Your hometown universi-ty has had a festive atmos-phere in 2013. And we have had much to celebrate—from UCF’s 50th anniver-sary, to the College of Medicine’s charter class graduation, to our own 10th anniversary here in the Division of Commu-nity Relations.

More than just a com-memorative occasion, our 50th anniversary celebra-tions were an opportunity for so many of our valued community partners to wit-ness first-hand the true im-pact their investments of time and resources have made in the lives of our stu-dents as they strive to “reach for the stars.” We are proud of the world-class

UCF Community Council

DIVISION OF COMMUNITY

RELATIONS

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Summer 2013 Volume IV, Issue 3

Community Connections

Inside this issue:

VP Letter 1

UCF Community Council

1

UCF 50th Anniversary Celebration

2

College of Medicine Charter Class Graduation

2

Clinton Addresses 2013 Graduates

3

Founders’ Day Honorees

3

WOCC Mayor, Commissioners Luncheon

4

2013 Central Florida Global Economic Forum

4

Upcoming Events

5

Around the Community...

6

Helen Donegan Vice President Division of Community Relations

During the UCF Com-munity Council’s June 12 meeting, members learned how UCF Career Services is connecting local businesses with highly-qualified students to fill their full- and part-time positions.

Lynne Hansen, Ca-reer Services executive director, gave attendees a tour of the state-of-the-art facility and an overview of the resources available to both large corporations and sole proprietors looking to recruit UCF students, in-

cluding private interview rooms, distance conferenc-ing and job fairs.

Career Services provides extensive services to stu-dents as well, including skill assessment and develop-ment, recorded practice interviews, networking workshops, and career guid-ance.

Most of the center’s ser-vices are free to local em-ployers. For more infor-mation on how your compa-ny can recruit UCF students for professional opportuni-ties, please contact Career Services. Additional meeting photos can be found here.

Letter from Helen

educational and research opportunities here at UCF and of the contributions our students, faculty and staff make to this community.

Our inaugural commence-ment ceremony for the Col-lege of Medicine was in many ways a tribute to an unprecedented community partnership which resulted in the creation of one of the first new medical schools in the U.S. in decades. From its inception, UCF’s medical school has benefitted from generous supporters who believed in our innovative vision and understood the tremendous growth oppor-tunities presented by such an undertaking.

It is with great pride that my team and I celebrated

Lynn Hansen, UCF Career Services executive director, gives Community Council members a tour of Career Services’ state-of the-art facility.

the 10th anniversary of our division, which was estab-lished to advance UCF’s goal of becoming America’s lead-ing partnership university.

College of Medicine charter class crosses finish line

UCF celebrates 50th anniversary in historic fashion

Page 2 Community Connections

The 36 men and women in UCF College of Medicine’s charter class made history on May 17 when they officially became the first medical doctors to graduate from the univer-sity.

Addressing the audience of 900 guests, UCF President John C. Hitt said, “Less than a decade ago, we at UCF dreamed of creating a research-based medical college that would become the gold standard for medical education. Our bold idea had no state authorization, no funding and no friends on Facebook. Accord-ing to many skeptics, we also had no business proposing such a thing. Some people called us crazy, and that was putting it politely.”

So what was America’s leading partnership university to do? Hitt went on to explain, “We joined forces with others in this community and elsewhere with vision and common cause. Together, we fought hard for our dream and refused to give up. Eventually, the impossible – a new medical college for UCF – became the

inevitable.” Initial supporters included the

Tavistock Group, which donated $12.5 million and the land on which to build the college, followed by com-munity investments to help build the state-of-the art facility. Another $6.5 million was raised to provide the charter class full-ride scholarships which covered tuition, fees, and living expenses. The scholarships were the brainchild of Dr. Deborah Ger-man, founding dean of the College of Medicine, and marked the first time in the U.S. that an entire class re-ceived full, four-year scholarships. As a result of the scholarships, valued at

$160,000 per student, the members of the charter class will graduate with no medical school student loan debt. The graduates are now doing their

part to give back to the university and community that supported them; the class has established a $50,000 scholarship at the college and committed to funding a $300,000 endowment to make the

scholarship permanent, paving the way for future students to follow in their footsteps.

For their final assignment, Dean German instructed the class, “Take with you the memories of the good times, the friendships, the role mod-els, the education. Take all of those memories with you. And remember the hardships and failures. Leave them behind, but take the lessons learned from these mistakes. Keep these lessons close to your heart so you won’t have to learn them again. This is the greatest gift of all.”

Event photos are available here.

UCF College of Medicine charter class gradu-ates. (photos courtesy of UCF College of Medicine)

Nearly 1,000 supporters came out to celebrate UCF’s 50th anniversary at “A Knight to Remember” on June 8. The gala was the university’s signature anniversary cele-bration, the highlight of months of 50th–themed events, spearheaded by Vice President of Community Relations Helen Donegan and coordinated by the Office of Constituent Relations. Held in the newly-renamed CFE Arena, it featured many of Central Florida’s finest restaurants offering samples at dining stations through-out the arena, which was transformed for the evening by ice sculptures, chandeliers, theme park characters and more.

Event sponsorships, tickets sales and silent auction revenues amounted to more than $350,000, which will be matched by state dollars. In all, more than $700,000 will go towards scholarships for first-generation students, making the gala the most successful single-event fund-raiser in UCF history.

Thanking audience members for their continued sup-port of the university, UCF President John C. Hitt said, “Friends, Florida’s largest university is just getting warmed up for the next 50 years, and beyond! Ahead are more research discoveries, more alumni triumphs to ap-plaud, more well-paying jobs to create, and more oppor-tunities to improve the lives of Central Floridians.”

Vice President Donegan added, “This event is a celebra-tion not only of our growth as a university, but of the tre-mendous impact UCF has made on this community in the past 50 years.”

Additional event photos can be found here.

UCF President John C. Hitt announces that over $350,000 was raised at “A Knight to Remember,” UCF’s 50th anniver-sary celebration. The funds will be matched by state dollars, for a total of more than $700,000 in scholarships. (photo courtesy of Courtney Shapiro Photography)

Faculty, student achievements honored at Founders’ Day

Page 3 Volume IV, Issue 3

UCF’s annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation took place on April 3, hon-oring the accomplishments of distinguished university faculty and students.

President John C. Hitt congratulated the honorees, saying, “The achievements we recognize today confirm the merit of the past efforts of our founders and demon-strate that our dedication to excellence continues in this the 50th anniversary year of our great university.”

Seven UCF faculty mem-bers received the universi-ty’s most prestigious award, being named Pegasus Pro-fessors: Deborah Beidel, Humberto Campins, Demetrios Christodou-lides, Lisa Dieker, Kien Hua, Robin W. Roberts, and James D. Wright.

The recipients also received $5,000, a UCF Pegasus statue, and a gold Pegasus Professor medallion.

Emeritus status was con-ferred on five faculty and staff members, granting them a lifetime link to the university: Penelope Can-an, Mourad E. Ismail, Julia Pet-Armacost, Consuelo E. Stebbins, and Wilfred Wienke.

Numerous retired and retiring faculty and staff members were recognized for their contributions to UCF, as were those cele-brating milestone anniver-saries of 20, 30, 40, and 45 years of service to the uni-versity.

In addition, the following students from UCF’s 10 colleges were honored for their leadership, communi-

ty service and academic excellence: Rachel Brill, Caitie Corrigan, Jessica Fears, Samuel Foarde, Robert Gottfried, Ariel Horner, Allison Muniz,

Heardley Moses Mur-dock, Jessica Marie Or-tega, and Dunia Vil-laverde. Additional infor-mation on the winners can be found here.

President Clinton addresses UCF grads

James D. Wright, Deborah C. Beidel, Lisa Dieker, Humberto Campins, Robin W. Roberts, Demetrios Christodoulides and Kien A. Hua (not pictured) were named Pegasus Professors, the most prestigious recognition a faculty member can receive. (photo courtesy of Courtney Shapiro Photography)

President Bill Clinton be-came the second U.S. presi-dent to speak at a UCF com-mencement ceremony when he addressed graduates from the College of Health and Pub-lic Affairs and the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences on May 2.

“Do what makes you happy,” Clinton advised grads. “Most people are happiest doing what they’re best at. Most peo-ple are happiest doing well and doing good, doing some-thing for someone else. I hope you will do well. I hope you will do good. I hope you will have a good time doing it.”

In recent years, President Clinton has highlighted UCF and the Central Florida region as a prime example of public-private part-nerships as a catalyst for economic growth. Clinton echoed those senti-ments again, saying, “The successes

of UCF are all a testimony to the fact that no matter how smart we are, how righteous we are, how close to the truth we are, we all do better when we work together.”

President Clinton received an honorary Doctor of Hu-mane Letters, recognizing his service as president and his humanitarian work with the William J. Clinton Foundation. The visit marked Clinton’s third appearance at UCF. In 1973 Richard M. Nixon was the first U.S. president to ad-dress graduates, and in 1978 then-Senator Joe Biden served as commencement speaker (UCF was known as Florida Technological Univer-sity at the time). The Office of Constituent Relations works closely with the Registrar’s Office to coordinate UCF’s commence-ment ceremonies. More than

7,800 students crossed the stage this spring, and UCF has awarded more than 240,000 degrees in its 50-year history. Additional commencement photos can be found here.

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton addresses graduates from the College of Health and Public Affairs and the Bur-nett School of Biomedical Sciences at the UCF Arena in May, marking Clinton’s third visit to UCF. (photo courtesy of UCF News & Information)

Page 4 Community Connections

Orange County mayor, commissioners serve on West Orange panel

More than 170 chamber members and guests were in attendance as the West Or-ange Chamber of Com-merce held its 13th annual Mayor and Commissioners Luncheon on May 1. The event featured a panel of elected officials from across the metro area: Orange Coun-ty Mayor Teresa Jacobs, District 1 Commissioner Scott Boyd, District 2 Com-missioner Fred Brummer, District 3 Commissioner Pe-ter Clarke, District 4 Com-missioner Jennifer Thomp-son, and District 6 Commis-sioner Tiffany Moore Rus-

sell. Dr. Diane Trees, host of WUCF

TV’s Metro Center Outlook, served as moderator for the panel discussion which covered a wide range of topics, including the next phase of develop-ment in Horizon West Village in southwest Orange County, a new drop-in homeless shelter in East Orlando, business investment and revitalization in Pine Hills through the BANC pro-gram, and eco-tourism opportunities in the Lake Apopka area.

Attendees were also able to ask Mayor Jacobs and the commissioners questions about initiatives in each district.

Additional luncheon photos may be found here.

UCF Associate Vice President of University Relations Fred Kittinger, far left, is joined by West Orange Chamber staff, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, and members of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. (photo courtesy of McLean Alley, West Orange Chamber of Commerce)

Business leaders and poli-cy experts in global eco-nomics gathered at UCF on April 9 for the 2013 Central Florida Global Economic Forum. This year’s event focused on key markets and trends, and the impact they have on Central Flori-da’s economy. Organized by the UCF Global Perspec-tives Office, the half-day event drew an audience of about 150 students, faculty, administrators, business professionals and commu-nity members from throughout Florida. The Florida Practitioner Panel, moderated by Global Connections Foundation President Sibille Pritchard, included top business leaders who spoke specifically to Central Flori-da’s role in the global econ-omy. Lawrence J. Chas-tang, the Managing Partner of International Services for CliftonLarsonAllen, opened the Forum by focusing on South America, and also commented on prospects in

the Middle East. J. Brock McClane, Principal at McClane Partners and Hon-orary Consul of Germany, discussed Europe’s econo-my and suggested that in-vestment efforts should be geared to those countries with low employ-ment rates. Lastly, Florida’s relation-ships with countries in Asia were cov-ered by David Wood-ward, Executive Director of the Southeast/U.S. Japan (Florida delegation), the Florida-Korea and the Flori-da-China associations. He pointed out that, along with Japan, China and Korea are the "export players" for Florida.

Next, the Global Policy

Panel provided an overview of economic trends and the policies that support them. David Dumke, the Associ-ate Director of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Pro-

gram for Strate-gic Re-search and Studies at UCF, spoke about eco-nomic trends in Egypt and Saudi

Arabia. Terry McCoy, the Director of the Latin Ameri-can Business Environment Program at the University of Florida, provided an in-depth overview of economic development in Latin Amer-ica. The panel was moderat-ed by John C. Bersia, Spe-cial Assistant to the Presi-dent for Global Perspectives at UCF.

Xiang Lu, the visiting fellow with the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gave the keynote address on Chi-na’s history, economic growth and the country’s relationship with the United States. Lu has strong ties to China as the chief research-er at the Beijing-based In-stitute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the most renowned think tank in Chi-na, and has extensively studied the United States’ role in the Asia-Pacific. He commented that China’s economic growth in upcom-ing years will transition from an export-oriented economy to an inward-looking one that will focus on the import of goods and greater urbanization.

Full details about the event, including partners and sponsors, as well as bios of speakers, can be found here.

Left to right: Lawrence J. Chastang, J. Brock McClane, and Dave Woodward participate in the Florida Practitioner Panel at the 2013 Central Florida Global Economic Forum. (photo courtesy of UCF Global Perspectives Office)

Economic summit focuses on global economic trends and policies

Upcoming Events

Page 5 Volume IV, Issue 3

Join host Dr. Diane Trees as she tackles issues of regional and national significance on Metro Center Outlook. Don’t miss her exclusive, in-depth interviews with Central Florida’s business leaders and elected officials. Check local listings for show times and addition-al information: http://wucftv.org/. And keep up with the latest Metro Center Outlook episodes and news by following the show on Face-book and Twitter.

June 21 Andrae Bailey, Executive Director, The Community Food & Outreach Center: From food to job placement services to mental and physical health care, The Community Food & Outreach Center is coming to the aid of Central Floridians rocked by the recession. Join us as we talk about the changing reality of poverty.

June 28 Flora Maria Garcia, President & CEO, United Arts of Central Florida: By working with businesses, founda-tions, governments and organizations, United Arts of Central Florida is supporting cultural endeavors across four coun-ties. Join us as we discuss the role of the arts in the community.

July 7 Diana Bolivar, President, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando: With more than $9 billion in bilateral trade between Colombia and Florida each year, leaders are eager to increase the nation’s business profile here. Join us as we discuss how Central Florida is helping to build the Colombian brand in the United States.

July 14 Hollis Wilder, Author and Entrepreneur: Hollis Wilder is the face of her own brand, Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly. She joins us to talk about her path to Sweet!, the inspiration behind her 30 cupcake flavors, and her new book, Savory Bites.

July 21 Mike Cooney, World Traveler and Entrepreneur: Business consultant Mike Cooney sold his house and all of his possessions to embark on a worldwide adventure with his family. He joins us to share his love for travel as co-owner of the travel agency Cooney World Adventures.

July 28 Steve Mona, CEO, World Golf Foundation: With more than 30 years’ experience in the golf industry, Steve Mona knows firsthand about the sport’s economic impact. He joins us to talk about golf as an economic driver as well as the sport’s societal and charitable benefits.

August 4 Pre-empted for WUCF pledge week

August 11 Pre-empted for WUCF pledge week

August 18 Ben Brotemarkle, Executive Director, Florida Historical Society: As Florida celebrates its 500th birthday, we’ll learn more about the state’s history, as well as the industries that make it thrive and the qualities that make it unique. Ben Brotemarkle joins us to talk about the history and culture of the Sunshine State.

August 25 Ryan Blair, Author and Enterpreneur: With mentorship and support, Ryan Blair emerged from a tough upbring-ing to create several multi-million dollar companies. Blair joins us to talk about how he turned his street smarts into business savvy and to offer tips from his book, Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain.

This year, the Greater Orlando Heart Walk will

be held at our UCF Main Campus! Please mark

your calendars, as we look forward to welcom-

ing an estimated 18,000 Heart Walk partici-

pants to UCF.

To register as a UCF team captain, go to

the 2013 Greater Orlando Heart Walk web-

site to register and start your team. Be

sure to select University of Central Florida

in the company name drop down box.

Please join us!

For more information, please contact Maritza

Martinez at Maritza.Martinez@ucf.edu.

UCF Downtown 36 West Pine Street Orlando, FL 32801

Phone: 407-235-3935 Fax: 407-317-7744

E-mail: community relations@ucf.edu

DIVISION OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS

UNIVERSITY OF

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Connecting the university and the community.

Around the Community…

Community relations is

the art and science of

generating and

enhancing constructive

relationships with

groups of individuals on

whom the university

depends for support.

Check out our new website:

communityrelations.ucf.edu

For more photos and the

latest updates:

Left to right: College of Medicine dean Deborah German, President Hitt, Mar-tha Hitt, Vice President of Community Relations Helen Donegan, and Orange County Pubic Schools board member Kathleen “Kat” Gordon at “A Knight to Remember” in June. (photo courtesy of Courtney Shapiro Photography)

Former President Bill Clinton, center, with UCF Presi-dent John C. Hitt, second from right, at UCF’s spring commencement. (photo courtesy of DKplus9)

UCF Metro Center director Dr. Diane Trees is joined by District 2 commis-sioner Fred Brum-mer at the West Orange Chamber Mayor & Commis-sioners Luncheon in May. (photo courtesy of McLean Alley, West Orange Chamber of Commerce)

Dean Deborah German, far left, and Associate Vice President of Community Relations Maritza Martinez, far right, present a member of the College of Medicine charter class her degree. (photo courtesy UCF College of Medicine)

Left to right: Associate Vice President of University Relations Fred Kittinger and Provost Tony Waldrop are pre-sented the Presidential Volunteer Ser-vice Award by Junior Achievement (JA) President Gary Blanchette in May, in recognition of UCF’s partnership with JA. UCF students provided more than 28,000 service hours in school year 2012-2013. (photo courtesy of Junior Achievement of Central Florida)

Vice President Donegan, center, and the Constituent Relations team conceptual-ized and coordinated UCF’s 50th anniver-sary celebration.