See how UCF academics and leaders intersect and collaborate with the community and others in making the world a better place.
Wed Feb 26
UCF was ranked today by the Peace Corps at No. 24 among large U.S. schools on the agency’s 2020 list of top volunteer-producing universities and colleges, the first time UCF has ranked on the agency’s Top 25 volunteer list. Currently 39 Knights are volunteering around the world, up from 31 last year. Since the agency…
Tue Feb 25
Abby Lemay ’15MNM awakens each day at 7 a.m. in order to arrive to the Rebuilding Together Central Florida office by 8:45 a.m. From there, the nonprofit’s executive director will attend impromptu meetings with her staff about upcoming events and programs, participate in phone meetings with current and future partners, work on grant applications and the…
Tue Feb 25
Have you ever felt like life is moving too fast and you’re struggling to keep up? While stress may seem inescapable, there are steps you can take to help manage it: 1. Cut back on the coffee Caffeine can easily become the most important ingredient in a busy lifestyle. But too much caffeine can actually…
Tue Feb 18
When it feels like you have a million things going on, exercise can often be the last thing on your mind. Staying active on a busy schedule is no easy task, but there are ways to get moving that won’t obstruct your daily routine. 1. Take the stairs Instead of using the elevator, taking the…
Mon Feb 17
Every four years — well almost every four, but we’ll get to that later — an extra day gets tagged on to the month of February. Humans have been practicing Leap Year since the days of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire, but why? UCF physics Professor Josh Colwell explains the science behind the need for Leap…
Wed Feb 12
Positive Parenting Fables, the animated short films with a modern twist on the classic fable, have won several awards from the Southern Shorts Awards. The short, which comprises a series of seven brief fables, is the result of a collaboration funded by the Pabst Steinmetz Foundation Arts & Wellness Innovation Awards. This grant awards two recipients $25,000 a…
Wed Feb 12
The Center for Public and Nonprofit Management (CPNM) collaborated with the World Affairs Council of Central Florida, a network dedicated to educating and engaging Americans in international affairs and providing further education on global issues, to meet with a group of international nonprofit leaders. The interaction was coordinated as part of the International Visitor Leadership…
Mon Feb 10
new report by the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management shows the economic impact of Florida’s vacation home rental industry exceeds $27 billion. “Our research confirms that Florida’s lodging industry for vacations, beyond traditional hotels and resorts, which include rentals like houses, apartments and condos, boosts the economy significantly. Renters remain in the state…
Mon Feb 10
The film industry in Florida — the only state in the southeast that doesn’t provide incentives for filmmakers — soon may be back on the upswing, thanks to new proposed legislation that may resume a tax-incentive program that ended four years ago. In anticipation of that day, UCF in collaboration with the Love Your Shorts…
Thu Feb 6
We got an ‘A’ (actually, we got two)! The National Council on Teacher Quality recently recognized our teacher preparation programs in elementary education. Our Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education were listed in the council’s 2020 Teacher Prep Review as top-ranked programs in the nation that prepare teacher candidates…
Thu Feb 6
Contemporary American painter Will Cotton will be at UCF on February 26 to give a lecture and a Q&A session. Cotton is known for his photo-realist depictions of landscapes as sugary confections, as seen in Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream album packaging and California Gurls music video. His paintings are in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and…
Wed Feb 5
“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history,” wrote Carter G. Woodson, who’s known as the father of black history. In 1926, Woodson created Negro History Week, a predecessor of Black History Month. With its Africana Studies minor and several other courses and…
Wed Feb 5
Now more than ever it is important to hear your feedback about the search for our next president. Thank you to those who have already shared your thoughts about what you would like to see in UCF’s next leader during the recent listening sessions and open forums or by taking our online survey. As chair…
Wed Feb 5
About 500 students enjoyed a free meal together on Memory Mall for the fourth Gather Luncheon. The annual event is organized by Wellness and Health Promotion Services and dedicated to community building among Knights. This year’s meal included healthy, tasty items from Aramark, UCF Dining Services and 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Before the meal started, a…
Tue Feb 4
When S. Kent Butler, UCF’s interim chief Equity, Inclusion and Diversity officer, began his career in higher education more than 30 years ago he didn’t plan to go into counseling, but soon found himself providing guidance for students and campus at large. “There is a very strong sense of community at UCF. Many people feel…
Mon Feb 3
On Oct. 29, 1969, in the final of a series of cases, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered all public school segregation to cease immediately with its decision in Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education — forcing southern school boards that had yet to adhere to its Brown v. Board of Education decision 14 years…
Mon Feb 3
UCF’s Knights Helping Knights Pantry recently opened its second location of its on-site food pantry at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campus. The endeavor realizes a personal mission of Rosen staff members and represents the next step in UCF’s efforts to fight food insecurity. The new pantry is housed within a 19-square-foot space inside of the…
Fri Jan 31
The Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives will host longtime human rights defender Laura Olson. During her visit to UCF on Feb. 6, Olson will deliver a special luncheon presentation, “Human Rights in 2020.” She will also appear on WUCF’s “Global Perspectives” television show, meet with faculty and record a student podcast. Laura Olson…
Thu Jan 30
Anew physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency program, based at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, has received initial accreditation and is seeking immediate applicants to begin training in 2021. The program is part of a UCF-HCA Healthcare consortium that is building residency programs across Central and North Central Florida. The residency is the consortium’s 26th program…
Tue Jan 28
UCF has been helping educate Florida’s prisoners since 2017 through a small program that has just received a financial boost to make some of its classes available online to people in prison, thus expanding its impact. “We are honored and overjoyed to receive funding from the Laughing Gull Foundation, a major supporter of higher education…