Please join me in congratulating Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop on his selection as president of the University of South Alabama.

Provost Waldrop is an outstanding leader and has served with distinction since joining �鶹ӳ����ý in 2010. He has helped us make remarkable strides in many areas, including student success, externally funded research, economic development, and community service.

Provost Waldrop’s work contributed to national recognition for �鶹ӳ����ý in many ways, including our being named multiple times as an “up-and-coming” national university by U.S. News and World Report, receiving accolades from The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s for providing exceptional value to our students, and being ranked as “military friendly” by G.I. Jobs magazine.

Under his leadership, our student graduation rates and retention rates have increased, which means that our students are moving into the workforce or to another degree faster than ever.

He partnered with Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine, in ensuring that our College of Medicine achieved full accreditation.

In his role in overseeing the budget, Provost Waldrop helped lead �鶹ӳ����ý to success in meeting strict new performance measures established by the Florida Board of Governors. In 2013, �鶹ӳ����ý tied for the most funding awarded to universities for meeting these performance goals.

Provost Waldrop was also involved in the �鶹ӳ����ý and Central Florida communities, notably as an enthusiastic co-chair of �鶹ӳ����ý’s partnership with the American Heart Association. He also serves on the board of directors for the YMCA of Central Florida and Junior Achievement of Central Florida, two of the many ways he contributes to our community.

On behalf of all of �鶹ӳ����ý, I wish Tony and his wife, Julee, much success and happiness at the University of South Alabama. We are grateful for all they contributed to �鶹ӳ����ý, and they will always have friends in Central Florida.

The search for a new provost will begin immediately. We will provide more information soon about Provost Waldrop’s departure date, the search for our next provost, and our plans for the interim period.

The club, which was established in 2000, recognizes researchers who have received external sponsored funding of $1 million or more in the last fiscal year. In addition to the millionaires, 95 innovators, researchers who have taken the first step in the patenting process by filing invention disclosures, were recognized as well. In a ceremony at �鶹ӳ����ý’s Morgridge International Reading Center, �鶹ӳ����ý Provost Tony Waldrop congratulated the researchers for their role in �鶹ӳ����ý’s rapid rise as a major metropolitan research university.

“The entire Florida economy counts on your work,” he said. MJ Soileau, vice president for research and commercialization, presented each millionaire with a custom �鶹ӳ����ý Millionaire lapel pin and a flash drive containing professional portraits that were taken of them over the last month.

Soileau also recognized 11 new faculty and encouraged them to seek out the advice and experience of their successful peers. Soileau started the event shortly after he became vice president to celebrate the accomplishments of highly funded researchers much in the same manner that universities traditionally celebrate the success of sports teams.

Millionaires recognized and the amount of funding they received in fiscal year 2013:

Lynn Hansen – �鶹ӳ����ý Career Services – $8 million

Tom O’Neal – Office of Research & Commercialization – $6.9 Million

Rosemarye Taylor – College of Education & Human Performance – $4.8 Million

Deborah Beidel – College of Sciences – $4.1 Million

Martin Richardson – College of Optics & Photonics – $3 Million

Brian Plamondon – Institute for Simulation & Training – $2.9 Million

Larry Chew – College of Engineering & Computer Science – $2.7 Million

Andrew Daire – College of Education and Human Performance – $2.3 Million

Winston Schoenfeld – College of Optics & Photonics – $2.3 Million

Janet Andreasen – College of Education and Human Performance – $2.2 Million

Mubarak Shah – College of Engineering & Computer Science – $2 Million

Eunice Choi – Small Business Development Center – $1.7 Million

Alexander Cole – College of Medicine – $1.5 Million

Matthieu Baudelet – College of Optics & Photonics – $1.4 Million

Jaydeep Mukharjee – Florida Space Institute – $1.3 Million

Michael Georgiopoulos – College of Engineering & Computer Science – $1.3 Million

Cameron Ford – College of Business Administration – $1.2 Million

Talat Rahman – College of Sciences – $1.2 Million

Erhan Haciomergolu – College of Education and Human Performance – $1.1 Million

Tammie Mcclellan – Institute for Simulation & Training – $1 Million

Sudipta Seal – NanoScience Technology Center and Advanced Materials Processing & Analysis Center – $1 Million

A new program will “jump start” those goals and draw some of the best international students to �鶹ӳ����ý. Partnering with Shorelight Education, �鶹ӳ����ý will create an innovative partnership to bring students from around the world to the university.

“This program will benefit our Florida students as well as our new international students,” said �鶹ӳ����ý Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop. “Our in-state students will be immersed in different perspectives, cultures and ideas. It will prepare them for competing in the global economy and workforce.”

Details are still being finalized, but an agreement is expected soon. This is among the first U.S. partnerships for Shorelight Education, a Boston-based higher education company.

“We invest in partnerships with great institutions that are both student-focused and innovative,” said Tom Dretler, CEO and Co-Founder of Shorelight Education. “�鶹ӳ����ý is recognized nationally not just for its size, but for the quality education it provides students.”

The new program would start in summer 2014 with about 60 students who will be admitted following a rigorous screening process. The students in this program will be in addition to �鶹ӳ����ý’s traditional students – no qualified in-state or out-of-state students will be denied acceptance to �鶹ӳ����ý because of this program.

New international students in the program will embark on an intensive first-year experience that provides them the academic, social, and language skills to succeed in a �鶹ӳ����ý bachelor’s degree program in a variety of fields including sciences, engineering, business, and the humanities.

“When international students come to the U.S. to study, they make personal and business connections that last a lifetime,” Waldrop said. “They are also global ambassadors for their universities and regions, and we look forward to international students helping to promote the university and Central Florida region.”

Shorelight, which will cover all of the start-up costs, will jointly manage the program with �鶹ӳ����ý. The university will maintain control of all academic matters, ensuring that the program meets �鶹ӳ����ý’s academic standards, including those impacting curriculum, admission criteria, faculty qualifications and student success measures.
There are currently about 2,100 international students at �鶹ӳ����ý of the university’s more than 60,000 students. Many large and prestigious universities, such as Columbia University, Stanford University and Cornell University, boast that more than 20 percent of their students come from other countries.

“Great American universities attract the best and brightest students from every corner of the globe,” Dretler said.  “This partnership is another big win for the students of an institution that is clearly on the move.”

Shorelight Education is a U.S.-based education company that funds and manages joint venture partnerships with universities to drive their global ambitions and expand options for students.  Shorelight currently operates university partnerships in the US and the UK with �鶹ӳ����ý (Orlando, US) Fordham University (New York City, US) and Bath Spa University (Bath, UK). For more information, visit

�鶹ӳ����ý hosted Operation Giveback’s third-annual signature event, 5K, 10K and 15K road races that raised $80,000.

“Our outstanding wounded warriors and military families have given so much so that all of us can enjoy our freedom and quality of life,” said José Garcia-Aponté, the retired Army command sergeant major who founded Operation Giveback with his wife, Maribel.

“We want to show our appreciation for the sacrifices they have made and give the wounded warriors and military families the opportunity to get to know each other. Many of them stay in touch and support each other after they leave Orlando.”

�鶹ӳ����ý has hosted Operation Giveback’s races the past three years. Below a large U.S. flag held up by fire engines, about 20 wounded warriors led the start of the 5K race.

�鶹ӳ����ý Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop spoke during the opening ceremonies by the Veterans Commemorative Site on Memory Mall. The crowd applauded when he gestured toward the Classroom II building under construction and pointed out that it soon will be the new home of the university’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs.

Also before the races, the Oquendo family from Hillsborough County received Operation Giveback’s first “Make a Dream Come True Award.”

Decorated Army Sergeant First Class Paul D. Oquendo dreamed of taking his family to New York City for sightseeing and a Broadway show once his daughters were old enough to appreciate the experience.

Cancer prevented the Hillsborough County resident from fulfilling that dream. He died in September from a rare but aggressive form of cancer known as synovial sarcoma.

As a way to honor Oquendo for serving his country for 21 years, the Orlando nonprofit organization Operation Giveback will fly his family to New York City. They will stay at the luxurious Plaza Hotel and watch a Broadway show.

“This trip will mean so much to me, because I can share Paul’s dream for him,” said Dora Oquendo. “I know he is looking down and is smiling at this dream come true. My girls are going to be so excited.  We have told them lots of stories of New York.”

Operation Giveback’s mission is to raise awareness and resources for wounded warriors and their families, as well as the families of fallen heroes. The organization intends to fulfill one family’s dream each year.

Several �鶹ӳ����ý ROTC students volunteered at the event, and the Student Veterans Association, the Psychology Department’s Trauma Management Therapy program and �鶹ӳ����ý Athletics all set up tents on Memory Mall. The Trauma Management Therapy program treats veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are diagnosed with PTSD.

Morgan was hired in 1994 as a personnel representative in Human Resources and was promoted to her current job in 1995. She has served three provosts at �鶹ӳ����ý in her role: Gary Whitehouse, Terry Hickey and Waldrop.

“In my position, no two days are alike,” she said, likening all the varied duties she coordinates for her job as similar to being a plate spinner.

The annual Founders’ Day awards began in 1989, and Morgan became the coordinator in 1995. She said her guiding principle in coordinating the ceremonies for nearly two decades has always focused on what a former co-worker said: �鶹ӳ����ý is such a young institution that establishing traditions such as the convocation help to put the “ivy on our walls.”

In her retirement, Morgan said she is looking forward to focusing on fitness, taking some art classes, walking on the beach with her husband, planning an Alaskan cruise to celebrate her 25th wedding anniversary next year, and “discovering what’s next.”

But first, Morgan’s hard work will be on display at Wednesday’s Founders’ Day. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.

The university will recognize faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, advising, research, professional service, and librarianship. Also to be recognized are faculty members who have completed 20, 30, 40, and 45 years of service and those who recently retired or who are retiring soon.

Ten students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in a particular area of study will be recognized along with four Honors in the Major students for having written the most outstanding theses. Recently graduated seniors who completed honors theses and juniors and seniors who are in the top 1 percent academically of undergraduates within each college will also be recognized.

The Peace Corps and the �鶹ӳ����ý have teamed up to launch the only Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program at a state university in Florida.

Selected Coverdell fellows will have the opportunity to work toward one of more than a dozen master’s degrees offered by �鶹ӳ����ý’s College of Education or the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program offered by the College of Arts and Humanities.

Internships in Central Florida’s underserved communities will be an integral part of each recipient’s program of study and will allow the students to use their Peace Corps skills to make an impact back at home in the United States. Education students will complete internships at public schools. TESOL students’ internship options include public and private schools, nonprofit organizations and national grant projects offered by local libraries.

“The Peace Corps is delighted to have the �鶹ӳ����ý as a partner in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program,” said acting Peace Corps director Carrie Hessler-Radelet.

“This new partnership enables returned Peace Corps volunteers to continue their work in public service through meaningful internships in underserved American communities. Experience overseas and graduate studies position Peace Corps fellows to launch a career by combining coursework with service.” 

�鶹ӳ����ý Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop said returning Peace Corps volunteers share �鶹ӳ����ý’s strong commitments to civic engagement, volunteer service and international programs.

“Their perspectives will enrich the lives of our students and faculty members,” Waldrop said. “We are eager to welcome them to our campus community and prepare them for new opportunities to serve others in our local schools.”

Out-of-state fellows selected for the program will be able to pay in-state tuition, a savings of almost $15,000 per academic year. Two graduate assistantships with 50 percent tuition and fee waivers will be available for in-state fellows.

The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program started in 1985 at Teachers College, Columbia University, and now includes more than 80 university partners in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The program is reserved for students who have already completed their tenure abroad with the Peace Corps.

For further information, contact:

Peace Corps: Alethea Parker, Public Affairs Specialist, Peace Corps Atlanta Regional Office, at 404-562-3472 or aparker@peacecorps.gov.

�鶹ӳ����ý: Chad Binette, �鶹ӳ����ý News & Information, 407-823-6312, chad.binette@ucf.edu

The showcase is an opportunity for the �鶹ӳ����ý community to view the exceptional work of students from the First-Year Writing Program. The event featured student displays, panels and awards for best writings.

Three student panels allowed young researchers to share their work with an audience. Research projects presented during the panel sessions included “Spanglish and Its Effect on L1 and L2 Speakers,” “Combatting Internet Piracy,” and “Geocaching and the Use of Multiple Literacies.”

Students whose work had previously been published in �鶹ӳ����ý’s presented a glimpse of first-year writing at its best and were recognized by Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop.

José Fernandez, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, presented awards for best student displays to Vanessa Carrillo for best overall poster, “Religious Literacy;” David Sheets for best research, “Reality Networks;” Lindsay Schmit for best presentation, “Facebook and Self-Disclosure;” and Delaney Postma, honorable mention for her poster “Traumatic Brain Injury.”

�鶹ӳ����ý President John C. Hitt concluded the ceremony by presenting the Prize for Excellence in First-Year Writing to Lindsay Schmit for her research article “Personality and Its Effects on Facebook and Self-Disclosure,” published in the Fall 2012 issue of Stylus.

The prize includes a $450 book scholarship donated by Hitt and the Department of Writing and Rhetoric. Schmit, now a sophomore majoring in Pre-Clinical Health Sciences, was accompanied to the ceremony by her parents, Cathy and Dave, who drove from Fort Meyers to attend the showcase.

Marissa Penzato, now a sophomore Aerospace Engineering major, and Victoria Marro, now a junior majoring in Microbiology and Molecular Biology, were awarded first- and second-runners-up.

For more information about the Knights Write Showcase, the First-Year Writing Program or the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, visit .

The gold award is given to organizations that provide at least 15,000 volunteer hours a year to Junior Achievement projects. �鶹ӳ����ý volunteers more than doubled that mark by donating more than 35,000 service hours.

The university joins 11 companies in receiving the award, including Walt Disney World, AT&T, General Electric and Bank of America.

“�鶹ӳ����ý through its service-learning unit is the largest volunteer source of any JA in the world,” said Craig Polejes, president of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.

The award was created in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation for people who donate significant time to volunteering. In 2006, Junior Achievement became the certifying organization for the award.

Through the �鶹ӳ����ý and JA service-learning partnership in 2011-12, there were 2,079 classes taught by �鶹ӳ����ý students at 160 Central Florida schools, reaching 37,676 children, Polejes said.

�鶹ӳ����ý students teach children in schools about entrepreneurship, work readiness, how to become successful and to stay in school. In return, university students learn leadership, communication skills and critical thinking.

Polejes said �鶹ӳ����ý’s volunteers come from the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Health and Public Affairs, College of Medicine,   Interdisciplinary Studies, Nicholson School of Communication, and the Burnett Honors College.

For example, in the College of Business Administration JA is incorporated into the Cornerstone course curriculum. Students spend at least 25 hours teaching JA classes and completing projects at elementary and middle schools.

�鶹ӳ����ý Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop and Fred Kittinger, associate vice president and director of state and local government affairs, also serve on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.

“We’re extremely proud of this relationship,” Polejes said. “There’s been a lot of work and effort from many over 20 years, and we don’t take it for granted.”

�鶹ӳ����ý will officially be recognized at the President’s Volunteer Service Award presentations in New York in March.

�鶹ӳ����ý placed 42nd in the annual compilation, which ranks institutions based on academic quality, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and graduation rates in addition to cost and financial aid.

The list was pared down from nearly 600 public four-year schools.

“We are pleased that �鶹ӳ����ý is again being recognized for providing a high-quality education and a great value for our students,” said �鶹ӳ����ý Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop.”

The online rankings were released today and will appear in ����������Բ����’s February issue on newsstands Jan. 1.

Earlier this year, �鶹ӳ����ý also was named a “best value” by The Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s best-known education services and test-preparation companies, annually selects 150 institutions—75 public universities and 75 private colleges—from a list of 650 schools it identifies as having excellent academics.