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Puerto Rican Student Bridges Heritage and Home with Club
When Jose Rivera arrived at University of Central Florida in 2017, his hope was to experience life beyond his home in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But as much as he loved experiencing Central Florida, he still yearned for a cultural connection to his home. That inspired Rivera to start the Puerto Rican Student Association, which, […]
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Achievements Celebrated at 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The College of Sciences recognized 10 alumni for their achievements Thursday at the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The annual event brings together outstanding alumni from each of the departments and schools within COS for a night of celebration and reflection on another successful year. “Tonight’s awardees were selected for this honor based on their […]
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Growing International Impact Focus Of New Global Perspectives Chief
Developing UCF’s place in the world is David Dumke’s mission. And Dumke is well-suited to the task. Since 2012, Dumke has led the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies. Now Dumke is taking on his next task: leading the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives. The leadership post was held […]
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Puerto Rico Research Hub Officially Opens Its Doors
The Puerto Rico Research Hub welcomed the public and the academic community to its new office space Wednesday at an official open house. Director Fernando Rivera, Ph.D., repeated his pledge to use the research expertise of the hub to improve the lives of the Puerto Rican community. “We want to be accessible. Our goal […]
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Reflecting on Hurricane Maria One Year Later
By: Dr. Fernando Rivera Associate Professor of Sociology Director, Puerto Rico Research Hub I clearly remember speaking on the phone with my father the day before Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. I felt reassured knowing he had all of the essentials to withstand the impact of the storm, and I was confident we would speak […]
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Reflecting on Hurricane Maria One Year Later
By: Dr. Fernando Rivera Associate Professor of Sociology Director, Puerto Rico Research Hub I clearly remember speaking on the phone with my father the day before Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. I felt reassured knowing he had all of the essentials to withstand the impact of the storm, and I was confident we would speak in […]
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Puerto Rican Student Association’s Refocused Priorities Unite Community
BY GENE KRUCKEMYER Founding president of UCF’s Puerto Rican Student Association and PR native Jose Rivera reflects on Hurricane Maria. When senior economics major Jose Rivera founded the Puerto Rican Student Association at UCF in mid-September 2017, he had no idea that within a few days the organization’s priorities would switch from primarily uniting […]
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Puerto Ricans are Resilient, but Island Still Needs Our Help after Hurricane Maria
By Fernando Rivera I traveled to Puerto Rico in January, about four months after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20. I had much anticipation to see for myself how the island was doing, not only as my role as a disaster researcher, but as a member of the Puerto Rican diaspora […]
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New Position to Spearhead Hispanic Initiatives at UCF
By Rachel Williams The University of Central Florida has its first assistant director of Hispanic initiatives to lead the university in being named a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, and to spearhead the growth of an inclusive culture at UCF. Beginning Friday, Cyndia Muñiz will serve as the new assistant director […]