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Week of September 14, 2023

I was pleased to see and hear from many of you on Wednesday at the university-wide town hall for faculty and staff.

We’ve certainly had a lot to celebrate over the past several months, and our pursuit of excellence continues. During the town hall, I was delighted to share my vision for our university's path forward, which includes focusing on key areas outlined in USF’s strategic plan, maximizing the impact of our membership in the Association of American Universities and continuing our journey to becoming a top 25 public university.

If you were unable to join us for the town hall, you can watch a recording here. Thank you to all who submitted questions in advance and during the event, and although we weren't able to address them all, your questions and input are important to us. I encourage you to complete this brief survey to provide your feedback.

Updates

• I am thrilled to share that we have reached two major milestones in the process to build a transformational on-campus stadium.

Last week the Florida Board of Governors approved USF's financing plan for the stadium, signaling state-level support for the project and a significant step forward.  

We also continued the momentum surrounding our athletics program by announcing a historic $25 million gift from Tampa General Hospital, which names the USF Athletics District and the Tampa General Hospital Center for Athletic Excellence, a state-of-the-art operations facility that will be part of the stadium project and feature dedicated space for clinical behavioral health services offered by TGH.

• I was pleased to see so many of our students, alumni and fans cheering on our Bulls to victory in our first home football game of the season. I hope to see everyone supporting the team this Saturday against nationally ranked Alabama. As a reminder, USF Athletics is offering all faculty and staff two free tickets to the USF vs. Rice game on Sept. 23, and you can claim yours here.

• Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, and our university is hosting a wide range of activities through USF’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and other departments across our three campuses. I encourage you to explore OMA’s events calendar and to learn more about this important celebration.

• In the latest issue of USF Magazine, we reflect on our university's very eventful and rewarding summer. The cover story provides an in-depth look at USF's journey to the AAU, and we celebrate several other significant moments, including a historic state budget and the grand opening of the Judy Genshaft Honors College’s new building. The stories featured within the magazine illustrate the impact of trailblazers in our Bulls community — such as USF alumnus Mike Boylan, the creator of "Mike's Weather Page," and Dr. Charles Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health, who answered 56 questions about his profession and passions.

Additional University News Sources

•  USF Newsroom

•  St. Petersburg campus

•  Sarasota-Manatee campus

•  USF Health

•  USF Athletics

General (Ret) Frank McKenzie, executive director of the USF Global and National Security Institute, was interviewed nationally on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" and by Fox News about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The St. Pete Catalyst published an op-ed written by Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree that discusses the benefits of USF St. Petersburg's location and the campus's connections to the surrounding community.

Fox 13 quoted USF Professor Ping Wang in a story about a research study he is leading with students to assess the severe erosion impacting Pinellas County's coastline after Hurricane Idalia.

USF recently launched a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) video, which made its public debut as part of the college football season. The 30-second spot, which airs for free as part of USF's media rights deal with the American Athletic Conference, highlights USF's brand, our three campuses and the university's recent invitation to join the AAU. The PSA will continue to air on ABC, ESPN and Fox/FS1 during Bulls football games and in other university venues throughout the year. You can watch the video on USF's YouTube channel here. 

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