Office of the President

Hello, Panthers!

We’re entering one of my favorite seasons, when we traditionally take time to remember the things for which we are thankful—a season that reminds us of the value of our community and our partners.

As for Stacy and me, we are so thankful to be part of the Florida Tech family, especially at this unique time in our University’s history as we continue celebrating 65 years of educational impact and innovation. We particularly appreciate the hard work of our faculty and staff, who deliver on Florida Tech’s educational mission with passion and grace and who help change lives for the better.

This holiday season, I encourage you to take time to think about what you are grateful for in your own life. I also invite you to reflect on how you might maximize that “attitude of gratitude” and find new ways to help others.

Whether it’s volunteering your time or otherwise contributing to meet the needs of those around you, I believe we are more connected as a community and stronger as a university when we step up and offer others a supportive hand.

The people of Florida Tech have a long legacy of this—let’s keep it up as we invest in others and find new ways to make a positive difference. A famous quote from President John F. Kennedy reminds us: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

Thank you for the example you set as a vital member of our university community and thank you for your actions to help make our world a better place for all.

Happy Thanksgiving—and Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers!

This month, I’d like to take a moment to spotlight the heart and soul of our educational enterprise—the hardworking and highly talented faculty who help make Florida Tech such a special place.

From the classroom, to the lab, to the field—our faculty form an impressive group of scholars who seek to engage students while finding innovative ways to advance teaching and learning. They are experts in their particular areas of study, and they work hard to share that expertise with students.

From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space…Florida Tech faculty have it all covered.

Why is this important? For Florida Tech graduates to go on to make their own contributions in the world of work, they need a foundational educational experience that sets them up for success. Florida Tech educators deliver on that experience every day in every way.

For 65 years, a Florida Tech education has been characterized by the quality of that experience and it has made all the difference for tens of thousands of alumni. Whether it’s a theoretical understanding gained in the classroom, hands-on application discovered in the field, or mentorship gained through a visit to office hours, our students benefit from a wealth of knowledge imparted by our faculty.

Someone once said that teaching is the greatest act of optimism, and at Florida Tech, we’re grateful for our excellent faculty, and deeply optimistic about our students and their bright futures.

I’ll see you around campus—and Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers!

We’re off and running with a great Fall semester—and even better—our year-long celebration marking our 65^th anniversary. This is the perfect moment to share just a few examples of how this university and its people remain committed to meeting the needs of our community and the region, educational and otherwise, so that we can all move forward, together.

Our Civic Engagement Initiative at Florida Tech is marking 17 years of Panthers Paying it Forward, with nearly 6,000 service hours logged just since Aug. 1! That means our students volunteer in all sorts of ways. For example:

• This fall, Panthers are helping Brevard Public Schools, serving as volunteer line referees for Heritage High and Melbourne High football games.
  
• Florida Tech students are benefitting the local Children’s Hunger Project by providing and packaging shelf-stable foods for kids in need in Brevard County.
• Students are also working with the Daily Bread organization to help distribute meals to local residents.

The list goes on! Check out how you can get involved in our Civic Engagement initiative. We certainly get more accomplished when we work together.

We’ve got so much to get done this fall, but we’re well on our way! Determination and drive—just two characteristics of our Florida Tech family. Thanks for all you do to stay involved and make a positive difference at this university, in the community, and beyond.

I’ll see you around campus—and Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers! 

Here we go! A new academic year is about to be in full swing and the excitement is building all across campus. 

Stacy and I have had so much fun welcoming students and parents over the past several weeks, from handing out ice cream at move-in day, to welcoming the class of 2027 at student convocation, to taking my first Florida Tech selfie with one of the largest freshman classes in university history—we’re making wonderful memories together and sharing our enthusiasm. It’s always important to work hard—but also good to have a little fun along the way as well.

Speaking of hard work…I’m standing in the lobby of Florida Tech’s newest and shiniest resource—The Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences building. This $18 million-dollar facility is serving as the backbone of our biomedical engineering programs. 

With over 20,000 square feet of classroom and training spaces, it allows students access to teaching laboratories that use augmented and virtual reality tools and space for orthopedics, tissue studies and advanced computational simulations. If you have a class in here, I’m sure you are in for an amazing experience. And if you don’t, stop by this semester and check it out.

Remember, we’re celebrating Florida Tech’s 65th anniversary all this academic year with the theme “Forward Together. Boundless Potential.” Friday, Sept. 22 is our official Founders Day, and we’ve got some great things planned. Stay tuned for details.

Good luck as we start this semester alongside one another. Let’s make it a great year! There’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.

I’ll see you around campus—and Go Panthers!

Sincerely,
John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President