UCF is ranked No. 4 in the nation for conferring bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic/Latino/a/x, marking the third consecutive year the university has been recognized in the top 5 by Hispanic Outlook magazine. The ranking, which was released today and lists top-performing educational institutions, considers degrees awarded in the 2020-21 academic year. UCF is also ranked No. 12 for Hispanic enrollment among four-year schools and No. 21 for awarding master’s degrees to Hispanics. In 2020-21, UCF awarded 4,240 bachelor’s degrees and 563 master’s degrees to Hispanic students. During the same academic year, 27.8% of the student body identified as Hispanic/Latino/a/x.

This year, Hispanic Outlook also ranks UCF within the top 10 schools nationally across five degrees:

• 4 for Visual and Performing Arts
• 5 for Engineering
• 7 for Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
• 7 for English Language and Literature/Letters
• 8 for Legal Professions and Studies

UCF encourages Hispanic students to engage with academic-based opportunities that connect them to their cultural backgrounds. This includes funding students’ involvement with the HSI Battle of the Brains — a week-long networking event that matches students at HSIs to opportunities in the industry and includes a 24-hour hackathon/business plan competition, which a team of UCF students won in March. UCF also offers a Latinx Leadership track within LEAD Scholars, a selective two-year leadership development program for undergraduate students.

“We know that these types of co-curricular experiences have a positive impact on students and make earning a degree that much more meaningful,” says Cyndia Muñiz ’13EdD, UCF’s director of HSI Culture and Partnerships. “We will continue to create spaces where students can lean into their cultural assets as they prepare for their respective career fields.”

Today, UCF is also recognized as an HSI Fulbright Leader for the second year in a row by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This designation recognizes the noteworthy engagement that selected HSIs have achieved with the prestigious Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. A total of 43 institutions have received this designation for the 2021-22 academic year. In 2021, UCF was named a top producer of Fulbright Students by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Being named a Fulbright HSI Leader again is a testament to the community that UCF faculty and staff foster on campus and has led to us endorsing the highest number of applicants for this U.S. Fulbright Student Grantee cycle,” says Morgan Bauer, UCF’s director for the Office of Prestigious Awards. “We are so excited for all applicants who decide to pursue the amazing opportunity that Fulbright provides.”

UCF is committed to fostering a culturally responsive learning community and facilitating experiences for individuals to broaden their worldview. Engagement in the Fulbright Program allows Knights — including five students and alums and three faculty selected earlier this year — to participate in cultural exchange and international networking opportunities through education, field work, research and daily routines. Through UCF’s own Study Abroad program, the university provides several experiences for students, including those of Hispanic backgrounds, to learn and be immersed in the culture of Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Perú. The inaugural Study Abroad program at the UCF Barcelona Center for International Experiences also launched earlier this year.

Providing a spectrum of opportunities for Hispanic students to explore their interests and enhance their knowledge and skills are crucial elements of a meaningful college experience that foster students’ ability to make an impact in the real world. To elevate UCF’s ability to do this, this fall Amazon awarded the university more than $88,000 to support HSI initiatives and the , which provides scholarship and fellowship opportunities for students, as well as faculty and staff with the resources necessary to better serve students through research activity and other professional development programs.

Part of Amazon’s generous investment will directly fund scholarships, micro-grants and paid internships that benefit Hispanic students. Another portion will fund professional development opportunities and conferences, with an intentional emphasis on increasing Hispanic representation in the computer science and tech field. This includes support for UCF’s chapter of the student organization Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Amazon’s emphasize on bolstering Hispanic representation in computer science and tech fields builds on a U.S. National Science Foundation effort UCF joined last year to increase the number Latinos in computing — as well as the No. 7 ranking UCF received from Hispanic Outlook this year for computing-related degrees.

Amazon’s funding will also be used for HSI-sponsored programming research and events that celebrate Hispanic backgrounds, such as HSI Week activities, the Latinx Leadership course, and an  Amazon Leadership Series. The series included a fireside chat with Latinos at Amazon this fall and will feature a half-day of workshops on tech and non-tech roles, imposter syndrome, and other talks for engineering and business students in the spring.

Earlier this year UCF joined a national alliance of more than a dozen HSI R1 (very high research activity institutions, designated by the Carnegie Classification) universities to double the number of Hispanic doctoral students and increase the number of Hispanic faculty at member institutions by 20%.

Last year, UCF was one of 10 institutions awarded the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education. The honor, which a total 30 institutions have earned, signifies evidence of effective and intentional institutional practices that serve Latino students; positive momentum for Latino students’ progress; and a dedication to transform the institution into an environment where Latino students can thrive.

The HSI Battle of the Brains, sponsored by KPMG, is a week-long event that focuses on networking and matching students at HSIs to opportunities in the industry. The event features a 24-hour hackathon/business plan competition with finalists presenting their solution to a panel of industry leaders like KPMG, Amazon, Home Depot, Dell and more.

Students also participated in a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) & HSI College Fair that was hosted for the local community. The competitors’ involvement provided an opportunity for them to share insight with prospective students and promote a culture of unity across Minority Serving Institutions.

“Experiences like this exemplify what it truly means to be a Hispanic Serving Institution,” says Cyndia Morales Muñiz ’13EdD, director of HSI Culture and Partnerships at UCF. “We are proud we were able to provide our students with this opportunity to grow and shine.”

Student teams from 11 colleges and universities competed for cash prizes and scholarships in a variety of cross-discipline categories. In 2020, , which was held virtually.

This year, UCF’s team was coached by Carlos Valdez, a lecturer in the Department of Integrated Business, and Johnathan Mell, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science. Representing the Knights were College of Business students Kenneth Colón, Sheila Corro, Daniela Del Carpio and Julio Lazala, and College of Engineering and Computer Science students Natalia Colmenares, Hannah Moss, Jazmine Manriquez, and Julia Silva.  “The link between technology and business is well-represented at UCF,” Mell says. “I am happy that our students have been able to interact across disciplines.”

The UCF team had 24 hours to respond to the question: What can KPMG and its employees/partners do to reduce their carbon footprint when engaging in in-city and metropolitan business travel?

They came up with the idea to create an app called Mariposa — “butterfly” in Spanish — that would allow autonomous shuttles to transport KPMG employees from their work locations to meet with clients. The shuttles would feature soundproof booths and Wi-Fi so employees could work while enroute to their meetings, thus reducing the need for employees to drive their own vehicles and reducing carbon emissions.

“The creation of Mariposa would allow KPMG employees to book shuttles according to their Outlook calendar meeting times,” says Daniela del Carpio, a senior studying integrated business. “As an incentive, they would have a carbon allowance to use and redeem rewards for taking the shuttle instead of their personal cars. These rewards could include gift cards, promotional items from sponsors, etc.”

UCF’s involvement with the competition — and win — signify the university’s commitment to engaging Hispanic/Latino/a/x students in activities that provide a platform for their success while celebrating their identities. The Knights say they appreciated  the opportunity to compete and represent UCF while meeting other Hispanic/Latino/a/x students.

“HSI Battle of the Brains provided me with several opportunities to meet professionals in the industry and participants from competing schools,” says Natalia Colmenares, a computer science major who also won a Dell Success Scholarship at the competition. “Being able to connect with many Hispanics like myself was truly an amazing experience. Ultimately, the events and the people attending made me feel special and celebrated in the tech industry.”

The U.S. Department of Education designated UCF as a Hispanic-Serving Institution in January 2019, putting it in the company of 568 other U.S. institutions with more than 25% Hispanic students enrolled as undergraduate full-time students. In Fall 2021, more than 17,600 Hispanic undergraduate students were enrolled at UCF, accounting for over 29% of the undergraduate student body.

Last year, UCF was one of 10 institutions awarded the Seal of Excelencia by ·ˇłćł¦±đ±ô±đ˛Ôł¦ľ±˛ąĚýin Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education. UCF was also recently tapped to participate in a national training program that strengthens the capacity for data-based research among HBCUs and HSIs. In 2021, Hispanic Outlook magazine ranked UCF among the top schools for awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees to Hispanic students, as well as across several disciplines and for overall enrollment.

Creators Syndicate released his first few columns late Tuesday, which coincided with the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15. The month runs through Oct. 15.

For the 60-year-old professor who specializes in Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies, the timing was just right. For years he has been contributing columns that have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Orlando Sentinel and Globe Post, but with the pandemic hitting last winter and the birth of his second grandchild, he said he felt moved to see if he could do more to contribute to the national dialogue.

“I hope to surprise people by not only sharing my distinct voice, but also infusing my historian’s perspective and my Cuban humor.”

Martínez-Fernández started to write and contribute columns more often, and late this summer Creators Syndicate, one of the largest such companies in the United States, offered him syndication, which means they are distributing his columns worldwide. The columns can also be found on the Creators Syndicate website. The company launched in 1987 and represents more than 250 writers and artists around the globe, including Pulitzer Prize, Reuben Award and Peabody Award recipients. The company boasts 44 million readers through 2,200 publications.

“I’m so happy about this opportunity,” Martínez-Fernández says from his home, where he is teaching remotely this semester. “There was just so much going on in the world when the pandemic started — still is, and I realized there weren’t many voices like mine represented in the media.”

Let’s clarify terminology here. Latino and Hispanic are interchangeable terms, Martinez Fernandez says. Latinx is a more recent term, but less than 5 percent of the Hispanics use it, he explains in an upcoming column.

More than 60 million Latinos who live in the United States impact everything from the fresh food supply for America’s supermarkets to presidential elections, he said. That’s why Martínez-Fernández was especially interested in helping give Latinos another voice in the national conversation. Despite Latinos making up 18 percent of the national population, only a few write nationally syndicated columns, Martínez-Fernández said. For example, Ruben Navarrette of The Washington Post Writers Group writes about politics. Esther J. Cepeda, perhaps one of the most well-known columnists among Latinos, stopped writing columns for the group in May.

“I feel that where I am in my career, it is my responsibility to help give a voice and that’s what I hope to do through my column,” he says.

MartĂ­nez-Fernández grew up in Lima, Peru, and Puerto Rico after his family fled Cuba in the 1960s. He has multiple degrees including a doctorate from Duke şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą. He has published several books, including Revolutionary Cuba and edited an award-winning encyclopedia of Cuba. He is recognized as one of the most prolific and influential scholars in the field of Caribbean studies, according to UCF’s College of Arts and Humanities. He joined UCF in 2004 and teaches a variety of courses. Aside from serving on a several educational boards, he was a trustee of the College Board for several years and in 2019 he joined the board of directors of the National Council for History Education.

Martínez-Fernández says he will cover many topics in his columns, including politics, culture and education.

“I hope to surprise people by not only sharing my distinct voice, but also infusing my historian’s perspective and my Cuban humor,” he says. “I’m having a lot of fun writing them and I hope readers will enjoy them.”

Last year, UCF was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education. This designation is for higher education institutions that serve more than 25 percent Hispanic/Latino undergraduate students. As of Fall 2019, 28.3 percent (16,848) of UCF’s undergraduate student body identified as Hispanic/Latino.

This is the first HSI grant of its kind, which UCF has been awarded to improve student learning. The designation opens doors to more grants, specifically those which are intended to help underrepresented students.

This grant will aid in the development of a scalable educational ecosystem for building STEM capacity at HSIs, says Pegasus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineer Ronald DeMara, the principal investigator on the grant.

Co-investigators on the grant include Professor Florencio Hernández and Assistant Professor Laurie Campbell.

“I believe that this grant will be a source of inspiration and encouragement for all underrepresented communities in the region to unite efforts and celebrate achievements as one family.” — Florencio Hernández

DeMara identifies the project’s four pillars of reach as follows:

• determining the effects of graduate and undergraduate faculty, teaching assistants, and peer mentors trained in culturally relevant teaching approaches on learning, engagement and degree attainment;
• evaluating and refining the deployment of an innovative assessment infrastructure to promote student learning, retention, advancement and graduation of students from HSIs;
• creating an automated micro-credentialing tool that would provide access to community internships while developing student self-efficacy; and
• developing culturally relevant curricular materials to train STEM faculty, graduate teaching assistants and peer tutors.

“The Latino population in Central Florida and at UCF will continue to grow, and there is a significant need for equitable representation of Latino talent in STEM,” says Cyndia Muñiz, director of HSI culture and partnerships. “This requires intentional support systems and access to resources that promote professional development in these fields. This HSI grant is a significant contribution to those efforts.”

On a micro-level, this grant benefits those students who struggle to pursue their professional aspirations. UCF is dedicated to providing intentional programs and experiences that  prepare students to thrive in- and outside of the classroom. This includes innovative pedagogy that resonates with Latinx and other underrepresented student populations.

“UCF has made it their mission to facilitate the lives of students like me,” says Ernest González, a civil engineering major and peer mentor. “It was educators and programs funded by initiatives like these that allowed me to get a civil engineering internship from my first semester of my sophomore year all the way to the second semester of my junior year.”

UCF is sixth in the nation for awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic students and aspires to be a national HSI model. Through these new federal grant opportunities, UCF will continue to make strides in research, student support and the economic development of the Central Florida region, Muñiz says.

For co-investigator Florencio Hernández, the project is an opportunity to change lives.

“I believe that this grant will be a source of inspiration and encouragement for all underrepresented communities in the region to unite efforts and celebrate achievements as one family,” says Hernández.