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NEWS
Advancement & Partnerships Event Photos
Explore highlights from UCF’s Go for Launch campaign through a collection of photo galleries capturing the energy, pride, and impact of our signature events. From the excitement of the Pep Rally to the inspiring moments of Liftoff, these galleries showcase the people, partnerships, and shared vision driving UCF forward. Experience how our community comes together to celebrate progress, champion innovation, and support the future of our students and university.
ADVANCEMENT & PARTNERSHIPS NEWS
IMPACT IN ACTION
A recent study including UCF researcher Thomas Wahl reveals that sinking ground levels and rising sea levels are occurring more rapidly than previously understood, often worsening flooding in coastal communities.
Through his role as business development manager for Siemens Energy, UCF alum Joshua DeAscanis ’11 ’22MBA is helping transform how the world keeps the lights on.
New discoveries from a UCF-led excavation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, near the city of Erbil, are reshaping what researchers know about how ancient cities lived, governed and fell.
For World Ocean Day, psychology doctoral student Andres Käosaar, who researches teams in extreme environments, shares his takeaways after completing the World’s Toughest Row.
Boardman Endowed Professor of Environmental Science and Public Administration Christopher Emrich’s research examines the best ways to prepare before disaster strikes.
Biology doctoral student Meredith Pratt is helping researchers understand how habitat changes could reshape Florida’s fisheries and marine ecosystems.
Talented Knights across various fields are supporting operations to bring the men’s World Cup to the United States for the first time in more than 30 years.
Associate Professor Claudia Andl is examining how a simple probiotic can treat the damage from acid reflux disease, a condition that affects one-fourth of Americans and increases their risk for esophageal cancer.
VIDEOS
UCF Charles Millican Legacy Society
This video honors the enduring impact of UCF’s first president, Dr. Charles Millican, a visionary leader whose quiet humility and thoughtful stewardship helped shape UCF into what it is today. Planned giving is more than a financial decision. It’s a statement of belief in education, in opportunity and in what comes next.
UCF’s Future Begins: Go For Launch
At UCF, we are building the futures we are just starting to imagine, because the world needs visionaries and problem-solvers who can tackle what’s next. We invite you to imagine what’s possible as we launch together. Join us on our mission from the campus to the stars!
Meet the Go For Launch Mission Commanders
UCF Fintech Leading the Nation in Emerging IT Developments and Finance
How UCF is Designing Dining for Deep Space
As space tourism accelerates from concept to commercial reality, one essential question remains: What will travelers eat — and how will it elevate their experience?
At UCF, Possibility Begins with You
At UCF, breakthroughs do not happen by accident. They begin with curiosity, courage and the commitment to invest in what comes next. In this video, students, faculty and alumni share the discoveries they are making today and the bold questions they are pursuing for tomorrow.
UCF: Scaling the Future of Space Exploration
Space exploration is entering a new era. The question is no longer whether we can reach orbit — but how we prepare for Mars. In this video, our experts explore what it takes to move from moonshots to Mars — and why the groundwork must be laid now.
UCF: Elevating Student Success
What does it mean to be at the epicenter of opportunity?
At UCF, it means freedom — the freedom to explore, to strive, and to imagine yourself doing what once felt out of reach.
UCF: Fueling Discovery and Innovation
At UCF, anything is possible.
From photonics and nuclear chemistry to AI, theater technology and hearing science, our students and faculty move bold ideas from concept to real-world impact.
UCF: Advancing Future Frontiers
We don’t wait for the future.
We build it.
Through applied research, collaboration and fearless creativity, UCF is advancing the frontiers that will shape our world.
VIDEOS
THE LATEST FROM ALUMNI
Micah Lewis ’04 doesn’t wait. In high school, that showed up on the track: explosive starts, quick decisions, no time to hesitate. He reacted, adjusted and kept going. That instinct never left him. Lewis has traveled around the world and draws inspiration from many areas for his business. Built to Move Now, it shows up […]
Before he ever stepped onto UCF’s campus, David Plowden ’16 was already doing the kind of work most people don’t encounter until years after graduation. Before Plowden began at UCF, he had already landed a job at Deloitte as the youngest software developer at its Lake Mary office. While still in community college, Plowden landed […]
From Canada to the national stage, Hayley Manners ’25MBA ’25MSBM builds a career at the intersection of sport, leadership and impact. Hayley Manners has been moving fast for as long as she can remember. Long before she became a Division I track athlete, before national titles and record-setting jumps, she was a kid in Toronto […]
A Rosen professor sold him a company. David Buckalew ’05 built a career — and a legacy — on that trust. Dave Buckalew stands with members of his Buckalew Hospitality team. From left: Aaliyah, Aimee, Stacey, Dave, Amy and Joanna ’03. The team also includes Courtney, missing from this photo. David Buckalew ’05 did not […]
From navigating a new language to balancing seven-day workweeks, the UCF alumnus built a path defined by persistence — and is now helping power communities across the country. When Owais Alam ’24 ’25MSEE arrived in the United States from Pakistan on in 2019, he faced a challenge that would intimidate many students: he barely spoke […]
On UCF Day of Giving, Thursday, April 9, 2026, Want to Launch Knights to New Heights just like NaTasha Jones? Make your gift to support the UCF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. A Door Opens NaTasha Jones ’06 ’14MPA ’14MNM didn’t spend months weighing college options or touring campuses. She chose UCF for […]
After setbacks, reinvention and a life-changing injury, a UCF alumnus builds a global voiceover career — and helps others find theirs along the way. David Toback ’02 makes his living using his voice, but finding it required years of detours, setbacks and persistence. Today, Toback is a successful voice actor, educator and entrepreneur, guiding aspiring […]
After a decades-long career in financial crime investigation, two-time UCF graduate and retired Air Force Captain Jim Malcolm ’81 ’00MS now leads Seniors vs. Crime in Central Florida, helping protect older adults from fraud — and proving that service never truly ends. For older adults, a single phone call, email or knock at the door […]
News
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Founded in 1994 by Tom Messina ’84 and Mike Hinn ’92, Pegasus magazine is the official publication of the University of Central Florida, published twice annually. Find the latest in research developments, student success stories, university advancements and alumni news.
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