Locks, lights and out-of-sight. This is the protocol used by national mass shooting expert and UCF double graduate, Jaclyn Schildkraut, B.A.’09, M.S.’11, when teaching today’s youth how to react during school shootings. Schildkraut currently works with 30 schools in the Syracuse City School District on research-backed active-shooter and lockdown protocol. By combining a passion for […]
A controversial opinion piece on shifting the focus of U.S. special forces basic training racked up more than 17,000 views last year on a West Point Military Academy website. The achievement earned the author, Summer 2020 Security Studies doctorate graduate Sandor Fabian, Ph.D., the distinction of penning the most viewed article of 2020 on Modern […]
Practicing medicine is as much about compassionate, human interaction as patching up broken bodies. Pre-med graduate Emily Vernet ’20 got a firsthand understanding of this fundamental truth through an undergraduate research project in partnership with the Department of Sociology. The results, which were published in the Journal of American College Health on January 31, 2021, […]
A dream internship with the Smithsonian Institute is where non-traditional student Jennifer Larsen ’20 has put her degree in the Integrative Sciences to work. When she’s not balancing the homeschooling of her two boys and managing a personal disability, Larsen is virtually assisting the data collection in the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, a collaborative […]
Growing up with family members who held leadership positions with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians — the only federally recognized tribal nation in Alabama — Rebecca Naragon ’07 knew she wanted to pursue a career in public service. Now the political science grad is an economic development director for the United South and Eastern […]
Satisfaction and happiness are intangible, subjective emotions, but Statistics grad Donna Lockhart ’03 knows how to quantify those feelings into useful, actionable data. Lockhart currently leads the team that takes the pulse of guest satisfaction at Disney, and uses that data to make recommendations to senior leadership. While behind-the-scenes as the senior management consultant […]
By WHITNEY CHISHOLM ’17 The Dominican Republic holds a special place in my heart, going all the way back to high school when I was introduced to the future mayor of Santo Domingo. I stayed in close contact with the island for years and eventually landed a position as the city’s U.S. liaison. It was […]
Of all the majors at UCF that a mentalist could choose, psychology seems like the best fit. Keith Kong ’17 certainly thought so. Kong recently celebrated one of his biggest achievements to date as a mentalist — or a “mind-reading” magician — with an appearance on the CW’s show “Fool Us,” which features legendary magician […]
A notable figure from UCF’s past is the inspiration behind a new scholarship created to help students build a brighter future. The name John T. Washington is probably familiar to campus visitors walking through the breezeway named in his honor, but his connection to UCF less so. Washington, Ph.D., was one of the first African […]
At the intersection of political science and medicine sits the passion of Kezia Domond ’20, a recent UCF political science graduate with a calling to help those in underrepresented and underprivileged communities throughout the world. This upcoming fall, Domond takes a seat in Boston University’s Masters of Public Health program, where her hope is to […]
It was the second semester of her freshman year when Andrea de la Camara ’13 stumbled upon the political science department at the University of Central Florida. An aspiring veterinarian at the time, de la Camara didn’t know that she’d soon be an ambitious graduate with a budding career in the field of political […]
In a world that’s increasingly divided, the one thing everyone can agree on is the need for more unity. That’s the spark behind a new business venture by Sadie Higgins ‘06, an entrepreneur and alumna of the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. Higgins recently launched a website that allows users to create a virtual […]
Political Science graduate Ross Cotton, ’11, Ph.D, recalls the natural curiosity that led him to pursue an academic career in political science and, ultimately, landing him a career as an asylum officer for U.S. Citzenship and Immigration Services. Born in Australia, Cotton arrived in America at the age of six and found that the older […]
Jordan Filderman, ’09, M.A.’11, always knew his purpose was to make a positive difference in the lives of others. As the principal of Hebbville Elementary, Filderman uses education as his vehicle to serve underrepresented and underprivileged students in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. “My personal philosophy is that every child deserves an equal and quality […]
International reporting by Michael Schwirtz ’03 recently earned him one of journalism’s top awards, and his journey to this moment started, in part, with a desire to stay close to home. The DeLand native and political science graduate started globe-trotting when he was still in high school, including summers abroad in London and Europe. When […]
Sprinkling joy is what chef Tracy Wilk ’10 does best. In light of the world’s COVID-19 pandemic, Wilk has turned the kitchen of her small studio apartment in New York City into a full-blown bake shop. Her inspiration: The brave first responders passionately dedicated to the safety of civilians. The treat: A variety of gooey, […]
UCF College of Sciences graduate, Katherine Harris ’18, has recently been awarded the UCF Library Annual Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for her published research paper on infaunal organisms (i.e. aquatic, sediment-dwelling organisms like worms or clams) on restored oyster reefs. The announcement of the award took Harris by pleasant surprise when she was […]
There’s more art in science than one might think. Just ask Don Marks ’73, a mathematics instructor turned master wood turner. “I never would have expected myself to become an artist,” chuckled Marks. Prior to enrolling at UCF in 1969, at what was then known as Florida Technical University, Marks stumbled upon his first love […]
When most kids were watching cartoons, Leah Trilling ’18 was on the couch watching the news with her dad. That interest in current events stuck with her, and eventually led to her current position as deputy director of Cabinet Affairs for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The steps leading to that position include undergraduate internships […]
A College of Sciences alumna’s contributions to developing technology like online streaming and DVDs recently earned her a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award. Yvette Kanouff, ’88, ‘93MS, who built a C-suite career at companies including Time Warner and Cisco, will be recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) at the 71st […]
Everything from the precision of military strikes to global money markets hinges on timely, accurate information, or, as it’s known in the trade, “intelligence.” Alanna Fulk ’16, M.A. ’19, is keenly aware of that now as an intelligence analyst for one of the most prestigious intelligence and security corporations in the world, Lockheed Martin. But […]
There is no one path to success. Neither Jen Rosen ’09 nor Kelly Nader ’16 pictured themselves in casting and production when they began Radio-Television classes at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. And both took different career routes after graduation. But in the funny way life works, the UCF grads crossed paths on […]
In a hectic world, it pays to pause and say “thank you.” That’s the philosophy of Chris Lombardo, who was struck not too long ago about his own inattention to showing gratefulness. More specifically, he realized the impact that longtime Political Science professor Roger Handberg, Ph.D., had on Lombardo’s career as an attorney. “The foundational […]
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 professional […]
Team USA took gold in bowling this year at the Pan American games with the help of a former Striking Knight. The winning margin of 200 pins was the work of Stefanie Johnson ’06 ’08MA and her bowling partner, Shannon O’Keefe. “I couldn’t believe our margin,” says Johnson, who majored in criminal justice and earned a master’s in communication from […]
A political science degree from UCF paved the way for a graduate to impact the lives of veterans. William Maddens, ’14BA ’17MA, works today for the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing financial assistance for veterans and their loved ones through the Benefits Administration. It’s a job that brings him tremendous satisfaction, but it wasn’t what […]
Ted Rassmann received much more than an education from UCF. Sure, a mathematics degree set him up for a successful career as an IBM executive. But it takes a special love for your alma mater to set up a charter fishing business after retirement called Old Knight Fishing Charters. Or send your twin sons […]
Step aside Bruce Wayne. Chris Van Dorn ’17 is the real hero Gotham — and Orlando — deserves. Van Dorn’s mission to rescue animals dressed as Batman recently made national news, and bumped him closer to making his rescue mission a full-time opportunity. “It all started in the shower,” said Van Dorn, a sociology alumnus. […]
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” This is the motto Genevieve Bonan ’10 says carried her through her undergraduate studies at UCF, and still inspires her today. Bonan currently practices consumer protection law in the Consumer Protection Division of the Florida Attorney General. In her free time, she volunteers with various charities and organizations, […]
Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of UCF’s newest College of Sciences graduates on Saturday. Jeremy Ivy, 23, is a psychology graduate, and plans on applying to a master’s program at Florida Institute of Technology for registered behavioral therapy. These therapists are registered to treat children with autism and work with others that may have […]