partnerships Archives | University of Central Florida News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Mon, 11 May 2026 17:14:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png partnerships Archives | University of Central Florida News 32 32 Universal Destinations & Experiences, UCF Introduce New School to Develop聽the聽Future Leaders聽of聽Themed Entertainment, Immersive Experiences /news/universal-destinations-experiences-ucf-introduce-new-school-to-develop-the-future-leaders-of-themed-entertainment-immersive-experiences/ Mon, 11 May 2026 14:44:52 +0000 /news/?p=153096 The first-of-its-kind Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation is housed within UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

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Universal Destinations & Experiences, the company behind some of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 most immersive entertainment experiences across global theme park and resort destinations and other new ventures, and the University of Central Florida, one of the most innovative universities in the country, introduce the Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation. Through a $10 million investment, the school is a catalyst to help develop future industry leaders, ushering in the next era of themed entertainment.

麻豆精品 S淭he Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow 麻豆精品 S檚 leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences

The first-of-its-kind Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation is housed within the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, ranked No. 1 nationally. With the addition of Universal 麻豆精品 S檚 new school and the college 麻豆精品 S檚 School of Hospitality Leadership, students now have access to a dual-school model that brings together experience-focused education with business strategy, operations, and service leadership.

麻豆精品 S淭he Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow 麻豆精品 S檚 leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences, 麻豆精品 S says Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences Mark Woodbury.

麻豆精品 S淯CF was built to power what 麻豆精品 S檚 next for our students, for industry, and for the State of Florida, 麻豆精品 S UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 麻豆精品 S淭his collaboration with Universal Destinations & Experiences represents our mission at its best, creating an environment where students are learning in direct connection with the people and ideas shaping the future of immersive experiences. 麻豆精品 S

Universal Destinations & Experiences Chairman and CEO Mark Woodbury (left) and UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright (right)

A First-of-its-Kind Model for Experience Education

The Universal and UCF partnership will also support research through a new Hospitality Technology Lab, designed to be a creative sandbox for students to collaborate, test ideas, and gain practical hands-on experience working alongside UCF faculty, Universal professionals, and industry stakeholders. Students will gain timely insight that reflects industry needs as part of their education. Built around innovation and interdisciplinary teaming, the lab embeds coursework, student projects, and faculty research in a shared space, equipping graduates with both current skills and the adaptability to lead in a constantly evolving technology ecosystem.

The new school 麻豆精品 S檚 research will build on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 existing strengths, applying university expertise to one of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 most dynamic industries. Focus areas for teaching, learning, and research will include:

  • Service robotics and human-centered approaches to shape guest and employee interactions
  • AR and VR simulation technologies for training, operations, and immersive environments
  • AI and digital twins for optimizing and personalizing the guest experience

This work extends a decades-long partnership between UCF and Universal rooted in collaboration and shared success. For more than 20 years, Rosen College has served as a key talent pipeline for Universal, with thousands of graduates contributing across its parks, experiences, and operations, alongside hands-on learning opportunities like the UCF/Universal Creative Lab.

麻豆精品 S淭ogether with UCF we have opened doors for students and helped strengthen our industry with valued talent 麻豆精品 S and the next chapter will be even better, 麻豆精品 S Chief Administrative Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences John Sprouls says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e creating a distinctive academic home that will expand pathways into fulfilling and dynamic careers. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淩osen College has long been a global leader in hospitality education, and this next step reflects how our industry is evolving, 麻豆精品 S says UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management Dean Cynthia Mejia. 麻豆精品 S淏y strengthening our relationship with our longtime partners at Universal Destinations & Experiences, we are creating a first-of-its-kind two-school model that blends creativity, technology and leadership, preparing students to lead the future of guest experiences. 麻豆精品 S

Universal Destinations & Experiences Chairman and CEO Mark Woodbury (left) and UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright (right) after signing the Pegasus Partnership agreement.

Pegasus Partners: Scaling Impact Through Collaboration

As 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner, Universal Destinations & Experiences joins a group of industry leaders working with the university to solve real-world challenges, accelerate discovery, and strengthen the workforce talent pipeline. Universal is also the first Pegasus Partner to enter into a master research agreement with UCF, enabling collaboration at scale and unlocking new opportunities for applied research.

The Pegasus Partners program offers opportunities for select partners to engage across the university in ways that create meaningful value for both organizations. That engagement includes talent development and recruitment, shared research projects, joint ventures and collaborations, strategic philanthropy, and co-location at UCF.

As the first Pegasus Partner since the start of , 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 $3.5 billion campaign to accelerate its next era of impact, Universal 麻豆精品 S檚 commitment is a powerful model that combines philanthropy and strategic industry investment to drive innovation, expand opportunity, and fuel shared success.

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That 麻豆精品 S檚 a Wrap on UCF Robotics Club’s Award-Winning Season /news/thats-a-wrap-on-ucf-robotics-clubs-award-winning-season/ Wed, 06 May 2026 18:31:27 +0000 /news/?p=152991 The Robotics Club of Central Florida is the latest student-run organization to make headlines out of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, joining 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 programming and cybersecurity teams in global acclaim.

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UCF has made a name for itself globally in programming and cybersecurity thanks to student-run clubs that deliver championships year after year. They now have company in another area of technology 麻豆精品 S robotics.

The Robotics Club of Central Florida (RCCF) witnessed two teams, Knightmare and Daydream, dominate with an impressive number of wins over this past academic year. The teams won a total of 83 head-to-head matches against more than 40 universities, and ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for individual robotic skills at the VEX University Robotics Competition (VURC) 2025-26, besting teams from Georgia Tech, Purdue and Texas A&M.

Four male college students huddle around robot for discussion in working group.
In addition to competing, the robotics club volunteers and participates in outreach events, including the VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the UCF campus. (Photo credit: RCCF)

Kushal Patel, an aerospace engineering major and a member of the Knightmare team, says the secret to the teams 麻豆精品 S success this year has been their experience and passion for competitive robotics.

麻豆精品 S淐ombined, the team has over 50 years of VEX robotics experience, with our most senior member competing since third grade, 麻豆精品 S Patel says. 麻豆精品 S淲e don 麻豆精品 S檛 just participate in this project for bullet points on our resumes 麻豆精品 S our team competes for the love of competition. 麻豆精品 S

The team structure intentionally empowers all students to gain valuable experience during these robotics competitions. Daydream is a beginner friendly team focused on students without prior experience while Knightmare is suitable for more advanced students.

麻豆精品 S淯nlike other design teams, where new members typically participate in internal competitions, those who join Daydream are able to hit the ground running and compete against other schools right away, 麻豆精品 S says Kapri O 麻豆精品 S橞rien, a mechanical engineering major and the project lead for RCCF. 麻豆精品 S淭his structure allowed for both project teams to naturally grow and strengthen, and created the unique opportunity for us to compete against each other for awards at times this season, leading to the fantastic achievement of both Knightmare and Daydream qualifying for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 world championship. 麻豆精品 S

Two mechanical robots, identical in shape and structure but one white and one blue, with red and white UCF label on side.
Two robots compete at Vaughn College in Queens, New York. (Photo credit: RCCF)

Both teams also participate in outreach events, volunteering at VEX competitions around the country. They also recently hosted the VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the UCF campus to great success. Patel also works for the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, which logistically and operationally runs the VEX robotics competitions.

With Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 reputation as a leader in dynamic, high-tech fields, they envision the next phase of success and growth for their program in industry partnerships. UCF is known as one of the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 most innovative universities and is responsible for one out of every four of Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 engineering and computer science graduates.

麻豆精品 S淥ur team provides a space for engineers to grow the skills you need outside of the classroom to be a skillful engineer in industry, 麻豆精品 S O 麻豆精品 S橞rien says. 麻豆精品 S淪upport, whether it 麻豆精品 S檚 through financial or material donations, allows that space to survive. We regularly prototype with computer vision and machine learning algorithms, gaining hands-on experience with the technology that will power our future. 麻豆精品 S

Industry partners or students who are interested in learning more about RCCF and its competition teams can email outreach@rccf.club.

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ucf-robotics-SunshineVolunteer_3 In addition to competing, the robotics club volunteers and participates in outreach events including VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the UCF campus. (Photo credit: RCCF) ucf-robotics-club-NYBots Two robots compete at Vaughn College in Queens, New York. (Photo credit: RCCF)
UCF,聽Orlando Health Co-Locate to Accelerate Healthcare Innovation聽 /news/ucf-orlando-health-co-locate-to-accelerate-healthcare-innovation/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:15:27 +0000 /news/?p=152747 A ribbon-cutting ceremony formally welcomed Orlando Health as a tenant in SPRK and highlighted a shared commitment to accelerating healthcare solutions through proximity, collaboration and real-world application.

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Yesterday,聽Orlando Health celebrated the opening聽of Orlando Health Strategic Innovations聽located聽within SPRK, 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 innovation building, expanding the health system 麻豆精品 S檚 presence at the center of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚聽main聽campus.

Designed to accelerate innovation, the Orlando Health Strategic Innovations group connects real clinical and operational challenges with student and academic talent, creating a healthcare environment where ideas are tested, informed by feedback, and continually improved. The space serves as an extension of the system 麻豆精品 S檚 downtown headquarters and is jointly funded by Orlando Health Ventures and the Orlando Health Innovation teams.

Orlando Health 麻豆精品 S檚 presence within SPRK aligns with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 broader co-location strategy, which brings industry partners onto campus to catalyze innovation through proximity. The approach emphasizes shared space, shared聽challenges聽and shared outcomes to accelerate problem-solving, support experiential聽learning聽and speed the translation of ideas into practice.

The co-location marks the latest milestone in聽Orlando Health 麻豆精品 S檚聽long-standing partnership with UCF.

麻豆精品 S淏y working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve. 麻豆精品 S 聽 麻豆精品 S Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president

The 麻豆精品 S疧rlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute 麻豆精品 S痯rovides comprehensive, year-round care for UCF student-athletes, including on-field coverage, primary care sports medicine, and specialized imaging. As a聽Pegasus Partner,聽Orlando Health pledged $5 million toward the聽, which supports nursing internships, scholarships, and hiring, helping to address the state’s nursing shortage. In addition, Orlando Health and UCF collaborate on advanced technology projects聽 麻豆精品 S斅爏uch as the 麻豆精品 SAI for Medical Surgery system聽 麻豆精品 S斅爅ointly offer specialized residency programs and聽collaborate in聽many聽additional聽ways.

麻豆精品 S淥rlando Health has been an exceptional partner,聽demonstrating聽what is possible when industry and academia come together with shared聽purpose. This next phase of co-location builds on that foundation, 麻豆精品 S says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 麻豆精品 S淏y working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve. 麻豆精品 S

Healthcare Innovation at the Center of Campus

Located in聽approximately聽2,649聽square feet聽within SPRK, the聽Strategic Innovations group聽was intentionally placed, here,聽to foster continuous collaboration with faculty and students across disciplines.

This co-location enables a new operating model. Orlando Health brings real health system聽challenges聽directly into the academic environment, and interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty,聽and Orlando Health innovators rapidly design, test,聽and refine solutions.

Early collaboration has already begun to generate impact in areas such as cancer research, digital health, creation of AI聽models聽and various orthopedic innovations.

麻豆精品 S淭he opening of an Orlando Health Strategic Innovations space at UCF represents our shared commitment to advancing healthcare delivery through bold new ideas, 麻豆精品 S says Jamal Hakim, M.D., chief physician officer, Orlando Health. 麻豆精品 S淭hrough this partnership, we are creating a collaborative environment where clinicians, researchers, students and industry leaders can generate real-world solutions and drive innovations that will shape the future of how we care for patients. 麻豆精品 S

Built to Go For Launch

The latest milestone in , this co-location represents UCF’s deep commitment to the ecosystem of support powering our vision for the future.

Through聽a collective effort聽 麻豆精品 S斅燾ombining philanthropy and transformational giving with corporate聽partnerships, research聽commercialization聽and other revenue-generating endeavors聽 麻豆精品 S斅燯CF聽is charting聽a聽bold聽new path forward and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

麻豆精品 S淭his co-location with Orlando Health exemplifies the kind of partnership that powers Go for Launch, bringing industry and academia together to create real-world impact, 麻豆精品 S says Rod Grabowski, UCF vice president for Advancement and Partnership, and CEO of the UCF Foundation. 麻豆精品 S淏y aligning visionary partners with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 innovation ecosystem, we are accelerating discovery, expanding opportunity and advancing solutions that improve lives. 麻豆精品 S

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Orlando Family Stage Sets the Mark with UCF Collaboration /news/orlando-family-stage-sets-the-mark-with-ucf-collaboration/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:22:24 +0000 /news/?p=151254 Through partnerships with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Arts and Humanities and College of Sciences, the Orlando Family Stage is proving you can uplift community and build a better future.

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Not long ago, Ben Lowe 麻豆精品 S22 was working as a lighting designer for Universal Creative, helping craft what would become the next big thing for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: the Ministry of Magic at Universal Epic Universe.

The realization hit him one day on the job. This project 麻豆精品 S檚 legacy and impact were going to outlive him.

麻豆精品 S淲hen I think back on every cool thing I 麻豆精品 S檝e gotten to do so far in my career, it does all kind of lead back to Orlando Family Stage, 麻豆精品 S Lowe says.

Lowe was 6 years old when his cub scout troop attended a show at the stage, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary 麻豆精品 S the last 25 of those years in partnership with UCF.

He eventually went through its Youth Academy, interned as a UCF theatre student on site, made industry connections and now regularly contracts work at the stage as a full-time lighting designer for Clair Global, a tech company that specializes in live production services.

Lowe 麻豆精品 S檚 story is just one example of the countless ripple effects that have materialized from 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 longstanding, collaborative partnership with a nationally recognized leader in the theater industry.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e watched kids come in and they 麻豆精品 S檙e so shy and they can 麻豆精品 S檛 do anything. But by the time they leave, they 麻豆精品 S檙e not only signing up for the next show, they 麻豆精品 S檙e leading the next show, 麻豆精品 S says Paul Lartonoix, assistant dean for the College of Arts and Humanities and longtime Orlando Family Stage board member. 麻豆精品 S淪ometimes it 麻豆精品 S檚 amazing at what it does. There 麻豆精品 S檚 no reason to not be proud of it. It 麻豆精品 S檚 doing great things for families. It 麻豆精品 S檚 doing great things for kids. It 麻豆精品 S檚 doing great things for our students, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 awesome that it 麻豆精品 S檚 being run by Knights. 麻豆精品 S

two babies smile at woman leaning down to interact with them
(Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage)

A Partnership That Builds Community

Orlando Family Stage, founded in 1926 as part of the City of Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Recreation Department, has evolved over the past 100 years while persevering through historic challenges including the Great Depression, World War II, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

UCF entered the picture in 2000 when former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and UCF President John C. Hitt formed a community coalition to bring the stage under 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 oversight. At the time, the theater needed a major overhaul 麻豆精品 S both to its physical home at Loch Haven Park and in programming 麻豆精品 S to ensure it could thrive in the new millennium.

麻豆精品 S淚 know with great confidence we would not be sitting here today without UCF on board. We wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have survived. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Chris Brown 麻豆精品 S05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and UCF theatre alum

麻豆精品 S淲e wanted it because we thought that space was an exceptional,聽it had tremendous potential, and UCF should be a part of it.聽That聽really was the driving force, 麻豆精品 S says Lartonoix, who served as executive director on-loan and was instrumental in leading the early years of the partnership. 麻豆精品 S淎nd when things worked, it was fantastic. 麻豆精品 S

The intervention proved to be a major catalyst for its impact in the community today, and for the world at large through the countless children and UCF graduates who have been affiliated with its programming and education.

麻豆精品 S淚 know with great confidence we would not be sitting here today without UCF on board. We wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have survived, 麻豆精品 S says Chris Brown 麻豆精品 S05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and UCF theatre alum. 麻豆精品 S淭o think that leaders came together and said, 麻豆精品 S榃e don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to lose a vital theater organization in our town, and we want to create an active and engaged partnership with the university where we can collectively do good things to serve young people in the world. 麻豆精品 S It 麻豆精品 S檚 very special. 麻豆精品 S

Nala Price ’21 as Green Dog in Go, Dog. Go! at Orlando Family Stage. (Photo by Trisha Houlihan)

Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Only Professional Theatre for Young Audiences

A major part of that partnership is 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 MFA in theatre for young audiences program, which launched in 2004. The program has operated for the past two decades as Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 only professional theatre for young audiences and is one of the most distinctive programs in the country with its unique graduate-training residency.

In addition to learning from the university 麻豆精品 S檚 esteemed faculty, students gain practical experience with opportunities to work with professional artists and teach in Orlando Family Stage 麻豆精品 S檚 award-winning Youth Academy, which offers camps, classes and experiences for every age level from infancy through teens.

Six girls in purple Orlando Family Stage shirts and black tights stand with arms raised overhead with purple backdrop behind them.
The award-winning Youth Academy offers camps, classes and experiences for every age level from infancy through teens. (Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage).

The MFA program has seen graduates go on to work at some of the most prestigious theaters in the country, become educators at universities as far as Dublin and help run community theaters across the United States.

In addition to his leadership role, Brown teaches theatre management courses on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 campus. He says he believes an important part of his responsibility as an educator is to expand his students 麻豆精品 S idea of where a career in the arts can take them.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e helping them recognize that arts administration is creative work, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淲riting a grant narrative, crafting a brand voice, planning a touring route or stewarding a donor relationship all require the same storytelling skills they bring to performance and production roles. 麻豆精品 S

Woman in blue and green costume dress holds palm leaves to two young girls sitting and watching her
A production of Yo, Ho, Ho! Let 麻豆精品 S檚 Go! (Photo courtesy of the Orlando Family Stage)

Instilling Bravery in Children

The stage 麻豆精品 S檚 mission is to empower young people to be brave and empathetic.

Sure it sounds good, but more importantly, there 麻豆精品 S檚 truth to the claim. Recent research by the UCF Department of Psychology provides evidence to support it.

The Orlando Family Stage 麻豆精品 S檚 education team collaborated with associate professor Valerie Sims and senior lecturer Matthew Chin and more than a dozen undergraduate students from the Applied Cognition and Technology Lab along with associate professor of musical theatre Tara Deady 麻豆精品 S07MFA on a study, which they are currently working on publishing. The study aimed to determine if the stage 麻豆精品 S檚 programming delivers on its promise to promote creative engagement and bravery in children ages 1-5.

Because of the young age of the participants, traditional survey tools and written questionnaires wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 work. The team needed to get creative in a research approach that matched how children experience theatre.

The research team meticulously observed second by second footage of children and parent engagement during performances of Yo, Ho, Ho! Let 麻豆精品 S檚 Go! 麻豆精品 S an interactive, multi-sensory original production created by the stage 麻豆精品 S檚 senior director of education Jennifer Adams-Carrasquillo 麻豆精品 S11MFA.

麻豆精品 S淲e have evidence that theater participation really is beneficial to these very young kids. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Matthew Chin, UCF psychology senior lecturer

They logged and quantified data through body language and audience responses. Early on, Sims and Chin say, children needed to be prompted by their parents to participate. However, as the show progressed, you can clearly see children initiating the participation on their own and parental involvement decreasing.

麻豆精品 S淲ith this study we are able to say that it isn 麻豆精品 S檛 just this thing that we think is true 麻豆精品 S we have evidence that theater participation really is beneficial to these very young kids, 麻豆精品 S Chin says.

In 2024-25 alone, more than 4,770 audience members attended Theatre for the Very Young productions like Yo, Ho, Ho! Let 麻豆精品 S檚 Go!. Multiply those numbers year after year and the impact to the youth in our community is monumental.

Black woman on stage confidently points sword
Mandi Jo John as Sally Jackson, Clarisse & Others in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at Orlando Family Stage. (Photo by Ashleigh Ann Gardner)

The Next 100 Years

As the stage commemorates this special milestone in its history, it also acknowledges the scope of possibilities and impact ahead.

This year, when Gershwin Entertainment Group, who owns the theatrical rights for A Charlie Brown Christmas, needed a national touring partner to bring the show to life on stage around the country, they turned to the Orlando Family Stage to deliver. It became the highest revenue-generating show in the history of the organizatoin 麻豆精品 S檚 performances in Orlando 麻豆精品 S攚ithout counting the 32 cities it visited from New York City to Vancouver, Canada.

A partnership with the UCF Department of History is enabling the stage to create an archive of its materials from the last century as part of the RICHES Mosaic Interface, an online resource dedicated to collecting and sharing the stories of Central Florida.

Woman wearing teal t shirt stands behind a table with various crafting supplies and holds up a green pool noodle and pen.
Props Manager Tara Kromer 麻豆精品 S15MFA provides professional development to Orange County Public Schools teachers at Orlando Family Stage. (Photo by Ashleigh Ann Gardner)

Another is the inaugural Florida Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Book Festival in partnership with Writer 麻豆精品 S檚 Block Book Store and WUCF, which they hosted in February and plan to host annually to celebrate literature and the link between books, storytelling and live theater.

麻豆精品 S淲e all need to be aware of how special this place is. And we need to be so proud that our community has something like this. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Chris Brown 麻豆精品 S05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and UCF theatre alum

They look to expand the reach of Mind Matters, a program the stage initiated with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 psychology department and national playwrights to produce 10 original short plays about geared for teens about depression, anxiety, loneliness, isolation and other mental health challenges they face today. The plays serve as an educational resource for teachers to spark honest conversations on these topics with their students.

Brown envisions one day expanding the footprint of the building with more theater space, new classrooms and offices to help alleviate their bursting-at-the-seems infrastructure, so they can keep delivering on all the dreams they want to turn into reality and continue creating meaningful experiences for children and the audiences of tomorrow.

麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 get past the energy and the faces of busloads of kids coming in here every day, 麻豆精品 S Brown says. 麻豆精品 S淲e all need to be aware of how special this place is. And we need to be so proud that our community has something like this. 麻豆精品 S

A man and woman sit at two desks across from each other on stage.
(Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage)

Celebrates the Arts Programming

You can catch live performances from the Theatre for Young Audiences program during April 麻豆精品 S檚 UCF Celebrates the Arts festival at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando.


Thursday, April 2 麻豆精品 S 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Her Universe, HypeFriend!), this concert features performances that span musical styles and theatrical traditions, reflecting the many creative paths that begin at Orlando Family Stage.

*Featuring Micheal James Scott (Disney 麻豆精品 S檚 Aladdin on Broadway), Leslie Carrera-Rudolph (Emmy Award-winning performer for Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street), Jack Griffo (Nickelodeon 麻豆精品 S檚 The Thundermans), Davis Gaines (Broadway 麻豆精品 S檚 longest running Phantom of the Opera), Michael Andrew (Composer and one of America 麻豆精品 S檚 greatest interpreters of the American Songbook), Paul Vogt (Broadway 麻豆精品 S檚 Hairspray and Chicago). Video appearances by Mandy Moore (This Is Us), Jasmine Forsberg (Broadway 麻豆精品 S檚 Six and Here Lies Love), Clayton and Bella Grimm (Blippi), Broadway legend Norm Lewis and more.

*Artist lineup is updating and is subject to change.


Tuesday, April 7 麻豆精品 S 10 a.m.

When best friends Squiggle and Square move away from each other, they must find creative ways to keep communicating! Told through clowning, puppetry and music, Pen Pals is a 30-minute interactive play designed for 5 to 10-year-olds.


Saturday, April 11 麻豆精品 S 10 a.m.
Yo, Ho, Ho! Let 麻豆精品 S檚 Go! is a 30-minute adventure designed especially for children ages 1 to 5 as a multi-sensory experience that invites them to help a pirate navigate the high seas. Together, they follow a treasure map, solve clues and chart the course forward.

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OFS-Baby-and-Me-ucf (Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage) UCF-Family-Stage-Go Dog Go-858364 Nala Price '21 as Green Dog in Go, Dog. Go! at Orlando Family Stage (Photo by Trisha Houlihan) ucf-Camps_OrlandoFamilyStage_PhotoAshleighAnnGardner-31 The award-winning Youth Academy offers camps, classes and experiences for every age level from infancy through teens. (Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage -ucfYoHoHo_OrlandoFamilyStage_PRODUCTION_PhotoAshleighAnnGardner-37 (Photo courtesy of the Orlando Family Stage) UCF – PercyJacksonandtheLightningThief_OrlandoFamilyStage_PRODUCTION_PhotoAshleighAnnGardner-02 Mandi Jo John as Sally Jackson, Clarisse & Others in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at Orlando Family Stage. (Photo by Ashleigh Ann Gardner) ucf – OrlandoFamilyStage_Promo_PhotoAshleighAnnGardner-003 Props Manager Tara Kromer 麻豆精品 S15MFA provides professional development to Orange County Public Schools teachers at Orlando Family Stage. (Photo by Ashleigh Ann Gardner) ucf-OFS _ Goosebumps _ 2025 (1) (Photo courtesy of Orlando Family Stage)
Partnership Leads to New Model for Building the Future of Themed Entertainment /news/partnership-leads-to-new-model-for-building-the-future-of-themed-entertainment/ Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:43:27 +0000 /news/?p=151007 UCF and AOA are launching a new scholars program to provide hands-on professional practice to themed experience graduate students.

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H

ome to UCF, Orlando has long been a global center for themed entertainment. As immersive attractions, museums and themed entertainment experiences continue to grow in scale, complexity and cultural impact, the industry faces a critical challenge: preparing the next generation of professionals with the real-world skills needed to bring immersive experiences to life.

Spanning storytelling, architecture, engineering, media, operations and production, today 麻豆精品 S檚 themed experiences and attractions demand skills that rarely live within a single academic discipline.

For many aspiring professionals, the pathway into themed entertainment remains unclear, with limited visibility into professional workflows, real-world timelines and the cross-functional dynamics that ultimately determine a project 麻豆精品 S檚 success.

A new partnership between UCF and AOA 麻豆精品 S a leading immersive experience design, production and project management company 麻豆精品 S aims to change that to better support the future of the industry.

A portrait of two men and two women standing in warehouse with technical equipment behind them as the two men shake hands.
From left to right: AOA Chief Creative Executive Tom Acomb, Managing Director Denise Hatcher, UCF Director of Themed Experience Graduate Programs Peter Weishar, and Visiting Instructor and Producing Concentration Lead Adora English.

Ideal Partnership

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 themed experience graduate programs at the College of Arts and Humanities and AOA have launched the AOA Scholars Program, a hands-on practicum designed to give graduate students direct exposure to the real-world processes behind themed entertainment design and production.

UCF introduced a theatre Master of Fine Arts聽track in themed experience in 2018. In 2021, the university offered a stand-alone degree program in themed experience. Both programs are聽 the first of its kind at a public university.

The program 麻豆精品 S檚 focused curriculum in themed experience and attractions makes it an ideal partner for AOA.

The scholars initiative will address a common challenge in the field: while demand for immersive attractions, museums and experiences continues to grow, there is an expanding need for practical training and field work for emerging talent.

麻豆精品 S淔lorida is home to some of the most sophisticated themed entertainment work in the world, but the way people enter the industry hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 kept pace, 麻豆精品 S says Tom Acomb, co-founder and chief creative officer of AOA. 麻豆精品 S淭his program is about opening the door earlier and giving students a clearer view of how these projects actually come together. 麻豆精品 S

Each semester, a select cohort of students will participate in workshops led by AOA professionals, visit active project sites and production facilities, and learn how creative, technical and operational decisions intersect in real projects.

麻豆精品 S淎OA has always believed in investing in early-career talent, starting with a strong internship program that 麻豆精品 S檚 been part of our culture since the early days, 麻豆精品 S says Mike Ostendorf, co-founder and CEO of AOA. 麻豆精品 S淭his partnership with UCF is an evolution of that long-standing commitment 麻豆精品 S because seeing the full lifecycle of a project up close matters. 麻豆精品 S

People posing for a photo in front of a neon UCF Celebrates the Arts sign
UCF Director of Themed Experience Graduate Programs Peter Weishar (left) and Visiting Instructor of Themed Experience Adora English (right) with students. (Photo by Dana Weisman)

麻豆精品 S淭his partnership gives students access to professional workflows with one of the top firms in the themed entertainment industry. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Peter Weishar, UCF director of themed experience

What 麻豆精品 S檚 Next

UCF will oversee academic structure and accreditation, while AOA will contribute funding and industry expertise.

麻豆精品 S淭his partnership gives students access to professional workflows with one of the top firms in the themed entertainment industry with diverse project and a global reach 麻豆精品 S says Peter Weishar, director of themed experience at UCF. 麻豆精品 S淚t strengthens Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 role as a global talent pipeline for themed entertainment. 麻豆精品 S

The AOA Scholars Program is expected to begin Fall 2026, reinforcing Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 position as a training ground for the next generation of immersive experience professionals.

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AOAxUCF3[partnership] From left to right: AOA leadership and UCF themed experience leaders Peter Weishar and Adora English. Art Installation – DW-3
UCF Launches $3.5 Billion Go For Launch Campaign to Expand Opportunity, Innovation and Impact /news/ucf-launches-3-5-billion-go-for-launch-campaign-to-expand-opportunity-innovation-and-impact/ Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:24:45 +0000 /news/?p=151080 The most ambitious philanthropic and revenue-generating effort in the university 麻豆精品 S檚 history positions UCF to lead Florida and the nation in discovery, innovation and student success.

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UCF announced on Feb. 21, the public launch of Go For Launch: The Campaign for 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 Next Mission, a bold, $3.5 billion comprehensive campaign designed to accelerate discovery, expand opportunity and position UCF to lead Florida and the nation into the next era of impact.

Spanning multiple years, Go For Launch is the most ambitious revenue-generating effort in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 history. The campaign builds on decades of momentum and reflects a clear-eyed understanding of what it will take for a modern, metropolitan research university to deliver at the scale the future demands.

Founded to power America 麻豆精品 S檚 space race, UCF has always been an institution built for moments of possibility. Go For Launch draws directly from that legacy, reaffirming 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 role as Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Technological University and calling on Knights, partners and visionaries to help shape what comes next.

Campaign Goals and Timeline

The Go For Launch campaign seeks to generate $3.5 billion over a multi-year period through philanthropy, partnerships and aligned revenue strategies, advancing priorities that will shape 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 trajectory for decades. Funds will fuel innovation across the university, from breakthrough research and talent development to infrastructure and partnerships that extend 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 impact far beyond campus.

Go For Launch The Campaign for UCF's Next Generation

The campaign follows a successful pre-launch phase that quietly engaged donors, volunteers and community partners around a shared vision. As of Feb. 21, UCF has secured more than $2 billion in early commitments from individuals, families and partners who believe in the university 麻豆精品 S檚 bold future.

麻豆精品 S淭his campaign is about matching 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 ambition with the resources required to deliver on it, 麻豆精品 S says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 麻豆精品 S淚t is an investment in discovery, talent and solutions that will shape Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 future and improve lives far beyond our campus. 麻豆精品 S

Four Pillars Driving a Transformational Vision

Go For Launch is anchored by four integrated campaign pillars, each essential to 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 ability to deliver impact at scale.

Elevating Student Success
Elevating Student Success ensures every Knight has the support, resources and opportunities to thrive, from enrollment through graduation and beyond. Campaign investments will expand scholarships, strengthen proactive advising and success coaching, enhance career preparation and sustain innovative support systems that remove barriers before they derail progress. This pillar reflects 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 commitment to access and outcomes, preparing graduates who are confident, career-ready and equipped to lead in a rapidly changing world.

Fueling Discovery and Innovation
Fueling Discovery and Innovation accelerates 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 role as a driver of breakthrough research and real-world solutions. Support will advance faculty-led research, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-driven discovery across areas such as space, cybersecurity, health, energy and advanced technologies. With strong industry partnerships, a thriving research ecosystem and a culture of commercialization, UCF is poised to move ideas faster from lab to impact, creating jobs, improving lives and addressing the world 麻豆精品 S檚 most urgent challenges.

Advancing Future Frontiers
Advancing Future Frontiers positions UCF at the forefront of what 麻豆精品 S檚 next, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, space exploration, immersive technologies and aerospace medicine. Commitments will support research infrastructure, interdisciplinary institutes and bold experimentation that push beyond today 麻豆精品 S檚 limits and shape tomorrow 麻豆精品 S檚 industries. As technology and humanity converge, UCF is not waiting for the future to arrive. The university is actively inventing it, translating discovery into global impact and economic vitality.

Maximizing Competitive Excellence
Maximizing Competitive Excellence positions UCF to compete and win at the highest levels nationally. Campaign investments will strengthen faculty recruitment and retention, expand university-wide technology integration, enhance athletics and academic competitiveness, and continue building a destination campus that attracts top talent, industry partners and research opportunities. As Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Next-Generation Preeminent Research University, UCF is focused on translating ambition into sustained performance, elevating our standing, sharpening our edges and ensuring excellence is not episodic but institutionalized.

Why This Campaign and Why Now

Go For Launch represents a clear evolution from 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 prior comprehensive campaigns, with specific focus on directly addressing the rising complexity and cost of delivering a world-class education and research enterprise. It recognizes that sustained excellence requires continued investment in people, ideas and infrastructure.

麻豆精品 S淕o For Launch will bring our university community together around our boldest aspirations, 麻豆精品 S says Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO, UCF Foundation Inc.聽 “It will empower students, support faculty excellence, fuel innovation that strengthens our region and maximize competitive excellence. This campaign reflects our shared belief in what is possible and our commitment to creating a brighter future for generations to come. 麻豆精品 S

A Launch Worth Celebrating

The public phase of Go For Launch was unveiled at campuswide launch events that brought together thousands of alumni, donors, faculty, students and community leaders. The immersive experience reflected the campaign 麻豆精品 S檚 spirit, featuring interactive installations, storytelling and moments that highlighted 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 impact across research, innovation and student success.

Campaign volunteer leadership was celebrated during the event, underscoring the personal commitment many leaders feel toward 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 mission and future.

Impact in Action

Investments generated through Go For Launch will directly advance research with real-world consequences, from improving health outcomes to accelerating breakthroughs in assistive technologies.

Go For Launch is both a continuation of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 founding mission and a declaration of where the university is headed next. It signals confidence in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 people, our ideas and our ability to lead.

To learn more about Go For Launch or to get involved, visit

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U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent Visits UCF /news/u-s-under-secretary-of-education-nicholas-kent-visits-ucf/ Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:17:56 +0000 /news/?p=151048 Kent joined UCF officials to learn more about how the university prepares graduates for career success, meets industry demands and leads cutting-edge research for global impact.

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During a tour at UCF this week, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent met with university leaders, faculty, staff and students to see firsthand how UCF is strengthening talent pipelines, expanding industry partnerships, and advancing research that addresses some of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 most pressing challenges.

People shaking hands

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent meets with Chanda Torres 麻豆精品 S98 麻豆精品 S00MA 麻豆精品 S08EdD, assistant vice president of the Dixon Career Development Center.


A person speaking

Torres shares an overview of the Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center, which empowers UCF students and recent graduates to successfully connect academic and career pathways 麻豆精品 S often through industry partnerships 麻豆精品 S that lead toward professional success and fulfillment.


Three people smiling at a table

Kent (center), ED Deputy Under Secretary James Bergeron (left) and ED Special Advisor Ethan Good (right) listen to an overview of the Lockheed Martin College Work Experience Program (CWEP).

Launched more than 40 years ago, CWEP provides paid internship experiences to about 500 UCF students annually 麻豆精品 S including about 60% of graduating Knights who are offered full-time jobs after completing the program.


ED and UCF staff in front of the Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center welcome sign.

Left to right: Assistant Secretary of Labor Henry Mack; Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs for the State University System Tony Lee; UCF Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Eric 麻豆精品 S淭ubby 麻豆精品 S Shwedo; Torres; UCF Dixon Career Development Center Program Manager Erica Hutton; Director of Career Services at UCF Lynn Hansen; Director of Experiential Learning at UCF Quynh Dang; and UCF Director of Academic Advancement Programs Michael Aldarondo 麻豆精品 S慗effries.


UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright joins Kent, Harding, Senior Campus Recruiter for BNY Tatiana Manzanares and Shwedo as they tour BNY 麻豆精品 S檚 Next 麻豆精品 S慓en Client Technology and Operations Center in the SPRK building on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus.

In Fall 2025, UCF and BNY, a leading global financial services company, launched a groundbreaking $5 million Pegasus Partnership that established a co-located educational innovation hub on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus 麻豆精品 S the first-of-its-kind in Florida.


Kent also had the opportunity to meet and interact with students in the current BNY cohort.

At the heart of this collaboration is the 8,400 square-foot Next-Gen Cybersecurity Technology and Operations Center Lab, which reimagines how universities and global enterprises can work together to prepare the workforce of the future.


ED and UCF staff at the BNY Next-Gen Cybersecurity Technology and Operations Center Lab.

Left to right: ED Special Assistant Cristian Clementi, Good, Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs for the State University System Tony Lee, Mack, Kent, Cartwright, Manzanares, Harding and Dang.


Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld discusses 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 research enterprise

Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld discusses 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 research enterprise and emphasizes the benefits of its adjacency to Central Florida Research Park, where defense 麻豆精品 S慺ocused organizations support research collaborations and workforce development.


A person presenting a digital twin

Institute for Stimulation and Training (IST) Director Carolina Cruz 麻豆精品 S慛eira offers an in 麻豆精品 S慸epth overview and demonstration of IST advanced technological capabilities, with lab visits that included the Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab (VARLab).


A person wearing a VR headset and standing in a projection studio

Kent explores the CAVE system 麻豆精品 S a technology Cruz-Neira pioneered in the 90s 麻豆精品 S at the VARLab, where IST demonstrates how it develops immersive simulation systems for industry, government and research collaborators.


Cruz 麻豆精品 S慛eira provides an in 麻豆精品 S慸epth demonstration of IST’s VARLab and overview of how UCF is preparing the next generation through modeling, simulation and training.


 

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UCF Launches School of Technology, Leadership and Innovation to Help Organizations Turn Technology into Performance /news/ucf-launches-school-of-technology-leadership-and-innovation-to-help-organizations-turn-technology-into-performance/ Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:00:45 +0000 /news/?p=150881 The new university-wide initiative connects faculty expertise in engineering, computing, business, and the human sciences with organizations seeking to better leverage technology for performance and growth.

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To help organizations translate technology investments into leadership capability, organizational performance and innovation, UCF is launching the School of Technology, Leadership and Innovation (STLI), a university-wide initiative designed to connect faculty expertise with industry challenges in technology-driven fields.

Organizations interested in partnering with STLI should contact Tiffany Hughes in the College of Business or Michael Harding 聽in UCF Corporate Partnerships to explore collaboration opportunities.

Drawing on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 strengths as Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Technological University, STLI will serve as the university 麻豆精品 S檚 hub for developing deep corporate partnerships through custom executive education, professional credentials, applied research and data-driven solutions. The school will provide expertise across engineering and computer science, business, psychology and related disciplines to help businesses and organizations adapt to technological change while improving leadership capability.

麻豆精品 S淯CF plays a critical role in helping address the challenges shaping the future of industry, 麻豆精品 S says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 麻豆精品 S淭he School of Technology, Leadership and Innovation strengthens our ability to work alongside organizations as they navigate change and turn emerging technologies into leadership capability, organizational performance, and real-world impact. 麻豆精品 S

Serving Future-Focused Organizations

Unlike traditional academic units, STLI will draw on faculty expertise from across the university rather than hiring new faculty. The school will create new opportunities for UCF scholars to engage directly with organizations through executive programs, professional certifications, consulting engagements and applied research collaborations. In addition to a slate of proprietary offerings, STLI will work with organizations to develop custom solutions to meet a company 麻豆精品 S檚 specific needs.

The school, which is designed to generate revenue for the university, will create new opportunities for UCF scholars to engage directly with organizations through executive programs, professional certifications, consulting engagements and applied research collaborations.

麻豆精品 S淭echnology is changing the nature of work and the structure of organizations, 麻豆精品 S says College of Business Dean Paul Jarley. 麻豆精品 S淪TLI connects 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 excellence in engineering, computing business and the human sciences to help leaders understand not just how technology works, but how to lead organizations through technological change. This initiative is the next logical step in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 long-standing commitment to partnering with technology-driven organizations that power Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 economy and beyond. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淭his initiative is the next logical step in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 long-standing commitment to partnering with technology-driven organizations that power Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 economy and beyond. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Paul Jarley, College of Business dean

Initial development of STLI is being coordinated by the College of Business in collaboration with faculty leaders from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and with strategic oversight from the Provost 麻豆精品 S檚 Office.

The launch of STLI represents the next phase of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 strategy to expand collaboration with the technology-driven organizations shaping Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 future like Pegasus Partner Addition Financial Credit Union.

麻豆精品 S淎s a financial institution that prides聽itself聽on聽innovating to better serve its members, Addition Financial is honored to partner with [the] UCF 麻豆精品 S School of Technology Leadership and Innovation, 麻豆精品 S says聽Kevin Miller, president and CEO of聽Addition Financial.聽 麻豆精品 S淭his is an exciting evolution of the future-facing collaboration UCF is known for, and we are looking forward to working alongside the school to unlock the promise of advancing key areas from AI strategy to workforce readiness. 麻豆精品 S

By connecting faculty expertise with real-world challenges, the school extends the university 麻豆精品 S檚 impact beyond campus while preparing leaders who can guide innovation responsibly and effectively.

麻豆精品 S淥ur engagement with UCF provides highly valuable insights that helped us look at our operational challenges from a fresh perspective,” says Mohamed Hassan, head of business excellence North America, Siemens Energy. “The collaboration is both rigorous and forward leaning, and it enables us to translate ideas into tangible next steps for our business. 麻豆精品 S

How to Partner

Organizations interested in partnering with STLI should contact Tiffany Hughes (Tiffany.Hughes@ucf.edu) in the College of Business or Michael Harding (Michael.Harding@ucf.edu) in UCF Corporate Partnerships to explore collaboration opportunities.

 

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U.S. Department of Education Taps UCF to Lead Civil Discourse in Florida /news/u-s-department-of-education-taps-ucf-to-lead-civil-discourse-in-florida/ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:22:35 +0000 /news/?p=150500 UCF receives a four-year, $3.4 million grant as part of the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education to enhance communications skills among Florida students to better prepare them for the workforce.

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UCF is the only institution in the state of Florida selected to address the U.S. Department of Education 麻豆精品 S檚 civil discourse priority as part of its Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education initiative.

The department from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). Following a record number of applicants, UCF was among the honorees with a four-year $3.4 million grant for our proposal 麻豆精品 S Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model 麻豆精品 S which seeks to protect and promote civil discourse on campuses.

麻豆精品 S淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don 麻豆精品 S檛 always agree. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S Andrea Guzm谩n, UCF vice president for access and community engagement

麻豆精品 S淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don 麻豆精品 S檛 always agree, 麻豆精品 S says Andrea Guzm谩n, UCF vice president for access and community engagement and CIVIC principal investigator. 麻豆精品 S淭his grant allows us to prepare students not just academically, but to be thoughtful citizens and professionals. By integrating civil discourse skills throughout curricular and co-curricular experiences, we are helping students develop the communication and critical thinking skills that employers, communities and our democracy depend on. 麻豆精品 S

What is the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)?

FIPSE is a discretionary grant initiative that supports innovative projects to address urgent national needs in postsecondary education. The funds awarded from this specific program competition empower institutions to develop and scale solutions that improve educational outcomes, strengthen institutional capacity and align education with workforce demands.

In November, the Department of Education announced four FY 2025 competition priorities focused on expanding innovative teaching and student success initiatives, promoting civil discourse on campuses, advancing accreditation reform, and building capacity for high 麻豆精品 S憅uality, workforce 麻豆精品 S慳ligned short 麻豆精品 S憈erm academic programs eligible for Workforce Pell Grants.

While UCF was Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 lone representative selected for the civil discourse priority, the state saw Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic University, and its Commission for Public Higher Education, Inc. earn grants in accreditation. Hillsborough Community College earned funding for AI.

Two male students and two female students sit at a table with microphones on a stage and a screen projection of the Ginsburg Center in the background.
Several students participate in the 2024 Student Success Conference panel: 麻豆精品 S淒ifferent Journeys, Different Views: Student Perspectives on the Value of Education.”

What is civil discourse?

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 defines civil discourse as constructive conversation or dialogue which intends to enhance understanding, be productive and requires taking responsibility for truly listening and talking about important local, national and global topics/issues.

麻豆精品 S淐ivil discourse is about understanding the other person 麻豆精品 S檚 viewpoint so you can come together to make thoughtful decisions in spite of having different viewpoints, 麻豆精品 S Guzm谩n says.

Guzm谩n says she often hears students today are hesitant to share their own perspectives. She hopes that through this intentional framework, students will begin to feel more confident engaging civilly with those around them.

麻豆精品 S淲hether students are in the classroom or just having a conversation with a peer, we want them to have the skillset and emotional intelligence needed for constructive conversations, 麻豆精品 S Guzm谩n says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey should still be able to walk away and respectfully say, 麻豆精品 S業 still don 麻豆精品 S檛 agree with you, but let 麻豆精品 S檚 go get a burger and fries afterward. 麻豆精品 S Too often, we 麻豆精品 S檝e seen relationships fracture because the skill of civil discourse has been lost. 麻豆精品 S

How will UCF use these funds?

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 priority with this $3.4 million grant is to intentionally embed civil discourse and constructive communication skills into the everyday experience at the university through four main strategies.

Brunette woman with her hair in a ponytail, black glasses and a white business coat smiles
Haley Winston 麻豆精品 S17贰诲顿听serves as UCF’s Director of Civil Discourse.

Strategy 1: Faculty Learning Communities

The first strategy is geared toward . UCF Director of Civil Discourse and Engagement Haley Winston 麻豆精品 S17贰诲顿 and a faculty fellow, yet to be named, will partner to create a curriculum to offer paid learning experiences via faculty learning communities each semester and a track at the Summer Faculty Development Institute. This curriculum will inform faculty on strategies and methodologies for building civil discourse opportunities into their classes. There are also plans to develop and implement civil discourse modules in new faculty orientation.

Eventually, 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 course catalogue will recognize classes 麻豆精品 S much like it does now with service-learning courses 麻豆精品 S with a civil discourse designation.

Strategies 2 and 3: Student Orientation and Training

Two additional strategies are student-focused. One will collaborate with 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 to include civil discourse modules at orientation.

麻豆精品 S淔rom the very start of a student 麻豆精品 S檚 journey at UCF, we set the expectation that we are an institution where people can express their views freely and constructively, in a respectful way, 麻豆精品 S Guzm谩n says.

The other will partner with to offer civil discourse training for both student employee onboarding training as well as a supervisor-specific training via its , preparing students to carry on these skills into the workforce after graduation.

Strategy 4: Mini-grants for Learning Opportunities

The fourth strategy is geared toward expanding co-curricular opportunities through the UCF Ginsburg Center 麻豆精品 S Office of Civil Discourse and Engagement. Mini-grants will be offered to units and colleges who want to offer learning opportunities within their department or classrooms.

麻豆精品 S淭his grant builds on work already underway at UCF and allows us to scale it intentionally. 麻豆精品 S
麻豆精品 S Andrea Guzm谩n

麻豆精品 S淭his grant builds on work already underway at UCF and allows us to scale it intentionally. It also enables the development of a pilot program designed to be replicated across the state university system, 麻豆精品 S Guzm谩n says. 麻豆精品 S淭he reason we are choosing to bolster programs like orientation and faculty learning communities are because these are existing infrastructures that almost every institution will have and can seamlessly incorporate. 麻豆精品 S

Six male and femal students sit at a round table
麻豆精品 S淔rom the very start of a student 麻豆精品 S檚 journey at UCF, we set the expectation that we are an institution where people can express their views freely and constructively, in a respectful way, 麻豆精品 S Andrea Guzm谩n says.

What happens next?

The funding takes effect immediately. UCF will invite faculty applications for the faculty fellow position during the Spring 2026 semester, with the appointment beginning in August.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 will also organize an internal implementation team to confirm year-one priorities, which includes aligning timelines, refining deliverables and establishing the infrastructure needed to support the work.

麻豆精品 S淲ith every project we implement, we think about scale and long-term impact. The goal is always for meaningful, transformative work to live on beyond the grant, 麻豆精品 S says Cyndia Morales Mu帽iz 麻豆精品 S13EdD, senior director of grant initiatives and partnerships, and CIVIC project director.

In addition to Mu帽iz, Guzm谩n and Winston, the project includes activity coordinators Joel Cramer, interim vice provost for Faculty Excellence; Chanda Torres 麻豆精品 S98 麻豆精品 S00MA 麻豆精品 S08EdD, assistant vice president of the Dixon Career Development Center; and Ryan Goodwin, assistant vice president for Strategic Initiatives.

In years three and four of the grant, UCF will develop and host two symposiums for Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 State University System institutions and state colleges to share implementation strategies and lessons learned, providing a model that can be replicated at their own campuses.

麻豆精品 S淭his is yet another example of UCF leading the way to best serve our students and faculty and we look forward to getting started, 麻豆精品 S Mu帽iz says.

 

Note: 100% of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model is being financed with this federal funding and 0% of the program is being financed with non-federal funding.

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2024 Student Success Conference Several students participate in the 2024 Student Success Conference panel: 麻豆精品 S淒ifferent Journeys, Different Views: Student Perspectives on the Value of Education." Haley Winston_UCF_Civil Discourse Haley Winston Civil Discourse-ucf-students
UCF Alumnus Continues Growth in Central Florida After Graduation /news/ucf-alum-continues-growth-in-central-florida-after-graduation/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:12:10 +0000 /news/?p=150161 Alejandro Lopez Zelaya 麻豆精品 S25 is one of many聽UCF College of Optics and Photonics alums who power industry across Florida.

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Photonic science and engineering alumnus聽Alejandro聽Lopez Zelaya 麻豆精品 S25聽is proud that his聽professional journey is continuing near the聽community that聽helped him聽grow into聽an emerging tech leader.

麻豆精品 S淐entral Florida is my home, and I 麻豆精品 S檇 like to be part of this community for as long as I 麻豆精品 S痗an, 麻豆精品 S he says.

That plan fell into place when he landed 麻豆精品 S痑 job at Lockheed Martin, a UCF Pegasus Partner, just weeks after graduating with his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in May. 麻豆精品 S疕is 麻豆精品 S痭ew role 麻豆精品 S痑s an electro-optical engineer associate in Lockheed Martin 麻豆精品 S檚 Orlando Missiles and Fire Control division involves developing new imaging systems 麻豆精品 S a project that comes with its own challenges.

麻豆精品 S淭hese systems make use of sensors specific to the mission, 麻豆精品 S says Lopez-Zelaya, who is part of the 83% of career-ready UCF alumni who help fuel Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 workforce. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e concerned with how these sensors generate images, so we take the optics and other sources of noise into consideration. 麻豆精品 S

That 麻豆精品 S檚聽exactly the skillset he honed during his time at聽the聽UCF College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL). In addition to engineering and physics concepts, CREOL students learn the hands-on methods necessary to build optical and electro-optical systems 麻豆精品 S allowing them to contribute to technological developments that benefit humanity. Lopez Zelaya says he now puts that training to use every day.

麻豆精品 S淪omebody who doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 have an optics and photonics background can 麻豆精品 S檛 truly engage in these discussions, 麻豆精品 S he says, 麻豆精品 S淏ecause they don 麻豆精品 S檛 understand the basics of what is actually happening in these systems. 麻豆精品 S

Lopez Zelaya 麻豆精品 S檚 early career success is a continuation of the legacy he built during his聽undergrad聽years. Between classes that taught him MATLAB, display technology, image聽processing聽and semiconductor devices, he got involved as an undergraduate student research assistant. He also volunteered at Grace Medical Home, served as president of the IEEE Photonics Society student聽chapter聽and served on 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 President 麻豆精品 S檚 Leadership Council. His dedication to both professional development and his fellow students led to his induction into Order of Pegasus, the most prestigious award UCF bestows upon students.

Lopez Zelaya says聽鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚聽culture of creating lifelong learners prepared him well for his next steps at Lockheed Martin.

麻豆精品 S淓verybody is willing to learn something new about optics, 麻豆精品 S he says, adding that聽he 麻豆精品 S檚聽often a source of聽expertise聽for questions that arise in the field.

Lopez Zelaya 麻豆精品 S檚 quick transition illustrates the value of the talent pipeline聽CREOL supplies to the Central Florida photonics industry.聽As a valued, longtime member of CREOL 麻豆精品 S檚 Industrial Affiliates Program, Lockheed Martin 麻豆精品 S檚 partnership has strengthened both the available opportunities for students and collaborative research efforts that aim to聽benefit聽the industry at large. And as a new聽Pegasus Partner聽with UCF, Lockheed Martin 麻豆精品 S檚 investment in the future will make impacts far beyond CREOL 麻豆精品 S檚 walls,聽building on聽a longstanding and pragmatic focus on talent pipeline.

With a 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, CREOL 麻豆精品 S檚 students are in a unique position to have a small-college experience at a big university. Lopez Zelaya says聽he 麻豆精品 S檚聽glad to have found a similar sense of community at 麻豆精品 S疞ockheed Martin.

麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 a misconception that new technologies mostly emerge from startups, but a lot of them are being developed here, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淒evelopment is fun 麻豆精品 S taking 麻豆精品 S痑 concept and making it into a working product. 麻豆精品 S

Lopez Zelaya says he 麻豆精品 S檚 proud to put those skills to use in his hometown, and for a company that 麻豆精品 S檚 leading the way in emerging optical technology 麻豆精品 S positively contributing to Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 economy along the way.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the best ways to make an impact here, 麻豆精品 S he says.

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