CAS Chronicles
2026 Stories
Unraveling the web of brown recluse myths in Florida
USF alum Louis Coticchio and Associate Professor Deby Cassill show the brown recluse spider shouldn’t be portrayed as a villain. Their newly published findings aim to change the narrative by debunking common myths.
March 9, 2026Research
USF helping to restore Tampa Bay’s oyster populations by 3D-printing habitats
Along the seawall of Bayboro Harbor, a group of USF students and professors recently installed 3D-printed habitats they hope will soon house oysters that can filter thousands of gallons of water per day and improve both water quality and ecosystem health.
March 9, 2026Research
USF hosts 2026 math bowls for Hillsborough County’s top students
Nearly a thousand of Hillsborough County’s top young mathematicians competed at USF, showcasing their speed, accuracy and problem-solving skills.
February 27, 2026Community Engagement, Events
USF ranks among top 20 public universities for new patents in 2025
Denis Karaiskaj, a professor in the Department of Physics, has created a silicon-based, solid-state, miniaturized atomic clock that is a smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient alternative to the chip-size atomic clock that is currently used in electronic navigation devices. Awarded a Foundation Bull Ring Ring Accelerator Grant in 2025, the device has applications for oil and gas exploration, space navigation, military GPS and high-end automotive and watch manufacturing.
February 25, 2026Research
Digitizing the past for the future: CAS collaboration helps protect the legacy of Black cemeteries
USF’s IDEx and the Black Cemetery Network are working with local leaders to map, digitize and protect Lake Maude Cemetery, ensuring long‑overlooked histories are accessible to descendants and researchers.
February 25, 2026Community Engagement, Featured, Research
2025 CAS graduate finds success on and off campus
A few months after he graduated from USF with degrees from the Department of Economics, the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies and the Judy Genshaft Honors College, Matheus Ivanesciuc stepped boldly into a career over 6,000 miles from his childhood home in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
February 23, 2026Alumni
Hurricanes thin Tampa's canopy, spurring interest in replanting
A new post-storm canopy assessment, led by College of Arts and Sciences researchers Shawn Landry and Rebecca Zarger, reveals that Tampa’s citywide tree canopy fell to 29.9% in 2025, down from 31.4% in 2024. The loss represents a 4.8% decline driven largely by storm damage, wiping out canopy gains achieved since 2021.
February 23, 2026Research
Endowed chemistry chair established to advance biomedical research, honor lasting legacy
The Department of Chemistry named Jianfeng Cai the inaugural Julie Harmon Endowed Chair in Chemistry, a move that not only recognizes Cai’s research and goals to advance biomedical innovation, but also honors the legacy of the late Julie Harmon, a pioneering polymer chemist who taught at USF for over 25 years.
February 20, 2026Accomplishments, Research
Leading psychological society honors USF faculty and alumnus with distinguished career awards
For the second consecutive year, USF received top honors from the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, with two faculty members from the Department of Psychology and one alumnus earning distinguished and special-selection awards.
February 18, 2026Accomplishments
Catching Up With Honors Alum Christopher Johnson
From the Peace Corps to classrooms across Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors College alum Christopher Johnson has built a career rooted in international education.
February 16, 2026Alumni
St. Petersburg global affairs conference explores the final frontier of space
Distinguished speakers from across the U.S. and beyond will convene at the largest global affairs conference in Florida to dig into the new space race. This year's St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs explores how countries and companies are collaborating and competing for resources outside Earth’s orbit.
February 9, 2026Community Engagement, Events
USF Blue Humanities program sets sail with spring symposium
On Feb. 12, USF’s Blue Humanities program will launch its spring 2026 symposium, “Keywords in Blue Humanities,” with an event on the St. Petersburg campus.
February 9, 2026Community Engagement, Events