Pegasus Magazine Spring 2016 by University of Central Florida

The Magazine of the University of Central Florida

SPRING 2016

What is the tipping point between towers and trees?

SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY Since 1972, UCF’s Lake Claire Recreation Area has given students a place to take a break from classes and enjoy all that Florida’s natural beauty has to offer.

VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2016

INBOX

PEGASUS First-Generation Students November 2, 2015

At UCF, 25.5 percent of the total 54,815 undergraduates are first-generation students. Read why they’re an important investment for America — http://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/ripple-effect/ 14 comments

Sandy Rose I am the first person in my family to go to college. Now that I am in remission from cancer, I am going to see about getting back in next semester to finish my MSW at UCF. November 2, 2015

Huracan Liddy May God give you the strength that you need to achieve your goal. November 3, 2015

First-generation students such as Sruthy Babu make up 25 percent of UCF’s undergraduates.

RIPPLE

Grethel Flores First-generation college students have so much more to fight for, not only for themselves but for their families … no time for quitting! November 2, 2015

Christina Restrepo Nazar I needed to see this. Thank you! November 2, 2015

EFFECT

715 people like this. 54 shares

THE FALL 2015 ISSUE OF PEGASUS REALLY HIT CLOSE TO HOME. “Ripple Effect” (page 28) is a true

statement. I am a first-generation college graduate. I graduated from Oak Ridge High School 15 years ago and went through the Seizing Opportunities for Achievement and Retention (SOAR) summer program. It was an honor to be a part of that 2000 SOAR class. My parents emigrated from Haiti in the early ’80s and worked very hard to provide for us. I recall my senior year of high school and how anxious I was about going off to college even though it was only a 45-minute drive away. I didn’t have the support [of parents who had attended college] and had to figure it out. I can’t believe that UCF was the only school I applied to. Being a first-generation student, I inspired my siblings. I am the oldest of six, and since I graduated from UCF, two of my siblings have gone on to become college graduates, and one is currently a freshman at an out-of-state university. I was the one they came to with all of their college questions. The ripple just keeps going. I feel such a sense of achievement to say that I’m a Knight. As Knights, we charge on to the fields of our communities with fulfillment. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and currently work as a nurse care manager at Florida Hospital. I wouldn’t trade my experience and the foundation that I received at UCF for anything. Love Pegasus magazine — there’s something for everyone. Keep up the good work.

Graduation December 2015 December 18, 2015

This semester’s grads used metallics and hot glue to bedazzle and decorate their mortarboards. Congrats, Grads! Go Knights! 134 comments

Michelle Santiago So excited! It’s finally my turn! December 21, 2015

Erica Ann Amemiya Harold GO KNIGHTS! GO ORLANDO! #myhomeforever December 21, 2015

Kezia May McLaughlin I can tell so many of these are education majors! So creative. December 22, 2015

Shirley Claude This is terrific! Way to go, grads. When I graduated I think I was one of two or three who bedazzled my mortarboard for Spring 2003 graduation in the old arena! December 23, 2015 2,484 people like this. 1,356 shares

Magdaline Fils Aime, ’06

Opinions expressed in Pegasus are not necessarily those shared by the University of Central Florida.

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VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Grant J. Heston, ’13 ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING Patrick Burt, ’08 MANAGING EDITOR Laura J. Cole CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ron Boucher, ’92 ART DIRECTORS Lauren Haar, ’06 Steve Webb DESIGNERS Mario Carrillo Adam Smajstrla, ’11 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Eric Michael, ’96 COPY EDITORS Kjerstin Dillon Peg Martin PHOTOGRAPHERS Jessica Keller, ’15 Bernard Wilchusky PRODUCTION MANAGER Sandy Pouliot ONLINE PRODUCER Roger Wolf, ’07 WEB PROGRAMMERS Jim Barnes Keegan Berry, ’12 RJ Bruneel, ’97 Jo Dickson, ’11 CONTRIBUTORS Regan Dunnick Susan Frith Michelle Fuentes David K. Gibson Peter Kerasotis Gene Kruckemyer, ’73 Roy Reid, ’88 Mark Schrope Susan White PEGASUS ADVISORY BOARD Barb Abney, ’03 Chad Binette, ’06 Anne Botteri Richard Brunson, ’84 Cristina Calvet-Harrold, ’01 John Gill, ’86 Michael Griffin, ’84 Mike Hinn, ’92 Gerald McGratty Jr., ’71 Michael O’Shaughnessy, ’81 Dan Ward, ’92

Mailbox Submissions

Emails to the editor should be sent with the writer’s name, graduation year, address and daytime phone number to pegasus@ucf.edu.

ON THE COVER: Florida is a global ecological treasure. Find out what UCF professors are doing to safeguard it on page 20.

Pegasus is published by UCF Marketing in partnership with the UCF Foundation, Inc. and the UCF Alumni Association.

PUBLISHER University of Central Florida

pegasus@ucf.edu

Mail UCF Marketing P.O. Box 160090 Orlando, FL 32816-0090 Phone 407.882.1247

Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. Due to volume, we regret that we cannot reply to every letter.

Moved recently? Changed your email address? Cert no. SW-COC-002556

Update your contact information: ucfalumni.com/contactupdates

It’s hard to believe that UCF center Tacko Fall was 16 before he held a basketball. Now, at 20 years old (and 7-foot-6), you’d be hard-pressed to find him without a NCAA regulationsize basketball in his hand. To learn about Fall’s journey from his home in Senegal to the courts at UCF, turn to Page 32.

CONTENTS In Focus 6 Under Wraps 12 On Campus 13 Briefs 14 Energizing the Future 15 1ON1 16 The New Newsroom 18 Finding Balance 20 School + Sobriety 26 Start Up Here 28 Mastering the Rebound 32 AlumKnights 36 Class Notes 39 Back in the Day 46

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GOOD MOVE Hundreds of Central Florida children are sitting still due to motor impairment, and Jennifer Tucker, a lecturer in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, is working to change that. Under her guidance, UCF is helping families transform motorized toy cars into a way for children to explore their environment. The university has hosted two workshops on campus as part of GoBabyGo, a program started at the University of Delaware that has developed an inexpensive way to retrofit existing cars with items such as foam pool noodles, kickboards and PVC pipes. And so far, the team at UCF has enabled 27 children to get moving.

“When she got in that car, it only took her a few seconds to figure it out. She was just laughing and laughing — and we had never experienced that before. It’s really been a blessing.” — Kay Bowman, grandmother of Ava, 2, who has neurological damage as a result of birth trauma

300,000

Number of children age 0 to 3 in the U.S. receiving early intervention for mobility impairment and social limitations

$15K–$20K

Cost of a traditional power wheelchair* *Very few children under the age of 3 are insured for power wheelchairs, even if needed. GoBabyGo vehicles do not replace power wheelchairs but instead offer early mobility for young children, encouraging increased social engagement and exploration, which in turn influences cognitive development.

$250–$300 175

Cost of toy vehicle retrofitted by GoBabyGo

Total number of volunteers at UCF workshops

To watch a video and learn more about GoBabyGo, visit ucf.edu/pegasus.

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BIG SHOT UCF ice hockey played to the largest crowd in its 19-year history at Orlando’s Amway Center in November. The club team, which competes in Division III of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), took on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks after an Orlando Solar Bears game. The match, which was part of the Knight’s regular season, was the first collegiate hockey game ever played at the $480 million facility, which seats up to 20,000.

“The crowd that night was amazing. It was definitely an exciting atmosphere, more than the players expected.” — Sean Weaver, UCF ice hockey head coach

2,220 5–3 155 Fans in attendance

Final score (Knights lost)

Collegiate teams the Knights compete against in ACHA Division III

Consecutive seasons the team has made the ACHA national championship tournament

Times the team has placed third at the ACHA national championship tournament

Years in a row the team has fundraised more than $30,000, more than any other UCF sports club

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IN FOCUS

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GLOBAL HEALTH In July, UCF medical, nursing and engineering students and faculty traveled to the Dominican Republic to set up temporary, no-cost health clinics, with the support of the Diebel Legacy Fund at Central Florida Foundation. The team, which also included students from the University of Florida and Universidad Católica Nordestana as well as physicians and dentists from Central Florida, served patients in rural communities while working in interprofessional teams, an innovative approach that fosters collaboration between diverse practitioners to create improved patient care.

“I got to diagnose a woman with diabetes and truly helped her start to turn her health around. It doesn’t get more real than that.” — Daniel Stehli, second-year medical student

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IMAGES COURTESY OF UCF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE/SUHTLING WONG-VIENNEAU

Patients served

Students, faculty and volunteer medical professionals

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Days in the Dominican Republic

Communities without adequate health care

Number of service trips taken

Portable generator to power lights and equipment

To watch a video and learn more about the team’s work, visit ucf.edu/pegasus.

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K N I G H T WAT C H

Artifact Under Wraps

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Egyptian mummies reveal secrets from the past to inspire future scientists. BY ERIC MICHAEL, ’96

hen students in the Mummies, Life After Death course are invited to touch and smell samples of preserved human skin, bone, hair and other remains dating back more than 2,000 years, anthropology lecturer Lana Williams, ’99, says the most common reaction is “Eww.” But beyond the initial revulsion comes a deeper appreciation for the lessons the samples provide. “That’s the thing about using [the remains] in the curriculum … mummies aren’t just scientific things to be studied, they’re also somebody’s mom, dad or child. That’s what makes it really human,” Williams says. The UCF Anthropology Department’s collection of Roman period (100 b.c. to 400 a.d.) materials, which was donated by the late University of Minnesota professor Arthur Aufderheide, originated from the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert, where Williams and her faculty colleagues Tosha Dupras and Sandra Wheeler, ’98, have studied the ancient peoples’ health, diet, environmental conditions, fertility rates and other factors.

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Here’s what Williams’ students learn from the remains of mummified Egyptians: 1

SKIN Mummified skin is a result of preservation methods that included coating the body in botanical and mineral oils as well as honey, which acted as an insecticide and antifungal. “We think of a mummy as dried up, but they’re really not,” says Williams. “Often the skin is still supple and pliable, like a tanned hide.”

VERTEBRAE — such as this one from the lower back — can show evidence of stress and trauma, providing insight on everything from an individual’s occupation to quality of life. “This person was amazingly healthy and probably did not do any hard labor in their entire life,” Williams says.

BITUMEN This naturally occurring tar, which Williams says was likely imported from the Dead Sea, was mixed with honey and myrrh and used as a coating to preserve the body and protect it from insects. “It smells like a wet parking lot on a Florida afternoon,” says Williams. “That’s mummy smell.”

WRAPPING Layers of linen material of varying weaves and textures were used to cover and protect the body. The quality of the material depended on the individual’s wealth and status. “There were a lot of individuals who could afford their own shroud,” says Williams, “but some were buried in repurposed cloth.”

“HAIR is really cool,” says Williams. “It holds a bunch of information, from the toxicity of your environment to nearly everything about your health.” This sample from an approximately 35-year-old woman was dyed with henna and could have been styled using heated metal tubes like a primitive curling iron.

FEMUR Biological testing can reveal the presence (or lack) of key enzymes and other chemicals. “We’re looking at not only diet and growth patterns in bones, but also for anything that the person was ingesting that would act like a natural antibiotic that we can actually see on the bone,” Williams says.

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O C T.

Students charged into the Reflecting Pond in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Spirit Splash.

ON CAMPUS N OV.

and in the community

Arthur and Shirley Sotloff spoke on campus about their son and former UCF student, Steven Sotloff, the journalist who was killed by the Islamic State group in 2014.

N OV.

Psychology professor Deborah Beidel talked to C-SPAN about the treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders.

FEB.

As part of the Big Read, children at the Midway Safe Harbor Community Center in Sanford, Florida, painted glass panels for a public art installation inspired by Zora Neale Hurstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Their Eyes Were Watching God.

KNIGHT WATCH

Briefs

PRO GOAL The Orlando City Soccer Club selected UCF forward Hadji Barry 13th overall to join the Lions during the MLS SuperDraft in January. Barry, a senior, appeared in 33 matches for the Knights over two seasons. He is the third UCF player in four years to be selected in the first round of the draft.

“I am really happy to start my pro career here in Orlando alongside my UCF family.”

BEST CATCH Drew Butera, former UCF baseball player and current backup catcher for the Kansas City Royals, caught the game-winning strike in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series, becoming the first Knight to win the Fall Classic.

— Hadji Barry, UCF soccer forward

YEARS OF LIFE The Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at UCF celebrates a quarter century this year of providing facultyled educational events for Central Florida seniors.

AP PHOTO/MATT SLOCUM

T P HONORS TOP 20 FOR ONLINE PROGRAMS

U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF No. 20 in the nation for online bachelor’s degree programs. The university’s online graduate criminal justice program came in at No. 21, and the online nursing program was listed at No. 42.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR RESEARCH

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classified UCF as an R1 Doctoral University, the highest research designation that can be achieved.

TOP IN THE NATION FOR CYBER DEFENSE

For the second year in a row, UCF’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club, also known as Hack@UCF, took home the Collegiate Cybersecurity Championship Cup.

TOP INVENTION AWARD

FACIAL MOVEMENT This November, Limbitless Solutions unveiled a device that allows people to move wheelchairs using only their facial muscles. Through electromyographic sensors placed near the forehead that send signals to a wheelchair’s joystick, users can move forward, backward, left and right — all depending on which muscles they use.

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R&D Magazine recognized UCF Associate Professor Jayan Thomas for his development of energy transmitting and storing copper wire at its annual R&D 100 Awards, widely known as the “Oscars of Invention.”

HIP HIP HOORAY For the third straight year, UCF cheerleaders placed second at the College Cheerleading National Championships. This marks the 11th consecutive year that UCF cheerleading, coached by Linda Gooch, ’85, has placed in the top four, with national titles in 2003 and 2007.

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ENERGIZING THE FUTURE

Why Fossil Fuels Are Important

Why I Changed Careers After 25 Years with the Department of Defense “Energy is one of the biggest challenges for the military today. In fact, if you’re in the military, energy security is about national security. I found the impact of energy and the department fascinating. At some point in your career, you want to give back, right? I get a kick out of what I do because I get to do a lot of cool things with technology that really make a big difference to the world.”

Why More Students Should Study STEM

“I don’t know if people really understand how dependent this country is on the whole innovation process, the entrepreneurial process and new technologies, which develop new industries and create stronger economies. At the end of the day, these make our country stronger. It can be a challenge to get people to understand the kinds of roles available in the sciences and in engineering. I think people who have natural abilities in these areas maybe think they’ll have boring jobs. I found out that’s not true. Engineering and sciences open possibilities for young people and even older people who have changed careers.”

“Fossil energy is a part of the energy mix not only for the U.S. but also internationally. We want lights on, we want to be able to use all of our devices. Most people don’t think about where that comes from. The sources of energy are predominantly — 80 percent — fossil energybased. Energy comes from coal, from natural gas, from petroleum and oil products. As countries have more and more energy needs — places like China and India where there’s huge population growth — we want to make sure they have energy and heat and power.”

QUICK FACTS ABOUT NETL

How NETL Research Impacts Americans

1,300 employees 117 buildings 14 major research facilities

“The work that this laboratory did about 25 years ago enabled what happened with the shale industry and enabled the U.S. to be the No. 1 producer of it. Technologies like that still have an impact today. The things we’re looking at now are the effective use of coal and the ability to capture greenhouse gases, like carbon, and use that carbon for other things, other products and other ways to store them. That way, you can still effectively use coal, which is still one of the least expensive ways to create energy.”

Reports to U.S. Department of Energy

How Fossil Fuels Work with Other Energy Sources

ABOUT GRACE

“When you think about energy, you’ve got to think about it in a holistic sense. From fossil to renewable to nuclear energy, we’re looking at how all of these things get integrated together and how they dynamically add power to our grid system. Fossil fuels are one piece of that, and so there’s a lot of work in terms of leveraging not only the integration of different technologies but things like controlling the grid system and storage on the grid system.”

Mission Discover, integrate and mature technology solutions to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations Research areas Coal, natural gas and oil Energy analysis

Career highlights Chief technology officer, U.S. Army Materiel Command Director, U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research division Education B.S. in electrical engineering, Wayne State University M.S. in industrial and systems engineering, University of Michigan Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering, UCF

IMAGES COURTESY OF NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

Grace Bochenek, ’98, is passionate about energy — how it’s used and stored, where it comes from and the direction it’s heading. As the director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), she’s responsible for finding ways to address our nation’s energy and environmental challenges. That includes exploring new technologies that make fossil fuels more sustainable. So while many recent news headlines have declared an end to fossil fuel dependence, Bochenek says otherwise. When speaking recently to the National Coal Council, she said, “Clearly, the game for fossil energy is not over; it is just beginning. It is our job at NETL to find, mature and demonstrate new technologies that allow us to use fossil fuels efficiently and with environmental sustainability. That is our focus.”

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KNIGHT WATCH

for where we want to take our entire athletics department — and certainly our football program. DW: From a coach’s perspective, what’s the optimal role for our students, our fans and our alumni? How can they help us build a nationally elite football program?

Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White and Head Football Coach Scott Frost discuss being the new guys, learning the important lessons and their big plans for the future of UCF Athletics. Danny White: Scott, I know it’s been a whirlwind. You’ve been here for a few weeks. What excites you most about UCF? Scott Frost: I think the potential of this place. I look around, and I see resources and things that are in place on this campus, this university [and] this athletic department that I think we can use to make this place special. I think the sky’s the limit. SF: What excites you most about being here? DW: It’s a gold mine. … All the pieces are in place to really compete at a

national level in all sports, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. SF: How will you grow community engagement and support? DW: We’ve got to reach out to our fan base, our alumni and our community. There have been a lot of people that have been a big part of building [UCF Athletics] to the place we are right now. I want those people to be involved in what our plan for the future is. So for the next few months, we’ll have those conversations and build together a compelling vision

Meet Danny White Age: 36 Hometown: Granger, Indiana Alma maters: University of Notre Dame, B.A. in business administration Ohio University, M.B.A. and M.A. in sports administration University of Mississippi, currently working toward a Ph.D. in higher education Playing time: 1998–2001 Guard, Towson University 2001–02 Guard, University of Notre Dame Résumé: 2006–07 Assistant athletics director for development, Northern Illinois University 2007–09 Associate athletics director for development, California State University, Fresno 2009–12 Senior associate athletics director, University of Mississippi 2012–15 Director of athletics, State University of New York at Buffalo

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SF: I think everybody needs to be involved to make this one big family. I’m putting together a staff and will continue to add football players to our program. They’re all going to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. I want the fans, the former players, the alumni and the community to feel the same way.

SF: How do you define student-athlete success? DW: Our obligation to our studentathletes is to develop them as men and women who are ready to be successful in life. That’s number one. SF: In a state rich with college athletics tradition, how can UCF stand out? DW: I think we’ve stood out as a university for a lot of years, not only within the state of Florida but also nationally as that innovative, entrepreneurial university that’s very quickly become one of the largest universities in the country. As an athletics department, we need to follow suit. I want [us] to be the most innovative, entrepreneurial athletic department, not only in Florida but across the country — and one that people really look to as a trendsetter in everything that we do. DW: We have similar competitive careers. I’m the leading 3-point field goal percentage shooter in Notre Dame history, and you’re a national championship quarterback. You may have gotten a few more minutes’ play than I did, but how has playing quarterback prepared you to be a coach? SF: I think a college athletics career can prepare you for a lot of things, whether you stay in sports or not — the ability to learn to compete and the ability to work

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hard to accomplish goals. Those things will serve you well no matter where you go. Being a quarterback, especially, you’re the leader on the field. You have to know what everybody’s doing, and you have to try to motivate and get everybody on the same page. All those things relate really well to the job a coach has to do. SF: How did playing collegiate basketball make you a better athletics director? DW: I learned how to work hard, how to compete for goals, and I took a lot of pride in how hard I worked as an athlete in high school and college. … I think that set the tone for my career. DW: From your playing career, [is] there an experience you can draw upon where you overcame a challenge that helps you in your current task of rebuilding our football program? SF: If I had to pick one, it’d be my first year playing as a quarterback at the University of Nebraska. I transferred to Nebraska from another institution, and my first year playing as a starting quarterback, Nebraska had won two straight national championships. We went 11 and 2 my junior year, which would be a great success in a lot of places. At Nebraska, at the time, that was seen as a colossal failure. That taught me to understand expectations. It taught

me to block out a lot of the noise that comes from the outside and make sure that I was doing my job well. Frankly, that’s where I developed a lot of the perseverance that’s required of any coach or any successful person to see a job through despite any temporary successes or failures. DW: How do you motivate players on and off the field? SF: I think the best way to motivate anyone is to develop a relationship with them and inspire them. Kids these days, they know if you care about them or not, and they see through you fast if you don’t. These guys at UCF are going to know that every coach on my staff

cares about them, not just as a football player but as a person.

Help contribute to the success of our student-athletes. To give, use the envelope or go to ucf.edu/pegasus/give.

DW: What did you learn by being coached by both of your parents? SF: My dad has been a football coach for 30-some-odd years. Mom’s been an assistant football coach for almost as long. I suppose the first thing I learned is that there [are] some women out there that can throw balls better than most guys. I love my parents’ coaching style. … They demanded a lot out of us, but they did it in the right way. … Another valuable lesson I learned is not to take it home too much. ... To stay healthy, I think there has to be a little bit of a separation between your professional life and your personal life, and mom and dad were really good at that. SF: I already call you “boss.” I understand you’re pursuing your doctoral degree. When can I start calling you “doctor”? DW: My adviser would say in June, but there’s a lot of work to do here, so the job comes first. I’m excited about finishing the degree. I’ve been working on it for a long time. I think it’s important — if I’m going to be the leader of a substantial unit on a university campus — that I have a terminal degree. That’s something that’s always been important to me, and it’s also an area that I’m really interested in — intercollegiate athletics from a philanthropic standpoint.

DW: What are you most excited about living here in Central Florida? SF: The first thing is the people that I’m already getting to work with. From day one … they’ve welcomed us with open arms. Secondly, I can’t believe how many recruits live right here close to Orlando. I was at Oregon the past seven years, and we had to fly 3,000 miles in some cases to get football players to come play for us. We’ve got those guys in our backyard now, and I’m excited about that potential. SF: What about living in Orlando excites you most? DW: The job, first and foremost. … I’ve always been excited about the prospect of building something, and there’s no ceiling [to] where we can take UCF Athletics. I’m obviously excited about living in the best weather in the world, where there are palm trees everywhere and my kids will grow up with sun on their faces. SF: What was your kids’ reaction when you told them they were moving near Walt Disney World? DW: Actually, we said Mickey Mouse was going to be their next-door neighbor, and it was a carnival in the kitchen. They were pretty excited. It was not a hard sell.

Meet Scott Frost Age: 41 Hometown: Wood River, Nebraska Alma mater: University of Nebraska, B.S. in finance Playing time: 1993–94 Quarterback, Stanford University 1995–97 Quarterback, University of Nebraska (1997 National Championship) 1998–2000 Safety, New York Jets 2001 Safety, Cleveland Browns 2001–02 Green Bay Packers 2003 San Francisco 49ers 2003–04 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

To watch a video of White and Frost’s conversation, visit ucf.edu/pegasus.

Résumé: 2007 Linebackers coach, University of Northern Iowa 2008 Co-defensive coordinator, University of Northern Iowa 2009–12 Wide receivers coach, University of Oregon 2013–15 Offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach, University of Oregon

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BY SUSAN FRITH

“Having access to a smartphone really opens the door for you. In essence you have a newsroom in the palm of your hand.”

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ric Gutierrez was driving home from class last spring when he saw a UCF shuttle bus catch on fire. He immediately pulled over and grabbed his smartphone. But instead of taking a selfie, the journalism student began reporting. By the time a news helicopter flew overhead, the bus’s occupants were safely evacuated, the fire was extinguished and Gutierrez was wrapping up his first Mobile Journalism assignment. The UCF Nicholson School of Communication class teaches students to write news stories and capture accompanying video and images with mobile devices, then edit and file the content electronically from the field. It’s skills training designed to keep pace with evolving technology fueling the 24-hour news cycle. And Gutierrez was hooked. “Having access to a smartphone really opens the door for you,” says the senior, who is double majoring in journalism and political science. “In essence you have a newsroom in the palm of your hand.” According to course developer Rick Brunson, ’84, an associate instructor of journalism, “The key asset is immediacy and proximity.” His students can use their tablets and smartphones, along with inexpensive editing apps, to cover breaking news around campus. Each multimedia package they put together must consist of a brief article, a photo and a short video that captures action, sound, voice and emotion. This year the school has put even more tools at students’ disposal, including portable electric gimbals to improve picture stability and external microphones to boost sound quality, plus microtripods to free up students’ hands while reporting. Brunson’s course reflects the program’s recent move to a more comprehensive, digital-oriented curriculum, which integrates formerly separate tracks for newspaper reporters, copy editors and broadcast journalists in order to better prepare graduates for the evolving job market. “The media world is mashed up now,” says Brunson. With more and more resources devoted to digital media and the Web, “You have to have a wide and deep toolbox so you can walk into a media company and, whatever job they have available, you are able to do it.”

He sees mobile journalism as a natural fit for today’s tech-savvy students. “There is an immediate buy-in because it’s something they live with … and they are suddenly empowered to use it in more ways than they’ve thought of. It gets beyond selfies and tells the stories of other people.” “[The course] introduced me to a lot of new abilities,” says Gutierrez. “I now know how to think like a radio reporter, like a photojournalist and [like] a videographer.” There were only approximately half a dozen courses devoted to mobile journalism at other universities around the country when Brunson began teaching this course three years ago; he suspects there are many more today. “A lot of news media are figuring out right now how to catch up to all the changes that are happening with digital media, and schools are doing the same,” notes Katie HawkinsGaar, a digital innovation faculty member at the Poynter Institute, which tracks media trends and trains journalists. Today’s employers want applicants experienced with mobile journalism, social media and audience engagement, she says, so classes like Brunson’s are “an encouraging sign.” It’s no longer enough to walk into a newsroom only knowing how to write. “We take photos, we do videos. We do a lot of social media,” says Orlando Sentinel reporter Christal Hayes, ’15. “You have to know how to do everything.” Hayes is one of several UCF alumni who’ve landed jobs as a result of the Mobile Journalism course. She took it while working as an intern for the newspaper and put her lessons straight to use, relying on her smartphone to cover a SunRail crash and other breaking news. “Ultimately, that class was what set me apart from other people and [helped] me get the position.” Of course, basic journalism skills remain as crucial as they’ve always been, says Hawkins-Gaar. “You can’t just teach social media and the latest, greatest technologies without having the fundamentals of reporting and storytelling, but I think it’s more important than ever to stay on top of the changes that are happening.”

NEW TOOLS OF THE TRADE For multimedia reporters in the field, these smartphone-friendly gadgets help improve quality and capability.

LANPARTE HHG-01 HANDHELD GIMBAL Unlike simpler stabilization devices, this battery-powered gimbal uses electric motors that center a smartphone on three axes to allow greater movement and make wobbly shots a thing of the past.

JOBY GORILLAPOD SLR-ZOOM TRIPOD Used with a bubble level clip attachment to ensure a level shot, this flexible platform can grip tightly to most objects with enough strength to support up to 6.6 pounds. It gives reporters a stable, secondary vantage point while they conduct interviews.

RODE VIDEOMIC GO This lightweight external microphone can be used with a smartphone, allowing for a battery-free recording thanks to a focused pickup area that guarantees less background noise.

View student news videos at ucf.edu/pegasus.

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UCF researchers are working to make Florida as habitable for the people who live and work here as the plants and wildlife that depend on it for survival.

IMAGE COURTESY OF REED NOSS

BY MARK SCHROPE

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egasus professor Reed Noss stands on a wooden footbridge over Joshua Creek in Florida’s Charles H. Bronson State Forest, a nearly 11,000-acre preserve north of Christmas. It’s quiet and wet here — a good place to spot otters playing or an Eastern coral snake sunning. Noss is fond of the creek, but he’s more partial to the dry, pine-dotted flatwood not far away. It may not look like much at first glance, but the Davis-Shine Professor of Conservation Biology sees more than pine trees. He knows the backstory and context. Those trees are actually longleaf pines — an estimated 95 percent of which have been lost in Florida due to more than a century of logging and replanting with faster-growing slash pines. When such artificial shifts are forced, he says, “Decades of active management are needed to get it back.” Noss wanders lands like this regularly. “It’s a civic responsibility, but it’s also something I use to inform my research,” he says. He is one of several UCF researchers working to better understand Florida landscapes and wildlife so the most critical natural areas of the state can be protected and managed effectively. According to these experts, growth and development in Florida are inevitable, but widespread harm to Florida’s critical habitats, plants and wildlife doesn’t have to be. T H E S T AT E O F T H E S T AT E

“Florida hasn’t set an official goal, but if you look at most of the scientific studies around the world you need 50 percent [of land closed to development] to reach well-accepted conservation goals.”

According to the Conservation Trust for Florida, over the past three decades, Florida has used science to protect more land for conservation than any other state, but it also has a long history of rapid population growth and development. To date, most of Florida’s population growth has been in coastal areas, which is why roughly 80 percent of the state — mostly interior lands — remains rural, including both natural areas and ranches. But only about 25 percent of the state is effectively closed to development. “Florida hasn’t set an official goal, but if you look at most of the scientific studies around the world you need 50 percent to reach well-accepted conservation goals,” Noss says. According to Noss, there is real potential for those numbers to shift dramatically because several of the state’s largest landholders are either in the process of developing their holdings or heading in that direction. So the status of most of Florida’s wild interior is uncertain. The most immediate threat to Florida’s landscapes and wildlife, he and others say, is the fragmentation of adjoining lands as a result of urbanization. Animals such as bears and panthers need huge stretches of open space to wander and hunt, and if they don’t have it their populations suffer.

Though completely undeveloped land is the ecological ideal, interior ranch lands often include many natural areas, and even actively ranched lands can support plenty of wildlife. “Big ranches are by far the most important land in Florida,” says Noss. “I used to think agricultural lands were terrible, but now I look at them fondly because they at least support some species, unlike cities.” That’s why for much of Florida’s land deemed essential, researchers and managers push for conservation easements of existing ranches rather than outright state ownership. This involves owners selling off their right to develop their land, but maintaining their rights to ranch and live there. This offers a major financial incentive to owners, many of whom might otherwise be tempted or even forced to sell to developers as taxes rise with property values. Easements also mean major tax reductions because rates are set according to property values, which drop once development rights are sold. When development does move forward, researchers like Noss can help guide the process for landowners open to reducing impacts. He was called in recently to provide scientific input on plans for massive development of the roughly 300,000-acre Deseret Ranch, located west of Melbourne and currently owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Recommendations from the committee — composed of Noss, a representative from an environmental group and one person who works for developers — were unanimous, but they were not legally binding and ultimately weren’t incorporated into development plans. That kind of outcome is especially distressing when such large chunks of the state are in play. “We’re really killing the last remaining large-scale connections between North and South Florida,” says UCF biology research associate Dan Smith, who works with Noss. “That is a very damaging trend,” says Noss, who was one of the first scientists working to identify lands most critical for keeping different areas connected throughout the state. Numerous other researchers have done vital work, and nonprofits such as the Florida Wildlife Corridor and Conservation Trust for Florida are pushing for preservation of crucial land tracts. While larger land parcels typically get the most attention, Noss says that more isolated land parcels can also be essential, particularly in protecting animals that don’t roam far and certain plant species. “These large connected landscapes are critically important, but smaller areas are packed with rare species found nowhere else,” he says. Florida has a long record of land conservation through programs such as Florida Forever, under which Joshua Creek was protected after Noss voted for it while a member of the program’s advisory board. Other smaller programs have been similarly successful. In Brevard County, for instance, residents twice voted for a special tax to fund the Environmentally Endangered

The Florida grasshopper sparrow, endemic to the dry prairies of South Florida, is among the most highly endangered birds in the continental United States.

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Lands (EEL) Program. Biology professor Ross Hinkle is a longtime member of the advisory committee that makes EEL recommendations. “That’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done, maybe in my whole career,” he says, “to participate in that and see the county successfully set aside more than 20,000 acres for conservation.” In 2014, Floridians voted for a state constitutional amendment to allocate new funding for water and land protection and management, but the allocation of that funding remains the focus of a legal battle between environmental groups and the state. That’s unfortunate, says Noss. “We still have a tremendous need, especially given the rapid growth of development.”

“We still have a tremendous need, especially given the rapid growth of development.”

THE BURNING QUESTION

Even when land is protected, managing it in ways that maximize its benefits for Florida’s plants and animals remains a challenge, especially when it comes to fire, which is essential to ecological health. Fires started by lightning have always been a component of natural land cycles and provide multiple benefits, including clearing out underbrush to allow for more open, sunny conditions, which mean less competition for shrubs. Today, fires that start naturally are usually put out as quickly as possible to save homes and people, so managers instead rely on intentionally started, controlled burns to achieve the same land benefits. For about 20 years, UCF professor of biology Pedro Quintana-Ascencio has been analyzing the fire conditions essential for supporting endangered plant species. Quintana-Ascencio allows that most people are not going to appreciate the inherent value of an endangered plant species like his personal favorite, Hypericum cumulicola, also called the highlands scrub St. John’s-wort. “To be

22 | SPRING 2016

fair, these are not wonderful, flowering things,” he says. But when people understand that Florida hosts dozens of endangered plant species with important ecological roles, some found nowhere else in the world, he says they better appreciate their value. Many animals also depend on fire. There are fewer than 200 Florida grasshopper sparrows in the world, and they’re all in Florida. Researchers have found that for them to successfully breed, they need prairie land that hasn’t gone more than 24 months without a burn. “It’s not just aesthetics,” says Noss. “If you don’t burn enough, and you don’t burn during the right time of the year, you do lose species. It’s still possible the grasshopper sparrow can recover, but it’s getting more difficult.” Other species like fox squirrels are declining because they need a large habitat, and they can’t thrive in land that’s grown too shrubby due to too infrequent fires. Researchers such as Quintana-Ascencio also try to make it clear that humans benefit directly from fire. Frequent enough controlled burns dramatically reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled fires. Quintana-Ascencio has done much of this work — which includes developing and fine-tuning elaborate computer models to assess the benefits of different burning schemes — in collaboration with scientists such as Eric Menges at the Archbold Biological Station in Venus, Florida. Menges says such modeling work is critical to proper fire planning as well as assessing the potential impacts to future changes and challenges. One of the greatest challenges in fire management is, again, population growth, which reduces the areas that can be burned. If land is close to neighborhoods, then it is challenging to ensure that homes aren’t damaged or that smoke won’t cause problems on roads or for people with respiratory issues. “I’m hoping that we as a society can have a better discussion about the best way to proceed because fire is something we need,” QuintanaAscencio says.

A controlled burn near Joshua Creek in the Charles H. Bronson State Forest helps clear underbrush.

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THE HIGH ROAD

Researchers measure a black bear cub, about 6 weeks old, taken from a den at Rock Springs Run Reserve as part of a study supervised by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Smith, whose research on bears has gained recent attention, has studied how encroachment affects wildlife populations, in part to enable recommendations on the best ways to minimize harm. One area of particular interest has been roadkill. “The impacts are a lot worse than most people thought,” he says. Everyone notices larger roadkill, such as deer, but countless reptiles, amphibians and other animals are also killed, especially around wetlands and other animal-rich areas. “You can count thousands of roadkill in just a single year in these areas,” Smith says. That work highlights the importance of proper road planning. Both federal and state regulations require minimized impacts on federally listed threatened and endangered species, as well as compliance with the Clean Water Act. If federal funding or federal land is involved, additional reviews are required. Smith says such regulation has led to many more progressive transportation projects in the state, but beyond strict compliance, there is always a balancing game between politics, cost and environmental protection, with priorities often changing from one part of the state to another. Required compliance takes on many forms, such as raising portions of highways to allow water to flow and animals to pass beneath. Smith and Noss have both worked closely with planners on new highway projects such as the Suncoast Parkway extension in Citrus County. In early stages they can help planners identify routes that avoid areas most critical to wildlife and suggest the most effective mitigation steps. Some improvements can also be made after the fact. The I-4 corridor, for instance, is a notorious impediment to wildlife because it cuts across the state, so researchers and others have pushed for protecting land and creating new overpasses or underpasses. “Identifying hot spots of roadkill and

providing recommendations on the best mitigation measures not only reduces collisions,” says Smith, “it also improves habitat connectivity.” THE RISING TIDE

Though there is great research interest in interior lands, Noss also studies the role that land preservation can and should play in preparing for future sea level rise in Florida. Because so much of Florida is low-lying, large swaths of land can be easily inundated as the sea level rises. Among other effects, coastal properties can become more difficult or impossible to insure, which Noss says is likely to encourage or even force some migration of Floridians further inland. That combined with normal growth pressure may have huge impacts on wildlife because of the associated need to develop more inland area, requiring a new level of planning. UCF is well positioned to provide science-based guidance to governments and developers on how best to manage not just sea level rise threats but the full range of biological and human impacts related to coastal development. That’s thanks to the recent creation of UCF’s Sustainable Coastal Systems faculty cluster initiative, which fosters collaboration between faculty from different disciplines. THE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE

Overall, despite some setbacks and challenges, scientists say balance is achievable in Florida, as is maintaining habitat connectivity — it just takes work, including sound research, community involvement and open discussions. “In the real world there is going to be conflict between development and conservation,” Noss says, “but you can minimize that with intelligent planning.”

Noss and his grandson Kai explore Mills Creek near Chuluota, Florida.

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The State of Natural Florida PENSACOLA

PA N A M A C I T Y

34.6

MILLION ACRES†

MILLION PEOPLE†

30,000+ ANIMAL SPECIES

2,800+

N AT I V E P L A N T S P E C I E S

H A B I T AT S

S T AT E

What’s at stake. How we save it.

SPECIES OF PLANTS LISTED AS FEDERALLY ENDANGERED**

Aboriginal prickly-apple American chaffseed Apalachicola rosemary Avon Park harebells Beach clustervine Beautiful pawpaw Brickell-bush Britton’s beargrass Cape Sable thoroughwort Carter’s mustard Carter’s small-flowered flax Chapman’s rhododendron Chinsegut bellflower Clasping warea Cooley’s meadowrue Cooley’s water-willow Deltoid spurge Etonia rosemary Florida golden aster Florida perforate cladonia Florida torreya Florida ziziphus Four-petal pawpaw Fragrant prickly-apple Fringed campion Garrett’s mint

Gentian pinkroot Harper’s beauty Highlands scrub St. John’s-wort Key tree-cactus Lakela’s mint Lewton’s polygala Longspurred mint Miami lead-plant Michaux’s sumac Okeechobee gourd Pondberry Pygmy fringe-tree Rugel’s pawpaw Sandlace Scrub blazing star Scrub lupine Scrub plum Semaphore cactus Short-leaved rosemary Small’s milkpea Snakeroot Tiny polygala Tufted wireweed Wide-leaf warea

F L O R I D A PA N T H E R

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SPECIES OF ANIMALS LISTED AS FEDERALLY ENDANGERED*

AMPHIBIAN Reticulated flatwoods salamander BIRDS Bachman’s wood warbler Cape Sable seaside sparrow Eskimo curlew Everglade snail kite Florida grasshopper sparrow Ivory-billed woodpecker Kirtland’s wood warbler Red-cockaded woodpecker FISH Atlantic sturgeon Shortnose sturgeon Smalltooth sawfish INSECTS American burying beetle Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak Miami blue butterfly Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly MAMMALS Anastasia Island beach mouse Caribbean monk seal Choctawhatchee beach mouse Finback whale Florida bonneted (mastiff) bat Florida panther Florida salt marsh vole Gray bat Gray wolf Humpback whale Indiana bat Key deer Key Largo cotton mouse Key Largo woodrat Lower Keys rabbit

North Atlantic right whale Perdido Key beach mouse Red wolf Rice rat Sei whale Sperm whale St. Andrew beach mouse West Indian manatee M O L LU S K S Choctaw bean Fat threeridge (mussel) Gulf moccasinshell (mussel) Ochlockonee moccasinshell (mussel) Oval pigtoe (mussel) Round ebonyshell Shinyrayed pocketbook (mussel) Southern kidneyshell REPTILES Green sea turtle Hawksbill sea turtle Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Leatherback sea turtle

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27%

TALLAHASSEE

( 9. 5 M I L L I O N A C R E S )

E X I S T I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N A R E A S ††

JA C K S O N V I L L E

18%

(6.3 MILLION ACRES)

P R O P O S E D C O N S E R VAT I O N A R E A S ††

12%

GAINESVILLE

(4.2 MILLION ACRES)

URBAN AND DEVELOPED AREAS*

D AY T O N A B E A C H

43%

MOST THREATENED HABITATS* ORLANDO 75

GREEN SEA TURTLE FL

1. Beach/surf zone 2. Bivalve reef 3. Coastal strand 4. Coastal tidal river

ID A’ S

TU E PIK RN

or stream

5. Coral reef 6. Dry prairie 7. Freshwater marsh and

(14.6 MILLION ACRES)

OTHER LAND USE

T A M PA

wet prairie

8. Inlet 9. Mangrove swamp 10. Natural pineland 11. Pine rockland 12. Salt marsh 13. Sandhill 14. Scrub 15. Seagrass 16. Softwater stream 17. Spring and spring run 18. Tidal flat

FORT MYERS 27

LEGEND NAPLES

FORT LAUDERDALE

EVERGLADE SNAIL KITE

MIAMI

Major urban areas

Existing conservation areas††

Proposed conservation areas††

Major roadways

* Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ** Source: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services † Source: Florida Department of State †† Source: Florida Wildlife Corridor Project

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r fo er si ea it g in ak m is s pu m ca on p ou gr A new to balance students going through recovedry sobriety with their studies an a social life. BY SUSAN FRITH

Brett Watson, ’09, had no intention of becoming the face of recovery at UCF. In fact, while earning his first degree at UCF, he never missed an opportunity to party — a habit he indulged until it finally took its toll. It took a couple of lost jobs and a DUI arrest before Watson realized he didn’t have his drinking or drug use under control and that he needed to seek treatment. Now that he’s back at UCF, pursuing a second degree in social work, he hopes to help students like him stay sober. But he realizes the social nature of college doesn’t always make that so easy. “On a campus with 60,000 students,” he says, “what are the chances of people crossing paths and saying, ‘Oh, you’re trying to stay sober too?’ ” To make it easier for those paths to cross, Watson serves as activities coordinator for UCF’s new Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC), which connects students trying to manage school and sobriety. The program points students to resources and social opportunities on campus, including academic coaching, a treatment clinic and 12-step meetings run independently of the university. Students can now request a sober roommate in their campus housing application, and anyone who wants to have fun without alcohol or drugs can join Sober Knights, the social arm of CRC, which organizes game nights, comedy club outings and other activities. This student-led initiative is part of a nationwide movement to address the rise in substance abuse among the nation’s youth and make college more accessible to those trying to stay drug- and alcoholfree. A decade ago there were only 14 colleges in the United States with recovery communities. Today there are more than 150, including Penn State, the University of Alabama and the University of North Carolina. The programs have emerged out of necessity, according to Ivana Grahovac, executive director of Transforming Youth Recovery, a nonprofit that creates and supports student-recovery communities. “Between 1999 and 2009 there was a 143 percent increase in the number of students seeking treatment for a substance-abuse disorder,” she says. “Students [needed] support on campus when they got out of treatment.” Universities are starting to brand themselves as recovery schools — because it is the right thing to do and also because there’s a market for these communities, says Tom Hall, UCF’s director of alcohol and other drug-intervention services. “We want to create a campus that says ‘It’s OK to be in recovery.’ When folks in recovery don’t have that

support, they may become isolated and depressed or anxious,” says Hall, who counsels students who are actively using and trying to quit as well as those who’ve emerged newly sober. “There is only so far you can white-knuckle it before you have to get away, or you relapse.” Watson says he has the advantage of age and a familiarity with UCF to help him maintain sobriety, but he knows how difficult it can be for students to navigate a new place. They buy into the myth “that everyone on campus gets hammered and does drugs,” says Chris Burns, a graduate student in social work who started CRC through an internship in Hall’s office. In movies about college, Burns says, “Everybody’s got a red Solo cup and is losing their mind.” But, he adds, that doesn’t mean students can’t have memorable experiences without drugs and alcohol. UCF’s recovery community has 10 to 15 active students, and Watson and Burns expect that number to grow as more people become aware of its existence. Based on national statistics, Burns thinks there are nearly 1,000 students on campus who are seeking help for substance abuse and dependency. The biggest challenge is overcoming the stigma of addiction. And Watson and Hall remain sensitive to those who, for personal or professional reasons, wish to keep their recovery under wraps. One student, for example, said he couldn’t be a member of the CRC because he was concerned it would prevent him from getting a security clearance to work in the intelligence field. That stigma aside, Hall hopes that students will eventually come to UCF specifically for its recovery community. Watson would like to see the CRC expand to include other issues students may be trying to overcome, from eating disorders to self-harm. “I think a lot of people who struggle with these things have been suffering in silence and [are] afraid to ask for resources,” he says. In the meantime, Hall and Watson plan to grow UCF’s recovery community one student at a time. When Watson spoke in some of his classes about the CRC, one student came up to him with tears in her eyes. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to be able to stay through this semester,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could make it through the stress of school and being in this environment, but knowing you guys exist and I can reach out, I think I can do it now.” And for Watson, that makes being the face of recovery and sharing his story worthwhile.

WHO CAN JOIN Those in recovery or who simply want to be part of an alcohol- and drug-free environment. The only requirement is a desire to stop addictive behavior and be part of a supportive community.

BE NE FITS OF JOINING • Peer mentoring and recovery support • Academic and career coaching • UCF Housing and Residence Life assists in matching roommates in recovery • Becoming part of a community that embraces recovery • Access to on-campus recovery meetings, student lounge and study space For more information about CRC and other student health services, visit shs.sdes.ucf.edu/crc. FAST FACTS • 1 in 66 UCF students are either actively in recovery or looking for recovery resources. That does not include students who are actively living with addiction. • 6O percent of 18- to 22-year-olds who go to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction will end up applying for college. Source: Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery at Texas Tech University

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 

How many ways can you get through the maze?

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BY DAVID K. GIBSON

UCF’S GROWING ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE IS EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THEIR WAY FROM CONCEPT TO LAUNCH. Look for a pingpong table in the center of an office suite on the first floor of UCF’s Business Administration Building. That’s how you’ll know you’ve found StarterSpace, where you’ll begin your entrepreneurial expedition. A nearby stack of cards beckons, “Start Here: Explore UCF’s free startup resources!” The cards map out a serpentine path to success, one that starts at UCF’s Blackstone LaunchPad before winding into the Advanced Design Lab, Texas Instruments Innovation Lab, Harris Gathering Lab and similar places throughout campus. Classes and programs are available at different points along your trek, as are events such as the Joust New Venture Competition and Starter Riot, which feed into the Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator. That’s a rough idea of the journey through UCF’s starter culture, except, well, there is no single path.

 Instead it’s an ecosystem, a multidimensional

environment where there’s plenty of intellectual nourishment and a dire need for self-sufficiency. Like the startup world that studentfounded ventures compete in, it’s a place to thrive — or die.

Find a Guide

“[The pingpong table is] the same height as a conference table and a lot cheaper,” says associate professor of management Cameron Ford, implying there’s a lesson there somewhere. In 2005, Ford founded the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, an initiative to help students of any major in any program create startups in the UCF community. In a world where just going to college no longer guarantees a job, his primary goal, he says, is to let students know that entrepreneurship is a viable career path. By some estimates, as many as 14.6 million Americans are self-employed, and numbers are growing. Some of these independent workers will be consultants, but many of them — given training, connections and capital — can be entrepreneurs. As large corporations strive for efficiency, these starters have the potential to drive growth in the American economy. Like the student entrepreneurs he mentors, Ford has had to disrupt the marketplace in which he works. Rather than teach students in traditional classes, he and his team — faculty, staff and community advisers, plus the combined power of their networks — serve as guides. “We aren’t here to tell them if an idea is good or bad,” Ford says, “but to align resources from throughout the university and the larger community.” Most of the time, that means providing resources in the form of advice, mentors and connections. “Every venture has different needs,”

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“THE SKILLS THAT BENEFIT AN ENTREPRENEUR — FOCUS, PERSONAL MISSION, PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY, PERSONAL PASSION — ARE THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL.” he says, “and advising is expensive and idiosyncratic. But that’s what it takes to turn ideas into businesses.”

Learn the Skills You Need

MEET THE STARTERS

“What Cameron [Ford] is doing is consistent with the main trends of business over the last 30 years and with the need for business education to catch up to the marketplace,” says Paul Jarley, dean of the College of Business Administration. “When I got to UCF [in 2012], I asked, ‘Who was the largest employer in the U.S. when the college was founded in 1963?’ The answer [was] GM. Back then, it would have been my job to get graduates jobs in companies like that, where they’d receive training, be placed in a department and spend the next 30 years working until they got the gold watch, the pension and health insurance for life. But the things that are rewarded today are differentiation and risk taking.” Dr. Phillips Entrepreneur in Residence Michael Pape, who has extensive history in startups, explains, “Those of us in the ecosystem working with the students see entrepreneurship as a life skill. … What’s

Teeps

really different at UCF is that there is not a canonized curriculum. If you teach accounting, there’s a standard textbook, but when you get to entrepreneurship, there’s not a set way to teach. That’s what people have been trying to work through: How do you move ventures forward?” To do so, he says, requires solving problems and taking risks — even if they don’t pan out. Not all startups get started, for example. Sometimes the founders get busy with other things, stall out while raising capital or discover that their ideas aren’t as workable as they first seemed. But no one at UCF thinks any of that entrepreneurship training has been wasted. “Being entrepreneurial is a skill you can develop, and you can be that way inside a company; it doesn’t have to be in your own firm,” says Associate Vice President for Research and Commercialization Tom O’Neal, ’95, who founded the UCF Technology Incubator in 1999, and today holds multiple executive roles in innovation foundations. “When I talk to people who are hiring, they want graduates who know a little bit more about business, more than

Joshua Imel, ’14 and Terrence Donnelly

An app-building company that has hired one new employee a month for 16 months, and recorded $1 million in revenue in 2015 — all bootstrapped, with no help from investors UCF starter resources used:

Blackstone LaunchPad Joust New Venture Competition

“When you’re in that ecosystem, everyone’s at different stages. You hear stories about partners that didn’t work out or deals that didn’t close or losing investors. There’s so much knowledge floating around, I ended up applying all of that to help start Teeps.” — Joshua Imel, ’14

just core competencies. They want people who understand entrepreneurial thinking,” he adds. In departments such as engineering, where large companies still hire most of the graduates, those skills are a vital part of an education, according to Timothy Kotnour, director for engineering programs within UCF’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The skills that benefit an entrepreneur — focus, personal mission, personal accountability, personal passion — are the skills you need to be a professional. If you can’t lead yourself, you can’t lead a team.”

Ask for Feedback

“No one entering college is equipped to become a value creator, and precious few who graduate college are,” says Pam Hoelzle, associate director of UCF’s Blackstone LaunchPad, discussing a person who works with others for the benefit of a larger organization rather than for personal gain. “For the vitality of America, that has to change.” Just off the Student Union’s bustling lobby, the LaunchPad — one of 22 similar programs at colleges across the country from UCLA to Cornell — is crowded most days at noon with hopeful UCF starters listening to Hoelzle and invited speakers. Students come to the LaunchPad with ideas inspired by their studies, hobbies or sometimes pulled out of the blue

O’Dang Hummus A line of hummus and salad dressings sold in Whole Foods and more than 400 Publix grocery stores in Florida UCF starter resources used:

Blackstone LaunchPad Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Joust New Venture Competition Starter Riot StarterSpace Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator

Jesse Wolfe, ’15

“Entrepreneurship can be lonely. What UCF does is celebrate with you on those extremely good days and say, ‘What’s next? Let’s go!’ On the days you want to quit, they’re there to keep your head up. They keep you chasing your dreams.” — Jesse Wolfe, ’15

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sky. For most, says Ford, it’s their first time learning about business from the ground up. “We are a triage center,” says Hoelzle. “We assess where they are on the path and are constantly asking, ‘What do they need to learn next?’ ” While the LaunchPad connects students to resources, it also provides a safe place to practice entrepreneurial skills. A typical session begins with Hoelzle rather pointedly instructing students to introduce themselves to each other before the session begins, reminding them, “You never know who you’ll meet networking.” In just more than two years of operation, the LaunchPad has hosted more than 5,000 students at lunchtime discussions, conducted some 3,300 one-on-one coaching sessions, and registered 1,355 startup ventures. Collectively, the most active of those ventures have raised $1.1 million in capital and hired 93 employees and 786 contractors. The top nine student ventures alone estimated annual sales of $10.1 million in 2015. The LaunchPad isn’t the only point of entry into the startup ecosystem. The College of Business Administration’s weeklong Starter Riot of open houses, showcases and presentations attracts budding entrepreneurs, while the Joust New Venture Competition and similar programs lure those with more fully fleshed-out ideas. Competition winners are often shuttled into UCF incubators or given space in offices like StarterSpace.

Feynman Nano Blackstone LaunchPad Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Joust New Venture Competition Starter Lab Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator

“Business is a process of developing solutions,” says Ford. “It’s about evolving solutions over time as technology changes.” That statement applies to education as much as any other business, and education technology has been changing. “The biggest thing that disrupted education is the Internet,” says Jarley. “[Information has] become commoditized. But perspective and relationships and experiences have not been commoditized, and the future of college education is about that.” Providing perspective and relationships and experiences — the things that help students develop into individuals with (in business parlance) “unique value propositions” — requires individual attention. Notes Kotnour, “The whole journey is unique. What we’re trying to do is foster it in a way that’s unique for each person.” But the question, says Pape, is how to provide individual attention yet gear it toward the many. The solution lies in a robust back and forth. “The best learning happens when you’re

sitting next to someone on a log and having a conversation with them; it’s been that way since Plato,” Jarley explains. “And one shouldn’t assume that the person on the log is a person with a Ph.D. behind their name — they can be community leaders, political leaders, people touching on the issues of the day.” Hoelzle emphasizes that student entrepreneurs have to be the leaders. Starters in the program serve as fellows, bringing different skills, viewpoints and experiences — usually ones more in line with student entrepreneurs than Ph.D. advisers who are veterans of biotech startups. “Nothing has more influence than peers and predecessors,” says Ford. While big events like startup competitions motivate budding student entrepreneurs, they’re really more about compelling students to watch their peers take on the realities of the new business world. “We want to teach students to see trends, marshal resources and take on risk, especially early in their lives,” Jarley says. “It’s not about whether they’ll start a new business tomorrow but about giving them the vision and tools to govern their own lives going forward.”

“WE WANT TO TEACH STUDENTS TO SEE TRENDS, MARSHAL RESOURCES AND TAKE ON RISK, ESPECIALLY EARLY IN THEIR LIVES.”

Jonathan Wachob and Brandon Carpenter

A fabrication technology that enables self-cleaning films for use in solar panels and other applications UCF starter resources used:

Make Connections

“STEM majors can make a huge difference — not for things like Uber and Airbnb, but for curing diseases or getting things into space more cheaply. We have to break down the belief that we have to wait for a business major to come around and make an idea into a business.” — Jonathan Wachob

bSteps

Caroline Castille, ’15, and Odaimys Calderin, ’13

Revolutionizing dancewear with shoes that are ready for the studio and the street UCF starter resources used:

Blackstone LaunchPad Joust New Venture Competition StarterSpace Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator

“LaunchPad offered help from every department, not just business. We got support from engineering, were connected to fashion club and swing club, and received support from all of them.” — Caroline Castille, ’15

acko Fall was 16 when he boarded a plane in Dakar, Senegal, for America. His only companion was another Senegalese teenage basketball player, Ange Badji. It was the first time Fall had ever taken a flight, and he had left his mother and younger brother behind. Wearing taped-up eyeglasses, Fall carried a single suitcase, holding clothes that barely fit him. On his feet were the only shoes he owned — sandals made by a neighborhood friend. He spoke Wolof, his native language, as well as French, but very little English. He was moving to a country he’d never visited and a state where he knew no one. Fall and Badji arrived in Houston with dreams of making it big as basketball players, a game Fall had never played. Fall was already over 7 feet tall and would grow to be 7 feet, 6 inches by the time he arrived on the court at UCF. But back then, he arrived in America with little more than the hope of receiving a better education, and if he was lucky, of being able to provide for his mother and brother. Basketball would be his shot at a bigger life, but there would be some misses along the way. The first setback was in Houston, where the sports academy he and Badji were to attend folded shortly after they arrived. Fall experienced enough there, however, to believe that if he worked hard, his future could change. He met Hakeem Olajuwon, the former Houston Rockets superstar and fellow African, who showed Fall footwork techniques for big men. He went to a Rockets NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and during the national anthem, he noticed 6-foot-10 forward Blake Griffin nudge his teammate, 6-foot-11 center DeAndre Jordan, and point to where Fall was standing. They smiled and gave him an approving nod. It was the encouragement he needed. Fall hoped to move permanently to Cincinnati, where his father lives. But that fell through. Another miss. Instead, Fall, a devout Muslim who prays five times daily, ended up at Liberty Christian Prep in Tavares, Florida. Mandy Wettstein, who does public relations for the school, and her family took in both him and Badji, a fortuitous rebound. “There was not a lot of trust there when I met him, not a lot of self-confidence,” Wettstein recalls. She treated them like any of her other children. “Nobody cares if you’re tall,” she’d tell Fall, “you still have to take out the garbage.” At Liberty, in addition to learning to play basketball, Fall pursued his passion for math and science and anything that had to do with computers and technology. When he daydreamed, he thought not of dunks, but of mathematical equations, testing himself to see how fast his mind could process multiplication formulas. He decided on a goal of one day becoming an engineer, and he graduated from high school with a 3.6 GPA. He also adopted a personal motto that would provide him the insight to rebound on his own: “Your athleticism will fade one day, but your knowledge will last forever.”

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While at Liberty Christian Prep, he focused his energies on the classroom and the court, his brains and his brawn. He was learning new techniques to bring his dream to fruition. “All he wants to do is help his little brother and his family,” Wettstein says. “He has such an appreciation for what people do for him. He doesn’t think he’s owed anything.” Early on, Fall would text Wettstein asking if he could have something to eat. He wouldn’t open the refrigerator door without her permission.

“One day, I came home from work, took him over to the refrigerator and told him, ‘Stop asking. You don’t have to ask. You can have anything in here. Anytime.’ ” She laughs now at how her words backfired on her. “Boy, that kid can eat,” she says. North of 7,000 calories a day, to be exact. Fall grew to be not only 7-feet-6-inches tall but also 295 pounds, with an 8-foot wingspan and the ability to circle his fingers around a basketball rim while standing flat-footed. But would the gentle giant grow into a basketball player? Tony Atkins, Liberty Christian Prep’s basketball coach, wondered. What Atkins discovered is that Fall “is like a sponge. Everything you give him, he soaks in. … You tell him to work on something, he works on it. I told him he had to get stronger, and it wasn’t long before he went from being able to do only four pushups to 35.” Fall continued to grow — mentally, emotionally and physically. “Most big guys like him can’t move well, but Tacko can really move,” Atkins says. “His agility was a real surprise.” Overcoming his gentle nature, at least on the court, took some doing. But Fall’s competitive side emerged naturally, surprising Atkins at how passionate he became about winning. Atkins stayed in Fall’s ear, his mantra providing encouragement for mental rebounds: “Tacko, you can dominate! Tacko, you can dominate! Tacko, you can dominate!” UCF head coach Donnie Jones took notice. Less than four years ago, he went to Liberty Christian Prep to see Fall. Jones kept an eye on Fall’s progression on the court, and his loyalty paid off. When a trickle of interested schools grew into dozens, including Georgia Tech, Georgetown and Purdue, Fall hardly waivered from his desire to go to UCF. He felt comfortable with Jones and the Knights’ coaching staff, and he knew the quality of UCF’s engineering program. “UCF used to be called Florida Technological University,” he says. “It has that reputation, that history.” Fall also wanted to stay close to the Wettsteins. After visiting other Florida colleges, he announced to family and friends that, in his opinion, none were better than UCF. By the time he arrived on the UCF campus this past June, he’d grown accustomed to the gawkers and the picture takers, as well as the

7'6''

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occasionally cruel way social media and the anonymity of packed stands can embolden some. He’s learned to roll with it, though at times he says it can be trying. “Here is the thing,” Fall says, his voice animated and his gestures suddenly spirited. “When I don’t play well, it’s ‘Why is he so terrible? He’s 7-foot-6.’ And if I play well, it’s ‘Oh, he’s 7-foot-6, he’s supposed to be good.’ What they don’t see is the amount of work I put in.”

He smiles, shrugs his shoulders. “The more I see, the more I get used to it,” he says. That attitude was certainly put to the test during the NCAA’s vetting period that rendered him ineligible while it background checked Liberty Christian Prep. Another near miss. Initially, the NCAA accepted only about half of the core courses Fall took at Liberty Christian Prep before clearing him to play for the Knights. Through that ordeal, Jones observed that Fall “never, not once, expressed any bitterness; only thankfulness and appreciation for what everyone was trying to do for him. He handled it every day with a good spirit, a good attitude.” And every day, Jones says Fall had one consistent question for him: “Coach, can I practice with the team today?” For a while, Fall could. But then he had to wait for the red tape to clear. Jones dreaded having to break the news to the freshman. He called Fall into his office for a one-on-one. But before he could get a word out, Fall excitedly told Jones, “Coach, you

gotta see what I did.” With a smile about as wide as his wingspan, Fall pulled an electronic car from his backpack. Then he moved around some of Jones’ office furniture. Telling his coach he had built the car in his engineering lab, Fall demonstrated how, with sensors, it could maneuver around his office without bumping into anything. “He was so excited,” Jones says. “For about 10 minutes, he was telling me all the things he was learning.” When he was eligible to practice again and join the team for games, he started receiving positive encouragement from his new teammates, even the upperclassmen. “His coordination and feel for the game are things you can’t teach,” says Justin McBride, a 6-foot-10, 325-pound junior center. “I was amazed at how quickly he caught on to high-level post moves. He was doing a lot of things instinctively that I had to be taught.” Jones likes to say that’s because Fall is an active listener. “That is the first example of someone who is willing to learn,” Jones says. “They listen and ask questions, instead of saying nothing, moving on and then making mistakes. And he listens not only with his ears, but with his eyes. He wants to get better. … He’s not looking for a way out when it gets hard. I see him improve every day.” Part of Fall’s routine is rigorous, if not prodigious, film work. He’ll not only watch film of opposing players and teams, but he’ll watch entire games of upcoming opponents. He also regularly studies film of NBA centers, breaking down what they do and how they do it. “Right now, I’m watching a lot of film of rookies,” Fall says, “to see how they’ve transitioned from college to the NBA.” That he is studying film of NBA rookies is telling. Fall likely will have the option to turn pro before exhausting his four years of college eligibility — though he has every intention of earning his degree. When asked about his dreams for the future, he smiles. “I want to make it [as an NBA] professional, help my family,” he says. Even now Fall sends a chunk of his monthly college stipend home to his mother — whom he hasn’t seen in almost three years but talks to most every day — and his brother, Fallou, now 10. “Years later, after a pro career, with a degree and my family taken care of, I’d like to make the Hall of Fame.” His smile broadens. “Then, using the money I’ve earned, I want to start my own company: a company that makes electronics, things like tablets, but more affordable for people like those in my country.” He is still smiling, but he is serious. Nobody doubts him. Jones recalls an early practice, when 6-foot-9 Knights forward Staphon Blair put Fall on his back. “He fouled Tacko hard,” Jones says. “Tacko fell straight on his back. It must’ve been about a 10-foot fall, and he just [lay] there for about 15 seconds. I was worried; I thought he’d gotten hurt. But then he got up and started playing again. Then Justin McBride, on a play right after that, slammed him hard and knocked off his goggles. That time, he had to come out because a lens fell out. But as soon as he got his goggles fixed, he motioned to go back in, and on the

very next time down the court, he went to the bucket with both hands and slammed the ball down hard. Guys were clearing out of the way.” Jones and the other wide-eyed UCF coaches gave each other knowing glances. “You look for that early on with kids, how they’ll respond to adversity,” Jones says. “He did it the right way, out of the right spirit. It’s hard to find that.” A lot about Tacko Fall illustrates the right spirit, especially his drive to spring back smarter and stronger. That he’s 7-foot-6 just makes it easier for him to rebound.

U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | 3 5

BEING PART OF A CREW. When you’re out in the ocean, you rely on your crew members and yourself to survive. Each crew member does their part to make sure the entire crew gets to the destination safely.

LEARNING TO NAVIGATE. I lack the Polynesians’ intuition. I can’t read the waves as well as they do, I can’t read the wind as well as they do, and I don’t have as many stars memorized as they do. Instead, I was calculating everything based on information the experienced crew members shared with me.

ALUMKNIGHTS

YE JUNG KIM, ’09, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UCF before moving to Hawaii to pursue

a master’s degree at the University of Hawaii. While there, she was introduced to the Hōkūle‘a, a 62-foot, double-hulled canoe that’s a performance-accurate replica of a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe. Early Polynesians used these boats to sail thousands of nautical miles, relying solely on the stars, wind and waves to guide them. In 1976, Hōkūle‘a successfully made its first voyage across the Pacific from Hawaii to Tahiti. And in 2013, the Polynesian Voyaging Society launched a four-year trip around the world to expose a new generation to this cultural legacy and promote a more sustainable world. Last summer, Kim joined the crew for seven weeks of their historical journey as they sailed from Brisbane to Darwin, Australia. B Y L A U R A J. C O L E

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE. We toured two schools in the Reef Guardian Schools network in Australia. One school breeds fish to help maintain their population at the reef. The other school takes care of a local stream that runs into the ocean and impacts the reef. Interacting with students who are cognizant of their impact on the earth was inspirational.

DISCOVERING HAWAII. I moved out here right after I graduated from UCF in 2009. Since then, I have been so lucky to have found people who share their knowledge of Hawaii with me. I have learned so much about the history, culture and language of the Hawaiian people. I currently teach mathematics at ‘Iolani School on Oahu, and I want to inspire my students as much as I am inspired by the Hawaiian culture. IMAGES COURTESY OF ‘ŌIWI TV FOR POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY

DRIVEN SERVE TO

For UCF Alumni Association executive director Julie Stroh, a decision to give back has transformed her life in profound ways.

BY ERIC MICHAEL, ’96

taying connected to your alma mater can be difficult from more than 1,300 miles away. In Miami, busy corporate executive Julie Stroh was searching for a way to sustain her bond with the place where she experienced “cultural enlightenment” — the University of Michigan. Volunteering with the U of M Club of Miami-Fort Lauderdale “seemed like a great way to fulfill a drive and desire and do something for an institution that had really helped me so much,” she says. But Stroh had no idea that her initiation into the world of alumni relations would lead to a radical shift in her career trajectory — and a new level of professional fulfillment. “I was really transformed because of my experience with service and philanthropy. It totally changed my life,” she says. “It’s why I left the for-profit world and moved into higher education.” After that transition, Stroh became a leader in alumni, community and government outreach positions at the University of Miami, where she earned her graduate degree in liberal studies, and Ball State University in Indiana, before joining the UCF Foundation in September. “I’m a latecomer to higher education advancement but have been fortunate because of the great synergies between my entrepreneurial corporate background, my passion for education and my personal drive for service,” says Stroh. “I don’t function well as a person unless I feel that I’m giving back as a significant part of my life.” It’s the combination of service and philanthropy that Stroh sees as the key to success for alumni who truly want to maximize the benefits of their association.

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Julie Stroh, associate vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the UCF Alumni Association, believes the combination of service and philanthropy creates meaningful impact.

Serving and being engaged and involved at UCF will give you access to things in your life that will make you a more successful person, but the real return on your investment will be the impact you’ll make.

“We have the opportunity and the ability to provide our alumni with connections to resources on campus, to career services and to fellow Knights in a new city or in your current community — meaningful connections,” she says. “Serving and being engaged and involved at UCF will give you access to things in your life that will make you a more successful person, but the real return on your investment will be the impact you’ll make — the lives that will be changed because of generosity.” It’s a result that Stroh believes in because she has experienced it firsthand. “I think if someone were to ask me what I am most proud of in my professional life, I’d say it was the opportunity to serve and give back to my institution.”

CLASS NOTES

’70s Sharon (Kramer) Dwyer, ’70, is president of ArtWorks of Eau Gallie Fine Arts Festival in Melbourne, Fla.

John Herin Jr., ’86, obtained board certification in city, county and local government law by The Florida Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization and Education Aug. 1. Deb (Perry) Melnick, ’87, is a senior event planner at Visit Orlando.

James L. Smith, ’72, retired. Barbara (Gifford), ’74, and husband Frank Crout, ’74, retired from their respective careers in laboratory medicine and public health. Michael Rabbitt, ’75, retired from the medical/scientific instruments industry. Ken Dibble, ’76, retired after 33 years in ministry. Debbie (Edens) Medford, ’76, retired after a 10-year law career and 20 years as a chaplain. Arthur Green, ’77, retired.

’80s Cliff Ragsdale, ’80, appointed academic director of the Pamplin College of Business Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics at Virginia Tech. Hal Lindsey, ’82, is senior program manager for CH2M Transit and Rail in Washington, D.C. Gary Stafford, ’82, is vice president for human resources at Tranter in Plano, Texas. Michael Griffin, ’84, inducted into the UCF Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Hall of Fame Nov. 16. Edward McComas, ’84, received the NASA Certificate of Appreciation Honor Award in July. Harry Waltz, ’84, released a personal safety app called Bmonitored. David Huseonica, ’85, is CEO of Cloud|AG in Atlanta.

Scott Garrison, ’89, is a real estate agent with Real Estate Professionals SE in Longwood, Fla.

’90s

Tiffany Sanders, ’99, promoted to chief marketing officer at JHT.

’00s Alan Abramowitz, ’00, is the Florida winner of the Commissioner’s Award from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. John Joseph Adams, ’00, judged the 2015 National Book Awards and won a Hugo Award.

Jim Metevier, ’90, is president of Biscuitville Fresh Southern.

Ryan Henry, ’01, promoted to battalion chief with the Leesburg Fire Department May 2.

Mark White, ’90, promoted to senior vice president of merchandising services for Home Depot in Atlanta.

Aimee McPartlan, ’01, named a finalist for the Royal Palm Literary Award by the Florida Writers Association in October.

Michael Slone, ’91, is co-owner of Slone Brothers Furniture.

Brice Aikens, ’02, is a certified criminal trial lawyer with Umansky Law Firm.

Ron Boucher, ’92, is the creative director at UCF. Curtis Unruh, ’92, is deputy state chief information officer for the state of Florida. Victor Flores, ’94, is assistant general manager at The Thayer Hotel in West Point, N.Y. Rhonda (Darling) Pollard, ’95, promoted to business analyst at Hawaii Water Service Company in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Nabil Ashraf, ’99, is an assistant professor at North South University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Brooks Brunson, ’02, joined the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. Joel Levenson, ’03, received the National Association of College and University Business Officers Tax Award. Julie Iromuanya, ’04, longlisted for the PEN American Center Literary Awards in debut fiction for Mr. and Mrs. Doctor. Jessica Fano, ’05, judged the inaugural UCF Moot Court Invitational Oct. 17–18.

Nicolette Fontaine, ’99, is an associate broker at Benchmark Realty in Tennessee.

Robert Lisinsky, ’05, named as one of 23 finalists in Disney’s nationwide D23 Expo Challenge in May.

Cara (Ison) Broadhead, ’99, is a senior analyst at Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute.

Horacio Carias, ’06, is an associate portfolio manager at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Santa Monica, Calif.

Rajiv Patel, ’99, named the 2015 Boeing Nominee for the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin Engineering Excellence Award for Professional Achievement.

Keston John, ’06, played Kess Eze on the ABC television show “Blood & Oil.”

Jennifer (Medeiros) Dunn, ’06, named a 2015 Up & Comer in the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Nikki Nate, ’06, received the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation’s Light Award. Krista Peckyno, ’06, is a volunteer attorney with the Veterans’ Claims Assistance Network and member of the American Bar Association’s Military Pro Bono Project. Rayna Yaker, ’06, nominated as a top innovator for Chicago Inno’s 50 on Fire. Warren Anderson, ’07, is a senior network administrator at Central Florida Health Alliance. Stephanie Brown, ’07, is a research associate at The National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools at Florida State University. Noris (Falcon) Aguayo, ’07, is a district instructional coach for Orange County Public Schools. Shannon Fleshman, ’07, recognized as an industry leader in Connect Magazine’s “40 under 40” in August. Fernando Terracuso, ’07, represented Florida at the Nintendo World Championships in Los Angeles. Brenton Chinapoo, ’08, is a claims specialist for the Social Security Administration. Julie Colombino, ’08, CEO at Deux Mains Designs, secured a partnership with Kenneth Cole. Sunni DeGracia, ’08, is an associate at Roig Lawyers in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Melissa Landry, ’08, was honored by Florida’s Children First as Child Advocate of the Year. Michael Reynolds, ’08, is an Allstate agency owner in Wellington, Fla. Mary Lopez, ’09, is a special event planner at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | 3 9

CLASS NOTES

Authors ALUMNI

Christine (Blomberg) Murphy, ’70, wrote The Saturday Adventures of Peter and Alice. Ramón Arredondo, ’73, co-wrote Maria’s Journey. J.J. White, ’76, published Deviant Acts. Michael Crumpton, ’78, authored Strategic Human Resource Planning for Academic Libraries. John Mattone, ’80, co-wrote Cultural Transformations: Lessons of Leadership and Corporate Reinvention.

Ryan Parker, ’09, opened Red Cypress Brewery in Winter Springs, Fla. Morgan Peters, ’09, promoted to senior technical associate at Huron Consulting Group in Oregon. Daniele Salles, ’09, participated in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Baja California, Mexico. Taylor (Wiatt) Stokes, ’09, is assistant director for leadership initiatives at the University of Florida’s Center for Leadership and Service.

’10s Keith Babiasz, ’10, is in-house counsel for AmeriFirst Home Mortgage in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Nate Boyd, ’10, is an energy specialist at Hanson Professional Services in Orlando. Isaiah Chavez, ’10, is a production tech at Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Fla. Matthew Hughes, ’10, is senior director of production at Central Florida Community Arts. Cara Pirkey, ’10, received the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section 2015 Younger Member of the Year Award. Aubree Rider, ’10, and Sean DiMercurio, ’06, are co-founders of The Heroes Group. Kelly Ann Sharp, ’10, is a sales and marketing coordinator at Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

Patty (Kunze) Tatum, ’85, published Cruising Alaska Tropical Style. Leslie S. Talley, ’86, published three e-book mysteries: Make Old Bones, Bred in the Bone and The Closer the Bone. Mark Jackson, ’88, wrote Attack on Cape Florida. Joe Gisondi, ’93, authored Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot. Karla Sasser, ’93, authored Friggin’ Bean Counters: Navigating the BS infested cubicles of the Accounting department. Sarah (Lange) Wathen, ’03, wrote The Tramp: Book One of the Bound Chronicles. Vanessa Blakeslee, ’05, wrote Juventud. Sydney McBride, ’07, wrote a memoir, The Letters. Andrew Moore, ’07, wrote Pawpaw: In Search of America’s Forgotten Fruit. Andrea Zuvich, ’08, wrote The Stuarts in 100 Facts. Brian Arthur Garber, ’10, published Anything & Everything. In October, #SmashTheRecord — a 72-hour tournament during which video gamers competed in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. — raised $50,627 for cancer research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Founded by Alex Chiricosta, ’14, the tournament drew more than 800 attendees from 26 states and three countries as well as 600,000 viewers.

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Claire (Mitchell) Brubaker, ’13, is an administrative assistant at the Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce. Mark Berrios-Ayala, ’14, is a clerk for Judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens in Miami. Zachary Chambers, ’14, is creative director and editor at Brothers and Craft, a consulting agency in Charleston, S.C. Erica Linguanti, ’14, is a social media strategist at Snapshots. Cody Lynch, ’14, is the marketing and strategic partnerships assistant at the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tenn. Brandie Stephens, ’14, is a bungalow concierge at The Breakers Palm Beach.

The Orlando Sentinel recently named Anna Eskamani, ’12, among the 100 “most influential people in government, politics and culture” in Central Florida. Eskamani is the director of public policy and field operations at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and serves on the boards of several local nonprofits. Roosevelt Holmes III, ’11, is deputy political director for the Florida Democratic Party.

Joseph Femia, ’12, is an entertainment coordinator at NBCUniversal in California.

Trey Buongiorno, ’13, is a storyboard artist at DreamWorks Animation Studios in Los Angeles.

Kelsey Howell, ’11, promoted to marketing manager at Discovery Communications.

Michael Holleran, ’12, is a researcher for the “Today” show in New York.

Shayla Chase, ’13, passed the Association of Social Work Boards exam.

Kevin Kulbacki, ’11, is a senior forensic document examiner for the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. Brenton Latta, ’11, received his doctorate in physical therapy and passed the National Physical Therapy Exam in Florida. Aamir Rahman, ’11, is an associate at Weil, Gotshal and Manges in New York. Glenn Brown, ’12, is the owner of G-Box gym in Clifton Park, N.Y. Shawn Doyle, ’12, co-founded Knack, a student-to-student tutoring app. Elizabeth Eng, ’12, promoted to patient access assistant manager at Florida Hospital East Orlando.

Juliette Lauer, ’12, is an account executive at B2 Communications in St. Petersburg, Fla. Joseph Lebowitz, ’12, is an account supervisor at MRM//McCann in New York. Jaynie Ortiz, ’12, is a first-grade teacher in the Dallas Independent School District. Amanda Puttrich, ’12, is a mental health therapist at A New Journey in Santa Monica, Calif. Brynn Snyderman, ’12, is a tax associate at Grant Thornton. Austin Turner, ’12, is an associate in the Land Use and Environmental Law Division at Henderson Franklin.

Vanessa Charcas, ’15, is an assistant account executive at Two by Four, an advertising agency in Chicago. Haley Murray, ’15, is a clinician at Peace River Center in Lakeland, Fla. Tracey Olaez, ’15, is a project coordinator at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando. Steven Reznyk, ’15, is a business development analyst with Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas.

In Memoriam Tracey (Knowles) Sullivan, ’73, passed away Nov. 28, 2015.

Suzan (Bookhardt) McKinney, ’76, passed away March 4, 2015. Kenneth S. Smith, ’82, passed away Sept. 30, 2015. He was a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. William Richard Sevier, ’97, passed away June 2, 2015. Robert Arnold, former director of UCF’s Office of Instructional Resources, passed away July 8, 2015.

U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | 4 1

ALUMKNIGHTS

Weddings

& BIRTHS

Edward Arcemont, ’79, married Melanie Bridges May 24, 2014. 1.

Jarrod Denmon, ’95, married Sara Guilbeau in Pensacola Beach, Fla., Oct. 17.

2. Heather Bloom, ’98, welcomed Sean Keegan Smyth Dec. 18, 2014. Leah Kahn, ’99, and wife Becca welcomed Orli Sloane July 25. 3. Heather (Dillin), ’00, married Michael Wilson in Antigua July 5, 2014, and welcomed Savannah Rose April 16. 4. Brad Marshall, ’00, and wife Ashley welcomed Sterling James June 21. Raina (Dobsha), ’03, and husband Eddie Buchholz welcomed a third daughter, April 27. Whitney (Glaize), ’03, married Jason McElroy Sept. 4, 2014. 5. Manny Amores, ’04, and wife Angela welcomed Manuel Enrique Feb. 19, 2015. Patricia (Combs), ’04, married John Brownsord Sept. 12. 6. Cory Czyzewski, ’04, and wife Cassandra welcomed Kenley Jude Aug. 16. 7.

Pearl (Daacon), ’04, and Kenneth Davenport welcomed Halo March 2015.

Nicole (Dunn), ’04, and Bryan Langhorst welcomed Harper Monroe Michelle July 15.

10. Amy (Voss), ’04, and Daniel Rodenbrock, ’06, welcomed Sophie Grace Aug. 14. 11. Katie (Wolczanski), ’04, and Todd Korkosz, ’04, welcomed Ava Grace Dec. 5, 2014. 12. Amanda (Ammons), ’05, and Terry Tullis, ’05, welcomed Leighton Danielle Jan. 2, 2015.

24. Kimberly (Jones), ’07, married Felipe Gonzalez in St. Augustine, Fla., May 16. 25. Jennifer (Juneau), ’07, married Joshua Haupt, ’04, at Highland Manor in Apopka, Fla., Dec. 13, 2014. Jaime (Kawa), ’07, and Peter Counce, ’99, welcomed Simon Red April 30.

13. Theresa (Roy), ’05, and Stephen Koubek welcomed Riley Lauren May 6.

26. Shaloni (Sukhera), ’07, and Robert Prine, ’07, welcomed Ethan Adam June 25.

14. Lauren (Slaymaker), ’05, married Cody White in Ormond Beach, Fla., May 23.

Amanda (Burd), ’08, married Gary Englander, ’07, March 23, 2015.

15. Tiffany (Thew), ’05, married Clint Fisher July 12.

27. Candace (Fayer), ’08, married Kyle Julian, ’08, in Lake Mary, Fla., July 18.

16. Tara (Weinbrenner), ’05, and Matthew Marshall, ’08, welcomed Palmer George July 24.

28. Elyse (Gersbeck), ’08, and Jason Loiacono, ’08, welcomed Christopher John March 3, 2015.

Jessica (Weitman), ’05, married Michael Van Nieuwenhoven, ’05 March 2015.

29. Malik Haughton, ’08, married Kiara Pesante in Washington, D.C., April 19.

17. Kim (Imbach), ’06, and Michael Schnepf, ’05, welcomed Kevin Arthur Aug. 7.

Ashlee (McMillan) Cueto, ’08, married Daniel Cueto July 19.

18. Natalie (Kalman), ’06, married Richard Dickinson, ’06, in North Redington Beach, Calif., Dec. 13, 2014. 19. Melissa (Lanzone), ’06, and Steve More, ’06, welcomed Amelia Marie July 26. 20. Emily (Richardson), ’06, and Jeff Smith, ’07, welcomed Jonah May 1.

30. Allison (Piland) ’08, and Shane O’Connor, ’11, welcomed Finley Knight June 9. 31. Nathan Amann, ’09, married Elizabeth Stovall in St. Petersburg, Fla., Nov. 28. 32. Christina (Caltabiano), ’09, married Eric Van Houten July 25.

21. Danielle (Rotolo), ’06, married Billy Caci in Tampa May 16.

33. Aireny (Castro), ’09, married Kelvin Quarles, ’10, in St. Augustine, Fla., July 5.

22. Elexis (Aluisio), ’07, and Sean Ritz welcomed Cameron Anthony in April.

34. Kelly (Ferguson), ’09, married Matt Burton, ’03.

8. Kimberly (Helman), ’04, and Evan Rosenberg, ’05, welcomed Tyler Benjamin Aug. 18.

Chris Blais, ’07, married Russell Johnson in Newport Beach, Calif., April 13.

35. Matthew Forrester, ’09, and wife Stephanie welcomed Alexa Grace Sept. 16.

9. Tiffany (Levine) ’04, and Sean Griffin, ’07, welcomed Jack Feb. 28, 2015.

23. Kerry (Gregovich), ’07, and Josh Martin, ’07, welcomed Madison Leigh Feb. 26, 2015.

Kristina (Fleming), ’04, married Derek Paquette, ’95, at Leu Gardens April 25.

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25 14

30 18

27 15

21 21

34 33

ALUMKNIGHTS Meagan (Malo), ’09, married Max Palombo, ’09, in Coral Gables, Fla., Feb. 21, 2015.

45. Sara (Ross), ’11, married Noah Ressa at Leu Gardens Dec. 6, 2014.

Kara (Rosen), ’09, and Nick Szust, ’12, welcomed Kyla Everly July 9.

Elizabeth (Whidden) ’11, and Andrei Savitski, ’09, welcomed Eli Vincent April 28.

36. Rachael (Seligman), ’09, and Brandon Miller, ’07, welcomed Kylie Rose May 15.

Lauren (Sherbuk), ’11, married Christopher Anischko, ’11, April 11.

37. Randi (Shaw), ’09, and Christopher Whitcomb, ’08, welcomed Zachary Thomas Nov. 25.

Jaimie (Zeiser) Plokhaar, ’11, and husband Ricky welcomed Chase Mitchell Sept. 6.

38. Diana (Conde), ’10, married Laurent Domaingue, ’10, March 14, 2015.

Norah (Azoulai), ’12, married Michael White, ’92, April 18.

Lindsay (Dekker), ’10, married Cory Reiter, ’09.

Samantha (Fasolo), ’12, married Chris Dowden, ’09, in Key West, Fla., Dec. 6, 2014.

Allison (Ducey), ’10, married Trevor Clark, ’10, in Savannah, Ga., July 18.

Rebecca (Holman), ’12, married Chandler Weiner March 28.

Lydia (Easterling), ’10, married Nick Hochstein in St. Augustine, Fla., April 9.

Tamara (Kosciusko), ’12, and Tyler Milliner welcomed Trevor Jeffrey June 10.

39. Erin (Holleran), ’10, married Austin Carter, ’09, in St. Augustine, Fla., April 11.

46. Rebekah (Lewinski), ’12, married Mark Allen April 11.

40. Denise (Martin), ’10, and husband Donald Beckler welcomed Kelden June 27.

Sarah (Rife), ’12, married Eric Brule, ’11, in Longwood, Fla., Oct. 18, 2014.

Kathryn (McCaleb), ’10, married Nick Meyer in Delray Beach, Fla., May 2.

47. Lynette (Tinsley), ’12, married Barry Hughes Feb. 9, 2015.

41. Jenny (Bollinger), ’11, married David Hauge in Vero Beach, Fla., April 18.

Megan (Berndt), ’13, married Andrew Nelson, ’14, June 20.

42. Rae (Botsford), ’11, married Ed End March 8, 2015.

Laura (Elorza), ’13, married Taylor Restivo, ’13, Sept. 5.

43. Katelyn (Dawes), ’11, and Alex Acevedo, ’11, welcomed Peyton Sept. 17.

Lauren (Green), ’13, and Ariel Mindell, ’14, welcomed Liam and Liel June 21.

Samantha (Giancarlo), ’11, married Jason Penedo, ’09, May 16.

48. Jackie (Kistner), ’13, married Rob Schuette, ’13, Nov. 23, 2014.

Johanna (Grosser), ’11, married Lucas Hunt July 24.

49. Christine (Russell), ’13, married Kevin Stenmark in Santorini, Greece, Oct. 18.

Stephanie (Hecht), ’11, and John Gabrielsen, ’12, welcomed Joy Maria June 3, 2014.

Leanza (Altenderfer), ’14, married Remington Kauffman in Savannah, Ga., Sept. 19.

Leah (Madsen), ’11, and Trevor Hauck, ’10, welcomed Hudson Taylor March 6.

Samantha (Evans), ’14, married Matthew Erdelac, ’13, May 17.

44. Ashley (Marin), ’11, married Michael Crowley, ’11, in Boca Raton, Fla., Nov. 29.

SHARE YOUR NEWS Send us your announcements and high-resolution photos (minimum 3 megapixels, 300 dpi). Submissions are included as space permits. Class notes may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium.

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Get to Know Trustees YOUR

The board of trustees ensures UCF’s future is bright by providing governance and guidance to the president and establishing the mission and priorities of the university.

MARCOS MARCHENA, ’82

Senior partner, Marchena and Graham, PA C H A I R M A N , U C F B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S

[ ON THE BOARD SINCE 2011 ]

I SERVE BECAUSE… “I am a firstgeneration student, and I can very clearly connect the impact of my life to the education I received partly here at UCF.” MY SERVICE ON THE BOARD… “has made me realize that the amount of money expended does not necessarily equate

ROBERT GARVY

Founder and chairman emeritus, INTECH V I C E C H A I R , U C F B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S

[ ON THE B OARD SINCE 2011 ]

THE BIGGEST IMPACT UCF HAS MADE IS… “its profound economic effect on all of Central Florida. It now is part of every discussion of economic development, intellectual development, artistic development [and] scientific development. Everything that happens now in the Central Florida region typically will involve some discussion of UCF and its potential involvement.”

to higher quality. Having a well-funded university is important to being able to carry out programs, but I have seen UCF do great things with a limited budget.” THE KEY TO GETTING THINGS DONE IS… “having the information we need to make decisions. The board of trustees is always going to be criticized for some decision we make. I’m OK with that as long as we are confident that we made the decision based on a full review of all of the information that needed to be taken into account.”

I AM MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT… “controlling the costs of higher education. Introducing innovative and creative ways of delivering education in a modern technological era is something I think we have taken a national lead in and can develop much more in the years ahead to help control those costs.” IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT… “students feel free to communicate with trustees on the issues they think are important and meaningful to their education and to the direction of the university. We want to understand what’s on their minds.”

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MARCOS MARCHENA, ’82 Senior partner, Marchena and Graham, PA CHAIRMAN, UCF BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPOINTED IN 2011

ROBERT GARVY Founder and chairman emeritus, INTECH VICE CHAIR, UCF BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPOINTED IN 2011

KENNETH BRADLEY CEO, Winter Park Memorial Hospital APPOINTED IN 2016

CLARENCE H. BROWN III, M.D. Former president and CEO, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando APPOINTED IN 2013

JOSEPH CONTE President and CEO, Consulate Health Care APPOINTED IN 2015

RAY GILLEY CEO, Solodev APPOINTED IN 2009

KEITH KOONS Professor of music, graduate coordinator and associate director, UCF School of Performing Arts APPOINTED IN 2015

ALEX MARTINS, ’01 CEO, Orlando Magic APPOINTED IN 2013

BEVERLY J. SEAY Former vice president and general manager for integrated enterprise solutions, CAE APPOINTED IN 2013

JOHN SPROULS Executive vice president and chief administrative officer, Universal Parks & Resorts APPOINTED IN 2011

ALEX MARTINS, ’01 CEO, Orlando Magic

B OA R D O F T R U S T E E S M E M B E R

[ ON THE B OARD SINCE 2013 ]

and growth, and with that comes a lot of decisions to be made. … That’s something that keeps me energized and something that is exciting for me to participate in.”

AS A TRUSTEE, I’M MOST PROUD… I SERVE BECAUSE… “the university has “when I go to a State [University System] given so much to me. I received my M.B.A. Board of Governors meeting and see what’s from UCF in 2001, and if it weren’t for that happening at UCF as compared to the other experience, I wouldn’t be sitting in the seat I’m universities in the state and when I see Dr. in today as the CEO of the Orlando Magic.” Hitt commended by the Board of Governors for the tremendous job he’s doing. When you THE THING I ENJOY MOST ABOUT have a leader like that, our job as trustees is a SERVING UCF IS… “[that] these are lot easier.” dynamic times at UCF with incredible change

DAVID WALSH President and CEO, Mitsubishi Power Systems APPOINTED IN 2016

WILLIAM YEARGIN President and CEO, Correct Craft APPOINTED IN 2015

CAIT ZONA President, UCF SGA APPOINTED IN 2015

U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | 4 5

BACK IN THE DAY

Heart of the Campus How a push in the right direction led to the creation of the cultural hub of the UCF student body. BY ROY REID, ’88 There’s typically a look of disbelief on students’ faces when I describe what life was like at UCF during my freshman year in 1983. Alafaya Trail and University Boulevard were two-lane country roads, and the campus seemed to end just past the library, theater and bookstore. Student life was centered around a loose conglomeration of one-story buildings that is currently known as Ferrell Commons, but we knew it as the Student Center. It housed various organizations as well as most of the on-campus dining options. With a student body of nearly 20,000, it was clear that UCF needed a more comprehensive student union. The mid-1980s was a special time to get involved in student organizations because any effort was bound to contribute to the legacy of the school. Mine began when my fraternity brother Nelson Kirkland, ’85, sat me down for an interview to join the Orientation Team, or O-Team as it is still called today. Led by Jimmie Ferrell, for whom Ferrell Commons is named, the O-Team was a crash course in learning how UCF worked. And perhaps the most significant door that it opened for me was the opportunity to serve the university as student body president. In the summer of 1986, I made the decision to run and was advised by then-SGA president Ira Smith, ’86, to meet with Denver Stutler, ’87, another student who had expressed an interest in the student union cause. Over breakfast, Denver and I discussed how we could secure funding for a union

46 | SPRING 2016

building; it would take a two-year commitment. We agreed that I had a stronger chance of winning the Spring 1987 election and that he would serve as chief of staff. J.J. Mandato, ’88, stepped up as the vice presidential candidate, and we found ourselves in the enviable position of running unopposed. While I would like to think it was something special about us that drew people in, I know that our focus on this key issue is what captured students’ imaginations. Immediately, we began working to secure the administration’s support for making the student union a priority. President Trevor Colbourn gave us his approval, and from there we lobbied the Florida Board of Regents (predecessor of the Board of Governors) and others in Tallahassee. Our case for the creation of the UCF Student Union earned a substantial financial commitment, ensuring that the facility would become a reality. Construction began in 1991, a few years after our graduation. And looking back, I can only credit our early success to the hard work of many individuals, inspired by leaders that taught the importance of vision, servant leadership and relationships. In 2013, I returned to UCF to work as the executive director of communications for the College of Business Administration. Almost daily I go to the Student Union, and when I talk to students and see how much of their campus life takes place inside that building, I am grateful for the encouragement that I received to get involved and contribute to the legacy of our university.

ILLUSTRATION BY REGAN DUNNICK

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“All the pieces are in place to really compete at a national level in all sports, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” — D A N N Y W H I T E , D I R E C T O R O F AT H L E T I C S

“I think the sky’s the limit.” — S C O T T F R O S T, H E A D F O O T B A L L C O A C H

To learn more about the future of UCF Athletics, turn to page 16.