What’s new at USF: Coaches, facilities, student services and more

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

As the University of South Florida begins the 2026–27 academic year, students, faculty and staff will find new faces, new facilities and new opportunities across campus.

From nationally recognized coaches to expanded dining options and new academic programs, USF continues to invest in the areas that shape student life, learning and research.

DIning

USF Dining is serving up expanded dining options, innovative technology and more variety across campus this fall.

Students can look forward to expanded late-night dining and enhanced menus at Argos and Juniper Hall on the Tampa campus, including new concepts at Evolution Kitchen and an expanded Campus Brew menu. New vending concepts — including California Pizza Kitchen, Byte Machine (accepting Flexi-Bull Swipes) and Just Baked Smart Bistro — will provide even more convenient dining options throughout the day.

The Marshall Student Center Food Court also welcomes Blackjack Pizza Express, serving Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and other fan favorites. Throughout the semester, students can enjoy rotating menus from off-campus restaurants, bringing a variety of Tampa Bay flavors and cuisines to campus.

In addition, weekly rotating local food trucks will make stops across campus, offering even more opportunities to explore some of Tampa Bay's favorite eateries without leaving USF. Be on the lookout for the weekly food truck schedule to see which local favorites will be visiting campus.

On the USF St. Petersburg campus, Sushi by Kazoku will provide fresh grab-and-go sushi rolls, bowls and appetizers in the University Student Center. Sushi by Kazoku will also host a made-to-order pop-up on campus every other Monday, giving students and visitors another convenient dining option.  

Turning food waste into community compost

A partnership between USF St. Petersburg and the city of St. Petersburg has brought an industrial-sized composter to campus to process food waste and produce nutrient-rich compost for the community. The Greencycle composting initiative's aim is to redirect tons of food waste each year from landfills, incinerators and sewage systems while creating compost for community gardens, urban farms and landscaping. 

Local vendors featured in the USF Bookstore

This fall, the USF Bookstore is strengthening its commitment to local businesses by expanding partnerships with several homegrown brands, including 4 the Bay, Engrained Apparel (founded by a USF alum), Reversed headwear, Established & Co. women's apparel and No Rivals headwear. The store is also broadening its product offerings from Cameron J. and increasing its selection of children's apparel.

Libraries expand opportunities

The USF Libraries continue to expand services, spaces and resources to support student success and faculty research.

At the Tampa Library, students can now take advantage of additional study space on the third and fourth floors, furnished with new seating and work areas funded by Student Government.

In addition, USF Libraries has expanded its artificial intelligence support with new learning opportunities, including the asynchronous Canvas workshop “Leveraging AI Ethically for Research & Coursework,” which helps students build practical and responsible AI skills for academic work.

Meanwhile, the Libraries’ Tampa Through Time digital portal continues to grow as a valuable community resource, now featuring more than 3,000 geolocated archival records and over 130 historic map overlays that allow users to explore how the Tampa Bay region has evolved over time.

New ambulance service

This fall, students have access to a new ambulance service operated by USF’s Medical Response Unit. USF is the first university in Florida licensed to operate its own ambulance service.

The ambulance is stationed on campus and provides basic treatment and transportation for students, helping responders reach medical calls more quickly. 

The MRU can be reached Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at (813) 974-4MRU. The number is intended for non-life-threatening medical issues.

Emergencies should still be reported through 911.

College of Nursing Expansion

Students returning to campus will see the newly expanded USF Health College of Nursing facility, a 34,000-square-foot building that recently opened on the Tampa campus. The facility includes 12 clinical examination rooms, six debriefing classrooms and six control rooms.

In addition to the new facility, the College of Nursing is also expanding its educational offerings on the USF St. Petersburg campus. A new bachelor’s degree program will prepare students to become nurse generalists and to take the National Certification Licensure Exam to become registered nurses. 

New coaches

USF Athletics is entering a new era with several high-profile coaching hires across its marquee sports programs. From football and basketball to beach volleyball and men's soccer, the Bulls have added accomplished leaders with championship experience and proven records of success.

Brian Hartline, Football – Hartline served as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff national championship in 2024. A former player at Ohio State and seven-year NFL veteran with Miami and Cleveland, Hartline said, “Becoming a first-time head coach at a place like USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team to new heights, both on and off the field.”

Kristy Curry, Women's Basketball – A veteran coach with Final Four and South Eastern Conference experience, Curry came to USF from Alabama, where she led the Crimson Tide to five NCAA Tournament appearances in the last six seasons and posted five straight 20-win campaigns.

Chris Mack, Men's Basketball – Mack brings more than 300 career victories and a history of NCAA Tournament success at Xavier and Louisville. He joined USF after back-to-back 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston.

George Kiefer, Men's Soccer – Kiefer returned to USF after previously leading the Bulls from 2002-16. During his first tenure, he guided USF to four conference championships and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, making him one of the most successful coaches in program history.

Jo Kremer, Beach Volleyball – A three-time national champion as a student-athlete at USC, Kremer came to USF after serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Stanford where she helped lead the Cardinal to the 2026 NCAA Championship match.

USF leadership

USF has announced several key leadership appointments across the university, bringing experienced scholars, innovators and administrators into roles that will help shape the university’s next chapter of growth and impact.

Carol Ann Borchert, USF Libraries - After a national search, Borchert has been appointed dean of the USF Libraries. Building on her nearly three decades with USF, Borchert will maintain the USF Libraries' position as a partner in student success, research excellence and community engagement.  

Derek Wildman, Office of Graduate Studies - Wildman is an internationally recognized scholar, researcher and academic leader who has advanced scientific discovery and student success through his work in genomics, public health and graduate education. As dean of graduate studies, Wildman will provide strategic leadership for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs across the university.

Janice C. Zgibor, Taneja College of Pharmacy – Following a national search, Zgibor has been appointed dean of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy. A pharmacist and epidemiologist, she brings more than 20 years of academic leadership experience and will focus on expanding research, educational excellence and student success.

Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, College of Education – After serving as interim dean since December 2024, Schneider has been named dean of the USF College of Education. A professor of literacy studies and former Fulbright Scholar, she is nationally recognized for her work in literacy education, children’s literature and arts-based learning.

Sarah Higgins, Contemporary Art Museum – Higgins has been named director and chief curator of the USF Contemporary Art Museum. An internationally recognized arts leader and nonprofit executive, she will oversee the museum’s curatorial vision, permanent collection and programming in alignment with USF’s academic and research missions.

Sriram Chellappan, Cyber Florida – Chellappan has been appointed executive director of Cyber Florida. A professor in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, he is a nationally recognized researcher whose expertise spans cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems.

Taylor Johnston, National Security Enterprise – To strengthen collaboration and expand USF’s national security impact, the Global and National Security Institute and the Institute of Applied Engineering are being unified under one leadership structure. Johnston, a U.S. Air Force veteran and current IAE chief operating officer, will lead the integrated enterprise, advancing partnerships across government, industry and defense sectors.

USF Research

USF Research & Innovation is now known as USF Research, reflecting the university’s view that research is a university-wide priority that spans disciplines, colleges and campuses.

Alongside the rebranding, USF Research is enhancing support for faculty and researchers through improved services, streamlined processes and greater organizational alignment.

These efforts include simplifying sponsored program administration, integrating compliance and analytics functions, and strengthening commercialization resources to help move ideas from research to real-world impact. These changes support USF’s long-term goal of reaching $1 billion in research funding by 2030 while creating additional opportunities for student involvement in research and experiential learning.