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Diversity, equity and inclusion are deeply embedded in our culture and values at USF, and I was proud to honor individuals across our three campuses who have made outstanding contributions in those areas at the Inclusive Excellence Awards on April 12.
Congratulations to all of the recipients. Meanwhile, it was an honor to attend the Joyce Russell Kente Awards, established in 2000 by the USF African-American Advisory Committee. The awards are another reflection of USF's unwavering commitment to diversity. Kudos to Kevin Sneed, dean of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy, winner of the 2022 Joyce Russell Kente Community Leader award for his work addressing COVID-19 vaccine concerns within communities of color.
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• As the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine widens, our hearts continue to go out to the country and its courageous citizenry, as well as members of our USF community who continue to be impacted. I was pleased to participate recently in the “Ukraine, What’s Next” speaker series presented by USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus – bringing together leading experts, including some of our own faculty, and organizations to provide the latest insights into the evolving situation. The next event in the four-part series – offered virtually with limited in-person seating – takes place Wednesday, April 27, from 8 a.m. to noon with the topic “Financial and Economic Impacts.” Click here to register.
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• In case you didn’t know, I’m a longtime fan of fast cars who once earned my competitive car racing license and even enjoyed the adrenaline rush from racing motorcycles in my past. So I was thrilled to attend the grand reveal last week of the Formula One race car built by the talented students in USF’s Society of Automotive Engineers, a.k.a. Bulls Racing. Each year, members of this club design and build their own Grand Prix-style race car and drive it in an actual competition, as they'll do next month in Michigan. Meanwhile, I felt right at home hopping behind the steering wheel – before getting back to our shared work in steering USF on its fast track forward.
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• Major congratulations to our six-person USF student cyber competition team in the 2022 National Centers of Academic Excellence NSA Cyber Exercise. Team USF took second place overall, beating out 20 other schools, including Carnegie Mellon and Rochester Institute of Technology. Just to give you an idea of that achievement, this is an intense, three-day competition (with each day eight to 10 hours long), covering modules in cryptography, policy, software development, malware and cyber combat (attack and defend). Under the guidance of Stephen "Scuba" Gary, associate professor of Instruction in the School of Information, the team put in some 100 hours of preparation en route to their outstanding finish.
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• It was so uplifting to attend the Latino Scholarship Program Mentor-Graduate Luncheon at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. The program, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is a shining example of how USF embraces diversity and supports the success of our Latino students. Many thanks to longtime USF donor Richard Gonzmart, the Columbia’s president and co-owner, for making his restaurant available to host the event. I wish all of our LSP graduates well on the road ahead. Since its inception, the program has awarded in excess of $4.2 million to more than 600 graduates. And with some 70 endowed and annual scholarships, the program currently supports more than 40 new and 100 returning students.
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• I enjoyed a recent visit with members of USF's outstanding ROTC programs. USF is one of only 50 universities in the country that host ROTC programs from all of the nation's Armed Forces. Pictured with me from the left: Allison H. Crume, dean of undergraduate studies; Col. Amos R. Bennett, brigade commander, 6th Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command; Tanika T. Macias, USF professor of Military Science; Maj. Michael A. Cooper, USF Army ROTC.
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USF-invented software tool implemented around the world to improve real-time transit data
The public transportation agencies for the country of France and state of California have started utilizing an open-source software tool created at USF that quickly finds errors in a transit agency’s real-time data – providing travelers more accurate information through mobile mapping applications, such as Google and Apple Maps.
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Quality of fat input determines output of kidney and cardiac health and repair, says USF Health study
New breakthrough research by a University of South Florida lab team describing how certain fats can harm or repair the heart after injury has been accepted by a journal of the American Physiological Society. A manuscript by Ganesh Halade, PhD, an associate professor of cardiovascular sciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and a researcher in the USF Health Heart Institute, appears in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, published March 25.
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Record number of donors gave more than ever during University of South Florida’s Giving Week
A record number of donors — nearly 5,000 — gave more generously than ever to make a positive impact in the lives of students on all three University of South Florida campuses during Giving Week earlier this month. From April 4–8, alumni and friends joined together to bolster numerous programs, from combatting food insecurity to supporting student scholarships. This year’s 4,905 donors more than doubled the previous record and over 10 percent of them were making their first gift to the university.
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Additional University News Sources
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Inside Higher Ed interviewed psychologist Jonathan Mitchell, a member of the counseling center on USF's St. Petersburg campus, for a story on student mental health status and the toll taken by the pandemic.
The New York Times ran a story by Jason Gulley, a USF associate professor of geology, a dive instructor and an expedition photographer, about the world's densest collection of freshwater springs and the environmental peril they face.
The Tampa Bay Times interviewed Steve Murawski, a USF fisheries biologist, in a story about the Piney Point fertilizer plant property and its impact on Tampa Bay.
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May is Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Month. The observance falls in May because the first Japanese came to the country on May 7, 1843, and the transcontinental railroad was completed May 10, 1869 – with track laid primarily by Chinese immigrants. Click here to learn more about ADIPA Month at USF.
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Upcoming Events
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Ukraine: What's Next? – April 27
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Sick Leave Pool open enrollment ends – April 30
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Commencement – May 6-8
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