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 […]
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER ’17 When Erica Catron ’19MA decided to go back to school three years ago she knew as a non-traditional student she would face more challenges than others. As a married woman in her 40s, raising a young boy and taking care of a household, she figured she’d have a lot to juggle […]
An abandoned railway presents no obstacle to most people. But it’s a different story altogether if you’re crawling two-inches from the ground with a shell on your back. Exactly how railways impact the well-being and movement of gopher tortoises was the focus of UCF alumnus Rhett Rautsaw’s research while he pursued a master’s degree in […]
Lesley Cheema, ’97, ’99 MS, was certain heading into college she wanted a career in mathematics. But that all changed after a meeting with former statistics professor Lorrie Hoffman, Ph.D., who introduced her to new opportunities in the manufacturing world that relied more on statistics than math. That perfectly suited Cheema, who was more […]
Many kids say they want to work with animals when they grow up. But only a small number of them are willing to scrub poop out of animal enclosures to reach that dream. Katelyn O’Rourke ’14 was among those willing to do anything. Now the psychology alumna’s hard work is paying off with a career that includes hosting […]
The Spring ’19 doctorate degree students were recognized Thursday at a special reception. Graduates celebrated their achievement with their faculty advisors, family, College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. and a special champagne toast. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Chemistry Sameer Ezzat, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: Andres Campiglia, Ph.D. Dissertation: Chemistry and […]
Gloria LeQuang, ’97, always wanted to give back to the Central Florida community that gave so much to her. LeQuang, who grew up in Lake Mary, Florida, is the director of marketing and community relations at BRIDG, which is a not-for-profit that provides research and development solutions to bridge technology capability gaps in microelectronics […]
The rules and procedures that keep Florida’s Legislature running smoothly are no accident. There’s rules for introducing bills, who gets to speak on the floor and for how long and voting procedures — just to name a few. Maintaining order and enforcing those rules falls to the clerk of the House of Representatives, currently Jeff […]
Seventeen College of Sciences graduates were among the winners of UCF Alumni’s 30 Under 30 Awards. “Our 2019 30 under 30 recipients are extraordinary examples of what it means to represent UCF with pride,” says Jazmine Rodriguez ’10 ’12 , chair of UCF’s Young Alumni Council. “The impact this group has made in the world […]
There was no question what major Amber Mariano, ’17, would choose when she stepped onto UCF’s campus as a freshman; she’d already picked political science when was 6 years old. But the path to becoming Florida’s youngest elected state representative takes more than a good education. And that’s where UCF also helped her excel. “The […]
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER Dan Strachan ’85 first got into the Westminster ring 10 years ago. Now he’s showing at the competition for the third time with experience from 300 shows. In a few days, nearly 3,000 top dogs will gather in New York for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show to find out who is […]
The law can be a powerful tool in the right hands. Matthew Goodison-Orr has directly discovered this as an attorney who has helped both the socially disadvantaged and veteran communities. But those rewarding moments almost didn’t happen. “I had a vague idea of wanting to help people by pursuing a legal career,” Goodison-Orr said. “But […]
Fausto Cardenas, ’18, said it was the risks they took as a UCF student that taught them the road to change is built on taking chances. Born in Ecuador, Cardenas moved to the U.S. with their mother at age 4. Cardenas said their mother always had at least two jobs to support them […]
Anthropology and nuclear physics seem worlds apart, but Brian Smith proves that’s not the case. As an Orlando native, Smith had been around UCF his whole life. Ultimately, the university’s growing campus and reputation encouraged him to pursue his education here. “For me, it was exciting to be on the ground floor of a revolutionary […]
Amal Laassel,’04, is using her legal skills to help the Central Florida community and inspire young girls to explore the legal field. Laassel was born in Marrakesh, Morocco, and moved to the U.S. when she was 16 years as part of an international student exchange program. After graduating high school, Laassel majored in Political Science […]
BY NICOLE DUDENHOEFER ’17 AND JENNA MARINA LEE Four College of Sciences alumni were among those honored at the Orlando Business Journal 40 Under 40 Awards, an annual celebration that recognizes successful professional who have created a big impact within their industry and in the local community. Honorees were selected from a group of nominees submitted […]
Ten College of Sciences alumni were recognized Thursday for their career achievements at the 2018-19 Distinguished Alumni Awards. “Tonight’s awardees were selected based on their professional achievement, exceptional community service and reflection of the college’s mission to expand knowledge in the sciences, mathematical sciences, and communications,” COS Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., told the audience gathered […]
BY: RACHEL STAMFORD and JENNA MARINA LEE Seven UCF alumni who were running for the Florida Legislature won their districts in Tuesday’s election. Although they don’t necessarily agree on political issues, pursued different careers and attended UCF at different times, they clearly share a passion for politics. Rep. Amber Mariano Amber Mariano ’17, a Republican, was […]
By: Nicole Dudenhoefer For many college graduates, finding a job within their field can seem just as daunting as earning a degree. But that task can be even more difficult for people with disabilities, considering last year’s unemployment rate for the group (9.2 percent) was more than twice the rate of those with no disabilities (4.2 […]
Three political science alumna — including Florida’s youngest representative — are looking forward to seeing their names on ballots next week. Anna Eskamani, ’12 ’15 MNM, MPA, is currently senior director for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, and the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 47. Also running is Carol Lawrence, ’71, an […]
By Rachel Williams The PTSD clinic of UCF RESTORES has been renamed in honor of alumnus Jim Rosengren ‘81 and his wife Julia, who donated $1 million to the clinic. In a ceremony Friday, the Rosengrens and Deborah Beidel, the clinic’s director and a Pegasus professor of psychology, unveiled the new name: Rosengren Trauma Clinic […]
By Jenna Marina Lee The day Lindsay Holmes ’12 moved into a tiny, way-uptown, three-bedroom apartment in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, she still couldn’t believe she was there on a one-way ticket. “It sort of reminded me of what I felt like when I started at UCF. It almost felt like extended vacation […]
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation honors Larry Bradley ’94 for his contributions to space exploration Larry Bradley once discovered the most distant galaxy in the universe (at the time). Now he will be recognized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation at the Innovators Gala in Washington D.C. on Aug. 25. Bradley has been selected as the recipient of […]
A UCF graduate, a group of students, and a first-of-its kind master’s program could help change the way we look at money. The very beginnings of the most widely known digital currency, Bitcoin, are veiled in mystery. Conceptualized and launched as an immediate response to the worldwide financial crisis in 2008, Bitcoin was the brainchild […]