There is no time like Homecoming at USF – an event that truly captures what it means to be part of the Bulls family. That was certainly the case this past week with Homecoming 2021 – made even more meaningful since we weren’t able to hold the festivities last year due to the pandemic.

We are always so pleased to welcome our alumni back to campus — and our spirits couldn't be dampened by the heavy rains in the area on Friday. On Saturday, the Bulls football team certainly gave the high-powered University of Houston Cougars a run for the money in the Homecoming game. The memorable week was capped off by another special event on Sunday, Nov. 7, the annual Brunch on the Bay, celebrating the many great things happening on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and those who make it all possible. And I'm pleased to share that Brunch on the Bay resulted in a record $500,000 in contributions!

I want to direct your attention to a noteworthy event on this week's calendar – Veterans Day this Thursday. We extend our gratitude to all who have served to protect our country, often at an enormous cost. And we are especially appreciative of our many veterans here at USF, and proud of our nationally renowned Office of Veterans Success that supports our vets in so many important ways.

In closing, I encourage you to attend USF’s next football game this Friday night as we host the No. 6 team in the country, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Let’s get out there and support the Bulls!

I hope you enjoy this second edition of Inside USF: The Newsletter – and please watch for the next issue in two weeks.

Updates:

• I would like to share with you some important news about my leadership team. Ralph Wilcox, executive vice president and provost, has informed me of his intentions to step aside from his role next year, due to a desire to spend more time with his family – which he has certainly earned. I am grateful that Dr. Wilcox has agreed to remain in his role as provost, a position he has held for 15 years, and assist in the transition for as long as is needed. The search for a new provost will begin in the spring with the goal of selecting Dr. Wilcox’s successor shortly after a new university president is hired. At the end of his tenure, Dr. Wilcox plans to remain at the university as a professor, where he will continue to support USF’s bold future.

• It's gratifying to see that USF's multi-faceted approach to student success has attracted the attention of the U.S. Department of Education. Read about how Aaliyah Samuel, deputy assistant secretary for Local, State and National Engagement and a USF alumna, visited the Tampa campus to learn first-hand about USF’s innovative initiatives.

• At USF, we celebrate diversity in so many ways, and the latest example of that is the opening of the Institute of Black Life & Student Success Lounge, a dedicated space on the third floor of the Marshall Student Center on the Tampa campus.

• I recently visited the National Academy of Inventors annual meeting and was so impressed and proud that this organization is housed at USF, which has ranked in the Top 10 among public universities for U.S. patents in the last nine years. And I was proud to be recognized as an honorary member for support of USF's "innovation and invention ecosystem." Thank you for that honor!

• There is an increasing need for awareness, commitment and university response to the issues of accessibility and disability awareness, as more students, faculty and staff are requesting services and accommodations. In light of that, I'm pleased to have created the Presidential Advisory Committee on Accessibility. The committee will advise me on matters pertaining to ability, accessibility and disability, and evaluate the university community for any problems or issues.

Pictured above: President Law at Raymond James Stadium Saturday for the USF Homecoming game.

USF small and diverse business owners prepped to bolster profits with conclusion of new USF-Skanska mentor-protégé program

The inaugural cohort of the Construction Management Building Blocks mentor-protégé program has graduated after completing eight weeks of training with industry professionals from USF and Skanska, a multinational construction and development company. The program was launched to assist small and diverse subcontractors in the Tampa Bay Region to grow and become more successful in the construction industry and with competitive bidding processes.

USF engineers invent ultra-fast manufacturing technology

A team of engineers at USF has invented new technology that could forever change the manufacturing of wearable, electronic sensors. They’ve figured out a way to speed up production without having to use polymer binders – the industry standard in printing flexible sensors, which are often used to monitor vital signs in health care settings.

Partnership between USF and Tampa Bay Wave aims to make region fintech hub with new St. Petersburg-based accelerator

An innovative multi-year partnership between the USF Muma College of Business and Tampa Bay Wave is launching the FinTech|X Accelerator, with its first cohort to be selected in 2022. This accelerator is designed to assist high-potential, high-growth startups in the fintech, or financial technology, industry through mentoring, pitch coaching and investment training. The overall goal is to transition startups to sustainable, scalable and profitable businesses.