As we look ahead to the New Year, let’s take some time to celebrate the 2017 accomplishments of the USF System through its advances in research and other academic endeavors, student success and community engagement. Here are just some of the many stories that encompass how the continued push for excellence is taking the University of South Florida, one of the top public research universities in the nation, to the next level.
JANUARY
USF College of Engineering and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Partner to Create a Department of Medical Engineering
FEBRUARY
Three University of South
Florida Professors Elected AIMBE Fellows
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering recognizes
the nation’s top medical and biological engineers…
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New Nature study: Bird lovers help scientists discover secrets of
beak evolution
Citizen scientists and bird lovers
across the world have helped researchers at the University of Sheffield and the
University of South Florida uncover new secrets about the evolution of bird’s
beaks over time in a ground-breaking study published in the journal Nature.
USF, Florida Orchestra
Partner to Give Student-Composers Invaluable Career Preparation Opportunity [video]
It’s a Friday morning at the
University of South Florida School of Music Concert Hall. The Florida
Orchestra is on stage. The lights dim. Conductor Michael Francis taps his
baton, and the space fills with sound…
The excitement of science is shared with 10,000 school students at
Engineering Expo 2017 [video]
There are few occasions when
explosions are positive things…
Sloan Foundation Selects USF Biologist as 2017 Research Fellow
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
announces that a USF assistant professor who studies the vast and complex
underwater world of tiny ocean organisms was selected as a 2017 Research
Fellow, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for young scientists…
President
Judy Genshaft Receives Donna Shavlik Award from American Council on Education
The award honors an individual who demonstrates
sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education, through leadership
and career development, campus climate and mentoring…
USF Leads the Nation as the Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars
With an outstanding 12 faculty
members named as scholars, USF doubled its numbers from last year surpassing
other top research institutions, including the Ohio State University,
Pennsylvania State University, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University
of Southern California and more…
MARCH
USF Recognized as #1 in Florida and #6 in Nation for Black Student
Success
New report
analyzes nearly 700 institutions nationally, highlights USF's achievements…
USF Graduate Program Ranked No. 2 in the Nation by U.S. News and
World Report
New rankings list
USF STEM and USF Health graduate programs in the Top 50 for all U.S. public
universities…
Lucky match! USF senior medical students learn where they will
spend their residencies [videos]
The celebratory vibe had a glimmer of green this year – spring green, USF
green and St. Patrick’s Day green – with students and family members also
wearing specially designed shirts that helped raise $2,500 toward Morsani
College of Medicine scholarships...
Medicine, engineering researchers use facial expression software
to help measure pain felt by newborns
The research may
lead to a new technology to help health care practitioners more precisely gauge
if a baby is experiencing pain, or simply needs a diaper change.
Cost of neurological diseases in U.S. approaching $800 billion a
year
USF study shows
research investment critical to prevent destabilizing economic impact…
APRIL
Hundreds Attend Florida Business Analytics Forum to Hear Latest
Developments in Data Collection, Analytics and Creativity
The mantra that
data never sleeps was hammered home during the inaugural Florida Business
Analytics Forum at the University of South Florida's Muma College of Business
on April 4…
USF Ranked No. 7 in the U.S. among “Golden Age Universities”
The
University of South Florida was ranked the seventh best public university in
America and 34th best university in the world,
according a report released by the Times
Higher Education comparing universities founded between 1945 -1966…
Seven Years Later: BP Oil
Spill Settlement Funding New Way to Manage Fish Populations
A new technique
developed by researchers at the USF College of Marine Science is paving the way
in discovering where a wide range of species spawn…
Milken Institute Ranks USF in Top 20 of American Universities for
Technology Transfer
USF surges to
19th, up from a 74th place standing in 2006, in
a report examining how institutions fare in turning basic research into
technologies, products and companies…
MAY
USF scientist one of 14 world-changers named 2017 National
Geographic Emerging Explorers
Groundbreaking research by a USF evolutionary biologist and epidemiologist uses virtual reality to help paleontologists learn more about dinosaurs…
Muma College of Business
Grad Student Brings Own Brand of Inspiration to Commencement
Of the thousands
of graduates crossing the USF Sun Dome stage this weekend to receive their
diplomas, Sam Bridgman's steps may be the most poignant…
Study Finds Mosquito-Borne Viruses Like Zika Could Be Spread at
Lower Temperatures, Potentially Expanding Impact
University of
South Florida researchers play key role in pinpointing optimal temperature for
mosquito-borne disease transmission…
Alum makes largest
contribution in USF Sarasota-Manatee’s history
Bill Mariotti was
enrolled at USF when his father plunged through a skylight at a demolition
site, prompting swift changes at the family business, including a decision by
Mariotti to delay college...
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U.S. military to improve communication using USF technology [video]
Engineering
students contracted to create satellite payloads for U.S. Special Operations
Command...
USF Partnership With Local Zoo Helps Save Manatees [video]
The USF College of
Public Health is working with Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo to make a difference for a
"threatened" species...
New Research Vessel to
Impact Marine Research Across Florida [video]
The R/V W.T
Hogarth will support the research of over two dozen institutions and agencies
across the state…
JUNE
Reaching New Heights: USF is 5th Leading Public University in U.S.
Patent Ranking [video]
USF is first in
Florida and 11th worldwide among universities generating new inventions…
USF Researcher Joins NASA Deep-Sea Mission
NASA NEEMO 22
space analog simulates mission to Mars…
University of South Florida Earns Cybersecurity Research
Designation
USF receives inaugural
designation as a National Center for Academic Excellence in cyber defense
research…
Florida Blue $1 Million
Gift Supports Health Knowledge Exchange in New Downtown Building
Florida Blue’s $1
million gift to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute
building in downtown Tampa was recognized by the USF Board of Trustees with the
naming of its health sciences library…
USF System Places Second
in State University System Performance-Based Funding Scores
The USF System is
first in Florida in the percent of bachelor’s and graduate degrees awarded in
programs of strategic emphasis and the percent of graduates employed…
JULY
Researcher Behind “Fake
Grouper” Sensor Creates“Red Tide” Detector [video]
A USF distinguished
professor at the College of Marine Science is lead inventor of Red Tide Chek,
the first hand-held device to detect red tide in the field…
What Does It Take to
Maintain the Bull Topiary? Hand Shears, Pool Noodles, Spoons — and Pride [video]
Thousands of
students, faculty and staff walk by the topiary in front of the USF Marshall
Student Center every day, but have you ever stopped and wondered what it takes
to maintain this mossy bull?
AUGUST
Home sensor network
technology helps older adults live healthier
USF College of Engineering researchers create home monitoring system
technology to help detect movement and activity in a home environment –
empowering older adults to become the drivers of their own health…
USF Shares Results of
Feasibility Study Regarding an On-Campus Football Stadium
Further studies to be conducted prior to any decisions regarding a new stadium…
Failure to Attempt Type 2
Diabetes Prevention Results in Up to $820 Million Wasted in Health Care Costs
A recently
published USF College of Pharmacy study finds that using metformin to treat
patients with prediabetes would save approximately $20 per patient each year,
resulting in $820 million yearly savings in health care costs…
Medicaid Coverage Brings
More Silence to Hearing Impaired
A study led by
University of South Florida audiologist Michelle Arnold is the first
comprehensive review of state-level Medicaid coverage for hearing aids...
World’s Oldest Italian Wine Just Discovered
Chemical analysis on ancient pottery, led by a USF professor, could dramatically
predate the commencement of winemaking in Italy…
SEPTEMBER
Genshaft Announces USF
Reaches the Benchmarks for “Preeminence”
During her annual fall address, USF System President Genshaft also reveals
a record research year and a fundraising milestone…
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University of South Florida continues to climb in U.S. News & World Report rankings
Since
2014 USF Tampa’s ranking has risen from No. 170/No. 94 (all universities/public
only) to No. 140/No. 68. This unprecedented gain comes on the heels of The Chronicle of Higher
Education recognizing USF Tampa as the nation’s leader among public
universities showing the greatest improvements in six-year graduation rates
from 2011 to 2015…
Helping One Another: USF Comes Together for Hurricane Irma
As Hurricane Irma churned toward Florida’s west coast
area last week, USF Bulls did not just hunker down or evacuate in preparation
for the monster storm. They rallied big time…
Construction Officially Begins on New Facility for Morsani College
of Medicine and Heart Institute
USF leaders, friends and supporters from across the region gather to
mark the start of construction for the new USF Health Morsani College of
Medicine and Heart Institute...
Incoming Freshman Class Helps USF Break Several Records
The 2017-18 freshman class is the strongest academic and most diverse
group of incoming students in school history…
USF Researchers Awarded
$5 Million Grant to Continue Studying 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
College of Marine Science researchers will continue studies on how the
2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has impacted the environment and how future
environmental disasters might be better mitigated…
USF Honors Vinik Family
Generosity by Naming Program After Couple [video]
Muma College of Business names its Sport & Entertainment Management
program after Tampa Bay business leaders and philanthropists Jeff and Penny Vinik…
OCTOBER
3D Imaging to Help
Protect American Heritage Sites from Hurricanes and Natural Disasters
USF researchers will perform scans Oct. 16-18 at national monuments Castillo
de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine, Fla…
USF's Newest Living Community Formally Opens First Phase [video]
Community gathers to celebrate the new facilities…
USF Hosts Business
Exhibition, Strengthening Supplier Diversity Program [video]
More than 70 exhibitors participated in the all-day event, which
connected owners of diverse businesses to key purchasers within the USF system
and its prime contractors…
Improving
Young Children’s Social and Emotional Competence while Reducing Challenging
Behavior Focus of $5.5 Million Grant
A USF College of
Behavioral and Community Sciences Professor leads a national team of experts
who will work directly with states and local programs…
Invention Generates
Power, Cleans Water Using Untapped Source
University of South Florida engineering professor wins $1.14M grant
through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to solve water and sanitation
crisis worldwide…
NOVEMBER
New Fund at USF Honors Veterans of Past Wars, Provides Financial
Support to Current Student Veterans
John Jacoby, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, is the first
recipient of the Next Greatest Generation Fund created by the Office of
Veterans Success at USF…
Pam and Les Muma Announce
$15 Million Gift as USF Celebrates Reaching its USF: Unstoppable Fundraising
Campaign Goal of $1 Billion
The Mumas, whose landmark philanthropy has made a transformative impact
on the University of South Florida, announced a new major gift of $15 million
to benefit three areas of the university they already support: business,
athletics and health…
Intervention Becomes First to Successfully Reduce Risk of Dementia
A 10-year study led by USF’s Jerri Edwards concludes computerized brain
training program reduces risk of dementia 29 percent…
American Association for Advancement of Science Honors Six USF Faculty Members as 2017 Fellows
Prestigious honor recognizes researchers who lead their discipline on a
global scale…
USF Named the Best Public University in the Nation for Veterans
Prestigious honor from Military
Times marks the third consecutive year USF ranks in the top two in the
country…
New Findings: Burglars Have One of Four Personalities… and They’re
Finally Getting Caught
New burglary profiling system designed at USF helping to solve cases…
DECEMBER
University of South Florida Named Institution of the Year by
Education Dive
Use of analytics to close the graduation rate gap between race,
ethnicity and socioeconomic status earns USF national accolades…
Mexican Government Selects USF Health for Disaster Response
Training
Recent natural disasters exemplify Mexico’s need for a stronger
emergency plan…
Early NIH-funded study shows new shoe attachment can help stroke
patients improve their gait [video]
Cross-disciplinary team at USF develops and tests the Gait Enhancing
Mobile Shoe, or GEMS...
University of South Florida Named the Top Public University in the
Nation for Latino Student Success
New report analyzes more than 600 U.S. institutions and highlights USF’s
success in graduating Latino students…
Building a Stronger STEM Workforce
Study looks at the experiences of LGBTQ+ undergrads in STEM and how that
impacts their persistence in the field…
USF Researchers Play Prominent Role in Top Scientific Journals
Science and Nature feature USF research on the covers of their December editions...
And, for a look at the USF’s Top 10 Stories of 2017, click here.
-Compiled by Anne DeLotto Baier, University Communications and Marketing