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From the President

Dear alumni, friends and supporters of USF:

Dear alumni, friends and supporters of USF:

The spring issue of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢Magazine is filled with stories that inspire and reflect the passion, courage, discipline and perseverance that are in the DNA of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢Bulls everywhere.

In our cover story, you’ll meet the gritty, determined crew of Salty Science, the rowing team led by аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢Professor Chantale Bégin. During their 38-day race across the Atlantic Ocean, the four women endured exhaustion, seasickness, unruly and unpredictable seas, and even flying fish. Undeterred, Salty Science captured first place in the women’s class in the World’s Toughest Row-Atlantic, the first North American team to win in that category. In the process, they raised money to educate the next generation of marine scientists.

We also introduce you to the , one of the largest such student-organized clubs in the nation. Members have benefited from a robust internship program offered by the New York-based investment firm Star Mountain Capital at its Tampa office. Former club president Gabriel Mocelin and other members are so passionate about helping their fellow students, they asked the firm’s CEO, Brett Hickey, to make an even larger investment by establishing a scholarship fund to benefit all аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢business students. Hickey and Star Mountain Capital were soon on board — with that and more. 

Bulls Nation also has been inspired by the remarkable turnaround engineered by our men’s basketball team and first-year Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim — the unanimous choice for Conference Coach of the Year by his peers. What a season: A first-ever regular season conference title, a first-ever Top-25 ranking, the nation’s longest winning streak, and three straight sell-out crowds at the Yuengling Center. We’re extremely proud of our student-athletes and coaches.

There’s another group of student-athletes who are just as dedicated and accomplished — our cheerleaders. USF’s cheer squads set the national standard for excellence. The All-Girl Cheer Team won a pair of national titles during the Universal Cheerleading Association College Nationals — the fifth and sixth national championships earned by аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢cheer programs in the last four years.

As we celebrate the many accomplishments of our student-athletes, we are also looking ahead to the impact our on-campus stadium will have as the home of our football and other athletics programs and as a venue for concerts, festivals and more. The illustration on pages 22-23 of the print issue gives you an idea of our plans for the stadium, projected to open in fall 2027. Since we first announced this project, it is the topic I hear about most often from our passionate supporters, who are genuinely excited about what a game-changer this facility will be for our university.

Everywhere you look — in the Tampa Bay region, across our state and nation, and globally — аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢Bulls are making a positive difference. Thank you for all that you do to support our great university.

Rhea F. Law, ’77
Life Member No. 976
President