University of South Florida

, also known as Henderson Airfield, on the site of what is now the University of South Florida 1950s USF was the first state university in Florida built during the 20th century. Former U.S. representative Samuel Gibbons was instrumental in the school's creation when he was a state representative. He is considered by many to be the "Father of USF". Although founded in 1956, the university was not officially named until the following year, and classes did not begin until 1960. In 1962, students voted to make the "Golden Brahman" the university's mascot, named after the state's cattle raising industry. In 1963, USF held its first graduation ceremony. 325 degrees were conferred. He received national attention after declaring in 1959 that the school would have no sports teams, though he later had a change of heart and USF's first varsity teams would begin in 1965. Allen's ultimate legacy was to be the first person to build a modern state university from scratch, famously stating: "As a completely new and separate institution, the University of South Florida became the first new institution of its kind to be conceived, planned and built in the United States in the 20th century". Today the John and Grace Allen Administration Building, named after the university's founding president and his wife, houses vital Tampa campus departments including Student Affairs, the Admissions Welcome Center, and the Controller's Office. USF's St. Petersburg campus opened in 1965 as a satellite campus. The site was known as the "Bay Campus" at the time and sat on the former site of the U.S. Navy Maritime Training Center. USF's campus was damaged by an F4 tornado during the tornado outbreak of April 4–5, 1966, with the cooling towers at the university's power plant partially collapsing and the roof being ripped off of one of the dormitories. 1970s In 1970, M. Cecil Mackey became the university's second president. Additionally, Mackey worked to strengthen the St. Petersburg campus, while opening new satellite campuses in Sarasota and Fort Myers. on the USF campus 1980s USF emerged as a major research institution during the 1980s under the leadership of the university's third president John Lott Brown. During his tenure, the USF Graduate School was established in 1980. 1990s Betty Castor became the university's fifth president and first female president when she was inaugurated in January 1994. In 2006, Castor returned to USF to lead the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions; she stepped down in 2009. The university expanded its global reach, opening the first Confucius Institute in Florida in 2008 and creating the Genshaft/Greenbaum Passport Scholarship Fund in 2011, which provides financial support to USF students who want to study abroad. In 2018, Genshaft announced her retirement from position as president of USF. The university's seventh president, Steven C. Currall, took office on July 1, 2019. 2020s Currall led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic, which included budgetary hardships brought by a loss in state funding (including a controversial proposal to phase out the College of Education - later dropped due to fierce opposition). On July 19, 2021, Currall announced his retirement as president, citing "health and family reasons." He remained on the faculty of the Muma College of Business. After Currall's resignation, Rhea Law, a USF alumna and former USF Board of Trustees chair, was appointed as interim president. The Board of Trustees selected Law for the permanent job as president on March 22, 2022, and she is the first USF graduate to serve in the role. Law stated her top priorities were for USF to reach a top-25 public university ranking, to gain admission into the Association of American Universities, and to build an on-campus football stadium. USF was accepted into the AAU in 2023. In 2025, the university established the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing following a $40 million donation from Arnie and Lauren Bellini, the largest donation in USF's history. Preeminence In 2018, USF was classified as the third Preeminent university in Florida by the state university system. For a public institution to achieve a status of preeminence, they must meet or surpass benchmarks in at least 11 of 12 metrics set forth by Florida lawmakers. ==Leadership==

USF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida (SUSF), which is overseen by the Florida Board of Governors. Like all SUSF institutions, USF has a 13-member decision-making body called the Board of Trustees (BOT), consisting of the faculty senate president, student body president, six members appointed by the governor of Florida, and five members appointed by the Florida Board of Governors. The members appointed by the governor and Board of Governors must be confirmed by the Florida Senate and each serve five-year terms. USF is currently led by Rhea Law, who was appointed as interim president following the retirement of Steven C. Currall in August 2021, then selected for the permanent role in March 2022. == Campuses ==

University of South Florida System (1965–2020) USF was previously identified as a university system from 1965 until 2020, but is now chartered as one university geographically distributed across three campus locations: Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. Before being consolidated into one university geographically distributed, the University of South Florida System included three member institutions: USF Tampa (which was the flagship campus), USF St. Petersburg, and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The Sarasota institution was originally a private college called New College which sold itself to USF in 1975 to pay off debt, and became New College of the University of South Florida. As part of the deal, New College was allowed to keep its unique grading system. In summer 2020, the system was consolidated into "one university geographically distributed" Tampa campus Established in 1956, the USF Tampa campus serves more than 41,000 students. The institution houses 14 colleges and is the doctoral granting campus of USF. The University of South Florida Office of Graduate Studies is based on the Tampa campus and serves as the center of leadership for graduate education at the University of South Florida. The Tampa campus is located in North Tampa east of the University neighborhood, about seven miles north of downtown. It is by far the largest of the three campuses, spanning 1,562 acres. Each college is divided into its own section within the district, for example with fine and performing arts in the north and northwest parts of the district, social sciences in the east, natural sciences and engineering in the south, and education and business in the southeast. The campus is known for having over 19,000 trees, and has been named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation every year since 2011. In honor of this, nearly all streets on campus are named after trees, as are six of the 14 dorms. The tree motif is also seen on USF's ceremonial mace, which has a gold pinecone on the top to symbolize both growth and the fact that the first trees to be planted on the campus were pine. These pine trees are still around today, in the field next to the main south entrance to the campus on LeRoy Collins Boulevard between Fowler Avenue and Alumni Drive. St. Petersburg campus USF first occupied the site of the USF St. Petersburg campus in 1965, taking over the former U.S. Maritime Training Center along Bayboro Harbor in downtown St. Petersburg. USFSP serves approximately 4,500 students per year and offers 33 undergraduate and graduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and education. New College became independent of the USF system in 2001 and USFSM took its place as a member institution in the USF system, but USFSM and New College continued to share a campus until a new campus was completed for USFSM across the street in 2006. Nearly 2,000 students take classes at USFSM each year. The campus offers 43 academic programs and certificates in arts and sciences, business, education, and hospitality and technology leadership. ==Academics==

USF offers 91 bachelor's degree programs, 103 master's degree programs, 48 doctoral degree programs, two specialist degree programs, and several certificate programs under 14 colleges. The academic year begins in the fall, running from August to December. ; Undergraduate : $211.19 per credit hour for in-state students and $611.39 per credit hour for out-of-state and international students. Total (assuming 30 credit hours): $6,335.70 for in-state students and $18,341.70 for out-of-state and international students. ; Graduate :$431.43 per credit hour for in-state students and $921.74 per credit hour for out-of-state and international students. Total (assuming 18 credit hours): $7,765.74 for in-state students and $16,591.32 for out-of-state and international students. In-state tuition has been frozen at all Florida public universities since 2014. Demographics Nearly 49,000 students are enrolled at USF as of the 2023–24 academic year, including over 36,400 undergraduate students, 9,200 graduate students, 1,500 doctor of medicine students, and 1,400 non-degree seeking students. International students represent approximately 12% of the total USF student population. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 "Best Medical Schools: Research" ranked USF’s Morsani College of Medicine in Tier 1—the only Florida school so ranked—making it the state’s highest-ranked medical school for research. USF was ranked #103 on the list of all universities, and #46 among public unitversities in 2020, and #181 among all national and #100 among public universities in 2010. This ranking also put USF as #4 in Florida overall and #3 in Florida among public universities. In other rankings released by U.S. News, USF was the only Florida university in the Top 10 Best Value Colleges, at #8 among public universities. USF also ranked #17 in the nation overall, #12 in the nation among public institutions, and #1 in Florida on the U.S. News ranking of top National Universities for Social Mobility. Niche ranked USF #19 for top public universities in America and #67 for best colleges in America 2023. According to Niche, USF was home to the #6 Education Program, #10 Criminal Justice Program, #12 Information Technology Program, #18 Accounting and Finance Program, and #25 Nursing Program in the United States. Colleges The 14 colleges of the university are: • College of Arts and Sciences • Includes Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications, which was formerly its own college • College of Behavioral and Community Sciences • Muma College of Business • College of Education • College of Engineering • Patel College of Global Sustainability • Judy Genshaft Honors College • College of Marine Science • Morsani College of Medicine • College of Nursing • Taneja College of Pharmacy • College of Public Health • College of The Arts • Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing Faculty there were more than 15,000 instructional faculty and the student to faculty ratio for the campus was 22:1. Graduation The first USF Commencement ceremony was held in 1963 where 325 degrees were conferred. Now, the school awards over 13,000 degrees each year. Commencement ceremonies are held three times a year at the end of the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Spring ceremonies are generally the largest, with five separate ceremonies held each semester. ==Libraries==

The USF Tampa Library is the largest and most comprehensive library in the USF System. In addition to providing students access to more than 2 million academic journals, databases, and books, the seven-story USF Tampa library offers tutoring and writing services, laptops, a career resource center, Course Reserves, and reservable group study rooms. In 2012, the USF Tampa Library opened the Science, Math, and Research Technology (SMART) Lab: a hands-on learning space which includes more than 300 computer work stations. In 2013, USF students successfully protested to keep the library open 24 hours a day/5 days a week during the Fall and Spring semesters for current students, faculty and staff who possess a valid USF ID card. In 2017, renovations were completed on the 5th floor to bring 400 individual study spaces with personal lamps, electrical outlets, and USB ports for device charging, and provided new group study rooms with white boards. In addition to the Tampa library, the USF Libraries system includes two regional library spaces and the USF Health Libraries. The regional library spaces are the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, located on the USF St. Petersburg campus, and the Information Commons Hub located on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Beyond providing support to USF students, staff, and faculty, the libraries welcome members of the public who are doing health and medical-related research of their own. ==Research==

USF is one of the fastest growing research universities in the nation, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Intellectual Property Owners Association ranked USF among the top ten universities in the world granted U.S. utility patents in 2011. USF Health USF Health consists of the Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, Taneja College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, the School of Biomedical Sciences (within the College of Arts and Sciences), the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the USF Physician's Group. USF Health researchers work in the fields of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, prosthetics, heart health, genomics, and more. The College of Nursing ranks first in Florida for universities receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health. In 2012, the university opened the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation in downtown Tampa. The 90,000-square-foot facility serves as an education and training center for health professionals around the world. The Taneja College of Pharmacy moved to the facility the following year. In 2012, the new Patel College of Global Sustainability, consisting of the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions, the Master of the Arts in Global Sustainability Program, and the Office of Sustainability, was introduced. Since then, the university has introduced several sustainability initiatives, including electric vehicle charging stations, water bottle filling stations, reusable plastic food containers in dining halls, recycling programs in residence halls, new, more efficient busses for the fare-free campus bus service, solar-powered golf carts, and more. In 2011, the university introduced the Student Green Energy Fund, which allows students to propose and vote on projects that aim to reduce campus energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable technologies. The nearly 20,000 trees on the Tampa campus provide an estimated $1.8 million yearly benefit to the university through energy conserved, stormwater management, and carbon dioxide removal. The campus is renowned for its number of trees and has been named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation every year since 2011. Center for Urban Transportation Research Founded in 1988, The Center for Urban Transportation Research conducts over $13 million in research annually for a variety of public and private sector sponsors in Florida and the United States, including the Florida Legislature, the Florida Transportation Commission, and state and local governments, agencies, and organizations. CUTR houses the National Center for Transit Research, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1991, and reaffirmed in 1998, 2002, 2012 and 2013. Areas of research include public transportation, transportation planning, intelligent transportation systems, transportation demand management, transportation economics and finance, geographic information systems, access management, alternative fuels, and transportation safety, among others. Materials Simulation Laboratory The Materials Simulation Laboratory of the Department of Physics was established in 2002. The MSL researches condensed matter and materials physics using supercomputers as tools, focusing on quantum simulations under extreme temperatures and pressures, such as those conditions that occur in planetary interiors and during inertial confinement fusion. ==Student life==

The USF Tampa campus provides multiple services and resources necessary for students to succeed both in the classroom and in their personal lives. Under the Division of Student Affairs, USF students have access to involvement opportunities, on-campus housing, dining facilities, recreational outlets, health and wellness services, and more. Marshall Student Center In 2008 the university opened a new student union called the Marshall Student Center. The name pays homage to Phyllis P. Marshall, the longtime director of the former student union, which was also named after her. The four-story building features a 1,200 seat ballroom, 800-seat auditorium, 100 workstation computer lab, study and meeting spaces, several student lounge areas, and outdoor courtyards. The facility offers several retail outlets including a credit union, commuter lounge, and identification card center. The MSC features ten dining options including Panera, Chick-fil-A, and Subway. As the home of the USF Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Student Government, the Center for Student Involvement, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the center is considered to be the gathering place for all things student life at USF. Centre Gallery The Centre Gallery is a student-run exhibition space within the Marshall Student Center for the University of South Florida's students, faculty, staff and alumni offering the university community and the Tampa Bay area stimulating visual art experiences by consistently exhibiting innovative, contemporary art work. Centre Gallery, established in 1984, is the only fully student run, non-profit, exhibition space in the state of Florida. Exhibitions run in two-week durations during the Fall and Spring and three-week durations during the summer. These exhibitions are attended by over 4,000 visitors each semester. Former student union The original USF student union was built in 1959 and opened in 1960. The Center provides career services, industry-specific training, and internship placement support for business students in the Tampa Bay area. These statues are a rich part of USF tradition. The original three statues (the ones outside the MSC, dubbed the "Running of the Bulls") plus the topiary bull represent the four years a student spends in college, with the topiary bull representing a student's senior year as it symbolizes the student's growth over the past four years and faces one of the main entrances to campus (Palm Drive) as it will soon run off into the world. As the student government president, Mark Lombardi stated, "It’s about building campus tradition and culture. It’s going to be the first thing you take your picture with and the last thing you take your picture with. It’s going to be forever, and it should be because this is who we are: we’re the bulls.” The garden contains over 3,000 taxa of plants including fruit trees, bonsai trees, grasses, begonias, orchids, bromeliads, palms, aroids, bamboo, gingers, carnivorous plants, cycads, cactus and succulent plants, an herb and scent garden, wetland forest, temperate forest, subtropical shade garden, and Florida upland scrub and sandhill habitats. The gardens also has a medicinal herb garden, which is used by the USF College of Pharmacy for research purposes. The beach is complete with white sand taken from the nearby Clearwater Beach, which is regularly voted as one of America's best beaches. The area has a beach volleyball net, hammocks, and chairs with umbrellas and is a popular spot for relaxing on campus. Swimming in the lake is not allowed due to alligators and untested water quality. Housing There are 14 sets of residence halls on the USF Tampa campus, offering traditional, suite, and apartment-style housing. In total, these residential halls provide housing to more than 6,500 students. opened in 1961. The St. Petersburg campus has three residence halls with over 600 beds. The first of these residence halls, Residence Hall One (later renamed to Pelican Apartments), opened in 2006. The Sarasota-Manatee campus has one residence hall with 200 beds. This residence hall, Atala Hall, opened in 2024. Campus recreation Gyms The Campus Recreation Center on the USF Tampa campus is a 21,000-square-foot, WiFi-enabled fitness facility featuring a two-basketball court gymnasium, six group fitness rooms, a bouldering wall, a 200-meter indoor three-lane running track, 120 pieces of cardio equipment, six racquetball courts, and a 25-meter indoor swimming pool. Inside the facility, members can work out, take group fitness classes, play intramural sports, rent equipment, receive personal training, undergo fitness assessments, and more. The Campus Recreation Center, known as the USF Gymnasium at the time, was also the first on campus home to USF's men's basketball team, who played three home games there in 1978–79 before the completion of the Sun Dome. It also hosted all of the women's basketball team's home games from their founding in 1972 until they moved to the Sun Dome in 1980, as well as in the 2011–12 season while the Sun Dome underwent renovations (the men's team primarily played at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa during that season). This area has space for roughly 1,500 spectators. In addition to the Campus Recreation Center, there are other, smaller fitness facilities on the USF Tampa campus: The Fit in the Village housing complex, the WELL in the USF Health area, and the Magnolia Fitness Center within the Magnolia Apartments complex; plus a 1.25-mile long fitness trail through the woods near the varsity tennis courts complete with exercise stations. Other recreation Through the Campus Recreation Department, USF offers more than 30 intramural sports throughout the academic year. USF Campus Recreation also maintains USF Riverfront Park, located 1.5 miles away from the Tampa campus. The recreational park is only open for use to USF students, faculty, and staff. Club sports The Campus Recreation Department also offers over 40 club sports teams to students, including rugby, lacrosse, and even ice hockey. These teams mainly compete against club teams from other nearby schools such as Florida, Tampa, and Central Florida as well as nationally in leagues like the American Collegiate Hockey Association. Club teams have won 17 national championships for USF; two in flag football, and one in wakeboarding; as well as one world championship in cheer. Harborwalk Harborwalk is an area on the St. Petersburg campus that connects the campus with other nearby attractions in the downtown area, including Poynter Park, the Salvador Dalí Museum, and Al Lang Stadium. It runs along Bayboro Harbor on the east border of campus and is home to things like the University Student Center and Sembler Fountain. USF students are welcome to join existing organizations or apply to create their own. Fraternity and sorority life There are 27 fraternities and 24 sororities recognized by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, all of which are located on the Tampa campus. Four councils govern these chapters: the Interfraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Panhellenic Association, and the Unified Greek Council. ROTC The USF Tampa campus offers three Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs: Air Force, Army, and Navy. USF is one of only 38 universities in the nation to offer all three service ROTC programs. The university was the first in the nation to create a Joint Military Leadership Center (JMLC) to house all three programs. Located in the suite-style Maple Hall, the ROTC LLC allows students to be exposed to the customs of each military branch, while developing camaraderie with their fellow cadets and midshipmen. Student Government, made up of 250 student volunteers and employees, is responsible for advocating for students at the university, local, state and national levels. Now defunct, the newspaper was succeeded by The Oracle. Currently, the FM station broadcasts NPR and local news during the day and jazz music in the overnight hours. The station is funded by local corporate and private contributors, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service. Formerly known as "WBUL" until 2009, the station broadcasts from the Marshall Student Center, where student reporters and DJs broadcast from a studio featuring a window that overlooks the Bullpen restaurant. The school also lights the water tower green for special events like homecoming and commencement ceremonies. The Bull Market is an open air weekly market that hosts a combination of vendors, student organizations, and not-for-profit organizations showcasing their products and services. The Bull Market takes place every Wednesday outside the Marshall Student Center and is one of the oldest traditions at USF. The university has a motif of trees, with nearly 20,000 on the Tampa campus alone. In addition, the university mace is crowned with a gold pinecone which signifies both growth and that the first tree planted on campus by President Allen was a pine tree. USF Week In 2009, Tampa mayor and USF alum Pam Iorio declared April 9 as USF Day. The celebration has evolved to include the entire week of April 9, and features events including a pep rally, talent show, battle of the bands, a birthday celebration for Rocky the Bull, and Bullstock, a music festival which features multiple artists and is opened by the winner of the battle of the bands competition the day prior. The song was the result of a campus competition, for which Hugoboom won the first-place $250 prize. Today, incoming students are taught the song, along with other USF cheers, during new student and transfer orientation sessions. Other songs "The Bull" (also known as Number 8) is a rallying cry played by the USF Herd of Thunder marching band that encourages fans to stand up and circle the "Go Bulls" hand symbol above their heads. ==Athletics==

USF competed in its first intercollegiate athletic event on September 25, 1965, when it defeated the Florida Southern College men's soccer team. The university was admitted into the NCAA in 1968, and currently competes at the NCAA Division I level. USF teams have won 171 conference championships and one NCAA national championship (women's swimming in 1985) as of May 2025. They also have four NCAA national runner up finishes (men's swimming in 1971, men's golf in 1971 and 1972, and rifle in 1989). Athletes have won 19 individual NCAA national championships (seven in women's swimming, six in men's swimming, two in rifle, three in men's outdoor track and field, and one in men's indoor track and field) and five relay NCAA national championships (three in women's swimming, one in men's swimming, and one in men's outdoor track and field). Despite the numerous individual, relay, and team national championships in rifle, men's swimming, and women's swimming, the university no longer sponsors any of these sports. In non-NCAA sanctioned varsity sports, the USF softball team won the American Softball Association National Championships in 1983 and 1984. This was the highest level of college softball at the time as the NCAA didn't start sponsoring the sport until 1985. The Bulls sailing team won the 2009 Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Sloop National Championship and the 2016 and 2017 ICSA Offshore Large Boats National Championships. As of the 2024 Summer Olympics, 20 USF alumni representing 13 countries have competed as athletes in the Olympic Games. Évelyne Viens of Canada's women's soccer team became the first USF alum to win an Olympic medal as an athlete when Team Canada won gold in 2020; though other USF alumni such as Ken Eriksen won medals as coaches before this. The university was the preseason training camp site for the Baltimore Colts in 1972. Teams The university currently sponsors 20 varsity men's and women's sports: Additionally, USF will add a women's beach volleyball team in the 2025–26 school year. USF also offers many club teams, including men's and women's rugby, cricket, and men's ice hockey. USF's club teams have won 17 national championships and one world championship in their various divisions. Athletic facilities Located along the eastern edge of the Tampa campus, the USF Athletic District is the home for 18 of the Bulls 19 varsity sports, with sailing being the only one not located there. The district includes the Lee Roy Selmon Athletic Center, Corbett Stadium, the Frank Morsani Football Practice Complex, the Pam & Les Muma Basketball Practice Center, the Yuengling Center, The Claw, the USF Baseball Stadium, the USF Softball Stadium, the USF Track and Field Stadium, the Corral, and the USF Varsity Tennis Courts. In 2012, the facility was dedicated to the late Lee Roy Selmon, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member and former Director of USF Athletics. Selmon is considered by many to be the "Father of USF Football". Since the opening of the arena, it has been the site for USF Commencement Ceremonies, orientation sessions, and other major university events. The facility has also played host to a number of outside events including sports and entertainment events such as WWE ThunderDome, consumer shows, religious services, conventions, rodeos, youth sports camps, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, lectures, and political rallies. The venue is also one of the top concert spots in the Tampa Bay region, having hosted musicians like Elton John, Florence and the Machine, Frank Sinatra, Heart, Sting, and more. The building became LEED Silver certified in 2014. The stadium is located 13 miles away from the Tampa campus and has a capacity of more than 75,000 people, making it the largest in the American Conference, but seating for most games is limited to the lower bowl, cutting capacity to around 45,000. The student section at Raymond James is the largest in the conference with over 12,000 seats. Corbett Stadium also hosts the USF football team's annual spring game. It will be home to the women's lacrosse team when they begin play in 2024. Spirit squads The USF Spirit Squads — consisting of the USF Sun Dolls dance team, USF Cheerleading Squad, Rocky the Bull, and the Herd of Thunder marching band — play an integral role in USF Athletics. In addition to supporting USF varsity athletic teams during sporting events, the spirit squads themselves compete at the national level. Rocky the Bull first began as a toy idea for the USF Bookstore in 1965. The marching band performs at all home and some away USF football games. The pep band, called the Herd of Thunder Rumble Pep Band, performs at all home men's and women's basketball and volleyball games, plus conference and NCAA tournament games in some other sports when applicable. The show band is a 30-piece group that performs at select events that are unable to accommodate the full marching band. ==Notable alumni==

Some notable USF graduates include: Academics • George Gatewood, 1965, M.A. 1968, astronomer; retired director of Allegheny Observatory and professor at University of Pittsburgh • Jamal Nassar, M.A. 1974, Dean of California State University, San Bernardino • Alan Boss, 1973, astrophysicist and former president of several International Astronomical Union commissions while at the Carnegie Institution of Science • Michele Ronnick, B.A. 1975, Distinguished Service Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wayne State University • Rhea Law, 1977, 8th President of the University of South Florida • Seth Kalichman, 1983, Professor of Social psychology, known for research into HIV/AIDS treatment and HIV/AIDS denialism • Lee Kump, 1986, Dean of Penn State University College of Earth and Material Science • Michael Rao, 1987, President of Virginia Commonwealth University, former president of Central Michigan University • Amine Bensaid, 1990, M.S. 1992, Ph.D. 1994, President of Al Akhawayn University, expert in machine learning, neural networks, and genetic algorithms • Tonjua Williams, M.A. 1996, president of St. Petersburg College • Aysegul Timur, Ph.D. 2006, president of Florida Gulf Coast University Athletes • Tony La Russa, 1969, MLB infielder and manager, three time World Series champion as a manager, member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, second-winningest manager in MLB history • Ed Baird, 1982, two-time America's Cup champion (1995, 2007), seven-time world champion, member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame • Roy Wegerle, 1983, member of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team, third-most goals by an American in Premier League history, 1997 MLS Champion • Ken Eriksen, 1984, former USF baseball player and USF softball head coach 1997–present, winningest head coach in USF history, Team USA softball manager 2011–present • Tomer Steinhauer, 1989, Israeli basketball player and coach • Radenko Dobraš, 1992, Serbian basketball player • Mark Chung, 1992, member of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team • Derrick Sharp, 1993, EuroLeague basketball player and coach, 29 club titles including three EuroLeague championships as a player (2001, 2004, 2005), 9 club titles as a coach • Chucky Atkins, 1996, NBA point guard, 14-year NBA career, 2004 NBA Champion • Kemel Thompson, 1996, two-time Olympic track & field athlete • Jeff Cunningham, 1997, member of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team, third most goals in Major League Soccer history • Damu Cherry, 2000, Olympic track & field athlete • Jason Pierre-Paul, 2009, NFL defensive end, two-time Super Bowl Champion (XLVI with the New York Giants and Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) • Paige Railey, 2010, three-time Olympic sailor for the U.S. • Sam Barrington, 2012, NFL linebacker • Christiane Endler, 2014, member of the Chile Women's National Football Team and Olympique Lyon, 2021 FIFA Best Women's Goalkeeper of the Year, 2012 Copa Libertadores champion, 2022 UEFA Women's Champions League champion, and eight-time champion in various club leagues • Chase Koepka, 2016, professional golfer • Marquez Valdes-Scantling, 2017, NFL wide receiver, Super Bowl LVII and LVIII champion with the Kansas City Chiefs • Shane McClanahan, 2018, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher, first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to make his debut in the postseason • David Villar, 2018, baseball player for the San Francisco Giants • Évelyne Viens, 2020, member of the Canada Women's National Soccer Team and AS Roma, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Business • John R. Patrick, M.S. 1971, former vice president of IBM • George Reyes, 1976, former CFO of Google, former director of BEA Systems, Symantec, and LifeLock • Jordan Zimmerman, 1978, MBA 1980, founder of Zimmerman Advertising, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world • Jim Atchison, 1988, President/CEO of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment • Robert B. Carter, 1990, co-chief executive officer and chief information officer of FedEx • Joie Chitwood III, MBA 1995, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and COO Entertainers and writers • Richard Oppel, 1964, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, director of American Society of Newspaper Editors • Lobo, 1965, singer/songwriter, three Billboard top-10 songs • Robert Stackhouse, 1965, artist and sculptor • James Carlos Blake, 1969, M.A. 1971, author, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for fiction • Tony Zappone, 1969, journalist • Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) (attended, did not graduate), professional wrestler • Jack E. Davis, 1983, MA 1989, author, Pulitzer Prize-winning author. • Gallagher, 1970, comedian • Heather Graham Pozzessere, 1975, best-selling author • Richard King, 1976, sound engineer, four Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing • Drake Hogestyn, 1977, actor • Guy Babylon, 1979, musician, keyboardist/composer, noted for his work with Elton John • April Kelly, 1981, television writer, creator of Boy Meets World • Ann Liguori, 1982, sports journalist • Kerry Sanders, 1982, journalist • Aasif Mandvi, 1988, actor and comedian • Lucia M. Gonzalez, M.A. 1991, children's author, winner of the Pura Belpré Award, library director, Alice G. Smith Lecture. • Greg Pitts, 1992, actor • Mark Consuelos, 1994, actor • Nicole Johnson, 1996, D.P.H. 2013, Miss America 1999, now an activist for diabetes research • Daniel Rodimer, 1997, professional wrestler • Kissy Simmons, 1998, actress • Matthew Lopez, 2000, playwright, Tony Award for Best Play nominee • Quentin Earl Darrington, 2004, Broadway actor and singer • Grace Byers, 2006, actress • Philip DeFranco, (attended, did not graduate), YouTuber, host of The Philip DeFranco Show • YesJulz (real name Julieanna Goddard), 2012, talent manager and influencer • Marcus DeSieno, M.A. 2015, artist • Antonio Permuy, 2019, writer, art critic, curator, and art patron. • Taneo Sebastian, 2021, member of Filipino boy band Alamat and actor. • Josette Urso, 1984, B.F.A. and M.F.A., visual artist Military • Matthew L. Nathan, 1984, Vice Admiral and former Surgeon General of the United States Navy • John Kirby, 1985, Rear Admiral, Press Secretary for the United States Department of Defense and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs • Adam M. Robinson Jr., 1994, Vice Admiral and former Surgeon General of the United States Navy • Michael S. Devany, 1996, Vice Admiral in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Politicians and activists • H. Lee Moffitt, 1964, founder, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center; former Florida Speaker of the House • Michele Elliott, 1967, psychologist and child protection activist, founder of child protection charity Kidscape, has chaired multiple World Health Organization and UK Home Office groups centered around children • Michele D. Hotten, 1975, Justice on the Supreme Court of Maryland • Dale Fischer, 1977, Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California • Mark Meadows, A.A. 1980, former U.S. Congressman from North Carolina and White House Chief of Staff • Ajamu Baraka, 1982, Vice Presidential nominee from the Green Party in the 2016 United States presidential election • Kurt S. Browning, 1982, M.A. 1994, former Florida Secretary of State • Mario Díaz-Balart, 1984, U.S. Congressman from Florida • Eric M. Bost, M.A. 1985, former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa • Nadine Smith, 1987, LGBTQ+ rights activist and Executive Director of Equality Florida • Ken Welch, 1987, Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida 2022–present • J. Michelle Childs, 1988, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit • M. Rony Francois, M.D. 1994, MSPH 1998, Ph.D. 2003, former U.S. Delegate to Haiti • Pam Iorio, M.A. 2001, Mayor of Tampa from 2003–2011 • Julia Letlow, Ph.D. 2012, U.S. Congresswoman from Louisiana Scientists • Joanna Fowler, 1964, director of Brookhaven National Laboratory's Radiotracer Chemistry, Instrumentation and Biological Imaging Program, National Medal of Science award winner • Mark Hulsbeck, 1978, Oceanographic Operations Field Manager and research diver for the Aquarius Reef Base, the world's only undersea research laboratory • Adelaida K. Semesi, 1982 - postdoctoral research, Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Dar es Salaam • David Mearns, 1986, Director of Blue Water Recoveries; Guinness World Record holder for deepest shipwreck ever found • Donna K. Arnett, Ph.D. 1992, epidemiologist, one of the world's leading experts in hypertension • Katherine Seley-Radtke, 1992, cancer researcher, Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County • Michael S. Devany, MPH 1996, former Chief Operating Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Carlos Del Castillo, Ph.D. 1998, Program Scientist for the Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program at NASA, winner of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers • Saraju Mohanty, 2003, Director of Smart Electronic Systems Laboratory, 2020 Fulbright Specialist award winner • Monica Webb Hooper, 2005, behavioral scientist, clinical psychologist, and deputy director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities • Anita Marshall, Ph.D. 2018, geologist, professor, and disability advocate ''*bachelor's degree unless otherwise noted'' ==Notable faculty==

• Norma A. Alcantar, chemical engineering • Sami Al-Arian, computer engineering • Raymond Arsenault, American history • Huseyin Arslan, electrical engineering • Joe Bondi, education • Mya Breitbart, biology • Kendra Daly, oceanography • David M. Diamond, neuroscience • Eugene Domack, geology • Eric Eyre, journalism • Thomas V. Falkie, mining engineering • Thomas K. Frazer, marine science • Lorie Fridell, criminology • Stephen L. Golding, psychology • John Hardy, genetics • Nataša Jonoska, mathematics • Autar Kaw, mechanical Engineering • Anthony Llewellyn, chemistry • Richard C. Lukas, history • Sumita Mitra, chemistry • Robin Murphy, computer science • Olu Oguibe, art • Robert Plutchik, psychology • Sylvia W. Thomas, engineering • James Unnever, criminology • Sten Vermund, public health • Robert Windom, medicine • Kwasi Wiredu, philosophy • Alvin Wolfe, anthropology ==Notes==