Explore updates from USF's President, university news and upcoming events.
From the President
The beginning of the fall semester brings renewed energy and unlimited possibilities to our campuses. I enjoyed spending time with faculty, staff and students at many wonderful events, including the traditional balloon drop in the Marshall Center, the annual USF St. Petersburg Faculty-Staff Breakfast, the grand opening of our residence halls – which are once again at full capacity – and our employee appreciation lunch. We also had a capacity crowd of more than 600 at our football kickoff luncheon, which featured the first video look at the new on-campus stadium. I hope everyone is off to a great start!
Updates
• This morning we’re excited to share a new edition of our LinkedIn newsletter, “Bold Research. Real Impact,” highlighting our incredible faculty research. The newsletter, which launched this summer in tandem with a new website focused on how research at USF is creating a better future, already has approximately 50,000 subscribers. The new issue includes stories about a USF Health neuroscientist who combines his passion for art with clinical trials to treat stroke patients, and the efforts by a team of marine scientists to improve the water quality of Tampa Bay. I encourage youto subscribe and continue to share it within your networks.
• The real-world impacts of research at Florida universities, and the importance of continuing public investment in the research enterprise, are detailed in an op-ed recently published in the Tampa Bay Times. Written by the vice presidents for research at the six R1 institutions in the State University System, including USF’s Sylvia Wilson Thomas, the op-ed explains why the work of our faculty and staff is so vital to families, communities and the future of our state.
• For the fourth year in a row, USF has earned recognition as one of Florida’s best employers – and we rank No. 1 among all public or private universities in the state – according to new rankings from Forbes. USF ranks No. 5 in Florida out of all employers headquartered in the state and No. 1 among all employers with headquarters in Tampa. We are one of America’s leading research universities because of the commitment of you - our world-class faculty and staff.
• Congratulations to our Bulls football team for its resounding 34-7 victory over then-No. 25 ranked Boise State in our home opener. The energy at Raymond James Stadium was amazing, and we’re thrilled that a national television audience found out the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with this season. I hope you'll tune in this weekend when we take on the Florida Gators in Gainesville, and circle Oct. 3 on your calendar for the home game against Charlotte; employees are eligible for two free tickets and up to eight discounted tickets.
CNN travel interviewed USF assistant professor Seden Doğan for a story about the history of Turkish coffee.
The Guardian published a story about USF anthropology professor Heather O'Leary's collaboration with the USF College of Design, Art & Performance to tell the story of Florida's declining oyster population through music.
Newsweek and several other outlets published stories about USF-led research that uncovered the cause of the world’s first known pandemic.
Since 2010, USF’s Textbook Affordability Project has resulted in cumulative savings to students of $48.7 million. The cost of textbooks and instructional materials per credit hour at USF is $17, compared to a national average of $34.
