By Ryan Hughes and Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
The University of South Florida will award more than 7,700 degrees during spring commencement ceremonies May 8-11 in the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus. The ceremonies include recipients of 5,848 bachelor’s, 1,631 master’s, 265 doctoral and five specialist degrees.
The group features 131 undergraduate students earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average, 197 student veterans and graduates from 105 countries, 46 states and six U.S. territories.
Out of the undergraduate degrees awarded, 2,355, or approximately 40 percent, are recipients of Pell Grants, a federal financial aid program for students from modest socioeconomic backgrounds.
At 18, the youngest graduate is earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. The most experienced graduate this spring, who is 69, is receiving a doctoral degree in history.
USF President Rhea Law will preside over all 10 ceremonies and will honor several individuals for their service to the university, the Tampa Bay community and the nation.
Tammy and Bennet Moscato - Master of Education and Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology
While classmates tossed their caps skyward in 2002, a pregnant Tammy Moscato remained home to hold a feverish infant son in her arms — and missed her own college graduation. Decades later, she’s finally celebrating a university commencement properly — this time graduating alongside her son, Bennett Moscato, with whom she was pregnant that day.
Read more about Tammy and Bennet
Waseem Albaba - Master of Science in Cybersecurity
A passion for video games, combined with a skateboarding accident, guided Waseem Albaba toward a career in cybersecurity. He went on to serve as president of Whitehatters Computer Security Club at USF, which advocates for enhanced standards in the field of cybersecurity, and helped establish USF’s CyberHerd, a cybersecurity competition team.
Lisa Patterson - Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, Health Care Administration
If not for her perseverance and ability to overcome self-doubt, Lisa Patterson might never have reached her goal of earning a college degree. Due to a rough upbringing, she had to drop out of high school in 1999. But she overcame life’s obstacles, returned to school and is now a college graduate.
Rozeth Aquino - Master of Architecture
Before she ever held a blueprint, Rozeth Aquino held Legos and a dream of becoming a dentist. She decided to become an architect, and left an imprint on the campus as president of the Architectural Council for Students, which serves as a liaison between USF’s School of Architecture & Community Design and members of the university community.
Cherish and Unique Alston – Bachelor of Arts in Business Analytics and Information Systems, Cybersecurity
Some students leave college with a tight-knit circle of friends, others with impressive resumes full of research and internship experience. Twin sisters Cherish and Unique Alston are walking away with all of that – plus thriving startups and tens of thousands of dollars in awards to fuel their entrepreneurial journeys. From shoe accessories to campus transportation, the sisters are turning their ideas into innovations that aim to leave a lasting impact.
Read more about Cherish and Unique
Josh Alvior – Doctor of Medicine
A Tampa native and USF graduate who served as class president throughout medical school, Josh Alvior matched into General Surgery at LSU New Orleans. His path was shaped by strong family support, hands-on clinical experiences at USF and research focused on post-COVID health outcomes during a study abroad in Thailand.
Kylie Culver – Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, Florida Studies
Beginning her master’s degree in 2022, Kylie Culver could never have predicted just how challenging, frightening and ultimately rewarding the journey would become. About a year into the program, she was diagnosed with cancer, forcing her to temporarily pause her academic pursuits. But she persevered and returned to USF.
Alexandra Lopez – Bachelor of Science in Biology
A former volleyball player, Alexandrea Lopez started working with a personal trainer when she was a teenager and to this day, she tracks the nutritional content of what she eats. It’s all part of a discipline and a mindset that have nurtured Lopez’s success as a student and as a student government leader at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee — and a clear vision for what comes next.
Sierra Cardinale - Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Biomedical Sciences
When Hurricane Helene surged into Florida’s west coast in September 2024, the storm devastated Sierra Cardinale’s condominium and newly purchased home. Amid this turmoil, Cardinale, a fifth-year PhD student in integrated biomedical sciences at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, was forced to postpone her dissertation defense. But she overcame the adversity.
Schedule of ceremonies
Thursday, May 8 | 1:30 p.m.
Master’s and educational specialist degree recipients from the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Design, Art & Performance and Education; Muma College of Business; and Patel College of Global Sustainability
Thursday, May 8 | 6 p.m.
Master’s degree recipients from the colleges of Behavioral and Community Sciences;
Engineering; Marine Science; and USF Health: Morsani College of Medicine, Nursing,
Taneja College of Pharmacy, and Public Health
Friday, May 9 | 9 a.m.
Doctoral degree recipients from the colleges of Arts and Sciences; Behavioral and
Community Sciences; Design, Art & Performance; Education; Engineering; Marine Science;
Muma College of Business; and USF Health: Morsani College of Medicine; Nursing, Taneja
College of Pharmacy, and Public Health
Friday, May 9 | 1:30 p.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the following departments of the College of Arts
and Sciences: Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications; Anthropology;
Economics; School of Geosciences; School of Information; School of Interdisciplinary
Global Studies; Journalism and Digital Communication; Sociology and Interdisciplinary
Social Sciences; Sustainability Studies; and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Friday, May 9 | 6 p.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the colleges of Behavioral and Community Sciences;
Design, Art & Performance; Education; and the Office of Undergraduate Studies
Saturday, May 10 | 9 a.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the following departments of the College of Arts
and Sciences: Chemistry; Integrative Biology; Mathematics and Statistics; Molecular
Biosciences; and Physics
Saturday, May 10 | 1:30 p.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the following departments of the College of Arts
and Sciences: Communication; English; History; Humanities and Cultural Studies; Philosophy;
Psychology; and Religious Studies and World Languages
Saturday, May 10 | 6 p.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the Muma College of Business
Sunday, May 11 | 9 a.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the College of Engineering
Sunday, May 11 | 1:30 p.m.
Bachelor’s degree recipients from the colleges of Nursing and Public Health
Matt Cimitile and Sarah Ward, University Communications and Marketing, and Cody Hawley, USF Health, also contributed to this article.