USFSP to Host Lynn Pippenger Hall Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Jan. 17

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Jan. 13, 2017

USFSP to Host Lynn Pippenger Hall Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Jan. 17

Join USFSP for the official opening of Lynn Pippenger Hall, the new state-of-the-art facility for the Kate Tiedemann College of Business. A Ribbon-Cutting ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Third Street South entrance of the building, located at at 700 Fourth St. S.

The four-story building boasts more than 68,000 square feet of classroom, office, and common spaces, including a new Wealth Management Center and a Consumer Insight Lab. It features unique furniture and art built from trees that were taken down to make space for construction of the facility, giving the wood new life.

"This new building is the physical embodiment of what is already one of Florida's top business schools," said Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska. "State-of-the-art teaching and learning spaces in Lynn Pippenger Hall will enhance the educational experience for so many, and I could not be more proud that USFSP has one of the few business schools in the country to be named for women."

Learn more about the event.

U.S. News Ranks Online MBA Program No. 18 in Nation, No. 3 in Florida

A photo of Dr. Varol Kayhan working with students on the computers in a classroom

Dr. Varol Kayhan, associate professor of Information Systems & Decision Sciences, has taught in the Kate Tiedemann College of Buisness since 2010.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Online MBA Program at USF St. Petersburg among the nation's top 10 percent in its 2017 survey of Best Online MBA Programs. Of the 180 ranked universities, USFSP ranks No. 18 in the nation and No. 3 in Florida behind the University of Florida and Florida State University. The rankings were based on five general categories: Student Engagement, Admissions Selectivity, Peer Reputation, Faculty Credentials and Training, and Student Services and Technology. USFSP's program scored especially well in Faculty Credentials and Training, landing at No. 1 in Florida.

"The program is grounded in a tradition of quality, with online courses that are taught by the same highly-credentialed faculty who teach our face-to-face graduate courses," said Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska. "The latest ranking is again a tribute to the dedication and talents of the faculty and staff at the Kate Tiedemann College of Business."

Learn more about the rankings and the Kate Tiedemann College of Business.

College of Education Alum Receives National Milken Educator Award

A photo of Milken Foundation Vice President Jane Foley_ USFSP alumnus and award recipient Lukas Hefty_ Jamerson Principal Brandie Williams-Macon_ Florida Department of Education Deputy Chancellor of Education Quality Brian Dassler_ and Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Michael Grego. Photo credit WUSF and Cathy Carter.

From left: Milken Family Foundation Senior Vice President Jane Foley, USFSP alumnus and award recipient Lukas Hefty, Jamerson Principal Brandie Williams-Macon, Florida Department of Education Deputy Chancellor of Education Quality Brian Dassler, and Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Michael Grego. Photo: WUSF and Cathy Carter.

USFSP alumnus Lukas Hefty, a science and math coordinator at Douglas L. Jamerson Elementary School and adjunct instructor in the College of Education at USFSP, is the second Pinellas County educator to receive the national Milken Educator Award, known as the "Oscar of Teaching."

Hefty, who is credited with increasing the number of fifth graders at the school who passed the state standardized science test from 48 percent in 2011 to 81 percent in 2015, received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in Fall 2004 and master's degree in Elementary Education in spring 2008 from the College of Education.

Read more about Hefty and the Milken Educator Award in this article by the Tampa Bay Times and WUSF Public Media .

USFSP Makes Inaugural 'House Calls,' Welcomes Residential Students

A photo of a student shaking hands and speaking with USFSP staff_ student_ and faculty members

USFSP Biology freshman James Occean shakes hands with Holly Kickliter, regional vice chancellor for Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications, alongside Dr. Susan Toler, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, right, and Natalie Guerra, a Resident Assistant in Residence Hall One.

Twenty-one USFSP faculty, staff and student resident assistants went room-by-room through the residence halls, welcoming new and returning students during the first week of classes. The effort, which involved stationing small groups of volunteer faculty, staff and students on each floor of the residence halls, was part of House Calls, a new university initiative to connect faculty and staff with students and to promote student success.

"We wanted to provide our students with an opportunity to engage with our faculty and staff outside of the classroom, in the comfort of their own rooms," said Carolina Nutt, director of Compass First-Year Experience. "Our hope is that this program builds community and connectedness amongst the USFSP community. Although the program was really targeted to first-year students, we decided to engage with all residential students regardless of their classification."

"We received great feedback from students who appreciated the faculty and staff who took the time to engage outside of their offices," said Nutt. "It is our goal to continue this program in the summer and fall semesters."

Read more about the new initiative.

Faculty Spotlight: Carl Pacini

Meet Dr. Carl Pacini, a certified public accountant (CPA) whose research interests and areas of expertise include forensic accounting, auditor liability, and financial services regulation.

Pacini has taught in the Kate Tiedemann College of Business at USFSP since 2012. Prior to that, he taught at Georgia Southern University, Pennsylvania State University-Abington, and Florida Gulf Coast University. He has taught forensic accounting since 2003.

"When I was working on my Ph.D., I saw the intersection of law and accounting in the forensic accounting field as a natural way to work or be involved in both fields," said Pacini, whose degrees are in business and law. "The mutlidisciplinary nature of it is absolutely fascinating. I've actually worked in the classroom with members of the IRS and the FBI, and it is a joy to train students in this area to help them send the bad guys to jail."