UCF in the News

UCF alumnus Alex Martins, CEO of the Orlando Magic, was selected as the new chair of the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees in a unanimous vote by his fellow board members Thursday. He will serve a two-year term as chair beginning July 1.

UCF Lake Nona Medical Center announced it is the first hospital in Central Florida to provide incision-less brain surgery to treat essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease unable to be controlled with medication.

Engineering students at the University of Central Florida created a custom ride-on car for Evan Schaefer, a boy with a rare genetic disorder. The car gives Evan a sense of independence and also helps with the development of his cognitive and motor functions.

Mackenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, on Tuesday donated $40 million each to two state universities in Florida that have a history of promoting social mobility and educating students from communities traditionally underserved by higher education. The University of Central Florida is one of them. The gift will help UCF toward its goal of becoming the world’s leading public metropolitan research university by funding faculty research and supporting programs that help students succeed, UCF President Alexander Cartwright said.

Pythons in the Everglades should be shaking in their skin. Researchers at the University of Central Florida are developing new technology to help hunters find this invasive snake. Special cameras developed at UCF make that job a lot easier by enhancing the contrast between the snakes and their surroundings in real-time. It essentially makes that snake pop out as bright against a dark background.

UCF held a UCF Remembers Pulse Vigil, where the university commemorated the 49 individuals who were killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting. The names of the victims were read aloud during the ceremony. Speakers included UCF President Alexander Cartwright and Carlos Guillermo-Smith, a UCF alumnus and a state representative.

UCF professor Robert Rivers is the winner of the 2021 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, taking home a $20,000 award for his drawing series, “The Promised Land.” The work spans 500 feet with panels 5 1/2 feet tall and represents the processing of a personal tragedy in Rivers’ life.

UCF is launching a new master's degree in cybersecurity and privacy this fall amid heightened awareness of cyber crimes and a demand for workers with this skillset.

UCF faculty, staff and the general Orlando community can honor the lives of the 49 lost at the Pulse shooting by donating blood on campus this week.