TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION
U S F S TU DEN TS M AK E AN I M PAC T O N THE C OMMUNIT Y
Carrie O’Brion Steven Brown saw his government class as more than just an opportunity to earn a grade: it was a chance to change lives. As a former E-4 fighter jet maintainer in the Navy, Brown frequently visited the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in St. Petersburg, and always noted the number of veterans at the bus stop, either waiting for a ride or waiting to be picked up. Brown and his fellow students came up with a proposal: Why not allow disabled veterans in Pinellas County to ride public transit for free? Team members presented their idea to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) Board of Directors. The board was so impressed, they took the proposal a step further, passing a motion to allow all Pinellas County veterans to ride PSTA buses at no cost starting on November 10, 2023. It was a powerful lesson for Brown and his classmates. “This class really got me to think how you can affect real change in society if you have the tools and motivation at your disposal,” Brown said, who plans on advocating for veteran issues his entire life. “It’s been an honor to be able to make a positive change that improves the community welfare of veterans.” Brown is just one of many students on the USF St. Petersburg campus making a difference in the lives of others and creating positive change in the community. From rescuing wildlife to illustrating a children’s book about the wonders of space, these students are learning valuable skills while pushing boundaries and advocating for a better future.
abnormal molting and cloudiness of the eyes, leading to higher death rates in certain species of snakes. Most of Shukla’s research is performed in the USF St. Petersburg herpetology lab, which is home to a venomous cottonmouth, two diamondback rattlesnakes and several nonvenomous water snakes.
Shukla, who has been nicknamed “Snakeman” around campus because of his unique field of study, said he chose snake fungal disease as his master’s thesis because reptiles are understudied compared to other animals.
“Snakes are very important in terms of the food web,” Shukla said. “So, we’re studying this disease because we do think it has the potential to be a conservation concern.”
TAKING ACTION TO SAVE A LIFE Marine Biology student Kierstyn Benjamin is also interested in helping wildlife. But her opportunity to assist an animal in distress occurred when she was doing homework in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library. Benjamin was gazing out the window at Bayboro Harbor when she saw a manatee head pop out of the water. She went outside to get a closer look and quickly determined the juvenile manatee wasn’t behaving normally.
HELPING AN OVERLOOKED SPECIES While most people do their best to avoid venomous snakes, Shiv Shukla spends a large portion of his time studying, handling and observing the slithery creatures. Shukla, a graduate student in conservation biology, is studying the emerging pathogen Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, a fungal disease found in snakes. The skin condition has been found in Florida and can cause
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So, Benjamin called the Florida Fish and Wildlife
