As UCF football takes the field for its annual military game this Saturday, Knight Nation will not only band together with the spirit of Black & Gold but with national pride as the university honors the brave people of the U.S. Armed Forces. This year, the Knights kick off against North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Acrisure Bounce House at 7 p.m.
UCF is nationally recognized for its commitment to helping military and veteran students succeed from enrollment to employment. The university is a Military Friendly Schools honoree, a Military Order of the Purple Heart University, and a Collegiate Purple Star campus. It also ranks No. 8 nationally among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.
From cutting-edge research that supports veterans’ health to academic programs tailored for active-duty personnel, UCF’s deep-rooted ties to the military extend far beyond the stadium. These connections strengthen Florida’s communities, empower students and uplift those who serve.
Here are some powerful ways UCF and the military are united year-round.
Fueling the Success of Military-Affiliated Students
UCF has a long history of welcoming and supporting military-affiliated students. More than 3,300, including computer science student Trevor Chandrapaul, are currently enrolled.
Chandrapaul began his studies at Valencia College before taking a five-year detour to serve in the U.S. Navy as a gas turbine systems technician working in the engine room. His time with the Navy shifted his academic interest from physical therapy to computer science and eventually led him to UCF.
“Coming from the military, [I wanted to] continue to serve after [my] service,” he says. “[UCF] is surrounded by so many defense companies, and I felt like it was a good place for me to continue my studies.”
Through the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success, he quickly found community among other veterans. Since 2011, the resource center has offered support and a sense of community to students, faculty and staff veterans on campus. Here, students receive academic and career advising focused on the needs of veterans, as well as guidance on the use and benefits of the GI Bill.
Chandrapaul, like many other military and veteran students, credits the center with making the transition from military life into a university setting smoother.
“I saw how many military veterans actually attended [UCF],” he says. “I reached out to someone at the [Office of Military and Veteran Student Success] and they took the time to talk to me and offer reassurance.”
The UCF campus is also home to Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs that combined have about 170 students preparing to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Armed Forces.
This fall, UCF is also supporting service members through a new academic partnership, called Service to Service, which helps veterans and their families pursue graduate degrees in public service fields — allowing them to leverage their military experience in rewarding new roles. The university is one of 12 universities nationwide — and the only school in Florida and the southeast — that is participating in the pilot program, which is a collaboration with nonprofits The Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans.
Top Talent Pipeline to the Defense Industry
The university has repeatedly been recognized by Aviation Week Network as the nation’s top talent pipeline for students to work in the aerospace and defense industry, meaning a UCF education prepares students well for future success in those industries.
Students learn from world-class faculty who bring exceptional industry and academic experience into the classroom, and UCF’s location in Orlando provides many nearby internship and career opportunities.
Among the opportunities UCF students often secure is the Department of Defense’s SMART Scholarship program, which provides STEM students with financial support, a summer internship, an experienced mentor and guaranteed employment with the DOD after graduation.
“I was drawn to the program’s integration of academic advancement with real-world application, especially within the DOD’s infrastructure and research divisions,” says Carlos Arteaga, a master’s in civil engineering student and one of three Knights who received the scholarship this summer. “The opportunity to contribute to national security while deepening my expertise in structural and geotechnical engineering made it an ideal fit.”
In July, Lockheed Martin and UCF expanded a partnership that has been in place for more than 40 years, greatly impacting the State of Florida’s economic prosperity, fueling innovation and strengthening student success.
As part of that agreement, Lockheed Martin will expand investments in the highly successful College Work Experience Program, which since 1981 has provided unrivaled work experiences for more than 10,000 students in engineering, business and many other disciplines — and led to many of those students earning full-time employment with Lockheed Martin.
UCF, Air Force Partner on Hypersonic Technology
World-renowned faculty member Kareem Ahmed and his research team are partnering with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to advance the technology that fuels hypersonic travel — at speeds up to 13,000 miles per hour — to help enhance national defense and open up new frontiers in space exploration.
Ahmed, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, has received multiple U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) grants to develop hypersonic technology.
Hypersonic propulsion allows for air travel at speeds of Mach 6 to 17, meaning six to 17 times the speed of sound, or more than 4,600 mph to 13,000 mph.
Advanced hypersonic propulsion systems are a national priority and are essential to maintaining U.S. national defense as global technological advancements continue to evolve.
UCF, Military Advance Modeling and Simulation Technology Together
UCF continues to develop connections with the U.S. military that ensure they benefit from the most advanced technologies and training. These partnerships also strengthen Florida’s high-tech economy, as Orlando is a national hub of the modeling and simulation industry attracting nearly $7 billion in annual contracts.
UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training is the academic leader of the industry. The institute’s partners include the Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation and the Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems, among others that are also part of the Team Orlando community.
IST modeling and simulation research in strategic areas such as digital twin, AI, human performance, quantum, and spatial computing has accelerated practical innovations in multiple U.S. Army projects and developed multiple tools that are currently in the hands of personnel in every branch of service. In one of the most recent projects, IST’s researchers partnered with the Army to develop a human digital twin prototype that can be a mission team member supporting the commander in the next generation of combat vehicles.
Regaining Lives Through UCF RESTORES
UCF RESTORES provides clinical treatment services to first responders, front-line medical personnel, military veterans, active-duty military personnel and survivors of mass violence and natural disasters — helping them overcome trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lead fulfilling careers and family lives. The program’s innovative therapy includes elements of virtual reality, with treatment success rates far exceeding the national average.
UCF RESTORES has treated more than 1,900 veterans, active-duty military personnel and first responders.
Clinicians don’t just treat PTSD — they challenge it head on through a model called Trauma Management Therapy, which involves helping patients confront traumatic memories in a safe, structured environment. They do this through customized, immersive virtual reality technology that helps clinicians recreate elements of patients’ unique traumatic experiences.
One-on-one sessions are delivered alongside group therapy — which addresses challenges with anger, sleep, guilt, depression and social isolation — to drive long-term recovery.
