The College of Central Florida is pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Mary Ann Begley as its new vice president of Enrollment Services and Student Affairs. Currently the dean of Student Services and Title IX coordinator, Begley will transition to her new role in January. She was selected after a nationwide search of talented candidates.

Begley has served at the College of Central Florida since 2020 in roles including director of compliance and planning and director of institutional research and effectiveness, and she teaches the First Year Seminar course. Begley has more than 30 years of experience in higher education and holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Bowling Green State University. Before coming to CF, she worked with students at Florida Gateway College as the director of student life.

“Dr. Begley holds a wealth of knowledge in student affairs,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “I am confident that her vast experience and vision for CF’s future will strengthen our college community for years to come.”

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery will present “Manifest,” on view Jan. 7-March 5, 2026. The collaborative exhibition features works by two longtime friends and Georgia-based artists, Craig Hawkins and Matt Armstrong. They channel their shared southern upbringing into finding common ground to express their pursuit of a deeply personal faith, imagining how the supernatural may manifest.

Hawkins, a south Georgia studio artist and professor at Valdosta State University, centers his studio practice on drawing and painting. His work delves into a narrative thread of trees, blending chronicles and creativity and using visual art to channel ageless insights.

Armstrong, currently based in Atlanta, finds inspiration in both American southern and international culture and has been a resident artist in Iceland and Germany. His works focus on visual depictions of prayer.

Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. An opening reception, yet to be scheduled, will be announced at CF.edu/Webber. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

The College of Central Florida invites the public to the grand launch of the Biodiversity Trail at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Biodiversity Trail is a hybrid open-air/digital museum dedicated to the biodiversity and ecology of Citrus County and the Nature Coast of Central Florida. With 32 permanent physical exhibits, each paired with a unique digital exhibit, this STEAM museum incorporates music, photography and visual arts to teach visitors about the science of the community. Exhibits include animal and plant diversity, fire and wetland ecology, and economic impacts of local ecosystems on Citrus County residents.

The grand launch event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments and exhibit viewing, with the keynote presentation at 6 p.m. Steve Schenk, CF associate professor of biological science and the Biodiversity Trail creator, will present “The Stories I Could Tell,” which will focus on the trail’s origin, the contribution of students, staff and community members, and the importance of storytelling in education and our shared community experience. The multimedia presentation will feature music, videography and photo highlights from the trail.

“I call it BioDiT (pronounced ‘bye-odd-it-ee’) for short,” Schenk said of the Biodiversity Trail project he’s been developing since 2023. “At the heart of BioDiT Citrus is a collection of photography and artwork, mostly submitted by CF students and staff. This means that BioDiT Citrus allows CF students to build up their resumes and develop professionally useful skills while aiding in construction of an educational community resource.”

For more information about the Biodiversity Trail, visit https://library.cf.edu/BioDiT_Citrus.

The College of Central Florida will offer the state’s first Associate in Science degree in Precision Agriculture beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The new curriculum, developed by CF faculty, was approved by the State Board of Education at its Nov. 13 meeting.

“The College of Central Florida is proud to be leading the way in agriculture education that prepares students to succeed in today’s high-tech agriculture industry,” said Dr. James Henningsen, CF president. “This new Precision Agriculture degree was developed to support Florida’s growing need for skilled professionals in our state’s second largest industry.”

While CF currently offers an associate degree in Agribusiness Management that focuses on agricultural operations and management, the new Precision Agriculture degree is meant to prepare technician-level practitioners of precision agricultural practices who employ cutting-edge technology including drones, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence and automated equipment and harvesting in order to improve production and conserve natural resources such as land and water. Graduates will be well prepared for immediate employment in roles such as precision agriculture specialists, agronomic consultants, farm data analysts, drone operators and equipment technicians.

The new curriculum was developed by Tavis Douglass, CF associate professor and program manager for Agribusiness Management, with input from CF’s partners including University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Florida High Tech Corridor.

“CF is emerging as a major partner in efforts to boost rural economies through agricultural technology innovation, technical assistance, entrepreneurial training, workforce development and business recruitment,” said Scott Angle, the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and head of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “CF appreciates and supports the need to integrate technology into traditional production if agriculture is to remain the state’s number two industry. The new degree will make CF a stronger partner than ever in these efforts.”

CF, which was designated a National Institute of Food and Agriculture Non-Land-Grant College of Agriculture last year, gives students the unique opportunity to learn hands-on at the 103-acre CF Vintage Farm Campus, the only working farm campus in the Florida College System.

For more information, visit CF.edu/Agribusiness.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Monday, Dec. 1, from 3-6 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 170 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process and financial aid, and can register for the spring semester, which starts Jan. 7.

Students interested in the Respiratory Care program are invited to attend an information session at 4 p.m. to learn more about this high-demand health care career path.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 application fee waived and will be entered to win tuition for a 3-credit hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held Tuesday, Dec. 2, 3-6 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland, and Wednesday, Dec. 3, 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

For more information, visit CF.edu/OpenHouse.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 3-6 p.m. at the CF Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 170 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can receive assistance with the application process and financial aid, and can register for the spring semester, which starts Jan. 7.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 application fee waived and will be entered to win tuition for a 3-credit hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate.

Additional open house events will be held Monday, Dec. 1, 3-6 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto, and Wednesday, Dec. 3, 3-6 p.m. at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.

For more information, visit CF.edu/OpenHouse.

Get on board for the 30th annual Trains at the Holidays imaginative holiday display. This free family favorite, brought to life by the Ocala Model Railroaders’ Historic Preservation Society (OMRRHPS), rolls into the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery Dec. 19-31. The elaborate network of moving model trains features miniature towns, countryside scenes and recognizable local landmarks.

“This beloved annual tradition continues to delight visitors of all ages,” said Jacqueline Bozman, CF Webber Gallery coordinator. “The OMRRHPS impressive collection, with its detailed craftsmanship and nostalgic charm, transforms the gallery into a lively landscape of motion and imagination.”

Trains at the Holidays will be on view Friday, Dec. 19, through Wednesday, Dec. 31. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with special Christmas Eve hours of noon-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24. The gallery is closed on Christmas Day. The CF Webber Gallery is located on the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.