Community Engagement
See how UCF academics and leaders intersect and collaborate with the community and others in making the world a better place.
Tue Apr 25
UCF, a top-tier public research university renowned for driving innovation and delivering broad-based prosperity, continues to distinguish itself in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. In these influential 2023-24 rankings, nine College of Engineering & Computer Science graduate programs rank in the top 75 in the nation in their respective fields. A total of…
Tue Apr 25
In emergency management, every disaster is considered a local disaster. It’s a perspective that underpins the foundation of the field –– even at the nation’s capital, where Lauren Gros ’22MECM brings her experience in local emergency management to the national stage. A native Floridian and Orlando resident during her teenage years, Gros is no stranger to extreme…
Mon Apr 24
UCF Lake Nona Hospital announced Friday it received LEED Gold certification — the first and only hospital in Florida and only the 28th in the nation — to achieve this green building designation. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating…
Wed Apr 19
The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation is gifting $50,000 to support UCF’s iREAD program, an intervention program for students who do not show reading proficiency. The funds will help bolster reading skills in schoolchildren who participate in iREAD (intensive Reading Enrichment for Academic Development). The iREAD program, within UCF’s Communication Disorders Clinic, is a four-week course that addresses…
Tue Apr 18
Limbitless Solutions — a nonprofit and direct support organization at UCF dedicated to increasing accessibility and empowering children and adults in the limb difference community — and two affiliated UCF faculty members have received $85,000 in philanthropic grant funding for their bionic arm training video game, Quantum’s Pursuit. The project was selected as one of eight winners…
Thu Apr 13
Limbitless Solutions president and co-founder Albert Manero ’12 ’14MS ’16PhDwas recently honored by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis during the first annual Florida Heroes reception. The event welcomed heroes from across Florida to the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee to honor them for exhibiting courage, perseverance, and self-sacrifice. This included police officers, first responders,…
Wed Apr 12
One Saturday morning at UCF, a shy, young girl began to learn the basics of judo practice — the proper stance, movements, how to hold opponents and how to safely fall to the mat. Autism spectrum disorder affects about one in 36 children nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention She was…
Mon Apr 10
Manette Monroe was a beloved UCF College of Medicine teacher and mentor, who used her passion for horsemanship to help combat-injured veterans regain their mental and physical health. Future medical students will be able to follow in her footsteps, thanks to a scholarship announced today in the late doctor’s honor. Monroe’s husband, Mike Gaither, donated…
Fri Apr 7
Thanks to a new partnership, UCF and its two partner schools in the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Public Research Universities (the Consortium) ― Florida International University (FIU) and the University of South Florida (USF) ― will unleash the potential of Hispanic/Latina/o/x graduate students who seek to become leaders in the STEM workforce. The Alfred P.…
Fri Mar 31
The UCF Police Department will be recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting several events, including a tabling event on April 5 in partnership with UCF Victim Services, and an Ask Me Anything takeover on the department’s Instagram with a UCFPD sex crimes detective. Resources will also be shared on their social media accounts all month long.…
Thu Mar 30
Recent updates to one of UCF’s most groundbreaking research and education facilities brings the Robinson Observatory into the 21st century, including robotics for remote viewing and a state-of-the-art weather protection system. The refurbishment returns the observatory to full functionality after six years. Supply shortages and the large scope of the project contributed to a year-long process of…
Thu Mar 30
The UCF College of Business will host a Kentucky Derby-themed 23rd annual Hall of Fame gala Tuesday, April 4, 6-9 p.m. at Rosen Shingle Creek. More than 600 College of Business alumni, faculty, students, corporate partners and friends of UCF are expected to attend this signature event that honors the college’s most distinguished alumni and…
Thu Mar 30
Every year on the first Wednesday of April, UCF honors Founders’ Day by celebrating the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our people. This year, on April 5, we will be hosting a day-long celebration to recognize our exceptional students, faculty, and employees for their pursuit of excellence and impact. We hope you will join us…
Thu Mar 30
We’ll bounce, stomp and celebrate UCF Day of Giving on April 13 this year. With this celebration of all things Black & Gold, we wanted to highlight a few unique funds for those who are looking for the right area to support. Girls EXCELing in Math and Science (GEMS) The GEMS program is dedicated to…
Mon Mar 27
The Arecibo Observatory documentary, The Biggest Dream, will have its Florida premiere at UCF Celebrates the Arts on April 14 at 7 p.m. at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater. The film has only played in select locations, and the UCF screening will give audience members a…
Mon Mar 27
This year Ramadan, a sacred period of spiritual reflection for Muslim communities, is observed March 22 through April 21. During this time, common greetings to those who participate in the observance include “Ramadan Mubarak” (Blessed Ramadan) or “Ramadan Kareem” (May Ramadan be generous to you). The Muslim Student Association at UCF is hosting a Ramadan…
Thu Mar 16
Dr. Swati Kulkarni, Consul General of India (Atlanta), inaugurated the new “India Corner” following a commemorative ribbon-cutting ceremony with members of the consulate, students and community members. With a generous donation from the consulate, the new corner features beautiful posters, as well as decorations and 150 new books about India. Some of the titles include India-US…
Thu Mar 16
Orlando’s first official beekeeper is staying busy as a — well you know — applying the knowledge she acquired as a College of Sciences graduate. Tuesday Piper ’22 took the job as sustainability project coordinator for the City of Orlando in August, not long after leaving UCF in Spring 2022 with a BA in communication…
Mon Mar 6
Abhishek Sastri ’20 built a business on cooling technology for high-performance computers. Now, the UCF mechanical engineering alumnus plans to take the business one step further by developing cooling technology for data centers around the world. The coolant is unlike anything created on Earth. It’s created in microgravity, and has already received recognition from Blue Origin. Sastri’s company,…
Mon Mar 6
The Multicultural Student Center held its Breaking Barriers event to promote neurodiversity awareness and accessibility on Monday. Pelin Ozoglu is a member of the Multicultural Leadership Council who led the workshop on neurodiversity. She said UCF is a campus of about 70,000 and thinks there’s a lot of people that can relate to some type…
