Advice to today’s freshmen: Talk to a lot of peo-
Keys to successful business leadership: It’s very
ple; learn what you don’t want to do; learn what
important to have your vision fully outlined; to
mistakes have been made, then find something
make sure you communicate that vision; and to
where your purpose intersects with what the
get yourself and your team members on board.
world needs.
Clearly expressing the vision and supporting it with metrics and milestones has been critical.
Dr. Nicholas DeVito, Microbiology ’08 and MD ’12, researches ways to advance our understanding of cancer and the immune system to develop immunotherapies for metastatic melanoma and gastrointestinal malignancies. His work at Duke University includes patient care, teaching, and research investigating how tumors manipulate the body’s immune system. Nick’s interest in oncology blossomed during his undergraduate years at USF, when he worked with oncologists and in a cancer vaccine laboratory at Moffitt Cancer Center. In 2018, he was one of five recipients of the highly competitive Physician-Scientist Training Awards presented by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. This award recognizes scientists who show exceptional promise in finding new cures for cancer. He also received the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s 2017 Young Investigator Award and the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2017 Merit Award. Even as a USF student, Nick was a trailblazer, creating the Morsani College of Medicine’s peer-taught Step 1 licensing exam course and its Undergraduate Physician Shadowing Program.
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UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA
Rogan Donelly, MBA ’18, played in the Tervis Tumbler Factory Store in Venice, Fla., as a toddler, was decorating tumblers at 9, and helped out in the Tervis warehouses as a teenager. In 2016, he was appointed president of the company, which has manufactured more than 150 million of the iconic tumblers since 2000 alone. His grandfather, John C. Winslow, purchased Tervis in the 1950s and his father, Norbert Donelly took over in 1989. Rogan became a board member in 2008 while working in Boston and moved to Sarasota to continue working his way through the company. Since becoming president, he has introduced Tervis’ popular stainless-steel line, ramped up customer service, and positioned the company as a champion of conservation efforts. An avid angler and outdoorsman, Rogan gave away 10,000 Tervis tumblers in 2018 to people who pledged to stop using disposable cups. He has been named to Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list.
