See how UCF academics and leaders intersect and collaborate with the community and others in making the world a better place.
Fri Dec 17
The UCF College of Graduate Studies published its online 2020-21 annual report, sharing statistics and a snapshot of the range of services the college provides to our students and our colleges, from recruitment to graduation. There are also student profiles that illustrate the range of exciting work our students are conducting in various fields. Short explainers…
Fri Dec 17
For Khalifa White ‘16, it was a matter of when she would perform on Broadway, not if. An alumna of the Musical Theatre BFA program, she has been performing onstage since graduation, working professionally for Norwegian Cruise Lines, the Walt Disney World Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. Following her dreams to New York City, she performed…
Fri Dec 17
Each year Kwanzaa-a seven-day celebration traditional to the African American community-takes place Dec. 26-Jan. 1. Derived from the Swahili phase mutanda ya kwanzaa, which means “first fruits,” Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 and reinforces traditions across the continent of Africa. “Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga, an Africana studies adjunct professor, and other indiviuals in the Los…
Fri Dec 17
“‘Twas the forecast before Christmas, when all ‘cross the state, those in need of a fridge would just have to wait. Just like the fruitcake from your aunt — inflation, supply chain woes and housing shortages will all linger, unwanted, through the end of next year,’ writes Sean Snaith, nationally recognized economist and director of UCF’s…
Thu Dec 16
UCF alumni Anthony Roberson ’19 and Jordan “JJ” Johnson ’19 were featured on NBC’s Today show Thursday as part of the show’s Season of Giving segment. The two former football players created the nonprofit One Kid Orlando in 2017 while students at UCF. The show highlighted how the two bonded off the field, and with support from the community and the UCF fan…
Wed Dec 15
The past year has brought great change for UCF faculty and staff. We continued to navigate the challenges of a global pandemic and successfully brought more students back to campus, and we also began the transformation and reimagination of the way we align our people to support our administrative functions, improve business processes and deploy…
Wed Dec 15
This Friday, Opera Orlando will premiere its first commissioned new work based on Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ book The Secret River. The opera’s music was composed by Pegasus Professor Stella Sung, director of the UCF Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment. Sung was first introduced to The Secret River when a friend brought the children’s book…
Mon Dec 13
As Knights returned back to campus for classes for the first time in over a year, UCF achieved some incredible accomplishments — from innovative research by talented faculty and students to top rankings and athletic performances. Virtually and in-person, the campus community came together for celebrations and support during another impactful year.
Mon Dec 13
In episode 15 of Knights Do That, we speak with Albert Manero ’12 ’14MS ’16PhD, three-time UCF graduate and the founder and president of Limbitless Solutions, a nonprofit organization that serves kids with limb differences in an affordable and innovative way. Manero shares what ignited his passion to start Limbitless, where it’s at now and how his…
Fri Dec 10
The following stories gained great interest throughout the year. They are ranked by page views from Jan. 1 through Dec. 6. 20. Announcing UCF’s New Vice President for Diversity, Equity and InclusionPage views: 5,755 Andrea Guzmán, a first-generation graduate and Detroit native born to Puerto Rican parents, comes to UCF from Florida Atlantic University, where she…
Wed Dec 8
Students and faculty across UCF are benefitting from 250 new mixed reality headsets that will be used for applications ranging from developing robotic sensors to designing interactive backgrounds for special events. The headsets are a gift from General Dynamics Mission Systems and are fully self-contained computers that allow wearers to operate untethered in a hologram-enhanced…
Fri Dec 3
Over the past eight years, UCF has participated in Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity that was created in 2012 and takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. On Nov. 30 this year, more than 870 donors from all over the nation contributed over $1.16 million — marking UCF’s best giving Tuesday yet. “Philantrophy…
Fri Dec 3
A passion for helping others and the technical expertise to make it happen recently earned a global prize for CREOL graduate Ceyhun Akcay, Ph.D., ’05. As senior director of research and development at medical technology company Alcon, Akcay builds lenses to correct cataracts, the leading cause of preventable blindness. The implantable lens developed by Akcay…
Fri Dec 3
The City Beautiful. Home to world-class entertainment, advancements in technology and innovation, and a place where opportunity is boundless. Most recently, Orlando earned a new title: No. 1 Best College City in America among midsize cities and No. 4 overall, according to WalletHub. The annual ranking is frequently used by high school seniors to help decide…
Fri Dec 3
After a national search, and following a confirmation vote by the Board of Trustees, UCF has selected Youndy C. Cook as its new vice president and general counsel. She is expected to formally start her new role with the university on Dec. 10. Cook has served as interim vice president and general counsel at UCF…
Fri Dec 3
The Human Gross Anatomy (HGA) Laboratory, located on the second floor of HS I, has long been an integral part of clinical training for students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Through outreach efforts, lab leaders are helping other learners in the community become better healthcare providers by inviting them to come take a closer look…
Wed Dec 1
When Jeffery Redding joined the UCF School of Performing Arts as the director of choral activities in fall 2020, he arrived with a proven track record in music education, performance and direction. In the year since, he’s infused new and exciting energy into the school’s choir ensembles, drawing on his extensive experience in the field — the…
Tue Nov 30
Maintaining a healthy relationship with the campus’s neighboring wildlife requires students to take steps to protect themselves and our animal friends. Students can respect nature’s boundaries by simply admiring animals from afar, says university officials. “Avoiding feeding the animals that roam onto campus is by far the No. 1 thing that we can do to…
Fri Nov 19
In the year 2020, we endured a worldwide pandemic, local lockdowns, and the “Great Toilet Paper Shortage.” The latter foreshadowed an ongoing sequence of shortages: lumber, refrigerators, meat, cars, and most recently, artificial Christmas trees. “History is being made before our eyes,” says Muge Yayla-Kullu, associate professor of supply-chain management at UCF. “What we’re experiencing…