View email in browser.

Week of November 1, 2022

We had a great turnout last week at USF’s Supplier Diversity Day and Business Symposium, the largest we’ve had in the five years the program has been offered. The free event welcomes locally owned diverse businesses to learn about upcoming university projects, network and engage in informational sessions designed to help their companies go to the next level.

As USF employees, you play an essential role in this work by using the resources available through the Office of Supplier Diversity to include more diverse suppliers in the purchasing activities you engage in on behalf of the university. I hope this event helped you make connections with additional diverse suppliers in our community. 

My leadership team remains committed to this effort and our Office of Business and Finance will be exploring additional initiatives to streamline the procurement process, making utilization of diverse suppliers easier, including additional training or incentive programs. Together, we will elevate the economic growth and sustainability of our community and help our Tampa Bay businesses thrive.

Updates

• I was delighted to celebrate our talented staff and administrative employees at the recent Outstanding Staff Awards, including our K-9 Unit from University Police! These individuals are among USF’s top talent, and our university wouldn’t be where it is today without their hard work, dedication and commitment to success. Congratulations to our individual and team honorees!

• I enjoyed meeting with members of USF’s Administrative Advisory Council to discuss topics of interest to the university’s employees. The discussions centered around ongoing activities at the university and how administrative employees can support USF’s path forward. I greatly appreciate their service as council members.

• Yesterday I visited USF’s Central Human Resources team to explore their work of providing an outstanding employee experience to everyone in our diverse and talented workforce. In addition to hearing from members of the USF community about how HR’s recent initiatives have impacted them, I was delighted to receive the "keys" to a great place to work

– a wonderful reminder of our university’s commitment to investing in our people. 

• Global engagement remains a priority for our university. At USF World's Global Excellence Awards Breakfast, we celebrated USF’s global footprint and honored the faculty, staff, students and community partners who help make this work possible.

USF served as host to the 30th anniversary of the City of Tampa’s Sister Cities Agreement with Le Havre, France. It was a wonderful celebration, and we look forward to strengthening Tampa’s partnership with Le Havre and ensuring the prosperity of both communities.

• I had a great time attending the men's and women's basketball luncheon for the official kickoff – or I should say tip-off – to USF’s hoops season. Both teams have some promising new players – and our women's team was picked to finish first in our conference. I can’t wait to see you at the Yuengling Center Nov. 7 for our home opener double-header to cheer on our teams!

The USF Athletics family would like to welcome faculty and staff members to its annual "Faculty & Staff Night." Our women's basketball faculty and staff game will take place on Nov. 13, when the Lady Bulls host Jacksonville University. The men's game will take place Dec. 16 against Dartmouth. This offer includes two complimentary tickets for all faculty and staff members. For more details, click here or contact Scott Proietti at sproietti@usf.edu. 

• I enjoyed the NAACP Hillsborough County Branch’s Freedom Fund Dinner, where Terrie Daniel, assistant vice president for USF’s Office of Supplier Diversity, was chosen to serve as honorary chair. NAACP Hillsborough County Branch President Yvette Lewis singled out Terrie's "laudable reputation gained through accomplishments that advanced the civil rights struggle throughout Hillsborough County."

• As part of USF’s commitment to being active and engaged in our community, the university is coordinating our efforts to support the Great American Teach-In, taking place Nov. 17. This is an opportunity to build a deeper connection with our community and inspire the next generation to explore various career paths and pursue higher education. I will be visiting a local school in Hillsborough County, and I hope you will join me in participating in this exciting event. Later this week, we'll be sharing more information on how you can participate. 

• I fully support the USF Office of Internal Audit’s new fraud awareness initiative that will help ensure our faculty, staff and administrators have resources, tools and information to help detect and prevent fraud. You can read more about it and register for their first event featuring an FBI special agent on Nov. 17, by clicking here.

Between social pressures and current events, young adulthood poses many challenges that tend to take a toll on mental health. Hear how Heather Walders from the USF Counseling Center is keeping a pulse on the ever-changing needs from students and bringing balance to their experience at USF. 

Boundless Bulls is a collection of stories about what truly makes USF great – the people. It is a focus on our community footprint, our impact and the trajectory of where we can go together.

The New York Times interviewed Antoinette Jackson, the chair of USF's Department of Anthropology, for a story about African Americans' search for lost graves as a way of discovering their own personal stories.

The New York Times quoted USF conservation biologist Sean Doody in a story examining the surprising long-term, monogamous bonds formed by lizards.

NPR featured USF librarian Andy Huse, whose new book, The Cuban Sandwich: History in Layers, explores the origins of the Cuban sandwich, including whether it was created in Miami or Tampa.

The SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival returned for its eighth year, with 18 artists creating murals around the city, including one on the west wall of the Piano Man building on the USF St. Petersburg campus. The mural was painted by Miami-based artist Reginald O'Neal and depicts both the Mundari tribe of South Sudan and historian John Henrik Clark, a pioneer in the creation of Africana Studies.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

This email address is used for distribution only and is not monitored for responses.

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