London is a city that has been shaped by explorers, global cultures and geopolitics for two millennia, and in the last decade, University of South Florida Bulls have been adding their own imprint on the iconic city.
In summers since 2015, Bulls have read Shakespeare at the Globe Theater where The Bard performed his plays; they’ve watched the changing of the guard outside of Buckingham Palace to understand British military traditions and learned about the differences between British and American health and criminal justice systems. They traveled down cobblestone streets, narrow alleys and through a train station that inspired Harry Potter’s world as well as through the Regency neighborhoods where Jane Austen’s novels were set.
The university celebrated the milestone in mid-July with a gathering of scores of alumni, current students and USF faculty and staff in London.
In the center of one of the busiest cities in the world, USF Bulls have been drawing new insights, forming new friendships and stepping outside of their comfort zones in the immersive, four-week summer experience. The university celebrated the milestone in mid-July with a gathering of scores of alumni, current students and USF faculty and staff in London.
The event was held at the iconic St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, bringing together U.K.-based University of South Florida alumni from a wide range of industries and fields. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as Bulls living in London reconnected and built new professional relationships throughout the evening. Generously hosted by the USF Foundation, the event showcased USF in the best possible light to alumni who may not have been engaged since graduating.
One of the most inspiring aspects of the night was the interaction between current USF students and alumni. These exchanges offered students invaluable career insights and a glimpse into what their professional journeys might look like. It allowed them to envision a career abroad. The room also included attendees from important community partners who have representation in London, including SelectFlorida, Visit Tampa Bay and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
The energy from the podium was unmistakable—especially from USF President Rhea Law, who celebrated the accomplishments of the U.K.-based alumni in attendance. She expressed her pride in their success, shared her optimism for the current USF in London students, and voiced her excitement for what the next decade of the program will bring.
USF in London Program
"USF in London allows our students to step beyond the familiar, immerse themselves in new cultures and engage with the world in ways that shape their perspectives, their careers, and their lives. To the students here, make sure you share your experiences with students back at USF. We want you to have study abroad experiences because they will help you throughout your life." — USF President Rhea Law
USF World Vice President Kiki Caruson took the stage, highlighting the ongoing success of the university’s signature study abroad program. She spoke passionately about how London continues to serve as a vibrant, immersive classroom for more than 1,200 students who have taken part in the program throughout the past ten years.
Kiki Caruson, USF World Vice President
The audience heard from Charlotte Nixon, head of the U.S. Political and Bilateral Team at the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, who emphasized the significance of the memorandum of understanding between the state of Florida and the U.K. in supporting a thriving trade relationship and countless opportunities for cooperation. “From defense and security to trade, to technology, to culture and education, our countries are leading together on the global stage. We are together two of the three top countries [worldwide] for new technologies like AI."
Richard Everitt, head of Global Development at the Judge Business School at the University
of Cambridge and a former University of Leeds exchange student at USF, spoke warmly
about his time in Tampa. He reflected on how that global experience during college
played a pivotal role in shaping his career. Though he didn’t fully grasp its impact
at the time, he credits his time at USF with helping him land a position at the British
Council, where he spent 25 years. In looking back, he credited his global education
with his many international postings, including a return to the U.S. as part of the
British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Richard Everitt, Head of Global Development, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Charlotte Nixon, Head of US Political and Bilateral Team, UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office
Fabiano Laux, Global Sales Manager, Delta Air Lines
Chance Drawing Winners
The evening included a lively chance drawing with several alumni and students taking home fun USF swag from t-shirts to umbrellas and travel neck pillows. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, two students won major travel prizes. One won a pair of roundtrip tickets within the continental U.S. and Canada on Delta Airlines, and the grand prize: a pair of roundtrip tickets from the U.S. to the U.K. on Virgin Atlantic, went to another especially thrilled student.
“Delta and Virgin Atlantic were proud to join the vibrant USF Study Abroad 10th Anniversary celebration in London, where the energy of students and faculty reflected a deep passion for global learning. As partners committed to connecting communities, we’re honored to support transformative experiences that shape the leaders of tomorrow," said Fabiano Laux, global sales manager for Delta Air Lines
Discover More Event highlights
The excitement continued throughout the evening with many photos with Law, USF students and alumni. It was an unforgettable celebration which is sure to re-energize the USF Network UK alumni group for years to come!
Experiences from the USF in London program
impacting students for life
“It was one of the best parts of my time at USF,” said Sarah Lockwood, an alumna of the USF in London program who is now on faculty at USF St. Petersburg. An assistant professor of criminology, Lockwood returned to USF after earning dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminology in 2015 and master’s and doctoral degrees from Northeastern University.
“The fact that you get to be there as long as you are made all the difference. It was the perfect amalgamation of getting to be in a classroom with USF professors who are then taking you outside to be interactive and sightseeing on your own.
“You get to live history in real time.”
For Lockwood, who is originally from Canada, the experience allowed her to make a deep personal connection to her family: She traveled to Chesterfield, a Midlands town where her grandmother had fled to as a child during the London Blitz in World War II. “It was very meaningful to feel connected to her childhood,” Lockwood added.
A Commitment to Study Abroad
British officials joined in 2011 joined then USF President Judy Genshaft and Provost Ralph Wilcox on the university’s first event in London. A student expo was the precursor to the opening of the London summer program. Photo by Jock Fistick.
The London summer program was established under USF President Judy Genshaft and Provost Ralph Wilcox as USF was building its global reputation in two key areas that now define the university: As a globally engaged institution where students learn through experiences, such as study abroad, internships and practicums. Now a professor in the Judy Genshaft Honors College where he teaches a course on the “special relationship” between the U.S. and the U.K., Wilcox said the London program was among USF’s crowning achievement in building a global presence.
A native of Great Britain who also led the development of USF’s student exchange program with the University of Exeter, his alma mater, Wilcox said the USF in London summer program personified the importance of international experience for undergraduates. With no language barrier and controlled costs and scholarships, the program also was built to be accessible to as many students as possible.
“London is incomparable cosmopolitan living lab,” he said. “We have had such a wonderful array of coursework. It’s just reached far beyond what some of my expectations, and I am delighted that it has."
The founding director of the program was another member of USF’s British contingent, Professor Peter Stiling who now teaches in the Department of Integrative Biology after earning his doctoral degree at the University College in Cardiff, Wales. Stiling said the program surpassed initial estimates of its success from its first summer.
USF take their students on excursions into the city as a living classroom. Program Co-Director Scott Solomon (third from left) says the global city provides an unparalleled lens into nearly every modern issue. Photo courtesy of Scott Solomon.
“It just took off,” Stiling said. “It was an easy sell.”
Stiling said the ability to take classes to the scene of where the events students were learning about brought lessons to life.
“For example, if you were learning about evolution, we’d go to Darwin’s house. We have classes that go to Jane Austen’s house in Bath. I can’t think of a subject you couldn’t improve upon by going to London.”
Not all the classes are rooted in history. Carole Osborne, director of USF’s Zimmerman Advertising Program, takes her students to visit leading London marketing agencies where they get a glimpse of how despite a common language, there’s still differences in the way global brands are sold. USF psychology Associate Professor Jennifer O’Brien recently was recognized with one of USF’s Global Excellence Awards for her teaching in London, where students learn about cross-cultural psychology and explore international career options, while also relating their studies back to iconic landmarks like the Freud Museum and the British Library.
USF in London co-director Scott Solomon, whose course covers the roots of America’s governance in Great Britain and includes a visit to see one of just four original manuscripts of the Magna Carta, said the unique program requires faculty to teach two courses a day for four weeks — and the pace is anything but a leisurely summer stroll.
“Each day can be as long as 10 to 12 hours given the time devoted to excursions, getting around London, etc.,” he said. “More than a few faculty have said this is the hardest they work all year, but they keep coming back because it is such a lovely place to teach and experience with students.”
Traveling magical streets
Rylee Ruth at the iconic Tower Bridge; she returned to London for grad school at King’s College. Photo courtesy of Rylee Ruth.
Former USF in London student Rylee Ruth’s time in the city as an undergraduate studying history and English made such an impression on her that she returned to London to earn a master’s degree in history at King’s College London. The summer program wasn’t her first visit to the city — she had traveled there while in high school — and remembers it as one that set her on a path to her future.
She enrolled in a Harry Potter film course and a Jane Austen literature class taught by Jessica Cook, a USF Department of English professor of instruction who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century British literature and fiction. Cook’s class excursions included visits to Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and Great Scotland Yard, which is the entrance to the Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter films.
“Spending the summer in another country helped me to remember that the world is so wide and that there is so much to learn and see,” said Ruth, who is now a student accounts representative at the University of Tampa. “You can’t truly understand the culture, literature, and history you’re taught in school until you’ve visited the places where those stories come from.”
“Do something worth writing about”
Writer Courtney Severn was able to visit the homes of some of her literary heroes. She’s continued to explore the country in the years since she participated in the USF in London program. Photo courtesy of Courtney Severn.
USF alum Courtney Severn said the program fulfilled a lifelong dream of spending time in London while also giving her a newfound joy of exploring.
“I turned 20 during the program, and it was a very transformative experience,” she said. “I realized I could be independent, navigate the Tube, try new foods and immerse myself in a new culture.”
Severn took two British literature courses with USF Department of English Associate Professor Marty Gould — who studies the intersection of global politics, imperial ideology and popular entertainment — reading works like Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Sherlock Holmes. Severn said her favorite excursions included the Charles Dickens Museum, the Sherlock Holmes Museum and a group trip to Stonehenge and Bath.
“One class we went up to Hampstead Heath and read poetry inspired by the view,” Severn added.
She also explored beyond London, visiting Edinburgh, Cardiff and Ireland. “My favorite part of it all was the experiences I got to share with friends I made in the program — some of whom I am still very close with 10 years later,” she said.
“But my favorite part of it all was the experiences I got to share with friends I made in the program — some of whom I am still very close with 10 years later,” she said.
Severn went on to earn an master of fine arts degree in fiction at USF and she credits her London summer experience as shaping her future writing career.
“I was taught that if you’re not actively writing, you’re still ‘writing’ when you’re going out and experiencing things,” she said. “‘Do something worth writing about’ was an adage I remember hearing early on, and I believe I did that by participating in the USF in London program.”
Severn says she’s fortunately been able to return to England twice since her summer in London, each time exploring new corners of the country such as Liverpool, Brighton, Manchester and Oxford. “On my most recent trip, I revisited the Charles Dickens house and brought my now-husband, and he loved it — he is also an avid reader and writer,” she said. “I also wanted to explore some other literary spots, so we went to Chawton where the Jane Austen House is, and we got to see where she and her family grew up. We also had afternoon tea at the Hotel Café Royal, a favorite spot of Oscar Wilde's that he frequently visited.”