鈥淭he Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow鈥檚 leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences.鈥� 鈥� Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences

The first-of-its-kind Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation is housed within the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, ranked No. 1 nationally. With the addition of Universal鈥檚 new school and the college鈥檚 School of Hospitality Leadership, students now have access to a dual-school model that brings together experience-focused education with business strategy, operations, and service leadership.

鈥淭he Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business, marketing, and guest service to develop tomorrow鈥檚 leaders in themed entertainment and immersive experiences,鈥� says Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences Mark Woodbury.

鈥溌槎乖� was built to power what鈥檚 next for our students, for industry, and for the State of Florida,鈥� 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 鈥淭his collaboration with Universal Destinations & Experiences represents our mission at its best, creating an environment where students are learning in direct connection with the people and ideas shaping the future of immersive experiences.鈥�

A First-of-its-Kind Model for Experience Education

The Universal and 麻豆原创 partnership will also support research through a new Hospitality Technology Lab, designed to be a creative sandbox for students to collaborate, test ideas, and gain practical hands-on experience working alongside 麻豆原创 faculty, Universal professionals, and industry stakeholders. Students will gain timely insight that reflects industry needs as part of their education. Built around innovation and interdisciplinary teaming, the lab embeds coursework, student projects, and faculty research in a shared space, equipping graduates with both current skills and the adaptability to lead in a constantly evolving technology ecosystem.

The new school鈥檚 research will build on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 existing strengths, applying university expertise to one of the world鈥檚 most dynamic industries. Focus areas for teaching, learning, and research will include:

• Service robotics and human-centered approaches to shape guest and employee interactions
• AR and VR simulation technologies for training, operations, and immersive environments
• AI and digital twins for optimizing and personalizing the guest experience

This work extends a decades-long partnership between 麻豆原创 and Universal rooted in collaboration and shared success. For more than 20 years, Rosen College has served as a key talent pipeline for Universal, with thousands of graduates contributing across its parks, experiences, and operations, alongside hands-on learning opportunities like the 麻豆原创/Universal Creative Lab.

鈥淭ogether with 麻豆原创 we have opened doors for students and helped strengthen our industry with valued talent 鈥� and the next chapter will be even better,鈥� Chief Administrative Officer of Universal Destinations & Experiences John Sprouls says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e creating a distinctive academic home that will expand pathways into fulfilling and dynamic careers.鈥�

鈥淩osen College has long been a global leader in hospitality education, and this next step reflects how our industry is evolving,鈥� says 麻豆原创 Rosen College of Hospitality Management Dean Cynthia Mejia. 鈥淏y strengthening our relationship with our longtime partners at Universal Destinations & Experiences, we are creating a first-of-its-kind two-school model that blends creativity, technology and leadership, preparing students to lead the future of guest experiences.鈥�

Pegasus Partners: Scaling Impact Through Collaboration

As 鲍颁贵鈥檚 first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner, Universal Destinations & Experiences joins a group of industry leaders working with the university to solve real-world challenges, accelerate discovery, and strengthen the workforce talent pipeline. Universal is also the first Pegasus Partner to enter into a master research agreement with 麻豆原创, enabling collaboration at scale and unlocking new opportunities for applied research.

The Pegasus Partners program offers opportunities for select partners to engage across the university in ways that create meaningful value for both organizations. That engagement includes talent development and recruitment, shared research projects, joint ventures and collaborations, strategic philanthropy, and co-location at 麻豆原创.

As the first Pegasus Partner since the start of , 鲍颁贵鈥檚 $3.5 billion campaign to accelerate its next era of impact, Universal鈥檚 commitment is a powerful model that combines philanthropy and strategic industry investment to drive innovation, expand opportunity, and fuel shared success.

麻豆原创 has made a name for itself globally in programming and cybersecurity thanks to student-run clubs that deliver championships year after year. They now have company in another area of technology 鈥� robotics.

The Robotics Club of Central Florida (RCCF) witnessed two teams, Knightmare and Daydream, dominate with an impressive number of wins over this past academic year. The teams won a total of 83 head-to-head matches against more than 40 universities, and ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for individual robotic skills at the VEX University Robotics Competition (VURC) 2025-26, besting teams from Georgia Tech, Purdue and Texas A&M.

Kushal Patel, an aerospace engineering major and a member of the Knightmare team, says the secret to the teams鈥� success this year has been their experience and passion for competitive robotics.

鈥淐ombined, the team has over 50 years of VEX robotics experience, with our most senior member competing since third grade,鈥� Patel says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just participate in this project for bullet points on our resumes 鈥� our team competes for the love of competition.鈥�

The team structure intentionally empowers all students to gain valuable experience during these robotics competitions. Daydream is a beginner friendly team focused on students without prior experience while Knightmare is suitable for more advanced students.

鈥淯nlike other design teams, where new members typically participate in internal competitions, those who join Daydream are able to hit the ground running and compete against other schools right away,鈥� says Kapri O鈥橞rien, a mechanical engineering major and the project lead for RCCF. 鈥淭his structure allowed for both project teams to naturally grow and strengthen, and created the unique opportunity for us to compete against each other for awards at times this season, leading to the fantastic achievement of both Knightmare and Daydream qualifying for this year鈥檚 world championship.鈥�

Both teams also participate in outreach events, volunteering at VEX competitions around the country. They also recently hosted the VEX IQ challenge for middle school and high school students on the 麻豆原创 campus to great success. Patel also works for the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, which logistically and operationally runs the VEX robotics competitions.

With Central Florida鈥檚 reputation as a leader in dynamic, high-tech fields, they envision the next phase of success and growth for their program in industry partnerships. 麻豆原创 is known as one of the nation鈥檚 most innovative universities and is responsible for one out of every four of Florida鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduates.

鈥淥ur team provides a space for engineers to grow the skills you need outside of the classroom to be a skillful engineer in industry,鈥� O鈥橞rien says. 鈥淪upport, whether it鈥檚 through financial or material donations, allows that space to survive. We regularly prototype with computer vision and machine learning algorithms, gaining hands-on experience with the technology that will power our future.鈥�

Industry partners or students who are interested in learning more about RCCF and its competition teams can email outreach@rccf.club.

Designed to accelerate innovation, the Orlando Health Strategic Innovations group connects real clinical and operational challenges with student and academic talent, creating a healthcare environment where ideas are tested, informed by feedback, and continually improved. The space serves as an extension of the system鈥檚 downtown headquarters and is jointly funded by Orlando Health Ventures and the Orlando Health Innovation teams.

Orlando Health鈥檚 presence within SPRK aligns with 鲍颁贵鈥檚 broader co-location strategy, which brings industry partners onto campus to catalyze innovation through proximity. The approach emphasizes shared space, shared聽challenges聽and shared outcomes to accelerate problem-solving, support experiential聽learning聽and speed the translation of ideas into practice.

The co-location marks the latest milestone in聽Orlando Health鈥檚聽long-standing partnership with 麻豆原创.

鈥淏y working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve.鈥� 聽鈥� Alexander N. Cartwright, 麻豆原创 president

The鈥疧rlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute鈥痯rovides comprehensive, year-round care for 麻豆原创 student-athletes, including on-field coverage, primary care sports medicine, and specialized imaging. As a聽Pegasus Partner,聽Orlando Health pledged $5 million toward the聽, which supports nursing internships, scholarships, and hiring, helping to address the state’s nursing shortage. In addition, Orlando Health and 麻豆原创 collaborate on advanced technology projects聽鈥斅爏uch as the鈥�AI for Medical Surgery system聽鈥斅爅ointly offer specialized residency programs and聽collaborate in聽many聽additional聽ways.

鈥淥rlando Health has been an exceptional partner,聽demonstrating聽what is possible when industry and academia come together with shared聽purpose. This next phase of co-location builds on that foundation,鈥� says 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淏y working side by side at SPRK, we are accelerating innovation and moving real-world healthcare solutions more quickly into the communities we serve.鈥�

Healthcare Innovation at the Center of Campus

Located in聽approximately聽2,649聽square feet聽within SPRK, the聽Strategic Innovations group聽was intentionally placed, here,聽to foster continuous collaboration with faculty and students across disciplines.

This co-location enables a new operating model. Orlando Health brings real health system聽challenges聽directly into the academic environment, and interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty,聽and Orlando Health innovators rapidly design, test,聽and refine solutions.

Early collaboration has already begun to generate impact in areas such as cancer research, digital health, creation of AI聽models聽and various orthopedic innovations.

鈥淭he opening of an Orlando Health Strategic Innovations space at 麻豆原创 represents our shared commitment to advancing healthcare delivery through bold new ideas,鈥� says Jamal Hakim, M.D., chief physician officer, Orlando Health. 鈥淭hrough this partnership, we are creating a collaborative environment where clinicians, researchers, students and industry leaders can generate real-world solutions and drive innovations that will shape the future of how we care for patients.鈥�

Built to Go For Launch

The latest milestone in , this co-location represents 麻豆原创’s deep commitment to the ecosystem of support powering our vision for the future.

Through聽a collective effort聽鈥斅燾ombining philanthropy and transformational giving with corporate聽partnerships, research聽commercialization聽and other revenue-generating endeavors聽鈥斅犅槎乖绰爄s charting聽a聽bold聽new path forward and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

鈥淭his co-location with Orlando Health exemplifies the kind of partnership that powers Go for Launch, bringing industry and academia together to create real-world impact,鈥� says Rod Grabowski, 麻豆原创 vice president for Advancement and Partnership, and CEO of the 麻豆原创 Foundation. 鈥淏y aligning visionary partners with 鲍颁贵鈥檚 innovation ecosystem, we are accelerating discovery, expanding opportunity and advancing solutions that improve lives.鈥�

The realization hit him one day on the job. This project鈥檚 legacy and impact were going to outlive him.

鈥淲hen I think back on every cool thing I鈥檝e gotten to do so far in my career, it does all kind of lead back to Orlando Family Stage,鈥� Lowe says.

Lowe was 6 years old when his cub scout troop attended a show at the stage, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary 鈥� the last 25 of those years in partnership with 麻豆原创.

He eventually went through its Youth Academy, interned as a 麻豆原创 theatre student on site, made industry connections and now regularly contracts work at the stage as a full-time lighting designer for Clair Global, a tech company that specializes in live production services.

Lowe鈥檚 story is just one example of the countless ripple effects that have materialized from 鲍颁贵鈥檚 longstanding, collaborative partnership with a nationally recognized leader in the theater industry.

鈥淚鈥檝e watched kids come in and they鈥檙e so shy and they can鈥檛 do anything. But by the time they leave, they鈥檙e not only signing up for the next show, they鈥檙e leading the next show,鈥� says Paul Lartonoix, assistant dean for the College of Arts and Humanities and longtime Orlando Family Stage board member. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 amazing at what it does. There鈥檚 no reason to not be proud of it. It鈥檚 doing great things for families. It鈥檚 doing great things for kids. It鈥檚 doing great things for our students, and it鈥檚 awesome that it鈥檚 being run by Knights.鈥�

A Partnership That Builds Community

Orlando Family Stage, founded in 1926 as part of the City of Orlando鈥檚 Recreation Department, has evolved over the past 100 years while persevering through historic challenges including the Great Depression, World War II, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

麻豆原创 entered the picture in 2000 when former Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt formed a community coalition to bring the stage under 鲍颁贵鈥檚 oversight. At the time, the theater needed a major overhaul 鈥� both to its physical home at Loch Haven Park and in programming 鈥� to ensure it could thrive in the new millennium.

鈥淚 know with great confidence we would not be sitting here today without 麻豆原创 on board. We wouldn鈥檛 have survived.鈥� 鈥� Chris Brown 鈥�05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and 麻豆原创 theatre alum

鈥淲e wanted it because we thought that space was an exceptional,聽it had tremendous potential, and 麻豆原创 should be a part of it.聽That聽really was the driving force,鈥� says Lartonoix, who served as executive director on-loan and was instrumental in leading the early years of the partnership. 鈥淎nd when things worked, it was fantastic.鈥�

The intervention proved to be a major catalyst for its impact in the community today, and for the world at large through the countless children and 麻豆原创 graduates who have been affiliated with its programming and education.

鈥淚 know with great confidence we would not be sitting here today without 麻豆原创 on board. We wouldn鈥檛 have survived,鈥� says Chris Brown 鈥�05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and 麻豆原创 theatre alum. 鈥淭o think that leaders came together and said, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 want to lose a vital theater organization in our town, and we want to create an active and engaged partnership with the university where we can collectively do good things to serve young people in the world.鈥� It鈥檚 very special.鈥�

Florida鈥檚 Only Professional Theatre for Young Audiences

A major part of that partnership is 鲍颁贵鈥檚 MFA in theatre for young audiences program, which launched in 2004. The program has operated for the past two decades as Florida鈥檚 only professional theatre for young audiences and is one of the most distinctive programs in the country with its unique graduate-training residency.

In addition to learning from the university鈥檚 esteemed faculty, students gain practical experience with opportunities to work with professional artists and teach in Orlando Family Stage鈥檚 award-winning Youth Academy, which offers camps, classes and experiences for every age level from infancy through teens.

The MFA program has seen graduates go on to work at some of the most prestigious theaters in the country, become educators at universities as far as Dublin and help run community theaters across the United States.

In addition to his leadership role, Brown teaches theatre management courses on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 campus. He says he believes an important part of his responsibility as an educator is to expand his students鈥� idea of where a career in the arts can take them.

鈥淲e鈥檙e helping them recognize that arts administration is creative work,鈥� he says. 鈥淲riting a grant narrative, crafting a brand voice, planning a touring route or stewarding a donor relationship all require the same storytelling skills they bring to performance and production roles.鈥�

Instilling Bravery in Children

The stage鈥檚 mission is to empower young people to be brave and empathetic.

Sure it sounds good, but more importantly, there鈥檚 truth to the claim. Recent research by the 麻豆原创 Department of Psychology provides evidence to support it.

The Orlando Family Stage鈥檚 education team collaborated with associate professor Valerie Sims and senior lecturer Matthew Chin and more than a dozen undergraduate students from the Applied Cognition and Technology Lab along with associate professor of musical theatre Tara Deady 鈥�07MFA on a study, which they are currently working on publishing. The study aimed to determine if the stage鈥檚 programming delivers on its promise to promote creative engagement and bravery in children ages 1-5.

Because of the young age of the participants, traditional survey tools and written questionnaires wouldn鈥檛 work. The team needed to get creative in a research approach that matched how children experience theatre.

The research team meticulously observed second by second footage of children and parent engagement during performances of Yo, Ho, Ho! Let鈥檚 Go! 鈥� an interactive, multi-sensory original production created by the stage鈥檚 senior director of education Jennifer Adams-Carrasquillo 鈥�11MFA.

鈥淲e have evidence that theater participation really is beneficial to these very young kids.鈥� 鈥� Matthew Chin, 麻豆原创 psychology senior lecturer

They logged and quantified data through body language and audience responses. Early on, Sims and Chin say, children needed to be prompted by their parents to participate. However, as the show progressed, you can clearly see children initiating the participation on their own and parental involvement decreasing.

鈥淲ith this study we are able to say that it isn鈥檛 just this thing that we think is true 鈥� we have evidence that theater participation really is beneficial to these very young kids,鈥� Chin says.

In 2024-25 alone, more than 4,770 audience members attended Theatre for the Very Young productions like Yo, Ho, Ho! Let鈥檚 Go!. Multiply those numbers year after year and the impact to the youth in our community is monumental.

The Next 100 Years

As the stage commemorates this special milestone in its history, it also acknowledges the scope of possibilities and impact ahead.

This year, when Gershwin Entertainment Group, who owns the theatrical rights for A Charlie Brown Christmas, needed a national touring partner to bring the show to life on stage around the country, they turned to the Orlando Family Stage to deliver. It became the highest revenue-generating show in the history of the organizatoin鈥檚 performances in Orlando 鈥攚ithout counting the 32 cities it visited from New York City to Vancouver, Canada.

A partnership with the 麻豆原创 Department of History is enabling the stage to create an archive of its materials from the last century as part of the RICHES Mosaic Interface, an online resource dedicated to collecting and sharing the stories of Central Florida.

Another is the inaugural Florida Children鈥檚 Book Festival in partnership with Writer鈥檚 Block Book Store and W麻豆原创, which they hosted in February and plan to host annually to celebrate literature and the link between books, storytelling and live theater.

鈥淲e all need to be aware of how special this place is. And we need to be so proud that our community has something like this.鈥� 鈥� Chris Brown 鈥�05, Orlando Family Stage executive director and 麻豆原创 theatre alum

They look to expand the reach of Mind Matters, a program the stage initiated with 鲍颁贵鈥檚 psychology department and national playwrights to produce 10 original short plays about geared for teens about depression, anxiety, loneliness, isolation and other mental health challenges they face today. The plays serve as an educational resource for teachers to spark honest conversations on these topics with their students.

Brown envisions one day expanding the footprint of the building with more theater space, new classrooms and offices to help alleviate their bursting-at-the-seems infrastructure, so they can keep delivering on all the dreams they want to turn into reality and continue creating meaningful experiences for children and the audiences of tomorrow.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 get past the energy and the faces of busloads of kids coming in here every day,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淲e all need to be aware of how special this place is. And we need to be so proud that our community has something like this.鈥�

Celebrates the Arts Programming

You can catch live performances from the Theatre for Young Audiences program during April鈥檚 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts festival at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando.

Thursday, April 2 鈥� 7:30 p.m.
Hosted by Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Her Universe, HypeFriend!), this concert features performances that span musical styles and theatrical traditions, reflecting the many creative paths that begin at Orlando Family Stage.

*Featuring Micheal James Scott (Disney鈥檚 Aladdin on Broadway), Leslie Carrera-Rudolph (Emmy Award-winning performer for Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street), Jack Griffo (Nickelodeon鈥檚 The Thundermans), Davis Gaines (Broadway鈥檚 longest running Phantom of the Opera), Michael Andrew (Composer and one of America鈥檚 greatest interpreters of the American Songbook), Paul Vogt (Broadway鈥檚 Hairspray and Chicago). Video appearances by Mandy Moore (This Is Us), Jasmine Forsberg (Broadway鈥檚 Six and Here Lies Love), Clayton and Bella Grimm (Blippi), Broadway legend Norm Lewis and more.

*Artist lineup is updating and is subject to change.

Tuesday, April 7 鈥� 10 a.m.
When best friends Squiggle and Square move away from each other, they must find creative ways to keep communicating! Told through clowning, puppetry and music, Pen Pals is a 30-minute interactive play designed for 5 to 10-year-olds.

Saturday, April 11 鈥� 10 a.m.
Yo, Ho, Ho! Let鈥檚 Go! is a 30-minute adventure designed especially for children ages 1 to 5 as a multi-sensory experience that invites them to help a pirate navigate the high seas. Together, they follow a treasure map, solve clues and chart the course forward.

H

ome to 麻豆原创, Orlando has long been a global center for themed entertainment. As immersive attractions, museums and themed entertainment experiences continue to grow in scale, complexity and cultural impact, the industry faces a critical challenge: preparing the next generation of professionals with the real-world skills needed to bring immersive experiences to life.

Spanning storytelling, architecture, engineering, media, operations and production, today鈥檚 themed experiences and attractions demand skills that rarely live within a single academic discipline.

For many aspiring professionals, the pathway into themed entertainment remains unclear, with limited visibility into professional workflows, real-world timelines and the cross-functional dynamics that ultimately determine a project鈥檚 success.

A new partnership between 麻豆原创 and AOA 鈥� a leading immersive experience design, production and project management company 鈥� aims to change that to better support the future of the industry.

Ideal Partnership

鲍颁贵鈥檚 themed experience graduate programs at the College of Arts and Humanities and AOA have launched the AOA Scholars Program, a hands-on practicum designed to give graduate students direct exposure to the real-world processes behind themed entertainment design and production.

麻豆原创 introduced a theatre Master of Fine Arts聽track in themed experience in 2018. In 2021, the university offered a stand-alone degree program in themed experience. Both programs are聽 the first of its kind at a public university.

The program鈥檚 focused curriculum in themed experience and attractions makes it an ideal partner for AOA.

The scholars initiative will address a common challenge in the field: while demand for immersive attractions, museums and experiences continues to grow, there is an expanding need for practical training and field work for emerging talent.

鈥淔lorida is home to some of the most sophisticated themed entertainment work in the world, but the way people enter the industry hasn鈥檛 kept pace,鈥� says Tom Acomb, co-founder and chief creative officer of AOA. 鈥淭his program is about opening the door earlier and giving students a clearer view of how these projects actually come together.鈥�

Each semester, a select cohort of students will participate in workshops led by AOA professionals, visit active project sites and production facilities, and learn how creative, technical and operational decisions intersect in real projects.

鈥淎OA has always believed in investing in early-career talent, starting with a strong internship program that鈥檚 been part of our culture since the early days,鈥� says Mike Ostendorf, co-founder and CEO of AOA. 鈥淭his partnership with 麻豆原创 is an evolution of that long-standing commitment 鈥� because seeing the full lifecycle of a project up close matters.鈥�

鈥淭his partnership gives students access to professional workflows with one of the top firms in the themed entertainment industry.鈥� 鈥� Peter Weishar, 麻豆原创 director of themed experience

What鈥檚 Next

麻豆原创 will oversee academic structure and accreditation, while AOA will contribute funding and industry expertise.

鈥淭his partnership gives students access to professional workflows with one of the top firms in the themed entertainment industry with diverse project and a global reach鈥� says Peter Weishar, director of themed experience at 麻豆原创. 鈥淚t strengthens Florida鈥檚 role as a global talent pipeline for themed entertainment.鈥�

The AOA Scholars Program is expected to begin Fall 2026, reinforcing Central Florida鈥檚 position as a training ground for the next generation of immersive experience professionals.

Spanning multiple years, Go For Launch is the most ambitious revenue-generating effort in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 history. The campaign builds on decades of momentum and reflects a clear-eyed understanding of what it will take for a modern, metropolitan research university to deliver at the scale the future demands.

Founded to power America鈥檚 space race, 麻豆原创 has always been an institution built for moments of possibility. Go For Launch draws directly from that legacy, reaffirming 鲍颁贵鈥檚 role as Florida鈥檚 Technological University and calling on Knights, partners and visionaries to help shape what comes next.

Campaign Goals and Timeline

The Go For Launch campaign seeks to generate $3.5 billion over a multi-year period through philanthropy, partnerships and aligned revenue strategies, advancing priorities that will shape 鲍颁贵鈥檚 trajectory for decades. Funds will fuel innovation across the university, from breakthrough research and talent development to infrastructure and partnerships that extend 鲍颁贵鈥檚 impact far beyond campus.

The campaign follows a successful pre-launch phase that quietly engaged donors, volunteers and community partners around a shared vision. As of Feb. 21, 麻豆原创 has secured more than $2 billion in early commitments from individuals, families and partners who believe in the university鈥檚 bold future.

鈥淭his campaign is about matching 鲍颁贵鈥檚 ambition with the resources required to deliver on it,鈥� says 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淚t is an investment in discovery, talent and solutions that will shape Florida鈥檚 future and improve lives far beyond our campus.鈥�

Four Pillars Driving a Transformational Vision

Go For Launch is anchored by four integrated campaign pillars, each essential to 鲍颁贵鈥檚 ability to deliver impact at scale.

Elevating Student Success
Elevating Student Success ensures every Knight has the support, resources and opportunities to thrive, from enrollment through graduation and beyond. Campaign investments will expand scholarships, strengthen proactive advising and success coaching, enhance career preparation and sustain innovative support systems that remove barriers before they derail progress. This pillar reflects 鲍颁贵鈥檚 commitment to access and outcomes, preparing graduates who are confident, career-ready and equipped to lead in a rapidly changing world.

Fueling Discovery and Innovation
Fueling Discovery and Innovation accelerates 鲍颁贵鈥檚 role as a driver of breakthrough research and real-world solutions. Support will advance faculty-led research, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-driven discovery across areas such as space, cybersecurity, health, energy and advanced technologies. With strong industry partnerships, a thriving research ecosystem and a culture of commercialization, 麻豆原创 is poised to move ideas faster from lab to impact, creating jobs, improving lives and addressing the world鈥檚 most urgent challenges.

Advancing Future Frontiers
Advancing Future Frontiers positions 麻豆原创 at the forefront of what鈥檚 next, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, space exploration, immersive technologies and aerospace medicine. Commitments will support research infrastructure, interdisciplinary institutes and bold experimentation that push beyond today鈥檚 limits and shape tomorrow鈥檚 industries. As technology and humanity converge, 麻豆原创 is not waiting for the future to arrive. The university is actively inventing it, translating discovery into global impact and economic vitality.

Maximizing Competitive Excellence
Maximizing Competitive Excellence positions 麻豆原创 to compete and win at the highest levels nationally. Campaign investments will strengthen faculty recruitment and retention, expand university-wide technology integration, enhance athletics and academic competitiveness, and continue building a destination campus that attracts top talent, industry partners and research opportunities. As Florida鈥檚 Next-Generation Preeminent Research University, 麻豆原创 is focused on translating ambition into sustained performance, elevating our standing, sharpening our edges and ensuring excellence is not episodic but institutionalized.

Why This Campaign and Why Now

Go For Launch represents a clear evolution from 鲍颁贵鈥檚 prior comprehensive campaigns, with specific focus on directly addressing the rising complexity and cost of delivering a world-class education and research enterprise. It recognizes that sustained excellence requires continued investment in people, ideas and infrastructure.

鈥淕o For Launch will bring our university community together around our boldest aspirations,鈥� says Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO, 麻豆原创 Foundation Inc.聽 “It will empower students, support faculty excellence, fuel innovation that strengthens our region and maximize competitive excellence. This campaign reflects our shared belief in what is possible and our commitment to creating a brighter future for generations to come.鈥�

A Launch Worth Celebrating

The public phase of Go For Launch was unveiled at campuswide launch events that brought together thousands of alumni, donors, faculty, students and community leaders. The immersive experience reflected the campaign鈥檚 spirit, featuring interactive installations, storytelling and moments that highlighted 鲍颁贵鈥檚 impact across research, innovation and student success.

Campaign volunteer leadership was celebrated during the event, underscoring the personal commitment many leaders feel toward 鲍颁贵鈥檚 mission and future.

Impact in Action

Investments generated through Go For Launch will directly advance research with real-world consequences, from improving health outcomes to accelerating breakthroughs in assistive technologies.

Go For Launch is both a continuation of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 founding mission and a declaration of where the university is headed next. It signals confidence in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 people, our ideas and our ability to lead.

To learn more about Go For Launch or to get involved, visit

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent meets with Chanda Torres 鈥�98 鈥�00MA 鈥�08EdD, assistant vice president of the Dixon Career Development Center.

Torres shares an overview of the Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center, which empowers 麻豆原创 students and recent graduates to successfully connect academic and career pathways 鈥� often through industry partnerships 鈥� that lead toward professional success and fulfillment.

Kent (center), ED Deputy Under Secretary James Bergeron (left) and ED Special Advisor Ethan Good (right) listen to an overview of the Lockheed Martin College Work Experience Program (CWEP).

Launched more than 40 years ago, CWEP provides paid internship experiences to about 500 麻豆原创 students annually 鈥� including about 60% of graduating Knights who are offered full-time jobs after completing the program.

ED and 麻豆原创 staff in front of the Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center welcome sign.

Left to right: Assistant Secretary of Labor Henry Mack; Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs for the State University System Tony Lee; 麻豆原创 Associate Vice President for Federal Relations Eric 鈥淭ubby鈥� Shwedo; Torres; 麻豆原创 Dixon Career Development Center Program Manager Erica Hutton; Director of Career Services at 麻豆原创 Lynn Hansen; Director of Experiential Learning at 麻豆原创 Quynh Dang; and 麻豆原创 Director of Academic Advancement Programs Michael Aldarondo鈥慗effries.

麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright joins Kent, Harding, Senior Campus Recruiter for BNY Tatiana Manzanares and Shwedo as they tour BNY鈥檚 Next鈥慓en Client Technology and Operations Center in the SPRK building on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 main campus.

In Fall 2025, 麻豆原创 and BNY, a leading global financial services company, launched a groundbreaking $5 million Pegasus Partnership that established a co-located educational innovation hub on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 main campus 鈥� the first-of-its-kind in Florida.

Kent also had the opportunity to meet and interact with students in the current BNY cohort.

At the heart of this collaboration is the 8,400 square-foot Next-Gen Cybersecurity Technology and Operations Center Lab, which reimagines how universities and global enterprises can work together to prepare the workforce of the future.

ED and 麻豆原创 staff at the BNY Next-Gen Cybersecurity Technology and Operations Center Lab.

Left to right: ED Special Assistant Cristian Clementi, Good, Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs for the State University System Tony Lee, Mack, Kent, Cartwright, Manzanares, Harding and Dang.

Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld discusses 鲍颁贵鈥檚 research enterprise and emphasizes the benefits of its adjacency to Central Florida Research Park, where defense鈥慺ocused organizations support research collaborations and workforce development.

Institute for Stimulation and Training (IST) Interim Director Carolina Cruz鈥慛eira offers an in鈥慸epth overview and demonstration of IST advanced technological capabilities, with lab visits that included the Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab (VARLab).

Kent explores the CAVE system 鈥� a technology Cruz-Neira pioneered in the 90s 鈥� at the VARLab, where IST demonstrates how it develops immersive simulation systems for industry, government and research collaborators.

Cruz鈥慛eira provides an in鈥慸epth demonstration of IST’s VARLab and overview of how 麻豆原创 is preparing the next generation through modeling, simulation and training.

Organizations interested in partnering with STLI should contact Tiffany Hughes in the College of Business or Michael Harding 聽in 麻豆原创 Corporate Partnerships to explore collaboration opportunities.

Drawing on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 strengths as Florida鈥檚 Technological University, STLI will serve as the university鈥檚 hub for developing deep corporate partnerships through custom executive education, professional credentials, applied research and data-driven solutions. The school will provide expertise across engineering and computer science, business, psychology and related disciplines to help businesses and organizations adapt to technological change while improving leadership capability.

鈥溌槎乖� plays a critical role in helping address the challenges shaping the future of industry,鈥� says 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淭he School of Technology, Leadership and Innovation strengthens our ability to work alongside organizations as they navigate change and turn emerging technologies into leadership capability, organizational performance, and real-world impact.鈥�

Serving Future-Focused Organizations

Unlike traditional academic units, STLI will draw on faculty expertise from across the university rather than hiring new faculty. The school will create new opportunities for 麻豆原创 scholars to engage directly with organizations through executive programs, professional certifications, consulting engagements and applied research collaborations. In addition to a slate of proprietary offerings, STLI will work with organizations to develop custom solutions to meet a company鈥檚 specific needs.

The school, which is designed to generate revenue for the university, will create new opportunities for 麻豆原创 scholars to engage directly with organizations through executive programs, professional certifications, consulting engagements and applied research collaborations.

鈥淭echnology is changing the nature of work and the structure of organizations,鈥� says College of Business Dean Paul Jarley. 鈥淪TLI connects 鲍颁贵鈥檚 excellence in engineering, computing business and the human sciences to help leaders understand not just how technology works, but how to lead organizations through technological change. This initiative is the next logical step in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 long-standing commitment to partnering with technology-driven organizations that power Florida鈥檚 economy and beyond.鈥�

鈥淭his initiative is the next logical step in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 long-standing commitment to partnering with technology-driven organizations that power Florida鈥檚 economy and beyond.鈥� 鈥� Paul Jarley, College of Business dean

Initial development of STLI is being coordinated by the College of Business in collaboration with faculty leaders from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and with strategic oversight from the Provost鈥檚 Office.

The launch of STLI represents the next phase of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 strategy to expand collaboration with the technology-driven organizations shaping Florida鈥檚 future like Pegasus Partner Addition Financial Credit Union.

鈥淎s a financial institution that prides聽itself聽on聽innovating to better serve its members, Addition Financial is honored to partner with [the] 麻豆原创 鈥� School of Technology Leadership and Innovation,鈥� says聽Kevin Miller, president and CEO of聽Addition Financial.聽鈥淭his is an exciting evolution of the future-facing collaboration 麻豆原创 is known for, and we are looking forward to working alongside the school to unlock the promise of advancing key areas from AI strategy to workforce readiness.鈥�

By connecting faculty expertise with real-world challenges, the school extends the university鈥檚 impact beyond campus while preparing leaders who can guide innovation responsibly and effectively.

鈥淥ur engagement with 麻豆原创 provides highly valuable insights that helped us look at our operational challenges from a fresh perspective,” says Mohamed Hassan, head of business excellence North America, Siemens Energy. “The collaboration is both rigorous and forward leaning, and it enables us to translate ideas into tangible next steps for our business.鈥�

How to Partner

Organizations interested in partnering with STLI should contact Tiffany Hughes (Tiffany.Hughes@ucf.edu) in the College of Business or Michael Harding (Michael.Harding@ucf.edu) in 麻豆原创 Corporate Partnerships to explore collaboration opportunities.

麻豆原创 is the only institution in the state of Florida selected to address the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 civil discourse priority as part of its Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education initiative.

The department from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). Following a record number of applicants, 麻豆原创 was among the honorees with a four-year $3.4 million grant for our proposal 鈥� Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model 鈥� which seeks to protect and promote civil discourse on campuses.

鈥淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don鈥檛 always agree.鈥� 鈥� Andrea Guzm谩n, 麻豆原创 vice president for access and community engagement

鈥淭he future demands graduates who can collaborate effectively, navigate complex conversations and lead with integrity within varied professional environments, even when they don鈥檛 always agree,鈥� says Andrea Guzm谩n, 麻豆原创 vice president for access and community engagement and CIVIC principal investigator. 鈥淭his grant allows us to prepare students not just academically, but to be thoughtful citizens and professionals. By integrating civil discourse skills throughout curricular and co-curricular experiences, we are helping students develop the communication and critical thinking skills that employers, communities and our democracy depend on.鈥�

What is the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)?

FIPSE is a discretionary grant initiative that supports innovative projects to address urgent national needs in postsecondary education. The funds awarded from this specific program competition empower institutions to develop and scale solutions that improve educational outcomes, strengthen institutional capacity and align education with workforce demands.

In November, the Department of Education announced four FY 2025 competition priorities focused on expanding innovative teaching and student success initiatives, promoting civil discourse on campuses, advancing accreditation reform, and building capacity for high鈥憅uality, workforce鈥慳ligned short鈥憈erm academic programs eligible for Workforce Pell Grants.

While 麻豆原创 was Florida鈥檚 lone representative selected for the civil discourse priority, the state saw Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic University, and its Commission for Public Higher Education, Inc. earn grants in accreditation. Hillsborough Community College earned funding for AI.

What is civil discourse?

鲍颁贵鈥檚 defines civil discourse as constructive conversation or dialogue which intends to enhance understanding, be productive and requires taking responsibility for truly listening and talking about important local, national and global topics/issues.

鈥淐ivil discourse is about understanding the other person鈥檚 viewpoint so you can come together to make thoughtful decisions in spite of having different viewpoints,鈥� Guzm谩n says.

Guzm谩n says she often hears students today are hesitant to share their own perspectives. She hopes that through this intentional framework, students will begin to feel more confident engaging civilly with those around them.

鈥淲hether students are in the classroom or just having a conversation with a peer, we want them to have the skillset and emotional intelligence needed for constructive conversations,鈥� Guzm谩n says. 鈥淭hey should still be able to walk away and respectfully say, 鈥業 still don鈥檛 agree with you, but let鈥檚 go get a burger and fries afterward.鈥� Too often, we鈥檝e seen relationships fracture because the skill of civil discourse has been lost.鈥�

How will 麻豆原创 use these funds?

鲍颁贵鈥檚 priority with this $3.4 million grant is to intentionally embed civil discourse and constructive communication skills into the everyday experience at the university through four main strategies.

Strategy 1: Faculty Learning Communities

The first strategy is geared toward . 麻豆原创 Director of Civil Discourse and Engagement Haley Winston 鈥�17贰诲顿 and a faculty fellow, yet to be named, will partner to create a curriculum to offer paid learning experiences via faculty learning communities each semester and a track at the Summer Faculty Development Institute. This curriculum will inform faculty on strategies and methodologies for building civil discourse opportunities into their classes. There are also plans to develop and implement civil discourse modules in new faculty orientation.

Eventually, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 course catalogue will recognize classes 鈥� much like it does now with service-learning courses 鈥� with a civil discourse designation.

Strategies 2 and 3: Student Orientation and Training

Two additional strategies are student-focused. One will collaborate with 鲍颁贵鈥檚 to include civil discourse modules at orientation.

鈥淔rom the very start of a student鈥檚 journey at 麻豆原创, we set the expectation that we are an institution where people can express their views freely and constructively, in a respectful way,鈥� Guzm谩n says.

The other will partner with to offer civil discourse training for both student employee onboarding training as well as a supervisor-specific training via its , preparing students to carry on these skills into the workforce after graduation.

Strategy 4: Mini-grants for Learning Opportunities

The fourth strategy is geared toward expanding co-curricular opportunities through the 麻豆原创 Ginsburg Center 鈥� Office of Civil Discourse and Engagement. Mini-grants will be offered to units and colleges who want to offer learning opportunities within their department or classrooms.

鈥淭his grant builds on work already underway at 麻豆原创 and allows us to scale it intentionally.鈥�
鈥� Andrea Guzm谩n

鈥淭his grant builds on work already underway at 麻豆原创 and allows us to scale it intentionally. It also enables the development of a pilot program designed to be replicated across the state university system,鈥� Guzm谩n says. 鈥淭he reason we are choosing to bolster programs like orientation and faculty learning communities are because these are existing infrastructures that almost every institution will have and can seamlessly incorporate.鈥�

What happens next?

The funding takes effect immediately. 麻豆原创 will invite faculty applications for the faculty fellow position during the Spring 2026 semester, with the appointment beginning in August.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 will also organize an internal implementation team to confirm year-one priorities, which includes aligning timelines, refining deliverables and establishing the infrastructure needed to support the work.

鈥淲ith every project we implement, we think about scale and long-term impact. The goal is always for meaningful, transformative work to live on beyond the grant,鈥� says Cyndia Morales Mu帽iz 鈥�13EdD, senior director of grant initiatives and partnerships, and CIVIC project director.

In addition to Mu帽iz, Guzm谩n and Winston, the project includes activity coordinators Joel Cramer, interim vice provost for Faculty Excellence; Chanda Torres 鈥�98 鈥�00MA 鈥�08EdD, assistant vice president of the Dixon Career Development Center; and Ryan Goodwin, assistant vice president for Strategic Initiatives.

In years three and four of the grant, 麻豆原创 will develop and host two symposiums for Florida鈥檚 State University System institutions and state colleges to share implementation strategies and lessons learned, providing a model that can be replicated at their own campuses.

鈥淭his is yet another example of 麻豆原创 leading the way to best serve our students and faculty and we look forward to getting started,鈥� Mu帽iz says.

Note: 100% of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Civil Interactions and Viewpoints for Interpersonal Competence (CIVIC): A Campuswide Model is being financed with this federal funding and 0% of the program is being financed with non-federal funding.

鈥淐entral Florida is my home, and I鈥檇 like to be part of this community for as long as I鈥痗an,鈥� he says.

That plan fell into place when he landed鈥痑 job at Lockheed Martin, a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Partner, just weeks after graduating with his bachelor鈥檚 degree in May.鈥疕is鈥痭ew role鈥痑s an electro-optical engineer associate in Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Orlando Missiles and Fire Control division involves developing new imaging systems 鈥� a project that comes with its own challenges.

鈥淭hese systems make use of sensors specific to the mission,鈥� says Lopez-Zelaya, who is part of the 83% of career-ready 麻豆原创 alumni who help fuel Florida鈥檚 workforce. 鈥淲e鈥檙e concerned with how these sensors generate images, so we take the optics and other sources of noise into consideration.鈥�

That鈥檚聽exactly the skillset he honed during his time at聽the聽麻豆原创 College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL). In addition to engineering and physics concepts, CREOL students learn the hands-on methods necessary to build optical and electro-optical systems 鈥� allowing them to contribute to technological developments that benefit humanity. Lopez Zelaya says he now puts that training to use every day.

鈥淪omebody who doesn鈥檛 have an optics and photonics background can鈥檛 truly engage in these discussions,鈥� he says, 鈥淏ecause they don鈥檛 understand the basics of what is actually happening in these systems.鈥�

Lopez Zelaya鈥檚 early career success is a continuation of the legacy he built during his聽undergrad聽years. Between classes that taught him MATLAB, display technology, image聽processing聽and semiconductor devices, he got involved as an undergraduate student research assistant. He also volunteered at Grace Medical Home, served as president of the IEEE Photonics Society student聽chapter聽and served on 鲍颁贵鈥檚 President鈥檚 Leadership Council. His dedication to both professional development and his fellow students led to his induction into Order of Pegasus, the most prestigious award 麻豆原创 bestows upon students.

Lopez Zelaya says聽鲍颁贵鈥檚聽culture of creating lifelong learners prepared him well for his next steps at Lockheed Martin.

鈥淓verybody is willing to learn something new about optics,鈥� he says, adding that聽he鈥檚聽often a source of聽expertise聽for questions that arise in the field.

Lopez Zelaya鈥檚 quick transition illustrates the value of the talent pipeline聽CREOL supplies to the Central Florida photonics industry.聽As a valued, longtime member of CREOL鈥檚 Industrial Affiliates Program, Lockheed Martin鈥檚 partnership has strengthened both the available opportunities for students and collaborative research efforts that aim to聽benefit聽the industry at large. And as a new聽Pegasus Partner聽with 麻豆原创, Lockheed Martin鈥檚 investment in the future will make impacts far beyond CREOL鈥檚 walls,聽building on聽a longstanding and pragmatic focus on talent pipeline.

With a 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, CREOL鈥檚 students are in a unique position to have a small-college experience at a big university. Lopez Zelaya says聽he鈥檚聽glad to have found a similar sense of community at鈥疞ockheed Martin.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a misconception that new technologies mostly emerge from startups, but a lot of them are being developed here,鈥� he says. 鈥淒evelopment is fun 鈥� taking鈥痑 concept and making it into a working product.鈥�

Lopez Zelaya says he鈥檚 proud to put those skills to use in his hometown, and for a company that鈥檚 leading the way in emerging optical technology 鈥� positively contributing to Central Florida鈥檚 economy along the way.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the best ways to make an impact here,鈥� he says.