College of Central Florida will showcase the talent of its Visual Arts and Digital Media students in “The 2023 CF Student Art Exhibition” on view March 27-May 4. This annual tradition provides students with an opportunity to present their work in a professional environment.

The exhibition will be open to the public at the CF Webber Gallery located on the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

Works will be judged by Nicholas Kalemba, a contemporary painter living and working in Orlando, where he graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2016 and a master of fine arts in 2019 from the University of Central Florida. Specializing in acrylic and oil painting on a large scale, he works as a muralist, studio painter and instructor of drawing, painting and sculpture at UCF. Kalemba’s work has been exhibited in more than 25 group and juried exhibitions regionally and locally, where he has won multiple awards and recognitions, including a two-year residency at the Maitland Arts and History Center from 2019-2021.

An opening reception and awards ceremony will be held Wednesday, March 29, at 12:30 p.m. in the Webber Center next to the gallery. Best in Show, first through third place awards and honorable mentions will be presented. Works also will be selected for purchase awards, and one student artist’s work will become part of CF’s permanent art collection through the People’s Choice Purchase Award, which is voted on by the CF student body.

On Wednesday, April 12, Kalemba will give an artist talk about his art practice and the UCF Visual Arts Program. The talk will take place in the gallery at 12:30 p.m.

The Webber Gallery is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

Community members are invited to learn how to join CF students and faculty for the College of Central Florida Road Scholars 2023 study abroad trip to Ireland. The information session on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 12:30 p.m. on the Ocala Campus, Building 8, Room 110, will offer potential participants the opportunity to get details about the trip itinerary and application process.

This educational trip across Ireland will take place July 16-27. With a special focus on humanities and health sciences, trip highlights include a Dublin literary pub tour; Book of Kells and Trinity College tour; Cliffs of Moher tour; Irish dance and songs show; and visits to health care-related facilities.

Total cost is approximately $2,745 and includes 10 nights’ accommodations, all ground transportation, three traditional dinners, daily continental breakfast and a full-time guide. Program price is an estimate until tickets are finalized. Scholarships may be available to assist with program costs. Round-trip airfare is not included. Program application closes on March 6.

In partnership with the Study Abroad Association, the CF Road Scholars program provides students with opportunities to experience learning internationally, providing a diverse and hands-on facet to their education.

Being enrolled as a CF student is not required to participate in the program. Students can consult with an academic advisor for credit opportunities available with trip attendance.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/StudyAbroad or call Lois Brauckmuller at 352-854-2322, ext. 1374.

Sam Ajlani, associate professor and program manager of engineering technology at the College of Central Florida, will be honored with the American Association of Community Colleges 2023 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition at its annual conference in Denver, Colorado, in April.

The award, named after former AACC President and CEO Dale P. Parnell, recognizes instructors who go above and beyond to help their students find academic success.

“In nearly 10 years at CF, Associate Professor Ajlani has modernized our engineering technology program with cutting-edge technology and has leveraged community partnerships to create apprenticeship opportunities,” said Dr. Rob Wolf, dean of business, technology and career and technical education. “We are currently training more than 100 engineering technology students for high-skill, high-wage local jobs with a nearly 100% job placement rate.”

For more information about CF’s engineering technology program, visit CF.edu/Engineering. For more information about the AACC, visit aacc.nche.edu

The College of Central Florida’s innovative educational series, “Patriot Project: Bringing History to Life,” continues on Monday, Feb. 6, with “Science in the Colonial Period” from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the CF Webber Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala. Mark Taylor, CF assistant professor of physical sciences, will dig into the history of science in America.

“In colonial times, even the word ‘science’ meant something else,” Taylor said. “The ‘natural philosophers’ of the time include people like Ben Franklin and we’ll look into his contributions as well as a few other early American scientists.”

The Patriot Project lectures are free and open to the public. Light refreshments and event giveaways will be provided.

Series Schedule:

March 1, 2023 – “History of the Colonial Period” presented by Jay Thompson and Jennifer Ambrosia

April 5, 2023 – “Religion in the Colonial Period” presented by Dr. Ron Cooper

For more details, visit CF.edu/PatriotProject.

Visit the Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, on Feb. 4 for Free First Saturday. Admission is free all day and the public is invited to enjoy the permanent collection, special exhibitions, the Artspace and other special programming.

Visitors can take advantage of this free opportunity to see several new exhibitions. On view through May 21, “Big and Bold in Modern & Contemporary Art” features the largest and most dynamic works from the collection. On view through June 18 are two exhibitions by Florida artists: “Paper Thin & Shadow Deep: Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun’s Hand-cut Paper Works” and “Pre Post Poetic: Hand-Stitched Collages by Debora Greger.”

At 11 a.m., artist and poet Debora Greger will lead a tour of her solo exhibition, “Pre Post Poetic,” which features 28 hand-stitched collages created between 2019-2021. The Gainesville-based artist juxtaposes pre- and post-pandemic themes of the everyday world. The tour will meet in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists on the second floor and is free to attend.

At 2 p.m., the Appleton welcomes back educator, author and photographer Cynthia Wilson-Graham. In a talk titled “Remembering Marion County’s African American Achievements,” Wilson-Graham will discuss the successes and contributions of underrepresented African Americans, highlighting their cultural heritage and resilience. This talk will be held in the Appleton auditorium and is free to attend.

“Thanks to a generous grant-funded sponsorship from Marion Cultural Alliance, we’re happy to continue presenting our Free First Saturday program,” said Victoria Billig, Appleton assistant director. “In addition to offering free admission, we hope you’ll join us for an exciting lineup of guest speakers, films, activities for children and more.”

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

The College of Central Florida has received $17 million to expand its nursing program, including a $6.7 million Linking Industry to Nursing Education grant funded by the Florida Legislature and a $10.3 million commitment from the Citrus County Hospital Board. The LINE Fund was created in 2022 by the Florida Legislature to alleviate the statewide nursing shortage by providing matching funds for nursing education programs that partner with health care providers.

CF received the largest share of LINE funds among the 26 colleges and universities that applied for this competitive grant, with an award of more than one-third of the available $19 million and more than 3.5 times larger than the second largest grant of $1.9 million. The $17 million received by CF is one of the largest gift and grant commitments in the college’s history.

“Now, more than ever, we need to recruit and train qualified nurses to meet the growing demands of our local community,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, president of the College of Central Florida. “The Citrus County Hospital Board’s commitment of $10.3 million in May 2022 made CF eligible for this support from the state, and the combined investment significantly increases CF’s capacity to prepare students for high-demand, high-wage nursing careers. We applaud the insight of the Hospital Board and appreciate the transformational gift that allows CF to lead the way in meeting this critical workforce shortage.

“The $6,718,852 LINE grant will enhance the experience of CF nursing students by providing scholarships, additional nursing faculty and equipment, and labs to expand nursing education,” said Henningsen. “CF is one of the most affordable colleges in the country and this unprecedented funding will make a high-quality, high-demand nursing career accessible to even more students in our community.”

CF offers an Associate Degree Nursing program, which prepares graduates to become registered nurses, as well as bridge programs for licensed practical nurses and paramedics to become RNs. CF’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed to prepare RNs for advanced clinical positions and nursing faculty positions. For more information about CF’s nursing programs, visit www.CF.edu/nursing.