Denise Young Named Interim Regional Director of UCF’s Brevard Campuses

By Chad Binette Oct. 3, 2006

Photo: Jacque Brund

Denise Young

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Denise Young, a Melbourne resident who has worked 16 years as a University of Central Florida administrator, has been appointed interim associate vice president and regional director of UCF’s Southern Region campuses in Brevard County.

Young, now an associate vice president in the Office of Academic Affairs, will succeed Jim Drake, who was appointed interim president of Brevard Community College.

She will start her new position this week. A search for a permanent replacement for Drake is expected to begin soon.

Young began working at UCF in 1990 as director of the Office of International Studies and moved to academic affairs three years later. She oversees the university’s efforts related to strategic planning, program reviews, regional and discipline accreditation, international and interdisciplinary studies, and institutional research and analysis. She also teaches on the social work faculty.

Along with President John Hitt, Young co-chaired the recent Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation review. The on-site and off site reviews went well, Young said, and the university hopes to have its reaffirmation of accreditation announced at the association’s annual meeting later this year.

“We are very fortunate to have Denise move into this role,” said Dave Harrison, vice provost for UCF Regional Campuses. “She has strong ties to Brevard County, experience with community colleges and an understanding of statewide higher ed issues. I’m confident she will work well with faculty, staff and the community to advance our consortium work with BCC.”

Prior to coming to UCF, Young served as director of program review in Tallahassee for the Board of Regents, which oversaw higher education in the state at the time. She previously directed a multidisciplinary program in gerontology at Delta Community College in Michigan.

Young earned a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan. She received a master’s degree in social work administration from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oakland University in Michigan.

Young will meet with faculty and staff from the Palm Bay campus at 1 p.m. and the Cocoa campus at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10.

Drake, who has overseen UCF’s operations in Brevard County for the past 12 years, was named BCC’s interim president in late September. He replaces college President Thomas Gamble, who announced he would retire in June 2007 but accelerated the process when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Drake will take a leave of absence from UCF to take on his new role. He plans to return to UCF in 2007-08 to teach philosophy and religion courses full time.

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