What was your vision for the College of Business聽when you arrived in 2012?

When I arrived, 麻豆原创聽had experienced聽tremendous growth, particularly coming out of the recession. But that growth made the college feel transactional. Faculty were stretched聽thin,聽technology had replaced聽in-person聽interaction聽and there聽wasn鈥檛聽a strong sense聽of community.

What struck me most was that while we had excellent individual scholars, we聽didn鈥檛聽yet have a true community of scholars. People聽didn鈥檛聽know each other well, and without that,聽it鈥檚聽very difficult聽to build a shared vision.

So,聽I聽started by聽listening. I met one-on-one with every聽faculty聽and staff member and asked three simple questions: What do you think about 麻豆原创? What would you do if you were me? And what is your role here?

What聽emerged聽was powerful. Many of our faculty were first-generation college graduates, just like our students, just like Barry and just like me. They聽are聽here because they wanted to聽help build something different. That became the foundation for our vision: creating a culture of engagement that would transform the聽college聽experience聽for everyone.

Faculty,聽students聽and staff here are expected to interact with each other and with people in industry and the community at large.聽This has helped make聽us fiercely聽practical. Faculty learn what is going on at the forefront of business. The college has a relevant curriculum with hands-on聽experiences聽for students.聽This helps聽students discover their path, develop聽professionally聽and fully engage with their future.

How would you describe the college鈥檚 culture today?

Today, that culture of engagement defines us.

There鈥檚聽a quote聽from聽English聽philosopher Herbert Spencer聽we often reference:聽鈥�The great aim of higher education isn鈥檛 knowledge, it鈥檚 action.鈥澛營t鈥檚聽not enough for students to learn concepts;听迟丑别y need to know how to apply them.

You see that in the building itself.聽It鈥檚聽full. Students are here, working together, interacting with faculty, and engaging with corporate partners and alumni. That connection to the real world has become part of the fabric of the college, and聽it鈥檚聽what makes the experience more meaningful聽and more transformative.

Changing culture is one of the hardest things a leader can do. It requires people to see a future they聽haven鈥檛聽experienced yet. But over time, our faculty,聽staff聽and students have seen the value of what聽we鈥檝e聽built together,聽and聽that鈥檚聽what makes it sustainable.

贬辞飞听does听迟丑别听叠补谤谤测听惭颈濒濒别谤听investment聽accelerate that future?

鈥淕reat universities win by attracting great people (faculty and students) and creating the conditions for them to succeed. This gift helps us do exactly that.鈥�

This investment allows us to recruit leading scholars at the intersection of business and technology聽鈥斅爁aculty who are working on the most pressing challenges facing industry and society.

They鈥檒l help us tackle critical questions around trust in technology, cybersecurity, the concentration of power and how humans and intelligent systems interact. They鈥檒l also help prepare our students to lead in that environment.

At the end of the day, great universities win by attracting great people聽(faculty and students)聽and creating听迟丑别 conditions聽for them to succeed. This gift helps us do聽exactly that.

What will聽distinguish听迟丑别 college over the next decade?

Our differentiation will come from聽deepening our engagement with industry聽and technology.

We want to be known as a place where innovation happens first,聽where companies come for talent and insight, and where students gain access to real opportunities.

Ultimately, it鈥檚聽about outcomes. If we do this right, our graduates will be exceptionally well-prepared for high-impact, high-growth careers. That return on investment will set us apart.

What gives you optimism about the future?

I grew up during the聽Space聽Race,聽and聽at the time, the race to the moon was a sign of hope for people.聽Technology was seen as the path to a greater future. With the recent Artemis II launch, I would like聽to see聽us聽instill in our students, and in our leaders, a return to that kind of optimism around what technology聽can do. I think those flights are the definition of how technology can enhance the human experience, rather than replace it.

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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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 麻豆原创鈥檚 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.

The decision by Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, follows a review committee鈥檚 5-year performance analysis of Jarley and the college. The process included feedback from students, faculty and staff, the Dean鈥檚 Advisory Board members and university leaders.

“Under Dean Jarley鈥檚 leadership, the college and its faculty have become increasingly adept at preparing students to thrive in a constantly evolving global marketplace,鈥� says Johnson. 鈥淣ew programs, such as the master’s in fintech program in partnership with , exemplify the college’s commitment to innovation and student success.鈥�

Since joining 麻豆原创 as dean of the college in 2012 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jarley has fostered a spirit of entrepreneurship, partnership and excellence. His accomplishments include advancing community engagement with the college, creating many opportunities for students to learn from business leaders, boosting fundraising and elevating the prominence of academic programs and faculty.

Jarley is also a prolific who has launched a podcast about trending ideas and issues affecting the business world.

“The next five years represent a critical time for 麻豆原创. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the college and throughout the university to realize our full potential and become the institution we aspire to be,” Jarley says.

Glenn Hubbard 鈥�79, chairman of the board of MetLife Inc., and his wife, Constance Pond, gave $1 million to 麻豆原创 to establish the Kenneth White and James Xander Professorship in Economics. The professorship is in honor of the two faculty members that Hubbard credits for inspiring a career that led him to be one of the most influential economists in the U.S.

Hubbard graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in economics from 麻豆原创. He also earned a master’s and doctoral degree from Harvard, served as chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, and is dean emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia Business School.

On the Friday before 麻豆原创’s Homecoming weekend, Hubbard and Pond were recognized at the formal investiture of John Solow to the Kenneth White and James Xander Professorship in Economics at the college.

鈥淭oday is about love for the experience here [at 麻豆原创],鈥� Hubbard told the audience. 鈥淵ou know, a great teacher isn’t just somebody who conveys information. Well, it’s not even somebody who’s also a great mentor. Although the two gentleman whose names sit on this chair are both of those; it’s somebody who opens the door to the world for you.鈥�

The occasion, led by Provost Elizabeth A. Dooley and College of Business Dean Paul Jarley, marked the first endowed chair investiture ceremony at the college. An investiture is regarded as one of the highest honors to be bestowed in academia and is meant to confer and celebrate the appointment of a distinguished faculty member to an endowed chair or professorship.

鈥淧rofessorships, such as the one here today, allow us to attract and retain our most outstanding scholars,鈥� Dooley says of the honor. 鈥淭hey also reward faculty members who go above and beyond in their dedication to teaching and learning.鈥�

Solow, who joined 麻豆原创 earlier this year from the University of Iowa, is a renowned economist who is published in numerous economic journals and specializes in antitrust, industrial organization, law and sport economics. He obtained his bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics at Yale University and earned his master鈥檚 and doctorate at Stanford University.

鈥淏eing a university professor is one of the best jobs in the world, up there with Ben and Jerry鈥檚 taste tester and referee at the annual Animal Planet Puppy Bowl,鈥� Solow says after receiving a medallion from Dooley. 鈥溾�ith those benefits comes an obligation, I believe, to invest ourselves in our institution, to do more than just 鈥榙o our jobs鈥� and go beyond to make our colleges and universities better places through service. That service can be done in many ways 鈥� Sometimes, as in the case of Dr. Hubbard and Ms. Pond, you are in a position to heed the call to serve by doing something truly transformative, and for that we are truly grateful.鈥�

The two namesakes of the endowed professorship, White and Xander, were also recognized during the ceremony with commemorative keys for opening the door to the economic world for Hubbard and for inspiring him to establish the professorship. Looking back on his own successful career as an economist and academic, Hubbard credits White and Xander for their tutelage during his time at 麻豆原创.

鈥淲hen you talk to our alumni, they may not remember every professor they鈥檝e ever had, but they do remember the one or two who had the biggest impact in their time in school,鈥� Jarley says. 鈥淚f you ask Glenn Hubbard that question, he would say Drs. Ken White and James Xander.鈥�

That鈥檚 the premise of 鈥淚s This Really a Thing?鈥濃�� a new podcast from 麻豆原创 College of Business Dean Paul Jarley. The college’s first podcast launched today in the middle of Podcast Week and looks at a variety of current topics to determine if they are just hype or if they represent fundamental change that could alter how we do business.

鈥淎s a dean, it鈥檚 my job to think about what the college should look like five and 10 years from now and make sure we get there,鈥� says Jarley, who serves as the host for the interview-style podcast. 鈥淭his is tough. As Bill Gates famously noted, people tend to overestimate the amount of change that will happen in the next two years and underestimate the amount of change that will happen in the next 10 years.鈥�

The first three episodes debate whether eSports, ghosting in the workplace, and Bitcoin are really a thing.

Jarley doesn鈥檛 have to go far to find experts with something interesting to say about any of his topics.

鈥淲e鈥檙e big on engagement at the college, and the podcast gives us a new way to extend that culture of engagement to our alumni and community at large,鈥� Jarley says. 鈥淢any episodes will feature 麻豆原创 faculty, alums, board members and students.鈥�

For eSports, he tapped 麻豆原创 Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White, Richard Lapchick, director of the , and Ben Noel, executive director of the , 麻豆原创鈥檚 nationally renowned graduate video-gaming program. In the ghosting in the workplace episode, he talks to students, a career coach and a staffing-agency executive about job candidates who stop responding to employers that are trying to hire them. In Bitcoin, 麻豆原创 economist Sean Snaith weighs in on the viability of the cryptocurrency and whether to include it in your portfolio.

And while the topics are serious, Jarley promises that the podcast will not be a typical classroom lecture.

鈥淲e hope to make you laugh a little along the way and leave you with a new way to think about the topic at hand,鈥� he says.

鈥淚s This Really a Thing?鈥� is available through iTunes, Google Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify or by visiting .

More than 800 students, alumni, faculty, corporate partners and community members gathered Feb. 20聽to honor 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrate the induction of three Hall of Famers and recognize several of the college鈥檚 distinguished alumni.

Before presenting the special award to Dr. Hitt, who will retire as president later this year, business Dean Paul Jarley thanked him for making 麻豆原创 the partnership university, and then asked everyone in the audience who had graduated or worked for 麻豆原创 during Dr. Hitt鈥檚 presidency to stand, spurring a majority of the audience to its feet.

鈥淥n behalf of everyone standing here tonight,鈥� Jarley said, 鈥渋t is my great pleasure to present you with our Lifetime Achievement Award. We are and forever will be part of the 鈥楬itt Squad.鈥� 鈥�

On the stage set to look like an Olympic news studio and with vice president of 麻豆原创 Communications & Marketing Grant Heston serving as host, the college interviewed and inducted Sheila Jordan 鈥�86, senior vice president and chief information officer of Symantec; Terry McNew 鈥�86, president and CEO of MasterCraft Boat Company; and Dawn Olivardia 鈥�89, 鈥�90, tax partner, Grant Thornton LLP, into its Hall of Fame.

Ravago Holdings America and Verizon received Partnership Awards. In addition, the college presented Entrepreneurial Alumni Awards to Jorge Amaro 鈥�13, founder and CEO of A3i Inc.; Ken Herndon 鈥�87, founder and CEO of KC Curb Inc.; and Carey Sobel 鈥�09, partner and chief strategy officer of Three21 Creative. Peter Laurinaitis 鈥�93, 鈥�95, partner of PJT Partners; Jason M. Reilly 鈥�95, 鈥�98, CFA, managing director and market investment executive of U.S. Trust; and Woody Walker 鈥�92, 鈥�94, senior vice president of alliances and client engagement of Convergence Consulting Group, received the Honorable Knights Award. Daniel Conn 鈥�09, 鈥�10, CPA, director of finance of Demetree Global; and Blaire Martin 鈥�11, 鈥�13, co-founder and executive director of Florida Angel Nexus, took home the Notable Knights Awards.

This was the 19th year for the Hall of Fame, which was presented by perennial platinum sponsor and partner BB&T. This year BB&T increased its sponsorship to allow for more students to attend and participate in the student-engagement session at which students network with alumni and the college鈥檚 corporate partners before the awards. Scott Keith, BB&T regional president of North and Central Florida, joined Knightro onstage to light the ceremonial torch to start the event.

The night鈥檚 closing ceremony saw Heston, a 2013 alumnus of the college鈥檚 executive MBA program, congratulate and thank all of the honorees before setting up the final video with sportscaster Al Michaels鈥� iconic line, 鈥滵o you believe in miracles?鈥� Onscreen, Jarley delivered a Herb Brooks-inspired speech to fire up the crowd. As the video ended, Knightro and the 麻豆原创 men鈥檚 ice hockey team appeared in full uniform, to the delight of the audience, and marched through the ballroom prompting chants of 鈥淯-C-F! U-C-F!鈥�

鈥淩avago’s transformational gift is helping us build the inspiring, high-tech, creative spaces necessary to encourage students to get out of their comfort zones, collaborate and invent their futures,” Jarley said. “Our goal is to provide students with more than just the knowledge and perspective necessary to make good business decisions. We look to create student experiences that instill the mindsets, habits and behaviors necessary to succeed in today’s marketplace.”

The Ravago Entrepreneurial Hub is home to the 麻豆原创 Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, which includes the Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator and Starter Space. The center encourages and guides entrepreneurial Knights by providing the support and resources needed for successful student startups. These services and programs are available to all 麻豆原创 students.

Ravago said it believes their donation of $500,000 toward naming the entrepreneurial space and supporting the college鈥檚 recent building renovation will begin a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership with the college. The company employs a handful of 麻豆原创 graduates and strives to be a top employer of choice for College of Business graduates looking to work for an entrepreneurial company interested in growing new talent.

“Orlando is our home and so 麻豆原创 was a natural draw when we were deliberating our philanthropic efforts,” Duffy said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a lot of success with 麻豆原创 graduates coming to work for us. 麻豆原创 is a strategic pipeline for talent, and this is a great partnership for us.鈥�

Ravago is also partnering with the college鈥檚 Executive Development Center to provide custom training for its leadership team, managers and employees. The center, in downtown Orlando, offers professional master鈥檚 degrees, executive workshops and custom training opportunities and was named the Best Local MBA in Central Florida by readers of the Orlando Business Journal.

Earlier this year, Ravago also donated $750,000 to the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine, which named a specialized medical-education classroom the Ravago Lecture Hall.

Ravago Holdings America is headquartered in Orlando and has grown to become the company’s largest subsidiary, with estimated annual sales of nearly $5 billion. The local office was selected as one of the Orlando Sentinel鈥檚 2017 Top 100 Companies for the fifth year in a row.

More than 740 alumni, community and corporate partners celebrated the Knight at the Opera-themed inductions of Sonya Dixon, 鈥�96, 鈥�98, chief financial officer and senior vice president at Holiday Inn Club Vacations; Antonio 鈥淭ony鈥� Moreno Jr., 鈥�91, managing partner/financial consultant, MPC Wealth Management; and Michael O’Donnell, 鈥�09, executive/entrepreneur for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at 麻豆原创. The Hall of Fame is the highest honor given by the college to graduates who have been in the industry for at least 20 years and have brought notoriety to the university through their professional achievements.

鈥淥ur annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony where we honor our most successful alums is an affirming event for our faculty and staff鈥攊t reminds us why we do what we do,鈥� said Paul Jarley, Ph.D, dean of 麻豆原创 College of Business. 鈥淚t also is an opportunity to show our community what our college and our students are all about and why we are worthy of their time, talent and treasure.鈥�

On Thursday, the college honored longtime partners CFE Federal Credit Union, Lockheed Martin and entrepreneurs Chip Headley, 鈥�78, 鈥�97, Rock 鈥橢m Apparel and founder Rob Starkman and UBreakiFix founder Justin Wetherill, 鈥�07. Also recognized were Notable Knights Joe Barbito, 鈥�02, vice president of Agency Management, Galaxy Asset Management, LLC.; Kevin O鈥機onnell, 鈥�02, managing partner, Northwestern Mutual; John Gill, 鈥�86, president and CEO, Quest Inc.; and Yvonne Baker, 鈥�80, 鈥�11, regional managing partner, Franklin Street.

The night began with a Minute of Mentorship, at which business students asked guests for career and professional-development advice. High-energy musical numbers, led by 麻豆原创 mascot Knightro, bookended the night.

鈥淏usiness people, entrepreneurs and economists have not always been represented fairly in popular culture. But now 鈥� in 2017 鈥� we are indisputably cool. The biggest show on Broadway is about the founder of our nation鈥檚 financial system. And he鈥檚 the hero,鈥� said master of ceremonies Grant J. Heston, 鈥�13, vice president of Communications and Marketing at 麻豆原创, as he introduced the opening song. 鈥淟ike Alexander Hamilton, our students are 鈥榶oung, scrappy and hungry鈥� and they鈥檙e not giving away their shot at success, at making a difference or at this opportunity to tell their story in song.鈥�

Several business students joined professional dancers to perform the 鈥淏-School Rapsody,鈥� an original song set to the tune of Freddie Mercury鈥檚 iconic 鈥淏ohemian Rhapsody,鈥� which appears on Queen鈥檚 鈥淣ight at the Opera鈥� album. At the end of the night, 40 student ambassadors joined Knightro and the dance company for a rousing rendition of Queen鈥檚 stadium anthem 鈥淲e Will Rock You.鈥�

For more information regarding the 麻豆原创 College of Business Hall of Fame, visit or email business@ucfalumni.com.

This Friday’s chat will be led by Heather Deyrieux, the director of client services at . The chat will start at 11:30 a.m., and Deyrieux will discuss how to use professional organizations to advance your career and improve your networking skills.

The first chat took place last month with Business Dean Paul Jarley, who talked聽 about the college and his vision for a curriculum that emphasizes entrepreneurship.

The goal of the conversations is to help students, recent graduates and business professionals connect to discuss advice, industry trends, and job training and opportunities.

All Twitter chats will last 30 minutes and will be linked using #ucfbizchat.

Follow @麻豆原创Business on Twitter for updates about future Twitter chats and to learn more about the College of Business Administration.

Glassdoor, the leading global jobs and career community, will be integrated into the curriculum – the first time this has occurred in higher education.

鈥淲e are working to build an experience for students that gives them a distinct advantage in the marketplace and this partnership is another asset in delivering on that experience,鈥� said 麻豆原创 College of Business Administration dean, Paul Jarley.

Glassdoor, founded in 2007, boasts more than 25 million members in 190 countries and offers more than six million company reviews and ratings, as well as salary reports, interview questions and reviews, benefits reviews and ratings for more than 300,000 companies.

鈥淥ur Office of Professional Development and the corresponding class are truly innovative opportunities to provide our students with access to information, resources and people that will make a difference in their education; and it sets the 麻豆原创 College of Business apart in the landscape of business education,鈥� said Jarley.

Starting in the 2014 catalog year, College of Business Administration undergraduate students are required to take four one-credit 鈥淐areer Professionalism鈥� classes that are intended to prepare students for the professional workforce.