Explore updates from USF's President, university news and upcoming events.
January 28, 2025
From the President
Our people are the driving force behind our university's success, and each year, we celebrate those who go above and beyond with the Outstanding Staff Award, the most prestigious honor presented to USF's staff and administrative employees.
During the awards ceremony, I was thrilled to personally thank each of our honorees for their commitment to excellence — including our two Employee of the Year Award recipients, Danielle Gamboni and Erica Lovelette, who were recognized for their significant contributions. You can view a full list of the award recipients here.
Congratulations to all who were nominated for these prestigious awards and to our honorees for your remarkable achievements!
Updates
• We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Francis T. Borkowski, who served as USF's fourth president from 1988 to 1993. Frank, who I was fortunate to meet shortly after he became president, was truly a champion for our students and our university. You can read more about his legacy at USF here.
• We are pleased to have several online graduate programs recognized by U.S. News & World Report as some of the best in the country. This reflects our university's dedication to providing our students with world-class learning experiences, whether they are taking classes online or on our campuses.
• Congratulations to the USF All Girl and Coed Cheer teams for bringing home three championships, including their first-ever World Cup, from the 2025 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship! The All Girl team won the Premier All-Girl University World Cup title and the USA Grand Championship, while the Coed team secured their fourth national championship. With these victories, the program has now won an amazing nine championships in the last five seasons.
• It was wonderful to see so many of you join us in honoring the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during USF's annual MLK Week celebration. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to make this year's events a success. I enjoyed attending the MLK Commemorative Brunch, where we heard an inspiring message from keynote speaker Tiffany Moore Russell, a USF alumna who spoke about how we can all contribute to Dr. King's vision.
• I had a lovely time attending last week’s USF Administrative Advisory Council annual community breakfast, where we heard from Andy and Eileen Hafer, two proud USF alumni whose engagement activities promote entrepreneurship and support for individuals with intellectual disabilities. For those who are administrative employees, you can learn more about the AAC and how to get involved here.
• To continue keeping our faculty and staff informed, I’m pleased to share that next month we will launch an additional newsletter that provides important information to you, such as tools and resources to support employee success, opportunities for engagement and recognizing the contributions of our team members. The new publication comes after our recent refresh of MyUSF, and will complement this newsletter and Inside USF: The Podcast to provide a more comprehensive suite of internal communication channels.
Inside USF: The Podcast
The Debut of USF Women's Lacrosse
After more than two years of preparation, women’s lacrosse – the first new women’s athletics program at USF since women’s soccer began play in 1995 – launches its inaugural season on Feb. 7 at Corbett Stadium. In this episode, Coach Mindy McCord discusses some of the keys to developing a program from scratch, including recruiting student-athletes, the culture she has established within the team and what fans can expect from this fast-paced sport.
CNN featured USF Assistant Professor Claire Smith in a story about her research team's findings that sedentary work may increase the risk of insomnia-like symptoms.
TODAY.com quoted USF Associate Professor Lauri Wright in a story about which foods to eat and avoid while taking antibiotics.
ABC Action News aired a story about the USF men's and women's basketball teams’ efforts to promote autism awareness and acceptance at two home games.
USF faculty and staff have been involved in several different efforts to preserve the legacy of the late President Jimmy Carter. Before his passing, one group created 3D virtual tours of important locations in his life, while another professor spent time with Carter over the years as part of a project to support the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
