USF celebrates Women’s History Month, recognizes inspiring women leaders
USF is celebrating Women’s History Month in March by recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments of women leaders and their continuing impact across the university’s colleges, schools and three campuses.
The nation’s monthlong celebration of women’s history began as an outgrowth of a weeklong recognition of women’s 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’s History Week – coinciding with International Women’s Day, which was 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.
At the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, any discussion of the impact of women wouldn’t be complete without mention of alumnae Tracy O’Neill and Drs. Anila and Mona Jain. The three epitomize what it means to be “active campus supporters” with Anila and her mother, Mona, chairing this year’s Brunch on the Bay fundraising event and O’Neill serving as chair of the campus’ Muma College of Business Advisory Board.
Anila Jain
Mona Jain
Tracy O'Neill
Anila, a physician and medical consultant, also serves as a Campus Board member and is a generous longtime donor, along with her mother. Both actively support campus events and mentor young students. O’Neill 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’Neill is a past Brunch on the Bay chair as well.
“These women demonstrate the very essence of leadership and loyalty,” said Marrie Neumer, associate vice president of University Advancement. “Through their generosity of time, treasure and talent, our campus continues to be a welcoming environment, especially for women students, faculty and staff.”
To learn more about the vital contributions of women to USF, and beyond, visit here.
USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to host TEDx event, welcome students, faculty and the community
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus will host a TEDx event on Thursday, March 3, at 6 p.m. in the campus’ Selby Auditorium featuring eight speakers – from a former congressman to a childcare center founder – presenting talks around the theme “Doing Good.” The event follows a widely successful TEDx talk two years ago.
Student Government and Kim Mones, director of the Office of Student Engagement, organized the event, which is expected to run about two hours and include a 15-minute intermission. A catered reception is scheduled afterward.
As with other TED talks, the presentation is designed is to encourage positive change.
“Ultimately, we hope the event is well received and really inspires students, faculty and others in the community to take action, and that some good will come out of this,” co-organizer and senior finance major Jonah Durst said.
In typical TEDx fashion, the talks will be capped at no longer than 18 minutes each, but they’re generally expected to run from nine to 16 minutes. The event will be available for viewing on ted.com and YouTube about a month after the event.
The speakers include:
- Tom Becker, PhD – professor of management, USF Sarasota-Manatee campus
- Joshua Ghansiam – Covenant Research; USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, Class of ’21
- Dr. Payal Jhawar – CEO and founder, Revive MD Direct Primary Care
- Hon. Ric Keller – partner, Hill, Rugh, Keller, & Main, Attorneys at Law; member, U.S. House of Representatives (2001-09)
- Lissarette Nisnevich – CEO and founder, Pequenines LLC
- Helene Robinson, EdD – associate professor, instruction; director, Critical & Creative Design Thinking program, USF Sarasota-Manatee campus
- Sean Schrader – senior, Muma College of Business, USF St. Petersburg campus
- Christina Unkel – CEO, SPARQ Advocacy; attorney, Maglio, Christopher & Toale; professional soccer referee and CBS Sports contributor
For more about the speakers, visit here.
Students have been organizing the talk since last fall when they approached TED about their presentation idea. Durst said the theme, Doing Good, was selected to allow presenters latitude in defining what that means to them and to elicit a variety of creative responses.
The event follows a widely praised TEDx presentation in November 2019. In the aftermath, organizers promised to hold another TEDx talk but delayed those plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Durst said organizers opted to wait, instead of holding a virtual event, to create an atmosphere typical of a live TED talk.
Like other TED events, the audience will be capped at no more than 100 members, and those seeking to attend must fill out an application.
“Our whole team has been working diligently to put together a program that supports our speakers, provides them a platform to spread their ideas, and creates an entertaining and thought-provoking experience for audience members,” Mones said. “The student leaders involved in our planning team have learned a lot through the planning process, and I’m excited to watch as they host this event that is the culmination of months of effort.”
For more about the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu.
Goodwill grant may help students, others at USF Sarasota-Manatee campus
A recent grant to Goodwill Manasota to support Black and Hispanic veterans and military spouses could also prove helpful to students, staff and faculty at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.
Carlos Moreira, director of campus engagement for veteran success and alumni affairs, says that, among other things, the grant can be used to offset job training and certification costs, including for programs at USF.
“Black and Hispanic veterans at the campus can take advantage of these generous benefits to further their careers at the university or, in the case of students, help them to get a good job after graduation,” said Moreira, who also serves as a member of the Goodwill Veteran Task Force. The grant is also available to veteran’s spouses who are Black or Hispanic.
Goodwill Manasota announced the grant two weeks ago. The United Services Automobile Association awarded a grant to Goodwill Industries International through an effort called “Operation Achieve.” Goodwill Manasota is one of the sub-grantees for Operation Achieve, receiving $155,000 to serve Black and Hispanic veterans and military spouses.
Students, staff and faculty members can learn more by contacting Moreira at cjmoreira@usf.edu or Todd Hughes, veteran services program manager for Goodwill’s Manasota Veteran Services program, at todd.hughes@gimi.org.
USF students, staff and faculty board trolley to visit, learn about Sarasota’s Newtown area
Students, staff and faculty from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus learned about Sarasota’s Newtown area in a trolley ride last Thursday designed to deepen their understanding of the historically Black neighborhood.
“I liked it, it was very informational,” graduate student Sammie Hillstock said. “It was interesting to learn about the area and the civil rights movement and how people organized. You often hear about civil rights, but not at the local level, what was happening in the community at that time.”
The two-hour tour was arranged by USF’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity as part of Black Heritage Month.
Thirty riders from the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus boarded the trolley at about noon. They passed by historic homes, businesses, parks and other gathering spots along the route, which took them just north of downtown. An enclave for Black families during segregation, Newtown offered housing, shops, entertainment and other services that were denied to Black people elsewhere in Sarasota.
Corey Posey, campus diversity officer at Sarasota-Manatee, said he hoped the ride makes a lasting impact.
“I really want people to come away with a deeper understanding of the richness of Newtown and the historical significance of Newtown to the Sarasota region,” he said.
The tour followed several other campus-related events celebrating Black Heritage Month, including an exhibit and reception in conjunction with the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative and a presentation by the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition.
Vickie Oldham, president of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, served as a guide and helped organize the tour at the request of Posey and Darren Gambrell, assistant director of student services in the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Also anchoring the tour were Brenda Watty, a singer who once performed with The Marvelettes, and Walter Gilbert, community engagement coordinator and senior director of diversity and inclusion at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Gilbert is also a former president of the Sarasota County NAACP.
Gambrell and Posey said they hope the ride becomes an annual occurrence for the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus and helps forge stronger ties between the university and Sarasota’s Black community.
Paola-Marie Mannino, a senior marketing major, called the experience “enlightening.”
“I had known about Newtown, but I didn’t know about the history of the area and what it meant to Black people,” Mannino said. “It was the area where Black people lived. I think the thing that is going to stick with me is the notion of inclusion, because everybody wants to feel like they’re part of something and meant to be there. You don’t want to feel less than those that are around you, and it’s not just something that applies to race and ethnicity but also on a socio-economic level. You want to be part of a community. You want to feel included.”
USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to host Women’s Summit featuring snack business founder Angie Bastian
The University of South Florida and Sarasota-based financial planners Gulfside Wealth will kick off International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, with a Women’s Summit featuring Angie Bastian, namesake and founder of Angie’s Boomchickapop popcorn and snack business.
The summit, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will be held at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
Admission is free. However, registration is required.
To register, visit www.gulfsidewealth.com/events/2022-gulfside-wealth-usf-womens-summit. Please indicate in the comments section of your registration if you would like a boxed lunch.
The event features an impressive lineup of speakers that, in addition to keynote Bastian,
includes:
- Marrie Neumer, CFRE, associate vice president, University Advancement, USF Sarasota-Manatee campus
- Shantel Norman, influencer, entrepreneur and entertainer
- Jennifer Compton, Sarasota managing partner, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick
- Heather Junqueria, founder, BioScent
- Dr. Jennifer Bencie, health officer, Florida Department of Health-Manatee County
- Amanda Horne, owner, Anna Maria Oyster Bar
- Shawny Robey, president and CEO, First Step of Sarasota
- Linda Duessel, CFA, CPA®, CFP®, senior equity strategist, Federated Hermes
A part-time Siesta Key resident, Bastian and her husband, Dan Bastian, started their popcorn business in the garage of their home in Mankato, Minnesota, building it into a $90 million snack business, before selling it to Conagra in 2017.
For more about Gulfside Wealth, visit www.gulfsidewealth.com.
To learn more about the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu.
USF researchers, students study court program to help sex-trafficking victims
Researchers at the University of South Florida are playing a role helping sex-trafficking victims turn their lives around through a court program that offers housing, job training, counseling and other services. The researchers’ work could become a model for similar programs around the country.
The researchers, all from USF’s Trafficking in Persons – Risk to Resilience Research (TiP) Lab, are working with Sarasota-based nonprofit Selah Freedom to evaluate the organization’s Turn Your Life Around (TYLA) court diversion program for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation.
Associate Professor Fawn Ngo of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus is leading the study, which involves researchers from the USF St. Petersburg and Tampa campuses and two graduate assistants and an undergraduate student, all from USF in Tampa.
Selah Freedom and court officials in Sarasota have granted the researchers unique access to the TYLA program, enabling them to view the court’s diversionary proceedings live and interview the program’s participants later to understand how they became entrapped in the commercial sex industry, often for years.
“What you see when you explore this issue is that sex-trafficking victims frequently have many underlying problems,” Ngo said. “Many have been exploited at a young age, some by family members and repeatedly, and they’ve suffered deep psychological trauma as a result of these occurrences."
Selah Freedom began working with Sarasota Police and the court system in 2014 to create TYLA. The program was extended to Bradenton in 2018. Women in TYLA receive services from counseling and emergency housing to drug and alcohol treatment, education and job training. Program graduates can have their court records expunged and receive opportunities for job placement and educational services. Many obtain their GED and, in some cases, enroll in college.
TYLA boasts a remarkable track record with a majority of the program’s graduates successfully turning their lives around. Despite these milestones, the program has yet to be evaluated independently to determine whether some areas of the program are more effective than others and how they can be improved.
It’s hoped that the researchers’ efforts lay the groundwork for the program’s expansion while also assisting new intervention programs nationwide by creating “a blueprint” for agencies to follow.
“Our program has proven to be very successful, and with USF’s assistance we’ll be able to take the next step forward to become even better,” Selah Freedom Executive Director Efaw said.
Nicole Dolack, outreach coordinator for Selah Freedom, is taking the lead on the project, interacting with Ngo, the other researchers and the students.
“I have seen the success firsthand from TYLA graduates and I look forward to having data to support the program,” Dolack said. “Dr. Ngo and her team are working diligently to gather all of the necessary information for such a complex court diversion program in order to properly evaluate best practices and potential future recommendations for success.”
Meanwhile, the graduate assistants say they’re thrilled to be involved in the study, which launched in mid-December.
“I feel very fortunate to be a part of this, to hear the stories of these women and learn how they’re being helped,” second-year public health major Emily Walsh said. “I think what strikes me the most is that many of these women were abused at an early age and that everything in their lives had been affected by that.”
For now, the students are observing the TYLA proceedings and researching prior evaluations of treatment courts, including drug and veterans’ courts. Unlike traditional court hearings, TYLA proceedings are not adversarial. Counselors and attorneys from each side work together to focus on helping the women, who are free either to enter the program or pursue their cases in court.
However, what may seem like an easy decision to avoid jail time isn’t always simple and can be complicated by family demands, addiction and psychological trauma. Many of the women find themselves at a crossroads, weighing whether the timing is right to enter TYLA.
If they lose their cases in court or accept a plea deal and go to jail, that could put them on the street in less than a year, or even after a few months. But if they enter the TYLA program, that might translate into a lengthy stay at a drug-treatment facility followed by placement in a supervised home for a year or longer.
Sometimes, the decision comes down to how much time away from family – and their children – the women can endure in order to make a clean and lasting break from their past lives.
“These are heartbreaking stories,” criminology PhD candidate Emily Walker said. “But the reward is great in the end, and most of these women come out of the program able to move forward with their lives. It makes me feel grateful to be a part of this project to see how these women can be helped.”
For now, the proceedings are held virtually, but eventually they’ll return to an in-person format. In addition to observing the meetings, the students are looking forward in coming months to holding one-on-one interviews with both the program participants and the facilitators.
The students offered various reasons for assisting in the study. Walker said she wants to explore racial and ethnic differences in the participants’ perceived needs and services. She also appreciates that their work might eventually influence policies connected to similar diversion programs around the country.
Walsh said she’s curious about the program’s long-term effects and overall public health impact. Graduate student Rebecca Ruiz said she wants to learn more about the sexual exploitation of recently arrived immigrants.
“I also like that this is community-based,” she said. “What we are doing could have a direct impact on these communities. I like that we’re conducting research that can make a real and lasting difference.”
Emily Walsh
Emily Walker
Rebecca Ruiz
Ngo said the study will take about a year and that the students will be involved in gathering data and writing the final report. Afterward, they may present their findings at criminology conferences.
“This is very exciting for them,” Ngo said. “That is one of the things I like about this, that we are able to involve students very deeply in a research project. This isn’t something they’re doing in the classroom. They’re actively participating in actual field research.”
Also assisting in the study are Assistant Professor of Criminology Mateus Rennó Santos and Associate Professor of Criminology Joan Reid, director of the TiP Lab.
For more about the Trafficking in Persons – Risk to Resilience Lab, visit https://tiplab.cbcs.usf.edu/.
To learn about the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, visit https://www.sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/.
Former Fulbright student at Sarasota-Manatee campus returns to USF as an instructor
Nefike Gunden arrived at the University of South Florida as a 22-year-old Fulbright scholar determined to make the most of her opportunity, improve her English and explore her career options – possibly as a college professor.
Now, seven years later, Gunden holds a PhD and teaches college-level classes in both the United States and her homeland of Turkey.
Grateful to her parents, she’s also appreciative of her alma mater, USF, where she earned a Master of Science in Hospitality Management as a Fulbright student and forged strong ties with staff and faculty. It’s even where met her future husband, a student at the time as well.
It’s no wonder then that when it came time to take the first steps in her fledgling academic career, Gunden didn’t think twice about where to go. She came to USF and now serves as an adjunct instructor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Muma College of Business.
The 28-year-old Gunden, who grew up in a family of five in a small town in Turkey and later its capital city of Ankara, marvels at how her life has come full circle.
“It’s amazing in a way, and I am so happy to be back at USF,” she said. “It’s like coming home.”
As a young girl, Gunden fell in love with the idea of living and studying abroad. Encouraged by her parents, she focused on education, consistently achieving high marks, all the while dreaming of life in Europe, Japan or the United States. Later as a top student at Gazi University in Ankara she applied for a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in the U.S.
As luck would have it, receiving the scholarship brought her back to Florida where a couple of years earlier she interned at Walt Disney World as a customer service specialist. At USF, she found a warm welcome from staff and faculty at the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
Gunden didn’t know it at the time, but the campus’ hospitality program – now part of the Muma College of Business – would become a second home to her. Faculty and staff were especially encouraging and urged her to focus on research, a message she’s since taken to heart. Already, she’s had three articles published and a fourth is pending.
“Dr. (Cihan) Cobanoglu and Dr. (Faizan) Ali were especially supportive, and they encouraged me to focus on research as much as on my studies,” Gunden said. “Dr. (Katerina) Berezina also was very supportive. I hope to model my career after hers.”
Gunden graduated with her master’s degree in May 2017 and a year later was accepted into the doctoral program at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston.
“It is always amazing to see our graduates doing great things,” Cihan Cobanoglu, professor and interim dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, said. “Nefike has completed her doctoral degree successfully and it is an honor to welcome her back to USF, this time as a professor.”
Returning to the classroom here felt completely natural, she said. She especially enjoys interacting with students and watching their progress.
“Fulbright changed my life,” she said. “When I was Fulbright student, I told myself that I would teach and get my PhD, and now I’m an instructor and back at USF. The staff and faculty have all been very welcoming and supportive. They have always been there for me. I’m so happy to be back here.”
Deadlines coming up for legislative internships under Public Policy Internship Program
The deadlines are nearing for two popular internship programs that provide valuable experience and insights into the innerworkings of government at local, state and federal levels.
The Legislative Internship Program and Tallahassee Internship Programs – offered under USF’s Public Policy Internship Program in the School of Public Affairs – have become increasingly popular for enabling students to work alongside high-level government officials and providing valuable contacts and other resources to help after graduation.
Any major can apply. The internships are open to juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.6 GPA.
“The Public Policy Internship Program is an excellent opportunity for students to get a real-life look at careers in the government sector at the federal, state and local levels,” said Casey Welch, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Leadership at USF.
Legislative Internship Program students work nine hours per week in the offices of local, state and federal legislators or at think-tank/public-policy agencies.
Students are matched with officials and organizations based on their interests to provide meaningful learning experiences. LIP students are eligible for $300 scholarships from the USF Alumni Association.
Applications are open for the fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters. The preferred deadline to apply is Friday, March 4. To apply for the Legislative Internship Program, visit here.
Students in the Tallahassee Internship Program, meanwhile, work in offices of elected officials, professional associations or private firms that develop and research issues addressing Florida state policy.
TIP students work in Tallahassee during the 60-day legislative session and are responsible for tuition, fees and transportation costs to the state capitol. However, a $1,500 scholarship is available by the College of Arts & Sciences to defray expenses. Additionally, the college provides housing for TIP students.
Applications are now open for the spring 2023 session. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 8. Visit here to apply for the Tallahassee Internship Program.
To learn more about the School of Public Affairs, visit usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/public-affairs.
HospitaBull set for March 22 at Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
HospitaBull is back.
The annual fundraiser for the University of South Florida School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. The event begins at 6 p.m.
Showcasing the longtime partnership between USF and the hospitality community, the elegant dining experience features many of the region’s top restauranteurs, hotel companies and resort operators.
“Our amazing hospitality partners have always supported our fundraising efforts, and I know they’ve been waiting for HospitaBull to make a comeback,” said Joe Askren, an instructor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “They've been a major reason for our success, so it will be fantastic to see them all again at the Ritz-Carlton in March.”
USF and the Ritz-Carlton are organizing the sophisticated evening. Proceeds go toward equipment, training and other needs at the school, which is based on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
For more about HospitaBull, visit here.
Free grant writing workshops now offered to USF graduate students
USF graduate students can learn how to attain research funding through a series of free online webinars starting in April.
The Graduate Student Grant Writing Workshop series, offered each Saturday from April 2 to April 23, will help students learn the nuances of grant writing and how to position their applications for the highest chances of success.
“The series really is geared toward master’s and doctoral students,” said Hawa Allarakhia, a doctoral student and assistant in the Office of Research & Innovation on the Sarasota-Manatee campus. “The workshop is focused not just on writing but on grant writing, in particular, and how students can learn to write more purposeful grant applications.”
The series emerged from the office’s popular Summer Grant Writing workshop series, which regularly draws hundreds of participants, including, in addition to faculty and researchers from across the United States, a growing number of USF graduate students.
Allarakhia, a doctoral student in education, is among those who understands the finer points of grant writing. She not only helped to promote the Graduate Student Grant Writing Workshop to USF students, but she helped devise its curriculum.
“As we built the syllabus, Hawa contributed the graduate student voice to the program development process, and she has demonstrated an impressive acumen for Canvas and Bulls Connect,” said Sandy Justice, associate director of the Office of Research & Innovation. “We are so fortunate to have Hawa on the team.”
Allarakhia also is a graduate assistant in the Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Equal
Opportunity on the Sarasota-Manatee campus. She hopes to receive her EdD within the
next year.
To learn more about the Office of Research & Innovation, visit usf.edu/research-innovation.
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