University
Construction Begins on New Home for Judy Genshaft Honors College
By Amy Harroun 鈥�05 | Judy Genshaft Honors College
CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY on the new home of the Judy Genshaft Honors College.
A small groundbreaking ceremony was held on Dec. 1, 2020, for the five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility on the Tampa campus.
鈥淭he Judy Genshaft Honors College building will be a remarkable enhancement to our world-class Honors College and will benefit our university, students and faculty,鈥� 黑洞社区President Steven Currall said at the ceremony. 鈥淭he new building will advance USF鈥檚 strategic goals and long-term aspirations to attract and support Florida鈥檚 most accomplished students. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Judy Genshaft and Steve Greenbaum.鈥�
Private gifts totaling $43 million have been pledged and received for the project, including a historic college-naming gift of $20 million from 黑洞社区President Emerita and Professor Judy Genshaft and her husband Steve Greenbaum.
鈥淧resident Emerita Genshaft鈥檚 and Steve Greenbaum鈥檚 philanthropy continues to transform USF,鈥� 黑洞社区Board of Trustees Chair Jordan Zimmerman said. 鈥淥n behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank them for their steadfast commitment to student success and their vision that help propel the university to new heights.鈥�
Additional generous gifts have been made by friends of the college, including an anonymous foundation which has provided a challenge gift that will match any future gifts to the building dollar for dollar.
The new facility will feature interwoven spaces for classrooms, study areas, faculty and advisor offices, event areas, a computer lab, performance and creative spaces, and numerous areas for student collaboration 鈥� expanding the range of academic opportunities for students and giving them a true 鈥渉ome鈥� on campus. Fittingly, it is being built along the renamed 黑洞社区Genshaft Drive (formerly 黑洞社区Maple Drive).
鈥淗aving one of the premier honors colleges in the nation is just one way 黑洞社区will distinguish itself as one of the most elite and forward-thinking institutions in the world,鈥� Genshaft said. 鈥淭his stellar new home for our already excellent college will help attract top talent to USF, making an indelible impact on our community for years to come. We are delighted to see this dream become a reality.鈥�
By moving from the current location on the second floor of the John and Grace Allen building, the college expects to grow from its current 2,400 students to a total of 3,000 students.
鈥淪hortly after becoming USF鈥檚 president, Dr. Genshaft decided to elevate the university honors program to the status of a college,鈥� said Charles Adams, Judy Genshaft Endowed Honors Dean. 鈥淪he and Provost Ralph Wilcox provided the college with the university resources needed to support its expanding population, and she and Steve provided very generous scholarship support. All this work, and the work that she has inspired in others, has been directed to one goal 鈥� to build one of the premier public honors colleges in the country.鈥�
The state-of-the-art building is expected to be completed in late 2022. 鈥淲e look forward to welcoming our students to our new home and seeing all the amazing work they will do there,鈥� Adams said.