Category Archives: Faculty & Staff News

Endowed Chair Vicki Loerzel ’07PhD will lead UCF’s nursing degree programs that prepare students for direct care roles as chair of the Department of Nursing Practice. The University of Central Florida has named Vicki Loerzel ’07PhD as the new chair of the Department of Nursing Practice at the College of Nursing. Loerzel had served as interim department chair since August 2025 after the previous chair, […]

Joy Parchment ’15PhD is one of only two nursing experts in Florida named to the 2026 class of fellows of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, recognizing her impact through research and mentoring future leaders. More than 5,000 nurse leaders gathered in Chicago last month for the American Organization for Nursing Leadership’s annual conference, aimed […]

The prestigious appointment from the UCF Pegasus Partner will bolster Tucker’s nationally recognized research focused on helping practitioners and patients thrive. Highlights UCF Pegasus Partner Orlando Health has named Sharon Tucker, dean of UCF’s College of Nursing, the Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing. The prestigious endowed faculty position, which will support Tucker’s nursing research, […]

As UCF’s graduate programs continue to rise, they reinforce the university’s role as a national leader preparing professionals to tackle society’s most urgent challenges.  UCF continues our upward momentum in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Graduate Programs rankings, earning 14 recognitions in the top 50. From emergency management and counseling to nursing and aerospace engineering, UCF’s […]

Associate Professor Brian Peach is the only nursing expert in Florida to earn the prestigious distinction of fellow of Critical Care Medicine in 2026. Highlights During the 2026 Society of Critical Care Medicine Congress, thousands of healthcare professionals gathered to advance patient care and recognize the experts leading the way — including UCF Nursing Associate […]

Meet the UCF College of Nursing faculty, staff, and student Knights who will be recognized for excellence and service in the April 1 ceremonies. Every year on the first Wednesday of April, UCF honors the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of our people on Founders’ Day, our annual celebration of the employees, faculty and students who […]

Faculty members from UCF’s Colleges of Health Professions and Sciences and Nursing are now recognized as distinguished fellows, honored for their dedication to interprofessional research and practice. Nine experts from two colleges within UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center were elected into the Class of 2026 Distinguished Fellows of the National Academies of Practice. The prestigious […]

These four researchers are driven to think big and work with purpose as they address some of society’s biggest problems. Highlights UCF’s faculty are renowned thinkers, doers and creators delivering high-quality education and leading-industry research with purpose. They are the campus culture-setters — inspiring ingenuity while upholding our mission to change lives and livelihoods. The […]

Communicating complex research in under 60 seconds demands precision and creativity. Graduate students at UCF met that challenge through Knights in Focus. This new video competition encourages participants to present their work and share their experiences in a clear, engaging format. Each submission offered a concise look at the ideas, questions, and impact driving graduate research across campus. […]

Agere Chair Professor Carolina Cruz-Neira and Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch have been honored by the IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Academy, receiving lifetime achievement and service awards, respectively, for their significant contributions to immersive technology. At the 2026 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Conference, the IEEE Visualization and Graphics […]