About Us
Staff
Sayandeb Basu (He/Him)
Director
sayandeb@honors.usf.edu
Dr. Sayandeb Basu joined the Office of National Scholars (ONS) as its new director in May 2016 from the University of the Pacific in California, where he was faculty in Physics and the Honors College. Dr. Basu is a theoretical physicist and has published on quantum physics, and on the physics of black holes for more than a decade. He experienced a global education, including in India, at the University of Cambridge UK, and at the University of California, Davis, where he obtained his Ph.D. Dr. Basu's passion is nurturing students to become architects of their personal academic and professional goals. He had a successful stint at the University of the Pacific as the chief STEM liaison for the office of fellowships; He combined his love of culture, language, international study experience and mentoring skills to help foster the cause for a campus culture where faculty, students, and peers joined forces to make student success a habit rather than a cliché. At the University of South Florida, he brings this enthusiasm and commitment to the ONS, to make his office one of the key hubs of achievement and intellectual accomplishments for USF students.
Primary Advisor:
Goldwater Scholarship
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Research Internship in Science and Engineering
Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute Program (with Lauren Chambers)
Truman Scholarship
Prestigious UK Graduate Scholarships (Rhodes, Marshall, Gates Cambridge)
Lauren Chambers (She/Her)
Associate Director
lschumac@honors.usf.edu
Ms. Chambers joined the Honors College in 2008, and the Office of National Scholars
in 2011. She is currently the Associate Director of the Office of National Scholars
(ONS), and the Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA) for USF. Ms. Chambers has lived in
the Tampa Bay area for over 20 years and received her bachelor's degree in Public
Relations and master's degree in Public Health from the University of Florida. She
is a member of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA) and has presented
at NAFA conferences on the connection between appreciative advising and fellowships
advising. Ms. Chambers published an article in the Journal of Appreciative Education
titled "The Subtleties of Appreciative Advising: Expanding Practices Beyond the Conversation."
Primary Advisor:
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute Program (with Dr. Sayandeb Basu)
Boren Awards
Knight-Hennessy Scholarship
Florida Gubernatorial Fellowship Program
Lauren Roberts (She/Her)
Assistant Director
robertsl1@honors.usf.edu
Ms. Roberts joined ONS in October 2017. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and
Biology from Denison University and a graduate degree in Education with a concentration
in College Student Affairs from University of South Florida. She participated in a
wildlife management study abroad program in Kenya and Tanzania as an undergraduate
student, which fueled her desire to work with both study abroad and experiential learning
in science. Lauren is eager to help students have experiences that serve as a catalyst
for further opportunities. This includes managing ONS outreach, social media, and
the website.
Primary Advisor:
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Critical Language Scholarship
Hollings Scholarship
B. Joseph Porta (He/Him)
Coordinator, Undergraduate Research & Experiential Learning
bporta@usf.edu
Dr. Porta earned his doctorate in education from the University of Miami and brings
extensive experience in both academic research and educational leadership. His passion
for student development led him to transition into higher education administration
while simultaneously pursuing his doctoral studies.
He previously coordinated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Medical
Monitoring Project in Miami-Dade County before joining Florida International University,
where he served as director of student services, co-chair of scholarships, and a lecturer
for First-Year Student Programs. He went on to work at Florida Polytechnic University
as director of student affairs and later served as assistant dean of Associate in
Science programs at Hillsborough Community College. At HCC, Dr. Porta also served
as co-principal investigator for a National Science Foundation grant in cybersecurity
and taught First-Year Experience courses. Most recently, he served as associate dean
of academic affairs at St. Petersburg College.
Primary Advisor:
Introductory Appointments
Campus Outreach
Undergraduate Research
Experiential Learning