UCF in the News

Justin Matthew Sargent, last seen on Broadway in Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde, is back on the New York stage in the U.S. premiere of Rolling Thunder at Off-Broadway's New World Stages. The actor—whose Broadway credits also include Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Drew in Rock of Ages—plays Thomas in the Vietnam War-set production, which premiered in Australia and continues Off-Broadway through August 31. Sargent, who just finished touring the country as King George III in Hamilton, has been seen on screen in Jesus Christ Superstar: Live, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mr. Robot, Delocated, and Royal Pains. His additional theatrical credits include A Sign of the Times, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, High School Musical, and Love Actually Live. I got my BFA degree in Musical Theatre from UCF [University of Central Florida], and I also studied with Deborah Hedwall here in NYC. My professors at UCF were each so incredibly impactful in different ways. Jim Brown, Judi Siegfried, Earl Weaver, and Dr. Steve Chicurel were the four instructors I studied under the most during my time at UCF.

With Florida facing a critical shortage of nurses, the University of Central Florida celebrated the grand opening of its new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion that will help strengthen the state’s health care workforce. The state-of-the-art building at UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona features simulation labs that mirror real hospital settings and an expanded global simulation center.

It’s the end of move-in week at the University of Central Florida, and the campus is buzzing with energy. Thousands of students are settling into their dorms. his year, more than 7,500 students are living on campus. That number, combined with parents, guardians, and friends helping them move in, brings more than 30,000 people and 15,000 vehicles to campus during the August 9–17 move-in period.

UCF has announced that it has completely sold out its season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 football season. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the program has sold out its season tickets and the sixth time since 2019. The news comes as new coach Scott Frost prepares to return to the sidelines for the first time since the 2017 season. Frost previously coached from 2016 to 2017, during which he led the Knights to a remarkable American Athletic Conference title.