Wayne Bowen, UCF associate vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of history, has been selected as a member of the 2026-27 cohort of the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program prepares emerging higher education leaders for senior administrative roles through a yearlong experience that combines mentorship, professional development, national networking and immersive placements at host institutions. More than 2,500 higher education leaders have participated in the program, with many going on to serve as presidents, provosts and senior administrators.

Bowen was one of 31 higher education leaders selected through a highly competitive, nomination-based process that drew candidates from colleges and universities across the country. 166su President Alexander N. Cartwright nominated Bowen for the fellowship, recognizing his leadership across undergraduate education, academic affairs and student success initiatives.

“I was thrilled to be selected,” says Bowen. “It’s the most-recognized leadership development program in higher education, and I really appreciate the support from 166su leadership in making this opportunity possible.”

As part of the fellowship, Bowen will spend the 2026-27 academic year working with leaders at New York University, where he will be mentored by NYU Provost Georgina Dopico and immersed in the university’s academic affairs operations.

NYU’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Mark Siegal, who met Bowen through the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities, also will be working closely with him.

“The NYU Office of the Provost is thrilled to have Dr. Bowen join us for his ACE fellowship,” Siegal says. “We know we will gain as much from his perspectives and insights as he will gain from this development opportunity.”

For Bowen, NYU represented an opportunity to study leadership, innovation and decision-making at one of the nation’s leading research universities while also gaining insights relevant to 166su’s strategic ambitions.

“NYU was my first choice,” Bowen says. “I wanted to go to an institution that’s a member of the Association of American Universities, that’s operating at a large scale and that reflects some of the aspirational goals we’re pursuing as a metropolitan university.”

During his fellowship year, Bowen plans to spend approximately one week each month at NYU while maintaining his responsibilities at 166su. In addition to learning about the university’s academic processes and curriculum, he hopes to gain a broad understanding of how another large, complex university operates and navigates periods of transition.

“There are things happening at NYU in terms of faculty development and undergraduate education that I want to learn about,” said Bowen. “I would like to experience as many aspects of the institution as possible. Getting a sense of the culture and the dynamics of how they make decisions, and observing how the org chart actually operates, will be interesting.”

The fellowship also provides participants with opportunities to learn from a national cohort of higher education leaders representing academic affairs, student affairs and institutional administration. Fellows participate in retreats, monthly meetings and collaborative learning experiences throughout the year.

Bowen says he believes one of the program’s greatest strengths and what he finds most compelling about the ACE Fellows experience is its emphasis on bringing new ideas back to participants’ home institutions.

“The most common way that administrators and senior leaders learn is by moving from one institution to another,” Bowen says. “The wonderful thing about the ACE Fellows Program is that it enables fellows to have some of that experience without it being a one-way trip. It’s supposed to be learning in both directions.”

In Bowen’s current role at 166su, he oversees initiatives supporting academic services, high-impact practices, , curriculum and student success for more than 59,000 undergraduate students. He also leads 166su’s General Education Program and serves as a professor of in the College of Arts and Humanities.

Before joining 166su in 2017, Bowen served in academic leadership roles at Southeast Missouri State University and built an internationally recognized scholarly career focused on Spanish, European and Middle Eastern history.

“It’s a perfect day to bounce in Orange County, Florida.”

The Roth Tower project, made possible by a $90 million commitment of Tourist Development Tax revenues from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, represents a pivotal addition to the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village that strengthens Orange County as a premier destination for sports tourism and community engagement.

When the investment was greenlit in 2023, university and athletics administration knew they wanted to add to the stadium’s art collection, which already features several installations around the concourse that include Knightro, wings of Pegasus (the university’s official seal), UCF’s Big 12 ties and Orlando.

166su commissioned Harry Foreman ’18 to deliver two murals that pay homage to the 166su story and the university’s relationship to Orlando and Orange County. To execute the installation in the week leading up to the tower’s unveiling, Foreman utilized virtual reality technology as part of his process and enlisted the help of fellow alumni: Nicole Lind ’11, a Burnett Honors Scholar who graduated with a degree in an elementary education, and Paulaiden Minerva ’15, who earned his bachelor’s in marketing through the program.

Foreman studied graphic design and emerging media management and previously completed murals for the 166su Downtown and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campuses.

“When I was a student I always had so much fun on games days,” Foreman says. “It’s magic being back here.”

The Florida native, who now splits his time between Orlando and Denver, has been an active contributor to the Central Florida’s arts scene for years. He recently was selected to be part of the City of Orlando’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, Art Pollination — a prestigious opportunity as Orlando was one of eight cities selected for the $1 million grant out of more than 150 submissions from around the country.

Acrisure Bounce House is his third football stadium mural project. He previously completed installations for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I always knew I wanted to paint big,” he says.

Here he shares more about his latest creation.

What excited you about this project?

The campus personnel were so willing and excited about my ideas and style that I brought into this that it was almost a perfect match. I led with fun first and then presented some safer ideas. And they said, “Nope. We want the fun.”

I’m grateful and appreciative that I’m creating in a way that is so well received by so many people. Especially with the way we’re doing these murals with minimal color and a gold approach, I think it’s a style that has an elevated look while also having this fun, bubbly, childlike feeling, which is perfect for a football stadium on game day.

Where did you pull inspiration from for the two murals?

A staple in a lot of my mural work is my “orange blossom gang.” They are fun, smiling orange characters that I will sprinkle in throughout a lot of my murals. They act almost as the glue that keeps other imagery and assets like together. They appear in both murals.

For the UCF-themed mural, we have my signature doodle collage style. We’re in the Bounce House, baby. So I tried to have this flowy, bubbly movement with the clouds. I wanted it to feel like it was light and airy.

With regards to Easter eggs, when I was a student, I did artwork around Orlando and I would do this little emanating whoopsie daisy flower. I snuck it into a postcard stamp. The manatee celebrates Central Florida’s natural springs, which is in my opinion, one of the most magical parts about the entire state. I also snuck in a variation of the rubber duck for Spirit Splash.

For the Orange County mural, it is centered in an Art Deco theme and is an ode to how the university is entwined with Orlando. From the downtown corridor to our relationship with the hospitality sector around I-Drive to space and 166su’s engineering and technology roots. And we wanted to include a message to what helped make this possible: “In appreciation of Orange County, Florida, whose continued belief, support and investment will welcome millions through these gates to bounce.”

How do you apply virtual reality technology in your process?

I first started using the VR headset to project my artwork on walls last year. There are many different ways to get your art on your walls through grid systems, sketching freehand, projectors and now through headsets. In this circumstance, I have another mural next week. I’ve got to get in and out. I didn’t want to wait till the nighttime to use a projector. What’s great about the headset is no matter the time of day, you are able to work and operate, and forecast your artwork on a wall.

It’s a really weird, immersive and amazing technology. If you got vertigo like I do, tread lightly. As I’m wearing it, I’m constantly thinking, ‘We are in the future.’ ”

How did your 166su experience help you hone your craft?

“Being at 166su pushed me to be great.” — Harry Foreman ’18, muralist

My 166su experience was not just a four-year degree. I used nearly every offering 166su had — I was in different clubs, at the gym all the time. I was in the engineering lab using the laser cutter for a lot of my school projects. My experience was almost competitive nurture in a sense, learning in a school setting with so many talented creatives around me. Being at 166su pushed me to be great and taught me how to be a shape shifter.

I already was running a business while in school. I immediately graduated and went right into freelancing, and the Orlando community and 166su network at large welcomed me right when I needed it. I booked amazing jobs right out of school. The 166su Downtown project, I would say, is still some of my most impactful work that gets me jobs to this day.

I never in a million years thought murals would allow me to be traveling all over the nation. I’m about to buy my wife a house. It’s a great time to be a muralist. It’s the best job in the world.

What does it mean to you to be able to give back to your alma mater and Orlando in this way?

It’s so special. As a student, and even as an artist, there’s no textbook for success, no single game plan for how to do things. The fact that I get to paint and create in spaces like this, I hope it can inspire the next student. I hope they see this and they say, “That is so cool. I want to do that,” because whenever I saw someone doing it, that was my first response.

If you’re a student that is worried about the creative world that we’re entering into, as long as you’re pushing yourself to make great work, everything you could ever want is already there waiting for you. Orlando as a canvas is the best place to blossom. It was for me.

When Alex Williams ’09 says, “these are exciting times,” just consider where he’s been and where he believes humanity is going.

Williams recently traveled between Virgin Galactic’s headquarters in Tustin, California, and its spaceship factory in Mesa, Arizona, 350 miles from Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Today, fewer than 800 people have traveled to space. But Virgin Galactic projects that soon 750 or more people — “astronauts” — will ride its spaceships annually.

“My wheelhouse, [going] back to Disney and 166su, is designing experiences that are different, larger than ourselves.”

As the company’s senior manager of program design, Williams is among those responsible for producing a full “experience” around each pinnacle moment.

“My wheelhouse, [going] back to Disney and 166su, is designing experiences that are different, larger than ourselves,” Williams says. “Here, I get to be part of opening space as the next layer of humanity.”

While Virgin Galactic’s early flights made headlines for carrying company founder Sir Richard Branson and a few private astronauts, those brief trips had a bigger purpose.

“We believe deeply in making space accessible for all,” Williams says. “Each spaceflight brings everyone closer. The day is coming for everyday people who watched Apollo and Artemis missions with wonder. It’s coming for the person looking for perspective or the next adventure. They can be astronauts.”

Inside and Outside a Flight to Space

The official term for a flight with Virgin Galactic is “spaceflight expedition.” Passengers don’t board a rocket.

“It’s a spaceship,” Williams says.

Part of the experience, then, is knowing your way into a spacesuit and into your seat aboard the spaceship. It’s bonding with crewmates and being prepared for Mach 3 speed. Preparation is critical, but it’s designed to be much less intense than fortifying oneself for a Mount Everest expedition.

“You’re in New Mexico for less than a week,” Williams says. “We don’t want it to be physically taxing because we want you fully immersed in this monumental experience.”

The spaceflight expedition is approximately 90 minutes from boarding to landing, including several minutes of weightlessness.

“Safety is paramount, so we use an air launch system where a launch vehicle carries our spaceship to a release point of 45,000 feet,” Williams says. “Then the rocket motor kicks in, and the spaceship accelerates to Mach 3. The astronauts are sent back into their seats comfortably. When the motor shuts off, you coast to your highest point. And then the spaceship glides back to Spaceport for a graceful runway landing.”

The immersion surrounds those 90 minutes. It includes hospitality, food and beverage, and bringing astronauts and their families into the culture of the Las Cruces area.

“We test everything,” Williams says. “I’ve learned, for example, that I like hatch chiles.”

They are now part of the carefully designed experience.

Stretching His Own Mind

After four years at Virgin Galactic, Williams has explained the experience so many times that he feels as if he’s taken flight himself.

Even so, he still occasionally struggles to find the words.

“It’s indescribable,” he says.

The technology of safe spaceflight is mostly beyond his understanding, which only adds to the fascination for a kid at heart who grew up in Citrus County, just 90 minutes from Orlando’s theme parks, where he first began stretching his imagination.

“Disney had this unbridled positivity for what the future could be,” Williams says. “I wanted to be a part of something like that, helping push humanity forward, but I wasn’t sure how.”

He began to discover how at 166su, where he majored in art and says he had the freedom to “Frankenstein my educational program together.” The first day he walked into the Student Union, he happened to be walking into auditions for Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights.

“That experience became a piece to the puzzle,” he says.

A themed attraction class, where he helped design a ride, added another piece. So did operations courses through his hospitality management minor at .

He used all these lessons during his 16 years with Disney, including Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and D23.

“And then my ears perked up when I heard about the direction of Virgin Galactic,” Williams says. “I saw it like my own story — in a constant state of becoming.”

“This is a rare experience that can connect us to each other, to our planet and to possibilities to do something good.”

His mindset also parallels Virgin Galactic’s ultimate intent for spaceflight.

“It comes down to optimism,” he says. “This is a rare experience that can connect us to each other, to our planet and to possibilities to do something good. You don’t go up on our spaceship to look out at space — you go up to look back at Earth. As more people do that, we can’t begin to imagine how much good can result from those few minutes.”

Christopher Nolan’s new film adaptation of the Odyssey is an exciting development, since it will introduce new audiences to a classic epic reimagined for our time. This not only sparks interest in the ancient world but also continues a tradition of how people have encountered and reinvented this story over the past three thousand years.

The Odyssey is a work of historical fiction set in the Late Bronze Age, around 1200 BCE. The events take place in the eastern Mediterranean, including coastal areas of Greece and Turkey. The narrative follows the wily Odysseus, a veteran of the Trojan War, who, after 10 years of conflict, spends another decade wandering at sea, longing to return home to his island kingdom of Ithaca. During his absence, his queen, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, must contend with persistent suitors who wish to seize his throne.

The epic is part of a broader tradition about the Trojan War and its aftermath, including the Iliad. Set before the events of the Odyssey, the Iliad focuses on the conflict between the Greek warrior Achilles and his commander, the Mycenaean king, Agamemnon, during the final year of the 10-year siege led by Greek allies. Related works, like Aeschylus’s Agamemnon, a Greek tragedy, and the Roman epic the Aeneid, reimagine familiar characters in new stories, ancient versions of fan fiction set in the Trojan War universe. Even in antiquity, people shaped these traditions for their own times, just as we do today.

A Song of Times Long Past

When a modern reader picks up a printed copy of The Odyssey, it is important to understand what the book represents, since it provides an illusion of more certainty than exists.

It is not known exactly when the stories were originally composed, but they were transmitted for centuries before being written down. Scholars generally believe that the compositions were passed along by singer-storytellers in a folk tradition, with each performance reshaping the lyrics, even after written versions appeared.

The epic represents the collective voices of countless ancient people still singing to us from the past.

Medieval manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire, the Greek-speaking continuation of the eastern Roman Empire, carried forward texts shaped by earlier editions from the Hellenistic period, the centuries following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BCE. The Odyssey is a product of centuries of retelling, variation, copying and selection rather than a straightforward literary composition produced at a specific time in the past.

Modern books of the epic are printed with the name Homer on the cover, but ancient and modern understandings of authorship can be quite different. This is a curious tradition because, even if a historical Homer existed, he did not write the stories printed on the pages. Instead, the epic represents the collective voices of countless ancient people still singing to us from the past.

The Late Bronze Age Collapse and the People of the Sea

The film adaptation contains multiple references to a terrifying threat lurking just beyond the frame. ��Here, the script draws on historically attested seafaring raiders and migrants collectively known by scholars as the “Sea Peoples.”

Scholars debate their origins and identities, but there is historical support for these raiders. Around 1200 BCE, they roamed the region and were blamed for widespread mayhem in royal inscriptions and reliefs at Medinet Habu, the Egyptian mortuary temple where pharaoh Ramses III claimed victories over them. With enigmatic names such as the Peleset and Tjeker, scholars have tentatively proposed connections with known groups, including the Philistines or the Mycenaean Greeks.

The activities of the so-called Sea Peoples coincided with regional collapse at the end of the Bronze Age.

No one knows precisely what led them to migrate or raid coastal cities. The activities of the so-called Sea Peoples coincided with regional collapse at the end of the Bronze Age, a catastrophic period during which great states, including those of the Mycenaean Greeks and the Hittites, who ruled a major empire in modern-day Turkey, disintegrated — ushering in what has traditionally been described as a civilizational “dark age.”

As echoed in the film, the Trojan War traditions themselves cast the returning Greek victors as lawless, seaborne raiders. For example, Odysseus and his crew traditionally begin their voyage with an unprovoked attack on Ismarus, a coastal city whose wealth and women they attempt to carry away. The returning heroes are mobile bandits, evoking the upheavals of the age.

Digging Up Troy

Archaeological research has revealed that the literary landscape of the������������� is not purely mythological. In the late 19th century, a wealthy German businessman and amateur archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann set out to find the legendary places of the Trojan War. A man of his time, he unsystematically excavated Hisarlik, ancient Troy, in northwestern Turkey beginning in 1870, before turning his attention to Mycenae in Greece in 1876.

At both locations, Schliemann’s local collaborators discovered extraordinary Bronze Age artifacts. Ever the showman, he gave the golden artifacts sensational names like “Priam’s Treasure” and the “Mask of Agamemnon.” While later research showed that the gold artifacts didn’t date to the traditional timing of the Trojan War, the truly contemporaneous remains are significant and informative. Subsequent research confirmed what many once considered the realm of myth: Troy and Mycenae were powerful cities that flourished during the Late Bronze Age.

Setting Sail Into the Unknown

Scholars don’t know if there was a real Trojan War, although it seems plausible that it is a literary construction of ongoing conflicts, dramatized as a single war. Siege warfare is well documented in the Late Bronze Age, and 13th-century BCE diplomatic records from the Hittite Empire appear to record Mycenaean involvement in western Anatolia, supporting the idea that the war is a literary composite.

Equally, the historical identity of Helen, whose face launched a thousand ships, is unknown.

Equally, the historical identity of Helen, whose face launched a thousand ships, is unknown. In Trojan War accounts, she is an ideal, mythologically beautiful woman who provoked the war. Some traditions identify her as the Spartan queen who fell in love with Paris, a Trojan prince, and chose to leave everything behind for a new life across the sea. Others portray her as abducted, with the war an effort to free her.

Skeptics doubt the stories about Helen having inspired a war, dismissing them as romantic or far-fetched. They instead theorize about real motives, such as political strategy, trade interests and regional dominance. But history also shows that wars have been fought over far less.

Why the Odyssey Still Matters

This summer’s popular film adaptation is introducing new audiences to Odysseus’s adventures through its stunning visuals and fresh take on some of humanity’s oldest stories. Among the gods, heroes, and magic of the texts, originally performed as songs, history and archaeology recover traces of a distant past.

An ancient epic like the Odyssey still matters not because it is faithful to an “original” or older story, but because we continue to make it part of our own.

An ancient epic like the Odyssey still matters not because it is faithful to an “original” or older story, but because we continue to make it part of our own. It is living art that keeps us in conversation with real people in the past, who also struggled with war, loss and longing and expressed themselves through art.

By reinterpreting their stories to meet the challenges of our own time, we continue an enduring tradition. As a final thought, if faithfulness to the original Odyssey had been desirable — or attainable — as a goal, the film should have been a musical.

Worth noting among this graduating class:

• Roughly 30% of the undergraduate students receiving their degrees are the first in their families to earn their diploma.
• More than 25% of this term’s degrees are tied to STEM majors.
• About 30% of the undergraduate graduating class are Pell Grant recipients.

166su is the leading producer of talent among Florida’s universities, awarding roughly 19,000 degrees annually to Knights who go on to work in high-demand industries. About 85% of our alumni stay in Florida because of the ample opportunity to thrive as part of our state’s workforce.

Graduates will hear from��three��esteemed speakers��— all 166su graduates —��whose leadership and impact��have��benefited��our region:

• Psychology alum��Allen Johnson��’81,��chief��venue��officer for��City��for��Orlando Venues
• Journalism alum Tanya (Easterling) Hill ’97, market president for Central Florida for Florida Blue
• ����������Բ�������ܲ��پ������������ܳ���Fred Kittinger ’80, UCF’s former��senior associate vice president for government and community relations

Commencement Festivities

Held in the Addition Financial Arena, summer commencement will take place over three ceremonies spanning Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1.

All guests, including children and infants, need a ticket for admission. All graduates who have filed an intent to graduate will receive five commencement ceremony tickets when they pick up their regalia packet.

Guests who do not have tickets may watch the live ceremony via a simulcast viewing in the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. Ceremonies will also be .

Commencement Photo-ops Across 166su

Graduating Knights are unable to take photos at the Acrisure Bounce House football stadium this semester due to ongoing construction.

Grad Walk

On Thursday,��July��30,��4:30-7 p.m. (doors close at 6 p.m.),��summer��graduates are invited to a photo-op — Grad Walk — within the Addition Financial Arena. This will be a first-come, first-served occasion for graduates and up to 10 of their well-wishers to take photos and videos on the ceremony stage. Graduates��are required to��register at��.

Commencement Schedule

Graduates and guests can review the below commencement ceremony schedule, listing colleges, ceremony��dates��and streaming links:

������岹��,�����ܱ�����31

6����.��.

College of Arts and Humanities

College of Community Innovation and Education

College of Graduate Studies

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Saturday,��Aug. 1

9 a.m.

Barry S. Miller��College of Business

College of Health Professions and Sciences

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

2:30����.��.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

College of Optics and Photonics

College of Sciences

For more details and FAQs about��Summer��2026 commencement celebrations, visit��ucf.edu/graduation.

Commencement Speakers

Allen Johnson ’81

Chief Venues Officer, City of Orlando Venues

Allen Johnson ’81 has served as chief venues officer of Orlando Venues since 2004, overseeing the City of Orlando’s diverse portfolio of Kia Center, Camping World Stadium, Tinker Field, Leu Gardens and the Mennello Museum of American Art.

Johnson brings decades of venue management experience from leadership roles across Florida. Under Johnson’s leadership, Orlando Venues has evolved into a premier, globally recognized destination for sports, entertainment and culture, welcoming millions of guests each year while strengthening Central Florida’s reputation as a world-class destination.

A proud 166su graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he has earned numerous honors, including the 2025 International Association of Venue Managers Foundation Legacy Award, the SPORTYS Executive of the Year Award and the Downtowner of the Year Award.

He remains active in the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), serving as past chairman and trustee of the foundation board, while also contributing to organizations that include the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, Florida Citrus Sports, Victim Service Center and the .

Tanya (Easterling) Hill ’97

Market President for Central Florida, Florida Blue

Tanya Hill ’97��is Florida Blue’s market president for Central Florida,��responsible for��regional business and community engagement in a 9-county region.

Throughout her more than 25-year career, she has worked with reputable brands including Chick-fil-A, Target and Walt Disney World to drive business results through strategic partnerships.

Hill is passionate about investing time in the community and has been involved with��numerous��community and civic organizations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the��African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, 4Roots Foundation, Orlando Economic��Partnership��and the Winter Park Health Foundation.

Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from 166su.

Fred Kittinger ’80

Former Senior Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations, UCF

A native of central Florida, Fred Kittinger ’80 recently retired as senior associate vice president for government and community relations at 166su, where he served for more than 22 years.

He worked alongside local and state leaders to help foster some of 166su’s most transformative achievements, including the approval of 166su’s College of Medicine, the creation of the world-class Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, the development of 166su Downtown, the expansion of the 166su Business Incubation Program and investments that enhanced the student experience and advanced regional impact.

Prior to his career at 166su, Kittinger served as chief of staff to Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and previously as vice president of government relations for the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce. He began his career as a legislative aide to state Senator George Stuart of Orlando.

Reflecting his commitment to the community, Kittinger currently serves on the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Central Florida (past chair), Central Florida Council for Scouting America and Legacy Pointe at 166su.

Kittinger graduated from 166su’s criminal justice program and earned his master’s degree in public administration from Florida State University.

Name:��John Sacher

Position(s):��Professor of history

Why are you interested in this research?
As I tell my first-year students, if you think history is boring, you just haven’t found the right teacher yet.

History is about understanding why things happened. Generally, people are all interested in some “why?” question. Now, the “why” questions each person might find fascinating are different, but there’s something for everyone. I might wonder, “Why does the United States have a two-party system?” or “How did the Confederacy manage to fight for four years in the Civil War?” You might wonder, “Why do we have 50 states?” or “Why do we have an interstate highway system?” or “Why is the Middle East so important?” or even “Why do brides traditionally wear white?”

Regardless of your “why” question, history can provide a lens to help you answer it.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
My initial inspiration to study history came from my parents. They encouraged me to pursue a degree in whatever interested me, not necessarily one that led to a traditional occupation.

More recently, I think that my inspiration comes from my students. 166su students have great questions. They keep me on my toes. Every semester I’m asked something I’ve never been asked before.�� Also, they are entering adulthood at a time when there are a lot of big unknowns out there — what’s going on with politics, with foreign policy, or with technological changes.�� While I can’t answer all of those questions, I can give them some tools to help them formulate their own answers and maybe some comfort to discover that they are not the first generation to face “big” questions in their immediate future.

How does 166su empower you to do your research?
166su’s Department of History (and the College of Arts and Humanities and 166su in general) certainly empower my research agenda. As a traditional historian, I don’t need fancy, expensive equipment to conduct my research. That said — teaching can be a different story. I was recently turned into a hologram to teach patrons of about the Constitution!

The most valuable commodity any historical researcher needs is time — time to research, time to think and time to write. I finished my most recent book thanks to a sabbatical which provided that time. The university has also repeatedly given me a teaching schedule that aligns with my research. So, I’m working with undergraduates and graduate students to help them understand the same issues that I grapple with in my research. That synchronicity keeps me on track and energized.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
I have received several major grants and honors in support of my research. My book A Perfect War of Politics: Parties, Politicians, and Democracy in Louisiana, 1824–1861 (Louisiana State University Press, 2003) won the 2003 Kemper and Leila Williams Prize for the best book on Louisiana history.

Why is this research important?
Historians provide invaluable contributions to understanding today’s political world. We live in a world of a rigid and hostile partisan divide where people are reluctant to trust the media. Historians can fill a void by delivering context for often debated topics such as the electoral college, redistricting, foreign policy, the second amendment, etc. We don’t tell people how to vote, but we grant them the tools to come to their own informed conclusions.

The more one understands founding documents such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, the better one can make their own assessment of 21^st century political issues and candidates.

At Kurd Qaburstan, an ancient site in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, a UCF-led team has uncovered the first substantial group of cuneiform tablets found in the Erbil region, along with evidence of large-scale destruction, mass graves and citywide fortifications. Together, the discoveries are providing one of the clearest archaeological records yet uncovered of siege warfare and urban life during the Middle Bronze Age.

“Our 2025 research produced clear archaeological evidence linking the site to the siege of Qabra, beginning with the first significant group of cuneiform tablets found on the Erbil Plain,” says Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, associate professor of history at 166su and director of the Kurd Qaburstan project. “Several tablets are dated within days of each other, matching the timeline of the city’s fall.”

The project is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and conducted in partnership with the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Heritage in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The funded excavations took place during two summer seasons in 2024 and 2025.

A Lost Archive Emerges

Researchers recovered 20 cuneiform tablets and more than 100 administrative sealings from destruction layers within the Lower Town East Palace. The artifacts are being studied by epigraphers Paul Delnero (Johns Hopkins University) and Parker Zane (Yale University), along with art historian Marian Feldman (Johns Hopkins University).

The texts include palace administrative records and a letter that may reference a high-ranking official connected to Qabra. Some inscriptions may also correspond to the destruction described on the Victory Stele of Dadusha.

“Most of the tablets are administrative and provide a snapshot of palace life and the economy of the ancient city,” Earley-Spadoni says. “One tablet appears to have been written by a high-ranking official in ancient Qabra.”

Evidence of Siege Warfare

Collapsed structures, burned layers and concentrated debris suggest a coordinated and possibly prolonged assault.

“The two superimposed destructions match the historical sequence of the siege of Qabra and its conquest by Shamshi Addu,” Earley-Spadoni says. “The charred debris, the large number of ceramic vessels and individuals who met untimely deaths and were buried in the destruction layers, provide the clearest archaeological case of Middle Bronze Age siege warfare yet discovered in northern Mesopotamia.”

The Human Toll of Conflict

Within the palace destruction layers, researchers discovered the remains of 17 individuals, studied by bioarchaeologist Andrea Zurek-Ost at Michigan State University.

“The individuals were not formally buried and had no associated grave goods,” Earley-Spadoni says. “Some appear to have been left where they died, including possible palace workers. One individual was found face down over a stone basin.”

Researchers also uncovered a preserved street with an engineered drainage system and domestic spaces used for food processing and textile production, pointing to sophisticated infrastructure and economic activity.

Mapping an Ancient City at Scale

“The evidence from Kurd Qaburstan shows that northern cities could be large, complex, and politically significant, with administrative systems, fortifications, and infrastructure comparable to those of the best-known southern sites.”—Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, director of the Kurd Qaburstan Project

The team also completed a magnetometer survey covering more than 80 hectares (about 180 acres). The survey, which measures changes in Earth’s magnetic field to detect buried structures, was led by Andrew Creekmore III at the University of Northern Colorado. The survey revealed a monumental wall with bastions encircling the site.

The fortifications correspond with those depicted on the Victory Stele of Dadusha and support the identification of Kurd Qaburstan as the ancient city of Qabra.

Rewriting the Story of Northern Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is often associated with southern cities like Uruk, long viewed as the center of early urban civilization. Discoveries at Kurd Qaburstan are helping highlight the value of northern cities, Earley-Spadoni says.

“The evidence from Kurd Qaburstan shows that northern cities could be large, complex, and politically significant, with administrative systems, fortifications, and infrastructure comparable to those of the best-known southern sites,” she says.

These discoveries build on a decade of prior excavation at Kurd Qaburstan by Johns Hopkins University, revealing a city long absent from the historical record.

“Laboratory investigations are underway, including isotopic and ancient DNA analyses of the 17 individuals,” Earley-Spadoni says. “This work will help researchers understand their origins and relationships.”

Each discovery brings researchers closer to understanding how this ancient city functioned and how it ultimately fell.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. 2344957. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. Work was conducted with the permission, support, and collaboration of the Directorate-General of Antiquities of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Director-General Kak Kaify Mustafa Ali, and the Erbil Department of Antiquities, Director Kak Nader Babakr.

Last year,��Spencer��was promoted to��his��first leadership role as a performance coordinator with the Entertainment Events team at Universal Orlando Resort��— guiding performers,��maintaining��show quality,��and collaborating with creative and technical teams��to deliver��live events and��immersive��guest experiences. He credits 166su with helping him achieve a decades-long goal.

That��dream��started during��his��childhood in Virginia, when��his��parents went through a difficult divorce, and he��found��his��happy place at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.��He went on to become a theater student, and in high school he took a job��at the park��as a performer.

That’s��when he��knew��he��could turn his passion into a career.

“As a kid,��I could immerse myself in a show and have a reprieve from��difficult times��at home.��I knew that someday I wanted to create that happiness for others,”��Spencer��says. “Once I��had the opportunity��to work there, I was fascinated��by what it took��behind the scenes��to bring a theme park experience to life.��I��wanted a career filled with days like those.”

To pursue��this path,��he��set��his��sights��on attending��, where he��went on to��earn��his bachelor’s degree in entertainment management��in 2023.��Just��this week,��166su��welcomed�� as its first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner and announced the creation of The Universal School of Experience Leadership and Innovation��at Rosen College.

“When I found Rosen College, I knew it was the place for me,” he says.��“On the first day of class, my professor talked about the joys of a career in the theme park industry. It was a dream��I’d��had for so long that it moved me to tears.”

He sent his mom a text that said,��“Thank you for everything��you’ve��done for me.��I’m��exactly where I need to be.”

However,��as��an out-of-state��student,��tuition��was a challenge��for Spencer.��His��mom did all she could��to help��him, but��he��has worked��hard to pay for��his��education.��He became��a��resident��assistant��on campus��and also��received a Rosen��College��scholarship.��Throughout school,��he has��worked as a performer in all three��major��Central Florida��theme parks��simultaneously.

He also became a��leader��on campus and in the industry, serving��as��vice��president��of 166su’s Future Theme Park Leaders Association��while he was a Rosen College student.

He credits��his��professors��with��believing in him and supporting him throughout his journey,��helping him to work toward��his goal��of��becoming��a show director��in one of the local world-class theme parks.

The same professor who inspired him on day one later encouraged him to pursue a master’s degree in��themed experience, part of��166su’s��College of Arts and Humanities.��This program��is designed��for��the��next generation of creators, artists and leaders��who��are redefining what it means to be entertained, and Spencer just��graduated in early May.

“My 166su journey has been the experience of a lifetime,” he says.��“And the best part is that I’ll spend my career creating experiences that are just as life-changing for others.”

Last year, Spencer received a��Universal Orlando��Impact Award��recognizing his contributions��to��the��grand opening celebration of Epic Universe, the resort’s newest theme park.

��at��,��inspiring the 166su community��and��demonstrating��the power of a Knight education to��reshape what it means to be entertained and what the future of experiences holds for people everywhere.

The UCF-Universal��Pegasus Partnership��is a��significant early��milestone��of����—��a��$3.5 billion��campaign to expand��opportunity, advance��discovery��and drive impact across the university.

Spencer’s��story shows why����is��so important: Investments in 166su help students ignite meaningful careers, discover new��frontiers��and create a bold tomorrow.��Students like��him��are launching a new era of innovation and making their mark across every industry.

Whether you are taking a full class schedule, interning or enjoying a much-needed breather, staying engaged on campus is key to making the most of your summer semester. 166su offers a wide selection of resources specifically to help you keep the momentum.

Academic Support

Shorter summer sessions are fast paced and demanding, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Support services are available in person and virtually to keep your GPA on track.

• Private Coaching: The Student Academic Resource Center continues to provide for over 30 subjects. Visit the SARC office in Trevor Colbourn Hall Room 117 or the Engineering II atrium for assistance.
• Math Tutoring: Located in the Mathematical Science Building, the Math Success Center offers for students enrolled in undergraduate math courses, providing a focused environment to master challenging concepts.
• Writing Center: From complex research papers and resume polishes to creative writing hobbies, the University Writing Center offers specialized to help you make tangible progress on all kinds of written projects.
• Study Spaces: Use the university’s to book a private study room in advance at the John C. Hitt and 166su Downtown libraries to ensure you have a safe, quiet place to study during finals.

Wellness Resources

Taking care of yourself is just as important during finals week as it is during a semester off. Fewer students on campus during the summer semester allows you more access to these wellness perks.

• Mental Health: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides students with around-the-clock at no extra cost. Students also have free access to the anonymous peer-to-peer support community and teletherapy sessions throughout the entire summer.
• Physical Wellness: �� remains open throughout the summer, offering appointments for illness and injury, preventive care, immunizations, laboratory services and more. The gym remains open with full summer hours to help you maintain your fitness routine. For a brain break and an extra dose of sunshine, head over to the for free kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding.
• Meeting Basic Needs: If your budget gets tight between semesters, you don’t have to worry. The Knights Helping Knights Pantry remains stocked and open during the summer to , toiletries and clothing to any Knight in need.

Professional Development

Summer is the perfect time to refine your professional brand. Career Services offers a series of Workshop Wednesdays and drop-in sessions to help you prepare for your next interview, internship or first day on the job.

• Career Readiness: Get quick, expert feedback on your resume, LinkedIn profile, practice interview or Handshake account with Critiques & Career Express. in-person or virtually throughout July 31.
• Workshop Wednesdays: throughout June and July to sharpen specific skills, including how to utilize AI in the job search, career exploration and the do’s and don’ts of networking online.
• Free Headshots: Stop by the Headshot Booth located in the Student Government office of the Student Union for . The booth is open and free for all students and produces professional, high-quality headshots same day.

Summer Events Around Campus

Stay engaged with these social and cultural opportunities that span the entire term.

• Socialize with Grad Students: Head to the Graduate Student Center in Trevor Colbourn Hall, Room 213 on the first Wednesday of each summer month for First Wednesday Cafe. Hosted by Graduate Student Life, it’s a , meet fellow students, and grab free bagels and coffee.
• Interactive Play Festival: Pegasus PlayLab is a festival hosted every summer by the 166su School of Performing Arts and is dedicated to helping develop the work of emerging playwrights across the country. for the workshop showings of Offshoot (May 29 – 30), Eight-Hand Jig (June 5 – 6), Between Shadows and Lightness (June 12 – 13), and the developmental production of Raccoon Play(June 11 – 14).
• Art Exhibition: Take a quiet culture break at the 166su Art Gallery (located in the Visual Arts Building) to experience The Carlos Malamud Prize. Running all summer long, with Rollins Museum of Art features striking works from six emerging Florida artists competing for a $10,000 prize.
• Therapy Dogs: If you need a serious mood boost, head over to CAPS to spend some time with certified therapy dogs during the It’s a proven, relaxing way to take a mid-semester breather and destress between your Summer A and Summer B classes.

Transportation and Parking

Summer is the best time to find a “prime” parking spot, but shuttles are still a reliable way to get around.

• Summer Shuttle Schedules: 166su shuttles operate on a modified summer schedule. Be sure to check the 166su Mobile app or the website for the most current route times, as frequency may differ from the fall/spring semesters.

Whether you are catching a sunset by the Reflecting Pond or grinding through a summer lab, remember that the 166su community is here to support you. Take advantage of the shorter lines and the specialized attention available this term and keep charging on!

166su School of Visual Arts and Design students earned all four scholarships awarded at Creative South, a testament to the university’s growing reputation as a hub for emerging creative talent.

“We’ve built such a strong community that when one person succeeds, we all do,” says Vanessa Morán, a senior graphic design student and treasurer of 166su’s Graphic Design Student Association. “That’s something Associate Professor Victor Davila ’97 ’07MFA has always instilled in us.”

For Brianna Rodriguez, a junior graphic design student who received a $1,000 grant, the scholarship is validation for where she’s heading.

“It felt like a message that my work has potential, and that I need to start seeing it that way,” she says.

Building Industry Connections

The students’ takeaways from Creative South went well beyond scholarship awards. Known for its welcoming environment, the conference gave students direct access to industry professionals, hands-on feedback, and real-world insight.

The access stood out to AJ Sibul, a senior graphic design student, who says Creative South made the industry feel more human.

“There’s no separation between attendees and speakers,” Sibul says. “They emphasize people first, titles second.”

From portfolio reviews to keynote presentations to late-night networking events, students built meaningful connections with working creatives, leading to mentorship, internships, and future job opportunities.

166su emerging media alumnus Josh Alonso ’25 understands that firsthand. Alonso first attended Creative South as a student, where he earned a scholarship from Heyo, a design and development agency, which included a yearlong mentorship with a professional from the company.

That experience led to his current full-time role, demonstrating how connections made at Creative South can translate directly into opportunities.

“That mentorship really grew into a friendship, which led to a job offer later down the road,” Alonso says. “They helped me understand the importance of being someone people wanted to work with, rather than just having the best-looking portfolio.”

“My career essentially got its ‘jumpstart’ from the people I met at Creative South.” — Josh Alonso ’25

Alonso’s journey reflects what many 166su students are beginning to experience: real pathways into creative careers.

“My career essentially got its ‘jumpstart’ from the people I met at Creative South,” he says.

As 166su continues to invest in the next generation of creatives, experiences like Creative South equip students with the connections and confidence needed to succeed in the industry after graduation.