ALEXANDER N. CARTWRIGHT

PRESIDENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, ORLANDO

Cartwright, who is also a professor of electrical engineering, joined UCF as president in 2020. Under his leadership, UCF has developed cross-disciplinary programs, invested in strategic areas of focus, and increased its engineering and technology enrollment to over 21,000, up 25% in the last three years.

EDUCATION: University of Iowa (BS, Ph.D.)

FIRST JOB: Cleaning hog confinement buildings on a farm near Tipton, Iowa. This included pressure washing everything in the building. It was a dirty and humbling experience, but it taught me the value of hard work and helped fund my educational growth.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: If I were not president, I would be honored to continue my career as a professor — focused on research and educating the next generation of leaders and innovators.

HOBBY: I enjoy playing pool.

NONPROFIT PASSION: Jonathan’s Landing, founded by UCF alum Jason Eichenholz and inspired by his son with autism, is a great organization supporting neurodiverse adults.