Students of the UnidosNow “Future Leaders Summer Academy” learn the ins-and-outs of the college application process through hand-on training at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

Throughout the summer, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee opens its doors to dozens of high school students from nine different local high schools and their parents for the UnidosNow ‘Future Leaders Summer Academy.’ The Academy is a series of 18 informative college prep sessions intended to prepare students for the college application process. UnidosNow is a non-profit organization committed to fully integrating the region’s Hispanic community into the state’s civic, cultural, and economic fabric, with higher education being a key focus and important building block for success.

“USFSM is delighted to partner with UnidosNow on this special program,” said Dr. Arthur Guilford, USFSM Regional Chancellor. “As the region’s comprehensive university, we believe it is our leadership responsibility to inspire and provide resources to all students in our community, and to expose them to the critical importance of gaining a higher education for future success.”

The program includes 24 students that are the first from their families to attend college, seven of which are the first to graduate high school.

“College education and active leadership are imperative to empowering the Hispanic community while simultaneously bringing our nation forward,” said Cathaleen Kaiyoorawongs the Director of Education Initiatives for UnidosNow. “In the UnidosNow program, we identify promising high school students with dreams of attending college and an expressed commitment to giving back to their community, helping bring their peers up the ladder with them. Through the program, they are able to develop the academic, social and organizational skills needed to not only go to college, but also become tomorrow’s community, state and national leaders.”

The program began June 6 and wraps up August 10 with a graduation ceremony for participants.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is the host for 12 sessions of the 18 sessions, including an information session and campus tour on July 9. Some of the other workshops on the USFSM campus include: “Who Am I? Team Building Exercises” (June 11 and 13), “Interviewing Skills” (June 18), “Leadership – What is Community?” (June 20), “Career Exploration and How to Start the College Search Process” (June 25 and 27), “Testing Strategies for the ACT and SAT” (July 2 and 23), “College Essay Writing” (July 18 and 25) and a “What’s next?” (August 8).

Hosting the summer program on the USFSM campus will help prepare students and families unfamiliar with the college search process, and allow them to become comfortable communicating with admissions staff. That exposure will serve as a valuable asset as they look for the right higher education institution to fit their needs.

“By holding the program at USF Sarasota-Manatee, we are able to give the students an experience on a college campus as well as to get community partners invested in higher education for first generation college applicants,” Kaiyoorawongs said. “Integration, education, and empowerment are vital keys to our community’s prosperity.”

For more information on the summer academy and to apply, please visit the UnidosNow website.

The USF Bulls Club’s Around the Horns Coaches Tour visited the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus as part of this year’s swing through Sarasota and Manatee counties. The event included visits from USF Athletics’ coaches, administrators and staff.

$42,000 Grant will fund a collaborative pilot program with the Manatee County school district to incorporate arts-integrated teaching into school curricula.

(l to r) Dr. Patricia Hunsader, assistant professor USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Education; Marilyn Howard, executive director Manatee Community Foundation; Dr. Robin Thompson, executive director of teaching and learning Manatee County Schools; Dean Terry Osborn, USF Sarasota-Manatee College of Education.

The Manatee Community Foundation’s Leslie and Margaret Weller Fund supporting arts education awarded a $42,000 grant to fund collaboration between the Manatee County school district and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee’s (USFSM) Center of Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT). The funding will be used to design and implement an arts-integrated pilot program for Manatee County educators. “Enhancing teacher education while impacting large numbers of Manatee County school children with imaginative and creative arts integration projects under the guidance of professional artists is a win, win, win for all involved,” says Marilyn Howard, executive director. The Manatee Community Foundation is excited to help launch this pilot project.”

The College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee embraces the concept of using the arts as an effective strategy for enriching learning and teaching experiences. Dr. Patricia Hunsader, assistant professor in USFSM’s College of Education, and director of the Center for PAInT says, “We’re extremely grateful for these funds, which will enable us to put these concepts into practice.”

The pilot program, “Collaboration, Arts Integration, and the Common Core” (CAICC), will pair select Manatee County teachers from a Title 1 school with USFSM student interns and Center of PAInT teaching artists to

develop innovative teaching curricula and strategies based on the Common Core State Standards. A professional development team will supply the background knowledge required for successfully implementing the pilot program. After the program is launched, another team of professional educators will meet with program participants to solve problems and develop changes based on real-time performance data from the classroom. At the conclusion of the program, educators will conduct a pupil impact assessment based on pilot trials and student surveys.

“Teachers, teacher candidates, and teaching artists will collaborate to create lessons, replicable in other settings, incorporating dance, music, theater, visual arts, and technology-based art forms,” says Hunsader. “Ultimately, the team will document and evaluate the effectiveness of these arts-integrated teaching strategies. We believe the evidence will show that arts-integrated teaching positively impacts learning by teaching skills in problem-solving, perseverance, and collaboration.”

Dr. Terry Osborn, dean of USFSM’s College of Education, says that the CAICC program will empower teachers to bring more meaningful learning experiences to their classrooms through the arts. “The Manatee Community Foundation is demonstrating its commitment to fostering innovative educational advances in our schools,” says Osborn. “With its support, we’re able to set the stage to ensure that teachers have the skills to integrate the arts in classes across the school day. We’ll make an impact in all the subjects students take, including science, technology, mathematics, social sciences and English/language arts.”

Dr. Robin Thompson, executive director of teaching and learning for the Manatee County Schools, praises the innovations in teaching that will enrich student learning thanks to this grant. “We are looking forward to participating in this partnership with USFSM and appreciate Manatee Community Foundation’s support,” she says. “It will provide opportunities for our teachers to integrate the arts across the curriculum to increase student engagement, critical thinking and achievement.”

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About USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM)

USF Sarasota-Manatee is a comprehensive, four-year university for those interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. USFSM offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown location, including classes in North Port and Manatee County. www.usfsm.edu

The Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching

The Center of Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT) brings faculty together across disciplines to work on integrating critical and creative literacy in teaching, and to design new academic programs and courses that will enhance the learning experiences of College of Education candidates. The size of its community of learners is small enough to permit intimate conversations, creative brainstorming, and collegial collaborations.

About the Manatee Community Foundation

The Manatee Community Foundation was established in 1998 and has grown to $26 million in assets. Last year MCF distributed $2 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to worthy students. Manatee Community Foundation “connects the charitable interest of donors with the on-going needs in our community.” To learn more, please visit www.manateecf.org or call (941)-747-7765.

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.