University of Central Florida

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Group.png University of Central Florida  
(UniversityWebsiteRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
University of Central Florida seal.png
Formation1963
HeadquartersFlorida, USA
Large hub for space- and military-industrial research

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. With nearly 70,000 students, it has one of the largest student bodies in the United States.[1]

Founded in 1963 by the Florida Legislature, UCF opened in 1968 as Florida Technological University, with the mission of providing personnel to support the growing U.S. space program at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Florida's Space Coast. As the school's academic scope expanded beyond engineering and technology, Florida Tech was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978. UCF's space roots continue, as it leads the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium.[2] Initial enrollment was 1,948 students;[3] enrollment today exceeds 66,000 students from 157 countries, all 50 states and Washington, D.C.[4][5]

Research

The University of Central Florida fosters research among its thirteen academic colleges and schools, partnerships with corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Siemens, and through partnerships with local community colleges.[6][7][8] UCF also houses a satellite campus at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. UCF is also a member of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.[9] The university has made noted research contributions to optics, modeling and simulation, digital media, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, and hospitality management

UCF was ranked third in the nation in 2010 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in its annual patent power rankings for the strength and impact of the university's patents.[10] In both 2008 and 2009, UCF was ranked in the top ten in Intellectual Property Today's Patent Scorecard.[11]

According to the National Science Foundation, UCF spent $215.3 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 107th in the nation.[12] In 2009, UCF directly influenced 26,000 jobs and $1.96 billion in economic activity. When UCF's economic impact is combined with that of the Central Florida Research Park, the university and park influenced 46,000 jobs and $3.84 billion in economic activity in 2009.[13]

Metropolitan Orlando sustains the world's largest recognized cluster of modeling, simulation and training companies. Located directly south of the main campus is the Central Florida Research Park, which is one of the largest research parks in the nation, providing more than 10,000 jobs. Research Park is the 7th largest research park in the nation, with 2,700 Department of Defense personnel and direct support contractors. Collectively, those defense organizations manage $5.2 billion in contracts every year.[14] Many of the employees in Research Park work with UCF researchers and students on projects in the sciences, engineering, photonics and optics, modeling and simulation, and health-related fields.

The university also conducts research through numerous institutions and centers, including the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, Florida Solar Energy Center, Institute for Simulation and Training and Institute for Economic Competitiveness.


 

An Alumnus on Wikispooks

PersonBornNationalitySummaryDescription
Glenn Hubbard4 September 1958USAcademic
Economist
Single Bilderberger
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References