>>EARLIER TODAY WE WERE RECORDING SOME STUFF OUTDOORS.

THIS IS UNRELATED TO THIS, BUT I WAS SO TOUCHED BY THAT BIT ABOUT DR. HIT.

SO WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DR. HIT, AND I WAS LIKE AND NOW I'M SO EXCITED TO DO THIS, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO SIT WITH YOU AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

I'M LIKE, I HOPE THIS WON'T TURN INTO A TELENOVELA HERE ON MY END.

>>IT WON'T, IT'LL BE GOOD.

>>IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO SIT WITH YOU.

>>THANK YOU.

>>YOU'RE ORIGINALLY FROM THE BAHAMAS.

>>YES.

>>SO WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE THERE?

AND WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE?

AND WHY DID YOU GUYS MOVE TO THE STATES WHEN YOU DID?

AND HOW DID THAT SHAPE YOU?

HOW DID THAT INFLUENCE YOU?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>>IT'S PROBABLY A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PEOPLE IMAGINE LIVING IN THE BAHAMAS, BUT I WAS WHAT YOU REALLY CONSIDER A TRUE BAHAMIAN.

I MEAN, I WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WE WERE STRUGGLING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE BAHAMAS.

SO YOU JUST GET BY DAY-TO-DAY AND REALIZED THAT AT SOME POINT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE BAHAMAS.

AND IF YOU STAY THERE NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES AT ALL.

AND MY MOM ACTUALLY MET SOMEONE FROM IOWA AND EVENTUALLY MARRIED HIM.

AND I WAS AT THE AGE WHERE I COULD COME ALONG.

AND SO I DECIDED TO COME ALONG BECAUSE I FIGURED THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE.

AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE THEN WHEN I CAME OVER I STARTED WORKING AND DOING ALL THOSE THINGS AND I THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.

LIFE IN THE BAHAMAS IS PROBABLY A LOT MORE CHALLENGING THAN PEOPLE REALIZE.

BECAUSE YOU SEE A LOT OF THE PICTURES AND YES, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

YES, THE WATER IS INCREDIBLE.

YES, THE SUN GOES ON FOREVER, BUT THERE'S NOT AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A SMALL COUNTRY AND NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE UP.

AND IT REALLY WAS THE CASE THAT AT THAT TIME AND IT STILL IS THAT YOU COME TO THE U.S. AND YOU REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

AND I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO LIVE THAT.

AND THAT'S THE TRUTH.

>>SO YOU CAME TO UCF FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI.

SO WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED CONTEMPLATING THIS JOB OPPORTUNITY, WHAT ASPECTS OF THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE ROLE ITSELF DID YOU FIND IRRESISTIBLE THAT MADE THIS JOB STAND OUT FROM MAYBE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAD COME YOUR WAY?

WHAT MADE YOU UCF SO SPECIAL?

>>I THINK YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT IT ABOUT THIS BACKGROUND, BUT I WAS CONTACTED APPARENTLY VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.

SO I FOUND THAT OUT...

I MEAN I KNEW WHEN I WAS CONTACTED, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW EARLY IT WAS IN THE PROCESS, BUT IT WAS VERY EARLY, BUT I ACTUALLY WAS NOT INTERESTED.

AND I WENT ABOUT DOING MY JOB AT MISSOURI WHICH IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AND YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF A PLACE.

I DIDN'T ACTUALLY EVEN START THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN UNTIL THEY'D CONTACTED ME AND TRIED TO CONVINCE ME TO COME AND CONSIDER THIS.

AND AGAIN, I JUST COULDN'T FIND TIME TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT AND CONTINUED TO WORK AND FOCUS ON MISSOURI.

AND THEN IT WAS REALLY AT THE LAST MINUTE THAT THEY CONTACTED ME ONE MORE TIME AND A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

AND THEN I FINALLY DID ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE JOB AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS REALLY, I DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT UCF.

I KNEW IT HAD CREOL.

I KNEW IT HAD OPTICS.

I KNEW THAT THERE WAS A STRONG OPTICS PROGRAM HERE BECAUSE THAT'S MY RESEARCH AREA.

BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE INSTITUTION.

AND WITHIN A MATTER OF 24 HOURS OR MAYBE 48 AT THE MOST, I STARTED TO SEE SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE SO STEM HEAVY.

THAT WE HAVE SO MANY ENGINEERING STUDENTS, RIGHT NOW, 13,000 ENGINEERING STUDENTS AND 12,000 SCIENCE STUDENTS AND HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS ON TOP OF THAT.

AND I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT MAYBE AN ENGINEER CAN ACTUALLY BE PRESIDENT OF THIS PLACE AND IT WOULD BE OKAY AS AN ENGINEER AND IT COULD WORK AND IT COULD BE A MATCH.

AND THEN I LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE INSTITUTION.

CERTAINLY, THAT IT'S A HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS FIRST CONTACTED.

AND AFTER LEARNING ALL OF THAT, I STARTED TO BECOME REALLY INTERESTED BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS INSTITUTION THAT IS IN A METROPOLITAN AREA THAT IS ITSELF GROWING VERY RAPIDLY.

THE INSTITUTION HAS GROWN VERY RAPIDLY.

AND I THOUGHT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE FOR WHAT UNIVERSITIES WILL BE, IT'LL BE PLACES LIKE UCF.

TIMING WAS VERY STRANGE HOW IT HAPPENED, BUT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I SHOULDN'T REFUSE TAKING.

AND I HAD HIRED A FOOTBALL COACH WHEN WE WERE AT MISSOURI AND HE SAID SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.

AND I ALWAYS REMEMBERED IT AND IT ACTUALLY CAME TO MIND WHEN I WAS DECIDING THIS.

HE SAID THAT THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME SHOULD BE SEIZED IN THE LIFETIME OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, THAT IS PRETTY GOOD."

SO I'LL BLAME HIM FOR MAKING ME RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN YOU GOT TO SOMETIMES MAKE DECISIONS PRETTY QUICKLY.

AND THIS WAS A GOOD DECISION.

>>THAT'S A GREAT SAYING TOO.

SO YOU SHARE A LOT OF EXPERIENCES WITH THE STUDENT BODY POPULATION THAT WE SERVE.

YOU'RE A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT AND ABOUT 20% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE AS WELL.

YOU'RE A TRANSFER STUDENT.

SO YOU FIRST WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEN YOU WENT TO A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY.

AND ABOUT 47% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ALSO TRANSFER STUDENTS.

YOU WERE A PELL GROUND STUDENT IN ABOUT 35, 37% OF OUR STUDENT BODY POPULATION ALSO SHARES THAT DISTINCTION WITH YOU.

HOW HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES SHAPED YOU AS A LEADER, AGGREGATELY AND MORE RELEVANT TO OUR CONVERSATIONS A DAY.

HOW DO THOSE EXPERIENCES SHAPE YOUR LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY HERE FOR UCF?

>>THAT'S AN INTERESTING WAY TO ASK ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP.

I LOOK AT IT ACTUALLY.

AND I THINK ONE THING THAT IT ACTUALLY HAS CREATED WAS AN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO DO TO ACTUALLY GET HERE.

AND WE SEE THAT CERTAINLY IN OUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY'VE HAD TO PERSEVERE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND MAYBE NOT HAVING THE SUPPORT MECHANISMS AROUND THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND I THINK THAT TRANSLATES INTO HOW YOU LEAD IN THAT, MY BELIEF IS THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS LEADERS IS FIGURE OUT WAYS TO EMPOWER PEOPLE, TO CREATE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY CAN BE THE BEST THEY COULD EVER BE, AND THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MICROMANAGE, CONTROL BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU ACTUALLY, YOU REALLY STOP PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY ACHIEVE.

AND ACTUALLY THEY LOSE THAT SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND SENSE OF SORT OF EMPOWERMENT THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO REALLY DO THINGS.

SO IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT CHANCE TO DEVELOP AND GROW AND RECOGNIZE TOO, THAT THEY MIGHT DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF WHATEVER LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY HAD.

AND THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY WRONG IN ANY WAY.

IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.

I MIGHT THINK IT OF IT DIFFERENTLY AND I MIGHT DO IT DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.

IT'S JUST THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCES LEAD THEM TO DIFFERENT DECISIONS AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THINGS.

AND WE SHOULD ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE THAT AND APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ULTIMATELY FOR THE INSTITUTIONS WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH DIFFERENT VOICES.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY THAT BACKGROUND OF HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT AND HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU GET THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPLICATIONS OF ACTUALLY EVEN APPLYING TO AN INSTITUTION AND GETTING FINANCIAL AID?

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A THING LIKE FINANCIAL AID.

THAT'S WHAT'S SAD TO ADMIT BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS GO THROUGH THAT.

AND I KNOW THAT ALSO IS TRUE IN A LOT OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF.

THEY'RE ALSO FIRST GENERATION IN WHAT THEY DO AND THEY'RE COMMITTED TO EVERYTHING WE DO.

THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCES AS A LOT OF PEOPLE.

AND OUR JOB IS TO LIFT THEM UP.

YOU SOMETIMES RUN IN THE PEOPLE THAT JUST WEREN'T GIVEN OPPORTUNITY.

AND ONCE YOU GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU SEE INCREDIBLE ABILITIES AND YOU JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE AND LET THEM FLY.

THEY'LL SOMETIMES, MAYBE SOMETIMES THEY'LL EVEN LEAVE YOU, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

THEY MIGHT BE TOO GOOD.

THEY'LL GO ON AND SOMEONE WILL RECRUIT THEM AWAY.

THAT'S ACTUALLY PERFECTLY FINE.

I JUST WANT THEM TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN DO.

AND YOU'RE ALWAYS PLEASED WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AND SEE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED WITH AND THEY'VE DONE EVEN MORE THAN YOU REALIZED WAS POSSIBLE AT THE TIME.

>>SO, DR. CARTWRIGHT, I'VE ALSO HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU WENT FROM YOUR GED TO PHD, WHICH IS A REMARKABLE JOURNEY.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE PERHAPS FACING HUGE ODDS WITH RESPECT TO HIGHER ED BEING A VEHICLE THAT CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

>>WHEN I LOOK BACK, ACTUALLY I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT- >>IT'S BEEN A FABULOUS JOURNEY HERE.

>>IT HAS BEEN A FABULOUS JOURNEY, BUT I ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT AND GO, HOW DID I MANAGE TO DO THAT?

AND I ACTUALLY STILL DON'T QUITE KNOW HOW I DID IT OR JUST HOW I MADE THE DECISIONS.

AND I LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT I MADE AND I'M NOT SURE THEY WERE ACTUALLY BASED ON ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON OR ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST A BELIEF THAT I SHOULD JUST KEEP TRYING TO DO THOSE THINGS, THAT EXPERIENCE OF STARTING OUT AND HAVING TO GET A GED AND THEN GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND STARTING OFF AND TRYING TO DO, I WAS GOING TO BE AN ACCOUNTING MAJOR.

I DID ALMOST TWO YEARS OF THAT, ROUGHLY.

AND I WAS AS IN BUSINESS AND THEN TO TRANSFER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.

AND ULTIMATELY AFTER A SEMESTER DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO START OVER COMPLETELY IN ENGINEERING, ESSENTIALLY.

THAT WAS AN INTERESTING DECISION THAT I LOOK BACK ON AND WONDER WHY I EVEN MADE THAT DECISION ISN'T CLEAR TO ME.

BUT I THINK IT WAS THIS BELIEF THAT I NEEDED TO FIND SOMETHING THAT I REALLY LOVED AND THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE INTERESTING.

AND I ALWAYS HAD THIS BELIEF THAT I WAS FAIRLY GOOD AT MATH AND I COULD FIGURE THOSE THINGS OUT, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE EXPERIENCES.

I HADN'T TAKEN CALCULUS.

I DIDN'T HAVE THE TRIGONOMETRY OR THE GEOMETRY.

I HADN'T HAD ANY OF THE SCIENCES, BUT SOMEHOW I STILL BELIEVE THAT I COULD ACTUALLY GO AND DO IT.

>>WE HAD A HUNCH, HAD >>A HUNCH, BUT I ALSO HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT.

I MEAN, I HAD A MOM THAT WAS INCREDIBLY BRIGHT AND... >>SUPPORTIVE?

>>YEAH.

AND SHE BELIEVED IN ME.

AND THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.

BUT I THINK EVERYBODY HAS THAT IN THEM.

WE ALL FACE INCREDIBLE ODDS IN EVERYTHING.

AND THE PROBABILITY OF ACTUALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL IN ANYTHING WE DO IS... AND REALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL IS PRETTY SLIM WHEN YOU START AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS ME BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE THAT ARE AT A CERTAIN CLASS OF INCOME.

AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRETTY LIMITED.

AND OF THE VERY FEW PLACES THAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF THAT IS WITH EDUCATION.

AND I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT I ALWAYS KNEW THAT EDUCATION WAS A ROUTE OUT.

THAT I FIGURED THAT COULD BE A WAY TO ACTUALLY GET BEYOND WHERE I WAS.

AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A BELIEF.

AND SO TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, I KNEW TOO, THAT I HAD A GOAL IN MIND AND THAT WAS WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE, MY WHOLE GOAL WAS JUST TO GET MY DEGREE, GET OUT AND MAKE A LIVING.

THAT CHANGED OVER TIME.

AND I TRANSITIONED TO BEING MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN BEING A FACULTY MEMBER BUT INITIALLY IT WAS ABOUT GETTING A JOB AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT A FAMILY AND DOING THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO.

AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE THAT JUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME THEIR WAY.

YOU GOT TO FIND THE THING THAT MAKES SENSE FOR YOU.

AND WE'RE ALL A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN WHERE OUR STRENGTHS ARE.

AND IF YOU CAN START TO DO A LOT OF SELF ASSESSMENT AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR REAL STRENGTHS ARE AND HOW TO LEVERAGE THOSE AND STRENGTH, IT ISN'T JUST BEING GOOD AT SOMETHING, BUT IT'S ALSO HAVING A PASSION FOR IT AND WANTING TO BE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

IF YOU CAN FIND THAT, THEN YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT IN THAT AREA, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU FIND.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERGENCE OF THE REAL PASSION ABOUT IT AND THE ABILITY TO WORK HARD IN THAT AREA.

AND IF THOSE COME TOGETHER, THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF THINGS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH ME IS WHEN I SWITCHED TO ENGINEERING, I MEAN, I ENJOYED BUSINESS.

I REALLY DID.

I ACTUALLY LIKED WHAT I WAS DOING IN THE ACCOUNTING AND I WOULD'VE PROBABLY ENJOYED IT.

BUT WHEN I GOT INTO ENGINEERING, IT BECAME MUCH MORE OF A CHALLENGE.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF PUZZLE AS PROBLEM SOLVING.

IT WAS HOW DO YOU START THINKING BEYOND JUST WHAT THE PROBLEM IS ON THE PAPER, BUT WHAT IT REALLY COULD MEAN LONG TERM.

THOSE WERE THINGS I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN.

AND I THINK IF YOU CAN FIND THAT, THEN YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND IF YOU CAN GET A SUPPORTIVE NETWORK AND IF YOU LEARN TO WORK AND RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE AND TRUST OTHER PEOPLE AND LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, THEN LOTS OF THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WHEN YOU START LISTENING.

>>INDEED, INDEED.

SO AT UCF, WE HAVE OUR FIRST COUPLE IN YOU AS OUR PRESIDENT AND OUR UCF FIRST LADY IN MELINDA CARTWRIGHT.

BUT A LITTLE KNOWN FACT IS THAT WE ALSO HAVE A FIRST DOG.

SO WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT UCF FIRST DOG?

>>SHE'S PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OLD NOW, AND SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL DOG.

ARTEMIS IS HER NAME AND SHE'S PROBABLY, AND WE'VE SAID THIS AND WE'VE HAD A FEW DOGS, SHE'S OUR THIRD DOG IN THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN MARRIED.

WE'VE BEEN MARRIED A LONG TIME.

SO WE'VE FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE HAD VERY LONG LIFE DOGS AND SHE'S PROBABLY THE MOST LOVING DOG WE'VE EVER HAD.

SHE'S ALSO PROBABLY THE MOST PROTECTIVE DOG WE'VE EVER HAD AND THAT SHE CAN BE AT TIMES A LITTLE SCARY WITH HOW PROTECTIVE SHE CAN BE OF US.

SO SHE HAS THIS VERY INTERESTING, I THINK SHE'S EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND HER AND EXTREMELY PROTECTIVE IS WHAT I WOULD SAY.

AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE HER WITH US SO THAT SHE ACTUALLY DOES...

THERE IS SOMETHING CALMING ABOUT BEING AROUND YOUR PET.

IT'S THAT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IN SOME WAY THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND THEN THAT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING QUITE SPECIAL.

SO WE DID GET LUCKY IN THAT WE WERE AT A ALUMNI EVENT FOR ATHLETICS AND WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME CHRISTINE AND KEVIN WIDERA.

AND WE SAID HI TO THEM AND EVERYTHING.

AND THEN AT THE END OF THE EVENT, THEY WERE SAYING THEY NEEDED TO GO HOME BECAUSE THEY HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PUPPIES.

AND WE WERE LIKE PUPPIES.

AND THEY SAID, THEY HAVE A COUPLE PUPPIES THAT THEY'RE FOSTERING.

AND WE WERE LIKE, YOU'RE FOSTERING PUPPIES.

WE'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN PUPPIES.

WE'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN A DOG.

AND SO THEY SHOWED US A PICTURE OF THE TWO DOGS AND THEN OF COURSE- >>AND THAT WAS IT.

YOU WERE LIKE, "SIGN ME UP".

>>THEY WERE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL.

YEAH, EXACTLY.

WE WERE THERE, WE WENT AND LOOKED AT THEM AND I MEAN, THEY WERE BOTH SUCH GREAT DOGS.

WE WERE THINKING ABOUT GETTING BOTH.

AND THEN WE DECIDED, NO, MAYBE NOT.

I ACTUALLY DO THINK THEY WANTED TO KEEP ONE OF THEM.

AND SO HER BROTHER IS STILL WITH THEM AND HIS NAME IS APOLLO.

APOLLO AND ARTEMIS ARE TWINS AND GREEK MYTHOLOGY AND APOLLO IS CERTAINLY IS THE FIRST MOON MISSION.

AND WE DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT ARTEMIS OF COURSE IS THE SECOND MOON MISSION.

AND IT'S THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO LAND THE FIRST WOMAN ON THE MOON.

SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE HER HAVE THE NAME ARTEMIS BOTH OF COURSE, CONNECTED TO WHAT UCF IS.

>>I LOVE THAT.

NOTHING'S SAYS THAT'S A MATERIAL EVIDENCE OF OUR COMMITMENTS TO THE SPACE.

>>CORRECT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S GOOD.

>>I HAVE HEARD YOU SAY THAT UCF LOOKS LIKE THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

>>THERE'S LOTS OF MEANING BEHIND THAT.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR STUDENT POPULATION AND YOU SEE WE'RE A HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTION, WE ARE ALMOST MAJORITY MINORITY.

WE'RE ALWAYS VERY CLOSE TO THAT.

AND THAT OF COURSE IS HOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS COUNTRY WILL EVENTUALLY BE AND THAT CERTAINLY IS ONE ASPECT OF IT.

BUT THE OTHER THING TOO, IS THAT WE ARE AN INSTITUTION THAT IS RICH ACTUALLY ON STEM AND COMBINING THAT WITH THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AND NOT A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS HAVE THAT MIX THAT WHERE YOU SEE OVER 50 OF AN INSTITUTION CERTAINLY OF THIS SIZE ARE RELATED TO STEM MAJORS.

THAT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.

AND THAT SHOWS THIS INTERESTING CONVERGENCE OF WHERE YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE GREAT INTEREST IN STEM, BUT ALSO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE LIVE OUR LIVES AND THE THINGS WE REMEMBER ARE ABOUT THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES.

AND SO, YES, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE ALL THE TECHNOLOGY.

YES, IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THIS THING, BUT THEN WE ALSO NEED THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO WHERE THE FUTURE IS GOING FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

WE'LL SEE THAT BLENDING OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE LOVE AND LIVE AND APPRECIATE, BUT ALSO HOW WE THEN INTERACT WITH THOSE THINGS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION.

AND THEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW UNIVERSITIES OF THE FUTURE, AND IN FACT, HOW MANY THINGS IN THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO BE ACCOMPLISHED, IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS AT THIS INSTITUTION, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A NUMBER OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL SORTS OF COMPANIES.

AND WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THEM.

OUR STUDENTS HAVE LOTS OF INTERNSHIPS.

WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS, WE HAVE THE RESEARCH PARK RIGHT NEXT DOOR WHERE CERTAINLY WE HAVE ALL THE STUFF GOING ON IN MODELING AND SIMULATION.

AND AGAIN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE A LOT OF INDUSTRY IS GOING, IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND TECHNOLOGIES THAT USE MODELING AND SIMULATION AND DIGITAL TWIN.

AND WE ARE POSITIONED THAT WE WERE LEADERS IN THAT AREA.

WE STILL ARE LEADERS IN THAT AREA.

AND WE'RE RECOGNIZED AS BEING AN AREA WHERE THAT'S GROWN AND WHERE IT STARTED.

AND THAT TO ME, POSITIONS US VERY STRONGLY INTO THE FUTURE.

SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WHEN I TALK ABOUT US LOOKING LIKE THE FUTURE OF AMERICA, I'M THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THOSE, THE CONVERGENCE OF SO MANY THINGS.

>>YEAH.

A LOT OF DIMENSIONS.

>>A LOT OF DIMENSIONS IN THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.

>>YEAH.

SO UCF HAS UNDERGONE TREMENDOUS GROWTH OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, BOTH IN SIZE AND IN SCOPE.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECONCILING UCF'S MISSION OF ACCESS QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE.

>>YEAH.

WE WILL ALWAYS BE COMMITTED TO ACCESS.

I THINK THAT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO WHO WE ARE AS AN INSTITUTION.

AT THE SAME TIME I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPERATIVE THAT WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY PROGRAM POSSIBLE.

AND SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL INSTITUTION?

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ORLANDO AND CENTRAL FLORIDA, CENTRAL FLORIDA DESERVES A GREAT UNIVERSITY, THAT IS THE CENTER OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE REGION.

AND SO WE DO NEED TO FOCUS ON HOW DO WE BECOME NOT JUST THE LARGE INSTITUTION THAT WE ARE, BUT HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST INSTITUTIONS WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.

AND SO I THINK IT IS A DELICATE BALANCE OF HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE ACCESS AND ENSURE THAT WE'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE LARGE INSTITUTION BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT THAT WE WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO GROW, GROW, GROW.

IN FACT, I THINK WE'LL LEVEL OFF AND SHRINK A LITTLE BIT.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THIS INSTITUTION.

AND THEN I THINK IT'S ABOUT FOCUSING ON WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER DIMENSIONS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR SOCIETY.

HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY BEYOND JUST THE DEGREES THAT WE AWARD, BEYOND THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE, THOSE ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ALWAYS.

BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR RESEARCH?

HOW DO WE HELP WITH SOCIETY'S NEEDS?

HOW DO WE SOLVE THE GRAND CHALLENGES FOR SOCIETY AND HOW DO OUR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO SOLVING THOSE?

AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THAT.

WE ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE THEM ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO IF WE CAN BRING THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, THEN IT'S ABOUT AN INSTITUTION THAT IS KNOWN EQUALLY FOR ITS EXCELLENCE AS IT IS FOR ITS SIZE.

BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE'S BENEFIT TO BEING THAT LARGE INSTITUTION WHERE WE DO GIVE ACCESS TO SO MANY INCREDIBLE STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE US EVEN EMPHASIZE MORE ON REALLY CELEBRATING HOW GREAT WE CAN BE.

>>YEAH.

YOU'VE SAID IN OTHER OCCASIONS THAT WE WILL BE ELITE, BUT... >>BUT NOT ELITIST.

>>THAT'S RIGHT.

>>THAT IS CORRECT.

THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR GOAL.

I WAS LUCKY.

I GOT TO COME TO THE U.S. AND I GOT TO GO TO KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

I HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.

AND ALL THE WAY ALONG I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT I HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH REALLY GREAT PEOPLE AND TO BE EXPOSED TO GREAT THINGS.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY DESERVES THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN IF DOORS ARE OPENED, THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT I TALK ABOUT MAKING THIS PLACE INTO THAT TYPE OF WELL KNOWN TOP TIER RESEARCH INSTITUTION.

THAT'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT IS THAT IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE EVEN MORE OR TO OUR STUDENTS IN THEIR EXPERIENCES.

AND I THINK IT'LL ENCOURAGE SOME OF THEM TO GO ON AND MAYBE GET EVEN MORE ADVANCED DEGREES AND DO EVEN MORE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORKS FOR SOCIETY.

>>YEAH.

I HAVE NO DOUBT.

I HAVE NO DOUBT.

AS WE APPROACH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOUR TWO YEAR WORK ANNIVERSARY.

>>PRETTY AMAZING.

>>PRETTY AMAZING.

TIME HAS FLOWN BY.

>>FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN.

>>SO TO DATE, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM UCF OR FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA OR COMBINED?

>>I REALLY STARTED REFLECTING A LOT ON THAT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

AND I- >>WE EXPECT A VERY LONG SPEECH FOR YOUR SECOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

>>I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BEING HERE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I STARTED TO RECOGNIZE IS, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT BEING A CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND YOU JUST DID WHATEVER WAS NEEDED.

AND I'M ALWAYS AMAZED THAT, I'VE EVEN MADE THE JOKE THAT UCF IN MANY WAYS IS THE MACGYVER OF INSTITUTIONS IN THAT WE TOOK WHATEVER WE HAD AND MADE IT WORK.

AND I MEAN THAT, IT IS THE STAFF, THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS ALSO THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT BARRIERS WERE THERE.

THEY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK.

AND THAT TO ME IS INCREDIBLE.

SO THERE WAS I CAN DO ATTITUDE.

IT WAS THIS IDEA THAT DIDN'T MATTER IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME RESOURCES AS OTHERS AND THE SAME ACCESS TO THE SAME TOOLS AS OTHER PEOPLE, BUT WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

AND THAT WAS REMARKABLE.

AND THEN I STARTED REALIZING THAT THERE WAS THIS REAL SENSE OF OPTIMISM THAT IS CERTAINLY IN UCF.

BUT I STARTED TO RECOGNIZE TOO, THAT OPTIMISM IS ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THEY SHARE THAT.

THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY BELIEVES SO MANY THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

AND THEN I STARTED HEARING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE MAGIC.

THE MAGIC OF THIS REGION AND THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE IN MAGIC.

AND I'M LIKE, THEY REALLY DO BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THIS REGION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

AND AS YOU START FROM A VERY SMALL UNIVERSITY THAT PEOPLE WERE WEREN'T, I'M SURE AT THE TIME WHEN IT STARTED, WEREN'T SURE THAT IT REALLY BECOME MUCH OF ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WAS SO NEW.

TO WHERE YOU LOOK AT WHERE IT IS NOW.

IT IS A REFLECTION OF THE COMMITMENT OF THIS REGION TO HIGHER EDUCATION.

IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO AS AN INSTITUTION, WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION SUPPORTS HIGHER EDUCATION, BUT ALSO BELIEVES THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

AND THEY BELIEVE THAT UCF WAS EVEN, WHEN MANY OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE IT, THEY KNEW WHAT UCF COULD REALLY BECOME.

AND THAT TO ME, THAT CONFIDENCE, THAT ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN IS UNIQUE TO CENTRAL FLORIDA.

AT LEAST FOR ME, IN MY EXPERIENCES, I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A PLACE THAT'S LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT IS WHAT CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS.

AND YOU CAN'T REPLICATE THAT.

IT'S NOT EASY TO REPLICATE THAT.

AND SO WHEN WE START DOING THINGS FOR ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE, I'M ALWAYS CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOLVE IT BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN WHAT THIS INSTITUTION HAS DONE.

AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE.

AND I HOPE THAT CERTAINLY I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONE THAT IS KNOWN FOR HAVING GOTTEN RID OF THAT ABILITY.

I THINK THAT'S AN ABILITY THAT WE NEED TO CHERISH AND CERTAINLY SUPPORT.

>>YEAH.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE HEARD THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY COLLABORATIVELY AND ALL YOUR PEARS- >>EXTREMELY.

>>YES.

EVERYBODY'S ON A FAR BASIS- >>EXTREMELY COLLABORATIVE ACROSS SECTORS, ACROSS INDUSTRIES, EVEN WITHIN THE SAME AREA, HIGHER EDUCATION.

THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THIS REGION ARE EXTREMELY COLLABORATIVE.

AND MANY PLACES WHAT YOU SEE IS EVEN THOUGH THEY WILL TALK ABOUT BEING COLLABORATIVE, SOMETIMES... >>THAT'S A GOAL.

MAYBE IT'S A GOAL.

>>YES, EXACTLY.

AND ALSO THEY'RE COMPETING SO FIERCELY THAT IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO COLLABORATE.

HERE, WE'RE IN A FORTUNATE SITUATION WHERE ALL OF OUR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ARE NEEDED AND WE HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES IN TERMS OF STUDENTS AND PEOPLE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THAT MANY INSTITUTIONS.

AND SO WE DON'T SEE IT AS MUCH AS COMPETITION, BUT RATHER, YES, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE COMPETITION AT SOME LEVEL BUT THAT'S OKAY.

BUT WE SEE IT MORE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY COLLABORATE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE REGION.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN THAT I THINK IS JUST SPECIFIC TO AN AREA THAT'S SEEING SO MUCH GROWTH.

WHICH IS GOOD.

>>WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT UCF'S FUTURE, WHAT DO YOU SEE DR. CARTWRIGHT?

>>I SEE IN THE FUTURE, I DO SEE AN INSTITUTION THAT PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE AS ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE BEST, PUBLIC METROPOLITAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IN THIS COUNTRY.

THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INSTITUTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST.

IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUTSTANDING FACULTY WHO ARE GOING TO BE WINNING NOBEL PRIZES AND BEING NATIONAL ACADEMY MEMBERS AND PRODUCING THE BEST SCHOLARSHIP, THE BEST PERFORMANCES, THE BEST ART IN THE COUNTRY.

THAT'LL HAPPEN BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS THAT BELIEF.

AND PEOPLE WANT TO BE ALSO IN A REGION THAT WANTS THAT TYPE OF SUCCESS.

AND PEOPLE WILL WANT TO COME TO CENTRAL FLORIDA.

PEOPLE WILL WANT TO COME TO UCF.

AND WHEN YOU START FOCUSING ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE PEOPLE, THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR FACULTY, THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR STAFF AND HOW THEY CAN ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE AND MOVE US FORWARD WHEN ALL OF THAT CONVERGES THEN AS A LEADER, YOU JUST HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET IT TAKE PLACE BECAUSE EXCEPTIONAL THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

YOU BRING TOGETHER EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE, YOU PUT THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE, GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

AND I BELIEVE THAT AND I KNOW THAT'S OUR JOB, IS TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE GET RID OF BARRIERS?

HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE SOME CHANCES AND REALLY THRIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT.

THEN THAT'LL ALLOW US TO BE THAT PLACE THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT US.

WE'RE GOING TO BE KNOWN AS THOUGHT LEADERS.

WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THAT BUT IT'S LIMITED IN SOME WAY RIGHT NOW.

BUT I THINK IT'LL BE A MUCH MORE OF A NATIONAL BRAND.

AND SO PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING AT US.

YOU CAN SEE IT EVEN AS WE MOVE TO THE BIG 12 IN ATHLETICS.

THAT'S GOING TO AGAIN, BUMP US WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE MUCH MORE VISIBLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE BIG 12, IT HAS INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

ALL THE WAY OVER ON THE WEST COAST AND EAST COAST.

AND THAT ACTUALLY WILL ALSO THEN PLAY INTO OUR VISIBILITY AND WHAT PEOPLE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THIS INSTITUTION IS.

AND THEN IT'S UP TO US TO JUST CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON OUR EXISTING NARRATIVE, WHICH IS THAT WE ARE THIS EXCEPTIONAL INSTITUTION THAT REALLY HAS REMARKABLE PEOPLE AND DOING WORK THAT IS BENEFITING SOCIETY.

AND AS LONG AS WE STAY FOCUSED TO THOSE THINGS, WHICH WE DO AT OUR CORE, WHICH IS EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND ENGAGEMENT, WE'RE GOING TO BE THAT TOP TIER INSTITUTION THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE LOOKING AT.

AND THEY'LL ALL WANT TO BE HERE.

>>I LIKE THAT.

I LIKE THAT.

THE HOPE IS FOR EVERYBODY TO ASK WHAT WOULD UCF DO?

>>EXACTLY.

>>WHAT WOULD UCF DO?

>>THEY DO THAT A LOT ALREADY, BUT NOW WE JUST NEED TO GET THEM TO START DOING THAT IN A LOT OF OTHER AREAS.

>>WELL, I SEE YOU ADVANCING THAT DREAM EVERY DAY.

AND NOW WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS.

>>RAPID FIRE QUESTION.

>>OKAY.

AND THEN THE ONES THAT YOU WANT TO SKIP, JUST SKIP.

HOW ABOUT THAT?

>>RAPID FIRE.

>>RAPID FIRE.

OKAY.

SO WHICH TED LASSO CHARACTER DO YOU IDENTIFY MOST WITH?

>>NOT ROY KENT.

NO, I LOVE ROY KENT FOR MANY REASONS.

BUT I WOULD NOT IDENTIFY WITH ROY KENT.

I ACTUALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT THE FAVORITE CHARACTER IS TED LASSO.

AND I THINK IT'S JUST BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A... >>IT'S WHATEVER WE WANT.

>>BUT I FIND IT FASCINATING BECAUSE IT'S A SHOW THAT REALLY IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP.

AND HIS CHARACTER IS ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP.

AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME THAT HIS CHARACTER IS ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE AND HOW YOU ARE A GOOD COACH, WHICH IS WHAT LEADERS REALLY ARE FOCUSED ON NOWADAYS.

HE ALSO IN HIS OWN WAY, HAS HIS INSECURITIES AND CHALLENGES.

AND I THINK THAT THERE'S THIS NICE BLEND THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS A GOOD LEADER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING ON HOW THEY BECOME BETTER AND RECOGNIZING THAT PEOPLE AREN'T PERFECT.

AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT AS THEY CONTINUE TO KEEP TRYING TO BE BETTER AT WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.

>>DO YOU HAVE A HIDDEN TALENT?

AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

>>I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT'S NOT.

I ACTUALLY, I CAN'T THINK OF A REALLY GOOD ANSWER FOR A HIDDEN TALENT.

>>WELL, YOU PLAY POOL.

I HEARD YOU'RE KIND GOOD.

>>I PLAY POOL, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A HIDDEN TALENT.

THAT'S AN ACQUIRED TALENT FOR MANY YEARS OF...

SOMEONE ONCE SAID TO ME, THAT BEING GOOD AT POOL IS A SIGN OF A MISSPENT YOUTH.

MAYBE NOT THE CASE.

>>SO MAYBE KEEP THAT ONE UNDERCOVER.

>>YEAH.

BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY THAT THE ONE THING THAT I DO THINK THAT I'M PRETTY GOOD AT, AND IT'S ALSO A LIABILITY IN SOME WAYS IS THAT I'M ABLE TO FOCUS COMPLETELY ON ONE THING.

AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT.

IT'S WHAT I THINK HELPED ME THROUGHOUT SCHOOL WHEN I WAS TAKING AN EXAM.

THE ONLY THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS THE EXAM.

AND I COULD DO THAT FOR HOURS AND JUST FOCUS THERE.

AND AS TIME HAS GONE ON I STILL CAN DO IT.

MAYBE NOT QUITE THE SAME WAY THAT I DID THEN BUT I DO HAVE THAT WHERE I CAN GET VERY FOCUSED ON SOMETHING.

IT IS THAT ONE THING THAT'S ON MY MIND ALL THE TIME AND I CAN ACTUALLY SHUT OFF ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON MY MIND.

BUT IT ALSO MEANS THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT MODE, YOU RARELY DON'T HEAR THE THINGS AROUND YOU AND YOU FORGET ABOUT A LOT OF OTHER STUFF.

AND THAT'S THE WEAKNESS IN A WAY, IS THAT YOU'RE SO FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT ALL THE OTHER THINGS THEN JUST BECOME NOISE.

AND THAT SOMETIMES NOT GOOD.

>>A LITTLE BALANCE MAYBE.

IF YOU COULD SPEND THE DAY WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD THAT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

>>THAT'S A HARD ONE FOR ME.

I ONCE TOOK A PERSONALITY TEST AND IT TALKED ABOUT WHAT STRONG THING YOU HAVE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER FROM THE PERSONALITY TEST IS NOT IMPRESSED BY TITLE.

AND SO I DON'T REALLY THINK OF PEOPLE THAT WAY.

I'D REALLY LOVE TO MEET THIS PERSON OR THAT PERSON, TO ME I ACTUALLY ENJOY LEARNING MORE ABOUT EVERY PERSON IN WHAT THEY'VE DONE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THAT LITTLE AMAZING STORY ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE, THAT I WOULD LOVE TO UNDERSTAND.

AND SO I'M ALWAYS AMAZED WHEN I'M ABLE TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY OVERCAME TO BE AT A CERTAIN POINT.

AND YOU SEE THESE STORIES ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE THINGS.

AND IF YOU JUST SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO THEM AND TALK TO THEM, YOU START REALIZING HOW AMAZING THEIR LIVES WERE AND WHAT THEY'VE ACCOMPLISHED.

AND IT ACTUALLY RENEWS YOUR FAITH IN WHAT'S POSSIBLE.

AND BECAUSE THE EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE.

MAYBE THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXCEPTIONAL FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.

AND THE ONES THAT PEOPLE SEE AND EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES.

BUT I THINK IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T SEE AND THAT YOU DON'T NOTICE THAT I THINK HAVE INCREDIBLE STORIES THAT ARE REALLY HELP YOU TO APPRECIATE WHAT LIFE MEANS.

>>I CAN SEE THAT.

SO ARE YOU A TEXTER OR A CALLER?

WHAT DO YOU DO MORE?

>>TEXT.

>>WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED?

>>TODAY, PROBABLY OUR CFO, GERALD HECTOR.

>>WITH GOOD NEWS I HOPE.

>>YES.

>>ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO DOWNTON ABBEY?

I DON'T KNOW.

ARE YOU AND MRS. CARTWRIGHT FANS?

I DON'T KNOW.

>>I WOULD SAY OUR HOUSEHOLD IS LOOKING FORWARD TO... MY WIFE IS A BIG FAN.

SHE IS A VERY BIG FAN OF IT.

ME NOT SO MUCH.

I NEVER GOT INTO IT AND IT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND I HAVE LOTS OF OTHER COMPLICATED THINGS TO BE THINKING ABOUT.

>>SO THE MOVIE RELEASING IS MARCH 18TH.

SO FIND YOURSELF SOMETHING TO DO.

MRS. CARTWRIGHT WILL BE BUSY.

>>SHE WILL BE BUSY.

SHE WILL LOVE IT.

I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER.

I THINK I WENT TO THE LAST...

I DON'T REMEMBER.

I THINK I WATCHED IT BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IT.

>>YOU WERE PROBABLY TOLD TO WATCH IT.

>>I THINK THE WHOLE FAMILY.

I THINK MY KIDS ALSO LIKE IT QUITE A BIT.

THEY DO.

I KNOW THEY DO.

BOTH OF THEM DO.

I JUST NEVER BECAME A PART OF THAT GROUP, I GUESS.

>>SO ARE YOU A STAR WARS OR A STAR TREK FAN.

>>OH, THAT'S A TROUBLESOME QUESTION.

BECAUSE I'LL GET ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE HATING ME FOR ONE ANSWER OR THE OTHER.

I ACTUALLY, TO BE HONEST, I LIKE BOTH OF THEM.

I'M NOT SURE IF I COULD SAY THERE'S ONE OVER THE OTHER.

AND I MEAN THAT.

THEY'RE DIFFERENT BUT I DO LIKE BOTH AND I'LL WATCH BOTH.

>>OKAY.

SAFE ANSWER.

>>THAT'S NOT A SAFE ANSWER.

THERE'S PEOPLE WHO THINK ONE'S BETTER THAN THE OTHER.

>>YEAH.

I KNOW JULIO WILL BE UP IN ARMS.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A SELFIE WITH?

>>SELFIE?

>>DO YOU EVEN LIKE SELFIES?

I DON'T KNOW.

>>I CAN'T THINK OF WHO THAT ONE.

I ACTUALLY CAN'T THINK OF ANY.

>>WELL SKIP.

>>YEAH.

CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY.

>>HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE BAHAMAS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS?

>>YES.

I WENT IN SEPTEMBER.

>>WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT THE BAHAMAS?

>>WHEN YOU GROW UP IN A PARTICULAR PLACE, YOU ALWAYS FEEL AT HOME IN THAT PLACE BECAUSE IT'S WHAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.

IT'S WHAT YOU'RE USED TO.

AND IT'S AMAZING TO ME THAT EVEN AFTER I LEFT THERE IN '83.

AND SO IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.

AND EVEN WITH THAT, I STILL FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WHEN I GO THERE.

I SEE THE PEOPLE AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS A PLACE THAT I COULD ALWAYS BE A PART OF.

I MISS THAT.

I MISS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.

IT'S WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

AND I MISS THE FACT THAT THOSE PEOPLE ALL STRUGGLE WITH THE SAME, A LOT OF THEM, STRUGGLE WITH THE SAME THINGS.

THEY STRUGGLE WITH JUST MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE JOBS THAT THEY NEED AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND HAVE ALL THE THINGS THEY NEED.

BUT THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT EACH OTHER.

AND THAT COMES THROUGH AND THEY ACTUALLY STILL HAVE A LOT OF FUN AND THEY STILL ENJOY BEING AROUND PEOPLE.

AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE STILL HEARTWARMING EVEN WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.

SO I'D SAY THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT I MISS IS JUST THOSE PEOPLE AND RECOGNITION THAT IT'S WELL BEYOND WHAT YOU MAY HAVE AND NOT HAVE BUT RATHER WHO IS IN YOUR LIFE.

>>YEAH.

I LOVE THAT.

AND WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT ORLANDO WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN ORLANDO, YOUR NEW HOME?

>>I WILL SAY THAT IT IS THE SENSE OF COLLABORATION.

THE WARMNESS HERE PEOPLE DO, THEY WELCOME YOU IN AND YOU FEEL RIGHT AWAY YOU'RE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND SOME PLACES YOU GO, IT TAKES A LONG TIME.

AND EVEN WITH THAT YOU'RE STILL MAYBE SEEN AS AN OUTSIDER BUT NOT HERE.

I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT HAS GROWN SO FAST BECAUSE IT HAS HAD SO MANY PEOPLE MOVE IN THAT NOW IT'S JUST COMMON.

EVERYBODY'S MOVING IN.

YOU'RE ANOTHER ONE.

COME ON IN.

WE'LL BRING YOU IN.

AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY FRIENDLY AND VERY HELPFUL TO MY WIFE AND I.

>>FAVORITE PBS SHOW.

>>FAVORITE PBS SHOW?

>>WE DID WATCH THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW.

WE WATCHED THAT A LOT.

BUT NOW MY WIFE IS... SEE, I GET PULLED INTO THESE SHOWS AND I PROBABLY ANNOY HER QUITE A BIT BECAUSE I DON'T WATCH THEM ALWAYS BUT NOW SHE'S WATCHING ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL.

AND SHE LOVES WATCHING IT.

AND SO I END UP, SOMETIMES IT'S ON AND I'M WATCHING IT TOO.

BUT THEN I HAVE ALL THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I'VE MISSED SOME DETAILS IN SOME PREVIOUS SHOW.

>>YOU'RE THAT PERSON.

>>HOW DO THEY KNOW EACH OTHER?

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

BUT IT'S A GOOD SHOW.

I ACTUALLY ENJOY IT.

I JUST HAVEN'T WATCHED IT AND WATCHED ALL THE PARTS OF IT BUT IT'S GREAT.

IT'S A GREAT STORY.

IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY.

>>AND MAYBE MRS. CARTWRIGHT WILL SUGGEST THAT YOU WRITE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS DOWN AND THEN ASK THEM AFTER THAT.

>>EXACTLY.

NO, SHE'S VERY PATIENT WITH ME.

>>FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS.

DO YOU HAVE ONE?

>>FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS?

I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IT IS THE REFLECTING POND.

AND BECAUSE WHENEVER I BRING ANYBODY HERE, THAT'S THE FIRST THING I SHOW THEM.

SO IT MUST BE THE REFLECTING POND.

IT'S ACTUALLY WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS GATHER.

AND SO THERE'S THIS INTERESTING MIX OF BEING OUTSIDE AND I LIKE WATER ANYWAY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THE BAHAMAS WATER, IT REMINDS ME ENOUGH.

I LOVE WATER.

I DO LOVE WATER.

AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER PLACE THAT I REALLY LIKE, WHICH I THINK IT JUST HAD A TREMENDOUS GEM, BUT WE DON'T GET TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME.

THERE'S A KOI POND BY THE HONORS COLLEGE.

>>OH, IT'S A HIDDEN GEM.

>>IT IS A HIDDEN GEM.

IT IS SPECTACULAR.

>>YEAH.

MAYBE NOW IT'LL BECOME LIKE... >>I GUESS I LIKE THE LAKE TOO.

>>THAT'S TRUE.

SO WHO ENJOYED SPIRIT SPLASH MORE YOU OR MELINDA?

>>PROBABLY MELINDA.

I ENJOYED IT BUT SHE ALWAYS REALLY ENJOYS IT.

SHE LOVES THOSE THINGS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, IS THAT SHE GOT A CHANCE TO...

ANYTIME YOU CAN SEE OUR STUDENTS ENJOYING TOGETHER IN CELEBRATING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HERE AT UCF THE TRADITION.

I THINK THAT BRINGS JOY TO EVERYBODY.

SO SHE DOES LOVE THOSE THINGS AND SHE'S A LOT MORE OUTGOING THAN I AM IN MANY WAYS.

I'M A LITTLE MORE INTROVERTED THAN SHE IS GENERALLY.

>>WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF UCF?

WHAT'S UCF'S MOST BASIC WHY?

WHY ARE WE HERE?

>>WE ARE HERE FOR OUR STUDENTS FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ARE HERE TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE, THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE HERE AND THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

AND I THINK IN ADDITION WE'RE PART OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES ALSO FOR THE SOCIETY IN GENERAL.

AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS OUR FACULTY WHEN THEY'RE DOING RESEARCH, THEY'RE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW DO YOU MAKE LIFE BETTER.

WHAT IS IT WE COULD DO DIFFERENTLY IN SOCIETY?

HOW CAN WE CHANGE A MEDICAL TREATMENT?

OR WHAT CAN WE DO WITH ENGINEERING NEW PRODUCT THAT CAN CHANGE SOMETHING?

OR HOW DO WE HAVE THE OPERA OR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES THAT BRING JOY TO PEOPLE.

THIS IS WHAT WE DO AS AN INSTITUTION.

AND HOW MANY OTHER PLACES CAN YOU BE, WHERE YOUR WHOLE GOAL IS TO TRY TO HELP MAKE SOCIETY BETTER.

THAT IS WHAT THIS PLACE IS ABOUT.

SO I THINK ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SOCIETY A BETTER PLACE.

>>LAST QUESTION.

FAVORITE TEAM TO CHEER FOR?

>>FAVORITE TEAM TO CHEER FOR?

WELL, I ONLY HAVE ONE TEAM THAT I CAN REALLY CHEER FOR AND THAT'S THE KNIGHTS.

>>THAT'S RIGHT.

CHARGE ON.

>>GO KNIGHTS.