The Board also appointed Vice President Thad Seymour, Jr. as interim president effective immediately, and voted to engage the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges to assist with a search for an interim president until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Whittaker, UCF’s fifth president, offered his resignation on Tuesday, along with a statement to the campus community. He also sent a letter to trustees that laid out a path to a renewed relationship with the Legislature.

“Florida needs a UCF that serves our students and community without fear of what the future may bring,” Whittaker wrote. “Great universities and our state depend on trust and transparency with a Legislature that shares in its values and mission.”

The Board’s acceptance of the resignation is subject to a settlement agreement with President Whittaker that will be determined in the weeks ahead. The agreement will be negotiated by the Chairman and based on recommendations from the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee.

The Board’s action followed more than 90 minutes of public comments.

Board Chairman Robert Garvy praised Whittaker’s character and integrity, and his effort to correct the problems that led to the misspending of funds.

“Nevertheless, President Whittaker stated in his offer to resign his presidency that sometimes the finest leadership decisions are those that entrust future leadership to others. He has concluded that for UCF to heal wounds new leadership is required. Our loss will be some other institution’s great gain,” Garvy said. “Dale Whittaker has demonstrated great courage and sacrifice for the students, faculty and administration at UCF. I believe we should honor his thoughtful and thoroughly considered offer to resign in the hope that the relationship between UCF and the Florida Legislature can be renewed.”

Other trustees also praised Whittaker.

“Dale Whittaker is a great leader,” Trustee Alex Martins ’01MA said. “He is a leader of high character, integrity, a visionary, and as we’ve heard, incredibly innovative. We’ve been very fortunate to have him as president of this university. Above being a great leader, he understands it’s about this great institution and not about Dale Whittaker.”

Three trustees — trustee John Sprouls, faculty representative William Self and student representative and SGA President Josh Boloña — voted to reject the resignation.

Seymour, vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer, joined UCF in Fall 2015 to help lead the university’s Collective Impact Strategic Planning process. He was then appointed vice provost for UCF Downtown, a campus that will open in August.

Prior to coming to UCF, Seymour led strategic planning and business development for Lake Nona Medical City as senior vice president at Tavistock Development Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, a master’s and doctorate from the ����ֱ�� of Wisconsin, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern ����ֱ��.

Seymour’s service as interim president will conclude when a long-term interim president takes office. The Board of Trustees’ decision on an interim president is also subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 public universities.

The Board also voted to continue with Trustee Garvy serving as chairman until July 1.

“This lab will serve as the campus’ primary hub for students to develop and expand their information security skills, preparing them to enter this high-demand field and take on the cyber security threats of the future.”— UCF President Dale Whittaker

The lab’s opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting, a demonstration by UCF’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club (Hack@UCF) and a panel discussion with U.S. military and Lockheed Martin cyber experts about technology trends and how students can prepare for a career in the growing field.

The 970-square-foot lab is in the atrium of UCF’s Engineering I building and will serve as a learning hub, classroom, and the practice center for Hack@UCF. In November 2018, Lockheed Martin donated $1.5 million to UCF to help create the Cyber Innovation Lab and encourage the next-generation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) talent to collaborate and solve today’s challenging cyber problems. The company’s donation will fund software and technology support to the lab, and employees will also provide cyber training and professional mentoring to engineering students.

“This lab will serve as the campus’ primary hub for students to develop and expand their information security skills, preparing them to enter this high-demand field and take on the cyber security threats of the future,” says UCF President Dale Whittaker. “We are grateful for Lockheed Martin’s longtime partnership and strong commitment to our students’ success.”

UCF provides more graduates to aerospace and defense companies than any other university in the country, and UCF continues to grow cyber research and education through its Cyber Security and Privacy Faculty Cluster, an interdisciplinary research team focused on comprehensive solutions to human and technological causes of security and privacy problems. It’s estimated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that there are more than 13,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Florida alone, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs for information security analysts will grow by 28 percent by 2026.

“The future battlespace will be heavily reliant on cyber… even more so than we’re seeing today,” says Stephanie C. Hill, deputy executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. “By working with institutions like UCF, through labs like this one, we’ll all better understand and accelerate our shared capabilities and potential to adapt and innovate in the fifth domain.”

UCF rose to national prominence in cyber defense education when Hack@UCF won three back-to-back championships in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Hack@UCF also in 2018 won the U.S. Department of Energy CyberForce Competition. The student club, with more than 350 members, continues to dominate in collegiate competitions throughout the country.

“Having a centralized space will streamline the way we organize our meetings and practices,” says Hack@UCF President David Maria, a senior studying computer engineering.  “With this lab, we can practice for competitions, host workshops and speakers, provide cyber security tools and resources, and give our student members a sense of community and help get them ready for future careers. It’s not just a practice space. It’s a home for us.”

In 2016, UCF was named as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The designation, which brings prestige and additional access to scholarships and research grants to UCF, comes under a federal program that’s meant to reduce the vulnerability of the nation’s information infrastructure by strengthening higher education and research in cyberdefense.

Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Solutions business in Orlando has grown by 400 percent over the past five years and continues to grow in response to the nation’s critical need for offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities in today’s evolving threat environment.

Lockheed Martin provides paid work experience to approximately 650 UCF students a year and hires more graduates from UCF than any other university in the country.

This employee could represent anyone on our campus and deserves a response. I hope this reaches the author.

Dear Discouraged Employee,

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry I offended you and your Administration and Finance colleagues in my message about Trevor Colbourn Hall.

I hope you will accept my apology. I’d also like to share my experience with this building so that you can see my comments were about choices made by a few key decision makers in the division, not you and your colleagues.

What Happened Was Wrong

Simply put, according to , senior officials in the Administration and Finance division knowingly used $38 million of restricted state funds to build a building. Trevor Colbourn Hall wasn’t the only one. Over a number of years, about $85 million was spent, or planned to be spent, inappropriately.

That’s not right. Even if this was done to solve a problem, leaders can’t break rules they don’t like. And they shouldn’t ask others to do the same.

UCF is an incredible institution with faculty and staff who believe in our mission and act with integrity. That is our culture; I see it every day.

As I said after yesterday’s Board of Governors’ meeting, I am in this for the long haul and am committed to leading us to a better future. That starts with rebuilding trust on campus and in our community and state.

What I Knew

As provost, my focus was accommodating our growing faculty and planning which academic units would go into Trevor Colbourn Hall. That’s what a provost does.

A CFO is responsible for identifying funds for construction projects and making sure they’re appropriate to use.

There have been a lot of recent headlines that, when I was provost, I knew there was a funding plan that involved using Education & General (E&G) dollars for Trevor Colbourn Hall. That’s true … but I didn’t know and wasn’t told that these funds were wrong to use.

If I had known that, I would have spoken up and worked to stop it.

What’s Next

As president, I am responsible for owning and fixing the problems of the past. Now, we are making changes that will make us stronger.

You suggest I meet as many of UCF’s dedicated and hardworking employees as I can. That’s a great idea, and I am scheduling additional visits to colleges and divisions to hear from you.

I believe in the power of UCF’s people. Together, we will continue changing lives and creating opportunities for the tens of thousands of students and an entire community who trusts us to do just that.

Sincerely,

UCF President Dale Whittaker

In September, the Board of Trustees launched an independent, third-party investigation led by a former federal prosecutor who reviewed thousands of documents and conducted dozens of interviews.

Yesterday, the university received the final report, which the Board of Trustees will discuss at a special meeting this afternoon. This note is to let you know the actions I am taking in response to the report.

I was interviewed as part of the investigation. The report supports what I told the Board of Trustees in September: Although I knew about the funding source used for Trevor Colbourn Hall, I was never told, and never knew, that using these funds was inappropriate — for this project or any others.

More Than One Building

We know inappropriate spending was not isolated to Trevor Colbourn Hall. In all, construction projects totaling about $85 million were either built, or planned to be built, with inappropriate funds.

This is about more than one building. We understand the scope of what happened, we accept responsibility for it … and, frankly, we’re embarrassed by it.

I read the report carefully. What I saw was a broken culture in one of our areas where UCF’s core values were not embraced. Because this is a matter of culture — and not a singular problem — our solutions have to be comprehensive and reaffirm our values.
With that in mind, earlier today I began the termination process for four administrators in the Administration and Finance division.

What’s Next

A culture of integrity, ethics and accountability is driven by people. That’s why I am creating the new position of Chief Accountability Officer, which will elevate our focus on these fundamental values; oversee our ����ֱ�� Compliance, Ethics and Risk Office; and help ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking up when they see something they know or believe is illegal or unethical.

Separately, I can think of no better example of integrity than retired Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, a decorated Army veteran and former superintendent for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I hired General Caslen this month and charged him with leading change in our administration and finance operations.

Moving forward, we will ensure that every dollar we spend is appropriate and that we have the right checks and balances in place.

To do this, I made several changes last fall, among them:

The separation of these positions will be a permanent change, recommended by this report and Accenture, the global management consulting firm I hired in October to review our administration and finance organizational structure.

A new chief operating officer will be responsible for many operational areas, and a new chief financial officer will oversee financial management services. We will immediately begin national searches for these positions.

Our Culture

As president, I will rebuild a culture where leadership — starting with me — serves the university with integrity, competency and openness.

Together, we will make UCF a model for what higher education can be for the United States.

When I became president, I said that UCF has a bold future ahead … and that I believe in the power of our people.

To the faculty, staff and students who come to UCF every day, work hard and act with integrity, let me say this: As difficult as it is now, your university will be stronger because of this. Together, we will keep changing lives and creating opportunities for our community and state.

While visiting Phoenix for the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, more than 70 people from the UCF community pitched in to volunteer at Arizona Helping Hands on the morning of New Year’s Eve. The group included faculty and staff, the spirit team along with Knightro, the Board of Trustees, parents of football student-athletes, the Phoenix UCF Alumni Club, President Dale Whittaker and his wife, Mary.

The non-profit organization formed 20 years ago and is the largest provider of essential needs for children in foster care and their families in the state of Arizona.

“My heart was touched so much by this. It’s so special that we have so many people who have open caring hearts that want to do for others,” says Harriet Roberson, mother of tight end Anthony Roberson. “I would love to start something like this in Orlando. Even if we started on a small scale, doing a diaper drive. I just love what they’re doing. It’s amazing, so if we could do a little bit in our area to help we definitely want to do that.”

The group divided and conquered several projects. Some sorted and quantified diapers from a recent diaper drive. Others tapped into their artistic side and decorated 85 gift bags used for birthday presents for foster children. Some sorted toys and others assembled 173 first aid kits for families.

Several members of the group also donated more than $1,000 in gift cards that will be given to teenagers on their birthdays.

The project was especially meaningful for Lindsay Bettis, a senior marketing major and member of the spirit team, who used to help throw birthday parties for foster children in her hometown.

“To be able to help in an even bigger arena is amazing,” she says. “I think it shows how much of a community UCF is. We do many community service events back in Orlando, so everywhere we go we try to make a difference.”

It was also a special experience for the chair of the Phoenix UCF Alumni Club, Chris Fleming ’06, who is excited to welcome the influx of Knights fans to his city. He moved to Phoenix three years ago for his job as a regional sales manager but is still a season-ticket holder for both football and men’s basketball and an avid fan.

“I think when people see Phoenix, they don’t necessarily think there’s that many alumni, but we get upwards of 50 people at our watch parties. According to LinkedIn, there’s 500 alumni in the valley,” he says. “We’re 2,200 miles away, but we’re still screaming and yelling at televisions on game days. My big goal is to get the awareness out and let people know they have a home here in Phoenix.”

He also says the club will continue to work the Knights started Monday and build their relationship with Arizona Helping Hands.

UCF reflected on these moments in the “Best of 2018” video. To learn more about what you see in the video, read the stories listed below.

2018 was a year of making moves.

We went from a program to a powerhouse…

UCF Defeats Auburn to Win Peach Bowl

We honored a visionary who took us places we never dreamed of…

John Hitt Says Goodbye

And welcomed a leader who will take us even further.

Get to Know UCF President Dale Whittaker

We extended our reach from around the globe to out-of-this-world…

UCF-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

But we didn’t forget what’s most important in our own backyard.

Nemours, UCF Transform Education for Hospitalized Children through PedsAcademy

UCF Gets an A+ for its Bee Campus USA Designation

UCF Launches National Center to Find Big-Picture Solutions to Coastal Threats

UCF Student Studies Algal Blooms Impact on Sea Turtles in Indian River Lagoon

We made great, new friends…

Bill Gates on What Sets UCF Apart

Couple’s $6.6M Gift Will Boost Many UCF Programs

And even greater heroes.

Shaquem Griffin Drafted by Seattle Seahawks

We asked the right questions…

UCF Student Hannah Sage Finishes 3rd in Jeopardy! College Championship

And searched for groundbreaking answers.

New Laser Technique May Help Detect Chemical Warfare in Atmosphere

UCF PTSD-Treatment Clinic’s 2nd Location Opens in Brevard County

We laughed together…

PHOTOS: UCF First Day of Fall 2018 Classes

We cried together…

Knight-Thon Raises $1.5 Million for Children’s Hospitals Across the Nation

We celebrated what makes us unique…

UCF is a Hispanic Serving Institution

And then came together as one family.

10HANA

We had big wins on the playing field…

UCF Men’s Soccer: A Season to Remember

UCF Volleyball Ranked No. 13 For First Time in Program’s History

Knights Take 2nd in National Cheerleading Championships

And in the classroom.

UCF Programming Team Places 1st in North America, 10th Worldwide

UCF Cyber Defense Team Wins National Championship

UCF Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

We embraced time-honored traditions…

Relive UCF Homecoming 2018 Through These 16 Awesome Photos

And savored the spotlight.

4th UCF Celebrates the Arts to Feature Tributes to Bernstein, President Hitt

Thanks for the Best Weekend Ever, College GameDay

We passed the torch…

Josh Heupel Named UCF Football Head Coach

UCF Names Metzger as New Police Chief

Announcing Our Provost, Elizabeth Dooley

We expanded opportunity…

UCF Extends In-State Tuition Rate for Puerto Rican Students Through 2023

And we kept the streak alive.

Back-to-Back: UCF Football Wins AAC Championship

And while we enjoyed looking back on 50 years of classes…

Tales from UCF’s Very First Day of Classes

As Knights, we will always look to the future…

What UCF Downtown Will Look Like in August 2019

Partners Break Ground for New UCF-HCA Hospital

And continue to reach for the stars.

15. UCF-led Consortium to Manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

UCF announced it would be partnering with the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world, Arecibo Observatory. “The kind of science we can conduct with this observatory is important, and we didn’t want to see it go dark,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for Research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

14. College GameDay Is Coming to UCF

Not only did ESPN’s College GameDay announce it was coming to campus for the first time in its 25 year history, but ABC revealed it had selected the UCF football team’s showdown with Cincinnati as its Saturday primetime matchup. Within 24 hours of the announcement, the game was officially sold out.

13. Most Accomplished Incoming Class in UCF’s History to Start Classes on Monday

The start of the 2018-19 school year marked the 50th anniversary of classes at UCF, and students are as bright as ever. This year’s incoming class boasted a grade-point average of 4.11 and an average SAT score of 1328.

12. UCF Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 10 Most Innovative Universities

U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF above Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Johns Hopkins among the nation’s most innovative schools in its annual list of best colleges. UCF also made the cut in several other categories.

11. Study Finds Bacteria in Milk Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

This story also appears among UCF’s most popular research stories of the year. UCF College of Medicine researchers found that drinking milk infected with a specific bacteria may be associated with developing rheumatoid arthritis. Further studies could determine if the relationship is causal. The research was shared through news and websites around the world and translated into multiple languages.

10. UCF Announces May 2018 Commencement Speakers

President John C. Hitt’s final commencement ceremony before his retirement welcomed six speakers to address more than 8,100 graduating students.

9. Everything You Need to Know About Universal Knights 2018

This must-read helped thousands of students put together their game plan for attending one of the most popular annual events at UCF — Universal Knights.

8. What the Student Union Will Look Like in Spring 2020

It seems everyone wanted a sneak peek at the Student Union’s upgraded amenities, which will include expanded food options, additional seating and square footage, and a new space for the Student Government Association.

7. Pluto a Planet? New Research from UCF Suggests Yes

No shocker here that Pluto made the cut as this story was No. 1 on UCF’s Top 10 Research Findings of 2018. After 12 years of being on the out, UCF research shows that Pluto should regain its status as a planet. The internet loved the research generating more than 85 million views across multiple media outlets.

6. Bill Gates on What Sets UCF Apart

When philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates writes about your university on his personal blog, you know you’re doing something right. After a visit to campus, Gates described UCF as an example of how universities can effectively use online learning to boost access and student success while still keeping tuition affordable.

5. Dale Whittaker Named UCF’s President-Elect

When Dale Whittaker was named as UCF’s next great president, it made major headlines. People had been tuned in throughout the presidential search as the field was narrowed from eight semifinalists (11,435 views) to four finalists (9,758 views).

4. UCF’s Academic Realignment Continues with New Names for Colleges, School

UCF launched an academic reorganization in 2017 to provide new opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and research and best prepare students for the world after graduation. In March 2018, the new names of two colleges and a school were unveiled, which resulted in this informational piece about the restructure and what the future holds when UCF Downtown opens in 2019.

3. Everything You Need To Know About College GameDay Coming to Campus

Campus buzzed with excitement when ESPN’s College GameDay first arrived in town Nov. 15. UCF was the 71st different school to host ESPN’s iconic college football preview show. The GameDay analysts commented during the broadcast about the high volume of UCF fans’ signs, saying it might be the most signs they’ve ever seen during their 25 years as a show. This recap shares 20 of our favorite photos from the weekend.

2. Fan Guide to 2018 UCF Football Season

This story ran prior to the UCF football team’s season opener at UConn in August, but it was a resource all season long for people looking to live their best fan life.

1. Who is “The Stare-Down Kid” at UCF’s Football Games?

Anthony Allan is a civil engineering major who had no idea that he’d turn into a viral phenomenon in his first year at UCF. He captivated the crowd at Spectrum Stadium during a “fan of the game” video board segment Sept. 21 at the football team’s matchup against FAU, and he’s been staring into our souls ever since.

U.S. Rep. will join UCF Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus  and President Dale Whittaker in addressing graduates during four separate ceremonies Dec. 14-15 at the CFE Arena.

More than 5,700 degrees will be conferred during UCF’s annual fall commencement ceremonies. Nearly half of the degrees will be awarded to students from traditionally underrepresented communities, with Hispanic and Latinx students comprising more than one quarter of all degree recipients. UCF has awarded more than 329,000 degrees since classes began 50 years ago in the fall of 1968.

.

Stephanie Murphy

U.S. Representative

Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Business, College of Engineering & Computer Science, and College of Optics & Photonics.

Since 2017, Murphy has represented Florida’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Seminole County and much of northern Orange County. She is a former businesswoman, college instructor and a national security specialist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

While with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Murphy worked on a wide range of national issues — such as counter-terrorism, foreign military relations and strategic planning — and earned numerous honors, including the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service. In the private sector, she served as a strategy consultant at Deloitte Consulting. Murphy is an alumna of Georgetown ����ֱ�� and the College of William & Mary.

Michael J. Grindstaff ’78

UCF Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus

Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Graduate Studies and College of Sciences.

In addition to his  role on UCF’s Board of Trustees, Grindstaff previously served as chairman of the UCF Foundation, director of the UCF Athletics Association, and president of the UCF Golden Knights Club. He is a member of the UCF President’s Trust Society, the UCF President’s Medallion Society, past director and lifetime member of the UCF Alumni organization, and a UCF Alumni trustee.

A partner in the law firm Shutts & Bowen, Grindstaff’s legal practice has been concentrated in the areas of real estate transactions, land use and development. He earned and a J.D. from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer ����ֱ��.

Dale Whittaker

UCF President

Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Community Innovation & Education and College of Health Professions & Sciences.

Dec, 15 at 2:30 p.m. – Commencement ceremony for the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Undergraduate Studies, and Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Whittaker became UCF’s fifth president in July. As president, he focuses on continuing UCF’s remarkable trajectory in academics, athletics, research and community impact while striving to expand opportunity and access to education.

Whittaker came to UCF in August 2014 to serve as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, providing leadership to UCF’s 13 colleges, multiple campuses and research centers and institutes. As a professor, he specializes in agricultural and biological engineering, with an equal passion for the arts and providing students with authentic learning experiences. Before coming to UCF, Whittaker served in multiple faculty and leadership positions at Purdue and Texas A&M universities; he also is an alumnus of both universities.

Ticketing Information and Viewing Options

Tickets are required for ceremony admission. Graduation announcements cannot be used for admission. Graduate candidates will receive tickets with their cap and gown order; each graduate candidate will receive up to five guest tickets. Information on ticketing is available online at .

Guests who do not have tickets are able to watch the ceremony in the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. Tickets are not required for the telecast, which is closed captioned. The Alumni Center will open at 8 a.m. on both Dec. 14 and 15. The Student Union will open at 7 a.m. Dec. 14 and 9 a.m. Dec. 15.

Just look at our national champion cyber defense and computer programming teams! Or our 25-0 Knights!

And the best is ahead. In 2019, our focus will be enhancing excellence across our entire university, starting with students.

With those words – from Michael Joyce, president of HCA Healthcare’s North Florida Division – university and HCA leaders, faculty physicians, medical students and community leaders broke ground Thursday for UCF Lake Nona Medical Center.

The UCF-HCA joint venture hospital will open in late 2020 on 25 acres across from the UCF .

About 500 guests attended the groundbreaking event, which began with an early morning rainbow.

“[The UCF-HCA Hospital will] make Orlando a destination for how health and wellness should be taught and practiced in the 21^st ����Գٳܰ���.” – UCF President Dale Whittaker

UCF President Dale Whittaker says the hospital embodies a bold, collaborative spirit that will “make Orlando a destination for how health and wellness should be taught and practiced in the 21^st ����Գٳܰ���.”

The hospital groundbreaking came eleven years and 22 days after university and community leaders broke ground for the UCF College of Medicine as the anchor of an emerging Medical City at Lake Nona.

“A teaching hospital was part of our dream that day,” says Dr. Deborah German, vice president for health affairs and founding dean. “On Oct. 3, 2007, we didn’t know who our partner would be or how we would build such a hospital. But we knew then what we know today – that we needed a teaching hospital to accomplish our goal to be one of the nation’s premier 21^st century medical schools, anchoring a Medical City that could one day be a global destination.”

The hospital will be just a few steps from a new UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center that will be created in the former Sanford Burnham Prebys research facility. And it will be the cornerstone for UCF’s new Academic Health Sciences Center that will eventually bring many of the university’s health-related programs to Lake Nona.

Wendy Brandon, the new CEO of UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, says the new academic hospital will incorporate medical education, research and patient care. “Our hospital will be a place that not only provides healing for our patients but also educates the healthcare providers of the future and supports the work of brilliant researchers that will lead to lifesaving care,” she says.

UCF medical students applauded the role the hospital will play in preparing them as future physicians. UCF and HCA are already partnering to create residency programs across North Central and Central Florida and soon will expand those graduate medical education programs to Pensacola. Ultimately, the new hospital will have its own residents but will provide clerkship training for third- and fourth-year medical students from the time it opens.

“The UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will allow us to give back to and serve the community that has embraced us so warmly.” – Kevin Petersen, medical student

“The UCF Lake Nona Medical Center will allow us to give back to and serve the community that has embraced us so warmly,” says medical student Kevin Petersen, Student Council president for the Class of 2021. “Today, we are one step closer to creating a healthier tomorrow… the UCF way.”

In preparation for his remarks, Petersen did an online survey of all 490 current UCF College of Medicine students and asked what the new hospital meant to each. He created a framed image of the hospital rendering with some of the students’ quotes and presented it to Dr. German “to thank you for believing in your dream and for believing in us… and also to remind you of the inspiration you provide all of us students on a daily basis.”

With the groundbreaking ceremony finished, construction of the hospital will begin. The hospital’s foundation will be poured by January. The three-story hospital will open at 204,079 square feet with 64 beds and shelled space enabling expansion to 80 beds. UCF Lake Nona Medical Center is authorized to grow to 500 beds without further state approval.

The hospital is a joint venture between HCA Healthcare and UCF Academic Health, a direct service organization of the university. HCA is spending $175 million to build and begin operating the hospital. No state dollars are being used.

To see a video version of this story, visit