UCF’s annual marquee event, Founders’ Day, recognizes the accomplishments of students, faculty and staff for outstanding teaching, advising, mentoring, research, professional service and librarianship. 2026 Founders’ Day honorees from the College of Arts and Humanities are listed below.
Student Awards
Student categories feature inductees to the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s highest student honor; graduate awards for outstanding master’s thesis and outstanding dissertation; undergraduate awards for honors undergraduate thesis; and individual college awardees as chosen by the respective college deans. All honorees earned financial awards.
Outstanding Creative Work
- Jordan Alexander, English
Outstanding Master’s Thesis
- Madeline Grohowski, Writing and Rhetoric
Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis
- Edwin Garcia, English
College Founders’ Award
- Antonella Bisbal Hernandez, Visual Arts and Design
Order of Pegasus
- Stacie Becker, Visual Arts and Design
- Nico Chen, Visual Arts and Design
- Cameron Cummins, Performing Arts Music
- Om Pathak, Performing Arts Music
- Sanjana Bhatt, Modern Languages and Literatures
Faculty Awards
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
- Deborah Horzen, Modern Languages and Literatures
- Evelin Pegoraro, Modern Languages and Literatures
- Nicholas Shrubsole, Philosophy
- Matthew Bryan, Writing and Rhetoric
Excellence in Graduate Teaching
- Mel Stanfill, English
Excellence in Research
- Cyrus Zargar, Philosophy
Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising
- Emily Proulx, Writing and Rhetoric
Faculty Emeriti
- Lynn Casmier-Paz,
- James Clark, History
- Amy Giroux, CHDR
- Trey Philpotts, English
- Lisa Roney, English
- Sybil St. Claire, Performing Arts Theatre
- Terry Thaxton, English
- Deborah Weaver, Writing and Rhetoric
Retiree
- Humberto Lopez, Modern Languages and Literatures
Service Awards
45 Years of Service
- Robert Rivers, Visual Arts and Design
40 Years of Service
- Anna Lillios, English
30 Years of Service
- Charlie Abraham, Visual Arts and Design
- James Campbell, English
- Nora Garcia, Performing Arts Music
- Humberto Lopez, Modern Languages and Literatures
- Kevin Meehan, English
- Hong Zhang, History
25 Years of Service
- Sira Giron, History
- Susan Jefferson, Modern Languages and Literatures
- Sabatino Dibernardo, Philosophy
- Anthony Grajeda, English
- Anna Jones, English
- Thomas McDaniel, Visual Arts and Design
- Christopher Niess, Performing Arts Theatre
- William Pugh, English
20 Years of Service
- Matthew Dunn, Marketing
- Brian Barone, Modern Languages and Literatures
- Kirk Gay, Performing Arts Music
- Fayeza Hasanat, English
- Holly McDonald, Performing Arts Theatre
- Peter Larson, History
- Florin Mihai, Modern Languages and Literatures
- John Sacher, History
- Kacie Tartt, Modern Languages and Literatures
15 Years of Service
- Maribel Herrera, Philosophy
- David Schreier, Performing Arts Music
10 Years of Service
- Lisa Clendenning, Travel and Procurement
- Meghan Crowther, English
- Maureen Landgraf, Finance Business Center
- Pamela McGlinchey, Human Resources
5 Years of Service
- Steven Fournier, Print Shop