ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ reflected on these moments in the “Best of 2018” video. To learn more about what you see in the video, read the stories listed below.

2018 was a year of making moves.

We went from a program to a powerhouse…

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Defeats Auburn to Win Peach Bowl

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

John Hitt Says Goodbye

And welcomed a leader who will take us even further.

Get to Know ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President Dale Whittaker

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

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

But we didn’t forget what’s most important in our own backyard.

Nemours, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Transform Education for Hospitalized Children through PedsAcademy

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Gets an A+ for its Bee Campus USA Designation

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Launches National Center to Find Big-Picture Solutions to Coastal Threats

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Student Studies Algal Blooms Impact on Sea Turtles in Indian River Lagoon

We made great, new friends…

Bill Gates on What Sets ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Apart

Couple’s $6.6M Gift Will Boost Many ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Programs

And even greater heroes.

Shaquem Griffin Drafted by Seattle Seahawks

We asked the right questions…

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Student Hannah Sage Finishes 3rd in Jeopardy! College Championship

And searched for groundbreaking answers.

New Laser Technique May Help Detect Chemical Warfare in Atmosphere

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ PTSD-Treatment Clinic’s 2nd Location Opens in Brevard County

We laughed together…

PHOTOS: ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ First Day of Fall 2018 Classes

We cried together…

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

We celebrated what makes us unique…

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is a Hispanic Serving Institution

And then came together as one family.

10HANA

We had big wins on the playing field…

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Men’s Soccer: A Season to Remember

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Volleyball Ranked No. 13 For First Time in Program’s History

Knights Take 2nd in National Cheerleading Championships

And in the classroom.

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Programming Team Places 1st in North America, 10th Worldwide

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Cyber Defense Team Wins National Championship

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

We embraced time-honored traditions…

Relive ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Homecoming 2018 Through These 16 Awesome Photos

And savored the spotlight.

4th ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Celebrates the Arts to Feature Tributes to Bernstein, President Hitt

Thanks for the Best Weekend Ever, College GameDay

We passed the torch…

Josh Heupel Named ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Football Head Coach

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Names Metzger as New Police Chief

Announcing Our Provost, Elizabeth Dooley

We expanded opportunity…

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Extends In-State Tuition Rate for Puerto Rican Students Through 2023

And we kept the streak alive.

Back-to-Back: ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Football Wins AAC Championship

And while we enjoyed looking back on 50 years of classes…

Tales from ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Very First Day of Classes

As Knights, we will always look to the future…

What ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown Will Look Like in August 2019

Partners Break Ground for New ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½-HCA Hospital

And continue to reach for the stars.

15.Β ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ announced it would be partnering with the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world, Arecibo Observatory. β€œThe kind of science we can conduct with this observatory is important, and we didn’t want to see it go dark,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for Research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

14.Β College GameDay Is Coming to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½

Not only did ESPN’sΒ College GameDay announce it was coming to campus for the first time in its 25 year history, but ABC revealed it had selected the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ football team’s showdown with Cincinnati as its Saturday primetime matchup. Within 24 hours of the announcement, the game was officially sold out.

13.Β Most Accomplished Incoming Class in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s History to Start Classes on Monday

The start of the 2018-19 school year marked the 50th anniversary of classes at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, and students are as bright as ever. This year’s incoming class boasted a grade-point average of 4.11 and an average SAT score of 1328.

12.Β ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

U.S. News & World Report ranked ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ above Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Johns Hopkins among the nation’s most innovative schools in its annual list of best colleges. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ also made the cut in several other categories.

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

This story also appears among ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s most popular research stories of the year. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ College of Medicine researchers found that drinking milk infected with a specific bacteria may be associated with developing rheumatoid arthritis.Β Further studies could determine if the relationship is causal. The research was shared through news and websites around the world and translated into multiple languages.

10.Β ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Announces May 2018 Commencement Speakers

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

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

This must-read helped thousands of students put together their game plan for attending one of the most popular annual events at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ β€” Universal Knights.

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

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

7.Β Pluto a Planet? New Research from ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Suggests Yes

No shocker here that Pluto made the cut as this story was No. 1 on ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Top 10 Research Findings of 2018. After 12 years of being on the out,Β ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ research shows that Pluto should regain its status as a planet. The internet loved the research generating more than 85 million views across multiple media outlets.

6.Β Bill Gates on What Sets ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Apart

When philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates writes about your university on his personal blog, you know you’re doing something right. After a visit to campus, Gates described ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½Β as an example of how universities can effectively useΒ online learningΒ to boost access and student success while still keeping tuition affordable.

5.Β Dale Whittaker Named ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s President-Elect

When Dale Whittaker was named as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s next great president, it made major headlines. People had been tuned in throughout the presidential search as the field was narrowed from eight semifinalists (11,435 views) to four finalists (9,758 views).

4.Β ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s Academic Realignment Continues with New Names for Colleges, School

ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ launched an academic reorganization in 2017 to provide new opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and research and best prepare students for the world after graduation. In March 2018, the new names of two colleges and a school were unveiled, which resulted in this informational piece about the restructure and what the future holds when ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown opens in 2019.

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

Campus buzzed with excitement when ESPN’s College GameDay first arrived in town Nov. 15. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was the 71st different school to hostΒ ESPN’s iconic college football preview show. TheΒ GameDayΒ analysts commented during the broadcast about the high volume of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ fans’ signs, saying it might be the most signs they’ve ever seen during their 25 years as a show. This recap shares 20 of our favorite photos from the weekend.

2.Β Fan Guide to 2018 ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Football Season

This story ran prior to the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ football team’s season opener at UConn in August, but it was a resource all season long for people looking to live their best fan life.

1. Who is “The Stare-Down Kid” at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s Football Games?

Anthony Allan is a civil engineeringΒ major who had no idea that he’d turn into a viral phenomenon in his first year at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½. He captivated the crowd at Spectrum Stadium during a β€œfan of the game” video board segment Sept. 21 at the football team’s matchup against FAU, and he’s been staring into our souls ever since.

Jan. 1 – Β After ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ completed their first perfect football season and a 34-27 defeat over Auburn at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ linebackerΒ Shaquem Griffin ’16Β admires the championship trophy. Shaquem made history in April when he became the first one-handed player to be drafted in the NFL, joining his brotherΒ Shaquill Griffin ’16Β on the Seattle Seahawks’ team.

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

Feb. 23 – Engineering graduate student Estefania Bohorquez ’17 shows off her aerial acrobatic skills.

March 14 – Studio art major John Currie ’18 works on a special portrait of John C. Hitt to honor his 26 years of service as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s fourth president.

April 5 – Singer Jesse McCartney performs at CFE Arena during ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½estival’s concert night.

April 7 – This year, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ raised more than $1.5 million for Knight-Thon, an annual dance marathon that benefits Children’s Miracle Network.

April 13 – Director of jazz studies and Pegasus Professor Jeff Rupert conducts a performance during ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Celebrates the Arts.

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

May 3 – During his final commencement ceremonies, former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President John C. Hitt conferred degrees to more than 8,100 students. In October of last year,Β Hitt announced he would be stepping down from the presidency on June 30, 2018. Former ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ provost Dale Whittaker became the university’s fifth president on July 1.

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

June 5 – Β While in a lab, aΒ student works on a project involving display screens and motorcycle helmets.

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

June 29 – Construction on the new ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown campus is underway and on schedule to open Fall 2019.

Aug. 2 – After partnering with two other institutions to manage the Arecibo Observatory earlier this year, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President Dale Whittaker traveled to Puerto Rico for a visit to the facility.

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

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

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

Sept. 5 – Campus on a quiet morning.

Sept. 19 – After more than a year of waiting, popular local taco spot Gringos Locos opened its ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ location in Knights Plaza.

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

Sept. 29 – Knightro and the cheer team entertain a packed stadium during ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s game against Pittsburg, which ended in a 45 – 14 win for the Knights.

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

Oct. 3 – After serving as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s interim provost since April, Elizabeth A. Dooley has become the university’s provost and vice president for .

Oct. 30 – In August, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ partnered with the Nemours Children Hospital to create PEDS Academy, a program that provides specialized STEM education to children hospitalized at the facility.

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

Nov. 9 – Students show off their excitement as they prepare to take part in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½’s biggest Homecoming tradition – .

Nov. 9 – During this year’s Spirit Splash, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President Dale Whittaker jumped into the Reflecting Pond alongside students. He promised take part in the tradition if 50,000 students would attend the first five home football games of the 2018 season – more than 55,000 students took on the challenge.

Dec. 1 – Β After joining Knight Nation this football season, makes an appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championship game, during which fans wore leis to show their support for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton. ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics gave out 40,000 leis to fans in the spirit of #10hana, a movement that started in the local community and on social media.

Dec. 1 – During theΒ American Athletic Conference title game against Memphis,Β 45,176 fans packed the stands as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ secured a 56 -41 victory, extending their undefeated streak to 25 games and advancing them to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019.

β€œAchieving the $400 million milestone puts us right where we want to be headed into the final year of this historic effort,” says IGNITE Campaign Chair Rick Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14. β€œThese numbers are proof that the momentum we feel is real.”

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

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

β€œOur students, faculty and community are counting on us,” Walsh says. β€œWe’re funding scholarships for students who can’t otherwise afford a college education, giving faculty the resources to conduct groundbreaking research and cure devastating diseases, and enriching lives through the arts with programs like the Shakespeare Theater and WΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½.”

Among the many other endeavors that inspired this record year of philanthropy were the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Restores PTSD Clinic, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Marine Turtle Research Group, the Knights Helping Knights food pantry, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown campus and the John C. Hitt Initiative for Faculty Excellence. Donors also committed $7 million to create five new endowed faculty positions.

β€œFor public institutions, philanthropy is the margin of success,” ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President Dale Whittaker says. β€œWhen we do something exceptional, it’s often because we have friends that believe in us. So the role of philanthropy is more and more critical as we continue to make sure we are carefully stewarding the taxpayers’ money and keeping tuition affordable.”

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

β€œFor public institutions, philanthropy is the margin of success. When we do something exceptional, it’s often because we have friends that believe in us.”

The >Knights’ thrilling undefeated football season kindled additional enthusiasm among donors, who collectively gave nearly $16 million to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics. Most of those donations will be used to enhance facilities and go toward the Football Excellence Fund.

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

In March 2018, the Foundation held its first ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Day of Giving, a single-day digital effort during which students, alumni and parents support the school financially. The Day of Giving generated $157,000 and attracted a total of 1,951 donors in a single day, with approximately 350 making first-time gifts.

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

As of June 30, nearly 100,000 ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ alumni, friends and partners have given to the IGNITE campaign.

β€œMany other college presidents have made similar gambits and found mixed results. Hitt is unusual for having accomplished them all, at one university,” according to the Chronicle.

When Hitt arrived in 1992, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was a midsize public commuter school. Twenty-six years later, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ has grown from 22,000 students to 66,000; has become a research institution; and has opened a Division I football stadium, a medical school, and soon, a new campus in downtown Orlando.

β€œMany other college presidents have made similar gambits and found mixed results. Hitt is unusual for having accomplished them all, at one university,” according to the Chronicle.

The Chronicle credited much of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s success to Hitt’s ability to form partnerships. During his tenure, he , , the military and defense industry, the city of Orlando and so many others to guide ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s growth and position the university as a supplier of quality talent to companies and industries.

Perhaps one of Hitt’s greatest achievements at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is broadening access to a higher education for more people, while also maintaining quality and attracting high-achieving students, Joshua Wyner, founder and director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, told the Chronicle.

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

Dale Whittaker, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s fifth president who took office July 1, told the Chronicle that involving others was key to Hitt’s success at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½.

He would gather key people to β€œput our heads together, be creative, find our friends, get support,” Whittaker said.

β€œHe’s listening very carefully to how the discussion is going. He’ll put in his piece when, and only when, he feels it will make a difference,” added Maribeth Ehasz, vice president for student development and enrollment services.

Hitt and his wife of 56 years, Martha, moved to Madison, Wis., to be near their children. He is now president emeritus, and he is helping ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ successfully complete the while also providing advice and counsel about the implementation of the Collective Impact strategic plan.

Read the full article from the Chronicle.

The true mark of a leader is a crystal-clear vision when you take over the helm. His goals from 1992 formed the guideposts for this fledgling commuter school to find its way among many educational entities in a state that was exhibiting remarkable growth. He took the helm when ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was not on the radar of many – even within our state – never mind having a presence nationally or internationally.

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

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

In particular, his vision of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ as β€œAmerica’s Partnership University,” which is now a registered trademark, has yielded fruits beyond any imagination. Whether it is through private sector partnerships in Central Florida Research Park, with Lockheed Martin, Harris Corp. and Siemens, with the military-simulation industry or with the public sector through our city and state entities, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ partnerships have benefited the community in a truly significant manner. It has certainly resulted in great opportunities for faculty like myself and my students to perform applied research and gain valuable experience through internships and cooperative education. Underlying all these opportunities, our partners always mention, is the high quality of our graduates and the clear vision and unyielding focus of President Hitt.

On a personal note, I had the rewarding experience of leading the faculty senate of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ from 2005 to 2009 and serving on our Board of Trustees. During that time, I was able to observe his clarity of vision, focus on integrity, and passion for the well-being of the faculty and students. On a bus ride to play USF in football in Tampa, as we were traversing an undeveloped stretch of land next to State Road 417, he remarked: β€œThis is where we are going to build our medical campus.” This was early in the planning stages of what was to become our College of Medicine, but his focus and determination was clear.

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

Subsequently, as I was elected to serve as the faculty representative on the Florida Board of Governors for two years, I once again had the opportunity to see this remarkable leader in action. He was a relentless advocate for the university, based on the idea of access and opportunity for students to receive a university education. He wanted ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ to be known for its values of striving for excellence and for β€œbeing known for who we include not exclude.”

He also supported accountability measures that were logical for academia as the state was transforming toward a funding model based on metrics for productivity and preeminence. My admiration for his dignified responses to many difficult questions during the deliberations of the BOG grew manifold. Critics of his vision came around after seeing how well ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ was doing in most areas of these metrics. Of course, there continues to be room for improvement, but the foundation is strong for us to build upon.

When he asked me to take over as the NCAA faculty athletic representative for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ to look after the overall well-being of all our student-athletes, I jumped at the opportunity to serve in this role. For me, nothing was more important than having integrity and passion while giving my best effort, as it was a presidential appointment and I did not want to let him down. The heights that our athletic program has been able to scale in the brief history of this university at the Division I level are another testament to his leadership, and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Count me as a lifetime member of the β€œHitt Squad.”

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

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

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

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

Manoj Chopra is a professor of civil engineering in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering. He can be reached at Manoj.Chopra@ucf.edu.

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

β€œJohn and Martha have been advocates and great supporters of the Knights since they arrived at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White said. β€œThat’s why it’s such an honor for ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics to lead the charge in establishing this scholarship fund to benefit our student-athletes with John and Martha Hitt’s name on it.”

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

β€œA little less than three years ago, President Hitt entrusted me with the leadership of our athletic department,” White said. β€œI couldn’t have asked for a better man to work for. As a former student-athlete himself and such a huge champion of the student-athlete experience, it is only fitting our scholarship program for student-athletes be named after President Hitt and Martha.”

In addition to his duties as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President, Hitt has been active and engaged in collegiate athletics throughout his tenure. He has served on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and Board of Governors, and was a member of the NCAA Presidents Commission as well. Hitt has also been heavily involved in governance and guidance in both Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference.

As an undergrad at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, Hitt was a member of the Kangaroos’ football team as a lineman. He often refers to his experience when talking to or about ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ student-athletes. While athletics has been important to him for most of his life, sports never took a backseat to academics. Hitt even missed the final football game of his collegiate career to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), needed for him to attend graduate school.

In addition to the John & Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ is also encouraging donations to the . Any donation made to either the John & Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund or First Generation Scholarships in an amount of $26 or more – to commemorate President Hitt’s 26-year tenure as ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ President – will receive a limited-edition Hitt Squad pin (pictured to left). All gifts to both funds are part of .

For more information on multi-year commitments to the John and Martha Hitt Athletic Scholarship Fund, please contact ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics at 407-823-2086 orΒ ChampionshipResources@athletics.ucf.edu.

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

For several days in September, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ hosted more than 700 members of the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and other units as they worked around Central Florida. Soldiers slept in the Nicholson Field House and ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Athletics locker rooms, ate meals served by student-athletes and coaches, and parked service vehicles at Spectrum Stadium and around campus.

β€œMy brigade was responsible for 40 of Florida’s 67 counties and we immediately took maximum advantage of the central staging area [at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½] where we could disperse across the state quickly, post hurricane,” said Slayden. β€œWe ended up saving 327 people from rising water, providing shelter for 10,260 people, distributing 2 million bottles of water, almost 1 million MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) and 666 tons of ice β€” all staged from [ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½]. … It was amazing.”

For ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½PD, supporting the National Guard’s efforts is a natural partnership.

β€œWe’re all in the public safety business: law enforcement, emergency management and the National Guard,” said Beary, who will retire on June 14 after 41 years in law enforcement. β€œThe better we work together and the better we coordinate our efforts, the better service we provide to the citizens β€” and that’s what it’s all about.”

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

β€œPeople all around us need help and support, and it’s our responsibility as members of the community to do what we can to help our units as they attempt to safeguard the folks who live and work in these areas, including our own students and faculty and staff members,” he said. β€œWe’re helping them help us.”

β€œA visionary leader, Jim Hinson took our organization from a successful for-profit family business to one of the region’s most generous and important charitable organizations,” said Dr. Phillips Charities president Ken Robinson. β€œDr. Hitt’s vision and leadership remind us of Jim’s leadership.”

Of the $250,000 grant, $200,000 will help first-generation students, with priority given to Central Florida residents attending the new campus, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown. The remaining $50,000 will support the Martha Hitt First Generation Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships for students who are the first in their families to attend college. Through a special matching-grant program, the State of Florida will contribute additional funds, bringing the total contribution to $600,000.

β€œDr. Phillips Charities is helping to shape the landscape of our downtown educational ecosystem,” said Mike Morsberger, vice president for advancement and CEO of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Foundation. β€œWe are grateful for this long-standing partnership and the tremendous impact it continues to have on our students and our community.”

Dr. Phillips Charities has donated to ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ every year since the university held its first classes in 1968. During Dr. Hitt’s 26-year tenure, Dr. Phillips Charities has invested more than $12 million in ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ and has provided a significant boost to the development of ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Downtown. In 2016, Dr. Phillips Charities committed $7 million toward construction of the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, the first academic building at the campus.

The $250,000 grant moves ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ closer to the $500 million goal of , a multiyear fundraising effort set to wrap up in 2019. Donors have already given more than $385 million to the campaign to support three priorities: student success, academic excellence, and growth and opportunity.

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

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

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

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

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

β€œDuring his presidency, John Hitt has championed these five buildings that are not only important to our national defense, but [also] our research opportunities for faculty and graduate students, local economy, and state-wide impact for business,” says Dan Holsenbeck, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™s senior vice president of university relations.

Most recently, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ acquired Partnership Buildings IV and V to help keep military personnel in the area by leasing 200,000 square feet of office space toΒ Team Orlando, the military entity comprised of the national defense organizations, federal agencies and private businesses that work to help improve human performance through simulation.

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

Partnership Building II includesΒ , which includes ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Online, and the Team Performance Laboratory/Partnership for Aviation Team Training Research.

One of the nation’s leading simulation, training and virtual reality research centers, the National Center for Simulation,Β is located in Partnership Building III. The facility also holds ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½β€™sΒ , which has secured more than $26 million in research funding over the past two years.