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Week of May 24, 2022

I am thrilled that Christian Hardigree will be joining the USF family on July 1 as the next regional chancellor of our St. Petersburg campus. With a long history of proven leadership, coupled with her strong academic and administrative background, she will be a powerful voice for the campus and a trusted partner in maintaining USF’s tremendous momentum.

Among her many achievements: Leading the transition of the School of Hospitality at

Denver’s Metropolitan State University to a free-standing school and the largest of its kind in the region; securing more than $3.7 million in external funds to support the school; and guiding the faculty through a curriculum re-design of six degrees and majors, eight minors and nine certificates.

In alignment with our own commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, she also developed and oversaw a variety of initiatives that helped to increase the Black, indigenous, people of color student population by more than 8 percent. In addition, she designed, launched and funded an initiative to make learning materials more accessible for historically underrepresented students. 

I encourage you to read more about our new St. Petersburg campus regional chancellor here. And I would also like to thank outgoing Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock for the excellent job he did in leading the campus since 2018. And I couldn’t have been happier to see him receive a proclamation from the St. Petersburg City Council, honoring the many achievements during his tenure.

Updates

• Our Foundation for the Future event last week on USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus was special for several reasons. First, it was a chance to gather and dedicate the Judy Genshaft Pavilion – honoring President Emerita Genshaft for her role in advancing the campus. The Genshaft Pavilion will stand as a lasting reminder of her unstoppable leadership and in boosting USF to global stature during her 19-year tenure. I was also pleased to participate in a panel discussion about the incredible growth of the Sarasota-Manatee campus over the past 16 years.

• I enjoyed seeing Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and members of her Hispanic Advisory Council during their recent Latinos Unidos Luncheon. USF’s Latino Scholarship Program is one of the initiatives that benefits from the event, as we work together to provide even more opportunities for Latino students in our communities to earn a college degree. We’re also proud of the luncheon’s keynote speaker, Elias Torres, a graduate of the Muma College of Business and a past recipient of a Latino Scholarship who is now chief technology officer and co-founder of Drift, a conversational marketing and sales company.

• What a humbling moment it was recently to be named an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. But the true importance of this recognition – presented by Charles Adams, dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College – is the mark of distinction that having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter brings to USF. After years of hard work by many, USF was awarded a chapter in 2018. It is an elite honor for the university and the process of obtaining a Phi Beta Kappa chapter helped fuel the upward trajectory USF enjoys today.

•  I had a wonderful time at the USF Health Employee Appreciation Barbecue picnic, an event that allowed us to thank faculty and staff for their fine work and dedication. In addition to the fellowship and great food, several faculty were recognized for their exemplary length of service: Dr. Maria Gieron, Pediatrics, 41 years; Dr. Wayne Cruse, Plastic Surgery, 43 years; Dr. Jay Mamel, Internal Medicine, 43 years; Candace Burns, PhD, College of Nursing, 45 years; and Barbara Redding, EdD, College of Nursing, 47 years. I extend my congratulations and gratitude to each of them.

• I’d like to congratulate our 2022 Student Success Awards recipients, who represent all three USF campuses.  We are proud of the incredible work that these individuals and teams have done.  Click here to read about how they’ve gone above and beyond to help our students succeed.

INSIDE USF: THE PODCAST

Edsource featured USF in a special report about how public universities can help students graduate sooner.

The New York Times  interviewed USF's Irene Davis, an expert in the biomechanics of running, in a story on how to safely get back into running. 

The Tampa Bay Times featured the work of USF researchers who continue to study how water flows in Tampa Bay.

USF’s Explosives K-9 Unit won several awards at its first K-9 competition this spring. The event was sponsored by the United States Police Canine Association and hosted by Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office in Gulf Breeze near Pensacola. K-9 Alma won first place in the Explosives Detector category (pictured here with President Law during a pre-event explosives sweep between recent USF graduation ceremonies at the Yuengling Center). K-9 Toro won second place in Explosive Detector, and teamed with Alma to take first in Team Competition for Explosive Detector.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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