USF Judy Genshaft Honors College MOSAIC Magazine

THE ANNUAL MAGAZINE OF THE

JUDY GENSHAFT

HONORS COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

MOSAIC 2021

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

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ELCOME TO MOSAIC 2021, a review of activities in the Judy Genshaft Honors College in 2020 – the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like virtually everyone else around the world, our plans for the year were radically disrupted in March, and our lives remain disrupted as I write this note more than a year later. We rapidly transitioned to online learning for the second half of the spring semester, and spent much time and effort over the summer planning for a “hybrid” delivery of our courses in the fall, combining in-person and remote participation. International programs were cancelled, all in-person gatherings were moved to online formats, and travel came to a halt. Many of our students and a few of our staff faced the effects of the virus either themselves or within their families, and those spared the disease suffered in other ways. Our faculty and advisors responded with compassion to a spike in reports of loneliness and depression from our students as they labored to keep up with their classes from their apartments or their parents’ homes around the country and around the world. It was, as everyone knows, a tough year.

In light of all the challenges that 2020 brought, I hope that you will join me in reading these pages as a testament to the individual strength of character and the collective resilience of our students, faculty, advisors, and professional staff. Throughout the year I was moved by the determination of our Honors community to make the best of our bad situation and devise new and creative ways to advance our common values in the classroom and in the world. You will read about national awards won, research papers published, and community activism requiring real courage. You will read about innovative teaching strategies developed on the fly and internships conducted remotely with partners both at home and abroad. You will also read of virtual discussion circles and other events designed to hold the community together but also to give our students a space in which to address urgent concerns facing us all – Covid-19, of course, but also issues of social justice and systemic racism brought to our attention by other terrible events of 2020. I hope that you will join me in feeling deep pride at the determination of our Honors community to reject defeat and fashion inventive ways to carry on our mission to pursue excellence as we teach, learn, create knowledge, and work to make the world a better place.

Charles Adams Judy Genshaft Endowed Dean Judy Genshaft Honors College, University of South Florida

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MOSAIC C O N T E N T S 2021 2-3

A Message from the Dean

32

Knight-Hennessy Scholar Heads

4-5

Breaking Ground on Our New Home

to Stanford

6-7

One College - Three Campuses

33

Two Honors Students Named

8-9

Offering Help During the Pandemic

2020 Goldwater Scholars

10

A Unique Convocation

11

Staff Spotlights

12-13 The Kundlas Family: A Legacy of Helping

and Healing

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A Lesson in Reflection

15

Provost’s Scholars Stay Involved

34-35 Five USF Students Earn Fulbright Awards 36

Rangel Fellow Pursues Foreign Service

37

Boren Scholar Begins Immersive

Study in Brazil

38-39 USF Sees Record Number of

Gilman Scholars

40-41 Ten USF Students Selected as

16-17 Meet the Faculty

18-19 Honors Faculty Research, Leadership,

42-43 Honors Advisor Supporting Students

Right Where They Live

20-21 A Focus on Community Resilience

44

Honors Students Flourish at Undergraduate

22-25 A Semester Living, Learning, and

Research Conference

45

Honoring Graduates in Unconventional

26-27 Making an Impact through

Commencement Ceremonies

46-47 An Alumna Called to Help Heal Both

and Awards

Researching in Exeter

Virtual Internships

Millennium Fellows

28-29 International Photo Competition

30-31 National Scholarships Success

48-51 Alumni Updates

at Home and Abroad

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BREAKING GROUND ON OUR NEW HOME

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ECEMBER 1, 2020 WAS A HISTORIC DAY for our College, as USF broke ground on our new home, a five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility on the Tampa campus.

“The Judy Genshaft Honors College building will be a remarkable enhancement to our world-class Honors College and will benefit our university, students, and faculty,” said USF President Steve Currall at the small groundbreaking ceremony. “The new building will advance USF’s strategic goals and long-term aspirations to attract and support Florida’s most accomplished students. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Judy Genshaft and Steve Greenbaum.”

Private gifts totaling $43 million have been pledged and received for the project, including a historic College-naming gift of $20 million from USF President Emerita and Professor Judy Genshaft and her husband Steve Greenbaum.

“President Emerita Genshaft’s and Steve Greenbaum’s philanthropy continues to transform USF,” said USF Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank them for their steadfast commitment to student success and their vision that help propel the university to new heights.”

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Having one of the premier honors colleges in the nation is just one way USF will distinguish itself as one of the most elite and forward-thinking institutions in the world.”

– President Emerita Judy Genshaft

Additional generous gifts have been made by friends of the College, including Provost Ralph Wilcox, for whom the building’s Provost’s Scholars Program suite will be named, and Claudia McCorkle, for whom the College will name the Student Leadership Center.

The new facility will feature interwoven spaces for classrooms, study areas, faculty and advisor offices, event areas, a computer lab, performance and creative spaces, and numerous areas for student collaboration – expanding the range of academic opportunities for students and giving them a true “home” on campus. Fittingly, it is being built along the renamed USF Genshaft Drive (formerly USF Maple Drive).

Top: From Left, USF Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman, USF President Steven Currall, USF President Emerita and Professor Judy Genshaft, and her husband Steve Greenbaum at the groundbreaking of the new Judy Genshaft Honors College building.

Bottom: College donors and university leadership officially break ground on the innovative new building.

“Having one of the premier honors colleges in the nation is just one way USF will distinguish itself as one of the most elite and forward-thinking institutions in the world,” said President Emerita Genshaft. “This stellar new home for our already excellent college will help attract top talent to USF, making an indelible impact on our community for years to come. We are delighted to see this dream become a reality.”

By moving from the current location on the second floor of the John and Grace Allen building, the college expects to grow from its current 2,400 students to a total of 3,000 students.

“Shortly after becoming USF’s president, Dr. Genshaft decided to elevate the university honors program to the status of a college,” said Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean, Charles Adams. “She and Provost Ralph Wilcox provided the college

with the university resources needed to support its expanding population, and she and Steve provided very generous scholarship support. All this work, and the work that she has inspired in others, has been directed to one goal – to build one of the premier public honors colleges in the country.”

The state-of-the-art building is scheduled to be completed in fall 2022. “We look forward,” Adams says, “to welcoming our students to our new home, and seeing all the amazing work they will do there.”

For more information about naming opportunities in the new building including an exciting opportunity to move up a naming level thanks to a Challenge Grant from an anonymous foundation, please contact Judy Kane at jkane@usf. edu or 813-974-1246.”

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ONE COLLEGE – THREE CAMPUSES

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N JULY 1, 2020 USF OFFICIALLY consolidated its three separately accredited campuses into one university. “This is a historic day for the University of South Florida. We have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our position as one of the nation’s premier research universities and a leader in student success,” said USF President Steven Currall. “I am excited about our future as we work together to become a top-25 public university and position ourselves for future eligibility in the prestigious Association of American Universities.”

can find the right fit for their own personality and academic goals, while living out our shared values of intellectual curiosity, global citizenship, and service.”

Consolidation allowed the previous Honors Programs on the Sarasota-Manatee and St. Petersburg campuses to officially join the Judy Genshaft Honors College. The Honors Program Director in St. Petersburg, Dr. Thomas Smith, became the College’s Associate Dean at the St. Petersburg campus and Cayla Lanier, former Director of Advising for Honors in Tampa became the College’s Campus Director on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.

THE TAMPA CAMPUS:

“Having our College present on all three USF campuses is a wonderful opportunity to connect the amazing student talent across our USF community,” said Charles Adams, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean. “Locations in three unique communities throughout Tampa Bay ensure that our students

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Regardless of their home campus, USF’s Honors students can take advantage of the many opportunities and benefits offered by the Judy Genshaft Honors College, while living and learning in the place that best suits their ideal educational experience.

The Tampa campus is a large and dynamic learning environment where there is always a lot of activity. Honors students represent more than 2,000 of the 31,000 undergraduates on USF’s Tampa campus. Despite its size, the Judy Genshaft Honors College maintains an intimate feel. Currently housed in the Allen building, construction is underway on our new home — a five-story, 85,000 square foot building featuring art and music studios, a teaching kitchen, event spaces, individual and group study spaces, computer lab, conference rooms for staff and students, faculty and advisor offices, an administrative suite, and state-of-the-art classrooms. The Tampa campus Honors Living Learning Community also provides a residential experience for Honors students.

THE ST. PETERSBURG CAMPUS:

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On the St. Petersburg campus, the Judy Genshaft Honors College is housed in historic Snell House, a Dutch Colonial mansion built in 1904 by St. Petersburg pioneer Perry Snell. This unique location symbolizes the close relationship between the campus and thriving downtown St. Pete, where museums, restaurants, and concert venues are just a few walkable blocks away. Honors students engage with the community at the St. Petersburg campus, while appreciating a close relationship to the natural waterfront environment. The St. Petersburg campus Honors Living Learning Community is located in the brand-new Osprey Hall, offering students a place to live and learn amongst their Honors peers.

Locations in three unique communities throughout Tampa Bay ensure that our students can find the right fit for their own pesonality and academic goals ....”

– Dean Charles Adams

THE SARASOTA-MANATEE CAMPUS: In Sarasota-Manatee, opportunities abound for Honors students to develop highly personalized academic experiences on this small, tight-knit campus. Located directly on Sarasota Bay and less than a mile from the Ringling Museum of Art, there are avenues for outdoor adventures and cultural exploration to complement an innovative classroom experience.

A new Honors lounge provides a dedicated space for students of the Judy Genshaft Honors College to meet and connect.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 7

OFFERING HELP DURING THE PANDEMIC

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HILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CREATED many challenges for both our local community and those we serve abroad, it also created opportunities to help. The students, faculty, and staff of the Judy Genshaft Honors College answered that call for help in a variety of ways.

Honors instructor Raman Sachdev, who teaches Acquisition of Knowledge (AOK), was recognized by the university as one of the “Heroes Among Us” in 2020. Honors students take AOK during their first semester on campus. In this class they explore the different ways in which knowledge is created and consumed. Sachdev was not scheduled to teach a summer AOK course, but volunteered to rearrange his schedule and teach one to help the university determine how to best handle in-person instruction for the fall semester.

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In his summer “pilot” course, half of his class was in the classroom with him (socially distanced and wearing masks), and half joined synchronously using the Microsoft Teams platform. This was a new way of teaching, and Sachdev quickly adapted to offer a safe and impactful experience for all of his students. He tested new technology for the university and provided valuable feedback to shape USF’s instruction plan.

He also helped train other faculty members to ensure the best possible experience. This included teaching courses and training other AOK instructors on the St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses in the fall. As this was the first semester post-consolidation, the course was new on those campuses and Sachdev served as an important resource.

“Raman’s work this past summer and fall is an excellent example of why our College highlights the need for collaboration and why it is so important in a crisis,” says Dr. Charles Adams, Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. “He was flexible and worked with the facilities, information technology, administration, faculty, and communications teams to create an effective plan for hybrid instruction. Our College is proud to have him represent us in this way.”

Another important part of the students’ partial return to campus (while following all CDC guidelines) was ensuring that the facilities, signage, materials, and communications were all aligned with a safe environment. As a result, Dean Adams organized a College Safety Committee, led by Office of National Scholarships Associate Director Lauren Chambers, who holds a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Florida. The committee met regularly to create best practices for safe use of the Allen Building, plan for and obtain all the required materials (hand sanitizer, masks, desk partitions, signage, etc.), and communicate policies and practices to the Honors community.

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Raman’s work this past summer is an excellent example of why our College highlights the need for collaboration and why it is so important in a crisis.”

– Dr. Charles Adams

“I am very grateful to this committee for the countless hours they spent preparing for our return to the building,” says Adams. “It was a smooth process during a difficult and unfamiliar time thanks to their hard work and excellent planning.”

One Honors student who worked hard to help others during the pandemic is recent alumna, Avalon Jade Theisen. During the summer of 2020 she organized the creation and delivery of more than 5,000 “care cards,” cards meant to spread appreciation and positivity during the pandemic. As part of her non-profit “Conserve It Forward,” Theisen delivered the cards to isolated seniors in the community and the essential workers staffing local grocery stores during lockdowns. The local ABC news station covered her work, and when asked why she chose grocery store workers, Theisen replied: “These are the people who are feeding us and keeping us healthy. This was just my way of saying thanks.”

Another example of an Honors student who was called to help others during the pandemic is biomedical sciences major, Maha Uppal. A senior from Fort Lauderdale, Uppal was

Top: In a summer pilot course, Honors instructor Raman Sachdev tested new technology that helped shape synchronous instruction that combined in-person and remote Microsoft Teams instruction.

Bottom: A volunteer models the child size of the clear face masks made at the AMRoC Fab Lab

enrolled in Dr. Lindy Davidson’s “Narrative Medicine” class in Fall 2020. During an office hours visit, Davidson told Uppal of the need for transparent face masks in the hearing-impaired community, and said that she would make some herself except that she could not sew. Uppal quickly volunteered her own sewing skills, and Davidson connected her to the Advanced Manufacturing & Robotics Center (AMRoC) Fab Lab, a nonprofit lab located in the University Mall and focused on project-based engineering education and training.

Uppal met with Terri Willingham, co-founder of the Foundation for Community Driven Innovation, parent company of the Fab Lab, and the two began plans for the clear face mask project.

“Although there were a few potential designs on the internet, we decided to create our own prototype so that we would not run into copyright issues in the future,” says Uppal. “Terri let me use the lab’s sewing machines and provided the non-fabric pieces of the masks. I purchased the fabric and got to work making prototypes.” It took Uppal hundreds of volunteer hours and more than 100 attempts to create the final design. She completed it after spending every day of her winter break fine-tuning the pattern. Since then she and other volunteers have been making free clear face masks for the USF audiology department, the AMRoC Pharmacy (for their senior patients), and the Kerolle Initiative (a non-profit in the Dominican Republic).

Uppal, who plans to attend medical school next year to become a neonatologist, says that she was happy to use her skills to make life easier for those who rely on facial cues. “Wearing a facemask can be frustrating for anyone, but for certain populations it causes a struggle to communicate. I am happy to help,

and I also think that if we can see someone’s smile through the mask we may be more willing to wear them when necessary.”

These are just a few examples of the good work done by members of the Judy Genshaft Honors College during the pandemic.

“I am so proud of these representatives of our College,” says Dean Adams. “As Churchill said ‘never let a good crisis go to waste,’ and these students, faculty, and staff managed to make the world a better place in 2020 despite enormous challenges.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 9

A UNIQUE CONVOCATION

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ONVOCATION IS A SPECIAL CEREMONY to mark the beginning of the new class of Honors students’ academic journey at USF. It is traditionally a ceremony full of pageantry – with new students processing across the MLK Plaza on the Tampa campus to the Marshall Student Center’s Oval Theater, accompanied by executive leadership and music from the Herd of Thunder’s Horns Up brass marching band.

The coronavirus pandemic necessitated a new take on that tradition for the 2020 Honors Convocation, and the College was up to the task. A special welcoming video was created and streamed live during each freshman Acquisition of Knowledge class and on Honors social media pages to allow new students to still feel the strong community connection.

The virtual event included special appearances from USF President Steven Currall, USF Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Wilcox, Honors Dean Charles Adams, USF President Emerita Judy Genshaft and her husband Steve Greenbaum, Honors Student Council President Krista Cummings, as well as members of our faculty, staff, and current student body.

“As a member of a class of 2024 you join the most accomplished class ever enrolled in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, with an average SAT score of 1407, average ACT score of 32, and an average high school grade point average of 4.37,” Provost Wilcox said to the new students. “You’re also a member of the first consolidated Honors class with students joining us from all three campuses.”

President Currall complimented the students on their success thus far, and assured them that the university is here to help them go even further. “As Honors scholars you exemplify the academically strongest students in our university community,” he said. “We commend your outstanding commitment to academic excellence and we are committed to your continued success at USF.”

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President Emerita Genshaft and Mr. Greenbaum addressed the new class together, offering welcoming words and advice.

“I believe that you chose to join us here in Honors because you are driven to make a difference, to think creatively, and to transform the world around you,” said President Emerita Genshaft. “This is the place, and now is the time, to do just that.

You are starting your college career at a time unlike any other, and while many things are being done in a non-traditional way (like today’s Convocation) we hope that you will see the opportunity for innovation that comes with new challenges. You and your peers will find new avenues for connection and new ways to make an impact.”

“The Honors College is in a unique position to help you find creative solutions because it cuts across all disciplines on every one of our three USF campuses,” added Mr. Greenbaum.

“You and your classmates come from all different backgrounds and major in every possible discipline, from Arts and Sciences to Engineering to Business to Public Health and everything in between. The collective power of that diverse skillset is immeasurable, and the possibilities are endless.”

As someone who has already benefited from the many possibilities of Honors, Cummings echoed this guidance. “If I can give you any advice besides getting involved, it would be to connect with your faculty and staff,” she said. “In Honors our class size is capped at 19 students – take advantage of that! Go to office hours, talk with your Honors professors and advisors they want you to succeed. As an Honors student you also get access to special events and opportunities, all made just for you. Make the most of it.”

The AOK instructors incorporated Honors Convocation into their lesson plans, and the new students were able to reflect on the event together as a step toward a full appreciation of the values and opportunities that the Honors community represents.

Staff REGINALD LUCIEN

SPOT

LIGHTS ARNIE MEJIAS

LUCIEN AND MEJIAS PROMOTED

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HEN USF CONSOLIDATED ITS THREE campuses in the summer of 2020, Honors Advising Director from the Tampa campus, Cayla Lanier, moved to the Sarasota-Manatee campus to serve as its Honors Director. As a result, two long-standing advisors were promoted to leadership roles on the Tampa campus, bringing a combined thirty years of Honors experience with them.

Reginald Lucien is now the Director of Advising for the College’s Tampa campus. He also serves as an Honors advisor for pre-nursing, biomedical sciences, and chemistry students, as well as others pursuing a career in health professions. Lucien joined the Honors staff in August 2006. He serves as the College’s liaison to USF Information Technology, and will receive

DAVIDSON INSPIRES BARRISON

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LTHOUGH HE DID NOT KNOW IT at the time, Philip Barrison’s decision to take Dr. Lindy Davidson’s “Ethics at the End of Life” class in 2017 would lead to his first academic publication and change the direction of his medical career.

“Philip’s final project for the class gauged people’s attitudes toward end-of-life discussions and advance care planning,” said Davidson. “He was really invested in the topic and stood outside of the library for hours, eventually getting more than 70 participants to talk about this difficult topic.”

As a result of his work in the class, Barrison collaborated with Dr. Davidson on his final Honors thesis, which focused on engaging young adults in advance care planning.

“The goal is to show that young people are interested in this important topic and want to have these conversations,” said Davidson. “There is a real knowledge gap in advance care

his EdD in Instructional Technology from USF’s College of Education in May 2021.

Arnie Mejias is now the Associate Director of Advising for the College’s Tampa campus. In addition to advising premed students, he also manages the College’s Articulated Pre-Health programs. Mejias joined the Honors staff in 2005, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum and Instruction: Adult Education at USF. “I could not be more pleased or proud that these two individuals are leading our advising team in Tampa,” says Honors Dean Charles Adams. “Reggie and Arnie are outstanding advisors who have played a critical role in the academic success and personal growth of countless students over the years. I am honored to work alongside them.” planning health literacy for younger people, but they are often involved in end-of-life decision making for loved ones.

Philip’s work shows that young people care and want to be better informed.”

Barrison and Davidson worked together to turn his Honors thesis into a scholarly article entitled “Promotion of Advance Care Planning Among Young Adults: A Pilot Study of Health Engagement Workshop Feasibility, Implementation, and Efficacy,” which was published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2020. Influenced by his work with Dr. Davidson, Philip is now pursuing a joint MD/PhD degree in Palliative Medicine at the University of Michigan.

Inspired by this work, Davidson also wrote an essay about the need for young people to participate in these topics. Her article was published in The Conversation, a nonprofit online publication. It was shared in many newspapers and read by thousands around the world.

You never know where an Honors class assignment will lead!

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THE KUNDLAS FAMILY: A LEGACY OF HELPING AND HEALING

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HEN DR. KULMEET KUNDLAS completed medical school, he noticed that our country had many doctors specializing in specific areas of health, but a lack of generalists offering overarching patient care.

After scholarships and financial awards left the family’s college savings mostly untouched, Dr. and Mrs. Kundlas decided to continue their legacy of helping others by creating a $100,000 endowment to help students with financial need.

“I truly believe that good primary care can be very instrumental in managing diseases,” says Dr. Kundlas. “That is how we have focused our two successful practices over the past 24 years.”

“We came to this country with $80 and our degrees in our hand. Once a person is educated, there are no limitations,” said Manjit, who, like her husband, immigrated to America from India.

“After learning about current students’ financial needs, I’ve become an advocate for spreading the word about ways others can help. And the feeling of knowing that you are helping others reach their dreams is so motivating. I still remember getting teary-eyed when our first scholarship student told us that he had the highest test scores in his class, but was not sure how to pay for the next semester until he received our scholarship.”

Kundlas and his wife, Manjit, have two children, Ajay and Anmol, who grew up watching their father and mother help manage the health of their patients in the Winter Haven community. As a result, both children knew from early on that they wanted to follow in their father’s footsteps and pursue medical careers.

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We came to this country with $80 and our degrees in our hand. Once a person is educated, there are no limitations.”

– Manjit Kundlas

So, the Kundlases began saving money for their children’s education. When Ajay and Anmol learned about the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College’s seven-year program’s accelerated path to medical school, they knew it was the right fit for them.

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As their children progressed through Honors and into USF’s Morsani College of Medicine, the Kundlas family again found a way to help by creating a second endowment, this time $100,000 to assist Morsani College of Medicine students in need.

Based on their positive experiences with the university, Dr. and Mrs. Kundlas have recommended both the Judy Genshaft Honors College and the Morsani College of Medicine to their family and friends.

“This university provides a safe environment with top-notch research and education,” says Dr. Kundlas. “When you combine that with an effort from the faculty and staff to push USF over and above each year’s rankings the sky is the limit on how much a student can grow and become here. We have

enjoyed being part of this ascending journey of USF.” Mrs. Kundlas agreed and added her appreciation that this is “a multi-cultural university welcoming people from all over the world. Students have access to experience other cultures and benefit from diversity.”

She herself is experiencing other cultures as last year she entered medical school at the American University of Antigua. While raising her children and managing her husband’s medical practice throughout the years, Mrs. Kundlas never lost sight of her own dream to practice medicine. She earned a master’s degree in bioscience and took the MCAT before deciding that the time was right to continue the Kundlas legacy of healing others.

“I could not believe that I’m getting this wonderful opportunity, but the reality is settling in now,” she says. “I’m very happy, because that’s what my dad wanted me to be. I wish he was alive today. He would have been very proud of me.”

Mrs. Kundlas recently finished her first year of medical school online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is looking forward to earning her degree. Although she plans to pursue the field of managed care, she first wants to volunteer and heal those who cannot afford traditional medical expenses. “I am fortunate that this is a second inning for me,” she says. “I want to give back first.”

From left: Ajay, Anmol, Manjit, and Dr. Kulmeet Kundlas

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 13

A LESSON IN REFLECTION

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ITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HEAVY on the minds and hearts of his Honors students in the summer of 2020, Dr. Gary Mormino shifted the focus of his online “Food & History” Honors course to allow them to reflect on their current experience. He asked them to write essays about how food played a part in their pandemic experiences, and how, many years in the future, they might reflect back on how these circumstances and their ties with food helped shape their lives.

Three of the student essays were featured in a July Tampa Bay Times newspaper article titled “Of Meals, a Pandemic and an Imagined Last Day on Earth | Essays.”

Millena (Milla) Levin, a biomedical sciences major, reflected on how her parents and grandparents faced food shortages growing up in the Soviet Union during times of war and communism. In her essay she explains how the unavailability of certain food items at the beginning of the pandemic brought these memories back for her family. Levin went on to commend her relatives for persevering through those times, and related that the same perseverance would see them through the current crisis.

She concluded her essay with these inspiring words: “The power of people coming together is underestimated but that is how my relatives survived the war — and the Soviet Union. And that is how we will survive the pandemic.”

Isha Harshe, a double major in cell and molecular biology and psychology, and Amanda Tresgallos, an English major, also had their essays included in the newspaper article. They each responded to an assignment from Mormino to describe their ideal final meal in their 90’s. Both students reflected on how important food is to their family’s story, and Tresgallos wrote about her grandmother’s difficult life in Havana. “When her family lost everything, the recipes that make my heart sing endured,” she writes in her essay.

“I am grateful to Dr. Mormino for arranging his class in a way that would allow the students to reflect on their current circumstances with support and perspective,” says Dr. Charles Adams, Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. “These essays are really well done, and our College is proud of the thought and care that the students put into them. I am pleased that they were able to be included in the newspaper in their entirety and the stories they tell will stay with me for a long time.”

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PROVOST’S SCHOLARS STAY INVOLVED

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HEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC required a shift to virtual learning and cancelled all in-person university events, the Provost’s Scholars Program (PSP) team rose to the challenge of continuing to support their high-performing students in the new and unfamiliar landscape.

PSP is housed in the Judy Genshaft Honors College and began in 2011. It is a professional and personal development program which allows students who enter as freshmen to graduate one year ahead of their peers. The program’s holistic approach to education allows students to apply knowledge learned through coursework to experiences outside of the classroom.

Its three ‘pillars’ or core requirements are intended to prepare students for their next step after college, whether further study or a job. In addition to their graduation requirements, PSP students must study abroad or away, research or participate in professional development, and complete leadership or service experiences. In order to accomplish an ambitious academic schedule and the required components of PSP, students work with the program director, advisor, and mentors who assist them with individualized plans.

When the university went virtual in spring 2020, PSP staff quickly transformed their advising, events, and celebrations to a Microsoft TEAMS format, and even held a live virtual graduation ceremony, which included the university’s Provost and Executive Vice President, Dr. Ralph Wilcox.

The Provost’s Scholars enjoyed a “Tea with the Provost” event early in the Spring semester before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift to virtual events.

The PSP team spent much of their summer preparing for the fall semester, organizing multiple virtual events to allow their students to feel connected and supported even though they were not yet back to in-person learning. These events included a “Setting up for Success” seminar, virtual student cook-off event, PSP peer mentor meetups, a “Painting Around the World” session, and a virtual meet-and-greet with Provost Wilcox.

The semester culminated with a second virtual PSP graduation ceremony in December, with honorees including USF Golden Bull and Outstanding Graduate Award recipient, Nandini Agarwal.

In addition to these program-specific events, the PSP team also sent monthly newsletters to students connecting them to virtual community volunteer opportunities, study sessions, counseling center resources, and internship opportunities.

“I continue to be impressed by the dedication of our PSP staff and the caliber of the program’s students,” says Judy Genshaft Honors College Dean, Dr. Charles Adams.

“During this difficult year these students have risen to the challenge of staying on their accelerated track and graduating from USF with a competitive edge, including a rich portfolio of skills, professional development accomplishments, and global engagement experiences.”

MEET THE PSP STAFF:

Renea Forde, PSP Director

Audra Santerre, PSP Advisor

Renea has more than a decade of experience in student affairs, and most recently worked with USF’s First Year Science and Pre-Health Professions students. As a first-generation American and college student, Renea understands the unique struggles of first-time-in-college (FTIC) students. This perspective allows her to assist in developing and navigating individualized academic and co-curricular journeys. Renea earned both her BA in Psychology and BA in Social Work from the University of Central Florida, and her MA in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

She is passionate about connecting students to opportunities available for professional development, global engagement, service, and leadership.

Audra (Begg) Santerre joins the Provost’s Scholars Program from USF’s Chemistry department, where she advised Biomedical Sciences and pre-health students. With a background in teaching elementary and middle grades, she completed her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at Western Carolina University. She then worked with adult learners for five years at Central Piedmont Community College (NC) first as a student recruiter, then as a Workplace Learning Coordinator, where she helped connect students to meaningful internships related to their field of study. As a former student-athlete, Audra values, and directly relates to, being actively involved in campus life through leadership roles, student government and study abroad. As an advisor, Audra is passionate about building rapport with students, and providing support, guidance and resources to Provost’s Scholars during their most transformative years, as they work to achieve their dreams at an accelerated pace.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 15

MEET THE

Faculty

Dr. Charles Adams

Dr. Alan Bush

Dr. Michael Cross

Dr. Lindy Davidson

PhD English Language and Literature, University of Virginia

PhD Community and Regional Planning, University of Texas at Austin

PhD Applied Physics, USF

PhD Communication, USF

MS Entrepreneurship, USF

MDiv Divinity, Reformed Theological Seminary

BS Computer Science, University of Texas at San Antonio

BA Communication Arts, Belmont University

BA English and Philosophy, Tulane University Dr. Adams came to USF in 2014 from the University of Arkansas, where he was successively Chair of the English Department, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Senior Director of International Education. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he has published three books and numerous essays and reviews in his academic field of Early American Literature, and has taught many different courses in American and British Literature, World Literature in English, World Humanities, Native American Literature, and African American Literature. He is especially interested to promote international opportunities for USF students, having directed study abroad programs in several different countries over the course of his career, and taught Honors courses for the “USF Summer in London” program for five consecutive years.

MS Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan BA Global Politics and Economics, Pomona College As an educator, researcher, and facilitator, Dr. Bush is committed to helping students, organizations, and cities develop the capacity to make sense of complex conditions and thrive amid uncertainty. His focus is immersive, projectbased courses that allow students to stretch their ambiguity tolerance within a safe-yet-edgy environment. These courses include The Resilience Practicum, Cities Heterotopias and Science Fiction, and Cities of Compassion.

Prior to USF, Dr. Bush’s work spanned four continents on projects fostering community resilience.

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Dr. Cross teaches courses on creativity, research, and innovation focused on developing students as participatory citizens in a globalized society by working closely with local community partners on current, real-world problems. He has more than ten years of experience in Fortune 500 companies and has lectured internationally on entrepreneurship in higher education.

Dr. Cross also contributes to high-level strategic efforts at USF, currently serving on the 2020 USF President’s Strategic Renewal Advisory Taskforce as well as having served on the 2018 USF Tampa Strategic Plan Team, the 2019 USF Student Success Strategic Refresh Team, the 2019 USF President’s Principles of Community Advisory Taskforce, and led the 2020 USF Taneja College of Pharmacy’s Strategic Plan.

Dr. Davidson seeks to open up new conversations about health, wellness, and illness experiences from a variety of perspectives. Narrative Medicine, Ethics at the End of Life, and Global Health Initiatives are a few of the courses in which she challenges students to creatively explore important features of healthcare, such as culture, politics, spirituality, and personal agency.

Dr. Davidson’s journey through 2020 included leading 15 students to the University of Exeter for the spring semester and furthering the college’s relationship with the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health. Since 2016, Dr. Davidson has led 164 students on seven international trips and considers global opportunity a hallmark of the Judy Genshaft Honors College experience.

Dr. Holly Donahue Singh PhD and MA, Anthropology, University of Virginia BA Religious Studies, Kenyon College Dr. Donahue Singh leads courses such as Fertility and the Future, and Histories of Healing in South Asia. Her long-term research in northern India grounds her scholarly work in the broad areas of culture and health. Dr. Donahue Singh regularly draws on global and applied perspectives from social science, literature, and music to help students explore the variety of contemporary and historical human experience.

Professor Atsuko Sakai MArch Architecture, University of New Mexico BA Environmental Design, Kyoto City University of Arts Professor Sakai teaches design thinking, spatial thinking, and visual communication through Arts and Humanities courses related to architecture and design such as Home: Designing Where We Live and Mandala: Art and Science of Composition. She has also developed Medical Humanities classes for the Honors Acquisition of Knowledge foundational course, the Geographical Perspectives class, and the Honors Capstone, including, Experience Japan: from Hospitals to Hospitality (Omotenashi) and Spatial Effects: Places for Healing and Wellbeing. Professor Sakai also leads an education abroad program to Japan and directs Honors Thesis I and II courses.

Dr. Ulluminair Salim

Dr. Catherine Wilkins

Dr. Thomas W. Smith

Dr. Benjamin Young

PhD Sociology, University of California San Francisco

PhD Interdisciplinary History, Tulane University

PhD Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

PhD Philosophy, USF

MPH Public Health, Johns Hopkins

MA Art History, Tulane University

BA Social Welfare, University of California Berkeley

MA Library Science, USF

Dr. Salim examines representational politics as a window into the social imaginary. By inviting students to question and challenge oppressive ideologies, she aspires to create more inclusive, compassionate, and emancipatory social institutions. Her signature courses, Social Autopsy and Narrative Cartography, leverage the study and practice of art to cultivate selfawareness and social responsibility. Her emerging courses, Survival and Imagination and Compassionate Cities, instill an ethic of care and blur the boundaries between self and society.

BA Humanities, USF Dr. Wilkins teaches Arts and Humanities and community-engaged Capstone courses in the Judy Genshaft Honors College. She is also the director of the Medical Humanities curriculum for the USF Morsani College of Medicine.

In all her classes, Dr. Wilkins demonstrates how the arts reflected and shaped the evolution of societies in the past, as well as how creativity, innovation, and service are ways that students can make an impact on our culture today.

MA Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia BA Anthropology, College of William & Mary Dr. Smith is Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus.

Prior to joinging USF in 2000, he was assistant professor of International Relations at Koç University in Istanbul and served as a visiting scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University.

Dr. Smith has published widely in the fields of human rights, international humanitarian law, and Turkish politics, and his current research focuses on the destruction of Kurdish cities in Southeastern Turkey.

Dr. Smith is co-founder of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Holocaust Museum.

BA Psychology and Philosophy, Eckerd College Dr. Young aims to encourage student research that explores those aspects of our lives that are closest to us—emotions, desires, memories, anticipations and imaginings, perceptions, habits, cognition, etc.—and how all these can be shaped through understanding, especially when such inquiry is guided by questions concerning the good, the beautiful, and the true. Ultimately, both his research and teaching are guided by a concern for cultivating “the good life” for both individuals and communities.

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HONORS FACULTY RESEARCH, LEADERSHIP, AND AWARDS DOMESTIC CONFERENCES Washington D.C.: Dr. Michael Cross was a co-presenter of “Pushing Up, Reaching Down: Shaping Change by Leading from the Middle” with Phillip Wagner, Kyna Betancourt, Lynn Chisolm, Morgan Gresham, and Lillian Wichinsky at the 2020 Association of American Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting Philadelphia, PA: Professor Atsuko Sakai presented a paper “Practical Wisdom, Emotion and Empathy: Acquisition of Knowledge (AOK) through Medical Humanities and Studio Experiences” at the Sociology of Health Professions’ Education, Eastern Sociological Society 2020 Mini-Conference Fort Myers, FL: Dr. Catherine Wilkins presented “How to Make History: Utilizing Active Learning in a Community-Engaged Public History Course” at the 2020 Southwest Florida Symposium on Teaching and Learning Orlando, FL: Dr. Catherine Wilkins served as a panelist and workshop presenter of “Portraits of Global Health: How Art Influences Health” at the 2020 University of Central Florida College of Medicine Global Health Conference Honolulu, HI: Dr. Catherine Wilkins served as session chair and presenter of “The Art of Observation: Using Visual Art Activities to Teach Diagnosis and Description to Medical School Students” at the 2020 Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities

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2020 FACULTY PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS:

Dr. Holly Donahue-Singh had two publications:

Dr. Lindy Davidson had two publications:

Donahue-Singh, H. (2020) “Numbering Others: Religious Demography, Identity, and the Everyday of Fertility Management in Contemporary India.” Social Science & Medicine 254, part-Special Issue, Reproductive Health Ethnography, guest edited by Jan Brunson and Siri Suh, June doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112534

Davidson, L.G. (2020, November 19). More families are discussing end-of-life planning as COVID-19 cases rise – here’s how to start the conversation. The Conversation, bit.ly/ theconversationendoflifecovid19 Barrison, P. and Davidson, L.G. (2020). Promotion of Advance Care Planning Among Young Adults: A Pilot Study of Health Engagement Workshop Feasibility, Implementation, and Efficacy. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, bit.ly/ advancecareplanningyoungadults

Donahue-Singh, H. (2020) Invited review of “Privileged Minorities: Syrian Christianity, Gender, and Minority Rights in Postcolonial India” by Sonja Thomas. American Ethnologist. November, early view doi-org. ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/10.1111/amet.12982 Dr. Catherine Wilkins received a USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for 2020!

VIRTUAL CONFERENCES Virtual Conference: Dr. Lindy Davidson, Professor Atsuko Sakai, Dr. Ulluminair Salim, Dr. Holly Donahue-Singh, and Dr. Catherine Wilkins served as guest speakers for “A Panel Discussion on the Medical Humanities” at the 2020 National Pre-Health Conference.

Virtual Conference: Dr. Lindy Davidson, Professor Atsuko Sakai, Dr. Holly DonahueSingh, and Dr. Catherine Wilkins participated in the panel discussion: “Experiential Learning in the Medical Humanities During the COVID-19 Pandemic” at the 10th Annual Medical Humanities Conference at Western Michigan University.

Virtual Conference: Professor Atsuko Sakai presented the paper “Honors Capstone Spatial Effects: Exploring Architectural Design for Healing and Well-being” at the 10th Annual Medical Humanities Conference at Western Michigan University.

Virtual conference: Dr. Holly Donahue-Singh presented “Making Babies Abroad: Regional Resonances in Assisted Reproduction and Cross-Border Care” at the 2020 Regional Seminar, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (SAMENA) Program offered through the University of Pennsylvania Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies.

The Honors College faculty had a productive 2020. Despite travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, team members presented their work virtually and added to their collective list of publications throughout the year. Here is a sampling of their impressive work outside the classroom.

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A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

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“

HE JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE encourages its students to tackle big problems with innovation and collaboration. For that reason, Honors faculty member Dr. Alan Bush knew that his students would be up to the task of helping local municipalities work together to tackle long-term resiliency planning.

It was an idea a lifetime in the making. “Community Resilience is the theme of my life’s work,” says Bush. “I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio at a time when you could smell the tire fires driving into the city. Cleveland was faced with a collapsed economy, racial tension, and environmental degradation. My education insisted these issues were separate, but my research and career path has been to find the links within these major challenges that cities face in their desire to be resilient, and discover opportunities for renewal and regeneration that address all of them simultaneously. The Tampa Bay area’s risks related to sea level rise is a great example of the need for resiliency planning.”

Through his Honors resiliency practicum course, first offered in 2019, Bush and his students studied how the ecological effects of climate change can impact Tampa Bay in infrastructural, economic, political, and social ways. They examined how each local government or organization was addressing the challenge individually and what opportunities existed for collaboration.

“It became clear to me that multiple Tampa Bay municipalities knew that sea level rise was a long-term challenge,” says Bush. “Yet, while they were making plans individually, there had not been collective conversations. This is a problem

Honors students are excellent at this type of work because they embrace challenges with hard work, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and open minds.”

– Dr. Alan Bush

that requires local municipalities to build relationships and work together and it is important to give students the opportunity to understand that need.”

In addition to meeting together as a class, Bush’s 12 Honors practicum students also volunteered as interns and researchers in local governments and organizations, focusing on community resilience. Staff members from the agencies attended class sessions as well, providing important perspective for the students.

“Honors students are excellent at this type of work because they embrace challenges with hard work, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and open minds,” says Bush. “These students are focused on viable solutions and are not afraid to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.”

Charles Nyberg and Shelby Knobel both interned with Pasco County government as part of the practicum, and the municipality was so impressed with their work and the valuable insight provided by Dr. Bush and his class Left and Right: Dr. Alan Bush and his students, Charles Nyberg and Shelby Knobel, presented their resiliency research to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners and received a special commendation.

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that they formally expressed their appreciation. In Spring 2020, the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed Resolution 10-080 commending Bush for his work and thanking Nyberg and Knobel for their impactful resiliency research.

The students also expressed their appreciation to the county for the valuable experience. “I’ve lived in Pasco County my entire life,” says Nyberg.

“Having the opportunity to work in local government in our county and work on resiliency specifically was a great opportunity.”

Knobel added that “seeing Pasco County’s openness to things that I am passionate about and want to pursue as a career was very profound. I appreciate the opportunity to work on this project and see the development of our work throughout the semester.”

As a result of the practicum, Pasco County hired two of the participating students in full-time positions, and implemented the class research into their county’s comprehensive plan.

Bush was pleased with the results of the practicum, and grateful that their work helped bring together local leaders from throughout Tampa Bay to discuss planning related to sea-level rise. “The communities to Tampa Bay are like a tapestry. If one community gets it right on sea level rise but all their neighbors do not, the whole tapestry still unravels” says Bush. “The core of community resilience is relationships, not infrastructure. When I learned that these important organizations had little contact with each other regarding this issue, I felt called to help connect them and build a community among practitioners.”

One additional result of this collaboration was bolstering the Tampa Bay Resilience Coalition, coordinated by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Bush introduced the local representatives participating in his practicum to the Director of the coalition, enhancing the network of professionals dedicated to preparing our area for the future.

“Florida will look radically different in 100 years,” says Bush. “It is critical that we build relationships and connections now to create a community that will thrive in that new reality. We have the opportunity to begin work today to improve the future of this great community.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 21

Exeter

A SEMESTER LIVING, LEARNING AND RESEARCHING IN

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N THE SPRING OF 2020, 15 Honors students travelled to the University of Exeter for a semester abroad with Judy Genshaft Honors College Associate Dean, Dr. Lindy Davidson and Honors instructor, Dr. Adam Davidson. Located approximately three hours west of London, the university was founded in 1855 and is ranked among the top 10 universities in Europe. It is also a member of the Russell Group, a consortium of elite universities in the United Kingdom, similar to the American Association of Universities (AAU).

While in Exeter, the USF students took courses with both their Honors instructors and with Exeter faculty. This allowed them to bond with their cohort while also experiencing British campus life and forging friendships with scholars from all over the world. They joined “guilds” (i.e. clubs), played on the university’s sports teams, and participated fully in the campus and city communities.

Although their time abroad was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students were able to make important connections while in country and complete the semester virtually.

Photos: Right, Cultural Pathways class in Topsham.

Opposite page: Top, The Quay; bottom left, along the bridleways; bottom right, the train to Topsham.

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Partners at the University of Exeter were impressed by the Honors students in both the 2019 and 2020 trip cohorts and formed additional partnership opportunities through their Wellcome Center.

The Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health is a research group at the University of Exeter in England comprising graduate students, research fellows, and faculty. Focusing on an interdisciplinary, communityoriented view of health and wellness, the Wellcome Centre engages in research combining physical, mental, social, cultural, and policy-related aspects of health. The Centre is sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, a charitable foundation focused on health research and based in London.

During the 2020 Semester in Exeter exchange program, Dr. Lindy Davidson initiated a collaboration between the Wellcome Centre and the students of her “Creative Community Collaborations in Health: Interdisciplinary Research in Medical Humanities” class. After the first gathering of the two groups, many Honors students identified research topics of interest and began their own partnerships with

“

This opportunity ties together all three of our Honors educational pillars – research, global engagement, and community service – in a way that allows students to collaborate to truly make a difference in the lives of others.”

– Dean Charles Adams

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 23

After her return home and as a culmination of knowledge gained through her collaboration with Wellcome Center PhD student Veronica Heney, Honors student Laila Schulz wrote a children’s book depicting self-harm in a sympathetic way to reach children before they are exposed to social stigma and teach them the importance of seeking help when they are hurting.

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PhD students and research fellows. Despite the early end to the study abroad experience, the Honors students still found success in their collaborations with the Wellcome Centre team.

A successful collaboration from the interaction between USF Honors student Laila Schulz and Wellcome Centre PhD student Veronica Heney resulted in a studentauthored book. Focusing on Heney’s research regarding the limited and uninformed representations of self-harm in the media, the two began their collaboration with a friendly connection and meetings over coffee. During the course of the semester, the two continued to meet, with Laila ultimately participating in an event Veronica was hosting on the subject. Laila said of her experience: “I looked forward to our meetings every time. It didn’t feel like work at all.” After her unplanned return home and as a culmination of what she learned throughout their collaboration, Laila wrote a children’s book depicting self-harm in a sympathetic way to reach children before they are exposed to social stigma and teach them the importance of seeking help when they are hurting.

While not all partnerships culminated in the completion of a project, Honors students reported significant benefits from the mentorship of Wellcome Centre PhD students and research fellows.

In describing their time abroad, the Spring 2020 Exeter students – and Wellcome Centre collaborators – expressed profound appreciation for the Wellcome Centre, particularly its interdisciplinary approach to health, the warmth and passion of the researchers, and the real impact they are making on the local communities.

In Spring 2022, another group of USF Honors students will be traveling to Exeter, and once again, will engage in meaningful collaboration with the Wellcome Centre.

“I look forward to continued meaningful partnerships between our students and faculty and the researchers at the Centre” said Charles Adams, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean. “This opportunity ties together all three of our Honors educational pillars – research, global engagement, and community service – in a way that allows students to collaborate to truly make a difference in the lives of others. I am grateful to the Centre’s director Dr. Mark Jackson and his remarkable staff for making this collaboration possible.”

– Honors student, Emily Fendrick, who participated in the 2020 Semester in Exeter program, contributed to this story

Photos: Pg. 24 - Honors students participating in the Semester in Exeter program had the opportunity to enjoy dinner abroad with Dean Adams and his wife, Rhonda.

Pg. 25 - Scenes from the Cultural Pathways class: Top, ruins of the old city wall; Center, Topsham; Bottom, St. Peter’s Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral.

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MAKING AN IMPACT THROUGH VIRTUAL INTERNSHIPS

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HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CAUSED multiple study abroad opportunities to be cancelled or postponed, but it could not stop Honors students from finding a way to still gain valuable global experience while giving back to communities in need.

In addition to their service, the students gained a valuable education through this culturally-immersive experience. “The internship really helped me to see how a culture or your environment can impact your health,” says Honors senior Maha Uppal.

For the past five years, Honors faculty and students have collaborated with the Kerolle Initiative for Community Health, run by Dr. Reginald Kerolle and based in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Kerolle and his team operate a free community-outreach health program in the rural towns of Ascension, Batey Baraguana, La Cambirma, Loma Blanca and Poncho Mateo, serving more than 1,500 people each year. Traditionally Honors students travel to the Dominican Republic as part of a service-learning study abroad opportunity. In the summer of 2020, six Honors students participated in the College’s first virtual global internship opportunity by working with the Kerolle Initiative from afar.

This internship not only signifies the resiliency of the Kerolle Initiative and their important partnership with our College, but also the determination of Honors students to make the most of innovative opportunities. “I am very proud of the students who participated in this program,” says Honors Dean Dr. Charles Adams. “2020 provided its share of challenges for us all, but each challenge offers us the opportunity to think creatively and find new ways to learn, grow, and serve.

These students did just that.”

“

In preparation for this exciting opportunity, the students spent 60 hours learning about social determinants of health specific to the Dominican Republic and the importance of taking a holistic view of healthcare. They also engaged in daily Spanish language lessons to prepare for their role of providing virtual community public health presentations.

“The most rewarding experience I had was teaching children in the Dominican Republic the importance of clean water,” says Honors sophomore Ashley Rocks. “I was able to put the Spanish skills I learned to use while making a difference in children’s lives. I liked how even though we were thousands of miles away, I could still have an impact.”

– Honors Experiential Learning Assistant, Kylie Pontious, contributed to this story

I was able to put the Spanish skills I learned to use while making a difference in children’s lives.

I liked how even though we were thousands of miles apart, I could still have an impact. ” – Honors Sophomore Ashley Rocks Every year since 2016, USF Honors students traveled to the Dominican Republic as part of a service-learning opportunity with Dr. Reginald Kerolle.

In 2020, six Honors students participated in the College’s first virtual global internship opportunity by working with Dr. Kerolle remotely, as seen on the opposite page.

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JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 27

2021 INTERNATIONAL PHOTO COMPETITION WINNING IMAGES Photos: “The Land of Ice and Fire” by Zena Omer, taken in Iceland, top, and “Colorful Living” by Maryam Kazelka taken in the Dominican Republic, tied for first place.

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Top Left - “Mount Assiniboine (the Great Divide)” taken by Ruby Long in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada Top Center - “The ‘S’” taken by Jia Qing Leow in Plitvička Jezera, Croatia.

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in the Dominican Republic. Both students received a $100 Judy Genshaft Honors College scholarship, and the top ten images (seen here) were turned into canvases that now grace the walls of the College.

Top Right - “Clothing: The Expression of Identity “ taken by Prachi Misra in Costa Maya, Mexico.

Middle Right - “A Swiss Path” taken by Katya Viegas in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

More than 2,500 votes were cast and the winning images were “The Land of Fire and Ice” taken by Zena Omer in Iceland, and “Colorful Living” taken by Maryam Kazelka

“We are always impressed by the stunning images captured by our students, but with travel restrictions due to COVID-19, I appreciate them even more as a reminder of the importance of international travel and a hope for continued global studies soon” says Judy Genshaft Honors College Endowed Dean, Dr. Charles Adams.

HE JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS College Student Council again sponsored its annual international photo contest, inviting students to submit a photo taken while travelling or studying abroad. 52 images were submitted and posted to the college’s Facebook page where the number of “likes” determined the winners.

Middle Left - “My First Time Seeing Desert in Dubai!” taken by Yin Ni Ng in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Bottom Left - “Gullfoss Waterfall” taken by Ishali Rajguru at the Hvítá River, Iceland.

Bottom Center - “Philippines Grand Canal” taken by Abigail Sy in Taguig, Philippines.

Bottom Right - “Windsor Castle” taken by Mary Williams in Windsor, England.

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National T

SCHOLARSHIPS SUCCESS

HE USF OFFICE OF NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS (ONS) provides guidance, mentorship and support for USF’s high achieving students as they compete for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships across all disciplines. These awards are for creative, engaged, and academically strong students who are leaders inside and outside of the classroom.

(Italy), Silvia Diaz (Spain), Sydney Connor (France), Tim Hagen (Thailand), Vincent Uong (Italy), Vonda Hopkins (Czech Republic) and William Steck (Costa Rica)

Each year ONS identifies, recruits and mentors students who apply for prestigious awards such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Knight-Hennessy and Fulbright scholarships. Advisors also work with faculty members to recruit candidates, provide strong letters of recommendation, review applications and essays, and provide mock interviews for applicants. This process ensures that students’ applications are of the highest caliber and reflect the students’ academic and extracurricular excellence.

• A Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow: Nandini Agarwal

This past year, ONS proudly celebrated 94 award recipients, including a second Rangel Fellow from USF, a double-finalist in the Marshall and Goldwater Scholarship competitions, and USF’s first ever Knight-Hennessy Scholar.

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND FINALISTS FOR THE YEAR INCLUDE: • Two Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Recipients: Jack Edwards and Zach Withers • 59 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Recipients: Mohammed Al-Ogaidi (Thailand), Melissa Barberan (Italy), Sujey Coloma (Italy), Alana Fay (United Kingdom), Carlos Gamez (Italy), Melanie Guerra (Costa Rica), Caroline Haidinger (Italy), Paula Hernandez (United Kingdom), Jaqueria Lacy (Italy), Kelli Lynch (Germany), Samuel Marquina (Italy), Elijah Murphy (Italy), Hana Newberry (Japan), Makeba Phillip (Italy), Alexandra Rodier (Australia), Kendra Saint-Elus (Italy), Kenya Sanchez-Torres (Peru), Akeymah Stitt (Italy), Melissa Pennell (Dominican Republic), Laila Schulz (United Kingdom), Alondra Soto (Colombia), Angelina Corchado (United Kingdom), Bao Tran (Italy), Brynne Dilworth (Italy), Catherin Munguia (Costa Rica), Chloe Rafer (Italy), Consuelo Blake (United Kingdom), Curtis Carroll (Cuba), Daniela Vergaray (Spain), Elizabeth Moran-Williams (Colombia), Ellis Kelly (Italy), Francisca Farias (United Kingdom), Gabriella Lang (Italy), Israa Saoud (Italy), Jeremy Van Osten (Italy), Jesse Popover (United Kingdom), Jessica Blantz (Peru), Jessica Senatus (Singapore), Joshua Dale (Italy), Justyce Davis (Italy), Kaeleigh Skinner (South Korea), Ketia Blanc (United Kingdom), Kristhian Estrada (Czech Republic), Laureano Griffin (United Kingdom), Leticia Ramirez (France), Lina Nguyen (United Kingdom), Luke Longo (United Kingdom), Marcela Gonzalez (United Kingdom), Mary Cruz (Italy), Melanie Zapata (Thailand), Richard Verna (Japan), Sara Cardona (Italy), Sarah Mohamed 30 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

• Two Benjamin A. Gilman McCain International Scholarship Recipients: Alexia Boykin (Italy) and Janna Ramos (Italy) • A Boren Scholarship Recipient: Gillian Olortegui

• A German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)-Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Recipient: Tobias Florido Campos De Souza • Five Fulbright US Student Program Recipients: Noemi Rosario Martinez (Research and English Teaching in Austria), Jeannette Myrick (English Teaching in Taiwan), Diana Cisneros (English Teaching in Germany), Libbi Ponce (Research in Ecuador), and Brandi Murphy (Research in Malawi) • Three Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Recipients: Jaqueria Lacy (Italy), Caroline Haidinger (Italy), and Sujey Coloma (Italy) • A Freeman-Asia Scholarship Recipient: Delaney Johnson (Japan) • A GEM Graduate Fellowship Recipient: Willie McClinton (MIT Lincoln Lab) • A Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) Scholarship Recipient: Paige Livingston • A Knight-Hennessy Scholar: Keller Blackwell • A Knight-Hennessy Finalist: Willie McClinton • A Marshall Scholarship Finalist: Willie McClinton • Four National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Recipients: Keller Blackwell, Willie McClinton, Delfina Navarro-Estrada, and Martina Plafcan • Seven National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) Program Honorable Mentions: Brooks Allen Olney, Lauren Hammond, Christina Mu, Alexander Denison, Aashna Waiwood, Roxanne Felig, and Rachael Pyram • A NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient: Alexandra Rodier • A Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Recipient: Ivan Pineda • Two Millennium Fellowship Recipients: Nandini Agarwal and Brandon Mahoney

Office of National Scholarships team from left to right, Associate Director Lauren Chambers, Scholarship Advisor Lauren Roberts, Assistant Director Lauren BartsheHanlen, and Director Dr. Sayan Basu, receive recognition from the university for their outstanding global contributions.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 31

KNIGHT-HENNESSY SCHOLAR HEADS TO STANFORD

KELLER BLACKWELL

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N THE SPRING OF 2020, Judy Genshaft Honors College senior and Pure Mathematics major, Keller Blackwell, was named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. This award will fully fund his PhD in Computer Science at Stanford University, one of the nation’s top-ranked programs in the field, and immerse him in a community of exceptional scholars. He is the first USF student to receive this honor and was the only recipient among Florida colleges or universities in 2020.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program seeks global leaders who can “out-think, out-work, and out-care” others. It offers a transformative experience comprised of opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, and immersive interdisciplinary experiential learning.

“I am honored to join such an elite group of graduate students prepared to improve the lives of others on a global scale,” Blackwell said.

A non-traditional transfer student from California, he spent many years working full-time in the restaurant industry before starting college. “I searched nationwide, and chose to come to USF because I saw a school that was climbing the rankings, securing an impressive number of high-impact patents, and producing cutting-edge research, all while being financially accessible,” Blackwell said.

Once at USF, Blackwell enrolled in a course with mathematics professor Thomas Bieske, whom he credits with being “one of the most impactful people in my time at USF.” He adds, “One of the great things about coming to USF, where there is such great investment in student research, was that I was able to participate in the creation of new mathematical ideas.”

Blackwell has joined a community of future global leaders at Stanford who share the goal of solving complex problems that

32 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

will create positive change in the world. He sees this opportunity as the perfect way to further his goal of securing private data using cryptography.

“Cryptography protects the personal information that we store online,” Blackwell said. “While accomplished through mathematics, cryptography is a system implemented by humans to conceal language, embracing areas like linguistics and psychology. Knight-Hennessy is the perfect incubator for the next generation of cryptography that will protect us from threats present and future.”

Early in his time at USF, Blackwell worked closely with the university’s Office of National Scholarships (housed in the Honors College) to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate award in the country for science research.

In 2019 he was named a Goldwater Scholar and received funds to further his research and education at USF. “Keller’s work on improving cryptography, a continuing global challenge, is an outstanding accomplishment, and we are proud to see him continue his work at Stanford,” Ralph Wilcox, USF provost and executive vice president, said. “At USF, we value interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful research starting at the undergraduate level. Through engaging undergraduates in research, we develop citizen scholars equipped with skills for a global environment. The Knight-Hennessy Program houses devoted faculty mentors who foster the next generation of researchers and professionals, and I look forward to seeing more of our students join in the years to come.”

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program was created in 2016 through a $750 million endowment by Stanford alumnus Phil Knight, a philanthropist, American businessman and co-founder of Nike Inc., along with other benefactors. The program is named for Knight and former Stanford President John Hennessy.

TWO HONORS STUDENTS NAMED 2020 GOLDWATER SCHOLARS

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WO JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE STUDENTS, Jack Edwards and Zach Withers, were named 2020 Goldwater Scholars, chosen out of nearly 1,300 students nationally. The scholarship is the most prestigious undergraduate award in the country for science research and provides $7,500 for educational expenses and research support.

ZACH WITHERS

Edwards, a junior majoring in physics and minoring in mathematics, has spent three years researching in USF Associate Professor David Basanta’s lab at Moffitt Cancer Center.

There, he uses physics and computer science to model tumor growth in a way that includes space limitations and considers ecological effects. “If we can use ecology and mathematics to model how tumors evolve, it can lead to the development of more successful treatment strategies,” says Edwards, who credits Basanta as his mentor. “He is a fantastic teacher and showed me how beautiful evolutionary theory can be.”

Also a junior and physics major (with a mathematics minor), Withers has worked in USF Assistant Professor of Physics and Medical Engineering Dmitri Voronine’s lab and USF Professor of Chemistry David Merkler’s lab for the past three years. Withers’ work with Professor Voronine has focused on the energy transfers and quantum affects in nano-cavities.

“Our investigations can lead to the engineering of advanced new technology and devices,” says Withers. “The energy transfer, and our ability to control its intensity, has implications for the improvement of semi-conductors and transistor-like devices.”

Both Edwards and Withers plan to pursue their PhDs and enter meaningful scientific careers. They worked with the university’s Office of National Scholarships and its director, Dr. Sayandeb Basu, on their research goals and Goldwater applications. “Dr. Basu was a fantastic mentor throughout this entire process,” says Withers. “He asked the important questions and helped me identify my research trajectory, and explain why I am passionate about this work.”

Edwards also appreciates the importance of Basu’s mentorship. “He said to me once that ‘the application process is the gold in the Goldwater,’” recalls Edwards. “Working with him on this application helped me to fine tune my future plans and research interests.”

JACK EDWARDS

“Both of these students have such bright futures,” says Judy Genshaft Honors College Dean Dr. Charles Adams. “Undergraduate research is both valued and promoted throughout our university and I am proud, but not surprised, to see how our faculty and staff have mentored Jack and Zach.”

The two award recipients (tied for the most of any Florida university) bring USF’s Goldwater Scholar tally to thirteen.

Previous scholars have gone on to earn other nationally competitive awards and study at internationally prominent institutions as they work on research projects.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman, including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 33

FIVE USF STUDENTS EARN FULBRIGHT AWARDS

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IVE USF STUDENTS EARNED Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants for the 2020-2021 academic year. This program will send them abroad in 2021 to Taiwan, Austria, Ecuador, Malawi, and Germany to undertake an independent research project and/or teach English. An additional five USF students were selected as alternates.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and aims to build lasting ties between the U.S. and other countries, awarding approximately 2,000 grants annually and operating in more than 160 countries across the globe.

Fulbright awardees are selected by a 12-member board appointed by the president of the United States, and selection is based on academic and professional achievements, as well as evidence of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.

USF’S 2020-2021 FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS ARE: DIANA CISNEROS Diana received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany. She graduated in spring 2020 from USF with undergraduate degrees in International Studies and World Languages and Culture. The Fulbright ETA program will provide Diana with the opportunity to utilize her German language skills to facilitate cross-cultural exchange between the U.S. and Germany in a classroom setting. Diana plans a career as a human rights lawyer.

NOEMI ROSARIO MARTINEZ Noemi received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Combined Research and English Teaching Grant to Austria. She graduated from USF and the Judy Genshaft Honors College 34 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

in fall 2019 with undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and International Studies. She currently works in the Florida child welfare system, facilitating visits between children in the foster care system and the parents working to bring them back home. In Austria, Noemi will work as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) as well as intern at a social and cultural research firm in Vienna.

BRANDI MURPHY Brandi is a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Grant recipient to Malawi. She received both her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy and her Master of Arts degree in Sustainability from USF. Brandi spent two years in Zambia as a Peace Corps Volunteer and received the Coverdell Fellowship, awarded to “further the Peace Corps mission” and work towards bridging the gap between American culture and cultures outside the United States. In Malawi she will focus on scaling up food security interventions by improving market linkages for smallholder farmers.

JEANNETTE MYRICK Jeannette will be going to Taiwan as a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship (ETA).

She graduated in spring 2020 from USF and the Judy Genshaft Honors College with her undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in General Public Health.

Jeanette will be a content-based English language instructor in Taipei City. After completing her ETA, she will attend Boston University to pursue a master’s degree in public health (MPH).

LIBBI PONCE Libbi received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Grant to Ecuador. At USF and as a Judy Genshaft Honors College Student, Libbi studied Sculpture and Video in the Art Department and Continental Philosophy for concurrent BFA/ BA degrees in Studio Art & Philosophy, with certificates in Art History and Business. For her Fulbright Creative Research

LIBBI PONCE

JEANNETTE MYRICK

BRANDI MURPHY

NOEMI ROSARIO MARTINEZ

Grant in Guayaquil, Libbi will 3D scan artifacts at the Museo Antropológico y de Arte Contemporaneo to produce an exhibition incorporating these digital files into a virtual and physical realm.

USF students applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program work with the university’s Office of National Scholarships (ONS) and the Student Fulbright Program Advisor,

DIANA CISNEROS

Ms. Lauren Chambers. Students spend six to nine months working on their applications, which involve a rigorous and structured process. “I am very proud of these amazing students, and their commitment to improving our country’s global relationships,” said Dr. Sayan Basu, ONS Director.

“I am also grateful to Ms. Chambers and our ONS staff for their consistent support of these students throughout the application process and beyond.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 35

RANGEL FELLOW PURSUES FOREIGN SERVICE

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UDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE ALUMNUS Ivan Pineda was named a 2020 Rangel Fellow by the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program.

Pineda is the third Rangel Fellow in USF history and one of only 30 fellows selected in 2020 from hundreds of applicants representing institutions across the United States.

Honoring distinguished Congressman Charles Rangel, this prestigious graduate fellowship aims to promote greater diversity and excellence in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. Fellows receive $37,500 annually for a two-year graduate degree in a field of their choice related to the Foreign Service, paid summer internships with a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. and at embassies abroad, professional development training, and mentoring from senior Foreign Service Officers.

Rangel Fellows who successfully complete their graduate program and Foreign Service entry requirements receive guaranteed appointments in the U.S. State Department Foreign Service. Fellows commit to working as Foreign Service Officers for at least five years.

Pineda graduated in May 2019 magna cum laude from USF with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Quantitative Economics. He worked with Lauren Bartshe-Hanlen in the university’s Office of National Scholarships to prepare his Rangel application.

While at USF, Pineda developed and ran programs about health and community involvement as a Peer Health Educator with the Student Wellness Center and as a Lead Fellow

This prestigious graduate fellowship aims to promote greater diversity and excellence in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State.

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in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. He also contributed to efforts to internationalize USF through involvement in the Chinese Language Club and the United Nations Student Alliance.

Pineda is no stranger to public service and the high-stakes, demanding work he will experience in the Foreign Service.

As an Air Force Reservist, he was responsible for managing service members’ medical records and implementing simulation exercises as part of preparation for his wing’s continuous global deployments. Due to his exemplary service during military training, he graduated first in his class at the Air Force Military Training Health Administration School.

Enhancing his skillset for foreign service, Pineda also studied Chinese at the American Council’s Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program in 2017 with support of the Freeman Asia Scholarship and the Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship. The following summer, he was selected for the Critical Language Scholarship program in Dalian, China. This robust training in Mandarin language prepared him to undertake his Honors College thesis that explored transnational political and economic issues driving Chinese investments in renewable energy sectors in Italy and Brazil.

As a Rangel Fellow, Pineda plans to pursue a master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Political and Economic Development. His goal is to work as an economic officer in the Foreign Service, and to build and maintain positive economic, trade, and other commercial interests among the U.S., host governments, and local business communities.

BOREN SCHOLAR BEGINS IMMERSIVE STUDY IN BRAZIL

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ROM AN EARLY AGE, Judy Genshaft Honors College senior Gillian Olortegui has had an interest in the Latin American region. “It built from growing up with a Peruvian Dad and taking classes like ‘Indigenous Politics in Latin America’ and then studying abroad through the Honors College,” says Olortegui. Her experiences at USF and within the College helped finetune that interest into a career path.

In her sophomore year, Olortegui spent two weeks participating in a service-learning projects in Pisac, Peru led by Honors faculty member Dr. Alan Bush. “That trip gave me the motivation and pathway to change my major to International Studies with the goal of working internationally,” said Olortegui. “I really enjoyed advocating for another country and experiencing their unique way of living. I was also able to explore my newfound love for world languages, which motivated me to seek other opportunities where I can learn a foreign language through immersion.”

When she saw an advertisement about a workshop that the Office of National Scholarships (ONS) was hosting about the Boren Scholarship, Olortegui was intrigued. The Boren Scholarship is an initiative of the National Security Education Program, and provides unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

“I was honestly nervous attending the info session because I felt shy and less qualified than the others in attendance who were asking more questions and seemed to have a better idea of what they wanted to do with their life,” says Olortegui. “However, it wasn’t until Amber Pierson, a 2019 Boren Scholar from USF, told us her story and experience in Thailand that the award was humanized in my mind. Suddenly the prospect of me actually receiving this award didn’t feel so impossibly out of reach.”

Olortegui began working on her Boren application with Lauren Bartshe-Hanlen, Assistant Director for ONS. “Lauren was so nice and helpful and I always walked out of our appointments feeling much more confident and secure than when I came in,” says Olortegui. “She was very good about laying out a game plan and giving me actionable tasks to ponder on and complete before our next meeting, which were mostly weekly for six months.”

The hard work paid off as Olortegui was awarded a 2020 Boren Fellowship for one year of Portuguese language study in Brazil, beginning in Fall 2021.

“Upon arriving in Brazil, I will begin studying intensive Portuguese at the university, Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP),” says Olortegui. “In addition to my studies I will

participate in cultural and extracurricular activities all taught in Portuguese, and plan to intern with the Brazilian and American Youth Cultural Exchange (BRAYCE) at the Graded American School in São Paulo. I will be assigned to favela (slum) work projects for children between the ages of six and 16. This will include teaching after-school activities in the visual arts, dance, theater, mentorship, media, crafts, music, and sports, and supporting a percussion class and teaching English.”

Her service and education in Brazil will immerse her in the culture and add to her mastery of the language. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the world through a new set of eyes,” says Olortegui. “I plan to make a lifelong connection with the city and the people I meet inside of it. In addition, learning Portuguese will help me immensely in my career and will complement my degree in International Studies perfectly.”

Her ONS advisor agrees. “We are very proud that Gillian has been recognized by the Boren Awards for her dedication and curiosity to learn about other cultures and languages,” said Bartshe-Hanlen. “Spending substantial time in Brazil and developing proficiency in Portuguese uniquely positions her to become a future leader in our country’s engagement with South America.”

After her Boren experience, Olortegui plans to pursue her master’s degree and then begin a career utilizing her education and language skills. “I would like to work for a non-profit or governmental department in the U.S. or a Portuguese-speaking country,” says Olortegui. “I’m hoping that this experience abroad will naturally introduce me to jobs and careers in the region or back home that align with the skills that I will gain through this opportunity. I am particularly interested in the favelas of São Paulo, and I’d like to see how I could use my degree and interest in sustainable urban development to assist this overcrowded city.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 37

USF SEES RECORD NUMBER OF GILMAN SCHOLARS

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University of South Florida record 61 students were recognized as recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in 2020, more than any other university in Florida. Selected from nearly 12,000 applicants nationwide, the students were offered scholarships totaling $195,500 to support courses, internships, and language training in 16 different countries. An additional 30 USF students were recognized as alternates for an award, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Following recognition as a “Greatest Growth” institution by the Gilman Scholarship in 2018, USF continues to be one of the top-performing universities in the nation for Gilman Scholarship recipients.

Two USF recipients – Alexia Boykin and Janna Ramos Ramos – were recognized as Gilman-McCain Scholars. This special scholarship provides awards to undergraduate child dependents of active duty service members. “As an active duty military dependent and one of four siblings, I am humbled to be considered for this opportunity to study marketing in Italy. It will undoubtedly allow me to gain a valuable perspective,” said Ramos Ramos.

“I am passionate to take the marketing skills I learn as a McCain Scholar and promote environmentally and socially responsible initiatives globally in my future career.”

Despite most 2020 study abroad programs being canceled or delayed due to Covid-19, many recipients will still have the opportunity to utilize the funding to go abroad in 2021 thanks to the flexibility of the Gilman Scholarship. Students are eager, as they now have the ability to make new plans knowing they have funding secured in advance. The USF Office of National Scholarships and USF World teams have worked closely with the recipients to help make sure they are able to utilize their awards in ways that support their academic and professional goals.

“I am so proud of these remarkable students and their perseverance to obtain study abroad experience despite the challenges posed by COVID-19,” said Honors Dean Charles Adams. “International education can change perspectives and futures in a way that no other experiential learning can, and I look forward to hearing about these students’ amazing experiences upon their return.”

The combined 61 awardees are from a variety of different majors and will travel to six of the seven continents (all but Antarctica).

61

USF students recognized as recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

12,000

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Applicants nationwide

Continents where Gilman Scholars will travel and study abroad.

Photos: Pg. 40, left to right, Laila Schulz, Ryan Leist, Nic Page, and Paul Warren in Exeter Pg. 41: Honors student and Gilman Scholar, Laila Schulz, in Malta during her spring 2020 semester abroad.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 39

TEN USF STUDENTS SELECTED AS MILLENNIUM FELLOWS

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EN STUDENTS FROM THE University of South Florida have been selected as 2020 Millennium Fellows. The Fellowship, a collaboration between the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and Millennium Campus Network (MCN), is a semester-long leadership development program that convenes, challenges, and celebrates bold student leadership to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals both on campus and in communities.

This year, more than 15,000 young leaders applied for the fellowship from 1,458 campuses across 135 nations. Only 80 campuses (just 6%) in 20 nations were selected to host 2020 Millennium Fellows based on the caliber of applicants and cohorts. USF is among only 26 American universities selected to host fellows this year.

The selected students will each work on a project to advance one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The Millennium Fellows at USF will help support disadvantaged populations, reduce the use of plastic, increase product sustainability, reduce food waste, increase access to mental health services, and document the fight for human rights.

“It is our great privilege at the University of South Florida to support the work of our ten UN Millennium Fellows and advance sustainable development initiatives that improve our society,” said USF Provost and Executive Vice President Ralph Wilcox. “We congratulate our Fellows, a record-number for USF this year, who exemplify the strength of the university’s commitment to social responsibility.”

The ten Millennium Fellows bring the university’s total number of national scholarship and fellowship recipients to 103 for the 2019-20 academic year – a USF record! Most of these recipients worked with the university’s Office of National Scholarships, whose mission is to advise, support, and mentor students throughout the competitive scholarship application process.

USF Among Only 26 American Universities and 80 Campuses Worldwide to Host 2020 Millennium Fellow Cohorts 40 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

USF’S COHORT OF 2020 MILLENNIUM FELLOWS INCLUDE (From left, top): NANDINI AGARWAL Project: “Samagreen” Description: Samagreen aims to revolutionize personal-use medical devices by making them sustainable and more patient-friendly. This project was also selected to be part of the Clinton Global Initiative-University Cohort of 2020, the USF incubator, and the Frank and Ellen Daveler Entrepreneurship Program.

CLAUDIA CONCEICAO Project: “A.C.T (Access to Clothes Together)” Description: This project will create an organization to connect families who wish to donate their child’s clothes to another child in a low-income family, becoming that child’s sponsor. It aims to create a more direct connection between donors and those who receive their donation, creating a deeper sense of unity.

SHANNON COUSINEAU Project: Yet to be Named Description: The goal of this project is to create a student-led and operated on-campus site for composting to reduce the university’s food waste and potentially supply USF’s Botanical Gardens with useful compost.

SYED HASAN Project: “Utilization of Mental Health Services by College Students” Description: This project will consist of conducting outreach efforts in creative and inclusive ways that raise awareness of and advocate for college students’ mental health needs, especially within USF’s community. The goal is to empower all students to take initiative of their mental health without any shame, guilt, or fear of stigma.

NATALIE KRAWCZYK Project: “Students Vote Change Project” Description: The goals of this project are to inform students about registration and election deadlines, provide information about issues and running candidates on the ballot, and engage students as voters and advocates for political and societal issues facing our country today.

BRANDON MAHONEY Project: “Transforming Tampa. Together” Description: This project is a collaborative effort with the City of Tampa to develop or supplement existing programming to teach children social growth and responsibility, provide mentors and promote team-building skills, and act as the beginning of a comprehensive change in after school programming to make the lives of the next generation better, one step at a time.

DANIELLE SPHIKAS Project: “Reducing Plastic Use In Retail” Description: This project aims to reduce the amount of plastic use in retail businesses by partnering with both large and small corporations.

ANAYANSI UGALDE Project: “The Rohingya Crisis Documentation Project” Description: The Rohingya are a people who have faced years of violence and persecution at the hand of their government; a government which repeatedly denies and manipulates the truth. This project will document as much as possible about the experiences of refugees who escaped their country.

PADMA VASANTHAKUMAR (Co-Campus Director for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020) Project: “H-ART-fulness for All” Description: The goal of this project is to promote good mental health during the current time of stress and uncertainty, and will involve creating virtual sessions for all ages that combine the Heartfulness meditation practice and art therapy.

PRAKASH VASANTHAKUMAR (Co-Campus Director for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020) Project: “H-ART-fulness for All” Description: The goal of this project is to promote good mental health during the current time of stress and uncertainty, and will involve creating virtual sessions for all ages that combine the Heartfulness meditation practice and art therapy.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 41

HONORS ADVISOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS RIGHT WHERE THEY LIVE

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HEN MEG STOWE JOINED the Judy Genshaft Honors College as an advisor in February of 2020 and agreed to also oversee the Honors Living Learning Community (LLC) she had no way of knowing just how quickly the world, and her new role, would change.

“I had not worked with housing before, and was eager to work closely with the students and address their programming needs,” says Stowe. “But two weeks after I took over, we were forced to close the campus due to COVID-19, and my plans for student engagement needed an overhaul.”

The Spring LLC students were able to finish up their time in Juniper Hall on campus, and Stowe scheduled virtual programming for the residents to ensure that they still felt connected. She then spent much of the summer preparing for the Fall return, knowing that creativity was necessary to keep the sense of community while adhering to physical distancing policies.

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It was important to me, especially during the pandemic, that we allow the students to continue to form connections on campus, even if the method is virtual.”

– Meg Stowe “I researched successful strategies from around the country, and implemented those that would most benefit our students,” says Stowe. “I also surveyed our LLC residents to see what types of activities they would most enjoy and what dates and times worked best for scheduling. It was important to me, especially during the pandemic, that we allow the students to continue to form connections on campus, even if the method is virtual.”

Stowe was able to facilitate one in-person event for the fall semester. She and her graduate assistant,

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Towanda Beck, took LLC residents to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) for an outdoors physically-distanced stargazing event. “The students really enjoyed seeing Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn through the museum’s high-powered telescope,” says Stowe. “And we were able to comply with CDC guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. It was a great event.”

New state and local restrictions required that the remainder of the semester’s events be virtual, but that did not stop Stowe and Beck from planning an engaging, informative, and community-building schedule of opportunities for their students.

“We worked with USF’s Career Services department to plan professional workshops, scheduled fun virtual trivia games and digital scavenger hunts, delivered fall candy bags to each resident as a reverse-Halloween event, provided craft supplies for art activities, and arranged for online tutoring four days a week,” says Stowe. “We also provided time management seminars and hosted a virtual experiential learning fair with representatives from Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, and other local organizations to help connect students to safe virtual volunteer opportunities.”

Stowe also worked with the USF Office of National Scholarships Director, Dr. Sayan Basu, and Honors Associate Dean, Dr. Benjamin Young, on a special

hybrid event called “An Evening with a Physicist and a Philosopher,” which was very successful with student participants. This allowed residents to meet other Honors students, form relationships, and participate in critical conversations. A follow-up event is being planned.

The mental health and wellness of the LLC residents was especially important to Stowe. “This has been a unique year for Honors students especially,” she says. “High achieving students are accustomed to being in class and collaborating with other students face to face and the change has been very dramatic, specifically for first-year students, many of whom reside in our LLC. Our students typically participate heavily in shadowing and volunteer opportunities and those were harder to find this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Not being able to complete these goals can be difficult as far as mental health is concerned, and it is important to offer support for our students.” Stowe and Beck worked with the USF Counseling Center to connect LLC residents with counseling services and stress management resources. “We hosted a series of wellness events. The Counseling Center offered a workshop on managing stress through mindfulness and meditation, and representatives from Student Health Educators offered events focused on managing stress during the pandemic.”

Stowe says that the past year of working with students in the LLC and helping them find opportunities for experiential learning and connection has been very rewarding.

“I really appreciate having so many collaborative partnerships with other staff and faculty, and the support of Dean Adams in implementing these activities,” says Stowe, who is a doctoral candidate in USF’s English department and working on a dissertation in Multi-ethnic climate change literature and Ecocriticism. “This was a hard year for our students, and when I hear a resident say that they made a new friend in the LLC, or that they were worried about being isolated but LLC events helped them to make new friends, I know that we are being successful because students are supported right where they live.”

Another way Stowe found to help students with their mental health was through art. She worked with Honors faculty member, Dr. Catherine Wilkins, and her partnership with the Connections program at the Tampa Museum of Art, which trains students to use Visual Thinking Strategies to offer therapeutic tours of the museum for patients with medical conditions such as dementia, depression, and PTSD. “The students loved the partnership with Connections and Dr. Wilkins,” says Stowe. “They were able to participate in art talks and virtual docent-led tours and workshops. Dr. Wilkins even facilitated an event where students created personal art with found objects in nature and related them to either medicine, personal health, or wellness. It was great to see them share their work with each other on screen and it led to some insightful discussions.”

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HONORS STUDENTS FLOURISH AT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE

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HEN COVID-19 FORCED the USF Office of Undergraduate Research to move their annual conference to a virtual format in 2020, approximately half of the scheduled student presenters were from the Judy Genshaft Honors College.

The participants presented their work from a variety of disciplines in virtual formats and received real-time feedback from both faculty and peers.

“Although it was disappointing to not have face-to-face discussions with other participants, presenting in a virtual setting was convenient and gave us the opportunity to share our work,” said Honors junior Arushi Panwar. “I presented on contraception access in India and researched different populations categorized by education, income, and environment.

Even with a pandemic, I still had an opportunity to share my work. I would recommend that all students from all majors work towards presenting at this event and take advantage of every opportunity.”

The Honors student presenters were mentored by faculty members from every undergraduate college across USF’s campuses, including Judy Genshaft Honors College faculty.

“I am proud of our students’ resilience and determination in the face of challenges, and pleased to know that they made up such an impressive percentage of all conference presenters this year,” said Dr. Charles Adams, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean. “Research is a pivotal piece of the Honors curriculum and the skills they learn through presenting their work to their peers and mentors – expanding their knowledge, creating cross-discipline connections and partnerships, fine-tuning communication skills, benefiting from faculty mentorship – all contribute to their paths toward success, now and in the future.”

“

Even with a pandemic, I still had an opportunity to share my work. I would recommend that all students from all majors work towards presenting at this event and take advantage of every opportunity.”

– Honors student Arushi Panwar

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HONORING GRADUATES IN UNCONVENTIONAL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

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HILE COVID-19 STOPPED the university from holding any in-person commencement ceremonies in 2020, it did not stop our College from celebrating the hard work and dedication of our amazing graduates.

At the close of every semester, the Judy Genshaft Honors College hosts a special graduation recognition ceremony for its seniors to highlight the hard work they put into their academics, research, studies abroad, internships, community service and all other areas that make them exceptional. In 2020 the College shifted these ceremonies to live virtual events that allowed friends and families across the globe to celebrate in real time. Thousands of participants watched as we highlighted the amazing work of our 2020 graduates during spring, summer, and fall virtual events. The guests tuned in from across America and from more than thirty countries, including Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, India, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan.

As we do at every commencement ceremony, the College honored select students during the virtual ceremonies with the Dean’s Circle of Merit, an award that celebrates outstanding accomplishments within the College and its unique curriculum.

Sponsored by the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council, the Dean’s Circle of Merit award is bestowed on students who exemplify the four main values of the College: leadership, service, global engagement, and research. The students are nominated by Honors faculty and staff, and are invited to complete an application that includes a creative piece to demonstrate why they deserve the award.

The winners are then chosen by the Dean and a representative group of faculty and staff. Winners receive a special commemorative stole and are recognized at the College commencement ceremony. We are proud to provide an environment where students can thrive and become better leaders and global citizens engaged in meaningful research and service projects.

2020 DEAN’S CIRCLE OF MERIT: SPRING 2020 Leadership: Richa Bisht For her leadership as an executive board member of the student council, and as a role model and peer reviewer for many students in the Office of National Scholarships.

Leadership: Stephanie Roberts For her leadership as an orientation mentor for incoming first-year students, a peer mentor in honors foundations, and a leader in multiple levels of the student council.

Global Citizenship: Paige Livingston For her dedication to broadening her global perspective, beginning with her participation in the Honors Japan program and continuing through immersion activities at Japanese universities.

Global Citizenship: Amber Pirson For her dedication to solving problems beyond borders, in the Dominican Republic and Thailand, alongside honors students and faculty.

Service: Julia Soondar For her dedication to improving others’ quality of life and addressing social challenges through College, community, and global service learning opportunities.

Service: Erin Mueller For her extensive work at the Tampa Museum of Art through the College’s Connections Program, and her service to children by founding a mentorship program at Pizzo Elementary.

Research: Jeanette Myrick For her extensive research in Honors and the Cell and Molecular Biology department, and her dedication to creating a community in which aspiring microbiologists may receive mentorship in bacteriophage research.

FALL 2020 Leadership: Tiara Desper For her leadership in the College as a peer mentor, orientation mentor, and student council executive board member, assisting incoming students and young College leaders.

Sponsored by the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council, the Dean’s Circle of Merit award is bestowed on students who exemplify the four main values of the College: leadership, service, global engagement, and research. The students are nominated by Honors faculty and staff, and are invited to complete an application that includes a creative piece to demonstrate why they deserve the award.

Leadership: Maisha Khan For her leadership serving as a Resident Assistant in the Honors Living Learning Community and as a Honors Orientation Mentor, assisting students in their transition to college.

Service: Avalon Theisen For dedicating over one thousand hours in service to USF and the Tampa Bay community to address food insecurity and financial hardships for sick children.

Global: Nora Eldin For volunteering as a translator at Tampa-based free medical clinics, leading volunteer trips to the Dominican Republic, and conducting a globally-focused independent research project.

Research: Success Ekpenyong For his innovative research directly resulting in his nonprofit, Upsurge International, to engage in socially conscious leadership development among youth all over the world, particularly in Africa.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 45

Alumni AN ALUMNA CALLED TO HELP HEAL BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD Dr. Asa Oxner (left) and Lucy Guerra (right), COCO Clinic co-coordinators, were presented with USF Health culture coins by Dr. Mark Moseley, USF Health chief medical officer, for leading efforts to get the virtual clinic up and running.

education we were able to change their entire quality of life. That was some of the most important and fulfilling work of my career.”

D

R. ASA OXNER IS AN HONORS alumna who truly embodies the values of our College: cross-disciplinary collaboration, global engagement, impactful cutting-edge research, and dedicated community service.

A native of Ocala and recipient of a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, she started her college career at USF with a love of science and quickly discovered that medicine was her calling. While her core classes were focused on that pursuit, she says she appreciated all of the opportunities Honors offered her for learning and involvement outside of her major.

“I loved having a creative and fulfilling outlet outside of my pre-med training,” says Oxner. “I completed a minor in music and even composed a symphony for my Honors thesis. The Honors College taught me that my assigned workload is not my total workload. It introduced me to multiple opportunities to participate in volunteer and leadership experiences that fulfill me,

46 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

and that I can pursue those while also succeeding professionally.”

After earning her medical degree from USF in 2011, Oxner completed her residency in internal medicine at Harvard University. She then returned to Tampa and began working with USF Health. A decade into her professional career, Oxner already has a history of making a big impact to address medical crises both in the Tampa Bay area and globally.

In 2014 Oxner and her husband spent two months in the Republic of Sierra Leone during the initial Ebola outbreak. When they returned home they felt called to do more, and signed up to spend an additional year working to battle the virus in the West African country. “Once the outbreak was under control the communities needed to reopen their hospitals and we were able to help them rebuild and train new staff,” says Oxner. “I would do it again in a heartbeat. We were working with patients who are very hard working, but still had so little and through care and

Her time in Africa was not her only experience helping to tackle a medical crisis overseas. She was also one of the USF Doctors who volunteered to travel to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. “The entire island was devastated,” says Oxner.

“Through a collaboration between USF and Tampa General Hospital we were able to bring more than 20,000 pounds of medical supplies to them in the few months after the hurricane.” Oxner went on multiple humanitarian trips to help the area and performed public health assessments of those whose homes were destroyed, often working without power. “You have every reason in the world to keep helping. Even if it’s hard, it’s worth it.”

Oxner said that the hurricane relief work wasn’t easy but she would do it again, and in fact, she did. In 2019 after Hurricane Dorian destroyed parts of the Bahamas, Oxner was on a team of four USF Health physicians to provide medical care in the country. Her work dealing with these crises abroad may have helped her prepare for the global pandemic that would arrive in Tampa Bay less than a year later.

When COVID-19 began impacting Florida, Oxner helped to quickly set up testing sites on USF’s Tampa campus. “It was important to safely test residents in a way that was both accessible and

SPOTLIGHT

convenient to the community,” says Oxner. “This was a collaborative effort with Student Health Services, USF Health, and volunteers from all across the campus. It involved a lot of setup and training, but that preparation resulted in an efficient and effective testing program.”

Shortly after setting up the testing site, Oxner and her colleagues identified another way that they could help with the local COVID response. “We recognized that there would be positive patients who either refused to, or could not afford to, go to (or stay in) the hospital with their illness, who needed to be helped in a safe and accessible way.” In early April 2020, Oxner helped launch the COVID Confirmed (COCO) Clinic, which provided tele-health services to approximately 5,000 patients in just its first nine months.

In addition to benefiting the patients who receive virtual follow-up care, the clinic (which Dr. Oxner serves as the Director of Operations) also provides resident physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacy students, social workers and behavioral health students with a place to complete their clinical rotations.

“

I loved having a creative and fulfilling outlet outside of my pre-med training.

I completed a minor in music and even composed a symphony for my Honors Thesis.”

– Dr. Asa Oxner

The clinic has seen great success, including administering FDA-approved monoclonal antibody infusions, which help substitute a patient’s own antibodies and mimic the immune system’s attack on the virus. “I was able to help set up our use of this cutting-edge COVID therapy within the first three days of FDA approval,” says Oxner. “We are one of the top three providers of this therapy in the nation, and while we are still collecting data, so far these infusions seem to be very effective in reducing complications, hospitalizations, and the need for breathing machines.”

Protecting those in Tampa Bay is not new for Dr. Oxner. In addition to her roles as Vice Chair for USF’s Department of Internal Medicine, Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine Residency, Medical Director for Outpatient Care, and Medical Director for USF’s COVID Testing Site, Dr. Oxner also volunteers as a faculty advisor for Tampa Bay Street Medicine. This student organization at USF Health is dedicated to improving the medical care of the houseless in our community. Dr. Oxner works with medical and nursing students to provide medical care, education, community connections, and healthcare access to some

Above: Dr. Asa Oxner leaving for one of many humanitarian trips to offer medical aid.

of the most vulnerable members of Tampa Bay. “Dr. Oxner’s work to support community health initiatives both locally and globally exemplifies the College’s commitment to public service, and to connecting academic knowledge with real-world action,” says Judy Genshaft Honors College Dean, Charles Adams.

“Her passion for improving people’s lives makes her a terrific role model for our current students, whatever field they enter.”

Dr. Oxner, who has served as a research and thesis mentor for Honors students, has some advice for those new to the College. “I would tell new students to show up and make yourself available,” she says. “If you want to be successful, in any field, you need to check your email, stay informed, learn about new opportunities, and get involved in things that will interest you. In terms of preparing me for my future, some of the things that helped me the most were networking and leadership events in the Honors College. Those have helped me throughout my entire career.”

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 47

Alumni Dr. Heather Agazzi, ’97 BA International Studies, ’03 MA School Psychology, ’07 EDS Curriculum and Instruction, ’11 MS Medical Sciences, ’07 PhD School Psychology, is an Associate Professor in Pediatrics and the Section Chief of the Division of Child Development in the USF Morsani College of Medicine. She also serves as Internship Director for the USF Health Internship in Professional Psychology. Dr. Agazzi specializes in helping children with a range of neurodevelopmental challenges including disruptive behavior disorders, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, trauma exposures, and learning disabilities. She has also completed research focused on the implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, HOT DOCS, and Smart Start for young children and their families.

Dhalia Bumbaca, ’18 BA International Business, ’20 MBA, ’20 MS Finance, is currently working at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL as a Student Engagement Coordinator. There she has largely focused her efforts on creating a Global Activism Program to engage students in social justice issues as well as sustainable initiatives such as an inaugural Farmers Market. She is also currently performing work on two different research projects, one on sports and sustainability, and another working with USF professors investigating gender-based and race-based microaggressions. She has recently started a nonprofit called WellFed Community working with the Well, located in Tampa Bay. Her organization is committed to building healthier communities through sustainable food systems.

Christopher Allemang, ’16 BS Electrical Engineering, is a Ph.D. candidate studying electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan and has secured a position at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His research interests include microfabrication for scalable and customizable manufacturing of thin-film electronics. His work spans deposition and characterization of oxide semiconductor materials and devices, including atomic-layer deposition of multi-component semiconductor materials. The work he has performed with atomic layer deposition of zinc-tin-oxide semiconductors and aluminum oxide passivation layers has contributed to record high-performance zinc-tin-oxide thin-film transistors with process temperatures compatible with flexible electronics and back end of line 3D monolithic integration.

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ALUMNI UPDATES

Richard “Kyle” Castello, ’12 BA Communications, has traveled to more than 30 countries and worked in Ecuador, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. He is currently living in Barcelona and pursuing a master’s degree in development education and global learning at University College London. He also owns and operates a digital advertising agency focused on growing startups, spreading messages about sustainability, and promoting global citizenship through search engine advertising. His company works with organizations in America, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean, but their ultimate goal is to use advertising to spread global learning in every country.

Dr. Nicholas “Nick” DeVito, ’08 BS Microbiology, ’12 MD, is a medical oncologist and an Instructor of Medicine at Duke University, where he treats patients with gastrointestinal cancers. He conducts laboratory and clinical-translational tumor immunology research focused on dendritic cell biology and immunotherapy resistance thanks to the support of a Damon Runyon Physician Scientist Award. The goal of this work is to improve outcomes for patients with metastatic cancer by achieving meaningful responses to immunotherapy.

In 2020, he received a USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award which recognizes the professional accomplishment and university engagement of young alumni.

Zita Ballinger Fletcher, ’13 BA Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, is an author, journalist, and military history writer. She has published more than ten works in fiction and nonfiction using the pen name Zita Steele. In 2020, she won awards from the Military Writers Society of America for two of her books: a Silver Medal in History for “Bernard Montgomery’s Art of War,” and a Bronze Medal in Historical Fiction for “The Hidden Sphinx: A Tale of World War II Egypt.” Her work as a journalist has included international reporting, analysis, and features from foreign countries.

She also earned a second-place award in the National Federation of Press Women’s 2020 nationwide writing contest for her December 2019 military history article on Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery entitled “Monty Crosses the Rhine.”

Rita Katona, ’02 BA International Business, is Chief Brand and Innovation Officer and Board Chair of So Good So You, a category-leading, plant-based wellness juice shot company. She co-founded So Good So You in 2014 alongside her husband, Eric Hall. With a deep admiration for sustainability and a healthy lifestyle, they established the brand mantra “for the Love of Body & Planet” that still remains today. In 2020, So Good So You was recognized as one of USF’s Fast 56, and as one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies for its rapid expansion of 515 percent in the functional beverage industry. In addition, Rita was named one of the “100 People to Know in 2021” by Twin Cities Business magazine.

JUDY GENSHAFT HONORS COLLEGE 49

Alumni

Nicholas “Nick” Machuca, ’16 BA English, ’16 BA International Studies, is Donor Engagement Coordinator at Equality Florida, the largest state-level organization fighting for LGBTQ+ civil rights and serves several communities across the state. Upon graduating from USF, he went on to receive his MA in English Literature and Language from the University of Oregon in 2018. His passions include exploring the natural world, expanding access to education, and fighting for human rights. He currently helps direct the Florida Futures Project, a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to college-bound high school graduates who exhibit bold ideas for Florida’s progressive future.

Shelby Mars, ’14 BA English, is practicing commercial litigation with Bradley & Riley PC in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After graduating from USF, she went on to receive a JD from Stetson University College of Law in 2017. Most recently, she co-founded Takes a Break, a blog about exploring what “Taking a Break” can look and feel like for different individuals. The blog offers all types of break-taking resources, including access to online cooking classes, opportunities to explore new parts of Earth online, and information about the latest up-and-coming podcasts.

Dr. Chinyere “ChiChi” Okpaleke, ’08 BS Biomedical Sciences, ’10 MS Medical Sciences, currently works as a full-time Hospitalist in Houston, Texas. She founded Reality Speaks, a nonprofit that began with a mission to help Tampa Bay area student athletes prepare for life beyond sports. It has since broadened its focus to assisting local families and students in need. Her activism in the community was recognized when she received a USF 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the USF MCOM 2020 Early Achievement Award in Service. “Dr. Chi” also donates her skills as a physician to the medically underserved, participating in mission trips to Nigeria, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

Her charitable work has earned her BayCare Medical Group’s Golden Compass Award for Service.

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ALUMNI UPDATES

Luke Richardson, ’11 BA Accountancy, ’13 MA Accountancy, is an instructor in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy in the Muma College of Business at USF, teaching courses in both taxation and financial and managerial accounting. He is also currently pursuing a JD from Stetson University College of Law. He is a past recipient of the School of Accountancy Advisory Council’s Outstanding Teaching Award and serves as the faculty adviser for the accounting internship course. Richardson has been featured as a tax expert in several local media outlets, including FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, Spectrum News, Bay News 9, WalletHub, and The Penny Hoarder.

AT T E N T I O N

HONORS ALUMNI We want to stay connected with you.

Please email us at alumni@honors.usf.edu with your updated contact information and any news you’d like to share. We are proud of our alumni and want to promote your accomplishments.

Want to learn more about what’s happening in the College?

Connect with us on: • LinkedIn • Facebook • Instagram Be on the lookout for upcoming Honors alumni news and events. Go Bulls!

Rylee Wagner, ’18 BS Biomedical Sciences, works for Americorps as their Immunization Outreach and Education Coordinator with Immunize Colorado, a non-profit organization focused on building awareness and advocating for policies to increase childhood vaccination rates in the state. She works with a collection of six medically underserved counties throughout the western Colorado region and helped plan the COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the highest risk individuals in this region. Prior to this work, she served as a Community Health Advisor with the Peace Corps in Madagascar. Before the emergency evacuation in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked at a local clinic in the town of Ambatosoratra assisting with health education programs covering topics ranging from nutrition to malaria to sanitation. Her ultimate goal is to complete a MD/MPH program with a focus on global medicine and medically underserved communities.

Location:

University of South Florida Tampa campus 4202 E Fowler Ave, ALN 241 Tampa, Fl 33620-5801

Telephone: (813) 974-3087 Online: usf.edu/honors

MOSAIC writer: Amy Harroun MOSAIC designer: Anne Scott