Twenty-first century communication calls for new training and knowledge. Today’s professional environment is powered by complex technology, fueled by information, and driven by masterful communication skills. To respond to these and future challenges, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has created a Bachelor of Arts in Professional and Technical Communication. “As the field of professional and technical communication becomes a strong career track, it makes perfect sense to have it become a separate degree program,” says Prof. Tod Roberts, instructor of English and director of the Writing Internship Program at USFSM. Roberts and fellow USFSM instructor Dr. Wilma Davidson designed the program, which was approved by USF System Trustees last November and will be first offered in the fall of 2013.

“This will be the only undergraduate program of its kind in the state, offering courses in professional and technical writing with electives in business and information technology,” says Roberts. “Other schools have similar programs, especially at the graduate level, but none has quite what we are offering. This is an exciting opportunity for USFSM students.” He adds that the classes, presented by instructors known for their contributions in professional and technical communication, will be kept small in order to provide “individual attention and pragmatic instruction geared to today’s job market.” In addition, many courses will be offered online, providing access to adult students working and supporting a family while earning a degree.

Davidson notes that the program also offers a strong focus on corporate communication needs in advertising, crisis management, human resources, marketing communications, and public relations. Courses in writing, editing and publishing for a wide variety of formats, including scholarly, technical, medical, non-profit and journalistic, are also part of the curriculum.

Roberts emphasizes that a vital aspect of the new degree program will be partnering with area businesses and non-profit institutions to offer internships to graduates. “This real-life experience will be a requirement for the degree and will give our graduates a strong competitive edge,” he says. “In addition to the degree, we will offer an Undergraduate Certificate in this specialty to enhance the career prospects for students in other majors.”

“Globalization, cross-cultural influences, technical advances, and new ethical and regulatory requirements have changed the communication needs of today’s marketplace,” says Davidson. “This USFSM program gives its graduates the skills they’ll need to meet these challenges and build successful, long-lasting careers.”

For more program details, contact:

Dr. Wilma Davidson • 941-387-8735 • davidson@sar.usf.edu

Prof. Tod Roberts • tr@sar.usf.edu

Local philanthropists and business supporters have made donations to USFSM that further leadership, scholarship and growth at the university. These include:

• Bright House Networks has donated $165,000, including $150,000 in advertising support along with the establishment of the Bright House Networks Scholarship Fund. Over three years, USFSM will award 15 Bright House Scholars up to $1,000 per academic year. Scholarships will be awarded based upon a combination of merit and need and are available to all full-time undergraduate students in any college on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.
• Carol and Tom Williams made a naming gift of $25,000 to help build the new USFSM science labs and classrooms at Mote Marine Laboratory. As S.T.E.M. education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) becomes increasingly critical to our local and state economies, the Carol and Tom Williams Classroom at Mote Marine Laboratory will be an invaluable asset. USFSM is currently creating new undergraduate science programs that will be offered to the 2013 inaugural freshman class that begins in August.
• The JSP Foundation created the JSP Foundation Scholarship to help individuals overcome the challenges of pursuing a degree in Education while raising a family as a single parent. This $50,000 gift will provide two $5,000 scholarships per academic year to qualified students. It is available to eligible full-time, undergraduate students in the USF College of Education on the Sarasota-Manatee campus who are pursuing a degree in K-12 education.

Partnership paves the way for arts students to become teachers locally

At a reception held in the USFSM rotunda on Monday, May 13, educational leaders and administrators from USF Sarasota-Manatee, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota and Ringling College of Art and Design signed memos of understanding creating an “Artist-to-Teacher” program. Before an audience of community volunteers, educational organization leaders, faculty, arts advocates, administrators and students, the three institutions cemented their shared commitment of cooperation and partnership to improve educational options in higher education and promote economic development and growth.

USFSM Regional Chancellor Dr. Arthur Guilford, SCF President Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld and RCAD President Dr. Larry Thompson praised the creation of a plan that allows arts students to seamlessly transition to teacher preparation programs. After completing their undergraduate degree at RCAD or taking arts courses at SCF in various fields, students can enroll at USFSM’s College of Education and within two years, receive either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree and be certified as public school teachers for elementary positions in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. “I want to personally thank Carol Probstfeld and Larry Thompson and their academic teams for making collaborations such as this a reality, and for being such great community partners,” said Dr. Guilford. “Together we are leveraging our resources and shaping a brighter future for all.”

“The College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee is committed to including arts-integration across all of its programs,” said Dean Terry Osborn. “International research and data clearly show that in any educational setting arts-integration works to increase student learning. Our Center of Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT) is working daily to add to that research and advocacy base. Today, we are seeking college students who love and are skilled in the arts, and want to share their skills to motivate and inspire children in the classrooms of our communities.”

The “Artist-to-Teacher” program builds on existing partnerships with the Sarasota and Manatee school districts, ensuring that the children of our region are exposed to the most effective and inspiring teaching methods possible. Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White noted the value of using the arts to enhance teacher quality and learning outcomes. “They are personalizing teaching, adding emotions and context and engaging all parts of the brain with hands-on learning,” she said of the teachers prepared through this program. “We must integrate the arts into every academic program.” In her remarks, Manatee County Schools Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Diana Greene further praised the goals of the Artist-to-Teacher philosophy. “When our teaching candidates have the opportunity to imprint engaging learning with their students from day one, the real winners are the 20,000 elementary students in Manatee County.”

In addition to the three chief executives of USFSM, SCF and RCAD, the memos of understanding for “Artist-to-Teacher” were also signed by the academic officers representing their respective institutions of higher learning: Dr. Bonnie Jones, regional vice chancellor for academic and student services at USF Sarasota-Manatee; Mr. Gary Russell, vice president of academic affairs for State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota and Dr. Melody Weiler, vice president for academic affairs at Ringling College of Art and Design.

For more information about “Artist-to-Teacher” and the Center of Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT), contact Dr. Tricia Hunsader, Assistant Professor, College of Education, USF Sarasota-Manatee. Hunsader@sar.usf.edu. 941-359-4226.

Two-shot photos: Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld, president, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota and Dr. Larry Thompson, president, Ringling College of Art and Design each signed an individual “Artist-to-Teacher” program memo of understanding with Dr. Arthur Guilford, regional chancellor, USF Sarasota-Manatee. The program paves the way for arts graduates of each institution to enroll in the USFSM College of Education and within two years, become certified as elementary school teachers in Sarasota and Manatee county public schools.

Three-shot: Dr. Carol F. Probstfeld, president, State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota; Dr. Arthur Guilford, regional chancellor, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, and Dr. Larry Thompson, president, Ringling College of Art and Design.

Recognition is an important part of our culture at USF and this year our Outstanding Staff Award program honors employees who continually work to make USFSM a better place.  

The awards ceremony, held on April 24, included special recognition for Excellence in Teaching, Excellence in Research, Excellence in Service, Length of Service, Outstanding Staff Award, Diversity Honor Roll, Outstanding Professor, Quiet Quality Award, Staff Senate, Administration Council, Faculty Senate Officers and Campus Committee Volunteers.

Award Winners and Special Recognitions

Excellence in Teaching: Dr. Patricia Hunsader

Patricia D. Hunsader, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee. She has taught graduate and undergraduate mathematics methods courses for over ten years, and her research interests include mathematics curriculum, arts integration and classroom assessment. She has published and presented her research work both nationally and internationally, most recently at the International Congress on Mathematical Education in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Hunsader was named a STaR (Service, Teaching, and Research) Fellow in 2011, a project funded by the National Science Foundation, and was granted the USFSM outstanding professor award that same year. 

Excellence in Research: Kiyoung Chang

Dr. Chang joined University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in 2010. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His teaching interests are corporate finance, financial management, international finance, and financial institution. His research interests include corporate governance, cash management, mergers and acquisitions, security offerings, international corporate finance, institutional investors, and corporate social responsibility. He served as an executive board member of the Korea America Finance Association in the past and is a member of Financial Management Association and Korea America Finance Association.

Excellence in Service: Dr. Lynn McBrien

J. Lynn McBrien is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. She received her doctorate in Educational Studies from Emory University in May, 2005, where she was the 2004 recipient of the university’s Humanitarian Award, given to students who demonstrate exemplary service in social justice. Dr. McBrien’s service and much of her research focuses on children affected by war, whether they be resettled refugee students and their families in the United States, or children and families who have returned to their home communities following war.

For the rest of the honorees, check out our Storify of the event:

To register, click HERE.

Hundreds of middle school girls from Sarasota and Manatee County schools will participate in the 4^thannual girls’ S.T.E.M. SUMMIT on Saturday May 18 presented by USF Sarasota-Manatee. This free event offers a full-day of hands-on activities, speakers, breakout sessions, raffle prizes and more, all geared to getting girls fired up about science, technology, engineering math and medicine. From designing robots to figuring out the science of sound (such as answering the question, how you know the dog is barking on your right side and not your left?) participants will have fun plunging into real-world experiences and learning about exciting career opportunities. USF Sarasota-Manatee wants to see more young women embrace the sciences and become leaders in S.T.E.M. fields!

Registration and a light breakfast start the day at 8:30 a.m., followed by morning and afternoon workshops for girls and their parents. Lunch is included.

Activities include an inspirational video made by Brittany Wenger, Out-of-Door Academy High School senior and the grand prize winner of Google’s Science Fair for her invention of an artificial ‘brain’ to detect breast cancer.  Brittany is a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search and was recently a special guest at the White House Science Fair.

Keynote by: Gabrielle Holt, a senior at Riverview High School. One of Girls Inc’s Girl of the Year awardees, Gabrielle plans to study Physical Science at FSU, and one day hopes to join Nike in their research division to test the limits of the human body.

Some Workshop Highlights Include:

1.      Sarasota Memorial Hospital: Xtreme Aging: A “Senior Sensitivity Training Session” focused on what it actually feels like to grow old through hands-on sensory exercises.

2.      USFSM College of Arts & Sciences: “Extracting DNA from Strawberries”: Observing DNA with the naked eye, learning how to extract it and actually taking it home in the form of a necklace.

3.      Civil Engineering for Girls: “Marble Roller Coaster”: Two civil engineers take students through a team exercise in building marble roller coasters while applying basic concepts in physics.

4.      Multicultural Health Institute: “Bones, Beauty & Brains”: Learning the importance of good nutrition, measuring BMI, analyzing food labels and more.

5.      Pine View High School Robotics Demo: Florida’s Regional robotics competition winners will demo their mini robots and show what took them to the Nationals in St. Louis.

6.      USFSM College of Arts & Sciences: “Evidence Based Criminal Justice”: Using a hypothetical crime scene, students will learn about physical and scientific evidence, collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.

7.       Mote Marine: “SENSational Manatees”:  Manatees face dangers from human-related activities such as boat strikes. In order to protect these gentle giants, it is important to understand how they interact with their environment. Participants will test manatee senses to experience how they make their home in Sarasota Bay.

8.      Roskamp Institute: “Be a Neuroscientist For a Day-Evaluate Alzheimer’s Disease”: Examining pathology in brain slices from mice as a model  for understanding Alzheimer’s Disease.

9.      Sun Hydraulics Corporation: “The Intersection of Art and Science”: Girls become engineers, making their own model airplanes with prizes for the most air-worthy and most creative design.

…and lots more!

• Richard Dymond of the Bradenton Herald writes about Hard work, optimism pay off for 4 ‘outstanding’ USF-SM grads and  provides some USF-SM honors grads photos.

• USF Sarasota-Manatee 2013 graduation a family affair by Dale White of the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Also, take a look a the USF Sarasota-Manatee Spring Commencement photo gallery.

The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s spring commencement exercises will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Of 297 students that have applied to graduate in spring, 198 are expected to attend the ceremony. This number includes 37 master’s degree candidates, 81 from Arts & Sciences, 40 from Business, 24 from Education and 16 from Hospitality and Technology Leadership.

Regional Chancellor Arthur M. Guilford will represent USF Sarasota-Manatee, and USF System President Judy Genshaft will preside. Stephen Graves, will be the ceremony announcer; Dr. Jody McBrien will bear the University mace; and Sarah Coit, USF College of the Arts, will perform the National Anthem and USF Alma Mater.

Special award recipients at the ceremony include:

Paul Searles Webecke Award: Todd Bolkema, MBA, USFSM College of Business. This honor is given to the most outstanding student in the Master of Business Administration program. Todd earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA, and has been employed at Florida Power and Light in Sarasota since 2001. He is currently a senior planning engineer. Personal: He lives in Bradenton with his wife and three sons and volunteers as the treasurer at Bradenton Christian Reformed Church and as a counselor in a youth group. Todd hopes to use the skills he’s gained while at USF Sarasota-Manatee and USF Tampa to start a business. 

Golden Bull Service and Outstanding Leadership Award: Ryan Page, USFSM College of Arts and Sciences, Criminology. The Golden Bull Award is sponsored by the USFSM Student Government Association and is presented to a student who has demonstrated excellence in leadership activities, community and university involvement, and academic success. Ryan served as president of the Criminology Club at USFSM for the past two years during which time he organized a club trip to Washington, D.C. to tour the museums and to visit the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland. In addition to his work with the Criminology Club, Ryan also participated in several community events such as USFSM Freshman Round-Up, USFSM Club Rushes, USFSM Road Clean Up, and Circle K.

Outstanding Graduate Award: Dat Vu, College of Business, Accounting and Finance. This award ispresented by the USF Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the USF Alumni Association to recognize the graduating senior who embodies leadership, school spirit, community service, character and scholarship. Dat, who will graduate with an overall GPA of 3.70, came to USFSM after attending State College of Florida. He overcame a language barrier and immediately became involved in all aspects of student life. In his time at USFSM, Dat has been a student senator for the College of Business and held the position of vice president for USF Sarasota-Manatee Student Government during the 2011-12 academic year. Dat helped to found and served as president of the Phi Beta Lambda fraternity for the Future Business Leaders of America. He plans to pursue a career in Finance or Accounting.

King O’Neal Scholars Award: Michaela Cerce, College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership, Hospitality Management. The USF Alumni Association presents this award for achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout one’s undergraduate degree. The award was created in honor of charter USF graduates Lucas King and Evelyn O’Neal. Following graduation, Michaela hopes to continue her education by attending culinary school to obtain a degree in baking and pastry arts. She also helps to manage a family business in the restaurant industry in her spare time, and aspires to own her own business after finishing her education.

Spring 2013 Outstanding Professor: Dr. Richard Reich, College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Reich has been at USF Sarasota-Manatee since 2005 after spending several years working at the USF Tampa campus. Reich earned his B.S in Psychology from the College of Charleston in 1994 and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from USF. He has been published in over 10 different journals and publications and has overseen directed studies for undergraduate psychology majors at USFSM since 2006. Dr. Reich is known as an expert for cognitive factors affecting substance use and abuse as well as statistical applications to psychological research. For all this and more, the USFSM students have recognized Dr. Reich as this semester’s Most Outstanding Professor.

USF Sarasota-Manatee welcomes Andrea Stephens as assistant director of development for University Advancement. A USF alumna with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing, Andrea has previous experience in donor relations and event management for higher education. She grew up in Sarasota, where she lives with her husband and son, and volunteers at several nonprofits in the community, including Senior Friendship Centers. “Andrea is a great asset to our team with her special appreciation for higher education, building personal relationships and showcasing all that USF Sarasota-Manatee has to offer,” said Dennis Stover, regional vice chancellor for advancement. “She is particularly excited to be putting her talents to work in support of her Alma Mater.”

The College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee announces new courses in the emerging areas of IT Security and Mobile Applications.

A new era of total connectivity and access to information 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week has created the demand for training in a variety of emerging technical fields, including the latest courses at USFSM in Android Web Apps, Mobile/Wireless Security, and IT Strategy and Entrepreneurship. The assembly of new programs in USFSM’s College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership addresses the needs of traditional and non-traditional students, as well as working professionals seeking formal training in new technologies. The IT curriculum has been designed as a team effort among educators and industry partners, resulting in rigorous content aligned with current and emerging industry needs.

“Students live in a connected world and are bringing these ideas to the workplace,” said Shane Hartman, who will be teaching the new courses on Android Web Apps. “As such, USFSM is bridging the gap between personal and social ideas that students are accustomed to and applying them to the workplace with courses like Software Development for Mobile Apps and Android Web Apps, which shows students how to take business constructs and adapt them to the mobile environment.”

USF Sarasota-Manatee continues to be on the forefront of emerging technologies and areas of study with the addition of these three courses, made timely by the viral story of Nick D’Alosio. D’Alosio, a 17-year-old from the United Kingdom who became instantly famous for selling an app he developed to Yahoo!, for millions of dollars. “The never-ending debate between mobile and native (traditional) web applications is a debate which will undoubtedly grow along with Android’s market share,” said Fred Cavazza, a regular contributor on social and digital media and technology to Forbes Magazine.

The cornerstone of the IT program at USFSM is information security. Shane Hartman is recognized as one of the area’s premier experts on digital forensics and is the founder of the Suncoast Security Society. Hartman is joined by Dr. Bill Murphy, who will teach the course on IT Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Jeremy Rasmussen, Senior Principal Information Security Engineer at CACI, an IT solutions firm, will teach the Mobile/Wireless Security course beginning this summer.

Android Web Apps will be offered beginning in summer 2013 with Mobile Web Apps following as a complementary course starting in fall 2013. Students are advised to take both courses back-to-back.

In developing this IT track, USFSM’s goal is to be nimble and creative in designing practical programs in the field, enabling students to gain valuable training that will help them land careers in a rapidly changing world.

More information is available here.

Future educators from Manatee County studying at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) College of Education will have access to even greater scholarship opportunities thanks to the bequest of the estate of Francis E. and Gaile McCracken. The gifts from the McCracken Estate will bring the lifetime total of their donations to nearly one-point-three million dollars ($1.3 million) to support future educators in Manatee County who attend USFSM. 

Francis McCracken (“Mac”) was born in Indiana in 1920, the youngest of seven boys and four girls. He entered training for the Air Force and was certified as a fighter pilot just after WWII ended. Francis attended Purdue on the GI bill, earning a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Education. His wife, Gaile, attended Ball State Teachers College and Syracuse University and taught high school social studies. Francis taught vocational agriculture in Indiana and agriculture and biology in Michigan. He was also adjunct faculty for USF.

Mr. and Mrs. McCracken retired at the age of 55 and enjoyed traveling to most countries around the globe. The couple had no children, and after retiring to Manatee County, lived modestly and invested carefully. In 2007, Francis created the McCracken Educator’s Scholarships at USF Sarasota-Manatee, and was proud to provide a legacy of financial support and access to higher education for Manatee County students attending USFSM. The scholarships contain both financial need and academic eligibility requirements.

When he died last August, Francis left a bequest in his will which added more than a million dollars in endowment to the existing McCracken Educator’s Scholarships Fund for students at USFSM.

“As dedicated educators, the McCrackens believed in the value of creating a steady supply of future teachers, as well as helping Manatee County students offset the rising cost of a quality education,” said USFSM’s Regional Vice Chancellor for Advancement Dennis Stover. “The McCracken Educator’s scholarships in the USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Education ensure a wonderful legacy of generosity that will impact future educators and our region for many years to come.