Office of the President

Hello, Panthers!

Can you believe that we’re already approaching the end of the academic year? And what a great year it has been as we’ve celebrated Florida Tech’s 65^th anniversary, reflecting on our proud past and bright future—but we’re not done yet!

We just wrapped up another successful signature event of the Florida Tech experience as the annual Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase was held April 19. What a day that was! From the cosmic to the practical, from rovers that can fly to methods for improving surgery, and everything in between—120 capstone projects were presented for judging by local industry leaders. It’s just another way a Florida Tech education prepares students for a lifetime of career success.

As I reflect on my first year as your President, I’m so impressed by the energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork I’ve encountered from students to faculty, staff, and alumni. That spirit, combined with bold strategic planning and hard work, means next academic year will bring even more opportunity for success.

One more milestone event to look forward to this year is Spring Commencement, set for Saturday, May 4 in the Clemente Center. We’ll award degrees across three ceremonies and are honored to have two-time Florida Tech alumna and former astronaut Joan Higginbotham as our keynote speaker. If you don’t have tickets, plan to tune into the Webcast. It’s going to be a fantastic day!

Please accept my best wishes for a great summer and know that wherever you go, and whatever you do, Florida Tech is your university and is here for you.

We’ll talk again soon—until then…Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers!

Spring has sprung at Florida Tech, and it’s a great time to be on campus! It has been a historic season for Florida Tech Athletics with both men’s and women’s soccer programs competing in the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final Four, both coaching staffs were named the Regional Staffs of the Year, and we earned the department’s first-ever National Player of the Year.

That’s just a snapshot of the level of success possible for all our hardworking scholar-athletes. Florida Tech was among 44 schools in NCAA D2 recognized for posting an academic success rate of 90% or better, with our figure coming in at 92% for the six-year cohort ending in 2022. This was the first time since 2010 that our athletics program registered above 90%.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine State Conference recently announced its Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll, with 69 Florida Tech scholar-athletes recognized for their outstanding performance in the classroom. Of those, 23 earned a perfect 4.00 grade point average last semester.

Collegiate athletics are a vital part of the university experience—and we’re proud to promote them at Florida Tech. That’s why you’ll see Athletics as an important supporting piece of our “Forward Together, Boundless Potential” strategic plan.

Wherever our scholar-athletes progress in their professional careers after graduation, they’ve gotten a great launch pad on the fields and courts at Florida Tech. We applaud their success.

We’ll talk again soon—until then…Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers!

I hope everyone is having an awesome 2024 so far!

One of the best things about your university is the insightful research conducted by our faculty, often with our students working and learning right alongside them. A great example of Florida Tech’s ongoing investment in research designed to help us better understand and navigate our world can be seen at the Mertens Marine Center. This important facility provides vital lab and learning space for exploring the Indian River Lagoon and beyond, serving up to 140 undergraduate and 50 graduate students in ocean engineering, oceanography, environmental science, marine biology and sustainability.

University-wide, our total research expenditures two years ago were $14.9 million, and last year, rose to $15.7 million. We’ve had some growth, but there is incredible potential to do better when we realize some of our peers are doing anywhere from $52 million to $180 million per year.

Our new strategic plan, “Forward Together, Boundless Potential,” includes research as an integral element. As we prioritize “Programs Driven by Innovation,” we will expand and diversify externally funded research to become a strong R2 research institution providing all students an opportunity to conduct impactful and innovative research, and this will further position Florida Tech for R1 consideration by 2040. 

Once our new Provost is on the ground in May, one of my priorities is to build out our Office of Sponsored Research. My goal is to provide faculty with greater support in identifying research opportunities and in preparing proposals and budgets. This is fundamental to our plan to grow our grant and contract expenditures.

There’s much work to be done—and we will get it done, together. Thanks as always for your partnership and teamwork as we advance the mission of this incredible institution in service to our students.

We’ll talk again soon—until then…Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President

Hello, Panthers!

Spring Semester is off and running, and your university is geared up for a remarkable 2024!

Does it get any better than this? While much of the rest of the country is bundling up to stay warm, we’re basking in beautiful Space Coast sunshine. Nowhere on campus is that better enjoyed than in the pristine Joy & Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden. If you haven’t taken a stroll in the Garden lately, I encourage you to check it out when you can. I might move my office out here!

Meanwhile it’s going to be a busy rest of the month. I hope you’re planning to join us for the Presidential Investiture ceremony on Friday, Jan. 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the Clemente Center. It’s open to everyone and will be an excellent event as we take time to celebrate together this great university and reflect on our 65^th anniversary. If you haven’t reserved your spot, log on to fit.edu/65 and register. If you can’t join us on campus, please tune in to the live stream—you can get there from the Florida Tech homepage.

As we honor the past, our eyes are firmly focused on the future. In the coming days we’ll be sharing details on our new strategic plan. This plan sets the course of our shared future by building on Florida Tech’s distinctive identity and focusing on four key pillars of success. To help achieve our vision, each pillar identifies ambitious goals to guide Florida Tech and its constituents in moving Forward Together with Boundless Potential. The goals presented promote a sense of excellence, innovation, and transformation throughout the university, so stay tuned for full details.

I encourage you to remain engaged and be ready for what’s next. I predict it’s going to be a worthwhile journey—first and foremost because we’ll take that journey together.

Let’s talk again soon—until then…Go Panthers!

Sincerely,

John Nicklow, Ph.D.
President