Upload
ucf-community-relations
View
216
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The latest news from UCF's Division of Community Relations.
Citation preview
Community connectionsUniversity of Central Florida Division of Community Relations
Game-Changer: UCF DowntownMore than 400 business and community leaders gathered at the Ballroom at Church Street on September 23 to hear UCF pres-ident Dr. John C. Hitt formally announce the university’s plans to establish a campus in downtown Orlando.
Currently, downtown is home to UCF’s College of Business Executive Development Center and the UCF Center for Emerging Media. A new partnership with the City of Orlando, Valencia College, and Orange County Public Schools has paved the way for UCF to expand its downtown presence within the Creative Village development.
Possible programs under consideration for relocation to the downtown campus are digital media and visual arts, WUCF TV, and public administration. The proposed expansion remains contingent upon securing state funding and approvals from UCF’s Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors.
While there are many logistical details and programmatic decisions remaining, President Hitt expressed confidence in the timing of the expansion, saying, “If we wait much longer I feel the opportunity will pass. If we’re going to do it, this is the time.” Additional event photos are available here. Dr. Hitt’s full remarks can be found here.
Metro Center director moderates “Roosevelts” panel discussionWUCF TV, Central Florida’s PBS station, previewed Ken Burns’ latest documentary, “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History” on September 10, followed by a post-screening discussion of presidential history in Florida.
Metro Center Outlook host Dr. Diane Trees moderated the discussion, which featured Jim Clark, author of Presidents in Florida, and Kimberlee Riley, assistant director of the Orange County Regional History Center. This event was free and open to the public, and the complete series was broadcast on WUCF TV starting on September 14.
In This Issue: Page 1• Game Changer: Downtown UCF• New Provost
Page 2• Heart Walk• Countdown to Kickoff Luncheon• Julian Bond Kicks Off Diversity Week• Constituent Relations Award
Page 3• Community Council: SDES Update• Building Healthy Places Initiative• Women & Leadership: A Global
Perspective
Page 4• Upcoming Events• Metro Center Outlook Schedule
November 2014 • Volume VI, Issue 1Connecting the University and the Community
As the holidays approach, we reflect
on another remarkable year at UCF.
From our historic Fiesta Bowl win in
January, to partnering with the U.S.
Tennis Association in bringing a world-
class training facility to Lake Nona, to
taking the first steps in establishing
a new downtown Orlando campus,
UCF has, as President Hitt likes to say,
continued to “make the impossible the
inevitable.”
We are proud to be “America’s
Leading Partnership University™,” and
during this season of thanks, we are
grateful for the invaluable partnerships
with public, private and non-profit
organizations that have been a driving
force in advancing the greater good of
the university, the region, and beyond.
Your hometown university continues
to defy convention and chart its own
course, and these bold collaborations
remain essential in ensuring the suc-
cess of each new venture.
Yours in partnership,
Helen
Letter from helenHelen Donegan, Vice President, Division of Community Relations UCF welcomes new provost
Following a nationwide search, Dr. Dale Whittaker became UCF’s new
provost and vice president for academic affairs in August. Prior to
joining UCF, Dr. Whittaker served as Purdue University’s vice provost
for undergraduate academic affairs and acting vice president for
student affairs. He has also served in faculty and leadership positions
at Texas A&M University.
UCF president Dr. John C. Hitt described Whittaker as “a professional who will help
us become better in all areas of our operation and help us develop excellent educational
programs that will meet the needs of Central Florida, the state and nation.”
Dr. Whittaker’s priorities include increasing research, expanding opportunities for
graduate students, and enhancing the university’s partnerships. He said, “UCF is an
economic engine for and a mirror of the Central Florida community. It’s a great reflector
of the community’s needs and its future economic development.”
20,000 join in Heart WalkOn September 6, an estimated 20,000 walkers converged on UCF’s Memory Mall to partic-ipate in the 2014 Greater Orlando Heart Walk. This marks the second year UCF has hosted the event, which raises funds to support the American Heart Association’s fight against heart disease and stroke through research, education and advocacy.
The university fielded 33 teams, for a combined total of 422 walkers. This year, UCF’s top fundraising team was the College of Education CEDHP Heartbeats, which raised more than $7,000. In all, UCF teams raised $40,768, surpassing the university’s $40,000 fundraising goal.
UCF president Dr. John C. Hitt and CFE Federal Credit Union president and CEO Joseph A. Melbourne, Jr. served as event co-chairs of the walk. The university’s internal Heart Walk efforts were again led by College of Medicine dean Dr. Deborah German, with assistance from the Office of Community Relations.
Additional event photos can be found here.
Constituent Relations nominated for international awardThe Office of Constituent Relations received national recognition on August 20 at the ISES LIVE conference in Seattle, Washington, for the planning and execution of UCF’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, which was named a finalist for best public event in the 2014 International Special Events Society (ISES) ESPRIT Awards program.
This globally-recognized competition honors exceptional professional achieve-ments across the ISES membership. Events considered for the 2014 competition took place between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. UCF was joined in this cate-gory by two other prestigious events: the 34th America’s Cup and the Official Tribeca Film Festival Award Selection for Transmedia.
2 | COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Civil rights activist Julian Bond kicks off Diversity Week celebrations
UCF’s 22nd annual Diversity Week kicked off with a keynote address
by civil rights activist and politician Julian Bond at the sold-out 2014
Diversity Breakfast. Bond’s speech was entitled “The Road to Free-
dom: From Alabama to Obama” and was in keeping with the Diversity
Week theme “Remember and Reflect—The Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
Bond served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1965 to 1975; he also served six
terms in the Georgia Senate from 1975-86. As a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, he
helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and after college helped found
the Southern Poverty Law Center. Bond served 11 years as chair of the NAACP, and continues
with his activism as chairman emeritus.
The annual event is sponsored by the UCF Office of Diversity Initiatives, and Mr. Bond’s
appearance was arranged by the Office of Global Perspectives. Additional event photos can
be found here.
Knights fans raise $33,000 for student-athletes
The 2014 Countdown to Kick-
off Luncheon drew hundreds
of Knights supporters to the
CFE Arena on August 15 to
preview the upcoming football
season and raise funds for
UCF student-athletes.
The luncheon raised more
than $33,000 for the Golden
Knights Club, the official fund-
raising arm of UCF Athletics,
and was coordinated by UCF
Athletics and the Office of
Constituent Relations.
Since 2009, the lun-
cheon has raised more than
$200,000 benefitting UCF
student athletes.
Guests enjoyed entertain-
ment by Knightro, the UCF
Spirit Squad, KnightMoves
dance team, and the Marching
Knights, as well as a tail-
gate-style menu. One lucky
guest also won an all-expense-
paid trip to the inaugural
Croke Park Classic, which pit-
ted UCF against Penn State in
Dublin, Ireland, on August 30.
Additional event photos
can be found here.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS | 3
UCF Community Council: SDES UpdateMembers of the UCF Community Council met at the university’s new NorthView apartment community on September 16 for a Student Development and Enrollment Services (SDES) update by UCF vice president Dr. Maribeth Ehasz.
Under Dr. Ehasz, SDES engages students in the total collegiate experience, from identification, recruitment, matriculation and investment to successful progression, graduation and employment in a global workforce. “With 60,000 students, it’s vital for each of them to find their own niche. We emphasize accent on the individual to ensure their per-sonal growth and academic success. Ultimately, we want them to leave different than they came,” she said. SDES is comprised of a wide range of programs and resources to enhance the student experience, includ-ing Career Services, Student Government Association, Multicultural Student Center, and the First Generation Program.
Following Dr. Ehasz’ remarks, council members toured North-View, an upscale community offering students the best of both worlds: the luxury and independence of off-campus living with the safety and security of UCF housing. Residents enjoy high-end amenities such as a sky deck and tiki hut overlooking a resort-style pool, and units feature walk-in closets and granite countertops. NorthView is also home to an interfaith campus ministry center for Catholic and Jewish students, as well as retail space.
Additional photos can be found here.
Metro Center, ULI partner on Building Healthy Places initiative
Metro Center director Dr. Diane Trees is leading the Urban
Land Institute’s (ULI) Building Healthy Places statewide
steering committee, formed in response to Florida being
ranked 34th out of the 50 states in the 2012 America’s Healthy Rankings® report issued by the United Health
Foundation. The goal of the statewide initiative is to
encourage the Florida real estate industry, business and
civic and community leaders to update policy and design
standards to include those that promote public health.
Under Dr. Trees’ leadership, Florida’s five ULI District
Councils were awarded a $25,000 grant in November 2013
to plan and execute the initiative. Beginning in February
2014, the five regional councils held local workshops,
one in each district, gathering best practices in designing
communities that support the physical, mental and social
well-being of the people who live, work, learn and visit
there. Dr. Trees then delivered the councils’ final recom-
mendations at the annual statewide ULI Florida Summit
held June 11–13 in Orlando, including 10 key principles for
building healthy places. Noting that each district faces a
unique set of challenges, Dr. Trees said, “The issue is com-
plex, but the opportunities for impact are abundant.”
Download the complete “Building a Healthier Florida”
report here.
Global Perspectives features daughters of the civil rights movement
The Office of Global perspectives
welcomed daughters of two historical
figures from America’s civil rights move-
ment at the 8th annual “Women and
Leadership: A Global Perspective” forum
on September 18. Cheryl Brown Hender-
son and Peggy Wallace Kennedy, both
civil rights activists, shared their family
stories and personal paths to becoming
leaders for the same cause.
Henderson is the daughter of the late
Rev. Oliver Brown of the Supreme Court
case Brown v. Board of Education. She
discussed her family’s involvement in the
case and underscored how ordinary their
lives were, in contrast to her father’s
extraordinary choice to join other fami-
lies in the case against the school board.
Henderson urged students to be civically
engaged, saying, “Being a U.S. citizen is
not a spectator sport.”
In sharp contrast,
Kennedy was 13 years old
when her father, then Ala-
bama governor George C.
Wallace, took his infamous
“Stand in the Schoolhouse
Door,” barring black stu-
dents’ entry to the Univer-
sity of Alabama in defiance
of the Brown v. Board rul-
ing. Kennedy said her father never talked
to her about the incident, and that she
has taken it upon herself to create a new
legacy for her and her children. Advocat-
ing for courage and compassion, she said,
“All of us here must be better, not bitter…
tolerance is more than what we believe,
but what we live.”
When asked about women’s role in
the future of social justice, both called
for more women in politics and public
leadership. The presentation was mod-
erated by Ambassador Harriet Elam-
Thomas and was the inaugural event of
UCF’s Civil Rights Series, which cele-
brates the 50th anniversary of the Civil
Rights Act. The event was also a feature
of the 20th anniversary celebration week
of the Women’s Studies Program. For
more information about the next event in
UCF’s Civil Rights Series, please visit
www.ucfglobalperspectives.org.
University of Central Florida Division of Community Relations UCF Downtown | 36 West Pine Street | Orlando, FL 32801Phone: 407.235.3935 | Fax: 407.317.7744 | Email: [email protected]
communityrelations.ucf.eduFor more photos and the latest updates, like us on Facebook.
The UCF Global Perspectives Office proudly presents the following university-wide
and community events. Please check website for updated schedule.
Join host Dr. Diane Trees on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. as she tackles issues of regional and national
significance on Metro Center Outlook. Don’t miss her exclusive, in-depth interviews with Central
Florida’s business leaders and elected officials. Check local listings for encores and additional
information: http://wucftv.org/. And keep up with the latest Metro Center Outlook episodes and
news by following the show on Facebook and Twitter.
Upcoming Events
january
4
America’s changing demographics, featuring Maria Hinojosa, anchor and executive producer of Latino USA on National Public Radio.
11
BP oil spill update with former U.S. Senator Bob Graham.
18
Spring legislative preview featuring State Senator David Simmons.
25
Florida’s State University System chancellor Marshall Criser III discusses the SUS and higher education in Florida.
10 Vivek Wadhwa “The Next Wave Globalization: China, India & How the U.S. Can Keep Its Competitive Edge in the Midst of Global Innovation”
Author of “The Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent.”
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.Pegasus Ballroom, Student UnionA special open forum of the LIFE Global Issues Series.
24Sarah Shourd“A Sliver of Light”
Political hostage by the Iranian government from 2009–2010.
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.Pegasus Ballroom, UCF Student UnionA special open forum of the LIFE Global Issues Series.
262015 Florida International Summit
“Opportunities and Challenges for Human Society and Development”
8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.mPegasus Ballroom, UCF Student UnionAdvance registration required.
january
22Clarence B. Jones“The 21st Century Challenge of the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.”
Advisor and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.Cape Florida Ballroom, UCF Student UnionOpen forum
27Kurdish Studies Conference
This is the first conference in a pair of collaborative, interdisciplinary forums organized by Soran University and UCF.
8:00 a.m–3:00 p.m.Cape Florida Ballroom, UCF Student UnionBreakfast and lunch provided; advance registration required.
february
3Heather Abbott“Overcoming Adversity”
Boston Marathon bombing survivor.
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.Pegasus Ballroom, UCF Student UnionA special open forum of the LIFE Global Issues Series.