By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing
From launching the nation’s first college dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to celebrating an historic football season, 2025 was defined by bold moments and impactful leadership. As we turn the page to the second half of the decade, here are some of the year’s top stories.
President Rhea Law to step down
Rhea Law – USF’s first alum to serve as president – announced she will step down in early 2026. During her four-year tenure, USF achieved several historic milestones, including becoming the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities. USF also reached a record-breaking $750 million in research funding and earned consecutive Top 50 public university rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, USF earned several distinctions from Forbes for being one of the nation’s top places to work.
(L-R) Mike Griffin, BOT vice chair, President Rhea Law and Will Weatherford, BOT chair
Law’s connection to USF spans decades. She first arrived on campus as an undergraduate student and as the research project administrator in the Office of Sponsored Research. An accomplished attorney, she went on to serve in several key leadership roles, including on USF’s inaugural Board of Trustees, with five years as vice chair and four years as the first and only female chair. She was named interim president in 2021 and confirmed as the university’s eighth president by the Florida Board of Governors in 2022.
To honor her commitment to the university, the USF Board of Trustees announced during her final in-person meeting that the future president’s suite in the on-campus stadium will be named The Rhea F. Law Presidential Suite and that a mural will be painted in her honor on the exterior of the USF Library – one of the Tampa campus’s most visible buildings.
Florida Board of Governors confirms Moez Limayem as USF’s next president
Limayem was named sole finalist for the position by the USF Presidential Search Committee in September
He was unanimously approved by the USF Board of Trustees in October
Moez Limayem was unanimously approved by the Florida Board of Governors as USF’s ninth president on Dec. 12. He was named sole finalist for the position by the USF Presidential Search
Committee in September, and he was unanimously approved by the USF Board of Trustees
in October.
Limayem has served as president of the University of North Florida since 2022 and was the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at USF for 10 years before taking the role at UNF. While dean, Limayem and his team raised more than $126 million in private donations for the college, including $25 million from Pam and Les Muma in 2014, which at the time was the largest individual gift in the university’s history.
He will start at USF in early 2026.
Bold new era for athletics
(L-R) Rocky, Brian Hartline, new head coach of USF football, and Rob Higgins, CEO of USF Athletics
Rob Higgins was selected to serve as USF’s first-ever CEO of Athletics. A homecoming for the USF alum, Higgins brings top-tier experience to USF after serving as executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission since 2004. He successfully positioned the region as one of the nation’s premier destinations in sports and entertainment, including hosting two Super Bowls, a College Football Playoff National Championship and a long list of other high-profile events during his tenure.
Since joining USF, Higgins made several high-profile hires, including new Brian Hartline. Hartline joins USF from The Ohio State University and is widely considered one of college football's rising coaching stars and one of the nation's outstanding recruiters. A former standout receiver for Ohio State, he spent seven seasons playing in the NFL, including six with the Miami Dolphins, before returning to his alma mater to coach.
Higgins also tapped Hall of Fame linebacker and prominent sports executive Derrick Brooks to serve as chief operating officer for USF Athletics. Brooks helped lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl XXXVII championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history. Since his playing career, he has held executive leadership roles across workforce development, sports media and community engagement.
USF beat the University of Florida for the first time ever
The Bulls defeated Boise State during the season opener
These changes come amid an historic football season. For the first time, USF football beat the University of Florida 18-16 in Gainesville. It was also the first time USF appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings. Quarterback Byron Brown broke several program records, becoming just the 12th player in Football Bowl Subdivision history to post 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season.
USF was invited to play in its third consecutive bowl game – the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando against Old Dominion University. The Bulls ended the regular season 9-3, helping build momentum for the on-campus stadium, scheduled for completion in 2027. The USF Board of Trustees approved updated construction plans – with crews making tremendous progress on the game-changing stadium and new operations center. Several renderings were released throughout the year, including a video look at what fans can expect during football, lacrosse and at various events.
Earlier this year, Bryan Hodgson was named head coach of men's basketball. He came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he spent two seasons as head coach, guiding the team to two of its most successful seasons in program history.
USF launches Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing
Following an historic $40 million gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini, USF opened the first named college in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the convergence of AI and cybersecurity. The Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing welcomed its first group of undergraduate and graduate students in the fall. The new college allows students to conduct AI-driven research to develop next-generation cybersecurity solutions and provides strategic partnerships with government agencies, defense contractors and Fortune 500 companies.
The college offers USF students a range of hands-on opportunities. Several are embedded in USF’s Student Operations Center Apprenticeship Program – a paid apprenticeship that trains students to detect and respond to real cyber threats.
Philanthropic records
The university set new fundraising records for the fourth straight year in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025, receiving over $184 million in philanthropic support from more than 59,700 donors — both all-time highs. This includes nearly 15,000 new donors, which is also a record.
Top accolades
USF reached an all-time high in U.S. News & World Report rankings
The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is ranked No. 1 medical school in Florida
Forbes ranks USF one of Florida's best employers
USF reached an all-time high in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best colleges – ranking No. 88 overall among all public or private universities in America, up from No. 91 last year. USF also rose to No. 43 among public universities, up two spots from last year, and inside the top 50 for the seventh year in a row.
More than 30 graduate programs are also considered among the best, ranking inside the top 100 among all public and private institutions, including 15 ranked in the top 50 and five in the top 25. USF’s programs are also among the best in Florida, with 14 programs ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the state.
U.S. News also named the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine the top-ranked medical school in Florida and in the highest tier of medical schools in the nation. The college is one of only 16 medical schools nationally, and the only one in Florida, to receive a Tier 1 ranking, the highest designation by U.S. News.
USF is also ranked No.12 for “best value” among all public universities in the nation. Students are recognizing that value, helping USF to receive a record number of applications from first-time-in-college students in 2025. This fall, the university welcomed an incoming class that had its highest average SAT score and tied for having the strongest average GPA in USF history.
For the 12th consecutive year, the National Academy of Inventors named USF one of the nation's top 20 public research universities for producing new U.S. utility patents. Based on the 82 new patents secured in 2024, USF is 16th among U.S. public research universities, 26th among all U.S. public or private universities and 38th among universities worldwide.
Research impact
USF Health and Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing researchers are using AI to detect silent pain in newborns
USF achieved a new milestone in research funding, reaching a record $750 million during fiscal year 2025 – an $11.6 million increase over last year and a 37% jump since 2022.
The growth in funding expands opportunities for the university to address critical challenges – discovering breakthroughs and creating new technologies that lead to better health care, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity solutions, a deeper understanding of the environment to prepare for hurricanes, and much more.
USF received research funding from a wide range of sources, with an all-time high $284 million from 733 private and industry partners – a 17% increase over last year. Federal agencies continue to invest significantly in USF research, providing $384 million for projects ranging from workforce development to AI and cybersecurity.
State and local government funding increased 23% over last year, rising to $82 million, with significant investments in USF’s programs in health care, environmental resilience and K-12 education. Other notable investments include contributions towards the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s trajectory, reaching $483 million in research funding – representing 64% of USF’s total research funding.
Dr. Nicholas J. Panetta performed the nation’s first fully robotic microsurgery with FDA-cleared NanoWrist® instruments
Transplant surgeons at USF Health and Tampa General Hospital performed the world’s first recorded bloodless heart-liver transplant
USF Health and Tampa General Hospital made several significant surgical advancements this year. Transplant surgeons successfully performed the world’s first bloodless heart-liver transplant, and another surgeon performed the nation’s first fully robotic microsurgery with FDA-cleared NanoWrist® instruments.
In addition to USF’s websites and social media channels, the university launched a new LinkedIn newsletter and accompanying website – Bold Research. Real. Impact. – providing an inside look at how research and innovation at USF make a powerful impact. There, readers can discover groundbreaking innovations, transformative treatments and meet the dedicated individuals behind the science working every day to improves lives and strengthen communities.
Growing footprint
Rendering of the Fletcher District
Construction is building momentum across all three campuses with excitement brewing for what’s to come in their surrounding areas.
The Florida Board of Governors approved development plans for the Fletcher District on the Tampa campus, a mixed-use destination featuring student and multifamily housing, restaurants, retail, a hotel and conference center, an academic research facility and recreation space.
Several renderings have been released, providing a more detailed look at the district, including street-level views and an image from the planned hotel that offers a top-floor glimpse of the proximity to USF’s new on-campus stadium. Construction is planned to begin in spring 2026, with the project opening in time for fall 2028.
USF Day at the Capitol
The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus broke ground on a new STEM academic facility, which will expand access to high-quality lab instruction in chemistry, biology and physics for students across the university. Once the 7,000-square-foot facility opens in fall 2027, students will no longer need to leave campus to use labs at partner facilities.
During a successful state budget for 2025-2026, USF received funding for several key facilities. That includes $10 million to begin construction on the building that will house the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, $10 million to complete the state’s share of the Environmental & Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching facility on the USF St. Petersburg campus and $8 million to plan for construction of the new USF Health Translational Research Institute facility, which is expected to be the largest standalone facility dedicated to research in USF history.
Strengthening partnerships
USF signed an $85 million contract to conduct research for the U.S. Army
USF continues to strengthen its relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense. It signed a five-year contract with the U.S. Army for up to $85 million to conduct a wide range of research, including cybersecurity, biotechnology and energy sciences. This agreement coalesces faculty from throughout the university to conduct critical defense research and provide student internships.
USF also renewed its $85 million contract with U.S. Special Operations Command, which is based at MacDill Air Force Base. More than 80 research projects have been funded so far, including a study that discovered brain injuries in members of the military and the development of a road map to enhance the military’s combat capabilities.
This excellence in innovation is being recognized throughout the region, with USF recently becoming the first university to join Embarc Collective’s groundbreaking Partnership Program. The partnership is designed to accelerate the commercialization of university-developed technologies, expand student access to hands-on experience in high-growth startups and support university-affiliated founders with the tools and networks they need to scale.
ARK Innovation Center
Embarc Collective
USF and the Florida High Tech Corridor are joining the ARK Innovation Center, creating a new avenue for startups and entrepreneurs to connect and collaborate with the university’s research and innovation expertise as well as its talent pipeline. As part of the agreement, USF’s Institute of Applied Engineering will establish a presence at the center in St. Petersburg, which serves as a launchpad for early-stage companies focused on disruptive technologies such as machine learning, energy, fintech, artificial intelligence and blockchain.
Champions abound
It’s not only USF football that’s had a tremendous season, it’s been a year of great success for USF’s 21 varsity men’s and women’s teams – finishing first among American Conference schools in the final Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. The Learfield Directors' Cup, administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, annually recognizes the most successful collegiate athletics programs in the country based on NCAA postseason performance across all sports.
USF women's basketball scored AAC conference championship
USF all-girl and co-ed cheer claimed their ninth championship over the last five seasons
USF track and field won back-to-back AAC indoor championships
That includes the USF women’s basketball team, which entered its 2025-2026 season after capturing its fourth American Conference
championship, winning the American Postseason Tournament, and making its 10th NCAA
Tournament appearance.
The all-girl and coed cheer teams combined to bring home three championships, including a first-ever World Cup, from the 2025 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, pushing the program's total to nine championships over the last five seasons.
The USF track and field team captured its second consecutive conference indoor championship at the Birmingham CrossPlex, also earning the Bulls' men's coaching staff its second straight Men's Coaching Staff of the Year honor.
USF women's volleyball earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002
The University of South Florida men’s track and field team captured both the American Athletic Conference indoor and outdoor championships for the second straight year, also earning the Bulls' men's coaching staff its second straight Men's Coaching Staff of the Year honor. The Bulls 4x400-meter relay team also claimed a national championship, helping lead the team to a top 15 finish at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
USF volleyball earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002. It was a major milestone for a team that has steadily climbed under head coach Jolene Shepardson. The Bulls put together one of their strongest seasons in recent memory, picking up key wins throughout the year and finishing as one of the top teams in the American Conference.