On February, 3rd, the Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGS) launched the Sustainability Speaker Series for Spring 2026 with Kayla Caselli, Sustainability & Resilience Officer for the City of Tampa and a proud alumna of the college. The event welcomed students, faculty, and community members to reflect on and learn about resilience from a local government perspective.
Caselli shared an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how sustainability and resilience take shape within the City of Tampa, highlighting both progress and constraints. She grounded her discussion in real events that have shaped Tampa’s approach to climate preparedness.
Kayla Caselli giving her presentation at PCGS's Sustainability Speaker Series
Kayla began by reflecting on her own career journey, which started with an internship at the City of Tampa during her time as a graduate student at PCGS. Rather than following a perfectly mapped plan, Caselli emphasized the value of staying open to opportunity and adapting along the way.
“If a door opens up, go through it. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Your life’s not going to work out to be some mapped-out five-year plan. There are going to be so many unexpected things.”
Kayla Caselli
Sustainability & Resilience Officer for the City of Tampa
The core of Caselli’s presentation focused on resilience, a concept she encouraged students to rethink.
“Resilience is not about bouncing back,” she said. “It’s about getting stronger.”
Using recent storm events in the Tampa Bay region as examples, Caselli illustrated how cities absorb shocks, learn from damage, and apply those lessons to future planning.
“There are no silver bullets in this work,” Caselli noted. “We need every tool in the toolbox, and it’s going to look different for every challenge.”
Q&A Session after Caselli's SSS
The event concluded with a dynamic Q&A session, followed by informal conversations between Caselli and students eager to learn more about careers in sustainability and resilience.
The Sustainability Speaker Series connects PCGS students with professionals who are applying sustainability principles across sectors, helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice.