麻豆原创 reflected on these moments in the “Best of 2018” video. To learn more about what you see in the video, read the stories listed below.

2018 was a year of making moves.

We went from a program to a powerhouse鈥�

麻豆原创 Defeats Auburn to Win Peach Bowl

We honored a visionary who took us places we never dreamed of鈥�

John Hitt Says Goodbye

And welcomed a leader who will take us even further.

Get to Know 麻豆原创 President Dale Whittaker

We extended our reach from around the globe to out-of-this-world鈥�

麻豆原创-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

But we didn鈥檛 forget what鈥檚 most important in our own backyard.

Nemours, 麻豆原创 Transform Education for Hospitalized Children through PedsAcademy

麻豆原创 Gets an A+ for its Bee Campus USA Designation

麻豆原创 Launches National Center to Find Big-Picture Solutions to Coastal Threats

麻豆原创 Student Studies Algal Blooms Impact on Sea Turtles in Indian River Lagoon

We made great, new friends鈥�

Bill Gates on What Sets 麻豆原创 Apart

Couple鈥檚 $6.6M Gift Will Boost Many 麻豆原创 Programs

And even greater heroes.

Shaquem Griffin Drafted by Seattle Seahawks

We asked the right questions鈥�

麻豆原创 Student Hannah Sage Finishes 3rd in Jeopardy! College Championship

And searched for groundbreaking answers.

New Laser Technique May Help Detect Chemical Warfare in Atmosphere

麻豆原创 PTSD-Treatment Clinic鈥檚 2nd Location Opens in Brevard County

We laughed together鈥�

PHOTOS: 麻豆原创 First Day of Fall 2018 Classes

We cried together鈥�

Knight-Thon Raises $1.5 Million for Children鈥檚 Hospitals Across the Nation

We celebrated what makes us unique鈥�

麻豆原创 is a Hispanic Serving Institution

And then came together as one family.

10HANA

We had big wins on the playing field鈥�

麻豆原创 Men鈥檚 Soccer: A Season to Remember

麻豆原创 Volleyball Ranked No. 13 For First Time in Program鈥檚 History

Knights Take 2nd in National Cheerleading Championships

And in the classroom.

麻豆原创 Programming Team Places 1st in North America, 10th Worldwide

麻豆原创 Cyber Defense Team Wins National Championship

麻豆原创 Ranks Among the Nation鈥檚 Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

We embraced time-honored traditions鈥�

Relive 麻豆原创 Homecoming 2018 Through These 16 Awesome Photos

And savored the spotlight.

4th 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts to Feature Tributes to Bernstein, President Hitt

Thanks for the Best Weekend Ever, College GameDay

We passed the torch鈥�

Josh Heupel Named 麻豆原创 Football Head Coach

麻豆原创 Names Metzger as New Police Chief

Announcing Our Provost, Elizabeth Dooley

We expanded opportunity鈥�

麻豆原创 Extends In-State Tuition Rate for Puerto Rican Students Through 2023

And we kept the streak alive.

Back-to-Back: 麻豆原创 Football Wins AAC Championship

And while we enjoyed looking back on 50 years of classes鈥�

Tales from 麻豆原创鈥檚 Very First Day of Classes

As Knights, we will always look to the future鈥�

What 麻豆原创 Downtown Will Look Like in August 2019

Partners Break Ground for New 麻豆原创-HCA Hospital

And continue to reach for the stars.

15.聽麻豆原创-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

麻豆原创 announced it would be partnering with the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world, Arecibo Observatory. 鈥淭he kind of science we can conduct with this observatory is important, and we didn鈥檛 want to see it go dark,鈥� says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for Research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

14.聽College GameDay Is Coming to 麻豆原创

Not only did ESPN鈥檚聽College GameDay announce it was coming to campus for the first time in its 25 year history, but ABC revealed it had selected the 麻豆原创 football team鈥檚 showdown with Cincinnati as its Saturday primetime matchup. Within 24 hours of the announcement, the game was officially sold out.

13.聽Most Accomplished Incoming Class in 麻豆原创鈥檚 History to Start Classes on Monday

The start of the 2018-19 school year marked the 50th anniversary of classes at 麻豆原创, and students are as bright as ever. This year鈥檚 incoming class boasted a grade-point average of 4.11 and an average SAT score of 1328.

12.聽麻豆原创 Ranks Among the Nation鈥檚 Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

U.S. News & World Report ranked 麻豆原创 above Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Johns Hopkins among the nation鈥檚 most innovative schools in its annual list of best colleges. 麻豆原创 also made the cut in several other categories.

11.聽Study Finds Bacteria in Milk Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

This story also appears among 麻豆原创鈥檚 most popular research stories of the year. 麻豆原创 College of Medicine researchers found that drinking milk infected with a specific bacteria may be associated with developing rheumatoid arthritis.聽Further studies could determine if the relationship is causal. The research was shared through news and websites around the world and translated into multiple languages.

10.聽麻豆原创 Announces May 2018 Commencement Speakers

President John C. Hitt鈥檚 final commencement ceremony before his retirement welcomed six speakers to address more than 8,100 graduating students.

9.聽Everything You Need to Know About Universal Knights 2018

This must-read helped thousands of students put together their game plan for attending one of the most popular annual events at 麻豆原创 鈥� Universal Knights.

8.聽What the Student Union Will Look Like in Spring 2020

It seems everyone wanted a sneak peek at the Student Union鈥檚 upgraded amenities, which will include expanded food options, additional seating and square footage, and a new space for the Student Government Association.

7.聽Pluto a Planet? New Research from 麻豆原创 Suggests Yes

No shocker here that Pluto made the cut as this story was No. 1 on 麻豆原创鈥檚 Top 10 Research Findings of 2018. After 12 years of being on the out,聽麻豆原创 research shows that Pluto should regain its status as a planet. The internet loved the research generating more than 85 million views across multiple media outlets.

6.聽Bill Gates on What Sets 麻豆原创 Apart

When philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates writes about your university on his personal blog, you know you鈥檙e doing something right. After a visit to campus, Gates described 麻豆原创聽as an example of how universities can effectively use聽online learning聽to boost access and student success while still keeping tuition affordable.

5.聽Dale Whittaker Named 麻豆原创鈥檚 President-Elect

When Dale Whittaker was named as 麻豆原创鈥檚 next great president, it made major headlines. People had been tuned in throughout the presidential search as the field was narrowed from eight semifinalists (11,435 views) to four finalists (9,758 views).

4.聽麻豆原创’s Academic Realignment Continues with New Names for Colleges, School

麻豆原创 launched an academic reorganization in 2017 to provide new opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and research and best prepare students for the world after graduation. In March 2018, the new names of two colleges and a school were unveiled, which resulted in this informational piece about the restructure and what the future holds when 麻豆原创 Downtown opens in 2019.

3.聽Everything You Need To Know About College GameDay Coming to Campus

Campus buzzed with excitement when ESPN鈥檚 College GameDay first arrived in town Nov. 15. 麻豆原创 was the 71st different school to host聽ESPN鈥檚 iconic college football preview show. The聽GameDay聽analysts commented during the broadcast about the high volume of 麻豆原创 fans鈥� signs, saying it might be the most signs they鈥檝e ever seen during their 25 years as a show. This recap shares 20 of our favorite photos from the weekend.

2.聽Fan Guide to 2018 麻豆原创 Football Season

This story ran prior to the 麻豆原创 football team鈥檚 season opener at UConn in August, but it was a resource all season long for people looking to live their best fan life.

1. Who is “The Stare-Down Kid” at 麻豆原创’s Football Games?

Anthony Allan is a civil engineering聽major who had no idea that he鈥檇 turn into a viral phenomenon in his first year at 麻豆原创. He captivated the crowd at Spectrum Stadium during a 鈥渇an of the game鈥� video board segment Sept. 21 at the football team鈥檚 matchup against FAU, and he鈥檚 been staring into our souls ever since.

Jan. 1 鈥� 聽After 麻豆原创 completed their first perfect football season and a 34-27 defeat over Auburn at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, former 麻豆原创 linebacker聽Shaquem Griffin 鈥�16聽admires the championship trophy. Shaquem made history in April when he became the first one-handed player to be drafted in the NFL, joining his brother聽Shaquill Griffin 鈥�16聽on the Seattle Seahawks’ team.

Jan. 21 – A student takes some time between classes to stretch out on Memory Mall.

Feb. 23 鈥撀燛ngineering graduate student Estefania Bohorquez ’17 shows off her aerial acrobatic skills.

March 14 鈥� Studio art major John Currie ’18 works on a special portrait of John C. Hitt to honor his 26 years of service as 麻豆原创’s fourth president.

April 5 鈥� Singer Jesse McCartney performs at CFE Arena during 麻豆原创estival’s concert night.

April 7 鈥� This year, 麻豆原创 raised more than $1.5 million for Knight-Thon, an annual dance marathon that benefits Children’s Miracle Network.

April 13 鈥� Director of jazz studies and Pegasus Professor Jeff Rupert conducts a performance during 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts.

May 1 鈥� After a six-month closure, a cute pup takes a dip in the newly renovated Reflecting Pond, which now has a new foundation and color-changing LED lights. *Note: Dogs are not allowed in the water, so don’t try this on your own.

May 3 鈥� During his final commencement ceremonies, former 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt conferred degrees to more than 8,100 students. In October of last year,聽Hitt announced he would be stepping down from the presidency on June 30, 2018. Former 麻豆原创 provost Dale Whittaker became the university’s fifth president on July 1.

June 5 鈥� Senior studio art major Jenna Chastain works with clay during an art class in the Visual Arts building.

June 5 鈥� 聽While in a lab, a聽student works on a project involving display screens and motorcycle helmets.

June 20 鈥� Two students raced to the top of the Climbing Tower located in the .

June 29 鈥� Construction on the new 麻豆原创 Downtown campus is underway and on schedule to open Fall 2019.

Aug. 2 鈥� After partnering with two other institutions to manage the Arecibo Observatory earlier this year, 麻豆原创 President Dale Whittaker traveled to Puerto Rico for a visit to the facility.

July 27聽鈥� An instructor at the demonstrates how to put out a fire during a cooking class.

Aug. 21 鈥� Afternoon Florida storm clouds cover campus as students make their return during the first week of fall classes.

Sept. 5 – The sun rises over the Charging Knight statue outside of聽Spectrum Stadium.

Sept. 5 鈥� Campus on a quiet morning.

Sept. 19 鈥撀�After more than a year of waiting, popular local taco spot Gringos Locos opened its 麻豆原创 location in Knights Plaza.

Sept. 21聽鈥� The get ready to perform on the football field during half-time at the game against Florida Atlantic University.

Sept. 29 鈥� Knightro and the cheer team entertain a packed stadium during 麻豆原创’s game against Pittsburg, which ended in a 45 – 14 win for the Knights.

Oct. 2 鈥� During the evening, the Pegasus on the lights up the building.

Oct. 3 鈥� After serving as 麻豆原创’s interim provost since April, Elizabeth A. Dooley has become the university’s provost and vice president for .

Oct. 30 鈥� In August, 麻豆原创 partnered with the Nemours Children Hospital to create PEDS Academy, a program that provides specialized STEM education to children hospitalized at the facility.

Nov. 8 鈥� Students light up CFE Arena during Homecoming 2018‘s Concert Knight, which featured performances from rapper A$AP Ferg and singer Ella Mai.

Nov. 9 鈥� Students show off their excitement as they prepare to take part in 麻豆原创’s biggest Homecoming tradition 鈥� .

Nov. 9 鈥� During this year’s Spirit Splash, 麻豆原创 President Dale Whittaker jumped into the Reflecting Pond alongside students. He promised take part in the tradition if 50,000 students would attend the first five home football games of the 2018 season 鈥� more than 55,000 students took on the challenge.

Dec. 1 鈥� 聽After joining Knight Nation this football season, makes an appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championship game, during which fans wore leis to show their support for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton. 麻豆原创 Athletics gave out 40,000 leis to fans in the spirit of #10hana, a movement that started in the local community and on social media.

Dec. 1 鈥� During the聽American Athletic Conference title game against Memphis,聽45,176 fans packed the stands as 麻豆原创 secured a 56 -41 victory, extending their undefeated streak to 25 games and advancing them to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019.

鈥淎chieving the $400 million milestone puts us right where we want to be headed into the final year of this historic effort,鈥� says IGNITE Campaign Chair Rick Walsh 鈥�77 鈥�83MS HC鈥�14. 鈥淭hese numbers are proof that the momentum we feel is real.鈥�

“These numbers are proof that the momentum we feel is real.”

Walsh emphasizes that donor generosity through the IGNITE campaign has tremendous long-and short-term impacts for the university and its students, and also for Central Florida and beyond.

鈥淥ur students, faculty and community are counting on us,鈥� Walsh says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e funding scholarships for students who can鈥檛 otherwise afford a college education, giving faculty the resources to conduct groundbreaking research and cure devastating diseases, and enriching lives through the arts with programs like the Shakespeare Theater and W麻豆原创.鈥�

Among the many other endeavors that inspired this record year of philanthropy were the 麻豆原创 Restores PTSD Clinic, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Marine Turtle Research Group, the Knights Helping Knights food pantry, the 麻豆原创 Downtown campus and the John C. Hitt Initiative for Faculty Excellence. Donors also committed $7 million to create five new endowed faculty positions.

鈥淔or public institutions, philanthropy is the margin of success,鈥� 麻豆原创 President Dale Whittaker says. 鈥淲hen we do something exceptional, it鈥檚 often because we have friends that believe in us. So the role of philanthropy is more and more critical as we continue to make sure we are carefully stewarding the taxpayers鈥� money and keeping tuition affordable.鈥�

Among the generous donors that helped make 2018 the most successful year of the IGNITE campaign were:

鈥淔or public institutions, philanthropy is the margin of success. When we do something exceptional, it鈥檚 often because we have friends that believe in us.”

The >Knights鈥� thrilling undefeated football season kindled additional enthusiasm among donors, who collectively gave nearly $16 million to 麻豆原创 Athletics. Most of those donations will be used to enhance facilities and go toward the Football Excellence Fund.

Also noteworthy is a 30 percent jump in membership in the Charles Millican Legacy Society, a group of donors who have taken the extraordinary step of leaving a lasting gift in their wills and estate plans. Collectively, the 31 new members represent almost $7 million in giving.

In March 2018, the Foundation held its first 麻豆原创 Day of Giving, a single-day digital effort during which students, alumni and parents support the school financially. The Day of Giving generated $157,000 and attracted a total of 1,951 donors in a single day, with approximately 350 making first-time gifts.

The IGNITE campaign is focused on raising philanthropic support for the following three areas:

As of June 30, nearly 100,000 麻豆原创 alumni, friends and partners have given to the IGNITE campaign.

鈥淢any other college presidents have made similar gambits and found mixed results. Hitt is unusual for having accomplished them all, at one university,鈥� according to the Chronicle.

When Hitt arrived in 1992, 麻豆原创 was a midsize public commuter school. Twenty-six years later, 麻豆原创 has grown from 22,000 students to 66,000; has become a research institution; and has opened a Division I football stadium, a medical school, and soon, a new campus in downtown Orlando.

鈥淢any other college presidents have made similar gambits and found mixed results. Hitt is unusual for having accomplished them all, at one university,鈥� according to the Chronicle.

The Chronicle credited much of 麻豆原创鈥檚 success to Hitt鈥檚 ability to form partnerships. During his tenure, he , , the military and defense industry, the city of Orlando and so many others to guide 麻豆原创鈥檚 growth and position the university as a supplier of quality talent to companies and industries.

Perhaps one of Hitt鈥檚 greatest achievements at 麻豆原创 is broadening access to a higher education for more people, while also maintaining quality and attracting high-achieving students, Joshua Wyner, founder and director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, told the Chronicle.

Minority enrollment under Hitt鈥檚 leadership rose from 16 percent in 1991 to 46 percent in 2017, while the percentage of students eligible for Pell Grants also grew from 27 percent in 1991 to 41 percent in 2017. Over the same period, weighted GPA of incoming students rose from 3.30 to 4.06, and the graduation rate rose from 40 percent to 70 percent.

Dale Whittaker, 麻豆原创鈥檚 fifth president who took office July 1, told the Chronicle that involving others was key to Hitt鈥檚 success at 麻豆原创.

He would gather key people to 鈥減ut our heads together, be creative, find our friends, get support,鈥� Whittaker said.

鈥淗e鈥檚 listening very carefully to how the discussion is going. He鈥檒l put in his piece when, and only when, he feels it will make a difference,鈥� added Maribeth Ehasz, vice president for student development and enrollment services.

Hitt and his wife of 56 years, Martha, moved to Madison, Wis., to be near their children. He is now president emeritus, and he is helping 麻豆原创 successfully complete the while also providing advice and counsel about the implementation of the Collective Impact strategic plan.

Read the full article from the Chronicle.

The true mark of a leader is a crystal-clear vision when you take over the helm. His goals from 1992 formed the guideposts for this fledgling commuter school to find its way among many educational entities in a state that was exhibiting remarkable growth. He took the helm when 麻豆原创 was not on the radar of many 鈥� even within our state 鈥� never mind having a presence nationally or internationally.

His inheritance did include a strong engineering/technology background through the partnerships with the space industry, an emerging presence in the world of lasers and simulation, and a growing athletics program located in the midst of one of the hotbeds of recruitment. With these ingredients, he was able to provide the leadership and direction to bring this university to a remarkable level of prominence and reputation.

We are now certainly in the conversation as being one of the best schools in the state and emerging towards preeminence, by whatever definition or metric that is measured. And his original goals are equally relevant now as they were then.

In particular, his vision of 麻豆原创 as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Partnership University,鈥� which is now a registered trademark, has yielded fruits beyond any imagination. Whether it is through private sector partnerships in Central Florida Research Park, with Lockheed Martin, Harris Corp. and Siemens, with the military-simulation industry or with the public sector through our city and state entities, 麻豆原创 partnerships have benefited the community in a truly significant manner. It has certainly resulted in great opportunities for faculty like myself and my students to perform applied research and gain valuable experience through internships and cooperative education. Underlying all these opportunities, our partners always mention, is the high quality of our graduates and the clear vision and unyielding focus of President Hitt.

On a personal note, I had the rewarding experience of leading the faculty senate of 麻豆原创 from 2005 to 2009 and serving on our Board of Trustees. During that time, I was able to observe his clarity of vision, focus on integrity, and passion for the well-being of the faculty and students. On a bus ride to play USF in football in Tampa, as we were traversing an undeveloped stretch of land next to State Road 417, he remarked: 鈥淭his is where we are going to build our medical campus.鈥� This was early in the planning stages of what was to become our College of Medicine, but his focus and determination was clear.

He has often remarked that 鈥渢he impossible just becomes the inevitable.鈥� I was truly honored to be next to him and other trustees when we ultimately received the approval for the medical school by the Board of Governors. One can now see the fruits of his vision at the thriving Medical City in Lake Nona.

Subsequently, as I was elected to serve as the faculty representative on the Florida Board of Governors for two years, I once again had the opportunity to see this remarkable leader in action. He was a relentless advocate for the university, based on the idea of access and opportunity for students to receive a university education. He wanted 麻豆原创 to be known for its values of striving for excellence and for 鈥渂eing known for who we include not exclude.鈥�

He also supported accountability measures that were logical for academia as the state was transforming toward a funding model based on metrics for productivity and preeminence. My admiration for his dignified responses to many difficult questions during the deliberations of the BOG grew manifold. Critics of his vision came around after seeing how well 麻豆原创 was doing in most areas of these metrics. Of course, there continues to be room for improvement, but the foundation is strong for us to build upon.

When he asked me to take over as the NCAA faculty athletic representative for 麻豆原创 to look after the overall well-being of all our student-athletes, I jumped at the opportunity to serve in this role. For me, nothing was more important than having integrity and passion while giving my best effort, as it was a presidential appointment and I did not want to let him down. The heights that our athletic program has been able to scale in the brief history of this university at the Division I level are another testament to his leadership, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Count me as a lifetime member of the 鈥淗itt Squad.鈥�

I could continue to write much more about my interactions with this remarkable person, about his sense of humor and candor, and about his compassionate approach to difficult times, such as the Pulse shooting or the impact of the hurricanes on our students. But I must save that for another time.

I will conclude with an expression of my admiration for another wonderful person who will also leave the university along with Dr. Hitt, first lady Martha Hitt. My wife and I have become very close to her and will always appreciate the love and friendship that we have received from her the past two decades.

So, one can ask: Are we better off having had Dr. Hitt as a leader? My response is 鈥� most certainly yes!

Thus, I am happy to raise my glass to Dr. John C. Hitt and say: Godspeed, John, and thank you!

Manoj Chopra is a professor of civil engineering in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering. He can be reached at Manoj.Chopra@ucf.edu.

鈥淎s a former student-athlete himself and such a huge champion of the student-athlete experience, it is only fitting our scholarship program for student-athletes be named after President Hitt and Martha,鈥� Danny White said.

鈥淛ohn and Martha have been advocates and great supporters of the Knights since they arrived at 麻豆原创,鈥� Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 such an honor for 麻豆原创 Athletics to lead the charge in establishing this scholarship fund to benefit our student-athletes with John and Martha Hitt鈥檚 name on it.鈥�

White and his wife, Shawn, are also the first to make a 5-year gift commitment of a full scholarship to the John & Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund.

鈥淎 little less than three years ago, President Hitt entrusted me with the leadership of our athletic department,鈥� White said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better man to work for. As a former student-athlete himself and such a huge champion of the student-athlete experience, it is only fitting our scholarship program for student-athletes be named after President Hitt and Martha.鈥�

In addition to his duties as 麻豆原创 President, Hitt has been active and engaged in collegiate athletics throughout his tenure. He has served on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and Board of Governors, and was a member of the NCAA Presidents Commission as well. Hitt has also been heavily involved in governance and guidance in both Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference.

As an undergrad at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, Hitt was a member of the Kangaroos’ football team as a lineman. He often refers to his experience when talking to or about 麻豆原创 student-athletes. While athletics has been important to him for most of his life, sports never took a backseat to academics. Hitt even missed the final football game of his collegiate career to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), needed for him to attend graduate school.

In addition to the John & Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund, 麻豆原创 is also encouraging donations to the . Any donation made to either the John & Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund or First Generation Scholarships in an amount of $26 or more 鈥� to commemorate President Hitt鈥檚 26-year tenure as 麻豆原创 President 鈥� will receive a limited-edition Hitt Squad pin (pictured to left). All gifts to both funds are part of .

For more information on multi-year commitments to the John and Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund, please contact 麻豆原创 Athletics at 407-823-2086 or聽ChampionshipResources@athletics.ucf.edu.

鈥淎t the time, we had Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida and citizens across the state were concerned,鈥� Col. Grant Slayden said. 鈥淲e had units flying in from Kentucky and others driving from New Jersey, Alabama and Georgia, all converging on Florida, and there was nowhere to put them. We got here and were welcomed with open arms with the full support of Dr. Kernek, Chief Beary and Jeff Morgan under [Dr. Hitt鈥檚] leadership.鈥�

For several days in September, 麻豆原创 hosted more than 700 members of the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and other units as they worked around Central Florida. Soldiers slept in the Nicholson Field House and 麻豆原创 Athletics locker rooms, ate meals served by student-athletes and coaches, and parked service vehicles at Spectrum Stadium and around campus.

鈥淢y brigade was responsible for 40 of Florida鈥檚 67 counties and we immediately took maximum advantage of the central staging area [at 麻豆原创] where we could disperse across the state quickly, post hurricane,鈥� said Slayden. 鈥淲e ended up saving 327 people from rising water, providing shelter for 10,260 people, distributing 2 million bottles of water, almost 1 million MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) and 666 tons of ice 鈥� all staged from [麻豆原创]. … It was amazing.鈥�

For 麻豆原创PD, supporting the National Guard鈥檚 efforts is a natural partnership.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all in the public safety business: law enforcement, emergency management and the National Guard,鈥� said Beary, who will retire on June 14 after 41 years in law enforcement. 鈥淭he better we work together and the better we coordinate our efforts, the better service we provide to the citizens 鈥� and that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�

Hitt, who will step down from the presidency at the end of June, accepted the award with a message of continued community involvement from the university.

鈥淧eople all around us need help and support, and it鈥檚 our responsibility as members of the community to do what we can to help our units as they attempt to safeguard the folks who live and work in these areas, including our own students and faculty and staff members,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e helping them help us.鈥�

鈥淎 visionary leader, Jim Hinson took our organization from a successful for-profit family business to one of the region鈥檚 most generous and important charitable organizations,鈥� said Dr. Phillips Charities president Ken Robinson. 鈥淒r. Hitt鈥檚 vision and leadership remind us of Jim鈥檚 leadership.鈥�

Of the $250,000 grant, $200,000 will help first-generation students, with priority given to Central Florida residents attending the new campus, 麻豆原创 Downtown. The remaining $50,000 will support the Martha Hitt First Generation Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college. Through a special matching-grant program, the State of Florida will contribute additional funds, bringing the total contribution to $600,000.

鈥淒r. Phillips Charities is helping to shape the landscape of our downtown educational ecosystem,鈥� said Mike Morsberger, vice president for advancement and CEO of the 麻豆原创 Foundation. 鈥淲e are grateful for this long-standing partnership and the tremendous impact it continues to have on our students and our community.鈥�

Dr. Phillips Charities has donated to 麻豆原创 every year since the university held its first classes in 1968. During Dr. Hitt鈥檚 26-year tenure, Dr. Phillips Charities has invested more than $12 million in 麻豆原创 and has provided a significant boost to the development of 麻豆原创 Downtown. In 2016, Dr. Phillips Charities committed $7 million toward construction of the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, the first academic building at the campus.

The $250,000 grant moves 麻豆原创 closer to the $500 million goal of , a multiyear fundraising effort set to wrap up in 2019. Donors have already given more than $385 million to the campaign to support three priorities: student success, academic excellence, and growth and opportunity.

The James A. Hinson Leadership Award, now in its third year, recognizes an extraordinary Central Florida leader or organization that exemplifies the Dr. Phillips motto: 鈥淗elping others help themselves.鈥� Orlando Health received the inaugural award in 2016. In 2017, Edgewood Children鈥檚 Ranch became the second recipient.

During a dedication ceremony today, a plaque was placed in each of one of Research Park鈥檚 five Partnership Buildings to honor Hitt鈥檚 support of technological industries that have created an impact on local, state and national levels.

The event took place in Research Park, which is located adjacent to campus. Several guest speakers were in attendance, including Congressman Daniel Webster, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and the National Center for Simulation’s Chief Operating Officer聽George Cheros.

Research Park is a hub of organizations and businesses that generate a $6 billion simulation and technology industry for the state economy. Each year, the region secures about $4 billion in government contracts due to U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine and other federal agency operations based in the 1,027-acre space.

Although Research Park opened in 1978 before Hitt became president, his committed efforts to growing the center have created strong partnerships with the Department of Defense over the past 26 years. About 60,000 people employed in the park are affiliated with the military.

鈥淒uring his presidency, John Hitt has championed these five buildings that are not only important to our national defense, but [also] our research opportunities for faculty and graduate students, local economy, and state-wide impact for business,鈥� says Dan Holsenbeck, 麻豆原创鈥檚 senior vice president of university relations.

Most recently, 麻豆原创 acquired Partnership Buildings IV and V to help keep military personnel in the area by leasing 200,000 square feet of office space to聽Team Orlando, the military entity comprised of the national defense organizations, federal agencies and private businesses that work to help improve human performance through simulation.

The original building in the complex, Partnership Building I, was built in the late 1990s, and is home to the Florida Space Institute, NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium and National Center for Forensic Science.

Partnership Building II includes聽, which includes 麻豆原创 Online, and the Team Performance Laboratory/Partnership for Aviation Team Training Research.

One of the nation鈥檚 leading simulation, training and virtual reality research centers, the National Center for Simulation,聽is located in Partnership Building III. The facility also holds 麻豆原创鈥檚聽, which has secured more than $26 million in research funding over the past two years.