“I wanted to create a program that could benefit schools without students’ having to sell anything. Studying entrepreneurship at USF gave me the educational and experiential tools to turn my socially conscious fundraising vision into a viable, scalable new venture.” –John Salem ’98, Owner, Everclimb

The University of South Florida is the only institution of higher education in the state of Florida designated by the Carnegie Foundation as “Community Engaged” and one of only 10 public research universities in the entire country with both the RU/VH and Community Engaged designations. For an institution established in 1956, we certainly have made our mark. Impact—both here and abroad—is what defines us, motivates us and makes us unstoppable.

Our local impact from an economic standpoint alone is significant. Our four institutions in Lakeland, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa serve their regional communities by supplying talented human capital and offering educational options for people in different locales. Through service learning, community partnerships and public health initiatives, USF students and faculty members are making a difference in their respective fields locally and across the globe.

The university reaches out to millions of listeners and viewers through the public broadcasting station WUSF, and more than 115,000 alumni call the Tampa Bay area home. Both the stations and our Alumni Association make a tremendous impact on the quality of life, business climate and educational opportunities in Bay-area communities. Additionally, with alumni in more than 120 countries, we’re making an unstoppable difference around the world.

As the Tampa Bay area’s only state university, we have a responsibility to serve and strengthen our region. In doing so, we are translating our ideas from the bench to the global bedside, from the classroom to the world-wide boardroom, and from the minds of our high-potential students and brilliant faculty members to the global collective consciousness.

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  Stampede of Service

  From modest beginnings in 2002, when approximately 300 students took part in what was then known as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the Stampede of Service has become USF’s largest community service event—with thousands of students participating each year. Celebrating the work of Dr. King and the importance of volunteerism, the Stampede of Service now involves students working with more than 60 organizations and nonprofit groups throughout the Tampa Bay region. As the only university in Florida recognized nationally as a “Community Engaged University” by the Carnegie Foundation, USF is committed to serving the community in every way—and our students are leading the charge!

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  Deep in the Gulf

  USF’s College of Marine Science is using the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico as a laboratory for research related to weather, pollution, the environment, red tides, fish migration and much more. By mounting multiple sensors on a “bottom stationed ocean profiler,” ocean technologists can build models to answer sophisticated questions related to the health of the atmosphere, the oceans and, ultimately, the planet.

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  Strengthening the Region through Entrepreneurship

  USF’s Center for Entrepreneurship, a multidisciplinary center focused on entrepreneurial education, training and research, was ranked the fifth best graduate program in the nation by Entrepreneur magazine and the Princeton Review in 2008. The Center seeks to create unique learning opportunities through partnerships among students, faculty and community entrepreneurs. Nearly 50 ventures have been launched by Center graduates since 2002.