Explore updates from USF's President, university news and upcoming events.
August 20, 2025
From the President
We are delighted that more than 200 new faculty members are joining our university this year, and I enjoyed the opportunity to welcome them during last week’s New Faculty Orientation. Through their teaching, these accomplished scholars – many of whom have come from fellow AAU institutions and other highly regarded universities – will help build the skilled workforce our region and nation need, and they will drive innovation through their research. I invite you to learn more about this talented group who will make an impact in a wide range of disciplines.
Updates
• We were thrilled to celebrate the achievements of nearly 2,700 graduates during summer commencement ceremonies. The class included 22 undergraduate students who earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average, 82 student veterans and graduates from 64 countries, 39 states and one U.S. territory. At 17, the youngest graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and our most experienced graduate, who is 69, earned a doctoral degree in history.
• I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the faculty-staff breakfast on the St. Petersburg campus this morning and our employee appreciation luncheon on Thursday on the Tampa campus. These are among my favorite traditions as we approach the start of the new academic year, as they are opportunities to thank our dedicated faculty and staff for their many efforts that keep USF on our remarkable upward trajectory. I also was very pleased to announce yesterday that USF will provide base salary increases for eligible out-of-unit faculty, administrative and staff employees, and that we will extend the winter break holiday schedule.
• I enjoyed being with Devin Stephenson, president of Florida Polytechnic University, and Adrienne Johnston, president and CEO of CareerSource Florida, for a panel discussion during last week’s 2025 Florida Technology and Innovation Solution Summit, sponsored by the Florida Chamber Foundation. I shared with the audience of business and industry leaders the many ways USF is aligning our talent pipeline to contribute to our growing innovation economy, including through our new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, and our strong interest in continuing to grow collaborations with private and public partners.
• I know that some of you still have questions about our recent return to in-person work announcement. We are confident that this will enhance cross-functional collaboration and mentorship, and lead to even greater long-term success for our university. Human Resources has created a website that provides additional resources to help as you develop plans.
• As we previously shared with the university community, USF’s Advancing Efficiency and Strategic Impact Task Force is looking critically at how we can enhance our operational effectiveness. We are interested in your ideas that will help us streamline operations, improve service delivery or reinvest resources in high-impact areas. We have extended the deadline to Aug. 27 to allow more time for you to share your input through this form.
Levi Thompson is a chemical engineer who brings extensive teaching, research and administrative experience to USF. In this video episode, he discusses his passion for learning and mentoring and some of his goals for the college, which include expanding interdisciplinary collaborations, creating more experiential learning opportunities for students and growing the research enterprise.
The CBS Evening News interviewed USF Professor Valerie Harwood about bacteria found in warm coastal waters.
Jay Stroman from the USF Foundation discussed USF’s record-breaking fundraising year and growing support for the university in an interview with Fox 13.
USF Professor Yonggang Liu was quoted in USA Today and Professor Jennifer Collins was interviewed by The CBC about trends in this year’s hurricane season.
USF Libraries is home to the USF Herbarium, one of the most complete collections of central and northern Florida plants in the United States. There are more than 300,000 specimens of vascular plants, in addition to thousands of specimens of algae, mosses, liverworts and fungi. Learn more about ithere.
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