Faculty Member Pays Gratitude Forward Through Endowed Scholarship  

Michelle Dusseau shares what inspires her to give back, invites others to join her on Day of Giving 2025 to give a gift in support of UCF students 

By Sultana Ali | March 26, 2025

As we quickly approach the annual Day of Giving this April 10, the UCF community is buzzing with excitement about the opportunity to give back. One of those donors comes from an inspired and unexpected background, a current member of UCF’s faculty in the College of Sciences.  

Michelle Dusseau, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer of Communication at the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, where she teaches classes on organizational and interpersonal communication.  

“Helping students find a connection to their community is important to me. I want what we are learning to reach beyond the walls of the classroom to create positive impacts for both the students and the organizations and groups they interact with. I incorporate high impact practices such as service learning to help them make these connections and see the power of applied learning,” says Dusseau.  

She shared that when musical theater actor Gavin Creel passed away last year, she was inspired by his words about giving to support the dreams of students of the next generation.  

“When I heard his message, I realized that we don’t have to wait until we can do the biggest thing we might ever do; we can take action to lay the bricks in the foundation of our own story for the next generation,” says Dusseau. 

She says establishing a scholarship was something she’d always wanted to do. 

“I was surprised as I explored it that through a combination of efforts—including cash donation with estate planning, that this was a feasible option for me to make a bigger impact today,” says Dusseau. 

The new Dr. Michelle Dusseau Communication and Community Impact Scholarship invites student applicants to reflect on their time at UCF and how that will help them become contributing members of their community. To be eligible, students need to be an undergraduate in the communication major. 

Dusseau hopes that her story will inspire others, including fellow faculty and former students to contribute—even in a small way. 

“I recognize that financial circumstances are challenging for many people for a variety of reasons,” says Dusseau. “Because I’m endowing the scholarship myself, any donations in any amount on Day of Giving to this scholarship will immediately go into the scholarship delivered to the winning student in the Fall of 2025. Even at a smaller amount, it’s a life-changing amount for a student.” 

Dusseau started teaching at UCF twenty years ago, though it had not been her original plan. Her parents were both educators, so she’d originally picked a different path, working in crisis counseling. The opportunity came to teach, and she says she knew within weeks she had found a home at UCF.  

Her gratitude for her students has inspired her to pay that feeling forward, a journey that began with her parents who had previously established a scholarship at their alma mater.  

“It’s in my DNA to give back. My father—Dr. Ray Dusseau—was one of my greatest mentors,” says Dusseau. “He encouraged me to think about my career in three 10-to-15-year segments, and this next step for me is that third phase of my career, how I mentor and prepare the next generation of students and teachers.” 

Dusseau recognizes that students today who are seeking education to improve and better their lives need additional support.  

“We are living in challenging economic times where students are determining whether to pick up an extra shift or go to class,” says Dusseau. “This is about taking care of basic bills while leveraging the benefits of gaining a degree. 

“While I have years of my career ahead of me at UCF, I’m so grateful that I can start now, adding this to my legacy while I’m still here to enjoy it.” 

UCF Day of Giving is on April 10. This 24-hour period brings together Knights and fans from around the world to support students, programs, and invest in the future of UCF. To contribute to the Dr. Michelle Dusseau Communication and Community Impact Scholarship, visit this link. You can learn more about the funds available for giving across the College of Sciences at this link.