People

Staff

Tampa Campus

Office staff work a hybrid schedule and are on-campus three days per week. Staff may be reached via Teams or email on remote workdays. 

Name Description of Duties

Karissa Valine-Plaza

Operations Manager

Karissa Valine-Plaza
  • Manages Integrative Biology office and staff
  • Departmental HR representative for hiring,  recruitment, and appointment renewals
  • Oversight of departmental operating budgets
  • Faculty assignments, T&P, and annual evaluations
  • General office questions
  • Payroll processing
  • Travel and purchasing support
  • IB website administrator

Office: SCA 112A
On-Campus: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Contact Karissa: kvalineplaza@usf.edu

Christine Brubaker

Academic Services Administrator

Christine Brubaker
  • Administration and support of Tampa campus graduate programs
    • Admissions
    • Committees
    • Recruitment and appreciation events
    • Onboarding
    • Training
    • Graduate student timeline guidance
    • Graduation processes 
  • Tuition waivers
  • TA appointments

Office: SCA 112C
On-Campus: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Contact Christine: brubaker@usf.edu

Ben Peoples

Academic Program Specialist

Ben Peoples
  • Support of Tampa campus academic programs
    • Academic course schedule
    • Course syllabi
    • Collaboration with BioAdvise
    • Textbook orders
    • Undergraduate research permits
    • Graduate course permits
    • Enrollment reporting
  • Room bookings
  • Office purchasing
  • Key Requests
  • Travel arrangements for university guests

Office: SCA 112
On-Campus: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Contact Ben: bpeoples@usf.edu

JESSICA WILSON, MS

Unit Research Administrator

Jessica Wilson
  • Grants administrator (federal, state, student, private and international fund sources)
  • Pre- & Post-award support
  • Preparation and submission grant proposals in compliance with sponsor and university policy
  • Monitors and reconciles expenditures on sponsored projects, start-up, and research initiatives
  • Departmental Liaison to USF Division of Sponsored Research
  • Grant funded travel
  • Research appointments

Office: SCA 112D
On-Campus: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Contact Jessica: normanj@usf.edu

Mary Mangiapia, MS

Laboratory Manager

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  • Laboratory curriculum development and TA supervision of BSC2011L – Bio II
  • Laboratory purchasing for teaching labs
  • Biohazardous waste disposal
  • Specimen collection and tank maintenance
  • Teaching laboratory safety officer

Contact Mary: mangiapia@usf.edu | (813) 974-5059

Richard Romeo “Romeo”

Research Engineering Technologist

Richard Romeo
  • Maintenance of research and teaching laboratory equipment
  • Department vehicle and vessel maintenance
  • Autoclave maintenance and safety training
  • Environmental chamber and greenhouse

Contact Romeo: rromeo1@usf.edu | (813) 974-2667

St. Petersburg Campus

Name Description of Duties

Reid Lesperance

Administrative Specialist
  • CAS representative for appointment renewals
  • Oversight of departmental operating budgets
  • Payroll processing

Contact Reid: lesperance@usf.edu

DEBORAH L. HOWARD, Ms, MA

Teaching Lab Manager
  • Laboratory curriculum development and TA supervision of BSC2011L – Bio II
  • Laboratory purchasing for teaching labs
  • Teaching laboratory safety officer

Contact Deborah: dhoward5@usf.edu | (727) 973-4380

Catherine Koziol, MBA

Internship Coordinator
  • Undergraduate Advising representative for internships

Contact Catherine: cjk@usf.edu

MAHMOUD MOHAMMED, PhD

Research Lab Manager
  • Responsible for all St. Petersburg research labs (Biology, ESP, and Chemistry)
  • Repairs and maintains research instrumentation, vessels, and vehicles
  • Research lab hurricane preparations
  • Training of grad students

Contact Mahmoud: mahmoud5@usf.edu