Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ first received the designation in 2008 and then again in 2015. The honor validates Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s efforts toward fulfilling its mission to unleash the potential of every individual, enrich the human experience through inclusion, discovery, and innovation, and propel broad-based prosperity for the many communities it serves.

“We recognize these institutions for their exceptional commitment to community engagement, and their work to transform knowledge into meaningful action,” says Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “They exemplify the true spirit of the Carnegie endorsement and the power of serving the public good.”

The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States. Utilized frequently by policymakers, funders, and researchers, the classifications are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions.

Among Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s community engagement efforts that helped earn the honor are:

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Smart and Trustworthy Air Quality Sensor Network (STAIR): The STAIR project is a multidisciplinary undertaking through which Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers designed and built low-cost, cybersecure, solar-powered air quality monitors and installed more than 50 across downtown Orlando. In addition to providing a denser network of air quality information, the team is providing virtual training on air quality data and interpretation, sensor technologies, and data driven citizen advocacy. The effort is driven by College of Engineering and Computer Science Assistant Professor Haofei Yu and College of Community Innovation and Education Assistant Professor Kelly Stevens and Professor Thomas Bryer.

Citizen Science GIS: Developed by Associate Professor Timothy Hawthorne, Citizen Science GIS is an organization that connects scientists and society using geospatial technologies to make science more accessible and responsive to community concerns. In early 2022, Citizen Science GIS designed and launched the nation’s first GeoBus, which is a mobile STEAM learning lab powered by solar on a repurposed 40-foot city bus that provides geospatial technology learning experiences to K-12 youth and teachers across Florida.

H.O.P.E. Circle: Assistant Professor of Urban Education L. Trenton S. Marsh co-developed and implemented the Healing Oasis for Peace & Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) Circle at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. The H.O.P.E. Circle is a youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) initiative, formed in February 2022 after the tragic, gun-related death of a Clubhouse member. H.O.P.E. aims to amplify the voices and experiences of youth; pivot the tragedies into transformative learning experiences to impact the community positively; and demonstrate how YPAR as both a socially just disposition and methodology can be used to broaden understanding of perspectives, namely of groups whose voices and experiences have historically been ignored or dismissed in schools and communities.

Florida Prison Education Project (FPEP): The FPEP provides educational opportunities to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in Florida, researches the societal benefits of prison education and integrates the study of justice into Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ curriculum. The project also makes public policy recommendations based on research. Since its founding in 2017, the FPEP has offered 50 classes to 700 incarcerated students at 6 different facilities and donated over 20,000 books to libraries in Florida prisons. The project is led by Keri Watson, associate professor of art history.

The Puerto Rico Research Hub (PR Hub): The PR Hub was established in 2017 following Hurricane Maria, which displaced thousands of individuals and families from Puerto Rico, leading to relocation in Florida. The PR Hub focuses on four pillars with emphasis on Puerto Rico: conducting academic research, engaging Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students, strengthening partnerships, and promoting engagement through community outreach. The hub is led by Fernando Rivera, professor of sociology, and it recently received a further $500,000 external grant to expand its community research.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Rehabilitation Innovation Center Smart Apartment: The apartment mimics a residential living space and is equipped with a hospital bed, Hoyer lift, television, Nest thermostat, fan, lamp, and window shutters — all of which are bound to smart home technology. The Smart Apartment serves as a training center for patients who have disabilities to learn how to use the technology before installing it in their own homes. The patients are instructed by College of Health Professions graduate students who work under the guidance of faculty.

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Center for Community Schools: As a comprehensive resource for the advancement of community schools, the center offers technical assistance, assessment and evaluation, and university assistance, all of which contribute to continuous improvement and better outcomes for students, families and communities. The center promotes the development of community partnerships that include four core partners — a school district, a university or college, a community-based nonprofit, and a healthcare provider, as well as others.

The Lou Frey Institute at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝: The institute houses the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and is a leading provider of civic education instructional and professional development resources in Florida and beyond. The institute’s work promotes the development of enlightened, responsible, and actively engaged citizens through civic education programs.

The Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝: LIFE enriches the lives of older adults of Central Florida through a wide variety of lectures and experiences introducing current issues and expanding on age-old topics. Participants enjoy the benefits of connecting with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students and faculty through Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ sponsored research, volunteer opportunities, and access to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ athletics and performing arts programs.

“If residents of any state should to be voting, it ought to be Florida because we have a history of close elections so every vote matters.”

“If residents of any state should to be voting, it ought to be Florida because we have a history of close elections so every vote matters,” says Stephen Masyada, interim executive director for the . “Voting is our biggest opportunity to make a change and this is a significant election no matter which candidate you support. There really is no reason to not make your voice heard, vote, and play a role in selecting the next president and influencing decisions that can have some pretty significant impacts on the state of Florida.

Ways to Vote and Avoid Ballot Mistakes

1. Make sure you’re registered to vote
   If you’re unsure about your voter registration status, visit . If you aren’t registered to vote, the deadline to do so for the 2020 election has passed, but you should register ASAP to make sure you can participate in future elections.
2. Consider early voting and bring your ID
   From Oct. 19 – Nov. 1 early voting is taking place at select sites throughout Florida. There are 20 early voting sites in Orange County, including one in the Live Oak Center on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s main campus, and eight in Seminole County. Lines on Election Day may be long, so early voting is a great way to avoid them and make sure you actually get to cast your ballot. Whether you’re voting early or on Election Day you must bring a valid photo ID with a signature with you.
3. Request and send mail-in ballots on time or trade it in at an early voting site
   The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 10 days before Election Day, which is Nov. 3. However, if you want to be sure your ballot is counted, Masyada suggests you mailing it out two weeks before Election Day. You can also drop off mail-in ballots at early voting sites during the early voting period, just be sure to place your ballot in the return envelope with a signature and date, just as you would do if you were mailing it. If you change your mind, you can also bring your mail-in ballot to an early voting site to exchange it and vote in person instead.
4. Make sure your signature matches your government ID
   No matter which method you choose to vote — but especially so for mail-in ballots — it is crucial to make sure your signature matches the one on your government ID, typically your driver’s license. This is one of the most common mistakes that can prevent your vote from being counted and if you’re voting by mail you likely won’t know your vote hasn’t been counted until it’s too late, Masyada says.
5. Use a black pen, completely fill in bubbles and don’t make stray marks
   If you’re voting in person you’ll likely be given an appropriate writing utensil, but if you’re voting by mail be sure to use a black pen because other ink colors or pencil will not be detected by scanners, Masyada says. While you don’t have to complete every question or category on the ballot, you must completely fill in ovals for the ones you want to fill out. And stray marks should be avoided to prevent any issues with counting your vote.
6. Don’t share your ballot on social media
   While you may feel inclined to share your vote on social media, don’t take a selfie with your ballot in a polling place and post it online because it’s illegal and you may face consequences. Instead, you can post pictures with your “I Voted” sticker.
7. Track your mail-in ballot
   If you’re mailing in your ballot, you can track the status of it through the Division of Elections’  or through your county’s 

Understanding the Six Amendments on Florida’s Ballot This Year

There’s a lot more on the ballot than just presidential candidates, so be sure to do your research on other political and government officials, like your local congressional representatives, senator and sheriff, that are up for election. Sites like , which is a nonpartisan tool provided by the Women’s League of Voters, provide personalized voting information based on where you live.

There are also six amendments on Florida’s ballot this year and to help you make your best decision, here are some summaries of each one.

Amendment 1
The state Constitution currently states “every citizen of the United States who is at least eighteen years of age and who is a permanent resident of the state, if registered as provided by law, shall be an elector of the county where registered.”

Amendment 1 would change from the word “every” to “only”.

Amendment 2
The current minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 an hour to $10 in September 2021 and then the wage would increase it by $1 per year after that until it reaches $15 an hour in 2026. In 2027, the minimum wage would revert back to increasing annually by the rate of inflation, which is already in the state constitution.

Amendment 3
Currently in Florida, registered Republicans vote in their primary and registered Democrats vote in theirs, while registered voters with no political party affiliation can’t vote in either.

“Speaking civics wise, Amendment 3 is one people should really pay attention to because it essentially eliminates closed primaries in the state,” Masyada says. “It would open the primaries up and potentially two Republicans or two Democrats can get the nominations [in the general elections].”

Amendment 4
Amendment 4 is another one that Masyada says is especially important from a civics perspective.

“Amendment 4 would change the constitutional amendment process in the state significantly,” Masyada says. “Right now, in order for an amendment to pass it has to reach a 60 percent approval from all voters in the state during one election. This amendment means future amendments would have to pass with 60 percent through two elections – which essentially is double the effort.”

Amendment 5
If passed, Amendment 5 would extend the period for which people can transfer “Save Our Home” benefits from two years to three.

Amendment 6
This amendment would allow a deceased veteran’s homestead property tax discount to transfer over to their surviving spouse. If the spouse sells the property and moves into a new home, they would be eligible for a discount that does not exceed the previous one. However, if they remarry, they would no longer be eligible.

Frey leaves a long legacy of service to the United States and Central Florida. He had a hand in both establishing Kennedy Space Center as the home of the space shuttle program and appealing to President Richard Nixon to turn over McCoy Air Force Base to the city of Orlando. That base would later become Orlando International Airport.

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ connection started with Frey’s donation of his congressional archives to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2002 to create the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government. The institute promotes the development of enlightened, responsible and actively engaged citizens through experiential learning and civic education. That mission was boosted through a partnership with former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham to create the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, which is housed in the Lou Frey Institute.

“Lou appealed to so many in this state for his honor, his attention to constituents and his love of Florida and his country,” says Stephen Masyada, interim executive director of the Lou Frey Institute and director of the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship.

Frey was an attorney by trade, holding positions as assistant county solicitor for Orange County and counsel for the Florida Turnpike Authority before running for office as a Republican. His tenure representing Central Florida extended five consecutive terms before retiring undefeated in 1979. He also ran for U.S. Senate and Florida governor.

His political influence continued long after leaving office, including stints as committee member on the presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford, Bob Dole and George W. Bush. Frey shared that wealth of knowledge as a frequent speaker through the institute on topics including homeland security, the space program, and church and state.

Senior Fellow Doug Dobson said Frey was happiest when he was surrounded by a group of students or teachers. His lectures extended beyond the surface level of “how government works” to include the mental and physical toll of running for office and the demands of life in the public eye. The result was one of the strongest civic education programs in the U.S, which, in turn, is producing students equipped for politics, Dobson says.

“Lou felt an incredible commitment to educating future public servants and passing along his experiences,” Dobson says. “That was part of his life’s mission.”

The value of civic education cannot be underestimated, says Kerstin Hamann, director of the School of Politics, Security and International Affairs, which houses the Lou Frey Institute. To fully exercise your rights as a citizen, you need to understand how the system works, what the Constitution represents, and our rights and processes, Hamann said.

“The Lou Frey Institute excels at providing K-12 students with the understanding they need to become educated citizens,” Hamann says.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ President John C. Hitt, former U.S. Rep. Lou Frey, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ alumni Albert Henry Marshall and Priscilla Getchell, and scholarship donor Vince Amico were inducted today into the new National Center for Simulation’s Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame.

Joining some of the Army, Air Force and Navy’s earliest pioneers of simulation, the five with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ ties were honored during a ceremony at the Orange County Convention Center, the home of the new hall of fame.

Hitt, who has served 22 years as Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s president, was honored for leadership in advancing academic excellence in the field and for creating “an environment of partnerships, discovery and research.”

During his tenure, the university has constructed three partnership buildings in the Central Florida Research Park. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Institute for Simulation and Training and U.S. military agencies share the partnership buildings, which have helped the university and military expand research in areas such as medical simulation, high-performance computing and mobile applications for training.

“Together, our efforts at the Central Florida Research Park highlight a model alliance that is not replicated anywhere else,” Hitt said. “We are a vital force for expanding the economic prosperity of Central Florida and of our great state, and we help prepare America’s warriors for their challenges in protecting the freedoms of us all.”

Frey, who founded Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government, was recognized for his fight to keep the Naval Training Device Center in Orlando in 1971. His efforts as a second-term congressman helped to keep in Orlando the entity that has since thrived and become the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, or NAWCTSD.

Marshall, who earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 1973, was recognized posthumously for “his service to the nation as an engineer, physicist and inventor for the U.S. Navy.” He held more than 30 patents and was a pioneer for breakthroughs that led to substantial changes in live training and virtual-target systems.

Getchell, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1982, was recognized for her service as a member of the U.S. Navy Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES). She was a ground school instructor during World War II, and she helped train hundreds of Navy pilots. She achieved the rank of chief petty officer after only three years of service.

Amico, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ honorary-degree recipient who has established a scholarship for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ modeling and simulation students, was honored for “a lifetime of dedicated service to the nation in conducting research, engineering and systems acquisition of simulators for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Army.” He introduced new digital technology and sensor simulations, and he improved visual systems for training devices, making military training more effective.

The other five inductees were:

They have been taking stands on abortion, gay marriage, health care and foreign affairs, but they’ll need to do more than just talk about them – they need to act.

With voter-registration tables scattered around campus, you would think more Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students would be encouraged to vote this year. But when I broach the subject with many of my classmates, co-workers and friends, their surprising answer to voting in this year’s election is a resounding “no.”

Some say neither candidate really appeals to them, while others say they didn’t know how to register or don’t want to go through the process.

Some simply said they don’t want to vote.

Don’t want to vote?!!?!

Even though students seem to be discussing the political spectrum in classes or in conversations through social media, a recent Gallup poll showed the intentions of college-age students to vote this year has decreased 9 percent since the 2004 presidential election.

Students don’t seem to realize how important their vote – their voice – is in this year’s presidential election, and it is disheartening because they can easily make a stand and be heard. When all that is required is a simple click of the button to post a political statement, it is disappointing that so many college students don’t register to vote or participate in the process.

My generation soon will provide the senators, governors and White House cabinet members that will create new laws and ultimately shape our country’s future.

But now we need a strong student participation to address the issues in this year’s election, as well as future elections. On the way to do this, students need to focus on being more aware of their surroundings.

They need to turn down the talking dogs on YouTube and the incessant tweets to better focus on issues that matter, such as the presidential candidates’ takes on various political issues that they are passionate about. Students also should be “in the know” about day-to-day news and take advantage of the free services that the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ campus has to offer them.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ provides a variety of resources for students to get involved, get registered and get informed about this year’s election – resources that many students seem to be taking for granted.

For example, the Student Government Association recently partnered with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝â€™s Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government to create the TurboVote Initiative, a program that focuses on voter registration and is designed specifically for students.

The campus also has College Democrats and College Republicans to support students interested in learning more about national politics. In addition, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ offers registration tables at different areas around campus for those who have yet to register to vote, which is a quick process.

Registering to vote is an easy and simple process that takes just a few minutes, and voting on Election Day also can be quick if you know ahead of time how you’re going to cast your vote, avoid the crowded periods, and head to the polls prepared with identification in hand. Voting is even quicker if you vote by absentee ballot or take advantage of early voting.

A single voice can change the course of the future, and I wish more college students would recognize how important they are in this process.

If all it takes is one vote to shape our history, why wouldn’t you let your voice be heard?

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Forum columnist Alexandra Pittman is a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ junior majoring in creative writing and journalism, and can be reached at apittman@knights.ucf.edu.

Or another ex-legislator explain that strong lobbyists are a good thing. And another who laments that in today’s world: “The noise of democracy is like fingernails on a blackboard.”

These and other candid commentaries from former U.S. senators and representatives are the fabric of a new educational resource developed by the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

The Civics Connection: Conversations with Congress was developed by the institute and the United States Association of Former Members of Congress for high school and college-level American government courses. The video interviews also are accessible to anyone who would like to hear insider perspectives on how policies are developed and how the business of government works.

“It is, in a sense, a living textbook on American government and politics,” Lou Frey Jr., a Florida representative from 1969 to 1979, wrote in his introduction to the course. The institute, which he founded, strives to engage citizens to become active and responsible in government.

Frey said The Civics Connection’ s roots go back to when he was a novice congressman. He said there were a lot of government practices and procedures that he previously had never been exposed to, and “I made a vow to myself not to let that happen to others.”

Over the years he has developed intern and educational programs for students, but the impetus for this latest project came about three years ago when a report ranked Florida fifth worst in “civic stupidity,” he said.

Project director Terri Susan Fine, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ professor of Political Science and associate director of the institute, traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this year to tape the series of 15-minute interviews with former lawmakers who volunteered to be a part of the project. The 16 segments include teacher-support materials aimed at helping students understand the subjects.

Each interview pairs a Democrat and a Republican, with terms ranging up to 30 years in Congress. Interviews deal with issues such as political parties and interest groups, campaigning, landmark public policies, impeaching the president, and budget earmarks.

Fine said she was impressed by the lawmakers’ candor on the occasionally delicate topics.

Topics were chosen, in part, to align with high school Advanced Placement courses on government and politics, but the materials also are useful for other history and government classes. The project, which is under the auspices of the nonprofit College Board, is an example of using technology to help students develop a deeper understanding of the subjects, said Doug Dobson, the institute’s executive director.

The interviews and other free materials available to teachers can be found at .

The institute plans to tape additional interviews and add new topics to the site.

As for that fingernails-on-the-blackboard description of democracy, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, who served in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, said in one interview that today’s political parties don’t use the system to achieve the best for the country, but rather to defeat the other side.

“Politics has changed a lot and the country is worse off for it,” he said. “Because what our country needs at the moment is some very important nurturing by the political system making good decisions about putting the country on track and moving the country ahead.”