Explore updates from USF's President, university news and upcoming events.
May 6, 2025
From the President
We are proud to celebrate the Spring Class of 2025 this weekend during USF’s Commencement exercises. Over four days and 10 ceremonies at the Yuengling Center and one at the Straz Center for our medical students, we will confer more than 7,700 degrees to graduates from all three USF campuses. Additionally, we will present several awards to deserving alumni and members of our community who have made significant contributions to their fields, the Tampa Bay region and to our university.
Commencement is one of USF's greatest traditions, made possible through the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff. They fulfill many roles throughout the festivities, including a select few who serve as name readers, playing a crucial part in making these big moments memorable for our graduates.
• I was delighted to represent USF last week at the AAU Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, I connected with fellow presidents and chancellors to discuss several pressing issues facing our institutions, including the latest in federal policy, proposed research funding models and ways to highlight the public benefits of research universities. The timely panel discussions offered important insights from the National Institutes of Health director and the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
• We are thrilled that USF Giving Week was a tremendous success, setting new records for participation and the total number of causes supported across One USF. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this annual campaign. Your generosity makes a difference for our students and many of our programs, and we deeply appreciate your support.
• As the spring semester comes to a close, our newsletter will transition to a monthly publication during the summer months, and we will resume our regular schedule in the fall. We will continue to share timely email updates with the USF community as needed throughout the summer.
USF recently announced a record-shattering $40 million gift to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. In this episode, Provost Prasant Mohapatra describes the extensive efforts underway as the college gears up to welcome its first students this fall. He also reveals plans for a high-profile AI-cybersecurity conference and dives into several other transformational initiatives, including several new degree programs in the pipeline.
The Guardian and several other major outlets highlighted the work of a USF research team in a story about how rattlesnake venom adapts to become more effective against prey.
USA Today highlighted the research of USF's Optical Oceanography Lab in a story about the record-setting sargassum seaweed bloom in the Atlantic, which could significantly impact Florida beaches this summer.
NBC News, Fortune and other major outlets published stories about the USF-headquartered Global Virus Network's recent analysis of the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in North America.
After nearly five years of dedicated service, the USF Police Department's therapy dog, Bailey, is retiring. Alongside her handler, USFPD Cpl. Nicole Marchesano, they made history as the first Therapy K-9 unit to serve a campus community in Florida. To build upon this success, the USFPD plans to add more therapy and detection K-9s, and Officer Lickenfelt and Therapy K-9 Snowbird will expand their presence to all USF campuses.
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