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Week of September 1, 2023

As our community continues recovery efforts following Hurricane Idalia, I want to take a moment to extend my sincere appreciation to the USF employees who have worked tirelessly over the past several days to keep our students and campuses safe.

While visiting our students who weathered the storm in our residence halls in Tampa, I also visited our Housing and Residential Education staff, University Police and those serving as part of USF's emergency operations center to thank them for their continued efforts throughout the storm. Many of our employees worked long hours and were pulled away from their families to serve critical roles on campus, and I greatly appreciate their diligence and dedication.

As we resume classes and return to our normal operating procedures, safety remains our top priority. I thank you for your patience and understanding with our students and staff who may have difficulty traveling back to campus due to storm-related issues.

Updates

• Prior to the hurricane, I enjoyed welcoming our students to campus and participating in several Week of Welcome activities that encourage our Bulls to get involved and stay engaged in our vibrant university community.

We’re pleased to enroll a highly accomplished group of nearly 6,900 new undergraduate students across our three campuses. USF's newest class represents 46 states and 139 countries. Students and their families are recognizing the tremendous return on investment that comes with earning a USF degree, and we look forward to preparing our students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the future.

• We had a record-breaking turnout at the recent Employee Appreciation Luncheon, and I was delighted to see so many of you join us for this wonderful celebration. The luncheon provides a great opportunity to reconnect as we begin USF’s first academic year as a member of the Association of American Universities, and I greatly enjoy being able to personally thank our outstanding faculty and staff for your many contributions to our university’s success.

• Later that day, I visited USF Facilities Management to share my appreciation for our facilities team members, who work tirelessly – often times outdoors in the hot Florida sun – to ensure our campus operates smoothly. Comprised of custodians, maintenance staff, groundskeepers and many other roles, our facilities team includes both day and night shift crews who play an integral role in providing a well-maintained environment in which our students, faculty and staff can learn and work.

• Communication is a key part of my leadership style, and I look forward to hosting you at the university-wide town hall for faculty and staff at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, in the Marshall Student Center on the Tampa campus. The town hall is an opportunity for our university leadership team to provide updates on ongoing initiatives and hear about issues important to you. I encourage you to submit your questions in advance here.

• I recently visited our USF football team to provide a few words of encouragement and to remind them that Bulls Nation will be cheering them on throughout the upcoming season. Coach Golesh, his staff and the players are all working hard, and I hope you'll join me in supporting them at our first home game on Sept. 9 against Florida A&M. In addition, USF Athletics is offering all faculty and staff two complimentary tickets to the USF vs. Rice game on Sept. 23, and you can claim your free tickets here.

AAU President Barbara Snyder

In this special episode, we hear from Barbara Snyder, president of the

71-member Association of American Universities, about why USF was selected for membership, its significance for the university community and Tampa Bay region, and the central role of faculty in propelling USF to this historic milestone.

Additional University News Sources

•  USF Newsroom

•  St. Petersburg campus

•  Sarasota-Manatee campus

•  USF Health

•  USF Athletics

The New York Times quoted USF Assistant Professor J. Sean Doody in a story about research testing how crocodiles respond when hearing distress calls of humans and other infant animals.

National Geographic featured the research of USF Associate Professor Gregory Herbert in a story about how washed up barnacles may help scientists narrow the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

USF faculty members were quoted about Hurricane Idalia in several national publications, including The Washington Post, NBC, Fox and Scientific American. 

On Wednesdays, Bulls wear green! Show off your South Florida Pride by wearing USF Green every Wednesday starting Sept. 6. Bulls fans are encouraged to join USF Athletics on social media by sharing their USF school spirit with the hashtag #USFGreenWednesday. Official Bulls merchandise is available for purchase through the USF Bookstore or in the official online store for USF Athletics.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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For reasonable disability accommodations requests pertaining to this announcement, please contact one of our offices.