From the President

Dear alumni, friends and supporters of USF,

As president of our great university for the past 4 1/2 years, I have had a front-row seat to many of the accomplishments that have fueled USF’s rise as one of the nation’s leading public research universities.

The story “Thank you, President Law” features some of our many highlights, including USF’s membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, the ranking of our medical school as No. 1 in Florida and the opening of the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing — bolstered by a record-setting gift from alums Arnie and Lauren Bellini. It is because of the commitment of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and many friends that USF is — and will continue to be — on a remarkable trajectory.

Outside of the spotlight, however, there are many initiatives that also contribute to our highest priority — student success. One of those involves creating more opportunities for experiential learning and research activities through internships, which are critical to helping our students become workforce ready. In the story “ExCel with Experience," you’ll meet, you’ll meet three students taking advantage of opportunities to learn new skills that are preparing them for career success.

As a USF alumna, one of my favorite traditions is Homecoming, a time when we come together to honor our past, celebrate our achievements and look ahead to an exciting future. I enjoyed seeing so many of you at our Forever Green and Gold events, including the Alumni Awards reception and dinner. You can learn about this year’s inspiring award recipients — Rick Brandt, Gigi Fernández, Gayle Sheppard, Ronald Kennedy, and David Goldstein and his wife, Joanne Nelson — in “Power in servant leadership.”

This fall, we also were thrilled to welcome back another alum to the university. Rob Higgins, became the inaugural CEO of Athletics in September. He’s got a wonderful history with USF, starting as an 8-year-old ball boy for our men’s basketball team and later serving as a member of the USF Athletics staff. During the 20 years he led the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Rob had great success positioning our region as one of the nation’s premier destinations in sports and entertainment. To find out what he has in store for USF Athletics, read "First CEO of athletics brings passion, purpose and a stellar track record.”

My connection and my love for USF date to 1968, and it has been the honor of my life to give back to the university that has given so much to me. As I prepare to step away from the USF presidency, I am filled with gratitude for your tremendous support of our university. The generous contributions of time, talent and treasure from our alumni and friends make such a positive difference for our students, faculty and staff.

I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with peace and good health. And as always: Go Bulls!

Rhea F. Law, ’77
President, University of South Florida
Life Member #976