Faculty and staff from across our college got to chat, network and meet new colleagues, including our new dean, Dr. Grant Hayes, as part of CCIE’s Meet and Greet Luncheon at the Celeste Hotel.

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Students from our Inclusive Education Services program had a great time at the inaugural adaptive tennis event, hosted by the UCF Recreation & Wellness Center in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) at its national campus in Lake Nona.

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Meet Blaze Schoembs, a student in the School of Public Administration and this week’s #UCFCCIEKnight. Blaze switched majors a few times before discovering the emergency management field.

“I started with criminal justice, then psychology and nursing, until I finally discovered the wonderful world of emergency management. Although my major changed, my goal remained the same – I wanted to help people.”

To complement her emergency management major, Blaze is minoring in intelligence and mass communication. She says the fields are closely related as it is crucial to address communication failures and build collaborative partnerships during an emergency.

“Emergency management and mass communication complement each other very nicely. When a disastrous event occurs, you want to get that helpful information out as soon as possible, whether it is through radio, face-to-face or any other channel available.”

One of her most memorable experiences as UCF Knight is traveling to Tallahassee as part of a field trip organized by #spaucf.

“It was a mind-blowing adventure. We had the chance to network with professionals in our field and explore career options. It also opened new opportunities for me. In fact, after the field trip, I went back for Emergency Management Day at the Capitol to shadow the communications team of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as well as continue to network with emergency managers and representatives throughout our state.”

Blaze is currently interning at Orange County's Office of Emergency Management and looks forward to graduating next spring. She is also helping fellow emergency management students find their way as Vice President of the Emergency Management Student Association (EMSA).

“It can be extremely daunting to put yourself out there and network and do all the things necessary to start your career in the field. I've been there! I had to figure it out all on my own through trial and error, but it gets easier the more you put yourself out there.”

Practical Access, a podcast developed by Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker, recently reached the top 5️⃣ in the “How To” category of Apple Podcasts in Spain.

In each episode, Hines and Dieker provide useful and realistic advice to teachers of and families with children with disabilities.

Looking for a certificate to add on to your skills and knowledge?

The new Social Work and the Law undergraduate certificate gives students a better understanding of the collaboration needed between attorneys and social workers to provide a well-rounded approach to serving clients in the legal system.

Check it out 👇🏻

This weekend, we celebrated our graduating doctoral students. Family, friends, faculty and staff joined graduates in commemorating this huge accomplishment. Take a look at some of the photos from the celebrations.

Congratulations, #UCFCCIE doctoral graduates! 🎓