INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Busciglio Family: A Legacy of Bull Pride Pg 12 There’s No Place Like Homecoming Pg 18
2013 USF AlumniAwards Honoring the Pride and Spirit of USF Alumni & Friends Pg 21
CONTENTS FEATURES
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12 The Busciglio Family: A Legacy of Bull Pride As she contemplates USF’s first 50th Class Reunion coming up in December, Charter Class member Diana Penton Busciglio said she would never have dreamed that her son would play football for USF and her daughter would dance on the sideline as a Sun Doll.
14 Profile in Leadership: Dave Hilfman, `82 Dave Hilfman, `82, believes his three decade career in the airline industry would never have happened if he had not been involved in student leadership positions at USF. He’s now vice president of Worldwide Sales for United Airlines.
18 SuperBull XVII Homecoming 2013 From the Welcome Back party and carnival to the Homecoming parade to the big game at Ray Jay, there is “No Place Like Homecoming” for USF alumni during the week of Oct. 21-26. Get all the information you need to plan your family activities and reconnect with old friends. We’ll see you there!
21 2013 USF Alumni Awards
Alumni Voice is printed with bio-renewable ink at Interprint, a TEC-certified Green printing facility.
Our university honors five individuals who represent the spirit and pride of USF through their professional accomplishments and service to their communities and alma mater.
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DEPARTMENTS 2 Five Minutes with Monty 3 USFAA Board of Directors 5 News Roundup 7 Bulls Eye: Capt. Stannish, `93 8 Where’s Rocky? 16 Student Voice 17 Bulls Eye: At the White House
20 CampU 26 Blast from the Past 27 Love USF 28 Chapters & Societies 32 Employ-A-Bull 33 Bulls Eye: Tom Ries, `83 34 Class Notes 40 Athletics 41 Calendar
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Minutes with Monty Monty Weigel, `76 Chair, USF Alumni Association Board of Directors
Hello Fellow Alumni, As the 2013-14 chair of your USF Alumni Association, I first want to thank you for all that you do on behalf of our alma mater. Your membership in the Alumni Association signifies that you stand with other Bulls in support of USF and its mission as a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. Alumni involvement is crucial in advancing USF’s reputation. Working together with faculty, staff, administration and students, we make USF unstoppable. That is never more evident than now, when the entire USF System bustles with activity, on the field and in the classroom. Your USF Alumni Association is busy too, wrapping up the final plans for the biggest event of the fall: Super Bull XVII Homecoming 2013. This is the time of year when we say “Welcome Home” to you, our alumni. We want you to come back, reconnect with old friends and mentors, bring your kids to play at the carnival and catch beads at the Homecoming parade, and wear your green and gold with pride at Raymond James Stadium when our Bulls face the
Alumni Voice® USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100 Tampa, Florida 33620 alumni@usf.edu USFalumni.org Alumni Voice Editorial: Karla Jackson, jacksonk@usf.edu or Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@usf.edu Advertising: Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@usf.edu or 813-974-6312 Design: State of Mind Design, LLC
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Louisville Cardinals on Oct. 26. You’ll find a full schedule of Homecoming events on page 18. We look forward to seeing you there. For me personally, one of the highlights of Homecoming Week is the annual USF Alumni Awards banquet, sponsored by NorthStar Bank. As president and CEO of NorthStar, I can tell you that we are proud to support an event that recognizes such accomplished and generous people whose personal and professional efforts reflect so well on our university. See page 21 to learn more about the five 2013 USF Alumni Award recipients. We hope that you can join us in honoring them on Oct. 24. Visit USFalumni.org/awards to RSVP. A reminder for those alumni who are members of USF’s first graduating class of 1963: Please be sure to RSVP for your 50th reunion, scheduled for Dec. 13-14 here at the USF Tampa campus. A campus tour, reunion luncheon, and a Class of `63 dinner dance to your favorite ‘60s music will make it an event to remember. Visit USFalumni.org/50reunion for details. I’m sure you will find plenty of other interesting things to read about our university and your fellow USF alumni inside this issue of Alumni Voice. I look forward to representing all USF alumni from each of the three regional institutions in the USF System during my term as chair of the USF Alumni Association. Yours in Bull Pride,
Monty Weigel, `76 Chair, USF Alumni Association Life Member #1,495
Contributors in this Issue: Penny Carnathan, `82 Rebecca Geiger, MSM `12 Christina Cameron, `04 Karla Jackson, `88 Christine Makar, `10 Matt May Meghan Palmer Tom Scherberger Carol T. Wight
USF Bulls License Plate: www.BullsPlate.org Alumni Association website: USFalumni.org
Alumni Association Contact Information Executive Director: Bill McCausland, MBA `96 Membership: 813-974-2100 or 800-299-BULL Alumni & Student Programs: 813-974-2100 General Alumni e-mail: alumni@usf.edu Giving/Scholarships: Ron Sherman, `74 rsherman@usf.edu
ALUMNI VOICE (USPS# 025203) Number 26 Alumni Voice is published quarterly in the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall as a benefit of membership in the University of South Florida Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave.,
Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please write to Karla Jackson at jacksonk@usf.edu or mail to the address listed at left. Views expressed in Alumni Voice do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USF Alumni Association, the University of South Florida or the editorial staff.
ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455. Periodical Postage Paid at Tampa, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: University of South Florida Alumni Association, Communications Department, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455. New Address? Moving? Update your official USF alumni record at myUSFbio.org or email your information to alumni@usf.edu. You also may remove the magazine label and send it with your correct address to Alumni Voice, USF Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620. © 2013 All rights reserved.
Your 2013-14 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors These fellow alumni volunteer their time to work with your USF Alumni Association leadership and staff to fulfill our promise to you: to connect alumni and create meaningful ways for you to help USF succeed. Front row, from left: 1) Lisa Provenzano-Heugel, `93, `96, & M.S. `07; 2) Kathy Dorf, `08; 3) Vicki Ahrens, `73 & M.A. `75; 4) Ed Hoeppner, `81; 5) Jon Smith, MBA `07; 6) Monty Weigel, `76; 7) Kimberly Choto, `92 & M.A. `02; 8) USF Ambassador President Juan Henry; 9) Merritt Martin, `04 & MPA `06; 10) Sandy Pettit, `94 & M.Che `10; Back row, from left: 11) Mary Harper, `97, M.Ed `01, & Ph.D `07; 12) USF Student Government Vice President Scott Sandoval; 13) Jeff Reynolds, `91; 14) Lee Winter, `85; 15) USF Alumni Association Executive Director Bill McCausland, MBA `96; 16) Randy Norris, `79; 17) Brian Campbell, `93; 18) Manley Jaquiss, `86; 19) Andy Coe, `95 & MBA `00 and 20) Michael Griffin, `03. Not Pictured: Katrina Anderson, `09 & M.A. `11; Franklin Biggins, `69; Andrew Cohen, `11; Jim Harvey, `88 and Amy Walsh, `85. Ex-Officio Members: USF System President Judy Genshaft; USF Senior Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Affairs Joel Momberg.
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news roundup
Bull Explorers is New Name for Alumni Travel Program
Nominations Open for 2014 USF Fast 56 Your USF Alumni Association is now accepting nominations of USF alumni-owned or -led businesses for the 2014 USF Fast 56. The USF Fast 56 is an annual group of the fastest-growing USF alumni-owned or -operated businesses from all over the world. The top businesses will be ranked and recognized at the USF Fast 56 awards ceremony held on Friday, April 11, during USF Week. Anyone can nominate an eligible company that meets the following criteria: l Business must have been in operation for a minimum of 36 months l Business must have verifiable revenues of at least $250,000 for the most recent 12-month period l Business must be owned or operated by a former USF student who meets one of the following descriptions: • A former USF student or group of former students must own 50 percent or more of the company during the eligible period. OR • A former USF student must serve as the company’s chief executive (for example chairman, CEO, president or managing partner) during the eligible period. OR • A former USF student must have founded the company and been active as a member of the most senior management team during the eligible period. Nominated companies are contacted to verify their interest in participating. Applications and required documents are provided directly to the CPA firm, Ernst & Young, who receive the information and tabulate the results. Neither the university nor the USF Alumni Association see or have access to the company’s financial documents. For more information or to nominate a business visit USFalumni.org/fast56.
Diana Mistry, Nursing `11, submitted the winning name, Bull Explorers, in a contest held on Facebook to officially name the USF Alumni Association’s popular travel program. She received an iPod Nano for her winning entry. The Bull Explorers have upcoming trips to Tahiti, Italy and other European locales, Alaska, and the National Parks of the western United States planned in 2014. Visit USFalumni.org/ travel for details.
College of Business Ranks in Top 25 for Information Systems USF’s College of Business ranks 25 out of 124 universities in the Information Systems specialty in Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s 2013 rankings. “At USF, we truly believe that by demanding that our graduates understand ‘big data’ and know how to extract valuable information from it, they will find better jobs and we will establish a reputation as the place where top employers come to find talent,” says Kaushal Chari, former chair of the Information Systems and Decision Sciences (ISDS) department, who recently took a new position as associate dean of research and professional programs. Part of the college’s new five-year strategic plan included a focus on data analytics across every department, but especially the ISDS department, where data analytics and business intelligence are a big part of the curriculum. The department boasts world-class faculty and an industry-sponsored practice center that allows students to work with companies on real-world projects.
New USF SarasotaManatee Labs at Mote Marine The new USFSM science laboratories that opened in the fall at Mote Marine Laboratory are a win-win for both the university and the research center. Biology and chemistry students Continued on page 6
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news roundup
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will have access to brand-new labs located in 4,000 square feet of renovated space at Mote. Mote researchers will hold courtesy faculty appointments that could help them secure additional sources of research funding. The location of the new lab space, a renovated section of an existing building along Sarasota Bay, will provide a hands-on approach to learning, pairing students with USFSM and Mote researchers. “We’ll actually be able to get our students involved not only in the research projects that our scientists have designed, but we’ll pair them
up with Mote scientists so they may be going out on a boat together, they may be collecting samples together,” said Arthur Guilford, chancellor at USFSM. That type of engagement is a key focus for the program that has been in the works for more than five years and was fast-tracked within the last two years due to donations. The initial $1.5 million cost was covered by about 50 local donors and foundations. Sources: University Communications and Marketing, USF Heath and USF Sarasota-Manatee
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USF Surpasses $600 Million USF: Unstoppable Campaign Goal The USF: Unstoppable Campaign has lived up to its billing. The campaign, publicly launched in October 2009, has raised both awareness and funding for USF System students and priorities in academics, athletics and research. As of June 30, the campaign surpassed $621 million. USF System President Judy Genshaft said the successful campaign has truly been a systemwide effort. “We are so grateful to the many people throughout the Tampa Bay region and around the country who have supported the USF System through their gifts during this campaign,” says Genshaft. “They have made a tremendous difference in the lives of our students and our faculty and their generosity will benefit and impact our community in so many ways.” The USF: Unstoppable Campaign has thus far raised more than $75 million for student scholarships and $34 million for faculty chairs and professorships. In addition, benefactors to the campaign donated more than $325 million to support academic program enhancements, which impact both faculty and students through the creation of better opportunities for teaching, learning and research. USF: Unstoppable Campaign Chair Les Muma said that the academic focus of the campaign was not lost on USF’s many supporters. “As chair of this campaign, I had the opportunity to meet with many, many donors who support the USF System,” says Muma. “Time and again I was struck by how their giving to USF was motivated by wanting to
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help students learn, faculty members teach and conduct research, and by their desire to see the impact their philanthropy makes on both individuals and the greater community. We are so thankful for the gifts of more than 140, 000 donors who stepped forward to support USF.” Also benefitting from the campaign has been USF Health, including the Morsani College of Medicine, and the USF Colleges of Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. Including the giving of Frank and Carol Morsani, which led to the naming of the Morsani College of Medicine and the construction of the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare, more than $170 million was donated to USF Health. The USF Athletics program raised nearly $40 million during the campaign, with many of the gifts designated for new facilities. Now dotting the dramatically-altered athletics landscape are the Pam and Les Muma Basketball Center, the Corbett Soccer Stadium, the Gonzmart Family Plaza (connecting the new baseball and softball stadiums), the Chowdhari Golf Center, the Frank Morsani Football Practice Complex and the soon-to-be-constructed James Tennis Center, funded by a lead gift from Tom James. Joel Momberg, senior vice president for University Advancement and Alumni Affairs and CEO of the USF Foundation, summed up the gratitude of USF and the USF Foundation for the support of so many. “The USF: Unstoppable Campaign, through the creation of facilities, endowments and academic enhancements, is not only changing lives for the better today, but will continue to do so far into the future,” says Momberg.
In the Bulls Eye USFSM Stannish
Captain Corinne Stannish, Criminology `93, First Woman Captain for Sarasota P.D. By Karla Jackson, `88
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olice work is in the blood of Capt. Corinne Stannish, the first woman to achieve the rank of captain in the Sarasota Police Department. Her father and maternal grandfather both were Chicago police officers. “I always felt like cops are born, not made. It was always something I knew was for me,” she says. Stannish marked 25 years with the department this year, starting out as a patrol officer when she was in her junior year at USF Sarasota-Manatee, and rising through the ranks to her current post in charge of the Support Services division. “That last year I had to do part time,” she recalls of her college days. “Day or night, just one or two classes at a time until I finally got it done.” In addition to working full time and going to school part time, Stannish was married and raising three kids. It was a lot to juggle, but there was never any question that she would complete her degree. “It was the way we were raised,” she says. “With my mother, it was non-negotiable. You got
married? Congratulations. Now finish your degree. You got a job? Great, now finish your degree.” Sometimes that meant bringing a child along to work, like when she was serving in a community policing role. “I had a Girl Scout troop in the projects and I had my son in the stroller while we were out there selling cookies,” she says. “You do what you’ve got to do.” That son, Cary Panichello, is now completing his senior year at USF Tampa, soon to graduate with a bachelor’s in Nursing and a minor in Public Health. The two generations of Bulls like to go to football games together. Their college experiences couldn’t have been more different, but Stannish is pleased at how things have turned out for her son. “It’s been great having him live that campus life and have that college experience,” she says. Stannish, 46, was proud and excited to be selected as Sarasota P.D.’s first woman captain in May. “When you stop and realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m the first one,’ it’s quite an accomplishment,” she says. “With all the women getting into the field, I’m looking forward to the day when you won’t hear any more of this ‘first woman captain’ or ‘first woman chief.’” ®
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Rocky? where’s
Take Rocky on your next trip and send your photos to: Karla Jackson at jacksonk@usf.edu or to her attention at the USF Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.
p USF alumna Denise Dimbath, `94, took Rocky along on a cruise to Costa Rica and met fellow Bull Jon Arnold, `91, from Twinsburg, Ohio.
t USF Alumni Association Life Members Jim and Angie Brewer share their Bull Pride at the 2013 Solheim Cup held at the Colorado Golf Club. Angie, `82 & M.S. `84, is the 2012 USF Alumni Donald A. Gifford Service Award recipient and the couple are longtime supporters of USF.
p Rocky visited the Sydney Opera House during a trip to Australia with Angela Karamitsos, `04.
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t Rocky enjoyed sightseeing at the Ottawa Parliament with 1985 USF Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Dr. Anila Jain, `81, second from left, former Alumni Association board president and 2009 Donald A. Gifford Award recipient Roger Frazee, `71, second from right. On the left is Dr. Jain’s father, USF Life Member Kailash Jain, and on the right is Ujagar Sethi.
p Dr. Steve Jordan, `90 & MD `96, brought Rocky along to assist during his recent medical mission trip to Inca, Peru.
Mark Kolb, `76, took Rocky along on his trip to Malibu to meet his sister-inlaw, General Hospital star Jackie Zeman (who plays Bobbie Spencer on the soap), second from right. At left are Mark’s wife Carol and niece Lacey.
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Where’s Rocky?
Life Member Dave Sarich, `82, and Pam Sarich, `82, took Rocky along to visit their son, USF student Nick Sarich during his semester abroad in Copenhagen.
Kacie Nadeau, `02 & MA `06, cruised the southern Caribbean with Rocky. They’re pictured here at Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
p Brandon Aldridge, `88, at left, introduced Rocky to former retired NFL place kicker Garo Yepremian when they met at a charity golf tournament near Philadelphia this summer. Yepremian played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is a big fan of USF. 10 10
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Profile Busciglio
The
Busciglio Family: A Charter Class Member Begins a Family Tradition of Bull Pride
By Penny Carnathan, `82
starting player on USF’s first football team. The following year, daughter Dina, `98, would join him as a Sun Doll dancer. A cheerleader for iana Penton was 18 and so excited, she couldn’t eat lunch on the the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dina switched to collegiate athletics so she could share the field very first day of classes at the with her brother for a season. University of South Florida. Both “kids” knew just where to find their bigShe and about 1,500 kids, many of them – gest fans – in eight seats on the first row behind like her – from Tampa, gathered in front of the the players’ bench. They can find them there to Administration building on Sept. 26, 1960 to hear this day. President John Allen’s welcome. They had been Diana Busciglio relishes her role as a member waiting five years for this day, since a law signed of USF’s charter class, and looks forward to its by the governor promised them their own state 50th-anniversary reunion in Decemuniversity. There had been so much talk ber. She’ll be there, attending special about it! campus tours and dining and dancing “This event was so special,” says with old friends. But, in truth, she never the one-time education major, now really left. She and her children say USF 71-year-old Diana Busciglio. “We were has been a uniting and pivotal force in special. Tampa was special!” their lives. Curiously, one statement from Dr. For a big, tight-knit, Italian-Spanish Allen’s address that day has always family, having a school within driving stuck with her. distance of home was a blessing; three “Dr. Allen said, very emphatically, of Diana and Dr. John Busciglio’s six ‘This will be an academic institution. children attended. It wasn’t because We will never have athletics.’ I’ve never Mom was a Charter Class member – it forgotten that,” she says. was because they didn’t want to leave Which is strange because, at the Tampa. time, she didn’t care whether USF had “All of my family and friends were sports. Diana Busciglio here, and I never really thought of movProphetic serendipity? ing away,” says Dr. Derek Busciglio, 36, Thirty-seven years later, Busciglio’s now an orthodontist and co-owner with his sister, son Derek Busciglio, `99, would triumphantly Dr. Dana Busciglio, of Busciglio Smiles. burst onto the field at the old Tampa Stadium as a
D The Busciglio Family’s Bull Pride was evident at Dr. Derek Busciglio’s wedding to his wife Katie, held in Italy in September of 2010. Not only did they bring Rocky along, but everyone in the photo is a USF alumni. Pictured from left are: Leyla Khavarian, Leah Maitland, Dr. Brian Busciglio, Kristen Busciglio, Katie Mullis Busciglio, Dr. Derek Busciglio, Diana Busciglio, Dr. Tim Kelly and Dina Busciglio. 12
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Dina Busciglio as a USF Sun Doll and Dr. Derek’s football photo from 1997.
Derek took over the practice from his dad three years ago and it recently achieved yet another Busciglio family/USF first: It was named to the inaugural USF Fast 56 list of fastest-growing USF alumni-owned or -led businesses in the world. Attending college close to home had an unanticipated bonus for Derek. As an alumnus, he now gets to spend a lot of time on campus. A member of the Varsity Club, along with sister Dina Busciglio Sheridan, now 39 and a Tampa lawyer, he’s also a member of the Gridiron Club and a Green Jacket donor. He gives his time, too, helping out with student athletes’ physicals and dental emergencies. “I see so many faces I know when I’m on campus or attending events, buddies I played football with,” he says. “If I’d gone to, say, Nebraska, I would probably never go back there.” Dina, meanwhile, also maintains her USF ties. She attended the Honors program, which proved a perfect bridge from small Catholic high school to big university. “There were just a few students in each class, and it was very specialized,” she says. “I still stay in touch with the Honors program.” Hired by the Bucs right out of high school, Sheridan departed the franchise during her senior year at USF. “I absolutely loved the Sun Dolls,” she says. “My whole family was right there behind the bench. That first game, knowing my brother would be out on the field with me, that would have to be my favorite memory.” Derek and Dina’s brother Dr. Brian Busciglio, `01, was set to attend the University of Florida – but he met a girl. “At the last minute, that’s what made me stay,” says Brian, 40. Today, Kristen Matala Busciglio, `93, is his wife. She grew up in Sarasota and attended USF on a softball scholarship. The couple lives in Chi-
cago, but maintain their Bulls ties during Windy City alumni chapter meet-ups. Dana and two other Busciglio children, Michael and David, attended other colleges, but they can often be found in those eight seats behind the players’ bench. Sometimes their mom has a gold and green manicure. Sometimes, they all sport Bulls football jerseys with Derek’s number, 93. Only one thing’s missing. Back in those early years at USF, Diana met a handsome Italian University of Florida student. In 1962, the year the Golden Brahmans became USF’s mascot, John Busciglio proposed. He wanted to get married; have her come back to Gainesville with him. She did. But it meant leaving school. Her kids want her to return and finish what she started and they’ve been cheering her on. It’s a tantalizing idea. “I would love The University of nothing more than cordially to walk across the stage with the medallion I got on that first day of classes and my little Rocky the Bull,” she says. “My kids keep saying, ‘Go Mom, go!’ “I can probably do it,” she says. “I love USF.”
South Florida invites
All Members of the Class of 1963 to their 50th Reunion
®
December 13-14, 2013 Visit with former classmates, be recognized at a commencement ceremony, tour the new buildings on campus and find out what’s been happening since you left. For a detailed list of events and to make a reservation go to www.usfalumni.org/50reunion Reservations accepted through November 1, 2013 For more information please contact Beverly Jewesak at (813) 974-5390 or bjewesak@usf.edu
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Profile in Leadership Dave Hilfman
“My education and university experience at USF were enormously impactful to any success I have achieved in the business world,” said Hilfman. “Of course, the academic knowledge gained was critical, but beyond that I took full advantage of the extra-curricular activities that provided me with opportunities that began the development of the leadership skills I work from today.” — Dave Hilfman
Dave Hilfman, `82, is senior vice president of worldwide sales for United Airlines.
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By Carol P. Wight
ne unique phone call at just the right time would become the start of an accomplished airline industry career that Dave Hilfman, `82, believes chose him while a student at USF. He also believes that phone call would have never happened if he had not been involved in student leadership positions within the USF campus community. Because it did, Eastern Airlines hired Dave as their first campus rep. Today, he is a respected leader in the airline industry as the senior vice president of worldwide sales for United Airlines. He has also been recognized as one of the 25 most influential executives of the business travel industry in 2011, by the Business Travel News. Hilfman’s rise to become an influential airline industry executive has been what he calls an extraordinary ride.
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PHOTO Matt May Photography.
“It all started at USF,” says Hilfman, “and I see it as a huge blessing that set my career destiny in motion.” After graduating in 1982 with a degree in finance, and having served two years as the Eastern Airlines campus rep, Hilfman chose to pursue business in the airline industry because he considered it fascinating. He thought he might work in the industry for a couple of years and travel the world before getting a “serious job” in banking or investing. But as it turns out, he and the airline industry were a great match for each other. Hilfman held sales positions of increasing responsibility with Eastern throughout the southeastern United States until joining Continental Airlines in 1986, where he served as regional sales manager in New York City and director of the Western Sales Division based in Los Angeles. In 1992, Hilfman moved to the
From USF, the Sky’s the Limit! airline’s corporate headquarters in Houston, where he held the positions of senior director of U.S. Field Sales, vice president of multinational sales and revenue programs and vice president of sales and reservations. He then served as senior vice president of worldwide sales for Continental Airlines from 2004 to 2010, where he oversaw a team composed of more than 600 sales professionals. After the merger of Continental and United Airlines, Hilfman was appointed to his current position as senior vice president of worldwide sales for United, where he is responsible for directing the efforts of a team of over 800 sales professionals who manage sales programs, relationships and revenue with corporations, travel management companies and distributors around the world.
THOUGHTFUL COMMUNICATION IS KEY The merger of United and Continental would call upon Hilfman’s best leadership skills as he addressed the huge task of creating a unified sales force and reworking thousands of corporate deals. Though faced with complex challenges, he considered it best to lead from the same basic, straightforward principles that had brought him to this position. “I’m always trying to improve myself as a leader,” says Hilfman, “and often I learn a great deal from watching other leaders that I respect. But there are some pretty basic principles I operate from that most leaders will understand – be honest, be kind, be straightforward, and always focus on clear communication. You will not be successful unless you have people supporting you, and the only way you get that is if you work closely with people and make sure they are successful as well.” Hilfman knows that things rarely get accomplished unless expectations are clearly communicated, and believes that an important element in clear communication is finding a way to help people feel comfortable even when covering the most serious of subjects. Hilfman’s communication style of showing humility and even a sense of humor has obviously served him well, from his beginning days as a campus rep, and now as he continues to successfully lead the sales force for United that operates as the world’s leading airline.
LEADERSHIP LEARNED AT USF “My education and university experience at USF were enormously impactful to any success I have achieved in the business world,” says Hilfman. “Of course, the academic knowledge gained was critical, but beyond that I took full advantage of the extra-curricular activities that provided me with opportunities that began the development of the leadership skills I work from today.” Hilfman came to USF as a student in 1979, from his home state of Iowa. He had driven by the university on many trips to Florida with his parents and on one trip he stopped to investigate by talking to students and meeting professors. Ultimately, he enrolled in the College of Business as he was impressed by the quality of the academic programs and the leaders, and of course fell in love with the area and the state of Florida. While a student, Hilfman joined the Tau Epsilon Phi (TEP) fraternity and become involved in their fundraising activities for charity and other philanthropic efforts. He also served two terms as student body president (1981-82), and believes those experiences taught him a great deal about the business world through student government and Greek life programing, budgeting, developing business plans and strategies, as well as the importance of networking and interacting. Through public speaking roles in both organizations, he learned the critical importance of communication. Hilfman is proud of his education at USF and especially the leadership opportunities that resulted in the phone call from Eastern Airlines that launched a career that he loves. He is a Life Member of the Alumni Association and has been a generous supporter of the USF System for many years. “I’m very happy in what I’m doing,” says Hilfman, “and I’d like to think I’ll still be helping out United for a number of years ahead. And who knows, maybe one day I can come back and teach a class at USF, where I started, and encourage someone else to find the same kind of blessed career that I have found.” ®
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Student Voice
My Time as an Ambassador Comes to an End
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By Meghan Palmer, `13
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can vividly remember the first time I saw a student wearing the dark green blazer, a pin emblazoned with the USF seal on the breast pocket. The girl wearing the blazer emulated professionalism and elegance. I didn’t know what organization she was a part of, but I knew I wanted to learn more about it. The green blazer is the signature mark of the USF Ambassadors. This Alumni Association sponsored organization began in 1979 for the purpose of bridging the gap between students and alumni. Since then, the Ambassador program has come to be known as the most elite student organization on campus, requiring a three-round interview process that concludes with a one-on-one interview with USF System President Judy Genshaft. I have been lucky enough to be a part of the Ambassador family for three years now and I can honestly say that it has shaped my collegiate experience. From giving a personal campus tour to an important USF donor to meeting Frank and Carol Morsani who have done so much for USF and the community, this organization has provided me with opportunities that your average student does not get the chance to experience. Before becoming an Ambassador, I had no idea how widespread the USF Bulls family really
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is. While attending a conference in Georgia, a handful of Ambassadors got the chance to meet up with members of the Atlanta USF Alumni Chapter. Louis Struikman, the chapter chair, took us on a tour of the city, showing us the infamous Elvis shrine in Little Five Points and ending at The Vortex (arguably the greatest burger joint in town). Although he graduated six years ago, his Bull Pride was still as strong as when he was a student. There are so many professional benefits of being an Ambassador, but the greatest benefit of all is the inspiration that this organization has instilled in me. Through the years, the Ambassadors have truly become a family to me; always pushing me to do my best and always being there for me when I hit a rough patch. To say that my peers impress me is an understatement. From international students who speak four languages to student body presidents, the Ambassadors really are the “cream of the crop.” As I complete my last semester and prepare to leave USF, I’ve come to realize that the friendships I have made as an Ambassador are precious. There is no doubt in my mind that each of us will go out into the world and make our university proud. ®
In the Bulls Eye Fatimeh Shamseddine
Fatimeh Shamseddine, Criminology `10, finds her purpose in the White House By Tom Scherberger
USF
St. Petersburg Honors Program graduate Fatimeh Shamseddine is a long way from her childhood in war-torn Sierra Leone. Three years after graduating from USFSP with a BA in criminology and a minor in mass communications, Shamseddine is working at the White House as the special assistant to the director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. She credits her time at USF St. Petersburg for “reinforcing the practice of humility and respect which I have adopted in my everyday life,” she says. “Beyond my traditional courses, the Honors Program really forced me to think more broadly. I was challenged by the extensive essays and class conversations. It was rigorous and robust and the students were some of the best and the brightest. There was no easy way out because there was no way to hide in a class of 1012 other students. But to balance the intensity, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. We were like a family – a very smart and competitive family. … I also learned from my classmates, professors and mentors to always be curious, to reach far and to always remember those who were around you yesterday because in some shape or form, direct or indirect, they helped shape you into who you are today.” USFSP’s focus on community engagement also had an impact. Shamseddine spent many hours volunteering in the community. “The more I was exposed to the more I wanted to learn,” she says. An internship arranged
through the university took her to Washington, D.C, and changed her life. “I had great confidence in myself but when I stepped foot in D.C., I was breathing new air and while it was refreshing, it was fierce,” she recalls. “I was exposed to what seemed to be a new world. The more time I spent in D.C. the more I developed and from that grew a desire to take on bigger challenges.” She decided the nation’s capital was where she wanted to be and shifted her plans from law school to graduate school. While earning an MA in international commerce and policy from George Mason University, she landed a coveted spot in the White House Internship Program. Her hard work as an intern led to a full-time job with the program after graduation. As special assistant, she acts as an informal adviser to the head of the department, implementing programs, evaluating projects, conducting research and developing strategic communications plans. Her USFSP Honors thesis was a memoir of growing up in Sierra Leone during a decadelong civil war. “The country made me realize how the control of a corrupt few can damage the lives of millions,” she says. “Exposure to its many imperfections helped shape my career goals and made me realize that change begins with each of us independently and sustainable change will occur when we collaborate collectively. These experiences turned me in the direction of public service.” “Fatimeh is exactly the kind of student the Honors Program was designed for: bright, engaged, and eager to expand her intellectual horizons,” said Thomas Smith, PhD, director of the USFSP Honors Program. ®
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THURSDAY & FRIDAY Homecoming Carnival Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight Fowler Field Alumni Welcome! Info at Homecoming.usf.edu
MONDAY
SuperBull XVII Homecoming Week Kickoff Monday, Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m. MLK Plaza – Alumni Welcome! Info at Homecoming.usf.edu
THURSDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY 2
USF Faculty & Staff Alumni Lunch Tuesday, Oct. 22, noon Marshall Center Ballroom RSVP to USFAlumni.org/alumnilunch
WEDNESDAY USF St. Petersburg Cardboard Boat Race and Carnival Noon – 5 p.m. Harborwalk – Info at Homecoming.usf.edu/st-pete.htm
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USF Sarasota Manatee Bulls in Business Homecoming Networking Event Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m. USF Sarasota-Manatee Courtyard Info at Homecoming.usf.edu/ sarasota-manatee.htm
THURSDAY
FRIDAY 6
2013 USF Alumni Awards Dinner sponsored by NorthStar Bank Thursday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. RSVP to USFalumni.org/awards
SuperBull XVII USF Bulls vs Louisville Cardinals Saturday, Oct. 26, Time TBA For tickets, visit GoUSFBulls.com
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2013-14 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting Friday, Oct. 25, 1 – 4 p.m. Traditions Hall, Gibbons Alumni Center RSVP to JennyCater@usf.edu
FRIDAY
Welcome Home Party for all USF Alumni – Free! Friday, Oct. 25, 5 – 7 p.m. Fowler Fields – Music, kids’ games, food concessions and more!
FRIDAY SATURDAY
USF Alumni Association Spirit Tent Saturday, Oct. 26, 3 hours before kickoff Raymond James Stadium – free spirit supplies for all alumni Special collector Homecoming beads for USFAA members!
Running with the Bulls Homecoming Parade Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. USF Tampa, Route passes the Alumni Welcome Home Party Info at Homecoming.usf.edu
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CampU freshman have a little good, clean fun during a shaving cream fight.
Team Cobra poses for a team photo after the 1956 Olympics, an “Amazing Race” type of activity held during CampU. At one of the stations, team members had to use newspapers to dress up a teammate like Rocky. The team is doing their “Team Cobra” hand gesture.
Learning Their Way Around Bulls Country
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eading off to college is an exciting time, but it can also be full of uncertainty for many students. In addition to navigating a new campus and meeting heightened academic expectations, these new Baby Bulls worry about making friends and finding their rightful place among the thousands of returning upper classmen who seem to know everyone and everything. That’s why New Student Connections, the Office of Admissions, the USF Foundation and your USF Alumni Association partnered to create CampU, an overnight, off-campus experience for incoming USF freshman that gives them a chance to get to know each other, learn USF’s history and traditions and gain confidence before they begin their collegiate journey into Bulls Country. This year’s camp, held Aug. 16-18 at the Dayspring Conference Center in Parrish, included 80 students who spent the weekend doing fun team-building and confidence-building activities. The group split into spirit teams and created a team name and chant; they battled for the CampU Team Cup in the 1956 Olympics; they developed personal action plans for how to get involved on campus and they discovered their personal strengths using StrengthsQuest, a 30-minute online assessment tool that provides a customized report on each freshman’s talents.
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“I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to meet new people because all my friends were going to different colleges,” says Adam Hamilton, a Class of `17 Bull who attended CampU. “It helped me broaden my horizons, meet new people and get out of my comfort zone.” “I begged my mom to sign me up for CampU and that was possibly one of the smartest decisions I made,” says Hunter Stanley, a Class of `16 Bull who attended CampU the previous summer. “I met some fantastic people who I think will be lifelong friends.” CampU cost $150 for the weekend, and included meals, snacks, lodging, transportation, the strengths assessment and a swag bag with a T-shirt and other USF merchandise. The Alumni Association also offers a limited number of scholarships and fee waivers for deserving freshmen. Applications and information about next summer’s CampU will arrive in the inboxes and mailboxes of freshmen accepted into USF’s Class of `18 next spring. If you would like to sponsor a student for CampU, contact LaToya Wider at lwider@usf.edu. ®
The CampU class poses for a group shot to thank their parents and sponsors for the great kickoff to their collegiate careers.
2013 USF Alumni Awards Robert B. “Rob” Carter, MBA `90 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career
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ob Carter, co-chief executive and chief information officer of FedEx, is somewhat of a rock star in the world of information technology. Often referred to as “one of the world’s most well-known CIO’s,” Carter has lead FedEx’s technological evolution as the global delivery giant moved from simply tracking the location of packages – a revolutionary idea at the time – through a host of advances, to the point where FedEx can now monitor in real-time the temperature, light exposure, relative humidity and barometric pressure of sensitive packages, send alerts and intervene if problems arise. That innovation, called SenseAware, resulted in two World Mail awards for FedEx to add to Carter’s long list of accolades. He has been named as Information Week Chief of the Year three times, in 2000, 2001 and 2005, InfoWorld Chief Technology Officer of the Year in 2000 and received CIO Magazine’s 100 Award seven times, as well as receiving its 20/20 Vision Award and being selected as a charter inductee into the magazine’s Hall of Fame. In 2010, Carter was named No. 18 in the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company and was selected as part of Fortune magazine’s Executive Dream Team. “Those awards are thrilling and I’m honored for every one of them, but all they represent are
the unbelievable team of professionals that I have behind me that make this stuff happen day in and day out,” Carter says modestly. He credits his experience in USF’s MBA program with helping him to learn the business principles necessary to make his technological skills relevant and valuable in the marketplace. “It’s not about the technology,” he says. “It’s about the value you can bring to a business.” “The most important thing that happened to me was to get a solid business perspective that let me have a seat at the executive table,” Carter said at a USF College of Business Breakfast with a CIO event held last December. “It’s a really important part of me being able to do the job that I do today.” A self-described “Air Force brat,” Carter was born in Taiwan, attended high school at Northeast High in St. Petersburg and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. He worked at GTE while earning his MBA at USF before leaving the Tampa Bay area to join FedEx in 1993. Carter lives in Memphis now, where FedEx is headquartered, with his wife Jenny. They have five children: three girls, Beth, Jenna and Teresa, who are in their twenties, and two boys, Nathan, 15, and David, who will soon be 5 years old. He calls the small farm where he lives “a sportsman’s paradise,” where he enjoys biking, gardening, hunting and just being outdoors. Education and health care causes are important to him and he has given generously over his career to support them. “My goal is to have moved from success in the early part of my career to significance in the later part of my career,” Carter says. “Success is fleeting; significance is lasting. That’s the legacy I want to leave.” FALL 2013 | ALUMNIVOICE
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2013 USF Alumni Awards Kimberly A. Ross, `92 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career
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ifferentiation is the key to a successful career, says Avon executive vice president and chief financial officer Kimberly Ross. Professionals who are serious about getting ahead need something that sets them apart from others in their industry. For Ross, it was her ability to speak three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as a little French. She also displayed a willingness to work long hours and take on complicated tasks that others wouldn’t or couldn’t handle. For that, she was rewarded with invaluable international business experience and a succession of job offers that lead her to where she is now – on the leadership team of Avon, the fifthlargest beauty company and largest direct-selling enterprise in the world, with annual sales of more than $10 billion worldwide. “It’s been great to be working in such an international company like Avon,” Ross says. “I’ve never worked for a retailer where six million of your stores have legs. It’s a fascinating business.” Ross joined Avon’s top management in December 2011 after a 10-year career in Europe with Royal Ahold, a Dutch corporation with approximately $40 billion in sales and nearly 3,000 grocery stores in the U.S. and Europe. She was instrumental in bringing the company back from the brink of bankruptcy after serious accounting irregularities threatened its future. It was an incredibly stressful, yet ultimately satisfying, time in her career. “You don’t get too many opportunities like that in a career, especially with a company that size,” she says of her decade at Royal Ahold. “It was a great experience.” Ross cut her teeth in international finance
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with Seagrams and its many subsidiaries, conducting audits all over the world before moving into the global treasury department, first in Latin America, then Asia and India. “Culturally, you had to adjust to a lot of differences,” Ross says. “It was great. It was like working for multiple companies at once. That way I wasn’t getting bored.” Ross was born in Clearwater, but grew up in Argentina and Mexico, although she came to Clearwater in the summers to spend time with her father who owned a boat yard there. A selfdescribed “true Floridian,” she loves anything to do with the water and sailed competitively during high school and college. Ross met her husband John Svobodny, an information technology professional, during an audit she was conducting at a plant in Minnesota. They married in 1997 and together raised his two children, Robert, now 26, a video game designer, and Alexandra, 24, a USF Class of 2011 alumna who works in real estate. Ross, who is a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association, and Svobodny live primarily in Manhattan where Avon is headquartered, but they manage to make time to escape to their lake home near Ocala to sail, kayak and fish. “I think what I love the most is sitting on my dock at my house in Florida with my family and friends, just watching the birds, the wildlife and the sunset.”
2013 USF Alumni Awards Brian D. Lamb, `98 2013 Donald A. Gifford Service Award Recognizing a USF graduate alumnus who has provided countless hours of service to USF
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rian Lamb likes to say that choosing to attend USF was one of the best decisions of his life. In the 19 years since he made that choice, it has also turned out to be a very good thing for the university. Lamb began his service to USF as a student when he was captain of the men’s basketball team. An aptitude for math lead him to the School of Accounting in the College of Business, where he became involved in the Corporate Mentor program. Lamb cites the relationships he built there and the discipline he derived from being a college athlete as instrumental in his post-college success. “I think the biggest thing that allowed me to transition was having good mentors to help accelerate my learning curve,” says Lamb, who is Tampa Bay market president of Fifth Third Bank. “The second thing was confidence in my abilities to feel comfortable taking a little risk. Third, I had an education from one of the best schools in the country.” Lamb began giving back to USF soon after graduating. A Life Member of the USF Alumni Association, he sat on its Board of Directors and
chaired its Membership Development committee. He joined the School of Accountancy Advisory Council in 2004 and began to repay his former mentors by mentoring students himself and funding a scholarship. He’s also a familiar face to USF athletes who he counsels about preparing for life after sports. Lamb served on the USF Foundation Board, and in 2006, was tapped to join the USF Board of Trustees, a role that he still serves in today. His commitment to community service extends beyond USF. Lamb holds board positions on the Shelton Quarles IMPACT Foundation, Hillsborough Economic Development Council and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. He also serves on the Executive Committee and is chair of the campaign cabinet for the Tampa Bay Partnership. Professional honors include being named to Gulf Coast Business Review’s “Forty Under 40” in 2012, as well as being chosen as CFO of the Year in 2007 and Minority Business Person of the Year in 2006 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Lamb was selected as USF’s Outstanding Young Alumnus in 2008. With his selection as the Donald A. Gifford Service Award recipient this year, Lamb now becomes a two-time USF Alumni Award winner. If anyone truly bleeds green and gold, it is Brian Lamb. “It is not only a sense of personal pride, it is a sense of personal responsibility,” Lamb says of his involvement with USF. “There’s no doubt we are building a legacy-rich tradition.” When he’s not working or volunteering, Lamb and his wife Paulette enjoy spending time with family and friends, cooking out, traveling and attending sporting events. “I call it celebrating life. I work very hard, but I also play very hard. I would encourage everyone to have a dose of that.”
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2013 USF Alumni Awards Jeffrey B. Hackman, `00 & M.Acc `06 Outstanding Young Alumnus Recognizing an alumnus 35 years old or younger for his/her outstanding professional achievements
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hen Jeff Hackman got a call from a recruiter at Kforce – a call that set in motion one of the best professional experiences of his career – he almost didn’t answer it. “I typically don’t pick up the phone if I don’t know who’s calling me because we get a lot of sales calls,” says Hackman, who was quite happy with his role as a senior auditor with Grant Thornton at the time. Now six years later, he’s very glad that he did take the call. Hackman joined Kforce in 2007 as its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting director. He has received two top awards for his work at the Tampa-based national staffing company – Chief Financial Officer of the Year in 2008 and the Top Performer Award in 2011 – and is now a vice president and the chief accounting officer for the firm. Meanwhile, the awards keep coming. In 2012, he was selected by Treasury & Risk magazine as one of the nation’s Top 30 corporate finance executives under the age of 40. Earlier this year, Hackman received Kforce’s prestigious Dick Maddox Award, for the employee who best embodies Kforce’s core values of personal respect, integrity, exceptional service, outstanding results and commitment to the community. Being named the 2013 USF Outstanding Young Alumnus is particularly special, he says. “These awards, especially this USF recognition, are not something I take lightly. It’s very humbling for me.” In spite of a demanding work schedule and a long commute from his home in Bradenton,
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Hackman manages to devote hundreds of hours to USF and the School of Accountancy. He has served as a member of the Accounting Circle, a group of young, up-and-coming alumni who hold fundraising events in support of the school. He followed that by being one of the youngest alumni selected to sit on the school’s advisory board, a group of top executives who advise the school’s director on curriculum development, faculty research and philanthropic support. He speaks frequently to accounting students and twice arranged for Kforce to serve as the subject company for the school’s rigorous capstone course. In recent years, Kforce has recruited more than 200 USF students and alumni for full- and part-time jobs and internships. “It has always been something I’ve enjoyed,” Hackman says of his USF involvement. “I like bringing in the real world examples. It’s a great company and a great match for USF.” Hackman and his wife Marcie have two young girls who keep them busy, Avery, 4, and Kinley, 2. They have a great time taking the girls to the Disney theme parks and most recently, on a Disney cruise. “They are our life,” he says of their daughters. “They are the most fun in the world.” Hackman credits his father for instilling a love of business in he and his siblings, one of whom is also an accountant. “We’ve always been a numbers kind of family, I guess,” he says with a laugh.
2013 USF Alumni Awards Carol D. Morsani 2013 Class of `56 Award Recognizing a non-USF graduate who has provided outstanding service to USF and the community
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arol Morsani believes USF is like a sparkling jewel that is hidden in plain sight of the people of Tampa Bay. “It drives me crazy that people don’t know what’s out here,” she says. “If they would just come out and see, people will be amazed by how it’s grown.” Much of USF’s growth has been a result of the Morsani’s philanthropy. Morsani is a director of the Frank and Carol Morsani Foundation, Inc., which benefits education, the arts and healthcare. The couple has given $37 million to USF Health and a total of $43 million to the university. Their gifts have supported the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care, a baseball/ softball complex and a football practice complex for USF Athletics, and the Robert L. Anderson Professorship in the College of Business, as well as numerous scholarships, research programs and lecture series. Morsani is especially proud of their $20 million gift to USF Health in 2011– the largest individual donation ever received by the university – which prompted USF System President Judy Genshaft and the USF Board of Trustees to rename of USF’s medical school as the Morsani College of Medicine. “We just got so excited about what they are going to do and how many people it would help,” she says of the gift. Off of campus, the Carol Morsani Hall at the
Straz Center for the Performing Arts was named in recognition of her philanthropy, as was the Morsani Lobby Atrium at the Tampa Museum of Art. “It used to embarrass me when they put my name on something, but now I’ve gotten used to it,” she says. “This community has been good to us and we need to support it.” Morsani says she could have never have imagined that she and her husband of 62 years would become philanthropists when they first arrived in Tampa in 1971 with their two daughters, who were in junior high. “Never, ever, ever,” she says. “We just wanted to raise our family and make a decent living.” Morsani worked in the office of a resort hotel on the Courtney Campbell Causeway for about a year while Frank was buying his first automobile dealership, which eventually grew to a network of more than 30 dealerships all over the country. She focused on raising their daughters before gradually becoming involved in the Tampa Bay community. She credits her husband for encouraging her to set aside her shyness and help out where she could. “He’s the one who has driven me to do all this,” she says of her gregarious spouse whom she met in high school in Tulsa. “I’m about 20 years behind Frank, but I’m catching up. It was either catch up or get left behind.” Morsani helped to found and now serves as the honorary chair of USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, a group of women whose mission is to “engage and educate visionary leaders and philanthropists for the benefit of women throughout USF.” When she’s not working to support USF and other community causes, Morsani loves to spend time on the couple’s ranch in Pasco County. They are also avid travelers, having visited 115 countries at last count. “It’s been quite a life,” she says.
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Blast from the Past
Source: USF Photograph Collection, USF Special Collections, USF Library Tampa
Although USF had only intramural sports in 1966, that didn’t stop them from holding a Homecoming Dance. If any alumni can fill us in on the name of the band or other details, please email Alumni Voice editor Karla Jackson at jacksonk@usf.edu or call 813-974-0907.
USF College Bowl Team, circa 1970
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e asked alumni to update us if they knew anything about the whereabouts of the G.E. College Bowl Team that was featured in the Summer 2013 issue of Alumni Voice. Julianna Hilliard Ross, `70 & M.A. `75, sent us the obituary for the team’s captain, Chester B. McMullen III, who passed away in November 2012. “Chester and I were in graduate school together and he was everything a person could desire: smart, funny, handsome, wealthy. Everyone, including professors, looked up to him. It was a surprise that he got involved with College Bowl, since we were all so steadfastly against anything bourgeois… and College Bowl certainly would qualify as bourgeois to us then,” Hilliard Ross wrote. Thank you for the update, Julianna.
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Our Members Love USF! Your USF Alumni Association asked our members why they love USF and here’s what they said:
I love being a member of the USF Alumni Association because it has put me in touch with so many other alumni Bulls here in Atlanta. When I moved to Georgia over seven years ago, the USF Atlanta Chapter became my first friends here in Atlanta! Marnie Williams, `97
I love USF because it is where I met my fiancé. I was attending the University of Tampa and wanted a real college football game to attend, so I randomly bought tickets and ended up tailgating next to my future husband. I loved visiting him at USF and watching him play lacrosse for USF, so I decided to transfer. Not only did I get a better education, I got the man of my dreams. We are now proud Life Members of the Alumni Association and hope to grow a future herd of Bulls of our own. Meredith Mitchel, `11
Why do I love USF? In a word tailgating! We have the greatest fans. Even when rival schools are less than cordial as they pass our tents and cookouts, our fans know the meaning of courtesy and respect. We are Respect-a-BULL! Charlotte Sue Moore, `73
I have always wanted to experience other cultures and travel the world. I had convinced myself it was a pipe dream that would never be fulfilled because of the expenses involved. However, USF saw my dream and made it a reality. As a result of USF’s passion for study abroad and allowing students to see the world through their own eyes, I have traveled to Panama, Romania, and Hungary. These memories are priceless and these pictures mean the world to me. That is why I Love USF! Mariah Pelton, `13
Tell us why you love USF at USFalumni.org/iloveusf Photos are welcome! FALL 2013 | ALUMNIVOICE
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chapters&societies USF Hometown Roundups
USF Alumni Atlanta Chapter leader Louis Struikman,`07, hosted the Hometown Roundup for incoming freshman from the Atlanta area at his home on July 13. The Roundups are a chance for new Bulls to meet each other, as well as USF alumni from their hometowns.
USF alumni in Broward and Palm Beach counties welcomed new Bulls to the herd at a Hometown Roundup held Aug.3 at the home of Shawn and Kerry Cerra. NBC News correspondent and 2003 USF Distinguished Alumnus Kerry Sanders attended and talked to incoming freshman about joining Bulls Country.
The Dallas Alumni Chapter held its Hometown Roundup for new Bulls on July 13 at Picasso’s Pizza. Rocky attended the event and showed the incoming freshmen how USF Bulls throw the horns. 28
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USF Ambassadors Brandi Arnold and Juan Henry staffed the welcome table at the Tampa Bay area Hometown Roundup held at IKEA on Aug. 7. Bay area freshmen received a reusable IKEA bag with a reading light and discount coupons and accompanying parents took home a golf umbrella.
The D.C. Alumni Chapter had a great turnout of new Bulls and their parents at its Hometown Roundup picnic held on the National Mall near the Smithsonian Metro on Aug. 10.
New Bulls from the Fort Myers/Naples area gathered for a Hometown Roundup at Southern Waters on July 13 to meet each other and USF alumni from their area before heading off to campus.
USF Alumni Philadelphia Chapter leader Adam Feinberg, `90, presents a gift certificate to an incoming freshman from the Philly area at a Hometown Roundup held July 20 at McDuff’s Tavern and Restaurant.
Incoming USF freshmen from all along the Nature Coast met up July 13 at the Airport Beef ‘O Brady’s in Spring Hill to meet members of the USF Alumni Hernando Chapter and get to know each other. FALL 2013 | ALUMNIVOICE
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chapters&societies
The Kosove Alumni Society held its 20th annual retreat Aug. 9-11 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg. More than 100 past recipients of the prestigious scholarship spent the weekend reconnecting and giving back to the community with a service day cleanup project at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. Pictured at left are Nidhi Chandler, left, and Nicole West.
USF Night with the Rays
Faith Burdell, 13, met Bulls Football Head Coach Willie Taggart at the 8th annual BullsRally, a preseason event that is popular with BullsPen.com members held at Capogna’s Dugout in Clearwater. New USF St. Petersburg Chancellor Dr. Sophia Wisniewska, second from left, enjoyed her first USF Night with the Tampa Bay Rays in a suite at Tropicana Field. With her are Roy Binger, left, Bob Churuti, center, USF Trustee Stephanie Goforth, `82, second from right and Alex Glenn.
USF Alumni Association Life Members Denise Dimbath, 94, Craig Meadows, `74. Dennis Schnur, `78, Jim Weber, `77 & MBA `82, and Susan Wittpenn, `81, met up for lunch recently. All of the group are members of the USF Alumni Atlanta Chapter. 30
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Alumni who attended USF Night with the Tampa Bay Rays got great seats and their choice of a black or white Rays/Bulls co-branded ball cap. They also received a spirit towel and a limited number of lucky fans got a coveted Joe Maddon gnome.
The Greater Tampa Alumni Chapter held a pregame social before USF Night with the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 3. Pictured on the bottom row are Kristina Adams, `10, and Jason Adams, and on the top row, Jeremy Hillman and Megan Rentz, `02.
No matter where you live, you’ll always be a Bull! The USF Alumni Association has alumni chapters all over the country. We also have college and special-interest societies for likeminded alumni. It’s easy to get involved. Just email the contact person of the group you’d like to visit. Societies Ambassador Alumni Jackie Wertel jackie.wertel@gmail.com Anthropology Alumni Brian McEwen bmcewen@cachillsborough.com Architecture Alumni Adam Fritz adam@cgharchitects.com Association of Filipino Students Alumni Society Aileen Aqui afsalumnisociety@hotmail.com Black Alumni Shomari Sanford shomari1906@yahoo.com Clinical Psychology Alumni Demy Kamboukos usfclinpsychalumni@gmail.com College of Business Alumni Maegan Fader Maegan@usfcobalumni.org Education Alumni Freda Abercrombie aber2@aol.com Engineering Alumni Robert Andrew usf.engineer@yahoo.com Entrepreneurship Alumni Jennifer Sineway jennagator@aol.com Geology Alumni Bruce Nocita bnocita@smeinc.com Honors Alumni Dan Ravicher ravicher@gmail.com Kosove Alumni Justin Geisler justingeisler@hotmail.com Library and Information Science Society William (Bill) Harris wharris3@mail.usf.edu
Medicine Alumni Catherine Warner cwarner1@health.usf.edu
Fort Myers Carrie Abes usfbullgirl30@gmail.com
MIS Alumni Brian Day Bjday@us.ibm.com
Hernando Robert Neuhausen usfhcac@gmail.com
Music Society Keith Sanz usfmusicalumni@gmail.com
Highlands (FL) Charles Devlin cdevlin@devtechsales.com
Nursing Alumni Edwin Hernandez ehernan5@health.usf.edu
Jacksonville/St. Augustine Brian Rush James.B.Rush@uscg.mil
Pharmacy Alumni Patti Shirley pshirley@health.usf.edu
Manatee/Sarasota Jay Riley jayriley@sar.usf.edu
Public Administration Alumni Mike Rimoldi mike@rimoldiconstruction.com
Miami-Dade Carlos Rodriguez USFmiamialumni@gmail.com
Public Health Alumni Natalie Preston-Washington npreston@health.usf.edu
Greater Ocala Russ Fascenda usf-alumni-ocala@pobox.com
Social Work Alumni April Steen steenmsw@yahoo.com
Orlando Kathy Dorf usfbullsorlando@gmail.com
Student Government Alumni Cordell Chavis cordell.chavis@gmail.com
Palm Beach Scott Teich scott.teich@raymondjames.com
Theater Alumni Kimberli Cummings kbdiva901@aol.com
Pensacola/Spanish Fort/ Mobile Nick Kessler nickess@aol.com
USF St. Petersburg Bryan Bejar bryanbejar@gmail.com
John Spurny usfpensacola@hotmail.com
Women’s and Gender Studies Zoe Fine usfwgssociety@gmail.com
Pinellas Katie Giglio kgiglio@usf.edu
Florida Chapters
Polk Randy Dotson randy.dotson@gmail.com
Brevard Todd Bonanza bonanza298@aol.com John Carpenter j-carpenter2@ti.com
St. Lucie Frank Pennetti franker@adelphia.net
Barbara Lyn barbara@barbaralyn.com
Tallahassee Phil Canto pcantompa@gmail.com
Marine Science Alumni Bruce Barber bbarber@terraenv.com
Broward Ruth Rogge R_rogge@yahoo.com
Greater Tampa John Lore USFTampaAlumni@gmail.com
Beau Suthard bsuthard@coastalplanning.net
Alan Steinberg usfbrowardalumni@hotmail.com
National Chapters Atlanta Louis Struikman usfalumniatlanta@gmail.com Austin Brad Heath gobulls@austin.rr.com Boston USFBostonBulls@gmail.com Charlotte Marisa Varian usfcharlottebulls@gmail.com Chattanooga/Cleveland, TN Erin and Bryan Bull ChattanoogaBullsAlumni@yahoo. com Chicago Blake Rus WindyCityBulls56@gmail.com Columbus, OH Jason Griffin columbususfalumni@gmail.com D.C. Regional Alex Guecia usfbullsdc@gmail.com
New York Nathan Collins usfalumniny@gmail.com Philadelphia Adam Feinberg usf.tri.state.alumni@gmail.com Phoenix Jillian Papa jillianpapa@gmail.com Portland, OR Matt Hromalik m_hromalik@hotmail.com Raleigh, NC Bob Cohn bob.cohn@mssb.com St. Louis, MO Mark Greenspahn usfstlbulls@gmail.com San Antonio, TX Ruben Matos captram02@yahoo.com San Diego Carlos Sayan USFBullsSanDiego@gmail.com San Francisco Jenna Broughton USFBullsSF@gmail.com
Dallas Ashlea Coulter usfalumnidfw@gmail.com
Corporate Affinity Group
Denver Chris and Ashley Gilbert denverbulls@gmail.com Greenville, SC Brittany Link GreenvilleUSFAlumni@hotmail. com
Lockheed Martin – Oldsmar Brent Lewis brent.a.lewis@lmco.com
Houston Alan Goldsmith alshmaly@flash.net Indianapolis Rasheite Radcliff rasheite@gmail.com Los Angeles Janet Foster usfbullsnla@yahoo.com Nashville Melinda Dale nashvilleusfbulls@live.com
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Employ -A-Bull
Get ahead of the herd with these ideas from USF alumna Rebecca Geiger, MSM `12, an international recruiter with Kforce.
you may have a few locations to choose from, so it’s important to indicate this on your profile. If you are open to relocation, include that on your profile summary too. Job Title, Skills and Experience It’s important to not only update your job title regularly, but also provide a brief description of your responsibilities. In addition to noting specific experience in each section of your profile, you should also consider utilizing LinkedIn’s “Skills & Expertise” section to highlight the areas you specialize in. Endorsements and Recommendations
How to Leverage Social Media for Your Career
S
ocial media sites have become an important part of people’s lives, and now an important part of your job search. In fact, the recruiting website Jobvite reports that 89 percent of recruiters have made a hire through LinkedIn. LinkedIn, recognized as the most popular professional social media site, offers several ways to provide the most detailed and up-to-date information about your professional background and skills. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online resume. Having a 100 percent complete and professional profile that highlights your skills, education and relevant experience makes you more visible to recruiters and hiring managers. Start by updating the following sections of your LinkedIn profile: Professional Headline Your LinkedIn profile headline is like a business card, so consider including a few specific keywords and skill sets to help a recruiter or employer understand your background. For example, if you are applying for staff accountant roles, add in your headline that you have knowledge of general ledger systems and experience with financial reporting. Location Many times when a recruiter or hiring manager has a job opening, they start their search by typing the location in on LinkedIn. Depending on your zip code,
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With LinkedIn, a recruiter or hiring manager no longer has to rely solely on calling references listed on your resume to find out more about you. You now have the ability to ask your connections for an endorsement of your skill sets listed in the “Skills & Expertise” section, as well as brief recommendations of your past work history. Having these references can speak highly of your work ethic and skills, so aim for a minimum of three recommendations. Many recruiters and hiring managers may also use other social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, to connect with job seekers, as well as promote their latest job openings and industry news. As long as you keep your online presence professional, these other sites can be a great way to develop your online brand and extend your network. In addition, nearly every company has a social presence, including a blog, so consider following and interacting on those pages to learn more about the organization you wish to join. ®
In the Bulls Eye Tom Ries
Tom Ries, Biology `83, Champion of the Wetlands
By Christine Makar, `10
F
ormerly a biologist for the National Wetlands Inventory, Tom Ries didn’t like what he was seeing at work. “It was disturbing. Every state I mapped – Illinois, Florida, it didn’t matter – there were huge impacts to wetlands ... Wetlands are massively under attack.” Ries has always had an affinity for ecology, majoring in biology, minoring in geology and taking all of the ecological courses USF offered. “I always was interested in the environment and working in or around water,” he says. He is now the president and founder of Ecosphere Restoration Institute, a nonprofit organization that implements habitat restoration projects for public and private sector groups. He is also a partner and executive vice president of Scheda Ecological Associates, a Florida-registered environmental consulting firm. Ries was recently recognized for dedicating more than 25 years to wetland restoration and the instrumental role he has played in wetlands restoration in southwest Florida. He received the Environmental Law Institute’s National Wetlands Award for Conservation and Restoration on May 9 in a ceremony at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. “I don’t like the glare of spotlights on me at all,” Ries says modestly. However, after reading about the accomplishments of the other nominees, Ries felt that it was an honor to just be nominated. To receive the award and be recognized amongst the recipients who have come before him was especially meaningful. Ries has been involved in more than 80
restoration projects, from an ambitious Everglades restoration to little spring restoration projects. His current project is his smallest ever: a quarteracre spring restoration of Ulele Spring in Tampa Heights. Restoring Ulele Spring is a small but challenging mission that is a part of a bigger plan to re-energize the Tampa Water Works building and the surrounding property. The project includes the restoration of Ulele Spring, located in Water Works Park on the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, as well as construction of a new restaurant, as part of the extension of the Tampa Riverwalk. Richard Gonzmart, president of the renowned Columbia Restaurant Group and a staunch supporter of USF, is slated to open the new restaurant there later this year. Gonzmart’s daughter, Andrea Gonzmart, Business Management `01, is a fellow Bull who works on new recipe development and maintenance of the wine list for the Columbia Restaurant. She was the first woman to ever work in the restaurant’s Ybor City kitchen and was the assistant manager for Columbia’s various locations. Together, these three proud Bulls hope their efforts will breathe new life into Ulele Spring and the new Tampa Riverwalk extension. For the past 100 years, nothing has been able to swim up to Ulele Spring since the water was directed to stream through 480 feet of pipe. There aren’t many springs that need restoration, especially in a downtown setting, “so that’s a really cool but very difficult project,” says Ries. “All we’re trying to do is open it up, so the spring can flow naturally into the [Hillsborough River] as it previously did in the early 1900s.” The bulk of this restoration project is expected to be complete by the end of this year. Being innovative, being out in nature deeply involved in every aspect of a project, especially the construction, is what it takes to turn a good project into a great project, Ries says. “What I love is that you can go to an area that has been destroyed and you can fix those wetlands that have been historically impacted,” he says. “You can see these results. The projects slowly start going back to the way they were supposed to be and as they were intended, and that’s very satisfying.” ®
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classnotes Don’t be shy Alumni! We’d like to include your news and photos in Class Notes. Send in your information to: jacksonk@usf.edu or you can mail your information & photo to: Karla Jackson USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100 Tampa, FL 33620-5455
70s
Rick Barber, Engineering `75, was appointed by
Florida Gov. Rick Scott to the South Florida Water Management (SFWMD) District Board in March. Barber, of Bonita Springs, is the chief executive officer of Agnoli, Barber & Brundage. He has served on the Department of Environmental Protection’s statewide stormwater rule technical advisory committee, the budget finance committee of the SFWMD and the Lee County land stewardship acquisition committee. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and is appointed for a term that runs through Feb. 25, 2015.
John I. Hughes, MD `75, was honored
as a 2013 Master of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Dr. Hughes is the associate medical director and gastroenterologist with the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston. He is the only Houston physician to be honored as a 2013 Master of ACP and is one of only 47 physicians in the nation to receive this honor. Dr. Hughes has more than 50 scientific publications and multiple Outstanding Teacher awards from Baylor College of Medicine. He has held multiple leadership positions at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, including election to the board of directors, appointment to several medical director positions and chairman of the gastroenterology department during his more than 30-year tenure. He was also named a Fellow of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in 2011, which is the highest honor available to any staff physician. In addition to holding several leadership roles at the national level, Dr. Hughes has been the recipient of various awards and honors stemming from his involvement with the Texas chapter of the ACP and is the first African American to serve on the Board of the Texas ACP.
Richard A. “Tony” Lagomarcino, Accounting `79, played for the 1961 championship United States European Command (EUCOM) basketball team. He was high scorer in the championship game in January 1961. Lagomarcino served in the U.S. Army in France from February 1958 through February 1961.
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Brian McEwen, MA Guidance and Counseling
Education `79, was named as executive director of Champions for Children. He was previously associate director. Champions for Children, formerly known as the Child Abuse Council, was established in 1977 and is guided by a voluntary board of diverse professionals.
Les Miller, Political Science `78, received the Kente USF Award in April from the African American Advisory Committee to USF System President Judy Genshaft. Miller, with over 36 years of community service, currently serves as a member of the Hillsborough County Commission representing the 3rd District. He is a former member of both the Florida Senate and House of Representatives. A lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Miller also holds memberships in Prince Hall Shriners, the Masons and the NAACP. He is a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association and received the USF Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983. He also was honored with the USF President’s Distinguished Citizens Award, the Florida A&M University President’s Award, Florida Democratic Party’s Distinguished Service Award, Early Learning Coalition Legislative Excellence Award, Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches Morris Milton Award, Florida Education Association President’s Award, American Cancer Society’s Legislative Award and the American Jewish Community’s Lawton Chiles Florida Religious Award. Florida A&M University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters in 2005.
80s
Jaime Brenkus, Mass Communications `83, was
featured on the “Dr. Oz Show” discussing his threestep plan for flattening bellies. Brenkus is a fitness trainer who created the book and video series, “8 Minute Abs.” He has a health and fitness instructor certification from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Juan Cocuy, Accounting `80, was appointed to the board of governors of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s largest property insurer. Cocuy is managing shareholder of Cocuy, Burns & Co., P.A., a financial services firm in Wellington, FL. Cocuy serves as a board member and vice chairman of the Lakeside Medical Center Health Care District, chairman of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, board member and treasurer of the United Way of Palm Beach County and on the Financial Council of the Diocese of Palm Beach. He is a board member and past chairman of the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Inc., and is a board member of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Foundation. Amy Haile, Anthropology/International Studies,
`87, has joined Champions for Children as associate director. Champions for Children, formerly known as
Sharon Miller, Special Education `75, MA School
Psychology `97 and Ph.D `00, is provost of Polk State College. She was the recipient of the Julie Pope Award for a “trailblazer who paves the way for others” by Girls Inc. of Winter Haven in May. Miller was instrumental in founding a charitable program for underprivileged students, My Brother’s Keeper, at Polk State College and is a fundraiser and board member for the Women’s Resource Center. Prior to joining Polk State College, she served as dean of adult and continuing education at Hillsborough Community College.
James Rollin Page, English `73, has written A
Butterfly Gone Mad and Other Poems. It is available on Amazon.com.
Darrell Stinger, Engineering `74, has published his first novel, Tokamak, a fictional thriller about nuclear espionage between world superpowers and global corporations. The book is available in soft back or Kindle at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Stinger was in the U.S. Air Force for 25 years, serving as a pilot, and retired as a Lt .Colonel.
USF Alumni Association was well represented at the USF Women’s Football Clinic held July 27 at the Frank Morsani Football Complex. The clinic included instruction on football rules and strategies, on-field drills and an actual scrimmage. Pictured with Bulls Head Coach Willie Taggart are, from left: USFAA board members Katrina Anderson, `09 & MA `11 and Kathy Dorf, `08, USFAA Life Member Jill Jaquiss, `87, USFAA Associate Executive Director Kimberly Choto, `92 & M.Ed `02, Life Member Anne McCausland and USFAA Assistant Director of Student Relations LaToya Wider.
the Child Abuse Council, was established in 1977 and is guided by a voluntary board of diverse professionals.
Marcia Nell, M.Ed `89, co-authored From Play to Practice: Connecting Teachers’ Play to Children’s Learning, a book that asserts that educators benefit from participating in play workshops. Nell, Ph.D, is an assistant professor at Millersville University in Millersville, PA, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate early childhood education courses and supervises student teachers. She previously taught in public schools for 25 years. She also serves as the director of research and professional development for the Institute for Self Active Education. Carolyn Rogers, Mass Communications `85, joined the Southwest Florida Community Foundation as vice president of development and communications in July. Rogers has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, marketing, advertising and nonprofit fund development. She achieved certification as a Public Relations Counselor and earned the universal accreditation in Public Relations. She is a member of the Florida Public Relations Association’s Counselor’s Network and also holds a designation as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy & Association of Fundraising Professionals. Rogers is registered in the state of Florida as a fundraising consultant. Kelli Turner, Sociology/Communication `84, owns and manages Turner Talent, a modeling agency in Melbourne, FL. She was an organizer of Space Coast Fashion Week, which ran from April 27-May 4, and was created to showcase local designers and other businesses in the area’s fashion industry. Turner, her husband and two children are all models who have appeared in ads for beach resorts, electronics companies and Ron Jon’s Surf Shop. Josette Urso, Art `80 & MFA `84, was named as the Art and History Museum’s Maitland Artist in Residence. A Brooklyn-based artist, Urso spent six weeks in Maitland during the late spring/early summer, living and working in the original apartment of Andre Smith, a New York architect who, during the Great Depression, created many of the buildings that now house the museum. Jeremy Wensinger, MBA `89, was named
president of US Investigation Services (USIS) Global Security & Solutions division. USIS is a leading security consulting solutions firm and the largest commercial provider of background investigations to the federal government. As head of the division, Wensinger leads a team of approximately 3,000 em-
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classnotes senior director of strategic business development and marketing at ION Solutions, an Amerisource Bergen Specialty Group where he focused on GPO, payer and practice solutions. Previously, he worked at Amgen, Inc., where he was the marketing director for the oncology business unit.
Jennifer A. Isenbeck, Chemical Engineering `96
USF Alumni Association Life Members Cheryl and Tom Whiteman, `71, enjoy the view near the top of Mount Vesuvius just east of Naples, Italy. Their son Brandon Whiteman, `04, and daughter-in-law Jackie McCain, `04, who live in Naples served as tour guides.
ployees whose mission includes supporting national security and helping government agencies mitigate threats to people, sensitive and classified information, operating systems and vital assets. The division focuses on support services, training, surveillance detection, and security consulting. Prior to joining USIS, Wensinger served as chief operating officer of GTSI, a NASDAQ-listed information technology solutions provider to federal, state and local governments. He was previously chairman and president of Cobham Defense Systems and began his career at Harris Corporation.
Robin Whitcomb Macar, Mass Communications `86, was promoted to vice president of communications for Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County. She was previously director of communications.
90s
Cecilia Cantwell, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, `99, was promoted to a managing broker with Prudential Tropical Realty. Todd Doan, Music Education Instrumental `96, conducted the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra in a concert this summer on the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Doan has 16 years of conducting and teaching experience and currently teaches at Cicely L. Tyson School of the Performing Arts in East Orange, NJ. Jesse Hollingsworth, MHA `98, was appointed
vice president of sales for A.P. Pharma. Hollingsworth previously served as the senior director of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) and Trade Strategy at Dendreon, where he developed and implemented the company’s national GPO strategy. Prior to his work at Dendreon, Hollingsworth was the
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& MBA `03, was installed as the regional chair and region XII director for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in June. In this role, Isenbeck serves on ASHRAE’s board of directors and as chair of the society’s Region XII, which covers Florida, South and Central America and the Caribbean. She oversees the activities of the chapters in this region and represents them in society activities. She also has been appointed to the publications committee. She will serve a three-year term from 2013-2016. Past ASHRAE service includes assistant regional chair of Region XII and sustainability committee chair of the Florida West Coast Chapter. She has held all offices in the Florida West Coast Chapter. Isenbeck is an ASHRAE-certified Commissioning Process Management Professional and a facility engineer/manager at the University of Tampa.
Marnie Levy Williams, Broadcast Program and Production `97, was named to Cobb Life Magazine’s “Top 20 Rising Stars Under 40” list. Williams is a social media manager for The Weather Channel and a member of the USF Alumni Atlanta Chapter. Jennifer Malin, Communication `93, has been appointed to the Florida Orchestra’s board of consultants. She is the director of marketing for Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. Previously, she was senior client services manager at Carlton Fields, P.A. and director of marketing, communications and public relations for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA. She’s a member of the Legal Marketing Association and the American Marketing Association and serves on the board of directors for the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. Casanova Nurse, Geography, `99, received first place awards in the 2013 Florida Associated Press Broadcasters contest during the organization’s annual banquet in Orlando on April 27. Casanova, chief meteorologist at WTXL-TV in Tallahassee since 2008, earned top honors in the Best Weathercast category for the small market television stations in Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Panama City. He was also co-anchor and executive producer of the documentary “Hurricane 2012: Storm-Aware, Storm-Wise” which was the winner of the Best
Weather Reporting category. Casanova first began working at WTXL in 2003, and is the capital city’s first Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designated by the American Meteorological Society.
Pat Pace, M.A. Library and Information Sciences
`93, retired in April from the Anderson County (SC) Library after 19 years of service. She worked at the main library in a number of capacities, including as a reference librarian and in human resources. Her position at retirement was as extensions manager, in which she oversaw the library system’s eight branches and a mobile library.
Trudy Pettibone, Religious Studies `95 has writ-
ten her first book, Together: Devotions for Young Children and Families (Conquest; January 2013). The book is designed to help church and non-church families encourage their younger children in biblical and spiritual matters in the home. She is pastor at Burnt Hills Baptist Church in Burnt Hills, NY.
Jeff Poteet, Mathematics Education `96, is the
general manager for Marco Island Utilities. Poteet was elected president of the Florida Water & Pollution Control Association in November 2012.
Angela Pruitt, M.Ed `92, was selected as the new superintendent for the City of Cape Coral Charter School System in March. Pruitt, Ph.D, has served as the principal of Trafalgar Middle School for nine years. She has previously worked as an administrator, college professor, university supervisor of teacher interns and as a staff development trainer. Scott Wapner, History `93, is the anchor of CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report,” a cable financial and business news channel owned by NBC Universal. Before that, Wapner was a reporter based at CNBC’s global headquarters in New Jersey. He also reported live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Marketsite, covering the real-time action of the global financial markets. He was reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange during the May 2010 “flash crash.” Wapner has reported one-hour documentaries for the network including, “Ultimate Fighting: From Blood Sport To Big Time,” which earned an Emmy nomination, as well as “Planet of the Apps: A Handheld Revolution!,” “Touchdown: The Patriots and the Business of Winning,” “Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars,” and “One Nation, Overweight,” which documents the impact of the nation’s obesity epidemic. In 2011, Wapner received an award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers as well as a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for “One Nation, Overweight.” He was also a frequent contributor to CNBC’s award-winning newsmagazine “Business Nation.” Previously, Wapner served as a reporter
for the CNBC syndicated program, “Wall Street Journal Report.” Before joining CNBC, he was the franchise business reporter for KDFW-TV in Dallas, Texas, and was a reporter for Associated Press Television News in New York City.
00s
Danny Burgess, Political Science `08, was sworn
in as mayor of Zephyrhills in April. At 26, he is the youngest mayor in the city’s history. He also is the youngest person to have served on the Zephyrhills City Council, winning election at age of 18 shortly after graduating high school. After graduating from Barry University School of Law, he was admitted to the Florida bar in September 2011. Upon returning to Zephyrhills, he took a job at the Hudgins Law Firm. Burgess also serves in the U.S. Army Reserves as a 1st lieutenant in the 518th Special Troops Battalion and is a member of the Judge Advocate General’s office.
Nicole Conte, Master of Music, `03, has joined
Buds, Blooms & Beyond as the director of sales and marketing.
Laura Ellingson, Ph.D Communications `01, has
co-authored Where the Aunts Are: Family Feminism & Kinship in Popular Culture, published by Baylor Press.
Katie Gower-Waldridge, Elementary Education `01, has joined Ed Taylor Construction as director of business development. She is responsible for prospecting new business, maintaining key relationships and driving the company’s marketing initiatives. She was previously with LEMA Construction as a business development coordinator and prior to that, with TimeShare Adventures as a senior advertising executive. Gower-Waldridge also volunteers for Goodwill’s BookWorks Childhood Literacy Program. Lee J. Florea, Ph.D Geology `06, helped to lead a group of Ball State University students and alumni on a climb to the base camp of Mt. Everest. Florea is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at Ball State. Nicole Holler, `08, has joined Habitat for Human-
ity of Pinellas County as a homeowner services coordinator. She previously worked for AmeriCorps Vista.
Patrick McKelvey, Communications, `09, has joined FKQ Advertising + Marketing as a traffic coordinator. Michael J. Parker, MFA `05, was the recipient of the Carolyn F. Heller grant, awarded through Hillsborough Arts, Inc., a support organization of
the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. Parker is a visual artist specializing in painting and public murals. The Carolyn F. Heller Grant, a permanent award supported by a fund created by donations to Hillsborough Arts, is presented annually to the top-
scoring artist in the Council’s Individual Artist Grant Program. The program funds accomplished artists or those with promising potential, providing support for specific projects that would further advance the artists’ professional growth. Parker’s proposal was to
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classnotes execute a series of medium-scale murals in Ruskin as a collaborative piece, with participation open to community members and a specific target group from the South County Career Center. Director and resident artist at the Big Draw Studio, Parker has received a number of fellowships and residencies and held solo or group exhibitions at venues such as the Tampa Museum of Art, Hillsborough Community College Gallery, Missoula Art Museum, Acadiana Center for the Arts and Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Daniel Reskin, Psychology `07, is a stand-up co-
median, writer and podcaster. He performs at Casa de Ha Ha as his Australian alter ego Raniel Deskin. He also recruits other comedians for the comedy club, which is held at Sweat Records, 5505 NE Second Ave., in Little Haiti in Miami. Performances are the second Tuesday of every month at 9 p.m.
Eva Schone, M.Arc `04, received the Austin Chamber of Commerce Innovative Practice Award. She is the founder and creator of Trophyology - Exquisite Awards for Great Achievements. Her awards have been presented by clients such as Design Within Reach, Hanger, Inc. and the USF School of Architecture and Community Design. She is also a project architect at Tom Hurt Architecture.
Daniel James Scott, Marketing `00, MBA `02 and M.S. Entrepreneurship `06, co-founder of the 2013 United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Program at USF St. Petersburg, was named the Small Business Association South Florida Office’s 2013 Small Business Advocate of the Year. Tammy Wagner, Criminology `01, was promoted
from sergeant to lieutenant in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in April. She had been a sergeant since 2008. She started work with the Sheriff’s Office in 1987 as a data analyst. In 1996, she went to work as a private investigator for a year, then was a customer service associate with State Farm Insurance from 1997 to 1999. Wagner returned to the Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in 2002 and served as a K-9 handler for a year from 2007-2008 before being assigned to Frostproof in 2009. In addition to her degree from USF, she earned a Masters of Public Administration degree from Troy University.
customers, inventory, staff and marketing. He is also a conference producer at IQPC Exchange.
Khurram Bukhari, Political Science `11, has
joined the mobile communications company iTalk Inc. as director of marketing. Prior to that, Bukhari worked in a similar position with a mobile broadband internet access provider. He previously worked for FlexOffers.com and Friday Media Group, LLC. He is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Nova Southeastern University.
Alexandria Davis, Finance and Accounting `10, passed the exam to receive a Certified Public Accountant license. Davis is a tax staff accountant at CS&L CPA. She volunteers as a teen mentor for Children First and is the treasurer of SISTAH, a local women’s empowerment group. Michael Gauthier, Accounting`12, has joined
CBIZ Kirkland Russ Murphy & Tapp as an assurance intern.
Demelza Hays, Economics `12, was
10s
Chafik Abdellaoui, MBA `13, has founded Pretty
Argan, a cosmetics company that produces organic, all-natural products using argan oil, a plant oil extracted from the kernel of the argan tree in the Souss Valley of Morocco. He also operates Prettymanagement.com, an online solution that allows beauty salon and spa managers to manage their
38
USF’s Class of 2017 took the field for their class photo, the second year of a new tradition for incoming freshmen during the Week of Welcome. The Class of `17 is one of the most qualified in USF history, with an average GPA of 4.0 and a mean SAT score of 1200.
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accepted to the Toulouse School of Economics in Toulouse, France. A Fulbright Scholar, she has been traveling through south and central Asia since graduating from USF.
Steven Hillis, Management Information Systems `12, joined Convergence Consulting Group as part
of the company’s BO Data Services team. He is currently working on a Master’s in Management Information Systems at USF.
Sarah Kolb, International Studies, `11, pledged to
perform 10 months of service as part of the Atlantic region’s 19th class of the National Civilian Community Corps, an Americorps program. She joined 159 other volunteers who are working on a variety of projects focusing on environmental stewardship, infrastructure improvement, urban and rural development, energy conservation and disaster relief. After her 10 month stint, Kolb will graduate from NCCC on November 14 with an education award of $5,550, which can be used to continue her education or pay back student loans.
Kerri Krieger, Physical Therapy `10, opened Krieger Physical Therapy in April. It is a physical therapy practice in Port St. Lucie that focuses on one-onone care and pain management. Services include customized treatment plans and treatment sessions ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. All treatments are done by Krieger, who is a Certified Kinesio® Tape Practitioner (CKTP). Group exercise classes are also offered on site.
Mark Lichon, Accounting `12, has joined CBIZ Kirkland Russ Murphy & Tapp as an assurance intern. Derek Pirozzi, M.Arc `12, received first place in the 2013 eVolo Skyscraper competition. eVolo Mag-
azine established the award in 2006 to recognize outstanding ideas for vertical living. Pirozzi’s project, “Polar Umbrella,” is a buoyant skyscraper that helps rebuild the arctic ice caps by reducing the surface’s heat gain and freezing ocean water. In addition, the super-structure is equipped with a desalinization plant and solar powered research facilities and ecotourist attractions.
Leslie Salas, English `11, earned her MFA in Creative Writing as a Dean’s Fellow at the University of Central Florida this year. She currently serves as an assistant editor for The Florida Review, as assistant editor of graphic nonfiction for Sweet: A Literary Confection and as a regular contributing artist for SmokeLong Quarterly. Salas has presented research at several conferences and symposiums, including the Association for Writers and Writing Programs Annual Conference & Bookfair; her work has been published in Burrow Press’ 15 Views Vol. II: Corridor, The Southeast Review, and others. She also is an associate course director of Composition at Full Sail University in Winter Park.
Alicia Smith, Accounting `10, has joined CBIZ
Kirkland Russ Murphy & Tapp as a tax associate.
Goli Vaisizadeh, Electrical Engineering `12, has joined McKim & Creed, Inc., as an instrumentation and controls designer. She will be responsible for working with supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, completing AutoCAD drawings of electrical schematics and diagrams, writing and modifying programmable logic controller (PLC) programs, and troubleshooting instrumentation and controls systems for water and wastewater facilities. Stephanie Wielinski, Mass Communications `10, joined B2 Communications as an account coordinator. Previously, Wielinski was outreach coordinator for the Obesity Action Coalition, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals affected by obesity. Wielinski has also worked with St. Petersburg Free Clinic. She is a member of the Tampa Bay chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
In Memoriam Dr. Renate Bernstein, `80, M.S. `85 & Ph.D `00, June 28, 2013 Emma Jean Henry, `83, July 9, 2013 Sarah Deem Hogan, M.A. `95, June 29, 2013 Samuel Lasky, M.A. `80, June 21, 2013 Les A. Legueux, `78, Aug. 3, 2013 Marcia Ann Moyle Murphy, MPA `79, Aug. 25, 2013 Yati Patel, `08, Aug. 3, 2013 Dr. Jerome L. Sullivan, M D, `78, May 3, 2013
FALL 2013 | ALUMNIVOICE
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athletics A Symbol for a Decade and Beyond
®
The “Iconic U” logo gives USF and the Athletics department a strong identity By Christine Makar, `10
T
his year marks the 10th anniversary of USF’s “U” logo. Tom Veit, Government and International Affairs `93, USF’s former associate athletics director, who was instrumental in developing and launching it, remembers very well the challenge of creating something iconic. “I call this the BMW Theory,” Veit says of the design process. “When you see a BMW going down the road, you know it’s a BMW. It could be a 3 Series or a 5 Series or an X Series or a sports car, but you know it’s a BMW. We wanted to have that. So, whenever you look at a Bulls team, you could realize it was the USF Bulls.” Veit began working for USF as associate athletic director in 2002, and was tasked with the development of a new logo. He hired the Silverman Group, a strategic brand development agency in New Haven, CT, to design what has been dubbed as the “Iconic U” logo, shaped to form a silhouette of a bull’s head with symmetrical horns. “I told them ‘We want something iconic. Bold, but simple,’” Veit says. “We wanted something clean that would last forever.” USF System President Judy Genshaft and the
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late Lee Roy Selmon, who was athletic director at the time, provided unwavering support throughout the year-long design process. During that time, Veit saw between 50 and 60 logo styles as he sought to replace what many have called the “evil goat” logo. Versatility was one of the most important aspects of the design. “That was probably the toughest: Developing a brand that was very simple and very iconic, but also had a broad enough range that it could work in a lot of different applications,” Veit says. With the launch of the new logo in 2003, the university established a new visual identity that symbolized its mission to become a prominent Research I university as well as an athletics powerhouse. The design utilized a darker green color and shifted from sunny yellow to a metallic shade of gold, creating a statement that is clean, bold and versatile. The Iconic U logo has given USF and the Athletics department a strong identity and brand image, says Ayo Taylor-Dixon, assistant director of athletics for marketing and revenue development. It helped put Bulls Football on the map when they joined Conference USA that year. The Bulls became a member of the Big East Conference in 2005, which has since been renamed as the American Athletic Conference. Creating a logo for the public is difficult work, and Veit knew that if he received just a 50 percent approval rating on a new logo, he was doing great. He and his team were at 70 to 80 percent approval, but they didn’t know that until after the launch. “Doing a logo is very tough. You have to have a strong backbone. Just like any piece of art, people are going to love it and people are going to hate it,” Veit says. “I couldn’t have done what I did without Lee Roy and President Genshaft saying, ‘We believe in it. We like it. Let’s go with it.’” ®
Order Online at USFalumni.org/purse
calendar
your membership in action
October 12
USF vs UConn, Time TBA, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT. For tickets, sign into your Bulls Club account, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-GoBulls. Visit Bullssportstravel.com for travel information.
21 USF Homecoming Week Kickoff, 5:30 p.m., MLK Plaza behind the Marshall Student Center. Free. Alumni welcome. 23
USF Sarasota-Manatee Bulls in Business Homecoming Networking Event, 5 p.m., USFSM Courtyard. Visit Homecoming.usf.edu/sarasota-manatee.htm for details.
24
USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy 8th Annual Symposium featuring Dee Dee Myers, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., A La Carte Pavillion. Visit USF.edu/WLP to RSVP.
24
2013 USF Alumni Awards Reception and Dinner presented by NorthStar Bank, 6 p.m., Marshall Center Ballroom. Visit USFalumni.org/awards to RSVP.
25
USF St. Petersburg Alumni Luncheon, noon, USFSP campus. Visit Homecoming.usf.edu/st-pete.htm for details.
25 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting, 1 – 4 p.m., Traditions Hall, Gibbons Alumni Center. RSVP to Jenny Cater at jennycater@usf.edu or (813) 974-9127. 25
USF Alumni Association Welcome Home Party and Homecoming Carnival, 5 p.m., Fowler Fields, east of the Gibbons Alumni Center, across from the Sun Dome. Visit USFalumni.org/homecoming for details.
25 Running with the Bulls Homecoming Night Parade, 7 p.m., USF Tampa campus. Visit Homecoming.usf.edu for parade route and other details. 26 USF Alumni Association Homecoming Spirit Tent, 3 hours before kickoff, Bulls Zone, Lot D, Raymond James Stadium. Free spirit supplies for everyone; special collector beads for USF Alumni Association members with membership card. 26 SuperBull XVII, USF vs Louisville, Time TBA, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. For game tickets, visit GoUSFBulls.com or call 974-3002 or 1-800-GoBulls between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 31 USF vs Houston, 7 p.m., Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX. For tickets, sign into your Bulls Club account, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-GoBulls. Visit Bullssportstravel.com for travel information. Tailgate info at USFalumni.org/tailgates. November 16
USF vs Memphis, Time TBA, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. For game tickets, visit GoUSFBulls.com or call 974-3002 or 1-800-GoBulls between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
23 USF vs SMU, Time TBA, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. For game tickets, visit GoUSFBulls.com or call 974-3002 or 1-800-GoBulls between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 29 USF vs UCF, Time TBA, Bright House Network Stadium, Orlando. For tickets, sign into your Bulls Club account, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-GoBulls. Visit Bullssportstravel.com for travel information. Tailgate info at USFalumni.org/tailgates. December 7
USF vs Rutgers, Time TBA, High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ. For tickets, sign into your Bulls Club account, visit Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-GoBulls. Visit Bullssportstravel.com for travel information. Tailgate info at USFalumni.org/tailgates.
For a complete list of all USF Athletics schedules, please visit GoUSFBulls.com For a complete list of USF Arts events, please visit Arts.usf.edu
Event details are subject to change. Please visit USFalumni.org for updated information
PERIODICALS
USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100 Tampa, FL. 33620-5455 Membership Renewal Date: