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For the Media

Guidelines, Media Contacts and More

The UCF Communications office (formerly News & Information) can assist the media with news stories, requests for faculty experts and more. As part of our mission, we are committed to honestly representing the university in all areas in accordance with UCF’s values of integrity, scholarship, community, creativity and excellence.

For most topics, the best contacts for the media are below. Our office’s main telephone number is 407-823-5828, and our breaking news number is 407-823-5300. If you are a member of the media, you can receive news releases from our office. Email Mark Schlueb at Mark.Schlueb@ucf.edu to join our media list. Please provide your media affiliation and any specific beats or reporting interests.

MOST UNIVERSITY TOPICS

Mark Schlueb
Director 
Desk: 407-823-0221
Mark.Schlueb@ucf.edu

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE/BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chad Binette
Assistant Vice President
Desk: 407-823-6312
Chad.Binette@ucf.edu

UCF PUBLIC SAFETY TOPICS

Courtney Gilmartin
Director and PIO
Breaking News: 407-823-5300
Courtney.Gilmartin@ucf.edu

Amanda Sellers
Public Safety Communications Coordinator
Desk: 407.823.2833
Amanda.Sellers@ucf.edu

RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES

Robert Wells
Interim Director of Communications, Office of Research 
Desk: 407-823-0861
robert.wells@ucf.edu

Carreen Krapf
Communications Manager, College of Graduate Studies
Desk: 407-823-1165
ckrapf@ucf.edu

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Wendy Spirduso Sarubbi
Assistant Vice President
Desk: 407-266-1418
wendy.sarubbi@ucf.edu

PROVOST’S OFFICE

Joe Adams
Senior Communications Director
Desk: 407-823-1825
joe.adams@ucf.edu

UCF ATHLETICS

John Heisler
Desk: 407-823-2729
jheisler@athletics.ucf.edu

For a complete list of UCF Athletics Communications staff members and their beats, visit http://ucfknights.com/staff.aspx and go to the Communications section.

Faculty Experts

UCF has faculty experts and researchers available for comment and interviews on wide array of topics, including:

  • State and national politics
  • Symptoms and treatment of PTSD in military members, first responders and civilians
  • Space exploration and research
  • Florida’s environmental challenges
  • Simulation and training
  • Puerto Rico/Hispanic issues
  • The economy
  • Health and medicine
  • Tourism and hospitality
  • Innovations in online teaching
  • Diversity and equity in professional sports
  • Crisis management and workplace violence

To request an interview with a faculty member, please contact the UCF media relations team.

Reporting and Filming on Campus

UCF welcomes news media to its public campuses: the main campus in east Orange County, UCF Downtown in the Orlando business district, a health sciences campus in Lake Nona and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management located in the tourism hub. Most exterior areas are accessible to reporters and photographers. All members of the media, however, are encouraged to contact UCF Communications at 407-823-5828 prior to filming or photographing on campus. Access may be denied or limited during an emergency or other situations when unrestricted media access may become disruptive.

The UCF Communications office can provide high-quality B-roll and photographs of the campus to media. Prior clearance is required to conduct interviews, film or photograph inside campus buildings, residence halls and classrooms, or any other area that is restricted. Please call 407-823-5828 for assistance from UCF Communications staff.

Commercial, private, documentary or student crews interested in filming on campus (whether indoors or outdoors) also should call 407-823-5828 for guidelines. Crews are encouraged to call several weeks in advance. In many cases, a location agreement must be signed and proof of insurance provided. UCF Communications may also request to review scripts for those portions of the production that would take place on campus. UCF assesses each filming request to determine any potential impact to operations. Filming that could interrupt learning, obstruct student access to facilities or campus services, or pose a distraction to other campus activities, may be declined. Additionally, filming inside areas or facilities that require additional staff support due to the location and/or the presence of specialized equipment could incur a cost. Filming that depicts criminal activity, weapons, physical altercations, violence, the threat of violence, or the aftermath of violence are typically prohibited in order to minimize the potential disruption to campus.

Additional restrictions and capacity limitations may apply to campus research labs.

Parking and Directions

Everyone who parks on UCF’s campus must display a valid parking permit. Media in unmarked vehicles are required to display a special “media” hang tag, which may be picked up at the UCF Communications office before arriving on campus. Marked television trucks are not required to carry the “media” decal, as their vehicle is considered a valid permit.

Media can park in any lot on campus, excluding fire lanes, handicapped spaces or reserved parking spots. Media parking permits also are not valid in metered parking spaces.

Permits picked up at the UCF Communications office must be returned upon leaving campus. For pick-up and return, we are located at in the Communications and Marketing division office at 12443 Research Parkway, Suite 301, in the Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to campus. Click for a campus map.

For directions to UCF’s main campus, click here.

Public Records Requests

The State of Florida has the broadest public records and open meeting laws in the country. Since the University of Central Florida is a public university, most of the activities and materials of our work fall under Florida’s “sunshine” laws.

All media requests for public records should go through the UCF Communications office, where we’ll be happy to assist you.

There are some exceptions to the public records laws. Proprietary information regarding research, patents and licensing is exempt. Donors who choose to remain anonymous have the right to do so. Student information, other than that considered “directory” information, may not be disclosed. Social Security numbers and some employee evaluative material are also exempt from the public records law.