Alexander N. Cartwright, President
Alexander Cartwright was selected as UCF’s sixth president by the UCF Board of Trustees on March 20, 2020 following a nationwide search. He was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors the following week.
Under Dr. Cartwright’s leadership, UCF is working toward becoming the world’s leading public metropolitan university, a top 50 public research university, determined to foster success for students of all backgrounds and to produce research and creative works that positively impact lives across our community and across the world. To achieve this vision, the university has been focused on achieving greater operational, academic and inclusive excellence, including building a senior leadership team that will help take the university to new heights.
As a first‐generation college student whose journey to higher education was not traditional, Dr. Cartwright understands and prioritizes the need to build successful outcomes for students from all backgrounds, and is dedicated to diversity, inclusion and equity on campus.
An internationally recognized researcher and scholar in the area of optical sensors, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, SPIE and the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Cartwright is a prior winner of both the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award. In addition, he earned the 2002 SUNY Chancellor’s award for excellence in teaching.
A native of the Bahamas, Dr. Cartwright holds a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Melinda have two children, Alyssa and Andrew.
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