See how UCF academics and leaders intersect and collaborate with the community and others in making the world a better place.
Fri Jun 26
One of the new UCF-themed masks created by Rock ‘Em, an Orlando-based apparel company. (Photo by Thomas Bell ’08) New face coverings for sale through a UCF graduate’s apparel company do more than just help curtail the spread of the coronavirus – some of the proceeds also help students in need. Rock ’Em, an apparel…
Thu Jun 25
UCF faculty members will host a virtual event July 2 to discuss the critical issues of racism in American history. The Black Lives: Racism and the Struggle for Justice in the American Democracy teach-in will include historical lessons about local, national and global racial injustices and systemic racism that Black people have been subjected to for centuries.…
Thu Jun 25
Your ZIP code may be a better predictor of your health than the medical care you receive. Does that fact surprise you? If so, you’re not alone. Most people assume that genetics and healthcare are some of the biggest factors in whether a person is sick or well. But research shows that a person’s health…
Wed Jun 24
Physical activity is helpful in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. While everyone occasionally forgets a name, or why they entered a room, changes in cognition and behaviors might be indicators of something more serious. These could be signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and…
Wed Jun 24
Nobody asked, but I’ve become a speech writer: Thank you, thank you. I accept the nomination as your presidential candidate. Traumatic times are transformative times. The pandemic and protests have changed us, now and forever. These crises have exposed deep, systemic inequities within our economy, healthcare, education, criminal justice and race relations that will take…
Tue Jun 23
Orlando Sentinel writer Katie Rice reports on FPEP‘s plans for classes and a UCF Art Gallery exhibit this fall while expanding to online courses. As an inmate at the Polk Correctional Institution 10 years ago, Jason Fronczek discovered a love for teaching while volunteering in the GED and English as a Second Language programs. (In the featured image Jason…
Tue Jun 23
The UCF Global Perspectives and International Initiatives will officially join UCF Global on July 1 to help enhance UCF’s international capabilities. The transition will align the office with the UCF Global mission to serve as the university’s hub for all international activities. It also leverages synergies between key UCF international units, colleges and administration to…
Tue Jun 23
The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s public university system, today approved UCF’s phased-in plan to reopen in the fall. “In all our efforts, our students and their success this fall are top of mind.”— President Alexander N. Cartwright The plan was developed using guidance from federal and state agencies, including the Florida…
Mon Jun 22
Joe Thalheimer ’08 has been a part of UCF’s Emergency Management team since 2014. Last week, UCF Associate Vice President of Public Safety and Chief of Police Carl Metzger ’03MS appointed Joe Thalheimer ’08 as the director of Emergency Management. The announcement comes after an exhaustive search. Metzger is confident in Thalheimer, who has led the department in an…
Mon Jun 22
President Alexander N. Cartwright’s plans include elevating the university’s chief equity, inclusion and diversity officer to a vice president position; recruiting and retaining more diverse leaders and faculty; and requiring training for senior administrators. With a student body that is nearly 70,000 strong and incredibly diverse, UCF must be a model for how a community fully…
Fri Jun 19
Health sciences major Karein Lacroix, journalism major Hector Garcia, nursing major Jessica Pugh and interdisciplinary studies major Shaika Surprise of the UCF Gospel and Cultural Choir sang two songs to open the event. Nearly 100 UCF students, faculty and staff gathered in celebration of Juneteenth — the June 19 commemoration of the belated announcement in Texas of…
Thu Jun 18
With the university’s plans for Returning to UCF approved by the Board of Trustees today, it is especially incumbent on each one of us to take steps to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and make UCF a safer place for all of us. Face coverings are just one of the critical prevention measures UCF is adopting. The coverings help…
Thu Jun 18
Having a healthy immune system is important all the time — but especially during COVID-19. One way to support and strengthen your immunity is to eat high-nutrient foods. Valerie Schulz is a registered dietitian nutritionist and faculty member in the Department of Health Sciences. She provides this week’s COVID-19 health tip: Foods that contain high levels…
Thu Jun 18
“The Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West Winter Park” is a permanent exhibition of local history shared by the residents who have lived it. (Photo and caption courtesy of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center) The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth worked in tandem to mark the end of slavery in the United States more…
Thu Jun 18
“Freedom Quilt” was made by quilter Jessie Bell Williams Telfair in the mid-1970s as a reminder of the guarantee for all American citizens and her personal experience of registering to vote, and being fired for doing so, during the Civil Rights Era. (Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture) As a curriculum theory…
Wed Jun 17
Phil Hoffman, executive director of WUCF, on set for the new ‘In Reach’ series. WUCF TV will host a new locally produced series about the impact of COVID-19 on arts and history groups in Central Florida. The program, In Reach, will premier 11:30 a.m. June 21. WUCF, Central Florida’s PBS station, in partnership with local organizations…
Wed Jun 17
The UCF College of Arts and Humanities is hosting a series of talks from the faculty highlighting research and teaching in arts and humanities. The summer speaker series will run from June 18 through July 23 and include topics ranging from how to create more entertaining online educational content to how UCF’s Center for Humanities and Digital…
Wed Jun 17
“What a long year this week has been,” someone I know posted to Facebook. I’m guessing she had an exhausting day. One so draining that she felt as if she had given more time than she had available to give in a single day. She is not alone. Many people have expressed how emotionally spent…
Wed Jun 17
(Photo by Kim Go ’20) We must remain alert that COVID-19 is a contagious illness that poses the possibility of exposure in any public place where people are present. Despite life seeming more “normal” than in previous months, COVID-19 will be part of our reality for the foreseeable future. We must stay vigilant, especially as the…
Tue Jun 16
The Practical Access Podcast launched earlier this year with the goal of providing fast, flexible thinking about real-life problems for educators, people with disabilities and their family members. Lisa Dieker and Rebecca “Becky” Hines have been friends and colleagues for 16 years. Both are exceptional student education faculty members at UCF. Hines is an aunt to a person…