See how UCF academics and leaders intersect and collaborate with the community and others in making the world a better place.
Mon Apr 13
Last month, it was an honor to be selected and confirmed as UCF’s president. Melinda and I are excited to begin this journey with you today, even though our arrival comes during a difficult time for our community and communities across the globe. We are grateful for the warm welcome we have received. Every message…
Fri Apr 10
As UCF Police Chief Carl Metzger ’03MS prepared for the opening of the COVID-19 testing site on campus Monday, his biggest concern was the safety of his officers working the site. So he turned to his neighbor, Professor Kristina Tollefson, for a favor. Tollefson is the resident costume designer for Theatre UCF and knows her way around a sewing…
Fri Apr 10
Orlando magazine’s April edition honors its selection of the region’s 22 Women of the Year, including one UCF dean and three graduates who “make a huge difference in the lives of countless people daily.” The unranked 2020 list includes educators, physicians, entrepreneurs and women in other fields who keep our community strong. Those with UCF…
Thu Apr 9
Expert advice to deal with the stressful disruptions caused by COVID-19 is coming soon to Facebook Live. The Q&A-style, roughly 10-minute videos will be co-hosted by faculty and staff of UCF RESTORES, a research center and treatment clinic based on campus that provides treatment for active duty military, first responders, survivors of sexual assault and…
Thu Apr 9
The University of Central Florida, Orlando Health and 3D printing company Stratasys are leading an effort to rapidly 3D-print critical personal protective equipment to ensure supplies are available for local healthcare professionals in their fight against COVID-19. At UCF, researchers in the university’s Prototype Development and 3D Print Lab have created new designs for use in state-of-the-art,…
Thu Apr 9
With the global pandemic forcing us to spend more time at home, video games are proving to be a good way to keep in touch with friends, distract yourself from the news and reduce stress. Even the general director of the World Health Organization has endorsed video games as one way to help beat the virus by…
Thu Apr 9
You may have seen the “ERA Now” buttons at the State of the Union address in February. Or headlines about the Equal Rights Amendment popping up frequently in national news outlets. Or previews for Hulu’s anticipated miniseries Mrs. America, which debuts April 15. Despite being proposed 97 years ago, the Equal Rights Amendment is still being…
Thu Apr 9
You’ve made an account on Knightline. You’re refreshing the page on Handshake. You’re talking with Career Services or the Office of Professional Development every other day. You’re on the hunt to Get to the One! One great way to help differentiate yourself from the competition is to make a stellar LinkedIn profile. Lucky for you, we’re…
Wed Apr 8
To our UCF Family, Saying goodbye isn’t easy, especially to the people and a place we have grown to love dearly over the past year. Leading UCF has been the greatest honor of our lives. The reason isn’t because of the many accomplishments we’ve celebrated together. It’s because of you — the students, faculty, staff,…
Tue Apr 7
This year’s Knight-Thon looked a little different than years past, but the year-round, student-led fundraiser still managed the same big impact. UCF students raised $865,598.60 to benefit local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. They still revealed the results of their fundraising efforts at the end of their annual 20-hour dance marathon — only instead of coming together “for the…
Fri Apr 3
Adrive-through site where members of the community with an appointment can be tested for COVID-19 will open at UCF on Monday, April 6. The site is a partnership between UCF and Aventus Biolabs, a private genetics testing lab owned and operated by Aventus Health, a healthcare company with headquarters in Orlando. Public health officials say that more…
Thu Apr 2
Florida Atlantic University and the University of Central Florida teamed up with the U.S. Coast Guard to take some endangered sea turtles into the ocean where they belong. With the COVID-19 pandemic closing or severely limiting everything from beaches to lab activities at universities, researchers got creative to make sure three six-month old green turtles…
Thu Apr 2
To help prepare North America’s elite students for world-level competition in computer programming, UCF is hosting a multi-session online training camp this week conducted by trainers from top universities and industry. “These students must continue to have the opportunity to hone their skills, which will benefit not only their futures but also the companies, government agencies and universities that will hire them.” — Beverly Seay The inaugural…
Wed Apr 1
When you attend a business school with over 8,000 students, you’re bound to face some competition when applying for a company position. Whether you’re meeting a recruiter at the Invitational or submitting your application online, you want to make sure that your resume stands out to employers so that you can differentiate yourself from other…
Wed Apr 1
Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear harnesses. When Larry Lentz Jr. wears his harness in the Knights on the Go Café, he glides from cash register to refrigerator, serving customers sandwiches, pastries and cold drinks, garnished with a big smile. It’s more than purposeful work for Lentz Jr. — it’s physical therapy. The café…
Wed Apr 1
By nature, humans are social beings. Social distancing does not mean you should suddenly become a hermit and detach from others. A call or digital chat can really help someone else, like your mom or your grandparents. Social contact will make this stressful time easier on them. Below are five reasons why you should call,…
Wed Apr 1
While standing on my balcony last week, I felt a great need to capture my thoughts about the recent health crisis affecting all of us. Everything around me was so still and peaceful; birds were chirping in the background and the afternoon shadows over the courtyard below helped me appreciate the contrasting sunny areas from…
Tue Mar 31
Limbitless Solutions, a direct support organization for the University of Central Florida, has started 3D printing components of face shields healthcare workers and first-responders responding to the COVID-19 so desperately need. The non-profit, established in 2014, empowers confidence in children and increases accessibility for those in the limb difference community by manufacturing personalized 3D printed bionic arms.…
Tue Mar 31
As our UCF community navigates a global pandemic and adjusts to a new normal, we know your first priority is the same as ours — the health and security of those closest to you. To ensure the health and safety of Knight Nation, UCF has organized an effort to help students and employees who are…
Mon Mar 30
What would become the largest and most complex outbreak of the Ebola virus to date began in December 2013 with an 18-month-old boy. The outbreak would last for more than two and a half years, with more than 28,600 cases reported across West Africa and more than 11,325 deaths. As a then-geographic information systems (GIS) analyst at the Red Cross, Drishtie Patel…