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Department adopts new name to reflect expanded focus on behavioral health science and practice
The College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) has announced a new name for one of its longstanding academic units. The Department of Mental Health Law and Policy is now the Department of Behavioral Health Science and Practice, a title that more accurately reflects the department’s academic programs, community impact, and faculty research. Read more.
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Ben and Renee Walker establish scholarship to support social work students
CBCS is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ben and Renee Walker Scholarship for the School of Social Work. This newly funded scholarship will provide much-needed financial assistance to both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in social work. Read more.
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Kathryn McCormic named associate director of field education in School of Social Work
Kathryn "Kate" McCormic, DSW, LCSW, assistant professor of instruction, has been named associate director of field education in the School of Social Work. She will work closely with Akanke Omarayo-Adenrele, MSW, assistant instructor and director of field education, to lead the field team in delivering a first-class field education experience for students. Read more.
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Hurricanes and housing risks for older adults: Lindsay Peterson discusses at summit
Lindsay Peterson, PhD, research assistant professor in the School of Aging Studies, presented at the 2025 Florida Supportive Housing Coalition Summit, held last month in Tampa, Florida. Peterson was invited to speak on the impact of hurricanes on housing stability among older adults. Read more.
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College of Behavioral and Community Sciences alumni to be recognized at this year's Fast 56 Award Ceremony
Three alumni from the Department of Criminology and two from the School of Social Work have been selected as 2025 USF Fast 56 award recipients. The Fast 56 program identifies, recognizes, and celebrates the world's fastest-growing USF Bull-owned or Bull-led businesses. The awards celebrate their success while providing a forum to share lessons learned with the next generation of Bull entrepreneurs. Read more.
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CBCS student successfully defends dissertation, another admitted into doctoral candidacy
Emilie Ellenberg, a student of behavioral and community sciences, successfully defended her dissertation, "A Positive Deviance Approach in Exploring the Behaviors of Women Who are Mentally Thriving with Autoimmune Disease."
In addition, Sierra Tentis has been admitted to the behavioral and community sciences doctoral candidacy program. See the full list of students who have defended their dissertations or entered doctoral candidacy during the past semester here.
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New lactation rooms now available in MHC
We’re pleased to share that new lactation rooms are now available in the MHC building to support nursing parents. Each room is equipped with a comfortable chair, footrest, table, sink, changing table, storage cabinet, and refrigerator. For privacy and security, the rooms can be locked from the inside.
The lactation rooms are located in MHC 1206, 1526, and 2511. Faculty are encouraged to let students know about this new resource as the semester begins.
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Digital danger zone: 21% of Americans lose money to online scams, report reveals
MidMichiganNow — Fox 66
"Nearly three-quarters of Americans have experienced some kind of online scam or attack, according to a new Pew Research Center report. And that might even be underselling the extent of the problem, said C. Jordan Howell, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of South Florida and the managing partner at cybersecurity firm Ventel."
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Preventing Cyberbullying this School Year
Bay News 9 - Tampa
"'I think the unfortunate case is it's occurring at younger ages now because, you know, kids in elementary school often have some kind of social media through phones, so I think it's extending down in age,' said Oliver Massey, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies."
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Burrus, G., Hagen, L., Dinh, L., & Li, L. (2025). Building trust in digital response: The role of chatbots in cybercrime prevention (Decision Brief No. 33). University of South Florida, Global and National Security Institute. https://www.usf.edu/gnsi/publications/decision-briefs/decision-brief-33-building-trust-in-digital-response-interactive.pdf
Wang, M. Z., Steinman, L., Sirey, J. A., Gum, A., Rollandi, I., Crawford, N., Blanchard, B. E., Dillabaugh, A., & Raue, P. J. (2025). Designing implementation strategies for lay-delivered depression care: senior center organizational perspectives from a multi-site randomized clinical trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: Open Science, Education, and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.osep.2025.07.001
| | Upcoming Events & Deadlines | | |
Info sessions: Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Substance Use
September 5 | 12-1 p.m.
October 3 | 12-1 p.m.
The Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Substance Use (ITRE) is accepting applications for its next cohort! The program prepares scholars to conduct community-based research using implementation science and translational research techniques. Graduate students and working professionals are eligible to apply.
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Adding News, Events, and Publications to the CBCS Website and Newsletter
If you have news/events or recent/upcoming publications you would like posted on the CBCS website and/or in the Communique newsletter, send the details and any attachments to CBCS Marketing (CBCSMarketing@usf.edu). Please send all newsletter submissions no later than Thursday for inclusion in the following week's newsletter.
Be sure to include all pertinent information (title, date, times, location, event description, and contact information) in editable digital text format. Articles included in the CBCS Communiqué may be disseminated to USF Media outlets and/or beyond.
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