Tech industry powerhouses from throughout Central Florida - including NASA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, Boeing, Harris Corporation, Naval Air Warfare Center, U.S. Army PEO-STRI, Disney, and Cox Marketing - have joined with the University of Central Florida, Manufacturers Association of Central Florida and Florida Virtual School to encourage study in science, technology, engineering and math.

This impressive coalition represents the charter members of the Central Florida STEM Education Council (CFSEC), which will be based at the UCF Business Incubation Program in the Central Florida Research Park.

Their end goal is to prepare and entice pre-college students to enter technical fields of study and, ultimately, to pursue high-tech jobs in Central Florida. Efforts will be directed at students in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, Polk and Flagler counties.

Despite the recession, the demand for qualified technical workers remains high in Central Florida. This initiative will help address that demand well into the future.

Several events of the past week reinforce again why Metro Orlando is so often envied for its unique collaborations; and how the University of Central Florida has earned its reputation as a leading "partnership university".

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer helped UCF Provost Terry Hickey welcome UF President Bernie Machen to downtown Orlando's growing "Creative Village" last week. Together they officially opened Citylab-Orlando, a research and teaching center from UF's College of Design, Construction and Planning, that will collaborate with UCF faculty. The new program - which is already involved with local urban design projects including redesigning space under Interstate 4 (dubbed "Orlando's Bridge District") - will be housed within UCF's Center for Emerging Media located in the former Orlando ExpoCentre in downtown Orlando. According to Dr. Machen: "Orlando has a special place in this state and indeed the nation. What's emerging here is a new fusion of culture, commerce, imagination and industry."

The fusion continued as Valencia Community College and UCF dedicated a new shared facility that allows the nation's third largest university to further expand its offerings on the west side of Orlando. The $23 million, three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility, located on Valencia's West Campus, accommodates classes offered by both institutions, with more than 40 classrooms, a state-of-the-art testing center, computer labs, study rooms, faculty/staff offices and a café. With this opening, UCF now offers complete bachelor's degrees in Nursing, Electrical Engineering, Applied Science, Business Administration, Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology through the campus on south Kirkman Road. Valencia's engineering programs are also housed in the building.

Students from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will have a new modeling and simulation post-bachelors program to choose from later this fall. This is good news for Metro Orlando, as it further bolsters our region as the nation's hub for the modeling, simulation and training industry.

The two-year, online Professional Science Master's program will have two components: UCF will offer 36 credit hours and Embry-Riddle, through its Worldwide Campus, will offer 18 credit hours toward the program. Graduates also qualify for Embry-Riddle's certificate in modeling and simulation management. Equivalent to an MBA for business majors, this curriculum will not only provide business education for science majors and enhanced training for our incumbent workforce, but is also designed to build close connections to the professional world through required internships and an industry advisory board that will help design the course offerings. As with every advancement that strengthens our skilled workforce, this is viewed as an important addition to the region's economic development arsenal.

The two universities designed the program for working professionals who wish to expand their knowledge and skills in this growing field. Most will pursue the degree as part-time students and the online format is perfect for this. Program graduates also qualify for Embry-Riddle's certificate in modeling and simulation management. Eventually, the collaborative program will produce 1,000 graduates to help fill positions in industries including biotechnology, environment and sustainability, forensic science, homeland security, health care and simulation.

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