Explore updates from USF's President, university news and upcoming events.
April 22, 2025
From the President
We were proud to celebrate a significant milestone on our College of Nursing's expansion project by raising the final beam during a special ceremony last week.
Expected to be completed in fall 2026, this project helps address a critical need for our state, as it will allow us to more than double the number of undergraduate nursing students USF graduates each year. It also includes a new simulation center that ensures our students are highly trained and prepared to deliver even greater patient care.
This initiative reflects a strategic investment in Florida’s future health care workforce, transforms the nursing education we offer and will enhance the quality of life for people in the Tampa Bay region.
Updates
• I was pleased to join our students in Tallahassee for USF Day at the Capitol, an event that offers them a valuable opportunity to explore the inner workings of our legislative process and allows them to help us continue to share USF’s story with our state leaders. While at the Capitol, I also met with several elected officials to highlight USF's impact across our state and the nation as we enter the final weeks of this year’s session.
• Our state leaders continue to emphasize the need for our university system to be efficient and fiscally responsible. Gov. Ron DeSantis recently issued an executive order to establish a DOGE Team, and we continue to work with his office on this initiative. With this state priority in mind, we have also formed a new task force to explore opportunities for operational efficiency at USF, including identifying strategic reallocations of resources that allow us to support student success, faculty excellence, research and innovation, and institutional resilience.
• I was delighted to join dozens of team members yesterday for a breakfast to recognize those who reached a length of service milestone of 25 years or more in 2024 or 2025. This is the first time we've held this event to honor these dedicated individuals who have served our university for over a third of its history, and we are incredibly grateful for their many contributions to USF's bold path forward.
• Congratulations to the exceptional faculty members honored at last week's Faculty Honors and Awards Reception, including nine recipients of the Outstanding Research Achievement Award and two recipients of the Excellence in Innovation Award. We are deeply grateful for their contributions to their respective fields and our university.
• We appreciate the Anti-Defamation League recognizing our ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism in their recently released report cardsfor universities nationwide. Antisemitism will not be tolerated at USF. We are committed to continuing to work closely with the ADL and members of our Jewish communities at USF and in Tampa Bay to provide a campus environment that is free from discrimination or harassment.
Inside Higher Ed published a story about USF's academic success center and how it has been reimagined to better meet students' needs.
The Tampa Bay Times published a story about a USF College of Marine Science research team's efforts to study contaminants in Tampa Bay's popular fish species.
Huffington Post featured a USF-led study about how children's smartphone use can be linked to positive mental health outcomes, contrary to common beliefs.
The USF community recycled 15,000 bottles and cans last fall using reverse vending machines funded by The Coca-Cola Co. and Coke Florida as part of their "World Without Waste" program. Each recycled item generates a donation to USF's Feed-A-Bull Food Pantry. More information about the program and vending machine locations on all three campuses is available here.
