USF St. Petersburg aims to integrate seamlessly into the fabric of the Tampa Bay 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 Kelci Lancsarics.
Providing leadership and mentorship opportunities for foster care youth
Ujima Housing Solutions, led by Christopher Warren, is expanding what’s possible for
youth who are aging out of the foster care system. While the larger mission surrounds
housing resources, Warren is committed to providing these young people with leadership
and mentorship opportunities.
The USF St. Pete Office of Strategic Partnerships, along with many of our USF partners, helped organize a day and a half exploratory
visit to the St. Pete campus during UHS’s Youth Leadership Conference. Participants
were taken on a tour around campus, connecting with the USF PEARLS program, USF St. Pete’s student newspaper the Crow’s Nest, and Muma College of Business leadership – with a focus on communication, resilience
and opportunity. The next day, they got to hear from several University Communications
and Marketing team members about their professional journey and engage in a personality
test, led by the Center for Career and Professional Development, to help determine
what careers best align with their interests. Both days were filled with thoughtful
dialogue, skill-building and demonstrating what opportunities exist to thrive.
Kick off event for 2027 global sailing race
The Ocean Race is a global event challenging teams of sailors to bridge sport and environmental
sustainability as they work together to race across the globe. USF is proud to partner
in this exciting new chapter of The Ocean Race in 2027, marking the first time in
the race’s 54-year history that St. Pete-Clearwater will serve as the host port. To
celebrate this milestone, a kick-off event was held at the Dali Museum on June 12th
engaging key stakeholders on what this opportunity means for the city and how it can
best showcase the beautiful, vibrant waterfront community.
Next year, sailing teams will arrive in St. Pete from Itajai, Brazil for a 12-day
stopover before their journey across the Atlantic to Cascais, Portugal. Participating
vessels are equipped with advanced sensors that collect critical ocean data—such as
temperature, salinity and environmental DNA—enabling researchers to better understand
and study remote and dynamic marine ecosystems.
During the stopover, the fleet of 60-foot sailboats will be berthed along the USF
St. Petersburg waterfront in Bayboro Harbor, showcasing innovation, sustainability
and the university’s commitment to advancing ocean science on a global stage. The
community can also engage in STEM and ocean themed exhibits, team boat viewings and
ocean conservation showcases in the Ocean Live Park race village at the St. Petersburg
Yacht Club along the waterfront.
Book talk from former faculty member highlights bond with guide dogs
USF St. Petersburg welcomed Deni Elliott back to campus on June 17th as she launched her first memoir, Catching Sight. Elliott taught ethics in the USF St. Petersburg Department of Journalism and Digital Communication for 20 years before retiring in 2023. Her book, Catching Sight, chronicles her experience with low vision and navigating the complex partnership she formed with her guide dog, Alberta. Around 50 USF faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members gathered in the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library to hear Elliott discuss her experience connecting with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, establishing the Puppy Love Club at USF St. Petersburg and the lessons she learned alongside Alberta. Several students from the Puppy Love Club and service dogs in training from Dogs Inc. were in attendance. Books were available for purchase by the USF St. Petersburg bookstore and were signed by Elliott, accompanied by her current guide dog, after the talk.
Developing opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities
Staff from USF St. Pete’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, UMatter and the College of Education visited the PARC Center for Disabilities to learn more about the campus and opportunities to connect. PARC is a robust community resource dedicated to supporting the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities – ranging from an inclusive daycare to senior housing. Connection opportunities were abundant as those participating rounded each corner of the facility, from touring the USF St. Pete campus, to engaging their clients with the advanced technology of the College of Education and internship opportunities for students.