Inspiring
Excellence U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T R A L F LO R I DA • O R L A N D O
Everything starts with the desire to be more than you are today. A HIGHLY COVETED BRAND. A MORE STIMULATING PLACE TO WORK. A MORE SKILLED RESEARCHER. A BETTER PARTNER. A BETTER PREPARED STUDENT. A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. A WORLD’S FIRST. A CHANCE TO GROW.
we provide the opportunity for students to mature, for faculty to excel and for alumni to contribute in countless ways. AT U C F ,
STUDENT
Making a Difference LUCIEN CHARLAND was originally attracted to UCF’s warm and sunny location, but when he learned about our no-cost, study-abroad programs and a diplomacy program run by a U.S. ambassador during his campus visit, he was convinced. Inspired by a President’s Scholars service-learning trip to the Caribbean and an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, the Global Studies major has launched a startup company to set up sustainable hydroponic farming on the island of St. Kitts funded in part by a grant from the Clinton Global Initiative.
“If you care about something, you can make a difference at UCF. There are so many opportunities to get in on the ground level and create something important that lasts for years to come.”
FACULTY
Merging Art Forms As a professor of music in the School of Visual Arts and Design, STELLA SUNG helps students bridge the gap between traditional art forms and cutting-edge technology. Sung is an internationally renowned composer creating new works for opera, orchestra and ballet, and leads UCF’s Center for Research in Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment.
“We are on the cutting-edge for the next generation of composers. There is enormous freedom to develop innovative ways to integrate music into film, digital media, video games and interactive media.”
ALUMNUS
Giving a Helping Hand ALBERT MANERO, ’12, gathered 14 friends made up almost entirely of UCF students with skills ranging from engineering to nursing, to build a prosthetic arm for a 6-year-old boy using a 3-D printer in a heartpounding eight-week sprint. Manero is a Fulbright scholar and couldn’t miss his first day at the German Aerospace Center.
“Together we are learning to dream big and make a real impact for those in need in the developing world and at home. We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
ALUMNA
Telling the Tough Stories MARCI GONZALEZ, ’05, knew as early as elementary school that she wanted to be a TV news reporter. Armed with a UCF degree, the ABC News correspondent chased her love for broadcast journalism to New York City, where she has learned a great deal from interviewing people in times of tragedy. For Gonzalez, who has covered horrific events from the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, to Superstorm Sandy and the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, dealing with tragedy is part of telling the story.
“Each time I’ve had to talk to someone on the worst day of his or her life, I’ve learned a little bit more about the sensitivity and tact needed to cover tragedies.”
FACULTY
Mending a Broken Heart Heart attacks happen when blood vessels in the heart become blocked, leading to the death of heart cells and a hardening of the heart muscle. Professor DINENDER SINGLA is researching ways to replace dead heart cells with stem cells. If successful, he will improve the quality of life for people with heart disease and save lives.
“I was triggered to do my research because my mother suffered from diabetes and heart issues. Because of that, I want to work to solve these problems.�
FACULTY
Virtual Sights, Sounds … and Smells of War Olfaction distinguishes UCF’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment program. DEBORAH BEIDEL, director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, uses olfactory stimulants such as “Moroccan marketplace,” “body odor” and “weapon fire” to stimulate the part of the brain that handles memory and emotions.
“The point is not to make people comfortable with these events, but to decrease the emotion that has gone along with them. So someone stops being afraid to drive under an overpass because it triggers a reaction related to a bridge attack they lived through in Iraq.”
ALUMNUS
Made in Space JASON DUNN, ’07, is catalyzing a technological advance that he believes will lead humanity to colonize Mars. The company the aerospace engineering graduate co-founded, Made in Space, will install the first 3-D printer on the International Space Station. Think of it as the Star Trek “replicator” brought to reality. If the experiment goes as planned, future astronauts will use his machine to create spare parts, tools and even complex machines like satellites on their way beyond the solar system.
“In my lifetime, I want to see people living in space — not in a little metal cylinder 400 km above us like the International Space Station — but really living out there, being multiplanetary. I think it’s possible.”
STUDENT
Leading the Way ALEXIS PLATER joined LEAD Scholars because she wanted to stand out from the crowd. During the leadership development program, the junior math education major found a like-minded community of active students, developed new confidence and met some of her best friends. Opportunities to serve as a LEAD peer mentor and to volunteer with student organizations such as Cupcakes for Cancer and Relay for Life have helped her grow as a person and prepared her for a career as an educator.
“College is about so much more than just going to class. If you don’t get involved, you’re not really broadening your horizons. Because UCF has such a wide variety of majors, organizations and clubs, you can learn so many new things.”
ALUMNUS
Entrepreneurial Energy Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions (IDEAS) For Us started as a student group and has expanded to 25 chapters that include universities, high schools and community projects in 13 countries. CHRIS CASTRO, ’10, is its executive director. And during President Bill Clinton’s commencement address at UCF, he singled out IDEAS For Us as a White House Champion of Change.
“I came to UCF with a bunch of surf buddies. I didn’t really think I was going to get into the environmental movement.”
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
PA I D
U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T R A L F LO R I DA
Orlando, FL Permit No. 2543
O F F I C E O F U N D E R G R A D U AT E A D M I S S I O N S ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32816-0111 P 407 823 3000
admissions.ucf.edu
1406ADM312-011/14
A Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services