Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1776
By Senator Smith
17-02154-26 20261776__
1 Senate Resolution
2 A resolution designating January 27, 2026, as “UCF
3 Day” in Florida.
4
5 WHEREAS, the University of Central Florida (UCF) is a
6 public research university in Orlando which was founded in 1963
7 as Florida Technological University, and
8 WHEREAS, Florida Technological University was created to
9 meet the technical and engineering workforce needs of the
10 state’s growing aerospace and defense industries and the
11 expansion of the nation’s space program along Florida’s Space
12 Coast, and
13 WHEREAS, in 1978, Florida Technological University was
14 renamed the University of Central Florida to reflect its
15 expanded academic mission, growing student enrollment, and
16 broader service to the Central Florida region and the entire
17 state, and
18 WHEREAS, UCF has now grown into one of the largest
19 universities in the United States, enrolling more than 70,600
20 students, and is the largest university in this state by
21 enrollment, and
22 WHEREAS, UCF’s 12 colleges offer more than 250 academic
23 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and
24 professional levels, and
25 WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Alexander N.
26 Cartwright, UCF has expanded enrollment in engineering and
27 technology-related programs to more than 21,000 students since
28 2020, representing an increase of approximately 25 percent and
29 strengthening this state’s pipeline of talent in high-demand
30 fields, and
31 WHEREAS, UCF is classified as a Carnegie Research 1
32 institution, recognizing very high research activity, doctorate
33 production, and significant contributions to innovation and
34 discovery, and
35 WHEREAS, UCF is closely connected with the Central Florida
36 Research Park, one of the largest research parks in the United
37 States, allowing for collaboration among industry, government,
38 and academia, support from hundreds of companies, and growth in
39 high-wage jobs aligned with defense, aerospace, modeling, and
40 advanced technology sectors, and
41 WHEREAS, UCF is recognized as a national leader in
42 modeling, simulation, and training technologies, an industry
43 cluster that generates billions of dollars in economic activity
44 for Central Florida and the entire state, and maintains
45 longstanding partnerships with federal agencies, including the
46 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of
47 War, and the United States Space Force to support research,
48 education, and workforce development in space-related
49 disciplines, and
50 WHEREAS, the Princeton Review and PC Gamer have recognized
51 UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy graduate game
52 design program as one of the top two programs of its kind in the
53 world 5 of the past 6 years, from 2019 to 2025, and
54 WHEREAS, according to U.S. News & World Report, UCF has had
55 the No. 1 emergency and crisis management graduate program and
56 the No. 9 best online undergraduate programs in the nation two
57 years in a row, 2024 and 2025, and its computer science programs
58 are ranked among the nation’s top 25 for 2025, according to
59 cyberdegreesedu.org, and
60 WHEREAS, UCF established the Pegasus Partnership Program in
61 2019 to create structured, long-term collaborations with leading
62 private-sector employers which align academic programs,
63 research, and workforce development with industry needs, and
64 WHEREAS, UCF has developed strategic partnerships with
65 major global employers through the Pegasus Partnership Program,
66 including BNY, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens, which have expanded
67 student internship opportunities, applied research
68 collaborations, and corporate investments in Central Florida,
69 strengthening the region’s innovation-driven economy, and
70 WHEREAS, UCF is nationally recognized for expanding access
71 to higher education and promoting economic mobility among its
72 graduates, and
73 WHEREAS, UCF has produced more than 400,000 alumni
74 worldwide, many of whom contribute to this state’s workforce,
75 economy, and civic life, and
76 WHEREAS, designating a day in recognition of UCF also
77 provides an opportunity to honor the legacy of Florida
78 Technological University, NOW, THEREFORE,
79
80 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
81
82 That January 27, 2026, is designated as “UCF Day” in
83 Florida in recognition of the University of Central Florida’s
84 contributions to higher education, research, innovation,
85 workforce development, and economic growth.
86 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with
87 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to President
88 Alexander N. Cartwright, Ph.D., President of the University of
89 Central Florida, as a tangible token of the sentiments of the
90 Florida Senate.