Ten community members will be recognized as Shining Knights, UCF Alumni’s highest honor, at a special ceremony during this year’s Homecoming events on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Pegasus Grand Ballroom of the Student Union 6-9 p.m. The UCF Alumni Shining Knights Alumni Awards program began in 2017 when the late UCF President John C. […]
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 […]
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 […]
For alumnus Rishi Bagga, attending UCF was a last minute choice after visiting the campus with his older sister. However, majoring in political science was the obvious choice. “My first interest in politics came through my dad,” he said. “But the real kicker came when I joined my high school debate team; I loved hanging […]
As an international tanker broker, Jonathan “JB” Corey uses what he learned at UCF almost daily. His political science degree helps him navigate the erratic effects the international political climate has on the oil industry. The company he works for, Southport Maritime, represents and services oil companies, tanker owners and oil traders who are engaging […]
Having lived through an almost 11-year separation from her parents after they were denied re-entry into the United States, UCF alumna Raquel Fernandez knows firsthand the difficulties of the immigration process. Now, as the community relations coordinator for the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office, she helps support and educate others going through the same process […]
The first in her family to graduate from college back in 2009, Andrea Otero understands the importance of hard work when crafting dreams into reality. Now, as the community outreach and communications specialist for the Orange County Clerk of Courts, she is leading the efforts in promoting the many services the Clerk’s office provides in […]
Kelly Quintero has always had a love for helping people at the local level. Before graduating in 2013 with her bachelor’s degree in political science, Quintero was eagerly involved with the school community. She was the president of the NationalOrganization for Women at UCF. She participated in the UCF College Democrats club. She helped plan, […]
UCF alumnus Michael Taylor ’13 took his degree in international and global studies to the White House, working as the letter writer engagement and events coordinator in the Office of Presidential Correspondence during the Obama administration. His job connected him with Americans on a daily basis, requiring him to read the presidential mail looking for stories […]
Chelsea Daley is passionate about her community. Daley graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government in 2015, and now works as an email marketer at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. She stays connected to the UCF community through the D.C. AlumKnights chapter and uses the skills she […]
Brett Jones closed his eyes and tried to remember how to tie his shoes. He looked around the room and decided to go with the bunny ears method. “I realized the best way to answer was to answer it simply, and go for a laugh at the same time,” Brett Jones said. “The whole room […]
Some choose the University of Central Florida because of the location. Others choose UCF because of the amazing Greek life and extracurricular activities. But this month’s Political Science Outstanding Alumnus chose UCF because he needed a broader understanding of the exact tools needed to go back and help his economically depressed community. Codeye Woody spent […]
University of Central Florida Political Science alumnus David Feinman shows that taking a chance can really pay off. Feinman graduated from UCF in 2011 but his experience was far from the norm. Most students work while in school but not many have had the opportunity to work out of state while getting their degree. Feinman […]
University of Central Florida political science alumnus Mike Nichola ’11 MA goes to work every day to make a difference. Nichola works as a legislative director for Congressman Darren Soto in his Washington, D.C., office, but his journey started with an entirely different major at UCF. “I was originally going to go to UCF for a […]
University of Central Florida political science alumnus Matthew Baker has been busy since his graduation in May 2009. His journey has taken him all over Florida, but some of his fondest experiences were here at UCF. “I played trombone in the Marching Knights from 2006-2008 and was on Student Staff in 2007 and 2008,” Baker […]
Angel Sanchez has spent much of his college career helping those who, like him, yearned for a second chance. He’s mentored previously incarcerated students, and through his position as president of Moot Court at UCF, an organization that gives pre-law students practice at arguing cases, he helped collect more than 300 books to donate to […]
Jane Provancha ’78 is an environmental enthusiast, a University of Central Florida alumna and the Department of Biology’s 2017 Outstanding AlumKnight. Provancha received her award at the College of Sciences Outstanding AlumKnight award ceremony on March 2, 2017. The award will add to Provancha’s long list of impressive achievements. From a UCF student to the Environmental […]
Tegan Sabatier, ’08 is chief executive officer of her own cultural competency consulting business, a University of Central Florida alumna and the Department of Anthropology’s 2017 Outstanding AlumKnight. Sabatier was honored with the award on March 2, 2017 at the College of Sciences’ annual Outstanding AlumKnight ceremony. The Department of Anthropology nominated the alumna to represent […]
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida honored 10 of its exceptional alumni at the 2017 Outstanding AlumKnights awards ceremony. The third annual event was held on Thursday, March 2 in the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center at UCF. 75 alumni, faculty, and their guests attended the event to celebrate the graduates nominated from […]
For the past decade Thomas Hall, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of implementing one of the most premier prevention programs in the country at the University of Central Florida. UCF has been recognized by the US Department of Education, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the state of Florida as […]
University of Central Florida alumnus Kevan Stone ’05 is proud to represent UCF in his career in national politics. Stone is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to America from Scotland when he was a year old. He attended UCF for his undergraduate degree in political science after attending Florida State University for a semester. UCF’s […]
Marcos Degaut Pontes ’16 was in the first graduating class of the security studies doctoral program at the University of Central Florida. Less than a year after his spring 2016 graduation, Degaut Pontes was named the Deputy Special Secretary for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency in Brazil. His duties include helping to formulate the country’s […]
University of Central Florida sociology doctoral student Donna King has taken her tragic experience and turned it into an opportunity for change. King, along with her husband Attorney Jerrell Dayton King, recently conducted research on the U.S. court system and its impact on victims of domestic violence. The research, A Call for Limiting Absolute Privilege: […]
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today Elizabeth “Beth” Chance served eight years in the U.S. Army, among many assignments handling classified mail in Iraq. When she came home, she became a classroom teacher. But she’d always dreamed of becoming an archeologist. “I had watched a PBS special on the discovery of ‘Lucy,’” said the […]
Orlando resident Louis Rotundo, ’73, ’75, has been influential in shaping local legislation. He began the political effort, drafted the legislation and secured the funding for SunRail and has worked with some of the most prominent elected officials in Florida over the last forty years. He is also a proud University of Central Florida graduate. […]
Story by Kristy McAllister, Academic Affairs In 1972 Nelson Marchioli received his diploma from UCF in communications, never anticipating he’d return to the university. In fact, he didn’t set foot on campus for another 41 years, when he was invited back to discover what his alma mater had become. The people and what he saw here […]
Angie Lander grew up in a University of Central Florida family. Her father went to UCF and passed along his school spirit to her. When the time came for Lander to go to college, her choice was an easy one. “I toured the campus and felt at home,” Lander said. “I didn’t know what I […]
Thirty University of Central Florida students who are earning their degrees this weekend have one very special bond: They all created bionic arms for children in their spare time while attending the university. One of the students, Alyssa Anderson, is a Nicholson School of Communication student who will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in human […]
Story by Jenna Marina, UCF Alumni As a UCF Alumni board member, season ticket holder, Oviedo resident and occasional guest lecturer, Ryan Vescio ’02 visits UCF’s campus more than most. And when the assistant state attorney returns, his three children are frequently in tow. Ella, 10, Sophia, 9, and Owen, 5, are big fans […]
University of Central Florida alumna Tiffany Wills, ’06, was awarded the College of Sciences’ 2016 Outstanding AlumKnight Award for the Department of Statistics. The award was presented at a ceremony in March. Shunpu Zhang, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Statistics described Wills as “a great example of an exemplary UCF graduate striving to reach […]