UF opens Citylab-Orlando, joins the UCF Center for Emerging Media

October 23, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will celebrate its partnership with the University of Central Florida during a ceremony 10 a.m. Monday at the UCF Center for Emerging Media in Orlando.

The UF research and teaching center, Citylab-Orlando, an initiative of the College of Design, Construction and Planning, will be housed at the UCF Center for Emerging Media. The center is already home to UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, a graduate video-gaming school, and other UCF programs.

Scheduled speakers are Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, UF President Bernie Machen, UCF Provost and Executive Vice President Terry Hickey and FIEA Executive Director Ben Noel. In addition to Citylab-Orlando, the center is expanding to include UCF’s graduate art program and fine arts press. Each new program’s projects will be on display.

With several other hands-on academic programs, a commercial motion-capture studio and soundstage, the Center for Emerging Media expands downtown Orlando’s digital media and simulation presence and furthers the city’s vision for a Creative Village, while connecting students with professionals.

Citylab-Orlando will bring UF students and faculty to the center to work on community design projects. Through the center, faculty and students from UF and UCF will have opportunities to collaborate. A UF graduate-level architecture studio already is working on different uses for future public space under Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando, dubbed the city’s “Bridge District.” The program also will address various design projects through grants, contract work, pro-bono projects, continuing education classes, exhibits and lectures.

“Citylab-Orlando provides our students a unique opportunity to engage in the work of building in a great city and to learn by doing,” said Christopher Silver, dean of the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning.

UCF leaders also plan to expand community research programs, including the UCF College of Arts and Humanities’ Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE). Other existing academic programs at the center are UCF Film and Digital Media Visual Language.

“Our new partners will strengthen UCF’s academic offerings and this state-of-the-art center’s important role as an economic driver for downtown Orlando and the Central Florida region,” said UCF Provost and Executive Vice President Terry Hickey. “We look forward to providing more hands-on educational opportunities that help our students secure high-paying jobs in a variety of high-tech fields.”

UCF leaders, with support from the City of Orlando, officially renamed the former Expo Centre the UCF Center for Emerging Media last year.

The Center for Emerging Media is located at 500 W. Livingston St. in downtown Orlando. Parking is available across the street in the Amway Arena parking lot. Call Christine Dellert at 407-823-5300 for further directions.