We are��America’s Space University. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

More than 60 years ago, UCF was created to provide the talent needed to support the United States’ growing space program at Cape Canaveral.

We were Florida Technological University then. NASA and the federal government were at the center of the space industry, and the challenge was largely scientific and engineering-focused: build the technology, develop the workforce and get people and machines into space.

Today, we continue to reach for the stars.�� You need to look no further than our ranking as the No. 1 provider of talent to the aerospace and defense industries (according to Aviation Week). But the space industry is changing.

Drive to the Space Coast today and you will find that SpaceX now operates Launch Pad 39A. Blue Origin has a major manufacturing facility at Exploration Park while Amazon Leo has a satellite processing facility. These are just a few of a growing collection of private businesses building rockets, satellites, infrastructure and entirely new markets around space.

That evolution creates a new challenge for America’s Space University. The commercial space economy will certainly continue to need great scientists and engineers. But it will also need people who understand how to finance companies, allocate capital, manage organizations, develop markets, navigate risk, build supply chains and turn extraordinary technologies into sustainable businesses.

That is why the Barry S. Miller College of Business is so committed to UCF Space Week.

Last year, we helped bring The Economist’s Space Economy Summit to UCF as one of the anchors of Space Week. This October, the summit returns to campus, bringing together leaders from industry, government and investment to examine an increasingly important proposition: Space is becoming everybody’s business.

Our contribution to that conversation is deliberately a business one. This year, for example, our faculty will examine what a SpaceX IPO could mean for space commercialization. The interesting questions extend well beyond what the stock might be worth. How does becoming a public company change SpaceX? What might its valuation do to the flow of venture capital into other space businesses? Does greater access to public capital accelerate the development of an entire commercial ecosystem?

Those are business-school questions. Increasingly, they are also space-industry questions.

We have made the same bet with our space MBA. The program prepares professionals to lead organizations operating in the emerging space economy, combining the traditional disciplines of business with specialized work in space finance, entrepreneurship, strategy, policy and leadership.

And our ambition reaches beyond graduate education.

Several years ago, one of our student ambassadors, Harper Cheyenne ’21, was studying finance, marketing and astrophysics at UCF. She wanted to work in the space industry and become an astronaut. Today, she works for NASA as a test director, having worked previously as a systems engineer for Kennedy Propellants and Life Support Services. She’s proudly known as our “Rocket Girl.”

Harper’s story is a reminder that UCF has always been at its best when it prepares people not simply for the economy that exists, but for the one that is emerging.

That is what Space Week is about for us. UCF helped build the first space economy. Now we intend to help lead the next one.

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

Since UCF first held classes on Oct. 7, 1968, we have always been driven by an ambitious charge: “Reach for the stars.” The first moon landing followed in 1969. Decades later, UCF keeps reaching as that founding mission lives on in the Knights developing the talent, discoveries and technologies taking humanity deeper into space — and transforming life here on Earth.

Before UCF had a single classroom, we had a mission: provide the talent to help humanity reach the moon.

UCF, America’s Space University, was built for the Space Age. We have spent every decade since building what’s next.

This year’s Mission X Space Game celebrates that momentum during a year of milestones: the 10th anniversary of UCF’s Space Game, the 20th season of the university’s on-campus football stadium, the 30th anniversary ɫ���� football’s rise to the highest division of collegiate athletics and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Together, these milestones offer a chance to reflect on how far UCF has come — and look toward where Knights are headed next.

Across six decades, every breakthrough has built on what came before. The goalposts have moved from reaching the moon to sustaining life beyond it. New fields have joined the mission. Once-distant ideas have become experiments, breakthroughs and careers powered by Knights.

The moments that follow trace those threads across generations: then, the bold moves that launched UCF’s space legacy; now, the people and possibilities building on that foundation to push exploration even further.

1960s | Building the Space Workforce

1963: Florida Technological University, now UCF, is founded to provide talent for the growing space industry as the United States is challenged with landing a man on the moon before 1970.

Today: UCF is the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries by Aviation Week. That impact is especially visible along Florida’s Space Coast, where 29% of Kennedy Space Center employees are UCF graduates.

1968: Classes begin across UCF’s original five colleges, with aerospace sciences among the university’s earliest degree programs.

Today: Space at UCF extends far beyond a single discipline. Students can choose from more than 35 space-related programs spanning business, engineering, hospitality, medicine, planetary science, optics and policy — preparing them for in-demand careers across the space sector.

1968: UCF receives its first research grant — $12,500 from NASA — establishing an early connection between the university and the agency.

Today: UCF has received $204 million in NASA awards since 1991, supporting work that advances planetary exploration, propulsion, space medicine, technologies and more. This underscores the strong decades-long collaboration between the university and the agency.

1970s | Connecting Education to Industry

1971: NASA employs 18 students through UCF’s Co-Operative Education initiative, which leverages the university’s metropolitan location to let students alternate quarters of study with off-campus work in their academic fields.

Today: UCF students are conducting hands-on research alongside Johnson Space Center astronauts and testing technology on the world’s largest simulated lunar surface.

These experiences strengthen students’ resumes while giving them workforce-ready skills and professional connections to step directly into the fast-growing space industry — and start contributing immediately.

1980s | Developing the Foundation of Space Medicine

1985: As rockets soared off Florida’s Space Coast for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, UCF students were already exploring spaceflight’s impact on people. A group ɫ���� health sciences graduate students, including respiratory health alum Charles Gutierrez ’82 ’85MS, conducted experiments in labs on campus and on a field used as a makeshift launch site to understand how rockets impact heart and lung health. The research, published in The Physiologist,��reflects UCF’s spirit of turning curiosity into action.

Today: Reaching farther into space requires an understanding of how humans will live, work and stay healthy there. As the closest medical school to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, UCF established the Led by Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair of aerospace medicine and associate professor of medicine, the center brings together UCF experts across disciplines to lead research and develop technologies that will help humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. Urquieta also leads .

1990s | Creating a Place for Space

1990: UCF establishes the Space Education and Research Center, which later becomes the . The institute is a hub for space research, education and technology development connected to Florida’s space industry.

Today: FSI research ranges from studying the Earth’s upper atmosphere to the origin of the planets to propulsion technologies for aerospace vehicles. Through research, operations oversight and educational programs, the institute continues to position Florida as a global leader in the space industry and contributes to the state’s economic development.

Among its facilities is the , home to the world’s largest simulated lunar surface. Filled with 240,000 pounds of simulated lunar soil, the lab’s Lunar Highland Regolith Test Bin lets researchers, students and space organizations test how rovers, tools and other technologies perform on a moonlike surface.

1996: Robinson Observatory opens on UCF’s main campus, providing students and faculty a place to study planetary systems, asteroids and more. By 2004, it housed what the Orlando Sentinel described as the largest telescope in the Southeast open to the public.

Today: UCF researchers use observations from some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, to investigate comets, asteroids, and the origins and evolution of our solar system.

2000s | Entering the Space Renaissance

2009: Engineering alum Nicole Stott ’92MS launches aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, becoming the first UCF graduate to fly aboard a NASA shuttle and live on the International Space Station.

Today: UCF is preparing students not only to travel to space, but also to build the industries, policies and experiences surrounding it.

Through the Barry S. Miller College of Business, students can earn the nation’s first fully online MBA in space commercialization. A Space Policy and Management course in the College of Community Innovation and Education examines the decisions and administrative mechanisms that help power the space industry. Students can help imagine the future of dining and hospitality in spaceports, shuttles and orbital hotels at the , a global leader in hospitality and tourism education.

2010s | Return to Liftoff

2017: Invigorated by a new uniform line and excitement around the hiring of Scott Frost as head coach in 2016, UCF Athletics decides to debut the Space Game — an idea conceptualized three years prior by UCF Athletics’ brand experience department.

“It’s a unique part of the UCF story that it was too good of an opportunity not to use the athletics platform to amplify,” Jimmy Skiles ’06 said in a 2022 article about the origin of the Space Game.

Today: The annual Space Game — which has crossed over into UCF’s other sports — has grown into a spectacular, fan favorite event that promotes our talented people, the revolutionary work done here and has laid the groundwork for what has become UCF Space Week.

2019: UCF sends five research projects into space with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights after launch activity resumes in full force following the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

Today:��UCF has worked with NASA on almost 600 projects since the 1990s, including the Lunar-VISE mission led by Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Department of Physics Chair Adrienne Dove. The $35 million project��will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before: the Gruithuisen Domes.

2020s and Beyond

The next era of space exploration is already taking shape — and UCF is helping lead it.

NASA is targeting 2028 for the first crewed Artemis lunar landing. At the same time, commercial launches are accelerating — with the White House aiming to enable over 1,000 launches and reentries on American soil annually by 2030 — new markets are emerging, and the demand for space-ready talent and technology continues to grow. Our future on Earth will be shaped by our future advancements in space, and UCF will be an influential driver of that progress.

As the next phase of space exploration, launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, providing a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

In May 2027, Knights from Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics aim to launch a rocket from sea through a partnership with Seagate. The ambitious effort aims to be to first sea-based launch by university students in the nation — an example of how we continue to forge a path forward for space exploration.

UCF is also helping connect Florida’s universities, NASA and industry through the Florida University Space Research Consortium. The partnership creates new paths for shared space research, technology development and workforce preparation tied to Kennedy Space Center — strengthening Florida’s ability to lead the United States’ future space efforts.

Six decades in, UCF’s space legacy is still being written — in classrooms, labs and places we are determined to reach.

We are America’s Space University. And we celebrate UCF Space Week to honor our origin as we dare to build what’s next.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Forge the Future of Space

With world-renowned faculty, hands-on learning experiences and a location less than an hour from Florida’s Space Coast, UCF continues to prove why it’s America’s Space University — where education, industry and exploration unite to shape the future of space.

Oct. 25 marks the start of the second UCF Space Week, a university-wide celebration of all the ways Knight Nation boldly pushes space forward. The observance highlights UCF’s vital role in advancing space research, supporting Florida’s fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

Here are a few key reasons why we celebrate UCF Space Week and how SpaceU is launching the next era of space innovation.

A Legacy in Fueling the Space Industry’s Talent Pipeline

When the university first opened in 1963, landing humans on the moon was a dream that seemed out of reach. Yet UCF dared to believe — and take action — by supplying talent and research to the nearby space industry based on the Space Coast just 35 miles east. UCF’s purpose has only grown stronger more than six decades later as space exploration fuels transformative innovation here on Earth.

Every year, thousands of students gain real-world experience, conduct interdisciplinary research and participate in programs — including the��aerospace medicine program — directly connected to industry, preparing them for in-demand roles across the space sector.

The university’s excellence in providing talent is supported by data, as the American Society of Engineering Education consistently ranks UCF in the top five nationally for awarding bachelor’s degrees in (2025):

• Aerospace engineering (No. 4)
• Mechanical engineering (No. 5)
• Computer science (No. 5)
• And No. 10 for awarding engineering bachelor’s degrees overall — the highest in Florida

Advancing Research That Reaches New Frontiers

When visionaries look to the future, they also look to UCF — a leader in space research, innovation and education with 14 experiments sent to space aboard commercial rockets since 2016. UCF Space Week spotlights these breakthroughs, connecting the community with the pioneering work happening right on campus.

Studying Aging in Space

Researcher: Professor Michal Masternak, College of Medicine
Project: Masternak and his team study how the extreme conditions of space affect human aging and health. By simulating microgravity and space radiation, the researchers identified molecular changes associated with accelerated aging, offering insights that could help protect astronauts on long-duration missions and inform future therapies for age-related diseases on Earth.

Unlocking Lunar Resources

Researchers: Planetary Geologist and Associate Professor Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Interim Department Chair of Physics and Associate Professor Adrienne Dove
Project: Donaldson Hanna and Dove are leading NASA’s Lunar-VISE (Lunar Vulkan Imaging Spectroscopy Explorer) mission, which aims to uncover clues about an unexplored part of the moon and potential insight for deeper space exploration.

Detecting Habitable Worlds

Researcher: Professor Stephen Eikenberry, College of Optics and Photonics
Project: Eikenberry and his team are developing advanced photonics technology to help future space telescopes detect Earth-like planets hidden by the brightness of nearby stars. The NASA-funded project could improve scientists’ ability to directly observe potentially habitable worlds and search their atmospheres for signs of life.

Building Partnerships That Propel Discovery

UCF Space Week highlights these crucial collaborations with support from Blue Origin, KPMG, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Space Florida and SpaceX.

At the heart ɫ����’s success is collaboration. The university works closely with NASA, government agencies, private companies, and research institutions to create opportunities that bridge education, research, and real-world application. These partnerships help students gain experience and industry insight while advancing technologies that will define the next phase of space exploration.

On Sept. 9, UCF partnered with the U.S. Space Force’s innovation enterprise to launch the��. The effort strengthens connections between government, academia, industry and entrepreneurs to help promising ideas move faster from research to real-world capability.

UCF is also helping space‑related research, innovation and workforce development across through the Florida Space Research Consortium. Alain Berinstain, who joined UCF in January as director of the Florida Space Institute, now leads the eight-university initiative — underscoring UCF’s leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

Powering Florida’s Space Economy

Space is no longer just a frontier — it’s the future. With the global space economy projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, UCF is preparing the visionaries who will fuel discovery and shape that growth.

Now expanding its impact into the business of space, UCF is helping lead the business of space under the direction of Space Commercialization and Strategy Program Director Zaheer Ali . His work is building a pipeline of leaders ready to drive innovation, strengthen national security and unlock opportunities that will advance humanity’s future beyond Earth.

Reaching for What’s Next

UCF Space Week isn’t just about looking back at past achievements — it’s about imagining what comes next. With a legacy built on exploration and a community fueled by curiosity, UCF continues to inspire students and researchers to reach higher, think bolder and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Because at UCF, space isn’t the final frontier — it’s just the beginning.

It’s an enormous operation, but for De Salvia, hospitality has never been simply about delivering excellence at scale.

His approach is grounded in empathy and care. He understands the power of that kind of service because long before he was responsible for hospitality on a global level, he experienced it himself as a UCF student.

It began when De Salvia became a Knight in 1999, pursuing his bachelor’s in marketing and discovering a natural connection to consumer behavior and marketing intelligence. While his UCF journey deepened his academic understanding of hospitality, it would ultimately contribute toward the formation of his belief that true service occurs when life hits hardest.

Humanity, Hard Work and Honor

De Salvia arrived at UCF ready to begin a new chapter. But just weeks before starting his first year at UCF, he lost his best friend to an asthma attack.

“He was the one that always pushed me to continue pursuing my academics,” he recalls. “He always told me I was so much smarter than I thought, and that I had to keep going.”

Inspired by his friend’s belief in him, De Salvia forged on with his bachelor’s until he was rocked by another loss a month later: his brother George, an Orlando police officer, was killed in the line of duty at only 29 years old.

Suddenly, De Salvia’s degree hinged on two things: his will to succeed, and the support from UCF faculty and administration who rallied around him.

“I’ll never forget that,” he recalls fondly. “They kept me on track. I didn’t have to drop classes or change things. They were there for me every step of the way.”

Together, they transformed a trying and challenging semester into a successful journey that forever tethered De Salvia’s heart to UCF.

“I decided not to let my brother and best friend down; to work hard, outpace and outperform everyone to honor their memory,” he says. “I can’t express how big a part UCF played in my life, ensuring I could make them proud.”

De Salvia stood by his decision by earning his bachelor’s degree and, in 2004, establishing the at UCF. True to his promise to excel, he returned in 2009 to earn his .

New Knowledge, New Horizons

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career,” De Salvia says. “It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

The program challenged him to recognize his capabilities and reconsider his professional direction. Empowered by an expanded mindset and greater self-awareness, he resolved to take his knowledge to an organization where he could implement it.

“I call my master’s in management the awakening of my professional career. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent investing in myself.”

That meant acknowledging he was unhappy and unfulfilled in the job he held at the time. In a bold move, he resigned two days after graduating.

There was no plan b.

He credits that step with granting him the life he has today, and UCF with giving him the personal insight to take it.

His newfound freedom led to an eight-year career with Disney overseeing their Vacation Club sales and marketing, ultimately propelling him to his current position with Hilton Grand Vacations.

De Salvia largely measures the value of his success by how much he gives back, especially to UCF.

In addition to the scholarship honoring his brother, he sits on both the Entrepreneurial Leadership Board and the management board at the Barry S. Miller College of Business, mentors students, supports the and speaks at

Through Hilton Grand Vacations, he’s also working to establish the Hilton Grand Vacations Scholarship Fund to help reduce financial barriers for hospitality students and bring Knights into the Hilton Grand Vacations family.

It’s a level of support that gives UCF students greater access to the industry while deepening the partnerships that are central to their experience at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“The scholarship reflects Hilton Grand Vacations’ commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders,” says Kyle Trager, director of development for Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

“Derek recognizes the long-term impact an endowed scholarship can have on attracting, supporting and retaining exceptional hospitality students,” he continues. “His leadership has been instrumental in advancing both the scholarship and broader partnership opportunities between HGV and Rosen College.”

Life, Lessons and Leading the Next Generation of Knights

De Salvia says he strongly believes UCF alumni share a responsibility to return and pay their knowledge forward. One of his key lessons is encouraging students to enter the world with their eyes wide open.

“Don’t look at just one path you feel you need to be on,” he says. “Whatever feels like an opportunity you want to pursue with passion, go for it. The thing people can never take from you is passion.”

And De Salvia’s devotion to his alma mater won’t be waning. He wants to pursue his doctoral degree at UCF and when he retires, he’d be happy to teach here and share what he’s learned to help students get a better start.

Are you interested in matching De Salvia’s spirit of service and helping UCF succeed in our next great mission? Learn more about the that’s elevating student success and building a future the world has only begun to imagine.

A groundbreaking discovery in a university laboratory may solve a scientific problem but turning that discovery into a successful company is an entirely different challenge. Researchers must determine whether customers actually need their technology, develop a viable business model, attract investors, and build the expertise and infrastructure needed to compete in the marketplace. Even promising technologies can stall somewhere along that journey.

After decades of helping researchers bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization, UCF is now bringing that proven model to a national stage.

Small U.S. businesses based in a variety of technologies that are seeking support to scale their reach can .

With a $20 million investment from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), UCF is leading the National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI), a two-year pilot program designed to help late-stage federally funded technology companies make the difficult transition from validated technology to commercial success.

The effort has drawn support from more than 30 organizations across industry, academia, national laboratories and the innovation community. Samsung, Siemens, Lockheed Martin and L3Harris are a small sample of the industry leaders that submitted letters of support. Research and higher education institutions supporting the effort include UC Berkeley, the Florida High Tech Corridor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory. Together, these organizations and others that will be brought into the mix represent the kind of national network NCTI aims to bring together to help promising technologies reach the marketplace.

How NCTI Will Support Small Businesses

Under the leadership ɫ����’s experts, NCTI will build on that commercialization experience by studying companies that have progressed beyond the initial stages of research and development. Researchers will examine how different combinations of support, including capital investment, mentorship, training, prototyping and testing, and market validation, can most effectively accelerate commercialization.

“NCTI completes that pipeline rather than duplicating any part of it.” — Ivan Garibay, professor

UCF Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems ’00MS ’04PhD, principal investigator for NCTI, will lead the institute. For more than 20 years, the UCF computer science alum has advanced research focused on modeling and simulating complex systems that combine social, technological, and economic factors. Through his previous positions at UCF, including serving as the Office of Research’s director of technology and innovation, Garibay has gained unique expertise on how to transform developments from the lab into real-world innovations.

Garibay says NCTI is designed to build upon existing federal research translation and commercialization programs by providing support at a later stage, when promising technologies have been developed but companies may still struggle to reach the market. NCTI also builds on another NSF effort Garibay has been leading at UCF since 2024, the Accelerating Research Translation program, which has strengthened internal processes at the university to enhance potential for developing viable business.

“NCTI completes that pipeline rather than duplicating any part of it,” Garibay says. “We coordinate the full continuum of federal resources, managing the handoffs from [the NSF] Innovation-Corps customer discovery through to commercialization support, so each company knows where it stands and what comes next.”

“Furthermore, the research study conducted in this effort will discover which interventions applied to enhance commercialization efforts of deep tech companies have the intended impact.” — Michael Georgiopoulos, CECS dean

, dean ɫ����’s College of Engineering and Computer Science for over a decade, will also contribute expertise as a co-principal investigator for NCTI. Georgiopoulos is a seasoned researcher in electrical and computer engineering whose areas of interest include machine learning and neural networks. Georgiopoulos has also helped lead NSF-supported efforts focused on strengthening STEM education and student success — fueling a talent pipeline for future innovators and entrepreneurs.

“This is a great opportunity for UCF with its prior expertise with TIP (Technology, Innovation and Partnership) programs such as ART, I-Corps, Engines to bring together a national network of entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to help deep-tech companies with proven technologies to successfully commercialize their efforts and attain the expected impact that their technologies are destined for,” Georgiopoulos says. “Furthermore, the research study conducted in this effort will discover which interventions applied to enhance commercialization efforts of deep tech companies have the intended impact.”

Enhancing a Commercialization Ecosystem

Over time, UCF has steadily expanded its efforts to help faculty researchers move discoveries beyond the laboratory, from establishing the UCF Business Incubation Program in 1999 to taking leadership roles in major economic-focused NSF initiatives.

�� ’96MS ’96MBA ’05PhD, a professor of industrial engineering and management systems, has been involved in many of these efforts. He founded the UCF Business Incubation Program, which Time magazine recently named the No. 17 on its inaugural America’s Best Incubators and Accelerators 2026 — and the top ranked traditional business incubator in the country.

“The notion now is bringing all these disparate tools together to help an engineer or a scientist get the training, processes, and tools that they need to transfer that technology into something beneficial to society.” — Thomas O’Neal, professor

“The whole notion is to build a robust ecosystem at the ɫ���� to help us get technology out of the laboratory and into the marketplace,” O’Neal says.O’Neal also serves as the co-principal investigator for UCF’s NSF Innovation-Corps (I-Corps) program, which launched at UCF in 2014 as the first NSF-sponsored economic effort at the university. Through the program, researchers undergo a structured customer-discovery process that helps them evaluate the market for their technology and ultimately reach what O’Neal describes as a “go or no-go” decision about pursuing commercialization.

“It is a formal process that helps engineers and scientists transfer their technology into viable business opportunities,” O’Neal says.

UCF is also strengthening the broader infrastructure surrounding research commercialization through NSF ART, which O’Neal is a co-principal investigator on.

“We were really siloed before,” O’Neal says. “The notion now is bringing all these disparate tools together to help an engineer or a scientist get the training, processes, and tools that they need to transfer that technology into something beneficial to society.”

Expanding Tech Focuses and Business Insights

That commercialization experience at UCF also extends to the Florida Semiconductor Engine, an NSF-funded initiative led by UCF Galloway Professor of Management , a co-principal investigator of NCTI.

“Some of the most critical factors include sufficient capital investment, clarity on customer need, business savvy and focused leaders, and the discipline to execute.” — Ron Piccolo, professor

“The Florida Semiconductor Engine is charged with translating and commercializing promising technologies in the semiconductor domain,” Piccolo says. “I am hopeful that we can support similar efforts in adjacent technologies. … NCTI extends the university’s portfolio of programs that support entrepreneurship, technology development and market readiness.”

As an NCTI co-principal investigator, Piccolo will draw on his experience as a business scholar to help develop and execute the institute’s research plan. His work with the Florida Semiconductor Engine will also help connect NCTI with a national network of NSF Engines spanning critical technology areas, including energy, textiles, quantum computing, critical materials, semiconductors and natural resources.

Determining why some promising technologies become viable companies while others do not will be a central part of NCTI’s research.

“Some of the most critical factors include sufficient capital investment, clarity on customer need, business savvy and focused leaders, and the discipline to execute,” Piccolo says.

Ready to Grow Your Business?

NCTI supports a select group of NSF-funded U.S. small businesses (NSF-funded SBIR and STTTR Phase II and Phase IIB companies) at the later stages of deep technology research and development — such as AI, biotechnology, quantum computing and other fields — ��through funding, mentoring and connections, paired with individualized support that includes diagnostic triage, a commercialization plan, dedicated mentor teams and curated introductions to customers, investors, industry and national laboratories.

Small businesses across America based in a variety of technologies that are seeking support to scale their reach can .

Carrillo is not among those planning to retire. He isn’t panicking either. After 30 years in underwriting, actuary work, risk management, research, and product development, Carrillo believes he’s just getting started. He embraces the workforce chasm as an enormous opportunity. It’s why he brought decades of experience to UCF in July 2025 to direct the Center for Risk Management and Insurance Education.

“I came here because UCF’s strengths in areas like technology and innovation give us a head start to transform this field in spaces where it’s lagged and build something special from scratch.”

“I came here because UCF’s strengths in areas like technology and innovation give us a head start to transform this field in spaces where it’s lagged and build something special from scratch,” Carrillo says.

He credits Ron Piccolo, associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Barry S. Miller College of Business, for preparing a smooth runway. They’ve worked hard to have a major and minor in risk management in place by Fall 2026. In April 2026, UCF’s Board of Trustees approved a new bachelor’s program in risk management and insurance education, pending Florida Board of Governors’ approval. Carrillo and Piccolo aim for an MBA and a continuing education program to follow. Experts trained at UCF will eventually partner with industry leaders to identify problems, apply research and deliver cutting edge talent.

“I can see what’s ahead, and it’s amazing,” Carrillo says. “At the same time, I’m fully aware of the serious challenges directly in front of us.”

Shattering Perceptions of Insurance

To infuse the program at UCF with as much optimism as he exudes, Carrillo must first face down the insurance industry’s most significant obstacle.

“Perception,” Carrillo says, bluntly. “Negative depictions of insurance professionals are everywhere. We even see it in kids’ movies, like The Incredibles, where the boss at an insurance agency is a villain. People grow up believing the entire industry is complicated and greedy.

“Our first step is to blow up those perceptions.”

To do that, Carrillo has been inviting professionals to show UCF students what the future of risk management looks like (young and enthused) and where their talents are being applied (Disney, the PGA Tour, the New York Yankees, and Marriott, to name a few). The diverse skillsets (drone operators, investors, accountants, and experts in fintech and cybersecurity) and personalities (extroverts and introverts) do not perfectly match old stereotypes.

The casual “get-to-know-us” events have stirred enough interest to fill as many as 144 seats, with others at The Exchange reaching the capacity of 120.

“Students sit up and say, ‘Wait, we thought working in this field meant shlepping life insurance to people who don’t want it or sitting in cubicles to deny claims.’ Their minds open up when they hear about professional playgrounds that don’t fit the mold.”

“I believe this calling is among the most noble things we can do. We’re helping people put their lives back together at a time of great loss.”

Interest heightens when “the cliff” enters the conversation. In addition to jobs opening because of mass retirement, analysts expect risk management and insurance to grow 17% per year into the foreseeable future, with average starting salaries ranging from $60,000-$90,000. Carrillo says a recession-proof career is all but guaranteed. To the skeptical question, “But is it fulfilling?” he candidly answers from his own experience.

“I believe this calling is among the most noble things we can do,” he says. “We’re helping people put their lives back together at a time of great loss. Is that what people think we do? Maybe not. It’s up to us to change that.”

And that leads to a second canyon-size gap: the knowledge gap. Sound personal advice has been replaced with search engines that find the cheapest rates for the minimum coverage, which can turn out horribly for customers when coverage is actually needed.

“Financial literacy has to be a big part of what we build,” Carrillo says. “With it, graduates can help people make informed decisions and have better lives.”

The 85-15 Ratio

Carrillo plans to launch a podcast soon called, “No One Does This on Purpose.” From his own research, he estimates only 15% of the people working in insurance and risk management intended to enter the industry. The other 85% have stories like Carrillo’s.

As an undergraduate at Purdue University, he took a summer job in the mailroom of an insurance company. An underwriter welcomed Carrillo on his first day and told him, “You’ll stay in this business.” Shortly after, the president of the company and shared more welcoming encouragement.

“I didn’t pay much attention because I wanted to be a pilot,” Carrillo says, “but everyone at that place blew up my own perceptions. The culture hooked me.”

He’s identified hooks all around Central Florida. UCF will be the 77^th institution with a risk management and insurance education program, but Carrillo says few have a comparable location or a blank slate to do something truly new — another reason he chose to come here from one of the oldest such programs in the country at FSU. The Center will partner with major risk management companies, collaborate on research with other colleges on campus and with Daytona State, and match students to internships where fresh perspectives are coveted.

“I expect this to explode,” he says, sounding very much like a man who’s about to ride a clean wave into the future with a new generation of students. Like him, they might never want to leave.

“NSF invests in small businesses that bring the most innovative cutting-edge technologies to the market and society,” says Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP. “By closing this gap that is known as the ‘valley of death,’ NSF aims to strengthen our commitment to translational research and further develop innovation ecosystems in the United States.”

The “valley of death” refers to a stage at which a new technology innovation has been substantially de-risked but the technology has not yet been commercially proven, making it difficult to attract funding or other support needed to achieve commercial viability.

“NCTI builds on UCF’s growing national leadership in helping promising technologies become products, companies and economic growth.” — Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president

“Many NSF-supported small businesses have the potential to become great commercial successes and contribute significantly to economic growth and job creation throughout the nation,” says Lesia Crumpton-Young, TIP section head for small businesses. “We want to support small businesses to overcome the hurdles common to commercializing deep technology innovations.”

Led by the ɫ����’s National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI), the pilot will examine the factors, conditions and approaches that lead to the successful transition of deep technology innovations to nationally impactful technologies.

The institute represents the latest evolution of a commercialization pipeline UCF has spent years developing. Through initiatives including the Southeast Hub of NSF I-Corps, NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) and the Florida Semiconductor Engine, UCF has helped researchers evaluate commercial opportunities, advance emerging technologies and strengthen regional innovation. NCTI will build on that foundation by expanding UCF’s commercialization efforts to companies nationwide.

UCF Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems , principal investigator for NCTI, will lead the institute, which will provide commercialization funding, expert mentorship and investor connections to SBIR/STTR Phase II and Phase IIB funded companies, while evaluating which approaches most effectively help deep technology ��companies reach the marketplace.

“We are grateful to the National Science Foundation for its continued confidence in UCF and for the opportunity to help shape the future of research translation and commercialization,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “Discovery reaches its greatest potential when it moves beyond the laboratory and improves lives, strengthens industries and creates opportunity. NCTI builds on UCF’s growing national leadership in helping promising technologies become products, companies and economic growth. With Central Florida’s extraordinary concentration of talent, industry and innovation, UCF is well positioned to build a model that can deliver impact for Florida and across the nation.”

“UCF’s readiness to lead this national effort is anchored by our highly integrated entrepreneurial infrastructure critical in the ‘lab-to-market’ pipeline,” says Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation. “NCTI will ensure that federally funded technologies successfully transition into investor-ready commercial enterprises.”

“Providing a ‘bridge’ to support our late-stage NSF-funded companies will move their impactful innovation to the market more quickly and thereby benefit the national economy.” — Peter Atherton, program director for NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer.

“A validated technology is a scientific achievement, but it isn’t yet a business. Many NSF SBIR Phase II companies hold genuinely de-risked technologies, yet still lack the business expertise, infrastructure, and capital access to turn that validation into a viable company,” Garibay says. “NCTI completes that pipeline rather than duplicating any part of it: we coordinate the full continuum of federal resources, managing the handoffs from I-Corps customer discovery through to commercialization support, so each company knows where it stands and what comes next.”

The pilot will support a select group of NSF-funded small businesses at the later stages of deep technology research and development through funding, mentoring, and connections, paired with concierge-level individualized support: diagnostic triage, an individualized commercialization plan, dedicated mentor teams, and curated introductions to customers, investors, industry, and national laboratories.

“Providing a ‘bridge’ to support our late-stage NSF-funded companies will move their impactful innovation to the market more quickly and thereby benefit the national economy,” says Peter Atherton, program director for NSF Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer.

Each stage of the pilot will be structured and independently evaluated. Designed as a scalable model, the results of the pilot will determine whether to establish a long-term program.

Learn more about the .

The top three finalists from the new program, organized by UCF Alumni, are creating jobs, strengthening communities and introducing innovative approaches in industries ranging from health care and hospitality to technology, finance and motorsports.

Their origin stories are shaped by education, family, friendships, unexpected career turns and the ability to adapt. UCF helped the Ever Upward honorees build the knowledge, relationships and confidence to turn their ideas into impact. Rodney M. Grabowski, UCF’s senior vice president for and CEO of the UCF Foundation, connected the honorees’ work to the university’s founding mission.

“UCF was founded to support the space program … to launch humanity even further. And that spirit still defines us today,” Grabowski says. “We’re launching students into careers and leadership positions in every industry. We’re launching ideas from our classrooms and labs into the real world.”

Recognizing Excellence

Ever Upward is UCF’s first program recognizing the fastest-growing Knight-owned and Knight-led businesses around the world. The 2026 rankings were based on cumulative percentage revenue growth over a consecutive three-year period, using calendar years 2022 through 2024.

Explore ways to

UCF Alumni accepted applications in January before announcing the top 25 finalists in June. Companies were ranked by percentage of cumulative annual growth in revenue. The final rankings were revealed at a special celebration in August.

Grabowski says, “The success of Knight-led businesses is part of the momentum shaping UCF’s future. Through the university’s $3.5 billion campaign, UCF is investing in people, ideas, research and partnerships that will help bring tomorrow within reach.”

“These companies demonstrate the transformational power of entrepreneurship,” says Mike Harding, UCF associate vice president for partnerships. “As they grow, their success creates opportunities for employees, strengthens the industries and communities they serve and inspires other entrepreneurs to pursue their own ideas.”

Learn more about this year’s top three finalists.��

No. 3: Reception 24/7

Ryan Rapolti ’11MBA, founder and CEO of Reception 24/7, traces his approach to leadership to experiences he had at home.

Rapolti watched his mother return to college while raising a family, which shaped his understanding of perseverance. His stepfather’s work in vocational rehabilitation also influenced his belief that business can be a vehicle for helping people.

Those influences became part of the foundation for Reception 24/7, which provides around-the-clock answering services for businesses. As artificial intelligence reshapes customer service, the company combines aspects of that technology with human support so clients can remain responsive and accessible. Rapolti applies the same people-first philosophy to the company’s workplace culture.

For Rapolti, innovation begins with understanding what both clients and employees need, then using technology to strengthen rather than replace human connection.

“You take away so many things from the UCF experience — not just what you learn in a textbook or from the professor, but from the people sitting next to you,” says Rapolti. “I am so excited to have been in the top three. Being able to grow quickly is great. Hopefully it will allow us to hire more UCF graduates and continue to do great things with the university.”

No. 2: Sebring Driving Club

Four years ago, W. Paul Jones ’94 had a choice to make: accept his fate or pivot.

Jones was the longtime managing director of the Palm Beach Driving Club before the historic raceway shuttered its gates in 2022. When an opportunity to purchase the��Sebring International Raceway appeared in front of him, Jones decided to take action.

Jones, who had extensive hospitality management experience, returned to his longtime interest when he founded the Sebring Driving Club, creating memorable experiences in the form of a private driving community. The club gives members access to Sebring International Raceway and a place to connect through a shared interest in motorsports.

By turning the traditional track experience into a year-round membership community, Jones found a new business model.

Jones challenges aspiring entrepreneurs to take the leap and dare to chart their own paths forward.

“Don’t be afraid to fail,” says Jones. “Start your company and keep on going. Go at it with passion.”

No. 1: Coastal Investment Company

For Coastal Investment Company founders Keith Ahrens ’08, Travis Barr ’09, Tyler Bloechinger ’09 and Carey Sobel ’09, entrepreneurship was shaped by friendships that began at UCF.

The partners built a diversified investment company that acquires and grows businesses across multiple industries. Their model combines complementary expertise with a hands-on approach to identifying opportunities, supporting leadership teams and helping companies reach their next stage of growth.

They credit UCF with providing the mentors, networks and entrepreneurial environment that gave them the confidence to take risks and ultimately launch Coastal together. Those connections remain central to the company’s culture, from hiring fellow Knights and drawing talent from their UCF networks to mentoring students and young alumni.

“We met at UCF, continued on, kept in touch and pushed each other,” says Bloechinger. “Relationships are so important. People are what will lead to your success.”

Coastal’s approach shows how different perspectives and complementary strengths can create a more collaborative model for growth.

Celebrating the Top 25

Interested in Ever Upward? Details about the next application period, including eligibility for 2027 honorees, will be announced at .

See the final rankings below.

1. Coastal Investment Company

• Tyler Bloechinger ’09��

• Keith Ahrens ’08��

• Travis Barr ’09��

• Carey Sobel ’09��

2. Sebring Driving Club

• W. Paul Jones ’94��

3. Reception 24/7

• Ryan Rapolti ’11MBA

4. Orange Tree Staffing

• Mardly Smith ’95��

• Craig Smith ’94��

5. Quadrant Engineering, P.C.

• Rafiqul Chowdhury ’09 ’11MS��

6. Island Direct Primary Care

• John Rothwell III ’13 ’15MS ’18DNP

7. Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering

• Josh Martin ’07��

8. Maymont Senior Care

• Nichole Blake-Little ’15��

9. Boys Electrical Contractors

• Kyle Nylander ’02 ’09��

10. Brewlando

• Shara Sooknarine Pathak ’04

11. Qu5 Services, Inc.

• Zachary Quandt ’84��

12. I’m All Ears

• Shelby Roemer ’08

13. Strategos Group

• Adam Giery ’08 ’11MA��

14. CJS Communications

• Christopher Slaven ’13��

• Alexander Fackler Sr. ’11��

15. Space Coast Pool School

• Lauren Broom ’00��

16. Buckalew Hospitality

• David “Skee” Buckalew ’05

17. Knight Federal Solutions

• Chris Baeten ’03��

18. Boston Data Pro, LLC

• Rajeev Verma ’04MS

19. McGinniss Himmel Insurance Agency

• Allen McGinniss ’05

20. Threaded Marketing Group

• Kelly Jo Jefferis ’04��

21. Garney Construction

• Matthew Reaves ’05��

22. aVenue Event Group

• Sean Hughes Jr. ’10��

23. S Cook Productions, LLC

• Stacey Cook ’99��

24. Global Ktech

• Kannan Srinivasan ’96MS��

25. Kavaliro

• Mark Moore ’99��

• John Mahony ’96

• Diane Mahony ’96 ’01MEd��

• Bill Peppler ’96��

The more Jake Rose’s colleagues at UCF and his neighbors around Chuluota, Florida, get to know him, the more he surprises them. The California native surfs and gardens. He is as comfortable building barns as he is building frameworks for AI-driven interfaces. He studied premed, minored in information systems and at heart admits to being “a closet psychologist.” He and his wife, who is now a visiting lecturer in the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting at UCF, raised their two children in New Zealand and recently purchased seven acres of workable land in the Orlando area.

The man with the callused hands is one of only a handful of professors in the world merging artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience to shape the future of the field he’s best known for at UCF — accounting.

Welcome to the dawn of neuro-accounting.

“When my master’s students hear about these new ways to view and practice accounting and the tremendous difference technology can make, it heightens their interest,” says Rose, UCF’s Kenneth G. Dixon Eminent Scholar. He adds with a smile, “I’m also more relatable when they find out how I spend my weekends.”

“Accounting provides the information needed for [business] decision-making, and that’s why neuro-accounting will eventually impact the entire global economy.”

On his most recent Saturdays, he’s been using his hands to dig postholes for 2,000 linear feet of fencing while letting his mind do what comes naturally to him: envisioning the future. In this one, he sees Paso Fino horses and an orchard.

Then, fully refreshed on Monday, he’s Professor Rose again with his thoughts laser-focused on what he calls “this unusual combination” of behavioral science, technology and accounting.

“I’ve never viewed accounting as just credits and debits,” he says. “When you take a step back, you see business is about decision-making. Accounting provides the information needed for this decision-making, and that’s why neuro-accounting will eventually impact the entire global economy.”

Trailblazing with Technology

Rose joined UCF in August 2025 after directing accountancy programs at universities from the South Pacific to America’s heartland. He made the move because he recognized a unique culture in , which recently received a $50 million gift from entrepreneur and alum Barry Miller ’95 to strengthen tech-driven business education — including Rose’s work.

“This is one of the very few business schools that want to pursue experimental work with technology,” Rose says. “I saw it as a unique place to make progress in neuro-accounting, which, other than UCF, only exists in a colleague’s lab in Australia.”

He’s made rapid progress. Within weeks of arriving at UCF, Rose was named the university’s Kenneth G. Dixon Eminent Scholar for excellence in accounting research. At the award ceremony, Rose emphasized the larger mission driving his work: “We can literally improve the world.”

When he says “we” in this context, he refers to a collaboration between people and advanced tech.

“When we design systems and interfaces that allow people and AI to make important decisions together, then every business and government can benefit.”

“The basic mechanics of accounting are already being automated,” he says. “The future will be about how people perceive risks within financial data and how technology can improve professional judgment. The consequences of good judgment are massive and affect businesses and lives worldwide. The truth is, we’re bad at dealing with large amounts of data because our brains are limited. But AI and other new technologies are expanding our limits. When we design systems and interfaces that allow people and AI to make important decisions together, then every business and government can benefit. The implications are massive.”

Those improvements, the way Rose sees them, will have their origins at UCF’s Dixon School of Accounting, in the first neuro-accounting lab of its kind in the U.S.

Fun and Fresh: The Future of Accounting

Rose already knows what the future lab could look like because he’s worked in the Business Behavioural Laboratory at Monash University in Australia. The Dixon School’s director, Jay Thibodeau, is currently seeking funding to bring the concept to UCF.

Once complete, the lab would allow researchers to measure how new technology and financial information influence crucial judgment factors like stress and attention.

“Ultimately, we’ll be able to help firms make better decisions,” Rose says.

However, he doesn’t want to be one of the only people in the world who understands neuro-accounting.

“This is why I love teaching,” Rose says. “I get to spread the word with students and let them experiment. It’s fun. They’re enthusiastic about taking accounting where no one has taken it.”

This guide is a resource to help you develop a sense of belonging, find community and build lifelong friendships while studying at UCF.

Marquee Events

Whether you’re studying at UCF Downtown, the , Rosen College of Hospitality Management or the main campus,����you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Some signature events have become beloved UCF traditions��with not-to-be-missed programming:

• Pegasus Palooza, UCF’s annual welcome week, greets new and returning students to campus with a variety of events including notable headliners at Comedy Knight and Concert Knight.

• UCF Homecoming��Week,��featuring��Spirit Splash,��kicks��off��Monday,��Oct. 19,��and��concludes��with the UCF football team’s matchup against BYU on��Saturday,��Oct. 24.

• Space Game, a football game unlike any other in the nation, pays tribute to our UCF’s roots as America’s Space University. This year’s matchup against Baylor on Friday, Oct. 30, marks 10 years of the Space Game.

• , held each spring at����Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, showcases the artistic talents ɫ����’s faculty and students in performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences.

• Gather Luncheon,��a��community-building event in the spring hosted by��Wellness & Health Promotion Services and Dining Services,����brings hundreds of students��together����for��a free, three-course meal.

Recreation, Intramurals and Sports Clubs

In addition to its fitness and recreation facilities, the Recreation and Wellness Center has longstanding intramural and sports club programs that allow students to form friendships and win championships, sometimes on the brightest of stages.

The RWC’s intramural sports program welcomes all UCF students, especially those who are new to Orlando and haven’t met enough peers to form their own team. Thanks to its free agency feature, individuals ca��be matched up with others or be paired with an established team.

The sports club includes 45 different sports, encompassing everything from judo to lacrosse to wakeboarding and have produced some ɫ����’s most notable alumni. Gold medalist Phil Dalhausser ’02, who played club volleyball while pursuing his business degree, and bronze medalist Kristen Thomas ’16, who began her rugby career��as a theatre studies major��at UCF,��both went on to��represent��Team USA��at��multiple Summer Olympic Games.

For more information, visit��.

Registered Student Organizations

UCF offers more than 650 registered student organizations spanning academic, professional, cultural and spiritual, social and recreational, and sports interests.

KnightConnect��is UCF’s official involvement platform where students can explore��these organizations or even create a new one.��Each organization has its own page with meeting times, contact information,��and ways to get involved.

Visit the����to find the organization right for you.

Greek Life

The fraternity and sorority experience has long been a part of campus life. Since the 1970s, fraternities and sororities have been providing spaces of belonging for students to grow together during their collegiate years.

Currently our UCF Greek community is comprised of 47 organizations, which all share the values of scholarship, leadership, service and brotherhood/sisterhood.

For more information visit��.

UCF Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

UCF is a member of one of the premiere conferences in the nation, the Big 12. From��Fear the Fronds��to��Zombie Nation, the student section’s energy is��an integral part of the game day atmosphere��and gives the Knights a distinct home field (and court) advantage.

All full-time UCF-enrolled students (except ɫ����) are eligible for free tickets to home sporting events. Please note: all seating is first-come, first-served and admission is not guaranteed. For more information, especially for football and men’s basketball student tickets, please visit .

The�� is an organization built and run by UCF students and supported by UCF Athletics. Joining the official group has its perks, including football tickets automatically loaded to members’ Ticketmaster accounts, a dedicated fast pass entrance at all UCF men’s basketball games, and first access to post-season student ticket claims.

Students can also contribute to game-day experiences by joining��, a more than 390-member marching band student organization that performs at pregame shows, halftime shows, pep rallies and��other��fan-fest��events. By creating the soundtrack for these dynamic events, the Marching Knights serve as one of the most vibrant and visible forces for school spirit.

Engage in��Research

Undergraduate research provides opportunities to build a learning community with faculty and fellow students��while engaging��in meaningful work that��develops��solutions��for��challenges facing our communities,��industries��and the world.

In addition to forging connections with peers and mentors, this��practical experience��allows students to��build their professional resumes��before��they graduate.

, UCF’s annual university-wide celebration of research and creative scholarship showcases graduate and undergraduate research. The week is scheduled for March 29 through April 2, 2027, featuring presentations, exhibitions and other events showcasing student research.

For more information on how to get involved with undergraduate research, visit��.

Explore��Orlando

UCF students live in one of the most vibrant destinations in the world, Orlando.��Whatever your interest, Orlando��likely has��it:��theme parks,��elite��sporting events,��electric festivals,��Michelin-rated restaurants,��nearby��coastlines��and��natural springs.

Orlando is what you make it, and there are ways to experience it all on a student budget.

The����offers��discounted��tickets to various attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal��Orlando��and Kennedy Space Center.��Every spring semester, UCF students��enjoy��free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights.

��gives Knights of all experience levels opportunities to go on hiking and camping trips at nearby springs, learn to surf, paddle through bioluminescent waters and more.

Several cultural museums in the area offer free entry,��including��the�� on the main campus,��Rollins Museum of Art��and Mead Garden in nearby Winter Park,��and the��Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida��in Maitland.��The��acclaimed��Orlando Museum of Art��offers free entry on the third Thursday of each month��as part of its Access for All initiative.

Held annually at the start of the fall semester, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining offers a chance to sample some the area’s exceptional restaurants at a fraction of the normal cost. Savor three-course, prix-fixe dinners�� — including at Aurora at the on-campus The Celeste Hotel — for just $40 or $60 per person from Aug. 14 – Sept. 30, 2026.