Senior Leadership
Thomas Smith, Interim Regional Chancellor & Vice Provost of Academic Affairs
Dr. Thomas Smith was named interim regional chancellor of USF St. Petersburg in November of 2025. He serves as the chief administrative officer, collaborating with university leadership to advance the campus’s mission and strategic goals. He also acts as the public face for the campus to the community and stakeholders.
In addition, Dr. Smith is the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. In this role, he serves as a liaison to the USF Provost’s Office, providing leadership and vision for academic affairs priorities and how that vision is implemented on the St. Petersburg campus. Working with campus deans and stakeholders, Dr. Smith supports the academic units and centers in St. Petersburg, focusing on communication, collaboration, and campus connectivity.
Dr. Smith has been at USF St. Petersburg for more than 25 years. A human rights expert, he has published widely on research interests, including international humanitarian law, Turkish politics, and foreign policy. Dr. Smith is the former Campus Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. He is a co-founder of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, now a flagship event that attracts thousands each year, and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Holocaust Museum. He earned his undergraduate degree in anthropology from the College of William and Mary and his master's and Ph.D. in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.
Frank Biafora, Professor of Sociology and Interim Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences (St. Petersburg Campus)
Frank A. Biafora is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida. His research has been published in leading journals, including International Review of Victimology, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Law and Human Behavior, and Education, and examines a wide range of issues related to youth and adolescent development, delinquency, barriers to academic achievement, substance use, and adoption.
From 2007 to 2018, Dr. Biafora served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USF St. Petersburg. He is honored to once again serve in an administrative role as Interim Associate Dean during the consolidation of the University of South Florida as ONE USF.
Dr. Biafora remains deeply committed to teaching and community-engaged scholarship. He has led multiple summer study abroad programs to Vietnam and Tanzania as part of long-standing international partnerships. His most recent externally funded project, in collaboration with the City of St. Petersburg, explores workforce mindsets among disengaged youth. In recognition of his global engagement and pedagogical leadership, Dr. Biafora is the recipient of the 2025 USF Excellence in Global Teaching and Learning Award (for the 2023–24 academic year).
Matthew Cimitile, Director of Communications & Marketing
Matthew Cimitile directs University Communications & Marketing for the St. Petersburg
campus, providing strategic vision and management for the department and supporting
executive communications, media relations, emergency communications, news and more.
He has more than 15 years of experience in communications and has worked at USF St.
Petersburg for more than 8 years.
Prior to joining USF St. Petersburg, Matthew worked for both federal and state agencies
developing general communications, targeted messaging to congressional and business
audiences and storytelling around science, natural resources and conservation issues.
He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Tampa and a master’s
in environmental journalism from Michigan State University.
Cynthia DeLuca, Vice President for Student Success
With 25+ years of experience prior to joining USF in 2014, Dr. DeLuca provides strategic
vision and leadership for the admissions, career services, enrollment management,
wellness, Innovative Education, undergraduate studies and student affairs functions of Student Success. Working closely with her teams on all campuses, she is committed to developing initiatives
to support the academic, professional, and personal growth of all students for success
at USF and in the future.
Jacob Diaz, Ed. D., Regional Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Success & Dean of Students
Dr. Jacob Diaz grew up in a bilingual home in San Diego, California and is a proud to share that he is a product of the California Community College system which he credits for instilling in him the confidence and hope in achieving a college degree.
Currently, at the University of South Florida Saint Petersburg campus, he serves as the Regional Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Success & Dean of Students where he provides strategic vision and oversight of a diverse portfolio of areas including Student Life and Engagement, Housing and Residence Education, Student Conduct and Ethical Development, Student Outreach and Support, Office of Veterans Success and as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator. He is also engaged in the community as a member of the board of 2-1-1Tampa Bay Cares whose mission is to connect community to critical health and human services. Diaz' undergraduate degree in English Literature is from the University of California, Santa Barbara and both Master's and Doctoral degrees are from the University of Vermont.
Mai Jenney, Regional Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration & Finance
As Regional Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration & Finance, Mai Jenney is responsible for budget planning and analysis, coordination with the University System Budget Director, and the execution of budgets financial analyses and financial transaction reviews for the campus. Jenney also assists the Regional Vice Chancellor of Administration & Finance to ensure long-term alignment of financial and physical resources with the strategic direction of the institution and create and maintain transparency and communication opportunities with internal and external constituents regarding resources.
Jenney began her career at USF St. Petersburg as an Academic Advisor for the College of Business. She then left to pursue an accounting career at a marketing company. After four years with the company, Jenney returned to USF in 2011 as a Fiscal & Business Analyst working for the College of Arts & Sciences. In November 2013, she moved to Administrative & Financial Services working as a Budget Analyst, Senior Analyst, Campus Budget Director, and now her current role. A proud USF St. Petersburg alumna, Jenney earned her bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance in 2005 and an MBA in 2020.
Kristina Keogh, Campus Dean of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, Associate Librarian and Assistant Dean for the College of Design, Art & Performance
Dr. Kristina Keogh joined the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library as Campus Dean in 2022. She previously worked as the library director at Ringling College of Art and Design, where she also served as the Primary Fulbright Program Adviser, mentoring students and alumni throughout the application process. Through research services, collections, and administrative roles, she has collaborated across multidisciplinary settings in both public and private institutions. Kristina holds the MLIS from Florida State University and a PhD in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research interests and publications encompass the documentation of research practices in creative communities, as well as the interaction of art and relics in early modern Italy.
Cayla Lanier, Assistant Dean and Campus Director Judy Genshaft Honors College St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee Campus
Dr. Cayla Lanier has been with the Judy Genshaft Honors College since 2008, led the expansion of the college to USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus in 2020, and joined the St. Petersburg campus in 2025. She has a passion for connecting with students to help them discover their potential, refine their goals, and pursue their purpose. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing, with Honors College distinction, here at the University of South Florida, and Master of Arts degree in marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her doctorate in USF's Communication department, completing a dissertation related to storytelling and sensemaking amongst Honors College students about their transition to college and identity as honors students. Dr. Lanier teaches courses on culture and pop culture, leads study abroad trips, and loves a deep conversation over hot coffee and chocolate chip cookies.
Gary Patterson, Dean - Kate Tiedemann School of Business an Finance, Campus Dean - Muma College of Business, Tiedemann-Cotton Endowed Professor of Finance
Gary Patterson is a professor of finance in the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance in St. Petersburg and serves as dean for the school and as campus dean. He arrived at USF in 2000. Prior to his appointment here, he served as an assistant professor in the State University of New York system and at the University of Baltimore.
He earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to academia, he worked at Price Waterhouse and Arthur Andersen & Co.
David Rosengrant, Associate Dean for the College of Education on the St. Petersburg Campus
With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, Rosengrant’s work examines how instructional design, technology and pedagogy can enhance student learning outcomes in physics across a range of educational settings. His research has been published on topics including social inequities in physics education and the cognitive processes involved in student problem solving.
At the University of South Florida, Rosengrant helped spearhead the development of Innovation Lane, which includes our start of the art Emerging Tech Lab and the STEM INQ Lab on the St. Petersburg campus. The state-of-the-art facilities feature robotics, 3D printing, coding, and virtual and augmented reality systems, providing aspiring educators and faculty with opportunities to integrate cutting-edge STEM tools and methods into their teaching.
E. Howard Rutherford, Associate Vice President of Development University Advancement
E. Howard Rutherford joined the USF St. Petersburg campus Advancement Team as Associate Vice President after 3 years with the Office of Gift Planning as Senior Director of Development and after 5 years with the College of Marine Science (CMS) as Director of Development. Rutherford assists in leading the facilitation of gifts across the USF St. Petersburg campus. Before returning to USF, Rutherford had a 13-year tenure as President/CEO with The Pier Aquarium d/b/a Marine Exploration Center.
Rutherford is a collaborative, community leader and has held board leadership positions at the local, state and national levels. His abilities in leadership, strategic implementation and working in complex work environments has helped him to build trust both inside and outside the institutions he has represented.
As founding Co-Chair, Rutherford helped to establish the St. Petersburg Science Festival. Currently, he serves as an advisor to the Science Festival Alliance at MIT, an international organization fostering a professional community dedicated to more and better science and technology festivals. Rutherford is also President of the St. Petersburg Sunrise Rotary Club, Vice President of the Suncoast Estate Planning Council and Second Vice President of USF St. Petersburg campus Town and Gown. Rutherford holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Chemistry from Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL and attended graduate school at USF's College of Marine Science.
Anna Thrombley, Director of Human Resources
Anna Thrombley joined USF St. Petersburg in 2024, bringing with her extensive experience from the University of Florida, where she most recently served as Associate Director of Human Resources for the Information Technology department. Prior to that role, she was Director of Campus Human Resources at UF’s Levin College of Law. Thrombley began her career in the financial sector, holding human resources positions at institutions including Bank OZK, Synovus, and BMO Harris Bank. A Tampa Bay native and proud USF alumna, she is committed to supporting the university community that helped shape her own professional journey.