University of Central Florida
Division of Community Relations
Community connections
Connecting the University and the Community
Summer 2016
In This Issue: Page 1 • New Era of UCF Athletics • Capitol Connection 2.0 Page 2 • Second Annual UCF Celebrates the Arts • Founders’ Day Honors Excellence, Service • Lessons on Leadership • UCF Downtown: A Celebration Page 3 • UCF Celebrates Pulitzer Centennial • A Partnership for LIFE • Florida International Summit • CBA Real Estate Conference Page 4 • Florida College Access and Success Summit • Metro Center Outlook Schedule • Around the Community
Letter from helen Helen Donegan, Vice President, Division of Community Relations
2016 is proving to be a historic year here at the University of Central Florida, and we have much to celebrate. UCF Athletics kicked the year off by embarking on a new era under Athletic Director Danny White, who, along with his new coaching staff, has infused energy and excitement into our athletics programs like never before. In March, Gov. Rick Scott approved $20 million in state funding for the construction of the new UCF Downtown campus. This new campus is poised to transform the downtown area and provide our students with unparalleled internships and job opportunities. UCF also received numerous accolades this spring, including a No. 1 ranking for the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy from The Princeton Review and tying for the top spot among all Florida universities in state performance measures. This is an exciting time at UCF, and we look forward to sharing even greater accomplishments with you in the future. Yours in partnership,
Helen
White Kicks Off New Era of UCF Athletics
UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White officially joined the Knights family in December. White has had a busy first few months, making several additions to the UCF Athletics staff, including hiring three new head coaches (Scott Frost, football; Johhny Dawkins, men’s basketball; and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, women’s basketball), and is in the process of hiring new head coaches for the men’s and women’s tennis teams. White has also gotten actively involved in the Central Florida community. He was the keynote speaker at the UCF Community Council meeting held in March at Bright House Networks Stadium. In April, he was the keynote speaker at the Oviedo-Winter Springs Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon. Addressing both these groups of business and community leaders, White shared his vision for making UCF a perennial top-25 powerhouse by attracting and retaining top-tier student-athletes and athletics staff, providing an enhanced student experience, and leveraging corporate partnerships and cross-collaborative opportunities to achieve revenue and resource goals. He also thanked attendees for the role they play in the program’s success, particularly in the areas of season ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. As part of the Charge On Tour, White, Frost and other Knights coaches criss-crossed Florida this spring, rallying thousands of fans throughout the state. White also participated in the UCF College of Business Dean’s Speaker Series in March where he spoke on the business of intercollegiate athletics in American higher education. Additional photos from the Community Council meeting are available here.
Capitol Connection 2.0 A delegation of more than 50 Central Florida business and community leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. on April 19, as part of Capitol Connection 2016, sponsored in part by UCF. Congressman John Mica served as the host for the visit, and gave the group a personal tour of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Capitol. Several members of Congress addressed the group at a congressional issues forum, including Rep. Pete Sessions (TX), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), Rep. Randy Forbes (VA), and Rep. Virginia Fox (NC). The attendees, who were members of several area chambers of commerce (East Orlando, Oviedo-Winter Springs, Greater Sanford Regional, and Winter Park), sat in on a vote on the House floor and were also able to meet one-on-one with representatives from Florida. Additional photos from the trip can be found here.
Second Annual UCF Celebrates the Arts On April 15, approximately 200 community and university leaders gathered for a special reception at the UCF Celebrates the Arts festival at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Provost A. Dale Whittaker, College of Arts and Humanities Dean Jose Fernandez, and UCF School of the Performing Arts Director Jeff Moore spoke about arts at UCF and thanked patrons for their support. The UCF Jazz Chamber Group performed, and guests interacted with live student art exhibits displayed throughout the Dr. Phillips Center. After the reception, the guests enjoyed a sold-out performance of Patrick Doyle’s Music of Shakespeare. Doyle, a two-time Oscar nominee, has served as the composer for Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespearean films including Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V. The Office of Constituent Relations helped execute this signature event in collaboration with other members of the UCF Celebrates the Arts planning committee. The free, nine-day arts festival was open to the public and featured more than 1,000 UCF students, faculty and partners showcasing studio art, music, theatre, dance, gaming, animation, photography and film. Additional photos and videos from the 2016 UCF Celebrate the Arts festival can be found here.
Lessons on Leadership
Associate Vice President of Community Relations Maritza Martinez addressed an audience of 100 UCF students on June 1 as part of the UCF College of Business The EXCHANGE speaker series. A three-time graduate of UCF, Martinez shared with students the educational and professional path that led to her current role in university administration. She also reflected on obstacles she overcame in her career and on what qualities make a great leader. “Leadership involves empowering others to learn, make decisions, experiment, and positioning the possibility of failure as an acceptable outcome so long as a lesson is learned,” said Martinez. More information about The EXCHANGE can be found here.
Founders’ Day Honors Excellence, Service
Approximately 300 university and community friends and family gathered to honor faculty who have demonstrated excellence in service to UCF and its students at the Founders’ Day Honors Convocation on April 6. The annual convocation recognizes faculty members for outstanding teaching, advising, research, professional service, and librarianship. This includes recognition of UCF Reach for the Stars recipients for highly successful early-career research and creative activity and Pegasus Professor Award recipients for receiving UCF’s highest honor of excellence. Members of the faculty who have completed 20, 30, 40, and 45 years of service and who recently retired or who are retiring soon, and those designated with the title emerita or emeritus were also recognized for their dedicated service. New this year, faculty members who served 10 or more years as a senator in the Faculty Senate were honored for their service as the collective voice of their colleagues. Eleven students who demonstrated exceptional ability in a particular area of study were featured in videos highlighting their accomplishments. Each student was chosen by a committee within their college and presented their award by the dean of that college. Four Honors in the Major students who wrote the most outstanding theses were recognized for their achievements. For a complete list of honorees visit 2016 Founders Day Honorees.
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
UCF Downtown: A Celebration On April 6, UCF President John C. Hitt and Senior Associate Vice President for University Relations Fred Kittinger welcomed more than 200 UCF faculty, staff, donors, alumni, and other community leaders in celebrating the launch of UCF Downtown, a public-private partnership with Valencia College, Creative Village and the City of Orlando. UCF Downtown will offer degrees in digital media and communication, health information technology and administration, and community-facing programs such as social work and legal studies, connecting highly-skilled talent with industry needs. The new campus will place more than 7,000 students within walking distance of jobs and internships. Florida Governor Rick Scott approved $20 million in state funds for the project in March. Thanking attendees for their support, Hitt said, “We stand at the cusp of a bold new future for Orlando, a future made possible by the power of partnerships and by perseverance.” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Valencia College President Sandy Shugart, and Senator Andy Gardiner joined in congratulating President Hitt on this milestone achievement. Additional event photos can be found here.
UCF Celebrates Pulitzer Centennial
In celebration of the centennial of the Pulitzer Prizes in 2016, UCF is proud to be part of the Pulitzer Centennial Campfires Initiative, and will feature a series of programs in Central Florida throughout the calendar year. Global Perspectives Director John C. Bersia, UCF’s Pulitzer Laureate, is leading the effort. “This is a special opportunity to bring the full story of the Pulitzers to virtually everyone, and to better understand how they have encouraged excellence in journalism, literature, drama and music,” Bersia said. In late January, Bersia joined hundreds of other laureates for the Pulitzer Prize Centennial celebration in Washington, D.C. Prize winners were invited to a number of events and activities throughout the city. These included the recording of recollections by Prize winners, special presentations, panel discussions and a gala reception. The group photo of the Prize winners, shown above, was taken in Sulzberger Hall at The Newseum. To take part in the celebration, UCF will participate in the Pulitzer Centennial Campfires Initiative, which is bringing a series of events to Central Florida during 2016. One example is the Florida International Summit 2016 featured in this newsletter, which had a Pulitzer panel on the news media and international education.
Florida International Summit The University of Central Florida hosted the 2016 Florida International Summit on February 25 at the UCF Student Union. The summit is the signature event that the Florida Network for Global Studies (FNGS) supports every year. The network is a coalition that, through established global studies programs, aims to advance the exchange of information on economic, political, social and technological change taking place in an increasingly globalized world. Each year, the location of the summit rotates among member schools—FIU, FSU, UCF, UF, UNF and USF. The theme of this year’s summit was “Transforming the World Through Education.” Distinguished presenters in keynote addresses and panel discussions addressed key issues in global education from the perspectives of government, NGOs, academia and journalism. Keynote presenters included President and CEO of the Institute of International Education Allan Goodman, and Belize’s Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, the Hon. Patrick J. Faber. The first panel discussed the importance of international literacy, while the second explored the process of shaping a global citizen. The third panel featured several Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists, discussing the role of the news media in international education and awareness. This event is one of UCF’s contributions to the Pulitzer Centennial Campfires Initiative in 2016. Click here to learn more about the summit and here to read more about FNGS.
A Partnership for LIFE As the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at UCF celebrates its 25th anniversary, the Global Perspectives Office celebrates another year of partnership with the organization through our LIFE Global Issues Series. For four weeks, the office provides a different voice on a global issue during the group’s weekly meetings. The LIFE members opened their meeting space in the Pegasus Ballroom of the UCF Student Union with students, faculty, staff and members of the community so that all may come learn from the lectures. The series this year featured the following speakers and subjects: • Kim Barker, author of “The Taliban Shuffle,” discussed her book and experience as a journalist with limited travel experience being immersed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. • HRH Princess Theodora, a princess of Greece and Denmark and god-daughter to Queen Elizabeth II, spoke about her upbringing, conflicts in Greece and the importance of youth activism. • Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Ernie Audino, an Army veteran with extensive experience in Iraq, discussed the importance of the Kurds to U.S. national security. • John C. Bersia, UCF’s Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and Pulitzer Laureate, spoke about the Pulitzer Centennial, and the award institution’s importance over the last 100 years.
CBA Real Estate Conference Highlights Central Florida’s Growth, Development Trends
The UCF College of Business Administration hosted its fourth annual real estate conference, themed “Destination Florida: The Future of the Central Florida Real Estate Market,” on May 4. Metro Center Director Diane Trees moderated a panel discussion on the current trends that are bringing development, capital, visitors and residents to Central Florida and how that may change in the near future. Panelists included Congressman John Mica, Skyplex developer and Mango’s Tropical Café owner Joshua Wallack, Visit Orlando President George Aguel, and Florida High Tech Corridor President Randy Berridge. The conference was presented by the UCF College of Business Administration Dr. P. Phillips Institute for Research and Education in Real Estate and Dr. P. Phillips School of Real Estate. Additional event photos can be found here. COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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2016 Florida College Access and Success Summit More than 200 educators and education policymakers attended the 2016 Florida College Access Network conference on May 11–12 which focused on increasing postsecondary access and success for all Florida students. Metro Center Director Diane Trees moderated the “Goal 2015 Think Tank: Is College in Florida Affordable?” panel discussion which delved into what college affordability means to today’s students and families and how policy changes can make higher education more accessible for Floridians. Panelists included Cheryl D. Blanco, vice president for postsecondary education, Southern Regional Education Board; Rachel Fishman, senior policy analyst, Education Policy Program, New America; and Nate Johnson, owner and principal consultant, Postsecondary Analytics, LLC. Additional event photos can be found here.
Join host Diane Trees on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. as she tackles issues of regional and national significance on Metro Center Outlook. Don’t miss her exclusive, in-depth interviews with Central Florida’s business leaders and elected officials. Check local listings for encores and additional information: http://wucftv.org/. And keep up with the latest Metro Center Outlook episodes and news by following the show on Facebook and Twitter.
June 19
June 26 Gambling Expansion
Indian River Lagoon
The issue of gambling expansion in Florida evokes controversy and debate. Paul Seago, executive director of No Casinos, and Milton Champion III, a consultant to the gaming industry, discuss the pros and cons for the state in terms of economic impact, state revenues and Florida’s family-friendly image.
Decades of pollution and neglect have brought the once pristine Indian River Lagoon to a perilous state of decline. Dr. Robert Weaver, director of the Indian River Lagoon Research Institute, and Tony Sasso, executive director of Keep Brevard Beautiful, discuss protecting and restoring the lagoon.
Around the Community The fourth annual EA Sports Riverside Dash took place on April 3. Featuring a series of races for runners of all abilities, the Riverside Dash benefits the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools and was sponsored in part by the UCF Metro Center.
Community Relations Manager Dawn Ofodile joins the ranks of Leadership Winter Park alumni at the Class XXVI graduation on May 19. Leadership Winter Park is a program of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce that identifies and promotes potential leaders from the business community who desire to become involved in making a difference in Winter Park.
The ninth annual Heart of Florida United Way Women’s Leadership Luncheon on March 17 featured record-breaking endurance athlete and sports journalist Diana Nyad. The event was attended by nearly 1,000 community leaders and raised a record $182,000 to support educational programs throughout Central Florida. Vice President of Community Relations Helen Donegan founded the Women’s Leadership Council in 2007 to address critical problems impacting women and children in the tri-county area.
University of Central Florida Division of Community Relations
Athletic Director Danny White addressed members of the OviedoWinter Springs Chamber of Commerce on May 5. The Oviedo-Winter Springs community is home to more UCF season ticket holders than any other municipality.
UCF Downtown | 36 West Pine Street | Orlando, FL 32801 Phone: 407.235.3935 | Fax: 407.317.7744 | Email: communityrelations@ucf.edu
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