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Week of April 12, 2022

It was a ribbon-cutting ceremony to remember. I couldn’t have been prouder to stand beside USF’s stunning, new Research Building – three stories and 120,000 square feet of boundless possibilities.

This state-of-the-art structure marks a new era in USF’s robust and renowned research enterprise. It will bring together our faculty and students with industry leaders in a space that features laboratory facilities, office space and meeting rooms for established and start-up companies alike. And it comes to fruition just as national-caliber entrepreneurs and science and technology firms are being drawn increasingly to the Tampa Bay area.

The building presides over 112-plus acres in Research Park, which serves as a catalyst in promoting the region as a prime destination for corporations seeking to relocate. And now it is anchored by a building that signifies a bold, new chapter in USF research and innovation – one that will uplift the region, the nation and the world for decades to come.

Updates

• Congratulations to Dean Rolle and the College of Education for being awarded $1 million for a project to create a pipeline of new STEM teachers. We are especially grateful to U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor for her steadfast support and members of the House Appropriations Committee. Hillsborough County Public Schools and other local school districts will benefit from the influx of teachers from this impactful new project. Our USF leadership team remains committed to the College of Education and programs to prepare the next generation of teachers.

• I was humbled and excited to have been confirmed as USF’s eighth president by the Florida Board of Governors. Most of all, I am thrilled to continue our work together – all of us in the USF community – raising USF to new heights. I've shared my vision and initial priorities and I hope you will all take time to read it if you haven’t done so already.

• I would like to thank everyone who made a gift to USF – whatever the amount – during Giving Week. A highlight of the week was a big boost from Jeff and Penny Vinik, who announced a gift of $5 million to go toward an on-campus stadium. For anyone still interested, there is a wide array of options available to support a college, program, research area or other cause.

• I was privileged to attend the 4th annual USF Performing Arts Medicine Conference last month. The program is built upon collaboration between colleges, departments and other entities on campus. And what I find so noteworthy is how it brings together the full spectrum of USF Health, as well as physical therapists and sports trainers, to help performing artists heal from injuries caused by their art. It was fascinating to hear more about this program, which promotes an understanding of these ailments and provides the best possible ways to treat them.

Inside USF: The Podcast

Additional University News Sources

• USF
• St. Petersburg Campus
• Sarasota-Manatee Campus
• USF Health
• USF Athletics

USF Board of Trustees Chair Will Weatherford wrote an op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times about USF's remarkable momentum and the many reasons for optimism about the future. And in case you missed it, the Times ran a recent editorial praising USF for its selection of Rhea Law as president.

The Associated Press interviewed USF epidemiologist Jason Salemi about the record-low COVID cases in U.S. hospitals, a story that ran nationwide.

CNN spoke with Fallon Goodman, a USF assistant professor of psychology, about social anxiety for a story on a special therapy that can help.

USF has an iPad band called Touch that creates music in an unconventional way, using applications on Apple's iPad that mimic the sounds of traditional instruments. The group even headlined "The Love Concert" in February at USF in conjunction with the "From Recovery to Regeneration Festival," which focused on using the arts as a form of therapy to assist veterans returning to civilian life.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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