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Faces of Preeminence - Generations of Alumni
Alumni have contributed directly to the numbers that define Preeminence.
By Joey Johnston '81
The many faces of Preeminence include generations of alumni. From their gifts of time, talent and treasure to their academic and research successes, alumni contribute directly to the numbers that define Preeminence. Here are just a few of those measures as described in Florida statute 1001.7065, and some of the alumni who've helped USF hit the mark.
(c) A freshman retention rate of 90 percent or higher ...
(d) ... a six-year graduation rate of 70 percent or higher by Oct. 1, 2017...
The number of students who make it to their sophomore year and the number who graduate in four to six years are both measures of student success. At USF, at least some of that success can be traced to transformational gifts from visionary alumni.
In 2016, Jeff Fishman, '92, and his wife, Brandy, '96, Life Members, gave $1 million to create the Fishman Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center in the Selmon Athletics Center. It houses nine tutorial rooms, 31 computer stations, and individual and group learning spaces, along with staff dedicated to academic excellence.
The Collier Student Success Center in the Muma College of Business, established in 2015 with a $10.9 million gift from Barron Collier III, '80, Life Member, and his wife, Dana, offers a range of student support, from scholarships to programs that teach "soft,'' out-of-classroom skills, such as dining etiquette, networking and negotiating.
"It helped me grow into a confident business professional,'' says finance major Maithilee Pagay, '18, of the Collier center. "The advisors provided me with professional guidance on my resumé, sharpened my interview skills and provided excellent tips on networking. As a team, we harnessed my strengths and worked on my weaknesses, which allowed me to confidently apply for internships.''
Pagay did land a valuable internship – with Raymond James Financial.
"The end result is a great, well-rounded graduate who can confidently enter today's competitive world,'' says Collier, a partner in his family's company, which oversees land holdings and businesses in agriculture, minerals and real estate. "This is not only the opportunity for a great education but a shot at getting a job, which is what college is all about, and that's what this program is about.''
At USF Athletics, winning means scoring both on and off the field of play. Last spring, 261 USF student-athletes, 62.7 percent, earned a 3.0 or better grade-point average, contributing to a department record term average of 3.11. That set another record – seven consecutive term GPAs over 3.0.
The Fishman center gets a good share of credit.
"It's validation,'' Fishman says. "It's like 'Field of Dreams' ... you build something and make it conducive for learning, you make it a welcoming space and they will come. It's a thrill for me to walk through the facility and see it fully occupied.
"My parents taught me by example and my father always believed it was important to give back. With the time constraints put on student-athletes, from schoolwork to their practice schedules to their travel and game schedules, this provides a resource to help."
Kirby Powers, a high jumper with USF's women's track and field team, says the facility does just that.
"We have new space that is a lot more convenient for studying,'' she says. "I think we're in a better position to succeed.''
(i) 100 or more total patents awarded ... for the most recent three-year period
U.S. patent no. 9,410,212 is the kit for Detecting Salmonella Species by Assaying Outer Membrane Porin F (ompF).
But that description doesn't begin to convey the elation of seeing four years of work culminate in a new tool for quickly identifying tainted food.
"I miss that thrilling moment,'' says Aparna Tatavarthy, PhD '05, who now works in food safety for the Food and Drug Administration. "You get excited. You run down the hallway to tell everyone, 'It worked!' "
Of the 125 patents credited to USF in 2016-17, 64 percent include at least one alumnus inventor. The team addressing Salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause serious and even lethal food poisoning, also included Loree Heller, PhD '93, and Andy Cannons, former scientific director of the USF Center for Biological Defense.
Their work began during Tatavarthy's graduate studies at USF, amidst heightened anxiety about food security following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"My passion for food safety really began at USF,'' she says. "We were very passionate about working on different aspects of that in the lab. Getting a patent was not on my mind. I was a grad student trying to figure out the best method to detect Salmonella in foods — rapidly. And rapidly was the key word at that time. We needed urgency.''
Yes, Tatavarthy says, colleagues and friends are usually impressed when they hear a patent bears her name.
"People say, 'Oh, are you making money from it?' I haven't received a single cent. But that is not the point. The rewards are great and they are long lasting. You feel like you have contributed something.
"I think all the work I was able to do at USF has helped me now. It has enhanced the type of research I'm able to do now. The patent is just a definition of all the hard work done by a lot of people at USF. It will always be a fantastic memory.''
(j) 400 or more doctoral degrees awarded annually ...
(k) 200 or more postdoctoral appointees annually ...
Aman Chawla, PhD '17, arrived at USF sight unseen and knowing not a single faculty member.
But – "USF had an excellent reputation and it matched my needs,'' says the graduate of Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I quickly learned the university has some really great, brilliant people."
Chawla earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and continued as a postdoctoral appointee conducting research in electrical and chemical engineering. Ultimately, he wants to understand consciousness from a mathematical perspective.
"When I acquired my bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, I focused on the mathematical aspects, information, communication, signal processing," he says. "I got practical experience with that during my master's.
"But with my PhD at USF, I looked at the interface between electrical engineering and neuroscience. I use my skills to look at problems and interpret them. The brain is a bunch of neurons and cells. These cells communicate and signal to one another and they process data. All of that somehow gives rise to consciousness. ... I believe that consciousness is fundamental to the universe.''
He also likes the thought of contributing to two Preeminence benchmarks along the way.
"Earning a doctorate was a big deal for me," Chawla says. "Even beyond the doctorate, what I am doing now and what it means for my future, I have had such a great experience.
"At USF, it has been a wonderful mix of knowledge and the personal touch. ... USF will be a pretty big part of my life moving forward.''
USF's New Era Fund
Preeminence isn't the end of the story. Join in the celebration by making a gift to USF's New Era Fund. The fund supports faculty recruitment, student success, scholarships and other critical efforts that impact our students. Every gift makes a difference, no matter the size. Thanks to you, the possibilities are endless.