Alumni, Faculty Celebrate UCF’s 50th Anniversary

Alumni Heissam Jebailey, ’00, Melissa Lacocona, ’03, and Ybeth Bruzual, ’05, at the Nicholson School of Communication reception.

About 125 UCF alumni, and faculty and staff from the Nicholson School of Communication gathered to celebrate UCF’s 50th anniversary Saturday at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center.

The Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter hosted the reunion, and the networking reception concluded the College of Sciences’ week-long celebration of UCF’s anniversary.

“Our alumni were eager to celebrate UCF’s anniversary and they appreciated the opportunity to reminisce about their days in the classroom,” said Shaloni Prine, a 2007 graduate and assistant director of Alumni Relations for the College of Sciences.

Throughout the evening, a special 50th anniversary-themed slideshow played, allowing guests to take a trip down memory lane as they viewed pictures from the past 50 years of UCF and Nicholson School of Communication history. Alumni, ranging from the class of 1971 to the class of 2012, also submitted photos from their own time at UCF, allowing them to share personal memories with the group.

Attendees heard from College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson and NSC director Robert Chandler, who provided an update on the Nicholson School of Communication, focusing on the school’s expansion of its global communication studies programs, certification programs, highlights of current NSC student achievements and upcoming school events.

Some of the evening’s other special alumni guests included Ybeth Bruzal, ’05, Central Florida News 13 anchor; Lee Constantine, ’74, Seminole County commissioner; Clay McMillan, ’90, president of CMI Production Services; Roger Pynn, ’73, president of Curley & Pynn; and Matt Weber, ’83, president of ROAR! Internet Marketing.

Former NSC director Ray Buchanan, former NSC interim director Bruce Whisler and UCF vice president and UCF Alumni Association executive director Tom Messina, ’84, as well as nearly 20 retired NSC faculty also attended.

To learn more about the UCF Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter, visit www.ucfalumni.com/nicholson. To view photos from the event, visit www.facebook.com/UCFnscalumni.