Jeff Kauffman, Ph.D.
Title:
Chair of the UCF Faculty Senate, Member of the UCF Board of Trustees, and Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department within the College of Engineering and Computer Science
Years at UCF:
14
What he does for UCF:
My role is to represent the Faculty Senate and, by extension, UCF faculty in interactions with the Board of Trustees, President, and Provost. In my department, I also serve as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the BS Mechanical Engineering and BS Aerospace Engineering programs.
1. What made you want to call UCF home?
It was the right opportunity, at the right time, on the right trajectory. I was finishing my dissertation on vibration and dynamics in turbomachinery, and UCF was looking for someone to add to their turbomachinery strength who could teach vibrations and dynamics. Professionally, I recognized that UCF was on the rise and wanted to be part of that. On a personal level, my wife and I loved what Central Florida had to offer for our growing family.
2. What’s one small thing about UCF that still makes you smile?
Walking through the bustling Engineering Atrium as students collaborate on their senior design, club, or other course projects. Those hallway conversations with colleagues geeking out over a new experimental result or classroom technique. Spotting a tortoise or deer in the Arboretum on my commute.
3. What’s one thing you wish more people would know about the work you do?
The real work of the Senate takes place in its various committees and councils. About 15% of UCF faculty serve on one of those committees in any given year, and that is a tremendous opportunity to embed faculty voices in the university decision-making process. There are approximately 30 committees spanning many areas where faculty who are passionate about a topic can get involved.
4. You’ve spent years as a faculty member in a research-intensive, student-centered environment. How has that experience shaped your priorities as Faculty Senate Chair, particularly when it comes to supporting faculty success and student outcomes?
Even beyond UCF’s increasing research stature and student success metrics, we all recognize the growing expectations on faculty. I look forward to working with both faculty and the administration to find solutions. Helping us get back to the core efforts of teaching, research, and service will allow faculty to identify how we each make essential contributions in our own way to the university’s strategic goals.
5. As Faculty Senate Chair, you’re in a unique position to connect faculty perspectives with university leadership. What does effective shared governance look like to you at UCF, and where do you see opportunities to strengthen that collaboration?
Effective shared governance happens when the administration and faculty genuinely value and seek each other’s opinions. That requires strong relationships built on trust and respect. Transparency and clear communication in both directions are vital for strengthening those relationships. Faculty and administration alike are pulled in so many directions that we often need to react quickly rather than through proactive, intentional planning. We need to continue working together (even when it is messy) and highlighting the fruits of those collaborations as ideas progress to implementation.
