By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing
President Rhea Law’s lifelong commitment to the University of South Florida – as a student, employee, founding member of the USF Board of Trustees and the institution’s first alum to serve as president – will leave a lasting legacy that continues well beyond her tenure.
During Law’s final in-person Board of Trustees meeting, trustees praised how “she has shaped every corner of the university, guiding with vision, steadiness and grace,” noting the bold, historic impact she has had on USF’s trajectory.
“There’s only one real requirement in a leader when they take over an organization of this size and magnitude, and it’s to leave it in a better place than when they got it. It's unquestionable that the University of South Florida is in a much better place for learning, for growth, success, for economic impact, for partnerships, relationships and culture. USF will forever be in her debt.”
Will Weatherford
Chair of the USF Board of Trustees
“It takes more than one person, it takes a team,” Law said. “I have been extremely fortunate to work with an incredibly supportive and dedicated Board of Trustees. Our University Leadership Council plays a very important role in our success, as does our world-class faculty and staff. And I can’t say enough about the team in the president’s office.”
A resolution was presented that names the future president’s suite in the on-campus stadium The Rhea F. Law Presidential Suite
“President Law has had a lifetime of dedication to the University of South Florida,” said Mike Griffin, vice chair of the USF Board of Trustees. “She's been here when we went from the transformation of a collection of buildings full of dreams to a world class, metropolitan research university. She’s a tireless advocate for others and a mentor to so many. Her significant impacts and gains in research, academic excellence and capital projects, including the largest capital project in university history, is well documented.”
During her tenure, Law served as a leading voice in the planning and early construction of the new on-campus stadium – a project she helped champion as a vital step toward strengthening campus life, student experience, institutional pride and community connections.
To honor her commitment to the on-campus stadium and USF Athletics, trustees announced that the future president’s suite in the facility – set to open in fall 2027 – will be named The Rhea F. Law Presidential Suite, a space where future presidents, fans, donors, community members and other supporters will gather for football, lacrosse and other events.
“Her leadership experience and acumen, there are not many people who could rival that,” said Melissa Seixas, member of the USF Board of Trustees. “She is legendary and what she's done on behalf of making our community better, it's not because she wants her name in lights. She has done this because she deeply, deeply cares. It's in her DNA and I think even more important than being a legend, she's been a gift to this university and to the community.”
Additionally, to commemorate her passion for public art and extraordinary service, trustees announced plans to have a legacy mural painted on the exterior of the USF Library, facing Alumni Drive – one of the Tampa campus’s most visible buildings. A student in the College of Design, Art and Performance will be commissioned to paint the mural.
Law was presented with a 3D visualization and framed mock-up of the mural as a keepsake, reflecting “her belief in elevating student talent and demonstrating how innovation, creativity and science come together.”
The legacy mural will be painted on the exterior of the USF Library building
It will be commissioned by a USF student
“President Law is an exceptional leader with steady guidance. What she has given to the institution has created a legacy which will keep inspiring us for years to come,” said Sumit Jadhav, trustee and student body president.
These recognitions reflect a period of extraordinary momentum for USF under Law’s leadership. During her tenure, USF became the first university in nearly 40 years invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities and is one of only two AAU members in the State University System of Florida.
The university has also surged to record-breaking research funding of $750 million and U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as a Top 50 public university for seven consecutive years. The publication also ranks 31 USF graduate programs in the Top 100.
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.