Hosted by Diane Trees, director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at UCF, Metro Center Outlook explores issues impacting Floridaā€™s economic development and prosperity.

Summer episodes will focus on community interests such as sports, food trucks, animals and Girl Scouts. New episodes will air at 6 p.m. each Wednesday through Aug. 8.

Before the summer episodes kick off, WUCF TV onĀ  Wednesday, July 11, will air an interview with Gary Sain, the former president and CEO of Visit Orlando. Sain, who passed away suddenly in May, had visited WUCF studios in April to tape an episode of Metro Center Outlook.

His family and colleagues requested that the interviewā€”in which Sain discussed Orlandoā€™s crucial economic role as a tourist destinationā€”be shared with the community as an honor and tribute to his memory.

Other new episodes include:

Treesā€™ Metro Center, in partnership with other institutions and organizations, was established in 2001 to serve as a link between UCF and the community in a regional approach that encompasses 13 Central Florida counties. It was founded by former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin.

WUCF TV airs on Bright House Networks digital cable channels 1 and 1001 in Orange, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola, Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. The station launched in July 2011 for more than 3.5 million viewers with the promise of providing the community PBS favorites and high-quality local programs.

For more on where to find and what to see on WUCF TV, go to . For more on the UCF Metro Center, visit http://metrocenter.cos.ucf.edu/.

Hosted by Diane Trees, director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at UCF, Metro Center Outlook explores issues impacting Floridaā€™s economic development and prosperity.

Perry will discuss Floridaā€™s judicial system and the consequences of high-profile cases when the show premieres at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11.

A sneak preview of the interview is .

Metro Center Outlook re-airs on WUCF Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Additional guests on this season of Metro Center Outlook include “$20 Per Gallon” author Christopher Steiner, former mayor of Tampa Pam Iorio and Florida Commissioner of Education Gerard Robinson.

Treesā€™ Metro Center, in partnership with other institutions and organizations, was established in 2001 to serve as a link between UCF and the community in a regional approach that encompasses 13 Central Florida counties. It was founded by former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin.

WUCF TV is a partnership between the ŗ£½ĒÖ±²„ and Brevard Community College, created to keep PBS in Central Florida. The station launched in July for more than 3.5 million viewers with the promise of providing the community PBS favorites and high-quality local programs.

WUCF TV airs on Bright House Networks digital cable channels 1 and 1001 in Orange, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola, Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.

For more on where to find and what to see on WUCF TV, go to .

The ŗ£½ĒÖ±²„ will hold a special on-campus celebration Thursday, March 1, to honor President John C. Hitt’s 20th anniversary in office. The event will begin at 2 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union.

Students, faculty and staff members, and campus friends will have the opportunity to create handwritten notes for the president and record short congratulatory videos. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., and refreshments will be served during the reception that follows the program.

John and Martha Hitt joined the UCF family March 1, 1992.

“It is a special privilege to serve as president of a university. Society invests in universities not just its money, but something far more precious, the potential of enterprising men and women who seek to enrich their lives through higher education,ā€ Hitt said during his inaugural address.

Since then, UCF has become one of America’s great success stories in higher education.

Typically, UCF sets new school records each year for the quality of its students and the number of degrees awarded. Enrollment has nearly tripled–making UCF the second-largest university in the nation. UCF has emerged as a major metropolitan research university with a global reach.

The on-campus celebration is one of several commemorations ofĀ  President Hitt’s achievements.

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Hitt appeared on WUCF TVā€™s Metro Center Outlook, hosted by Diane Trees, director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at UCF.

In the episode, which can be viewed , Hitt reflects on his accomplishments during the past 20 years, as well as his goals and influences.

The second part of the interview with President Hitt will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29. That episode will focus on regional partnerships and the changes and challenges that UCF and other public universities have faced the past two decades.

Information about where to watch WUCF TV can be found at .

Highlights of Hittā€™s two-decade tenure also can be viewed at the UCF Library, which is running an exhibit dedicated to Hitt and his wife, Martha, through March 31.

ā€œJohn C. Hitt: Twenty Years of Leadershipā€ offers pictures, awards and other memorabilia that chronicle Hittā€™s milestones at UCF. The display is on the main floor of the Library near the information desk.

Visit the UCF President’s website to read more about two decades of remarkable results.

Hosted by Diane Trees, director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at UCF, Metro Center Outlook explores issues impacting Floridaā€™s economic prosperity and development.

The new season will kick off with a two-part interview with Graham to air consecutive weeks.

Graham will discuss his novel, ā€œKeys to the Kingdom,ā€ and war in the Middle East during the first show, which will premiere Jan. 18.

The second part of the interview focuses on homeland security and terrorism. That episode will broadcast at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Metro Center Outlook will re-air on Thursdays at 10 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Additional guests on this seasonā€™s Metro Center Outlook include former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, UCF President John C. Hitt and PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff.

Treesā€™ Metro Center, in partnership with other institutions and organizations, was established in 2001 to serve as a link between UCF and the community in a regional approach that encompasses 13 Central Florida counties. It was founded by former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin.

WUCF TV is a partnership between the ŗ£½ĒÖ±²„ and Brevard Community College, created to keep PBS in Central Florida. The station launched July 1 for more than 3.5 million viewers with the promise of providing the community PBS favorites and high-quality local programs.

WUCF TV airs on Bright House Networks digital cable channels 1 and 1001 in Orange, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola, Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.

For more on where to find and what to see on WUCF TV, go to .

Woodruff spoke at a Presidentā€™s Focus on Excellence breakfast in downtown Orlando and also visited the Center for Emerging Media.

In a post on PBSā€™ ā€œRundownā€ blog, Woodruff called UCF a ā€œstunning success story.ā€

ā€œWith a philosophy that encourages entrepreneurship, UCF has helped students launch their own businesses immediately upon graduation, as well as partnered with industries to find jobs,ā€ she wrote. ā€œIts president, Dr. John Hitt, believes in taking risks when he thinks they’re warranted: ā€˜I hire smart people and let them come to me with their ideas,ā€™ he said. His decision to aim for state approval to launch the medical center and to take over a public television ā€¦ operation — with very little turnaround time or funding — are just two examples.ā€

Woodruff also noted some of the challenges that the university faces, including state budget cuts for UCF and public television.

ā€œBut meeting the leaders at this extraordinary school and seeing their “can-do” spirit up close gives one hope that not only will things eventually turn around, but that young people are developing the skills to see them through.ā€

WUCF TV, a partnership between UCF and Brevard Community College, broadcasts popular PBS programs and high-quality local shows to more than 3.5 million viewers. The station began broadcasting on July 1, just three months after WMFE announced it was ending its affiliation with PBS.

ā€œIā€™m very proud to say this community did not miss one second of PBS programming during the transition,ā€ Grant J. Heston, UCFā€™s associate vice president for Communications and Public Affairs, said at the Focus on Excellence breakfast last week.

Popular PBS Kids programming includes seven literacy series and 11 series on science, technology, engineering and math. Local shows that have premiered this fall include Metro Center Outlook with Diane Trees and Global Perspectives with Pulitzer Prize-winner John Bersia.

The channel — the primary PBS channel for nine Central Florida counties ā€“ is seeking to raise $1 million in community support this year.

Hitt encouraged viewers to share feedback about programming with WUCF TV. He also urged the community to consider investing in the station.

ā€œI intentionally use the word ā€˜investingā€™ because this is not a gift or a donation,ā€ he said. ā€œYour investment makes it possible for everyone to enjoy all of what we love most about PBS.ā€

To share feedback or invest in WUCF TV, go to .

Hosted by Diane Trees, director of the Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies at UCF, Metro Center Outlook explores issues impacting Floridaā€™s economic prosperity and development.

The new show kicked off with a specialĀ episode featuring Gov. Rick Scott, filmed on location during last monthā€™s Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando.Ā The special premiered on WUCF TV at 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, and it will re-air at 11:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16; 11 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16; and 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20.

The entire show with Gov. Scott also is available .

During the interview, Scott talks with Trees about Floridaā€™s projected $3 billion budget deficit and high unemployment.

ā€œI donā€™t want to create programs that donā€™t fit for Florida,ā€ Scott says.

ā€œYou have to choose the things that are good for Florida,ā€ he adds. ā€œSome things politically, people donā€™t like, but itā€™s the right thing for the state.ā€

Metro Center Outlook settles into its permanent home at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Oct. 26. It will re-air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Read more about WUCF TV’s new fall lineup here.

Additional guests for the first season include businessman and community leader Rick Walsh; Lake Nona Medical City advocate Rasesh Thakkar; and Paul Tash, chairman and CEO of the Times Publishing Co. in St. Petersburg.

ā€œMetro Center Outlook will take a thoughtful look at issues important to our viewers, region and state,ā€ Trees said. ā€œOur goal is to present multiple sides of a story so that viewers can make up their own mind.ā€

Treesā€™ Metro Center, in partnership with other institutions and organizations, was established in 2001 to serve as a link between UCF and the community in a regional approach that encompasses 13 Central Florida counties. It was founded by former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin.

WUCF TV is a partnership between the ŗ£½ĒÖ±²„ and Brevard Community College, created to keep PBS in Central Florida. The station launched July 1 for more than 3.5 million viewers with the promise of providing the community PBS favorites and high-quality local programs.

WUCF TV airs on Bright House Networks digital cable channels 1 and 1001 in Orange, Brevard, Seminole, Osceola, Flagler, Volusia, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties.

For more on where to find and what to see on WUCF TV, go to .