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

When I arrived, UCF聽had experienced聽tremendous growth, particularly coming out of the recession. But that growth made the college feel transactional. Faculty were stretched聽thin,聽technology had replaced聽in-person聽interaction聽and there聽wasn鈥檛聽a strong sense聽of community.

What struck me most was that while we had excellent individual scholars, we聽didn鈥檛聽yet have a true community of scholars. People聽didn鈥檛聽know each other well, and without that,聽it鈥檚聽very difficult聽to build a shared vision.

So,聽I聽started by聽listening. I met one-on-one with every聽faculty聽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聽emerged聽was powerful. Many of our faculty were first-generation college graduates, just like our students, just like Barry and just like me. They聽are聽here because they wanted to聽help build something different. That became the foundation for our vision: creating a culture of engagement that would transform the聽college聽experience聽for everyone.

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

How would you describe the college鈥檚 culture today?

Today, that culture of engagement defines us.

There鈥檚聽a quote聽from聽English聽philosopher Herbert Spencer聽we often reference:聽鈥�The great aim of higher education isn鈥檛 knowledge, it鈥檚 action.鈥澛營t鈥檚聽not enough for students to learn concepts;听迟丑别y need to know how to apply them.

You see that in the building itself.聽It鈥檚聽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聽it鈥檚聽what makes the experience more meaningful聽and more transformative.

Changing culture is one of the hardest things a leader can do. It requires people to see a future they聽haven鈥檛聽experienced yet. But over time, our faculty,聽staff聽and students have seen the value of what聽we鈥檝e聽built together,聽and聽that鈥檚聽what makes it sustainable.

贬辞飞听does听迟丑别听叠补谤谤测听惭颈濒濒别谤听investment聽accelerate that future?

鈥淕reat universities win by attracting great people (faculty and students) and creating the conditions for them to succeed. This gift helps us do exactly that.鈥�

This investment allows us to recruit leading scholars at the intersection of business and technology聽鈥斅爁aculty who are working on the most pressing challenges facing industry and society.

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

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

What will聽distinguish听迟丑别 college over the next decade?

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

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

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