University

Construction Begins on New Home for Judy Genshaft Honors College

Illustration of the new Judy Genshaft Honors College

[Illustration: FleischmanGarcia Architecture | Planning | Interior Design]

By Amy Harroun ’05 | Judy Genshaft Honors College

CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY on the new home of the Judy Genshaft Honors College.

A small groundbreaking ceremony was held on Dec. 1, 2020, for the five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility on the Tampa campus.

“The Judy Genshaft Honors College building will be a remarkable enhancement to our world-class Honors College and will benefit our university, students and faculty,” USF President Steven Currall said at the ceremony. “The new building will advance USF’s strategic goals and long-term aspirations to attract and support Florida’s most accomplished students. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Judy Genshaft and Steve Greenbaum.”

Private gifts totaling $43 million have been pledged and received for the project, including a historic college-naming gift of $20 million from USF President Emerita and Professor Judy Genshaft and her husband Steve Greenbaum.

Judy Genshaft speaking at a podium while President Currall sits next to her

President Emerita Judy Genshaft and husband Steve Greenbaum celebrated the groundbreaking of the Judy Genshaft Honors College building with, from left, Jordan Zimmerman, Chair of the USF Board of Trustees, and USF President Steven Currall. [Photo: Matt May]

“President Emerita Genshaft’s and Steve Greenbaum’s philanthropy continues to transform USF,” USF Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman said. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank them for their steadfast commitment to student success and their vision that help propel the university to new heights.”

Additional generous gifts have been made by friends of the college, including an anonymous foundation which has provided a challenge gift that will match any future gifts to the building dollar for dollar.

The new facility will feature interwoven spaces for classrooms, study areas, faculty and advisor offices, event areas, a computer lab, performance and creative spaces, and numerous areas for student collaboration — expanding the range of academic opportunities for students and giving them a true “home” on campus. Fittingly, it is being built along the renamed USF Genshaft Drive (formerly USF Maple Drive).

“Having one of the premier honors colleges in the nation is just one way USF will distinguish itself as one of the most elite and forward-thinking institutions in the world,” Genshaft said. “This stellar new home for our already excellent college will help attract top talent to USF, making an indelible impact on our community for years to come. We are delighted to see this dream become a reality.”

By moving from the current location on the second floor of the John and Grace Allen building, the college expects to grow from its current 2,400 students to a total of 3,000 students.

“Shortly after becoming USF’s president, Dr. Genshaft decided to elevate the university honors program to the status of a college,” said Charles Adams, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean. “She and Provost Ralph Wilcox provided the college with the university resources needed to support its expanding population, and she and Steve provided very generous scholarship support. All this work, and the work that she has inspired in others, has been directed to one goal — to build one of the premier public honors colleges in the country.”

The state-of-the-art building is expected to be completed in late 2022. “We look forward to welcoming our students to our new home and seeing all the amazing work they will do there,” Adams said.