A MESSAGE FROM THE REGIONAL CHANCELLOR

Though all universities are places for learning and growth, some take on the characteristics of a community. In addition to research and innovation, there is also empathy, respect and caring.

There’s a quote from Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former president Jimmy Carter who recently passed away, that has always resonated with me: “Do what you can to show you care about other people and you will make our world a better place.”

That’s a thread I see running through so much of what drives us here at USF St. Petersburg. From the partnerships we form with our community to the research that pushes boundaries and advances knowledge, we are constantly working to improve society.

You’ll read about many of these initiatives in this year’s issue of Innovations, our campus magazine.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the progress we’re making toward building an Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences (EOS) Research and Teaching Facility, an $80 million project that will further establish USF St. Petersburg as a global destination for the study of ocean and environmental science.

We held our first-ever Bulls and Brews by the Bay, a fundraising event on our beautiful waterfront. Also called “Okto-BULL-fest,” there was live music, a German menu and chance drawings. Most importantly, we also raised enough to offer ten times the number of USF St. Petersburg scholarships compared to this year.

I’m particularly proud of the accomplishments of our students highlighted in the magazine. Stephen Brown, a political science major and a U.S. Navy veteran, used his government class to successfully lobby the local transit authority to provide free bus rides to veterans. Louis Coticchio’s undergraduate research into the behavior of brown widow spiders grabbed national attention and raised important questions about the species.

You’ll also read a moving essay by Thomas Smith, our Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Campus Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who accompanied a group of students from the Judy Genshaft Honors College to eastern Europe to learn more about the Holocaust.

I hope you’ll come away feeling as I do: that USF St. Petersburg is a very special place, filled with exceptional people focused on making a difference.

Enjoy Innovations and share it with others. I invite you to stay engaged with us to keep up to date on all the latest news. Check out our website at stpetersburg.usf.edu and follow us on social media.

Thank you so much for your continued support. And, as always, GO BULLS!

Christian E. Hardigree Regional Chancellor USF St. Petersburg