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Week of July 5, 2022

I hope everyone had a chance to rest and recharge over the July 4th holiday and I'd like to share some news to energize you further.

I often talk about the upward trajectory USF is experiencing as the nation’s fastest-rising university. And here is more evidence of the exciting flight path we are on: According to data presented last week to the Florida Board of Governors, USF is once again a leader among state universities in the BOG’s performance-based funding model.

Our university performed particularly well in several key metrics tied directly to economic and workforce development, as well as other student success-focused categories. I encourage you to read more about it here.

This is great news, and is a strong indicator that we are preparing students for careers in high-demand fields, filling the talent pipeline for employers and driving the state’s economy.

I want to thank each of you, as USF’s standing, which factors in the performance of the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses, is a direct result of the dedication and tireless efforts from our students, faculty and staff on a daily basis.

Updates

• I extend a warm welcome to our new regional chancellor for the St. Petersburg campus, Christian Hardigree, whose first day on the job was July 1. We’re so excited to have a proven leader of her caliber as part of the USF family. Regional Chancellor Hardigree’s blend of academic and administrative experience makes her an ideal fit and I’m confident she will be a powerful voice for the campus and a trusted partner in maintaining USF’s tremendous momentum. You can learn more about her by listening to Inside USF: The Podcast, in which she shares her personal story about overcoming challenges as a homeless student, past jobs in the service industry and her experience as a senior litigation attorney.

• I recently met with St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch to share with him how much USF values the St. Petersburg campus and our commitment to partnering with his administration to advance our goals. Among the important topics we discussed were plans to continue to pursue funding for a new environmental and oceanographic sciences facility, ongoing efforts to grow and diversify our student population on the St. Petersburg campus and a shared vision for aligning our programs to meet St. Pete’s needs, such as creating a world-class hub for fintech. I’m excited about the opportunities to help our campus and the city thrive.

• It’s difficult to put into words how much Carol and Frank Morsani have meant to USF over the years – and continue to mean to our university. Their legacy of transformative giving began in 1978, embraces the USF Health College of Medicine that bears their name, and was on display again this past week with a $7 million gift to benefit students and others within the university community. It comes just three months after a $5 million gift to support USF’s on-campus stadium project. We remain deeply grateful for all they have done to elevate USF. You can read more here about the various programs their latest impactful gift will support.

• Talk about a wonderful surprise. My husband Wayne and I arrived for what I thought was a quiet dinner with a few friends last week, but when I turned a corner I couldn’t believe my eyes – a large group from my 1991 class of Leadership Tampa had secretly assembled to celebrate my becoming USF’s president. It was so special reconnecting with these friends, including many with ties to USF who had traveled from around the state and beyond for this memorable evening.

• Congratulations to USF Athletics for the impressive academic roll it is on. This spring was their 15th consecutive semester with an average GPA over 3.0, the longest streak ever for the athletics department, and 12 programs logged perfect, single-year scores according to the NCAA’s most recent Academic Progress Rate data. These achievements are a testament to our athletics support staff and coaches who are preparing our student-athletes so well for future success well past their time at the university. Go Bulls – on the field and in the classroom!

Sarah Sheffield

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

Fox 13 focused on top-tier USF innovation in a segment about the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame on USF's Tampa campus.

The New York TImes interviewed the School of Geoscience's Jennifer Collins for a story on understanding the difference between a hurricane watch and warning.

The Wall Street Journal wrote about a USF study concluding that shoppers who drink coffee prior to shopping spend 50 percent more than those who don't.

Last fall, USF welcomed its largest, most academically accomplished and diverse class of first-year students in university history. Click here to learn more.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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