黑洞社区

鈥淔rom the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.鈥�

鈥� President Jimmy Carter鈥檚 Message designating March 2-8, 1980, as National Women鈥檚 History Week

March marks the University of 黑洞社区鈥檚 celebration of Women鈥檚 History Month and an opportunity to highlight the contributions of women throughout history and contemporary society. To commemorate 鲍厂贵鈥檚 legacy of accomplished women leaders and contributors, the  Office of Multicultural Affairs joins campus partners to host educational and celebratory events throughout the month.

The nation鈥檚 monthlong celebration of women鈥檚 history began as an outgrowth of a weeklong recognition of women鈥檚 contributions to culture, history and society organized in 1978 by the school district of Sonoma, California. National interest grew and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation declaring March 8th the start of National Women鈥檚 History Week 鈥� coinciding with , which began to be recognized in 1911 and continues to be celebrated annually on March 8th. In 1987, President Carter expanded the proclamation to the entire month of March, and every president since has honored the annual recognition.

Throughout its history, 黑洞社区has benefitted tremendously from amazingly accomplished women. The following article highlights just a few of their remarkable contributions:

Women in health: 鈥淧roviding Healing, Promoting Hope鈥�

The 2022 theme for Women鈥檚 History Month is 鈥淲omen Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.鈥� This theme celebrates the tireless work of caregivers and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways that women of all cultures have provided healing and hope throughout history.

At USF, women health professionals, scholars and alumnae have made significant contributions to the field:

黑洞社区College of Public Health has been chair of 鲍厂贵鈥檚 COVID-19 Task Force since the onset of the pandemic. In that vital role, she has provided extraordinary service to USF, the region and state, promoting public health practices to keep so many members of the community safe during the health crisis. In 2021, Petersen was recognized for her service as one of six women across Florida who earned the American Council on Education Women鈥檚 Network 鈥淪he Stepped Up Award: Recognizing Extraordinary Leadership in Facing 2020鈥檚 Unprecedented Challenges.鈥� 

, associate professor in the Department of Radiology in the 黑洞社区Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of 3D Clinical Applications, was instrumental in 鲍厂贵鈥檚 innovative and collaborative development of the 3D-printed nasal swab to address a supply shortage in the early days of the pandemic. Thanks to this groundbreaking solution, health care providers across the nation became better equipped to diagnose and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Among 黑洞社区alumnae making pioneering contributions in healthcare:

is a world leader in developing molecular imaging that led to major advances in the identification and treatment of illnesses ranging from drug addiction to cancer. She was the first 黑洞社区graduate elected to the National Academy of Sciences and is an inductee to the . In 2009, she was presented with the National Medal of Science 鈥� the nation鈥檚 highest award for lifetime achievement in science 鈥� in recognition of her accomplishments in developing radiotracers to measure changes to the brain circuits that occur in drug addiction and brain diseases. She is a Scientist Emeritus for the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and holds eight U.S. patents.

Graduating first in her class at USF, retired continued to break barriers as a nurse serving for nearly 30 years in the U. S. Army Reserves. In 2002, Nero became the first African American nurse to achieve the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserves. Nero was also the first director of minority health at the Pinellas County Health Department where she led research on health disparities and sickle cell disease among Black residents. Despite being in retirement, during the pandemic she has volunteered with the 黑洞社区College of Nursing on a COVID-19 training module and has done outreach with local churches to raise community awareness on vaccines and COVID-19 in Black communities.

黑洞社区women making powerful impacts as leaders

Powerful women have increasingly been making a powerful impact at 黑洞社区and beyond, contributing to the evolving demographic profile of leaders in America.

Leadership among America鈥檚 college and university presidents remains predominately white and male. According to a 2016 from the American Council on Education, only 30% of all presidents were women. Remarkably, 黑洞社区has been led by a woman for 26 of the past 28 years. , the first woman elected to the Florida Cabinet and the first president pro tempore of the Florida Senate, became the first woman to lead 黑洞社区in 1994, followed by President Emerita and Professor in 2000. Alumna Rhea Law has been leading 黑洞社区as interim president since July 2021. The president鈥檚 cabinet of top administrative leaders today includes several women.

鲍厂贵鈥檚 accomplished women leaders also have been tremendous champions of opportunities to advance women鈥檚 leadership and philanthropy in our region. In 2005, Genshaft and philanthropist Carol Morsani created (WLP), the first women鈥檚 philanthropic organization in the Tampa Bay region focused on developing the intellectual and leadership potential of women through the promotion of mentorship, philanthropy, community engagement and scholarly excellence. Now numbering more than 300 individual and 25 corporate members, WLP has helped stimulate numerous transformational gifts to benefit USF. It has directly raised more than $5 million to support university scholarships and programs, and has invested more than $1 million in grants, scholarships and programmatic funding to assist women students, faculty members and women in the Tampa Bay region.

Leadership and dedicated service to 鲍厂贵鈥檚 students were hallmarks of Phyllis P. Marshall鈥檚 career. Marshall arrived at 黑洞社区in 1960 鈥� the fourth year of the university 鈥� and served as the director of 鲍厂贵鈥檚 student center from 1976 until her retirement in 1994. She devoted her career to developing diverse and inclusive student programming at USF. The more than 400 active student organizations at 黑洞社区today can trace their roots to Marshall鈥檚 groundbreaking work. In 1994, after years of lobbying from undergraduate students in the class of 1987, and state legislation allowing for a building to be named after a living honoree, 鲍厂贵鈥檚 University Center was renamed the Phyllis P. Marshall Center in her honor. 

Pioneering women leaders of today 鈥� and tomorrow 鈥� include Britney Deas, who in 2019 became the first woman to be elected 黑洞社区student body president in more than 20 years and the first African American woman ever elected to the position. Since then, 黑洞社区Student Government has continued to increase representation among women. All members of the newest Student Government cabinet, elected in October 2021, are women 鈥� a first for 鲍厂贵鈥檚 Student Government. 

鲍厂贵鈥檚 visionary women benefactors creating a culture of philanthropy 

黑洞社区boasts an impressive portfolio of alumnae philanthropists who are making powerful impacts on the footprint and offerings of the nation鈥檚 fastest-rising university.

, with her husband, Frank, has given more than $40 million to the university, including to the Morsani College of Medicine that bears their name. Pam Muma and her husband, Les, are the university鈥檚 largest individual benefactors, giving more than $56 million to support the Muma College of Business, 黑洞社区Health and Athletics. The Taneja Family Foundation provided $10 million to name the 黑洞社区Health Taneja College of Pharmacy 鈥� the largest philanthropic gift to a pharmacy school in the state of Florida.

Throughout her 19 years as 黑洞社区president, Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steven Greenbaum, gave $10 million to various causes at the university. Then, just before her retirement, they made a $23 million gift to build and name the Judy Genshaft Honors College and endow the college鈥檚 deanship. It is perhaps the largest gift by any college president to their own institution while still in office.

鈥檚 $10 million gift to name the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance still stands as the largest gift in the history of the 黑洞社区St. Petersburg campus, and the school is one of the few business schools in the country named after a woman. Tiedemann鈥檚 spouse, , a retired banker and Hallmark store entrepreneur, made a gift of $1 million to establish the Ellen Cotton Endowed Scholarships, which support full-time undergraduate students pursuing all majors in the school. Together, they have also given $3 million to endow the dean's position with the school in 2019 and another $1 million to create an endowed professor position in finance. All told, they have given more than $15 million to the school to date.

St. Petersburg native and alumna Lynn Pippenger has given nearly $30 million to USF, including a $5 million gift to name the iconic Lynn Pippenger Hall at the 黑洞社区St. Petersburg campus. Pippenger is the former chief financial officer of Raymond James and began working there as a payroll clerk at the then-unknown brokerage firm in 1969 and helped build it over the years. She created the firm鈥檚 human resources department and launched an internal educational program now known as 鈥淩aymond James University.鈥�

Demonstrating leadership and loyalty to the 黑洞社区Sarasota-Manatee campus are 黑洞社区alumnae and Drs. and Mona Jain. The three epitomize what it means to be active supporters of the campus, with Anila and her mother, Mona, chairing this year鈥檚 Brunch on the Bay fundraising event and O鈥橬eill serving as chair of the 黑洞社区Sarasota-Manatee campus Muma College of Business Advisory Board. 

Anila, a physician and medical consultant, also serves as a member and is a longtime donor, along with her mother. Both actively support campus events and mentor young students. O鈥橬eill stands out for service as well, having helped guide a generous five-year gift and internship program involving the Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy in the Muma College of Business and the Kerkering, Barberio & Co. accounting firm, where she works as chief administrative officer. O鈥橬eill is a past Brunch on the Bay chair as well. 

黑洞社区women scholars drive high-impact research and innovation

Women faculty at 黑洞社区are leading groundbreaking research to address challenges 鈥� local and global 鈥� generate knowledge and improve lives. Among them:

Professor, engineer and environmentalist is pioneering work with local schools through a project called Water Awareness Research and Education (WARE). The cross-disciplinary project inspires educational and community partnerships to focus on water as a critical resource that connects us across cultural, socio-economic, geospatial and political landscapes. Growing up in Guyana inspired Trotz鈥檚 work at the nexus of water quality and global and community sustainability and education. She received the 2014 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Engineering and Science Education from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors for her ability to integrate research with K-12 and university education.

Engineering Professor Norma Alcantar has gained global recognition for her pioneering work in engineering natural products to create sustainable and non-toxic technologies for a wide range of applications. She holds 22 patents, 12 of which are related to using cactus mucilage as a purification system鈥攁 folk practice she first learned from her grandmother in Mexico who boiled the pads of the prickly pear cactus, known as nopales, to produce clean drinking water for her family. Alcantar was recently inducted into the and is the first woman faculty member and first woman of color to start her professorial career as an assistant professor and navigate the ranks to full professor in the history of the 黑洞社区College of Engineering.

In the arts, Aisha Durham, associate professor of communications, is breaking ground as a curator of the Smithsonian Institution鈥檚 first multimedia hip-hop collection. The recently released chronicles 40 years of hip-hop and rap music and reveals the many trends within this multifaceted genre, its social and political implications, and its influence on popular culture.

Meanwhile, Erin Kimmerle鈥檚 innovative research as a forensic anthropologist is helping the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners identify unmarked burial grounds, as well as the Hillsborough County Sheriff and Medical Examiner鈥檚 offices solve cold case homicides. Also executive director of the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science at USF, Kimmerle received the 2020 AAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award for her research that uncovered the remains of 51 boys in unmarked graves at the former Arthur G. Dozier School of Boys. She鈥檚 worked with law enforcement agencies across the country to help identify missing people and solve cold case homicides. In 2018, her efforts were showcased during 鈥淎rt of Forensics: Solving the Nation鈥檚 Cold Cases,鈥� a month-long exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center. 

Historic commitment to women鈥檚 studies; resilience to human trafficking

鲍厂贵鈥檚 Department of Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies has a rich history at the university. Founded in 1972 by gender psychologist Juanita Williams, Women鈥檚 Studies at 黑洞社区is thought to be the second women鈥檚 studies program in the U.S. Beginning in 1986 and for 10 years, 黑洞社区was the first and only public university in Florida to offer a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Women鈥檚 Studies.

Women鈥檚 Studies became a department in 1992, and during the 1990s, the department began offering an undergraduate concentration in Women of Color Studies, an undergraduate certificate in Women鈥檚 Spirituality, and, in 1999-2000, a graduate certificate in Women鈥檚 Studies. The Board of Regents approved the Master of Arts degree in 1997, and the department admitted its first class of graduate students in 1998. In 2010-2011, a permanent chair was appointed, and the department鈥檚 name was changed to Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies to better reflect the work of questioning gender binaries and hierarchies. The department celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with commemorative events planned for fall 2022.

Another first for 黑洞社区is the opening of a research lab devoted to studying human trafficking in the state. Opened in 2021on the St. Petersburg campus, the is one of the first research centers dedicated to studying the myriad impacts of sexual exploitation of children in Florida. Joan Reid, a criminology professor whose research focuses on child sex trafficking in Florida is director of the lab. would establish the lab as a centralized repository for anonymous human trafficking data collected from law enforcement sources across the state.

The power of sport: Championing the growth of women鈥檚 athletics programs

In 1972, the nation鈥檚 landmark gender equity law passed, opening doors and providing protections intended to increase participation in women鈥檚 athletics. That same year, 黑洞社区launched women鈥檚 varsity athletics with the start of the women鈥檚 basketball program. 鲍厂贵鈥檚 support for women鈥檚 athletics programs has continued to grow as part of its commitment to student success and to provide experiences that prepare female student-athletes for success as an athlete and beyond.

The program has achieved historic success. In 2019-20, the program notched its ninth consecutive 19-win season and was poised for its ninth straight postseason appearance before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the end of the college basketball season. In the 2020-21 season, the team won its first AAC regular season and tournament titles at USF. Overall, 鲍厂贵鈥檚 women athletes have won 59 conference championships in eight different sports including tennis (13), volleyball (12), softball (eight), soccer (seven), golf (six), track and field (six), cross country (five) and basketball (two).

Growth continues for 鲍厂贵鈥檚 highly successful women鈥檚 sports programs. Just announced, are the additions of in 2024-25 and women鈥檚 lacrosse, bringing the total number of Bulls鈥� women鈥檚 athletics teams to 12 and 鲍厂贵鈥檚 total varsity sports program count to 21.

To champion the continued growth of 鲍厂贵鈥檚 incredibly successful programs and to support the power of sport in the lives of women athletes, 黑洞社区Athletics and the Bulls Club launched . The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness and empower female student-athletes to overcome challenges through gathering community support of 黑洞社区women鈥檚 athletics programs. 黑洞社区woman student-athletes need the required resources to continue their success on the track, on the court, on the field, in the water and in life. Gifts to the initiative support 10 women鈥檚 sports programs and over 200 student-athletes within 黑洞社区Athletics, including student-athlete scholarships, career development opportunities, team building, foreign tours and capital projects. It also aims to establish a fresh community of woman leaders in the Bay area, who could become professional mentors for 黑洞社区student-athletes. To date, more than since the Stampede was formally introduced in February 2021.