Dr. Christopher Blackwell has been named as the recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award by the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The award serves to recognize outstanding graduate-level teaching. Dr. Blackwell will officially receive the award at UCF’s Founder’s Day Convocation on April 1st, 2026.
The UCF Knights (12-1; 1-0 Big XII) opened their conference play with a HUGE win against the #17 Jayhawks of Kansas. As reported by UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – “J-Mike [Jamichael Stillwell] and I were telling him during the game, ‘Bro, your time is gonna come. You’re going to get a big shot for us,’” said UCF point guard Themus Fulks about Jordan Burks in the minutes following Saturday evening’s matchup against No. 17 Kansas.
And he was right. With the game tied at 72 and under a minute remaining, Burks delivered when it mattered most. UCF and Kansas had battled every second, each team vying to start the Big 12 season 1-0. But Kansas’ hopes were dashed as Burks pulled up from the long range in the final moments, sinking a clutch three-pointer to lift the Knights to an 81-75 upset at Addition Financial Arena.
Although the Knights led for nearly 27 minutes, the game was a back-and-forth battle from the opening tip. Kansas held a narrow 10-9 edge at the 16-minute media timeout, with both teams trading baskets in quick succession. Midway through the first half, though, the pace stalled as the Jayhawks went scoreless for 3:15. UCF forced three turnovers but couldn’t turn convert, hitting a two-minute dry spell of its own, and by the 9:43 mark, Kansas still clung to a razor-thin 21-20 lead.
That changed when Riley Kugel took over. His layup at the 7:21 mark gave the Knights their first lead, and a pull-up three on the next possession pushed UCF in front 27-23. Building on that momentum, Jamichael Stillwell drained a three-pointer to push Knight’s lead to seven, 36-29, their largest lead of the opening frame, with just over four minutes to go.
Kugel led the way for the Knights, finishing atop the stat sheet with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Fulks and Burks also scored in double figures, contributing 16 and 14 points respectively, and each added four rebounds on the day, while Fulks piloted the offense with three assists.
Kansas made several attempts to reclaim the lead in the closing minutes of the half, but a last-second pull-up jumper from Fulks sent the Knights into the locker room with a 44-41 edge. The Black and Gold’s 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.
The Knights opened the second half as strong as they ended the first, quickly extending their lead back to seven, 48-41, just 1:30 into the period. Refusing to let the game slip away, Kansas responded by clawing back to tie the game at 56 with 13:09 remaining. A three-pointer from Darryn Peterson, who ended the evening with 26 of Kansas’s total points, gave the Jayhawks their first lead since 7:21 of the opening frame, 59-58, with just over 11 minutes to play.
UCF had an answer, though – four quick free throws from Devan Cambridge gave the Knights their lead back, 62-59, with a three-pointer from Burks to follow, pushing the Knights’ advantage to six, 65-59, with 9:53 to play.
Capitalizing on that momentum, and a four-minute Jayhawk scoring drought, the Knights forced four turnovers to generate a 12-point run, taking the lead 70-61, their largest of the game, with just under five minutes remaining.
Despite continued offensive struggles, Kansas surged back with a 7-0 run in just over a minute, pulling within two, 70-68, with 3:36 left and forcing a UCF timeout. Bringing that energy out of the break, the Jayhawks tied the game at 72 with 59 seconds to play. But pressing for the Knights’ first Big 12 win, Burks delivered a pivotal three-pointer to put the Knights back on top, 75-72, with 42 seconds remaining.
Although Kansas attempted to rally with a trio of free throws in the final moments, Burks’ basket proved decisive, as UCF held on to upset No. 17 Kansas, 81-75, in its Big 12 home opener.
This is the second consecutive season the Knights have won their conference opener, and the first time they’ve beaten a ranked opponent since last year’s season home opener against then No. 13/15 Texas A&M. Dawkins, as a player and coach, is now a combined 7-3 in meetings against either Kansas or Bill Self, or a combination of both.
The Knights committed just six turnovers all evening while forcing 12 from the Jayhawks, who normally average 10.8 turnovers per game and force 9.46 themselves.
UP NEXT
Dawkins and his squad will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for their first Big 12 road contest of the season, facing the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Jan. 6 for an 8 PM tipoff.
Dr. Blackwell will present three 60-minute presentations on critical updates on HIV prevention, pneumococcal vaccination, and malpractice issues for nurse practitioners at the 2026 Annual Conference of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference will be held June 23-27. For more information, click here:
Dr. Blackwell spent last week in Washington, DC working on the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Item Writing Panel. Item writers contribute questions that appear on ANCC board certification exams. Panelists are selected with regard to practice, expertise, educational background, nursing role, practice setting, geographic location, and years of experience. Those who are selected serve for an 18 month term. Dr. Blackwell is currently serving his second consecutive term on the Panel. His prior work with ANCC includes serving as an AGACNP Field Test Examinee. He also served as Vice Chair of ANCC’s Content Expert Panel for the Adult Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Program until it was retired in 2015.
Although not entirely unexpected, sad news came today from the producers of the Broadway musical Boop! The musical will play its final performance on the Great White Way on July 13th. I have been championing this show since I saw it for the first time in April during its previews. In my opinion, the show, punctuated by an amazing performance by its Tony-nominated star Jasmine Amy Rogers, a phenomenal musical score composed by mega producer David Foster (who spent years writing the score), fantastic costumes, phenomenal choreography, and a heartwarming story, was the best show on Broadway this season.
But the American Theatre Wing differed, and the show, despite being nominated for 3 Tony Awards, was completely snubbed. The show was also denied an opportunity to showcase itself during the Tony’s broadcast, which may have given it a much needed box office boost. As reported by Variety:
Boop! The Musical will play its final Broadway performance on July 13. The closing announcement is the fourth new musical in the past several weeks, following Smash, Dead Outlaw and Real Women Have Curves. All are new musicals that came to Broadway this spring, that were hoping for boosts from the Tony Awards, but did not take home any trophies. Boop star Jasmine Amy Rogers was nominated for a Tony Award this year, and the show also received nods for best costume design and best choreography. The musical, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, opened at the Broadhurst Theater April 5, after starting previews March 11.
The show’s storyline reimagines the cartoon character coming to life in modern day New York. Rogers was highlighted as a standout, and she won the Drama Desk Award for outstanding lead performance, an award which she shared with Gypsy’s Audra McDonald.
However, capacity at Boop! has been hovering around 70 to 80 percent for the past several weeks, and the musical has yet to crack $1 million in weekly grosses. Last week, the show brought in about $600,000, but grosses have dropped as low as about $400,000. Running costs are increasing for musicals on Broadway, which has brought added pressure to bring in audiences and also led to the recent slate of closures. Last week, Cabaret also announced it would end its run after about 14 months on Broadway.
Additionally, Boop did not perform on the Tony Awards (unlike the other new musicals) and thus did not have the marketing boost.The musical features a score by David Foster and Susan Birkenhead and a book by Bob Martin. The cast of Boop! also includes Faith Prince as Valentina, Ainsley Melham as Dwayne, Erich Bergen as Raymond Demarest, Stephen DeRosa as Grampy, Anastacia McCleskey as Carol Evans, Angelica Hale as Trisha, Phillip Huber as Pudgy the Dog, Aubie Merrylees as Oscar Delacorte and Ricky Schroeder as Clarence.
While the quality is rarely the same, let’s hope Boop! can live on in a national tour. Or better yet, perhaps a West End transfer to wow the stages of London could find itself in the works. A show this good deserves so much more success than it received.
Dr. Blackwell will be giving three live podium and two virtual presentations at the 2025 American Association of Critical Care Nurses National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Expo (May 19-21, NOLA, LA) and 2025 Annual American Association of Nurse Practitioners Conference (June 17-22, San Diego, CA). For AACN’s NTI in NOLA, Dr. Blackwell and colleagues will deliver Session A60M258 (5/19 @ 4:30pm) about clinical management of HIV in high acuity settings. Next, Dr. Blackwell will present Session A60M284 (5/20 @ 11:30am) about the latest issues in malpractice for NPs in acute care. For AANP in San Diego, Dr. Blackwell will present Session 25.3.051 (6/19 @ 9:15am) on the latest modalities in pharmacologic & non-pharmacologic prevention of HIV! Hoping to see you all @ NTI + AANP this Summer! For those attending virtually: NTI: Practice with Caution: Updates in Malpractice Issues for Nurse Practitioners in Acute Care: Session V60M284); AANP: Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Prevention of HIV in 2025: Session 25.3.01).
Dr. Blackwell’s original article, “Lenacapavir for HIV PrEP: Interim Phase III Clinical Data Evaluation” has been accepted for publication in JNP–The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The article examines the current Phase III clinical trial data of a novel antiretroviral agent that public health scientists have declared a “game changer” for HIV incidence globally. The article will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal. The abstract appears below:
Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral medication injected every six months as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials worldwide. Interim data suggest lenacapavir is highly efficacious, distinctly being the first PrEP regimen to ever show zero infections during Phase III clinical trials. Lenacapavir is being lauded as a major advancement in the eradication of HIV as a major public health threat. This article provides an overview of current clinical trial data regarding lenacapavir, discusses its current research and development, provides comparison between lenacapavir and cabotegravir, and provides implications for nurse practitioners and other clinicians regarding PrEP.
Lady GaGa, whose new album Mayhem streets March 7, 2025, absolutely ROCKED the Super Bowl 2025 Pregame with an exhilarating and heartfelt performance of her rock ballad anthem, “Hold My Hand.” The performance was a tribute to the lives lost in the senseless terrorism event in New Orleans on January 1, 2025. Take a look at GaGa’s performance below:
The UCF Knights (10-2; 1-0 Big XII) marched into Lubbock on Tuesday and handed the Red Raiders of Texas Tech (9-3; 0-1 Big XII) an 87-83 loss. Per UCF Athletics:
The UCF men’s basketball team started celebrating the new year early by launching fireworks of its own before the stroke of midnight in its Big 12 Conference opener, topping Texas Tech 87-83 thanks to a second-consecutive game shooting greater than 50% from the field. Keyshawn Hall was a perfect seven-for-seven from the floor in the first half, dropping 17 points while Darius Johnson had 17 of his own in the second to power the Knights to a New Year’s Eve victory on the road.
“It was a hard-fought win. They’re all well earned in the Big 12. I thought our guys did a good job of understanding what we had to do to give ourselves a chance to win. Really proud of our guys, they really came ready to play tonight. They were well prepared, as was Texas Tech; we beat a good team tonight.”JOHNNY DAWKINSUCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
UCF’s offense was on display for the entirety of the first half, shooting 57.1% with 47 points, tied for the most in a game this season. The offensive eruption was a continuation of the Knights’ last contest 10 days ago, thumping Jacksonville 86-66 while shooting 58.7%, the highest mark since shooting 60.4% against Temple on Jan. 2, 2019. Hall led the charge on Tuesday afternoon, starting the contest a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor including a trio of three pointers, chalking up 17 points in the first half.
“I was just staying aggressive outside because I didn’t want to make my game one dimensional. I know I can get downhill so I was just trying to stay confident in my jump shot through the whole like I’ve done this whole season. The coaches and everybody have been giving me confidence in practice to shoot it, so I’ve been getting in the gym extra and just shooting it, so when guys back up, I let it rip.”KEYSHAWN HALLUCF JUNIOR GUARD/FORWARD
Texas Tech opened the scoring with two buckets in its first two trips down the floor. The pair of quick scores wound up being the Red Raiders’ largest lead of the game just 68 seconds into the contest. UCF’s first points game on a couple of Johnson free throws at the 17:45 mark. Hall got going with a defensive rebound and a jumper and also scored on the Knights next trip down the floor, locking the score at 6-6. Dallan ‘Deebo’ Coleman earned a steal and got his first points of the tilt 4:30 into it, putting UCF in front. Another Hall layup followed by a Coleman three-pointer gave the Knights an early seven-point edge at 13-6 with 14:17 remaining.
The Red Raiders jumped in front briefly with an 8-0 run over the next 90 seconds or so, but proved to be their final lead of the contest at 14-13. Moustapha Thiam banged home a three-pointer to get the Black and Gold back in front, his first of two made triples on three total attempts from deep on the afternoon, doubling his season total of made threes.
The first half lead didn’t move north of six points until there were six minutes left in the opening frame as UCF pulled out to a 36-29 lead. Texas Tech continued to make shots in its own offensive end to the tune of a 44.4% clip to keep the game close as the Knights carried a 47-41 lead into the break.
UCF surrendered the first basket of the second half, but from there, it was nearly all Knights for the next five minutes. Thiam fought his way to the rim for a tip-in prior to a Hall three-pointer to put the Black and Gold up nine at 54-45. After a Texas Tech make to draw back within seven, Jordan Ivy-Curry nailed a step back jumper followed by a layup and three pointer from Thiam. Johnson drove the lane for a tough layup and put the Knights in front by 16 at 61-45.
The Knights continued to hold a double-digit lead, eventually reaching a game-best 18-point edge with 10:06 remaining with a trio of Ivy-Curry free throws, making it 71-53. Texas Tech responded with its best run of the game, putting up 11 straight points to whittle the lead to seven with 7:30 to play. The Red Raiders refused to go away, trimming the lead to six at 79-73 heading into the final media timeout.
“We were trying to find ways to manufacture points, especially when they were making their runs, we tried to find ways to put guys in position to be successful. Ultimately, players have to make plays, and I thought whether it was Keyshawn or Darius, I thought those guys made the plays that were in front of them at the time, and that’s all you can ask. First half, I thought Keyshawn really set the tone for us and helped us get going and in the second half, Darius really started putting his foot on the pedal a little bit more.”JOHNNY DAWKINS UCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Johnson was clutch down the stretch, burying a three-pointer from way downtown out of the media timeout to extend the lead back to nine. Texas Tech answered with two makes, but again Johnson had an answer, earning a pair of points in the paint to make it 84-78 with 2:30 on the clock. After missing the front end of a pair of free throws, Tech’s JT Toppin, who finished the contest with a game-high 26 points, earned another pair for his team to cut UCF’s lead to a single possession at 84-81 with 75 seconds to play.
Toppin again tried to carry his team back to a lead, scoring off a UCF turnover to make it a one-point game with 37 ticks of the clock left. Johnson was fouled bringing the ball up the floor on the ensuing possession with 19 seconds left and cashed in on his two free throws. The Red Raiders came up empty on their next possession as a missed three pointer to tie the contest went wide and eventually out of play, giving the Knights possession with eight seconds remaining. Johnson again was fouled and made one-of-two from the charity stripe to give UCF the 87-83 edge. Texas Tech’s final heave was off as the Black and Gold secured the road victory and a 1-0 start to league play.
“I thought our guys did a really good job of understanding those big moments, guys were stepping up and making plays. We have some experienced guys on our roster and they played composed, so when the lead was getting cut or it was a one possession game, that’s when their poise showed.”JOHNNY DAWKINSUCF MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
Johnson missed just twice in the second half, going five-of-six from the field, a perfect two-of-two from three-point range and five-of-six to compile 17 points. He led UCF on the stat sheet with 24 points, his fifth 20+ point outing this season and 13th of his career. Hall’s 22-point performance was his second-straight game with 20 or more points after scoring 21 against Jacksonville. It was his fifth 20+ point showing on the campaign and 15th of his career. Only Ivy-Curry boasts more career 20+ point performances on UCF’s roster with 18. Ivy-Curry had his double-digit point streak snapped on Tuesday, scoring nine points after earning 10 or more points in his first 11 games as a Knight.
UCF’s 87-point performance in its Big 12 opener was more points than it had scored in any Big 12 regular season win during the 2023-24 campaign and one shy of tying the most they had scored in any conference game last season. UCF’s 87 points represent the 44th time that UCF has scored 80 points or more under Dawkins, improving to 39-5 in those games. Dating back to last season, the Knights have won their last three Big 12 road games, beating Oklahoma State 77-71 on Feb. 28 and TCU 79-77 on March 9.
The Black and Gold’s besting of Texas Tech snapped its perfect 8-0 record and dropped the Red Raiders to 12-17 all-time in Big 12 openers. UCF now leads the all-time series against Texas Tech 2-1 with a pair of consecutive wins, including a Big 12-play best 14 points in Orlando to the tune of a 75-61 win on Feb. 24 last season.
The Knights have won six straight with Tuesday’s victory and is UCF’s first six-game winning streak since the 2019-20 season. A win in its next contest would be the first seven-game winning streak since the Knights’ magical 2018-19 season that ended in an NCAA Tournament berth and first win in March Madness in program history. UCF is out to a 10-2 start for the third time in the last four campaigns and fifth total time under Dawkins.
UCF sunk 10 three-pointers on Tuesday afternoon, its second consecutive game doing so and fifth total occurrence through 12 contests thus far. The Knights accomplished that feat just twice last season. Additionally, UCF already has three games where they’ve shot 50% or better from the floor after doing that just four times in the previous campaign.
Texas Tech’s defense entered the game ranking 26th in the nation in scoring defense, averaging 63.3 points scored by opponents. UCF bested that mark by over 20 points, and also shot 51.8% on Tuesday, 12.3% better than the Red Raiders’ 45th-ranked field goal percentage defense. The win was the 55th time a Dawkins-led UCF team has shot 50% or better, improving to 51-4 in those games.
Dawkins continues to have his squad dialed during the month of December, now 43-12 during the month in his tenure, including a perfect 4-0 this season.
UP NEXT
The Knights return home to Addition Financial Arena for their first home game of the Big 12 slate for a contest against No. 7 Kansas at 4 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN+. UCF opens its home league schedule against Kansas for the second straight campaign, besting the No. 3 Jayhawks 65-60 on Jan. 10 for the highest ranked win in program history. The Black and Gold return to Orlando boasting an 8-0 home record after going perfect through its non-conference schedule for the first time since 2011-12.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite teams by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android devices. The app provides personalized information for men’s and women’s teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and breaking news. Click here to download the app now.
After Gus Malzahn’s departure, UCF has decided to hire the football Coach that gave its program its most notoriety and success, Scott Frost. Per UCF Athletics:
ORLANDO – After an unforgettable two-year run that saw the UCF football program rise to national prominence, Scott Frost is coming back home. Known for sparking the “Charge On” spirit and guiding UCF to its first perfect season, Frost has been named the next head football coach at UCF by Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. Frost and UCF agreed on a five-year contract through the 2029 season.
“Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football as we welcome back Scott Frost, a coach who ignites the spirit and passion of Knight Nation,” Mohajir said. “Scott’s love for his players, along with his leadership, enthusiasm and vision were pivotal in making the decision to bring him back to UCF. Throughout this national search, his passion for UCF was clear. I believe no one wanted to lead our program more than Scott.”
Frost originally served as UCF’s head coach from 2016 to 2017, culminating in a historic 13-0 season, an AAC championship and a national championship that captured the nation’s attention. In his final game, Frost guided UCF to a victory over No. 7 Auburn in the 2018 Peach Bowl, securing the program’s first undefeated season in school history.
Frost posted the greatest two-year turnaround in college football history at UCF, inheriting a 0-12 team in 2015 and taking the Knights to a perfect season in his second and final year, when he was named the national coach of the year.
Frost began his coaching career at Northern Iowa in 2007 as a linebackers coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2008. That season, his defense excelled, tying for third in the FCS with 40 takeaways and ranking ninth in scoring defense, allowing just 17.7 points per game. The 12-3 Panthers also led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in both rushing defense (107.1 yards per game) and scoring defense.
In 2009, Frost joined the Oregon coaching staff as the wide receivers coach under head coach Chip Kelly and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. Over his four seasons in this role, Oregon appeared in four consecutive BCS bowls, and three of Frost’s wide receivers earned invitations to NFL camps.
After Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oregon promoted Mark Helfrich to head coach and named Frost offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2013. In this role, Frost guided Marcus Mariota to a Heisman Trophy win and a berth in the national championship game. During Frost’s tenure as offensive coordinator, Oregon recorded a 33–8 record and consistently ranked among the nation’s top teams in scoring and total offense. His standout performance in 2014 earned him a finalist spot for the prestigious Broyles Award, recognizing the nation’s top assistant coach.
Following his two years at UCF, Scott Frost served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska for four-plus seasons. This season, Frost has been serving as a coaching consultant for Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
Powered by WordPress