Thank you, President Law
Our first USF student-to-president reflects on how far we’ve come — and where we’re going
By Tom Woolf, UCM
hea Law didn’t miss a beat.
Preparing to address the crowd at the opening of USF’s Center for Executive and Leadership Education, she adjusted the microphone stand at the podium — and knocked the mic to the floor.
“That wasn’t even the mic-drop moment,” she said as she replaced it, drawing laughter from the audience of faculty, staff, and business and community leaders at USF St. Petersburg.
There have been plenty of mic-drop moments during Law’s four-plus years leading the university, including membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities; the launch of the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing; record financial support from donors and the state of Florida; and the start of construction of the on-campus stadium, which will host USF football and lacrosse games as well as concerts and other events.
Now, she is preparing to step away from her full-circle journey from USF student to USF president.
When she announced her plans in February 2025, Law said that “the time is right for the next president to lead a new chapter of our university,” and that “the foundation is in place for a new leader to take us to even greater heights.”
She had no designs on ever presiding over her alma mater when Will Weatherford, chair of the USF Board of Trustees, called her about the need for an interim president. She didn’t even realize, at first, that he was asking her to step into the role. At the time, she was retiring from her law practice and had taken on a part-time position as CEO of two private foundations.
“When I’ve been contacted in the past to take a position or help with an issue, I have always said yes,” Law says. “I owe a lot to USF, because it was not only the education that I received, but the support from faculty and staff who encouraged me to take risks that ultimately led to the career opportunities I’ve enjoyed.”
Still, she told Weatherford she had to pray about it and discuss it with her husband, the late Wayne Williams.
“That was particularly important, because Wayne was anxious for me to semi-retire and spend more time with him,” she says. “When I asked Wayne, he said, ‘You’ve been preparing for this all your life. You cannot say no.’ Then, selflessly he added, ‘I will be there to support you all the way.’ With that support, and my love and concern for the institution, I said yes.”
A fifth-generation Floridian and Tampa native, Law was appointed interim president in August 2021. Following a national search, the Florida Board of Governors approved her selection in March 2022.
The Tampa campus of today is vastly different from the one she first set foot on in 1968 — “only a few buildings and it was mostly sand and sandspurs,” Law recalls.
She had been working for General Telephone and taking classes at Florida College in Temple Terrace when she learned USF employees could take six credit hours per semester tuition-free. Determined to be the first in her family to earn a degree, she took a job as the research project administrator in USF’s Office of Sponsored Research.
Law worked during the day and attended classes at night. Taking six credit hours per semester added up to 10 years in school, and in 1977, Law earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in management. She would go on to earn her law degree with honors from Stetson University.
Law’s connection to USF remained strong throughout her 40 years practicing law in Tampa — including being a founding member of the USF Board of Trustees. She spent five years as vice chair and four years as the first and only female chair. She served on the search committees for two presidential predecessors.
The job can be challenging, Law admits. A president must respond to many constituencies while navigating a rapidly changing higher education landscape. But it has been exceptionally rewarding, she says.
“During these last four years, I have been focused on the many facets of USF and the needs of our students and employees,” she says. “I am gratified to say the university has so much more to offer our students, faculty and staff than most people know. The work is demanding, but it is also uplifting. USF is not only a catalyst for our economy and our future, it has been a source of inspiration and personal growth for me as well.”
Her highest priority has been student success.
Law shares her signature friendship bracelets during the annual employee appreciation luncheon she hosted before the start of each fall semester.
After fall Commencement in December, Law will have presided over 81 ceremonies and conferred nearly 59,000 degrees.
“We are here for them, and we strive to provide the foundation for their future success,” Law says, adding, “We provide ongoing support throughout their lives.”
Her particular points of pride include USF’s 2023 invitation to join the elite Association of American Universities, composed of the top 3% of research universities in North America. Factors key to earning that membership included the growth of the research enterprise — a record $738 million in funding in fiscal year 2024 — and faculty and academic excellence.
USF was the first public university in Florida invited to join the highly prestigious 71-member association in 40 years, and it became another full-circle moment for Law: She chaired of the Board of Trustees when USF first included AAU eligibility in its strategic plan in 2007.
Law celebrates the November 2024 groundbreaking for the on-campus stadium with, from left Board of Trustees member Oscar Horton and board Chair Will Weatherford.
“USF was designed as a commuter campus, and it is now a thriving research university and AAU member with an energized student resident population,” Law says. “It is very rare for a university to come from a commuter school foundation and achieve what we have accomplished.”
Helping to fuel USF’s momentum has been donor support. USF set new fundraising records for the fourth straight year in fiscal year 2025, receiving more than $184 million from more than 59,700 donors — both all-time highs for the university.
That was the fourth consecutive year philanthropy exceeded $150 million, totaling over $660 million in gifts to USF in that period.
“Our incredibly generous donors are helping us transform lives and advance innovation,” Law says. Those fundraising records reflect the heightened levels of excitement and belief in USF, she adds.
“We’re on an incredible trajectory and every day, we have new accomplishments. It is because of our faculty, staff and students that we’re able to do this.”
-President Rhea Law
USF also has benefited from strong support from the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis. The 2022-23 and 2024-2025 fiscal year budgets included significant increases in USF’s recurring operational funding, as well as investments in key initiatives.
This year, USF secured $10 million to complete the state’s share ($34 million total) of building the Environmental & Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching Facility at USF St. Petersburg, and $8.5 million to upgrade facilities and services for student-veterans, military families and first responders on the Tampa campus.
The budget also included $10 million to begin construction on a home for the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, which opened this fall. It’s the first named college in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the convergence of AI and cybersecurity and was established with a $40 million gift from two alumni, Arnie, MBA ’82, and Lauren Bellini, ’91.
Graduates will help meet the urgent demand for cybersecurity professionals while equipping America’s digital defenses against the rapidly evolving threats of the AI era.
Law recently announced a personal gift of $1 million to support the college, along with a $1 million gift from longtime USF supporters Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton. The Bellinis agreed to match those contributions.
Contributing to national security efforts has been a priority for Law, who has a long history of involvement with MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. In 2022, she announced the creation of the Global and National Security Institute, which addresses defense, economic and political security, health and human security, and infrastructure and environmental security. Law recruited Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, retired Marine Corps general and former chief of U.S. Central Command, to lead both the institute and Cyber Florida at USF.
Law points to USF Health as another example of escalating national impact and influence, with a 2024 agreement between the Morsani College of Medicine and its teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital, allowing both institutions to capitalize on their decades-old partnership and renowned experts.
Earlier this year, the Morsani College of Medicine was ranked No. 1 in Florida as the only Tier 1 medical school in the state in U.S. News & World Report Best Medical Schools, placing USF among the Top 16 colleges of medicine nationally.
Law cheers on the Bulls football team during game day at Raymond James Stadium.
The resurgence in USF Athletics also excites Law, a sports fan who understands that winning teams have a profound ripple effect, from engaging alumni and the community to attracting and retaining students to providing priceless opportunities for student-athletes. During the 2024-25 academic year, USF teams captured six conference championships, and track and field won its first national championship. At a time when many universities are cutting athletics programs, USF launched a winning women’s lacrosse team and its new women’s beach volleyball team begins play next spring.
Law is confident the on-campus stadium, expected to open in fall 2027, will be transformative.
“It will provide students, staff and faculty a place of their own to gather and share their passion for USF, while giving alumni and community members a compelling reason to return and experience the beauty and energy of our ever-evolving campus and students,” she says.
Another transformational change took place with the 2024 opening of the Campus Student Center and Atala Residence Hall at USF Sarasota-Manatee, making it a residential campus for the first time in its 50-year history. The campus is poised to grow even more, with construction beginning this fall on a STEM academic facility. It is expected to open in fall 2027.
Planning also is underway for a major project on the north side of the Tampa campus. The Fletcher District consists of 27 acres and will include student housing, multi-family housing units, restaurants, retail, a hotel and conference center, an academic research facility and recreation space. It will be located within walking distance of the on-campus stadium. Construction on the first phase is projected to begin in spring 2026 and open by fall 2028.
Law is named chair of the Board of Trustees in 2006.
Another major emphasis of Law’s presidency has been enhancing USF’s community partnerships, further connecting the university and its role as an economic catalyst with the fast-growing Tampa Bay region — “We’re better together,” Law often says. In 2022, she created the Office of University Community Partnerships “to advance the university’s mission of creating positive and lasting community impact through collaborative initiatives.”
Other less visible initiatives established during Law’s tenure include the President’s Global Leadership Council, an advisory group of alumni who are renowned leaders in their respective fields around the world. The council funded a scholarship, and the first four recipients were selected last summer.
Law isn’t sure what comes next for her, but she is certain USF’s future is bright.
“We’re on an incredible trajectory and every day, we have new accomplishments,” she says. “It is because of our faculty, staff and students that we’re able to do this.”
The opportunity to be the first alum to serve as USF president has been “both humbling and profoundly meaningful.”
“To have walked the same halls with our first president, John Allen, as a student and employee, and later lead the university is not only a personal honor, but also a testament to the transformative power of education,” she says.
“My history reflects the countless opportunities USF provides, and I hope it inspires others to believe in their own potential, no matter where they begin.”
