UCF in the News

College ranking and review website Niche has released its annual lineup of the best colleges in the country for 2022, analyzing 4,100 colleges and universities. The University of Central Florida ranked the highest in metro Orlando, coming in at No. 148 nationwide and No. 5 in Florida. Niche also credited UCF with the distinctions of being No. 3 in Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions in America, No. 17 in Best Colleges for Culinary Arts in America and No. 28 for Best Colleges for Education in America.

Classes are beginning at UCF and the university is back operating at pre-pandemic levels. The university has their own vaccine campaign called Armor Up. Students can quickly sign up for vaccine appointments through QR codes on physical and digital signs across campus.

Hurricanes in Florida are not unusual, but the science behind them can teach us a lot about the environment. Without the occasional hurricane, what would our coastal landscape and the ecosystem around it look like? Kelly Kibler, associate professor of water resources engineering at UCF, discusses the impact of hurricanes on the environment.

The University of Central Florida will host the Hula Bowl at its Bounce House Stadium in 2022. The game is set for January 15 and will be the ninth NCAA bowl game in Florida during the upcoming college football season.

A team from the University of Central Florida - UCF RESTORES - was deployed to Surfside to make sure first responders had the mental health support they needed. Deborah Beidel, the executive director of the PTSD treatment clinic and research center, discusses the use of exposure therapy and virtual reality in treatment.

UCF art student and medical tattoo artist Stacie Becker focuses her artistry inking on nipples for breast cancer survivors. Becker has tattooed countless women. Her ink often marks the final chapter with cancer for many women. It is an experience, Becker said, that never gets old.

Millions of Americans are choosing to ignore reliable research, instead relying on their own misinformation superhighway. “You have a cellphone and you’re on social media,” said Chrysalis Wright, an associate lecturer in the psychology department of the University of Central Florida who focuses on understanding the allure of misinformation and so-called fake news.

At the Westside Community Center’s 10th annual back to school drive in Sanford, cars are lined up to receive items like hygiene kits, backpacks, school supplies and even free haircuts. “I just feel like it’s pretty important to the community that people come out here and support and give away for schools,” said C.J. Walker, a rising junior basketball player with UCF.

UCF research has helped generate dozens of startups and business partnerships. The university as of fiscal 2020 reported 33 active startups connected to its research in industries such as health care, manufacturing and technology, as well as 32 products on the market. That work has led to a number of local business spinoffs that have had recent success, which can create jobs and generate economic impact in Central Florida.