USF The Official Magazine of the USF Alumni Association

USF UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE of the USF ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

FALL 2015

Making

CONNECTIONS

BULL SPIRIT A NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN targeting students, alumni and the entire Tampa Bay region is a rallying cry to drive attendance at Bulls football games this season. The Bulls Unite campaign, launched in August, includes billboards, print ads, street banners and television and radio spots.

One 30-second spot features a USF football player running through the Florida woods followed by cheerleaders and band members. In the background a child’s voice recites the USF fight song. The ad, along with another version featuring a football player running to the beat of a drum line, was created to give the sense of an epic battle brewing – one that promotes togetherness and unites the entire community.

While the new campaign’s initial focus is football, the Bulls Unite theme will carry over to all athletic and spirit events. To watch the campaign’s promotional spot, visit www.youtube.com/ USouthFlorida.

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More than 40 students and alumni – members of USF’s Herd Of Thunder

band, former student-athletes, marketing interns and graduate students – gathered at John Chesnut Sr. Park in Palm Harbor, Florida, to film the “Bulls Unite” spots that are airing on Bright House and local channels around the Tampa Bay region.

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Illustration: MIKE NOLASCO | UCM

First Look

FALL 2015 3

INQUIRY Three teams of engineering students traveled to Johnson Space Center in August to work with NASA scientists and astronauts on tools the students developed to address current challenges in space exploration.

The three student teams were chosen from more than 100 teams competing in the Micro-g NExT Challenge. Only 19 were selected for test operations.

During the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weeklong visit, scientists and astronauts tested and evaluated their space tool prototypes in the Houston centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. The tools are intended to allow astronauts to collect and store rock chips from asteroids, and could be used on future space missions.

Sebastian Dewhurst conduct underwater testing on one of the devices at USF.

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Left to right: USF students Kaitlyn Lostrocio, Kyle Roth and Kyle Mott with astronaut Stan Love

Left to right: USF students Tyler Isaacs, Brant Meier, Chris Willis, Brittany Mott and Chris Weaver with astronaut Christina Hammock

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> Test diver Matt White and USF adviser

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Photos: Pg. 4, NASA; pg. 4-5, College of Engineering

First Look

FALL 2015 5

First Look

6 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

ALUMNI

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

Each year, USF recognizes a select group of highachieving graduates and exceptionally dedicated USF friends. Presented by the USF Alumni Association during Homecoming festivities (calendar of alumni events, page 49), the Alumni Awards honor outstanding professional accomplishment and above-and-beyond service to USF and the community.

Pictured at left is Richard Lane, the 2015 Donald A. Gifford Alumni Service Award recipient. As his coveted “1Bull” license plate suggests, he’s been cheerleading, advocating for, volunteering and giving to USF for decades. The Nerf football he’s holding was signed for him by then-USF President Betty Castor, a token of thanks for his help in bringing football to the university in 1996.

This year’s Distinguished Alumni, USF’s highest honor for graduates, are Lynn Pippenger and George D. Morgan. Both made remarkable strides in business while always reinvesting in their university and student Bulls. Outstanding Young Alumnus is David Mincberg, who’s forging new trails as a sports scout and attorney. The Class of ’56 Award, presented for service to USF by a non-alumnus, goes to retired Nielsen Co. vice president Bob McCann, whose vision broke new ground for USF research, learning and student job opportunities.

Discover their secrets for success, personal motivations and, yes, even their worst grades, on page 46.

FALL 2015 7

8 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

USF

28

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA FALL 2015

Features

24 Cops vs. the Public

Law enforcement officers must reach out – and look inward – to win back the public’s trust, say USF criminology alumni and faculty.

28 Making Connections

Cover Story: USF is starting new Bulls off right with programs and activities that build Bull pride and help students succeed.

34 Global Interns

Three Patel College graduate students share their international internship experiences.

Departments 2 10 12 20 22

24

First Look From the President Campus Athletics Unstoppable

Forever Bulls

20

61 XX

40 42 46 49 50 52 55 56 61

5 Minutes with Bill Profile: Bill Upson Alumni Award Recipients Homecoming Calendar Where’s Rocky?

Chapters & Societies Employ-A-Bull Class Notes Blast from the Past

PHOTO CREDITS Top left to bottom right, Student Affairs; Aimee Blodgett, USF; Katy Hennig, UCM; USF Library Special Collections.

COVER Aimee Blodgett, USF

FALL 2015 9

From the President <

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

PRESIDENT JUDY GENSHAFT WITH NEW GRADS AT SPRING COMMENCEMENT 2015

IT’S A GREAT TIME AT USF! Our new freshman class is stronger than ever; key projects are moving ahead with support from Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Legislature; we have been ranked 10th in the nation for patents granted; and with this issue, we introduce USF, a new, expanded publication that blends the best of USF Magazine and the Alumni Voice for a broader view of our growing university system.

Have you ever wondered how our new Bulls get started? In our “Making Connections” feature, you will learn about the programs, initiatives and activities in place to help them connect with USF and our traditions.

Our “Global Interns” feature tracks the experience of three Patel College graduate students who traveled across the globe to solve real-world problems and help build a more sustainable future. And, in our feature exploring today’s U.S. policing crisis, celebrated USF criminology alumni and faculty offer insights and solutions.

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As this issue was headed to press, we announced another transformational gift in the USF: Unstoppable Campaign – $10.85 million from USF alumnus Barron Collier to help prepare a new generation of business graduates.

Meanwhile, at USF St. Petersburg, construction of the Kate Tiedemann College of Business is well underway.

This year we mark a number of important milestones in the USF System – the 50th anniversary of USF St. Petersburg, the 40th anniversary of USF Sarasota-Manatee, and the 10th anniversary of Women in Leadership and Philanthropy. Imagine how each of these entities has transformed our region and changed lives!

I am excited to welcome everyone back, and I look forward to another year of enormous progress. I hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of USF. Judy Genshaft, President University of South Florida System

“

We know that an investment in USF’s students and faculty is one that pays tremendous dividends, and we cannot thank our local Tampa Bay Legislative Delegation, the Board of Governors and Governor Scott enough for their efforts this year on behalf of the USF System.

”

– JUDY GENSHAFT, USF SYSTEM PRESIDENT

A new name and a new look

USF is published quarterly by University Communications & Marketing and the USF Alumni Association for alumni, friends and members of the USF community. USF is a member of the University of South Florida System, which includes USF, USF St. Petersburg, and USF Sarasota-Manatee.

WELCOME TO THE FIRST ISSUE OF USF, a brand-new publication that we hope you’ll find both surprising and familiar.

It includes the best of the former USF Magazine and Alumni Voice and raises the bar on the depth and breadth of coverage of the USF System, its students, faculty, alumni and many friends.

In USF, you’ll get more news, more powerful photographs and more Bull spirit, all wrapped into one easy-to-read magazine.

We want USF to engage, entertain and inform you, so we welcome your feedback. Please share your ideas, rants and raves by contacting Penny Carnathan at pcarnathan@usf.edu or calling her at 813-974-0907.

University Communications & Marketing Chief Marketing Officer Tom Hoof Creative Director Mike Nolasco Director of Digital Marketing Steve Dapcic USF Alumni Association Executive Director Bill McCausland, MBA ’96 Communications Director Rita Kroeber University Content Editor Ann Carney Alumni Content Editor Penny Carnathan ’82 Design Editor Anne Scott Lead Photographer Aimee Blodgett Contributors Anne DeLotto Baier ’78, Casey Crane ’06, Katy Hennig, Katlyn Kurtz, Hilary Lehman, Charlie Terenzio ’10, Thomas Todd, Melissa Wolfe ’13, Sarah Worth ’86, Tom Zebold

LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT

Funding priorities approved < ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE NEW USF HEALTH MORSANI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEART INSITUTE

The new state budget signed into law

by Gov. Rick Scott on June 23 includes widespread support for several USF System initiatives. Some highlights: n Sufficient funding to move forward with a bold plan to construct a new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute facility in downtown Tampa n The funds necessary to complete construction of the new Kate Tiedemann College of Business building at USF St. Petersburg

n Millions in new performance-based funding, which will support enhanced academic program and student career preparation services across the USF System n Additional funding to support the new Florida Center for Cybersecurity, a shared academic, research and innovation center for Florida’s universities, government, defense and industry, which is housed at USF

USF System Administration Judy Genshaft, President Ralph Wilcox, Provost and Executive Vice President John Long, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer ’82 Charles Lockwood, Senior Vice President for USF Health Paul Sanberg, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation Joel Momberg, Senior Vice President for University Advancement Sophia Wisniewska, Regional Chancellor, USF St. Petersburg Sandra Stone, Regional Chancellor, USF Sarasota-Manatee USF Board of Trustees Harold W. Mullis, Esq., Chair Brian D. Lamb ’98, Vice Chair Josef Gherman Stephanie E. Goforth ’82 Scott L. Hopes ’83 & MPH ’85 Stanley I. Levy ’73 Stephen J. Mitchell, Esq. John B. Ramil ’78 & MCE ’00 Debbie N. Sembler Byron E. Shinn ’79 Gregory B. Teague Nancy H. Watkins ’82 Jordan B. Zimmerman ’80 Contact USF University Communications & Marketing 4202 E. Fowler Ave., CGS 301 Tampa, Florida 33620-4301 (813) 974-4014 ucm@usf.edu Contact the USF Alumni Association Gibbons Alumni Center 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100 Tampa, Florida 33620-5455 (813) 974-2100 • (800) 299-BULL (2855) alumni@usf.edu Update your contact information: www.myusfbio.org Reprint policy: USF encourages reprinting articles in their entirety. Permission may be obtained by contacting ascott@usf.edu.

The new budget also includes a host of other funding priorities across the USF System.

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Campus ART HISTORY PROGRAM RANKED NO. 9 IN U.S. > MARKETING PROFESSOR

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

DIPAYAN BISWAS

USF’s graduate program in art history has earned top-10 ranking among the “Best Art History Graduate Programs in the U.S.,” according to graduateprograms.com, an online resource for prospective graduate students. The master’s-level program, housed in the School of Art & Art History in the College of The Arts, took the ninth spot, ranked between Temple University and Duke.

FACULTY

Marketing professor recognized for excellence Do heavier or lighter glasses make Champagne taste better? What sensory factors encourage students in public school cafeterias to make healthy choices? Do scents in hospitals impact patient recovery times?

Marketing professor Dipayan Biswas recently received the Academy of Marketing Science Outstanding Marketing Teacher Award for his skill in communicating concepts such as these with real-world examples from his prolific research in the area of sensory marketing. His students say he has transformed the way they think about marketing.

“With all his business acumen, he has an innate ability to turn the theoretical into real world application,” undergraduate student Meagan Gunsteen wrote in her support letter for the teaching award.

Since receiving his PhD in 2004 and joining USF in 2011, Biswas’ research on sensory marketing has been publicized all over the world. He has been a principal investigator for a grant funded by the USDA and co-investigator for a grant funded jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and National Science Foundation.

In addition, he has conducted research for companies and organizations. For the Hillsborough County School District, Biswas examined the impact of atmospherics on students’ food choices; for a Champagne maker in France, he found that weights of glasses used for tastings on tours influenced assessments of the Champagne’s taste. A project with a hospital led to the discovery that ambient scents could lead to faster patient recoveries.

Biswas says while ambient color and food texture might seem like small things in the overall marketing arena, this growing field of research holds huge implications for changing the way companies do business.

-HILARY LEHMAN | Muma College of Business

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PROFESSOR FEATURED ON NBC’S DATELINE Raymond Miltenberger, a professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies in the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, was recently featured on an NBC Dateline segment focused on kids and gun safety. The segment, part of the “My Kid Would Never Do That” series, used a hidden camera approach to test the effectiveness of two teaching methods – behavioral skills training and just talking – aimed at keeping children safe.

USFSP FLIPS SWITCH ON SOLAR PANEL

USF ST. PETERSBURG

Fire ants research draws BBC filmmaking crew A team from BBC’s Natural History Unit spent part of the summer filming fire ant research at USF St. Petersburg for a television series.

“We’re doing a series for the BBC called Animals Like Us, which looks at human-like behavior in animals,” says producer Rob Pilley, who worked with cameraman Rod Clarke to capture footage of the social insects. “And we’re looking at a whole array of different species from around the world, one of which is the fire ant.”

The BBC team documented the ways that fire ant communities work together and how their interactions mirror those of humans. Working with USFSP professor of biology Deby Cassill, they also explored ants as individuals.

“The more that we look at them, the more we discover their behavior is very similar to that of humans,” says Pilley, who worked with Cassill on another fire ant-related documentary for the BBC about eight years ago. “Dr. Cassill is a world expert on it, so she’s the obvious person to come work with on this project.

“We want to look at the personality and moods that ants have,” he says.

“They all have different personalities, even aside from them being from the same castes. Like humans, they have similar idiosyncratic likes and dislikes in their personalities, diets and lives.”

Fire ants, a species not native to Florida, also are exceedingly resilient. When there is a flood, fire ants will gather together to form a raft-like ball and float to safety.

“Having the BBC team document this type of research affirms the importance of the research being conducted at USF St. Petersburg,” Cassill says.

Animals Like Us will air on BBC and is expected to air in the United States on PBS in Summer 2017.

> A 6,600-

A new solar panel array atop the USFSP 5th Avenue South parking garage was activated in May. The 6,600-square-foot system, a collaboraton with Duke Energy, will generate enough power to run the garage’s lights, elevators, security cameras and electric car-charging systems. Any extra power will be stored in batteries on the garage’s ground floor and will run the facility at night and when it’s cloudy.

The solar project will allow students and faculty to study alternative energy production and storage.

SQUARE-FOOT SOLAR ARRAY WAS INSTALLED AT USFSP COURTESY OF DUKE ENERGY.

BREITBART NAMED STEM WOMAN OF THE YEAR

-CASEY CRANE ’06 | USFSP

< FROM LEFT: BBC CAMERAMAN ROD CLARKE AND PRODUCER ROB PILLEY CAPTURE VIDEO FOOTAGE AT USFSP OF FIRE ANTS.

Less than two years after being recognized as one of Popular Science magazine’s “Brilliant Ten” young scientists, Mya Breitbart has been named the 2015 STEM Woman of the Year by Girls Inc. of Pinellas. The award recognizes a woman in a STEM career who provides mentorship and supports both local and national community programs focused on inspiring girls in STEM. Breitbart is an associate professor in the College of Marine Science. Her research uses genomic sequencing to explore the identity, diversity and distribution of viruses in environments ranging from seawater to sewage.

FALL 2015 13

Photos: ERIC YOUNGHANS | USF Health

Campus

USF HEALTH

African Americans, other minorities sought for clinical trials African Americans are dying 10 years earlier than their Caucasian peers, and they account for a disproportionate share of several types of cancers and other diseases – yet they comprise less than 1 percent of participants in clinical trials testing the safety and effectiveness of new medicines.

The lack of minority representation in clinical trials is a serious problem that is becoming increasingly important as researchers gain ground on personalized medicine – using genetic information to develop and tailor treatments for individual patients.

Recently, USF Health teamed up with Moffitt Cancer Center, 50 Hoops, the National Physician and Family Referral Project and community advocates to increase the diversity of clinical trials in the Tampa Bay area.

“We need a much broader spectrum of the population to make sure that a medication shown to be effective for one group is actually very effective for all the people who we intend to treat with that medication,” College of Pharmacy Dean Kevin Sneed said at an April workshop to discuss the need for increased participation among African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities in research trials.

The group touched on everything – from lack of transportation and cultural factors to concerns over documented status and mistrust of doctors – in discussing strategies to increase minority sign-ups.

“We’ve begun the conversation,” Sneed says. “As researchers interested in evidence-based care, we must continue to answer questions with transparency, to build trust with advocates in the Tampa Bay community, and, hopefully, increase minority participation in clinical research.”

Health

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– ANNE DELOTTO BAIER ’78 | USF

“

We need a much broader spectrum of the population to make sure that a medication shown to be effective for one group is actually very effective for all the people who we intend to treat with that medication.

”

– KEVIN SNEED, DEAN, COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY EARNS ACCREDITATION

USF HEALTH

To stay healthy, humans rely on trillions of microorganisms and bacteria living mostly in the human gut. The colony of microbes begins developing at birth, and helps fend off disease and infection, among other benefits.

But babies born prematurely with very low birth weights tend to develop an abnormal gut microbiome. What effect that has on their health and development is the focus of a five-year study being launched at the College of Nursing, which was awarded a $2.7 million National Institutes of Health grant.

Maureen Groer, nursing’s Gordon Keller professor, is the lead investigator on the study. Groer and her multidisciplinary team of USF researchers will study 100 low birth weight babies through age 4 to discover if there is a direct relationship between the gut microbiome and their development, health and growth over time.

In most cases, the gut microbiome is established at 3 years old, except in those who may have an abnormal gut microbiome.

“Previous research shows that the gut microbiome has a direct relationship with brain neurochemistry, behavior, metabolism and the development of the immune system. So, there is a variety of behavior, allergic and autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease, autism, diarrhea and obesity, which may be related to disruption of the gut microbiome,” Groer says.

One out of nine infants in the United States is born pre-term, the leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities and developmental health problems in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Nursing to study gut bacteria in preemies

The USF College of Pharmacy has earned full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, marking a huge milestone for the young school and validating the innovative education experience offered to USF pharmacy students.

As part of the accreditation process, the college was measured across 30 standards for providing a strong program, including planning and evaluation, administration and governance, curriculum, student support, faculty and staff, and facilities and resources.

The College of Pharmacy graduated its charter class in May 2015.

MAUREEN

GROER, USF NURSING’S GORDON KELLER PROFESSOR

Photo: SANDRA ROA | USF Health

– ANN CARNEY | USF

PUBLIC HEALTH TOPS FOR VETS USF’s undergraduate program in public health earned the No. 1 spot on College Factual’s “Top 10 Veteran-Friendly Public Health Schools” list published in Military Times in July.

College Factual considered a variety of factors when determining the top colleges for veterans pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health, from veteran-friendly policies to affordability and overall college quality.

USF’s College of Public Health was the first accredited college in Florida’s State University System to offer a bachelor’s degree program in public health.

FALL 2015 15

Campus Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

AFROTC

USF pilots military exchange For Cadet 2nd Class Matthew Sprague, life at the U.S. Air Force Academy was predictable: Breakfast in uniform at 6:50 a.m. daily, class from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., intramural sports, dinner, military training, study time and taps.

But all that changed in the spring when Sprague, an aspiring pilot candidate from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, took part in a groundbreaking Air Force ROTC exchange program that put competitively selected cadets in a U.S. civilian university for one semester.

USF was one of only three universities nationwide – including Arizona State University in Tempe and the University of Texas-San Antonio – selected to participate in the first-of-its-kind exchange. For four months, Sprague, chosen from a pool of more than 1,000 junior academy cadets, was a student in the Muma College of Business, where he earned a 4.0 GPA. The exchange program was conceived by the academy last year as part of an effort to enhance its officer development experience.

“The Air Force Academy is a fouryear degree program, but it is a very different experience than a traditional university program,” explains USF Air Force ROTC Commander Col. Jim Cardoso, an academy alumnus who coordinated the exchange for USF. “The exchange allows for cross-flow of information. It is a broadening experience.”

Sprague, who was raised in a family where every generation has served in the military since the Civil War, says the experience was life-changing.

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< USAFA CADET 2ND CLASS MATTHEW SPRAGUE SPENT ONE SEMESTER IN THE MUMA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, WHERE HE EARNED A 4.0.

n USF WAS ONE

OF ONLY THREE UNIVERSITIES NATIONWIDE SELECTED FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING EXCHANGE.

“My first class had 400 students, but that seems natural now,” he says, despite coming from a program where the average class has less than 30 students. “The students offer so many different perspectives.”

And unlike his life at the Air Force Academy, where a rigorous schedule and strict rules of conduct are a way of life, his university experience offered flexibility and the opportunity to chart his own course.

“You have a lot more choices to make. No one is telling you not to skip class or to come back to your room every night,” says the 21-year-old. “You learn to make your own life decisions.”

At USF, Sprague led a group of 20 ROTC cadets – introducing the younger cadets to military training and the military lifestyle.

“The whole experience exceeded my expectations. It was one of the most influential semesters I’ve had,” says Sprague, who returns to the Academy this fall as vice commander for the Cadet Wing. “I learned a lot about myself as a person and a leader. I am definitely going back as an improved leader.”

This fall, the groundbreaking program expands to include a reverse exchange. While USF hosts Academy Cadet Bjorn Nielsen, a political science major, USF AFROTC Cadet Aaron Galang will attend the academy as one of six AFROTC cadets nationwide selected for the experience.

“The experience has given me credibility; I’ve seen the other side,” says Sprague, adding, “In one semester, I made friends for life.”

– ANN CARNEY | USF

n THIS FALL,

USF WILL HOST A SECOND USAFA CADET, AND THE ACADEMY WILL HOST A USF AFROTC CADET.

n ”IT WAS ONE

OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SEMESTERS I’VE HAD,” SAYS SPRAGUE.

A Community Block Party in early September kicked off USF St. Petersburg’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The free block party was the first of more than 50 public events the university will host during the academic year.

During the event, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman unveiled the co-naming of Second Street South, now also known as University Way. “This is truly exciting. The street becomes a physical reminder of the tremendous synergies between the city of St. Petersburg and the university,” says USFSP Regional Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska. “This celebration marks an incredible time in our history; it’s a great time to be at USF St. Petersburg.”

USFSM LAUNCHES 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION USFSM is marking four decades of higher education with a yearlong series of events. The celebration began in September with a 40th Anniversary Kickoff and runs through the academic year. To learn more, visit USFSM’s 40th Anniversary web page at usfsm.edu/40. The site features historical information, photos, a timeline, an events calendar and comments from alumni and supporters.

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Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | UCM

USFSP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS CALVIN

WILLIAMS IS THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AT USF IN TAMPA.

LEADERSHIP

Williams named new VP Administrative Services Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Calvin Williams has joined USF as its new vice president of Administrative Services. The USF alumnus was chosen following a national search.

In his new role, Williams oversees multiple departments including Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Management, Human Resources, and Parking and Transportation Services.

Williams comes to USF after a decorated career in the Air Force spanning more than 30 years. He served in various engineering and senior leadership roles both internationally and in the United States, most recently as director of logistics, installations and mission support at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal, among others.

“Calvin is a great addition to the USF team,” Chief Operating Officer John Long said when announcing the appointment. “Calvin’s background in the Air Force has provided him with a host of experience and skills that will allow him to continue USF’s upward trajectory – plus he is a USF graduate.”

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from USF, Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from Southern Illinois University and master’s degrees in public administration, national resource strategy, and military operational art and science from Troy State University, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Air Command and Staff College respectively.

“The university is very ‘future focused’ and fits with my values. I look forward to working with my team, propelling them on the path of excellence,” Williams says, adding, “As an alumnus, I am excited to come back to USF in this role.”

– ANN CARNEY | USF

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Campus < IVA GUEORGUIEVA WORKS ON HER SCULPTURE VANISHED ANIMAL V AT USF’S GRAPHICSTUDIO

Photos: KATY HENNIG | USF

IN JULY.

FINE ARTS

Artist in residence lauds freedom of Graphicstudio Los Angeles-based painter Iva Gueorguieva spent some time in Tampa in July as the Artist in Residence at USF’s Graphicstudio, a world-renowned printmaking studio.

Her current artwork is a series of sculptures that mimic macrocosms and bring large-scale buildings and features into a small-scale narrative. She combines found elements from the local environment with printmaking, painting and collage.

“The kind of freedom that an artist has working in a place like this is really

18 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

unique,” says Gueorguieva. “Of course being a working artist, you are part of the art world and it has a lot to do with how do you make something happen? It has a lot to do with resources and effort and energy and Graphicstudio really allows artists to fail and that is really amazing. I don’t like to fail but having that freedom makes it possible for me to really truly experiment and to push what I do to kind of an extreme and I am really grateful.

“It’s unlike anything that exists in this country. Absolutely every time I come here things change in my own studio; I would not be making the paintings that I am now if it was not for this relationship, I would not be the artist that I am if it weren’t for this relationship. It’s the most important relationship that I have in my art life.”

– KATY HENNIG | USF

n GRAPHICSTUDIO IS A UNIVERSITYBASED WORKSHOP THAT PROVIDES ARTISTS THE FREEDOM TO EXPERIMENT, WITH THE SUPPORT OF FACULTY AND STAFF. n MORE THAN 100 LEADING INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS HAVE CREATED 600-PLUS LIMITED EDITION FINE ART WORKS AT GRAPHICSTUDIO. n OVER THE YEARS, ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE HAVE PRODUCED PRINT EDITIONS AND MULTIPLES AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONTEMPORARY ART. n IN 1990, AN ARCHIVE OF GRAPHICSTUDIO’S PUBLICATIONS WAS ESTABLISHED AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

MOSQUITOES

ARE EXTREMELY GOOD AT SURVIVING AND REPRODUCING, SAYS USFSM ASSISTANT PROFESSOR APARNA TELANG.

USF SARASOTA-MANATEE

Lab seeks to take bite out of mosquito population Aparna Telang’s biology research lab packs a lot of punch in its 600 square feet: two incubators, a chemical hood, a centrifuge and other equipment as well as 100 mosquitoes and 200 mosquito eggs.

Telang, assistant professor of biology at USFSM, and her interns are studying how parasites live inside mosquitoes and why these hosts remain immune to the deadly diseases they transmit to humans.

With the arrival in Florida of dengue fever in 2009 and West Nile virus in 2001, researchers statewide are intent on discovering new ways to eradicate, or at least control, these and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Telang’s four interns – sophomore Ruby Ramos, junior Robert “Zach” Nemitz and seniors Nicole Carswell and Carissa Santiago – will assist in running tests, dissecting mosquitoes and examining their minuscule anatomies for signs of bacteria, both benign and harmful. Each has a specific role in the research.

Santiago, who hopes to become a doctor, says part of her job involves dissecting mosquitoes to examine benign microbes and their function within their hosts.

In addition to Telang and the other interns, she is collaborating with Kim Ritchie, a microbiologist at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.

Telang hopes to publish her findings in about two years.

The best outcome: to identify a strain of symbiotic bacteria on which mosquitoes depend that can be exploited to control their population levels.

“A lot of the time, the research is about how to knock their numbers down,” Telang says. “The reason mosquitoes are so prevalent is they are good at surviving. They are extremely good at what they do, which is to survive and reproduce. The best we can hope for is how to figure out newer, lasting ways to reduce their numbers.”

>

USF 10TH NATIONWIDE FOR U.S. PATENTS USF ranks 10th nationally and 13th among universities worldwide for U.S. patents granted in 2014, according to a new report from the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

The report, based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, recognizes the important role patents play in university research. USF was granted 104 patents in 2014. The latest listing marks the fifth year in a row that USF has ranked among the top 15 universities nationwide in generating new inventions.

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

Photo: THINKSTOCK

<

U.S. PATENTS

AWARDED TO USF LINE THE WALLS OF THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER OFFICE.

USF AWARDED I-CORPS DESIGNATION USF has been named an I-Corps Site by the National Science Foundation, one of only 36 universities nationwide to earn the prestigious designation.

With the designation comes a nearly $300,000 grant to build, train and mentor teams of USF faculty and students to become successful entrepreneurs and commercialize their ideas over the next three years.

The I-Corps Sites program was created in 2011 to enable academic institutions to catalyze teams whose tech concepts are likely candidates for commercialization.

– CHARLIE TERENZIO ’10 | USFSM

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Photo: TOM BRITT

Athletics

FOOTBALL

Head coach Willie Taggart’s new-look Bulls have high hopes for a season that’s already been packed with exciting moments.

The Bulls have new uniforms, new players, new coordinators and three new position coaches. And both offense and

defense are using new systems.

Star running back Marlon Mack and the offense are operating in an up-tempo approach that lets the Bulls take advantage of their plethora of playmakers while they tire opponents with rapid play calls.

The defense, nicknamed the “Bull Sharks,” is using the new 4-2-5 scheme (four linemen, two linebackers, five defensive backs) that allows USF to

accentuate its strength in secondary players and match up with the growing number of spread offenses.

“I want to win this conference championship, that’s our goal,” says Taggart.

“However many wins it takes to win the conference championship, that’s what we want to do.”

Join the Bulls for the 7 p.m. Oct. 2 conference opener against Memphis at Raymond James Stadium.

– TOM ZEBOLD | USF Athletics

20 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

RUNNING BACK

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New look, new gusto

MARLON MACK, CENTER, AND TEAMMATES ERIC LEE, LEFT, AND DEADRIN SENAT, RIGHT, PRACTICE AT THE MORSANI FOOTBALL COMPLEX.

SOCCER TEAMS WORKING TOWARD POST SEASON Soccer season is in full swing and the Bulls are working to build impressive NCAA tournament resumes.

Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown’s women’s team is looking for a return trip to the NCAA tournament after hosting a first-round game for the first time last season.

Head coach George Kiefer’s men’s squad is looking to book its eighth trip to the NCAA tournament in nine seasons. The Bulls are benefiting from new talent after reeling in the thirdbest recruiting class in the nation.

Check GoUSFBulls.com for upcoming home games and catch toplevel soccer at Corbett Stadium.

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FORMER

BULLS SOFTBALL STAR SARA NEVINS WAS NAMED TO THE USA SOFTBALL WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR – ONE OF ONLY 18 ATHLETES IN THE NATION TO EARN A SPOT ON THE TEAM.

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167 USF BULLS

WERE NAMED TO

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CONTINUES It was a proud moment for the program at the end of July, when 167 Bulls were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team for the 2014-15 season.

USF’s women’s track and field led the way with 25 student-athletes honored, while the football team matched a program record set last year with 23 Bulls on the distinguished list.

USF Athletics has seen 89 studentathletes earn their degrees in the past two semesters. The program posted an overall grade-point average of 3.0 among nearly 500 student-athletes in the 2015 spring academic period.

“You can truly feel the momentum building in USF Athletics,” Director of Athletics Mark Harlan says.

THE AMERICAN

ALUMNI

ATHLETIC

Former Bull helps lead Team USA to gold

CONFERENCE ALLACADEMIC TEAM.

Former Bulls softball star pitcher Sara Nevins helped Team USA take a gold medal during the World Cup of Softball, defeating Japan 6-1 on July 5 to claim the World Cup. It was Nevins’ third year pitching for the team, which won silver in 2013 and gold in 2014. Coaching Team USA was USF’s Ken Eriksen.

“I love having Coach Ken there with me,” Nevins said. “Mentally, he keeps me in check to make sure I’m in the right mind frame.”

Following the gold medal win, Nevins played a key role in helping the U.S. Women’s National Softball team capture a silver medal at the Pan American Games.

Nevins, who earned a degree in interdisciplinary social science in 2014, is now pursuing a nursing degree. When not playing ball, she trains and gives pitching lessons to Tampa Bay area girls.

She declined an offer to play professionally in Japan. Instead, she hopes to visit that country in 2020 – as part of the U.S. Olympic softball team.

– PENNY CARNATHAN ’82 | USFAA

FALL 2015 21

Photos: AIMEE BLODGETT | UCM

Unstoppable

Students inspire alumnus to give back A MAN WHOSE FAMILY DEVELOPED much of Southwest Florida found himself inspired by USF students who had much less – but whose dreams were just as big.

For many years, Barron (Barry) Gift Collier III, whose grandfather is the namesake of Collier County, has supported students at the USF

22 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Muma College of Business through scholarships. But recently, as the USF alumnus met some of the firstgeneration college students receiving his scholarship, he found himself moved by their stories of perseverance.

“We hear about the American Dream being lost, and here is a program that’s doing exactly the opposite,” Collier says. “When you get to talk to the students, you see their passion and their desire and drive to get a good education, and to be able to get out there and make a difference in the world. They certainly inspire you to believe it.”

Their stories inspired Collier and his wife, Dana, to give $10,850,000 to name a unit of the business school that

focuses on student success and career preparedness programs. On Aug. 27, the center was renamed the Collier Student Success Center at the USF Muma College of Business. The gift is part of the university’s $1 billion USF: Unstoppable Campaign.

The Collier family has been a longtime supporter of the Muma College of Business, particularly through student scholarships and the college’s Corporate Mentor Program, which serves students who are the first in their families to attend college. A recent gift of $180,000 expanded the program so that more students could benefit from the services offered and the professional development coursework that

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LEADERSHIP GIFTS

Back row, left to right,

Alya Limayem, Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem, Barron (Barry) Gift Collier III, Dana Collier, Lara (Collier) Grady, Ryan Grady, USF System President Judy Genshaft, Jacri Stubbs and USF Foundation CEO Joel Momberg, with former Collier scholarship recipients and, at center, Jackie Nelson, senior director of undergraduate programs at the newly named Collier Student Success Center.

accompanies the program.

Collier is a 1980 graduate of the USF Muma College of Business, and was a director of the USF Fort Myers campus board from 1987 to 1992. Dana Collier graduated from Central Ohio Technical College, which is affiliated with The Ohio State University, and chose to stay home and raise their four children: Barron, Alexandra, Lara and Christopher.

Collier is chair of the Barron Collier Partnership, which is dedicated to the responsible development, management and stewardship of the partnership’s extensive land holdings and other assets in the businesses of agriculture, real estate and mineral management.

The Collier family has a history of philanthropy and success in Florida. Collier County, where Naples is located, is named after Collier’s grandfather, Barron Gift Collier Sr. An entrepreneur who made his fortune in streetcar advertising, Barron Collier Sr. was responsible for purchasing much of Southwest Florida, eventually acquiring 1.3 million acres.

“We are deeply grateful to Barry and Dana Collier for a gift that will have an enormous and positive impact on USF business students and their future achievements. Our university’s most important mission is preparing students for success in life, and this extraordinary gift will ensure that our students – particularly those who are the first in their families to attend college – have the skills, mentoring and preparation they need to be successful from the start,” says USF System President Judy Genshaft.

“After meeting with President Genshaft several years ago, the mission of the Corporate Mentor Program resonated with Barry: giving first generation students the chance

to gain professional skills and have personal attention that could help them succeed,” says Joel Momberg, CEO of the USF Foundation. “The Collier family has a strong history of investment in Florida’s future, and we are thrilled that the Colliers have chosen to continue that investment by giving back to USF.” USF Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem says the Colliers’ generosity will continue to transform the lives of business students for years to come.

“The Colliers have given so generously to the Muma College of Business because they have seen firsthand what a difference their gifts have made to our students,” Limayem says. “We believe every student should have a meaningful job upon graduation, in their field, with a good salary. Students’ backgrounds or financial concerns should not prevent them from achieving their degrees and their dreams, and with this gift, USF can help them overcome those obstacles.

This gift, more than ever before, will help us achieve this dream.”

The Colliers’ gift will prepare a new generation of business graduates. The $10.85 million gift will enhance USF programs that teach students communication skills, sales skills, leadership, ethics, public speaking, networking and other training that goes beyond what students can learn in textbooks.

Thanks to the Colliers’ generosity, increasing numbers of business students will have access to these programs.

“We think that’s what all colleges and universities should be shooting for,” Collier says. “These students, their hopes and their dreams, are being fulfilled.”

– HILARY LEHMAN | MUMA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

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Jacri Stubbs, ‘12,

a Collier scholarship recipient, gave a heartwarming speech about how the scholarship enabled him to achieve his dream of pursuing a career at a New York City ad agency.

HIGHLIGHTS n A $10.85 million gift from USF

alumnus Barron (Barry) Gift Collier III and his wife, Dana, will enhance programs that teach students communication skills, sales skills, leadership, ethics, public speaking, networking and more. n As a result of the gift – part of

the USF: Unstoppable Campaign – the student success and career center in the Muma College of Business has been renamed the Collier Student Success Center.

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Barron and

Dana Collier at the gift announcement in August.

$868,797,122 REASONS TO SAY “THANK YOU!” The USF: Unstoppable Campaign has raised more than $868 million from people like you. Together we are Unstoppable. Read more about the campaign at www.unstoppable.usf.edu.

FALL 2015 23

24 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

BY PENNY CARNATHAN ’82

COPS VS. THE PUBLIC

HEALING THE RIFT Restoring the public’s faith in law enforcement following a spate of deaths of unarmed blacks will require officers to reach out – and look inward, say some of USF’s most esteemed criminology alumni and their renowned professor.

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

A

S A BOY GROWING UP IN St. Petersburg in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Luke Williams was taught to respect the police, and he did. It wasn’t hard; his family didn’t have run-ins with the law.

Until the day a burglar broke into the vacant house next door. Williams’ parents reported the crime and an officer came out to investigate. Looking for a shortcut back to his cruiser, the officer stepped over the family’s low fence to cross through their back yard.

“We told him he shouldn’t do that. We have a dog that might bite,” recalls the assistant chief of the St. Petersburg Police Department. “He said, ‘You’d better do something with that dog because I’d hate to have to shoot it.’

“That made me mad. Why would he want to shoot Lassie?”

Williams was about 8 years old and the brief encounter took on disproportionate significance because it represented the sum total of his firsthand experience with law enforcement.

It stole some of his respect for, and trust in, the guys in uniform.

So he understands the public outrage and rift in trust following the deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers in the summer of 2014 and the increasing tensions as more deaths followed – a 12-year-old with a pellet gun in Cleveland, a man tossed into a police van in Baltimore, another shot in the back in South Carolina.

“I was not surprised when I saw what I saw,” Williams says of the ensuing public protests.

“When people feel they can’t be heard, they make themselves heard.”

Police agencies across the country now find themselves working to win back public trust.

A June Gallup poll found Americans’ confidence in the police at its lowest in 22 years – 52 percent have “a great deal” or “quite a lot,” down from a high of 64 percent in 2004. Only 30 percent of blacks expressed confidence in 2014-15 polls, down from 36 percent in 2012-13.

Some obvious first steps include better policing of their own, and increasing accountability and transparency, but some of USF’s most celebrated criminology alumni, including Williams, say there are other equally important measures even the best, most well-intentioned cops should take.

They include getting to know the law-abiding citizens in the community an officer patrols

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Luke Williams of the

St. Petersburg Police Department chats with 13-year-old Elgin Drayton at the city’s Campbell Park Recreation Center, where the assistant chief frequently volunteers. “It’s all about relationship building,” Williams says.

FALL 2015 25

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | USF

and nurturing good relationships with them. Officers and the public they serve also need to develop more empathy for one another – and behave accordingly.

Add to that the need for officers to recognize the implicit biases we all harbor, says USF associate professor of criminology Lorie Fridell. An internationally renowned expert on biased policing, Fridell developed a “fair and impartial policing” training program with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. It’s based on the science of bias, which holds that even people who consciously reject prejudice are influenced by subconscious preconceptions.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU The USF Police Department used to conduct an annual survey of the Tampa campus. One of the questions was, “Do you know a USF police officer by first name?”

“We always had 80 to 90 percent say ‘yes,’ ’’ says USF police Chief J.D. Withrow, who joined the department as a patrol officer in 1986, earned a degree in criminology two years later and a master’s in adult education in ’95. “We worked hard to get there. You have to reach out to the community and make people aware you’re there for them.”

With less than 60 sworn officers serving a community of up to 65,000 students, faculty and staff on the Tampa campus alone, Withrow says his department – like other police agencies – is most effective when it has the help of those it serves. The department reaches out in a variety of ways, from

26 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

crime prevention programs to encouraging officers to get out of their cars and walk around. Its squad of mountain bike-certified officers, created to respond more quickly to incidents on the often crowded campus, has had many public relations benefits.

“People love ’em,” Withrow says. “They want to get their pictures taken with them.”

Williams says it’s also important for officers to acknowledge the questions asked by people being arrested, and any friends or family present. Williams, who graduated USF in ’96 and earned a master’s in criminal justice administration in 2008, says St. Pete officers are instructed to explain what they did and why, if they have the opportunity.

“It solves problems 75 to 80 percent of the time.

Sometimes, people just want to know ‘why?’ You have to treat them as if they were your own family member or friend asking the same question,” he says.

On the flip side, some agencies have launched initiatives to help the public see things from the officers’ perspective. The Los Angeles Police Department, for instance, allows citizens to try out a training tool used to simulate confrontations with hostile suspects. It gives people a taste of the split-second, life-and-death decisions officers make.

It also gives them an understanding of the fear officers experience.

“The fear factor on both sides is increasing. Officers now walk around with a lot more fear because of all the events that have occurred. ... Officers are being ambushed,” says Rick Ramirez, special agent

UNLIKE EXPLICIT BIAS, THE TYPE WE SEE IN SELF-PROFESSED RACISTS, IMPLICIT BIASES ARE BURIED IN OUR BRAINS AND TRIGGER AUTOMATIC RESPONSES. FRIDELL’S PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE SCIENCE BEHIND THESE BIASES AND PRACTICAL WAYS OFFICERS CAN COMPENSATE FOR THEM.

Photo: PENNY CARNATHAN | USFAA

in charge of Tampa Bay Regional Operations for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a 2008 graduate of USF’s criminology master’s program. “We’re going to react when you’re not compliant or when you’re hostile.”

He recalls a seemingly innocuous traffic stop during his time as a sheriff ’s deputy. He’d pulled over a car and walked up to the driver’s side to ask for the man’s license and registration. He told the driver to wait in his car while he ran the information, but when he turned his back to return to his cruiser, he heard the car door open.

“I turn around and I tell him to stay in the vehicle, but he gets out,” Ramirez says. “So now my adrenaline is pumped up a little; I’m a little more cautious, a little fearful – all my bells and whistles are going off.”

After some “aggressive” talk from Ramirez, the man finally got back in his car.

“It could all have been avoided if he’d just complied in the first place.”

FAIR AND IMPARTIAL POLICING All three officers have studied under Fridell, a rock star in the law enforcement community. She has an academic background in psychology, social ecology and criminology, and represents Florida on the American Civil Liberties Union national board.

In 2009, she began work on curricula for training officers in fair and unbiased policing. Her programs, developed with curriculum designer Anna

Laszlo and with input from social psychologists and police professionals, have been used to train officers from more than 250 agencies.

She targets the insidious biases officers – and all of us – acquire. Unlike explicit bias, the type we see in self-professed racists, implicit biases are buried in our brains and trigger automatic responses. They can cause some cops to treat females as less of a threat than males, and blacks as more of a threat than whites. Fridell’s program focuses on the science behind these biases and practical ways officers can compensate for them.

“Many individuals come in [to training] thinking this is a small problem produced by other officers mostly in other agencies,” Fridell says. “I believe they leave the training thinking, ‘This is bigger than I thought. I am part of the issue.’ ’’

Far left: Associate professor of criminology Lorie Fridell served for six years as the director of research at the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C. Her primary research areas are police use of force and violence against police.

Center: USF police Chief J.D. Withrow earned a degree in criminology in ’88 and a master’s in adult education in ’95.

Right: Special agent in charge of Tampa Bay Regional Operations for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Rick Ramirez is a 2008 graduate of USF’s criminology master’s program.

EPILOGUE Decades after Luke Williams’ childhood encounter with the dog-threatening police officer, he found himself working alongside the man.

“I found out that he’s really a good man,” Williams says. “That had a powerful impact on me. Getting to know him at the end of his career helped me understand that a few careless words can be powerful and have a lasting impact. Your words should reflect the person you are.”

That officer, by the way, was white. Williams is black. What Williams remembered was the uniform. n

FALL 2015 27

Josh

Class of ’15

Evan

Drew

Class of ’17

Class of ’19

Monique Class of ’17

Katya Class of ’18

28 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Monica Class of ’16

Lauren Julieanne Class of ’18

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Shai-Ann Class of ’17

BY STEVE GERMAIN

New student welcome progams turn hearts green and gold and help USF’s newest Bulls succeed.

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | UCM

T

hen high school student Drew Hays was home in Illinois asking the same two questions as thousands of students across America: “Where should I go to college, and what’s it going to be like?”

While Drew’s brother, Evan, was already attending USF, which was a strong draw in the decision-making process, it was the campus atmosphere and the people he met that made Hays want to become a Bull. “The second time I walked around the campus I knew this was the place,” he says.

Question one was answered, but what about question two?

Hays got answers to all his questions and concerns through USF’s new student welcome programs, offered by the Undergraduate Studies’ Office of Orientation and Student Affairs’ New Student Connections. For Hays, Orientation and CampU stood out as the events that put him at ease knowing he had made the perfect choice.

“Orientation was fun and exactly what I was looking for as a new student,” the future finance major says. “What could have been a boring welcome lecture actually kept everyone involved and gave me the information I needed very clearly. I got answers to all of my questions, visited the business college, talked with advisers, and I also got to meet my fall roommate and a lot of new friends.”

CampU, an overnight, off-campus camp for incoming freshmen, gave Hays an additional opportunity to bond with friends and learn more about USF’s traditions. “Even though I have my brother at USF, the friends I made at CampU will really help ease my transition to college. I learned about resources and people I can go to for help, plus I can now sing the USF fight song in my sleep!”

FALL 2015 29

“

I learned about resources and people I can go to for help, plus I can now sing the USF fight song in my sleep.”

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CampU participants celebrate the conclusion of Bull Olympics with a shaving cream battle.

30 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

– Drew Hays

From Bangladesh to USF While most USF students are making the transition from high school to college, incoming freshman Adila Hoque has also traveled from Bangladesh to become a new Bull.

The welcome mat for international new students is Orientation’s Glo-Bull Beginnings Week, which helps incoming students such as Adila not only transition into life at USF, but to life in America as well.

“The Glo-Bull events were fun and helpful,” Hoque says. “We got to explore and learn about the USF and the campus, and also got a lot of information on how things work in this country. Our cultures are so different that the Glo-Bull events were great to show us life in America and to get us started in school. I’m very excited by USF’s engineering possibilities and so far it’s looking really good.”

Rising students: Paying it forward USF senior Josh Dusing was like many when he first arrived at USF – a self-described “mostly uninvolved” student. That is, until USF’s new student programs opened up a world of possibilities for him.

“Going through CampU and Orientation really motivated me to actually get involved and get the most out of college,” Dusing says. “Talking with staff members opened me up to options like Greek life and helped me earn the leadership positions I hold now.”

Dusing is one of 11 student leaders of the Parent and Family Orientation program, which provides information about all facets of campus life – from financial assistance, campus logistics, classes and more – to students’ family members.

Evan Hays (Drew’s brother), a junior majoring in microbiology, takes his responsibilities as a CampU counselor seriously because he has personally experienced the program’s positive impact.

“I came to USF knowing no one and now many of my friends I actually met at CampU years ago,” he says. “I really enjoy giving back to the new students by motivating them, making them comfortable with their new university lives, helping them meet new friends and building their passion for USF.” Orientation and New Student Connections student leaders are trained extensively on their specific programs and their responsibilities on mentoring new students as peers.

Creating opportunities for success Even before the first day of class, incoming freshmen and students transferring to USF are immersed in activities to smoothly integrate into campus life, make lifelong friendships, and hit the ground running on their own path to academic and professional success. Orientation, Glo-Bull

CONNECTING NEW BULLS AROUND THE SYSTEM Programs and activities to help new students successfully transition to college life are in full swing around the USF System. Here’s a look at a few:

USF St. Petersburg n A re-imagined first-year experience, called COMPASS, integrates students into the campus culture from the start of New Student Orientation. n At a special sail-signing event during Move-In Weekend, new students signed the Class of 2019 sail. The sail will fly at commencement as a reminder of the start of their journey. n A welcome breakfast before Freshman Convocation included lively parent-led panel discussions and powerful student selfreflection. During the ceremonies, students took the “Commitment to Honor” and were linked with peer mentors and a network of support services. n Learning Journeys, an off-campus program, allows students to explore research or academic interests with a faculty member.

One group of students, for example, will travel to Weedon Island with a USFSP anthropologist.

USF Sarasota-Manatee n A newly revamped Informations Commons combines a student lounge with collaborative study areas and private study carrels, facilitating connections between students, peers and professors. n A new basketball court alongside the recently completed sand volleyball court encourages on-campus student interactions outside of classes. n A new student ambassador program kicked off the year with a welcome retreat, where club members met with ambassadors from the Tampa and St Pete campuses to discuss initiatives and establish bonds with students throughout the USF System.

FALL 2015 31

“

Our cultures are so different that the Glo-Bull events were great to show us life in America and to get us started in school.”

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Orientation team leader Katya Brioni speaks with international students during Glo-Bull Beginnings.

32 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

– Adila Hoque

Photo: AIMEE BLODGETT | UCM

Beginnings Week, CampU, Week of Welcome – which includes more than 100 fun programs such as Kickoff, Capture (the class photo), Charge service day, The Network – and the First Fifty Days, are just some of the initiatives designed to welcome students into the campus community.

Led by Marnie Hauser, director of the Office of Orientation, and Keri Riegler, director of New Student Connections, USF’s new student programs will help more than 8,300 first-time-in-college and transfer students transition to campus life this fall.

“The programs are intentionally designed to help each student find their best, personal college experience,” Hauser says. “Our team takes pride in helping each new student become an engaged citizen at USF, setting the tone for their independence, supporting them when/as needed and helping to instill a lifelong love of the Green and Gold.”

The strategies driving the new student programs are intentional and systematically reviewed and revised to generate the best results for both students and university.

“We survey all incoming students along with students who have gone through the programs and we talk to event sponsors, staff and more to get direct feedback on ways we can improve,” Riegler says. “Students have said they want more peer-to-peer interaction, for example, so we added social events with residence mates to build community and a sense of belonging with the university and the people they’ll be living with.

Ultimately, our collected data show that these efforts positively impact students’ progress toward graduation and their success both inside and outside the classroom.”

USF’s strategically designed new student programs help to instill Bull pride, identity and tradition in the hearts of USF’s student body – turning Drew, Adila, Josh, Evan and thousands of other students into USF Bulls for a lifetime. n

ALUMNI WELCOME INCOMING FRESHMEN DURING SUMMER ROUND-UPS Freshman Axel Cruz chose USF for its great research programs, its size, and because his friends planned to attend the University of Central Florida.

He didn’t want to follow the crowd.

Still, when he learned about the Alumni Association’s Broward County Hometown RoundUp in June, he leaped at the chance to see if he knew other local Bulls-to-be, and to meet some he didn’t know. He got all that and more.

“I’m much less nervous after seeing what a family community there is over there. There’s a really strong bond among alumni,” he said after the get-together. “I got useful tips and they had prizes. I won a $100 gift card!’’

USF alumni host about a dozen free round-up events each summer across the country, helping incoming freshmen and their families become Bulls

Country citizens long before the first class.

“Parents come with lots of questions and a goal to meet as many other parents as possible,” says Kerry Cerra, ’94, who’s been hosting the Broward round-ups with husband Shawn, ’93, for about six years. “I drench our house in green and gold for these shindigs. I hope it gives the students a sense of pride and gets them excited about being a Bull.” n FALL 2015 33

34 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

GLOBAL INTERNS

BY MELISSA WOLFE ’13

Twenty-six Patel College students traveled to five continents this summer to research sustainability issues. Here are three of their stories.

V

ICTOR FLOREZ RISES BEFORE the sun and trudges through the darkness down a dirt path to the outdoor showers. He washes with a bucket of cold water, then settles in for morning meditation. When finished, he meets up with the other volunteers for yoga practice before starting the day’s chores.

When Florez arrived at the Gaia Ashram in Nong Khai, Thailand, in March, the ashram had no walls. It consisted of only a foundation, a bare frame and a roof. Fourteen volunteers, like him, slept on thin mats under the roof, surrounded by mosquito nets.

Florez is one of 26 USF Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGS) graduate students who traveled this summer to five continents to research sustainability issues, ranging from tracking greenhouse gas emissions and implementing renewable energy technologies to studying sustainable agricultural production and composting practices.

PCGS offers a Master of Arts degree in global sustainability with concentrations in water, sustainable tourism, renewable energy and entrepreneurship.

Students complete an international research-oriented internship as their capstone project.

Students can tailor their internship experience to suit their interest in various sectors of sustainability, resulting in unique and relevant once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

A Colombian-American fluent in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, Florez fosters a dream of one day creating a green city that integrates a human ecosystem with the natural ecosystem in a way that

enhances the well-being and quality of life for all.

Accordingly, his internship focused on sustainable community design and natural building.

“We came here to build,” says Florez, “which is exactly what we did. There was a great team of natural building and permaculture experts who instructed us in constructing the walls of the ashram using adobe bricks, bamboo frames, and a cob mixture consisting of mud, sand, silt, clay and straw. We learned to make adobe bricks and create various wall designs like making circle windows within the wall that are structurally sound. It was a community building experience.”

Florez, who graduated from USF with a bachelor’s in international relations in 2012 says there are both “hard” and “soft” elements of community building.

“The hard elements being the physical construction, the soft being the human spirit and community, becoming connected with each other and nature. It was a great experience. We were off the grid for two weeks – no Internet, no phones, no connection. It disconnected us from electronics, but connected us with each other and nature in a way I never thought possible.”

Florez stayed in Thailand for a month, studying and practicing natural construction methods at the Gaia Ashram and the Panya Project in Chiang Mai before catching a bus to his next destination: the Auroville Bamboo Centre in Tamil Nadu, India.

“It was so strange and amazing that I went on a bus for six or seven hours and then arrived in a totally different world,” says Florez. “Everything from the gestures, clothing and language were quite different.”

Auroville is a universal township that fosters a

<

In Nong Khai, Thailand,

Victor Florez helped build the walls of Gaia Ashram using adobe, cob and bamboo building techniques.

FALL 2015 35

<

At the Gathering of

Elders conference in Mysore, India, Florez met with people from various cultures and backgrounds to discuss the preservation of ancient knowledge amidst the pressures of globalization.

culture of sustainable living. Located only a few miles from the center of town, the Auroville Bamboo Centre (ABC) aims to increase awareness of the many and diverse uses of bamboo in the Auroville community and bioregion.

During his stay at ABC, Florez designed the future site of a 6-acre bamboo eco-village that will replenish an arid land with a bamboo forest, restore and preserve a dried out lake and reconnect surrounding culture and people.

“My designs were the result of speaking with multiple stakeholders, local water experts, politicians and residents,” says Florez. “Restoring the lake using a biobarrier of water bamboo was a vital aspect of the project. I was told that if nothing was done, if something wasn’t implemented soon, the region won’t have water in less than five years and villagers would have to relocate.”

At the end of this internship, Florez presented his eco-village proposal to the Auroville Town Planning Committee. Next, the proposal will be presented to the Pondicherry government for final approval before construction on the ecovillage can begin.

O

N A BRISK FEBRUARY MORNING, USF graduate student David Townsend sat on a bench overlooking the rows of flags lining the main entrance of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

“For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely proud

36 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

of myself,” says Townsend. “I was getting a chance to represent my country, my university and myself in a global setting.”

Earlier this year, Townsend was selected for a prestigious four-month internship with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to work within the Sustainable Energy Division, concentrating on renewable energy.

Townsend works on various objectives set forth by the Group of Experts on Renewable Energy, a bureau established in 2013 to increase renewable energy awareness, use and implementation within the UNECE region.

“I’ve been researching the most practical and economically viable policy options that allow for sustainable growth in the renewable energy sector, taking into account the fact that the UNECE has 56 different member states with varying levels of market types,” says Townsend, who graduated from USF in 2012 with a bachelor’s in environmental science and policy.

Townsend’s internship focuses on two key deliverables: creating a menu of renewable energy technology and policy options, and researching ways to deploy renewable off grid technologies in developing countries.

“The ‘Menu of Technology and Policy Options’ essentially provides a roadmap for policymakers and investors who would like to increase renewable energy use in their region or country,” he says.

“The other main deliverable is, within our 56 countries, nine have been identified by the World

>

David Townsend worked

at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, Switzerland, where he studied the role of international organizations in the promotion and implementation of renewable energy in developing nations.

FALL 2015 37

Bank as having less than 100 percent access to modern energies. There are populations within these countries that are reliant on primitive, basic forms of cooking and heating. My task was to research ways to give them packages to create off-grid, mini-grid, or hybrid solutions where they can utilize a lower carbon-based fossil fuel like natural gas and couple it with intermittent solar or wind power. This would create an off-grid network and allow these communities to gain access to modern energy services.”

Although Townsend’s typical day starts and ends behind a desk and a mound of paperwork, working at the UNECE headquarters could never be called dull.

“One day Christiane Amanpour from CNN was here to interview the high commission on the Middle East refugee crisis and peacekeeping in a big televised event.

Right across the row from me was U.S. Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto, who had just been selected by President Obama last year. The ambassador from New Zealand introduced us. She was really excited to hear about the work I was doing and where I had come from.”

Only a year ago, Townsend didn’t think he would be in a master’s program, let alone traveling halfway around the world to work with the United Nations.

“This experience has been absolutely incredible. It has surpassed anything I could have ever anticipated.

It is just blowing my expectations.”

T

WO HOURS AND THREE BUS RIDES later, Ericka L. McThenia walks uphill past cornfields, cows and chickens to complete the last leg of her journey to a small school on the outskirts of Lima, Peru.

Designated only by the number 6012, the little blue school has 28 children in first through sixth grades in three classrooms. Behind the building, a newly tilled 1,000-square-meter garden sports seven freshly planted banana trees and holds the promise of food security in a country that often lacks access to food and nutrition.

“Peru has an incredibly rich agricultural history,” says McThenia, who graduated from Flagler College with a degree in theater arts before changing her focus to sustainability and food waste. “There are 4,000 different types of potatoes here, and Peru is famous for their corn varieties, but so many children in this region are lacking sufficient access to food and nutrition. There is a hidden hunger that occurs when

children do not get enough nutrients, it causes all kinds of problems. Anemia is the leading childhood disease in Peru.”

McThenia was halfway into a four-month internship with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

“I am working on a Zero Hunger, Zero Waste initiative being implemented in schools,” says McThenia, who was inspired to ‘close the food waste loop’ after working in restaurants for more than 10 years.

“When I arrived in Peru, FAO had no boots on the ground, but wanted to create more inner sectorial and inner institutional partnerships and cooperations to address food and nutrition access in Peru.”

As part of an effort to build the FAO’s presence in Lima, McThenia was tasked with developing a model food waste program that could be applied to other schools in the region. In mid-October, she will present her model to the FAO before returning home to Florida.

Using school 6012 for her pilot program, McThenia began working with the children to bring life back into the previously abandoned garden. In her first lesson, the children cleared the land and tilled the garden to prepare it for planting. In future lessons, they planted seeds and build a compost pile.

“I’m planning lessons for the kids on how to use waste as a resource,” says McThenia. “My lessons focus on saving seeds, growing food, composting and the importance of reducing food waste.”

Overall, McThenia says her biggest challenge is overcoming the language barrier in her everyday work. Although familiar with Spanish, McThenia is not fluent, which makes writing lesson plans, participating in conferences and engaging stakeholders challenging.

“I practice Spanish every day,” she says. “On the days that I do not go to the school, I work in an office writing lesson plans and translating them over to Spanish with the help of my Spanish-English dictionary.

“The experience and opportunity to learn have been very rewarding, says McThenia. “Already at the school, we have started the garden. The parents heard about what we are trying to do and donated seven banana trees, which the kids planted in the garden.

It is very rewarding to think of the longevity of that effect and knowing that a small difference has already been made.” n

<

Ericka L. McThenia

stands outside the Instituto Educativa 6012, the primary school where she volunteers in Lurín, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Lima.

She will be visiting the school every week until October 2015.

<

During recess,

students clear the garden site of sticks and trash, loosen the soil and prepare the area to receive plants. The first plants to go into the garden were banana trees donated by a few parents. The garden space is roughly 1,000 square meters.

FALL 2015 39

Forever Bulls

5 minutes with Bill My Fellow Bulls, Exciting things happen when Bulls Unite, which is why I was thrilled when your Alumni Association and the USF communications team joined forces to create the new publication you now hold in your hands.

In USF, you’ll find stories about your fellow alumni and the features you’ve told us you love, like “Where’s Rocky?” But we know you’re also interested in news from throughout the USF System, from student life and faculty research to what’s playing at Theatre 1. Now you’ll get it all in a single magazine that we hope will entertain, inform and engage you.

As I write, I can hear the Herd of Thunder practicing on Fowler Fields near the Gibbons Alumni Center; it’s just one of the reasons I really enjoy the fall semester. There are more students on campus now than any other time of the year, and they’re frequent visitors to the Alumni Center. They stop by to pick up scholarship applications, meet with fellow USF Ambassadors, and get advice from our student relations team, LaToya Wider and Tyrone Gray.

40 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Why, you ask, is an alumni association so involved with students?

Because making an impact on student success is an important part of our mission, and because in a few short years, they won’t be students – they’ll be alumni.

I have found that students who’ve had positive experiences with their alumni association are more likely to be active, engaged alumni. So we reach out through programs and opportunities that help students succeed while also demonstrating the value of staying involved after graduation. When alumni make a difference in their lives, students remember, and many (like you) pay it forward for generations to come. It’s how great universities like USF are built.

Which leads me to ask, when was the last time you came home to your great university?

Homecoming festivities kick off Oct. 5 and continue all week, with your Welcome Home Party and Parade on Oct. 9 and the Homecoming football game the next day. I look forward to seeing you – it’s “Our Week. Our Homecoming. Our USF”!

Bill McCausland, MBA, ’96 Executive Director, USF Alumni Association Life Member

Meet your 2015-16 USF Alumni Association Board Front row, seated from left: Mike Griffin, ’03, past chair; April Monteith, ’01 & MBA ’03, treasurer; Betty OtterNickerson, ’76, chair; Jim Harvey, ’88, chair elect; Merritt Martin, ’04 & MPA ’06, secretary

Second row: Brian Goff, ’13; Jose Valiente, ’73;

director, USF Alumni Association; Jessica

Ruben Matos, MPH ’92; Richard Hartman, ’88

Eldridge, `01; Katrina Anderson, ’09, MA `11;

& PhD ’02; Vicki Ahrens, ’73 & MA ’75; Philip

Brian Campbell, ’93; Darrell Stinger, ’74; Mike

Amuso, ’73, MA ’75 & PhD ’00; Heather Tank,

Malanga, vice president, Student Government

’05; Michael Perry, ’81; Daniel-John Sewell, president, USF Ambassadors

Not pictured: Braulio Colon, ’03 & MPA ’10; Judy Genshaft, PhD, USF System president;

Back row: Frederick Rich, ’02; Beth Zentmeyer,

Joel Momberg, senior vice president for USF

’05; Glen Gilzean, ’05, MS ’09; Monique Hayes,

Advancement and Alumni Affairs

’01; Bill McCausland, MBA ’96, executive

THE USF ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S BOARD of directors includes alumni who’ve demonstrated a firm commitment to USF’s success, are Association Life Members and Circle of Excellence donors. It also includes two students: the student government vice president and the USF Ambassadors president; non-voting, ex-officio directors are the USF System president, the senior vice president for USF Advancement and Alumni Affairs and the Association executive director.

The board sets policy and guides the direction of the Association as it builds mutually beneficial relationships between USF and its alumni.

FALL 2015 41

42 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Photo: LINDSAY UPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Forever Bulls

BE MY GUEST Bill Upson has had a hand in developing some of the country’s most memorable and pioneering restaurants, starting with 32-year-old Napa Valley landmark Mustards Grill. He shares his recipe for thriving in an industry notrious for failures.

O

ne of his restaurants, on the waterfront in Sausalito, California, features an outdoor bocce ball court. Another in neighboring San Francisco is a throwback to a historic diner that once catered to hungry sailors before they shipped out to serve in World War II. Then there’s the chain of Manhattan bakeries with juice and espresso bars designed to appeal to busy New Yorkers, and the Charleston, South Carolina, Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar, whose name revives a piece of local history swallowed by development in 1839.

When it comes to wooing fickle American diners, Bill Upson is all about themes and keeping it real, which explains the name of his company: Real Restaurants Group. Over more than 40 years, he has managed, owned or invested in 62 independent restaurants, and today owns more than a dozen, many of which have been thriving landmarks for years.

What has made him a leader in an industry littered with broken dreams, bankruptcies and generic copycats?

“It’s a combination of things,” says Upson, the father of two grown daughters. “You got to partner with the right people. You got to know the market. You really need to be a stickler for putting out a quality product.”

But that doesn’t mean it’s all work and no play.

“Step outside the box and have some fun with the concept,” he says. “It’s a business that encourages creativity. Don’t be afraid of that.”

His longtime business partner, Keith Jones, says Upson brings an unusual mix of ingredients to the restaurateur table.

“Bill is exceptional on the money end. On

BY MICHELLE BEARDEN

the people end, he’s a great listener and an even better teacher,” Jones says. “He’s also a great example. Nobody works harder than Bill.”

Upson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at USF in 1969, says he had no idea he would actually put that knowledge to work in a career – he was just trying to avoid the draft by studying something that interested him. Turns out, there’s a lot of sociology and psychology, which he also studied, in restaurants.

“When it comes down to it, this is a people business, from the kitchen staff to the customers,” he says. “So it goes without saying that having a good understanding of human nature is going to be a big plus.”

“You got to partner with the right people.

You got to know the market. You really need to be a stickler for putting out a quality product. Step outside the box and have some fun with the concept.”

Bill Upson, restaurateur

U

pson grew up in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. There wasn’t much money, a situation made worse when his father died of bone cancer the summer after he graduated high school.

Longtime friend and fellow swim team member Pete Henning talked him into heading to Tampa to attend USF, then just 10 years old. Henning and Upson roomed together, pledged a local fraternity and juggled jobs to pay tuition and board. By staying in school, they hoped to avoid being among the 35,000

FALL 2015 43

men a month being drafted into military service in Vietnam.

“We were kids having a good time, but Bill was always a closet studier,” recalls Henning, a business partner and investment adviser to Upson. “He was always very, very driven with a lot of self-discipline. You knew early on Bill was going to be successful because he would never settle for not being successful.”

“He was always very, very driven with a lot of self-discipline. You knew early on Bill was going to be successful because he would never settle for not being successful.”

Pete Henning, longtime friend and business partner

While a student, Upson was hired by USF swim coach Bob Grindey (a 2011 inductee into the USF Athletics Hall of Fame) to work as a lifeguard. A former Marine, Grindey became a surrogate father, Upson says. The coach kept him on track and influenced Upson’s post-graduation decision to enlist in the Marine Corps.

He earned his wings as a pilot, served a tour of duty in Vietnam and rose to the rank of captain by the time he was honorably discharged in 1972. That military stint, Upson says, gave him organizational skills that would serve him well in the rigorous restaurant business.

After the Marines, Upson landed a job as a manager trainee for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

>

Like the other restaurants

Upson has helped create, Fog City in San Francisco blends local history, great food and a fun customer experience.

44 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

in Chicago, the groundbreaking company developing new “concept” eateries with a sense of humor, including R.J. Grunts. Under its legendary founder, Rich Melman, Upson learned how to use his imagination, the importance of staff training and customer service, and the dividends that come from paying close attention to details.

“There was no better place to be a student of this business,” he says.

The Florida native finally grew weary of the brutal Chicago winters. In 1979, he headed to San Francisco, where the California foodie scene was just heating up. After working a few years as an operations director and independent consultant in the industry, Upson partnered with two former colleagues from Lettuce Entertain You in 1983 to open Napa Valley’s Mustards Grill. Its innovative menu and novel organic garden made it a landmark – a reputation that continues today.

In subsequent years, the trio would open 15 more restaurants, each with its own unique concept.

Upson, 68, says he has no intention of retiring. He’s working on new projects and dividing his time between homes in Tiburon, California, and the Florida Keys.

If he could offer one piece of advice to upand-coming restaurateurs, he says he’d tell them success starts with employees.

“Create a positive work experience. Give them opportunities to succeed. Let them know they are an important part of the operation,” he says. “In turn, they’re going to treat the guests well. That’s what we’re aiming for. Because I can promise you, people may forgive a bad meal, but they won’t forget bad service.” n

Forever Bulls

Legacy?

What will be your

When you include the University of South Florida in your will or estate plan you leave a lasting legacy of your values and ensure the success of students in the future.

To establish your legacy please contact: Office of Gift Planning (813) 974-8761 planned_gifts@admin.usf.edu usffoundation.planmylegacy.org

FALL 2015 45

ALUMNI of Distinction Meet the 2015 USF Alumni Award recipients. Honorees share their insights, secrets for success and lessons learned at USF and in life.

GEORGE D. MORGAN, ACCOUNTING `76

LYNN PIPPENGER, EXECUTIVE MBA `88

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in his career

Recognizing a USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in her career

A longtime health care industry executive, Morgan retired as executive vice president and COO of US Oncology, Inc., one of the nation’s largest cancer treatment and research networks. Under his leadership, the company grew from $1.5 billion to more than $3 billion in annual revenue. He is vice chairman of the USF Foundation Board of Directors, serves on the USF Muma College of Business Executive Advisory Council, and is a Life Member of the USF Alumni Association.

Success secret: “There is no substitute for thorough preparation. The difference between having a job and having a career is about two to three extra hours per day.”

Inspiration to give: “USF Athletics’ Joe Tomaino and the late Lee Roy Selmon graciously hosted my wife, Jane, and me at the exciting U of Houston-USF football game in 2002 and inspired us to endow the first football scholarship.”

Professional rewards: “I love(d) seeing people I hired or worked closely with become very successful executives or CEOs on their own.”

Note to his 18-year-old self: “Your abilities are much greater than the limits you self-impose or think you have.

Experience will prove that later.”

Pippenger helped transform the fledgling brokerage firm Raymond James & Associates into a global financial services company with client assets totaling $505 billion.

She retired as senior vice president for operations and administration management and consultant to senior management for integration of business practices and technology. Pippenger has served on the USF Muma College of Business’ advisory board and the USF Economics Advisory Council. USF’s Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy bears her name in recognition of her financial gifts.

Success secret: “Hard work, perseverance, enthusiasm and sticking to the ‘to-do’ list.”

Inspiration to give: “Dick Bowers and, more recently, the enthusiasm of President Judy Genshaft.” [The late Dick Bowers was USF’s first athletic director and a College of Business associate dean.]

Professional rewards: “On the 20th anniversary of Raymond James in 1982, I was the recipient of one of four gold rings that Bob James, the founder, gave to those who, in his view, had significantly contributed to RJ’s growth and success.”

Note to her 18-year-old self: “I know everybody keeps telling you to pick just one of the five careers you want, so think about how you can weave them all together into one very successful career.”

46 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Forever Bulls

RICHARD LANE, MANAGEMENT `68

DAVID MINCBERG, INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIAL SCIENCES `03

Donald A. Gifford Service Award

Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Recognizing a USF graduate aged 35 years or younger for his/her outstanding professional achievements

Recognizing a USF graduate who has provided countless hours of service to USF One of the “First Teamers” who brought football to USF, Lane has supported his alma mater for more than 40 years.

He helped found USF’s first New York Alumni Chapter in the 1970s, helped develop early alumni fundraising programs, and served as Alumni Association chair in 1992.

He has served on the Bulls Club board of directors since 1981 (as president in 1991), and supports USF studentathletes as an Iron Bull scholarship donor. He is an Association Life Member and Emerald Donor.

USF nostalgia: “The most favorite and maturing part of my student experience at USF was to be initiated into the Enotas/Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, where I learned to be a leader.”

The rewards of giving: “My personal, and sometimes very humbling, reward from supporting USF is to have received the approval of so many alumni friends and community boosters, particularly in regard to starting football at USF.’’ Biggest USF change since graduation: “With lots of optimism and hard work, our university has grown from its image of being ‘just a commuter school’ to becoming a world-class institute!”

Proudest accomplishment: “Helping to start football at USF! Initially, it was very hard to be in front of this effort while there were so many unbelievers, but … we knocked the walls down!”

The director of scouting for the National Basketball Association’s Memphis Grizzlies, Mincberg, 34, earned his law degree from the University of California-Berkeley. He has advised investors in the acquisition of professional sports franchises, served as in-house counsel for Major League Soccer and NBA teams, and represented professional athletes and coaches in contract negotiations. He has also supervised law students as part of Harvard Law School’s externship program and authored legal scholarship in the sports law field.

Lesson learned at USF: “You get out what you put in.

Although there are often things outside of your control, you can always control your effort and there is no substitute for preparation and hard work.”

Proudest accomplishment: “I have two: my wife, Allyson, and our son, Isaac. Because of them my life is filled with purpose, love, perspective and joy.”

Worst USF grade: “During my last semester I had major senioritis and was taking a required course I needed to get a C in to graduate. Going into the final exam I had a 70 percent, so I needed to get a 70 percent to pass and graduate, which is exactly the grade I got. … I had a recurring dream for years where USF called and told me that I needed to retake the class if I wanted to keep my diploma!”

Best recent read: “Hard Work, a Life on and Off the Court by Roy Williams, University of North Carolina basketball coach. It is a terrific read about basketball and life that is both compelling and inspiring.’’

FALL 2015 47

ALUMNI

of Distinction

OUR WEEK.

BOB MCCANN Class of ’56 Award Recognizing a non-USF graduate who has provided outstanding service to USF and the Tampa Bay community As executive vice president of The Nielsen Co., McCann helped create a partnership that gives USF faculty and students access to the company’s vast consumer behavior data. It allows for real-world research and gives students experience working with massive data sets. The alliance also includes mentoring, executive lectures, philanthropic support, and jobs for hundreds of students. McCann is a former member of the USF Foundation board of directors and a past chair of the Muma College of Business Executive Advisory Council.

Why USF? “Given 1) USF’s close proximity to Nielsen’s Global Technology & Information Center in Tampa Bay; 2) the strength of USF’s faculty; and 3) the ever-increasing pool of talented, highly focused, eager students, I firmly believed that Nielsen together with USF had a chance to accomplish some very special things.”

Surprising fun fact: “I drove a taxicab in New York to help defray the cost of my college education.”

On millennial employees: “They take less for granted, ask more questions, and in the process, pose interesting managerial challenges.”

Personal Nielsen TV rating: “I am a very poor predictor of program popularity in that I watch a lot of public television, I tend to shun all programs that might be termed reality shows, and I am addicted to network news.” n

48 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Forever Bulls

OUR HOMECOMING. OUR USF. BULLS UNITE.

Celebrate the green and gold during SuperBull XIX Homecoming, a week of festivities leading up to the USF Bulls juicing the Syracuse University Orange. Great things happen when Bulls Unite! Unless otherwise noted, venues are at USF Tampa.

Visit www.Homecoming.usf.edu for a complete list of activities.

Monday, Oct. 5

Wednesday, Oct. 7

SUPERBULL XIX HOMECOMING WEEK KICKOFF

MARSHALL MAYHEM PEP RALLY

5:30 p.m., MLK Plaza 7 p.m., Harbor Lawn, USF St. Petersburg

Tuesday, Oct. 6 WORKING BULLS ALUMNI LUNCH HONORING ALUMNI WHO WORK AT USF Sponsored by the USF Federal Credit Union Noon, Marshall Student Center Ballroom RSVP to www.USFalumni.org/ alumnilunch

Noon, Marshall Student Center Plaza Amphitheater

BULLS IN BIZ AFTER-HOURS NETWORKING CONNECTING STUDENTS AND ALUMNI

5-7 p.m., USF Sarasota-Manatee Courtyard RSVP to usfsm.edu/bullsinbiz

CARDBOARD BOAT RACE

5 p.m., Harbor Lawn/Waterfront, USF St. Petersburg, materials provided Email mnbullock@mail.usf.edu

Thursday, Oct. 8 HOMECOMING CARNIVAL

4 p.m. USF Sun Dome parking lot

2015 USF ALUMNI AWARDS DINNER Presented by NorthStar Bank 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. awards presentation, Marshall Student Center Ballroom RSVP to www.USFalumni.org/awards

USF WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. TULSA 7 p.m., USF Corbett Stadium Tickets at www.GoUSFBulls.com

Friday, Oct. 9 HOMECOMING CARNIVAL

4 p.m., USF Sun Dome parking lot

WELCOME HOME PARTY

5-7 p.m., Fowler Fields All USF alumni are invited to reunite at this pre-parade party with games, food concessions and more

USF SOFTBALL VS. MANATEE STATE COLLEGE 6 p.m., USF Softball Stadium

RUNNING WITH THE BULLS HOMECOMING PARADE

6:45 p.m., beads, floats and spirit; Holly to Alumni drives via Maple Drive

Saturday, Oct. 10 USF ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPIRIT TENT

Free beads, tattoos, class year stickers and more for alumni; special collector beads for Alumni Association members – bring your membership card!

Three hours before kickoff, Bulls Zone, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Details at www.USFalumni.org/homecoming

HOMECOMING SUPERBULL XIX USF FOOTBALL VS. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

Visit GoUSFBulls.com for game time and tickets

USF MEN’S SOCCER VS. CINCINNATI 7 p.m., USF Corbett Stadium

FALL 2015 49

Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rocky?

Thanks to his many globe-trotting friends, Rocky goes places where no bull has gone before. If he joins you on your next trip, send your photo and details to the USF Alumni Association.

a

b

c

50 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Forever Bulls d

g

a Welcome to Bulls Country II! Rocky felt right at home in Bulls, New Zealand, where he and Ivan Hernandez, ’81, discovered everything’s delect-a-bull, social-a-bull and promote-a-bull.

b Talk about a peak experience! Claudia S. Conner, ’72 & MEd ’94, her husband, Donald L. Conner, ’67, and Rocky soar to new heights at Machu Picchu, Peru.

c Making diplomatic history as the first h

people-to-people-to-bull Cuba travelers, Rocky joins USF Foundation and Alumni Association board member Jose Valiente, ’73, and former USF President Betty Castor, both Life Members, on a fact-finding trip.

d Cindy Kane, ’76, Life Member, strolls with Rocky through the renowned and beautiful Black Forest in Germany.

e

e

i

Capt. Meg Ross, ’04 & ’MA ’08, USF police operations commander, and husband Andrew Ross, deputy chief of the Tampa International Airport police, find like-minded friends while touring the Glasgow Police Museum in Scotland with Rocky.

f

The magnificent sights in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, include the massive Margerie Glacier, which posed for a selfie with Stan and Lily Kinmonth, both ’78, and Rocky, during a May cruise.

g f Email your high-resolution photo (300 ppi) and details to pcarnathan@ usf.edu or send to Penny Carnathan, USF Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC 100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455

Señor Frogs in Nassau, Bahamas, gets a visit from Señor Rocky and Brian Campbell, ’93, Association Life Member and board member. Campbell, a founding member of USF’s National Association of Black Accountants student chapter, is now a NABA board member. He was on a planning retreat cruise with that organization.

h

When in Hofbräuhaus München … Phil Amuso, ’73, MA ’75 & PhD ’00, an Association board member and Life Member, soaks up some culture with Rocky at one of Munich’s oldest breweries.

i

Rocky proudly dons his cap, gown and Life Member pin for spring Commencements — just like Life Member Manley Jaquiss, ’86 & MA ’15.

FALL 2015 51

Chapters & Societies Bulls make an impact on USF student success

a

Washington, D.C., Round-Up

Alumni groups around the country host more than a dozen Hometown Round-Ups each summer for first-year students who will be attending USF in the fall and their families. The students get to meet other Bulls from their community, and the parents get tips and support from alumni and fellow parents.

From left, incoming freshmen Andrew Lowe, Benjamin Carr, Lacye Williams and Desiree Rabelo jump for joy during the Washington, D.C., Hometown Round-Up in August.

b

Engineering corporate ambassador

In 1998, the Engineering Alumni Society created the Corporate Ambassadors program to foster relationships between College of Engineering students and alumni working in the field. The ambassadors serve as liaisons between the college and the engineering community and offer student support, such as mentoring and internships.

John Wells, ’90, principal of Consulting Engineering Associates, Inc., in Tampa, receives the 2015 Corporate Ambassador of the Year award from dean Robert H. Bishop, left, and Gita Iranipour, MS ’02 & PhD ’04, program coordinator. Also receiving Recognition

a

and Appreciation Awards were Stephanie Kinney, ’01, of Kinney Engineering; Loren Jones, MEvE ’98, of Metzger and Willard, Inc.; Lyndsey Figler, ’12 & MS ’12, of TECO, and Connie JohnsonGearhart, ’00 & MCE ’12, of Central Florida Testing Laboratories.

c

GeoPark cleanup

Hundreds of USF geology students have benefited from handson learning at the Geology Alumni Society GeoPark at USF Tampa.

Many more students young and old, faculty and professionals have explored and learned through GeoExpos at the park. Since its dedication in 2002, alumni have organized many improvements, including adding wells, paths and a 6-ton limestone boulder.

Members of the USF Geology Alumni Society pause during a spring cleanup of GeoPark. Back row, from left, are Professors Chuck Connor and Len Vacher; Tim Fallon, ’14; Mike Wightman ’90; Marty Clasen, ’79 & MS ’89; Joel Cornwall, MS ’14; and Jon Hull, ’97. Front row, from left are Matt Wissler, MS ’03 and his daughter; Bruce Nocita; not identified; Jackie Sampson, ’11 & MS ’13; student Amethyst Bennett.

b

c

52 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Forever Bulls d

Bulls stay together

Alumni connecting with alumni

d

e

Miami Chapter New Grad Bunch

Alumni Association chapters around the country hosted 11 “new grad” get-togethers this year to welcome 2014 USF alumni in their respective communities. Chapters unite Bulls living in the same area and offer meaningful ways for alumni to contribute to USF’s success, though they may live far from campus.

Some of those attending the Miami Chapter’s spring New Grad Brunch include, from left, USF Board of Trustee Scott Hopes, ’83 & MPH ’85, an Association Life Member; Michelle Morenza, ’14; Carlos Rodriguez, ’82; chapter president Khanisha Nicholson, ’14; and Jimmy Bou, MBA ’14.

e

Chicago networking event

Bulls like doing business with Bulls! Association-sponsored alumni chapters and societies host formal and informal networking events all year long.

Muma College of Business dean Moez Limayem, second from right, traveled to Chicago in June for some networking that included, from left, Life Member Brad Bernstein, ’84; Eric Kolesnikov, ’11; and Adam Robins, ’71.

FALL 2015 53

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.

INTEREST-BASED GROUPS Anthropology Alumni Brian McEwen bmcewen@ cachillsborough.com Architecture Alumni David Hunter David.Hunter@ morganstanley.com

Black Alumni Shomari Sanford shomari1906@yahoo.com Clinical Psychology Alumni Demy Kamboukos usfclinpsychalumni@ gmail.com College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Patty Cleveland cbcs@usf.edu Manley Jaquiss manleyjaquisse@yahoo. com College of Business Alumni Beth Herman beths38@hotmail.com Engineering Alumni Pete Danile pdanile@tampabay.rr.com Entrepreneurship Alumni Jennifer Sineway jennagator@aol.com Geology Alumni Mike Wightman mwightman@geoviewinc.com Honors College Alumni Dan Ravicher ravicher@gmail.com Kosove Scholarship Alumni Justin Geisler justingeisler@hotmail. com

54 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Library and Information Science Society William (Bill) Harris wharris3@mail.usf.edu Lockheed Martin – Oldsmar Brent Lewis brent.a.lewis@lmco.com Medicine Alumni Catherine Warner cwarner1@health.usf.edu Music Society Arupa Gopal Tanya Bruce usfmusicalumni@gmail. com Nursing Alumni Edwin Hernandez ehernan5@health.usf.edu Pharmacy Alumni Patti Shirley pshirley@health.usf.edu Psychology Alumni Kim Read usfpsychba@gmail.com Public Administration Alumni Mike Rimoldi mike@ rimoldiconstruction.com Public Health Alumni Natalie PrestonWashington npreston@health.usf.edu

Theater Alumni Kimberli Cummings kbdiva901@aol.com USF St. Petersburg Heather Willis hlwillis@usfsp.edu

GEOGRAPHICAL GROUPS Atlanta Marnie Williams usfalumniatlanta@gmail. com Austin, Texas Brad Heath gobulls@austin.rr.com Boston Loren Glaser USFBostonBulls@gmail. com Broward County Ruth Rogge ruthrogge@gmail.com Alan Steinberg usfbrowardalumni@ hotmail.com Charlotte, North Carolina Marisa Varian usfcharlottebulls@gmail. com Chicago Nick Richardson WindyCityBulls56@gmail. com

Columbus, Ohio Jason Griffin columbususfalumni@ gmail.com D.C. Regional Erin Fernandez usfbullsdc@gmail.com Denver Josh Flynn jflynn@mail.usf.edu Fort Myers/Naples Paul Winterbotham usfalumniftmyers@gmail. com Greater Tampa Scott Burgess USFTampaAlumni@gmail. com Greenville, South Carolina Mike Nascarella Michael.nascarella@ gmail.com

Manatee-Sarasota Jay Riley jayriley@sar.usf.edu

Phoenix Jillian Papa jillianpapa@gmail.com

Miami-Dade County Carlos Rodriguez USFmiamialumni@gmail. com

Pinellas County Julia Pappacoda usfpinellas@gmail.com

Nashville, Tennessee Melinda Dale nashvilleusfbulls@live. com New Orleans Heather Tank heath014@yahoo.com New York Andrew Jones usfalumniny@gmail.com Orlando Jose Arias, Jr. usfbullsorlando@gmail. com

Hernando County Kevin Floyd usfhcac@gmail.com

Palm Beach County Scott Teich scott.teich@ raymondjames.com

Houston Angela Beeson usfbullshouston1@gmail. com

Pasco County Melissa Bidgood Phil Kupczyk usfpasco@gmail.com

Jacksonville Crystal Parks usfjax@gmail.com

Philadelphia Mike Waterhouse usf.tri.state.alumni@ gmail.com

Los Angeles Janet Foster usfbullsnla@yahoo.com

Raleigh, North Carolina Bob Cohn bob.cohn@mssb.com St. Louis Mark Greenspahn usfstlbulls@gmail.com San Diego Josh Vizcay Josuevizcay@gmail.com Tallahassee Paul Winterbotham Winterbotham@usf.edu

Forever Bulls

Employ-A-Bull Making the most of the generation gap: tips for millennials and their employers Millennials became the largest generation in the U.S. workforce this year. They’re one of the most educated generations, prioritizing schooling over work, so they’re also potentially one of the least workplace-ready.

Those are just two of the strengths and challenges they bring to the job.

Lynn Chisholm, director of internships and career readiness for USF Career Services, specializes in working with these 18- to 34-year-olds. She offers tips for millennials and their employers to get the most fulfillment from one another. n Millennials’ core values differ from previous generations, a source of frustration for all, Chisholm says. Millennials think and dream big, which may be viewed negatively by employers who see them as wanting to jump ahead of more experienced colleagues.

Millennials: Work with your supervisor to identify opportunities

for growth that align with your values. Earn work experience as a project team member and secure roles on projects by explaining how you will contribute to their success.

BY KATLYN KURTZ USF CAREER SERVICES

Employers: Keep millennials engaged by providing opportunities to learn and grow along with timelines and milestones for promotion. n “Money isn’t everything to millennials, who value engaging and rewarding work,” Chisholm says. “They want to make their mark in the world and are interested in companies with active social responsibility efforts.”

Millennials: Learn what, if any, social programs your company has

initiated and get involved. If your organization doesn’t have a program, or one you care about, volunteer to start one. The connections you create can open new avenues for career growth.

Employers: Assess your organization’s social responsibility policy.

Organizations with active programs strengthen their bottom line and their communities. n Millennials value strong ties to their nuclear and extended families.

They’re comfortable using technology to stay connected to the office and their families as they look for new ways to achieve work-life balance.

Millennials: Share your knowledge and love of technology and show your employer how it can enable stronger work and family connections.

Employers: Rather than implementing policies that hinder the use of

digital technology, work with millennials to establish best practices.

Their expertise can benefit the workplace and your customers.

FALL 2015 55

Class Notes 60s PATRICIA JOHNSTON, Special Education ’68, has retired after 46 years teaching at Pine View School for the gifted in Osprey, Florida. Johnston was one of the first teachers at Florida’s first school devoted to gifted education. She taught French, world and art history, anthropology and ancient civilization.

Johnston planned to visit Paris, a trip made possible by a student-led fundraising drive.

70s ANDREA BRUNAIS, Mass Communications ’75, was a President’s Book Awards Silver Award Winner in the 2015 Florida Authors and Publishers Association annual contest. Brunais’ novel Mercedes Wore Black was one of four finalists in the category Florida Fiction for Adults. A former journalist with The Tampa Tribune and The Tallahassee Democrat, Brunais cast as her main character a young reporter uncovering corruption and crimes against the environment during a Florida political campaign.

SCOTT CAMPBELL, Zoology ’79 & PhD Medical Sciences ’85, was appointed CEO of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation effective in May 2015. Previously, Campbell was executive director and CEO of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and vice president of research programs for the American Diabetes Association.

56 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

STANLEY NEWTON, Engineering ’75, was named USF’s 2015 Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.

Newton is the founder and president of Engineering Matrix in St. Petersburg, and established the Engineering Matrix Endowed Scholarship for USF chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering students.

MARY GIBBS, Geography ’73 & MA ’76, (above) received the George W. Simons, Jr. Memorial Award from the Florida Planning and Zoning Association in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions over 33 years. Gibbs’ advocacy resulted in the enactment of Florida’s general zoning act and subdivision regulations. She retired earlier this year as Lee County (Florida) community development director and is now community development director for the Village of Estero in Florida.

ANTHONY JAMES, Electrical Engineering ’73, Life Member and USF Foundation board member, was named USF’s 2015 Electrical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus. James is the retired executive vice president of Southern Co., former CEO of Savannah Power and co-author of The Shoulders of Giants. He and his wife, Sheila, established the Anthony and Sheila James Endowed Scholarship to support engineering students.

CATHERINE PEEK MCEWEN, Political Science ’79 and Life Member, received the George Edgecomb Bar Association’s Delano S. Stewart Diversity Award for achievements related to improving the administration of justice, improving the lives of African-Americans and promoting diversity in the legal profession. McEwen is a U.S. bankruptcy judge in the Middle District of Florida’s Tampa Division.

JOHN B. PRICE, Finance ’77, is a 2015 finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, an honor bestowed by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.

Price is being recognized for adapting radar-based space technology to create a device that locates disaster survivors buried in rubble. He is a program manager with the Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security. The medals are awarded to outstanding federal employees.

RAMESH SHAH, Microbiology ’70 and Life Member, has received accolades for his new memoir, Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day, available on Amazon.com.

The book describes Shah’s boyhood in Bombay, where he grew up financially impoverished but rich in family.

It recounts his wonder as a new American immigrant experiencing a spring mattress for the first time, and his challenges trying to assimilate as a USF student. Shah is the chief quality officer for FONA International, Inc.

Forever Bulls

JIM WELCH, Anthropology ’78 & MA ’83, has joined KLJ engineering in Bismarck, North Dakota, as an archaeologist in the environmental department. Welch has more than 37 years’ experience in archaeology.

MARY WHITWORTH, Zoology ’79, has launched a business, In the Sand Golf, which sells golf products monogrammed with her aerial photographs of sand traps shaped like letters of the alphabet. Whitworth, who started flying 30 years ago and became an avid golfer a few years later, sells her products online, including on Etsy. com, and to golf associations. She’s also the founder of Florida Aerial Services, which provides aerial photos.

80s MARK CACCIATORE, Chemical Engineering ’84, is USF’s Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.

Cacciatore is vice president of manufacturing for the Campbell Soup Co. in Perrysburg, Ohio. He is a life member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and a longtime supporter of USF. KARYN CUNNINGHAM, Psychology ’85, has received the Florida League of Cities’ 2015 Home Rule Hero Award.

A Village of Palmetto Bay Council member elected in November 2014, she is credited with working tirelessly to ensure state legislators hear a local perspective on matters before them and otherwise protecting cities’ home rule.

Cunningham also holds certification in education and is an experienced teacher.

KUMAR RAMACHANDRAN, MS Industrial Engineering ’87, was named USF’s 2015 Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.

Ramachandran is the founder and CEO of Gram Suchana Solutions in Bangalore, India. He and his wife, Meena, established the Ramachandran Innovation and Entrepreneurship Endowment for USF industrial engineering students.

CHRIS ROMINE, Finance ’84, was selected to serve on the State College of Florida Foundation’s board of directors.

Romine is a senior vice president and managing director of Northern Trust Bank in Bradenton, Florida.

DAVID SCOTT, Civil Engineering ’83 & MS ’86, is USF’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.

Scott is the co-founder of HSA Engineers and Scientists, which funded an 80-seat engineering classroom at USF and provides an endowed scholarship for civil engineering students. He also serves on the College of Engineering Advisory Board.

90s SURESH BATCHU, MS Computer Science ’96, received USF College of Engineering’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. He is the co-founder of MobileIron, a world leader in mobile device management and enterprise mobility solutions, based in Mountain View, California. He holds 11 U.S. patents.

CHRISTOPHER BRAY, History & Political Science ’93, joined USF Advancement as associate vice president for development in July 2015. Bray has 15 years’ experience cultivating, soliciting and stewarding gifts, including the past three with Tampa General Hospital.

JERRY D. BREWSTER JR., Communication ’91, was promoted to senior vice president at Morgan Stanley, where he is a financial adviser with the Brewster Snyder Group in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Brewster is a Certified Investment Management Analyst who began his financial career more than 20 years ago at AG Edwards.

GLENN D. GENEREUX, Accounting ’93, has joined MF Lightwave, Inc. in Tampa as chief financial officer. A CPA and designated Chartered Global Management Accountant, Genereux previously served as corporate controller for Pemco World Air Services, Inc. JENNIFER L. GRIFFIN, English ’97, was named one of Florida Trend magazine’s 2015 Florida Legal Elite —an honor bestowed on less than 2 percent of the state’s practicing lawyers. Griffin is chair of Quarles & Brady LLP’s estate, trust and wealth preservation group in Tampa.

MAHA SALLAM, Computer Engineering ’90, MS ’91, PhD ’97, and Life Member, is USF’s Computer Science and Engineering Distinguished Alumna. Sallam is the founder of VuEssence, a medical device company focused on creating diagnostic solutions for stroke applications. She and her husband, KK, established the Spirit of Innovation Award for graduate students.

SHANNON SHEPP, Public Relations ’94, was appointed interim executive director of the Florida Citrus Commission in July 2015. She has served as deputy

FALL 2015 57

Class Notes executive director since August 2013, responsible for overseeing administrative operations as well as nutrition, quality and economic research. Previously, she served for 12 years with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

DREW A. STOLLER, History ’94, has been named a 2015 Power Leader in Law & Accounting by the South Florida Business Journal. The managing partner of Roig Lawyers’ West Palm Beach, Florida, office, Stoller specializes in the defense of insurance carriers. The Power Leader list recognizes men and women who have made notable contributions in their fields during the past year.

LT. COL. JESSICA (DINAR) BAKER SULLIVAN, Political Science ’92 (below), retired from the U.S. Air Force after 22 years of service. An air battle manager and homeland defense expert, her last assignment was as the personnel officer and assistant professor in the Department of Military and Strategic

Studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

2013-14 president of the international Association of Women Surgeons.

SERGIO WALDECK, MBA ’99, became an executive director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York in January 2015. His responsibilities include the financial planning and analysis of a $3.5 billion technology budget within the firm’s Corporate & Investment Bank.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Waldeck worked for more than 15 years with some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including the Federal Reserve Bank, Citigroup and UBS Investment Bank.

GREGORY WRIGHT, Marketing ’99, has joined the Suncoast Hospice Foundation, a member of Empath Health located in Pinellas County, Florida, as its major gifts officer. Wright formerly served as the major gifts associate director for the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation in Tampa.

DANIELLE WALSH, MD ’95, a pediatric surgeon, was named an outstanding medical leader by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Walsh is the 2015 recipient of the society’s Education and Research Foundation’s Excellence in Medical Leadership Award. An associate professor of surgery at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, she was the

MARION YONGUE (right), Accounting ’91 and Life Member, married Evan Earle, Jr. (left) on May 1, 2015 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida.

Yongue was recently promoted to senior director of development at the USF Foundation.

00s SAID AWAD, Biology ’09, has become a charter member of Brandon Regional Hospital’s new internal medicine residency program. Dr. Awad, who holds a medical degree from American University of Antigua and an MBA in health care administration from Plymouth State University, was one of 900 physicians who applied for the program’s 20 positions. He plans to work as a Brandon Regional hospitalist.

58 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Forever Bulls

BRADLEY BIGGERS, MPH ’08, joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response in June as a geographer supporting Ebola response efforts in Sierra Leone and Guinea in Africa. Previously, Biggers was a Public Health Informatics Fellow at the CDC. NATALIA DIAZ, Communication ’04, is the new director of marketing at Brandon Regional Hospital in Brandon, Florida.

Diaz previously served as director of marketing and public relations at South Bay Hospital Sun City Center, where she was named South Bay’s Director of the Year in 2014.

ASHLEY EHRMAN, Criminology ’08, has joined the governance board of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA. The assistant director of development for USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, Ehrman is the former manager of leadership programs for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

MICHAEL M. GIEL, English ’02 and Life Member, was included in Florida Super Lawyers 2015 as a Rising Star, a designation based on peer recognition and professional achievement, and one attained by no more than 2.5 percent of Florida lawyers. Giel is an appellate and family law attorney with J. Demere Mason, P.A. in Jacksonville, Florida.

JAMES GONZALEZ, Finance ’03, has been named north Florida affiliate chair for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a national organization devoted to research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure.

Gonzalez, an attorney with Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin in Jacksonville, Florida, lost his father to pancreatic cancer and has been instrumental in organizing fundraiser events for the network.

DAVINA GOULD, MA Mass Communications ’03, has joined USF Health Development and Alumni Relations as assistant director of communications.

She was previously director of communications at Stetson University College of Law. Gould is accredited in public relations through the Universal Accreditation Board of Public Relations Society of America.

S.J. GREEN, Communication ’07, has been named a Canadian Football League (CFL) Shaw Top Performer after achieving 180 receiving yards in a single game. Green, a former standout receiver for the USF Bulls who now plays for the Montreal Alouettes, nailed six receptions in his team’s 25-23 defeat of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in July 2015. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian gridiron football.

AMBER H. HILL, Biology ’02, and her husband, David, have opened a wine and beer bar, The 4 Three Nine, 439 First Ave. N. in downtown St. Petersburg. Hill is a lawyer who opened her firm, Amber H. Hill, Esq., in St. Petersburg in 2012.

JEFFREY HORNICK, Mechanical Engineering ’07, MBA ’10, and Life Member, received USF College of Engineering’s Outstanding Young Engineer Award.

Hornick is regional director of design and engineering for Busch Gardens and Sea World. He holds two U.S. patents.

GITA IRANIPOUR, MS Chemical Engineering ’02 & PhD ’04, received USF College of Engineering’s Distinguished Service Award. Iranipour is a senior utility project manager with the Hillsborough County (Florida)

Department of Public Utilities and the chair of the Corporate Ambassador Program in the USF Engineering Alumni Society.

BRITTANY LINK, Communications ’08 and Life Member, was named to the 2015 Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders of Charlotte, North Carolina, by Elevate Lifestyle Magazine.

Criteria included professional achievements, leadership, community involvement and personal character. Link is a program manager and senior consultant for Salesforce.

ROBERT MYER, Electrical Engineering ’00, received the USF College of Engineering’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Myer is the founder, president and chief product officer of NoWait, the first mobile network for casual dining, headquartered in Pittsburgh. NoWait ranked in the top 10 of the 2015 Fast 56—the fastest-growing Bull-led businesses. Myer is a 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

ERIC A. ROSS, Religious Studies ’01, is the new national director of development for Israel’s Neve Michael Children’s Village, a therapeutic home for up to 300 children who cannot live with their families. Ross has extensive experience working with nonprofits, most recently American Friends of The Hebrew University.

KELLY TALAMO, Accounting ’00, has been elected treasurer of the American Business Women’s Association, Palms FALL 2015 59

Class Notes of Edisonia (Florida) Chapter, board of directors. Talamo is the marketing director and staff accountant for Myers, Brettholtz & Co., PA, Certified Public Accountants & Business Consultants, and a Certified Senior Advisor.

ANDY TAYLOR, Political Science ’09, has been named director of development for the Florida Native Plant Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation and restoration of the state’s native plants.

The society has 3,500 members in 37 chapters.

JUSTIN WILSON, Management ’08, has joined Washington Partners, a global mergers and acquisitions firm based in Tampa, as vice president of corporate development. Wilson is the owner of Wilson Group Tampa Bay, a real estate services provider.

ROBERT YURGLICH, JR., MBA ’06, has joined Harbor Technologies LLC as chief financial officer. The Brunswick, Maine-based company manufactures marine composite materials.

Yurglich formerly served as business development manager for a Denver accounting firm.

10s KRISTOPHER DUMPKE, Marketing ’14, has joined Coldwell Banker Commmercial NRT as a sales associate. Based in Tampa, he specializes in commercial real estate sales and leasing in eastern Hillsborough County, Florida.

SAMANTHA GREINER, Marketing ’15, has joined USF Athletics’ Bulls Club as a graduate assistant for daily operations while working toward her MBA and

60 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Master of Sport and Entertainment degrees. Greiner worked as a student assistant for the Bulls Club and was a four-year pitcher for the USF women’s softball team.

In Memoriam

DYLAN HERBERT, MS Sport and Entertainment Management ’15 & MBA ’15, has joined the USF Athletics’ Bulls Club donor relations staff, where he focuses on database management and gift processing, among other duties. Herbert was previously a graduate assistant for development in the Bulls Club.

LT. COL. JOSEPH E. CAREY, Criminology ’81 and Life Member, June 1, 2015

MICHAEL P. BLAISDELL, History ’03, July 5, 2015 THE REV. ROBERT GARVIN BRUCE, Music Education ’72, June 6, 2015

NORMAN JOHN CASTELLANO, DMD, Biology ’95, July 13, 2015 PATRICIA G. CORWIN, MA Education ’81, June 29, 2015 BARBARA JOAN ENGLISH, MA Vocational Education ’74, July 17, 2015 JUDITH C. FLYNN, MBA ’87, July 18, 2015

KATELYN HERON, Psychology & Criminology ’14, completed a summer internship with the prestigious Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia. She spent part of her time working on projects and part in classrooms and labs with training center students.

JOHN F. GERMANY, a USF founding father, Aug. 26, 2015

CHRISTOPHER PIZZO, MS Entrepreneurship in Applied Technology ’13, married Kristen Hyers in Jacksonville on June 6, 2015. Pizzo is the co-founder of DataTract, a remote patient-monitoring platform designed to reduce hospital readmissions. Hyers is a water designer for Hollingsworth Decorative Tile + Plumbing. The couple will live in Tampa.

RUTH L. LOECHLER, MA English ’70, July 21, 2015

CATHERINE LOUISE GILLETTE, MEd ’97, June 12, 2015 MARIE BIRDSONG HARRELL, Science Education ’64 & MEd ’80, June 19, 2015 JAMES PETER “JIM” KOELSCH, Business Economics ’69 & MBA ’71, June 23, 2015 ADOLFO MARZOL, Engineering ’71, May 20, 2015 CHARLES “CHUCK” BRAXTON MCCASKILL III, Management ’66, July 8, 2015 LOUISE LANCASTER OSTRANDER, English Education, ’74, July 22, 2015 WALTER EDSON PETERS III, MA Rehabilitation Counseling ’06, July 24, 2015 JAMES E. SCOTT, Theater ’67, April 19, 2015 SANDRA B. STULTZ, History ’87, June 4, 2015

Send Class Notes submissions and high-resolution (at least 300 ppi) photos to pcarnathan@usf.edu or mail to Penny Carnathan, USF Alumni Association, Gibbons Alumni Center, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455

CHARLES LUCAS “LUKE” VENABLE, Management ’13, July 5, 2015

Forever Bulls

Blast from the Past

College of Education building, early 1980s A third of USF students were education majors when they finally got their own building in 1968. The College of Education graduated more than 50,000 of our nation’s finest educators in its first 50 years.

n Including one of my favorite teachers ever, Mrs. Clella Holt ’65 of Monroe Jr. High in Tampa.

- Karla Jackson, ’88 & MSM ’13, Life Member n Proud to be class of ’94 and ’99.

Just finished my 21st year teaching.

Greatest faculty anywhere.

- Nicole Bell Benke, ’94 & Med ’99 n I spent many hours in this building as well as making lifetime friendships.

Dr. Robert Shannon was my group leader/mentor for our continuing education group of young minds. He was quite a character and pushed us to think outside the box. I appreciate my time at USF. - Martha Wood Lester, ’76 n I am going there now.

- Rosemarie Carman Clemons n When I retire next year, it will be 42 years of teaching in special education with significantly intellectually disabled students. Working on my doctorate now in special education and plan to go on to teach other teachers at the university level. Great memories!

- Celeste Sadler, ’73 n When my wife hired teachers, she always commented that USF COE grads were the better prepared compared to other state universities.

- Richard Yost, ’82 & MBA ’85, Life Member

Alumni comments published here were shared in response to this photograph and posted on www.Facebook.com/USFalumni, where you can view, share and comment on other historic USF photos.

n I will always be grateful to USF! I was able to work full time and attend school full time. They offered the same courses in the evening as in the daytime.

- Nancy M. Mitchell, ’76 & MA ’78

FALL 2015 61

Forever Bulls

Calendar

Oct. 1-11

PANTOMIME, A PLAY; entitled Brit tries to enlist his Trinidadian employee to perform in a pantomime to attract clients to his guest house; Theatre 2, USF Tampa; $15 or $10 for students with ID and ages 60 and older; show times at theatreanddance. arts.usf.edu

Oct. 10

Oct. 31

TAILGATE WITH THE BULLS, USF vs. Navy at Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 10 a.m.noon; breakfast buffet, beer, wine and mimosas, $40; register at www.usf.edu/ua/tailgate; game tickets at 1 800 GoBulls or www.GoUSFBulls.com

Nov. 1

USF SARASOTA-MANATEE BRUNCH ON THE BAY, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; restaurants and caterers serve their signature dishes under the tents on campus to raise money for local student scholarships

Nov. 14

TEMPLE VS. USF at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa; game time TBA; tickets at GoUSFBulls.com

Nov. 20

CINCINNATI VS. USF at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa; 8 p.m.; tickets at GoUSFBulls.com

HOMECOMING SUPERBULL XIX at Raymond James Stadium. (See Homecoming calendar, page 49.)

Oct. 10-11

FALL PLANT FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. both days, intro to beekeeping at noon Oct. 11; USF Botanical Gardens, 12210 USF Pine Drive, Tampa; $5 for non-members

Oct. 24

USF ST. PETERSBURG NIGHT AT THE ROWDIES, 7:30 p.m. kickoff, Al Lang Stadium; 6:00 p.m. tailgate at the Tavern at Bayboro; $10 with USF ID

62 UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA

Nov. 6-15

FALL DANCE CONCERT by guest choreographers and DanceUSF faculty; Theatre 1, USF Tampa; $15 or $10 for students and ages 60 and older; show times at theatreanddance.arts.usf.edu

USF

(USPS #025203) Number 34 USF is published quarterly in the winter, spring, summer and fall as a benefit of membership in the USF Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC 100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Tampa, FL 33634-9651 and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to USF, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC 100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.

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