USF St. Petersburg is an urban university that aims to integrate seamlessly into the fabric of the city and region, enhancing opportunities for students, businesses and the public. This community roundup series highlights the ways that USF faculty, staff, students and administration are active in the community. If you’d like to engage with USF St. Petersburg, or are a campus staff, faculty or student interested in engaging with the community, please contact Caryn Nesmith, Community Relations Director.
Mayor, City leaders greet students for USF Day at St. Pete City Hall
On November 9, USF St. Petersburg student government organized the annual USF Day at St. Petersburg City Hall. A group of 40 students met with distinguished alumnus Mayor Ken Welch, who talked about his governing priorities, and then with city leaders representing myriad professions, including economic development, marketing, and sustainability and resilience. Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan’s Constitutional Law class also met with members of the City’s legal team. Students then attended a City Council hearing to present a proclamation declaring November 9 USF Student Government Day at City Hall. The day capped off with a tour of City Hall.
Inaugural Oktoberfest event raises funds for campus scholarships
On a beautiful October evening, USF St. Petersburg hosted the inaugural Bulls & Brews by the Bay, which aspires to be a signature fundraiser for student scholarships on the campus. The Ocktoberfest-themed event featured German inspired cuisine, live music by Ocean Broad Band and a tasting contest among local brewers in honor of USF’s Brewing Arts Certificate Program. Local breweries involved in the event included 3 Daughters Brewing, Bayboro Brewing, Grand Central Brewhouse, Green Bench Brewing Co., Mastry’s Brewing Co. and Great Bay Distributors. Thanks to the 250 guests and sponsors - who included Title Sponsor USF Federal Credit Union, Alumni Sponsor Bank of Tampa, Beck, Turner Construction, Kimley Horn, Williamson Design Associates and media sponsor Tampa Bay Times – the event raised $80,000, which will increase the scholarships available to students in the 2024-2025 academic year tenfold.
USF Nursing’s Mo-Bull Medical Unit visits Sanderlin and Enoch Davis centers
Since August, the USF College of Nursing’s Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic has been rotating
between James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center and Enoch Davis Recreation Center
in south St. Pete every Wednesday. Both the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family
Center and the Enoch Davis Center have been serving south St. Petersburg for 30 years
and offer an array of services for children and families, however, no medical service
providers were available. This rotation allows for the mobile clinic to see patients
across the lifespan, with children and family making up most of the patients at the
Sanderlin location and a more senior population at Enoch Davis.
The Mo-Bull Clinic was made possible through a four-year grant from the Health Resources
and Services Administration. Complete with two exam rooms, a bathroom, a freezer and
a pop-up awning, the Mo-Bull clinic is staffed with two advanced practice registered
nurses, a patient care coordinator and faculty preceptor. It serves as a clinical
training site for undergraduate nursing students. Care includes typical primary care
(well visits and physicals), common acute and chronic health issues, point of care
tests (blood glucose, pregnancy, rapid strep, etc.) and immunizations.
Coastal resilience event by Florida Ocean Alliance
Experts at a leadership meeting hosted by the Florida Ocean Alliance said that rising seas and warming oceans are threatening Florida’s blue economy, sectors of the economy that are dependent on the ocean and bays. The meeting on November 9 at Port Tampa Bay included speakers Mark Rains, chief science officer of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and USF professor of Geosciences, and Tom Frazer, USF dean of the College of Marine Science, in addition to other Florida marine and coastal experts who discussed key challenges and innovative solutions that can strengthen Florida’s coastal resilience. At the meeting, leaders discussed implementing a strategic plan for coastal resilience and preparedness.
2nd annual Halloween Fest
Campus departments and organizations at USF St. Petersburg and the City of St. Petersburg joined with community partners including Bayfront Health, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Albert Whitted Airport, The Junior League of St. Petersburg, Sol Relief, the R’Club and Mad Beach to host the campus’ 2nd Annual Halloween Fest on October 27. More than 600 young people and their families attended the event, which included tent/trunk or treating, educationally themed activities, a Haunted Nautical Obstacle Course and Not-So-Haunted Library, the City’s Touch-a-Truck program with fire engine, swat and police vehicles, a scavenger hunt, costume contests and more. Thanks to our sponsors, the City of St. Petersburg, Bayfront Health and the more than 100 volunteers for making this a terrific event.
FIO offers tours aboard the R/V Western Flyer
The Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) is holding in-person tours on the Research Vessel Western Flyer every Thursday from 1-3 p.m. Launched as part of FIO’s Fleet in 2023, this custom-designed sailing classroom is an impressive platform that features wet and dry labs, a 15 x 18-foot moon pool and control room for remotely operated vehicle operations, and berthing (sleeping quarters) for 16 science party personnel. The 117-foot SWATH vessel is an extremely stable platform equipped with high speed internet/data, a chilled seawater system, walk-in cold and isolated dark rooms, dynamic positioning system and more. The vessel is capable of voyaging throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and the Atlantic. Email Chris Sharp at cssharp@usf.edu with the preferred time and the size of your group for a tour. Closed-toe shoes are required to board the vessel. FIO’s website also offers virtual tours (Oculus/VR headset compatible) of all three of its research vessels.
Drive on campus yields dozens of “gadgets for good”
In early November, Digital Inclusion St. Pete partnered with USF St. Petersburg to hold a Gadgets for Good drive on campus to gather dozens of older laptops, monitors, phones and other devices that will be repurposed for use by members of the local community who do not have access to technology. Digital Inclusion St. Petersburg is a collaboration of 40+ community organizations focused on eliminating the digital equity gap thru internet access, device distribution and technical support and training. Digital Inclusion St. Pete partners with eSmart Recycling to refurbish received items. While the donation drive ended on November 13, you can still donate items to "gadgets for good" by contacting carynn@usf.edu.
Employ-A-Bull spotlight: Student interests lead to teaching
Thanks to the connections she made on campus, student Aviya Hirschmann got a job teaching at a local school at Congregation B'nai Israel. Hirschman, who founded the Jewish Life Club on campus last spring, said being a student at USF St. Petersburg has allowed her to explore multiple areas of interest and become involved in the community. An Environmental Science and Policy major, Hirschmann hopes to work on environmental issues, but she says she also loves teaching. She believes the most important thing a student can do is get out there and join clubs, go to events and meet people. “That will just open doors to so many things… internships and job opportunities.”
USF professor talks nerdy on Belarus, Ukraine
Nerd Nite St. Pete is back! After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, St. Pete audiences were once again treated to this monthly lecture event that strives for a salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. Three presenters from all walks of life present a topic about which they feel passionate, while an audience learns and connects at a local watering hole. On October 24, Tatsiana Kulakevich, a USF faculty member in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, took the stage at Jazzy Cat Café to a throng of nerds for a talk titled, “Crazy Drunk on Power - How Lukashenka of Belarus Ended Up Supporting Russia in the War Against Ukraine”. Born and raised in Belarus, Kulakevich’s research focuses on democratization, international security, migration and ethnic politics. Other presenters for the event included Sanzi Taylor, who presented on how to design and create a fantasy game, and Josh Daskin, a scientist at Archibold Biological Station who presented on conserving the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Join Nerd Nite St. Pete every 4th Tuesday of the month.