Teaching Online Podcast that was produced…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? I came to UCF in 2001 as an international student from Kenya who didn’t know anyone. I arrived right around 9/11, over 25 years ago, and it was an extremely stressful and uncertain time for everyone. UCF welcomed me, helped me build a support system, and provided resources and…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? My late father, Peter J. Ensenat, worked for UCF for 15 years and served as UCF’s Associate Director of Human Resources. I highly revered my father and came to admire the university he proudly served. Some of my fondest childhood memories are carpooling with him to campus and seeing…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? Coming from the Philippines, UCF’s welcoming, boundary-crossing spirit felt like home almost immediately. UCF treats people as humans and innovation as an invitation, not an exception. As one of the nation’s prominent research universities, UCF gave me a home to collaborate within and beyond nursing, on a larger scale.…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? It’s the people and the unlimited growth opportunities here. People genuinely want you to do well, both professionally and personally, and there’s a real sense of hospitality in that — it’s not just something we teach; it’s something we practice with each other. At the same time, UCF pushes…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? UCF felt like home from my very early days here because of its spirit of possibility. From the beginning, I was drawn to a place that didn’t just serve students; it believed in them. As someone who is deeply passionate about helping students build meaningful lives and relationships, I saw UCF as an institution…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? It was the right opportunity, at the right time, on the right trajectory. I was finishing my dissertation on vibration and dynamics in turbomachinery, and UCF was looking for someone to add to their turbomachinery strength who could teach vibrations and dynamics. Professionally, I recognized that UCF was on…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? I enjoyed my experience as a student and loved the work I did as a student assistant, as well as the students and employees I worked alongside. I love how the campus is laid out and the amount of green space. It helps keep me grounded. 2. What’s one small…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? UCF has always felt like a place where people are given the opportunity to grow. I started my career here and quickly found a strong sense of community, and over the years I’ve been fortunate to grow not only professionally but also as a student while earning my degree. Being part of an…

1. What made you want to call UCF home? UCF has always felt like a place where people are given the opportunity to grow. I started my career here and quickly found a strong sense of community, and over the years I’ve been fortunate to grow not only professionally but also as a student while earning my degree. Being part of an…