IMPACT TH E MAGA ZIN E O F I G N ITE : TH E CAM PAI G N FO R U C F
BEYOND THE SYLLABUS From concerts to conservation work, UCF students and faculty make life better in Central Florida communities
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SPRING
Inside Spring 2019 | Issue 1, Volume 3
A Beginning, Not an End The name IGNITE was chosen for the most ambitious fundraising campaign in UCF’s history partly in homage to the university’s beginnings as a source of personnel for the burgeoning space program. We envisioned the institution as a rocket on the launch pad and philanthropy as the vital spark needed to ignite its engines, fully unleashing the university’s massive potential. It was an apt metaphor; now more than ever, private support serves as a kind of catalyst, providing a crucial margin of excellence to public universities across the country. Today, UCF remains closely tied to space exploration and science. In December and again in January, UCF’s Collisions Into Dust Experiment (known as COLLIDE) went to space aboard Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin (respectively) rockets. And last September, SurfSat — a small satellite designed and built from scratch by UCF faculty and students to collect data about how different spacecraft surfaces react to electrons and ions encountered in space — was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket (pictured). As we count down the last days of the eightyear, $500 million IGNITE Campaign, we are mindful that zero will mark a beginning, not an end.
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UCF President-elect Dale Whittaker outside Millican Hall
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“THE SUPPORT OF OUR ALUMNI, FRIENDS AND FAMILY IS A SOLID INDICATION OF THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE PEOPLE PLACE IN THIS GREAT UNIVERSITY.” — Rick Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14, IGNITE Campaign Chair
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FLASH POINTS new cybersecurity lab / Christopher Weech / Hispanic-Serving Institution designation / interim president / campaign conclusion / Day of Giving results
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TEN MINUTES WITH… College of Community Innovation and Education Dean Sissi Carroll
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PERSPECTIVE IGNITE Campaign Chair Rick Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14 on the importance of finishing strong
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B E YO N D T H E SY L L A B U S Since its founding, UCF has benefited Central Florida as a source of intellectual capital. But faculty and students also put their knowledge directly to work in community-facing programs that make life in Central Florida better every day.
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COUNTDOWN IGNITE Campaign at a glance / campaign progress / a family gift to support Limbitless Solutions /
IMPACT is published three times a year by UCF Advancement for alumni, friends and partners of the university who have made philanthropic commitments to IGNITE: The Campaign for UCF. Please direct correspondence and address changes to foundation@ucf.edu or Impact Editor, 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 250, Orlando, FL 32826.
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VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT AND CEO, UCF FOUNDATION, INC. Michael J. Morsberger, CFRE
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS Patrick Crowley
MANAGING EDITOR Zack Thomas
ART DIRECTOR John Sizing | jspublicationdesign.com
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Chasing Dreams
The Lockheed Martin Cyber Innovation Lab at UCF serves as the primary campus hub for cybersecurity students.
New Cybersecurity Hub Opens at UCF
Christopher Weech happened upon his future career path almost by accident. After moving from his native Bahamas to Clermont with his older brother in ninth grade, he graduated from Lake Minneola High School and started taking general education courses at LakeSumter State College. One semester, he ended up in pre-calculus and trigonometry simultaneously. It might have been a nightmare for some, but Weech was a natural. Ultimately, his newly discovered love of math led him down the road to electrical engineering, after learning about generators in a physics class. “Once you learn how things work and what goes into it, it’s amazing what humans can do,” he says. While still at Lake-Sumter, Weech set his sights on UCF. The only roadblock would be financial. “I’d have to either take a year off and work full time to save money, or see if I could get a scholarship,” he says. Fortunately, his high grades and passion for learning earned him a scholarship from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, which helps exceptional students in the DirectConnect to UCF program. Now a senior at UCF, Weech plans to work in the power industry. “The scholarship was a godsend,” he says. “I got more than money, I got time — time to concentrate on school. It gave me the opportunity to chase my dreams and become the person I want to be.”
Lockheed Martin commits $1.5 million.
A newly-opened lab on UCF’s main campus will help meet the growing local and national need for cybersecurity talent, thanks to a $1.5 million donation from Lockheed Martin. The Cyber Innovation Lab will serve as the primary hub for students to develop and expand their information security skills and prepare them to enter the high-demand field. The National Institute of Standards and Technology estimates that there are more than 13,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Florida alone, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs for information security analysts will grow by 28 percent by 2026. Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Solutions business in Orlando has grown by 400 percent during the past five years and continues to grow in response to the nation’s critical need for offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities in today’s evolving threat environment. “The future battlespace will be heavily reliant on cyber,” says Stephanie C. Hill, deputy executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. “By working with institutions like UCF, through labs like this one, we’ll all better understand and accelerate our shared capabilities and potential to adapt and innovate in the fifth domain.” UCF rose to national prominence in cyber defense education when the university’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club won three back-to-back championships in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2016, UCF was named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS A GODSEND. I GOT MORE THAN MONEY, I GOT TIME TO CONCENTRATE ON SCHOOL.
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Christopher Weech
“THESE OPPORTUNITIES NOT ONLY STRENGTHEN OUR STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN A NOTABLE SEGMENT OF THE LEADERS AND WORKFORCE IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. INVESTING IN LATINO STUDENTS IS INVESTING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.” — CYNDIA MUÑIZ, UCF’s assistant director of Hispanic initiatives, speaking about UCF’s designation in February as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, allowing the university to compete for federal funding opportunities to improve the educational experience of Hispanic students.
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57%
Thad Seymour Jr.
IGNITE Nears Finish Line
As time winds down, campaign leaders emphasize finishing strong.
Seymour Named Interim President In late March, the Florida Board of Governors confirmed the UCF Board of Trustees’ selection of Thad Seymour Jr. as the university’s interim president through the summer of 2020. Before being named to the longer-term role, Seymour was selected as a short-term interim president after President Dale Whittaker resigned in February. “Dr. Seymour was selected because of his exceptional background, both in business and academia, and his impactful work at UCF to date,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Garvy at the time. “He has helped to move us forward and provided a thoughtful and steady hand during this important time of healing.” UCF’s search for a new president is anticipated to begin this fall, with the goal of selecting a new president in early 2020. The new president would likely start during the summer of 2020. Seymour has been with UCF since 2015, most recently serving as vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer. Prior to joining UCF, he had a successful three-decade business career in Central Florida that included leading strategic planning and business development for Lake Nona Medical City as senior vice president at Tavistock. “If my years in business taught me anything,” says Seymour, “it’s to use each challenge as an opportunity to be better, stronger and more effective than you were before.”
Increase from 2018 to 2019 in the number of alumni, friends, fans, faculty and staff who made gifts during UCF’s annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour giving challenge held in late March. This year, 3,056 donors combined to give a total of nearly $300,000 to priority areas across the university.
“BEING SO CLOSE TO THE CAMPAIGN GOAL, WE’RE CONFIDENT WE’LL REACH IT. WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE JUST HOW FAR WE CAN GO.”
June 30 marks the end of the IGNITE Campaign, a sustained eight-year effort to secure $500 million in private support to advance UCF. Since the campaign began in 2011, more than 100,000 different donors have combined to make nearly 400,000 separate gifts, ranging from $5 to eight figures. As of December 31, 2018, total gifts and commitments stood at approximately $479.5 million, or 96 percent of the goal amount. “Being so close to the campaign goal, we’re confident we’ll reach it,” says UCF Foundation CEO Mike Morsberger. “We’re excited to see just how far we can go.” The final amount will be publicly announced at an event on October 18, during UCF Homecoming. Still, campaign chair Rick Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14 and other volunteer leaders are urging alumni, friends and partners to help IGNITE surge across the finish line and exceed the goal. “You can still make a difference,” Walsh says. “Your gift will show the world — and our future donors — that we, as Knights, believe in this exceptional university.” Donors to the campaign have chosen to support a wide range of priorities across the university, including student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, innovative programming, athletics excellence and new initiatives like UCF Downtown and the Academic Health Sciences Center at Lake Nona. Over the past three years, the UCF Foundation has forwarded more than $75 million to the university for use in those areas and others.
Scholarships and other measures to expand access are among the key priorities of the IGNITE Campaign, which ends June 30.
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10 MINUTES WITH...
Sissi Carroll
programs and operations there by this fall. So to say that Carroll has had a full plate this past year is to dramatically understate the situation. Still, CCIE has thrived, graduating more education majors than any other institution in Florida and earning top-50 rankings from U.S. News & World Report for numerous graduate programs. “Innovation is part of our name,” Carroll says, “and we don’t just teach it; we do it.”
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Dean, College of Community Innovation and Education
hen Pamela “Sissi” Carroll came to UCF in 2015, it was as dean of the College of Education and Human Performance, a well-regarded unit that primarily served — as most education colleges do — to prepare K–12 teachers and educational leaders. Then, in 2017, UCF leaders formed a task force to examine ways the university could better leverage its existing strengths in health care, urban innovation, education, communication and new media. Out of the task force’s work came a decision in early 2018 At first glance, some of the programs within CCIE don’t to form two new colleges and dissolve the College of have much in common. Education and Human Performance and another college. What ties them all together? Carroll was named to lead the new College of “OUR STUDENTS The common thread is Community Innovation and Education (CCIE), that we are all communityWILL BE ABLE TO composed of not only the programs found in facing. We try to help LEARN NOT JUST improve lives by working traditional education colleges, but also programs with community memFROM OUR FACULTY in public administration, emergency management, bers. In the traditional AND EACH OTHER nonprofit management, urban and regional university model, we put BUT ALSO FROM planning, legal studies, criminal justice and health fields of study — elementary education, for exammanagement and informatics. PRACTITIONERS. ple — at the middle of the At the same time, it was announced that table with teaching, research CCIE would be the “college anchor” of UCF’s new and service arranged around downtown campus and would move most of its them. In this model, we’re putting igniteucf.org
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social issues and questions — like how does poverty interfere with a child’s ability to thrive — in the middle and then bringing different fields of study — education, public administration, health services administration, legal studies and so on — to bear on them. By working together from all those different perspectives, we can really get at some answers. Are there other colleges like CCIE, or is this a new idea? For now we’re fairly unique in the diversity of our programs and the interdisciplinary nature of our work. Some universities bring together diverse programs for financial reasons, but CCIE represents a much more purposeful combination based on the community-facing nature of our programs. There’s an increasing focus on community engagement among universities, so I believe this is a direction we’ll see more colleges take. What makes CCIE particularly well suited to be the “college anchor” of UCF Downtown? The academic programs that will be there are those that will benefit most from the opportunities for meaningful field experiences and internships presented by the downtown Orlando community. Our students will be able to learn not just from our faculty and each other but also from practitioners. Instead of the 30-ish law-related
practices in the immediate area of the main campus, you have about 500 close to the downtown campus. The city government is right there for our public administration students. The Orange County courthouse is right there. The two major hospitals in Orlando are right there, along with their administrative centers. How do students benefit from combining these diverse programs within one college? Learning from each other’s disciplines enriches education. For instance, we know that teenagers who end up incarcerated have a much higher rate of illiteracy than those who don’t. But what’s behind that? How do those things relate to each other? When teacher education and educational leadership students have the opportunity to work together with criminal justice and legal studies students to look for answers, they learn more than they would working within their own disciplines. How significant has philanthropy been to CCIE? Our vision statement talks about engaging with the social and economic fabric of communities, so being located in the heart of the city is obviously vital to achieving that. But that wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of those who helped fund construction of the downtown campus. I can’t tell you how grateful we are.
Af te r an un for ge tta ble se as on wit h th e M ar ch ing Kn igh ts , re ce ivin g th e Br an en Ba nd Sc hol ar sh ip th is ye ar wa s
th e ici ng on th e ca ke . I am gra te ful an d hon ore d! Ou r ba nd pro gra ms wo uld n’t be as su cc es sf ul, imp ac tfu l an d vis ibl e
wit hou t su pp ort lik e you rs . Th is opp ort un ity wil l he lp me jum p- st ar t th e se me st er an d ke ep me on tra ck for gra du at ion ne xt fa ll! Th an k you ag ain so mu ch . Go Kn igh ts !
PERSPECTIVE
To the Whistle When we publicly launched IGNITE: The Campaign for UCF back in 2016, our end date of June 30, 2019, seemed so distant. Well. Here we are. It feels like the time has gone by in a blink. Now we’re coming into the home stretch and approaching what is certain to be a successful close to the largest fundraising initiative in UCF’s history. As of December 31, 2018, our campaign total stood at $479.5 To make a gift online, million. So, the question isn’t “will visit ucffoundation.org/ we reach our goal of $500 million,” givenow. The campaign’s but rather, “how much farther will final total will be unveiled we go.” This is where our alumni in October during UCF and friends come in. This is where Homecoming. you come in. Our collective success will speak volumes. The support of our alumni, friends and family is a solid indication of the trust and confidence people place in this great university. Donor generosity runs the gamut from providing needed dollars for student scholarships, to endowing faculty positions, to supporting academic programs and athletics. But giving now is about more than what the dollars can do. It’s about standing up and showing you believe in the future of this institution that we love and in the good it’s done for us and the good it’s doing today. It’s about exceeding expectations yet again. It’s about playing all the way to the whistle. I promise you, those things matter today more than they ever have. If you’re among those who have already made a gift, thank you! No matter the size of the gift, your participation in IGNITE will make a positive impact in UCF’s history by providing the margin of excellence that is so vital in public higher education. I still hope, though, that you’ll consider one last gift in these final days. If you’re not among our donors, time is running out to add your name to those of the more than 103,000 alumni, friends, families and partners who have already joined this historic effort. I urge you to do so not only for the tangible good your dollars will do for our students, but also for what your decision to give will say to so many. One of this university’s greatest strengths is this: We never give up. We always finish strong. As we count down the final days, please help us do what we always do — and what in today’s world we need to do. Let’s finish strong. Go Knights! Charge on!
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—Rick Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14 chairs the IGNITE Campaign, serves on the UCF Foundation Board of Directors, and is chairman and CEO of the Knob Hill Companies. He is a chair emeritus of the UCF Board of Trustees, of which he was also a charter member. Walsh holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public policy from UCF and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2014 in recognition of his extraordinary achievements and service.
NOTES OF GRATITUDE In this space, we feature excerpts from thank-you letters the foundation receives from students and others whose lives have been changed by donors like you. This one came from Sarah Spielman, a senior majoring in industrial engineering and minoring in music.
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BEYOND THE SYLLABUS
SINCE ITS FOUNDING, UCF HAS BENEFITED CENTRAL FLORIDA AS A SOURCE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL. BUT FACULTY AND STUDENTS ALSO PUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE DIRECTLY TO WORK IN COMMUNITY-FACING PROGRAMS THAT MAKE
LIFE BETTER EVERY DAY
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istorically, colleges and universities in the U.S. have served mainly to advance understanding through high-level research and scholarship and to convey knowledge to their students. That’s still the case today, and both functions remain vitally important. Research and scholarship carried out at universities lead directly to the discoveries that move our world forward, while university graduates comprise the vast majority of today’s — and tomorrow’s — community, business and thought leaders. Increasingly, though, some universities are serving their communities more directly — not just advancing and disseminating knowledge but also applying that knowledge to help meet tangible, pressing needs. At UCF, for example, the RESTORES Clinic offers extraordinarily effective PTSD treatment to military personnel and veterans as well as first responders and others. And Limbitless Solutions designs and builds innovative and visually appealing prosthetic
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limbs arms for children. In both cases, the benefits are mutual. At RESTORES, UCF graduate students sharpen their clinical skills treating clients, while faculty are able to develop and refine treatments. At Limbitless, students from a huge variety of disciplines gain invaluable experience applying what they’ve learned about technology, design, art, health care, communication, business and more to real situations. Also in both cases, philanthropy significantly amplifies the good being done. An extraordinarily generous commitment from Jim ’81 and Julia Rosengren helps RESTORES treat more clients and train more graduate students in its groundbreaking techniques, while giving to Limbitless helps the nonprofit provide more arms to more children and further refine its technology. Across campus and throughout Central Florida, UCF programs, faculty and students are making things better every day — often with help from private support like yours. Here are a few of the countless ways they’re doing so.
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Tremon Kizer, associate director of bands/director of athletic bands, at UCF Celebrates the Arts.
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Arts for All
MAKING THE ARTS ENGAGING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY UCF CELEBRATES THE ARTS is an annual festival showcasing creativity, innovation and collaboration. Now five years old, the 10-day celebration features performances and artists from across the university. The 2019 festival, held in April at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center, underscored the resilience of humans and the healing power of art in overcoming adversity. “We were not planning on having a theme when we started planning this year’s festival, but as the schedule came together, we realized that arts and resilience was a common thread among many of the events,” says Michael
Wainstein, director of the UCF School of Performing Arts and producer of the festival. “We saw an opportunity to use the arts to start a conversation about the challenging events we experience and how we use art to heal and understand.” For example, in collaboration with Orlando Shakes, a workshop reading of the new musical El Wiz re-imagined The Wizard of Oz as the story of a young Puerto Rican girl displaced by deadly Hurricane Maria. Pip-Squeak: An Anti-Bullying Magic Show used comedy, tricks and costumes to gently and entertainingly teach children how to cope with bullying.
One of this year’s festival highlights, The National Young Composers Challenge Composium, featured composers ages 13–18, whose work was evaluated by professionals and then performed by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Other events included the Tony Award-winning musical Titanic, ensemble and chamber concerts, opera, living art and unique performances that could not be seen anywhere else. “We present some of the most diverse and innovative art projects UCF has to offer with experiences in theatre, music, visual art, literature, history, technology, film, performance art, virtual
reality and more,” says Wainstein. Attendance has increased every year, with more than 15,000 tickets reserved in 2019. Many of the events are also streamed live. Philanthropic support helps the university maintain its commitment to keeping UCF Celebrates the Arts free or low-cost and accessible to all in the Central Florida community. I
TO HELP: Kara Robertson, 407.823.3448 or kara.robertson@ucf.edu
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Faculty member Megan Nickels with a PedsAcademy student at Nemours Children’s Hospital
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Bedside Teaching BRINGING EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN CHRONICALLY ILL CHILDREN with lengthy hospital stays often end up falling behind in school. But, thanks to the UCF PedsAcademy at Nemours Children’s Hospital, the world’s first pediatric school program, about 45 UCF faculty and student teachers now deliver STEM education to these children, using virtual reality, robotics and other high-tech learning tools.
Up to 60 children receive at least three hours of bedside instruction per day and are taught in ways that are conducive to their physical limitations and sensory conditions. For example, a child receiving chemotherapy may experience problems with focus and working memory, so their assignments might center around activities that involve repetitive programming and
small increases in task difficulty. The PedsAcademy program was inspired by research showing that a disruption in education due to chronic illness often results in an inability to catch up to peers and perform at grade level. In the longterm, this can limit achievement and social mobility. More than 1,000 children have participated since the program began last August.
TO HELP: Curtis Proctor, 407.823.4947 or curtis.proctor@ucf.edu
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“Our purpose,” says Megan Nickels, the PedsAcademy faculty director and a UCF assistant professor of STEM education, “is to provide a rich, meaningful educational experience so [kids with chronic illnesses] aren’t just keeping pace with their healthy, typically developing peers, but that they’re actually getting extraordinary educational opportunities while in the hospital.”
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TO HELP: Millie Erichsen, 407.823.1952 or millie.erichsen@ucf.edu
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THE CAUSES BEHIND THE looming ecological crisis for east-central Florida’s Indian River Lagoon are manifold and complicated: fertilizer runoff, sewage leaks, restriction of flow, a warming climate, overharvesting, boat traffic and a host of other factors. Not surprisingly, there’s little consensus about potential solutions. One thing almost everybody agrees on, though, is that restoring oyster populations to historic levels will help. In recent years, the lagoon has been plagued with algal blooms that knock back both seagrasses and oyster reefs, which are fundamental to the health of the ecosystem. But oysters naturally clarify water by filtering out sediments, nutrients, algae and other microorganisms as they feed. Since 2005, teams of UCF students, faculty and volunteers led by Pegasus Professor of Biology Linda Walters have been working to restore shrinking and damaged oyster reefs to their historic footprints by placing stabilized “mats” of oyster shells where dead reefs have recently developed. Resistant to washing away by boat wakes, the stabilized shells provide a secure place for larval oysters to attach and grow. Walters, along with UCF biology colleague Dr. Melinda Donnelly, also leads shoreline stabilization projects, planting young mangroves and marsh grasses and placing oyster shell bags to combat shoreline loss. It’s muddy, buggy, sweaty work, but its value is indisputable. The Indian River Lagoon is not only among the richest and most biodiverse estuaries in the world, but also vital to east-central Florida’s economy. While others are arguing in committees and hearings and council meetings about what might work and how to get it done, Walters and her teams are out there, knee deep in the muck, doing it. Of course, those meetings are also important to the lagoon’s future, but while they take place, Walters estimates her teams, including over 60,100 community volunteers, have brought back more than 10.8 million oysters. I
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Wading In
DOING THE DIRTY WORK TO HELP RESTORE EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA’S ESTUARIES
Preparing a damaged reef for placement of oyster mats where new larval oysters will grow
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Clinic Medical Director Dr. Magdalena Pasarica with medical students
Community Medicine PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL MEDICAL CARE FOR UNINSURED CENTRAL FLORIDIANS KNIGHTS (Keeping Neighbors in Good Health Through Service) Clinic, the student-run free clinic that provides medical care for uninsured Central Floridians, was established six years ago to help Grace Medical Home in Orlando manage their patient waiting list and give UCF medical students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-world life. UCF medical students handle all aspects of the clinic — from making appointments and drawing blood to providing intensive patient education —
and collaborate with University of Florida pharmacy students who run the pharmacy and with UCF social work students who provide care for patients’ psychosocial needs, like unemployment, depression and addiction. Care is supervised by medical school faculty and local physicians. The clinic has also been nationally recognized for its obesity counseling program designed by the clinic’s medical director, Dr. Magdalena Pasarica, an associate professor at the College of Medicine who
specializes in nutrition, lifestyle and obesity medicine. KNIGHTS clinic is made possible by funding from the Diebel Legacy Fund at the Central Florida Foundation. The fund was established to honor Dr. Don Diebel Jr., an Orlando OB-GYN who died in 2002 when he was struck by a tractor-trailer after stopping to help a couple trapped in an overturned pickup on Florida’s Turnpike. The family established the fund to encourage humanitarianism and selfless service in others. I
TO HELP: Chip Roberts, 407.266.1040 or charles.roberts@ucf.edu
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Neighborly Engagement
IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARRAMORE COMMUNITY Adjacent to the new downtown campus shared by UCF and Valencia College, the 1.5-squaremile Parramore neighborhood was a thriving community during the first half of the 20th century but today faces a host of challenges rooted in segregation, deep-seated poverty and low educational attainment. UCF, Valencia and other partners are working to improve the quality of life for residents by focusing on five key areas: jobs, health, education, safety and affordable housing.
At the Orange County Public Schools Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), UCF partners with OCPS, Valencia College, Orange Blossom Family Health, the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHSFL) and other nonprofit organizations to provide not only K-8 education for Parramore’s children but also wraparound services for students and their families like health and dental care, no-cost daycare, summer programs, enrichment programs and more. This innovative approach, known as the
Community Partnership School Model, was developed by UCF and CHSFL. Prior to the opening of ACE in fall 2017, Parramore hadn’t had its own elementary school for 46 years; the neighborhood’s children had been split up and bussed to eight different schools. UCF also partnered with the nonprofit organization Canvs to support entrepreneurial activity downtown. Now known as StarterStudio Parramore and located within UCF’s Center for Emerging Media, the entrepreneurial community will
focus exclusively on the Parramore district’s business growth by providing training and resources to help residents start and grow local businesses. Meanwhile, with generous support from the Florida Blue Foundation, UCF has established the Parramore Healthy Community Coalition to create a model that promotes individual health, civic health and community health through a variety of events and programming ranging from nutrition education to diabetes screenings. I
TO HELP: Curtis Proctor, 407.823.4947 or curtis.proctor@ucf.edu
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Story time at the OCPS Academic Center for Excellence
COUNTDOWN
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FINISHING STRONG
IGNITE CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
IGNITE: The Campaign for UCF closes June 30. An intense, focused and strategic effort to channel the collective resources of our alumni, friends, partners, faculty and staff toward the common goal of infusing the university with $500 million in missioncritical private support, IGNITE was publicly announced September 16, 2016, but has been underway since the summer of 2011. As of December 31, 2018, total gifts and commitments stood at approximately $479.5 million, or 96 percent of the goal amount. The final total will be publicly announced in October, during UCF Homecoming. UCF Advancement and volunteer leaders, though, are emphasizing the importance of “finishing strong.” To add your name to those of the more than 100,000 alumni, friends and partners who have already joined in this historic effort, visit igniteucf.org.
(July 1, 2011 – April 3, 2019)
Growth and Opportunity
33%
Student Success
22%
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CAMPAIGN PRIORITY
Leadership IGNITE is powered by volunteers — the UCF Alumni and UCF Foundation boards as well as thousands more at many different levels — whose efforts are steered by a dedicated and dynamic Campaign Cabinet: Richard J. Walsh ’77, ’83MS, HC’14, Chair, IGNITE: The Campaign for UCF Nelson J. Marchioli ’72, Chair, UCF Foundation Board of Directors Phyllis Klock HC’14 Lawrence J. Chastang ’80 Michael J. Grindstaff ’78 Allen R. Weiss ’76, Honorary Member Michael J. Morsberger, Ex Officio Vice President for Advancement and CEO, UCF Foundation, Inc.
Academic Excellence
44%
Alumni
Corporations
22%
Priorities Student Success By expanding access through alternative pathways, by making a UCF education affordable to all deserving students through scholarships and fellowships, and by expanding programs that enrich the student experience and prepare students for success after graduation, we will continually strive to offer the best education to one of the nation’s largest and most diverse student bodies.
41%
%
Friends
DONOR CLASSIFICATION
18%
Academic Excellence By attracting and retaining top faculty members, by supporting the work of interdisciplinary faculty clusters, by helping fund critical research, and by providing the most advanced learning facilities and technologies, we will further elevate UCF’s academic environment and spur exciting and relevant discoveries. Foundations
8%
Growth and Opportunity By leveraging existing strengths, seeking strategic partnerships and pursuing new opportunities — including expanding UCF’s presence in downtown Orlando, promoting interdisciplinary endeavors to develop innovative health care solutions, contributing to a healthier environment, and expanding global initiatives — we will strive to lift lives and livelihoods across Central Florida and beyond.
Government entities
6%
Organizations
5%
TOTAL GIFTS AND COMMITMENTS VS. GOAL AMOUNT BY COLLEGE OR DIVISION (millions) 100
93.9
87.8
80
85.0
Gifts and Commitments Goal
55.0
55.0
60
40
20.0
32.9 30.0
3.6
11.8 10.0
5.0
Burnett Honors
2.4 Arts and Humanities
Business
Community Innovation and Education
Engineering and Computer Science
10.9
8.0
Health Professions and Sciences
Medicine
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33.5
30.0
20.0
14.1
20
0
26.5
22.7 22.0
15.0
Nursing
8.1
25.0
5.0
Optics and Photonics
Sciences
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Knights Athletics
Student Development and Enrollment Services
COUNTDOWN
Left to right: Malia Tomasso, Tricia Woolm ’00, Kellen Woolm, Chris Tomasso ’93 (kneeling), Jared Tomasso, Melissa Tomasso ’94, Eva Woolm, J.D. Woolm ’97 and Cathi Carruthers at the Limbitless lab.
GIFT SPOTLIGHT
A Family Comes Together to Support Limbitless Cathi Carruthers’ gift last year to support Limbitless 10, 12, 16 and 19 — with news of the gifts in their names, Solutions was a family affair. told them about the recognition plaque that would placed It began after her daughter, UCF Alumni Board member on the donor recognition wall in the Limbitless lab, talked Melissa Tomasso ’94, toured the Limbitless lab with the about what the money would mean to the children who Parent and Family Philanthropy Council would receive arms, and invited them on a and then called Cathi afterward. Melissa’s family tour of Limbitless. THE GRANDS excitement about the innovative 3D-printed In January, Cathi and Melissa along with WERE SO PROUD prosthetic arms she’d seen, the students who Melissa’s husband, Chris Tomasso ’93, a WHEN THEY SAW design and make them, and the children of the Foundation Board; Melissa’s THE PLAQUE WITH member whose lives they change was contagious. brother, J.D. Woolm ’97; his wife, Tricia THEIR NAMES Cathi, a former elementary school Woolm ’00; and the grandchildren (the ON THE WALL. teacher whose parents had been involved oldest of whom is a rising sophomore at in philanthropy, was intrigued. She “stewed UCF) all visited the lab. “The grands were for a few weeks,” she says, and then called Melissa to say she so proud when they saw the plaque with their names and a wanted to help. Her initial idea was to give $1,000 in the name replica arm on the wall,” says Cathi. of each of her four grandchildren, but she ultimately added For her part, Melissa says she’s still working with friends another, larger gift in her own name. and fellow alumni to assemble a group gift to Limbitless that At Christmas, she surprised the grandchildren — ages will fully fund an arm for another child. FOR MORE INFORMATION about supporting Limbitless Solutions, contact Jacey Poppell at 407.882.1438 or jacey.poppell@ucf.edu.
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Incredible Support
On the evening of September 16, 2016, UCF launched the public phase of the IGNITE Campaign at a gala event honoring nearly 600 donors who had already made momentum-building commitments during the campaign’s leadership phase, which began July 1, 2011. That night, total gifts and commitments to the campaign stood at $274 million. “UCF has the potential to achieve incredible things,” foundation CEO Mike Morsberger said, “but it will take incredible support to realize that potential.”
Over the course of the almost three years since, incredible support is exactly what the university has experienced, with gifts and commitments totaling well over $200 million flowing in from tens of thousands of alumni, friends, fans, students and partners. We’re as excited to announce the campaign’s final total on October 18 as we were to kick it off that night in 2016.