JANUARY 2022 | HARBOR NOTES NEWS | USF ST. PETERSBURG CAMPUS
MAKING WAVES
USF to launch new Center of Excellence in Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences on the St. Petersburg campus
The University of South Florida is seeking support from the Florida Legislature and the local community to advance a bold new plan for an interdisciplinary center of excellence that will harness the collective power of colleges and departments from throughout the university to address the existential challenges created by climate change, including sea level rise, high tide flooding events and other coastal hazards.

The center will be located on USF’s St. Petersburg campus, will build on the world-class reputation of the College of Marine Science and will bring a variety of new undergraduate and graduate programs to the St. Petersburg campus. READ MORE
(Illustration for discussion purposes only – not actual rendering.)
THE BLACK EXPERIENCE
Institute on Black Life conference to delve into historic and contemporary issues impacting local African American communities
Kicking off Black Heritage Month, USF’s Institute on Black Life will bring together academics, community leaders, students and residents to highlight community projects and facilitate ongoing research into the history and culture of the Black experience.

For the first time, the institute will hold its annual gathering on the St. Petersburg campus, with focused talks ranging from the city’s African American Heritage Trail, to building climate resiliency with equitable environmental justice. READ MORE
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM
Proposed legislation would establish campus Trafficking in Persons Lab as the repository for human trafficking data in Florida
A new bill that aims to combat human trafficking would establish the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Risk to Resilience Lab on USF’s St. Petersburg campus as the centralized repository for anonymous human trafficking data collected from law enforcement sources across the state.

“A key request from those on the front lines combatting human trafficking in Florida is for good, clean human trafficking data,” said Joan Reid, director of the TIP Lab. READ MORE
SO GREEN WE'RE GOLDEN
Reverse recycling debuts at USF
As students returned from winter break, they noticed six new machines on USF’s campuses. They may resemble vending machines, but instead of money, they accept plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

The reverse vending machines are funded by The Coca-Cola Company and its Tampa-based bottling partner, Coke Florida, and accept recyclables from any brand. READ MORE
LITERATURE THAT RESONATES
Research shows importance of providing multicultural books that reflect children's identity during the pandemic
When the pandemic began and schools moved to remote learning, many parents and caregivers shared a similar fear that their children would fall behind academically and socially.
 
Responding to those concerns led USF St. Petersburg campus Education professors AnnMarie Gunn and Susan Bennett to team up with the Police Athletic League of St. Petersburg, which seeks to inspire hope and transform lives of at-risk youth. Together, they secured funding that provided more than 400 multicultural children’s books to 45 local families at the outset of the pandemic. READ MORE
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
Innovations Magazine spotlights student successes, vital research and groundbreaking initiatives of 2021
Delve into the newest issue of Innovations Magazine, spotlighting the student successes, vital research and groundbreaking community initiatives on USF's St. Petersburg campus during 2021.

"Despite lingering challenges, we forged ahead, continuing the activities, initiatives and research that make our campus a distinctive and desirable place to learn and grow," said Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock. READ MORE
IN THE NEWS