NAPA fellows are tapped to provide insight and experience to address current and emerging issues in government, from overseeing academy projects and lending expertise to providing guidance and contribution to discourse on government.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The 2024 class of academy fellows reflects a wide range of professional experience, including dedicated civil servants and accomplished academics, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Terry Gerton, president and CEO of NAPA. �鶹��Ʒ S�These 42 leaders will be an enormous asset to the academy in the years ahead, and we look forward to working with all of them to help create a bright future for our country. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Fellows are selected based on a rigorous review of an individual �鶹��Ʒ S�s contributions to the field of public administration and policy. The Fellows Nominating Committee makes its recommendations to nearly 1,000 existing fellows, who then vote on which candidates to induct. Those currently serving in the academy include former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, prominent scholars, executives, nonprofit leaders and more. A new cohort of academy fellows is inducted annually during NAPA �鶹��Ʒ S�s fall meeting.

Knox is one of only 24 NAPA fellows in Florida �鶹��Ʒ S� a distinction she says she finds both rewarding and humbling. As a first-generation college student hailing from coastal Louisiana, Knox says she doesn �鶹��Ʒ S�t take any of her educational or research-based accomplishments for granted. Knox, who also serves as the academic program coordinator for UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s emergency and crisis management master �鶹��Ʒ S�s program, is the fifth professor in the to be named a NAPA fellow. Her induction to the academy follows those of in 2015,  in 2020, Pegasus Professor  in 2021 and in 2023.

�鶹��Ʒ S�To have this amazing honor is extremely humbling, and I could not have done this without the support of friends, family, mentors and colleagues who have guided me on the path that got me to where I am now, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�So much of my research and mentorship approach has been focused on lifting up the next generation. … This academy allows us the opportunity to work with the elite of public administration �鶹��Ʒ S� from all levels of government and academia �鶹��Ʒ S� to tackle wicked problems by pushing for good governance through the study and practice of public administration. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Knox says that one of the greatest responsibilities that comes with being a fellow is providing recommendations for consideration by federal government.

Grant Hayes, dean of the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education, says Knox �鶹��Ʒ S�s expertise in emergency management will be a valuable contribution to the NAPA fellowship.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I am pleased that Dr. Knox has been invited to join an elite group of academy and industry professionals in public administration, reflecting her dedication to conducting impactful research and informed advocacy, �鶹��Ʒ S� Hayes says. �鶹��Ʒ S�This strong commitment to engaging in transformative research aligns well with our college �鶹��Ʒ S�s central mission of collaborating with community stakeholders to create innovative solutions to complex … issues. �鶹��Ʒ S�

That is in large part thanks to Evans �鶹��Ʒ S� teachers and students, as well as Children �鶹��Ʒ S�s Home Society of Florida, Orange County Public Schools, the University of Central Florida, and Orange Blossom Family Health �鶹��Ʒ S� all of whom collaborated to provide support to students and their families, including affordable healthcare, tutoring, access to healthy foods and more.

Those efforts made Evans High the first Community Partnership School �鶹��Ʒ S� a designation that has grown exponentially to 43 total sites across the state �鶹��Ʒ S� including 18 UCF-certified Community Partnership Schools and 25 Community Partnership Schools on their way to certification. Another nine planning sites are scheduled to launch this year through UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s , established in 2014 to expand community schools across the state.

Now with over 80 Florida core partners in this work, even more vital services will be delivered to help level up student success �鶹��Ʒ S� including tutoring, healthcare and mentoring to almost 50,000 students statewide.

Last year, the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s funding helped schools provide more than 292,000 hours of tutoring, 12,000 behavioral health sessions, and nearly 4,000 dental and vision checkups.

The Florida Legislature �鶹��Ʒ S�s 2024 funding boost ensures Florida schools have the resources they need to break down obstacles to educational achievement.

That support will continue thanks to the generous investment from the Florida Legislature, whose members recognize the importance of lifting up schools and communities in need to cement Florida as a producer of top-tier K-12 students.

The Legislature �鶹��Ʒ S�s 2024 funding boost rose from $11 million to $20.1 million, ensuring Florida schools have the resources they need to break down obstacles to educational achievement: wellness supports, family and community engagement offerings, and expanded learning opportunities.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The increase in funding to the Community Partnership Schools grant program is a testament to its success and the transformative impact it has had on our students �鶹��Ʒ S� lives, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Andry Sweet, president and CEO of Children �鶹��Ʒ S�s Home Society of Florida. �鶹��Ʒ S�By fostering a holistic approach to education, this program has not only improved academic outcomes but also enriched the overall well-being of our students. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Sweet says the increased funding will help expand their reach, allowing them to provide even more students with opportunities they would not otherwise have.

�鶹��Ʒ S�With this additional funding, we look forward to ensuring that even more students benefit from the support and opportunities they need to thrive, �鶹��Ʒ S� Sweet says. �鶹��Ʒ S�We are grateful to UCF for their invaluable partnership in making this possible. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Each Community Partnership School brings together at least four core partners �鶹��Ʒ S� a school district, university or college, community-based nonprofit, and healthcare provider �鶹��Ʒ S� to work together and pool resources, offering students access to essential services.

Those partners collaborate to bring opportunities to students and families, such as academic support, health care, clothing, meals, counseling and more �鶹��Ʒ S� all affectionately known as ‘the HUB’ at Evans. The high school offers a parent resource room and on-site access to public assistance for eligible families. There �鶹��Ʒ S�s also a robust after-school tutoring program; enrichment activities and resources to address food insecurity, including a food pantry; snack cabinets; and periodic community food distributions.

“The HUB helped me grow the perspective that anyone can be a leader and can voice their concerns to take action to create a world they want to see. At Evans, I felt like I was actively making Pine Hills better. What I have learned from my experiences with the Hub can be applied to have a positive effect on the community, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Evon Thompson, a 2020 graduate of Evans High School who recently earned his degree in neuroscience from Harvard University.

“… [UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Center for Community Schools’] mission [is] developing and sustaining high-quality community schools.” �鶹��Ʒ S� Grant Hayes, dean of the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Center for Community Schools has acknowledged 18 schools as UCF-certified Community Partnership Schools, ranging from elementary to high school, for successfully aligning with the model �鶹��Ʒ S�s core components and reaching the implementation benchmarks defined by the UCF-certified Community Partnership Schools Standards. Earning this distinct honor represents years of dedicated work focused on student success and well-being.

�鶹��Ʒ S�One of our primary goals in the College of Community Innovation and Education is to cultivate partnerships that allow us to collaborate with community stakeholders in creating innovative solutions to complex social issues, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Grant Hayes, dean of the college. �鶹��Ʒ S�UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Center for Community Schools not only embraces this mindset but actively works to transform the lives of students and families served through the Community Partnership Schools model. This funding increase is crucial to the center �鶹��Ʒ S�s mission of developing and sustaining high-quality community schools, empowering both existing and future stakeholders to positively impact an even greater number of students and families. �鶹��Ʒ S�

On Thursday, Smith and the Orlando Police Foundation (501c3) announced a new endowed scholarship program funded by the foundation to help UCF criminal justice and legal studies students achieve their dreams �鶹��Ʒ S� and succeed in those high-demand fields.

“Providing scholarships opens the door of opportunity for students to have a bright future, �鶹��Ʒ S� Smith. �鶹��Ʒ S�This will undoubtedly help students succeed. It will also help agencies like OPD hire the best to join our agency.”

The Orlando Police Department Endowed Scholars of Excellence Fund established a $75,000 endowment that will award two undergraduate students annually with $1,500 scholarships. Eligible UCF students can apply for the new endowed scholarship via the Office of Student Financial Assistance beginning in Spring 2025.

The new endowment was announced on a day dedicated to engaging alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students, fans and the community in playing a part in the success of the university. Gifts made throughout the day support UCF academic programs, faculty excellence, student success, athletics and more.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The generosity of chief Smith and the Orlando Police Foundation will benefit our students and our community for generations to come, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation. �鶹��Ʒ S�Philanthropy is so important to the future of our university. It strengthens our academic programs, fuels life-changing student scholarships and helps faculty conduct groundbreaking research. We appreciate all of our donors who have stepped up to support UCF during our Day of Giving. �鶹��Ʒ S�

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s criminal justice program is a leading talent pipeline to many area law enforcement agencies, including OPD, which employs many UCF alumni in sworn and civilian roles. Many graduates also serve with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Secret Service, UCF Police Department, and sheriff �鶹��Ʒ S�s offices across Orange, Seminole and Brevard counties, among other agencies.

Criminal justice graduates are in high demand in many sectors, including in the courts, corrections, advocacy, juvenile justice and cybersecurity.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s legal studies program is located at UCF Downtown, close to the Orange County Courthouse, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and many other job and internship opportunities. Students can develop professional skills through participating on highly successful mediation and moot court teams and an undergraduate law journal. Many students go on to law school and then successful careers with law firms throughout Florida and beyond. Students also can be hired as paralegals after they earn their bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our students learn from outstanding faculty members and partners with strong backgrounds in the criminal justice and legal studies fields, and they graduate well-prepared to thrive in their careers, �鶹��Ʒ S� says B. Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education. �鶹��Ʒ S�By investing in the success of our students, chief Smith and the Orlando Police Department Foundation will help them grow their talents, identify and pursue their ideal careers, and go onto serve and protect their communities. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Smith graduated from UCF in 1993 with a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in criminal justice. After working for OPD for 28 years, Smith became chief in 2022.

He initially moved to Orlando to play football at UCF. As a student, he completed an internship with what is now Homeland Security Investigations. He says the contacts he made proved invaluable for allowing him to step into his career.

The Orlando Police Foundation was formed in July 2020 as a support organization for the men and women of OPD.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We wanted to create a foundation to help provide financial assistance to members of law enforcement in their times of need, �鶹��Ʒ S� says Joe Nunziata, president of the Orlando Police Foundation and CEO of FBC Mortgage LLC. �鶹��Ʒ S�We like to say that we are there to protect the protectors. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The Counselor Education program earned UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s highest 2016 ranking at No. 10. The program prepares for careers as counselors and practitioners in schools, community mental health agencies, institutions, hospitals and private practice.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We are extremely proud of the work being done by our faculty and staff in the area of Counselor Education, and pleased to acknowledge the recognition the program continues to receive on a national level,” said Grant Hayes, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Performance.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s College of Optics and Photonics ranked No. 14 in the top atomic, molecular and optical sciences programs, and the Nonprofit Management program in the College of Health and Public Affairs was listed at No. 25.

Two other programs in the College of Health and Public Affairs made the top 50 �鶹��Ʒ S� Criminal Justice (26) and Healthcare Management (39)  �鶹��Ʒ S� and Industrial Engineering was ranked at 45th.

Others in the top 100 are: Electrical Engineering (52), Computer Engineering (58), Public Administration (59), ), Environmental Engineering (70), Communication Sciences and Disorders (73), Civil Engineering (74), College of Nursing (83), College of Education & Human Performance (83), College of Engineering & Computer Science (85), Physics (85), Social Work (89), Computer Science (90), Physical Therapy (99) and Mechanical Engineering (100).

The Best Graduate Schools 2016 edition will be available on newsstands April 7.

Facilitated through UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Morgridge International Reading Center, the MIRC-Istation project will examine the effects of the Istation Reading program on elementary school students �鶹��Ʒ S� reading comprehension, text fluency, vocabulary and phonics performance.

Istation Reading is a multimedia program piloted in Dallas that tracks students �鶹��Ʒ S� academic progress and provides curriculum to help them succeed. The computer-delivered technology includes assessments, interactive intervention curriculum, immediate online reports and a library of web-based training and teaching resources.

The study will focus on students in Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s public and state-assessed charter schools who are enrolled in grades pre-K through 5 during the 2014-15 school year. Istation will recruit Florida school districts and schools to participate in the study, and data collected will be sent to UCF for analysis. Participation in the research study is voluntary and free for up to 500,000 students.

Data evaluation will be led by College of Education and Human Performance Dean Sandra L. Robinson, who on Aug. 8 will transition into the new role of executive director of the Morgridge International Reading Center and the Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute. Grant Hayes, associate dean for academic affairs and a professor of counselor education, will serve as interim dean for the college.

Robinson will lead a team of four education faculty in reviewing the data and evaluating the efficacy of the tool.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The Morgridge International Reading Center opened in 2011 with the goal of improving literacy across the globe, and this new project is a giant leap toward achieving that, �鶹��Ʒ S� said Robinson. �鶹��Ʒ S�This innovative project will collect important information that can contribute to the worldwide conversation about reading and how the skills associated with it can most effectively be taught. �鶹��Ʒ S�

According to the World Literacy Foundation, illiteracy costs the global economy more than $1 trillion every year. Nearly 800 million children and adults across the world lack basic reading and writing skills.

In 2009, philanthropists John and Carrie Morgridge contributed $2.5 million to the construction of UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Morgridge International Reading Center with the goal of creating a space dedicated to the art, craft and science of teaching reading. The building is a hub for research, collaboration and community involvement to advance international literacy.

During her 17-year tenure as dean, Robinson oversaw the creation of the Morgridge Center, as well as the establishment of the UCF Teaching Academy and the remodeling of the Education Complex. Under her leadership, the Counselor Education Program earned a No. 7 spot on U.S. News and World Report �鶹��Ʒ S�s Best Graduate Schools 2015 list, the highest ranking in UCF history. UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Special Education program also earned a top 20 ranking.

Hayes has held several leadership positions in the College of Education and Human Performance during the past 10 years. A former public school teacher and counselor, Hayes �鶹��Ʒ S� research focuses on counselor education, youth counseling and character development in schools and youth settings.

To learn more about the MIRC-Istation Research Project, visit .

Students on track to earn bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in Early Childhood Development & Education will be able to continue their coursework as planned. Beginning this fall, the two programs will be merged under a modified Elementary Education bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree, giving students a wide-reaching education that incorporates elements of both programs.

The move comes after receiving feedback from area employers about the types of graduates they �鶹��Ʒ S�re most interested in hiring.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Graduates from the reworked program will leave UCF with the flexibility and certification eligibility to fill positions in both elementary and early childhood environments, �鶹��Ʒ S� said B. Grant Hayes, the college �鶹��Ʒ S�s executive associate dean.

The change to UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s programs will be phased in over the next several years. During that time, faculty members from both programs will work together to re-create the Elementary Education curriculum to include early childhood elements.

Students currently working toward Early Childhood bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees will not be affected by the program changes. Those under pending status and community and state college students who have declared an interest in the major and are working toward acceptance into UCF also can complete their degrees as planned.

Students interested in earning bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in Early Childhood Development & Education can still do so through a new 2+2 program with Seminole State College. Starting this fall, students can complete their core early childhood classes at Seminole State, finish their last two years of school at UCF and earn a 4-year degree from UCF.

In addition, the college will be adding Early Childhood Development specializations into several of its master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree programs. The Early Childhood Development & Education minor and the Early Childhood Ph.D. program established last fall will not be affected.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The change to our curriculum shows our college �鶹��Ʒ S�s commitment to being responsive to a changing educational environment, and it helps to fulfill our goal of preparing our teacher candidates in a way that maximizes their potentials for gaining employment in Central Florida and throughout the state, �鶹��Ʒ S� Hayes said.

Students who have questions about the program merge are encouraged to attend an open forum, which will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in room 130 of the Teaching Academy.