Pegasus Magazine Fall 2015

PEGASUS The Magazine of the University of Central Florida

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THE

RIPPLE EFFECT WHY ARE FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS SUCH AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT FOR AMERICA?

Hello, UCF. When Knights work together, we draw upon

POWER

GREATER THAN

any individual can summon.

PEGASUS tells those stories.

READ ON.

The UCF women’s rowing team, 2015 American Athletic Conference champions, relies on teamwork in every aspect of its sport.

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PUBLISHER University of Central Florida VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Grant J. Heston, ’13 ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING Patrick Burt, ’08 MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Fuentes ART DIRECTORS Lauren Haar, ’06 Steve Webb DESIGNERS Mario Carrillo Adam Smajstrla, ’11 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Eric Michael, ’96 COPY EDITOR Peg Martin

IT WAS WITH GREAT INTEREST that I read and enjoyed the Back in the Day “Commencement Through the Years” article in the Summer 2015 edition of Pegasus.

The milestones included in the article showed not only my commencement in 1974, but those of my middle son and daughter-in-law as well. I have attended many of the graduations, including the one in 1973 when Richard Nixon was the guest speaker.

Of notable interest in my 1974 commencement was the debut of the FTU (UCF) alma mater. The alma mater was performed and recorded by the FTU band and the

chamber singers. A 33⅓ rpm vinyl recording was placed in an envelope and given to each 1974 graduate. The reverse of the envelope displays “A Message from the President” (Charles N. Millican) and the words to the FTU alma mater.

I always look forward to the many varied articles printed in each Pegasus magazine. Your staff does a tremendous service to its alumni with the publication and distribution of this periodical.

WHAT A GREAT ISSUE. The new technology in the

LOVED THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE PLASTIC BOTTLES in the Reflecting Pond. Thanks for raising

anatomy lab at the College of Medicine was jaw-dropping.

I couldn’t wait to share this issue with the young people in my family. All the articles were topical, well-written and probably not found in other publications.

The Juilliard invention, the sensory overload piece, Cuba — wow, this issue was jampacked with goodies.

Three generations of the Lyon pride attended UCF. The growth of our alma mater is phenomenal.

Roberta W. Lyon ’84

Tom McKinney, ’74

awareness of our single-use plastic problem at UCF! Brandy Mahler, ’09, via LinkedIn

I WAS SO HAPPY TO RECEIVE MY PEGASUS issue in my country, Kuwait. I graduated early [in] 2001, and I’ve never been back to the U.S. ... I’ll [be] visiting in August, and you can’t imagine how I feel. I’ll surely visit the campus to share my wonderful memories with the family.

Naser M. Al-Sanousi, ’01, via LinkedIn

LOVED THE RECYCLE ARTICLE! It’s awesome that we were named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation! I enjoyed the “Global Impact” article and reading about students/alumni being recognized for their service in the Peace Corps, but an article should be done on students/alumni involved in AmeriCorps. I heard about AmeriCorps while at UCF, and it changed my life.

I WAS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER in Paraguay from 1998–2000 and graduated from UCF in 1995. Peace Corps was a life-changing experience. I speak three languages fluently now, am living on my [third] continent, and consider myself a citizen of the world.

Lauren Pamas, ’11, via LinkedIn

Joe Brazer, ’95, via Facebook

ON THE COVER: First-generation students such as Sruthy Babu are a priority for UCF. Find out why on Page 28.

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

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

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Email

pegasus@ucf.edu

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

©2015 University of Central Florida. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Pegasus is a registered trademark of the UCF Alumni Association.

Cert no. SW-COC-002556

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Chen Jessica Keller, ’15 Dennis Stevens 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 Mike Candelaria, ’83 Victor Davila, ’97 Holly Dickmeyer, ’08 Kjerstin Dillon David K. Gibson Gene Kruckemyer, ’73 Anne Lottman Kimberly Slichter Wendy Spirduso Sarrubi Sarah Tanat-Jones Zack Thomas Susan White PEGASUS ADVISORY BOARD Barb Abney, ’03 Chad Binette, ’06 Anne Botteri Richard Brunson, ’84 Cristina Calvet-Harrold, ’01 Jeff Garner, ’89 John Gill, ’86 Michael Griffin, ’84 Mike Hinn, ’92 Gerald McGratty Jr., ’71 Michael O’Shaughnessy, ’81 Karl Sooder 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.

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?

Update your contact information: ucfalumni.com/contactupdates

CONTENTS In Focus 6 Briefs 12 On Campus 14 Wide World of Sports 15 Screen Time 16 Hacking D.C. 17 Bone Collector 18 Game Plan for a Cure 19 Ultimate Tailgating Guide 20 The Power of Inclusion 24 Ripple Effect 28 Global Distribution 34 AlumKnights 36 Back in the Day 46

The Marching Knights provide the signature soundtrack for Football Game Day at UCF. For tips on how to become the ultimate Knights tailgater, turn to Page 20.

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RISING BEYOND BARRIERS The Recreation and Wellness Center’s Adaptive Climbing Program, which began in 2013, allows students with different abilities to experience the thrills and rewards of climbing. Trained staff help students with partial paralysis, prosthetic limbs or limited mobility in their extremities hoist themselves up the tower with specialized gear — including a seat harness for added support, a handlebar ascender that enables participants to pull themselves up using their arms, a 4:1 pulley system to lighten their load, and a redundant anchoring system that adds a secondary level of safety.

“Most everything [at the Recreation and Wellness Center] is adaptable.

You’re basically doing a lot of pullups, but it’s the coolest experience. I’m used to being so close to the ground — it’s really freeing.”

— Katherine Torres, UCF senior and Student Assisted Workout Program lead

2002 41 25 Tower opened

Feet tall

Number of climbing routes

30,000 $1,000

Climbers use the tower annually

Cost of adaptive climbing gear (harness $300, Haul Safe system $700)

$280

Cost of traditional climbing gear (harness $100, climbing rope $150, carabiners $30)

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IN FOCUS

IN FOCUS

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RAISING A RUCKUS Seth Godin, self-described “ruckus-maker” and author of 18 best-selling books, including Linchpin and Tribes, and a popular blog, addressed College of Business Administration students Aug. 28 as the keynote speaker for Welcome to the Majors.

The annual event, which introduces new business students to the culture of the college, became the largest single-class assembly in UCF history with nearly 3,000 participants.

“This is your opportunity not to get the memo but to send the memo, to connect to people who want to be connected, to create a culture because you can, to challenge the people in your tribe, communicate to them, commit to where they’re going and do it in clear language — starting today, because you can.”

—S eth Godin, entrepreneur, marketer and author

INDUSTRY-DRIVEN EDUCATION To give their students a competitive advantage in the job market, the College of Business Administration has launched the integrated business major. The new program emphasizes the importance of developing experience in a range of disciplines and functions, including finance, analytics, leadership, management and communication. Applied learning and skills development form the core of the curriculum, which will challenge students with real-world projects and offer access to successful business leaders.

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BACKSTAGE PASS In July, the Limbitless Solutions team made its first international donation of a custom robotic hand to 6-year-old Paulo Boa Nova from Brazil.

A film crew documented the entire process, from Paulo’s airport arrival through the fitting and training process at UCF labs to the surprise donation by Brazilian soccer star Kaká during an event hosted by Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Health. The footage was used for a new UCF commercial that debuted during the nationally televised Knights football game against FIU in September.

“I don’t have the words for how grateful we are. When I saw [on YouTube] the arms they make, I hold on to hope for the opportunity for my son. I can’t believe today his dream came true.”

— Claudio Boa Nova, Paulo’s father

STORIES OF IMPACT While the video presents a rare glimpse inside this Limbitless Solutions project, it also offers insight into UCF’s new “Impact” campaign.

The campaign highlights the positive effects students and alumni have on our Central Florida community and the world beyond.

Find stories of impact — a College of Medicine student helping to feed Syrian refugees, a counselor guiding at-risk youth in Orlando’s Parramore Heritage Community, and a first-generation college student who became the president of the nation’s second-largest university — at ucf.edu/impact.

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IN FOCUS

NEWS AND NOTES

Briefs HELPING HANDS

Alumni support student victims of apartment fire.

When a three-alarm blaze ripped through Tivoli displacing approximately 25 UCF students, Knights alumni responded with 353 donations totaling $32,448 in cash gifts. Food, clothing and other essentials were also received by the Knights Helping Knights Pantry, including 14 laptop computers donated by Ken Brown, ’02, managing director of the Orlando-based IT staffing company Tekk Fusion.

“I looked at [the computers] and thought, ‘Those kids need these more than we do right now,’ ” says Brown. In the aftermath of the fire, UCF offered temporary housing to those who needed it, along with assistance for other challenges such as lost textbooks or passports.

MEET JUSTICE

The UCF Police Department’s newest K-9 officer

BORN

Germany (All of his verbal commands are in German.)

AGE

18 months

PARTNER

Officer Matt Scott, ’07

DUTIES

Tracking, article detection, odor detection (narcotics), bite work and obedience

TREATS

Greenies Canine Dental Chews and peanut butter

SCRATCH

Justice’s addition to the UCF Police Department was made possible thanks to support from the UCF community.

Behind the ears and on his torso and hindquarter

CHEW Kong Ball

PACK

Officer Scott’s other dog, a mutt named Stitch

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NEW ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LEADER After a nationwide search, Julie C. Stroh has been named associate vice president and executive director of the UCF Alumni Association.

Leadership Experience: University of Michigan University of Miami Ball State University

20,000

IN 2 HOURS The number of free books given away to local families and Central Florida teachers Aug. 22 during a drive hosted by the UCF College of Education and Human Performance

30,000

IN 10 YEARS The number of UCF graduates who became Knights through DirectConnect to UCF, the nationally recognized program that guarantees admission with a two-year degree from one of six Central Florida partner colleges

IMAGE COURTESY OF JOHNATHAN KUNTZ/CENTRAL FLORIDA FUTURE

Apartments July 12 destroying 24 units and

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FIEA TURNS

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UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy is celebrating a decade of success training video game developers. Named the world’s No. 2 graduate game design program this year by The Princeton Review, FIEA has graduated 421 alumni who work for more than 125 companies, including Electronic Arts, Disney and Marvel, making a mean base salary of $60,359 (as of 2013).

“The entire digital media community benefits from [FIEA], as do graduates who are becoming leaders in the field and helping cement Central Florida’s position as an industry leader.”

IN GREAT COMPANY UCF has joined MIT, Harvard and Stanford on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s “Most Innovative Schools.” Announced in the magazine’s Best Colleges 2016 guide, the category recognizes “the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty,

— Daryl Holt, Electronic Arts vice president and group chief operating officer

ARTISTIC NATURE

During November, the John C. Hitt Library will host the “Joy Postle: Inspired by Nature” exhibit, displaying works from the UCF Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives. The Florida environmentalist and artist is best known for her murals, watercolors and oil paintings depicting Florida birds and other fauna.

students, campus life, technology or facilities.” UCF tied for 13th place with Georgia Tech and the University of Southern California.

IMAGE COURTESY OF UCF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

DATA-DRIVEN SUCCESS

The University Innovation Alliance, an 11-member national consortium that includes UCF, received an $8.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will fund a study on how data analytics can inform academic advising for low-income and first-generation students to increase retention and graduation rates.

“Our mission is to test new ideas, understand what works, and scale effective innovations across the country to ensure that more students have the support they need to complete college.”

— Bridget Burns, UIA executive director

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S E P T.

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Thousands of runners and walkers raised money for the American Heart Association during the Greater Orlando Heart Walk at UCF, one of the most popular benefit events of the year.

ON CAMPUS and in the community

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“Step Right Up: The Art of the Sideshow,� an exhibition at the UCF Art Gallery, featured brightly colored banners and other pieces celebrating the classic American carnival.

AU G .

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After a speech by President Hitt welcoming the class of 2019 at the annual convocation ceremony at CFE Arena, the new Knights gathered on Memory Mall for a group portrait.

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During the annual faculty welcome event in the Student Union, 200 new members joined the UCF academic community.

WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS UCF students find many different ways to compete.

WOMEN’S FLAG FOOTBALL

MEN’S RUGBY

HISTORY

COMPETES IN

VICTORIES

GEAR

LINGO

DID YOU KNOW?

ROCK CLIMBING

SURFING

ULTIMATE

WAKEBOARDING

Club sport established in 1988

Intramural sport established in 1979

Club sport established in 2001

Club sport established in 1983

Club sport established in 2004

Club sport established in 2012

USA Rugby College Division 1-AA (South Independent Conference)

National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association

USA Climbing Collegiate Climbing Series

National Scholastic Surfing Association (Eastern Conference)

USA Ultimate College Division

College Wakeboard Series (Florida Conference)

2013–14 USA Rugby College Division I-AA National Champions

2014–15 National Champions

2015 Florida Regional Champions

2009, 2012–15 Eastern Conference Team Champions

2012–13 Southeast Region Champions

2013–14 College Cable National Champions

2009–11 National Champions

2015 South Independent Rugby Conference Champions

2013 Florida Conference Champions

Rugby ball

Football Flag belt

Climbing harness Climbing shoes Belay equipment

Surfboard Wetsuit

Throwing disk

Wakeboard with bindings Personal flotation device

Scrum: When players pack together trying to get possession of the ball after a minor penalty or when play needs to be restarted

Muff: An unsuccessful attempt to catch a ball when a player touches the ball

Squeeze chimney: A 1- to 2-foot opening that climbers must wiggle through

Barrel: The tubular section of a wave

Scurvy: Faking out a defender

Mushburger: Weak, mushy waves that are difficult to surf

Scoober: A throw used in tight situations

Bonk: When a rider taps an obstacle above water level with the bottom of his/her board

A try got its name because originally players got a “try” at kicking the ball without scoring any points.

There’s no kickoff to start either half; the ball is snapped from the 14-yard line.

Climbers coat their hands in chalk to absorb moisture and improve their grip.

Surfers spend only 8 percent of their time actually riding waves.

Many call it Ultimate Frisbee, but its official name is simply Ultimate.

UCF SPORTS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU INNER TUBE WATER POLO

This variation of water polo requires that every player except the goalkeeper must float in inflatable tubes while playing. Every spring, teams of six players battle for supremacy in a tournament. Fouls are given for tipping over a player seated in their tube or holding on to a player’s tube.

BATTLESHIP

Armed with only buckets and water guns, coed teams of three compete to flood and sink their opposing teams’ canoes during this simulated naval battle in the Recreation and Wellness Center lap pool.

HUMAN CURLING

This warm-weather version of the sport of curling challenges players to slide a teammate in an inner tube across a giant slippery tarp toward a target area for points. In the fall, teams of three players compete during a one-day tournament.

In cable wakeboarding, the rider is pulled by an overhead cable system instead of a boat.

CHANGING THE CHANNEL

Screen Time

Emily Hart, ’99, vice president of original programming for Disney Junior, knew from a young age that she wanted a career entertaining children. Growing up in Orlando, doodling her own cartoons and visiting the theme parks lit a creative fire that led her to a UCF theater degree and a leap-of-faith relocation to Los Angeles.

Thirteen years later she’s developing the TV shows kids watch while managing the screen time of her own two young daughters.

Where It All Started

“I always wanted to develop kids’ shows; that’s why I was a theater major. It kept me connected to storytelling because we were always putting on a show. After leaving UCF, I did everything I could to stay involved in kids’ entertainment, which meant being a jack-of-alltrades in Orlando. I decided to move to Los Angeles because for kids’ TV programming that was the place to be. So I packed my Saturn and drove out west.”

How I Got My Big Break

“I applied for a hundred jobs, anything that could get my foot in the door. My first call was to work as a temp as the assistant to the head of media relations for Disney Channel. That was 13 years ago. Through various mentors, I was able to work my way into Disney Junior where I hit the ground running, bringing in projects and developing shows. My first long-form series was “Jake and the Never Land Pirates.”

That idea was triggered when I was at Disneyland and I looked around at all the girls dressed up like princesses.

The boys didn’t have a character to

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How I Make It Work

“I have the ultimate creative multitasking job. I jump from a script read-over to a sound-mixing session and then into taking a pitch for something completely new. There are little creative fires [I’m] constantly tending. I have quick turnarounds on everything that comes across my desk, so there’s also not a lot of time to overthink anything. [I] have to make quick decisions and really trust [my] creative instinct.”

Where I’ve Struck Gold

“You have to love what you’re doing, identify with. “Pirates of the Caribbean” and be passionate about it. It’s funny, when someone is pitching a [TV show] was out, but that wasn’t geared toward because they think it’s something I young kids. So I thought, ‘What if we will buy, it generally doesn’t work. could do a pirate show that was for The things that work are about their Disney Junior?’ I found great writers personal experience, something who came in with solid pitches, and emotional. It’s a story they have to tell, the series came together step by step a character that needs to become alive. over a period of three years. It became It needs a vision when it comes in, and it the flagship show that launched our needs someone that is really passionate rebrand from Playhouse Disney into Disney Junior. Now when you go to the to drive it. We feel that.”

Disney parks, you see boys dressed up as Jake. It’s really rewarding to see kids How Much TV My Kids Watch engage with these characters.”

“I have two kids, and for me [the goal is] managing their screen time. They don’t always want to watch TV. They might want the iPad to play games. It’s maintaining a balance. Sometimes I just need them to watch a show so I can cook dinner. Of course, I paid attention to [the content of children’s TV programs] before I had kids, but now I realize how much they’re picking up from the shows. I think it’s fun for them to learn from these characters. But I also think it’s great for them to go outside and play — turn the TV off and do a puzzle or play together.”

“Now when you go to the Disney parks, you see boys dressed up as Jake. It’s really rewarding to see kids engage with these characters.”

QUICK FACTS ABOUT EMILY DUTIES

• Oversees development and production of Disney Junior original series LOCATION

• Disney Channels Worldwide headquarters, Burbank, California CREDITS

• “Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” an animated series based on characters from “Peter Pan” • “The 7D,” an animated series featuring the Seven Dwarfs as a team of heroes protecting the kingdom of Jollywood • “Miles from Tomorrowland,” an animated space adventure series designed to inspire preschoolers’ interest in science and technology • “The Lion Guard,” an animated movie and series based on “The Lion King” that follows a diverse team of animals tasked with preserving the Pride Lands CHILDHOOD TV FAVORITES

• “The Smurfs” • “Adventures of the Gummi Bears” STEPPING STONES

• Nickelodeon Studios Gak Meister and Game Lab host, Universal Orlando • Puppeteer, MicheLee Puppets • Director of development, Florida Film Festival

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH TANAT-JONES

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Hacking D.C. UCF cyber defense champions infiltrate U.S. national security hot spots on a victory tour of our nation’s capital.

BY MIKE CANDELARIA, ’83

I

n April the Collegiate Cyber Defense Club @ UCF, also known as Hack@UCF, won their second consecutive championship at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. As a reward, the team and their faculty adviser were treated to a VIP tour of cyber security organizations and other landmarks in and around Washington, D.C., July 28–30. The visit, hosted by competition sponsor Raytheon, included private guided tours of places few U.S. citizens are allowed, such as the U.S. Secret Service James J. Rowley Training Center and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service National Threat Operations Center. For the aspiring cyber defense professionals, the experience offered a glimpse into their future careers. Here are the highlights: WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

“My highlight was talking with members of [President] Obama’s executive board. It was great to represent the perspective of young people. … We were treated pretty special. People really feel like UCF has some crazy cyber talent. They all think we’re going to repeat [the national championship] again.” — KEVIN DICLEMENTE, ’15

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY HEADQUARTERS, FORT MEADE, MARYLAND

“Not only were we invited inside, but we also got a sneak peak of some of the fascinating projects. … We definitely had time to share our ideas on cyber-related issues. We also had a very engaging discussion with Raytheon about why students might be driven more toward the private sector before considering [a career] in the public sector, based on our own experiences in being recruited. … Here we were talking with a huge defense contractor about how our government could improve recruiting efforts to obtain great talent, fresh eyes and brilliant ideas directly from our nation’s colleges and universities.” — JASON COOPER, ’15 NATIONAL CRYPTOLOGIC MUSEUM, ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION, MARYLAND

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many of our team members and I have been able to do twice. We went on tours the general public isn’t able to go on. We were only there about an hour and a half. I really wished we could have stayed six hours, looking at all the exhibits. Everything possible in the history of cryptology is captured there — encoding in World Wars I and II, obviously before computers. The exhibits go all the way up to the Internet challenges of today.”

— TOM NEDOROST, HACK@UCF FACULTY ADVISER

NSA/CSS NATIONAL THREAT OPERATIONS CENTER, WASHINGTON, D.C.

“When we went to the National Threat Operations Center, we were told it was the first and only unclassified briefing ever given at that office. … Everywhere we went it was impressed upon us how critical cyber security is to the security of the United States. Not just to the military — to all people. It’s a major economic problem, and going forward, [it] will be a physical problem because everything has a computer in it.” — SHANE WELCH, UCF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM JUNIOR

IMAGE COURTESY OF RAYTHEON

On their summer victory tour, Hack@UCF teammates Alex Davis and Andres Giron-Arias take selfies in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room during a White House West Wing tour.

U.S. SECRET SERVICE JAMES J. ROWLEY TRAINING CENTER, LAUREL, MARYLAND

“My biggest surprise was seeing someone in a UCF hat. He turned out to be a UCF grad.

It made the world feel pretty small. … No name-divulging. What happens in D.C. stays in D.C.” — KEVIN DICLEMENTE

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SKELETON CLOSET

Artifact Bone Collector

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Animal remains offer unique insights for UCF biologists.

B

ehind a heavy metal door in the Biological Sciences Building, the answers to some of the animal world’s most intriguing questions are stored.

The Department of Biology’s vast collection of mammal, bird, reptile and fish bones includes more than a hundred species, ranging in size from rodents to whales. Associate instructor Frank Logiudice and his colleagues use the specimens to help students understand skeletal structure, comparative anatomy, physiology and other topics.

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Here are some lessons Logiudice teaches using the bones of loggerhead sea turtles:

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3

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The tagging system of this teaching collection relays an array of information about the animal. This skull of a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was recovered from a deceased animal that was tagged repeatedly while alive by UCF researchers beginning in 1979.

The loggerhead’s beak is composed of keratin and formed through a process similar to the formation of calluses on a human hand.

“The skin is external to the bone, so as the bone is used, the skin will be modified to reflect [this],” Logiudice points out. This same process was also seen with triceratops and can currently be observed in birds.

Besides using their large eyes to scan and navigate the ocean, loggerheads also use them to assist with hydration. “Inside, there’s a salt gland,” Logiudice says, “and the salt gland lets them drink ocean water, and then they excrete the salt as tears.”

This incomplete juvenile loggerhead carapace shows how the turtle’s bony shell grows over time. “Turtles grow fairly slowly,” says Logiudice. “They have a slow metabolism, so that still works very well for them; it gives them better protection than cartilage, which is a little softer.”

Since the turtle’s ribs are fused to their shell, “they can’t breathe like we do, expanding their ribs, so they have to wiggle their flippers around,” Logiudice explains. This wiggling motion helps bring oxygen into their lungs.

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FOR A CURE A new Orlando bowl game will benefit the fight to defeat breast cancer and the work of an innovative UCF College of Medicine researcher.

BY WENDY SPIRDUSO SARUBBI hen college football fans converge for the inaugural AutoNation Cure Bowl at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Dec. 19, they will not only be supporting their favorite NCAA team but also the breast cancer research of Dr. Annette Khaled.

The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences associate professor is the latest recipient — and only the fifth in Florida — to be awarded a $250,000 grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), which will receive the net proceeds from the new postseason game. The grant funds her work developing new technologies to treat metastatic cancer cells, research that Myra Biblowit, BCRF president and CEO, describes as seminal.

“As scientists and clinicians, we know that what kills most cancer patients is when cancer cells metastasize — or spread — from their original tumor to the body’s bones, lungs and brain,” says Khaled.

“These spreading cells are medicine’s fierce enemies because they are hard to find, hard to target and hard to kill.”

Khaled’s lab has discovered that metastatic cancer cells contain a high level of the protein chaperonin-containing T-complex, or CCT. The faster the cancer cells spread, the sicker they make patients and the more CCT they contain. Through this grant, Khaled’s team is identifying drug therapies that can seek out these cells and kill them.

Florida Hospital, which is a corporate sponsor of the bowl, provides tissue samples from breast cancer patients so Khaled can develop individualized treatments based on the type of cancer. “Research is one of our strongest weapons in the fight against breast cancer, and Florida Hospital is proud to be part of an exciting bowl game that will raise awareness both locally and nationally, and raise funds for research,”

says Dr. Lori Boardman, medical director of Florida Hospital for Women and a faculty member at the UCF College of Medicine.

More than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. According to Biblowit, her organization has raised $530 million so far and awarded $58 million to 237 cancer researchers across six continents. The foundation has donated $1.25 million to Florida researchers that Biblowit describes as “eminent cancer scholars.” Three of the donations have gone to the University of Miami, one to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and the latest to the UCF College of Medicine’s Khaled. The BCRF has received an A+ rating from CharityWatch and spends 91 cents of every $1 it receives on breast cancer research. The group plans to disburse $58.6 million this year with help from the AutoNation Cure Bowl.

While most NCAA bowl games make contributions to charity, few include the name of their cause in their title. The Orlando Sports Foundation (OSF), the nonprofit organizer of the AutoNation

Cure Bowl, is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for organizations working to find a cure for cancer, says OSF Executive Director Alan Gooch, ’84, who was a football coach at UCF from 1983 to 2003. OSF will support the BCRF through a minimum $150,000 donation raised by the game, but they hope to present a check for even more.

“We sought out a very strong [organization] to be our charity partner, and nobody gives more money to this type of research than the Breast Cancer Research Foundation,” Gooch says.

“We’re bringing two teams together to find a cure for cancer, and with the help of AutoNation and their foundation, I think we’re going to be able to write a check to BCRF that’s going to be north of half a million dollars.”

The AutoNation Cure Bowl, which will include a “Cure Village” at the stadium where fans can receive mammograms and other screenings on game day, will match teams from the Sun Belt Conference and the American Athletic Conference.

The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

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ULTIMATE TAILGATING GUIDE Live music, food trucks and other new attractions are making UCF Knights game day more fun than ever. Plus, a few expert tips and tricks to make your next tailgate a major victory.

Tailgating before Knights football games is one of the most celebrated traditions at UCF. For the 2015 season, the Student Government Association (SGA) is raising its game by bringing new attractions and services to Memory Mall, including live music performances, food trucks, cooldown zones and themed gear giveaways.

“Knights on the Mall aims to provide students, alumni, fans and all other Knights supporters a great pregame experience,” says SGA president Cait Zona. “Tailgating is a culture, and we want to encourage a fun, safe atmosphere, with the final piece being a huge crowd at the football game.”

And for those of you who host your own party, here are some tailgating tips and tricks from fellow Knights fans that are sure to score points with your guests, from chef-inspired recipe ideas and food and beverage pairing advice to face painting inspiration, tricks for winning at cornhole, ways to keep your party eco-friendly and more.

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PREGAME GUIDE

FEED

SPIRIT ON

G E T YO U R

Here’s the Marching Knights pregame schedule to make sure you don’t miss a beat: 2.25 HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF: Marching

Knights instrument sections warm up in the Student Union around the Pegasus insignia.

1.75 HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF: The band

marches down Memory Mall and stops to play school songs near the SGA stage.

1.25 HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF: The band

joins the UCF Spirit Squad for a pep rally in front of the CFE Arena.

Burgers, dogs and chips are fine for other college football fans, but try these recipes from Knight chefs to charge up your guests’ taste buds.

Hot Wing Sliders with Celery and Blue Cheese Slaw Courtesy of Emily Ellyn, ’08, TV chef Yields: 4 sliders HOT WING SLIDERS INGREDIENTS

• • • • • •

ILLUSTRATION BY VICTOR DAVILA, ’97

The Marching Knights provide the ultimate soundtrack to any tailgate. Before kickoff, fans can find the band entertaining in small groups in the Student Union and around Memory Mall before they converge at Knights Plaza for the March to Victory to Bright House Networks Stadium.

“The UCF fight song ‘Charge On’ always gets the crowd clapping, and ‘Go Knights Funk’ and the ‘Black and Gold’ trumpet cheer pull a good reaction from the fans,” says assistant director of bands Dave Schreier, ’02. “Last year ‘Happy’

by Pharrell Williams was pretty high energy, and this year we will be premiering ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars — that should get the crowd dancing in the stands.”

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in halves Half a beer, preferably a farmhouse ale 7 ounces of your favorite wing sauce 3 ounces of blue cheese 2 tablespoons of butter 4 brioche slider rolls, split lengthwise

INSTRUCTIONS

P U T O N YO U R

GAME FACE

Face paint is a fervent fan’s final piece of armor. These three ideas from School of Visual Arts and Design assistant professor Victor Davila, ’97, will show the opposing team you came to play.

1 HOUR BEFORE KICKOFF: The March to Victory begins, with Knightro, Pegasus, the Spirit Squad and the Marching Knights leading cheering fans to the game.

YO U R FA N S

• Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and pour in all of the ingredients except for the butter.

• Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours, stirring periodically.

• Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the butter.

• Shred the meat finely with two forks.

• Pile the meat onto the slider buns.

CELERY AND BLUE CHEESE SLAW INGREDIENTS

• • • • • • • • •

4 celery ribs, thinly sliced at an angle ½ cup of red onion, very thinly sliced 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon of celery seed ¼ cup of crumbled blue cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

GARAGE H Park here, and proceeds benefit First Generation Student Scholarships. To date, game day parking has generated more than $400,000 with a state match.

KICKOFF

• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the blue cheese and toss well.

• Gently toss in the blue cheese.

• Place in a refrigerator until the chicken is ready.

Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Courtesy of Mark Leggett, ’07, Arthur’s Catering

PEP RALLY MARCH TO VICTORY

Yields: 20 sandwiches INGREDIENTS

MARCHING KNIGHTS SCHOOL SONGS

• • • • •

1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa verde 40 slices of hearty bread 2 pounds pulled pork mixed with 1 cup mojo marinade 20 slices fontina cheese 8 ounces of melted butter (or your favorite substitute)

INSTRUCTIONS

MARCHING KNIGHTS WARMUP

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• Spread a thin layer of salsa verde on each slice of bread.

• Spread warm pulled pork and add a slice of fontina cheese for each sandwich.

• Brush each side with melted butter, and cook in a nonstick pan on both sides until golden.

• Cut in half to serve.

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40

1

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Angle: The first thing to consider is the throwing angle, advises Kaden. Although there are some disadvantages to tossing the beanbag at a 40-degree angle, it balances out in the end and allows for the highest level of accuracy.

Technique: Spinning the beanbag or making it skip on the board are ways to improve your odds, while also adding some flair to your throws.

Speed: Execute with a throwing speed that’s not too fast, as such tosses are harder to control.

A slower speed should significantly increase a player’s odds.

27 ft.

THIRST Q U E N C H YO U R

Finding the perfect beverage to complement your favorite tailgating grub doesn’t have to be a guessing game. Here are some pairing suggestions from beer, wine and fine spirit expert Marissa Orlowski, Rosen College of Hospitality Management Ph.D. candidate.

All-purpose players Homemade flavored iced tea — any bagged tea can be turned into iced tea if you brew it double or triple strength so the flavor holds up to the ice.

Burgers Sparkling water (plain or flavored) Amber ales, pilsners and Belgian beers Zinfandel

Hot dogs All beers, especially lagers

WIN

AT C O R N H O L E

Light white wines such as riesling and pinot grigio

To dominate at popular tailgating games, there’s no substitute for practice — unless you have a physicist on your team. UCF assistant professor of physics Bill Kaden has employed mathematical formulas to uncover the secrets of this game. “Cornhole provides a great example of physics in action,” says Kaden.

“While the game appears reasonably straightforward to the casual observer, a rigorously detailed physical description […] actually presents a fairly nontrivial undertaking.”

Zinfandel

KEEP COOL

Wings Amber lagers and ales complement the spice.

Hoppy ales, such as American or India pale ales, enhance the spice.

WITH DIY AIR CONDITIONING

Brown ales help tone down the spice.

To beat the heat, mechanical engineering student Kevin Bauer — president of UCF’s chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers — offers a how-to guide for creating your own homemade portable air conditioning unit.

A classic bloody mary is perfect for an early start, and a good mix on its own served over ice is a great nonalcoholic option.

A light punch, such as a white or sparkling sangria, or an Aperol spritz is refreshing on a hot day.

PARTS

2 dryer exhaust vent hoods

Barbecue Lemonade

10-inch batteryoperated portable fan

Amber, lager and wheat beers California zinfandel (not white zinfandel) Australian shiraz Bourbon-based cocktails (especially those with citrus or iced tea)

GREEN

50-quart Styrofoam cooler

K E E P YO U R TA I LG AT E

Throwing a winning game day party shouldn’t penalize the environment.

Make your event eco-friendly with advice from UCF Arboretum associate director Alaina Bernard, ’04, and UCF Sustainability Initiatives coordinator Alexandra Kennedy, ’12.

Here are ways to keep your tailgate green:

• Carpool or use public transport, such as UCF’s game day shuttle.

• Avoid single-use utensils and buy items with minimal packaging.

• Grill with propane, which is cleaner than charcoal and wood.

• Buy local and seasonal food products, both of which reduce your carbon footprint.

• Use solar-powered electronics.

2 or more gallon jugs of water

CONSTRUCTION

• Freeze the jugs of water.

• Center the fan facedown on top of the cooler lid and trace the outline.

• Arrange the two dryer vents on opposite sides of the fan outline and trace each vent.

• Carefully use a cutting tool to create holes in the lid using the outlines.

• Place the frozen jugs of water inside the cooler.

• Replace the modified lid onto the cooler.

• Insert the fan facing down into the lid cutout.

• Insert the two dryer vents into the lid cutouts.

• Activate fan.

• Adjust vents in the direction you wish to cool and enjoy.

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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION SERVICES

THE POWER OF

INCLUSION

BY DAVID K. GIBSON

W

hen the fall semester began,

law and social convention, and challenged by

more than 3,700 new freshmen

exclusion and lowered expectations.

showed up for classes. Among

them were six who are considered exceptional.

(IES) — an initiative that for the first time

Or rather, they are “exceptional,” and “special,”

offers people with intellectual disabilities the

and a lot of other euphemisms for the label of

full college experience at UCF — the only label

“intellectually disabled.” They’ve spent their

defining them is the one they choose to wear

lives defined by that diagnosis, limited by

on their T-shirts: Knights.

“We didn’t even want to call it a program, which implies something set apart,” says Rebecca Hines, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Performance, who was one of 30 faculty and staff members to help create IES. “We began with the belief that our inclusion program meant full inclusion. We created something that isn’t a group of people with intellectual disabilities walking around in a cluster, but individuals with intellectual challenges throughout the university who are supported just like their peers.”

This program is not unique in the United States — 243 colleges and universities have tracks for students with intellectual disabilities according to Think College, a project

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Now, thanks to Inclusive Education Services

of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston — but it’s designed to be one of the most fully integrated. “[IES is] a group of committed people who have come together and created a vision for what this could be,” says national expert Debra Hart, director of the Education and Transition Team at the Institute for Community Inclusion. “They’re fully committed to making every student successful, including students with intellectual challenges.”

Adam Meyer, director of UCF’s Student Accessibility Services (SAS), which oversees the program, states simply, “They are UCF students, and we see them as UCF students.”

A Dysfunctional System In 1975, the U.S. Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It established the right of children with disabilities to attend public schools and to have their educational needs met within a regular school classroom as much as possible. That integrated practice became known as “inclusive education.”

“Twenty or 30 years after that act, we weren’t educating,” says IES committee member Lisa Dieker, Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences. “In Florida, we were growing so fast that we had trouble finding teachers just to stand

Elyse Mundelein wanted to audit classes at UCF after graduating from Oviedo High School, but under state law the Special Diploma she earned prohibited it. Inclusive Education Services has opened the door for students with intellectual disabilities to have the full college experience.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION SERVICES

up in front of kids, making it difficult to have a clear plan to meet the needs of kids with disabilities.” Students with intellectual disabilities often stayed in high school until they aged out at 22, she explains, at which point they were issued a cap, a gown and what was known as a Special Diploma to mark the end of their special education. Not only was that diploma not accepted by state institutions of higher learning for admission to a degree program, it actually precluded the auditing of classes.

Dieker came up against those restrictions when she met Elyse Mundelein, who graduated with a Special Diploma from Central Florida’s Oviedo High School in 2007. “Elyse wanted to audit my class, but she couldn’t because she had a secondclass citizen diploma.” Though state law prohibited Mundelein from auditing Dieker’s class even as a noncredit student, she began working for Dieker in 2011 as a teaching assistant, a role she continues to fill. According to Dieker, Mundelein has thrived in the UCF community and proved that the rules needed to be changed. If others were going to get a similar opportunity, the Special Diploma had to go.

In 2013, Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner, whose son Andrew has Down syndrome, sponsored the Exceptional Student Education Bill. It demanded real efforts toward inclusive education in regular classrooms and also allowed parents to have more say in the creation of individualized

Adam Meyer

“These are students who are highly motivated, who want to further their academic knowledge.”

education plans — including giving students the option to work toward a regular high school diploma, rather than the “special” one.

Gardiner’s wife, Camille — who co-founded the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida to advocate for her son and others like him — credits that change in Florida law with creating a change in attitude. “Once our young adults have the opportunity to attend college, then the assumption becomes that they will go if that’s the path they choose, which will hopefully change the expectations of parents and professionals during the K–12 years,” she says. “All individuals, whether they have a diagnosis or not, tend to live up to expectations.”

The First Class

By the time the six new IES students moved into their residence halls, they had already cleared significant hurdles. Because none of them are degree-seeking they didn’t have to apply through the traditional admissions process, but each had to go through a competitive application process reflective of the program’s vision and target audience, including face-to-face interviews with UCF faculty and staff.

“These are students who are highly motivated, who want to further their academic knowledge,” says Meyer. Each of them arrived with individual goals, and the program will define success by how well the students meet them. According to Meyer, all six are career-driven, and the knowledge and social skills that they learn at UCF may gradually translate into internships both on and off campus, leading to improved employment potential — and

hopefully careers. The students will only audit courses, likely two per semester, though they may take more if they so choose.

And as with most undergraduates, many important lessons will take place outside of the classroom.

For the IES students, the college experience will include living on campus.

“They’ll learn to handle meals and laundry just like any other freshman, and will go through the same workshops to learn about wellness and health, alcohol awareness and sex education,” Meyer says. “We’ll first ask how other UCF students learn what we believe these students need to learn. If there’s an existing resource, they’ll use that resource just like any other UCF student.”

In short, life will be a bewildering array of choices, filled with important decisions that seem trivial and trivial decisions that seem life-altering — just as it is with every freshman. “We’re providing students with the opportunity to have the full collegiate experience,” says Christi Hartzler, executive director of Housing and Residence Life.

“They will learn from others, and other students will learn from them.”

UCF already has a robust campus chapter of Best Buddies, an international organization that fosters friendships for people with intellectual and developmental difficulties. These campus volunteers are finding opportunities to assist, adding their numbers to the IES students’ phones to make plans for laundry nights, trips to the gym and conversation.

Andrea Carreno, a junior elementary education student, has signed on to be an IES resource facilitator, working as a mentor. She won’t be assigned to a specific student, but will host group chats that encourage the students to be both independent and interdependent.

“The problems that these students are going through are the same as [what] any other student will go through,” she says.

“It’s nothing special. It’s just ordinary student life.”

But there are skills beyond laundry to be mastered and opportunities beyond auditing classes. “In college,” says Hart, who also serves as an adviser to UCF’s IES program, “you learn a lot of academic information, but you also learn a lot

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of skills that are harder to measure.

You make bad decisions and accept the consequences. You go out and stay up too late, or start studying the night before an exam. These are executive functioning skills, and college is a safer environment to learn them.”

While there will be accommodations for the six students, they will follow the same guidelines used for any student with a disability who connects with Student Accessibility Services. The SAS process involves identifying the academic or classroom barrier to learning and creating reasonable access through an accommodation.

Creative solutions can often be found when instructors converse directly with the student about a course’s barriers. And the university’s Karen L. Smith Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning — which offers regular workshops on topics including classroom management, course design and technology to enhance teaching effectiveness — can provide specific training in partnership with IES for educators who request it. “Few faculty members are

formally trained as teachers, and even fewer have special education experience,” Hines notes. “Faculty won’t be changing their courses; they’re already teaching to a diverse group of students.”

Indeed, the whole university may pick up a new set of skills, says Dieker. “My work for 25 years has been about including kids, and it’s the things we don’t measure on tests that happen when we include students with

“We began with the belief that our inclusion program meant full inclusion.”

intellectual disabilities,” she explains. “The rest of us learn empathy, understanding and friendship. Those are as important as reading, writing and math.”

“It works because that’s the real world,” echoes Gardiner. “We don’t just walk around talking to people with only the same major or the same IQ.”

A Better Plan

“UCF is doing it right, maybe better than most,” says Dieker, reflecting on what she’s seen put in place at other universities. “I give the leadership here credit for making sure every stakeholder — housing, student government, board of trustees, teachers, professors — has been here for design and implementation.”

“There are a number of standard resistance points,” says Hart. “Often institutes of higher education are concerned about liability, worried that it will water down their reputation or think they need more funding to do this. But the way that Adam [Meyer] approached this was comprehensive at every level. He took the time to be thoughtful about planning and involved all aspects of the UCF community, and this has made a significant difference.”

IES is a small program that touches every aspect of life at UCF. But while it offers immense opportunities for the six students involved this year, it foreshadows even greater opportunities down the road.

“It’s difficult for most people to say what inclusion means and even harder to put it into action,” says Hines. “Inclusion, as we think of it in education, grew up with the civil rights movement. It’s about a person’s right to have access to the same things everyone else does.

That’s a big piece of why this is happening in higher education. But the other piece of it is that education is changing and is being distributed in new ways. We have programs for seniors and for people who take classes as audits for pure education and love of learning and developing skills. They don’t have to attach the expectation of a degree to that.

“For me, the exciting thing is the opportunity to build new ways for participation in our UCF community of learners. Why wouldn’t we want everyone to have access to education?”

Elyse Mundelein Rebecca Hines

Lisa Dieker

RIPPLE Elizabeth Santiago

EFFECT

For first-generation college students, earning a degree can transform their future in remarkable ways — along with everyone in their family for generations to come.

Elizabeth Santiago came to a desperate point in her college career when she decided to quit.

In the span of six months, two of the junior psychology major’s family members passed away — and her tightknit relatives were grieving far away in Cape Coral, Florida.

“No one in my family understood how it was to be in college,” Santiago says. “They didn’t understand why I couldn’t just drop everything and come home.”

When she mentioned her plan to drop out and move back home, her mentor, Cyndia Muñiz, the assistant director of UCF’s Multicultural Academic and Support Services (MASS), advised her to stay.

“She broke it down because she was a first-generation student herself,” Santiago says. “[She said], ‘Right now you may be feeling selfish, but in the end you’re going to be the one to break that cycle for your family. Your family is going to go on to college. You’re going to be that inspiration, but you need to put in the work now. You have to stay, and be what you came here to be.’ ” As the daughter of a single mother who struggled to provide for her family without a college degree, Santiago found thoughtful guidance like this difficult to come by before becoming involved in programs that support first-generation students at UCF, such as MASS. In high

school, the lack of a family history in higher education left her with many questions about the college experience, especially with regard to taking the SAT and completing applications on time.

“It’s a lot more difficult in the sense that you’re pioneering your own path, and nobody has any tips or tricks for you,” she says. “You just have this naive thought of whatever you see in the movies or TV shows. You don’t really know fact from fiction.”

Santiago found answers in UCF’s Seizing Opportunities for Achievement and Retention (SOAR) summer program, a six-week academic and engagement workshop that prepares specific freshman

groups — such as first-generation students — for the upcoming school year. With the tools she learned through SOAR and continued support from MASS, Santiago joined both the President’s Leadership Council and a sorority, and is on track to graduate and fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer to help underserved women and families.

“When you feel like you have someone there for you, life just becomes a little bit easier,” Santiago says. “I learned that from personal experience. If I can provide that positivity for someone, then that’s worth more to me than any salary that I can make.”

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FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

Jamal Clark

Jamal Clark immediately felt overwhelmed as hundreds of other students filed into his freshman economics class.

A few months earlier, the Orlando native was graduating from Boone High School and deciding to begin his college journey at UCF. But with no family experience to guide him in his educational path, dealing with unexpected challenges such as attracting the attention of a professor in a sea of faces caught the first-generation computer engineering student off guard.

“I was intimidated,” Clark says.

“I had a lot of times when I doubted if this is what I really wanted to do.

I didn’t have that guidance of someone in my family telling me, ‘You should take this route to get to this result,’ because they really didn’t know.”

A graduate of the summer SOAR program, Clark found counsel in the

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MASS program, which eases the transition into college for multicultural as well as first-generation students.

With lessons learned from MASS success and leadership workshops, and the encouragement of its advisers, he started solving problems on his own — even the intimidation problem he encountered early on.

“I had to remind myself why I was here, and tell myself that [the other students were] all here for the same thing,” Clark says. “I figured out that if I make myself known to the professor, and I have a good relationship with him, I can make the class feel like it’s one-on-one. UCF is a big university, but you can make it [seem] very small.”

To find additional resources, Clark has become involved in the PRIME STEM Project, which offers academic support and other resources to science, technology, engineering or mathematics majors who are first-generation students,

demonstrate a financial need or face other challenges. And although he’s still a sophomore, Clark has ambitions to translate his degree into a career with Walt Disney Imagineering or NASA. But it’s the work-study position at MASS where Clark finds his greatest satisfaction, guiding incoming students so that their first UCF experiences can be as smooth as possible.

“A lot of them are in the same situation I was — your family not being able to relate to you when it comes to college,” Clark says.

“I feel like giving back to the community that gave to you is an important thing.”

Sruthy Babu began her college career with strict parental expectations — earn a biology degree and go to medical school. The first-generation student had a narrow focus, but little guidance on how to reach that goal.

“My parents knew that I needed to go and get a degree, but they didn’t know how to point me in the right direction,” says Babu, whose family emigrated from India to South Florida when she was in fourth grade.

“It was a struggle because you’re kind of on your own. You have to learn from your mistakes because you have no one to tell you their prior experience.”

Rather than following her parent’s request to stay close to home and attend a community college, Babu pursued her dream of attending a university and experiencing greater independence. She entered

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Students from highincome families are seven times more likely to get a college degree than students from low-income families.

Source: University Innovation Alliance, a coalition of 11 public research universities (including UCF) working together to increase student access, diversity and success through innovation and collaboration

Sruthy Babu

UCF through the SOAR program, developed influential personal relationships at MASS and found additional resources through the First Generation Program, including the First Generation Student Scholarship, which offered key benefits beyond important financial assistance.

“One of the opportunities with that scholarship is attending workshops specifically designed for students like us to learn about campus resources, understanding your culture and becoming a leader,” Babu says. “It’s like someone with experience, in place of our parents, guiding us.”

The workshops gave Babu new confidence to explore her interests and get involved with campus activities. She’s become a resident assistant, is active with the student organization International Medical Outreach and joined a Bollywood fusion dance team called Knights Kangna. And although the double

major in biomedical sciences and biotechnology still intends to go to medical school, the chance to participate in research as an undergraduate has opened her eyes to new career possibilities.

“I just started working in a microbiology lab, and I’ve discovered there are so many other opportunities [in this field],” she says.

“You can go into research, you can be a teacher, or go on to [get a] Ph.D. and be a professor. I’m still interested in going to medical school, but there are so many other options.

“You really learn who you are in college, whether it’s socially or academically,” Babu says. “I think if I didn’t come [to UCF] I would be following my parents’ dream, not my dream.”

LEADING A CHANGE

UCF president John Hitt knows firsthand the transformational effects of a higher education. As the first person in his family to go to college, he experienced challenges similar to those first-generation students face today. And he also achieved many of the same life-changing benefits.

“My dad insisted I go to college — it was one of his personal goals for me. He knew that the real career opportunities were more likely to go to people with a college education, even in the 1950s. I don’t think he knew a whole lot about what a college education would be — I know I didn’t. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about, and I think that’s common among first-generation students. Students whose families are college graduates have been on campuses before. They know a lot more about how things are going to

happen. [Being a first-generation student] means that you may have a little more anxiety about success and maybe have to work a little harder.

“I was very lucky to get to a place where I got some attention and some guidance. There’s no question that the education I got, both at Austin College and at Tulane University, transformed my life. And I’m forever grateful.”

TRANSFORMATION

“There’s a clear relationship that exists between being able to obtain a college degree and being offered more opportunity to make social and economic progress. I think it’s

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FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS

For the first time in U.S. history, young adults are less educated than their parents.

Source: University Innovation Alliance

very important that we have a society in which people can rise with their ambition. If you look at what you do when you help someone rise significantly, not only do they get the benefit, so do their children. It’s a transgenerational effect. If you get the first member of the family to go to college, others will too. It really transforms not just the one life but also the whole family as time moves forward. So it’s extremely important to offer opportunities to people, not just to stay where they are and do as well as they can there, but to rise to the level that their energy and ability will allow them to go.”

ACCESS

“So many people are born into a situation where they’re limited in what they can even hope to do by their ability to get a higher education. I know what it meant to me to have that world opened up.

I wouldn’t have known what to even aspire to had it not been for higher education.

“For many students, access means financial assistance to afford a higher education. For others, it means overcoming a distance problem or a timing problem or a scheduling problem, so access turns out to mean practical availability. Access is extremely important if we’re going to use the power of higher education to transform lives. This university is an asset for everybody. It’s for the whole community, and we’re going to do our best to reach out and make it truly possible for students of all backgrounds to come here and be successful.

“We’re at an interesting period of our history now. If you’re the child of a family who’s in the top quartile of family earnings, your chance of having a baccalaureate degree by age 24 is above 80 percent. On the other hand, if you’re the child of a family who has an income in the bottom quartile, your chance of having that baccalaureate degree by age 24 is less than 10 percent. And that number has not changed in decades. We’re committed to removing family income as a predictor of college success.”

By 2018, 63 percent of all U.S. jobs will require postsecondary education — 22 million more college-educated workers than we have presently.

U.S. higher education is on track to produce 19 million graduates by 2018, a shortage of 3 million highly educated workers based on national workforce needs. By 2025 that gap will grow to 16 million.

There are nearly 700 public universities in the U.S., enrolling almost 7 million undergraduates.

SUPPORT

“First-generation students are real assets to a campus. They’ve got a special energy. If you look and see the potential of how good these kids can really be, you’ll understand that it behooves us to try to create situations where these students get the recognition and encouragement that they need to help them understand that if they are willing to work for it, there are great careers out there for them. But they’ve got to do the things that get them there, and they’ve got to be willing to work really hard.

“The race is going to be won by the people who really learn, and you’re better equipped to be a constant, lifelong learner with a college education than with any other preparation. From my standpoint, the thing you always want to avoid is closing doors on yourself. A college education keeps doors open. It raises the odds dramatically that you can be successful in life. Not just financially. That’s important, of course, but it’s not everything in life. I think the college graduate has a much better appreciation of the range of opportunities, the range of wondrous things in this universe.”

In 2008, management consulting firm McKinsey & Company reported that the education achievement gap cost the U.S. between $1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion in lost gross domestic product.

The poverty rate for Americans age 25 and older with no college degree (14.8 percent) is more than three times higher than the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree (4.3 percent).

Source: University Innovation Alliance

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PROGRAMMING SUCCESS

With forward-thinking programs, UCF Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES) empowers first-generation students to succeed through access, mentoring and scholarships.

“Creating programs to support student success is a key value of the university,” says SDES vice president and former first-generation student Maribeth Ehasz. “The way that we do this, in terms of our large community, is to focus on particular populations that we know from data, and research will benefit from our assistance. We have important programs available for everyone, and then we have specialized programs that we offer for certain populations. The first-generation student is one of those populations.”

The effort that begins as a focus on increasing access to a higher education for these underserved students transitions when they arrive on campus. The structured curricula is designed to give them the tools they need to prosper, along with the personal attention of knowledgeable mentors to guide them through the process.

“Advising and mentoring is important for all students, but we do more for first-generation students because we know they don’t come in with any history

in their family that can tell them what to expect from a university experience, especially one where there are so many opportunities to engage,” Ehasz explains.

“First-generation students and their families aren’t necessarily aware of all of the costs — not only financial costs, but also costs in terms of effort and time that need to be devoted to be successful. We work to encourage first-generation students to live on campus, so that they can put all of their energy and all of their resources into what should now be their main priority — completing school and getting the most out of the experience.”

And Ehasz knows what that opportunity can mean to a student’s future. When she left her home in Cleveland to become the first in her family to go to college, she had little idea of the challenges that awaited her — or the opportunities. “Once I got there, I had to learn from everybody else around me,” she says. “I never imagined that I would go to graduate school, but because I had the opportunity to really engage at all levels of my university, faculty were able to open that door for me. That’s what we try to do for first-generation students. We try to open the door by letting them know what the possibilities are. It’s a world that they can’t see unless they’re here experiencing it.”

“Creating programs to support student success is a key value of the university.”

These opportunities offer first-generation students the knowledge, skills and assistance they need to reach their potential.

SOAR PROGRAM

The six-week Seizing Opportunities for Achievement and Retention summer program gives incoming freshmen who demonstrate an academic need a head start on their first year of college with advising, tutoring and courses focused on building core scholastic skills. Students, who are invited to participate

by Undergraduate Admissions, begin with an orientation introducing them to the rigors and responsibilities of college life and continue with seminars and workshops that take place throughout the year.

FIRST GENERATION PROGRAM

This program helps first-generation students transition to college life by creating an academic home at Multicultural Academic and Support Services. Services offered include a personal academic adviser; networking events with faculty, staff and Central Florida professionals; and workshops covering financial aid, leadership, internships, graduate school and other important opportunities. The program also includes the First Generation Student Scholarship, an endowed grant that benefits undergraduates who participate in a series of workshops and other success-related activities.

DIRECTCONNECT TO UCF

Many first-generation students enter the university through DirectConnect to UCF, which guarantees admission to UCF with a two-year degree from six regional partner colleges, including the College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Seminole State College and Valencia College. The program, which is entering its 10th year, includes a streamlined admission process and personalized advising to help transfer students acclimate to university life with guidance on financial aid, student services and more.

There are currently 13,957 first-generation students enrolled at UCF — 25.5 percent of the total 54,815 undergraduates.

Since the 2004–05 academic year, 28,007 first-generation students have earned bachelor’s degrees at UCF.

A message from UCF Foundation CEO Mike Morsberger: I understand the challenge of going to college without traditional family support or encouragement. I’m the first in my family to go, and although my parents were committed to our education, they’d never filled out a college application and didn’t know how to start the financial aid process or study for the SAT. Thankfully, there were good counselors and friends that encouraged me.

Today both my sister and I have earned master’s degrees. It’s not only given me the opportunity to grow in a career but also to provide for my family and to create a path for my children. My oldest daughter has now graduated from college, and my youngest daughter is a junior. And I like to think that their children will go to college as well.

When I arrived at UCF in June, I was so inspired by the university’s history of commitment to firstgeneration students that one of my very first acts was to pledge $25,000 to create a first-generation endowed scholarship. It’s something my wife and I both feel great about, and the fact that the state of Florida matches every dollar is super. For students who benefit from these scholarships, I hope there’s recognition on their part that somebody out there believes in their future. And when they become successful in life, I hope they’re compelled as a member of the UCF Knight family to give back.

We’re continuing to build a culture of philanthropy at UCF. I think the perception is that state and federal financial aid meets all of a student’s needs. Unfortunately, it’s untrue. In fact, philanthropy has increasingly become the last line of revenue a university has to take care of its students, encourage its faculty and really aspire to great things. Every gift makes a difference.

And in the case of first-generation scholarships, each dollar goes a long, long way.

Source: UCF Institutional Knowledge Management

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

Global Distribution

United States

While the majority of students come from the eastern states, UCF alumni have migrated across the country.

As a nexus for U.S. and international students, UCF draws Knights from 50 states and 151 countries and redistributes them across the globe.

Based on data from the UCF Alumni Association and Institutional Knowledge Management, these graphics depict the number of U.S. and international students that attend UCF and then settle in the United States or abroad after graduation.

Where alumni live in the U.S. (Spring 2015)

184,366 UCF graduates live in Florida. The breakdown of the 53,689 alumni living in other states is plotted in the accompanying graph.

Northeast

Midwest

Connecticut Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont

Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Wisconsin

South (Excluding Florida)

West Alaska Arizona California Colorado Hawaii Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming

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1052

385 691

1104

Where UCF students come from (Fall 2014)

Alabama Arkansas Delaware Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington, D.C. West Virginia

For the Fall 2014 semester, 56,586 students came from Florida. The origins of the remaining students are shown here.

International PEGASUS M AGAZ I NE

Asia, particularly China and India, contributes the most incoming international students, but the majority of alumni have settled in North America.

Where alumni live abroad (Spring 2015)

North America

Europe

(Excluding United States)

Austria Belgium France Germany Ireland Italy Netherlands Poland Portugal Russia Spain Sweden Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

Bahamas Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Panama Saint Lucia Trinidad and Tobago

Africa Egypt Ghana Kenya Libya Morocco Nigeria South Africa Tanzania

Asia

715 422 1228

South America Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Guyana Peru Uruguay Venezuela

About the Data

This list reflects the countries from which the majority of international students originated during the Fall 2014 semester.

It does not include 83 countries that represented less than 6 percent of the total incoming international population.

130 909

12

Bangladesh China India Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Lebanon Nepal Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Vietnam

Oceania

Where UCF students come from (Fall 2014)

U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | Australia 35

According to “Political Connections” talk show host Ybeth Bruzual, ’05, the first lesson in the art of the interview is “listen more and speak less.”

The Art of the Interview

Take a few pointers from TV news anchor and political talk show host Ybeth Bruzual, ’05, who has learned to get answers from some of the most difficult interview subjects possible — politicians.

BY ERIC MICHAEL, ’96

G

rowing up in Puerto Rico, Ybeth Bruzual learned to love politics at a young age.

“In Puerto Rico, politics is a national sport,” she says. “My main influence was my grandmother, Aida. As a little girl, I would see her read this big El Mundo newspaper from cover to cover and ask, ‘Are you reading certain parts?’

She would say, ‘No. I’m reading the whole thing, because we need to know what’s going on around the world.’ ” That deep seed of influence would grow in Bruzual as she studied political science at UCF and built a career in television journalism, first as an intern at Telemundo Orlando and WKMG and later as an assignment editor and anchor at News 13, where she learned the art of the interview from her mentor, Scott Harris, ’74.

“I would watch him do ‘Political Connections,’ and I just fell in love with it,” she says of the veteran anchor and analyst. Bruzual was named Harris’ successor after he died in 2011. “I told myself, ‘Scott would want you to make the show go on,’ and I did not want to let him down, so I chose to swim in the deep end and try to stay afloat and make it work.”

Today Bruzual splits her on-air time anchoring the weekday morning news and hosting “Political Connections,” along with contributing to the Spanish-language version, “Revista” on InfoMás.

“It is a privilege every single day to be where I am and to sit with these people and ask them all kinds of questions,” she says. And through her experience behind the desk and in the field, the journalist has learned how to ask the right questions — a skill that everyone can use to benefit their professional and personal lives, from job interviews to networking and social interactions.

Here’s how Bruzual gets the answers: Prepare for Anything

Research is key. Before an interview, Bruzual reads everything she can find about her subject so she’s ready to pivot when an interesting detour presents itself during the conversation.

“Sometimes when I’m already sitting next to them, I’m looking down at my phone, Googling their name, and checking their Facebook or Twitter just to see if they’ve posted something recently that I could use in that interview.”

Make It Personal

To break the ice, Bruzual begins interviews with personal questions to establish a rapport.

“I want them to trust me just like I trust them to give me the truth,” she says. “When you talk about personal things it makes [people] feel comfortable, then I go in for the meat of the interview.”

Look People in the Eye

Engagement is impossible without eye contact.

“The number one thing I do is I look people in the eyes,” she says. “When I look at someone, I feel I’m engaging them on a very personal level. I’m not just looking at you, I’m having a conversation with you.”

Listen More, Speak Less

You can’t learn from someone when you’re talking. And to Bruzual, keeping your mouth shut is the most important skill for an interviewer to master. “The art of the conversation is to listen more and speak less,” she says. “That really has helped me professionally and privately.”

CLASS NOTES

“Great magic doesn’t strive to fool you so you believe in something.

Great magic reminds you to be careful about what you believe in. That’s why it can be helpful to think like a magician.”

During his August appearance on the TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” magician and motivational speaker Kostya Kimlat, ’10, successfully duped the famous entertainment duo with a slight-of-hand card trick. For stumping the hosts, Kimlat won the opportunity to appear as the opening act for their Las Vegas show.

— KOSTYA KIMLAT, ’10

IMAGE COURTESY OF JACOB KEPLER/THE CW © 2015 THE CW NETWORK, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

’70s Tim Ackert, ’70, FTU’s first senior class president, retired after more than 40 years in project management of refineries and offshore platforms.

Steve Jubb, ’73, is executive director of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf.

Michelle Hanchey, ’76, received the Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year Award for 2014–15 from Georgia’s District 44 Toastmasters.

Robert G. Stanton, ’77, retired.

Gregory Siplin, ’78, retired.

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Debra Lippens, ’79, completed all requirements for licensure for the Florida Division of Real Estate and the Construction Industry Licensing Board as a certified residential contractor.

’80s Kim (Knollman) Young, ’81, named Casselberry Elementary School’s 2015 Teacher of the Year.

Marc Fine, ’83, received his pharmacy technician diploma from Everest University.

Selena (Arnold) Yagey, ’85, is a broker associate at Cherry Creek Properties in Colorado.

Roderick Powell, ’83, is co-founder and co-director of the Atlanta Chapter of the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

Melanie Fernandez, ’86, will lead BDO USA’s new Central Florida accounting practice.

Robert Morrison, ’84, joined Stetson University’s School of Business Administration as an adjunct faculty member.

Robert Major, ’82, selected as a 2015 Florida Super Lawyer.

Mia Thomas, ’84, is chair of the Florida Institute of CPAs 2015–16 board.

Cynthia Wilsey, ’82, celebrated her 30th year with Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla.

Mark Brandenburger, ’85, is president of Armstrong Relocation Company in Pennsylvania.

Sandy Daves, ’87, retired from Orange County Public Schools in July, after being an educator for 45 years.

Leslie Thackston, ’87, is an associate at Adams Cameron & Co., Realtors in Daytona Beach, Fla. Joe McGinley, ’89, is vice president of finance at McCoy Federal Credit Union.

PEGASUS M AGAZ I NE

’90s Mario Ponce, ’90, opened Furious Spoon and Bar Takito in Chicago.

Elizabeth Burch, ’91, named a 2015 Face of Technology by the Florida High Tech Corridor.

Shawn Robinson, ’91, named 2015 Florida A&M University College of Law Alumnus of the Year.

Cindy (Giampietro) Dalecki, ’92, celebrated the five-year anniversary of her company, Marketing 2 Go. Steven Zorn, ’92, is director of financial management at Covenant Village of Florida.

Mark Bennett, ’94, joined the Ridge Professional Group as planning director.

Matt Westerman, ’94, joined the Tampa office of Fisher & Phillips as an of counsel attorney.

Nick Benedico, ’95, named a vice president at Gannett Fleming.

Cheryl (Cooper) Der Ananian, ’95, is an associate professor with tenure in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University.

James Smith, ’95, elected to the Cross Bridge Church board in Rockledge, Fla., for a threeyear term as leader of the Congregational Care Ministry Team.

Sanjay Sam Srinivasan, ’95, is CEO and president of Global Promo.

Keisha Bell, ’96, is a member of the Pinellas County Charter Review Commission.

Elizabeth (Harding) Aikens, ’97, is an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer.

’00s

Tenesia (Connelly) Hall, ’98, named 2015 Attorney of the Year by the Florida Law Related Education Association.

Raeann Bacchus, ’00, named vice president of community initiatives for Community Based Care of Central Florida.

Bernard Rousseau, ’98, promoted to associate vice chair for research in the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and named an inaugural chancellor faculty fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Michelle (Sutton) Epps, ’00, appointed chief nursing officer for StoneSprings Hospital Center.

Paul Schweikardt, ’98, is director of finance and administration for Turning Point of South Carolina.

Anthony Miniscalco, ’99, promoted to associate at Steffian Bradley Architects in Boston.

Andres Goyanes, ’00, started a new company, Executive Marketing Communications.

Rachelle Lucas, ’00, added a traveland food-related podcast to her website, The Travel Bite.

Nicole Albano, ’01, opened her own public relations agency, Bolster Media NYC.

Kelly (Klein) Villarreal, ’01, won an award for her national park film Our Heart’s Home: Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson’s Texas White House.

Kevin O’Connell, ’02, is managing partner at Northwestern Mutual Greater Tampa Bay. Ashley (Leclerc) Stamey, ’02, and husband, Brian, ’01, work for International Diamond Center, where she handles community relations and he’s the vice president of marketing and retail operations.

Everett Jones, ’03, and wife Bruchetta, ’04, formed TechMe Avalon Park in Orlando.

Heather Keroes, ’03, is senior communications strategist at Curley & Pynn in Maitland, Fla.

“You can put your mind to anything, and it can be any cause; it doesn’t have to be HIV/AIDS. If you find something you’re passionate about and you go for it, you can achieve it.”

— KEVIN CARNELL, ’13

During the AIDS/LifeCycle May 31– June 6, Kevin Carnell rode 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money and awareness for HIV/ AIDS. Through his efforts, the fitness, lifestyle and travel blogger — who was not an avid cyclist before starting the journey — donated nearly $4,000 to benefit the Los Angeles LGBT Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Woody Brown, ’96, elected mayor of Largo, Fla. Kristine (Kurek) Melanson, ’96, is an associate at C.T. Hsu + Associates.

Jessica (Parris) Westbrook, ’96, promoted to associate professor with tenure at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

IMAGE COURTESY OF AIDS/LIFECYCLE

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

CLASS NOTES

Julie Sopko, ’04, and Jennifer Jacobs, ’05, are on the sales and marketing team at One World Observatory.

Ericka Dunlap, ’05, is a major gifts officer for the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at Florida A&M University’s College of Law.

Tara (Penhollow) Moore, ’08, is one of REALTOR Magazine’s “30 Under 30” for 2015.

Maxence Duclos, ’09, is a financial analyst at Duclos Investments.

Ryan Ernde, ’09, is a producer at ABC Action News in Tampa Bay.

Craig Katterfield, ’05, is a senior associate at Crossman & Company.

Tom LoBasso, ’05, is the seventh president of Daytona State College.

Daniel Reichert, ’09, is a solutions architect at Welltok in Denver.

Cheryl (Young) Pelton, ’05, is an associate professor of special education at Montana State University Billings.

Joshua Replogle, ’09, is a video journalist with The Associated Press in Miami.

’10s

Alia Luria, ’06, received a National Indie Excellence Award in the fantasy category for her book Compendium.

Brook (Batton) Charlan, ’10, and Kyle Ross, ’13, helped Stetson University’s College of Law win the American Association for Justice National Student Trial Advocacy Competition in 2014.

Krista Lynn Peckyno, ’06, is a trustee for the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Pittsburgh.

Rebecca Howes, ’10, received her doctorate of psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Megan Arrastia, ’07, is a tenure-track assistant professor at Valdosta State University.

Lisa G. Kipersztok, ’10, is a family medicine resident at Oregon Health and Science University, following her graduation from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Cindy Czerniawski, ’07, celebrated her fifth year of owning Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Celebration, Fla. Kristine (Beselica) Guzman, ’07, is meeting and events coordinator for KPMG in Denver.

Katie Leary, ’07, is an event consultant at Walt Disney World.

Jamie (Rosenberg) Powell, ’07, is special events manager for the Tampa General Hospital Foundation.

Erin Lee (Doyle) Cates, ’08, is an event planning manager at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport.

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Susan (Fedor) Hoover, ’77, passed away May 1. She worked for Orange County Public Schools for 16 years.

Dorothy (Powlowski) Miller, ’85, passed away Oct. 11, 2014.

Jacqueline (Gasior) Leierer, ’09, is owner of Sincerely Yours Weddings & Events in Melbourne, Fla.

Dawn Ferguson, ’06, is the recipient of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 2015 Outstanding K–12 Educator Award.

In Memoriam

Randall Sean McLaughlin, ’10, received his M.S. degree in environmental studies December 2014 from Green Mount College in Vermont.

Joseph Meuse, ’10, is assistant front office manager at Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando.

Akhila Murti, ’10, is project manager at Allen Company in Denver.

Sasha Dookhoo, ’11, promoted to senior account executive at Vantage PR in Orlando.

Rochelle DuBrule, ’11, is a leasing agent at Crossman & Company.

ReAnna Lynn Greene, ’11, passed away April 23 in a tragic act of violence in Canton, Md. ReAnna was vice president of the Student Nurses Association while she was a student at UCF. She was a nurse at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center and was enrolled in the acute care B.S.N. to D.N.P. program at the University of Maryland.

George Stegeman, professor emeritus of optics and photonics, passed away May 2. He joined the UCF faculty in 1990 and was the first recipient of the Cobb Family Chair in Optical Sciences and Engineering at UCF. George’s research focused on the experimental study of nonlinear optics in waveguide structures.

Dana Tesone, a professor at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, passed away April 25 in Orlando. He was 60 years old. Tesone joined Rosen College in 2001 and previously taught at the University of Hawaii, Nova Southeastern University and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

Cassandra (Bersach) Gallego, ’11, is regional education manager at Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Coral Gables, Fla. Kelsey Howell, ’11, is a marketing strategy coordinator with Discovery Communications in Washington, D.C.

Mike Yannuzzi, ’11, is director of ticket operations for Orlando City Soccer Club.

Terrence Howard, ’12, is a senior software developer at Alexander Street Press in Virginia.

Marley Hughes, ’11, is senior associate at Franklin Square Capital Partners in Philadelphia, Pa.

Sarah (Van Kouwenberg) Raymond, ’12, is a clinical outcomes data analyst with BayCare Health System at Winter Haven Hospital.

Kevin O’Brien, ’11, is manager of marketing research at Franklin Templeton in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Michelle G. Russon, ’12, is a public relations coordinator at Universal Orlando Resort.

Adam Perdue, ’11, named a 2015 Face of Technology by the Florida High Tech Corridor.

Vanessa Steele, ’12, founded Space Coast Kids Discovery Center.

Adam Smajstrla, ’11, is a designer at UCF Marketing.

Matthew Somar, ’11, is an honors biology teacher at Ocoee High School and completed an International Space Station externship with NASA.

Kelsey Walrath, ’12, is a Ritz-Carlton training specialist for Marriott International.

Kacie Boniberger, ’13, is a communications specialist at Curley & Pynn.

Nicole Cadorette, ’13, is an operations assistant at Premiere Show Group in Winter Springs, Fla.

PEGASUS M AGAZ I NE

Ali Akin Kurnaz, ’13, is the statewide communications coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida.

Michael Loyal, ’13, is director of marketing and professional services development at Orlando Orthopaedic Center.

Kimberly McCoy, ’13, is a zookeeper at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

Authors ALUMNI

Rolfe G. Arnhym, ’75, published Start Everything Finish Nothing: The Curse of Modern Management, which recounts how he successfully relocated more than 10,000 officers, cadets, midshipmen and support personnel from Philadelphia to Pasadena, Calif. for the Army-Navy football game at the Rose Bowl in 1983.

Kathryn (Putney) Nulty, ’13, is a second-grade teacher in the Rowan-Salisbury School System in North Carolina.

Haining Wang, ’13, is a lecturer at Beihang University in Beijing, China.

Taryn Paige Roberts, ’14, is a leasing consultant with Picerne Real Estate Group in Winter Garden, Fla. Crystal Russell, ’14, is a teacher in the Osceola County School District.

Joy Sweeney, ’14, is chief operating officer at Brevard Physicians Network.

Catalina McEachern, ’15, is an ecology project scientist at Environmental Services in Jacksonville, Fla.

Elizabeth A. McEwen, ’79, recently published Ogeechee Song: A Tale of Love, War, and Faith, a story based on true events about her Georgia family during the Civil War.

Kelly (Wheeler) Smith, ’90, is the author and photographer of Everyday Grain-Free Baking.

This cookbook features easy gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free versions of favorite classic baked goods.

Michele Parker Randall, ’98, published her first full-length collection of poems, Museum of Everyday Life, which focuses on those moments that might be passed over.

J. Scott George, ’84, is the author of Doing Good, Great, which challenges readers to move beyond doing good to doing great.

Christian Sanchez, ’15, is a financial analyst for Wells Fargo in Dallas.

Tiffany Thorpe, ’15, is head receptionist at McAbee Veterinary Hospital in Winter Park, Fla. Lisa Torrence, ’15, is a staff accountant at Epoch Residential in Winter Park, Fla.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN NCAA NOTICE THAT MUST BE IN THIS ISSUE OF PEGASUS TO MEET UCF AND NCAA REQUIREMENTS. NCAA COMPLIANCE In February 2012, the University of Central Florida was placed on probation by the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions for violations involving the impermissible recruiting activity of outside third parties, impermissible benefits, an impermissible recruiting inducement, unethical conduct, failure to monitor and lack of institutional control. The university’s probation runs through Feb. 9, 2017. In addition to the imposition of the probationary period, additional penalties were imposed. Those additional penalties include: public reprimand and censure; a postseason ban for the men’s basketball program following the 2012–13

Barry Altland, ’90, published Engaging the Head, Heart and Hands of a Volunteer, a guide for leaders to feed the passion of those who choose to serve in any volunteersupported organization.

Peter Telep, ’98, New York Times No. 1 best-selling author and UCF English professor, published The Secret Corps, a thriller about domestic terrorism.

Michael Clark, ’07, completed his first book, Retirement Settings. The book takes examples from everyday life and examines how they correlate to finances.

season; reduced numbers of initial scholarships and total scholarships in football and men’s basketball each year for three years; a reduction in the number of coaches permitted to recruit off-campus at any one time for two years; a reduction in the available number of recruiting evaluation and recruiting person days for two years; a reduction in the number of official paid official visits for two years; head and assistant men’s basketball coaches were prohibited from recruiting in July 2013; vacation of all men’s basketball victories in which an ineligible student-athlete participated in during the 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons; head men’s basketball coach Donnie Jones was given a show cause order and was required to complete additional rules training.

In response to the infractions, the institution has increased its athletics compliance staff, as well as

its overall compliance educational and monitoring efforts. UCF has instituted the use of compliance and recruiting software for all athletics programs and a greater emphasis has been placed on educating coaches, student-athletes, staff and fans on the rules and regulations concerning representatives of athletics interests (“boosters”) and third-party representatives.

In addition, the athletics compliance office now shares a dual reporting structure to the university’s Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer and the Interim Director of Athletics.

UCF will continue its efforts of promoting a culture of compliance throughout the university community and its goal of becoming a national model for athletics compliance.

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

ALUMKNIGHTS

Weddings

10 19

& BIRTHS

1.

Donald Martling, ’86, married Ana Milena Collazos March 21 in Melbourne, Fla.

2. Kristina (Greer), ’00, and Brian Quaterman, ’03, welcomed Tyler Brent Nov. 9, 2014.

Bruce Barbre, ’01, welcomed Briella Marie July 30, 2014.

3. Danielle (Barnhart), ’02, married Christopher Cantrell, ’02, Feb. 1, 2014, in Winter Park, Fla. 4. Kristein (Winnie), ’04, married David Rhodes, ’06, March 28. Alumni in the wedding party included Leah (Spero) Whitmill, ’04; Joseph Manglardi, ’06; and Keith Przeclawski, ’06.

5. Katrina (Priore), ’05, married Ron de Leon June 12, 2014, at Highland Manor in Apopka, Fla. Alumni in attendance included Jean-Paul Quinones, ’97; Nicole (Gonzalez) Quinones, ’04; Richard Quinones, ’04; Jamie (Irwin) Ahern, ’05; David Quinones, ’05; Gregory Rollett, ’05; Jennifer (Heyden) Rollett, ’05; Nicole (Pearo) Taylor, ’05; Thais Binato, ’07; Eddie Quinones, ’08; and Jessica Nin, ’10.

6. Blair (Ryan), ’05, married Curtis Burchfield Jr. April 5, 2014, on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Alumni in the wedding party included Stephanie (Jankowski) Jenkins, ’05; Nicholas Soto, ’06; Marla (Wagner) Starnes, ’06; Nate Treskovich, ’06; Jennifer Forst, ’07; and Kennon Adkinson, ’08.

7.

Ashley (Cabezas) McCary, ’06, welcomed Jake Douglas Feb. 12.

11. Josie (Acosta), ’07, married Xavier Rios, ’12, April 18 at the Orlando Museum of Art. Alumni in the wedding party included Marvin Rios, ’05; AliceSun Norman, ’06; Wendy Cherenfant, ’08; Michelle Foster, ’08; Nicole Spaulding, ’08; Mercedes Aviles, ’09; Anthony Perez, ’09; Edgar Fernando Reyes, ’11; and Keith Louden, ’12.

12. Stacey (Brannan), ’07, married Jason Schaitz, ’08, May 18. The wedding party included Lauren (Katez) Frangiamore, ’08; Matthew Frink, ’08; Jennifer Wesley, ’08; and Brian Schott, ’10.

Michelle (Gonzalez), ’07, married Mike Casto, ’06, May 2.

13. Mark Goykhman, ’07, married Melissa McLaurin April 18 in Houston. Alumni in the wedding party included Ryan Johnson, ’06, and Brandon Ettelman, ’07.

14. Holly Ann (Goodman), ’08, married Daniel Jonathan Grundel April 17 in Boca Raton, Fla. Alumni in the bridal party included Jenna Power, ’08, and Breanna Campion, ’11.

11

15. Rhian (Griffiths), ’08, and Matthew Landowski, ’08, announced the birth of Brynley Anne in June 2014.

16. Allison (Kime), ’08, married Paul Trela March 7.

17. Rebecca Pemberton, ’08, welcomed Charlie Reese Pemberton-Wodensen March 26.

18. Chris Sileo, ’08, married Melissa Lee June 22 in the Costa Rican rain forest.

8. Lauren (DeLarco), ’06, and Kevin O’Connell, ’02, welcomed Hadley, their second daughter, Aug. 22, 2014.

19. Samantha (Naumann), ’09, and Steven M. Baker, ’07, welcomed Nash Michael Baker Sept. 18, 2014.

9. Jennifer (Medeiros), ’06, married William Dunn, ’08, May 1 at Cross Creek Ranch in Dover, Fla. Alumni in the wedding party included Daphne Shephard, ’05; Raquel Torres, ’06; Osita Amalu, ’08; Erin Oglethorpe, ’08; Sam Yanowitz, ’08; and Randy Brunner, ’09.

20. Brian Keirnan, ’10, married Kristen Conyers May 16 in Destin, Fla.

10. Lisa (Kelly) Snow, ’06, and her husband, Jason, welcomed Lilah Nov. 2, 2014.

9

10

21. Victoria (Maiolo), ’10, married Michael Dawkins, ’10, in April. Alumni in the bridal party included Steven Kaczmarczyk, ’06; Shevada Williams, ’10; and Annemarie (Bazzo) Kaczmarczyk, ’11.

22. Ashley (Peters), ’10, and William Bender, ’11, welcomed daughter Alexa April 3.

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12 17

13

8

37 22

20

7

1

14

4

6

17

21

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5

15

18

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ALUMKNIGHTS

Weddings

25

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& BIRTHS

23. Alisha (Provencher), ’10, married David Huprich, ’10, Nov. 15, 2014, in Naples, Fla. Alumni in the bridal party included Christina Koumanis, ’09; Whitney Fox, ’10; Tracy Hunter, ’10; Kristen Leventhal, ’10; and Lisa Robbins, ’10.

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24. Samantha (Giancarlo), ’11, married Jason Penedo, ’09, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. May 16.

Marissa (Gillespie), ’11, and Jeremy Smith welcomed daughter Cassidy Blair in December 2014.

25. Destiny (Acampora), ’12, married Jorge Friguls, ’04, March 7 in Winter Park, Fla. Alumni in the wedding party included Justin Kovacsik, ’04; Kathrynne Gebhardt, ’07; Desiree Rivera, ’11; Jenna Carlton, ’12; and Alejandro Friguls, ’12.

26. Sarah (Crone), ’12, married Jason Porcenaluk, ’12, May 16.

27. Jessica Bejarano, ’13, welcomed daughter Rose Feb. 14.

28. Katie (Clark), ’13, married Philippe Sabourault, ’10, April 25 in Jacksonville, Fla.

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24

William Casey McCray, ’13, and his wife, Jacqueline, welcomed Kemper Coleman March 26.

29. Cyndia (Morales), ’13, married Antonio Muñiz-Olán May 7 at Cypress Grove Estate in Orlando.

30. Morgan (Parrish), ’13, married Sal Stanzione, ’13, May 31 in Stuart, Fla. Alumni in attendance included Brandon Buz, ’09; Dylan Parrish, ’09; Nicky Quiroga, ’09; Natasha Rey, ’09; Paul Stanzione, ’13; Sophia Corrao, ’14; Bianca Esquivel, ’14; and Andy Sangas, ’14.

31. James Reed, ’13, married Danielle Miller Dec. 14, 2014.

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29

Aubrey (Mallinger), ’14, married Joshua Baugh May 22.

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PEGASUS M AGAZ I NE

Years 10 FAIRWINDS OF

The UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center celebrates an important anniversary.

T

he campus home to more than 250,000 alumni, the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center is more than a venue for the Alumni Association’s popular indoor tailgates; it has also accommodated everything from meetings of UCF’s board of trustees to political debates, marriage proposals and wedding receptions. This year, UCF celebrates the 10th anniversary of the building — and the remarkable $1.2 million gift from FAIRWINDS Credit Union that made it possible.

FAIRWINDS Credit Union President and CEO Larry Tobin, ’83, was well aware that UCF alumni lacked a home on campus — a front door to knock on when they visited their alma mater. After all, he is one of us, along with nearly all of his executive management team.

CLASS NOTES 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.

Since opening in 2005, the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center has become the on-campus home for more than 250,000 alumni when they return to their alma mater.

IMAGE COURTESY OF DOUG SCALETTA / UCF ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

In 2004, after discussions with UCF Alumni Association leaders Tom Messina, ’84, and Manny Rodriguez, ’75, FAIRWINDS committed to support the construction of a state-of-the-art facility near the north end of Memory Mall. With memorabilia displays, ballrooms, a boardroom, a library and offices for Alumni Association staff, the building opened the next year.

A decade later, the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center has hosted tens of thousands of alumni for indoor tailgates and other events, provided meeting space for groups ranging from the Student Government Association to the State University System’s Board of Governors, and hosted more than 50 wedding receptions and dozens of bar and bat mitzvahs.

In April, President John C. Hitt presented FAIRWINDS Credit Union with the UCF Partnership Award, recognizing not only their partnership in realizing the alumni center but also their long history of support for other university initiatives and priorities, including First Generation Student Scholarships, the Knights Helping Knights Pantry, the UCF Police K-9 fund, Bright House Networks Stadium and the College of Business Hall of Fame.

Web ucfalumni.com/classnotes Email knights@ucfalumni.com Mail Pegasus Class Notes P.O. Box 1600406 Orlando, FL 32816-0046 Phone 407.823.2586

BY THE NUMBERS

200

events hosted per year

50+

weddings celebrated

480+

commemorative bricks in Knights Terrace donated by alumni and other supporters

500–1,500

alumni celebrate during indoor tailgates for UCF Knights home football games

3,266

pounds of food collected in November 2011 by the UCF Alumni Association for the Knights Helping Knights Pantry

1

marriage proposal (successful) popped with a Knights Terrace brick

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Update your contact information: U C F. E D U / P E G A S U S | 4 5 ucfalumni.com/contactupdates

BACK IN THE DAY

Building Character How Knightro landed a date for Homecoming

BY JAY LOVELACE, ’99

D

uring the spring of 1995, I was a typical freshman engineering student with my head buried in the books. The university was still finding its “spirit legs,” and it was common for students to wear apparel from other colleges on campus. New traditions were in the making at UCF, and there were rumors of a new Golden Knight appearing around campus.

Intrigued, I approached cheerleading head coach Linda Gooch, ’85, at a basketball game and asked if they were looking for someone to be the mascot. Linda said, “Are you kidding? We have been looking everywhere.” She connected me with Trey Gordon, ’96, the cheerleader who had become the new costumed character. And with Gooch’s encouragement, plus training from Gordon, I embarked on a journey that few freshmen have experienced — becoming one of the students behind the Knightro mask.

In addition to giving life to Knightro, it was the responsibility of the mascot squad to create a new element for Homecoming each year.

Two days before the 1996 event, Knightro had a huge problem — no date. How could it be that the most

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handsome and charming of all UCF Knights had no companion lined up for the most spirited week of the school year? The clock was ticking — then I had an idea. “We still have the old costume from last year,” I said.

“Let’s make a girlfriend for Knightro.”

With the help of the Student Government Association Spirit Office, the mascot team began doing what we did best — improvising. Some hunted down the perfect pieces to transform the old costume, while the rest of us planned the unveiling. And with a curly blonde wig, a size 5XL sports bra from Wal-Mart and a giant golden bow, the character began to take shape. We were still gluing on her red construction paper lips 15 minutes before her big reveal at the Homecoming pep rally.

The plan went perfectly. The Marching Knights and cheerleaders led a parade to the front of the Reflecting Pond, where the master of ceremonies announced the Lady Knight “tryouts.” First he called up a student to tell a joke, because Knightro had a great sense of humor.

Knightro was not impressed. Next, the mascot needed a girl who was fit, so she could keep up during his numerous event appearances.

Another student was called onstage and did 10 impressive pushups, but didn’t make the cut. Finally, the announcer suggested that Knightro needed a girlfriend who was classy.

After all, he was an important and famous Knight. Suddenly, the song “Bad to the Bone” began to play, and the crowd parted. The Lady Knight made her way to the stage aboard a golf cart “chariot.” Knightro was smitten, and Glycerin was born.

The following year, UCF Athletics gave the spirit program $5,000 to hire a company to design a professional Glycerin costume. She made appearances for the next three years, until the university decided to focus on Knightro as the singular UCF icon.

Today one of my recruits for the mascot team, Mike Callahan, ’05, coaches the program. And every time I return to campus for a game and shake Knightro’s hand, I’m filled with pride because I realize that though I started out in the Citrus Bowl with thousands of empty seats, Knightro has gone on to perform for sold-out crowds at Bright House Networks Stadium and during nationally televised bowl victories. Through this one faceless character, we have all been part of an incredible journey.

ILLUSTRATION BY VICTOR DAVILA, ’97

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“Access is extremely important if we’re going to use the power of higher education to transform lives.”

— John C. Hitt, UCF president