The University of South Florida recognized 13 faculty and staff members whose work expanded students’ learning opportunities and strengthened the university’s international reach at the 2026 Global Excellence Awards on April 14.
The honorees represent a range of disciplines and roles, but share USF’s commitment to creating global impact and engagement. The awards were presented by USF World Vice President Kiki Caruson during the USF Faculty Honors & Awards at the Marshall Student Center.
“Whenever I am asked what I believe is the biggest strength of USF, I always say it is the incredible faculty and staff,” said President Moez Limayem during his opening remarks. “This is a celebration for all of us to say thank you for a job well done.”
The Global Excellence Awards honors contributions made during the 2025 calendar year that demonstrate significant international impact. Awardees are selected through a competitive nomination and review process. Three award categories are recognized: globally focused research, globally engaged teaching and learning, and global advocacy.
2026 Award Recipients
President Moez Limayem with Dr. Judithanne McLauchlan
President Moez Limayem with Luke Bencie and Jay Riley
President Moez Limayem with Dr. Ruthmae Sears
Advocacy
Jay Riley
Senior Director of Special Projects and External Affairs USF Sarasota-Manatee, Office of University Community PartnershipsRiley leads applied security education and workforce development initiatives that position USF as a trusted international partner in intelligence, security and emergency management training. Through his leadership of the USF Security Training Collaborative, he has created immersive, career‑shaping programs that strengthen national security capacity while delivering high‑impact international training initiatives, including advanced emergency operations programs for Saudi Aramco and engagement with global security professionals in the Middle East.
Lauren Roberts
Assistant Director, Office of National Scholars, Judy Genshaft Honors CollegeRoberts expands access to global education by advising students pursuing major international scholarships and fellowships. Her work has connected record numbers of USF students to study, research and service opportunities across multiple continents. Roberts’ advocacy has also enabled record numbers of USF students — particularly Pell-eligible, first-generation, and STEM students — to pursue transformative study, research, and service experiences abroad.
Research
Mauricio Arias
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of EngineeringArias studies climate change and infrastructure impacts on river systems. His globally collaborative research supports water security, flood forecasting, and sustainable watershed management. Much of his research has taken place in Southeast, but he has also carried out studies in South America and Southern Africa.
Brian Barnes
Assistant Research Professor, College of Marine ScienceBarnes uses satellite remote sensing to monitor coastal water quality and floating marine materials, garnering global attention for his work in monitoring the seaweed, Sargassum, which forms massive, floating mats in the Atlantic Ocean and is economically and environmentally devastating to fragile beach communities where it lands. His work has produced globally adopted forecasting tools supporting coastal communities worldwide.
Ryan Carney
Associate Professor of Digital Science, Integrative Biology, College of Arts and SciencesA National Geographic Explorer recognized for his internationally driven efforts to bring technology-driven solutions to both current and historical challenges, Carney conducts interdisciplinary research combining artificial intelligence, epidemiology and paleontology. His work has advanced global mosquito-borne disease surveillance in malaria-prone countries and reshaped scientific understanding of the origin of flight through the analysis of the iconic German fossil Archaeopteryx.
Jerome Galea
Associate Professor of Social Work; Chair, Online MSW Program, College of Behavioral and Community SciencesGalea researches global mental health and implementation science. Through internationally collaborative projects, digital innovation, and long‑standing partnerships in Latin America, Africa, and global policy institutions, Galea has measurably expanded access to evidence‑based mental health care.
Richard Heller
Professor of Medical Engineering, College of Engineering and Morsani College of MedicineHeller is a globally recognized pioneer in medical engineering whose breakthroughs have transformed how therapeutic genes and drugs are delivered, laying the foundation for cancer immuno‑gene therapies now used and tested worldwide. His innovations have catalyzed more than 50 active international clinical trials, spawned globally adopted delivery platforms, and driven the dissemination of USF‑developed technologies through worldwide collaborations, patents, startups, and leadership of multinational research consortia spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Gillian Stresman
Associate Professor of Epidemiology, College of Public HealthStresman is an internationally recognized malaria epidemiologist whose work has transformed how countries assess and verify progress toward malaria elimination across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Her work has provided ministries of health, the World Health Organization, and global partners with a rigorous, policy‑relevant method to determine when malaria transmission has been interrupted, directly influencing disease-fighting strategies worldwide.
Jolan Walter
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine; Division Chief, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Morsani College of MedicineWalter leads international research networks focused on rare immune disorders. Her work advances precision diagnostics and therapies through globally coordinated clinical studies. In 2025 alone, she led multinational collaborations spanning 94 institutions across 39 countries.
Kaiqi Xiong
Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and SciencesXiong is an internationally recognized leader in cybersecurity and intelligent systems whose research has advanced the global security of digital infrastructures that underpin healthcare, transportation, emergency response, and national security worldwide.
Teaching/Learning
Russell Clayton
Associate Professor of Instruction, Muma College of BusinessClayton is a leader in globally-engaged business education whose innovative use of Virtual Global Exchange has connected USF MBA students with peers across Europe, bringing authentic international collaboration directly into the classroom. In 2025, he led high‑impact exchanges with KU Leuven in Belgium and Coventry University in the United Kingdom, enabling students to work in multinational teams on real‑world case analyses and cross‑cultural negotiations.
Judithanne McLauchlan
Associate Professor of Political Science; Founding Director, Center for Civic Engagement, College of Arts and SciencesMcLauchlan is a globally recognized leader in civic education, rule of law, and democratic governance whose work has expanded USF’s international reach through teaching, research, and institution‑building partnerships across Europe, Africa, and Eurasia. As a five‑time Fulbright Scholar, she helped launch and strengthen international centers and programs — including the Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University in Uganda — while advancing Virtual Global Exchange initiatives that connect students and faculty across borders.
Ruthmae Sears
Professor of Secondary Mathematics Education, College of EducationSears is an internationally recognized leader in mathematics and STEM education whose work has advanced equitable, high‑quality teaching and learning across The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean through sustained research, mentorship, and systems‑level collaboration.