Walls Constructed at Site of Parking Garage

The much anticipated parking garage is beginning to show progress.

Passers-by can now see the prefabricated walls for the nearly $14 million Parking Center One that will offer more than 1,100 parking spaces for faculty, staff and students and includes a two-story Barnes & Noble bookstore.

"Plans call for construction of the parking garage to be complete and fully operational by early Summer of 2006," said Jim Grant, director of Facility Planning and Campus Architect. In addition to the two-story Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, complete with a coffee shop, the first floor will house the USF St. Petersburg Police Department and Parking Services.

Campus Celebrates "Topping Out"

The walls are up and the roof is on. Last week, members of USF St. Petersburg celebrated with Elkins Constructors, Inc in a luncheon hosted by Elkins.

"Topping out" is an important milestone in the construction industry. Elkins commemorated the work by inviting Regional Chancellor Karen A. White to place an evergreen tree on the top of the building with a crane.

The construction team and campus members attended the luncheon including Charles Brown, regional vice chancellor of Student Affairs, Cedric Howard, director of Student Services, James Grant, director of Facility Planning and campus architect and Max Kerlin, interim regional vice chancellor of Administration and Finance.

"The project team considers this to be an extremely successful milestone in the construction of Residence Hall One," said Nancy McLaren, project manager for the USF Student Residence Facility Project. The team had planned to spend more than 10 weeks to complete the topping out. With a two week late start, they were able to finish early ending a seven week project.

"Our success is due to the hard work and cooperation between Elkins, KBJ and USF St. Petersburg, " said McLaren. "We have really enjoyed our relationship with USF St. Petersburg and we are proud to be a part of this historic facility for the university."

College of Business New Acting Dean

A new acting dean for the College of Business begins work on campus this week. Blaine A Brownell, PhD, will meet with faculty and staff Thursday.

Brownell has extensive background in higher education leadership in university roles. He joins the college having served as the twelfth president of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The two years prior to that Brownell was at the University of Memphis where he served as the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs and Services and Professor of History. From 1990 to 1998 he was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of History at the University of North Texas in Denton.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Brownell join us and provide his considerable expertise to the College of Business,” said Mark Durand, regional vice chancellor for academic affairs. “He is a highly regarded and prominent national figure in higher education administration. His depth of knowledge extends to areas such as international programs and we are indeed fortunate to have his services during this period of transition.”

For sixteen years, between 1974-1990, he held a variety of academic positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham including Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Dean of the Graduate School, Director of the Center for International Programs, and founding Chair of the Department of Urban Studies.

He earned his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

His international experience includes appointments as a Fulbright Professor in American History and Urban Studies at Hiroshima University in Japan, a Visiting Professor at Sichuan University in China, and an Academic Specialist for the U.S. Information Agency in Brazil. He was Editor of the International Education Forum, the journal of the Association of International Education Administrators. He has traveled to more than 25 countries.

And the Winner is..

Eckerd 1 team from Eckerd College won a day of discussions about real life topics between 13 teams from across the country at the annual Southeast Ethics Bowl hosted by USF St. Petersburg. Teams from Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and elsewhere throughout the southeast all traveled a great distance to participate.

"I was very happy to see how different teams approached cases, to see the high level of preparation and research that went into these cases and to see how far people came to take part in our Bowl," said Rhia Dodd.

While the Ethics Bowl featured elements of a classical debate, teams were encouraged to agree when appropriate. The goal was to foster a constructive ethical dialogue while examining dilemmas from many perspectives to find the best solutions.

Last year the collegiate Ethics Bowl was held at Eckerd College. Soon the regional event may become the official feeder for the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, held concurrently with the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

Professor Discusses Florida's History

Noted USF St. Petersburg professor and Florida historian, Gary Mormino, PhD, Duckwall Professor of History, will speak at a reception Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 6 – 8 pm at the Governor’s Club in Tallahassee.

Mormino will speak about his newly published book Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida. The book examines the major forces that drove the state’s transformation during the 20th century.

Mormino also has been honored with an invitation to present at the first meeting of the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida on Monday, Nov. 14 at the EpiCenter in Largo.

Created by Gov. Jeb Bush, the group is a 15 member statewide commission on development chaired by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker. The group is a standing body to help citizens of this state envision and plan their collective future with an eye toward both 25-and 50-year horizons.

Mormino will discuss how Florida evolved from the South's least populated state to a Sunbelt megastate, the fourth largest in the nation.

Professor to Present at Clinton Conference

Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, PhD, professor of Political Science and former White House staffer in the Clinton Administration, will present a paper at the 11th Presidential Conference, William Jefferson Clinton: The "New Democrat" From Hope.

Hosted by Hofstra University Cultural Center Nov. 10, the conference attracts scholars, journalists, government officials and in some cases, former presidents. This year President Clinton will give a plenary address on the first day of the conference.

"I am excited that President Clinton will be there to kick-off the conference," said McLauchlan. She will present her paper "Presidential Correspondence During the Clinton Administration: Staying in Touch with the American People," under the panel Considering the Press.

She will discuss her experiences as a former White House Staffer and give an overview of the Department of Correspondence focusing on the way the Clinton administration handled incoming and outgoing mail, emails, phone calls and faxes.

McLauchlan says that before Clinton administration, there didn't seem to be a need to communicate with the public except through media outlets.

"People felt a direct connection to President Clinton because of this and felt he cared about what they had to say," said McLauchlan. She says President Clinton was committed to hearing from people and ensuring that they received responses back from the White House.

Other Clinton Conference Distinguished Invitees include Hon. Madeline Albright, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of State; Attorney General Janet Reno; Secretary of Education Hon. Richard W. Riley and John D. Podesta, former Chief of Staff.

Visit: Clinton Conference Web site

Leadership Development Seminar

Discover the leader within at a Leadership Development Seminar presented by MBA candidates and business professionals including Cynthia Bean, PhD, College of Business professor and Jaye Anne Terry, JD.

Held Monday, Nov. 14 from 5:30 - 9 pm in the Campus Activities Center, the evening includes dinner and will explore practices for successful leadership. Certificates will be awarded at the end of the evening. Seating is limited. For more information, please contact Jaye Anne Terry at 553-4816 or jterry@stpt.usf.edu.

Honors Program Sponsors Visiting Professors

Award-winning Native American writer Gabriel Horn will discuss “The American Holocaust:  The Physical and Cultural Genocide of Indigenous Peoples” Thursday, Nov. 10 at 3:30 pm in DAV130.  The event, sponsored by the USF St. Petersburg Honors Program, is free and open to the public.

Horn, whose Native American name is White Deer of Autumn, is the author of numerous books including The Book of Ceremonies, Contemplations of a Primal Mind,  Native Heart: An American Indian Odyssey and Ceremony in the Circle of Life. He was honored last year at the Kennedy Space Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Joseph Squier will present "Writing with Video: Art 199," Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6 pm in DAV 130. The event, co-sponsored with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors Program, is free and open to the public.

A professor of narrative media in the School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Squier's work is renowned for exploring and practicing the interconnections between writing and multimedia production. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Latin America and Europe and featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Wired.

Campus Celebrates with Second Multicultural Feast

Celebrate campus diversity with the second annual multicultural feast Wednesday, Nov. 16 from noon - 2 pm in DAV130. Guests can enjoy foods from all over the world. There will be music, live dance and an abundance of food.

"This feast is a good opportunity for students to learn the importance of different countries while enjoying good fellowship," said Steve Marshall, interim coordinator of Multicultural Affairs. For more information, please contact Marshall at 553-4845.

Celebrate GIS Day

Celebrate National GIS Day 2005 Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 9 am to 4 pm in the Campus Activities Center. Learn how Geographic Information System, known as GIS, impacts your life daily.

Held during National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness week, GIS Day is a global event that celebrates this technology that uses geography to change the world.

GIS is a computer-based mapping tool that takes information from a database about a place, such as streets, buildings, water features and terrain, and turns it into visual layers. By seeing all of these features on a map, planners and analysts can better understand particular locations to make more informed decisions.

More than 20 vendors from Pinellas County will attend the campus event, including local weather service and the Pinellas County Sheriff's department. They will demonstrate how they use GIS technology in their jobs.

GIS Day is a grassroots event celebrated by professionals in more than 80 countries to showcase the important contributions GIS technology is making in the fields of science, technology and the humanities. For more information on the USFSP event, visit www.stpt.usf.edu/gisday/. For more information on global GIS Day, visit www.gisday.com.

Final Workshop on Career Options
The final workshop offering career options is Nov. 18 from 10 - 10:30 am in BAY 227. Led by Sara Leslie, this free workshop can help students to clarify their interests and to help establish career goals. For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Counseling and Career Center at 553-4422.

UnBULLievable Tailgate Party

Cheer on the USF Bulls in a Big East game against the Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday, Nov. 19 at Raymond James Stadium.

Before the game, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy the UnBULLievable Tailgate Party, located in Lot 6 from  9:30 - 11:45 am. For this special event, guests will pay only $11 for wristband entry to the game and tailgate party, which includes a full plate meal, beer, soda and pre game activities with prizes and fun for all ages.

Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Athletics Ticket office at Entry 3 at the Sun Dome Monday - Friday from 9 am - 6 pm.  No tickets will be sold at the game.

Faculty and staff season ticket holders may pick up a free wristband from the Athletics Office. For more ticket information, please call 1-800-GoBulls. For more information on the tailgate party, please visit the USF HR Web site.

Professor Emeritus Discusses Ecological Ethics

Attend a lecture in ethics led by Frederick Ferre, PhD, professor emeritus from the University of Georgia. The topic of discussion will be "Ecological Ethics in the Age of Globalism," Nov. 21 at 4 pm in DAV130.

Ferre will discuss how environmentalism has evolved from a campaign to beautify America into a science involving ethics and theoretical issues often discussed in professional journals and classrooms. He will examine environmental thinking, capitalist economics and the relationship to the political forces that dominate the global system.

For more information on this event, please contact Hugh LaFollette at 553-4830. For more information on the Frederick Ferre, PhD, please visit his Web site.

Award for Excellence in Short Fiction

Calling all published and unpublished authors. The contest deadline for the Ruth and Frank Coleman Award for Excellence in Short Fiction Writing is Jan. 31, 2006 at noon.

Sponsored by the USF Tampa Library and through the support of Mrs. Ruth Coleman, the contest provides authors with the opportunity to have their stories printed in Library publication and offered to a broad audience.

Awards will be presented for the best unpublished fiction story and for first runner-up written by any degree-seeking USF student registered for the Fall and/or Spring semesters of the 2005 - 2006 academic year. Students may be either full-time or part-time.

First place will receive $350 and runner-up will receive $150. Both winners will be invited to attend an awards reception hosted by the USF Library in late spring. For more details on the contest rules, please visit the USF Library Web site.

USF St. Petersburg Police Crime Alert

The USF St. Petersburg Police Department issued a crime alert on Monday due to a recent increase in auto burglary near our campus. The department wishes to stress how important it is for campus members to take precautions for their safety and protection. Persons having information regarding any suspicious activity on campus are encouraged to immediately contact the University Police at 553-4140. For more information, please visit the Public Safety Web site.

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

Campus Flu Shot Clinic

The flu season is upon us and as a preventive measure, the office of Student Affairs will sponsor a flu shot clinic for all USFSP faculty, staff and students Friday, Nov. 18 from 12:30 - 4:30 pm. Located in TER 300, the clinic will provide flu shots costing $25 per shot. For more information, please contact Regina Young Hyatt, director of Student Life, at 553-4180.

Celebrate in The Village of the 60s

Contemporaries, a young professionals group, invites campus members to attend a fundraising festival highlighting 1960s spirit and merriment Saturday, Nov. 12 from 7:30 - 11 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Admission is $25 for Contemporaries members and $30 for non-members. A free beverage ticket is included if purchased online.

Guests are encouraged to relive the fashion of love, peace and happiness by dressing up in 60s attire. Exhibits include "Art, Love and Life in the Village," "The Sixties Show" and "Peter Max." Guests can enjoy music, food, drinks, prizes and more. For more information, please visit www.contemporaries.fine-arts.org.

Animal Behavior Draws More Interest

A national media outlet has an interest in Sarah Partan, Ph.D., and assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Discovery News, the online news service for the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet is preparing a story about her research with pigeon courtship behavior.

Partan made news in October when a research article highlighting her work was published in the journal Animal Behavior. The newest article is expected to be published and will be available online at www.discovery.com.

Hurricane may cripple vital bridges in Pinellas

St. Petersburg Times

Monday, Oct. 31

It's the waves that do the damage, [Robert Weisberg] said, as Hurricane Ivan, a strong Category 3 storm, demonstrated when it hit Pensacola last year. In its wake: rows of bridge pilings sticking out of Pensacola Bay, the remnants of Interstate 10 and U.S. 90, the main routes in and out of the city.

Read: Full Story