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Join the Campus for the Distinguished Alumni Awards
At the 2005 USF Distinguished Alumni Awards on Thursday, May 12, seven USF graduates will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the university and the community. The event, which is free and open to the public, is from from 6 to 8 pm in Davis Hall, Room 130.
This year during the awards presented by the Pinellas County Chapter of the USF Alumni Association, USF St. Petersburg will present its newly created Regional Chancellor’s Award to internationally recognized sailor, Ed Baird, and Circuit Court Judge Marion Lucas Fleming for their continued service to the university and the community. 
The other Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are:
Community Leadership
Sonia Raymund
Campus Service
Nancy Loehr, Community Relations Manager, Progress Energy
Distinguished Alumni Under 35
Francis Matt King, Partner, Dennison and King
Professional Achievement
John Robert Saron, President, Aaron Medical Industries
Business Achievement
John Cooper, President, Bonefish Grill
Corporate Campus Service
Verizon
The event emcee is Virginia Littrell from the St. Petersburg City Council. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Annette Hamon at 553-4256 or Annette@spadmin.usf.edu.
Notice: Campus Parking Lot Closures
As construction plans for the Residence Hall and Parking Center begin, three campus parking lots temporarily closed on Monday, May 9.
Although actual construction will not begin until this summer, each site must be prepped by removing trees, rerouting water lines, and more.
The closed lots are:
Although parking will be limited, campus members should utilize the outer lots, such as those at USGS and Children's Research Institute.
If you have any questions, please contact Facilities Planning at 553-4820.
Spring Commencement Has Largest Graduating Class
 Family, friends and loved ones packed the Mahaffey Theater on Sunday to celebrate a shining moment in every student’s academic career: Commencement. USF St. Petersburg had 418 Spring 2005 graduates with 248 attending Commencement to receive their diplomas.
For more students than ever, this Spring 2005 Commencement was a memorable occasion — USF St. Petersburg had the largest graduating class in campus history.
 But, for two graduates in attendance, they reveled in something even more special at Commencement, which coincidentally was also Mother's Day. A mother and daughter, both adorned with mortar boards and gowns, earned their master's degrees on the same day. Nancy Friedman received her master's in social work while her daughter Lauren earned her master's in education.
Gene Haines, president of the USF Pinellas County Alumni Chapter of the Alumni Association, presented the Outstanding Graduate Award to Michael Rogers, who graduated with honors with a bachelors in psychology. He is a recognized campus leader who has been involved with the Psychological Science Club and Spectrum Alliance, and was co-coordinator of the Campus Women's Collective for four semesters. He is also a member of Psi Chi and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary organizations.
>> The Friedman's story was featured in Sunday's St. Petersburg Times (read: article) and on three local television stations: WB38, WTSP-CBS, and WFTS-ABC.
>> A Commencement photo was also featured in Monday's St. Petersburg Times.
Staff Recognized at Systemwide Awards Ceremony
Two of USF St. Petersburg finest staff members were recognized at the systemwide annual Outstanding Staff Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 11 for their accomplishments and contributions to the campus and university.
USF St. Petersburg's outstanding staffers are Financial Aid Counselor Vicki Colbert and Enrollment Services Office Manager Joe Perez. Both recipients were touted by several co-workers for continually going above and beyond their traditional responsibilities to make USF St. Petersburg the best environment possible for students, faculty and staff.
Colbert started at USF St. Petersburg as a work study student in Financial Aid while completing her bachelor's in the College of Business. Her co-workers cited various ways she makes a difference, from volunteering at commencement ceremonies, orientations and open houses, to patiently staying late to helping last-minute students, and even developing a new form now used systemwide that makes it easier to calculate student loan debt.
"Vicki is straightforward, kind, compassionate and honest and the students feel her sincerity," said Jennifer Fraser, Financial Aid assistant director, in a nomination form. "There is a whole contingent of students we lovingly call her 'Fan Club.'"
Perez is respected equally as much. All of his nomination letters referenced his unrelenting passion, concern and sincerity for Enrollment Services, his office team and students. He also developed databases and communication plans that help each student in the enrollment process.
"Many students have expressed their relief in 'finding someone who will really listen.' Others told me they would have given up on school if they had not been assisted by Mr. Perez. No matter how busy we are, no matter what time of day it is, Joe Perez will see each person as an individual and respond uniquely to their needs," Cynthia Collins, director of Academic Advising said.
Student Earns Out of this World Internship
Thanks to the latest opportunity for a journalism student, USF St. Petersburg students continue to be the frontrunners for prestigious internships throughout the state. This summer, Jeff Neely will literally experience a new universe of opportunities as an intern for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.
Neely, who is the first journalism student intern for KSC, will write feature stories for the web, scripts for video, help support web casts for missions, perform voice-overs and will get to learn the media side of communications, assisting with press releases and media relations.
“This is very unique opportunity,” said Dennis Armstrong, who will serve as Neely’s internship supervisor. “This is very dynamic environment where he will be involved in our daily operations, especially for Web communications. Plus, he will be here for the return to flight of space shuttle Discovery, an event he will never forget.”
Neely’s slot with NASA is just one example of the journalism department’s flourishing internship program, which also works with Mote Marine Laboratory, the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations both in and outside of Florida. Associate Journalism Professor Mark J. Walters, DVM, who coordinates journalism internships as well as the department’s new science writing program, said that the two programs are expanding hand in hand.
“We are thrilled with the NASA partnership. It will give talented students like Jeff a world class opportunity to refine and apply their science writing skills in a demanding, real world environment,” Walters said.
“We’re now building a center of gravity with substantive internship opportunities in specialized areas while raising our program and the campus’ public profile."
Neely’s experience is even more rewarding thanks to an award from the Regional Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, as well as additional support from the College of Arts and Sciences and Journalism and Media Studies.
Faculty Award Applications Available
Faculty Award Guidelines and Applications are now available and the deadline is this Friday, May 13.
This year, Academic Affairs has added the Excellence in Service Award and the Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Award in addition to the Excellence in Teaching Award currently in place.
For guidelines and applications visit: www.stpt.usf.edu/academics/facaward.htm. For more information, please contact Jennifer Baker at 553-4469.
Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House
Volunteers are needed to help prepare and serve dinner for families at the Ronald McDonald House on Wednesday, May 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Volunteer Services is also seeking donations of food and money to fund this dinner. Please contact Barry McDowell at 553-4990 or mcdowell@stpt.usf.edu.
Campus Beach Cleanup
Help clean the Tierra Verde bridge area with the campus’ Volunteer Services at the Beach Cleanup on Saturday, May 21 from 9 to 11 am. Please contact Barry McDowell at 553-4990 or mcdowell@stpt.usf.edu.
For the latest information from HR, visit: USFSP HR Web site
Mom, daughter take relationship to a new degree
They will receive master's degrees today from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg Times
May 8, 2005
Lauren Friedman and her mother, Nancy, do a lot together.
They cook, so that Nancy can pass on family recipes for chicken soup and pot roast. They shop as Lauren steers her mother away from drab threads and toward dazzling color combinations.
They both live in Clearwater, and walk their dogs together - Lauren's black Lab Scooby and Nancy's white Maltese Willi.
They also go to school together. They used to, anyway.
>> Read: Article
>> This story was also featured on WB38, WFTS and WTSP.
College in the palm of your hand
*tbt
May 5, 2005
In his class on autism at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, professor Mark Durand teaches one of the great mysteries of science.
But all of the knowledge learned in the course can fit snugly in your purse.
Durand has put his lectures on Microsoft's Creative Zen Portable Media Center, an iPod-like device that fits in your hand and weighs as much as a cell phone. Instead of going to class, a student cooking dinner could watch Durand's lecture as he points to charts and graphs.
>> Read: Article
Funding plan okayed for USF student center
St. Petersburg Times
May 3, 2005
The Legislature on Tuesday gave students at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg authority to raise fees to pay for a new student center.
The proposal will allow a campus committee to impose a one-time fee to borrow money for the center. Half of the committee must be students selected by the student government president.
The Florida House approved the bill 113-2 and sent it to Gov. Jeb Bush.
>> Read: Article
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