university of south florida tour

Sarasota-Manatee Campus

Sarasota-Manatee campus tours are designed to help students gain an appreciation for the culture of the campus and local community, and help prospective students see why Sarasota-Manatee students choose to receive a preeminent education in a small school atmosphere. Guests take a guided tour of our campus: walking our halls, stepping into the classrooms, and laying beneath the pines in one of our hammocks. The tours are conducted by our Campus Experience guides who share the history and statistics of the campus, while helping flesh out the experience through their unique student lens.

Prior to the tour, students will receive an information session from an admissions counselor. This presentation will help to set the context for the tour, explain the programs and opportunities available on campus, and explain the application and scholarship process.

Tours typically last between 30 to 45 minutes, and are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  Tour schedules may change during summer semesters and holiday hours.

To schedule a Sarasota-Manatee campus tour, please register at https://www.sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/admissions/visit-usf-sarasota-manatee.aspx .  If you have questions about the tour or other visit opportunities, such as Open Houses, please contact the Campus Experience team at 941-359-4331.

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By Florence Snyder

The University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa was the first state university planned and opened in the 20th century, as well as the first to be located in a vibrant and rapidly expanding urban setting.

As west central Florida grew into a megalopolis stretching from Tampa Bay to southwest Florida, USF in Tampa expanded to become “the USF System” with independently accredited campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. Each offers leisure activities that appeal to students and faculty taking a break between classes, as well as to visitors from around the neighborhood and around the world. The Sarasota-Manatee campus is an hour’s drive to the south of the main campus, and the St. Petersburg campus lies in between, so you’ll want to do some advance planning if you’re planning to take in all three. A good place to relax and get organized is the Marshall Student Center, located at the northern entrance to the Tampa campus. Don’t let USF’s bellicose mascot fool you: the true nature of the Bulls is best reflected in USF’s description of the Marshall Center as a place "where lifelong associations and friendships are developed; memories are created; and lives are enriched. The Marshall Student Center aspires to be the first and fondest thought that students, staff and faculty have when they remember their time at USF.” You’ll find Bulls of all ages refueling at the eight fast food venues in the Center, or enjoying a special celebration at On Top of the Palms , which offers “sophisticated dining” and a birds-eye view of USF’s  MLK Plaza . Traffic picks up at the Marshall Center on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters, when vendors and bargain hunters meet at USF's outdoor “Bull Market .” The Center’s Ballroom and Oval Theater are home to guest lectures featuring nationally prominent speakers .

The Tampa campus’ Yuengling Center is the home of USF’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams and a rowdy place to be when fans put on their school colors, green and gold, and come out to cheer the Bulls.

- Eve Edelheit for VISIT FLORIDA

The Tampa campus’ Yuengling Center  is the home of USF’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams and a rowdy place to be when fans put on their school colors, green and gold, and come out to cheer the Bulls. The 10,000 seat venue is large enough to attract artists like nine-time Grammy Award-winner Mary J. Blige, and speakers like actor and activist George Takei, yet small enough that you don’t need screens to see them. USF’s Music Building and Concert Hall is among the top acoustically perfect performance spaces in the nation and a magnet for internationally known artists who frequent USF to teach and perform. Theater and dance round out USF’s arts calendar.

Nature lovers will delight in the Tampa campus’ 16-acre USF Botanical Gardens . Come early in the day, because you won't want to rush as you explore the Gardens’ vast collection which includes fruit trees and palms from around the world, along with orchids, begonias, mallows, bromeliads, gingers, ferns, aroids, cycads, and carnivorous plants.

Keep an eye out for native insects, gopher tortoises, and more than 60 species of birds, all enjoying the herb and scent gardens, as well as the butterfly garden. Check the website often for special events offered throughout the year, as well as up-to-the minute information about current weather conditions in the Gardens.

USF’s Graphicstudio was founded in 1968 and has been on the forefront of contemporary art ever since. Internationally known artists come to Tampa to “pursue new directions to advance their practice” and to inspire students and faculty. You can see examples of their work at the USF Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), where exhibits focus on “current cultural trends” from Florida as well as from other continents.

CAM’s holdings include contemporary photography and African art, as well as graphics and sculpture by internationally acclaimed Graphicstudio artists in residence, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist.

Enjoy the view from the bridge as you cross Tampa Bay to continue your adventure at the Bulls’ St. Petersburg home .  From modest beginnings as an “overflow campus,” USF St. Petersburg has emerged as the “Jewel on Bayboro Harbor” and a major contributor to St. Petersburg’s downtown renaissance. USF St. Petersburg offers daily 90-minute walking tours; on Fridays, the tour expands to two hours and features a short faculty lecture. Public lectures on a variety of topics are offered weekly in the University Student Center, a striking building which features a 65-foot-tall multicolored glass-enclosed circular staircase for the campus’ residential tower, and an 8,000-square-foot curtain of glass along 6 th Avenue South. The Reef dining hall is open to the public and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The Sarasota-Manatee campus is the newest “bull run” in the USF system. With its main building surrounding an expansive and attractively landscaped courtyard stocked with hammocks and seating areas, you might mistake the place for a resort.    

But students and faculty are focused on the serious business of “personal growth and intellectual development.” See for yourself in the beautiful 200-seat Selby Auditorium, where the Knowledge-a-Bull Speaker Series hosts public intellectuals from every corner of academia to “engage the community in cutting-edge conversations with experts on subjects that mean something to our lives.”

When you go… University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Avenue Tampa, Fla. 33620 813-974-2011

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USF Sarasota-Manatee CAMPUS NEWS

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Take a virtual or in-person tour of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Explore the personalized programs, organizations and opportunities available to students.

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College of Education’s Signing Day honors graduates starting teaching careers in Sarasota, Manatee

Educator Signing Day at USF Sarasota-Manatee celebrated the accomplishments and ambitions of College of Education graduates starting their teaching careers in the Sarasota and Manatee school districts.

USF Sarasota-Manatee celebrates spring graduates with on-campus event

Among those in attendance were Ashlie Cruz, Dylan Schmucker and Bethsagesna Thalon, three outstanding individuals who will soon make the transformation from students to alumni.

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Student Housing Applications Open

As many as 200 students will be able to live on campus when a new student center and residence hall open in fall of 2024, with some being members of an interdisciplinary Living Learning Community with peers who share similar academic, career and co-curricular interests. The six-story, 100,000-square-foot complex will include suites and apartment-style residences, a ballroom, bookstore, dining facilities, study lounges and meeting rooms, as well as offices for student government, USF World and other organizations. Scholarships are available for students who to be among the first to live in the building. The deadline to apply for up to $4,000 in scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year has been extended. Scholarship awards are limited and based on date of submission and until funds are exhausted.

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USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Events

Spring commencement.

Spring 2024 Commencement

Date:  May 2-5 Time:  9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

Spring 2024 Commencement is  scheduled for Thursday, May 2  through  Sunday, May 5  and will be held at the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus for students from all three USF campuses. Ceremonies are livestreamed via the  USF YouTube channel  for those guests who are unable to attend.

Virtual Learning

2024 Summer Grant Writing Workshops

Date:   June 5 - July 31 Time: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Take your research proposal from good to great at an eight-week program designed to help early-career faculty and doctoral students craft compelling funding proposals for their research goals. This workshop is 100% online and open to USF and non-USF researchers.  Registration is open now.

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Important Dates & Deadlines

Date:  May - August 2024

Stay informed! Check the Office of the Registrar's regularly updated Academic Calendar for crucial dates like term start/end, registration periods, holidays, and deadlines for faculty/staff. Note: Academic Calendar dates for 2024-25 and beyond await approval; stay tuned for updates.  

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The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus offers over 40 bachelor's degree, master's degree and certificate programs. View our programs below to find a degree path tailored to your interests and skills.

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Momentum Magazine - 2023

Momentum magazine captures the unstoppable force propelling the campus' ongoing commitment to producing innovative scholarship and providing a world-class educational experience to its talented and diverse students by highlighting faculty and student research, community engagement efforts and campus expansion projects.

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Around 100 arrested after Columbia University calls in police to end pro-Palestinian occupation

The scene unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, massed at the ivy league university’s entrance, by associated press • published april 30, 2024 • updated on april 30, 2024 at 11:51 pm.

Police cleared 30 to 40 people from inside Columbia University's Hamilton Hall late Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the administration building in New York earlier in the day.

The scene unfolded shortly after 9 p.m. as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, massed at the college's entrance. Scores of officers climbed through a window to enter the occupied building, streaming in over a ramp raised from the top of a police vehicle to get inside. Multiple protesters were taken into custody and taken away from campus on buses.

In all, nearly 100 people were arrested during Tuesday's confrontation, with about 40 of them coming from inside the building, an NYPD spokesperson told NBC News. Hamilton Hall was cleared by police just before 11 p.m.

The confrontation occurred more than 12 hours after the demonstrators took over Hamilton Hall shortly after midnight Tuesday, spreading their reach from an encampment elsewhere on the grounds that’s been there for nearly two weeks to protest the Israel-Hamas war. The police action happened on the 56th anniversary of a similar police action to quash an occupation of Hamilton Hall by students protesting racism and the Vietnam War.

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The university, in a statement issued after the police entered the campus, described its decision to seek NYPD aid as a last resort. The police department had previously said officers wouldn't enter the grounds without the college administration’s request or an imminent emergency. Now, law enforcement will be there through May 17, the end of the university's commencement events.

Israel-Hamas war protesters arrested in Texas, others defy Columbia University demand to leave camp

What sparked the war between Israel and Hamas?

“After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” the school's statement said, adding that school public safety personnel were forced out of the building and one facilities worker was “threatened.”

“The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing," the statement said. "We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.”

Columbia's protests earlier this month kicked off demonstrations that now span from California to Massachusetts. As May commencement ceremonies near , administrators face added pressure to clear protesters.

More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested over the last two weeks on campuses in states including Texas , Utah, Virginia , North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut , Louisiana, California and New Jersey, some after confrontations with police in riot gear.

Tuesday’s police action at Columbia comes exactly 56 years after officers swept into Hamilton Hall to arrest  protesters occupying the building in 1968 . The students taken into custody on that April 30 had taken over the hall and other campus buildings for a week to protest racism and the Vietnam War.

Former President Donald Trump called into Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News Channel to comment on Columbia's turmoil as live footage of police clearing Hamilton Hall aired. Trump praised the officers.

“But it should never have gotten to this," he told Hannity. "And they should have done it a lot sooner than before they took over the building because it would have been a lot easier if they were in tents rather than a building. And tremendous damage done, too.”

In a letter to senior NYPD officials, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said the administration was making the request that police remove protesters from the occupied building and a nearby tent encampment “with the utmost regret.”

Earlier in the day, New York City Mayor Eric Adams advised the protesters to leave before police arrived.

Photos: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations on US college campuses

“Walk away from this situation now and continue your advocacy through other means,” he said. “This must end now.”

Before officers arrived, the White House condemned the standoffs at Columbia and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where protesters had occupied two buildings until officers with batons intervened overnight and arrested 25 people. Officials estimated the northern California campus' total damage to be upwards of $1 million.

President Joe Biden believes students occupying an academic building is “absolutely the wrong approach,” and “not an example of peaceful protest,” said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

Other colleges have sought to negotiate agreements with the demonstrators in the hopes of having peaceful commencement ceremonies. As cease-fire negotiations  appeared to gain steam, it wasn’t clear whether those talks would inspire an easing of protests.

Northwestern University notched a rare win when officials said they reached a compromise with students and faculty who represent the majority of protesters on its campus near Chicago to allow peaceful demonstrations through the end of spring classes.

The nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to stamp out Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.

Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests as antisemitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses those allegations to silence opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.

On Columbia’s campus, protesters first set up a tent encampment almost two weeks ago. The school sent in police to clear the tents the following day, arresting more than 100 people, only for the students to return – and inspire a wave of similar encampments at campuses across the country.

Negotiations between the protesters and the college came to a standstill in recent days, and the school set a deadline for the activists to abandon the tent encampment Monday afternoon or be suspended.

Instead, protestors defied the ultimatum and took over Hamilton Hall early Tuesday, carrying in furniture and metal barricades. The demonstrators dubbed the building Hind’s Hall, honoring a young girl who was killed in Gaza under Israeli fire, and issued demands for divestment, financial transparency and amnesty.

The Columbia University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors said faculty’s efforts to help defuse the situation have been repeatedly ignored by the university’s administration despite school statutes that require consultation.

Ilana Lewkovitch, a self-described “leftist Zionist” student at Columbia, said it’s been hard to concentrate on school for weeks, amid calls for Zionists to die or leave campus. Her exams have been punctuated with chants of “say it loud, say it clear, we want Zionists out of here” in the background, she said.

Lewkovitch, who identifies as Jewish and studied at Columbia’s Tel Aviv campus, said she wished the current pro-Palestinian protests were more open to people like her who criticize Israel’s war policies but believe there should be an Israeli state.

Adams claimed Tuesday that the Columbia protests have been “co-opted by professional outside agitators.” The mayor didn’t provide specific evidence to back up that contention, which was disputed by protest organizers and participants.

NYPD officials made similar claims about “outside agitators” during the huge, grassroots demonstrations against racial injustice that erupted across the city after the death of George Floyd in 2020. In some instances, top police officials falsely labeled peaceful marches organized by well-known neighborhood activists as the work of violent extremists.

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Taylor Swift performs during a The Eras Tour stop in Singapore. Photo: Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management The University of South Florida may not have a Tortured Poets Department, but it will offer a course this fall studying the work of Taylor Swift. State of play: The course is officially styled LIT3301: Cultural Studies and Popular Art, according to The Oracle, USF's student-run publication. • It arose from a conversation between three English professors who were probing the lyrics of "Begin Again" from Swift's album "Red," The Oracle...

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FWC: Several IDed as investigation continues into boaters seen dumping trash into ocean

Christina Vazquez , Reporter

Chris Gothner , Digital Journalist

Louis Aguirre , Anchor/Reporter/Environmental Advocate

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is continuing its investigation into a group of boaters seen dumping trash — then gleefully celebrating what they did — in the waters off South Florida over the weekend.

The incident was captured on video taken by social media content creator Wavy Boats . It shows the group dumping two garbage cans full of trash into the ocean about a mile and a half offshore the Boca Raton Inlet Sunday afternoon, during the annual Boca Bash.

FWC spokesperson Arielle Callender said Tuesday that “several subjects have been identified” and that the agency’s investigators “are working closely with the State Attorney’s Office to identify appropriate charges for this incident.”

The video upset many who watched it, including FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

“Like many people, my phone has been blowing up all weekend since this came out online and we are not happy about it,” he told Local 10 News. “I am glad the media is covering this.”

Barreto said multiple agencies, including the FWC, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are investigating the matter.

The FWC is asking anyone involved with or who has information on the incident to call its Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

If you want to help clean up South Florida’s beaches, visit VolunteerCleanup.org .

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Christina vazquez.

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

Chris Gothner

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Admit-a-bull // official admissions blog, college campus tours in summer.

By Leigh Perkins | Last Updated: Nov 28, 2023

Spring and fall campus tours get all the glory, but for many students, there is no better time than summer to get to know a school. Visiting schools in summer can be the first step in the college search in your sophomore or junior year, or it can be among final steps for rising seniors narrowing their list of target schools as the application deadline approaches. No matter where you are in your search, college campus tours in summer might be the best option for a more relaxed and realistic exploration of the schools you’re considering .

Top 5 Reasons to Plan a Summer Campus Tour

5. you have the time.

In the summer, you have no homework and no extracurriculars, so you don’t have to rush. Opt for spring break tours and you’ll have about a week to cram in every destination. You’re also less plagued with deadlines in summer, unlike late fall, when the clock is ticking on submitting your applications.

4. Your Tour Group Could Be Much Smaller

At large universities, tour groups often accommodate up to 100 people. Summer tours are typically smaller and a little more easygoing, allowing you to observe the architecture, the interaction of students, and the feel of the campus, as well as ask the tour guide more of the questions that matter most to you.

3. You Might Get One-on-One Time with an Admissions Officer

Spring is a busy time for college admissions staff members, when they’re making final decisions on next year’s incoming class. But summer often finds admission staff with a little more liberty to personally welcome visiting families. See whether you can schedule a short, casual appointment.

2. Your Budget Will Be Better Off

If you’re taking a family vacation in the summer, schedule it for double duty by adding a campus tour to your itinerary. If you don’t have the budget to visit far-away schools, plan road trips to campuses within driving distance of home or consider taking a train or bus for a daytrip. Wait to visit non-local schools until you’ve been accepted.

1. Your College Search Will Get Real Really Fast

Chemistry with a campus happens, or it doesn’t. A summer tour can give you clarity so you’re pinning your aspirations to the right schools. It also can solidify for you that this is happening — college is in your future. Having a vision (and some snapshots) of yourself on the campuses you loved can inspire you to be more disciplined academically and more responsible personally.

What You Need to Know About Summer Campus Tours

• They’re free. Schools do not charge for tours.
• They’re structured . The student guide will keep to a script and follow a standard route, usually ending with a group information session with financial aid or admissions staff. The whole experience usually takes two to three hours . Call about specialty tours for programs like honors college or student athletics.
• They’re for every college-bound student. You do not need to wait to apply or to be accepted before you schedule a summer tour. (In any case, summer tours do not coincide with decision deadlines in May.) You can tour any campus without the school requiring any further action on your part. It is a test-run, not a commitment.
• They might tip the scales . Some schools consider your campus tour to be an indication of your demonstrated interest , so if you’re serious about a school and can afford to visit, a summer tour might be a good way to get on admission’s radar.

Tips for Scheduling Your Summer Tour

• Register in advance. Summer tours can fill quickly, particularly before and after holidays, so always reserve your spot on the school’s online registration page.
• Create a checklist. Planning what you want to see outside of the tour , including the town’s cultural attractions, can help you limit information overload. If the football stadium is essential to you, or the physics lab, make sure those sites are on your list.
• Visit when school is in session . It might not be as bustling and lively as a visit during fall or spring, but if you plan your guided tour for a weekday when school is in its summer session , you’ll get a good taste of its campus life, with fewer distractions.
• Limit your daily schedule . Most colleges offer a morning tour and an afternoon session. Resist the temptation to crowd in a self-guided tour on a third campus. Tired touring is grumpy touring — not your best state of mind for making college decisions.
• Eat the lunch. If the school offers a meal ticket for the campus dining hall, accept it happily. Eating campus food, catching the vibe among students, and taking a moment to recharge will give you vital information about how you’d feel as a student there.
• Dress appropriately . The tours usually cover a lot of ground in summer heat, so wear walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lightweight, casual clothes.
• Be honest with yourself. Visit only the schools that appeal to you in multiple categories : academics, affordability, community, location, athletics, culture, reputation, selectivity, size, and opportunities for personal growth.
• Take notes and photos . Jot down important information and snap photos. When the time comes to apply, these details can jog your memory, helping you narrow your choices or add color to your admission essay.
• Sit in on a class. Not every summer tour can accommodate a classroom visit, but if the campus offers it, take a seat. Chat with the professor after class, too.
• Go virtual first . One click can lead you on a panoramic walk-through of almost any campus in the country, helping you decide which schools are a must-see in person. USF’s virtual tour offers a 360-degree view of our three sunny Tampa Bay campuses and friendly faces.
• Consider a self-guided tour . Student-led tours can be limited in summer, but you can follow a self-guided tour anytime. Many schools offer an app for walking tours.
• Ask questions . Questions about scholarships, financial aid, or obscure majors may not be easy for student guides to answer, but they can give you an insider’s opinion on topics essential to your decision , such as campus safety, living on campus versus off campus, and the best place for cheap pizza.
• Make it fun. The summer campus tour is an extraordinary opportunity for you and your family to connect and discuss your future, but it also should be a lot of fun . Turn your trip into an adventure, tucking campus tours in between beach days, nature hikes, theme parks, culinary explorations, family reunions, and big-city sightseeing.

Making the Most of a Summer Tour, Year by Year

Each summer of high school offers a distinct opportunity for you to connect with colleges that interest you.

Freshman Year

• Wander your local campus. The summer after your first year of high school is a great time to do a walking tour of the college nearest home to sightsee and soak it all in.
• Enroll in a summer program. Take your tour to the next level with a pre-college program for high school students in the arts, academics, or sports, which can allow you to live in a residence hall for a week or more. To give you a first taste of college life, USF offers several pre-college summer programs .

Sophomore Year

• Check out all nearby schools. The summer after your second year of high school is the time to explore every campus within a daytrip from home, even if it’s just a quick walk-through.
• Book your first official tour. Touring your hometown or closest college sets a benchmark so you can compare target school pros and cons.

Junior Year

• Take advantage of diversity fly-in programs. Some colleges have programs that pay for high-achieving rising seniors from under-represented backgrounds to stay in a residence hall, attend classes, eat in the dining hall, and experience college life.
• Arrange on-campus interviews. Not every school requires a face-to-face conversation with an admissions officer, but it’s smart to arrange interview s if your top schools consider them part of their application package; plus, it gives you an opportunity to get to know campus before you send in your application in the fall.

Senior Year

• Tour once before orientation. If it’s in the budget, the summer after you graduate (but before you actually move in) is a good time to check out your new college. With fewer students on campus, the pace is slower, the stakes are lower, and you can get your bearings. By the time move-in day arrives, you’ll already know your way around.

We invite you to register online for USF’s campus tour . Our tours are led by Green and Gold Guides, students who love to share what they love most about this university. If you are unable to visit in person, check out our virtual tours . Questions about tours or enrollment? Contact us online or by phone at  813-974-3350 .

About Leigh Perkins

Freelance marketing writer Leigh Brown Perkins firmly believes that building new skills and chasing new ideas should be a lifelong quest for all of us.

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Florida Republicans Just Wrecked Abortion Access for the Whole South

The sunshine state has implemented a six-week abortion ban..

Florida’s new abortion ban went into effect on Wednesday, terminating access to the medical procedure past six weeks of pregnancy—and wiping out access for much of the southeastern United States.

The new law will prohibit abortion well before a lot of people even realize they’re pregnant, and just one week before drugstore pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy hormones in their earliest, and least reliable, window. The restriction will force patients in need of the procedure to seek treatment in North Carolina, where abortion is banned after 12 weeks, or even further.

Governor Ron DeSantis pushed the law through in April 2023 while campaigning for president, despite dissent from within the state. The move was viewed as something that could prove popular with some voters in swing states such as Iowa, but DeSantis’s presidential bid fell apart when he announced in January that he would be withdrawing from the race—and left Florida holding the bag.

“This is the biggest change to the abortion access landscape since Roe was overturned,” Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, executive director of Florida Access Network, told The New Republic ’s Melissa Gira Grant. “This is being done to further decimate the abortion access landscape in a way that you can’t come back from.”

Prior to the ban, Florida allowed abortion up to 15 weeks, making the state a haven for people seeking the medical procedure in the South. The six-week ban passed alongside similarly restrictive bans in neighboring states, meaning that now, abortion access throughout the entire region has been crippled.

Backlash to Florida’s new law has been extreme, with more than a million Floridians signing a petition to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and putting abortion rights on the ballot in November. That initiative, known as Amendment Four, would protect abortion until “fetal viability” at approximately 24 weeks. Still, a possible win in the second half of the year will come “on the backs” of people who will have to suffer now, giving birth “when they didn’t want to,” executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund Megan Jeyifo told NPR .

Trump’s New Comments on Gaza Protests Make No Sense Whatsoever

The republican presidential nominee offered up a word salad when asked about the university protests..

As state violence ramped up against student-led Gaza solidarity protests across the country late Tuesday, Donald Trump couldn’t seem to put his thoughts together.

In a jumbled word salad, Trump hopped from buzzword to buzzword on the issue, and the result is a big nothingburger.

“You look at the antisemitism, the hatred of Israel by so many people,” Trump told Fox News. “You go back 10 years, Israel was protected by Congress. And now, Congress is just doing numbers that are unbelievable with I think a very, very small group of people within Congress, and it’s gotta stop.”

Trump: You go back 10 years, Israel was protected by Congress. Now, Congress is just doing numbers that are unbelievable with I think a very very small group of people within Congress and it’s gotta stop pic.twitter.com/Vcs0YnzHEQ — Acyn (@Acyn) May 1, 2024

The New York Police Department violently uprooted student protests at Columbia University and City College of New York at the behest of Mayor Eric Adams late Tuesday night, making 282 arrests and indiscriminately attacking activists, students, and members of the press. The upheaval, during which police also threatened to arrest the dean of one of the country’s top journalism schools for shielding the media’s First Amendment right to cover the event, shocked international human rights and press freedom advocates, and even other local lawmakers, who appeared more able in the moment of conflict to voice their opinions than the GOP presidential candidate.

“If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and [university] presidents,” wrote New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “Other leaders and schools have found a safe, de-escalatory path. This is the opposite of leadership and endangers public safety. A nightmare in the making.”

Protest-related arrests were also made at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Tulane University. Meanwhile, authorities at the University of California Los Angeles allowed a mob of pro-Israel supporters to beat and attack the student encampment with weapons that appeared to include fireworks, pepper spray, and tear gas.

The international criminal court at The Hague is weighing whether or not to charge Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with war crimes as the country’s war on Gaza claims so many lives that local authorities say they can no longer keep count. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 Palestinians have been injured in the conflict, according to data from the Gaza Health Ministry . Most of the victims have been women and children.

Israel has advanced its attacks on the beleaguered nation by blocking humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it. Israel has also utilized mass starvation, as well as blocking or destroying access to critical resources such as water, food, fuel, electricity, and medical aid.

Mitt Romney Brutally Takes Down Kristi Noem Over Puppy Murder

Republicans have finally found something to unify them: trashing kristi noem..

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is now in the doghouse with her fellow Republicans.

More than a week ago, an advance copy of her new book revealed that she shot and killed her pet puppy allegedly because it wasn’t well behaved. After receiving backlash, Noem proceeded to double down , and now her Republican colleagues aren’t holding back.

“I didn’t eat my dog. I didn’t shoot my dog. I loved my dog, and my dog loved me,” Utah Senator Mitt Romney told HuffPost Tuesday evening. During his 2012 run for president, Romney was criticized for a story where he tied his family’s dog to the roof of his car during a road trip with his family.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said Noem was “obviously not an experienced dog trainer because I’ve seen ill-behaved dogs are usually a reflection of their owner.” Tillis, who loves dogs so much that he hosts a “bipawtisan” dog parade for Halloween every year in Washington, noted that most dog owners would “go find someone that would actually take the dog and train it, rehabilitate it.”

In the House of Representatives, several Republicans said Noem’s story hurt their opinion of the governor and that they wouldn’t want her as Donald Trump’s running mate. When asked if the dog story would hurt Noem’s chances, Representative Nicole Malliotakis said to Politico , “It does for me.”

“The worst part of it is that it wasn’t a hit job. She volunteered the information. So, when somebody tells you who they are, believe them,” added Malliotakis, who is known to carry her puppy Luna around the Capitol.

One representative, speaking anonymously, said they didn’t think Noem “was ever a serious [running mate] contender,” making Noem’s revelation—a clear bid to boost her chances as Trump’s potential vice presidential pick—all the more embarrassing. The lawmaker added that the dog story would rule Noem out anyway because it’s “too much of a distraction.”

The Trump campaign apparently agrees, as one campaign official told Semafor that “Governor Noem just keeps proving over and over that she’s a lightweight.”

“We can’t afford a Kamala problem,” the official added, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Noem admitted to deliberately killing her 14-month-old pet dog Cricket in her upcoming book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward. She called the dog “untrainable,” “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with,” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog.”

“It’s a story that doesn’t go away,” said Representative Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota to Politico. “And it’s not a good story.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Finally Making Good on Her Johnson Threats

The georgia republican is preparing to unleash chaos on the house of representatives..

Two months after announcing it, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she’s finally going to file a motion to vacate House Speaker Mike Jonhson sometime next week.

“Next week, I am gonna be calling this motion to vacate,” Greene said at a press conference Wednesday morning, calling Johnson a “uniparty” lawmaker for getting the Democrats to back him and claiming that the “American people need to see a recorded vote.”

Greene filed a motion to vacate in March after Johnson worked with Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to pass a $1.2 trillion omnibus bill, torching him for accomplishing one of the legislature’s primary annual responsibilities: funding the government.

In the months since she announced her intentions to undermine the Republican House leader, Greene has had just a small handful of GOP defectors join her. But when pressed about who her tiny cohort would prefer to have run the House, Greene simply said “we have people,” and then said she wouldn’t be “naming names.”

Johnson dismissed Greene’s motion as “wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country.”

When the vote does come to a head, Johnson’s seat appears to be, effectively, safe. Both Republicans and Democratic leadership have come out in support of the speaker, who in the seven months since he took the gavel has been forced to foster bipartisanship on controversial legislation ranging from foreign aid packages to domestic surveillance programs.

And despite what Greene has described as a “ slimy back room deal ,” Johnson insisted Tuesday that he hadn’t sought help from any Democrats to save his skin. Instead, Democrats seem to have decided on their own to support Johnson.

“At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction,” wrote the Democratic leaders of the House in a joint statement issued Tuesday. “We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed.”

Greene’s strategy, meanwhile, hasn’t panned out half as well for her. The Georgian’s repeated threats to oust Johnson with such meager support has backed her into a corner. If she calls the vote off now, she’ll look weak. But the apparent bit of political theater isn’t earning her any allies: even the ultimate chaos-inducing candidate, Donald Trump, supports Johnson’s tenure.

In a Tuesday interview on NewsNation’s The Hill , Johnson threw his own shade at Greene.

“Bless her heart,” the Louisiana lawmaker said when asked if he considers her a serious lawmaker. “I don’t think she is proving to be. No. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about her.”

This story has been updated.

Elise Stefanik Is a Trump Stooge—and This Ethics Complaint Proves It

The republican representative has filed an ethics complaint against jack smith for the absolute dumbest reason..

Representative Elise Stefanik is mad at special counsel Jack Smith for doing his job and prosecuting Donald Trump.

In an ironic move betraying a complete lack of self-recognition, Stefanik on Tuesday filed an ethics complaint against Smith for “ illegal election interference .”

🚨🚨🚨 I just filed an official ethics complaint against Jack Smith with the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility for his illegal election interference. It’s obvious to any reasonable observer that Jack Smith is trying to interfere with the 2024 election… pic.twitter.com/lNW4MUz5Oi — Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) April 30, 2024

“At every turn, he has sought to accelerate his illegal prosecution of President Trump for the clear (if unstated) purpose of trying him before the November election,” the complaint says about Smith.

Attacking Smith for interfering with the 2024 election is outrageous, especially since Smith is investigating and prosecuting Trump for interfering with the 2020 election . And Trump’s entire legal strategy seems to be to delay proceedings so they don’t affect his reelection campaign this time around.

But perhaps it’s no surprise that Stefanik has stooped this low to help Trump, and to pitch herself as his vice president. In the past, she has said she wouldn’t have certified the election if she were in Mike Pence’s position on January 6, 2021. She has gotten angry at a reporter who reminded her that a jury found Trump liable of sexual abuse. She has called the January 6 rioters “ hostages ’’ and angrily claimed that New York state law requiring Trump to be physically present for his money trial, is, you guessed it, “ total election interference .”

She’s even tried to claim that the country was better off four years ago during Trump’s presidency, completely forgetting that Trump was badly mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic during that time. To sum up her latest bonkers move, Stefanik simply wants attention, probably from Trump himself.

This Is the Money Quote in Trump’s Hush-Money Trial

A key witness revealed just how involved donald trump was in the deal..

Donald Trump’s alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels to mute a crescendoing story about their 2008 affair may have begun with David Pecker’s American Media Inc., but it certainly didn’t end there.

While on the stand Tuesday, Daniels’s former attorney Keith Davidson claimed that “after AMI washed their hands of the deal, AMI handed it off” to Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen. “In essence, Michael Cohen stepped into AMI’s shoes,” Davidson said.

After a rocky payoff to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, the tabloid company seemingly wanted nothing to do with a new scheme to cover up another one of Trump’s affairs—but it wasn’t so simple as Davidson handing the money over to her on his own. According to Davidson, he was always under the impression that the funds were coming directly from “Donald Trump or some corporate affiliation” of the Trump Organization.

But after Cohen failed to make several deadlines for the hush-money payments (and blamed the nonpayments on everything from Yom Kippur to the Secret Service), Davidson notified Cohen that the porn actress would be canceling the agreement.

“I thought he was trying to kick the can down the road until after the election,” Davidson told the court when asked to explain what he thought the reasoning was for the nonpayments.

“I think you can tell by these emails I was sending him, there was a great level of frustration by me and my client,” Davidson testified. “I let him know that the level of dissatisfaction was quite high. He stated, ‘Goddamn it. I’ll just do it myself.’”

Davidson explained he interpreted that as Cohen saying he would just pay up without seeking express permission to do so. A wire transfer form for the payment, displayed earlier Tuesday, showed that Cohen described the payment to Davidson as a “retainer” for legal services.

Trump is accused of using Cohen to sweep an affair with Daniels under the rug ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The Republican presidential nominee faces 34 felony charges in this case for allegedly falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime. Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Ted Cruz Wants to Make Sure Airlines Don’t Have to Refund Your Money

Bizarre policy to be advocating for right before november, but ok..

Ted Cruz and four of his fellow members of Congress want you to fly through hoops to get a refund from an airline.

Last week, the Biden administration issued a new rule requiring automatic refunds from airlines if a flight is delayed or canceled. But then, Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, as well as Representatives Sam Graves and Rick Larsen, proposed legislation that would undermine the rule by requiring passengers to submit a “written or electronic request” to get a full refund if their flight is canceled or heavily delayed.

The bill would essentially make refunds only available to people who have the time and resources to navigate whatever processes an airline sets up. Plus, contacting an airline has never been easy to do . This would also seem to defeat the purpose of Biden’s new rule: hassle-free payback to inconvenienced travelers.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them—without headaches or haggling,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement last week. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.” 

It’s not just Republicans attempting to ground Biden’s new rule: Cantwell and Larsen are both Democrats from Washington state, where airplane manufacturer Boeing has several facilities . But why is Cruz weighing in? It might be because he has been obsessing over air travel in recent months, even proposing a bill to give politicians extra security in airports so they don’t have to spend so much time in line.

That bill would also reduce the likelihood of the public seeing or interacting with politicians when they fly—something Cruz wants to avoid, lest he be seen flying to Cancun again while his constituents in Texas get hit with severe weather.

Fox News Rushes to Do Damage Control After Hunter Biden Lawsuit

The network had a not-at-all guilty response to reports that hunter biden plans to sue..

Fox News has quietly pulled The Trial of Hunter Biden , a six-part “mock trial” of Hunter Biden , from its digital streaming service, signaling that the company is taking the “imminently” arriving lawsuit announced by the president’s son more seriously than it had initially let on.

The scrub was first reported on Tuesday by the Daily Beast, just one day after Biden’s attorneys went public with a letter warning of forthcoming legal action due to the conservative media behemoth’s “relentless” attacks against him. Biden’s team accuses Fox of “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light.”

The letter also accused the network of knowing that nude images it circulated of Biden, allegedly taken from his laptop, were “hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated digital material” but continuing to publish them regardless, despite multiple state laws banning such acts under the umbrella of revenge porn .

In a statement issued Tuesday to CNN , Fox claimed that it had taken down the explicit miniseries simply out of “an abundance of caution” while it reviewed the letter. Still, handing Biden’s legal team exactly what they wanted is a far cry from the defiant counter statement shared by Fox just hours earlier that insisted the company had accurately covered relevant events pertaining to Biden, including investigations by the Department of Justice and Congress and indictments by U.S. attorney’s offices.

“Hunter Biden’s lawyers have belatedly chosen to publicly attack Fox News’ constitutionally protected coverage regarding their client,” a spokesperson for the network told The New Republic. “Mr. Biden is a public figure who has been the subject of investigations by both the Department of Justice and Congress, has been indicted by two different US Attorney’s Offices in California and Delaware, and has admitted to multiple incidents of wrongdoing. Consistent with the First Amendment, Fox News has accurately covered these highly publicized events as well as the subsequent indictment of an FBI informant who was the source of certain claims made about Mr. Biden.”

“Blockbuster Trump Story”: Witness Reveals How Hush-Money All Began

Keith davidson, who represented both stormy daniels and karen mcdougal, just confirmed some damning texts..

A major witness in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial confirmed a key text message that set off the controversial payments.

Keith Davidson, who was previously the lawyer for both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, took the stand in Trump’s trial on Tuesday. Davidson, notably, was also responsible for transferring the $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels.

During the trial, Davidson read aloud some texts he sent in June 2016 to Dylan Howard, then National Enquirer ’ s editor in chief and chief of content for its parent company, American Media Inc.

“I have a blockbuster Trump story,” Davidson texted Howard at the time, referring to the story of Trump and McDougal’s affair.

“Talk first thing,” Howard replied. “I will get you more than anyone for it, you know why.”

Three days later, Howard followed up. “Did [Trump] cheat on Melania?” he texted Davidson. “Do you know if the affair was during his marriage to Melania?”

“I really cannot say yet. Sorry,” Davidson replied.

“OK. Keep me informed,” Howard texted.

The text messages between the two also reveal that Howard flew out to meet McDougal and Davidson for an in-person meeting just a few days later to discuss the story.

The most interesting part of Davidson’s testimony? Howard’s text message: “I will get you more than anyone for it, you know why.” As previous witnesses have also confirmed, the Enquirer was willing to pay handsomely to bury the McDougal story, all to help Trump just before the election.

Trump Is Totally Pissed at His Lawyer as Hush-Money Trial Goes South

Donald trump is reportedly fuming at his lawyer todd blanche, as things take a turn for the worse in this trial..

Donald Trump is mad at his attorney Todd Blanche, and is complaining about him constantly.

The New York Times , citing four anonymous sources, reports that the former president is mad that Blanche isn’t following his instructions closely in his hush-money trial, and isn’t being aggressive enough. Trump reportedly wants to see Blanche attacking witnesses, the judge, and even the jury pool in the case more often.

But if Blanche isn’t being aggressive, it might be for a good reason. The attorney has already been reprimanded once for trying to defend Trump against a gag order , claiming that Trump’s posts on Truth Social didn’t violate the order. That drew the ire of Judge Juan Merchan.

“Mr. Blanche, you are losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan warned last week .

The Times article mentions that Trump often vents about not having someone like Roy Cohn , his former infamous lawyer who had a reputation for ruthlessness and dirty tricks. Trump’s complaints track with the rest of his poor record with lawyers. Trump has a history of failing to pay his lawyers, who also tend to quit often. The top lawyer in his classified documents case, Evan Corcoran, quit just a few months ago . Two other lawyers left his legal team last year amid reports of infighting . At least one lawyer on his legal team, Alina Habba, says she was chosen for her looks over her intelligence, and her bizarre defenses of the former president seem to confirm that.

Blanche, a white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has been representing Trump since June , and has previously represented other figures in Trump’s orbit, such as his 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort and Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudy Giuliani. He has a tall order in defending Trump from 34 felony charges for allegedly paying off adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair prior to the 2016 election. If he’s not performing to Trump’s liking, he might not last much longer.

University of South Florida

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USF to confer more than 7,000 degrees during spring commencement ceremonies

April 29, 2024

University News

By Daphne Kotschessa Almodovar and Kevin Watler , University Communications and Marketing

The University of South Florida will award more than 7,000 degrees during spring commencement exercises May 2-5 in the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus. The ceremonies include recipients of approximately 5,260 bachelor’s, 1,618 master’s, 179 doctoral and six specialist degrees. 

The group features 114 undergraduate students earning a perfect 4.0 GPA and 168 student veterans, and includes students from 46 states and 89 nations. More than 40 percent of the spring undergraduates (2,124) are recipients of Pell Grants, reflecting USF’s impact on social mobility. Pell is a federal financial aid program for students from modest socioeconomic backgrounds. 

USF President Rhea Law will preside over all 10 ceremonies and will present several community members with awards throughout the weekend’s ceremonies. 

More information about the ceremonies is available here .

Deziree Price

Bachelor of Science in industrial and management systems engineering

They say it takes a village and Deziree Price had one indeed. She grew up in Virginia Beach, Va. with parents who had little money and no college education but were rich with unconditional love. Price’s mother brought her and her brother along to the daycare where she worked while her dad was often away serving the Navy. Her extended family and community of caregivers helped instill empathy and resilience, while her dad’s dedication was felt even from a distance. It motivated her success at USF.

“My journey at the USF Institute of Applied Engineering began with simple acts of kindness and a humble request for an opportunity,” Price said.

Starting as a student assistant at the IAE, she offered support to the engineers, later spending a year and a half as a quality and test engineering intern, followed by a project engineering intern, where she gained hands-on experience in planning the Rapid Experimentation Lab, which opened in March.

“I was involved in tasks such as scheduling, layout planning, risk management and process creation for the new Rapid Experimentation Lab,” Price said.

Today, her parents' journey serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to her. Price’s father eventually earned bachelor’s and master's degrees in cybersecurity and her mother obtained numerous education certifications to now manage a daycare, showing Price that overcoming adversity is possible.

“There have been tough moments when I've had to rely on myself, but that is the reality of being a responsible adult and I always remind myself to persevere, knowing that all my efforts will eventually yield results,” Price said. “I take pride in my independence and my ability to provide for myself.”

Price affirms USF has been a blessing, opening doors to remarkable opportunities through the merit-based USF Green and Gold Presidential Scholarship and including an unforgettable journey to Iceland through the Green Program, a USF-affiliated study abroad program. 

A proud member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, along with the Kenneth Dorsey Jr. Foundation, Price gained friends at USF who have supported her in every aspect of life. She is grateful to her professors for their invaluable guidance and encouragement, which has played a pivotal role in her achievement, graduating with honors. 

Price was hired to work full-time as an engineer at the IAE and will remain at USF in the accelerated master's in engineering management program.

Bachelor of Science in integrated public relations and advertising

tyler-scream

tyler-soflorodeo

tyler with mannequin

If you felt the fan frenzy in the Yuengling Center during USF basketball games, Tyler Moss can be thanked for making the magic happen. The sports aficionado is the mastermind behind SoFlo Rodeo, running marketing campaigns focused on enhancing engagement and attendance.

With support from USF Athletics, Moss created a comprehensive marketing plan in November 2023 that catapulted student interest, reawakened alumni and embedded memorable experiences that tapped untouched pockets of the USF community to nurture a new generation of fans.

“In my eyes, we bridged a gap between USF Athletics and the student body,” Moss said. “For what seemed like the first time in program history, the two were united and inspired a wave supporting other programs at USF.”

Moss began his journey at USF having first obtained guaranteed admission via the FUSE pathway program and transferred from Hillsborough Community College with an associate degree in sports management. He has helped the USF hockey club with marketing and served as vice president of the USF Public Relations Student Society of America, following in the footsteps of his parents, who are public relations professionals in Tampa Bay. While building strong relationships and crafting strategic plans come naturally to Moss, his biggest hurdle at USF was finding a balance.

“Throughout my entire journey at USF, I maintained at least three jobs and had five at one time,” he said. “All of this and my schooling created a challenge. However, I never failed a class or missed a commitment and for that, I am proud.”

Moss credits USF for granting him the many opportunities to showcase his abilities and thrive with constant support from professors and USF Athletics.

Upon graduation, Moss hopes to work in collegiate athletics and eventually become an athletic director. He has already accepted an offer to work on developing communications campaigns with the USF Greater Tampa Alumni Chapter.

Kelin Griffin

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, double minor in Deaf Studies and Linguistics

In elementary school, Kelin Griffin was asked to write a letter to her future self. And in it, she wrote that she was going to attend USF. With grandparents, parents, two uncles and a brother who are all alums, it was Griffin’s destiny to attend the University of South Florida. Although she grew up in a small town in southern Maryland, her parents were still active and avid fans of USF athletics.  Any time they visited Florida, it was a ritual to visit USF, go to the bookstore and take photos with the bull statues.

“USF was something I was always exposed to. When my dad's job brought us to Maryland, the things he missed most were the basketball and football games,” Griffin said. “Many of my mom's friends from college became family to me and my siblings.”

Griffin has more college-branded clothes than she can count. Once she applied and was accepted to USF, Griffin’s decision to attend was easy. She immersed herself in the summer Academic and Cultural Engagement program – designed to help students more easily transition from high school to college by facilitating specialized academics, community building and campus engagement experiences. 

Griffin found her calling as a supporter of the deaf community. She was elected vice president of the American Sign Language Bulls at the end of her junior year and is inspired to pursue a career as an interpreter.

“USF has given me opportunities to grow into myself and learn valuable practical skills such as organization, time management, leadership, communication and respect,” Griffin said. “I am very appreciative of my time at USF and cannot wait to participate as an active member of the Alumni Association.” 

Griffin’s parents have since relocated to Tampa and become season ticketholders for USF football and women's basketball games. They attend Alumni Association events and were named Family of the Year in 2022. That same year, Griffin married her high school sweetheart, Shawn. The couple will welcome their first child in August, a baby boy they hope will carry on the USF family legacy. 

William Rasmussen

Master's degree in history

William Rasmussen dedicated his life to serving his country and pursuing knowledge. A retired Army colonel who specialized in military intelligence, he transitioned from analyzing Soviet strategy to tackling terrorism in Africa. As a defense attaché in the Congo and Kenya, he navigated complex diplomatic challenges. In his civilian role, he continued to combat terrorism in Africa.

Now, as an educator at several Tampa Bay area colleges, he shares his expertise in American history, government and military history. With a master’s degree in international relations and soon a master’s in history, Rasmussen embodies a commitment to lifelong learning and service. At the age of 69, he is the oldest graduate this semester.

Anastasia Kovalyshin

Bachelor of science in health sciences

At 17 years old, Anastasia Kovalyshin is the youngest graduate this semester. Her passion for medicine led her to excel in advanced classes and graduate high school early, at the age of 15. Despite challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, where her family is from, Kovalyshin found strength in her faith and family.

A highlight of her time at USF was leading a course for first-year students in the Judy Genshaft Honors College. Kovalyshin also volunteers at her local Ukrainian Catholic Church, honing her leadership skills.

Cole eicher

Bachelor of Science in marketing

As Cole Eicher prepares to graduate, he’s also celebrating another milestone: ten years of being cancer free. In 2014 at the age of 12, Eicher was diagnosed with brain cancer. After weeks of experiencing migraines, dizziness, nausea and bouts of double vision, a golf-ball sized tumor was discovered in the back of his brain. He needed immediate surgery.

Now, he views the last 10 years as a gift, one where he was given time to learn how to drive a car, make new friends and even win USF St. Petersburg’s cardboard boat race. 

“And now I have the gift of walking at commencement,” said Eicher, who will be graduating magna cum laude.

He has taken full advantage of this time by helping other kids diagnosed with cancer. After his recovery, Eicher got involved in Relay for Life. This American Cancer Society initiative celebrates survivors and remembers those lost to the disease by organizing relay teams that gather for community events to walk, raise awareness and money, and support those fighting cancer. Eicher was so touched at these gatherings that he set a goal of forming a team.

That goal became Gold Together for Childhood Cancer, a non-profit he started in high school. He hoped through this organization to provide a platform that would raise awareness for childhood cancer and funds for research and support programs, while providing communities a vehicle to support kids fighting cancer by forming their own Gold Together teams for Relay for Life. It proved so successful that in 2018, it became the official childhood cancer initiative for ACS.

What started as one team, is now in nearly 150 communities and has raised more than $11 million. 

Cole has shared his inspirational story many times over the years. On one such occasion it inspired then-USF President Judy Genshaft to offer Eicher a full scholarship to come to USF. He chose the St. Petersburg campus for its atmosphere, community feel and small class sizes. 

He became a marketing major because of his love connecting with people, being a brand ambassador and building relationships. These were the same reasons he became a peer coach on campus, providing guidance and helping acclimate nearly 150 students into college life. Eicher also assisted in creating a student club on campus called ACS with the Bulls. The club will be bringing a Relay for Life event to the USF Tampa campus in the spring of 2025.

It is these experiences and relationships that he cherishes the most.

“My brain cancer operation took place at John’s Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, right next to campus,” he said. “My journey truly feels full circle right now.”

Brandon gonzalez

Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity

Born in Miami, Brandon Gonzalez has lived all over Florida, helping his Cuban immigrant father work as a general contractor.

“Traveling to disaster sites immediately after major hurricanes to help my father replace roofs, seeing the damage caused and how much my help can change lives made me realize that even I can make a difference and change the world,” Gonzalez said. “This sparked a feeling inside, leading me down the path of cybersecurity, wanting to help the helpless and those who do not fully understand the complex technology today from cyberthreats.”

A first-generation college student, Gonzalez transferred to the USF Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering in the spring of 2022 after completing his associate degree Summa Cum Laude from the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. He is a founding member of USF Cyberherd, a national-level cybersecurity competition team that recently took first place in the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Southeast Regional and runner-up at one of the most important defense competitions in the cybersecurity field, the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition at Kennedy Space Center.

“My experience at USF truly did change my life,” Gonzalez said. “The friendships I made along the way are who I dedicate the most of my success to. I would not have been able to get through it all without them.”

At USF, Gonzalez assisted the Muma College of Business in testing a free resource to enhance cyber safety in the workplace and was among the first to earn the KnowBe4-USF Cyber Resilience Program certification. Supported by a scholarship under the National Science Foundation S-STEM Program, Gonzalez also held various positions within the student-run organization, the Whitehatters Computer Security Club, which provides hands-on experience with real-world security problems, such as penetration testing, active defense, and cyber forensics.

In addition to winning competitions, Gonzalez spent his summers mentoring high school students on their path to cybersecurity participating in the 502 Project, a workforce development program, and interning with cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest. After graduation, Gonzalez will be moving up north to work in the public sector helping protect the country from cyber threats.

Amna Wajahat

Bachelor of Science in business analytics and information systems

Meeting new friends and establishing a foothold in the business community proved to be the biggest hurdles Amna Wajahat faced while at USF. The New Tampa native was already familiar with the ins and outs of the university. Her two older sisters, Labeena and Leena, are proud Bull alums, graduating with honors in 2013 and 2022 respectively. But as a commuter student, Wajahat felt apprehensive about not experiencing the traditional college journey.

Once she delved into the networking opportunities offered by USF, Wajahat began to thrive.

“The Muma College of Business hosted speaker sessions with leading industry professionals, the Bellini Center for Talent Development offered valuable career development workshops and internship showcases, while the Judy Genshaft Honors College facilitated my interactions with fellow high-achieving students,” Wajahat said. “These three resources contributed significantly to my academic and professional growth during my time at USF.”

Taking advantage of dual enrollment during high school, earning the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship and a scholarship from USF for her achievements, Wajahat arrived at USF with an associate degree, and accelerated her path to graduation. She maintained a 3.9 GPA and remained committed to academic excellence by engaging in rigorous coursework both within her major and through the Honors College.

Wajahat developed leadership skills by working as a Power BI developer on the Honors IT team, where she handled data analysis and reporting responsibilities. Additionally, she served as a peer mentor to first-year students, providing guidance and support as they began their college journey. For her Honors College Capstone project, Wajahat served as a student consultant for a European digital marketing agency and gained valuable insights into project management and client relations.

She most enjoyed a class focused on South Korean culture and identity, delving into topics such as history, language, and social customs. This culminated in a study abroad trip to Seoul, South Korea, where she experienced the Asian culture and even partnered with Yonsei University for a virtual pen pal program that later allowed her to meet her pen pal in person.

Participating in the Women in Business Society, Project Downtown, Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2024 and volunteering at Feeding Tampa Bay, the English and Urdu speaker excelled in her internship at Citibank. She was recently selected as a Muma College of Business 25 under 25 Honoree. Wajahat recently accepted an offer to join Citibank as an enterprise operations and technology analyst.

Shirley Ngo

Bachelor of Science in health sciences

Despite growing up in Tampa, for Shirley Ngo, USF was still a foreign place. She’s a first-generation college student and Pell grant recipient with a strong, hard-working Vietnamese and Chinese family that supported her pursuit of a college education. They inspired her journey and infused her with love, but she had to figure out how to do college all on her own.

"Although it is a privilege and an honor to be able to attend and let alone be the first in my immediate family to do so, I really did struggle at first when trying to figure out financial aid and other factors,” Ngo said. “There were many nights when I felt alone.”

Taking advantage of the various financial resources offered by USF, including grants, work-study programs, and advisors available to consult along the way, Ngo flourished. And armed with a deep understanding of the struggles first-generation students can face, she was right there for her brother Jason when it came time for him to attend USF. He is now a junior studying health science and thriving, just like his sister.

“I am grateful for my parents, Emily and Tim. They instilled the value of education and building a strong community in me,” Ngo said. “Their sacrifices taught me to value resilience and develop a deep appreciation for my community."

At USF, Ngo made the Dean’s List while juggling her coursework and working part time on- and off-campus. She held various leadership positions within the Vietnamese Student Association, including as president and senior advisor. She participated in several student organizations including Asian Students in America, the Korean Student Association and Journey to the East. Ngo beams at having raised funds for a variety of philanthropic causes. 

“USF has helped me thrive, allowing me to meet so many wonderful people that are my backbone. Not only have I made incredible friends here, but the faculty and staff made me feel comfortable and let me grow as a person and a student.”

With an intense sense of pride, Ngo cultivated community beyond campus, collaborating with local cultural organizations to bring arts to the public. She is excited for the personal and professional journey following graduation. While traveling and applying to graduate school for health informatics, she is assisting with research on the impact of post-COVID-19 reforms on data transparency, ethical guidelines, and protocol compliance in clinical research organizations.

Ashlie cruz

Bachelor of Science in biology

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ashlie Cruz enrolled at USF Sarasota-Manatee with the goal of someday attending medical school and becoming an orthopedic surgeon. On the GI Bill, she experienced USF’s embrace of a veteran inclusive approach and found some of the most important moments for her occurred soon after enrolling in school and leaving military life behind.

“When you can find an advocate, people who understand you and provide support, it makes a big difference,” said Cruz.

While at USF Sarasota-Manatee, Cruz served as the events coordinator for the Campus Activities Board. Using work-study financial aid to help pay for college., she worked part-time in the Office of Veteran Success, enhancing campus engagement for veteran success and alumni affairs.

Cruz enlisted the humility and dedication to service gained during her five years as a United States Navy hospital corpsman to connect with fellow student veterans and ensure a sense of belonging on campus.

The New Jersey native offers words of encouragement to military personnel transitioning into college life. “It’s easy to feel alone. Don’t be scared to engage in campus activities,” Cruz said. “You would be thrilled to find out just how much fun you’d have and all the cool people you’d meet.”

Cruz will continue serving others in her professional endeavors. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in healthcare administration at USF Sarasota-Manatee then apply to medical schools.

Alana Mayott

Bachelor of Science in environmental science and policy

The Florida native from the small town of Melbourne was attracted to USF for the big city feel and the generous financial aid package. A Pell grant recipient who worked hard to earn the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, and recognized by USF through scholarships that include financial education, Alana Mayott was able to take advantage of the many opportunities that come with college life at USF.

“From the moment I stepped on campus for a tour, I was surprised,” Mayott said. “The layout was beautiful. The center of the Tampa campus is just gorgeous. I immediately pictured myself here.” 

Location was key for Mayott. Pursuing a minor in urban studies, she was especially interested in the city’s growth and approach to finding infrastructure solutions that progressively make the heart of Tampa more walkable and accessible to the entire community.

“From the ethics to the social aspects, I was excited to see how the city develops plans to connect beyond the bay area to the region with public transportation,” Mayott said. “I’ve learned how the science of planning leads to developing policy alongside community partners.”

Mayott experienced public transportation networks first-hand as a recipient of the Provost Ralph Wilcox USF-Exeter Student Exchange Scholarship, which allowed her to spend a semester in the United Kingdom and explore Europe on her downtime. “It sincerely changed my life, especially my perspective of the rest of the world outside of the United States,” she said.

On campus, Mayott found community by engaging with peers who shared her interests. She enjoyed the school spirit around athletics games, became president of the Botanical Gardens Club, vice president of the Student Environmental Association and proud member of several organizations, such as Alpha Sigma Kappa. After graduation, she will return to her hometown with greater perspective and newfound knowledge, taking a gap year to explore internships and graduate programs.

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