February 11, 2025

From the President 

I was proud to take part in a historic moment for our university last week as we hosted the debut game of the USF women's lacrosse team, a 19-6 victory over Kennesaw State! As USF’s first new NCAA women’s program in 30 years, this marked a significant milestone and a wonderful occasion for the community to come together and cheer on our Bulls.

The expansion of USF's athletic programs, which includes the addition of beach volleyball in the 2025-26 season, provides even more opportunities for our student-athletes to thrive at our university.

In case you missed the first game, USF Athletics is offering free tickets for our faculty and staff to several upcoming lacrosse games, along with baseball and softball. If you haven’t experienced college-level lacrosse in person, we hope you'll join us to show your support this season.

Updates

• Today I am pleased to be at the Florida Capitol with our nursing and medical students, as well as leaders from USF Health and Tampa General Hospital, to advocate for continued support from our state leaders. We’re here to tell the story of this transformational partnership and its significant impact on students, research and patient care in our region.

• It was great to see so many of you join us yesterday for Bulls Health and Safety Fest, where members of the university community could learn more about the vital resources provided by USF's emergency management personnel, police officers and several other groups that are committed to keeping our campuses safe. Thank you to everyone who participated in this educational event and whose efforts continue to support the well-being of our students, faculty, staff and campus visitors.

• I was delighted to join USF Athletics last week at the Stampede for Women luncheon, an annual event hosted during National Girls & Women in Sports Day to honor our incredible student-athletes and their successes in sport, in the classroom and in life. The Stampede for Women initiative continues to support our women's sports programs, and you can read more about its impact here.

Boundless Bulls

From ballet to brain injury advocacy: Meet USF student and Miss Tampa Alexandra de Roos

After a concussion ended her dream of professional ballet, Alexandra de Roos enrolled at USF as a double major in biomedical sciences and psychology with the goal of becoming a neuropsychiatrist. She was also recently crowned Miss Tampa and plans to use her pulpit to promote brain trauma awareness.

Around One USF

How USF architecture students and urban designers support Tampa Bay's growth

Academic Success Center expansion boosts student achievement across all USF campuses

Early-Stage Innovation Fund awards advance technologies in health care, environmental sustainability and disaster preparedness

Additional University News Sources 

• USF Newsroom
• St. Petersburg campus
• Sarasota-Manatee campus
• USF Health
• USF Athletics

USF in the News

EdTech Magazine featured USF's partnership with Microsoft in a story on how higher education institutions are leveraging generative AI tools.

Fox News interviewed Jim Cardoso, senior director of the USF Global and National Security Institute, about the fatal crash between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter.

Huffington Post quoted USF Senior Instructor Carol Osborne in a story about why customers are loyal to brands that offer free gifts with purchases.

Did You Know? 

The 2024-25 edition of the USF Fact Book is now available online. This annual publication provides a statistical overview of the university, features key accomplishments and highlights other USF points of pride.

Upcoming Events

SACSCOC On-Site Visit

Feb. 18-20

Bulls Family Fest

March 1

Brunch on the Bay
March 2

USF Green & Gold Gala

March 8

Featured Content

• Messages from the President
• Parking & Transportation Updates
• Points of Pride
• USF Human Resources

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