Professor Liviu Librescu chose to stand up to the Virginia Tech gunman that went on a shooting rampage in one of the school's lecture halls in April 2007.
He blocked his classroom door, allowing time for students to escape.
In light of such campus shootings, universities are taking measures to prepare students and faculty for potential crisis situations.
About 500 universities have chosen to purchase "Shots Fired - When Lightning Strikes," a survival-training video created by former U.S. State Department officials and FBI agents, said Randy Spivey, executive director for the Center for Personal Protection and Safety.
The center is a national organization that teaches workplace violence prevention and travel safety.
The training video has been labeled controversial because "taking out the shooter" is one of the last-ditch methods taught, Spivey said.
"As a very last resort, you may be in a situation where you are face-toface with the shooter and takeout is the only option," Spivey said.
In that case, he said people should use whatever tools they have available, be it a cell phone or a cup of hot coffee.
"You're not traumatizing people by providing training," he said.
While UF hasn't purchased the student version of "Shots Fired," the University Police Department does use a similar program titled "Active Shooter," said UPD Capt. Jeff Holcomb.
The presentation emphasizes escape methods as well as putting something between yourself and the shooter, he said.
"You don't seek the active aggressor out," Holcomb said, while stressing escape as the first priority for those in crisis situations.
While the presentation may not focus as much on confronting the shooter, it does include disarming tactics.
"If you are where the shooter starts firing, your best option may be to disarm the shooter," Holcomb said.
Another aspect of "Active Shooter" that Holcomb said he likes is the question-and-answer session, which allows him to address various scenarios on a case-by-case basis.
Holcomb has been delivering the hour-long PowerPoint presentation to staff and groups such as Department of Recreational Sports and the Inter-Residence Hall Association for more than a year, he said.
The groups usually range in size from 120 to 150.
While the presentation hasn't been delivered to the general student body, Holcomb said that anyone is welcome to call and request it.
Lindsey Nix, facility manager at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, underwent the "Active Shooter" program as part of her fall training about a year ago.
She said she thought the emphasis of the program is to move everyone to a secure location, but she didn't feel the video urged people to take a stance against an aggressor.
As for offering the presentation to the general student body, Nix said she thought it should be reserved for staff to combat ineffectiveness and a potential panic situation.
"I think they should show a select few people rather than everybody," she said. "If too many people know, it won't be effective."
