Carole McDaniel is the Program Director of the Department of Information Systems Technology (DIST) as IST, with over 20 years of software systems design and project management experience. She understands information architecture and design, how end-users wish to interact with different types of applications, and how to translate complex ideas to technical and non-technical users. She has designed systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, large corporations, and a variety of funded research efforts both within and outside of the university.

Ms. McDaniel is a Knight at heart having earned a BA in Graphic Design, a BA in Radio & Television, and her MA in Film and Digital Media with a focus on Visual Language and Interactive Media from UCF. She began her career as a graphic designer in the very lab she now directs, and during her tenure her at UCF she has had the opportunity to work closely with computer scientists, instructional designers, artists, and researchers, and has been a part of the design and development of a number of large efforts. Her organization, visualization, and communication skills allow her to easily translate complex problems and ideas to sponsors, system engineers, and end users alike, and she prides herself on ensuring the system and interface designs she creates are intuitive and effective.

The winner of a UCF Research Incentive Award in 2023, Ms. McDaniel was recognized for her outstanding research and creative activities, including interdisciplinary research and collaborations. She believes that collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts yield the most successful, well-rounded approaches, and she strives to create and maintain relationships across the university and with sponsors to foster that very idea.