From the president

Welcome to a very special issue of USF magazine.

Many of you are receiving our magazine for the first time. Whether or not you graduated from this university, your life has undoubtedly been touched in some way by USF, be it through our groundbreaking research, our 383,000 alumni working around the world, the worldclass patient care provided in one of our USF Health facilities, or another one of the myriad ways we’re working for — and with — you to create brighter futures for everyone. Members of the USF family are making significant contributions and we believe it is important to let you know about the impact USF is having locally, across Florida, nationally and globally.

This issue also reflects a change to our publication schedule, moving from four issues each year to three. This will allow us to combine the summer and fall issues into one, with more pages to tell more of the stories that affect you and our communities.

Among the many alumni who are making a positive difference at USF are Eileen and Andy Hafer. As the story on page 22 explains, their generous contribution — combined with the efforts of our dedicated faculty — led to the creation of the Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program. This growing initiative, focused on inclusive education, offers academic, social and career skills to students on our St. Petersburg campus.

We also are extremely grateful to Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton, longtime supporters of USF programs. Their $14 million gifts will enhance financial technology education and create the Fintech Center in the USF Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance. You can read about the commitment of these wonderful philanthropists on page 26.

As you will see in the cover package that begins on page 28, USF is on a remarkable trajectory. We share just a few of the indicators, including the fact that over the past 10 years, no other university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Our university also is a major economic engine for Tampa Bay and Florida, with an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. State leaders recognize the difference we are making. Thanks to the Florida Legislature and the governor, USF entered this fiscal year with the most transformative budget in our history. Some of this new funding will enhance our efforts to fill critical workforce needs, including in cybersecurity and nursing. Learn how on pages 34 and 36.

When we talk about the achievements of our university, we’re really talking about our most important resource—our people. You will meet a few of them in this issue, including engineering Professor Marvin Andujar. His brain-painting experiments are designed to develop a drugfree therapy for people with ADHD. Alexandria Brady-Miné, an award-winning honors student, balances her academic and research responsibilities with leading a global youthrun nonprofit she founded in high school.

We also are building for the future. These impressive new facilities will greatly enhance all of our endeavors — from teaching, learning and research to student wellness and athletic performance. We’ve opened an important new building in the USF Research Park — the first in that section of campus since 2005. Our new Indoor Performance Facility, vital for our student-athletes and coaches, opens this fall. And we look forward to next year’s completion of the Judy Genshaft Honors College and the Student Wellness Center. I am also excited by the planning that is underway for an on-campus stadium. This will provide students, faculty, staff, alumni and the surrounding communities a place to come together, develop deeper relationships with the university and build memories across generations.

Speaking of building memories, I hope you are planning to join us for Homecoming 2022, scheduled Oct. 9-15. Details are on pages 50-51.

USF has been a part of my entire educational and professional life since the beginning — when, as a new high school graduate, I worked as a project administrator in the USF Office of Sponsored Research. We have grown into a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. I am proud of our many accomplishments, and as you read through this issue, I am confident you will share in my excitement for the future we are building together.

To our wonderful alumni and supporters, thank you for all that you do for our students and our university. To those of you who are new to our magazine, welcome! I hope you will stay engaged with USF.