“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

• 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.

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.

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:

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!

• 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.

Why is USFSM important to you personally? 

Caldwell Trust Company has first-hand experience in the value of USFSM, not only to our community but also to our own business. Back in 2003 we hired Sonya Kristie (now Sonya Dlug), as an intern when she was a junior-year student at USFSM. Sonya proved so capable and talented that upon her graduation in 2005, we promoted her to fulltime trust assistant. She rose quickly within our company, becoming a trust associate in 2007 and assistant trust officer in 2009. By 2010—just five years out of USFSM–she was a full trust officer, serving her own clients with our complete confidence. It’s gratifying for Caldwell to know that USFSM helps to educate our young people right here in Sarasota. We don’t have to look outside our area to find capable employees who already know and love our community.

What do you think the role of USFSM is in the community?

Absent institutions like USFSM, many of our local youth would be attending colleges in other communities or states. USFSM provides the same resources, presenting a clear path for our kids to stay and work within our community. By serving our young people so well and keeping them in town, USFSM brings a vibrancy to our community.

How important was your education in preparing you for your business success?

Very important. I was trained as an engineer, a profession that taught me to approach problems with critical thinking in a linear fashion. In our fast-moving, ever-changing world, it is vitally important to bring that keen, cold-eyed look, to cut through the superficial noise and get to the heart of a situation.

What drives you in giving back to the community?  

This is my home. My family’s roots herego back to the 70s. This community has given so much to me and has meant so much to our family for generations, and I believe strongly in giving back.This is where I grew up as a child, where I wish to raise my three children. I want them to live in a strong community, a prosperous one. The best way to ensure that future for my boys—and for others here—is to contribute my time, talent and whatever other resources I can provide so that I can help to build on the outstanding resources we all enjoy. 

Honorees for the Outstanding Professor Award at USF Sarasota-Manatee share a sincere involvement with their students, passion for the university and its mission, and a commitment to excellence through education. Presented by the Student Government Association on behalf of the graduating seniors, the award is the highest campus level honor for USF Sarasota-Manatee faculty members. It recognizes exceptional accomplishments, leadership, and service to the campus and community.

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.

What special projects/research are you involved in? 

I am involved in several projects studying the cognitive factors influencing the decision to drink alcohol.  Some of these projects are collaborations with current and former USFSM students.  I also am a research/statistical consultant on multiple projects at Moffitt Cancer Center.

What courses do you teach?

Most recently, I have taught Research Methods, Pro Seminar, Drugs and Behavior, Cognitive Psychology, Learning, and Physiological Psychology.

Why did you get into teaching? 

To some degree, vanity.  I hoped to captivate the attention of students the way I was captivated by great teachers I had.

Why did you come to USFSM? 

I came to USFSM because I needed a job.  I have stayed at USFSM for three reasons: 1) The value the administration puts on teaching and research. 2) The students, who are conscientious and rich in life experience; and 3) The enormous potential of the university. 

What does it mean to you to be named outstanding professor?  

I hope it means the students have learned something in my classes. 

The USF Alumni Association awards the King O’Neal Scholars award every semester to those students completing their USF coursework with a 4.0 GPA. The award was created in honor of charter USF graduates Lucas King and Evelyn O’Neal.

Michaela is a Hospitality Management major who will graduate with a 4.0 GPA. 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.

Michaela aspires to own her own business after finishing her education.

What would you like to do for a career upon graduation?

Upon graduation, I plan on attending culinary school to obtain a degree in baking and pastry arts. I currently manage a family business in the restaurant industry, and I would ultimately like to have my own business after completing my education.

Why did you choose the major that you chose?

I chose Hospitality Management due to the fact that it encompasses many aspects of the industry that I am interested in. In the future, I aspire to have an event planning/catering business.

What are some of your interests?

Some of my interests include traveling, baking, reading, scrap booking, and playing the piano.

What is something about you that people wouldn’t normally know about you?

Something that most people would not normally know about me is that I like to go target shooting, and I can hit a bulls eye from 100 yards away with an AR 15 rifle.

Why did you choose USF Sarasota-Manatee?

I chose USF Sarasota-Manatee for the smaller campus, relative location to my home, and for the degree that I was pursuing.

Why were you a good candidate for this award?

I believe that I was a good candidate for this award because I work extremely hard at trying to succeed in my education, and I have put a lot of time and effort into earning a 4.0 GPA. 

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.