UCF’s College of Medicine, Rosen College of Hospitality, and College of Engineering and Computer Science have received $4.5 million for a research initiative aimed at lessening future damage to hospitality and small businesses with health crises like the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Infectious Disease and Travel Health initiative that will be funded by the UCF Strategic Investment Program will focus on three key areas according to UCF Today:
- To provide an advance warning system through its data collection methods.
- To bring travelers and those who serve them closer to science, bridging the gap between basic science and behavioral science.
- To create a resource for small to medium-sized businesses in tourist areas to help them manage future health crisis situations that may arise.
Alan Fyall, the professor and Associate Dean the Rosen College of Hospitality says the initiative will not only have an impact in central Florida but a global one as well.
“The pandemic has woken the world up to the fragility and vulnerability of the global tourism industry,” Fyall said. “The time is thus ripe to bring together an internationally recognized and highly experienced interdisciplinary team to develop new science-based solutions and strategies to build future economic and social strength for Central Florida and beyond.”
Griffith Parks, director of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences agreed with Fyall about the Global impact this initiative will have going forward but stressed the importance of this current research as a crucial step forward into taking proactive measures into protecting and supporting the central Florida workforce.
“We are thrilled to have the support from the university on this important and unique initiative,” Parks said. “We aspire to build an initiative that will draw in faculty and students from other colleges, not just the three currently involved, such as nursing and health professions, who have an interest in population health, travel and tourism and in infectious diseases. Most importantly, a goal of the initiative is to have a strong impact on our Central Florida communities by creating connections that will help to improve and support the health of our tourism workforce and industries.”
UCF released an official statement of this initiative research project and how it will be used within the university.
The Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative research project received funding in the Academic Excellence Category of the UCF Strategic Investment Program. The funding will help in hiring research faculty who can secure additional funding for the project; establishing new courses and a Travel & Health track of study within the Master of Public Health degree program; and developing partnerships within the hospitality, healthcare, and science industries. Current UCF faculty from several disciplines are engaged with the initiative.
Work on the Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative will be later this summer.
