Alumnus and Instructor Aids Tsunami Relief Effort

During the last week USF St. Petersburg alumnus and former geography instructor Henry Aruffo has been diving off the shores of Phuket, Thailand, to aid the gruesome recovery effort. No stranger to public service, Aruffo’s semester breaks often included volunteer work in refugee camps on the Cambodian border. These trips, among other global travels, prompted his move to Thailand 14 months ago.

Beloved on campus for his dynamic, multi-media geography classes as well as his four-credit study abroad trips to the South Pacific, Aruffo was also recognized for his campus and community service that brought distinction to USF St. Petersburg. In 2003, he won the Bayboro Award, the highest honor bestowed at the Distinguished Alumni Awards by the Pinellas County Alumni Chapter, for his outstanding service to campus. His candid account of his recent service and the impact of the tsunami were sent this week to USF St. Petersburg.

From Henry Aruffo:

Just a quick note to give you a current status check.  The clean up in Patong has begun and the bodies are all cleared off the beaches and from the stores on Beach Road. The town of Khao Lak north of Phuket still has bodies in the beach area. I am sure many of you at home have seen the photos.  We have had a hard time getting good news here, perhaps only a few minutes a day.

There is the smell of death in the air from what has happened.  Last evening there was smoke coming from the crematoriums and casting a cloud over the sunset.  And the town has great sadness.  Everyone is affected. I know so many people that lost loved ones. There are so many tears in the 'Land of Smiles.'

>> Read: More from Aruffo

>> Read: Article in St. Petersburg Times

USF St. Petersburg is joining forces with USF Tampa Student Government, Volunteer USF and the Students of India Association to raise money for the American Red Cross’ tsunami relief efforts. Donations, made payable to the American Red Cross, can be mailed to the Student Government office in the Marshall Center, mail stop CTR203. For more information, please call Amy Simon, Volunteer USF coordinator at 813-974-5317.

Faculty and Staff Recognized at Awards Luncheon

To recognize the hard work and dedication of the campus community, faculty and staff are invited to the annual Awards Luncheon Thursday, Jan. 20 at noon in the CAC.

The Outstanding USPS and A&P staff will be announced at the luncheon. Campus administration will also recognize faculty Excellence in Teaching winners, newly tenured and promoted faculty and Length of Service recipients.

Invitations will be distributed to the campus community through campus mail. To RSVP, please call the Campus RSVP line at 553-4490 for your free, non-transferable ticket by January 17. 

The Crisis of Respect in International Affairs

Columbia Law School Professor George P. Fletcher, PhD, will speak at USF St. Petersburg about the seeming decline of mutual respect in international affairs during a guest lecture January 13 at 7 pm.

“The presidential campaign ended this year without any serious discussion of international law,” Fletcher, Cordozo Professor of Jurisprudence said.  “It appears that the candidates and the American public no longer care about these values.”

During the lecture, Crises of Respect in International Affairs, Fletcher will explain the critical role of respect, especially within international legal order, and will identify several ways that our post-Sept. 11 politics have actually encouraged a breakdown of respect.

>> Read More

HR Workshop Presents How to Find the Best Candidate

Join Human Resources for a workshop to share inside tactics that can help you find the best candidate for a position Thursday, Jan. 27 from 2 to 3:30 pm in TER300. 

“Hiring the best candidate is one of the most important tasks a manager is responsible for,” Barbara Fleischer, Human Resources coordinator said.

“Effective preliminary resume and application screening can eliminate applicants that do not meet the minimum job requirements and then help rank you the qualified applicants accordingly.” 

The workshop will be presented by James Lewis, Human Resources coordinator at USF Tampa. His presentation will cover:

• Effectively completing the Position Vacancy Announcement
• Reviewing the resume and/or application
• Selecting applicants for interviews
• Selecting a committee
• Preparing for the interview
• Interview tips
• Reference checks
• Selecting a finalist

If you are interested in attending the workshop, please RSVP to Human Resources by Jan. 19 at 553-4115 or 553-4105.

Ask the Dietician New Years Diet Questions

Most people kick-off the New Year with health-related resolutions. Health Coordinator Sandy Blood is giving the campus community a great opportunity to start the New Year right by learning valuable nutrition and fitness information.

"Ask the Dietician" on January 18 from 11 am to 2 pm, when Blood will join Registered Dietitian, Kim May, in Davis Lobby. In addition to sampling healthy foods, guests can ask questions about appropriate serving sizes, the best diets, how to lose weight and how to maintain weight loss.

“Good health starts with a healthy well-balanced diet and regular exercise. We can assist those who struggle with these two important topics,” Blood said. “Without your health you have nothing.”

Guests can also have their blood pressure taken and have their body composition and Body Mass Index, known as BMI, calculated. For more information, please contact Blood at 553-4114 or blood@stpt.usf.edu.

Faculty Information: Sabbatical Deadline

Completed sabbatical leave applications are due to the Office of Academic Affairs in BAY204 by Jan. 10 at 5 pm. The Sabbatical Committee will not consider applications submitted after the deadline. 

Sabbatical leave guidelines and application are available on the Academic Affairs Web site at www.stpt.usf.edu/academics/sabbatical_leave.htm.  Please be aware of the sabbatical responsibilities for the university and faculty as outlined in the guidelines.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Baker at 553-4469 or jbaker@stpt.usf.edu.

Save the Dates: Black History Month

Multicultural Affairs presents, “Preparing for Our Future While Revisiting the Past," a month-long celebration for Black History Month. Please save the date for the following special campus events:

Opening Ceremonies featuring Naomi Tutu
Tuesday, Feb. 1 from 6 to 8 pm in the CAC

Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, will present, Striving for Justice: Searching for Common Ground. This presentation is free and open to the public.

The African American U.S. Tour of the 20th Century
Thursday, Feb.17 from 12 to 1 pm in DAV130

Norman E. Jones, II, will take the audience on a 20-year, 20-city trip throughout America documenting African American cultural and historical sites. The program is 40 minutes. Please bring a brown bag lunch and beverages and dessert will be provided.

"The Meeting" - a play
Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 7 to 9 pm in DAV130

The play takes the audience back to February 1965 in a Harlem hotel when two great minds - Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - meet and share their two roads to freedom. The drama, presented by the Grimes Theatre Group, is free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact Monica White, Multicultural Affairs coordinator, at whitem@stpt.usf.edu.

Campus Spreads Joy at Ronald McDonald House

After collecting more than 70 useful household and personal items in December, several staff and faculty joined forces with Personal Touch Catering to spread holiday cheer at the Ronald McDonald House.

Campus members prepared and served a holiday dinner and the Personal Touch Santa Claus made a special appearance for the children staying at All Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.

Volunteers included staff members Barbara Fleischer, Rusty Richmond, Barry McDowell and Myrna Adams as well as faculty members Andy Reeves and Bruce Teague with his wife. Mark Williams and Ray from Personal Touch prepared the cuisine.

Campus Singers Going Strong After 31 Years

The campus group, The USF St. Pete Singers, wowed the local community last month when they toured the area and presented 14 full-length programs and three sing-along's at local nursing homes and senior centers.

Entitled “Southern Fried Christmas,” their show featured a contemporary version of the old Hatfield-McCoy dispute, with the two families feuding through song, dance and home-baked goodies. In the spirit of the holiday season, the feud is resolved with a comical twist and the singing of “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

The USF St. Pete Singers started in 1974 and includes students, faculty, staff, alumni and their family members who provide community service through the performing arts. About 15 to 20 singers perform at each show. As a tribute to the USF St. Pete Singers' service and outreach to our community partners, the group won the 2003 Volunteer of the Year Award in the Arts and Recreation category from United Way/2-1-1 Tampa Bay Cares.

The USF St. Pete Singers rehearsals will begin in February for the Irish-themed presentations that will be offered in March.  For more information, please contact Sudsy Tschiderer at 553-4842.

The USF St. Petersburg Calendar of Events can advertise to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Events may include lectures, conferences, ceremonies, concerts, sporting events, scholarship events, fundraising events and exhibits. 

Submit information at the central news form: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/news/submissions.htm.