“My late father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., devoted his career to higher education as both a teacher and administrator, including serving for 12 years as president of Rollins College in Winter Park,” Seymour said during his commencement speech. “Throughout my life I have worked to embrace and act upon the values that he and my late mother Polly shared with their children.”

“The bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at UCF, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor.” — Thad Seymour Jr., honorary degree recipient

Thaddeus Seymour Sr. also served as the dean of Dartmouth College and president of Wabash College. With this upbringing on college campuses, Seymour says education was a logical path.

Seymour has contributed to UCF in varying roles since 2015. Prior to serving as UCF interim president from February 2019 to April 2020, he led the development of the university’s previous strategic plan and was named vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer.

“His strategic insight and leadership were instrumental in shaping our previous roadmap, which served as a guiding force for the university’s academic and operational growth,” Provost Michael D. Johnson wrote in his recommendation letter. “By uniting university leadership, faculty and community stakeholders, Thad ensured the plan aligned with the needs of both UCF and the broader Central Florida region, positioning UCF as a leader in innovation and economic development.”

Seymour also played an instrumental role in making UCF Downtown — which celebrates its five-year anniversary this year — a reality. As the intellectual anchor to Orlando’s Creative Village, UCF Downtown has awarded over 10,300 degrees to Knights in select majors across the university’s College of Business, College of Community Innovation and Education, and College of Sciences, as well as students at Valencia College.

“In my DNA is this belief that education is the single most important thing that can improve a person’s opportunities, their quality of life, their livelihood and their impact on the world,” Seymour said in an interview in 2019. “And education should not be a privilege, but rather widely available to expand opportunity and strengthen our society.”

“Thad was also a key architect in the creation of UCF’s Downtown Campus, a transformative project that has redefined urban education in Central Florida,” Johnson continued in his letter. “His efforts to bring together [various] partners — including the City of Orlando, Valencia College and private industry — were critical to the success of this ambitious initiative. Today, UCF Downtown serves more than 8,000 students and has become a hub for experiential learning, community engagement, and economic revitalization, thanks to Thad’s leadership and vision.”

Seymour earned a bachelor’s in history from Dartmouth College, and a master’s and doctoral degree in history, from the ����ֱ�� of Wisconsin. He also graduated from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern ����ֱ�� with an MBA.

For three decades, Seymour worked as a business executive in technology and healthcare industries, including his work as vice president of marketing and strategy at Curascript, a subsidiary of Express Scripts, which had acquired Priority Healthcare where he had quarterbacked the $1.3 billion transaction as vice president of corporate development.

Leveraging this expertise and a skill for fostering partnerships, Seymour has contributed to the growth of Central Florida. He helped bring more than $3 billion to Lake Nona Medical City by leading strategy and business development for the area in his role as senior vice president of Tavistock Development Company. He created and served as founding president of the Lake Nona Institute, which hosts the widely acclaimed annual Lake Nona Impact Forum focused on health innovation. Seymour also led efforts to bring the United States Tennis Association to Lake Nona — resulting in the nation’s largest tennis complex.

He has served on the board of the Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, BioFlorida, and Innovate Orlando. Seymour is a past chair of the statewide Florida Research Consortium, StarterStudio, an entrepreneurial support nonprofit organization in downtown Orlando, and Shepherd’s Hope, which provides free medical care to more than 20,000 uninsured patients annually throughout Central Florida.

Now retired, Seymour and his wife, Katie, remain active community volunteers, including training puppies for Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides services dogs for free to those needing assistance.

“For his exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to UCF, and his visionary approach to higher education, I can think of no one more deserving of the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service than Thad Seymour,” Johnson stated in his letter. “His contributions have left a lasting legacy at UCF and within the Central Florida community.”

Honorary degrees require a detailed nomination process, a recommendation from the university president, and ultimately, approval from the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees’ vote, which occurred on Sept. 27, 2024, for one to awarded to Seymour was unanimous.

“The bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at UCF, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor,” Seymour says.

As Seymour joined Knights who were awarded nearly 6,500 degrees this semester, he encouraged them to do three things: honor this special place and take it with them, celebrate the “crooked path” that lies ahead, and be the best leader they could be.

“Ultimately, I found my way back to academia, having the honor and pleasure to work with incredible leaders at UCF who were redefining the future of higher education. I couldn’t have planned or predicted my ‘crooked path’ any better than you will be able to,” Seymour said during his commencement speech. “But by celebrating it you are always ready to pivot when a new and unexpected opportunity appears before you. Armed with what UCF has provided to you, I’m confident that your path will be rewarding and impactful in ways you can’t even imagine today.”

This year, we are honored to welcome guest speaker Daryl Holt, senior vice president and group general manager for EA Tiburon Studios and American Football. By leveraging industry partners such as Electronic Arts (EA), UCF Downtown strengthens Central Florida’s talent pipeline and contributes to the region’s economic vitality. Daryl will be joined by moderator Thad Seymour Jr., former interim president of UCF and current president of the Lake Nona Institute.

The , UCF’s graduate program in game design, has been ranked No. 1 in the world for four of the past five years. Additionally, the emergency management graduate program has earned a No. 1 national ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

Crossroads will take place Thursday, Nov. 21, in room 106 of Dr. Phillips Academic Commons at the UCF Downtown campus. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Parking is available in the Parramore parking garage at 316 N. Parramore Ave.

Five years ago, with the support of Dr. Phillips Charities, the largest private gift was made to create the newly developed UCF Downtown campus for UCF and Valencia College students. It is these deep roots in industry partnership that inspired UCF to commemorate the campus’s fifth anniversary with the fourth annual Crossroads Speaker Series.

For more information and to register, .

Guests are encouraged to submit questions in advance for Daryl Holt via email to donorrelations@ucf.edu.

Saying goodbye isn’t easy, especially to the people and a place we have grown to love dearly over the past year.

Leading UCF has been the greatest honor of our lives. The reason isn’t because of the many accomplishments we’ve celebrated together. It’s because of you — the students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends who make this institution so remarkable.

Leading UCF has been the greatest honor of our lives.

We know we’ve been through some tough challenges, and the difficulties we’re now facing with COVID-19 have brought uncertainties and stress for our community and beyond.

We also know we’ll get through it, together … because Knights always Charge On!

Katie and I are sad we couldn’t say farewell in person, so we made a short video for our UCF family to share our gratitude for each of you. We leave inspired by your constant commitment to overcome every obstacle and your enduring optimism about the future.

You will be in very good hands with President Alexander Cartwright, whose commitment to excellence, access, innovation and opportunity will ensure that UCF’s brightest days are truly ahead.

In the words of one our favorite philosophers, Winnie the Pooh: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

Goodbye, Knight Nation! Though perhaps “goodbye” is too strong a word, for UCF has become a part of us. Because of you, we will be forever Knights!

Charge On!

-Thad and Katie Seymour

In the past few weeks, we’ve learned of a discovery from UCF professor Annette Khaled that may help detect cancer cells before they can spread. The Princeton Review named us a Best Value College and UCF Online ranked among the top 20 in the nation…again.

Students came together in fellowship for the , and we celebrate the alumni who founded the Black Student Union 50 years ago.

It’s rare that all of this could happen at one time at one place. But at UCF, we just call it spring.

That’s why this Valentine’s Day, I’m sending a love letter to UCF. To the place, the people and the possibilities. To an institution that has so positively impacted my life, and the lives of thousands of others.

The reason I love this place is because of you, the people of UCF. Through good times and bad, you remain committed to our students and community.Change is inevitable, but the UCF we love, and the values we hold dear, will always live on.

With gratitude,

Thad Seymour Jr., Ph.D.
Interim President

The annual ranking lists 200 of the nation’s top colleges and universities selected out of 656 institutions that were reviewed.

The company used more than 40 data points to determine its rankings of a student’s return on investment. Topics that were looked at included academics, cost, financial aid, graduation rates, student debt, alumni salaries and job satisfaction. The schools are not ranked hierarchically on a single list from 1 to 200 by the tutoring, test prep and college-admission services company.

“Our commitment to affordability means more opportunities for students from all backgrounds to receive a high-quality education. We are proud UCF is once again recognized for transforming lives,” says Interim President Thad Seymour Jr.

Princeton surveyed administrators and students at the institutions, as well as alumni, their starting and mid-career salaries, and job-satisfaction figures.

The selected schools represent only 7 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities, says Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, adding that schools on the list offer outstanding academics, generous financial aid or a relative low cost of attendance, and excellent career services.

UCF’s best-value status has been recognized by other organizations, too, within the past few months.

Kiplinger and Forbes also both ranked UCF among the nation’s best education values; Washington Monthly magazine said UCF is the No. 25 “Best Bang for the Buck” university in the southeast; and the financial website WalletHub lists UCF in the top 100 schools for students to attain a degree from a top-performing university at the lowest cost.

Earlier today, we began the process of terminating the director of the Institute for Simulation and Training and two other IST faculty members. A lengthy investigation found they were involved in helping a student obtain a doctoral degree in exchange for grant funding and with inappropriate assistance from faculty advisors and others. The university also is starting the process of revoking that doctoral degree as a result of the investigation’s findings.

To be clear, this disturbing incident involves a small number of people who intentionally violated our policies and breached our trust. It does not reflect the thousands of students, faculty and staff who have built UCF’s reputation for academic excellence.

We cannot allow the actions of a few to hurt our students’ honest efforts to pursue life-changing degrees or undermine the work of IST faculty and staff whose research helps drive one of our region’s signature industries.

To ensure there are no other conflicts of interest in our modeling and simulation degrees, we are reviewing graduate degrees awarded in that program and providing additional education and training on conflicts of interest to IST faculty and staff.

We are also addressing other concerns raised in the investigation, including strengthening information security. While the investigation found no cybersecurity breaches, a university-wide group is working to ensure we are following new federal guidelines for protecting information systems.

New Leadership

Beginning today, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Wes Naylor will serve as interim director of IST, and we will immediately begin a national search for a new director.

Naylor has served as adjunct faculty at UCF and is a former commanding officer of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division and Naval Support Activity Orlando, longtime partners with IST and its researchers.

He earned a doctorate in business administration from Rollins College and is known to many in the Central Florida community for his work in simulation and the science of learning. Naylor also has held executive leadership roles at Rollins College and served on multiple civic boards, including the Orlando Economic Partnership, Orlando Science Center and the National Defense Industrial Association.

Doing the Right Thing

The changes we are making now will make us a stronger organization going forward. I am committed to fixing anything that could hurt our university community or our credibility.

If you ever have concerns about unethical or potentially unethical behavior, I encourage you to report to one of the many options available to you, including speaking with your supervisor or contacting the UCF IntegrityLine, a secure reporting system administered by an independent third party, at or by calling 1-855-877-6049.

When faced with difficult situations, we must never shy away from doing the right thing.

“Joe is a pragmatic, creative and effective problem solver known for his integrity and ability to tackle large-scale institutional initiatives.”
— Interim President Thad Seymour Jr.

Trubacz has 30 years of experience working in finance, planning and institutional research at higher education institutions in Alaska, Colorado, Florida and Minnesota — where he most recently served as vice president of administration and finance for St. Cloud State ����ֱ��.

“Joe is a pragmatic, creative and effective problem solver known for his integrity and ability to tackle large-scale institutional initiatives,” says UCF Interim President Thad Seymour Jr. “I’m thankful to Joe for stepping in as we undertake several important projects, such as a new university budget model and better systems for making data-driven financial decisions.”

Trubacz will serve until a new CFO is hired by UCF’s next president, who is anticipated to start this summer. Trubacz will replace Dennis Crudele, who was appointed to the temporary position last May. Crudele will remain at UCF on a part-time basis as a senior financial advisor to the president to help with Trubacz’s transition and provide expertise on administrative priorities.

While at the more than 14,000-student St. Cloud State ����ֱ��, Trubacz oversaw the public university’s $200 million operating budget. Some of his campus innovations included reducing energy consumption and enhancing safety.

At the ����ֱ�� of South Florida St. Petersburg, Trubacz spent five years as regional vice chancellor for administration and finance. While there, he was responsible for the institution’s operating budget, which included building a new residence hall and dining area as well as converting a former Greyhoud Bus operations and maintenance shop into three new research labs.

He previously held chief financial posts at the Colorado School of Mines, the ����ֱ�� of Alaska System and the ����ֱ�� of Alaska Fairbanks. Before he was in education, he was the finance officer of the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center.

From 1984 to 2006 he served as a medical service corps officer in the Air Force — with five years active duty, five years part-time in the Air National Guard, and 11 years in the Air Force Reserves. He retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the ����ֱ�� of New Hampshire, and an MBA in accounting from Southern New Hampshire ����ֱ��.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve learned that online options help our students learn and perform better, and we are proud to offer access to affordable, high-quality degrees.”
— Interim President Thad Seymour Jr.

UCF’s undergraduate online programs tied for No. 16 this year. The university also tied for No. 12 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, No. 17 for Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs and No. 31 for Best Graduate Online Nursing Programs.

The rankings are based on the publication’s 2020 Best Online Programs rankings, which assess schools based on student engagement, online learning technologies and support, faculty credentials and training, and the program’s reputation among other universities.

“As the landscape of higher education has shifted to accommodate students who take classes remotely, so has UCF, which is why the university’s online programs continue to rank among the top in the nation,” says Interim President Thad Seymour Jr. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve learned that online options help our students learn and perform better, and we are proud to offer access to affordable, high-quality degrees.”

The first online programs launched at UCF in 1996, and today nearly half of all academic credits at UCF are completed in online or blended courses, which combine face-to-face and online instruction. Following 20 years of digital learning, the university in 2016 established UCF Online, an initiative that allows students to earn their degree fully online, from anywhere in the world, at a reduced fee rate.

“At UCF, we understand that many students have schedules and responsibilities that require flexibility,” Thomas Cavanagh, vice provost for Digital Learning. “That’s why we put so much effort into offering a robust, high-quality online learning experience.”

To ensure academic quality remains high, more than 75 percent of undergraduate online courses are taught by full-time faculty members who must go through the same rigorous departmental review process as for any face-to-face course. In addition, each faculty member wanting to create a new online course receives 80 hours of professional development with an instructional designer, while faculty members interested in teaching existing online courses receive 35 hours of training.

But academic success for students so often extends beyond the classroom. That’s why UCF offers students support from success coaches in addition to academic advisors. Success coaches provide mentorship for students from admission to graduation and beyond, helping students navigate a range of challenges from better understanding financial literacy to how to address personal crises now and in the future.

“Whether our students are just down the street or across the country, we strive to ensure that they receive the same high-quality education online that they would on campus,” says Cavanagh. “It’s that commitment that has made UCF an online learning leader for more than 20 years.”

Earlier today, I placed Provost Elizabeth Dooley on paid administrative leave. She agreed this decision allows her to temporarily step away while we work to fully understand concerns that have been raised, and I appreciate her commitment to cooperate.

In the meantime, I have asked Jana Jasinski, vice provost for Faculty Excellence, to serve as acting provost.

Times of transition are always stressful, and I know this past year has been especially difficult for our university. But through it all, you have continued to serve our students and community with distinction and a commitment to our values.

You have my commitment to keep moving us forward and building a brighter future for us all.

Although the cut was not related to UCF’s construction spending issues, its additive effect made an already lean university budget even more difficult. Since July, our goal has been to develop a budget plan that 1) ensures students are not impacted by this cut and 2) allows us to recognize the hard work of our faculty and staff through additional pay.

We’ve succeeded with the first goal and have achieved the second goal, albeit modestly.

Despite the budget cut, I have approved a one-time payment of $1,000 for all eligible faculty and staff members who are not represented by a union. The payments will be included in paychecks on November 22.

Please visit the Human Resources website for information about eligibility requirements.

Negotiations are ongoing with AFSCME representing in-unit USPS employees, and updates will be shared as soon as available.

Faculty members who are represented by the United Faculty of Florida negotiated a 1.25 percent raise to be included in paychecks on October 11. A second 1.25 percent raise for union faculty members was contingent on the availability of new state funds, but the budget cut does not allow UCF to proceed with that additional raise.

Paid Days Off

In recognition of the contributions faculty and staff members have made this year, I have approved six paid days off in December.

The university will be closed for official business starting Monday, December 23, through Wednesday, January 1. Eligible employees will be paid for those days. These six paid days off are in addition to state holidays on December 25 and January 1.

Please talk with your supervisor for more details about how these paid days off apply to you.

It’s not an exaggeration to say this was one of the most unusual and stressful years in our university’s history. Our job is to do everything we can to create a better future for our students, community and UCF.

Because of you, I know we are doing exactly that.

Charge On!