Legislator and Campus Friend Margo Fischer Dies
Margo Fischer, former state legislator and local civic leader, died Friday, Oct. 7. The campus and community lost a treasured friend with her passing.

A charter member of USF St. Petersburg Town and Gown, Fischer was also president of Town and Gown in 2003-04. Town and Gown is a campus support group that promoted understanding and friendship between the university and the community.

Additionally, Fischer served on the USF St. Petersburg Campus Advisory Board for several years. Fischer believed it was critical for the campus to have a four-year program to realize its full potential - and she was instrumental in helping USFSP achieve this goal. She also persisted in the move for greater campus autonomy and recognition.

Regional Chancellor Karen A. White said, “Margo’s vision and support over the years, both legislatively and as a leader of Town & Gown, have allowed us to attain a greater stature. Her work to support our academic enterprise has helped us achieve growth and prominence for our programs.”

Bill Heller, PhD, professor of Special Education and former CEO of USF St. Petersburg added, “She was a good friend of education at all levels and definitely a good friend of the campus.”

An avid sailor, Fischer held a special affinity for aquatic-based educational programs such as the College of Marine Science’s Oceanography Camp for Girls. She was responsible for obtaining donations from Town and Gown and the local Salty Sisters for the Camp.

Her husband, former City Mayor David Fischer, also has a long history of support for USF St. Petersburg and local education.

Forecasting Tampa Bay's Worst Case

USF oceanographer Robert Weisberg, professor in the College of Marine Science, has recently made headlines with a simulation of the worst case scenario for Tampa Bay in the event that a Category 4 hurricane approaches Indian Rocks Beach from the west.

It did not take the destruction of Hurricane Katrina to inspire the professor to speculate on such an outcome. He and his team of researchers have been creating storm surge simulations since 2000.

"We need to keep informing the public and providing information for public officials," Weisberg said. "Even though we have been very fortunate that hurricanes don't usually come to our area if one ever does, we will be in serious trouble."

For more information on his storm surge simulations, hurricanes and even a Katrina tracking tool, please visit the Ocean Circulation Group Web site at http://ocgweb.marine.usf.edu.

See: Worst Case Scenario Simulation

Break-fast at the CAC to Honor Holiday Unity

October marked 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 to be held in the USF St. Petersburg Campus Activities Center.

As the month continues, the public is invited to join in a nationwide fast for reflection, repentance, reconciliation and renewal from sunrise to sunset this 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.

See: Ramadan and Tishri Flier (.pdf)

Sonia Manzano to Speak Friday

In continued celebration of National Hispanic Heritage month, the Office of Multicultural Affairs invites the campus to celebrate with a special event featuring Sonia Manzano, who portrayed the character Maria on the show “Sesame Street.”

Manzano, a first generation American of Latino descent, will share her experiences as an actress and writer at a luncheon from noon – 2 pm in the Campus Activities Center Friday, Oct. 15.

For more information, please contact Steve Marshall, interim coordinator of Multicultural Affairs, at 553-4845.

Visit: Sonia Manzano Web site

Open Enrollment Will Soon End

Open Enrollment runs until Oct. 28. 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)

Make Tracks to the Community Luncheon

The date for the annual Community Luncheon, sponsored by the USF Alumni Association's Pinellas County Chapter, is approaching fast. Located at the Hilton in downtown St. Petersburg on Oct. 25 at 11:30 am, the luncheon offers networking and updates about the progress that USF St. Petersburg has made this year.

Tickets are $25 per person or $250 for a table of ten and can be purchased in advance no later than Oct. 19. Registration is available online.

Hear about 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 Medalist.

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)

2005 Superbull IX Homecoming
Celebrate USF’s homecoming with campus traditions such as cardboard boat building, Spirit Day and boat races. Green and gold events mark the entire week of Oct. 17-22 and wrap up with Fall Fest on the waterfront with carnival games, prizes, food and a haunted house.

The celebration kicks off with cardboard boat building Monday, Oct. 17 from 1 - 4 pm in the Campus Activities Center and on Tuesday, Oct. 18 as well. The boats will be raced in a weeklong team competition beginning Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Celebrate Spirit Day Tuesday, Oct. 18 by wearing green and gold. Stop by DAV130 to make a banner or tie-dye a shirt or to enjoy some ice cream. For more information on homecoming events, please call USF St. Petersburg Student Government at 553-4147.

See: Homecoming Events Schedule (.doc)

Great Opportunity for Prospective Students

Welcome prospective college students at the 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.

Guests can 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.

Student Evaluates Health Threats for Pentagon

A USF St. Petersburg undergraduate student in political science conducted risk-analysis from inside the Pentagon this summer, focusing on major global health issues such as SARS and the emerging threat of avian influenza.

Senior Manny Wilson beat Ivy League students for a competitive summer internship with the Department of Defense where he worked for the Office of Force Transformation. This department is transforming the military to face emerging threats that demand new methods of containment.

Wilson said, “The threat of any biological event or natural disease, including avian influenza, is becoming a reality and unless we are prepared for it, the results will be catastrophic.” He assisted with research conducted for a SARS case study but his primary work involved a research project on the threat of an avian influenza pandemic.

Wilson's research demonstrated how any natural disease can be a real and immediate threat to global health security. Wilson’s research findings examined the catastrophic nature of such threats, their likelihood, current vulnerabilities and the impact of a pandemic, existing research and health plans and recommended preventive measures.

“International security is a lot more complicated than bombs and rockets,” said Thomas Smith, PhD, associate professor of Government and International Affairs. “Manny's research on avian influenza pandemics puts him on the cutting edge of security studies.”

Under the supervision of John Garstka, assistant director for Concepts and Operations, and Scott Buchanan, lead agent for the SARS case study, Wilson presented his original research findings to the director of the Office of Force Transformation, the Office of Naval Intelligence and the president of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Spurred by the research he conducted at the DOD, Wilson is writing a paper with Buchanan on bio economics. They plan to publish their findings in the US Naval Institute magazine, Proceedings, in the next few months.

Read: Avian Influenza: A Catastrophic National Security Challenge (.doc)
See: Presentation of Research Findings of Avian Study (.ppt)

Join the Literati for Festival of Reading

The countdown to the Festival continues. In about two weeks USF St. Petersburg will host the 13th Annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 am to 5 pm.

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

Your last chance to volunteer is approaching. Faculty, staff and student volunteers can 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 http://www.festivalofreading.com/.

Read: Press Release for Festival (.pdf)  

Campaign to Raise Green Wraps Up This Week

Student Government continues its fundraiser through Oct. 14. 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.

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.

Students and Recruiters Welcomed at College Fair

More than 150 students attended the Pinellas County College Fair Sunday, Oct. 9 from 12:30 - 3 pm in the Campus Activities Center. 40 colleges and universities across the country sent recruiters to USF St. Petersburg for the event.

The event, sponsored by the Florida School and College Relations Committee and hosted by USF St. Petersburg Office of Enrollment Services, was an 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.

Students who visited the USF St. Petersburg tables also were able to obtain information on scholarships and other options to help in their planning and were able to meet with representatives from the USFSP Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education and from Student Affairs.

The Office of Enrollment Services received positive feedback from college representatives and hopes to make the event bigger and better for next year.

Student News Bureau Nationally Recognized

The USF St. Petersburg Neighborhood News Bureau was featured in the national publication Metropolitan Universities News for its academic service to the local community.

Founded in 1999 by Mike Killenberg, PhD, director of the journalism department, and his students, the bureau provides journalism students with a direct link to the Midtown community by focusing on Midtown's growth and development.

The feature highlights the bureau's benefits and the valuable experience students gain in news gathering, writing and publishing. Some publications that feature student work from the bureau are the Weekly Challenger, the PeaceSonium and the "Neighborhood News" section of the St. Petersburg Times.

The article goes on to say that one of the greatest benefits of the Neighborhood News Bureau is the chance for aspiring journalists and local residents to meet, talk and learn about each other.

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

Check out the USF St. Petersburg Human Resource Web site to learn more about Open Enrollment, Health and Education Seminars and 2006 details of Health Insurance changes.

Upcoming volunteer opportunities include the 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.

Bush selects 3 new judges for Pinellas

St. Petersburg Times
Tuesday, Oct. 4

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday appointed three new judges in Pinellas County, including John Carassas, a former state House member from Palm Harbor who is currently a deputy state attorney general.

Read: Full Article

Note: John Carassas' wife Kathy is a USF SP graduate and Carassas himself is a USF graduate.

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