Navigating career success: How UNF guarantees experiential learning for students

At the University of North Florida, collaboration and community partnerships are at the heart of student success. 

Starting this fall, that is growing even stronger as UNF guarantees experiential learning for all incoming students, ensuring they have at least one hands-on experience such as an internship, research or leadership opportunity before they graduate. 

It’s not a reach. It’s in our DNA at UNF.  

Already, about 85% of graduating seniors report participating in such real-world experiences. Guaranteeing that opportunity for 100% will help prepare every UNF student for high-paying, competitive jobs after graduation. 

“UNF’s enhanced experiential learning program will distinguish our University as a national leader in connecting classroom learning to career aspirations for each of our students,” said UNF President Moez Limayem. “As a key provider of talent in our region and state, we are committed to equipping our graduates with the practical skills needed to thrive in the workforce." 

In fact, the University of North Florida is the No. 1 supplier of talent in Northeast Florida and No. 1 in the State University System with the percentage of graduates with bachelor’s degrees employed in Florida. Approximately 80% of UNF graduates stay in Florida and 70% in the Jacksonville region. This success happens with dedicated attention and intention throughout the University.  

Only a small number of universities across the nation have similar experiential learning commitments. The difference at UNF is that enhancing student success through real-world experience is weaved throughout the entire campus – faculty building connections with business executives, deans creating partnerships with industry leaders and career services staff opening doors through year-round innovative engagement opportunities. 

Faculty connections  

Dr. Laura Habegger, a biology assistant professor, is an expert in functional morphology, a field that studies an organism's structure as it relates to its function and utilizes techniques such as CT scan renderings, 3D anatomical models and dissections. Functional morphology can be meshed with other disciplines such as engineering into a combined field called biomechanics that studies how biological systems respond to mechanical forces. 

“Interdisciplinary work is an incredible opportunity to make breakthroughs in science and medicine that are not possible if siloed just in one field,” said Habegger. 

Habegger came to UNF in 2019 and was eager to team up with Dr. Grant Bevill, mechanical engineering associate professor, to start an an interdisciplinary course combining anatomy and 3D printing. The professors collaborated with a medical physicist with the Anatomical Modeling Unit at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, as well as UNF alumna Carleigh Eagle (‘21), an engineer with the unit. This meeting led to the creation of the UNF Anatomy in 3D course, the first-known collegiate program of its kind.  

After teaming up with Mayo Clinic, another meeting was orchestrated between Habegger’s graduate research assistant, Molly Dobrow, and Dobrow’s husband who works at KLS Martin, a leading medical equipment and 3D printing technology company with one of their headquarters near campus. 

“The community partnerships with Mayo Clinic and KLS Martin stemmed from UNF alumni at both locations,” said Habegger. “There are so many passionate UNF alumni in the community who want to give back. Both partnerships have created solid paths for our students to gain incredible knowledge and hands-on experiences.” 

The Anatomy in 3D course began last spring, and multiple students have gotten internships and jobs directly related to the knowledge and experience gained in the innovative course.  Nolan Bennett, UNF mechanical engineering spring 2024 alum, is an associate IPS design engineer at KLS Martin and John McGarity is an internship participant with the Mayo Clinic Physics and Engineering Internship program.  

“Seeing Nolan land the position at KLS Martin and John completing two high-demand Mayo Clinic internships is a dream come true and very emotional for me,” explained Habegger as happy tears arose in her eyes. “Medical printing and personalized medicine are such quickly evolving fields and it fills my heart with joy to know that my class is contributing to my students landing high-demand careers.”  

Habegger and Bevill are two of hundreds of UNF faculty helping to connect students with real-world experiences. 

Administrative connections  

Before taking over the helm of UNF MedNexus, Julie Merten oversaw the undergraduate public health internship program for over a decade as a professor of public health.  

“Helping to curate internships for students deepened my understanding of the power of partnerships and sparked a true passion for working closely with community organizations,” said Merten. 

Merten built internship opportunities across a diverse range of sectors – public health agencies, nonprofits and private industry – and she carried those relationships into her work at MedNexus. 

“Over the years, I watched so many students thrive under the mentorship of professionals who generously shared their time and expertise,” said Merten. “These partnerships didn’t just enrich the student experience; they also led to meaningful employment outcomes and long-lasting community impact.” 

One of Merten’s partnerships with UF Health Jacksonville recently created the new Clinical Research Coordination Badge program. This program prepares UNF students to step into internships with either UF Health Jacksonville or Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and land jobs as clinical research coordinators.  

Throughout UNF, similar programs offer students internships in a variety of fields, including finance, transportation and logistics, education and data science.  

Career Services connections  

UNF’s Career Services Industry Engagement Team focuses on growing partnerships throughout the region and assists organizations wanting to hire UNF graduates. The team connects employers with students and alumni through exceptional recruiting events, meaningful partnerships and Handshake, a virtual job board where employers can post vetted opportunities for students  

“Crafting high-demand internships and job opportunities for Ospreys is at the core of our mission,” said Scott Curry, UNF Career Services senior director. “We sit down with companies and learn their needs and then connect them to students and faculty in those fields.”  

The Handshake platform saw a record-breaking number of internships and co-ops posted last year at 34,147 posted opportunities for UNF students and alumni. Career Services also saw a record-breaking number of employers visiting campus with more than 1,234 individual employer visits during the 2024-25 academic year. Of those employer visits, 937 companies directly sought students for experiential learning opportunities such as internships, co-ops and volunteering. 

Industry partners and companies that want to hire UNF students are offered various opportunities for on-campus engagement, such as:  

• Career Fairs: This year, there were 7,210 student swipe-ins at career fair events on campus with the STEM Career Fairs hosting 322 employers. 
• Employer Summit: This annual event brings top employers back to campus for workshops and panel discussions, highlighting additional ways for employers to engage with the University.  
• UNF Employer of the Day: This year, over 100 employers participated in UNF’s Employer of the Day, the university’s no-cost opportunity to meet with students in the halls of our programs. This includes the “Fuel for Finals Week”, bringing employers to campus to hand out coffee and snacks during the end of the semester. 
• Employer Showcase Days: Leading corporate partners such as JEA, Enterprise Mobility and SportsMedia Technologies host elevated experiences for students on-campus.

According to surveys completed after employer visits, over 90% of employers that participated in recruiting events on-campus feel like they will hire Ospreys.  

“Nestled in one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, our students have a variety of opportunities to partner with Fortune 500 companies and other industry leaders in healthcare, science, technology and other in-demand fields,” said Curry. “Our location and passionate community members provide almost limitless career opportunities and experiences for our students to create solutions that enhance lives and transform the world.”  

Industry Engagement and the University Foundation are currently growing the Soaring Together Corporate Partner Program. This program allows corporate business partners to sign on at various levels of tax-free partnership, attend career fairs and other events to showcase their company on campus and in front of UNF students. Curry can be reached at Scott.Curry@unf.edu for more information or to start a recruiting partnership with UNF.