UCF in the News

The NBA leads other professional sports leagues in terms of diversity, but there's always room for improvement, says Richard Lapchick, director of UCF's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

COVID-19 survivors who had to be placed on a ventilator likely will need medical assistance to help regain their ability to speak or swallow. That's where speech pathologists come in, and UCF is ahead of the curve in training students in this field.

Vending machines normally filled with snacks will now be filled with free cloth face masks for those on UCF's campus who forgot theirs or need a new one.

Students, staff and faculty at UCF can assess themselves for COVID symptoms with a new self-checker built into the school’s mobile app. Officials focused on the mobile app because most people now check their smartphones during their morning routines, says Ryan Seilhamer, the assistant director of mobile strategy and innovation.

While at a basketball camp as a teenager, Richard Lapchick of UCF's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport took a punch for standing up for a Black player. That player would later be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Richard would later dedicate his life to activism and fighting racism.

UCF is launching more than two dozen new degree programs, tracks and certificates this fall – most designed for online delivery – that target high demand fields ranging from business and engineering to optics and health. The programs focus on skills employers currently seek, and those expected to remain in demand, as employees navigate a job market made more competitive by COVID-19 and a possible recession.

Limbitless Solutions has shifted gears during the pandemic to help manufacture 3D-printed ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Tom Cavanagh, UCF’s vice provost for digital learning, said the school has shown it can provide high-quality education, which can quell concerns of students who are skeptical. Plus, UCF President Alexander Cartwright said that the coronavirus may serve as an opportunity for the university to test new learning strategies or try different things.

The program, which will run from August 17 through September 30, is open to students and employees of both UCF and Valencia College Downtown campuses as well as FAMU College of Law.