Inside USF: The Podcast

After leading her alma mater for 4 ½ years, President Rhea Law is preparing for the next chapter in her life. In this episode, she shares some of her favorite moments, how she balanced the demands of leadership with personal well-being and what she hopes people will remember about her tenure as USF’s eighth president.

As his inaugural season as coach of the USF men’s basketball team gets underway, Bryan Hodgson shares how fans can expect a high-energy, NBA-style brand of basketball this season. In this episode, Hodgson also discusses what attracted him to USF, how his experiences in the foster care system helped shape who he is today and what he and the team are doing to honor the legacy of late men’s basketbal...

Levi Thompson is a chemical engineer who brings extensive teaching, research and administrative experience to USF. In this episode, he discusses his passion for learning and mentoring and some of his goals for the college , which include expanding interdisciplinary collaborations, creating more experiential learning opportunities for students and growing the research enterprise.

One of the greatest highlights of the 2024-25 academic year was the record-shattering $40 million gift from alums Arnie and Lauren Bellini to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing . In this episode, Provost Prasant Mohapatra describes the extensive efforts underway as the college gears up to welcome its first students next fall. He also reveals plans...

After more than two years of preparation, women’s lacrosse – the first new women’s athletics program at USF since women’s soccer began play in 1995 – launches its inaugural season on Feb. 7 at Corbett Stadium. In this episode, Coach Mindy McCord discusses some of the keys to developing a program from scratch, including recruiting student-athletes, the culture she has established within the team an...

Dr. Sten Vermund brings decades of infectious disease epidemiology and prevention experience to the USF Health College of Public Health , which he will lead beginning in January. He also is the president of the Global Virus Network , which recently relocated its international headquarters to USF. In this episode, Vermund shares his perspective on a variety of topics, including what attracted him t...

President Rhea Law’s fall address celebrated many of USF’s recent accomplishments – including student success, record research funding and a growing national reputation – that are advancing the university into a bold new era. She also shared priorities for this year that are designed to position USF for the future. Following the address, she sat down to discuss those priorities – including enhanci...

USF opens the 2024-25 academic year with two new deans: David Blackwell , the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business, and Elizabeth Spiller , dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In this episode, we learn about their backgrounds (spoiler alert: Blackwell struggled in his initial attempt at college as a first-generation student, Spiller wanted to be a corporate tax attorney), what...

With extensive experience as a USF faculty member and administrator, Eric Eisenberg knows the university’s many resources can help elevate the Tampa Bay region. He also recognizes that potential partners may not know how to find help at USF – whether it’s hiring interns and new graduates, enhancing neighborhoods, exploring joint research projects or addressing other needs. In this episode, Eisenbe...

Central Human Resources is in the midst of implementing several significant changes, including Embedded Services and Project Drive. In this episode, Angie Sklenka, senior vice president and chief human resources and administrative officer, details what they will mean for USF faculty and staff. The initiatives include the creation of an Employee Experience Team, and Alexis Mootoo, recently named as...

Amir Abdur-Rahim has been the competitive sort since an early age – that was a necessity growing up in a family with 13 children. He brings that competitive fire, and a commitment to building a men’s basketball program that will be “tough, together and connected,” as he begins his inaugural season this month as the Bulls’ head coach. In this episode, Abdur-Rahim discusses what attracted him to USF...

USF achieved a historic milestone over the summer: An invitation to stand alongside Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, the University of Florida and other elite research institutions as a member of the Association of American Universities . In this special episode, USF President Rhea Law talks with Barbara Snyder, president of the 71-member AAU, about why USF was selected for membership, its sign...

From the invitation to join the prestigious Association of American Universities to a new state budget that represents the largest operational funding increase in our university’s history, this has been an eventful summer for USF. In this episode, President Rhea Law shares her perspective on USF’s many successes and how they will impact faculty, staff and students.

Before construction was even completed, the new home of the Judy Genshaft Honors College was having a transformative effect on student applications. As students, faculty and staff move into the building this summer, Dean Charles Adams expects interest to continue to grow. In this episode, he discusses some of the building’s key features and his personal and professional journey – much of it built...

Joseph Dituri , an associate professor of biomedical engineering at USF, who also is known as “Dr. Deep Sea,” is on a mission. Living in a 100-square-foot habitat at Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo since March 1, Dituri has captured worldwide media attention as he attempts to break the current record of 73 days living underwater. While his goal is to remain 30 feet beneath the surface for 100 d...

On the job since March 1, USF’s new chief academic officer, Prasant Mohapatra, brings extensive experience as a faculty member, researcher and administrator to his role as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs . In this episode, he discusses what attracted him to USF and offers his perspective on a variety of significant issues facing higher education nationally and in Florida....

USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus is on the eve of an exciting new era . Ground will soon be broken for a housing and student center complex and planning is under way for a nursing/STEM facility. Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook discusses the need for the facilities and the benefits they will offer to students, faculty and the community. We also learn about her career in higher education and life ou...

In this special episode, Rhea Law shares her vision for the university in the address she delivered during her inauguration as USF’s eighth president on Jan. 19, 2023. A full transcript of the address is available here .

USF’s College of Nursing is in the early stages of an all-out effort to expand undergraduate education to help address the shortage of nurses – projected to reach 59,000 in Florida by 2035. Usha Menon, dean of the college and senior vice president of USF Health, discusses the reasons for the nursing shortage crisis, plans to expand the college’s physical footprint and enrollment, and its extensive...

After a distinguished 42-year career in the Marine Corps, which included three years as the head of U.S. Central Command, retired Gen. Kenneth F. “Frank” McKenzie has valuable perspectives to share about threats to global and U.S. security. He also discusses the important work of USF’s Global and National Security Institute as well as Cyber Florida, two organizations he now leads.

While Homecoming – scheduled this year for Oct. 9-15 – may be its most visible event, the USF Alumni Association sponsors more than 250 events annually to provide alumni with relevant, meaningful experiences. Bill McCausland, vice president and executive director of the association, discusses the extensive planning that goes into the Homecoming celebration, coordinated by a 30-member committee rep...

Known to many at USF as the long-time dean of our largest college, the College of Arts and Sciences, there’s much you may not know about Eric Eisenberg. First-generation college student, musician (he plays guitar and other instruments), poet and huge fan of basketball, Eric is passionate about helping faculty, staff and students succeed. Now the interim provost and executive vice president , he di...

Enhancing internal communications and increasing USF’s reputation locally, nationally and internationally are priorities for University Communications and Marketing . Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Kim Hill shares insights about some of the projects that highlight USF’s compelling story, such as a non-traditional national marketing campaign, and plans for an extensive brand research pr...

Dean Anthony Rolle expects enrollment in the College of Education to be up this fall, a positive sign as the state of Florida faces a shortage of 40,000 teachers. In addition to efforts to grow the talent pipeline, he discusses a number of other priorities for the college, including diversity, equity and inclusion and enhancing relationships with Tampa Bay school district superintendents.

Whether it’s gas, groceries or just about anything else, we’re all feeling the impacts of a very volatile economy. Michael Snipes, a member of USF’s economics faculty on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, shares his perspectives on the national economy as well as Tampa Bay’s – which he believes is in better shape to weather an economic downturn than other parts of the country.