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Week of September 13, 2022

I’m delighted that USF has reached its highest position ever in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings, which were released earlier this week.

Our university now ranks No. 42 among all public universities and No. 97 among all public and private universities — it’s the first time we’ve made the top 100! These achievements would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our talented faculty, staff and students. It is because of you that we have lots to be proud of at USF.

Updates

• From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, USF joins the nation in recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx/a/o communities (a term that encompasses all genders represented in the Latin community in addition to individuals who identify as Latina/Latino) whose ancestors came to the United States from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.

At USF, we celebrate diversity and being an inclusive community, and I hope you will take time in the coming weeks to learn more about the various cultures within the Hispanic and Latinx/a/o communities. I encourage you to read more about the positive impact that members of our Hispanic community are making here at USF. There are also opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities offered on each of our campuses over the next month. In addition, we've prepared a toolkit of resources designed and developed in consultation with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Alianza Latina Faculty & Staff Association, the Latino Scholarship Program, the Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Center for Student Involvement.

Please join me in engaging this month in meaningful and educational ways to honor our Hispanic heritage at USF, in the community and around the country. Doing so will serve to enrich us individually and as a university, and deepen our steadfast commitment to diversity.

• I hope you enjoyed last week's town hall meeting, including updates we shared about wage increases for eligible employees and the winter break schedule. If you weren’t able to attend in person or virtually, you can watch the entire meeting here. And I’d appreciate it greatly if you would take a brief survey to provide feedback on our town hall. We value your input and thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts

• I’m pleased to report that USF has reached a key milestone in the process to construct an on-campus stadium with the recommendation to select the world-class design and build team of Barton Malow and Populous. You can read more about the latest development here. Our university will also be getting some added exposure as USF and WFLA have launched #Horns Up: USF All Access, a weekly 30-minute TV show providing an inside look at Bulls Athletics. The show airs on Sunday nights at 9 on WFLA sister station WTTA Great 38.

• I couldn’t be more excited about Tampa Electric’s recent $5 million investment in USF to fund research, education and innovation – with a goal of reducing carbon and improving the environment. The gift will create an endowed fund to support the Clean Energy Research Center in USF’s College of Engineering – the largest single outright gift to the college. We are incredibly grateful to Tampa Electric and its president and CEO Archie Collins (pictured with me here) for this transformative gift and the wonderful opportunity to collaborate on such important issues.

• What a wonderful evening it was at the recent Black Leadership Network Soiree. I was thrilled to see what a tremendous impact the program has had on our BLN scholars in only six years thanks to the work of the organization's passionate co-founders (such as Ashley Butler pictured here). We honored 34 new scholars – the program's largest incoming class ever, celebrated our graduating seniors, recognized BLN supporters and donors, and showcased the incredible work of this great organization!

• My congratulations to the 177 newest USF Health Morsani College of Medicine students, who were officially welcomed during the Class of 2026 White Coat Ceremony at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. This cohort of medical students represents MCOM’s most academically competitive and one of the most diverse cohorts in college history. I encourage you to read more about them here.

• The anniversary of 9/11 is not only filled with painful reminders from a dark chapter in our nation's history, but also with feelings of hope, inspiration and gratitude. Those sentiments were prevalent at the powerful 9/11 Remembrance ceremony at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. We honored the victims of the terrorist attacks and paid tribute to our brave first responders, our service members who placed their safety at risk, and those whose lives were forever changed. My thanks to the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus for establishing this powerful tradition – an event befitting Sarasota’s somber connection to 9/11 that morning 21 years ago when President George W. Bush learned of the attacks while reading to Booker Elementary School students. I also want to express my appreciation to our outstanding Office of Veteran Success for supporting our military and veteran students.

• I’m so proud that USF has just been honored with the 2022 INSIGHT into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award, and to be nationally recognized for our steadfast commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. USF is focused on providing a safe and inclusive community that welcomes diverse perspectives and promotes access and opportunity. This work is an essential component of our strategic plan and helps shape our university’s bold path forward.

Nithin Palyam

As an international student, Nithin Palyam felt embraced by USF’s culture, which emphasizes inclusion, leadership and student success. The new Student Government president's college experience at USF was his first time abroad for and he has been immersed in a community of student leaders.



Boundless Bulls is a collection of stories about what truly makes USF great – the people. It is a focus on our community footprint, our impact and the trajectory of where we can go together.

The Washington Post wrote a story about research conducted by USF marine geologist Alastair Graham on the Thwaites Glacier – a glacier the size of Florida that's been dubbed the "doomsday glacier" – for its potential to dangerously affect sea levels.

The Wall Street Journal interviewed USF professor Dipayan Biswas about a study analyzing how drinking caffeine can impact consumer spending.

CNN quoted Thomas Frazer, USF's dean of the College of Marine Science, in a story on scientists making a breakthrough in the race to save Caribbean coral.

USF is taking steps to increase opportunities for students, employees and the general public to engage with the arts. To support this, USF's College of The Arts will now offer tickets to all of its events free of charge. In addition, the college will begin to schedule some weekday matinees to provide options for individuals who may not be able to attend evening or weekend performances. Although tickets are free, registration for music, dance and theater performances is required to accommodate seating. For more information, visit the College of The Arts events page.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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