UCF’s New Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion is Transforming the Future of Nursing Education
The University of Central Florida has entered a defining moment with the opening of the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in Lake Nona, next door to UCF’s College of Medicine, healthcare partners and industry innovators.
This new state-of-the-art facility expands opportunities for learning, research, and collaboration, reinforcing UCF’s commitment to positively impact its communities with excellence and purpose.
A Pivotal Moment for UCF Nursing
As Dean Sharon J. Tucker explains, “UCF’s College of Nursing is propelling nursing education and practice forward, boldly leading into a brighter and healthier future for all.”
She’s boldly leading the college forward by focusing on partnerships, innovation, and its people.
“Lake Nona is an extraordinary environment that inspires human potential through collaboration and innovation and promotes wellbeing by design,” Tucker says. “We’re leveraging these realities to facilitate greater collaboration across disciplines and industry in both education and research.”
A Facility Designed for Innovation
The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion includes expanded lab space for students to learn, a design studio to accelerate nurse-led innovations, and the latest in immersive technologies in the Helene Fuld Health Trust STIM Center, the first in Florida to receive three major simulation accolades.
Dean Tucker highlights the impact, stating, “The Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion will improve nursing education and patient care by advancing faculty research, supporting the development of new best practices, and preparing students for clinical practice.”
Associate Professor Rebecca S. Koszalinski who leads the HHOT Lab, is one of the faculty members benefiting from the expanded lab space. “The biobehavioral lab is my favorite place in the new facility,” she says. “It is rare to have this space in a college of nursing. It means that we can help nursing students appreciate the linkages between bench and bedside.”
Why Educators Choose UCF
“UCF is a diamond not only here in Florida, but beyond as our reach and impact knows no bounds,” says Tucker.
UCF’s innovative and community-driven culture attracts faculty experts from across the U.S. who are committed to making an impact. As Tucker notes, “Faculty are collaborative, committed to student success and focused on providing a high-quality education as evidenced in our graduates’ licensure and board certification pass rates.”
Faculty across the college echo this sentiment. Koszalinski says, "What UCF advertises is what UCF delivers. Students, faculty members and the leadership team all operate through an open and collaborative system."
This commitment to openness and collaboration is a defining part of the UCF experience. It reflects a culture where faculty feel supported and where students benefit from strong relationships with educators who are invested in their success.
A Symbol of Energy and Purpose
A focal point of the new building is “Vitality,” a suspended public art installation that symbolizes connection and impact created by designer and artist Brian W. Brush.
The inspiring installation uses light to reflect how the smallest gestures accumulate into meaningful change — a message that resonates deeply within the nursing profession.
As Associate Professor Michael Joseph “MJ” Dino states, “What you do matters, and you deserve an environment that reflects that.”
Dean Tucker connects the art to the college’s mission. “The public art that hangs in our lobby serves as a visual reminder that we are bringing vitality into our communities with our action,” she says.
Partnerships Build Brighter Futures
Partnerships were vital to the creation of the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion.
As Tucker shares, “UCF’s Pegasus Partners, the State of Florida and the community played a critical role in helping us bring the bold vision of this facility to life.”
These collaborations extend far beyond the physical building. Through clinical opportunities with leading healthcare organizations, UCF nursing students gain valuable hands-on experience that deepens their learning and prepares them for today’s complex healthcare environments.
“We will to continue to collaborate to ensure a healthier and brighter future because a vision is not static. It is a dynamic, living guide for our actions to transform the future,” adds Tucker.
A Transformational Community Impact
With the expanded space in the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion, UCF will graduate an additional 150 newly licensed eligible nurses each year. This is significant in a state where one in four nursing graduates already comes from UCF.
UCF is solving healthcare’s greatest challenges and “directly addressing Florida’s nursing shortage as 85% of our more than 17,000 Knight nurse alumni are in Florida and nearly 60% stay in Central Florida” says Tucker.
A Legacy for Generations
The new facility stands as a place where future Knight nurses will grow, learn, and discover their purpose. Every classroom, lab, and shared space reflects an environment designed to support curiosity, compassion, and the drive to improve patient care for generations to come.
“Nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare, and this facility is preparing more Knight nurses and doing so in a collaborative, innovative and wellness-focused environment,” says Tucker. “We are ensuring our graduates are not only prepared to provide compassionate, highly skilled clinical care but to also know how to take care of themselves to prevent burnout.”
Instructor Kelsey Gaffka '16BSN '22MSN shares, "I am proud to be part of an organization that is trusted to prepare the next generation of exceptional nurses."
Nurse Executive DNP program co-director Jayne Willis ’20DNP describes the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion as “a powerful symbol of UCF’s commitment to the future of nursing and to the health of our community.”
Together, these reflections highlight the lasting impact of the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion. It is more than a building. It is a legacy in motion, preparing Knight nurses who will strengthen the health of communities across Central Florida and beyond.
