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Week of February 15, 2022

The spirit of innovation is embedded in our DNA at the University of South Florida and it was on full display this past week – from the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame gala to prestigious national recognition achieved by six USF faculty members.

I had the honor of celebrating the remarkable work of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, including USF Professor and Associate Dean for Research Dr. Norma Alcantar. She is a true trailblazer – the first Hispanic female to be inducted in the Hall of Fame since its founding in 2013. Dr. Alcantar, also selected as a National Academy of Inventors Fellow in December, has become internationally known for her breakthroughs using plant-based technology to decontaminate water.

Meanwhile, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to our outstanding faculty members named to the National Academy of Inventors' new class of senior members. With six honorees, no other university in the country had more faculty selected than USF!

Our faculty is the lifeblood and backbone of USF. And this distinguished, diverse group – representing a wide range of disciplines – is a big reason why we are the fastest-rising university in the nation, driving growth and economic development in the Tampa Bay region and beyond.

Updates

• I was pleased to join St. Petersburg Campus Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock and speak to the Pinellas County Commission last week about USF's plans for our world-class Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence in Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences (EOS). It was a highly positive session and the Commission was very supportive of our plans as we continue to seek funding for this transformative project.

• At the recent St. Petersburg campus board meeting, I had the opportunity to provide a number of updates – from the EOS building to our searches for several leadership positions to the new Strategic Plan. Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, both steadfast supporters of USF, were in attendance. And I couldn't have been happier to help honor them with bricks outside the campus's iconic fountain. Next up is our Sarasota-Manatee campus board meeting on Feb. 22 and I look forward to seeing friends and colleagues then.

• One of the highlights of my job is meeting with students, and I was so impressed by the Student Government Senate I addressed recently. These students take their roles extremely seriously and make a difference in the lives of fellow students. I told them they are light years ahead of where students were when I was attending USF – we didn't have that type of responsibility overseeing a multi-million dollar budget! They are making big decisions and conducting themselves with decorum and thoughtfulness. It's very exciting to see.

• What great news that USF Athletics is adding women's beach volleyball – right on the heels of adding women's lacrosse. Both sports will begin in 2024-25, bringing the number of women's athletics teams to 12. It's another example of our commitments to excellence and inclusiveness in all aspects of the university – including our athletic programs. The beach volleyball announcement was fittingly made at a luncheon for The Stampede for Women, a fundraising initiative focused on generating support, raising awareness and creating opportunities to support USF women student-athletes. I invite you to read more here.

Inside USF: The Podcast

AUDIO PREVIEW: Exploring USF Libraries' treasures

As Todd Chavez says, this isn’t your grandmother’s library. The dean of the USF Libraries discusses the continuing growth of e-book holdings, digital collections and oral histories, and what the library of the future may look like. Click here for the full episode. 

Additional University News Sources

• USF
• St. Petersburg Campus
• Sarasota-Manatee Campus
• USF Health
• USF Athletics

University Business wrote about USF's student success initiative, quoting Paul Dosal, USF's vice president for student success.

NBC News interviewed Antoinette Jackson, USF anthropology professor and founder of the Black Cemetery Network, for a story about a movement to save Black cemeteries.

Smithsonian Magazine wrote about USF optical oceanographer Chuanmin Hu and his colleagues in a story about identifying floating objects in the sea from space.

The USF Chamber Singers, Jazz Vocal Ensemble and University Singers celebrate cultures and communities within the African Diaspora. From classic arrangements of Spirituals and folk songs to exciting works by living composers, the program will take you on a journey through time and across musical genres. Catch them live at Diaspora United: Vocal Ensembles in Concert, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the USF Concert Hall

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