USF Yesterday & Today
Looking at yesterday through today’s lens, Pg 14
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: USFSP’s Entrepreneurship Program is getting noticed on the national level, Pg 12 Join your fellow alumni for a Welcome Home Party & Parade and a host of other Homecoming Week events, Oct 6-11, Pg 18 Meet the 2014 USF Alumni Award Recipients, Pg 20
CONTENTS FEATURES
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10 On Top of the World Ski mountaineer Jon Kedrowski, Ph.D, believes that to be successful in life, you have to do something outrageous to get noticed. It certainly worked for him. From sleeping on the summits of some of the country’s highest mountains to leading expeditions up to some of the world’s highest peaks, the USF Geography alumnus has created a thrilling career for himself as an extreme outdoor athlete and motivational speaker.
12 Seeding the Startup Community Sitting in class in Professor Daniel James Scott’s entrepreneurship courses at USF St. Petersburg could be a student who turns a cool idea into the next multi-million dollar business. USFSP’s 3-year-old Entrepreneurship Program is getting noticed on the national level for its excellence at developing the next generation of entrepreneurs. Scott, a threetime USF alumnus, is a big part of the reason for that.
14 USF Yesterday & Today As Shakespeare wrote: “What’s past is prologue.” Nowhere is that more evident than when comparing photos from USF’s early years to those of today.
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18 Once Upon a Homecoming In a land known as Bulls Country, a week of celebration will be held before the valiant USF Bulls go forth to defeat the dreaded Pirates of East Carolina on Oct. 11 at Raymond James Stadium. Join your fellow alumni for a Welcome Home Party and Parade and a host of other Homecoming Week events, Oct. 6-11.
DEPARTMENTS
Your Home away from Home
2 Five Minutes with Bill 3 USFAA Board of Directors 4 News Roundup 6 Where’s Rocky? 9 In the Bull’s-Eye: Ann Turner Cook 13 USFAA Scholarship Recipients 20 2014 USF Alumni Award Recipients
26 Blast from the Past 27 Love USF 28 Student Voice 29 Chapters & Societies 33 Employ-A-Bull 35 Class Notes 40 Athletics 41 Calendar
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Minutes with Bill Bill McCausland, MBA `96 Executive Director, USF Alumni Association
My Fellow Bulls, The fall semester is one of my favorite times of the year at USF. All three of USF’s regional institutions – USF, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee – are once again buzzing with activity after a relatively quiet summer. The excitement of students who are making new friends and accepting new challenges, whether academic, athletic or artistic, is something I find invigorating. The way I see it, while these young people will be students for just a few years, they will be alumni forever. That is why it is an important part of our mission as an Alumni Association to connect with them and support their success. An active, engaged student who understands how our organization benefits the university is someone who is much more likely to be an active, engaged alumnus upon graduation, which is crucial for USF’s future. So, although we have “alumni” in our title, we also work hard to help students round out their college experience by offering scholarships (see page 13), mentorship and leadership programs, such as the USF Student Alumni Association and USF Ambassadors. I’m proud to share with you that as of this fall, all three
USF Alumni Voice® USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center University of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100 Tampa, Florida 33620-5455 alumni@usf.edu USFalumni.org Alumni Voice Editorial: Karla Jackson, jacksonk@usf.edu or Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@usf.edu Advertising: Andrew Jordan, Connect Media International, (800) 521-5730 or Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@usf.edu or (813) 974-6312 Design: State of Mind Design, LLC 2
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USF institutions now have students serving as USF Ambassadors, a group of top-notch student leaders who act as representatives of the student body within their communities. When you see a student in one of those iconic green jackets, you can rest assured that is someone who will make you proud to be a USF alumnus. Another one of my favorite things about fall is Homecoming Week. The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 6 with a Kickoff event in the courtyard behind the Marshall Student Center that features the USF Cheerleaders, Sun Dolls, Herd of Thunder and appearances by Coach Taggart and others. If you haven’t seen the renovated Marshall Student Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza with its charging Bull statues, you will definitely want to come back for this energetic pep rally. Later in the week, on Thursday, Oct. 9, NorthStar Bank presents the 2014 USF Alumni Awards banquet, honoring the newest cohort of USF Alumni Award recipients. You can read more about these impressive Bulls on pages 20-25. Friday, Oct. 10, is your Alumni Welcome Home Party and Parade, plus an after concert. Bring your kids, friends, family and reconnect with your fellow Bulls the night before the big SuperBull XVIII Homecoming football game against East Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 11. For a complete list of events, see pages 18-19. Homecoming is a special time when students and alumni, faculty and staff, and everyone who loves USF, come together to celebrate our Bull Pride. Bulls Country is growing in size and influence. We thank you for being a part of it and look forward to seeing you during Homecoming Week. In Bull Pride,
Bill McCausland, MBA `96 Executive Director, USF Alumni Association Life Member 2,331
Contributors in this Issue: Aimee Blodgett Ryke Cordisco Elizabeth Engasser Drema Howard, Ph.D Karla Jackson, `88, MSM `13 Jordan See
USF Alumni Association website: USFalumni.org Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please write to Karla Jackson at jacksonk@usf.edu or mail to the address on the left. Views expressed in USF Alumni Voice do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USF Alumni Association, the University of South Florida or the editorial staff.
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: Kemel Thompson, (813) 974-1891 or kemel@usf.edu USF Bulls License Plate: www.BullsPlate.org
USF ALUMNI VOICE (USPS# 025203) Number 30 USF 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., 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 USF Alumni Voice, USF Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620. © 2014 All rights reserved.
2014-15 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors Front row, seated from left: Monty Weigel, `76, Past Chair , Lisa Provenzano-Heugel, `93, `96 & MSCS `07, Secretary, Mike Griffin, `03, Chair, Betty Otter-Nickerson, `76, Chair-Elect, Randy Norris, `79, Treasurer Second row: April Monteith, `01 & MBA `03, Vickie Ahrens, `73 & M.A. `75, Richard Hartman, `88 & Ph.D `02, Ruben Matos, MPH `92, Brian Campbell, `93, Merritt Martin, `04 & MPA `06, Kathy Dorf, `08, Jessica Leigh, `01 Back Row: Jim Harvey, `88, Mary Harper, `97, M.Ed `01 & Ph.D `07, Andy Coe, `95 & MBA `00, Bill McCausland, MBA `96, Executive Director, USF Alumni Association, Jordan See, President, USF Ambassadors, Rhondel Whyte, Vice President, Student Government, Katrina Anderson, `09 & M.A. `11 Not pictured: Franklin Biggins, `69, Andrew Cohen, `11, Sandy Pettit, `94 & MCHE `10, Ph.D `14, Amy Walsh, `85, Judy Genshaft, USF System President, Joel Momberg, USF Senior Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Affairs FALL 2014 | ALUMNIVOICE
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news roundup
USF Names New Dean for the College of Engineering
Space navigation engineer Robert H. Bishop was named as the new dean of the USF College of Engineering. Formerly opus dean of Marquette University’s College of Engineering, Bishop is a specialist in the application of systems and control theory to modern engineering products. He works with NASA on advanced navigation algorithms for test flight vehicles. “I am honored to join a team that is dedicated to student success and strategically focused on positively impacting the future,” Bishop said. “The University of South Florida is an exciting and dynamic place. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.” Bishop was selected to lead Marquette’s engineering college in 2010 after previously working as a professor at the University of Texas-Austin. Before then, he was a practicing engineer at Draper Laboratory – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinoff that has played a historically significant role in the U.S. space program – where he developed an international reputation as a leading specialist in guidance, navigation and control of aerospace vehicles. He joined USF in August.
USF Launches New Doctor of Business Administration Program
CEOs and other upper-level executives will soon be able to earn doctoral degrees in business without interrupting their careers, thanks to a new Doctor of Business Administration degree program launching at USF Tampa in January 2015. The USF College of Business offers the DBA, designed exclusively for C-suite executives and business leaders with at least a dozen years of upper-level industry experience. Applications for the inaugural cohort are due by Nov. 1. A fundamentally different degree from the traditional Ph.D or the Executive MBA, the DBA is intended for working professionals with extensive managerial experience who are looking to transform business practice. The traditional Ph.D in Business Administration, which USF also offers, is intended for those who want to pursue research-focused careers in academia, while the Executive MBA is designed to help rising managers reach the C-suite by providing broad-based business education. The USF DBA, a three-year cohort program with no more than 25 executives per cohort, provides senior-level business leaders an opportunity to develop rigorous research skills that can be applied to contemporary business problems. Grandon Gill, a USF professor who earned a DBA from Harvard University, has been tapped to spearhead the program. For details, visit usf.edu/dba.
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USF Professor Inducted into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
USF Health’s Shyam Mohapatra, Ph.D, a pioneer of applied biomedical nanotechnology, was among six inventors inducted into the newly established Florida Inventors Hall of Fame on Sept. 10. A distinguished USF Health professor and career research scientist at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital, Dr. Mohapatra develops celltargeted miniscule biodegradable particles known as nanoparticles to deliver drugs, genes and peptides that regulate immune response to inflammatory diseases. His research has contributed to innovations in nanoscale biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics for cancers, asthma, viral infections and traumatic brain injury. He joins Thomas Edison (1847-1931), the most prolific inventor in U.S. history, and John Gorrie, M.D. (1803-1855), the father of air conditioning and refrigeration, as members of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame’s inaugural class. Other 2014 inductees are Robert Cade, M.D. (1927-2007), a University of Florida professor who developed the hydrating sports drink Gatorade; William Glenn, Ph.D (1926-2013), a Florida Atlantic University professor who invented the highdefinition camera for NASA; and Shin-Tson Wu, Ph.D (1953- ), a University of Central Florida professor whose liquid crystal research has widely impacted display technology worldwide. The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, one of only seven state inventors’ halls of fame across the United States, is committed to “honoring inventors and celebrating innovation, discovery and excellence.”
USF Tampa Library Undergoes Major Technology Upgrade
The library at USF Tampa began the new academic year with a total transformation of the first floor of the building, which opened in 1976. Dean of USF Libraries William Garrison said the renovation was prompted by students’ need for more technology that will support their coursework and research. “After the Smart Lab was created on the second floor we saw use of the building explode,” Garrison said. ”The success of the second floor’s added technology and computers have inspired a similar theme for the first floor of the building.” New, more functional furniture replaced the wooden cubicles on the west side of the ground floor, allowing for about 50 more computers in the area. There is also new furniture in the center of the library’s first floor. The center tables run along a mid-height wall with a translucent glass divider to ensure the students’ privacy and provide additional electric outlets for students to plug in their electronic devices. The first floor
bathrooms have been renovated and the Writing Center was moved to the second floor to make room for the newly expanded Digital Media Commons, an area where students can work on digital projects using the university’s high-end computers and software and check out video cameras and microphones. Promethean, an education solutions provider whose chairman is a USF graduate, donated two 8-foot computer boards and other technology tools that enable students to work collaboratively in the Digital Media Commons. The area is staffed with student employees to help their peers with questions about using the new technology. The renovations are funded through the state’s Capital Improvement Trust Fund, which distributes money each year to Florida’s public universities.
Two New Faces at Your USF Alumni Association
Kemel Thompson, `96, and Paul Winterbotham have joined the USF Alumni Association in roles that will support the organization’s mission to connect alumni and find meaningful ways for alumni to help USF succeed. Thompson serves as the association’s director of development, replacing Ron Sherman, who retired in June.
A former student athlete, Thompson returns to USF after several years of experience with Nvirotect Pest Control Services, where he was vice president of commercial sales. Prior to that, he worked for USF Athletics as director of the USF Varsity Club and development officer for the USF Bulls Club. In his new role, Thompson works to garner private support for the priorities of the Alumni Association, including sponsorships for alumni events, gifts for the Circle of Excellence and U Club programs, scholarship support and more. Winterbotham serves the association as assistant director of alumni engagement. He previously was a colony development coordinator for the Beta Theta Pi Foundation and Administrative Office, where he reestablished a chapter at the University of Illinois that had been dormant for more than 20 years. In his new role at USF, Paul’s duties include cultivating, supporting and advising alumni volunteers and committees in the planning, execution and evaluation of various social, networking, scholarship, athletic, cultural, student and campus-based programs and events. Winterbotham is a 2012 graduate of the University of San Diego.
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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.
Future Bull, James Krause, son of Life Member Kevin Krause, `95, hoists Rocky up for a better view of the New Palace, on the western side of the Sanssouci royal park in Potsdam, Germany.
Dawn M. Beeson, `12, left, and Shelby Finman, `09, showed Rocky the colorful sights in Aruba during their Carnival Cruise in May.
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St. Louis USF Alumni Chapter Leader Mark Greenspahn, `78, brought Rocky along on his vacation to Club Med in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.
p Kristen Tavolaro, `12, and Rocky had a great time at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
t Life Members Tom, `71 & M.A. `73, and Becky Gerberding, `71, right, and Greg and Carol VanBebber, left, pose with Rocky on a picturesque road in Luxembourg.
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Where’s Rocky?
Life Member Matt Diaz, `13, and Rocky “Remember the Alamo!” while visiting San Antonio during a cross-country journey through the United States.
Rocky took in the scenery of Niagara Falls on a trip with Life Member Connie Johnson-Gearhart, `00 & MCE `12. Rocky and second-generation Bull Megan Jaquiss, daughter of Life Members Manley Jaquiss, `86, and Jill Jaquiss, `87, flash their best smiles in front of the legendary Leaning Tower of Pisa in the Italian province of Pisa. Megan was part of a USF Study Abroad group that visited Europe over the summer.
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In the Bull’s-Eye
Gerber Baby Ann Turner Cook, M.A. `69, Grows Up to Be a Teacher and Author
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nn Turner Cook, M.A. English Education `69, sees her face practically any time she visits a grocery store. A sketch of her as a baby adorns every jar of Gerber Baby Food, and has been the iconic “Gerber Baby” logo for the company since its start in 1928. Cook, `87, didn’t receive instant stardom for being the face of Gerber, however, as the identity of the Gerber Baby was kept secret until 1978, when, after many years of speculation by the public, Gerber finally revealed the name. “It’s only been in recent years that anyone’s much paid attention to that,” Cook said. “Nobody really paid any attention to it when I was in high school and college. Most people knew, but it’s not something that you bring up in the conversation.” Having her baby picture on some food jars isn’t the only notable thing about Cook’s life. A retired English teacher after more than 25 years of service in the Hillsborough County School District, Cook said at first, she didn’t think she would go into teaching.
“I enjoyed the literature, but what I didn’t know I was going to enjoy was the students,” she said. “I really did care about my students.” Her family is what she is most proud of – having four children of her own and being a great-grandmother. Now living close to campus, Cook says whenever her daughter and son-in-law, who both graduated from USF, are in town, they’ll visit campus to drive around and see how much things have changed. Cook recalls many pleasant memories of her time at the university, despite the campus only having been composed of three buildings and very little scenery back then. Once she retired, Cook went on to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, and has published four mystery novels that each have ties to locations in Florida with historical roots. The USF Library’s special collections section assisted with much of the research for her stories, she said. “My graduate school experience at USF was very productive and I enjoyed it,” she said. “I enjoyed the professors and the subject. The only thing I liked better than teaching English was learning about it.” — By Elizabeth Engasser, `15
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Profile Dr. Jon Kedrowski
On Top of the
S Photos from Jon Kedrowski By Karla Jackson, `88 & MSM `13
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ki mountaineer Jon Kedrowski tells audiences during his speaking engagements that in order to be successful in life, you have to do something outrageous to get noticed. It certainly worked for him. In 2011, Kedrowski, who has a Master’s from USF and a Ph.D from Texas State University in Environmental Geography, had been laid off from his job as a professor at Central Washington University when he decided to do something that no one had ever done before – camp on the peak of each of Colorado’s 55 “Fourteeners,” so called because the peak of each mountain is at least 14,000 feet high. He called his best friend, Denver meteorologist Chris Tomer, to share the idea. “I’ve got to do something outrageous so I can forge my own path as a geographer and outdoor adventure athlete,” Kedrowski told his buddy, with whom he had hiked, climbed and skied all of those same peaks over the years. Spending the night at the top, however, especially during the summer when the ranges are prone to severe thunderstorms, was another matter. Tomer told him he was crazy to try it. Kedrowski documented the 95-day adventure – dodging hungry bears and braving blizzards and lightning storms – in a book that he co-authored with Tomer called Sleeping on the Summits: Colorado Fourteener High Bivys, (Westcliffe; 2012). It is both an adventure story and an academic study of the geography, geology, meteorology and
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climate of Colorado’s greatest mountain ranges. The term “bivy” is mountaineer slang for bivouac, which means “a long night of suffering,” according to Kedrowski. “As humans we all subject ourselves to
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suffering, but it’s usually temporary suffering and our character is tested by how we handle that suffering,” Kedrowksi said. “Step outside the box. Accept and embrace being uncomfortable on some level so that you can achieve and live your dreams.” The key to success when making bold moves, whether it’s climbing a mountain or achieving personal or professional goals, is meticulous risk management, Kedrowski said. That edict was reinforced by what he witnessed during his first attempt to climb to the 29,029-foot summit of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, on May 19, 2012. Six people died overnight trying to make the summit during an unstable break in weather conditions, one of the worst tragedies on the mountain since eight climbers died there on May 11, 1996. Kedrowski and Tomer had wisely turned back, even though they were only 800 feet from the summit. “I basically witnessed people dying because they were summiting … and not making it back to high camp until 24 to 28 hours later, which is just way too long and dangerous at those altitudes,” Kedrowski said. “So we stopped our summit attempt and helped others. We took a few people back to high camp. We also witnessed people that were already so close to death that if you do try to pick them up and carry them, you’re risking your own life.” The video footage he took of that deadly day on Everest became part of a documentary
that aired on Dateline NBC titled “Into the Death Zone.” The piece won a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for best use of video. A week after the tragedy, Kedrowski returned to Everest and successfully reached the summit. So far, he has climbed five of the seven highest summits on each of the Earth’s continents: Kilimanjaro in 2014; Everest in 2012; Elbrus, Russia in 2005; Denali, Alaska in 2009; and Aconcagua, Argentina in 2010. For fun, he and Tomer produce television segments called “Tomer’s Trails” that air on Denver station KDVR/KWGNTV that feature their various outdoor adventure activities in Colorado. Additionally, Kedrowski works as a guide for skiers and mountain climbers. This summer he led a group of climbers to the top of Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. He also teaches a few classes at Colorado Mountain College in the Vail valley and is working on his second book, Skiing and Sleeping on the Summits: California 14ers and Cascade Volcanoes, which will be out in March 2015. He has done more than 100 speaking engagements in the past 18 months and expects to continue, especially once the new book is released. Opportunities to climb some of the world’s other highest peaks are possible, but he’s leaning toward staying in Vail for a while after having traveled so much the past few years. “There are more skiing objectives that I can do more safely that will be better for me and my business and my family,” Kedrowski said. “I’m not married, but I live in Vail now because my Mom and Dad are 10 minutes away and … there’s a lot of family here. I’m in my mid-thirties, I’ve accomplished a lot. I don’t have to go climb those nasty mountains if I don’t need to.” ®
On the top of page 10: Jon Kedrowski skies down the Mount Baker volcano in Washington. Bottom, page 10: Kedrowski near the summit of Mount Everest just before sunrise. Inset on page 11: Kedrowski at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Below, Kedrowski climbing up to ski down 14,256 feet on Long’s Peak in Colorado.
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USFSP Profile Daniel James Scott
Seeding the Startup Community By Karla Jackson, `88 & MSM `13
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itting in Professor Daniel James Scott’s class in USF St. Petersburg’s Entrepreneur Program could be a student who turns a cool idea into the next multi-million dollar business. “I tell my students this every semester: You can do whatever you want in this life,” said Scott, co-founder and associate director of USFSP’s Entrepreneurship Program. “They’re going to be told, ‘You’re not from Stanford; you’re not in Silicon Valley.’ Well, so what if you’re the underdog? You have an opportunity to take some bigger shots because nobody’s expecting it.” Scott, 36, is one of the Tampa Bay area’s most influential entrepreneurs and educators, a fact that was underscored by a bevy of awards in 2013. He was named as Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year by the Association for Small Business Entrepreneurs. The program he helped to found at USFSP in 2011 was selected as the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Program by the U.S. Association for Small Business Entrepreneurs. He was named Technology Leader of the Year by the Tampa Bay Technology Forum and the State of Florida Business Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Prior to that, Scott literally wrote the book on creating a business plan, titled Building the Ultimate Business Plan, with colleague Jim Parrish of the Small Business Development Center at USF Tampa, which has been used as a textbook in business schools nationwide. “Our students are really top notch,” Scott said proudly, citing numerous startup and business competition awards won by USFSP students during the program’s three years of existence. “To me, this is the most important thing: producing quality students and ensuring that we have a community that’s not going to allow them to just walk away.” Scott knows the pros and cons of entrepreneurship in the Tampa Bay area because he practices what he preaches. He co-founded Alorum, a marketing software company that helps users improve search engine optimization on their websites. He was one of five investors in Gazelle Lab, a private fund that invested an average of $18-20,000 in six early-stage companies that are now collectively valued at around $7.5 million. 12
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Other ventures include FloridaStartUp.com and TampaBay620.com, two valuable information resources for people trying to start businesses in the area, and TampaBayNewsWire.com, a free wire service. He also sits on the board of directors of the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research. “I’ve always viewed my life as projects,” said Scott, who grew up in Seminole and earned three degrees from USF: a B.A. in Marketing, an MBA and an M.S. in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technology. “I’m always taking a look around and asking, “Can I make an impact here? With the resources I could get, can I do what I want to do here?” Sometimes his projects are big and ambitious; other times they are more modest. “They’re what we call in software, ‘alpha tests’,” Scott explained. “I’ll release a project into the wild and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ve learned something and maybe somebody else will take what I’ve learned and do something better next time.” While technology is his business, teaching students about entrepreneurship is his passion. Scott credits his many mentors in the Entrepreneurship Program at USF Tampa for guiding his career at a time in his youth when he didn’t really know what he wanted to do with his life. Now he feels like it’s his turn to repay the favor. In addition to teaching and mentoring at USFSP, Scott gives to both USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg and is a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association. “When alumni ask me, ‘How come you give back to the university?’ It’s because I’m a product of somebody giving their time, their money, their network back to me,” he said. “If I can’t pay that forward, then I’ve stopped the cycle. In a growing institution, there has to be enough people who are willing to do the exact same thing. It’s difficult, but you’ve got to find the time to get involved.” ®
2013-14 USF Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients By virtue of the generosity of the university’s alumni and friends, your USF Alumni Association presented the following students with more than $400,000 in scholarships during the last school year. Our thanks to you all for paying it forward to the next generation of USF Bulls. Jose Garcia and Family Scholarship Fund Sana Azam Laura Conover Teyonna Shianne Edwards Michelle Hinson John Joseph Llera Jonathan E. Lowery Jelena Runjaic Christopher Allen Weaver Green and Gold Anniversary Scholarship Hadi Edrahimidarkhaneh Hope Matuella Anthony Pham USF Alumni Association LGBT Scholarship Lindsay Betros Alyssa King Mary Catherine Whitlock Kaitlin Winters Captain Jason Holbrook Leadership Award Mathew Clutts Jesus Colon-Nazario Erickson Holbrook
Nicholas Huether John Jaufman Wesley Valdyke Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Alumni Scholarship Alecia Belnavis Sinhye Lee Mikeva Turner Ekeyah Wallace License Plate Endowed Scholarship Summer Rose Bablitz Justin Banjany Alexander D. Blackwell Maya Brown Sarah Christine Castro Frank Anthony Cirillo Theresa Cobb Cameron Coggins Haley Alexandra Denny Matthew Vincent Ellis Sanite Ermat Andrea Escobar Rosnata Eugene U’Kera Vandora Gadsden Ryan Gandolfo Juan Giraldo
Dylan Harner Kase Harper Jake Hoffman Alexandra Megan Holliday Giselle Irio Nia Jackson Ashli James Barbara Jimenez Phoebe Joseph Salman Khoja Katelyn Amanda Leal Michael Christopher Malanga Katherine Elizabeth Marotte Valery N. Martinez Denise Marton Menendez Marissa McKeel Evena Miscarlien Brandon Norris Dennis Nunez Yamil Nunez Megan M. Orlando German Andres Ortiz Mishya Bronislawa Otis Jessica Prill Darleny Ramize Julisa Renaud Jason Alexander Schmiege Daniela Alejandra Serpa Rachael Ann Soloway Mary Therese Taylor
Neena Thomas Shelby Bryn Thomas Joseph Vervalin Rinaldi White Chad Wilder Chelsea Mildred Williams Sam Yun Kosove Undergraduate Fund Kyle Ashley Ariana Bond Kramer Kaplan Melissa Kelly Candace Lawrence Mariah Pelton Rachel Piotrowski Lauren Richardson Vincent Roth Dazaun Soleyn Natalie Soyster Kosove Graduate Fund Shara Argo Farah Britto Danielle Grams Tony Kurian Wai Wai Lwin Andrew Schwartz
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USF Yesterday & Today
USF Yesterday
& Today In his play, “The Tempest” William Shakespeare wrote: “What’s past is prologue.” In other words, what has been sets the stage for what’s to come. Nowhere is that more evident than at USF, where a small liberal arts university that took root amid the palmetto scrub in 1956 grew over the next 58 years into a thriving, top-tier research institution with more than 280,000 alumni. A shuffle through the university’s archives unearthed a few photos from USF’s early years that could be matched with the current milieu to create a startling juxtaposition of where we once were and how far USF has come.
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Fowler Entrance Looking north from the Fowler Avenue entrance in the 1960 photo, you can see the Administration Building, the Student Services building under construction and little else. The road was named after Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins in 1991. Today, about 40,000 students attend classes on the Tampa campus.
MLK Jr. Reflecting Pool A student floats in a fountain in the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza in the 1999 photo, inset, a practice that is discouraged today. The plaza, featuring a bust of the Rev. King, was dedicated by the Black Student Union and Student Government in 1982. A new bust was recast during plaza renovations and sits at the east end of the reflecting pool. At the west end is a passage from King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Administration Building Courtyard In the 1960 photo, the courtyard of the Administration building was one of the few outdoor spots on campus that provided shade. The umbrellas shown in the 2014 photo were part of a recent upgrade of the building, which is now known as the John and Grace Allen Administration Building, after USF’s first president and his wife.
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USF Yesterday & Today
USF Yesterday
Fowler Avenue The inset view of Fowler Avenue is circa 1958. Before USF was built, Fowler Avenue was an unpaved road through wilderness. Today, about 58,000 cars daily drive this same stretch of road between McKinley Avenue and 50th Street, according to City of Tampa traffic counts.
Upward Bound Richard F. Pride was director of Upward Bound at USF, a program to help minority students attend and succeed in college. He started work at USF in 1969 and retired in 1995. He’s pictured in the inset photo in front of the old Administration building, which was one of the first five original buildings on campus.
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& Today
Information Center A small “hut” served as an Information Center for drivers entering the Tampa Campus from Fowler Avenue in the 1971 photo. Now the expanded center has four drive-through lanes, a lobby and serves approximately 20,000 visitors a month, providing directions, maps, parking permits and much more.
U.C./MSC Entrance (from the cover) Students gather on the grass and walkway in front of the University Center to hear a speaker in this 1974 photo. The “U.C.,” as it was known then to students, was renamed after beloved center director Phyllis Marshall in 1994 after a grass roots initiative by students and her colleagues. The Phyllis P. Marshall Center was leveled and replaced with a new 231,000-squarefoot building in 2008, and is now known as the Marshall Student Center.
By Karla Jackson and Marilyn Stephens Photos from University Archives Gallery, University Communications and Marketing and Karla Jackson
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…in a land known as Bulls Country, a week of celebration will be held before the valiant USF Bulls go forth to defeat the dreaded Pirates of East Carolina. Monday
SuperBull XVIII Homecoming Week Kickoff Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m. Marshall Student Center Plaza Amphitheater Info at Homecoming.usf.edu Tuesday
USF Faculty & Staff Alumni Lunch sponsored by the USF Federal Credit Union Oct. 7, noon – 1 p.m. Marshall Student Center Ballroom RSVP to www.USFalumni.org/alumnilunch Wednesday
USF St. Petersburg Cardboard Boat Race & Carnival Oct. 8, noon – 5 p.m. Harborwalk – USF St. Petersburg Info at Homecoming.usf.edu/st-pete.htm
USF Sarasota-Manatee Speaker Series “The Business of Motorsports”
Joie Chitwood III, MBA `92, President, Daytona International Speedway Oct. 8, 5:30 p.m. – USF Sarasota-Manatee Selby Room RSVP to USFSM.edu/series Thursday
2014 USF Alumni Awards Dinner
presented by NorthStar Bank Oct. 9, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. awards presentation Marshall Student Center Ballroom RSVP to www.USFalumni.org/awards
Bank
Thursday & Friday
Homecoming Carnival
Oct. 9-10, 4 p.m. – midnight USF Sun Dome Parking Lot Alumni and families are welcome! Info at Homecoming.usf.edu
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Friday
2014-15 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting Oct. 10, 1-4 p.m. Traditions Hall, Gibbons Alumni Center RSVP to Jenny Cater at jennycater@usf.edu
Welcome Home Party
All USF alumni are welcome to come back and reconnect at this party featuring music, rides, kids games, food concessions and more! Oct. 10, 5-7 p.m. USF Fowler Field Info at www.USFalumni.org/homecoming
Running with the Bulls Homecoming Parade
Bring the family and stake out a prime bead-catching spot along the parade route on Alumni Drive and Holly Boulevard. Oct. 10, 7 p.m. USF Tampa campus Info at www.USFalumni.org/homecoming Saturday
USF Alumni Association Spirit Tent
Free spirit supplies including beads, tattoos, class year stickers, and more for all alumni. Special collector beads for Alumni Association members. Bring your membership card! Oct. 11, three hours before kickoff Bulls Zone, Raymond James Stadium Info at www.USFalumni.org/homecoming
Homecoming SuperBull XVIII
East Carolina vs. USF Oct. 11, Game time TBA For tickets, visit GoUSFBulls.com or Ticketmaster.com
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2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career
Joel “Joie” Chitwood III, MBA `95
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ne of the benefits of working as a human battering ram in your family’s automotive thrill show as a teenager is that you tend to develop nerves of steel. It’s hard to rattle someone who has clung to the hood of a car while it smashed through a wall of flames. Those experiences, plus the MBA he earned at USF, put Joel Scott “Joie” Chitwood III in the perfect position to strike out on his own and become one of the top executives in the nerve-wracking, death-defying world of motorsports. “I had spent 20 years of my life traveling and performing in the stunt show and wasn’t sure what the next career stage would be,” said Chitwood, 45, who grew up in Tampa and spent summers traveling with the legendary Joie Chitwood Thrill Show founded by his grandfather in the early 50s. “I have had the opportunity to lead two of the most iconic motorsports facilities in the United States: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway. Not bad for a guy who grew up as a stuntman performing at fairgrounds and speedways across the U.S.” Chitwood, now in his fourth year as president of Daytona International Speedway, credits the lessons and leadership opportunities he gained during his time in USF’s MBA program with helping him to make the transition from performer to executive. “I felt like things really clicked at USF,” Chitwood said. “The interaction with the professors and the dean’s office were highlights. I was the president of the Graduate Business Association and participated in the policy committee for the MBA program. There were so many leadership opportunities and I tried to participate in every one of them.” His first job after earning his MBA was as a staffer with Indianapolis Motorsports’ Indy Racing League, where he helped to open the racetrack at Walt Disney World Speedway. From there, he was appointed to oversee the $135 million construction of Chicagoland Speedway, and then later became president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where his grandfather had raced a total of seven times more than a half-century earlier. Before coming to Daytona, he served as vice president of operations for International Speedway Corpora20
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tion (ISC), leading business strategy across the company’s 13 motorsports facilities. In August 2010, Chitwood was appointed as president of ISC’s flagship facility, the historic Daytona International Speedway. His biggest professional challenge to date is now underway at Daytona, the $400 million Daytona Rising project, scheduled for completion in 2016. “Transforming the speedway into the first and only motorsports stadium is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “The 2½-yearlong project will set a new standard for the customer experience at a motorsports facility. We are rebuilding the entire mile-long front stretch grandstand with over 40 million pounds of steel supporting the new 101,000 seating capacity.” Needless to say, managing a project of that magnitude leaves little time for relaxation. “One of our sayings at Daytona International Speedway is: ‘You can sleep when you retire,’ Chitwood said. “Seriously, when given the chance, I love going fishing with my son down in Boca Grande.” Chitwood and his wife of 21 years, Susan, named their son Joie IV, or “J4,” following family tradition. However, he says he has no plans for his 13-year-old son to follow in the most famous family tradition, stunt driving. “My grandfather, father and myself all traveled and performed in the show. With the show no longer around, the only thing I hope my son drives is a golf ball – long and straight,” Chitwood said. Chitwood’s selection as a 2014 USF Distinguished Alumnus is his most recent recognition in a long line of honors. In August, he served as honorary chairman for the 2014 Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Chitwood serves on the board of trustees for the organization, which inducted his grandfather into its ranks in 2010. Chitwood was named to SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2009 and Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 in 2007. In 2005, Chitwood was selected as a USF College of Business Celebration of Free Enterprise honoree. His career so far has been a fun ride for the young daredevil-turned-motorsports magnate. And Chitwood is certain that the best is yet to come.
2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career
Pam Iorio, MA `01
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am Iorio served two successful terms as mayor of Tampa – during which she led efforts to revitalize the downtown waterfront, host the city’s fourth Super Bowl, dramatically reduce its crime rate and score a Republican National Convention – accomplishments she credits in no small part to her degree from USF. “I often say, and I truly mean this, I don’t think I ever would’ve become mayor had I not gone back to USF to receive my Master’s degree,” said Iorio, 55, who now serves as president and chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Professors such as Gary Mormino ignited Iorio’s desire to learn about Florida’s history and civil rights issues, which helped shape her priorities as a community leader. She began to think of downtown Tampa as “everyone’s neighborhood” and imagine ways to open up access to the Hillsborough River to the public. She considered new options for areas such as East Tampa that had been left behind during the city’s rapid growth. “It made me wonder, if I were in a position to do something, could I change that? Could I make a difference and help infuse the area with a different kind of energy and investment?” said Iorio, who had served two terms as a Hillsborough County commissioner and was then serving as the county’s supervisor of elections. “It really was my studies in History that caused me to think in different ways.” While Iorio was Hillsborough’s supervisor of elections, the 2000 presidential election put Florida in the country’s cross hairs because of problems tabulating the vote. Iorio was president of Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections at the time and was thrust into the glare of the national spotlight. “That went from being a low key position to extremely high profile,” she recalled. “Thankfully, our election went very well in Hillsborough County.” She was tapped to serve on a task force to improve the state’s voting processes. Many of their ideas, such as early voting, proved to be very popular with the public. People began to suggest to Iorio that she run for mayor, but she was reluctant to shift her focus from her role as elections supervisor. “I had really decided not to [run] because we were busy moving the county from punch cards to touch screens and I really had to give that my full attention,” she said.
“But one thing led to another and before I knew it, at the last minute, I was in the race running for mayor and ended up winning.” Iorio is proud of what was accomplished during her eight years leading the city, from 2003 to 2011: the renovation of Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and the Tampa Museum of Art; the grand opening of Riverwalk and the Glazer Children’s Musuem; the creation of the Tampa Bay History Center and expansion of Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park; the ongoing revitalization efforts in East Tampa; a dramatic drop in the crime rate of more than 60 percent, and so much more. “I look back at my 26 years in public life and I so appreciate that I had the opportunity to serve,” said Iorio. “The public has always been great to me and I’ve been able to contribute to making my hometown a better place, which is really what it’s all about.” Iorio’s family moved to Tampa from Maine when she was 4 years old for her father’s new job as an English professor at USF. The late John J. Iorio challenged his daughter to turn her lifelong love of politics into a career in public service. “My dad and I went to a candidate forum in 1984 to look at the candidates who were going to run for county commission … and he looked at me and said, “What about you? Why aren’t you running?’” Two weeks after her 26th birthday, Iorio became the youngest person ever sworn into office on the Hillsborough County Commission. She was also the first sitting commissioner to give birth during her term in office. Children Caitlin, 26, and Graham, 24, now live and work in the Tampa Bay area. Iorio’s husband, Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodard, also is a USF alumnus, as is their daughter, and Iorio’s mother, Dorothy. After leaving office, Iorio wrote a book, Straightforward: Ways to Live and Lead, and became a sought-after leadership speaker. Earlier this year, the national nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters of America reached out to her to ask her to serve as president and chief executive officer. Additionally, Iorio continues to serve on the USF System Foundation Board of Directors. And her name comes up often in political discussions about future Florida gubernatorial candidates. “I don’t have any plans to run for anything else,” Iorio said. “I just want to spend my life helping wherever I can help.” FALL 2014 | ALUMNIVOICE
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2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career
Richard “Gil” Kerlikowske, Jr. BA `78 & MA `85
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n his work, Richard “Gil” Kerlikowske has traveled all over the world, from South America to Eastern Europe and beyond. But when you’re running an organization such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with more than 60,000 employees in 40 countries, there is virtually no time to be a tourist. “It’s one of those things where you put it on your calendar and say, ‘OK, in my next life, when we have more time, we’re going to do this,” said Kerlikowske, 64, who was appointed as commissioner of CBP in March after serving nearly five years as the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Kerlikowske accepted the CBP appointment at a tumultuous time in the agency’s history, when unaccompanied minors were streaming across U.S. borders at an unprecedented rate, creating a politically charged situation that he views as a “humanitarian crisis.” “The three countries they’re coming from – El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras – have very difficult economies, a lack of educational opportunities and the crime and violence issues are significant also,” Kerlikowske said. “People want to come to America for all the reasons people have wanted to come here for a couple hundred years. This influx is unique because it’s so many young people, and so many children and moms.” Coupled with concerns about the border patrol’s use of force in dealing with the influx, the CBP needed a leader with experience in calming tensions between authorities and citizens as Kerlikowske had done several times during his nine years as chief of police in Seattle. “It’s a pretty delicate balance because you want to make sure your officers are protected, but you also have to be able to communicate to talk to the people,” he said. Lost amid the headlines about CBP, Kerlikowske said, is the other important work the agency does. Customs and Border Protection is the second largest revenue collector for the United States, after the Internal Revenue Service. The agency battles counterfeiters – not just of designer handbags, but of items that could pose a great danger to American citizens, such as counterfeit computer chips and automobile parts. It is also responsible for agricultural inspections at the border,
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working to prevent the spread of pests and diseases that could harm crops. Inspecting the huge container ships at ports all over the country is another vital task. And then there is travel. One of his priorities as CBP commissioner is establishing pre-clearance for international travelers using global entry technology, as is done in Canada and Ireland. Kerlikowske’s career has come a long way since his days as a St. Petersburg Police officer in the early 70s, when he was working full time and taking classes toward his Bachelor’s, and then Master’s, degrees at USF. Judge Robert Beach, a circuit court judge who was an adjunct professor at USF, and Professors Emeritus Tim Reilly and Leonard Territo, made an impact on Kerlikowske during the early years of his career. “I’ve stayed up with the criminal justice program and that program has been able to attract truly world class academics,” Kerlikowske said. “When you look at the top schools for criminal justice … the University of South Florida is right there in the top tier.” USF’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences recognized Kerlikowske’s professional achievements by awarding him an honorary doctorate in 2010, a recognition that he described as meaningful to him. “My mother was there. She’s 90. My daughter came from Colorado, and of course my wife was there.” Kerlikowske grew up in Fort Myers, spending a lot of time around the small-town courthouse where his stepfather was a judge. After serving in the U.S. Army, where one of his duties was to salute President Richard Nixon as he departed the presidential helicopter, he went to work for the St. Petersburg Police Department. He then served as chief of police in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, before becoming police commissioner in Buffalo, NY. From there, he served as a member of the United States Justice Department, where he oversaw community policing grants. He joined the Seattle force in 2000, leaving there to become the U.S. “drug czar” in 2009. Kerlikowske said he felt the time was right for him to move from the ONDCP to the CBP. “If the White House asks you to serve, you not only want to do that, you want to do the best job that you can.”
2014 Donald A. Gifford Service Award Recognizing a USF alumnus who has provided countless hours of service to USF
Michele Norris, BA `79
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he main reason Michele Norris was able to attend USF for her freshman year was because of an outof-state student scholarship provided to her by the USF Alumni Association. “It allowed me to come here, and I’ve never forgotten that,” said Norris, who grew up in Rhode Island. “That’s my main point as an alumnus on campus, because it was very foundational.” Today, Norris, 57, gives her time, talents and treasure to the university because of the impact USF had on her as a student. Not only did she earn a Marketing degree, she also met her husband, Randy Norris, during freshmen orientation. They both graduated in 1979. As the 2014 Donald A. Gifford Service Award recipient, Norris is a founding member and former chair of USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) and has volunteered for a decade with the USF Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as its president in 2008-09. Norris also has donated generously to USF scholarships, most notably the WLP Sandra Skinner Scholarship, which supports USF Tampa students majoring in Early Childhood Development. Norris and her husband are Life Members of the USF Alumni Association. Randy serves as treasurer of the alumni board and Michele continues to serve on several committees, in addition to attending nearly every event and fundraiser held by the association. While serving as president of the Alumni Association’s board, Norris created the Student Alumni Association (SAA), one of the largest student organizations at USF. Norris said creating this organization was important to her because she felt many students on campus did not know what benefits the Alumni Association could provide to them, and an organization like the SAA helps to show them. “In my work, which is essentially helping people migrate and matriculate into organizations, having a holistic view is a really good thing,” Norris said. “When you’re a student, if you only have a view of where you are right now instead of what’s coming, you really don’t have as well-rounded of an experience. If you’re a student who’s focused on what’s coming, then your connection to what’s coming is right here at the Alumni Association.”
Norris is a navigational facilitator who founded Navigen Leadership, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses navigate the generation gaps among their employees. In her work, Norris looks at trends in the workplace to predict what’s coming, and helps organizations manage the vision that they have for their operations. “It’s real simple to see what’s coming, just from studying demographics and history,” Norris said. “I pretty much can lay out the workplace of the future by knowing [the younger] generation and what’s coming through just the sheer numbers of it. It’s my goal to shape that with as little friction and chaos as possible for the people going through it.” While Norris is in the process of growing her consulting business, she also is focusing on helping women to make the most of their lives. She’s coordinating an international leadership conference in Tampa called Women Reshaping the World, and has been collecting stories to present at the conference from women who also want to make a difference in their communities. “There’s some incredible resilience in women, and there is absolutely nothing you cannot do with the right attitude,” said Norris, who had a successful career as an executive for companies such as Xerox, ADP and Boise Cascade/Office Max before founding Navigen. “Most of the time, we’re in our own way. There are people who are doing incredibly amazing things with tremendous obstacles, but they never see those obstacles.” For all of her professional successes, the accomplishment Norris is most proud of is her family, who she said have been a good foundation and kept her grounded. She and Randy have a grown son, Alexander. Norris said that although receiving the Donald A. Gifford Service Award is special to her, she gives back to the university not for the accolades but because it’s the right thing to do. “I didn’t know Don Gifford very well, but I knew him from the sidelines when I first started at the Alumni Association,” she said. “He was an amazing guy. So the fact that it’s not just an award, but an award in his name, is extremely humbling.”
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2014 Outstanding Young Alumnus Recognizing a younger (35 years old or younger) USF alumnus for his/her outstanding professional achievements
Monique D. Hayes, BA `01
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uring the first year that USF’s Law and Legal Careers course was offered, Monique D. Hayes, Political Science `01, sat among other students in the classroom, not yet realizing that it would be this course that set her on track to pursue law school. Judge Raymond Gross, who taught the course, was providing insights and opportunities during his classes that other universities couldn’t touch, such as discussing advanced legal concepts, explaining the interpersonal aspects of client relationships, and setting up networking opportunities for students with professionals already working in law. These days, Hayes, 35, regularly revisits the course as a guest lecturer, to show potential law school students what the field is all about. Hayes, an associate with the Genovese Joblove & Battista law firm in Miami, is the recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. She has an impressive track record of accomplishments since beginning her legal career in the Miami-Dade area. Her honors include: the Blackshear Fellowship Award from the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges in 2007; United Way Miami-Dade Young Leader Award in 2008; 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of Miami-Dade County from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2010; International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation Rising Star Award in 2011; and the Sojourner Truth Award from the Miami-Dade Business & Professional Women’s Alliance in 2013. She was featured in the “Top 20 Professionals Under 40” in Brickell Magazine this year, in addition to Legacy Magazine’s “40 Under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow.” She also has been recognized as a Florida Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine and as a Top Up and Comer in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite publication. As someone with a strong social conscience, Hayes is passionate about community service. She speaks to classes and moderates mock trials for students in the
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Miami-Dade school system, in addition to working with organizations such as the Junior League of Miami and the United Way Miami-Dade Young Leaders program. She also sits on the board of Kristi’s House, a child advocacy center in Miami. “I love being an attorney, but I also think it’s important to share and give back to the community,” Hayes said. “And so there are times that I’m torn with the limited time I have to give.” With so much to her credit, Hayes said that her proudest accomplishments are the small victories that she achieves for her clients. “As a bankruptcy lawyer, the proudest thing is to have a client say to me that I made a difference with them helping their business,” she said. In the future, Hayes hopes to expand her practice so she can provide legal consultation to nonprofits and startup businesses. “I really want to encourage more social entrepreneurs to begin their businesses here in Florida,” she said. “I want to make sure they have the legal resources and representation to be able to do that in a way that they can make a profit and grow as a business, but also in a way that they can contribute to the community.” After USF, Hayes attended law school at the University of Miami School of Law, graduating in 2004. Prior to joining her current firm, Hayes served as a law clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurel Myerson Isicoff and as a staff attorney at Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. “USF is important to me, and it’s so important to the state,” Hayes said. “I view my successes as a professional as a testament of the greatness of USF, and if that small part that I can do in our state is to represent USF, then it’s a tremendous honor.”
2014 Class of `56 Award Recognizing a non-USF graduate who has provided outstanding service to USF and the community
Frank J. “Sandy” Rief III
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hen Frank J. “Sandy” Rief, III, moved to Tampa more than 40 years ago, he was a struggling associate at a law firm who, at first, was the “plus one” at events hosted by the numerous organizations with which his wife, Marian “Didi” Rief, had become involved. Together, they enjoyed attending USF “Lunch with a Scholar” events, basketball games and eventually football games. The more events that Rief and Didi attended, the more they began to recognize the importance of supporting USF. After Didi passed away in 2007, Rief continued their legacy of involvement and now serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the USF System Foundation and the USF College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee. An attorney with Akerman LLP, a national trial and transaction law firm with an office in downtown Tampa, Rief’s practice focuses on trusts and estate planning. He has represented some local families for as many as four generations. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida in 1969, and a Master of Laws degree in Taxation from New York University in 1971. A Chicago native, Rief, 70, attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina for his undergraduate years, when it was a relatively small school with only 2,900 students. When he and Didi became involved with USF years later, Rief said he was impressed by the level of excitement he constantly sees at our large and growing university. “Over the years, [USF] has gone from being something that’s just northeast of downtown and south Tampa, to being something that is downtown,” he said, referring to entities such as USF Health’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and the Small Business Development Center in downtown Tampa. “And now you don’t hesitate to get in the car and drive to go to programs at the different campuses,” such as USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. As trustee for the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Rief has distributed millions of dollars in gifts to organizations that help to make the Tampa Bay area a better place, including more than $1 million to the University of South Florida. He has personally donated generously to USF Public Broadcasting, USF Health, USF St.
Petersburg, the USF Library and the colleges of Arts & Sciences, Business and Visual and Performing Arts, now known as College of The Arts. Some projects hold a special place in his heart. Rief campaigned for funds for the playground in USF’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, reaching out to donors to ensure that this vital facet of patient therapy would become a reality. “That was a lot of fun, because they showed us what some of the equipment on the playground would be, and we got to understand how these young people who were challenged intellectually or by other handicaps would be able to use this equipment,” he said. “As we’ve progressed in identifying handicaps [in children] … the ability to evaluate them at play is very important.” USF’s Florida Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences is another of Rief’s favorite programs. In 1997, he facilitated the establishment of the Frank E. Duckwall Professorship in Florida Studies at USF St. Petersburg, which is held by one of the state’s leading historians, Gary Mormino. In addition to USF, dozens of other organizations have benefitted from Rief’s involvement and philanthropy. He sits on the boards of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Foundation and the Small Business Council of America and serves as volunteer counsel for the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, an organization that works to build a better community through creative philanthropy. He has served on the boards of All Children’s Hospital, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Museum of Science and Industry and the Tampa Bay History Center. He has given to the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida Humanities Council, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Humane Society of Tampa Bay and the Tampa Theatre, just to name a few. Rief said that he is humbled to be recognized with the 2014 Class of `56 Award for his generosity to USF. “This recognition is something that makes me think what I’ve done — just because I thought it was the right thing to do and enjoy doing, and because I believed it was important for the university to grow — has made a difference, and I’m proud to be able to say that.” FALL 2014 | ALUMNIVOICE
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Blast from the Past
USF Tampa Library, 1973
I lived on campus from 1971-75. I remember the pile drivers running every day while they were building the library. There was also a big discussion on how to move the books, including every student checking out a bunch of books from the old library and returning them to the new library building. They finally hired Fogarty Brothers Van Lines to do the move. — Jim Roney, `75 & M.A. `83, Life Member That’s how I remember the library since I graduated in 1973. — Celeste Sadler, `73 Look at all that parking! — Stefanie Riveiro Swanger, `03 The top couple of floors in the library were vacant when I was there in the mid-seventies. It was a nice hangout spot. — John D. Bostick III, `78 I was there 1977 to 1979. All that was on the top floor was a snack shop and carpeting. I used to sit on the floor and use the window sill as a desk to do work and look out over campus. Was also a great spot to work on group projects. Just spread out everything on the floor. — Dave Gruhlke, `79
HISTORICAL UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES GALLERY
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One of the best things USF did was build such a large library so early. My brother (Class of `76) tells me the upper floors were empty of everything at one point. But all that space gave them the room to become a strong research library. — Evan Bennett, `95 & M.A. `98
Our Members Love USF! Your USF Alumni Association asked our members why they love USF and here’s what they said:
The sisters of Sigma Delta Tau shared their Bull Pride during a trip to St. Augustine in September 2011. This photo was taken on Sept. 3, the day USF beat Notre Dame. “We actually got to watch the Irish lose in an Irish bar,” said USF Alumni Association Board Member Merritt Martin. Pictured from left to right, in front are: Donna Morales, Candace Raad, `04, and Aly Sobo, `08. In the back are: Kristi Hernandez, `08, Merritt Martin, `04 & MPA `06, Jessie Wilcox, Vanessa Guerrero, `04, and Vanelis Vasquez. I love USF for not only the six amazing years I spent in undergraduate and graduate school, but for the life it has given me.
My education and intern/work experiences through USF have propelled me to a great career in the field that I passionately studied for years. At USF I also found lifetime friendships that have only strengthened since college. USF also made me fall in love with Tampa and my community; and has now given me the opportunity to give back to it like so many of my USF mentors before me. Merritt Martin, `04 & MPA `06 Life Member USF Alumni Association Board Member No. 1: It was my first home away from home (Beta Hall). 2. It’s where I met and got to know my future wife Joan (at the Episcopal University Center). 3. It’s where I found a mentor (Dr. James F. Strange, Religious Studies Department). 4. It’s where I crossed the finish line (a Ph.D in Education). All in all, Life Membership in the USF Alumni Association seems like such a small price to pay. Jess Bonds, `73, `77, M.A. `83 & Ph.D. `95 Life Member
I Love USF for the love it showed me back. The unforgettaBULL laughs I had in Andros, the late night crams in the library, the monumental football wins over FSU and Notre Dame all contributed to the lasting memories that I have. USF prepared me professionally and academically for our nation’s growing demand to prosper in a global economy. I am truly thankful for the opportunity this illustrious institution of higher education gave me and I can truly say that I will forever BLEED GREEN and GOLD! Justin R. Smith, `12 Besides a great educational experience that helped launch a diverse career, I met my husband, Glen, also a graduate and made many lifelong friends. Go Bulls! Betty Otter-Nickerson, `76 Life Member USF Alumni Association Board President-Elect
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Student Voice
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n the Summer 2014 issue of Alumni Voice magazine, USF President Judy Genshaft gracefully introduced the Order of the Golden Brahman (OGB) to the USF community. In her letter, she uses words such as “steadfast commitment,” “loyalty,” and “pride” to describe the members of USF’s newest leadership organization. As a current student and a founding member of the OGB, I can attest to the veracity of her words. This is unlike any other organization on campus in that it directly puts student leaders and prominent alumni together at the same table for the benefit of USF. The OGB’s purpose is to collectively identify the current and future moversand-shakers when it comes to university support. These are the men and women who will be on the front lines of their respective fields advocating for Jordan See, `15 the future generations of Bull’s Country. Sidney Resmondo, a senior majoring in Nursing, is the current president, or trail boss, of the OGB. In addition to being an active USF Ambassador and our current Miss USF, her ambition and outstanding dedication towards excellence has propelled her to acceptance into USF’s extremely competitive nursing program where she will work toward a future career as a nurse practitioner. The same kind of drive that makes Sidney such a valuable asset to the organization is shared among all of the members of the Order. We are relentless in our pursuit of excellence and our support of USF. “When I was inducted into the Order of the Golden Brahman, I felt a different type of connection to my university,” she said. “Having individuals
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who I look up to recognize me for my contributions to USF as a student opened my eyes to how important it is to stay connected as an alumni and instill in future USF Bulls the same knowledge and support that my alma mater provided to me.” When I personally was inducted into the OGB, I was humbled by the recognition and resolved to make supporting USF a lifelong commitment. Similar to Sidney, I too am studying for a career in medicine and I will be interviewing for medical schools in the fall. The process is intense, but I have found solace in knowing that my USF family is here to help me succeed. I have received recommendation letters from USF mentors and guidance from alumni. With the encouragement from organizations like the OGB, I feel even more empowered to give back to the same degree with which I was given, and I have a new sense of responsibility to advocate on behalf of the green and gold. The Order truly is an organization thats influence may not be felt in full immediately. We are still in our early years and are primarily focused on identifying student potential. But that’s okay. We are in this for the long haul. If things develop as we intend, these are the future alumni whose voices will be heard in Tallahassee and whose influence will be felt in Washington, D.C. This is a critical first step for our beloved university. I believe that the University of South Florida is one of the most innovative, fastest growing institutions in the nation, and the Order of the Golden Brahman is going to be an integral component of our burgeoning success.
chapters&societies u USF Alumni Association Board Member Brian Campbell, right, and Camilo Soto attended the 9th Annual Bulls Rally Preseason Tailgate, held July 12 at Capogna’s Dugout in Clearwater. USF Athletics AD Mark Harlan and Coach Taggart stopped by to visit the Bulls faithful during the event.
t Some 2,000 USF alumni, family and friends filled Tropicana Field on Aug. 2 for USF Night with the Rays. In their USF hats, from left, are: Jason Torres, Paul Colombo, Andrew Colombo, David Colombo and Lindsey Torres.
Scan this with your smartphone Visit http://mycribsheet.com/USF Search an app store for “USF Alumni”
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chapters&societies 2014 Hometown Roundups
E
very summer, your USF Alumni Association hosts Hometown Roundups in cities across the country so that incoming freshmen (and their parents) can meet alumni and other students from their area who are becoming Bulls in the fall. This summer, Roundups were held in Atlanta, Broward County, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, New Jersey, New York City, Palm Beach County, Philadelphia, Tallahassee, Tampa and Washington, D.C. Welcome to Bulls Country!
u About 25 people turned up for the Tallahassee Hometown Roundup held in July at Madison Social, hosted by USF Alumni Association board member Jessica Leigh, `01, pictured far left.
u Chapter leader Louis Struikman, `07, mans the grill at the Atlanta Roundup held in July.
u The New York USF Alumni Chapter usually holds its Hometown Roundup in Central Park, but this year the weather sent them indoors to Van Diemen’s where they hold their football watch parties.
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p This was the first year a Hometown Roundup was held in New Jersey for incoming Bulls, hosted by Lisa Von Bradsky, `85, and her husband Mark, at a park in Bridgewater.
u The Washingon, D.C. USF Alumni Chapter posed for a group shot at the National Mall.
q Philadelphia USF Chapter Chair Adam Feinberg, center, hosted a Roundup in July at Duffers Pub.
p The Hometown Roundup in Palm Beach was held in July at Seasons 52 and was organized by Scott Teich, `93.
p Freshman Alexis Smith was one of two students who won a $100 gift certificate for the USF Bookstore at the Broward Roundup held in June and hosted by Shawn, `93, and Kerry Cerra, `94.
t About 70 people turned out for the Jacksonville Hometown Roundup held in July at the Jacksonville Marriott Hotel Southpoint, which was organized by Life Member Ellen Rosenblum, `72.
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chapters&societies 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 Anthropology Alumni Brian McEwen bmcewen@cachillsborough. com
Medicine Alumni Catherine Warner cwarner1@health.usf.edu Music Society Keith Sanz usfmusicalumni@gmail.com
Architecture Alumni David Hunter David.Hunter@morganstanley. com
Nursing Alumni Edwin Hernandez ehernan5@health.usf.edu
Black Alumni Shomari Sanford shomari1906@yahoo.com
Pharmacy Alumni Patti Shirley pshirley@health.usf.edu
Clinical Psychology Alumni Demy Kamboukos usfclinpsychalumni@gmail.com
Psychology Alumni Monica Jackson Kim Read usfpsychba@gmail.com
College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Patty Cleveland cbcs@usf.edu College of Business Alumni Maegan Fader Maegan@usfcobalumni.org 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
Public Administration Alumni Mike Rimoldi mike@rimoldiconstruction.com Public Health Alumni Natalie Preston-Washington npreston@health.usf.edu Student Government Alumni Cordell Chavis cordell.chavis@gmail.com
Brevard Todd Bonanza bonanza298@aol.com Barbara Lyn barbara@barbaralyn.com Broward Ruth Rogge R_rogge@yahoo.com Alan Steinberg usfbrowardalumni@hotmail. com Hernando Robert Neuhausen usfhcac@gmail.com Jacksonville/St. Augustine Ellen Rosenblum rosenblum.ellen@gmail.com Miami-Dade Carlos Rodriguez USFmiamialumni@gmail.com Orlando Heather Meglino usfbullsorlando@gmail.com
Theater Alumni Kimberli Cummings kbdiva901@aol.com
Palm Beach Scott Teich scott.teich@raymondjames. com
USF St. Petersburg Casey Bovee usfspalumnisociety@gmail.com
Pinellas Julie Pappacoda usfpinellas@gmail.com
Women’s and Gender Studies Zoe Fine usfwgssociety@gmail.com
Polk Randy Dotson randy.dotson@gmail.com
Library and Information Science Society William (Bill) Harris wharris3@mail.usf.edu
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Sarasota Manatee Jay Riley jayriley@sar.usf.edu
Tallahassee Phil Canto pcantompa@gmail.com Greater Tampa John Lore USFTampaAlumni@gmail.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 Dallas Ashlea Coulter ashleacoulter@gmail.com Denver Josh Flynn jflynn@mail.usf.edu
Houston Angela Beeson Jennifer Cook usfbullshouston1@gmail.com Los Angeles Janet Foster usfbullsnla@yahoo.com Nashville Melinda Dale nashvilleusfbulls@live.com New Orleans Heather Tank heath014@yahoo.com New York Nate Collins usfalumniny@gmail.com Philadelphia Adam Feinberg usf.tri.state.alumni@gmail.com Phoenix Jillian Papa jillianpapa@gmail.com St. Louis, MO Mark Greenspahn usfstlbulls@gmail.com San Diego Josh Vizcay Josuevizcay@gmail.com San Francisco Jenna Broughton USFBullsSF@gmail.com
Corporate Affinity Group Lockheed Martin – Oldsmar Brent Lewis brent.a.lewis@lmco.com
Employ -A-Bull
Drema Howard, Ph.D, recently retired as director of the Career Center at USF. For details about career search services available to alumni, visit USFalumni.org/career.
Values are what you believe in, the things that are important to you, like achievement, autonomy, integrity, security, etc. Skills are activities in which you excel. The ability to communicate, negotiate, teach and lead are skills related to people; the ability to organize, research, analyze and compile are related to data and the ability to manipulate, handle materials and operate are skills related to things, i.e. tools, machines and equipment. Personality traits are the unique personal characteristics, work preferences and decision-making style that make you who you are. They reflect your individual traits and attitudes.
Finding a Career That Fits D
o you know someone who constantly complains about their job? Yet, someone else with exactly the same job will enthusiastically talk about how much they love what they do. Why? It’s because the person who spends all their time lamenting about their work life is likely working in a job or career that isn’t a good fit. The person who loves their job is a good fit. A significant portion of your day is spent in the workplace, so why invest that much of your life in work that isn’t fulfilling? However, many people do, year after year. Does your job or career fit you? Do you sense that it isn’t a good fit, but have no idea how to go about finding one that is?
Phase II Occupational Exploration Invest time in researching occupations to learn about the nature of work involved, education needed, job outlook, expected earnings and if there are related occupations. Use what you’ve learned about yourself as you narrow down your choices to the top three or four that appear to be a good fit for you. It’s also a good idea to talk with professionals who are already doing the type of career or job that interests you to gauge whether your assumptions about the work are accurate. Phase III Career Decision Making This phase involves evaluating and making a choice about which career/job option best fits you. Compare what you’ve learned about the occupations you investigated and evaluate how well each fits with your own values, skills and personality.
While it does take reflection and effort on your part, it’s not difficult to find a job or career that fits. In fact, it’s clearly laid out in a four-step process that you can use throughout your career. Each step paves the way for the next one. Completing each step ensures you will make an informed career decision vs. a decision based on assumptions, stereotypes and guesses. Here’s a brief introduction to each of the phases.
Step IV Career/Job Search Implementation This phase involves developing and carrying out a customized job search campaign to obtain a position in your chosen career or job. It will require you to target and network with employers that you consider a good fit for you. It will require you to articulate your education, work experiences and skills through a polished resume and job interviews. You will need to be prepared to talk specifically about how you can help meet the needs of the employer you have targeted.
Phase I Self-Assessment Self-Assessment is a self-examination in which you identify your interests, values, skills and personality traits. There are no good or bad ones. All have merit in the world of work.
If you learn the career development process and put it into practice, you can be guaranteed that it will give you the clarity, confidence and a deliberate strategy for choosing a satisfying career or job that fits you.
Interests are easy to define. They’re the things you like. Some interests will remain constant while others will change as you have new experiences and gain new knowledge.
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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
60s
Freddie “Chick” Garcia, Physics `64, was
named Executive Chairman of the Board of Quantum Technology Sciences, Inc. He founded Quantum in 1991 after 21 years of service in the United States Air Force.
Tony La Russa, Management `69, was hired as the Chief Baseball Officer in May by the Arizona Diamondbacks. La Russa, a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer who was inducted in July, is also a three-time World Series champion and has 33 years in baseball managerial experience.
70s
Philip Asherman, Mass Communications `76,
is CEO of Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I), a large multinational conglomerate engineering, procurement and construction company. CB&I was awarded the No. 1 position by the Houston Chronicle in a list of the top 100 public and 100 private companies in Houston in 2013.
Philip Blank, Mass Communications
`72, has joined GrayRobinson, P.A., a full service law firm, at its Tallahassee office. Blank spent more than six years with the Florida House of Representatives and acted as the House’s first full-time General Counsel. Blank also helped establish the Florida Prepaid College Program and for 20 years served as its General Counsel. He is a founding shareholder of Blank & Meenan, P.A., and has more than 30 years of experience in the field.
Pete Cardillo, American Studies `79, recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the founding of his law firm, Cardillo Law Firm. Cardillo focuses his practice on representation of property owners who have termite damage claims against their property insurers and termite control companies. Larry Flegle, Communication `75, was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award in April by the USF School of Mass Communications. The award is presented annually to an alumnus who has
demonstrated hard work and contributions to the field of mass communications. Flegle started his radio broadcasting career in 1964. He currently is a professor at American Public University, where he runs AMU Internet Radio for the university. He and his wife, Jan, are also owners of a new radio station, WUCG 93.1 FM; a country music station in Blairsville, Ga. Flegle is a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association.
Rhea Law, Management `77, has
joined the board of Enterprise Florida Inc., a public-private partnership that works to expand the state’s economy through job creation. Law, who is chair of the Florida offices of the national law firm, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC and Fowler White Boggs, was previously a longtime director and chair of the USF Board of Trustees. In 2013, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree from USF’s Morsani College of Medicine in recognition of her leadership in championing for equitable funding for USF Health. Law, who is a Life Member of the Alumni Association, has a long legacy of civic service with organizations such as the Florida Council of 100, the Super Bowl XLIII Task Force and Host Committee, MacDill Air Force Base, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and many more.
Alan Lucas, Political Science `76, was hired as a senior mortgage loan officer at Mutual of Omaha Bank in Tampa. Catherine McEwen, Political Science `79, was
hired as a professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Tampa. McEwen is a federal bankruptcy court judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the middle district of Florida.
Rebecca Swindal, Mass Communications Education `78, celebrated 20 years at Texas State University’s San Marcos campus. For the past 14 years, Swindal has worked at the university as supervisor of college academic advising in the College of Applied Arts.
80s
Michael Bougoulias, M.D. `89, was appointed as the new medical director at the Nuviva Medical Weight Loss clinic of Orlando. In addition to serving as Nuviva Medical Weight Loss’ Medical Director, Bougoulias also cares for patients through Physician’s Associates Orlando Health, one of the area’s most distinguished medical practices. Darryl Burman, Finance `80, is vice president and
general counsel for Group 1 Automotive, Inc., one of the five largest automotive companies in the United States. Group 1 Automotive recently ranked no. 49 in the Houston Chronicle’s list of the top 100 public and 100 private companies in Houston.
James Crandall, Civil Engineering
`87, has joined Gannett Fleming, a global infrastructure firm, as vice president and senior manager at the company’s Woodbury, New York office. With more than 26 years of experience, Crandall will lead the water and natural resources markets and practices in the Northeast, and will be responsible for the firm’s regional operations, business development and growth.
Kimberly Dominguez, Communication `89, was
hired as the new marketing director at The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota. Dominguez has previously worked in marketing at Planet Studio in Atlanta and Ally & Gargano in New York City, and also served as marketing director for Cox Media.
Anila Jain, M.D., Biology `81, was the
honorary chairwoman of the Women’s Equity Luncheon held on July 26 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Jain is a local physician and medical consultant who is an active child advocate, board member and volunteer in several community organizations at the state and national level. She is also a past USF Alumni Association Board president, a 1985 recipient of the USF Distinguished Alumnus Award and an Alumni Assoication Life Member.
David Moore, Biology `88, has joined
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, an international law firm office, in their Atlanta office. He is a member of the firm’s environmental practice group, and will focus on environmental energy and law. Moore has spent the past 14 years in private practice, as well as six years as a federal regulator for the Environmental Protection Agency in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law where he has taught for the past 20 years.
John Polson, Finance `87, was appointed to a
three-year term on the Management Committee of Fisher & Phillips LLP’s Irvine office. Polson represents employers and staffing industry clients in all aspects of labor and employment law, including transactional matters, litigation, compliance advice and audits, executive and management training and other employment related legal matters.
Marie Postlethwait, English `85, is managing shareholder and a member of Tremen Kemker’s executive board. Under her, the firm has expanded its community involvement by supporting local organizations including Southeastern Guide Dogs, United Way, Habitat for Humanity and local arts groups. Douglas Robison, Marine Science `83, was hired as a principal scientist at Environmental Science Associates, an environmental science and planning firm, at its Tampa office. FALL 2014 | ALUMNIVOICE
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classnotes David Tomasko, Biology `89, was hired as a principal scientist at Environmental Science Associates, an environmental science and planning firm, at its Tampa office.
90s
Scott Boyd, Marketing `96, was promoted to se-
nior assistant vice president in the human resources department at Amica Mutual Insurance Company in Providence, RI. Boyd began working at Amica in 1997 as a claims adjuster. He was later promoted to director of compensation and benefits in 2008 and assistant vice president in 2011.
Tami Cindrich, M.A. Accountancy
`97, Business `96, has met the requirements and passed the examination to become a Certified Healthcare Business Consultant by the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants. Cindrich works closely with physicians and administrators to provide management and operational solutions to assist practices in becoming more efficient and profitable. She currently works at Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company P.A., a certified public accounting and consulting firm in Florida.
Brian Fender, Philosophy `96, was appointed to
a three-year term with the board of directors of the MacDonald Training Center, Inc. (MTC). Since 1953, MTC has been a leader and innovator in service to people with developmental disabilities. Today, its primary areas of service include educational, vocational and residential supports for persons with disabilities.
Colleen Fitzgerald, Political Science `95, was
named as a legal elite in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite publication. The list recognizes the top attorneys in the state of Florida as chosen by their peers. Fitzgerald is a commercial litigation attorney at GrayRobinson, P.A., a full-service law firm providing legal assistance across the state of Florida.
Michael Giles, M.A. Accountancy `91, Account-
ing `89, was promoted to the position of partner at Crowe Horwath LLP in Tampa.
Rich Heruska, Business `99, is co-founder of
AirHeads Trampoline Arena, which was recently recognized as a 2014 Certificate of Excellence winner via Trip Advisor. This certification, which recognizes businesses that consistently earn top ratings from Trip Advisor travelers, is only given to the top 10 percent of attractions worldwide. AirHeads also ranked No. 2 among the 2014 USF Fast 56, the fastest growing USF alumni owned or led businesses in the world. Heruska is a past president of the USF Alumni Association Board of Directors and a Life Member.
Belea Keeney, M.A. Criminology `92, has authored a novel based off of the Big Cat Rescue
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located in west Tampa. The Tiger Whisperer is a novel following Jared Montaine, the owner of a big cat rescue in Florida, as he tries to save the life of his Siberian Tiger after it escapes from the rescue. The book was released in May and is available for purchase on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble’s online.
Milton Bertrand, Biomedical Sciences `05, is
Kevin Krause, Criminology and Professional-Technical Writing `95, a former Alumni Association board member and former head of the Orlando USF Alumni Chapter, and his wife Stacey Brandt-Krause, International Studies `94, are Life Members of the USF Alumni Association and members of the Bulls Club.
Vince Cesario, English `01, married Brittany Jos-
Michele Money-Carson, Public Relations `96, is the new Vice President of Communications at the American Heart Association for the Greater Southeast Affiliate. Prior to joining the American Heart Association, Money-Carson was an account executive for the Dalton Agency where she managed corporate communications for AT&T of West Florida. Jessica Willman, Geography `95, was hired as a planner/project manager at Stantec, a professional services company in the design and consulting industry. Willman will be working in the company’s Tampa office.
00s
Rafaela Amador, International Studies, `04, was hired as a senior director of corporate communications by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kristina Anderson, Mass Communications `09, has been working in the marketing field since graduation and has recently launched a new online business, Custom Song. Custom Song is a business that allows customers to create their own custom song for special events, and provides them with resources to do so. Lenis Archer, MPH `05, an attorney with The Health Law Firm, spoke to the family medicine residents and medical students at Florida Hospital East. The lecture given by Archer took place on April 9 at the Florida Hospital East Orlando. This presentation gave the residents and students an overview of common family medicine malpractice lawsuits. Chris Bailey, Civil Engineering `00,
has joined GRAEF, an engineering and consulting firm, at its Orlando office. Bailey joins GRAEF as a senior structural engineer, focusing on transportation projects. With over 13 years of experience in the field, Bailey’s focus has been in bridge design and rehabilitation as well as the design of various types of transportation structures and facilities.
a social entrepreneur who has created a STEM web-based network www.geazle.com, to stimulate interest and elaborate on the importance of STEM disciplines. Geazle is working to break down the barriers that deter so many students from starting to explore these important fields at a young age. selyn on April 22 in St. Pete Beach. Both Cesario and Josselyn are currently employed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Kari Clever, Studio Art `05, was recently featured in The Lakeland Ledger for her switch from ceramics and printmaking to oil painting after traveling overseas. She is currently a first year art teacher at Lakeland Christian School. Nikole Collins-Puri, Political Science `01, is the director of programs at the Women’s Foundation of California. In 2012, Collins-Puri launched her own consulting firm, New Community Partners, LLC. She also serves as a board member for the San Francisco Education Fund and lives in the East Bay area with her husband. Collins-Puri was also the USF 2012 Outstanding Young Alumnus. Shruti M. Gentilli, MPH `06, was certified as
a Registrant of the National Registry of Certified Microbiologists (NRCM) on June 20, and is certified as a specialist microbiologist in biological safety microbiology. The NRCM, founded in 1958, certifies professional microbiologists in food, pharmaceutical and medical device, and biological safety microbiology at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels.
Amy Grosse, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences `08, was named the head volleyball coach for Palmetto High School in Manatee County.
Joe Humphrey, M.Ed. `07, Mass
Communications `00, was recognized by the Florida Scholastic Press Association as the Morty Schaap Florida Journalism Teacher of the Year. Humphrey teaches journalism and advises publications at Hillsborough High School in Tampa. At USF, Humphrey served as editor in chief of The Oracle from 1999-2000.
Tiffany Ingram, Marketing `09, was hired as a
branch manager at Synovus Bank in Tampa, one of the largest community banks in the southeast.
Jessica Leigh, Communications ‘01, was elected president for the Tallahassee Women Lawyers Bar Association. She is the deputy supervising attorney for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing, where she (continued on page 38)
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represents the department in all aspects of Florida appellate and administrative law. Leigh is an Alumni Association board member and Life Member.
Valeria Lipscomb, Ph.D English `04, MLA Liberal Arts `94, was nominated for the Vera Mowry Roberts Research and Publication award with her essay “’Putting on Her White Hair’: The Life Course in Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner,” which was published in the January 2014 issue of the Age, Culture, Humanities Journal. Lipscomb is an assistant professor of English at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Ashley Macaluso, Mass Communications `07, was hired as the marketing director at Mega Inc., a boutique production studio and creative agency located in downtown Tampa. Ashley Matthews, Psychology `07, was hired
as an account executive at Elevate Inc., a strategic business development consulting firm in Tampa.
Alejandro Mendez, Civil Engineering `08, was
hired as a roadway engineer at Reynolds, Smith & Hills, a facilities and infrastructure consulting firm located in Tampa.
Karen L. Moore, MIS `08 was promoted to Data
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She also serves on the board of the Gift of Hearing Foundation as a database administrator in her spare time. Karen and her husband, Andrew Moore, MIS ‘08, are both Life Members of the USF Alumni Association and are currently working on opening a business, Beercade of Tampa. They both reside in Tampa.
Lisa Rivera, M.A. Social Work `03, was appointed by the Florida Department of Children and Families to be the state’s first fatality prevention specialist. The newly created position will oversee reporting, data gathering and response to child fatalities. Rivera has more than 24 years of child welfare and domestic violence experience. Rena Upshaw-Frasier, Civil Engi-
10s
Kristen Corpion, Anthropology and
Political Science `10, was named the winner of Legal Services of Greater Miami’s third-annual “Legal Eagle Closing Argument Competition.” The one-day, single elimination competition hosted by the University of Miami School of Law raises money for Legal Services of Greater Miami, a nonprofit organization providing free legal services for the community. Corpion, an Associate in the Litigation Practice at the Miami office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, is the first female and the first first-year attorney to win. She has been added to the competition’s “Hall of Fame” and recognized as the “Best Closer in Miami-Dade County.”
neering `01, was named to the 2014 Florida Rising Stars list by Florida Super Lawyers magazine. The list recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state, and no more than 2.5 percent of top lawyers are selected for inclusion in the Rising Stars list. Upshaw-Frasier is a real estate attorney at Quarles & Brady LLP, a full-service law firm with offices located in Tampa.
Michele Davella, Mass Communications `11,
Dennis Watkins, BSME ‘04, and wife
Diane Krause, Sociology `14,
Andrea, welcomed their daughter Norah Ann, weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces and 21 inches, on April 18.
was promoted to the position of senior account executive at FKQ Advertising + Marketing, a strategic marketing services firm in Clearwater.
Tyler Johnson, Business Economics `13, was
hired as a public relations and communications assistant at Elevate Inc., a strategic business development consulting firm located in Tampa. graduated with a Bachelor’s degree during spring commencement, joining her son and daugh-
ter-in-law in the USF alumni family. Diane has been admitted to graduate school at USF.
Crystal Chapman Lambert, Ph.D. `13, M.S. Nursing `09, Nursing`06, was selected as a fellow of the Research Education Institute of Diverse Scholars (REIDS) at Yale University. Lambert, who is now an assistant professor at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, received this fellowship for two years. She will be working on a pilot project aimed at decreasing cervical cancer in women with HIV.
Amanda Whatley, M.A. Global Sustainability
`13, received the 2014 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowships develop a source of men and women whose academic backgrounds fulfill the skill
needs of the State Department and who are dedicated to representing America’s interests abroad. Whatley plans to further her education at American University for a secondary master’s degree.
Denise Marton Menendez, International Stud-
ies, Economics and French `14, received the 2014 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. These fellowships develop a source of men and women whose academic backgrounds fulfill the skill needs of the State Department and who are dedicated to representing America’s interests abroad. Marton Menendez plans to attend the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver for a master’s degree in Global Trade, Finance and Economic Integration. She was named the Summer 2014 USF Outstanding Graduate.
Vincent Stalba, Theatre Performance, `10, has been cast in the USA network series “Graceland” and also in an FX pilot “Hoke” with Golden Globe awardwinning actor Paul Giamatti. He’s previously had roles in the films “Dangerous People” (2014), “Two Days” (2012) and “The Perfect Wedding” (2012). While at USF, Stalba received the Jeff Norton Award for Outstanding Featured Actor for his performance of the character of Arnold Epstein in “Biloxi Blues.” Joshua Varon, International Business `13, has created a new company, Viviza, an importer and distributor of wines in spirits located in Tampa. Varon and his company were recently featured on the Tampa Tribune’s website for their work in importing Peruvian pisco into the Tampa Bay Area. Nick Vojnovic, MBA `12, is president of the Little Greek restaurant chain, which recently expanded into new markets in Florida and Texas. Vojnovic joined the chain in 2011 with the goal of expanding the franchise throughout the Tampa Bay area and beyond. Vojnovic was previously president of the Beef O’Brady’s restaurant chain from 1998-2010.
In Memoriam Joshua Faile, `13, Jan. 18, 2014 Cheryl Wolf Fellows, `79, M.A. `81 & Ph.D `85, July 11, 2014
Roger Stewart, `66, Aug. 21,2014 Dr. Rasheed Yakubu, `00, June 23, 2014 FALL 2014 | ALUMNIVOICE
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athletics Bulls Football No. 1 Fan: Suzanne Ward, `86
W
hen it comes to Bull Pride, Suzanne Ward has the stats to prove that she is the reigning Super Fan of USF Football. Consider these numbers:
83 – number of USF home games that Ward has attended so far – every one since the very first game against Kentucky Wesleyan on Sept. 6, 1997 – she’s never missed one. “I moved to Portland for work in January 2003. There was no contemplation; I was going to all the games, just like when I lived in Tampa. There was never a doubt. It did become a lot more difficult when I worked out of Asia. But it never stopped me.”
3,050.7 – miles from her home in Portland, OR, where she works as an executive for Intel Corporate Services. No matter where in the world her work takes her, Ward flies in for every Bulls home game.
Photo from Suzanne Ward By Karla Jackson, 88 & MSM `13
“I will be there on the 50 yard line, every game,” she said. “Airline tickets are already purchased, rental cars reserved, and hotel reservations made. We sit literally on the 50 yard line, eight rows from the field. I own eight seats, two sets of four on the aisle. I share them with family members and friends. In some ways, this is the only way I see some family members. We also donate extras to people less fortunate. No ticket goes unused.”
10,000 – miles one-way from Singapore, the farthest distance Ward has flown to make it to a Bulls home game. “That happened in 2004,” she said. “I can’t remember who we played. It is still my
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personal record for travel. I remember sitting on the plane at 7 a.m. Saturday Singapore time, talking to my mother by phone at 7 p.m. Friday Tampa time, to remind her to be at the airport for a 7 p.m. Saturday arrival for the 8 p.m. game.”
42,000 – miles she will travel this season from various work assignments across the globe to attend each Bulls home game. “It’ll be 50,000 if we end up at a bowl game,” she said. “I have my fingers crossed. Everyone I work with and socialize with understands my fall schedule and coordinates around it.”
412,878 – accumulated miles she has travelled to Bulls home games, away games against other Florida teams and USF bowl appearances, through the end of the 2013 season. Adding this year’s trip will put her that much closer to the 500,000 mark. “And don’t forget I’ve flown in for every Ladies Football Clinic,” she added.
0 – Regrets. “It’s my hobby – an expensive one – it makes me happy,” she said. “When you support your team, you are supporting each and every player, whether it’s their first or last game. How can you not show your love and support for your team, your alma mater, and all those hard-working players who give their all each and every game, no matter what the count is in the win column?” ®
Calendar your membership in action September
19 UConn vs. USF, 8 p.m., Raymond James Stadium. Visit GoUSFBulls.com for tickets.
27 Wisconsin vs. USF, Game time TBA, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI. Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets. October 9 10
2014 USF Alumni Awards Dinner sponsored by NorthStar Bank, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. awards presentation, Marshall Student Center Ballroom. Visit www.USFalumni.org/awards to RSVP. 2014-15 USF Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting, 1-4 p.m. Traditions Hall, Gibbons Alumni Center. RSVP to Jenny Cater at jennycater@usf.edu.
10 SuperBull XVIII Homecoming Welcome Home Party and Parade, 5 p.m. party, 7 p.m. parade, USF Sun Dome parking lot. Visit www.USFalumni.org/homecoming for details. 11 SuperBull XVIII Homecoming Game, East Carolina vs. USF, Game time TBA. Visit GoUSFBulls.com for tickets. 18 Tulsa vs. USF, Game time TBA, H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK. Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets. 24
Cincinnati vs. USF, 7 p.m., Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH. Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets.
November 1 Veterans and Military Appreciation Day, Houston vs. USF, Raymond James Stadium. Visit GoUSFBulls.com for tickets. 15 SMU vs. USF, Game time TBA, Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX. Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets. 22 Memphis vs. USF, Game time TBA, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN. Visit Ticketmaster.com for tickets. 28 UCF vs USF, Game time TBA, Raymond James Stadium. Visit GoUSFBulls.com for tickets.
PERIODICALS
USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100 Tampa, FL. 33620-5455 Membership Renewal Date: