UCF in the News

Metro Orlando tech workers earn more than their non-tech counterparts, according to a new report. A new deep dive into tech salaries by tech trade association CompTIA found that the median tech wage for Orlando's tech workers was $87,114, or 132% higher than the overall median wage. The percentage difference is slightly higher than the national average — the median tech wage in the U.S. was $100,615, or 103% higher than the median national wage. In other words, metro Orlando has a stronger showing than the U.S. average. Metro Orlando has 67,061 tech jobs, comprising about 4.7% of the region's total jobs. CompTIA says Orlando should be adding 1,735 tech jobs in 2023. "The percentage of tech jobs in Orlando will continue to grow,” said Carol Ann Logue, director of programs and operations at the University of Central Florida’s Innovation Districts & Incubation Program.

With the goal of making the field of marine sciences more inclusive, the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) – in collaboration with a diverse group of six universities and other partner organizations – has been awarded a four-year, $2 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF).‍ CERF serves as the lead organization for the award titled, “C-COAST: Changing the Culture of our Occupations to Achieve Systemic Transformation.” In addition to CERF, the award institutions are: The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), The University of the Virgin Islands, the University of Central Florida, and California State University, Long Beach. Partner institutions who will collaborate on the project include the University of San Diego and New Jersey City University.

The demand for registered nurses (RNs) in the United States is increasing, and so is the job outlook. By 2031, opportunities for RNs will increase by about 6%, adding approximately 200,000 RN jobs per year. Becoming an RN can be achieved through an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), though BSN-prepared nurses can earn more and have higher employment rates, with 41% of hospitals and healthcare facilities now requiring it from job candidates.

Lake County is getting a business incubator once again, thanks to collaborative efforts between the University of Central Florida, the city of Eustis, Lake County government and Eustis-based commercial real estate broker Mega Properties LLC. The new UCF Business Incubator-Eustis location will open in August, after the county lost its previous business incubator. The first Lake County incubator, which opened in Leesburg in 2008 and was managed by UCF from 2009-2012, was taken over by the county after that and ultimately shuttered. While a site manager for the incubator has not been hired yet, the roughly $300,000 renovation of the building paid for by Mega Properties is almost complete. The interiors now include a glassed-in center office space for UCF team members, where they will be surrounded by all the incubator clients. Initially UCF will have just one staff member at the site.

A group of University of Central Florida researchers are working to protect reefs with a new research project. Scientists said they are creating oyster-based shoreline protection that is self-repairing and biological. The project includes other researchers across the United States and Australia, and $12.6 million was approved to support the study. According to the university, these structures will mimic reefs and help reduce coastal flooding and storm damage. Kelly Kibler, an associate professor in UCF’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Constructional Engineering, is leading UCF’s part in the research. “This type of natural infrastructure design project is important, especially to a state like Florida that is vulnerable to climate change impacts and rising sea levels,” Kibler said. UCF said Kibler’s group would monitor the 50-meter reef installations and see how organisms and the habitat affect shoreline erosion over time. Kibler said that if the oysters in the reefs survive, the project’s long-term impact will show that the structures could be used in communities worldwide.

A $5.5 million gift to the University of Central Florida in Orlando will allow it to build out a simulation center for nursing in a new 12,000 square-foot facility. The simulation center will be housed in the new facility and include a virtual hospital and a clinical skills exam suite. The Simulation, Technology, Innovation and Modeling Center will become one of nine simulation programs for nursing students in the world, and the only one within the state to earn the Healthcare Simulation Standards Endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. The program is accredited by the Society of Simulation in Health Care. UCF is not yet at its funding goal to break ground on the new facility, which will be built on 50 acres in Lake Nona. The facility's planned opening will be during the 2025-2026 academic year.

States across the south, including Florida, will soon receive federal dollars to hire more mental health professionals for K-12 public schools. Florida K-12 schools will receive grants aimed at hiring more than 1,000 new counselors and other mental health professionals. Four public universities in the state, including the University of Central Florida, will also receive federal dollars to train those mental health professionals.

In one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, there is a monument carved into sandstone, surrounded by date farms and dusty two-lane roads. This is Hegra. Also known as al-Hijr or Mada'in Saleh, Hegra is the crown jewel of Saudi Arabia's archaeological attractions and was the first place in the country inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Petra, the famous site in Jordan, was the capital of the Nabatean people, while Hegra was the kingdom’s southern outpost until it was abandoned in the 12th century. But most of their culture has been lost to history. Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites. “We’ve all heard of the Assyrians, we’ve all heard of the Mesopotamians,” says Wayne Bowen, professor of history at the University of Central Florida. “But (the Nabateans) stood up to the Romans, they stood up to the Hellenistic Greeks, they had this incredible system of cisterns in the desert, controlled the trade routes. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.”

UCF coach Gus Malzahn sat back in his chair at the College Football Hall of Fame with a sly grin and quiet confidence shortly before the Knight Nation's Big 12 Celebration event. This stop is the latest in a barnstorming tour across major metropolitan areas up and down the East Coast. Why? UCF is big time now. The Group of Five power is ready to make a splash when it joins the Big 12 on July 1 along with BYU, Houston and Cincinnati. The former longtime Auburn coach is not only ready for the transition, but also an opportunity to set the tone for the new era of UCF football. "This is a championship program. Our goal is to win the championship," Malzahn said.