Gifts to the UCF Foundation provide critical support for students, faculty, programs and facilities. Gifts from our alumni, friends, community and charitable organizations enrich academic programs, help purchase equipment and allow UCF to continue to offer special opportunities to students and faculty. We invite you to take a look at some of the giving opportunities available within the UCF Department of Physics.
Department of Physics General Fund
Whether you are an alumni, friend, employee, or student, we appreciate your interest in the Department of Physics and we look forward to the opportunity to get to know you better. We also encourage you to make a donation to this fund, which is used to support faculty and student-professional development, student societies, outreach activities, and our weekly colloquium series, which is open to the public. This fund is also used to provide partial support to workshops, conferences, and other scientific and educational events that our faculty help bring to UCF.
Your gift to the Department of Physics is invaluable and deeply appreciated.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Physics Department” in the comments section.
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Physics Research
The Department of Physics is a research-intensive unit of UCF, where every undergraduate student, from freshman to senior, is strongly encouraged to engage in research projects run by faculty. This fund was created to provide support to research projects of faculty and students, and, in particular, to allow them explore new and promising areas of research. We encourage everyone to donate to this fund, which allows for greater flexibility than state and federal funding agencies.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Physics Research” in the comments section.
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GTA Scholarship for Physics Labs for Scientists & Engineers
Graduate students are a core component of the educational and research missions of the Department of Physics. While receiving their own education and training, they often participate and support the teaching and research activities in the department through assistantships. Donations to this fund help us reward our best performing graduate students through scholarships, prizes, and awards.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “GTA Scholarship for Physics Labs for Scientists & Engineers” in the comments section.
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Phil Inderwiesen Physics Fund
Phil Inderwiesen, UCF Physics ’74, created this fund to support the outstanding junior faculty he met in the Department of Physics during a visit in 2016. A quick look at the News section of the department’s webpage will show how impactful this support has been. We encourage anyone interested in seeing our new faculty to continue reaching for the stars to donate to this fund.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Phil Inderwiesen Physics Fund” in the comments section.
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Kaden Physics Junior Faculty Professional Development Fund
The Kaden family created this fund to enhance the professional development of junior faculty in the Department of Physics. The fund is used to support their participation in workshops, conferences, and in visits to funding agencies, among other activities. The impact of this fund has been very positive, given the record number of early career awards our junior faculty have recently received and their increasing visibility and recognition in their communities. We encourage everyone to donate to this fund to help our junior faculty continue in their successful trajectories.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Kaden Physics Junior Faculty Professional Development Fund” in the comments section.
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Valencia-UCF Physics Research Exchange Program (PREP) Account
The transition from the small setting of a state college to UCF, the largest public university in the nation, is often a critical time for transfer students, who can feel lost and alienated. The PREP program was created to facilitate this transition by bringing Physics-bound students to interact with faculty and other students in the department. The go through an intense 10-week summer research internship before they begin taking classes at UCF. More than a dozen students have already successfully passed through this program, thanks to generous donations. Yet, donations to this fund are much needed to continue this impactful program.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Valencia-UCF Physics Research Exchange Program (PREP) Account” in the comments section.
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Learning Assistant Program Account
Undergraduate Learning Assistants are an essential component of the Physics Department. This program provides funding for students to provide instructional support for selected undergraduate courses. The Learning Assistants (LA) transform the learning environment by allowing faculty to lead active, hands-on courses, by working with their Lead Faculty to create an environment in which students can interact with one another, engage in collaborative problem solving, and articulate and defend their ideas. At the same time, the program provides financial support to the undergraduate students who work as Learning Assistants and engaged these strong students in considering careers in physics teaching, Donations to this fund are needed to continue with this impactful program.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Learning Assistant Program Account” in the comments section.
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Robinson Observatory
Robinson Observatory (RO) is a research and education facility of the University of Central Florida and run by the Physics department and in particular by the faculty and students of the Planetary Sciences Group and of the Astronomy Society. RO hosts many outreach events each year that bring night-sky experiences to hundreds of students and members of the public alike. One of the many highlights is the “Knights Under the Stars” series. RO also provides vital astronomy training for UCF undergraduate and graduate students. Your support to this fund is vital as we strive to fulfill our mission to prepare these students for a future filled with expanding challenges and opportunities.
To give to this fund, please click the Give Now Button and type “Robinson Observatory” in the comments section.
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