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Week of February 21, 2023

I was proud to represent USF alongside more than 100 students and alumni during USF Day at the Capitol, an annual trip to Tallahassee that serves as an opportunity to showcase the university, tell our story and allow our students to explore the inner workings of our state's government. 

Throughout the day, students attended panel discussions, took a tour of the Supreme Court and participated in a mock bill reading and vote in the Senate chamber.

While at the capitol, I also met with quite a few legislators to discuss our university's priorities and issues that are important to USF’s future. I plan to make more visits to Tallahassee in the coming months and I will continue to engage in discussions with our Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors and our elected officials about the state’s education initiatives.

Updates

• Over the past several weeks there has been much conversation in the media and on our campuses regarding higher education in Florida. I participated in a faculty town hall last week and I’ve been reaching out to a number of groups affiliated with the university and in the community to meet directly with them as we work together on our path forward.

USF remains steadfast in our support for academic freedom, civil discourse, free speech and the open exchange of ideas. Our university has a long history of providing access and opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive community on our campuses where everyone feels a sense of belonging. 

The 2023 Florida Legislative Session is scheduled to take place between March 7, and May 5, 2023. We expect bills to be filed, debated and amended throughout the entire process, and we may not know the specifics of what any final legislation will contain for several more weeks. In the spirit of transparency, we will provide updates on any significant developments as they become available

• We had a terrific turnout at the annual Black Faculty and Staff Welcome Breakfast, and I was delighted to join the Black Faculty & Staff Association (BFSA) in officially welcoming our newly hired Black faculty and staff and recognizing the outstanding work of those who were recently promoted. The BFSA makes tremendous contributions to our university community, and I am greatly appreciative of their team for hosting this wonderful celebration.

• There was a sold-out show of support at last weekend's USF Green & Gold Gala, an annual celebration hosted at the Florida Aquarium. Thank you to Bill McCausland and his team in the USF Alumni Association for putting together this wonderful event that supports student and alumni programming.

• I'd like to extend a big congratulations to the five USF faculty members who were named by the National Academy of Inventors to its new class of 2023 Senior Members. These researchers are making a remarkable impact on the frontiers of medicine, energy and electronics, and we are proud to celebrate their outstanding accomplishments in pursuit of innovation.

• I hope you will join us at 2 p.m. on March 1 as we celebrate a historic moment of growth and expansion for the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus with the groundbreaking of its new student center and residential housing complex. As many as 200 students will be able to live on the campus for the first time when the facility opens in the fall of 2024.

McArthur Freeman

From drawing to sculpting, to photography, video, animation and 3D printing, USF Associate Professor McArthur Freeman embraces AI to create artwork that explores alternate realities.

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 New York Times quoted USF Associate Professor Alastair Graham in a story about a rapidly melting ice shelf in Antarctica and research being done to assess long-term sea-level rise.

Huffington Post quoted USF Professor Steven Masley in a story exploring harmful myths commonly believed about food's impact on heart health.

ABC Action News aired a story about USF's Black Leadership Network and the group's work to provide scholarships and mentorship to African American students studying at the university.

For the first time since 2018, the St. Petersburg Science Festival and MarineQuest returned to an in-person experience for Tampa Bay families to deepen their knowledge of science and the arts. Hosted in partnership with USF's St. Petersburg campus, the joint festival connects scientists, environmental organizations and cultural institutions with the public via immersive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations in science, technology, engineering, art and math.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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