What was your vision for the College of Business��when you arrived in 2012?

When I arrived, UCF��had experienced��tremendous growth, particularly coming out of the recession. But that growth made the college feel transactional. Faculty were stretched��thin,��technology had replaced��in-person��interaction��and there��wasn’t��a strong sense��of community.

What struck me most was that while we had excellent individual scholars, we��didn’t��yet have a true community of scholars. People��didn’t��know each other well, and without that,��it’s��very difficult��to build a shared vision.

So,��I��started by��listening. I met one-on-one with every��faculty��and staff member and asked three simple questions: What do you think about UCF? What would you do if you were me? And what is your role here?

What��emerged��was powerful. Many of our faculty were first-generation college graduates, just like our students, just like Barry and just like me. They��are��here because they wanted to��help build something different. That became the foundation for our vision: creating a culture of engagement that would transform the��college��experience��for everyone.

Faculty,��students��and staff here are expected to interact with each other and with people in industry and the community at large.��This has helped make��us fiercely��practical. Faculty learn what is going on at the forefront of business. The college has a relevant curriculum with hands-on��experiences��for students.��This helps��students discover their path, develop��professionally��and fully engage with their future.

How would you describe the college’s culture today?

Today, that culture of engagement defines us.

There’s��a quote��from��English��philosopher Herbert Spencer��we often reference:��“The great aim of higher education isn’t knowledge, it’s action.”��It’s��not enough for students to learn concepts;���ٳ��y need to know how to apply them.

You see that in the building itself.��It’s��full. Students are here, working together, interacting with faculty, and engaging with corporate partners and alumni. That connection to the real world has become part of the fabric of the college, and��it’s��what makes the experience more meaningful��and more transformative.

Changing culture is one of the hardest things a leader can do. It requires people to see a future they��haven’t��experienced yet. But over time, our faculty,��staff��and students have seen the value of what��we’ve��built together,��and��that’s��what makes it sustainable.

��Ƿ���does���ٳ�����������������Ѿ����������investment��accelerate that future?

“Great universities win by attracting great people (faculty and students) and creating the conditions for them to succeed. This gift helps us do exactly that.”

This investment allows us to recruit leading scholars at the intersection of business and technology��—��faculty who are working on the most pressing challenges facing industry and society.

They’ll help us tackle critical questions around trust in technology, cybersecurity, the concentration of power and how humans and intelligent systems interact. They’ll also help prepare our students to lead in that environment.

At the end of the day, great universities win by attracting great people��(faculty and students)��and creating���ٳ�� conditions��for them to succeed. This gift helps us do��exactly that.

What will��distinguish���ٳ�� college over the next decade?

Our differentiation will come from��deepening our engagement with industry��and technology.

We want to be known as a place where innovation happens first,��where companies come for talent and insight, and where students gain access to real opportunities.

Ultimately, it’s��about outcomes. If we do this right, our graduates will be exceptionally well-prepared for high-impact, high-growth careers. That return on investment will set us apart.

What gives you optimism about the future?

I grew up during the��Space��Race,��and��at the time, the race to the moon was a sign of hope for people.��Technology was seen as the path to a greater future. With the recent Artemis II launch, I would like��to see��us��instill in our students, and in our leaders, a return to that kind of optimism around what technology��can do. I think those flights are the definition of how technology can enhance the human experience, rather than replace it.

Miller was impressed by our reputation as an early leader in technology and STEM fields, our connection to the space program and our success expanding into other areas. In fact, UCF boasted one of the highest certified public accountant (CPA) pass rates of any public university — impressive to an aspiring accountant.

So Miller applied, was accepted and committed to UCF sight unseen. It was the beginning of a journey that would change his family’s trajectory, along with the university’s.

Today, he committed a transformational $50 million gift — the largest single philanthropic investment in the university’s history — to position UCF as a global leader in fintech, artificial intelligence (AI) and business innovation by establishing the Barry S. Miller College of Business.

First-Generation Student

Miller is president and co-founder of both Voloridge Investment Management and Voloridge Health. He also founded and sold another successful business in his entrepreneurial career.

But back when Miller was attending UCF, he was paving the way as the first in his family to go to college. His dad, a self-taught contractor and developer and a single father, saw the value of higher education for his son.

“My father had a deeply ingrained work ethic that he passed on to me,” Miller says. “In the summer, he would get me out of bed early and have me carrying lumber and working on roofs. I learned to work hard, but I also learned that [it] was a tough job to do for 50 years. I wanted to try a different path.”

Once he started on that path, there was no stopping him.

Building Foundations

ɫ����, Miller became a star student. He excelled in accounting, learned numerical analysis and had a knack for understanding financial markets. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in finance.

“I learned how to really study and apply myself academically at UCF. Essentially, I was learning strategy and project management as I made my way through school,” Miller says. “I didn’t know how impactful those habits would be until later in life. I realize now that everything I learned at UCF has been foundational to my success.”

“I realize now that everything I learned at UCF has been foundational to my success.”

Outside of class, Miller became a student-athlete, playing football when he initially came to UCF. That’s where he met then-quarterback Darin Hinshaw ’90 ’94MBA, who encouraged him to join his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE), and became his big brother.

“Initially, I wasn’t interested in joining a fraternity. I had this idea that fraternities weren’t serious about school or life, and I was,” Miller says. “But my experience in PIKE ended up being formative. It’s where I learned about being a gentleman, dressing for success, networking and more.”

“To this day, so many of my friends are former fraternity brothers, including one of my best friends, Sean Hayes ’95, who has also been my business partner for nearly 30 years,” Miller continues. “As I look back, everything in my life has a connection to UCF — my friends, my business partners, my career and even my wife Rosie ’95, since we met in college.”

Leaving a Legacy

As he built his career and found success in the business and financial world, Miller wanted to give back to UCF. Over time, he has invested in first-generation and STEM student scholarships, UCF Athletics’ Knights Leadership Academy, the John T. Washington Center mural and more.

Each gift has been based on a personal connection or conviction.

“Being a first-generation student myself, having that opportunity to support students who are the first in their families to go to college is personal to me,” Miller says.

As his capacity to give grew, Miller wanted to make a transformative gift that would have an impact today and for generations to come. That led to conversations with university leaders about the opportunity to establish as a global leader in fintech, AI and business innovation.

To help bring that vision to life — and to build early momentum for , UCF’s comprehensive campaign to fuel bold ideas and build its future — Miller has committed to a $50 million gift, establishing the Barry S. Miller College of Business.

The investment will accelerate an innovative new model of business education��designed for a world��where technology, data and decision-making are inseparable, and it will prepare��students with the skills the marketplace demands.

“We are at a seminal moment in business, and AI and new technologies are creating fundamental shifts at a dramatically faster speed than ever before,” says Miller, who was inducted into the UCF College of Business Hall of Fame in 2022. “I want UCF to become the leader in business education, paving the way for everyone else.”

Inspiring Others

“Finding a way to have an impact is one of the most gratifying things you can do with your time and money.”

Until recently, Miller has made most of his gifts to UCF anonymously. But as UCF unveiled Go For Launch, he saw a powerful opportunity to step forward and encourage others to do the same. By sharing his commitment more openly, Miller hopes to help build momentum and invite broader participation in UCF’s vision.

“I hope this gift inspires people to be part ɫ����’s mission to create a bold new future and give at whatever level they can. Maybe it’s $10, $100 or $1,000 — it all makes a difference,” Miller says.

“I want to tell people this: If it’s not your time to make a gift today, maybe it will be a year from now, or five years from now,” he continues. “Finding a way to have an impact is one of the most gratifying things you can do with your time and money.”

“UCF is being trusted to lead, and Barry’s investment reinforces that UCF is a place where talent is developed at scale, where opportunity is expanded, and where our graduates don’t just succeed in the world — they come back to help build what’s next.” — Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF President

The investment will accelerate a bold new model of business education designed for a world where technology, data and decision-making are inseparable, and it will position UCF as a national leader in emerging fields that prepare students to lead with the skills the marketplace demands.

“This is a defining moment for UCF and for the College of Business,” says Board of Trustees Chair Alex Martins ’01MBA. “As an alumnus, I have seen firsthand how UCF transforms lives by opening doors to opportunity, and this extraordinary gift takes that mission to an entirely new level, giving future generations of Knights access to a world-class business education and an opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

“We are deeply grateful to Barry for his extraordinary belief in this university and in the impact our students make. This is a defining moment for UCF and a powerful signal of who we are and where we are going,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “UCF is being trusted to lead, and Barry’s investment reinforces that UCF is a place where talent is developed at scale, where opportunity is expanded, and where our graduates don’t just succeed in the world — they come back to help build what’s next.”

“UCF gave me the opportunity to build my future,” Miller says. “This investment is about creating that same opportunity for others — and ensuring students are prepared for a world where technology and business are constantly evolving.”

A Defining Moment for UCF

Few universities ɫ����’s��young��age��have alumni giving back at this level.

At the center of this��milestone��is longtime��supporter and entrepreneur Barry S. Miller,��president of���ٳ�� Florida-based����and��Voloridge��Health.��Miller is��a first-generation��college��graduate whose early partnership and belief in the university helped accelerate UCF’s trajectory.

His leadership and commitment to widening��opportunity helped lay the groundwork for a future-focused strategy that will transform how students learn, innovate and launch their careers. Miller’s��latest��investment reflects UCF’s ability to��produce��talent that succeeds at the highest levels and inspires��that talent to return��not just with pride, but with capacity and conviction to shape��what’s��next.

Building the Future of Business Education

“UCF gave me the opportunity to build my future. This investment is about creating that same opportunity for others.” — Barry Miller ’95, ��Voloridge Investment Management and Voloridge Health president

will��operate��as a hub for technology-driven business leadership where students, faculty and industry collaborate in real time to solve complex challenges��in emerging fields like artificial intelligence,��fintech��and digital risk.

The focus is not simply on technical skills, but on empowering graduates to take action to address organizational obstacles and lead in fields fueled by rapid technological change.

This vision is grounded in the region UCF calls home.

Orlando has rapidly��emerged��as one of the nation’s fastest-growing technology hubs,��with��demand for talent in fintech and��AI continuing��to��evolve.��Across Florida, one of the largest clusters of banking and insurance firms in the country is fueling new opportunities in financial technology,��risk��and data-driven decision-making.

UCF sits at the center of this momentum,��uniquely positioned to develop the talent and ideas that will power���ٳ�� future.

The investment will support��a multi-phase strategy designed to position UCF as���ٳ����destination for business and technology education, including:

• Five endowed faculty chairs in fintech, AI strategy, cyber risk,��trust��and disinformation
• A new��master’s��in��technology��leadership and��innovation
• Expanded access to applied learning, including internships, simulations, Bloomberg��training��and industry-led projects
• Growth ɫ����’s corporate partnership ecosystem.

Together, these investments will create a learning environment that mirrors modern workplaces — fast��moving, data��driven and deeply connected to industry.

“Technology is advancing rapidly, and the real opportunity is in how organizations use it to perform,” says��College of Business Dean��Paul��Jarley. “This investment allows us to build a business school focused on how the work actually gets done��—–��where students learn to apply judgment, navigate ambiguity, and lead in environments shaped by technology, data, and organizational complexity.”

Accelerating Momentum

Miller’s leadership gift��marks a milestone in����— a��$3.5 billion��campaign to��expand��opportunity,��advance��discovery,��and drive impact across the university.

It sets the tone��for what comes next,��accelerating the pride and vision that will inspire others to invest in UCF’s future.

“This is what momentum looks like,” says��Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for advancement and partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation. “It reflects confidence in UCF’s vision and signals to partners, alumni and investors that this university is building something meaningful and worth being part of.”

Together, talent, opportunity and partnership are converging,��positioning��UCF��to��be a leading force in shaping��what’s��next in business,��technology��and innovation.

“UCF is not waiting to be recognized. We are being chosen, invested in and trusted to lead,” Cartwright says. “This milestone gift reflects a growing sense of pride across the university and signals the momentum others will want to help build — and it is only the beginning.”