Passions, Purpose, and Pedagogy: Meet our Newest Faculty

BY DR. CAYLA LANIER, ASSISTANT DEAN, SARASOTA-MANATEE CAMPUS

In 2022, we added two full-time faculty in the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Dr. Andrew Hargrove and Professor Tina Piracci. Learn how they bring their passions and purpose into the classroom.

Andrew Hargrove, Ph.D. (he/him and they/them)

By the time Dr. Andrew Hargrove joined the Judy Genshaft Honors College as a visiting instructor in 2021, they had lived in Hawaii, Southern California, Washington state, rural North Carolina, Long Island, New York, Florida, Belgium, Sweden, China, and Taiwan, and had visited another 20 countries. Through these travels, Hargrove developed a deep love of food, people, and languages. Reflecting on the lessons learned, they explain, “Everyone just wants to live a good life and be good people, but our perceived psychological, social, biological, and religious differences act as wedges, creating divisions between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ that keep us from achieving our common goals.”

This observation is what led Hargrove to the Judy Genshaft Honors College, where our goal is to present multiple perspectives and differences as a way to bridge the “us vs. them” dichotomy and help students understand and accept different perspectives as valid. These skills are more than educational buzzwords for Hargrove, but a matter of existence. Through their global experience, Hargrove saw both the beauty of our natural environment and the alarming rate of climate change and environmental destruction. They care deeply about climate action, human rights, and social cohesion, where members of a community trust each other to work towards common goals that include and benefit everyone.

This goal of social cohesion underlies Hargrove’s pedagogy as they support students to recognize and address the cognitive dissonance of feeling the conflicting emotions of anger, fear, sorrow, and hope at the state of our environment along with the overwhelming work of taking action.

Hargrove’s courses examine climate, policy, and society through academic theory, experiential learning, social justice, and climate action. Their courses offer hope in turbulent times by encouraging students to consider positive, evidence-based alternatives. The focus is on taking tangible steps toward effective climate action, while at the same time emphasizing that students must do what they feel most capable of accomplishing. “The goal,” says Hargrove, “is for students to feel empowered to do what feels best to them. That’s sustainability.”

What’s next for Hargrove? They are currently developing additional courses, student research opportunities, and service projects focused on sustainability. They are creating community partnerships with sustainable organizations, businesses, and government entities for more experiential learning opportunities for students. Hargrove is also managing the Honors Community Garden, working with student leaders to create a sustainable structure that will ensure consistent volunteerism and limit food waste. At the university level, they are working with USF’s DEI Council to make USF a more equitable place to learn and work, ensuring that all people can succeed.

Tina Piracci, M.S. (she/her)

Professor Tina Piracci grew up on the water and developed a love for the creatures that live just under the surface. Once she gained her scuba certification, she spent hours underwater and began to understand the dynamics of oceanic ecosystems and the importance of protecting coral reefs. “Seeing a dying reef is so sad,” she says. “The gray structures and lack of fish stand out so much from healthy parts of the ocean.”

Her concern for protecting aquatic ecosystems surfaced in her academic work as Piracci pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Florida with a concentration in Sculpture/New Media, and three minors: Electrical Engineering, Visualization & Design, and Entrepreneurship. Her senior thesis involved the creation of a 3-D printer that used clay instead of more traditional polymer plastics, and could be used to create reef-like structures that would promote underwater growth and lead to coral restoration. She later pursued a Master of Science in Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley with an emphasis on Technology & Sustainability, and certificates in Teaching & Education, Remote Learning, and New Media. While in Berkeley, Piracci founded a makerspace in which she curated a computational design art studio which explored international partnerships with leading experts in the fields of art, engineering, and architecture.

The combination of art, design, technology, sustainability, and community engagement drive all of Piracci’s work in her personal art practice, as well as her Honors course pedagogy. In her first semester with the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Piracci offered a studio-style course called “Art in Motion” in which students study energy as an ever-present force for action and create kinetic artworks by attaching tiny motors to paper origami forms. The result is brilliant: paper dragons that slither in place, a tiny alligator that can chomp, and a peacock that slowly fans its feathers. Piracci uses the same technology in her own work, some of which is currently featured at the Fairgrounds St. Pete immersive art exhibit. The work, entitled “Ballet of the Final Anthozoans” choreographs the wondrous phenomenon of coral spawning.

Piracci’s future courses will engage students in her 3-D printing work through several collaborations with local partners, which provide hands on research activities and the ability to implement practical solutions to current challenges. In partnership with Dr. William Ellis, Professor of Environmental Biology, students will learn how to print beautiful and effective oyster restoration bricks that will be planted in Pinellas County.

In addition to courses, Piracci is planning experiential learning opportunities, including a study away program to the Florida Keys to participate in Coralpalooza, an event hosted by the Coral Restoration Foundation. The program will include scuba diving trips to monitor, transplant, and propagate corals. She is also developing a study abroad program that will partner with Potters for Peace, in which students will deliver 3-D printers to remote communities to make ceramic water filters and cook stoves.

“3-D printing is a sustainable tool of accessibility, creativity, and economic solutions. The printers are increasingly accessible, and the skill level required to use them is no longer a roadblock. The parts and software are constantly evolving to make the technology easier to use for everyone,” says Piracci. Her passion for sustainability, technology, and design are infectious, making her courses popular amongst students. “I’m only one person,” she says about her decision to choose a career in teaching rather than research or non-profits. “As a professor, I can educate the next generation to explore these issues and potential solutions. They will have a greater impact than I ever could alone.”

Check out student projects for Prof. Piracci’s Art in Motion class!