By Georgia Jackson, College of Arts and Sciences
Jody Harwood, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, is among three faculty members to be named 2025 Distinguished University Professors, the highest honor given to USF faculty.
Harwood collects fresh samples from waterways as large as the Hillsborough and the Alafia and as small as ephemeral streams. Work in her laboratory focuses on water quality and sources of contamination. [Photo courtesy of Jody Harwood]
A valued member of the university community since 1998, Harwood served with distinction as chair of the Department of Integrative Biology for eight years, notably guiding the department through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic — an experience that underscored her exceptional leadership.
“USF is really where my career developed and took off,” said Harwood, whose research on water quality has taken her around the world. “Having that ultimate recognition towards the towards the end of my research career is rewarding, and I feel like I’m in the company of a lot of really, really great researchers and university professors, which is humbling.”
Chuanmin Hu of the College of Marine Science and Dr. Charles Lockwood of the Morsani College of Medicine also received the honor, which was announced by USF Provost and Executive Vice President Prasant Mohapatra earlier this year.
“Jody very ably led our department through both consolidation and the pandemic,” said Stephen Deban, chair of the department of Integrative Biology. “We are very lucky to have had her leadership during these challenging times — and are still benefiting from her impact. She also worked successfully to establish and maintain a collaborative and collegial culture in the department that persists to this day.
In the more than 25 years since Harwood joined USF, she has borne witness to some of the university’s most exciting advancements, including an incredible increase in research funding, membership in the AAU and a growing emphasis on evidence-based practices in the classroom.
Harwood (third from right) is a committed mentor and professor. [Photo courtesy of Jody Harwood]
“We understand so much better how making courses interactive contributes to learning,” Harwood said. “It has been really gratifying to see the response of the students.”
Harwood credits her graduate students for playing an instrumental role in her success. Collaboration with other scientists has also contributed to the breadth and creativity of her work.
“The collaborators that I've had over the years have been instrumental in shaping my ideas and spurring me to move forward,” said Harwood, who has worked with researchers all over the world, from Australia to the Midwest.
Harwood will have her title formally bestowed at the faculty honors and awards ceremony in the spring.