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Week of May 16, 2023

Last week we celebrated a historic moment for our university — the grand opening event for the Judy Genshaft Honors College's new building on USF's Tampa campus.

This beautiful facility, which will open to the public later this summer, would not be possible without the ongoing support of USF President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steve Greenbaum. We deeply appreciate all they have done and continue to do to support our great university and our talented honors students.

The five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility was brought to life by hundreds of talented individuals, including several USF alumni and diverse business owners. Additionally, honors students have participated in various stages of the construction process through a capstone course focused on the new building.

A world-class honors college deserves an equally remarkable home, and the Judy Genshaft Honors College is the perfect place for our students to pursue their passions and create lasting memories.

Updates

• Yesterday, Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 266 into law. As with any new law that affects higher education, USF will work internally and with our partners across the State University System and the Board of Governors to analyze how it impacts the university. After the law takes effect on July 1, the Board of Governors is required to develop several regulations that will guide how state universities implement different aspects of the law. We’ll share updates with the university community as the process moves forward.

• Over the course of three days and nine ceremonies, our university conferred more than 7,100 degrees as we celebrated our spring graduates. During the ceremonies, I was also pleased to recognize two honorary degree recipients: Judge Emiliano Jose (E.J.) Salcines, the first Hispanic state prosecuting attorney in the state of Florida, and Jugal Taneja, an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose generosity led to the naming of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. Both of our honorary degree recipients have made significant contributions to their fields, and we were proud to honor them.

• As our newest class of graduates crosses the finish line, I am reminded that with Florida’s recent growth, we must be ready to rise to the challenge of preparing our students to successfully enter their professional careers. I recently shared my thoughts on this vital part of our university’s mission in a guest column in the Tampa Bay Times, which you can read here.

• I was delighted to honor our nation's newest doctors last week at the commencement ceremony for the Morsani College of Medicine’s Class of 2023. The 179 graduates who successfully completed their medical school journey have dedicated their careers to being in service to others, and I applaud them for reaching this tremendous milestone.

• In case you haven’t seen it, the latest issue of USF Magazine is out this month. The impact of our Bulls community is especially clear, and in this issue, we reflect on highlights from the spring semester and look ahead to the future. Also included in the magazine is a behind-the-scenes look inside my world, as shared in a photo essay capturing a week in my life as USF president.

• On a final note, as we've reached the end of the spring semester, we will be changing our newsletter to one issue per month in June and July before resuming our regular frequency in August. I will still share timely email messages with the USF community as necessary and continue to share updates on my social media platforms throughout the summer.

Doctoral candidate challenges psychologists to improve patient care by recognizing their own mental health

With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, clinical psychology researcher Andrew Devendorf shares how his brother's death inspired his passion to normalize discussions surrounding depression and other mental health concerns.

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.

NPR, CNN and several other major outlets mentioned the work of USF researchers monitoring seaweed as it reaches the Florida coast.

WUSF Public Media published a story about USF's Office of Veteran Success hosting a special event to celebrate the university's graduating veteran students.

Al Jazeera quoted USF Associate Professor Edward Kissi in a story about the differences in the coronations of King Charles and past British monarchs. 

Suit-A-Bull, a free professional clothing rental service for USF students and alumni, is hosting a Spring Closet Cleanout to help restock for the upcoming school year. Check your closets for gently used professional clothing that can be reused by someone in need. Donations are being collected through Friday, May 26, and may be brought to one of several convenient drop-off locations on USF's Tampa campus.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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