Residence Hall One Rises Higher and Higher

A new phase in the construction of Residence Hall One is clearly evident at the corner of Fifth Ave South and Second Street South. What began as a few walls rising amid dirt and construction has evolved to a structure that rises high into the sky.

With the use of a 250-foot segmented crane, walls will continue to go up, resulting in the construction of the $18.3 million, seven-story, 126,000 sq. ft. residence hall to house 354 students in apartment-style living.

For more information on Residence Hall One, or to view a virtual tour, visit www.stpt.usf.edu/housing.

High School Students Meet the Recruiters

Recruiters from colleges and universities across the country will converge upon USF St. Petersburg for the Pinellas County College Fair Sunday, Oct. 9 from 12:30 - 3 pm in the Campus Activities Center.

The event, sponsored by the Florida School and College Relations Committee and hosted by USF St. Petersburg Office of Enrollment Services, is a great opportunity for high school students to meet with in state and out of state college representatives for advice on entrance requirements, the application process, and campus life.

"By hosting this event USF St. Petersburg is not just providing a valuable service to Pinellas County students and their parents but also is offering an opportunity to see our beautiful waterfront campus, " Frank Hohengarten, EdD, dean of Enrollment Services said.

Students who visit the USF St. Petersburg table also will be able to obtain information on scholarships and other options to help in their planning.

High school students can see multiple institutions in one afternoon, including USF St. Petersburg, Marquette University, University of Alabama Huntsville and Florida State University. For more information or to assist in the fair, please call Rosemary Truckenbrod at 553-4879.

Changes In Store for Employee Benefits Program

Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 3 – Oct. 28, 2005. During this time employees may enroll, change or cancel benefits that are available through the State of Florida. All changes will be effective Jan. 1, 2006.

New health plan options, HMO choices, and additional services are some of the changes that employees can expect.

Read: Benefit Changes (.pdf)

Join the Literati for the Festival of Reading

The 13th Annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading will be held on campus Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 am to 5 pm. The free Festival is an annual celebration of literacy, featuring nationally known author talks, book signings, panel discussions, workshops and a variety of entertainment.

More than 60 celebrated authors including best-sellers Carl Hiassen, Candace Bushnell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, R. L. Stine, Mireille Guiliano, Sue Ellen Cooper and Jim and Kate Lehrer, will be featured at the event. The complete list of authors, book signings, workshops and entertainers is available on the Festival of Reading Web site.

Faculty, staff and students interested in volunteering for the event are invited to attend a campus team meeting Oct. 4 from 10 - 11 am in DAV130. The meeting will cover an overview of the festival as well as specific volunteer opportunities that are available.

Campus members can volunteer with set up, registration, stage-managing, book talk assistants, roving marshals and breakdown. Volunteers are asked to choose a four-hour shift to work such as 8 am – noon, 11 am - 3 pm and 2 – 6 pm. All volunteers will receive a T-shirt, food and beverage tickets as well as designated parking for the event.

For more information on volunteering, please contact Barry McDowell at 553-4990 or at mcdowell@stpt.usf.edu. For more information on the event, please visit the Festival of Reading Web site at www.festivalofreading.com.

Read: Press Release for Festival (.pdf)

Seminars Cover Environmental Science and Policy

Jim Krest, PhD, assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Program, invites the campus to attend a colloquium on Environmental Science and Policy.

The series begins Friday, Sept. 30 from 2 - 3 pm with " Closure of Piney Point and the Gulf Dispersal and Monitoring," presented by Charles Kovach from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

For information on the upcoming seminars, please contact Jim Krest at 553-4970 or krest@stpt.usf.edu. For a complete list of the seminars:

http://www.stpt.usf.edu/wangx/usfsp_esp/USFSP_ESPG_Coll_Home.asp

Watch USF Battle Miami

Come cheer on the Bulls as they tackle the Miami Hurricanes Saturday, Oct. 1. Two Watch Parties are scheduled for the evening with locations at Midtown Sundries in downtown St. Petersburg and Capogna's Dugout in Clearwater. Kickoff is at 8 pm and guests are encouraged to arrive an hour early for pre-game fun and socializing.

Watch Parties for the Bulls are sponsored by the USF Alumni Association Pinellas County Chapter and by USF Athletics Bulls Club. For more information, contact Katie Giglio, alumni coordinator, at 553-4561 or kgiglgio@spadmin.usf.edu.

Prospective Students Get Inside Look at Campus Life

Individual colleges, departments and programs are invited to put themselves on display as USF St. Petersburg welcomes prospective college student to Fall Open House Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 12:30 - 3:30 pm.

Scheduled during the campus' homecoming celebration, the event is an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about life on our campus. The day will include activities for guests such as cardboard boat races, team competitions, music and more. As a special highlight, attendees to the Open House can enter to win a scholarship to USF St. Petersburg.

"This is a great opportunity for prospective students to get an inside look at a university and meet other college students," said John Vassel, director of prospective student outreach. "This informal setting makes it more comfortable to find out more about a university."

Guests will be able to tour the campus and attend presentations by college representatives and can talk to students and faculty members about campus life. Recruiters will be available to answer questions about admission requirements, fields of study, financial aid and scholarship opportunities that are available only to USF St. Petersburg students.

Your department can showcase the vitality, creativity and diversity of our campus life and share in the day with our guests. For more information on participating in Open House, please contact Solitaire Kelley at 553-4275 or smkelley@stpt.usf.edu.

See: Open House Participation Form (.pdf)

Break-fast at the CAC to Honor Holiday Unity

October marks the beginning of the sacred months of Ramadan and Tishri in Muslim and Jewish faiths. An interfaith group, Serving the One, will sponsor free community events during the sacred months, including a break-fast banquet held in the USF St. Petersburg Campus Activities Center.

The first event will celebrate the arrival of the months Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 pm in Straub Park. Musical prayers will be performed by members of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Baha'i and other faiths. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to those who fast against their choice.

As the month continues, all members of Pinellas County are invited to join in a nationwide fast for reflection, repentance, reconciliation and renewal from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, Oct. 13.

This day is a day of fasting during Ramadan and Yom Kippur during Tishri. In culmination of the fast, there will be a community break-fast in the USF St. Petersburg Campus Activities Center at 7 pm. The campus is invited to pray, eat and work together for peace, justice, human rights and the health of our earth. For more information, please contact Serving the One at 449-9537 or ServingtheOne@gmail.com.

Experience Hispanic Culture

USF St. Petersburg continues to learn and experience Hispanic culture during National Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of events for campus members through Oct. 15, 2005.

Thursday, Oct. 6 the College of Marine Science invites campus members to attend "Remote Sensing of Organic Carbon in River Plumes," presented by Carlos del Castillo, PhD, NASA scientist and USF alumnus, at 11 am in the MSL Conference Room.

Celebrate Hispanic culture by attending "Noche de Salsa" Friday Oct. 7 from 5 - 8 pm in the Campus Activities Center. Presented by Harborside Activities Board and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the evening will be a cultural experience of live music, dinner and dancing for those who attend.

For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month and final events, please contact Steve Marshall, interim coordinator of Multicultural Affairs, at 553-4845.

Campaign to Raise Green for Katrina Victims

USF St. Petersburg's Student Government has initiated a fundraiser as a relief effort for the Gulf Coast regions affected by Hurricane Katrina. The "Green & Gold Campaign" aims to raise $7,500 for donation to the American Red Cross.

"We are all blessed to be part of a close knit campus and Student Government believes it is incumbent upon members of the USFSP community to help rebuild and revitalize those communities affected by this horrible disaster," said Tom Piccolo, president of Student Government. "If every member of the campus community will give a dollar, we will be able to give thousands to those who are in need."

Cash donations of $1 or more will be accepted until Oct. 14 at the Cashier's office located in Bayboro Hall. Other donations such as canned goods, bottled water and clothing will be accepted at the Volunteer Services Office located at TER200. For more information on the campaign, please contact USF Student Government at 553-4147 or libertyin76@aol.com.

Explore the Fall Convocation Photo Gallery

At the Fall 2005 Academic Convocation, more than 100 members of the campus community gathered to celebrate and reflect on 40 years of academic excellence and enterprise.

Award winners, Cynthia Bean, PhD, assistant professor from the College of Business; Sarah Partan, PhD, assistant professor from the College of Arts and Sciences; and Joyce Nutta, PhD, associate professor from the College of Education, were selected by a committee from each college. Cynthia Bean was further acknowledged as the distinguished university-wide 2005 USF St. Petersburg Teacher of the Year, selected by the Academic Awards Committee.

In addition to the awards for teaching, Gary Mormino, PhD, chair of the Academic Awards Committee, presented inaugural awards for professional service and for research. The Excellence in Professional Service was awarded to H. William Heller, EdD, College of Education professor, for his service on campus and in the community. Mark Walters, DVM, College of Arts and Sciences associate professor, received the award for Excellence in Research and Creativity Scholarship.

During the luncheon, USF President Judy Genshaft, PhD, said she was proud of the achievements of the faculty and the USF St. Petersburg campus community.

"We are all looking to USF St. Petersburg as leader for other regional campuses. We give thanks to the faculty for bringing honor and recognition to USF," Genshaft said.

See: Photo Gallery

Make Tracks to the Community Luncheon

The Pinellas County Chapter of the USF Alumni Association will host its annual Community Luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 25 at the Hilton in downtown St. Petersburg. The luncheon, which begins at 11:30 am, will provide faculty, staff, alumni and community members with a chance to network and hear updates about the progress that USF St. Petersburg has made this year.

The luncheon also will celebrate USF's entry into the Big East Conference. Guest speakers include Regional Chancellor Karen A. White, Director of Athletics Doug Woolard, and Women's Sailing Coach Allison Jolly, who also is an Olympic Gold Medallist.

Tickets are $25 per person or $250 for a table of ten and can be purchased in advance no later than Oct. 19 and registration is available online. For more information on the community luncheon or to join the USF Alumni Association, please contact Katie Giglio at 553-4561 or kgiglio@spadmin.usf.edu.

See: Community Luncheon Flier (.pdf)

For the latest information from HR, visit: USF SP HR Web site

Thanks to the generosity of faculty, staff and students from USF St. Petersburg, more than 200 pounds of goods and supplies were collected to be sent to Mississippi this weekend. Additional donation drives are being planned.

Upcoming volunteer opportunities include a variety of events such as a coastal cleanup at Tierra Verde Oct. 15 from 9 – 11 am. Help out the animals by volunteering for the SPCA Paws on Parade Oct. 29 at 8:30 am or join the literati at the 13th annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading Oct. 29 from 10 am – 5 pm.

For more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities, please contact Barry McDowell at 553-4990 or mcdowell@stpt.usf.edu.

A Day in Historic Driftwood

Tour of Homes

Historic Driftwood, one of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, will be on display on Saturday, October 1.  The St. Petersburg Museum of History and the Driftwood Neighborhood Association have planned a day of fun, entertainment and education all in one spot.

Read: Press Release (.pdf)

October brings union of faiths, celebration

St. Petersburg Times

Wednesday, Sept. 28

This year the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holy month of Tishri will coincide.

Read: Full Article