Alexander N. Cartwright, President
Alexander Cartwright was selected as UCF’s sixth president by the UCF Board of Trustees on March 20, 2020 following a nationwide search. He was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors the following week.
Under Dr. Cartwright’s leadership, UCF is growing as Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University — a place where imagination and collaboration fuel innovation across disciplines, igniting change and inspiring discoveries that benefit society. Already recognized as one of the nation’s most innovative universities, UCF continues to position itself as a future-focused university committed to academic and research excellence that unleashes the potential of its students, faculty, staff, and community.
As a first-generation college student whose journey to higher education was not traditional, Dr. Cartwright understands and prioritizes the need to build successful outcomes for students from all backgrounds. The university is proud to be a place where hard work, determination, and commitment lead to more than just a degree and are pathways to a meaningful career and a better life.
Dr. Cartwright is an internationally recognized researcher and scholar in the area of optical sensors, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, SPIE, and the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Cartwright is a prior winner of both the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award. In addition, he earned the 2002 SUNY Chancellor’s award for excellence in teaching.
A native of the Bahamas, Dr. Cartwright holds a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Melinda have two children, Alyssa and Andrew, and a rescue dog, Artemis.
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