Dr. Steven Altman - UCF President (1989-91) - Class of 2009
When Dr. Steven Altman was tapped as the University of Central Florida's third President in April, 1989, the Knights' intercollegiate athletics program was yet again on the cusp of taking another great step towards the future.
During his tenure as UCF's President, working with then-Director of Athletics and head football coach Gene McDowell, Altman helped the football program move from the NCAA Division II level up to Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision). In its first season in the FCS in 1990, UCF put together arguably its most successful season as the Knights went 10-4 and advanced all the way to the semifinal playoff rounds. The 10-win season stood as the only one, until the 2007 squad equaled the feat.
Altman's involved with UCF athletics during his tenure also included the athletics program's move to the America South Conference (presently the Sun Belt Conference), which was the school's first joint men's and women's Division I conference affiliation. Previously, the women's programs had been competing in the New South Women's Athletics Conference, while the men were playing as a Division I Independent.
At UCF, Altman contributed to hiring of strong deans, raising research dollars and making clear growth plans to boost the university's profile. He developed a strategic plan to help guide UCF in becoming a major metropolitan university and boosting its profile.
Altman came to UCF after serving as President at Texas A&I University for four years (1985-89). His return to the Sunshine State was a homecoming of sorts as he was formerly a faculty member and executive at Florida International University for more then a decade (1972-85). Altman earned a D.B.A. in Management and Qualitative Methods from the University of Southern California's College of Business Administration in 1975, after earning a master's in business administration there in 1969. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from UCLA in 1967.
Altman's teaching career spanned thirteen years. He was Assistant Professor in the Division of Management at FIU from 1972-1976 and also served as the Chairman of the Division of Management from 1972-1977. He became an Associate Professor in 1976 and full professor in 1984.
Altman also pursued his career in University Administration. He was Assistant Dean at the School of Business, USC from 1969-1972. At FIU, he was Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs from 1977-1978, and Vice President of Academic Affairs from 1981-1985, while also serving as Provost from 1982-1985. In 1985, he was appointed President of Texas A & I University where he remained until 1989.
He went on to become president of Medical Telecommunications Associates, which was acquired by the Lido Group in 2002. After the acquisition, Altman became a vice-president with the new company. He has also served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.