Rosen College of Hospitality Management Archives | University of Central Florida News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:55:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png Rosen College of Hospitality Management Archives | University of Central Florida News 32 32 A Retirement Tribute to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Online Learning Pioneer, Longest-Serving Faculty Member /news/a-retirement-tribute-to-ucfs-online-learning-pioneer-longest-serving-faculty-member/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:54:56 +0000 /news/?p=153827 After 56 years in the classroom, Pegasus Professor Chuck Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 impact is felt throughout campus and in the lives of his students.

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Chuck Dziuban came to UCF (then Florida Technological University) to teach statistics in 1970 at 29 years old, fresh off earning his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. Over the course of 56 years, he wound up putting the university on the global map for a wide range of innovations.

At the threshold of retirement on June 30, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 first Pegasus Professor (honored in 2000) and original architect of online learning would rather talk about his ultimate inspiration.

麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me, 麻豆精品 S says Dziuban, an inaugural Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan Consortium) fellow.

麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me. 麻豆精品 S

Those students often showed up for Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 statistics and research design classes. Many of these students were daunted by the subjects only to find that the person teaching them listened intently, making himself, and the material, approachable.

This is Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 style 麻豆精品 S with students, colleagues, everyone. To effectively teach, he knows he must begin with the right questions. That curiosity-driven approach has guided UCF to be a leader in online education, including the UCF Online program which serves 9,000 students annually, for over 30 years 麻豆精品 S earning recognition among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 best programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Here, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 longest serving faculty member is finally on the other side of the questions, sharing insightful reflection and parting wise words.

black and white photo of dark-haired mustached man with 1970s style classes, long sleeve button shirt, sitting at a desk surrounded by stacks of papers.
Chuck Dziuban in his early days at the university.

Humble Roots

麻豆精品 S淚 never set out to achieve any of this, 麻豆精品 S he says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut the smallest incidences can make significant impacts. 麻豆精品 S

Dziuban grew up near Utica, New York, where most boys graduated from high school and followed their fathers into the mills. Dziuban, avid about hunting and fishing, began to develop a routine that exists to this day: reading two books every week.

麻豆精品 S淭he truth is, I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to work in a mill, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淩eading led to college and college allowed me to reinvent myself. People had called me Charlie. I hated it. In college, I became Chuck. 麻豆精品 S

Chuck earned degrees, moved, taught, and discovered a connection with statistics and research. At the University of Wisconsin, a mentor, Chester Harris, changed his life.

麻豆精品 S淗e was terrifyingly smart, 麻豆精品 S Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut he knew the importance of understanding students before expecting them to understand the subject. I still have a picture of Chester on my desk. It keeps me humble. 麻豆精品 S

Humility was among the factors that drew Dziuban to a new university in Orlando, where parking lots were dirt and a cardboard box housed the university 麻豆精品 S檚 entire computing output.

麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was like a Silicon Valley startup. You weren 麻豆精品 S檛 sure how it might go, but at least the vibe was positive. 麻豆精品 S

He developed one of his first ideas following a three-hour statistics lecture.

麻豆精品 S淢y students should have been in an emergency room after that lecture, 麻豆精品 S he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 realized they 麻豆精品 S檇 learn better by running data first and then coming back for an abbreviated lesson 麻豆精品 S similar to what we call a 麻豆精品 S榝lipped classroom. 麻豆精品 S Students said, 麻豆精品 S極h, I get it now. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S

Gray haired man in suit shakes hands with taller man with white hair on stage.
Former president John C. Hitt (left) charged Chuck Dziuban (right) to innovate and develop what is now UCF’s robust online learning programming.

Pioneering Digital Learning

Dziuban was called upon to use his expertise in and research design to develop a plethora of ideas that would attract international attention to UCF.

One of those early ideas led to a seismic shift that thousands of UCF and UCF Online students are still benefitting from today.

While developing what would become the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness, Dziuban mentioned to the university 麻豆精品 S檚 fourth president, John C. Hitt, the concept of remote learning through the use of VHS tapes.

麻豆精品 S淗e told me to innovate, 麻豆精品 S Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渟o we used computers instead of tapes. Eventually, we had the most sophisticated online learning model in the country, and the walls of classrooms came down. 麻豆精品 S

This is why, the annual Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, established in 2012, is bestowed to one UCF instructor who teaches an exemplary online or video course.

麻豆精品 S淟ike I said, I never planned any of this, 麻豆精品 S he says.

Two gray haired men in business suits stand shoulder to shoulder while shaking hands and smiling at camera
President Alexander N. Cartwright (left) congratulates Chuck Dziuban (right) at a faculty and staff celebration.

Staying True to 麻豆精品 S淒oing the Right Thing 麻豆精品 S

If you ever stepped near Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 office, you 麻豆精品 S檇 see a poster featuring a child with hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen 麻豆精品 S namesake of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Rosen used an adage that 麻豆精品 S檚 echoed in Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 mind since they began to break barriers to education in communities in need 31 years ago: 麻豆精品 S淒o the right thing. 麻豆精品 S

With this as his guide, Dziuban helped The Rosen Foundation institute a program to ensure free preschool and resources through high school. College and trade school would also be free. Instead of directing the program, they empowered people in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Tangelo Park and Parramore communities to lead it.

Gray haired man in turtleneck sweater poses with young girl in purple graduation cap and gown
Chuck Dziuban recognizes a pre-K graduate as part of his involvement with The Rosen Foundation.

They 麻豆精品 S檝e expanded that impact across Florida as well, and the results have been remarkable 麻豆精品 S including a recent $50,000 donation from the Harris Rosen Foundation to Gainesville for All in honor of Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 work transformative community initiatives.

麻豆精品 S淭he odds of earning a college education have gone from nine-to-one against to three-to-one in favor, 麻豆精品 S Dziuban says. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 immense talent in every community. We can 麻豆精品 S檛 let it go to waste. It 麻豆精品 S檚 why we start young and celebrate every success. 麻豆精品 S

At the end of this school year, he will be on stage for just such a celebration.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l have the honor of moving tassels from the right to the left on the graduation caps of pre-k students, 麻豆精品 S Dziuban says.

The man with six decades of achievements in higher education will stand back and enjoy a moment the 4- and 5-year-old kids can tell others about.

麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 imagine anything more meaningful than that. 麻豆精品 S

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ucf-Charles_Dziuban-01- Chuck Dziuban in his early days at the university. ucf-chuck-dziuban-john-hitt Former president John C. Hitt (left) charged Chuck Dziuban (right) to innovate and develop what is now UCF's robust online learning programming. ucf-Chuck Dziuban-Alexander Cartwright President Alexander N. Cartwright (left) and Chuck Dziuban (right) ucf-Chuck Dziuban-prek grad Chuck Dziuban recognizes a Pre-K graduate.
UCF Grads Score Jobs with FIFA World Cup 2026 /news/ucf-grads-score-jobs-with-fifa-world-cup-2026/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:59:58 +0000 /news/?p=153567 Talented Knights across various fields are聽supporting operations聽to bring the men 麻豆精品 S檚 World Cup to the United States for the first time in more than 30 years.

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Whether leading efforts in media relations, human resources, guest and client services, or venue, business and transportation logistics, UCF grads are powering the operations behind one of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest events coming to the United States this summer: the men 麻豆精品 S檚 FIFA World Cup.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 tournament will be the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted by three nations 麻豆精品 S United States, Canada and Mexico 麻豆精品 S and the first to include an expanded field of 48 teams from across the globe. Eleven U.S. cities will host 78 matches June 11 麻豆精品 S July 19, including the championship match in New York and third place playoff in Miami.

This historic event coincides with the United States 麻豆精品 S 250th anniversary听补苍诲 marks the first time since 1994 the country has hosted the men 麻豆精品 S檚 World Cup.

Here 麻豆精品 S檚聽a look at some of the Knights bringing this event to life.

Brunette woman wearing orange polo shirt stands in front of We Are Atlanta mural featuring gold world cup trophy
Izzy Angel

Izzy Angel 麻豆精品 S23

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Role:听惭别诲颈补听辞辫别谤补迟颈辞苍蝉听补苍诲听蝉别谤惫颈肠别蝉
FIFA location: Atlanta

I will be supporting media logistics, guiding photographers and press to designated areas, and facilitating press conferences and interviews. One of the biggest ways UCF prepared me for this opportunity was through its emphasis on networking, collaboration and real-world experience. That mindset opened doors to internships, jobs and experiences that helped me gain confidence in putting myself out there and connecting with people.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 been really fulfilling to meet people with completely different backgrounds and life experiences who are all coming together over a shared passion. Being part of something on such a global scale and feeling that sense of community has been incredibly special.

Portrait of man with dark goatee and cropped dark hair with glasses
Brendon Boseja

Brendon Boseja 麻豆精品 S25

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in聽integrated聽business

Role:聽Senior聽coordinator,聽Client Group Management聽Accreditation
FIFA site: Miami

At UCF, I learned to network and make many connections in the industry and to continue these relationships. This has especially helped me throughout FIFA, especially since my main job is to communicate with every stadium involved in the tournament. Working for a sports organization as big as FIFA has been a dream of mine, and to be involved with an event like the World Cup is surreal to think about.

Portrait of Black woman with dark shoulder length hair wearing a white long sleeve polo shirt and necklace
Taylor Culver

Taylor Culver 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S26MSBM 麻豆精品 S26MBA

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in kinesiology
惭补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听蝉辫辞谤迟听产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉听尘补苍补驳别尘别苍迟
Master 麻豆精品 S檚 in business administration

Role:聽Event聽executive, FIFA Fan Festival
FIFA site: Houston

麻豆精品 S淏ecause of the connections, mentorship and opportunities I gained through UCF, these experiences expanded my confidence and showed me that I truly belong in this industry. 麻豆精品 S

My role is to help create and execute large-scale fan experiences that bring the energy of the World Cup to life outside of the stadium. Being able to contribute to an event of this magnitude is both humbling and motivating, and I know it will be one of the most impactful experiences of my career. UCF prepared me for this opportunity by putting me in real-world sports environments early and constantly challenging me to grow as a leader. Through the program and my experience as a recruiting assistant for UCF Athletics with the football team, I learned how to operate in fast-paced environments where organization, communication and adaptability are critical. Because of the connections, mentorship and opportunities I gained through UCF, these experiences expanded my confidence and showed me that I truly belong in this industry.

Man wearing longsleeve white collar shirt and dark pants stands in front of colorful FIFA 2026 mural featuring picture of gold world cup trophy
Daniel Garzon

Daniel Garzon 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S24MSBM 麻豆精品 S24MBA

叠补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听别濒别尘别苍迟补谤测听别诲耻肠补迟颈辞苍
惭补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听蝉辫辞谤迟听产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉听尘补苍补驳别尘别苍迟
Master 麻豆精品 S檚 in business聽administration

Role:聽Workforce聽integration聽senior聽coordinator,聽Tournament Operation Center Services
FIFA site:聽Miami

I started my journey at FIFA as an intern with the volunteer management team shortly after graduating from the DeVos Sport Business Management program in 2024. As a recruitment coordinator, I spearheaded communications and recruitment strategy while sourcing and scheduling thousands of candidates. Now in my new role, I will be in the heartbeat of the headquarters of the tournament, fulfilling operational needs for all departments while manipulating data to make informed decisions for all the venues during the World Cup.

Young Asian woman with a streak of blonde hair framing her face, wearing a black blazer and brown undershirt with pendant necklace
Risako Karasawa

Risako Karasawa 麻豆精品 S21

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in entertainment management
Graduate student majoring in sport business management

Role: VIP Tour Coordinator/Translator
FIFA site:聽Dallas

I serve as the primary point of contact for a VIP delegation from Japan. My responsibilities include coordinating transportation and logistics, providing interpretation and translation support, and ensuring a seamless experience throughout the visit. Combining my passions for sports, entertainment and hospitality, this opportunity feels like the perfect intersection of everything I love. Through both the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the DeVos Sport Business Management Program, I have gained practical experience through hands-on opportunities working with professionals across the industries in event planning, guest experience, sponsorship and stakeholder management that prepared me for this incredibly exciting opportunity.

Portrait of smiling man with short dark hair in gray business suit and tie
William Mendez

William Mendez 麻豆精品 S26MSBM 麻豆精品 S26MBA

惭补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听蝉辫辞谤迟听产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉听尘补苍补驳别尘别苍迟
Master 麻豆精品 S檚 in business聽administration

Role: Team protocol liaison officer
FIFA site:聽Miami

I will provide operational support as a main point of contact for the teams 麻豆精品 S protocol representatives, managing VIP/VVIP seating, ticket distribution and logistics. I 麻豆精品 S檓 truly excited to be part of an event of this magnitude because FIFA 麻豆精品 S26 goes beyond sports by bringing people together across cultures from all over the world. 麻豆精品 S疶he DeVos Sport Business Management program at UCF has played a major role in preparing me for this moment, giving me the hands-on experience and confidence I need to contribute to an event of this scale.

Portrait of smiling man in blue business jacket and plaid tie standing outside with green tree and brick building in background
Colin O’Toole

Colin O 麻豆精品 S橳oole 麻豆精品 S26MSBM 麻豆精品 S26MBA

惭补蝉迟别谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听蝉辫辞谤迟听产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉听尘补苍补驳别尘别苍迟
Master 麻豆精品 S檚聽in business聽administration

Role: Accreditation center coordinator
FIFA site:聽Boston

I grew up watching the World Cup and always dreamed of being part of the most watched sporting event in the world. My experience in the soccer industry through both professional and volunteer roles gave me a strong foundation, and the DeVos program broadened my perspective. It exposed me to the business side of the industry, while simultaneously connecting me with incredible mentors and peers, ultimately giving me the confidence and network to land this opportunity with FIFA.

Side profile potrait of man wearing headset and polo with Tampa Bay Sports Commission logo in white on right shoulder
Connor Pank

Connor Pank 麻豆精品 S17

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in聽management

Role:听罢别补尘听蝉别谤惫颈肠别蝉听惫别苍耻别听辞蹿蹿颈肠别谤
FIFA site: Tampa, Florida

The sport business management minor at UCF offered plenty of opportunities to gain practical experience in the industry. My junior year, I was fortunate enough to land a season-long internship at Orlando City Soccer Club in the game day operations department, which then turned into a full-time position with seven amazing seasons of constant growth and experiences that I am forever grateful 麻豆精品 S痜or.

Being involved in a FIFA World Cup has been a personal goal of mine since my early days with Orlando City SC, when we hosted a U.S. Soccer vs.聽Panama World Cup Qualifier聽ahead of the聽2018 FIFA World Cup.聽Every team聽participating聽in the World Cup chooses a designated home base,聽which includes the team hotel, training聽site听补苍诲 other operational support facilities as needed. My role is centered around acting as FIFA 麻豆精品 S檚 primary operational lead on-site for Cabo Verde 麻豆精品 S檚 home base in Tampa to ensure a seamless, world-class experience.

Portrait of smiling blonde woman wearing blue and pink sweater outside
Annie Quaile

Annie Quaile 麻豆精品 S06

叠补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听尘补谤办别迟颈苍驳

Role:聽Venue聽manager,聽FIFA Fan Festival
FIFA site: Atlanta

I act as the bridge between FIFA, Atlanta and the commercial and operational partners delivering the Fan Festival experience. My role focuses on coordinating event聽logistics, operations, guest experience, VIP and talent management, and partner integration while ensuring FIFA brand standards are upheld throughout the event.

One of the biggest takeaways from my experience at UCF was learning how to balance creativity,聽leadership听补苍诲 problem-solving under pressure, which is聽essentially the聽foundation of live event and operational management.聽The FIFA World Cup is one of the few truly global experiences that brings together people from every background,聽culture听补苍诲 country around a shared passion.聽All of聽the planning, coordination and operational work happens behind the scenes for months, so finally seeing people from around the world聽gathering together, celebrating and creating memories is incredibly rewarding.

Dark haired young man wearing glasses and white shirt holds black FIFA uniform while standing next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino in red shirt
Andres Sifontes (left) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right)

Andres Sifontes 麻豆精品 S24

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in communication

Role:聽Coordinator, Accreditation Documentation and Training Operations
FIFA site: Houston

I joined the FIFA team in September 2024, supporting preparations for both Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 2026. In my role now, I oversee Accreditation Center operations in Houston, assist volunteers, and ensure that key stakeholders 麻豆精品 S including partners like Coca-Cola, Adidas and Visa 麻豆精品 S receive proper credentials. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 communication program, and especially my聽Communication Research Methods听笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤 , equipped me with the tools I continue to apply every day in my role at FIFA by teaching me how to communicate effectively, carry myself professionally, and think strategically.

Since graduating, my goal has been to contribute to the growth of soccer in the United States. This passion has always been part of who I am, and UCF helped me build the foundation to pursue it professionally. After graduation, I worked with Inter Miami CF, and now with FIFA, I 麻豆精品 S檝e been fortunate to play a role in supporting the continued development of the sport. I truly believe we are about to witness unprecedented growth for the game in this country. I hope that at the end of my career, I can look back and say I contributed to that growth 麻豆精品 S and that it all started at UCF.

Bearded man with brown hair wearing light blue long sleeve collar shirt stands in front of FIFA backdrop
Dennis Sprenkle

Dennis Sprenkle 麻豆精品 S01

叠补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听辫辞濒颈迟颈肠补濒听蝉肠颈别苍肠别

Role:聽Director of聽workforce听补苍诲听human聽resources
FIFA site:听惭颈补尘颈

My team oversees the employee journey from recruitment to offboarding across the three host countries (Canada, Mexico and the U.S.) and 16 host cities. We are responsible for everything from workforce planning, training, visa management, benefits, payroll, employee uniforms and just about every other aspect of human resources.

I have always had a keen interest in global political and business affairs, which is why I studied political science with an emphasis on international relations at UCF. Working for a governing body like FIFA in many respects is akin to working for the United Nations. 麻豆精品 S In order to be a successful leader in a global organization like FIFA, it is critical to have an open mind to effectively collaborate, plan and execute the largest sporting event in human history. My education and experience at UCF as a leader in Student Government certainly laid the foundation and has helped prepare me for this opportunity.

Portrait of bearded man wearing gold necklace with sunburst charm and yellow FIFA Club World Cup lanyard in empty soccer stadium
Ryan Taheri

Ryan Taheri 麻豆精品 S24

叠补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听蹿颈苍补苍肠别

Role:听奥辞谤办蹿辞谤肠别听辞辫别谤补迟颈辞苍蝉听尘补苍补驳别谤
FIFA site: Dallas

I grew up watching the World Cup with my family. Now, I occasionally stop for a second and realize how special it all is to be working behind the scenes on the operational side of the tournament. A big part of what I do in my role is coordinate with different functional areas like transportation, catering, accommodations, uniforms and venue operations to ensure the workforce is supported and operations run smoothly.

麻豆精品 S淯CF pushed me into leadership opportunities early and taught me how to work in fast-paced environments with a lot of moving parts. 麻豆精品 S

A lot of the role comes down to staying organized, communicating clearly and solving problems quickly. UCF pushed me into leadership opportunities early and taught me how to work in fast-paced environments with a lot of moving parts. Looking back now, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think I realized at the time how much of my experience at UCF directly prepared me for working on something as large and complex as a 麻豆精品 S疐IFA 麻豆精品 S26.

Man in teal FIFA 2026 Adidas jacket and black pants stands in front of sculpture of soccer ball with 2026 FIFA branding in lobby with elevators
Alejandro Tarazona

Alejandro Tarazona 麻豆精品 S22

Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in integrated business

Role:听惭补苍补驳别谤,听罢谤补颈苍颈苍驳听厂颈迟别听痴别苍耻别听罢谤补苍蝉辫辞谤迟
FIFA site: Miami

I 麻豆精品 S痮versee transportation operations and 麻豆精品 S痩ogistics 麻豆精品 S痑t all 75 training sites across U.S., Canada and Mexico 麻豆精品 S including shuttles, loading zones, team busses and their fleets, and parking lots for media, volunteers and guests. I grew up in Lake Nona and had an opportunity to play collegiate soccer at a Division II school in Florida, but financially, it just didn 麻豆精品 S檛 make sense for my family and me. Instead I enrolled at Valencia College and earned my degree through the .

UCF gave me the technical skills I needed for my managerial position now, like creating financial analysis for labor rates across 16 stadiums that 麻豆精品 S痺e 麻豆精品 S檒l 麻豆精品 S痓e using in U.S., Canada and Mexico. As a former soccer player and as someone 麻豆精品 S痺ho is 麻豆精品 S痮bsessed with the sport, working for one of the biggest and best sports organization in the world has been a lifelong goal. 麻豆精品 S疶his experience has taught me to consider redefining what 麻豆精品 S檚 possible and keep setting goals.

Man in light blue collar shirt stands with hands in his pants pockets in front of FIFA mural with neon design and gold trophy at center
Tomas Upegui

Tomas Upegui 麻豆精品 S22

叠补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚听颈苍听颈苍迟别驳谤补迟别诲听产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉

Role:听贵濒别别迟听辞辫别谤补迟颈辞苍蝉听补苍补濒测蝉迟
FIFA site: Miami

Growing up playing soccer, being involved with FIFA in any capacity is something I never imagined would become reality, especially this early in my career. I am supporting transportation and depot operations across all 16 host cities, contributing to transportation operations involving VIPs and trophy movements. Studying business taught me how to work efficiently in fast-paced environments and quickly adapt while balancing multiple responsibilities at once, which directly translates to my role.

One of the most exciting parts of this experience has been realizing the true scale of the FIFA World Cup and seeing firsthand how much coordination happens behind the scenes to make an event of this magnitude successful.

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IzzyAngel Izzy Angel Brendon Boseja Brendon Boseja Taylor_Culver Taylor Culver Daniel Garzon Daniel Garzon Risako Karasawa Risako Karasawa William Mendez_ William Mendez Colin_Otoole.jpg Colin O'Toole Connor Pank Conor Pank Annie Quaile Annie Quaile Andres Sifontes-FIFA President Andres Sifontes (left) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) Dennis Sprenkle Dennis Sprenkle Ryan Taheri Ryan Taheri Alejandro Tarazona Alejandro Tarazona Tomas Upegui Tomas Upegui
UCF聽Alumnus聽Makes Epic Mark聽in聽the聽World聽of聽Themed Entertainment聽 /news/ucf-alumnus-makes-epic-mark-in-the-world-of-themed-entertainment/ Tue, 26 May 2026 19:00:04 +0000 /news/?p=153350 As a performance coordinator at Universal Orlando Resort,聽Christian Spencer聽 麻豆精品 S23聽 麻豆精品 S26MS聽is applying the unique insight聽he 麻豆精品 S檚聽developed through UCF 麻豆精品 S檚聽hospitality management and themed experience programs聽to elevate guest experiences.

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Christian Spencer聽 麻豆精品 S23聽 麻豆精品 S26MS聽is聽pursuing聽his dream career,聽blending the art of world-class hospitality with the innovation of themed entertainment聽here聽in Central Florida, the theme park capital of the world.

Last year,聽Spencer聽was promoted to聽his聽first leadership role as a performance coordinator with the Entertainment Events team at Universal Orlando Resort聽 麻豆精品 S guiding performers,聽maintaining聽show quality,听补苍诲 collaborating with creative and technical teams聽to deliver聽live events and聽immersive聽guest experiences. He credits UCF with helping him achieve a decades-long goal.

Christian Spencer in front of the Super Nintendo World portal at Universal Epic Universe.
Christian Spencer 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S26MS in front of the Super Nintendo World portal at Universal Epic Universe. (Photo courtesy of Christian Spencer 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S26MS)

That聽dream聽started during聽his聽childhood in Virginia, when聽his聽parents went through a difficult divorce, and he聽found聽his聽happy place at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.聽He went on to become a theater student, and in high school he took a job聽at the park聽as a performer.

That 麻豆精品 S檚聽when he聽knew聽he聽could turn his passion into a career.

麻豆精品 S淎s a kid,聽I could immerse myself in a show and have a reprieve from聽difficult times聽at home.聽I knew that someday I wanted to create that happiness for others, 麻豆精品 S澛燬pencer聽says. 麻豆精品 S淥nce I聽had the opportunity聽to work there, I was fascinated聽by what it took聽behind the scenes聽to bring a theme park experience to life.聽I聽wanted a career filled with days like those. 麻豆精品 S

To pursue聽this path,聽he聽set聽his聽sights聽on attending聽, where he聽went on to聽earn聽his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in entertainment management聽in 2023.聽Just聽this week,聽UCF聽welcomed聽 as its first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner and announced the creation of The Universal School of Experience Leadership and Innovation聽at Rosen College.

麻豆精品 S淲hen I found Rosen College, I knew it was the place for me, 麻豆精品 S he says.聽 麻豆精品 S淥n the first day of class, my professor talked about the joys of a career in the theme park industry. It was a dream聽I 麻豆精品 S檇聽had for so long that it moved me to tears. 麻豆精品 S

He sent his mom a text that said,聽 麻豆精品 S淭hank you for everything聽you 麻豆精品 S檝e聽done for me.聽I 麻豆精品 S檓聽exactly where I need to be. 麻豆精品 S

However,聽as聽an out-of-state聽student,聽tuition聽was a challenge聽for Spencer.聽His聽mom did all she could聽to help聽him, but聽he聽has worked聽hard to pay for聽his聽education.聽He became聽a聽resident聽assistant聽on campus听补苍诲 also聽received a Rosen聽College聽scholarship.聽Throughout school,聽he has聽worked as a performer in all three聽major聽Central Florida聽theme parks聽simultaneously.

He also became a聽leader聽on campus and in the industry, serving聽as聽vice聽president聽of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Future Theme Park Leaders Association聽while he was a Rosen College student.

Christian Spencer wearing a grad cap and gown while wearing stilts at UCF Rosen College
Christian Spencer 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S26MS wears UCF commencement regalia while balancing on stilts, which several performers at Universal Orlando Resort use. (Photo courtesy of Christian Spencer 麻豆精品 S23 麻豆精品 S26MS)

He credits聽his聽professors聽with聽believing in him and supporting him throughout his journey,聽helping him to work toward聽his goal聽of聽becoming聽a show director聽in one of the local world-class theme parks.

The same professor who inspired him on day one later encouraged him to pursue a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in聽themed experience, part of聽UCF 麻豆精品 S檚聽College of Arts and Humanities.聽This program聽is designed聽for聽the聽next generation of creators, artists and leaders聽who聽are redefining what it means to be entertained, and Spencer just聽graduated in early May.

麻豆精品 S淢y UCF journey has been the experience of a lifetime, 麻豆精品 S he says.聽 麻豆精品 S淎nd the best part is that I 麻豆精品 S檒l spend my career creating experiences that are just as life-changing for others. 麻豆精品 S

Last year, Spencer received a聽Universal Orlando聽Impact Award聽recognizing his contributions聽to聽the聽grand opening celebration of Epic Universe, the resort 麻豆精品 S檚 newest theme park.

听补迟听,聽inspiring the UCF community听补苍诲听demonstrating聽the power of a Knight education to聽reshape what it means to be entertained and what the future of experiences holds for people everywhere.

The UCF-Universal聽Pegasus Partnership聽is a聽significant early聽milestone聽of聽聽 麻豆精品 S斅燼聽$3.5 billion聽campaign to expand聽opportunity, advance聽discovery听补苍诲 drive impact across the university.

Spencer 麻豆精品 S檚聽story shows why聽聽is聽so important: Investments in UCF help students ignite meaningful careers, discover new聽frontiers听补苍诲 create a bold tomorrow.聽Students like聽him聽are launching a new era of innovation and making their mark across every industry.

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UCF_Christian Spencer_UDX Alum_2 Christian Spencer in front of the Super Nintendo World portal at Universal Epic Universe. (Photo courtesy of C UCF_Christian Spencer_UDX Alum_3 Christian Spencer wearing a grad cap and gown while wearing stilts at UCF Rosen College
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 UCF 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 UCF 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 , UCF 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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UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Spring 2026 Commencement Set for May 8 麻豆精品 S9 /news/ucfs-spring-2026-commencement-set-for-may-8-9/ Mon, 04 May 2026 16:32:38 +0000 /news/?p=152821 Graduates will hear from distinguished speakers who 麻豆精品 S檝e made significant contributions in space, higher education, healthcare, technology and business.

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UCF will award nearly 10,000 degrees during this spring 麻豆精品 S檚 ceremonies, continuing its record-setting momentum in preparing highly skilled graduates for in-demand fields, including engineering, computer science, business, nursing, and digital and emerging media.

UCF is the leading producer of talent among Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 universities, awarding nearly 19,000 degrees annually to Knights who go on to work in high-demand industries. About 85% of our alumni stay in Florida because of the ample opportunity to thrive as part of our state 麻豆精品 S檚 workforce.

Graduates will hear from six esteemed speakers whose leadership and impact span some of Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 most influential industries:

  • Barry Miller 麻豆精品 S95, president of Voloridge Investment Management
  • Brian Adams 麻豆精品 S04MBA, president and CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida Division
  • Gloria Caulfield, vice president of strategic alliances, Tavistock Development Company
  • Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of Higher Learning Commission
  • Maj. Gen. James Smith, commander, space training and readiness command at Patrick Space Force Base
  • Peter Lee, president of Microsoft Science
wide angle of crowded Addition Financial Arena staged for commencement ceremony
Commencement will be held at Addition Financial Arena and all ceremonies are streamed online.

Commencement Festivities

Held in the Addition Financial Arena, spring commencement will take place over six ceremonies spanning Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.

All guests, including children and infants, 麻豆精品 S痭eed a ticket for admission. All graduates who have filed an intent to graduate will receive five commencement ceremony tickets when they pick up their regalia packet.

Guests who do not have tickets may watch the 麻豆精品 S痩ive ceremony via a simulcast viewing 麻豆精品 S痠n the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. Ceremonies will also be livestreamed .

Commencement Photo-ops Across UCF

Black and white map of UCF's main campus with words overlayed that read: Picture Perfect: UCF's most iconic grad photo spots. Circle photos point to pins on the map featuring: Boardwalk, Student Union Pegasus Mural, Duke Energy Welcome Center, Reflecting Pond, Addition Financial Arena, Charging Knight Statue and inside Student Union Pegasus Seal.
Best locations on UCF’s main campus for grad photos.
Map of UCF Downtown's Campus with words overlayed that read: Picture Perfect, UCF Downtown's most iconic grad photos spots. Circle photos highlight pins on map featuring UnionWest, Corner of Livingston St. and N. Terry Ave., Dr. Phillips 麻豆精品 Commons, Communications and Media Building, Seneff Plaza, Luminary Green Park, Dr. Phillips Academic Commons.
Best locations at UCF Downtown’s campus for grad pictures.

Graduating Knights are unable to take photos at the Acrisure Bounce House Stadium this semester due to ongoing construction.

Grad Walk

On Thursday, May 7, 2:30-7 p.m. (doors close at 6 p.m.), spring graduates are invited to a photo-op 麻豆精品 S Grad Walk 麻豆精品 S within the Addition Financial Arena. This will be a first-come, first-served occasion for graduates and up to 10 of their well-wishers to take photos and videos on the ceremony stage. 麻豆精品 S疓raduates are required to .

Commencement Schedule

Graduates and guests can review the below commencement ceremony schedule, listing colleges, ceremony dates and streaming links:

Friday, May 8

9 a.m.

College of Business

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

 

2 p.m.

College of Health Professions and Sciences

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

 

7 p.m.

College of Arts and Humanities

Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Saturday, May 9

9 a.m.

College of Community Innovation and Education

 

2 p.m.

College of Sciences (excluding Nicholson School of Communication and Media)

 

7 p.m.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

College of Graduate Studies

College of Optics and Photonics

For more details and FAQs about Spring 2026 commencement celebrations, visit ucf.edu/graduation.

Commencement Speakers

Barry Miller

Barry Miller 麻豆精品 S95

President of Voloridge Investment Management

Barry Miller 麻豆精品 S95 serves as president of Voloridge Investment Management, quantitative hedge fund manager, and Voloridge Health, a data science-based health tech company, both Florida based.

Miller, who graduated with honors from UCF with a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in finance, recently made a transformational $50 million gift this spring to establish the Barry S. Miller College of Business at UCF. The largest single philanthropic investment in UCF history, the gift will accelerate a bold new model of business education designed for a world where technology, data and decision-making are inseparable.

Miller, also a member of the UCF College of Business Hall of Fame, brings years of executive experience, having previously served as CEO of LASAS Technologies, a finance and insurance company that he co-founded in 1998. His career experience includes financial analysis, capital raising, financial markets, actuarial experience, software development and in-depth company infrastructure formation.

After gaining valuable experience as an entrepreneur and chief executive officer, Miller 麻豆精品 S檚 ambition led him to join and invest in Voloridge Investment Management and then Voloridge Health. For both companies, he is responsible for many facets of leadership, including trading, back-office operations, compliance, sales and marketing, vendor relationships and strategic planning.

portrait of man in blue business suit and light blue collar shirt
Brian Adams

Brian Adams 麻豆精品 S04MBA

President and CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida Division

Brian Adams is president and CEO of AdventHealth 麻豆精品 S檚 Central Florida Division, one of the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 largest faith-based health systems, whose 37,000 dedicated team members provide care for more than 3 million patients.

Known for building high-performing teams and ensuring the organization grows to meet the care needs of the community, Adams has led efforts to expand access to care, elevate quality and bring innovative solutions to rapidly growing communities. His leadership has continued to position AdventHealth as a trusted and innovative partner in Central Florida.

As a part of AdventHealth for more than 24 years, Adams has held senior leadership roles across the organization, including CEO positions in Tampa and Polk County, where he oversaw major expansions, facility investments and quality improvements.

He earned his master 麻豆精品 S檚 of business administration from the University of Central Florida and a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree from Union College in Nebraska. Originally from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, Adams and his wife have two teenage sons.

Portrait of blonde woman in black business jacket and deep purple shirt
Gloria Caulfield

Gloria Caulfield

Vice president of strategic alliances, Tavistock Development Company

In her multifaceted role as vice president of strategic alliances at Tavistock, Gloria Caulfield manages business development and corporate partnerships, collaborates with national and global stakeholders to advance health innovation, and leads the development of cutting-edge strategies for the Lake Nona community.

She is the chief architect and creative force behind the Lake Nona Impact Forum. The revered global health innovation summit brings together many of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 most preeminent thought leaders and serves as a signature event of the Tavistock Group.

Caulfield serves on boards that reflect her passion for advancing the future of human health, including the StartUp Health Impact Board, which focuses on mobilizing entrepreneurs to solve the biggest health challenges of our time, and the LFE Capital Advisory Board, which supports female founders and impactful, wellness-oriented companies.

Prior to joining Tavistock, she had a distinguished career at AdventHealth. As senior executive director for community development, she provided strategic leadership for corporate partnerships and spearheaded critical community initiatives across Central Florida. Caulfield is an alumna of the University of Arizona and brings visionary leadership to every aspect of her work.

Headshot of blonde woman wearing black top in front of a gray backdrop
Barbara Gellman-Danley

Barbara Gellman-Danley

President of Higher Learning Commission

Barbara Gellman-Danley is president of the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits colleges and universities to ensure they meet high-quality standards and continuously improve.

Prior to beginning this role in 2014, she was president of the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College in Ohio. She previously served as vice chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, president of Antioch University McGregor, vice president at Monroe Community College and vice chancellor at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Gellman-Danley sits on the boards of Credential Engine, which she chairs, and GlobalMindED. Her career includes previous board and commission memberships with the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, the American Council on Education 麻豆精品 S檚 Education and Attainment group and the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning.

Gellman-Danley holds degrees from Syracuse University, Simmons University, Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma. She did post-graduate work at New York University, Cornell, Harvard, the University of Chicago and MIT.

An honorary member of Phi Theta Kappa, she is a professional certified coach, certified executive coach and certified life coach. She holds certifications in change management, Agile and Lean Six Sigma, a professional credential validating expertise in data-driven process improvement aimed at reducing waste and defects.

Portrait of man in military dress uniform and tie in front of USA flag and Space Force flag
Maj. Gen. James Smith

Maj. Gen. James Smith

Commander, space training and readiness command at Patrick Space Force Base

As commander, Maj. Gen. James E. Smith is responsible for preparing the U.S. Space Force and more than 14,000 military and civilian guardians to prevail in competition and conflict through innovative education, training, doctrine and test activities.

Originally from Boise, Idaho, Maj. Gen. Smith commissioned in 1997 as the top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His career spans numerous space operations and acquisition positions, including command at the squadron, group, wing, garrison and Field Command levels.

Maj. Gen. Smith has deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen. Smith served as the vice director, Joint Force Development, J-7, the Joint Staff, Arlington, Virginia.

Portrait of Asian man in maroon polo shirt, seated in chair under shade of tree with water in the background.
Peter Lee

Peter Lee

President of Microsoft Science

Peter Lee is president of Microsoft Science, where his responsibility is to accelerate the pace of discovery in the physical, biological and medical sciences through the use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Previously, he led the world laboratories of Microsoft Research. Before joining Microsoft in 2010, he established a new technology office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, creating operational capabilities in machine learning, data science and computational social science.

From 1987 to 2010, Lee was a professor and the head of the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the boards of several institutions in AI and medicine, including the board of trustees of the Mayo Clinic and the board of directors of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. He served on President Obama 麻豆精品 S檚 Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity and has testified before both U.S. House and Senate committees.

He is the co-author of the book, The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond. In 2024, Lee was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in health and life sciences.

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ucf-commencement-addition-finanical-arena Commencement will be held at Addition Financial Arena. ucf-graduation-photos-map-main-campus Best photographic locations on UCF's main campus for grad photos. ucf-downtown-photos-graduation UCF Downtown's most photographic locations for grad pictures. UCF_Barry Miller 2026 Brian Adams – ucf-commencement Brian Adams Caulfield, Gloria – ucf commencement Gloria Caulfield Gellman-Danley-Barbara Headshot-UCF-commencement Barbara Gellman-Danley gen smith-ucf-commencement Maj. Gen. Smith Peter-Lee-headshot-ucf-commencement Peter Lee
UCF Recognizes Faculty Excellence With 2026 Promotion and Tenure Awards /news/ucf-recognizes-faculty-excellence-with-2026-promotion-and-tenure-awards/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:17:42 +0000 /news/?p=152490 One hundred faculty members are recognized for excellence in teaching, research and service.

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UCF has recognized 100 faculty members with promotion and tenure for the 2025 麻豆精品 S26 academic year, marking a significant milestone in their academic careers and contributions to student success and the university.

Over the course of nearly a full academic year, peers, departmental and college leadership, and the university promotion and tenure committee engaged in a rigorous, multi-stage review to ensure candidates met UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 high standards in teaching, research, and service. Ultimately, they recommended 100 faculty members for promotion, including 23 for tenure.

Following the review process, the president and provost make final decisions on promotions, while the UCF Board of Trustees provides final approval for tenure candidates. These decisions directly advance UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 strategic plan and its focus on recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty 麻豆精品 S especially those who elevate student success, accelerate discovery and research, and strengthen the talent pipeline that drives innovation and economics for the state of Florida.

麻豆精品 S淎t UCF, promotion and tenure reflects a thoughtful, rigorous review process and the high standards we set as an institution and state, 麻豆精品 S says John Buckwalter, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a significant moment for these faculty, not just for the years of hard work it recognizes, but for what promotion and tenure represents: a sustained commitment to excellence, a deep dedication to student success, research that boldly improves lives, and the future we 麻豆精品 S檙e building together. 麻豆精品 S

Promotions and tenure conferrals annually take effect on Aug. 8.

The faculty members recognized below represent the continued strength and momentum of UCF.

Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure

  • John Gardiner, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Tadashi Ishikawa, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Sara Raffel, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jeffery Redding, College of Arts and Humanities
  • John Bush, College of Business
  • Seongho An, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Cynthia Williams, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Jiannan Chen, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Chinwendu Enyioha, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Ozlem Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Yao Li, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Miguel Bandres, College of Optics and Photonics
  • Robert Fitak, College of Sciences
  • Shyam Kattel, College of Sciences
  • Kelsey Larsen, College of Sciences
  • Kangsang Lee, College of Sciences
  • Xialing Lin, College of Sciences
  • Emily Zavodny, College of Sciences
  • Kayode Aleshinloye, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
  • Carissa Baker, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
  • YunYing Zhong, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine with Tenure

  • Taj Azarian, College of Medicine
  • Thomas Kean, College of Medicine

Promotion to Professor (Tenured)

  • Thaddeus Anderson, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Ann Gleig, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Melanie Guldi, College of Business
  • Xin He, College of Business
  • Laurie Campbell, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Eric Merriam, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Woo Hyoung Lee, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Thomas Wahl, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Yang Yang, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Jacqueline Towson, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Romain Gaume, College of Optics and Photonics
  • Jacopo Baggio, College of Sciences
  • Matthieu Baudelet, College of Sciences
  • Karin Chumbimuni Torres, College of Sciences
  • Geoffrey Cook, College of Sciences
  • Amy Donley, College of Sciences
  • Hsin 麻豆精品 S慔siung Huang, College of Sciences
  • Brigitte Kovacevich, College of Sciences
  • Arkadiy Lyakh, College of Sciences
  • Peter Smith, College of Sciences
  • Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

Promotion to Associate Professor of Medicine

  • Maria Farooq, College of Medicine

Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine

  • Naziha Slimani, College of Medicine
  • Sharon Wasserstrom, College of Medicine

Promotion to Clinical Professor of Medicine

  • Mariana Dangiolo, College of Medicine

Promotion to Research Associate Professor

  • Crystal Maraj, Office of Research

Promotion to Associate Lecturer

  • Jonathan Barker, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Sara Willox, College of Business
  • Elizabeth Yost, College of Business
  • Michael Gilbrook, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Alison Redd, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Michael Redd, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Michael Chetta, College of Sciences
  • Heather Edwards, College of Sciences
  • Seongchun Kwon, College of Sciences
  • Adam Parrish, College of Sciences
  • Jamie Vega, College of Sciences
  • Tong Wan, College of Sciences
  • Rong Zhou, College of Sciences

Promotion to Senior Lecturer

  • Christy Flanagan 麻豆精品 S慒eddon, College of Arts and Humanities
  • David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Deborah Leitch, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Amanda Snyder, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jeanine Viau, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Constance Goodman, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Daniel Stephens, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Shane Trenta, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Marino Nader, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Sudeshna Pal, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Rachid Ait Maalem Lahcen, College of Sciences
  • Cynthia Bayer, College of Sciences
  • Martha Hubertz, College of Sciences
  • Tamra Legron 麻豆精品 S慠odriguez, College of Sciences
  • Hyung Park, College of Sciences
  • Widaad Zaman, College of Sciences

Promotion to Associate Instructor

  • Meeghan Faulconer, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Yukari Nakamura, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Carolina Salazar, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Punam Desormes, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Jorri Bright, College of Sciences
  • Richard Hall, College of Sciences
  • Nicholas Zuccarello, College of Sciences

Promotion to Senior Instructor

  • Rita De Luca Guerriero, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Steven Ton, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Todd Fix, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Julie Matura, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Lance Speere, College of Sciences
  • Abigail Ferreira, UCF Global

Promotion to Associate Instructional Designer

  • Rebecca McNulty, Division of Digital Learning

Promotion to Senior Instructional Designer

  • Amy Sugar, Division of Digital Learning

Promotion to Associate Librarian

  • Renee Montgomery, UCF Libraries

Promotion to University Librarian

  • Sai Deng, UCF Libraries
  • Sarah Norris, UCF Libraries
  • Andrew Todd, UCF Libraries
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Founders’ Day 2026: Faculty Recognized for Excellence /news/founders-day-2026-faculty-awards/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000 /news/?p=152007 The annual event spotlights approximately 280 faculty for excellence, years of service, and other contributions that drive what 麻豆精品 S檚 next at UCF.

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UCF will highlight approximately 280 faculty members for academic excellence and service at Wednesday 麻豆精品 S檚 annual Founders 麻豆精品 S Day Faculty Honors Celebration in the Student Union 麻豆精品 S檚 Pegasus Ballroom.

Recipients will include this year 麻豆精品 S檚 awardees of some of the highest honors the university bestows, including: Pegasus Professor; the 麻豆精品 S疢edal of Societal Impact; the Reach for the Stars Award; the Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award; and the Champion of Student Success and Well-Being.

Also being honored are university excellence award winners; those who recently reached milestone years of service; Faculty Senate service awardees; faculty granted 麻豆精品 S别尘别谤颈迟耻蝉 麻豆精品 S辞谤 麻豆精品 S别尘别谤颈迟补 麻豆精品 Sstatus; and retired or retiring faculty members.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 celebration includes recognition of Chuck Dziuban, one of the longest-serving and most trailblazing faculty members in school history. His remarkable 55-year-career includes being UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 inaugural Pegasus Professor and founding director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Starting this year at Founders 麻豆精品 S Day, the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching will be given to underscore the talented faculty behind UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 nationally renowned reputation as a leader in in online teaching and learning.

Here are this year 麻豆精品 S檚 faculty honorees.

2x2 grid of portraits of Hassan Foroosh (upper left), Carmen Giurgescu (upper right), Annette Khaled (bottom left) and Matthew Marino (bottom right)
Hassan Foroosh (upper left); Carmen Giurgescu (upper right); Annette Khaled (bottom left); and Matthew Marino (bottom right) are the recipients of the 2026 Pegasus Professor Award. (Photos by Antoine Hart)

Pegasus Professor Award

Hassan聽Foroosh,聽College of Engineering and Computer Science

Carmen聽Giurgescu, College of Nursing

Annette R. Khaled, College of Medicine

Matthew Marino, College of聽Community Innovation and Education

3 x 3 grid of portraits of six Reach for the Stars award winners
Reach for the Stars Award winners: Hao-Zheng (top left), Ana Carolina de Souza Feliciano (top right), Soyoung Park (middle left), John Bush (middle right), Kevin Moran (bottom left), and Shyam Kattel (bottom right).

Reach for the Stars Award

John Bush, College of Business

Ana Carolina聽de Souza Feliciano, Office of Research

Shyam Kattel, College of Sciences

Kevin Moran, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Soyoung Park, College of Community Innovation and Education

Hao Zheng, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Zhihua Qu

Medal of Societal Impact Award

Zhihua Qu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award

Suha Saleh,聽College of Health Professions and Sciences

Deborah Beidel
Deborah Beidel

Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year

Deborah Beidel, College of Sciences

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

College Awardees

Tanvir Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Matthew Bryan, College of Arts and Humanities

Peter Delfyett, College of Optics and Photonics

Nyla Dil, College of Medicine

Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Deborah Horzen, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Jerousek, College of Sciences

Betsy Kalin, College of Sciences

Evelin Pegoraro, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Plate, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alfons Schulte, College of Sciences

Nicholas Shrubsole, College of Arts and Humanities

Daniel Stephens, College of Community Innovation and Education

Wei Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Danielle Webster, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Sara Willox, College of Business

Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

Widaad Zaman, College of Sciences

University Winner

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Excellence in Graduate Teaching

College Awardees

Shaurya Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kim Anderson, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Shannon Carter, College of Sciences

Sasan Fathpour, College of Optics and Photonics

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dana Joseph, College of Business

Magdalena Pasarica, College of Medicine

Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities

Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Winner

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Excellence in Research

College Awardees

Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education

Zixi (Jack) Cheng, College of Medicine

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Romain Gaume, College of Optics and Photonics

Nan Hua, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Kevin Mullally, College of Business

Matthew Stock, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Ladda Thiamwong, College of Nursing

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Cyrus Zargar, College of Arts and Humanities

University Winner

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Brunette woman wearing glasses, green shirt and plaid skirt stands in conference room with large table and yellow chairs
Nicole Lapeyrouse 麻豆精品 S16MS 麻豆精品 S18PhD (Photo by Antoine Hart)

Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching

Nicole Lapeyrouse, College of Sciences

Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising

Emily Proulx, College of Arts and Humanities

Excellence in Professional Service

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Excellence in Librarianship

Katy Miller, UCF Libraries

Excellence in Instructional Design

Amy Sugar, Division of Digital Learning

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health

David Boote, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral Scholars

Kausik Mukhopadhyay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Thomas Wahl, College of Engineering and Computer Science

20 Years of Service

Haiyan Bai, College of Community Innovation and Education

Brian Barone, College of Arts and Humanities

Aman Behal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Corinne Bishop, UCF Libraries

Joseph Brennan, College of Sciences

Mark Calabrese, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Li-Mei Chen, College of Medicine

Baiyun Chen, Division of Digital Learning

Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences

William Crampton, College of Sciences

Richard Curcio, College of Business

Donovan Dixon, College of Sciences

Martin Dupuis, Burnett Honors College

Michelle Dusseau, College of Sciences

Dorin Dutkay, College of Sciences

Kirk Gay, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah German, College of Medicine

William Hagedorn, College of Community Innovation and Education

Joseph Harrington, College of Sciences

Fayeza Hasanat, College of Arts and Humanities

Bobby Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elizabeth Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alisha Janowsky, College of Sciences

Abdelkader Kara, College of Sciences

David Kwun, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Peter Larson, College of Arts and Humanities

Joseph LaViola Jr., College of Engineering and Computer Science

Edgard Maboudou, College of Sciences

Kevin Mackie, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Iryna Malendevych, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences

Holly McDonald, College of Arts and Humanities

Florin Mihai, College of Arts and Humanities

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

George Musambira, College of Sciences

Nina Orlovskaya, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Talat Rahman, College of Sciences

25 Years of Service

Laura Albers-Biddle, College of Community Innovation and Education

Steven Berman, College of Sciences

Tarek Buhagiar, College of Business

Melissa Dagley, College of Sciences

Sabatino DiBernardo, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Dickie, College of Business

Ivan Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Anthony Grajeda, College of Arts and Humanities

Bari Hoffman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Steven Hornik, College of Business

Anna Jones, College of Arts and Humanities

Mikhail Klimov, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stefanie Mayfield Garcia, College of Business

Rudy McDaniel, College of Arts and Humanities

Rachel Mulvihill, UCF Libraries

Christopher Niess, College of Arts and Humanities

Eugene Paoline, College of Community Innovation and Education

Sumanta Pattanaik, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

Walter Sotero, College of Sciences

Suren Tatulian, College of Sciences

Nizam Uddin, College of Sciences

Lei Wei, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Graham Worthy, College of Sciences

Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics

30 Years of Service

Charlie Abraham, College of Arts and Humanities

Helen Becker, College of Business

James Campbell, College of Arts and Humanities

Karl X. Chai, College of Medicine

Ratna Chakrabarti, College of Medicine

Jill Fjelstul, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Barbara Fritzsche, College of Sciences

Nora Lee Garc铆a, College of Arts and Humanities

Linwood Jones, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alexander Katsevich, College of Sciences

Kuotsai Tom Liou, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Logan, College of Arts and Humanities

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Eric Martin, Office of Research

Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities

Charles H. Reilly, Office of the Provost

Timothy Rotarius, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peter Spyers-Duran, UCF Libraries

Alexander Tovbis, College of Sciences

Laurence von Kalm, College of Sciences

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Bruce Wilson, College of Sciences

Hong Zhang, College of Arts and Humanities

Ying Zhang, UCF Libraries

35 Years of Service

Issa Batarseh, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alain Kassab, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Chung-Ching Wang, College of Sciences

40 Years of Service

Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Georgiopoulos, College of Engineering and Computer Science

David Hagan, College of Optics and Photonics

Anna Lillios, College of Arts and Humanities

Mubarak Shah, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kalpathy Sundaram, College of Engineering and Computer Science

45 Years of Service

Robert Rivers, College of Arts and Humanities

55 Years of Service

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Faculty Emeritus and Emerita

Lynn Casmier-Paz, College of Arts and Humanities

James Clark, College of Arts and Humanities

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Robin Kohn, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Donna Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Robin Roberts, College of Business

Sherron Killingsworth Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Roney, College of Arts and Humanities

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Retired Faculty

Ahlam Al-Rawi, College of Sciences

Donna Breit, College of Nursing

Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities

Chinyen Chuo, Student Success and Well-Being

Therese Coleman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Philip Fairey, Office of Research

John Fauth, College of Sciences

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Roger Handberg, College of Sciences

C. Keith Harrison, College of Business

Randall Hewitt, College of Community Innovation and Education

Rebecca Hines, College of Community Innovation and Education

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Charlie Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alvaro Islas, College of Sciences

Mourad Ismail, College of Sciences

David Jenkins, College of Sciences

Michael Johnson, Office of the Provost

Dayle Jones, College of Community Innovation and Education

Denise Kay, College of Medicine

Gary Leavens, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mary Little, College of Community Innovation and Education

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Macedonia, Office of Research

Wasfy Mikhael, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Roslyn Miller, Division of Digital Learning

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Vicki Montoya, College of Nursing

Brian Moore, College of Sciences

Donna Felber Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peggy Nuhn, UCF Libraries

Joyce Nutta, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jeffrey O 麻豆精品 S橞rien, College of Business

Bendegul Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Brian Plamondon, Office of Research

Michael Proctor, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Enrique Puig, College of Community Innovation and Education

Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, College of Sciences

Mark Rapport, College of Sciences

Sherron Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Kelly Schaffer, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elzbieta Sikorska, College of Sciences

Jo Smith, Division of Digital Learning

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Steiner, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Raymond Surette, College of Community Innovation and Education

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Patti Thielemann, College of Nursing

Cheryl Van De Mark, College of Community Innovation and Education

Martine Vanryckeghem, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Jane Vaughan, College of Arts and Humanities

Scott Warfield, College of Arts and Humanities

Debbie Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Philip Wessel, College of Community Innovation and Education

James Whitworth, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Boguslawa Anna Wolford, College of Community Innovation and Education

Laine Wyatt, College of Arts and Humanities

Cherie Yestrebsky, College of Sciences

Martin Klapheke, College of Medicine

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Euripides Montagne, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Darlin’ Neal, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Pape, College of Business

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

David Young, College of Sciences

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FoundersDay-ucf-2026 Hassan Foroosh (upper left); Carmen Giurgescu (upper right); Annette Khaled (bottom left); and Matthew Marino (bottom right) are the recipients of the 2026 Pegasus Professor Award. (Photos by Antoine Hart) UCF reach for the stars awards 2026 Reach for the Stars Award winners UCF_Zhihua-Qu_2026_3 UCF_Deborah-Beidel_2025 Deborah Beidel ucf-Nicole Lapeyrouse-online-award Nicole Lapeyrouse 麻豆精品 S16MS 麻豆精品 S18PhD (Photo by Antoine Hart)
UCF Celebrates Order of Pegasus, Student Awardees During Founders Day 2026 /news/founders-day-2026-student-awardees/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:45:01 +0000 /news/?p=151945 The Order of Pegasus inducts its 25th class of exemplary Knights among more than 50 students who will be recognized at the annual celebration.

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UCF will honor 56 exceptional students at Founders 麻豆精品 S Day on Wednesday for excellence in scholarship, leadership and service across various disciplines.

Our students are groundbreaking national and global scholarship winners, researchers, athletes, teaching assistants, residence assistants and leaders in campus organizations, including Student Government, LEAD Scholars and the President 麻豆精品 S檚 Leadership Council. The honorees include transfer students, those from first-generation and international backgrounds and members of the Burnett Honors College.

Aside from focusing on academics and campus causes, many of the student honorees volunteered at hospitals, schools, parks, food banks, shelters, clinics, youth clubs and with many community service organizations 麻豆精品 S at times as organizers and coordinators for support drives and campaigns.

麻豆精品 S淲hen you look at this group, you see trajectory. 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S John Buckwalter, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

麻豆精品 S淭he students we recognize at our Founders 麻豆精品 S Day Student Honors Celebration are extraordinary not just for what they 麻豆精品 S檝e achieved, but for how they 麻豆精品 S檝e shaped their time at UCF. They 麻豆精品 S檝e pursued opportunities, challenged themselves and lifted others along the way, 麻豆精品 S says John Buckwalter, UCF’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you look at this group, you see trajectory 麻豆精品 S students whose experiences here are opening doors in meaningful ways and changing the direction of their futures, the trajectories of their families and the communities they inhabit. 麻豆精品 S

Student award categories highlight new inductees of the Order of Pegasus, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 highest student honor; graduate awards for outstanding master 麻豆精品 S檚 thesis and outstanding dissertation; undergraduate awards for honors thesis; and individual college awardees as chosen by the respective college deans. All honorees earned financial awards.

This year 麻豆精品 S檚 37 inductees into the Order of Pegasus mark the 25th anniversary class of top-achieving Knights. The average GPA of the 2026 class is 3.912.

The campus community is invited to attend the Student Honors Celebration on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union 麻豆精品 S檚 Pegasus Ballroom. A brief reception will follow.

Here are the students to be recognized.

Order of Pegasus Inductees

  • Fatima Alziyad, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
  • Andy Ayup, College of Sciences
  • Megan Bailey, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
  • Stacie Becker 麻豆精品 S23, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Akash Hari Bharath 麻豆精品 S25MS, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Swati Bhargava 麻豆精品 S25MS, College of Optics and Photonics
  • Sanjana Bhatt, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Griffon Binkowski 麻豆精品 S24, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
  • Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
  • Nico Chen, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
  • Kyle Coutray, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
  • Allyson Crighton, College of Nursing and Burnett Honors College
  • Nyauni Crowelle-Feggins, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
  • Cameron Cummins, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
  • Andrew 麻豆精品 S淒rew 麻豆精品 S Hansen 麻豆精品 S25, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Andrea Hernandez Gomez, College of Sciences
  • Lindsey Hildebrand, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Ariana Johnson, College of Medicine
  • Sanjan Kumar 麻豆精品 S23, College of Medicine
  • Kworweinski Lafontant, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Meera Lakshmanan, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
  • Ilana Logvinov, College of Nursing
  • Hannah Lovejoy, College of Business
  • Taiel Lucile, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
  • Robin Marquez, College of Sciences
  • Shanel Moya Aguero, College of Community Innovation and Education and Burnett Honors College
  • Gabrielle 麻豆精品 S淕abby 麻豆精品 S Murison, College of Sciences
  • Varun Nannuri, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Natalie Otero, College of Business and Burnett Honors College
  • Om Pathak, College of Medicine, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
  • Pritha Sarkar 麻豆精品 S24, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Jacob Vierling, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Janapriya Vijayakumar, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Ornella Vintimilla, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
  • Om Vishanagra, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College

Undergraduate Student Awards

College Founders 麻豆精品 S Award

  • Liam Pivnichny, Burnett Honors College
  • Antonella Bisbal Hernandez, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jordan Nell, College of Business
  • Jude Hagan, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Timothy Horanic, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Sun Latt, College of Medicine
  • Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
  • Jacob Silver, College of Optics and Photonics
  • Emily Willis, College of Sciences
  • Fabian Rodriguez Gomez, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis

  • Edwin Garcia 麻豆精品 S25, College of Arts and Humanities, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Arts, Humanities and Creative Inquiry
  • Eric Haseman 麻豆精品 S25, College of Sciences, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Social Sciences
  • Shreya Pawar 麻豆精品 S25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Natural Sciences
  • Andrea Molero Perez 麻豆精品 S25, College of Medicine, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Health Sciences
  • Nicholas Rose 麻豆精品 S25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Engineering and Technology

Graduate Student Awards

Outstanding Dissertation

  • Jessica Moon 麻豆精品 S25PhD, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Michael Pierro 麻豆精品 S20 麻豆精品 S23MS 麻豆精品 S25PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
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UCF Earns 2026-27 Gold Award for Support of Military, Veteran Students /news/ucf-earns-2026-27-gold-award-for-support-of-military-veteran-students/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:08:17 +0000 /news/?p=151787 The honor illustrates UCF’s commitment to our military-connect students’ academic progress, graduation rates, career placement and support services.

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UCF has earned a 聽signaling the university 麻豆精品 S檚 growing support for military and veteran students. This is the first year UCF has earned the聽Gold聽designation, following聽many聽years聽as a聽Silver聽awardee.

麻豆精品 S淭his recognition reflects years of intentional work across the university to better support military-connected students, 麻豆精品 S says Andrea Guzm谩n, UCF vice president for access and community engagement. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e focused on building stronger support systems, removing barriers, and ensuring students have clear pathways from enrollment through career. 麻豆精品 S

College-age man in Army fatigues stands at salute under a white rotunda
Army ROTC is a college elective program, designed to develop individual leadership skills for either a military or civilian career.

In addition to our Gold Award and recognition as a Military Friendly Spouse School, UCF has been previously designated as a Purple Heart Institution, Florida Purple Star Campus, Best Military-Friendly Online College and聽Military Times 麻豆精品 S櫬 2025 Best for Vets Colleges List.

Today about聽4,000聽military-connected聽students聽are enrolled聽at UCF, and there are a聽range of services coordinated through the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success (MVSS) to support them:

Holistic Programming

  • An orientation dedicated聽for聽military-connected students and their families
  • Expanded student engagement and social activities, which include families and military veterans within our community
  • Collaboration with 聽affiliates, most notably Valencia College, to streamline transition for transfer students

Academic Resources

  • Peer-to-peer tutoring in courses with high drop or fail rates
  • VA Work Study and university academic coaching programs prepare and train military-connected students to provide academic coaching to their peers

Career Readiness

  • Industry partnerships聽 麻豆精品 S including聽Amazon, JE Technology and Disney 麻豆精品 S斅爐hat provide opportunity and engagement through mentorships,聽internships听补苍诲 career fairs
  • Range of workshops, lunch and learns and professional development opportunities

Access to Financial Support聽

  • Established an endowed scholarship to provide assistance to military-connected students
  • Potential for 麻豆精品 S渕eal plan 麻豆精品 S grants, emergency relief funds, tuition and fee waivers, and housing subsidies as part of co-curricular and academic support programs
  • Participates in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs 麻豆精品 S Yellow Ribbon Program, a tuition assistance initiative for veterans and eligible dependents

Five military students stand shoulder to shoulder at attention while holding flags on Memory Mall

Additionally, MVSS聽empowers UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 faculty and staff through professional development opportunities with strategies and tips on how to best serve and engage with聽military-connected聽students.

A new liaison program has been piloted in the last year, placing an MVSS staff member with VA work study students at the聽Rosen College of Hospitality Management听补苍诲听UCF Downtown聽to increase support services for military-connected students at those campus locations.聽In聽Fall聽2026, the program is expected to expand to聽the College of Business, College of聽Sciences听补苍诲 College of Arts and Humanities.

麻豆精品 S淭he support the office provides is some of the most efficient and effective support I have encountered at UCF, 麻豆精品 S says聽蹿颈苍补苍肠别听尘补箩辞谤聽Abigail Kost. 麻豆精品 S淚 have scored interviews from career fairs and connections from lunch and聽learns. The office is also a pillar of emotional wellbeing and has helped me navigate VA benefits and scholarship opportunities. I would not have come as far as I have without the office 麻豆精品 S檚 resources. 麻豆精品 S

Woman with curly brown hair dressed in black graduation cap and gown with blue decorative Air Force stole smiles in a crowd

UCF: Committed to Serving Veterans

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 commitment to serving veterans is not singularly confined to聽our聽Office of Military and Veteran Student Success.

In January, 麻豆精品 SU.S. News & World Report 麻豆精品 S痳补苍办别诲听UCF No. 6 for online bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 programs for veterans.

UCF is home to 麻豆精品 S, a nonprofit clinical research center and treatment clinic聽established聽to 麻豆精品 Schange the way post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related concerns are understood, diagnosed, and treated.

Led by UCF Trustee Chair and Pegasus Professor Deborah Beidel, who is currently聽, the organization employs a unique and effective approach to treatment. A combination of exposure therapy, emerging technology and individual and group therapy sessions resulted in 66% of participants with combat-related trauma and 76% of first responders no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following three weeks of intensive treatment.

A woman sits at a desk with two computer monitors while a man in blue shirt wearing a black VR headset sits next to the desk.
Virtual reality is used in exposure therapy at UCF RESTORES to help treat PTSD.

Last year,聽UCF became one of 12 universities nationwide聽 麻豆精品 S and the only school in Florida and the southeast 麻豆精品 S斅爐o participate聽in a new Service to Service initiative. The national pilot program is dedicated to connecting veterans and their families with graduate educational pathways in public service and helping them find impactful long-term careers in public leadership.

A partnership between UCF College of Medicine and Orlando VA Medical Center聽聽 麻豆精品 S斅爈ocated聽next door to each other in Lake Nona 麻豆精品 S檚 Medical City 麻豆精品 S斅爀nsures every medical student聽receives training in specialties including surgery, internal medicine,聽neurology听补苍诲 psychiatry at the Orlando VA Medical Center.

Medical Student Gary Saloman examines a patient under the guidance of Andrew Taitano at the Orlando VA Medical Center.

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 history department has been documenting veterans 麻豆精品 S stories聽as part of the Library of Congress 麻豆精品 S櫬燰eterans History Project聽since聽2010.聽UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Veterans Legacy Program, which was founded in 2017 as a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, focuses on documenting the lives of those buried in Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 nine national cemeteries.

About Military Friendly

Founded in 2003, Military Friendly is an organization that measures organizations 麻豆精品 S commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.

Military Friendly Schools strive toward and succeed in the areas that matter most in helping veterans make the transition from the military to school and, ultimately, satisfying careers in the civilian world. Earning the designation shows a school meets the minimum criteria.

Military Friendly 麻豆精品 S檚 final ratings for its Schools list were determined by combining each institution 麻豆精品 S檚 survey responses, government/agency public data sources, and measurements across retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students and specifically, for student-veterans.

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ucf-military-rotc-cadet Army ROTC is a college elective program, designed to develop individual leadership skills for either a military or civilian career. 2025 UCF MIlitary-Students veteran-commencement-air-force-ucf UCF-RESTORES-Therapy Virtual reality is used in exposure therapy at UCF RESTORES to help treat PTSD. UCF-Andrew-Taitano Medical Student Gary Saloman examines a patient under the guidance of Andrew Taitano at the Orlando VA Medical Center.
84 Faculty Scholars Honored at the 5th Biennial Faculty Authors 麻豆精品 S Celebration /news/84-faculty-scholars-honored-at-the-5th-biennial-faculty-authors-celebration/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:58:56 +0000 /news/?p=151182 This year 麻豆精品 S檚 celebration recognized faculty from across nine colleges, the Center for Distributed Learning, the Institute for Simulation and Training, the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy and UCF Libraries.

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Beyond teaching and conducting research, many faculty members devote significant time 麻豆精品 S sometimes years 麻豆精品 S to authoring books. Their work spans instructional texts that guide students 麻豆精品 S learning to creative publications that explore new ideas.

This year, UCF honored 84 faculty members during the fifth biennial Faculty Authors 麻豆精品 S Celebration, held Feb. 17 in the Solarium Room at the John C. Hitt Library on the university 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus. The event celebrates faculty whose published books 麻豆精品 S from novels and poetry to textbooks and manuals 麻豆精品 S contribute to scholarly excellence and creativity in their respective fields.

UCF Professor of English Anastasia Salter speaks at a podium into a microphone during the 2026 Faculty Authors 麻豆精品 S Celebration.
Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address at this year 麻豆精品 S檚 Faculty Authors 麻豆精品 S Celebration. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

The event, which is sponsored by the聽Office of Research听补苍诲听, drew many guests, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter and Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address. Salter is the author or co-author of 10 books on digital culture and electronic literature, including most recently Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope, which invites readers to rethink their relationship with gaming and game characters.

2026 Faculty Author Honorees

  • Yara Asi 麻豆精品 S07MA 麻豆精品 S15PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Jonathan Annand,
  • Greg Autry, College of Business Administration
  • William Ayers, College of Arts and Humanities
  • James Bacchus, College of Sciences
  • Morris Beato, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • James Beckman, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Andrea Borowczak 麻豆精品 S92, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Wayne Bowen, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Jessica Campbell 麻豆精品 S12MA 麻豆精品 S20PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Shannon Carter, College of Sciences
  • Robert Cassanello, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Necati Catbas, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Thomas Cavanagh 麻豆精品 S06PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
  • Karl Chai, College of Medicine
  • Baiyun Chen 麻豆精品 S07PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
  • Amy Cicchino, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Brian Collins,
  • Ilenia Col贸n Mendoza, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences
  • Aimee Denoyelles 麻豆精品 S00, Center for Distributed Learning
  • Taseen Desin, College of Medicine
  • Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Julie Feuerstein, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Scot French, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Martha Garcia 麻豆精品 S97 麻豆精品 S00MA, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Carolyn Glasshoff 麻豆精品 S11MA 麻豆精品 S21PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Donita Grissom 麻豆精品 S14PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Gulsah Hancerliogullari Koksalmis, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Duncan Hardy, College of Arts and Humanities
  • David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Bari Hoffman 麻豆精品 S96 麻豆精品 S98MA, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Emily Johnson 麻豆精品 S15PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Naim Kapucu, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Lauren Kehoe,
  • Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Nolan Kline, College of Medicine
  • Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
  • David Lerner Schwartz, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Hsiu-fen Lin, College of Health Professions and Sciences
  • Robert Littlefield, College of Sciences
  • Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
  • Stephen Masyada, College of Sciences
  • Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences
  • Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Hakan 脰zo臒lu, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jason Phillips, UCF Libraries
  • Laurie Pinkert, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Ghaith Rabadi 麻豆精品 S96MSIE 麻豆精品 S99PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Sherry Rankins-Robertson, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
  • Lee Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Mary Rubin 麻豆精品 S12 麻豆精品 S19MA, UCF Libraries
  • Houman Sadri, College of Sciences
  • Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Scott Carter, College of Sciences
  • Melina Sherman, College of Sciences
  • Marwan Simaan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Christopher Spinale 麻豆精品 S04MEd 麻豆精品 S24PhD, College of Sciences
  • Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Bulent Soykan, Institute for Simulation and Training
  • Sidney Turner, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Jennie Wagner, College of Nursing
  • Linda Walters, College of Sciences
  • Chung Ching (Morgan) Wang, College of Sciences
  • Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
  • Taylar Wenzel 麻豆精品 S11EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Amanda Wilkerson 麻豆精品 S16EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Florence Williams, Center for Distributed Learning
  • Andrew Williams Jr., College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Ross Wolf 麻豆精品 S88 麻豆精品 S91MPA 麻豆精品 S98EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Sharon Woodill, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Kuppalapalle Vajravelu, College of Sciences
  • Jill Viglione, College of Community Innovation and Education
  • Staci Zavattaro, College of Community Innovation and Education
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Faculty Authors’ Celebration 2026 Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address at this year 麻豆精品 S檚 Faculty Authors 麻豆精品 S Celebration. (Photo by Antoine Hart)