Over the past year, the USF College of Education has navigated a season of growth, reflection and transition. Through it all, the unwavering dedication of the people who make this college extraordinary has remained a constant. As I begin my appointment as Dean, I am honored to serve this remarkable community and deeply grateful for your continued support and commitment.
The stories in this magazine reflect the momentum taking shape across our college. From innovative research and partnerships to student success and alumni leadership, each story demonstrates the impact of our faculty, staff, students and graduates.
Together, we have an opportunity to expand our impact, strengthen the workforce of tomorrow, advance innovation in learning and improve outcomes for the communities we serve. We will continue building on our long-standing tradition of excellence while embracing new ideas and emerging opportunities that prepare learners for an increasingly complex world.
Our mission has never been more important. Whether preparing exceptional educators, advancing human performance and well-being, developing leaders or pioneering the thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence in education, the USF College of Education is committed to creating meaningful change.
None of this is possible without the support of our alumni, donors, community partners and friends. You strengthen our ability to make a lasting difference. Thank you for believing in our mission and for helping us shape the future of education together.
I hope you enjoy the stories in this issue and take pride in the incredible work happening throughout the college. The future is bright, and I look forward to what we will accomplish together.
With gratitude,
Jenifer Jasinski Schneider
Dean, USF College of Education
"The breadth and quality of these projects reflect the innovative work happening across our college. These investments help faculty pursue new ideas, build interdisciplinary collaborations, engage students in meaningful research experiences and ultimately generate solutions that improve education and communities.”
Jenifer Jasinski Schneider
Dean of the College of Education
Getting to Know Dean Schneider
Q & A with the New Dean of the College of Education
Education has always been part of who I am. Both of my parents were educators—my mom
taught fifth grade, and my dad taught high school geography while coaching football
and golf. I spent much of my childhood at my
dad’s school, where I experienced firsthand the sense of community that great schools
create. I also remember how former students would stop to greet my parents everywhere
we went. It was obvious that they had made a lasting difference in people’s lives,
and that left an impression on me.
Research
What Our Research Makes Possible
A Steady Adult In a Child's Corner
Nearly 200 elementary students have worked with Project MENTOR since January. Mentors support confidence, problem-solving, and engagement across four Hillsborough schools.
A Pathway From Aide to Teacher
Project Parasol helped ESOL paraprofessionals earn education degrees and enter teaching. Four alumni are now returning for a TESOL master’s.
Stronger Support for Students with Disabilities
Project iSEBA is preparing special educators and behavior analysts to train together and serve high-need schools. Its goal: 30 graduates over five years, each with stipend support.
Research // What's Underway
This spring, the college awarded funding to 10 faculty-led research projects through its Collaborative Research Excellence And Translational Efforts (CREATE) 2.0 Awards, Early Career Award Mini Grants and Effectiveness in Undergraduate Research Mini Grants. The awards represent a combined investment of $125,000 in research designed to address real-world challenges while supporting faculty innovation, student engagement and community impact.
What's New
New Programs
MINORS
- Leadership Studies
- Athletic Coaching
- Education Professional Training Option
UNDERGRADUATE
- Athletic Coaching
- Computer Science Education
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES
- Computer Science in K-12 Education
- AI In Teaching and Learning
- College Student Well-Being
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
- Ed.D. In AI and Learning Design
- M.Ed. In Higher Education Administration
New Scholarships
- Achieving Dreams – UMatter Endowed Scholarship
- Myra and Mack Cooley Working Resident Scholarship
- Sherry Goldstein Scarcella Education Scholarship
- William A. Gregory Jr. Foundation Deans Leadership
- Hilde S. Reno Endowed Scholarship
- Edward Link Sherster Memorial Scholarship in School Psychology
More
Online store now open featuring official College of Education merchandise.
PARTNERSHIP
USF Education + Eckerd College launch new pathway program.
PODCAST
Classroom Caffeine joins the Anchin Center.
Awards
Shannon Suldo
Named Distinguished University Professor
Sanghoon Park
Named Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors
Jimmy Duplass
Appointed a Fulbright Scholar
Randi Latzke
PK20 Boundary Spanner Award
John Ferron
Fellow of the American Educational Research Association
Craig Nieman
Received the AIESEP Early Career Scholar Award
2026 Betty Castor Champion of Education Award: Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks’ legacy in education is rooted in a sustained commitment to expanding opportunity for students across Tampa Bay and beyond. At the center of that work is the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School, founded in 2007 after its charter was approved by the Hillsborough County School Board.
2026 DISTINGUISHED AWARD RECIPIENTS
Dean’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Albert Ritzhaupt | 2008 Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction
Undergraduate Student Leadership & Service Awards
Reese Kantrowitz | Exceptional Student Education
Kathleen Porcelli | Elementary Education
Alumni Innovation Award
Marlee Strawn | 2009 Social Science Education
Graduate Student Leadership & Service Awards
Daria Smirnova | 2026 Curriculum & Instruction Doctoral Graduate
Paige Glossop | Exercise Science & Kinesiology Graduate Student
Spirit of Partnership Alumni Award
Cheryl Joe, John Hill & Jennifer Rouse | Polk County Schools Professional Development department
Emerging Alumni Awards
Melissa Kulp | 2022 Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction
Stephanie Hornick | 2021 Master’s in Educational Leadership & Administration Program
Margaret Burlington Tritle Faculty Excellence Awards
Bill Campbell | Professor of Exercise Science & Kinesiology
Mandie Dunn | Assistant Professor of English Education
Join the EDU Brand Ambassador Program
Helping tell the story of the College of Education through authentic student and alumni voices.
The USF College of Education Brand Ambassador Program was created to help tell the College of Education’s story through the authentic voices of those who know it best.
Did You Know… The Original Gerber Baby Was an Alum of Our College?
She may be the most recognized face in American advertising history, and she’s one of ours.
Ann Turner Cook was born in 1926 in Westport, Connecticut. She was just five months old when neighbor and artist Dorothy Hope Smith sketched her in charcoal for a Gerber marketing contest; the image became the company’s trademark in 1931.
Cook and her family later moved to Colorado, then Manhattan, and then Orlando, before completing her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Texas in 1947. She then married James Cook, World War II Navy veteran, who would later become a major in the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office. Along with their four children, the family moved to Tampa in 1967, where Ann began teaching at Hillsborough High School and pursuing her master’s degree. Cook earned her master’s degree in English Education from the USF College of Education in 1969.
Cook passed away in 2022, but her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched throughout her 27-year teaching career, many of whom attribute their love of learning to their time in her classroom.
Project MENTOR
Through Project MENTOR, the Institute of School-Community Partnerships is partnering with Hillsborough County Public Schools to provide mentoring to elementary students who could benefit from additional support and encouragement. Funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, the project launched i January 2026 and has already served nearly 200 students across four schools.
Trained mentors meet with students individually and in small groups, helping them build confidence, set goals, solve problems and strengthen their engagement in school. The project is anticipated to continue through September 2030.
The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable mentoring model that can be adapted and expanded to other schools and communities across the country.
Visiting Fulbright Scholar
We’re excited to welcome Fulbright Scholar Lána McCarthy as a visiting scholar in spring 2027. She is a lecturer in the Literacy Development Centre at South East Technological University in Ireland and has been selected as a 2026-27 Fulbright Scholar.
During her time here, she will collaborate with Dean Jenifer Jasinski Schneider on her research project, “Family Literacy, Hugging Books and Parental Engagement: An Ireland-America Comparative Study.”
From Punch Cards to AI
When Jim Gilroy enrolled in the University of South Florida College of Education’s computer education master’s program in the early 1980s, personal computers were still a novelty in many classrooms. Most teachers had never written a line of code, and the internet as we know it didn’t exist.
Veteran and Graduate Amed Issa
Four days after graduating high school, Amed Issa left home to become a U.S. Marine.
For Issa, a recent University of South Florida College of Education Exercise Science graduate, life at home was unpredictable and filled with challenges. His father was absent and his mother struggled with addiction.
Exercise Science and Kinesiology
30 Years Strong: USF's Exercise Science and Kinesiology Program Continues to Grow
USF graduate Abby Friel began taking dance when she was around three years old, and she was teaching it by the time she was 16. She had always been interested in the body and how it moves, so when she began looking for just the right college major, she found the perfect place in the USF College of Education’s Exercise Science and Kinesiology program.
The Human Performance Lab
The Human Performance Lab in the USF College of Education offers performance and wellness assessments designed to help you better understand your body and your goals. Whether you’re training for competition, working toward a personal fitness goal or simply looking to improve your overall wellness, the lab provides personalized, data-driven insights to help you make informed decisions and monitor your progress with confidence.
Assessments include VO2 max testing to evaluate aerobic fitness and identify personalized heart rate training zones, resting metabolic rate testing to determine how many calories your body burns at rest and body composition testing to assess body fat percentage, muscle mass and hydration. Together, these assessments provide practical insights that support training, nutrition and long-term health, replacing guesswork with objective data.
The Science Behind the Finish Line
Students from the University of South Florida College of Education’s Exercise Science and Kinesiology (ESK) program are gaining practical experience in sports performance testing through a new partnership with the USF Track & Field student-athletes.
Each week inside the USF Human Performance Lab, the ESK students are helping the Track
& Field team train with a high-intensity exercise used to measure an athlete’s power
and energy production under intense effort.
USF's First Student: A Legacy in Numbers and Spirit
The USF-themed license plate on Barbara Holley Johnson’s home office wall reads “BHJ 1.” That’s not a subjective claim declaring her the University of South Florida’s top fan. Rather, it represents a verifiable fact. Johnson was USF’s first-ever student — the first to apply, the first accepted, and assigned ID number 0001 when classes began in 1960.
SCATT Program Has Supported Future Educators for Decades
From the days of mimeographs and cursive writing to the era of the internet and artificial intelligence, the teaching profession has seen vast changes over the past 50 years. And though its structure, members, leadership and focus have evolved, the Suncoast Area Teacher Training Honors Program (SCATT) has managed to endure by adapting to the times and the needs of its membership.
Joyce Swarzman’s Flame Burns Brightly in SCATT
For generations of aspiring educators, the late Joyce Swarzman was far more than an
administrator. During her 15-year tenure as director of the SunCoast Area Teacher
Training
Program (SCATT) at USF’s College of Education, she inspired future teachers not only
through her
words, but through the example she set every day.
Alumni
From Motto to Mission
How a University Motto Became the Foundation For One Alumna’s Lifelong Commitment to Mathematics Education.
When Liana Fernandez Fox enrolled at the University of South Florida in 1964, it wasn’t the university she had always imagined attending. It was the opportunity she was given.
Growing up in a traditional Cuban and Sicilian family, Fox’s younger brothers left home to attend college, but as the family’s only daughter, she was expected to stay close to home.
“I wasn’t allowed to go away to college because I was a girl,” Fox recalled. “Fortunately, I had a brand new university right here at home.”
A Front Row Seat to USF History: Student Number Five
Rena (Antinori) Ezzell always knew she wanted to be an educator, and she began her
practicum early.
When she graduated from high school in 1960, it was time to go to college to make
her dream a reality. Ezzell says she also knew exactly where she wanted to go. She
set her sights on the University of South Florida, which was set to open that year
and was not too far from her home in Seminole Heights.
2026 Extra Yard For Teachers: Honoring Our Local Educators
Three Tampa Bay teachers were surprised with funding to bring new projects and learning experiences to life in their classrooms. As part of the University of South Florida’s Extra Yard for Teachers celebration, the College of Education asked the community to nominate teachers that should be honored. The response was overwhelming, with more than 200 nominations pouring in from across Tampa Bay, highlighting the many ways local educators are making a difference.
Extra Yard for Teachers is a national initiative that began in 2014 that helps recognize and support teachers at the local level. With funding from the College Football Playoff Foundation, USF Athletics and the college were able to surprise three teachers with a big check delivery to fund classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org. Due to the high volume of nominations the college received, the College Football Playoff Foundation was able to extend an additional $1K to a third teacher.
The USF Extra Yard celebration continued through the USF Bulls versus Delaware State football game. During the game, the College of Education recognized local Teachers of the Year from Tampa Bay school districts and superintendents as part of the university’s celebration of educators.
Charter Class Connector: Dick Puglisi
Growing up in Ybor City, Dick Puglisi was never quite sure what he wanted to do after
his high school graduation. But there was a brand-new Florida university being built,
not too far from home, and he and a few friends decided to apply.
A member of USF’s charter class, Dr. Dick Puglisi has devoted his career to preparing
future educators and supporting practicing teachers through his work at the Gus A.
Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education.
UMatter's Luke King and Giving Back
Every good sailor knows that you can’t control the winds, but you can certainly adjust your sails. That’s an adage Luke King, 24, lives by. King grew up near the water in Sarasota and began sailing when he was eight years old. Diagnosed with comprehensive intellectual disabilities in elementary school caused by a series of severe epileptic seizures, it was hard for him to follow directions or understand concepts by reading or being verbally told how to do things, but sailing came naturally.
One Program. Three Principals. Countless Students.
When students walk through the doors of Jefferson High School, LaVoy Exceptional Center and Roland Park K-8 IB Magnet School each morning, they enter three very different learning environments. All share the same city block in Tampa, but one serves a traditional high school population, another supports students with intellectual disabilities and the third nurtures learners through an internationally recognized IB framework.
Remembering Ron And Jean Linder: A Life Of Love, Learning and Exploration
Ron and Jean Linder’s shared story began at USF’s College of Education, where their dedication to education brought them together. Both were parents who loved travel, camping, national parks and cultivating community.
Ron joined the College of Education in 1969 after teaching elementary school in Florida and on Army bases in Japan and Germany, where he also served as a principal. Jean moved to Florida in 1978 and became a fellow educator at USF. They married in 1982, bringing their families together and beginning more than four decades of shared adventures.
Over $535k + IN Scholarships
ALL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION STUDENTS
- Achieving Dreams – UMatter Endowed Scholarship
- Alice V. and Thomas C. Kraemer Scholar Endowment
- Barbara J. Shircliffe, PhD Memorial Scholarship
- Betty Castor Endowed Education Scholarship
- Bullock Family Endowed Scholarship
- Deanotable Scholars Endowment
- Dominic & Janet Puglisi Scholarship for Students aspiring to be K-12 Teachers
- Doris Ann Fernandez Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Erwin Johanningmeier Endowed Scholarship
- Especially for You Endowment
- Florida Tomato Exchange Endowed Scholarship
- Frances Louise Stavros Scholarship
- Henson Fund Scholarship
- Indira Devi/Mohan Rao Scholarship
- Janice A. Schomburg Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Education
- Leslie C. Robins Endowed Scholarship
- McCracken Educators Scholarship
- Newland Community Endowment Scholarship
- Norman and Mary Elizabeth Clark Scholarship in Education
- PowerSchool Education Fund
- Raymond Urbanek Fellowship in Education
- Selby Future Educators
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity USF Scholarship for UMatter
- Silvia de Armas de Fueyo Scholarship
- Strawn Family Scholarship in Education
- Sunripe Migrant Endowed Education Scholarship
- Tampa Bay Times Education Endowment
- UMatter Scholarship Fund
- USF SP College of Education Scholarship Fund
- Velma Pate Thomas Endowed Scholarship
- Walter Miller Memorial Scholarship
- William A. Gregory Jr. Foundation Dean’s Leadership Scholarship
- Wishnatzki Family Migrant Scholarship
- Xavier F. Cannella Scholarship for Teachers
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
- Holmquist Educational Consultants, Inc. Endowed Scholarship
- Jaeger Endowed Scholarship
COUNSELOR EDUCATION
- Dr. Raymond A. Patouillet Scholarship Endowment
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
- Barbara M. Bates Early Childhood Education Scholarship
- Craig L. Johnson Memorial Scholarship in Elementary Education
- Hilde S. Reno Endowed Scholarship
- Linda J. Edgar Memorial Scholarship
- Searls/Pfost Endowed Scholarship
EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT
- RoseMarie Kromrey Award
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Ackerman-Ponticell Family Endowment
- Adam Raskin Endowed Scholarship
- Donald E. Orlosky Scholarship for Educational Leadership
- Donna Hagen McCabe Doctoral Scholarship
- Lillie and Walter Berbecker Education Scholarship
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
- Ann K. Hall Ph.D. Scholarship
- Craig L. Johnson Memorial Scholarship in Elementary Education
- Hilde S. Reno Endowed Scholarship
- Laura E. Weeks Endowed Scholarship
- Linda J. Edgar Memorial Scholarship
- Sears/Pfost Endowed Scholarship
EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION
- Alice C. Richardson Undergraduate Endowed Scholarship
- Cathy Lynne Richardson Doctoral Endowed Scholarship
- David F. Griffin Graduate Scholarship in Exceptional Student Education
- Gerald A. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship
- H. William Heller Scholarship in Special Education
- Jack B. Richardson Scholarship in Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Jim Yerman Scholarship in Special Education
- John and Donna Larson Scholarship
- Laura Bailey Endowed Scholarship
- Laurie Ann Richardson Masters Endowed Scholarship
- Sherry Goldstein Scarcella Education Scholarship
EXERCISE SCIENCE
- Karen Jacobs Endowed Scholarship
- Linda Blume Endowed Scholarship
- Lou & RoseAnne Bowers Scholarship
MATH EDUCATION
- Claude & Lydia Melli Endowed Scholarship in Education
- Donovan & Betty Lichtenberg Endowed Scholarship in Math Education
- Julian Clancy Frazier Endowed Scholarship
MATH/SCIENCE EDUCATION ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
- Myra and Mack Cooley Working Resident Scholarship
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
- Karen Jacobs Endowed Scholarship
- Linda Blume Endowed Scholarship
- Lou & RoseAnne Bowers Scholarship
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
- Charles R. “Dick” Linda and Richard Tutwiler Fellowship
- Edward Link Sherster Memorial Scholarship in School Psychology
SCIENCE EDUCATION
- Claude & Lydia Melli Endowed Scholarship in Education
- Math/Science Education Endowed Scholarship
- Myra and Mack Cooley Working Resident Scholarship
SOCIAL SCIENCE EDUCATION
- Margaret Burlington Tritle Scholarship
- Social Science Education Enhancement Scholarship
Class Notes
I completed a Doctorate in Teacher Leadership at Kennesaw State University in 2022. My dissertation was titled, “Service Learning - It’s Elementary! Teacher initiated service learning at an independent school” – Kate Burton | ‘04 Master’s in Elementary Math and Science
After retiring in 2009 from 35 yr Career in industrial chemistry & minerals mining, I reinvented myself into published poet and award winner playwright. – Sara M. Robinson | ‘71 M.A. in Zoology in Junior College Education
Contributors
Magazine Design and Layout
Joshua Swenson
Christopher Worrell
COPYEDITORS
Cassidy Delamarter
Annie Vranish
Donna Smith
WRITERS AND CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Donna Smith
Cassidy Delamarter
Alexander Ponder
Paul Guzzo
Annie Vranish
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jordon Myers
Cassidy Delamarter
Alexander Ponder
Historical archive USF Libraries
Website
Jennifer Schaefer