Recent Spotlights
Invest in the Nest: Angie LeRoy (’11)
When Dr. Angie LeRoy ’11 transferred to UNF in 2009, she wanted to better understand the human experience. As a psychology student, she became fascinated by the overlap between emotional and physical pain and found a supportive environment where she could pursue undergraduate research and learn from faculty mentors who would help shape her future career.
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2011, Dr. LeRoy continued her research journey through graduate studies at the University of Houston. Building on the foundation she developed at UNF, she focused her work on loss, grief and bereavement, studying how major life experiences can affect both mental and physical health. Her research eventually led her to explore the experiences of individuals coping with the loss of a spouse or partner and the ways those experiences influence overall well-being.
Today, Dr. LeRoy has returned to UNF as a faculty member, where she leads the HEAL Lab (Studying HEalth Across the Lifespan). The lab focuses on understanding how people experience loss and aging, with a particular interest in supporting caregivers of loved ones living with dementia. In 2022, she received a five-year career development award from the National Institutes of Health to further her research and training in aging and caregiving.
Through the HEAL Lab, Dr. LeRoy and her students are working to create tools that support people experiencing different forms of grief. One of the lab's current projects involves testing an app-based mental health intervention for spouses caring for partners living with dementia. The goal is not only to support caregivers' emotional well-being, but also to better understand how these tools may influence overall health during stressful life experiences.
Equally important to Dr. LeRoy is creating opportunities for students. The HEAL Lab brings together undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students to gain hands-on experience in research, data collection, data analysis, grant writing, scientific publishing and conference presentations. She is especially passionate about helping students understand how research skills can be applied both in academia and in industry, particularly as technology and digital health tools continue to evolve.
Dr. LeRoy also sees tremendous potential for UNF students to contribute innovative ideas and solutions. She hopes to continue building opportunities that connect research, technology and real-world impact while helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Her advice to students is to seek out research experiences, stay persistent and don't be discouraged by setbacks. The hands-on experience gained through research can open doors, provide clarity and shape future career paths in unexpected ways.
(Written by Maranda Leone, published 9/24/26)
Alumni Spotlight: Clint Pyle (’02)
UNF is hosting the STEM & Construction Career Fair presented by Stellar for students and alumni interested in seeking opportunities in the field. Ahead of the event, alumnus Clint Pyle (’02) shares how to learn more about the company.
Growing up in Orlando, Pyle began his collegiate journey at Stetson. After moving to Jacksonville for work, he chose UNF as an accessible, high-value option for earning his MBA while advancing his career. Half of the students in his cohort were also balancing full-time jobs, creating a community of motivated professionals who made time to collaborate on group projects. Pyle credits his UNF experience with strengthening his ability to work effectively with people from a range of backgrounds and navigate complex challenges.
After previously working for a couple of public companies until 2006, Pyle joined Stellar as their Director of Finance. Twenty years later, he’s been with the company for half of its history and has spent the past nine years as their Senior Vice President and CFO.
Headquartered in Jacksonville for more than 40 years, Stellar is an industry-leading design-build firm that incorporates architecture, engineering, and construction to provide their clients with a one-stop shop for their projects. Stellar has grown from 12 employees to over 700, 60 of whom are Osprey alumni, and has completed projects in almost every state in the nation, as well as in South America, Europe, and Asia.
Stellar’s landmark projects include the world’s largest pork-processing plant, built in North Carolina in the 1990s, and the world’s largest bakery facility, completed in Mexico in the 2010s. As the company expands its global reach, it remains deeply connected and continues to strengthen its ties, firmly planted in Jacksonville and further strengthened by the University of North Florida.
“UNF allows students to really grow and figure out who they are in the world,” Pyle said. “Having the students and talent stay in town is huge, and it’s been a great partnership.”
Ospreys are represented throughout Stellar, including at the highest levels of company leadership. Seven of the company’s 15 senior leaders are UNF alumni. In addition to Pyle, alumnus Gabe Crafton (’24) has served as Stellar’s chief legal officer for six years.
Other Osprey leaders include Richard Lovelace (’88), executive vice president for operations; Mike Davis (’98), executive vice president of the Food Group; Nathan Edwards (’07), senior vice president of the Food Group; Tim Jenkins (’07), senior vice president of commercial; and Derek Bickerton (’06), senior vice president of project development.
Over the course of his 20-year career at Stellar, Pyle has found that strong relationships are just as important as professional achievements. The connections he has built throughout the organization have played a significant role in his long-term commitment to the company. “You have to enjoy the work you do and the people you work alongside,” he said. Today, as chief financial officer, he leads Stellar’s financial operations and provides executive oversight of the company’s risk, safety, and information technology functions.
Though Stellar's work spans the globe, the company continues to invest in its hometown through projects across Northeast Florida, including the recent UNF Arena locker room renovation and UNF Coggin College of Business. Both Osprey alumni, Pyle and Jenkins, also remain actively involved with the university, with Pyle serving on the UNF Foundation Board and Jenkins as Vice Chair of the UNF CCEC Dean’s Leadership Council.
Having seen the University's growth over the last couple of decades, Pyle remains invested in its continued success. He’s seen UNF develop from a “commuter school” into a vital part of the community. Many of its UNF graduates have remained in Northeast Florida, helping to shape the region both professionally and through their continued involvement with the university.
Pyle enjoys being a resource and a mentor to students and young alumni entering the workforce. “Getting a degree in finance doesn’t mean you have to be a financial planner,” he said. There are many ways you can utilize a Coggin College of Business degree, and his goal is to help them find the right fit for their career paths. His advice is to find a mentor who can offer guidance on work, life, and everything in between.
(Written by Alex Achorn, published 9/29/26)
Alumni Spotlight: Kara Wade Tucker (’06)
Kara Wade Tucker ('06) has spent her career removing barriers for others as Jacksonville's Chief of Disabled Services, but long before that, she was a first-generation student at the University of North Florida, learning what it meant to serve a community.
When Kara arrived at The Nest, she was looking for an education close to home. What she found was a place that helped her discover who she wanted to become. Through her sociology studies, she developed a deeper understanding of advocacy, inclusion and the systems that shape people's lives. Just as importantly, she found mentors who saw potential in her before she fully saw it in herself.
Outside the classroom, Kara embraced campus life. She spent time with friends, got involved in organizations and enjoyed the natural beauty that continues to define the UNF experience.
While she always knew she wanted a career centered around helping others, Kara did not envision the exact path her life would take. Working with students with disabilities, serving on the City of Neptune Beach Government City Council and finding new ways to advocate for her community, each opportunity led to another. Along the way, she discovered that her personal experiences could become one of her greatest strengths.
Living with cerebral palsy, Kara has experienced both barriers and opportunities firsthand. That perspective now comes to use in her current role, where she advocates for accessibility, inclusion and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Whether improving ADA compliance, building community partnerships or creating programs like the Disability and Adaptive Recreation Expo, her goal is simple: make Jacksonville a place where everyone can thrive.
Kara credits much of her philosophy to lessons she learned at UNF. As a student, she believed leadership was tied to titles. Today, she understands it more as serving others, building relationships and helping people succeed.
That commitment to service is why, twenty years after graduating, Kara remains involved with UNF as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. For her, creating positive change has never been about a single job title or accomplishment; it's about leaving every community she touches better than she found it.
(Written by Maranda Leone, published 8/25/26)