CAS Chronicles

2025 Stories

Abdul-Rasheed Saminu holds his Track and Field trophy

As a kid growing up in Ghana, he raced rabbits — and WON

Track and field junior sprinter and mass communications student Abdul-Rasheed Saminu has raced to a top finish in USF athletics history, setting a program record in the high-profile 100 meters, competing in last summer’s Olympic Games for his native Ghana and helping the Bulls to three conference championships (so far) while achieving All-American status.

June 23, 2025Accomplishments

limb device

Early-Stage Innovation Fund awards advance breakthrough technologies in healthcare, education and security

Reflecting the breadth of innovation emerging across the university, these projects address critical global challenges — from advancing healthcare training and personalized education to revolutionizing diagnostic technologies, wearable rehabilitation, environmental monitoring and next-generation security solutions.

June 20, 2025Research

From “She Draws” organized by STEMXposure and sponsored by Turner Construction, to USF Recreation’s Camp Rocky, or the USF Office of Youth Experience’s SAT Summer Institute to the Fantasy Fishing Camp, camp season has arrived at USF St. Petersburg.

Bulls In the Burg: June 2025 Community Relations Roundup

This community roundup series highlights the ways that USF St. Pete faculty, staff, students and administration are active in the community.

June 13, 2025Community Engagement

May Birch Boundless Bulls hero

From classroom to command: USF student helping shape the future of national security

For May Birch, national security isn’t just a field of study—it’s a calling rooted in family, shaped by mentors and propelled by student leadership.

June 9, 2025Accomplishments

medical equipment attached to patient

MediMirror, silicon atomic clock and early stroke detection device awarded BRAG grants for further development

The University of South Florida Foundation and the USF Research Foundation have awarded Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grants to three early-stage start-ups affiliated with the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator.

June 9, 2025Research

USF graduate students Libby Royer and Lara Novalvos Hernandes (right) set up equipment to study beach erosion on a reef island near Placencia, Belize.

USF expertise helps battle beach erosion and protect coastal communities

A beachfront community in southeastern Belize is seeking help from researchers in addressing severe beach erosion. It is one of several sites, including Biscayne Bay in Miami and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where USF’s expertise in making Tampa Bay’s coastline more resilient is helping others.

June 9, 2025Research

Dr. Bailee Olliff

2025 USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipient Dr. Bailee Olliff Practices Medicine With Purpose

From pre-med student at USF's Judy Genshaft Honors College to trauma medical director, 2025 USF Outstanding Young Alumni recipient Dr. Bailee Olliff has built a career grounded in purpose — making an impact through mentorship, community service, and a strong support system.

June 5, 2025Accomplishments, Alumni

satellite view of hurricane

How social media is shifting the spread of hurricane information

It wasn’t long ago that people relied on news broadcasts for hurricane updates. Today, they can easily swipe through social media platforms for the latest information. A USF expert and local influencers weigh in on how that’s reshaping public safety and what you should watch out for this hurricane season.

June 5, 2025Research

Recording an oral history for the Hurricane Histories project at Jungle Prada archaeological site in St. Petersburg.

Hurricane oral history project to preserve stories of loss, transformation and hope

The Hurricane Histories project will feature the experiences of those impacted by the 2024 historic hurricane season, providing a rich account of the natural disasters.

June 2, 2025Community Engagement, Research

Trumpet player

'What do you mean you hate jazz?’ This associate professor of humanities and cultural studies would like to know

When it comes to hating jazz, Andrew Berish, who teaches courses on jazz and civil rights, has heard it all. Chaotic. Boring. Formless. Difficult to dance to. Not melodic. Aimless. Self-indulgent. Too serious. Like eating spinach. In his new book, Berish explores the complex and often polarizing emotions the music evokes.

May 29, 2025Research

Farm work

$1M grant will fund research to improve disaster resilience and preparedness among migrant farmworkers

The three-year, collaborative grant will expand on disaster resilience research by Robin Ersing, director of the School of Public Affairs, and Christa Remington, an assistant professor in the same school. Ersing and Remington will work with Miranda Dally of the University of Colorado to collect data in Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Miami-Dade and Sumter counties on the mental health impacts of climate change.

May 29, 2025Research

For anthropology professor Elena Lesley, what started as an interest in political systems soon evolved into a deep commitment to understanding how trauma and mental health care intersect in post-conflict societies.

Enhancing mental health services in low-resource settings: A USF anthropologist’s impact

Elena Lesley, an anthropology professor at USF, is researching how digital mental health care—especially telehealth—is transforming access to treatment in Cambodia. Her work explores how digital tools can bridge gaps in mental health services, offering new possibilities for care in post-conflict communities. Through her research, she aims to highlight innovative strategies that could improve mental health care in low-resource settings worldwide.

May 29, 2025Community Engagement, Research

About CAS Chronicles

CAS Chronicles is the monthly newsletter for the University of South Florida's College of Arts and Sciences, your source for the latest news, research, and events at CAS.