Date:

Thursday, March 23
7-10 p.m.

Location:

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
300 A. Phillip Randolph Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32202

We are TWO WEEKS AWAY from UNF Night at the Jacksonville Icemen! Show off your Osprey pride as the Icemen take on the Savannah Ghost Pirates, sponsored by Community First Credit Union.

There are countless reasons to attend this gameday experience! For this family-friendly evening, we'll be celebrating our alumni with unique UNF perks including but not limited to...

- Exclusive UNF Osprey Section

- Co-branded UNF/Icemen Clear Bag (available on a first-come, first-served basis until stock is depleted)

- $10 Food & Beverage Concession Voucher (available on a first-come, first-served basis until stock is depleted)

- Portion of Proceeds Benefitting UNF Alumni Association Initiatives

- Zamboni Ride with Ozzie the Osprey (Giving Day Drawing)

Plus, starting at 4:30 p.m., the Icemen will host a Women in Sports panel and special Happy Hour! Tickets are limited, so purchase today! (Must purchase using the link below to qualify for UNF perks)

Date:

Wednesday, March 22
All Day

Location:

Virtual

Join in to #SwoopAndSupport by making a gift of any size to the UNF project of your choice on Giving Day!

#UNFGivingDay is a virtual event celebrated by Ospreys from the Nest and beyond!

Date:

Friday, April 14
10 a.m.

Location:

UNF Field House

The University of North Florida cordially invites you to celebrate the inauguration of UNF's seventh president, Dr. Moez Limayem. The processional through campus begins at 10 a.m. at the UNF Field House followed by the investiture ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in the Lazzara Performance Hall. The events are free and open to the public.

Luke Nicholas earned his degree in marketing and communication. Ana Huggins earned hers in communication with a public relations focus. Trent Blair earned his in sport management. What do these three have in common? They all enjoy exercising, building relationships and working in the front office of North Florida's ECHL hockey team, the Jacksonville Icemen.

Blair is the director of business development, focusing on client retention and B2B relationships with the club, and has been with the team for six years. Huggins is the merchandise and operations manager, serving as the point of contact between the organization and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. She also handles all merchandising within the team store, giveaways or co-branded partnership items, and is in her second season with the team. Nicholas is the vice president of ticket sales and service, facilitating the sales campaigns and the growth of the organization, and joined the team three months before the inaugural season. While they all have drastically different roles in the organization, they all relish the opportunity of being a part of the growth of this new hockey franchise within the Jacksonville community.

Nicholas took a speech class during his junior year that changed how he viewed public speaking and presentations, in addition to providing him life skills which he found integral for his career development. However, when it comes to his favorite memory at UNF, Nicholas said nothing compares to storming the court when the Ospreys Men's Basketball team won the Atlantic Sun Championship in 2015.

The trio all have plans to continue their career path. They all feel invested in the program and want to see how it continues to grow after watching the growth of the Jacksonville Icemen from their inception to the finished construction of the Community First Igloo. Plus, they all love the close-knit relationship among the front office staff and the level of excitement brought by the fans and community during the games (enhanced by the additional perk of Blair getting to drive the Zamboni). While Nicholas is the longest tenured of the Ospreys, he's also focused on his personal growth, trying to learn as much as he can and continue to assume additional responsibilities.

The sports industry has a tendency to consume nights and weekends, but they all find time to unwind when they can. Nicholas is able to spend time with family in close proximity. Huggins loves outdoor activities, including going to the beach and spending time with her dog, Emma, and her horse, Adele. Blair works toward improving both his physical and mental health, and is very focused on his faith. He is also a big fan of Marvel and Burger King.

For those of you reading this who have never been to an Icemen game before, I asked for some helpful tips to pass along. First off, the Icemen are owned by Zawyer Sports, who also own the Savannah Ghost Pirates, the opponent for UNF Night. While the organization supports them off the ice, leave no doubt that they want to destroy them on the ice. Second, it's a very fast-paced sport with a lot of action and limited stoppages in play. When there is a break in the action, there's always some fan engagement piece going on. Another unique aspect is that the fans create their own unique chants throughout the game, so keep an ear open to play along. All in all, it's really an event you have to experience live to understand.

Julia Mayeshiba, a University of North Florida Jacksonville Teacher Residency (JTR) Cohort 5 alumna, was honored as the 2023 VyStar Duval County Public Schools Teacher of the Year during the 32nd Annual EDDY Awards. She was selected from among 180 Teacher of the Year nominees, each representing a DCPS school. Learn more.

To celebrate Valentine's Day, the UNF Alumni Association gathered stories throughout the month of February to showcase relationships that began at UNF. Learn more.

USA Deaf Volleyball has announced Amber Haver has been selected as head coach and will lead the Women's Indoor National Team for the next Deaflympic cycle.

Haver becomes the eighth all-time head coach in USA Deaf Women’s Volleyball history. Prior to her collegiate coaching career, Haver served as a teacher of the deaf for over a decade. Haver’s wealth of coaching success is best remembered at Columbia International University (S.C.), where she took the Rams from an institution without a women’s intercollegiate volleyball program in 2018 to one of the premier National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) volleyball programs in the southeast in five short years. Haver was the 2021 NCCAA National Coach of the Year and has twice been named the AAC Coach of the Year and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, announced that Jed Davis, president and CEO of DDI Inc., which operates the Jacksonville-based Davis Family Office, was elected to the health care system’s board of trustees.

Davis oversees several business operations and investment interests in land and timber properties, master plan community developments, commercial real estate, and the private and public equity markets. The Davis family conveyed more than 600 acres for Mayo Clinic to set up and expand its Florida campus.

Jacob Prail has just accepted a position to be the new Assistant Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement for the UMass athletic department.

While having only graduated from UNF last spring, Prail has racked up years of experience in the sport industry. He was a marketing intern with the UNF athletic department for all four years, in addition to working with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Jumbo Shrimp. Most recently he held the position of Marketing Assistant with Villanova's athletic department.

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