March 2025 Newsletter from the USF Muma College of Business

"A building has a soul, and giving it new life is incredibly rewarding," said Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies and featured guest at the March 6 Conversation with a CEO.

Do elaborate and in-depth reviews help persuade online consumers to buy a product? New research by Dezhi Yin published in MIS Quarterly reveals some surprising takeaways.

"We are absolutely in the early days of AI. The AI story has not been written," said Sandra Rivera, CEO of Altera Corporation. She spoke to Executive MBA students on March 7.

Join us on April 3 for a Conversation with a CEO event featuring Elodie Dorso, CEO and president of Evara Health, one of Florida's largest community health centers.

USF announced a $40M gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini will establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing. The gift is the largest in USF's history.

Come hear how Garrett Waggoner, co-founder and CEO of Cirkul, built the customized water bottle business. He is the featured guest at Conversation with a Founder on April 7.

Sean Atkins joined the Bulls football program as a walk-on, but he never stopped believing in himself. He is now the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards in USF football history. Bold is walking on and breaking records.

Watch the video→

Alumni spotlight: Nicolas Castillo Rodriguez ('24, Finance) credits his time at USF for preparing him to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, the gold standard credential in the investment industry.

Two USF alumni are serving as mentors in the Nault Center's Entrepreneur in Residence program. Jennifer Sineway and Christian Brown are two accomplished entrepreneurs who will offer their expertise and guidance to students.

More than 100 high-schoolers learned about careers in business, finance and investing at the Wall Street Trading with Bloomberg Day at USF's Sarasota-Manatee campus.

The inaugural Summit to Success event connected finance students with top finance, consulting and accounting professionals to help students prepare for their careers.

This year's Irish-themed Bulls & Brews by the Bay featured local craft beers from alumni of USF's Brewing Arts Program. The event raised funds for student scholarships.

USF's online certificate program in fintech open

USF's online certificate program in fintech is open for those interested in the dynamic and disruptive world of financial technology. The 10-hour certificate provides a non-technical, foundational understanding of fintech. Register.

Accounting Circle CPE Conference set for May

Registration is open for the 2025 USF Accounting Circle CPE Conference set for May 22 at the USF Marshall Center. Participants can earn up to 8 CPE credits per day. The second day, held on May 23, will be virtual. Register.

Faculty Spotlights

Kerry Myers, an associate professor of instruction in the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy, was quoted in an ABC Action News story about a real estate Ponzi scheme.

Kristi Hoskinson was appointed director of business strategy for the USF Muma College of Business. Hoskinson served as assistant vice president for strategic initiatives on USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus.

Philip Trocchia, a professor in the School of Marketing and Innovation, was quoted in a St. Pete Catalyst story about results from the Neptune Consumer Survey of Flood Awareness.

Shivendu Shivendu, associate professor in the School of Information Systems and Management, was quoted in a Tampa Bay Business & Wealth story about Tampa Bay workforce and affordability trends.

Seckin Ozkul, director of the USF Supply Chain Innovation Lab, was quoted in a FOX-13 Tampa Bay story about the closing of big-box craft store, Joann Fabrics and Crafts.

View more faculty notes

Alumni Updates

Frank Cabano, Jr. (‘12, BS, Economics) is an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University. He is a former USF Muma College of Business 25 Under 25 Award honoree.

Jason Burkett (‘03, BS, Accounting; ‘04, MAcc) was recently promoted to director of IT business services at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Maria Fernanda Gamarra (‘15, BS, Finance and International Business; ‘22, MBA) was promoted to senior vice president and credit portfolio senior officer at Citi.

Ron Maggard (‘08, MBA) is the director of forensics and geotechnical services at NV5, an engineering, technology and consulting services company.

William Atterbury, Jr. (‘18, BS, Finance, ‘20, MS, Entrepreneurship and Applied Technologies) is the assistant project manager at Park & Eleazer Construction. He is a former USF Muma College of Business 25 Under 25 Award honoree.

View more alumni notes

In Other News

Florida Blue/Guidewell and the USF Muma College of Business hosted the AI in Healthcare: Improving Patient Outcomes forum.

Over 150 policy makers, industry leaders, academics, and students attended the daylong event held in the Oval Theater at the USF Marshall Student Center.

The event explored the practice, scholarship and ethics of AI in healthcare.

Panel discussions covered advances in research to improve patient outcomes through the use of AI tools and techniques.

Upcoming Calendar

• March 28. 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Women in Business Celebration, BSN atrium, Tampa campus. Register.

• April 3. 8:30-10 a.m. Conversation with a CEO featuring Elodie Dorso, CAMLS, 124 S. Franklin St., Tampa.

• April 7. 2-3 p.m. Conversation with a Founder with Garrett Waggoner, co-founder of Cirkul, BSN atrium, Tampa campus, Register.

• May 8-11. Spring Commencement. Yuengling Center, Tampa campus.

• May 15. AMP Conference. Muma College of Business, Tampa campus. Register.

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