Gabrielle Russon
A University of Central Florida (UCF) alumnus with a long history of giving back to the school is pledging another $10 million donation, the school announced.
Kenneth Dixon has donated more $15 million over the past 20 years, the school said. His latest $10 million gift will be spent on career services and athletics.
UCF thanked Dixon for the major donation, calling it “transformational.”
“Ken’s friendship to UCF has had a transformative impact on our university that will be felt for decades to come,” said UCF President Alexander Cartwright. “We are grateful for his support of our students, university, and athletics enterprise.”
Dixon, a businessman with a career in real estate and accounting, graduated from the Orlando school in 1975 back when it was called Florida Technological University, years before it would become the UCF known today as one of the country’s biggest schools.
“My UCF education prepared me for a successful career in business, and it is with great pride that I invest in President Cartwright’s priority to help our students succeed by graduating, landing gainful employment and fueling our region’s human capital needs,” Dixon said in a statement.
“Additionally, I am excited about the Knights’ future in the Big 12 and helping further enhance our athletics facilities and deliver championship-caliber resources to win big.”
Dixon gets triple the name recognition at UCF.
School trustees voted Tuesday to name North Orion Boulevard to the Ken Dixon Way running through the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village. The school also said $5 million of his pledge will go toward funding the newly named Kenneth G. Dixon Career Development Center to help students get ready for their future careers.
“In academic year 2023-24, more than 9,000 students and nearly 500 employers participated in Career Services’ career and internship expos, and more than 10,300 attendees participated in resume and career exploration workshops. Dixon’s gift will enable the expansion of these offerings and create new platforms and spaces to enhance career readiness,” the school said in a statement.
