We are pleased to announce several leadership updates at the College of Community Innovation and Education. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to these positions and we look forward to working with them in these new roles.
Florencio “Eloy” Hernandez, D.Sc.
Interim Associate Dean, Research
Dr. Florencio “Eloy” Hernandez joins the college from UCF’s College of Sciences as interim associate dean for research to lead and support research and scholarship initiatives. Dr. Hernandez came to UCF as a visiting research scientist from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research in 1998, and has made his academic home here. After advancing to the rank of professor of chemistry in 2015, Dr. Hernandez started a new journey to become an academic leader and serve his community. To achieve this goal, he completed his MBA in 2018, and has participated in several leadership initiatives in our institution including the Academic Leadership Academy, Chairs and Directors Excellence Program and the Provost Faculty Fellow Program. Dr. Hernandez provided extensive service as a reviewer to the National Science Foundation. In his previous position as the graduate coordinator of the chemistry graduate program, and in collaboration with the Department of Physics and UCF Global, he has been leading efforts for the development of a new initiative for the Americas and the Caribbean, to make UCF a gravitational institution for Latin American talent in Central Florida.
Glenn W. Lambie, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Graduate Affairs and Faculty Excellence
Dr. Glenn W. Lambie serves as associate dean for graduate affairs and faculty excellence and the Robert N. Heintzelman Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair. He is a professor of counselor education and served as chair of the Department of Child, Family and Community Sciences from 2014 to 2018. Dr. Lambie is a National Certified Counselor, a National Certified School Counselor and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Dr. Lambie practiced in the field of counseling and counselor education for over 20 years. He is active in scholarship, research and professional service and recognized for his teaching, research, and mentorship at the national and university level, including as a fellow of the American Counseling Association.
Ross Wolf, Ed.D.
Interim Assistant Provost, UCF Downtown
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Affairs
To ensure academic excellence is at the center of the downtown campus, Provost Elizabeth Dooley appointed Dr. Ross Wolf as interim assistant provost of UCF Downtown. He will continue to serve as our associate dean of undergraduate affairs, where he oversees undergraduate education, accreditation, program approval and assessment. He is also a professor of criminal justice, and has twenty-eight years of experience as a law enforcement officer. He has published two books and over thirty refereed articles and book chapters on campus law enforcement, police administration and management, reserve and volunteer policing, police use of force, tourism policing and international policing. In addition to his work with police agencies throughout the United States, Dr. Wolf has worked with the police in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Malcolm B. Butler, Ph.D.
Director, School of Teacher Education
Dr. Malcolm B. Butler serves as the new director of the School of Teacher Education. He is a professor of science education and is also part of the Learning Sciences Faculty Cluster at UCF. While pursuing his doctoral degree, he was fascinated with the idea of “growing” more scientists, so he switched programs from physics to curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in science education. Dr. Butler has also taught mathematics and science to elementary, middle and high school students. Some of his research interests include writing to learn in science, physics teacher education, and equity and diversity in science. Dr. Butler has secured over six million dollars in funding to support his research and scholarly initiatives. He presented his research findings and conducted workshops across the United States, as well as Canada, Japan, The Philippines, Singapore, Cyprus, South Africa and Botswana. He co-authored and co-edited three books and numerous book chapters and journal articles.
Oliver W. Edwards, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology
Dr. Oliver W. Edwards serves as chair of the Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology. In addition to counselor education and school psychology programs, the department houses several projects that support the mental health of the Central Florida community. Previously, Dr. Edwards practiced for several years as a school psychologist with the Broward County School Board. Later, as an administrator with the district, he supervised roughly 65 school psychologists and school social workers responsible for approximately 65 schools and some 75,000 students. Much of his early research addressed the psychoeducational and psychosocial functioning of children raised by their grandparents. Currently, Dr. Edwards is researching social support networks and positive youth development models that promote well-being. As a principal investigator or co-principal investigator, Dr. Edwards has been awarded approximately 1.5 million dollars in external grant funding.
Richard Hartshorne, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research
Dr. Richard Hartshorne serves as chair of the new interdisciplinary Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research, which houses applied learning and instruction; curriculum and instruction; gifted education; instructional design and technology; and methodology, measurement and analysis programs. As a professor of instructional design and technology, his teaching focuses on the integration of technology into the educational landscape, as well as instructional design and development. Dr. Hartshorne’s research interests primarily involve the production and effective integration of instructional technology into the teaching and learning environment. The major areas of his research interest are rooted in technology and teacher education, the integration of emerging technology into the k-post-secondary curriculum, and online teaching and learning. Dr. Hartshorne also authored numerous book chapters and serves in editorial capacities for a number of journals.