Faculty
University of Central Florida faculty members are the foundation of the university. They energize students, academic programs, research and service through academic excellence and innovation.
Mon Aug 16
Faculty and staff membersâ¯have a newly renovated space on campus dedicated to their health and wellness. The Wellnessâ¯Researchâ¯Center,â¯also known as the employee gym,â¯isâ¯located inâ¯the Education Complexâ¯andâ¯has undergone major renovationsâ¯andâ¯equipment enhancementsâ¯over the past year. The facility willâ¯reopen Aug. 23â¯with the start of theâ¯fallâ¯2021â¯semester. The facility is free to all faculty and staff at UCF and will be…
Fri Aug 13
Eduardo Ortiz’s impact spans across the college through his support of the research process. As a Contracts and Grants Specialist III in the College of Health Professions and Sciences, he has been instrumental in providing support to faculty member’s research endeavors at every stage of the research process, taking the heavy lifting off their shoulders.…
Tue Aug 10
University of Central Florida researchers will be putting the “sci” in “sci-fi” for the MegaCon science fiction and pop culture convention Aug. 12 through 15 at the Orlando County Convention Center. With a line-up that includes guests like Star Trek’s William Shatner and George Takei, MegaCon is the Southeast’s largest comics, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming…
Mon Aug 2
The National Science Foundation has awarded UCF doctoral scholar William Beckerson one of a handful of national Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology. The $138,000 award is a result of his work on promising research exploring a “mind control” fungus for medical applications to treat neurological disorders. Beckerson, a molecular geneticist, is investigating Ophiocordyceps, a fungal pathogen…
Mon Aug 2
Dr. Hernandez joined the UCF College of Medicine in 2011 as director of the Practice of Medicine modules that teach first- and second-year M.D. students subjects that include clinical reasoning, patient communication, professional identity development and providing culturally sensitive care. With two decades of experience in medical education, she has served on the M.D. Curriculum…
Wed Jul 28
Idecided to find a therapist in February last year. My decision to begin therapy resulted from the realization that I needed to engage in some grief work as the losses experienced during adolescence have taken on new meaning in adulthood. In hindsight, this was one of the timeliest decisions I have ever made, as my…
Wed Jul 21
Mona Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been named the new chair for the Department of Nursing Systems and the Hugh F. and Jeannette G. McKean Endowed Chair in the UCF College of Nursing. As department chair, Shattell will oversee and manage undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs that prepare students for leadership roles in healthcare.…
Wed Jul 21
C-SPAN recently published its latest expert ranking of presidents from the best, Abraham Lincoln, to the worst, James Buchanan. Like other historians, I joined in the discussion on social media. My No. 1 would have been George Washington (No. 2 in the survey). I think both Thomas Jefferson (No. 7) and John F. Kennedy (No. 8) were…
Sat Jul 17
In recent days, Cuba has seen unprecedented protests and demonstrations in response to shortages of food and medicine, as well as the government’s handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. History professors James C. Clark and Luis MartÃnez-Fernández have provided background and insight into the recent Cuban protests to a number of news outlets. WKMG-Channel 6 featured…
Sat Jul 17
Dr. Jeff LaRochelle is the UCF College of Medicine’s new associate dean of academic affairs, selected after a nationwide search. Before being named as only the second academic affairs leader in the medical school’s history, Dr. LaRochelle served as professor of medicine and assistant dean for medical education at UCF, where his research interests included…
Wed Jul 14
There’s a coffeehouse not far from where I live in Oviedo. It’s a chain coffeehouse, so if you know America, you know the coffeehouse I mean. When I’m downtown in Orlando, there are any number of excellent independent shops I like to support, but where I live, miles from the city, one neighbor has a…
Tue Jul 13
When you think of composing music, what comes to mind? You might picture orchestras of strings and woodwinds, or performances at black-tie events in concert halls. This classic interpretation is accurate in some cases — but music composition encompasses more than many realize. “In reality, there have never been more people from different backgrounds writing music,” says Alex Burtzos, an assistant professor of composition in the UCF School of Performing Arts.…
Mon Jul 12
Pegasus Professor Naim Kapucu from the School of Public Administration recently received the Fulbright Distinguished Chair U.S. Scholar Program award to Australia in applied public policy and democratic resilience hosted by Flinders University and Carnegie Mellon University-Australia. The prestigious program provides 470 awards to researchers and teachers in over 125 countries. Kapucu will focus his research on improving the…
Fri Jul 2
The Global Academy of Holistic Nursing has inducted Elizabeth (Lisa) Kinchen, PhD, RN, AHN-BC into its inaugural class of scholars. Scholars were recognized during a virtual ceremony of the academy on June 26, 2021. Kinchen was honored as a Scholar of the Global Academy of Holistic Nursing for her outstanding contributions to holistic nursing practice, education and…
Wed Jun 30
Adozen University of Central Florida space researchers were honored recently when planetary bodies were named after them. This brings the total number of current UCF researchers whose names are attached to asteroids to 19, along with another 12 former researchers. The honor comes just in time for today’s International Asteroid Day, which was started in 2015 to…
Tue Jun 29
Animation Career Review has ranked the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design No. 2 among the nation’s top public animation schools and colleges in 2021. As an online resource for aspiring animators, graphics designers, digital artists and more, Animation Career Review has published a list of the top 100 schools across different programs since…
Tue Jun 29
Leading healthcare simulation expert Desiree A. DÃaz, PhD, FNP-BC, CNE, CHSE-A, ANEF, FAAN, has been honored with the inaugural Diversity, Inclusivity, and Equity Excellence Award from the International Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL). Awards were presented during the 2021 INACSL Annual Conference last week. The award recognizes an exemplary role model dedicated to diversity,…
Mon Jun 28
Class NameLAH 3470 – History of the Caribbean InstructorLuis MartÃnez-Fernández, Pegasus Professor of history and member of the Puerto Rico Research Hub When is it offered?Spring, summer and fall semesters How many students are in a class?About 35 PrerequisitesEUH 2000 and EUH 2001 From the Professor How would you describe this course?This course is a multidisciplinary introduction to the historical trajectory of…
Sun Jun 27
Harry O. Hall, a charter faculty member and administrator of the University of Central Florida, died May 31. The professor emeritus was 92. A year before the first students arrived on the then Florida Technological University campus in 1968, he came to the university to draft the operating plan for the College of Education’s undergraduate…
Wed Jun 23
Seetha Raghavan’s long and successful career as an aerospace engineer can be directly traced back to an ice cream shop at the Singapore International Airport. “My dad used to take me to get ice cream there because it was the best ice cream in the city,” Raghavan says. “We would watch the planes take off…
