I always look forward to this time on the calendar – the arrival of Thanksgiving and a chance to reflect on all we that can be grateful for in our lives. With the holiday upon us, I’d like to take this opportunity to express some of the things for which I’m especially thankful.

I’ll start with this: the chance to be part of such a great and fast-growing university – an institution energized by talented students, standout faculty and staff, and generous donors, with its sights continually set high on achievement and impact.

In short, I’m thankful for you – our USF family.

I hope you all find time to think about the things that enrich your lives, and to spend a joyous holiday with loved ones and friends wherever you are. If you’re traveling, please be aware of COVID-19 safety precautions – even with cases currently on the decline, we want you and those in your circle to remain healthy.

And after you enjoy your turkey dinners – or whatever delicious meal you have in mind to celebrate the day – don’t forget to cheer on the Bulls football team as they travel to the University of Central Florida in the latest edition of the “War On I-4” on Friday. It’s such a great rivalry (tied at 6-6 if you’re keeping track!). And if you’re not making the drive, tune in at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. Go Bulls!

Meanwhile, know this: All of us in the USF community have so much for which to give our thanks. Stay safe – and have a wonderful holiday.

Updates:

• I was honored to appear recently before the St. Petersburg City Council and share with members the many exciting developments taking place on our USF St. Petersburg campus. They listened with great interest about our plans to create a world-class center that will make national and international waves – the USF Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence in Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences (EOS). It was great to hear Chair Ed Montanari and the City Council express their support and advocacy for our top construction project – the EOS building – this upcoming legislative session. I also reviewed a list of highlights in numerous other areas. My thanks to the Council for the invitation to speak – and for such a warm reception.

• I'm pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sylvia Thomas as interim vice president of research. She will report directly to me as a member of my cabinet, and her experience and insights will be a tremendous asset. Dr. Thomas is a researcher, administrator and faculty member in electrical engineering with 12 patents and patent disclosures. And her research funding stands at $4.8 million, with more than 25 years of global experience in academia and industry.

• I always savor the opportunity to speak at events showcasing motivated young leaders of the future, and this past week afforded me the chance to address two such groups. On Nov. 18, I attended and spoke at the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce's Emerging Leaders of Tampa Bay Annual Meeting – celebrating the accomplishments of a group of young people eager to contribute to an array of civic issues. And on Nov. 20, I had the honor of welcoming to USF the student-body presidents representing Florida's 12 public universities at the Florida Student Association Conference. Seeing such impressive young leaders at these two events certainly bodes well for the future.

• What a pleasure to speak at the USF Athletics Hall of Fame induction dinner Saturday, Nov. 13 – and see first-hand the great tradition of USF Athletics flourishing. My congratulations to the three inductees: former tennis star Jeff Davis from the Class of 1979, triple jump record-breaker Matthew O'Neal from the Class of 2016 and women's basketball sensation Courtney Williams, also from the Class of 2016. Their amazing contributions add to the growing legacy of outstanding USF student athletes.

• Excellent international students have long been entwined in the fabric of USF as they greatly enhance the global diversity of our campus experience. And I'm proud to report that USF has become Florida's top university for international students. The annual report by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education revealed that for the first time USF leads the state of Florida in international student enrollment.

Pictured above: President Law presenting to the St. Petersburg City Council on Nov. 9

Tech CEOs credit USF talent pipeline for decision to expand and relocate to Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is one of the nation’s fastest growing regions and much of that success is associated with the talent pipeline created by the University of South Florida.

Over the past five years, the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council reports it has recruited nearly 60 new companies that have either relocated or expanded operations to Tampa and Hillsborough County for the first time – creating more than 8,000 jobs and generating more than $876 million in capital investment.

A success story that began on the Sarasota-Manatee campus: USF and McKibbon Hospitality partner to turn iconic hotel brands into teaching labs

As the resilient hospitality industry re-emerges from a pandemic-battered two years, hotels are realizing they need a workforce that caters to patrons in a changed industry. With its state-of-the-art hospitality program that originated on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, the University of South Florida is teaming up with a hotel management powerhouse that runs some of the world’s largest hotel brands to fill that pipeline with hospitality industry workers.

Undergraduate student becomes USF's first Rhodes Scholarship finalist

Alexander Mercier's innate curiosity – combined with his outstanding record of academic achievement and a well-rounded list of interests that includes art and music – has led him to becoming the first Rhodes Scholarship finalist in USF history. A double major in pure mathematics and microbiology who expects to graduate in 2022, Mercier will participate in his final interview with Rhodes Scholarship evaluators later this month and learn the outcome soon after.

Register for Florida ACE Women's Network Presents: Coffee & Conversation on Dec. 9

Presenting a Coffee & Conversation session with USF President Rhea Law. The session will be held Thursday, Dec. 9 from 9-10 a.m. with the topic "Effective External Board Relations for Higher Education." The series affords an amazing opportunity to engage with and learn from distinguished presidential sponsors of our network, as well as other college and university presidents, who share their knowledge and insights on salient topics.