Gifts made in Dr. Porter's memory will be used to help fund scholarships for MBA students at UCF.
Dr. Bob Porter was a proud two-time graduate of UCF who was dedicated to his students, colleagues, university and community. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Ph.D. in Management from UCF; he earned his MBA from Rollins College.
His business career included leadership roles with General Electric, NCR Power Systems and AT&T, as well as with numerous start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures.
Dr. Porter returned to UCF in 2006 as a faculty member in the College of Business and led the Executive Development Center based in downtown Orlando. His research, teaching and consulting focused on entrepreneurship and strategy.
At UCF, Dr. Porter’s students respected his insight, mentorship and keen intellect. He was known to respond to student emails and texts at any time – day, night or weekend – and eagerly helped students even after they graduated.
Dr. Porter left UCF in 2018 to work for Osceola County as executive director for economic development and strategic initiatives. He then returned to education as president of Florida Virtual Schools, the State of Florida’s online learning initiative.
“I've had the good fortune to work for a number of outstanding companies, both large and small, and with a number of amazing people,” Dr. Porter once said. “This journey has always encouraged me to find a way to give back to community and to the process of educating others.”
Dr. Porter died March 21 and is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and legions of grateful students, colleagues and community and industry partners.