Worth noting among this graduating class:

• Roughly 30% of the undergraduate students receiving their degrees are the first in their families to earn their diploma.
• More than 25% of this term’s degrees are tied to STEM majors.
• About 30% of the undergraduate graduating class are Pell Grant recipients.

�鶹ӳ����ý is the leading producer of talent among Florida’s universities, awarding roughly 19,000 degrees annually to Knights who go on to work in high-demand industries. About 85% of our alumni stay in Florida because of the ample opportunity to thrive as part of our state’s workforce.

Graduates will hear from��three��esteemed speakers��— all �鶹ӳ����ý graduates —��whose leadership and impact��have��benefited��our region:

• Psychology alum��Allen Johnson��’81,��chief��venue��officer for��City��for��Orlando Venues
• Journalism alum Tanya (Easterling) Hill ’97, market president for Central Florida for Florida Blue
• ����������Բ�������ܲ��پ������������ܳ���Fred Kittinger ’80, �鶹ӳ����ý’s former��senior associate vice president for government and community relations

Commencement Festivities

Held in the Addition Financial Arena, summer commencement will take place over three ceremonies spanning Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1.

All guests, including children and infants, need a ticket for admission. All graduates who have filed an intent to graduate will receive five commencement ceremony tickets when they pick up their regalia packet.

Guests who do not have tickets may watch the live ceremony via a simulcast viewing in the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. Ceremonies will also be .

Commencement Photo-ops Across �鶹ӳ����ý

Graduating Knights are unable to take photos at the Acrisure Bounce House football stadium this semester due to ongoing construction.

Grad Walk

On Thursday,��July��30,��4:30-7 p.m. (doors close at 6 p.m.),��summer��graduates are invited to a photo-op — Grad Walk — within the Addition Financial Arena. This will be a first-come, first-served occasion for graduates and up to 10 of their well-wishers to take photos and videos on the ceremony stage. Graduates��are required to��register at��.

Commencement Schedule

Graduates and guests can review the below commencement ceremony schedule, listing colleges, ceremony��dates��and streaming links:

������岹��,�����ܱ�����31

6����.��.

College of Arts and Humanities

College of Community Innovation and Education

College of Graduate Studies

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Saturday,��Aug. 1

9 a.m.

Barry S. Miller��College of Business

College of Health Professions and Sciences

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

2:30����.��.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

College of Optics and Photonics

College of Sciences

For more details and FAQs about��Summer��2026 commencement celebrations, visit��ucf.edu/graduation.

Commencement Speakers

Allen Johnson ’81

Chief Venues Officer, City of Orlando Venues

Allen Johnson ’81 has served as chief venues officer of Orlando Venues since 2004, overseeing the City of Orlando’s diverse portfolio of Kia Center, Camping World Stadium, Tinker Field, Leu Gardens and the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Johnson brings decades of venue management experience from leadership roles across Florida. Under Johnson’s leadership, Orlando Venues has evolved into a premier, globally recognized destination for sports, entertainment and culture, welcoming millions of guests each year while strengthening Central Florida’s reputation as a world-class destination.

A proud �鶹ӳ����ý graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he has earned numerous honors, including the 2025 International Association of Venue Managers Foundation Legacy Award, the SPORTYS Executive of the Year Award and the Downtowner of the Year Award.

He remains active in the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), serving as past chairman and trustee of the foundation board, while also contributing to organizations that include the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, Florida Citrus Sports, Victim Service Center and the .

Tanya (Easterling) Hill ’97

Market President for Central Florida, Florida Blue

Tanya Hill ’97��is Florida Blue’s market president for Central Florida,��responsible for��regional business and community engagement in a 9-county region.

Throughout her more than 25-year career, she has worked with reputable brands including Chick-fil-A, Target and Walt Disney World to drive business results through strategic partnerships.

Hill is passionate about investing time in the community and has been involved with��numerous��community and civic organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the��African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, 4Roots Foundation, Orlando Economic��Partnership��and the Winter Park Health Foundation.

Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from �鶹ӳ����ý.

Fred Kittinger ’80

Former Senior Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations, �鶹ӳ����ý

A native of central Florida, Fred Kittinger ’80 recently retired as senior associate vice president for government and community relations at �鶹ӳ����ý, where he served for more than 22 years.

He worked alongside local and state leaders to help foster some of �鶹ӳ����ý’s most transformative achievements, including the approval of �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Medicine, the creation of the world-class Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, the development of �鶹ӳ����ý Downtown, the expansion of the �鶹ӳ����ý Business Incubation Program and investments that enhanced the student experience and advanced regional impact.

Prior to his career at �鶹ӳ����ý, Kittinger served as chief of staff to Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and previously as vice president of government relations for the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce. He began his career as a legislative aide to state Senator George Stuart of Orlando.

Reflecting his commitment to the community, Kittinger currently serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Central Florida (past chair), Central Florida Council for Scouting America and Legacy Pointe at �鶹ӳ����ý.

Kittinger graduated from �鶹ӳ����ý’s criminal justice program and earned his master’s degree in public administration from Florida State University.

Alums Erica Carnegie ’26MSBM ’26MBA, Aliya Everett ’26MSBM ’26MBA and current graduate student Zuri Sims represented �鶹ӳ����ý in the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) 2026 Pathways Discover Program during this summer’s 126th U.S. Open Championship.

Through the hands-on learning experience, students had access to professionals from some of USGA’s partners including Deloitte, NBCUniversal, Ally, American Express, Cisco, Lexus and Rolex.

Of the 25-member intern class for 2026, �鶹ӳ����ý’s three accounted for more than any other university in the country. The cohort was selected from the largest and most competitive applicant pool in the Pathways program’s five-year history, with 782 applications submitted from candidates representing 44 states and nine countries.

“It is a tremendous honor that the USGA continues to choose DeVos students for these positions.” — Adrien Bouchet

“Aliya, Erica and Zuri represent all the best qualities of the DeVos program,” says Adrien Bouchet, who serves as Richard & Helen DeVos Foundation endowed chair and eminent scholar of the DeVos sport business management program. “They are ambitious, hard-working, and community focused. It is a tremendous honor that the USGA continues to choose DeVos students for these positions.”

Resume-Building Experience

Over the 10-day program in June, participants benefitted from an immersive internship experience designed to introduce students from a wide range of backgrounds to career opportunities across the golf industry through networking, mentorship, executive leadership sessions and hands-on operational learning with golf-industry executives and senior business leaders.

Everett, who is now working as a creative services marketing fellow for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a post-graduate internship, says she feels she most benefitted from conversations with members of the USGA Executive Committee at The Meadow Club of Southampton, and a fireside chat with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

“She gave us some insight into her perspective on the recent WNBA-CBA negotiations, and the committee members were genuinely curious to learn our stories and passionate about our aspirations, so both opportunities were more of the exclusive parts of this experience that I am very, very grateful for,” Everett says.

The program also connected this year’s interns for one-on-one mentorship with 25 alumni of the program, who could help advise how to best leverage the invaluable experience.

“I’m looking forward to applying what I learned about the business side of sport from the USGA to my coursework as well as my day-to-day at my business strategy and innovation residency with the Orlando Magic this year,” Sims says.

�鶹ӳ����ý-USGA Connections

USGA has turned to �鶹ӳ����ý before when it needed qualified candidates.

Andy Smith ’23MSBM ’23MBA was selected for the 2024 USGA Pathway Interns Class. He now serves as an account manager for partnership marketing for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of New York’s Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty.

Tiesha Scott ’24 ’26MSBM ’26MBA was named to the inaugural class of the Pathways Launch Internship program this year. Her paid internship opportunity is with the LPGA in Miami.