Events and Initiatives

USF St Petersburg campus develops projects related to artistic expression, public art and creative place making on the USF St. Petersburg campus. Take a virtual tour of the campus’ permanent public art collection.

Two galleries on campus offer temporary exhibits: The Poynter Gallery within the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library exhibits work that introduces the campus community to a wide range of contemporary art; and the Harbor Hall Gallery, which hosts student exhibitions as well as exhibits presented by the USF College of the Design, Arts and Performance's GENERATOR.

As part of its ongoing expansion of arts programming across the bay, the USF College of the Design, Arts and Performance's Contemporary Art Museum (USFCAM) presented the inaugural GENERATOR exhibition on the St. Petersburg campus. GENERATOR is an expansion of USFCAM, which seeks to be an incubator of new ideas and a place for expanded artistic experimentation. Primarily focused on the moving image and time-based contemporary art, the USF Contemporary Art Museum, GENERATOR offers a new cultural dimension to the St. Petersburg arts district that contributes to the city’s prominence as an arts destination while offering free public access to a space for creative exploration, research, and experimentation.

For a third year, USF participated in the 2023 SHINE Mural Festival, this time with a street mural at a main campus intersection at 6th Ave S and 2nd St. South, titled “Fluid Structures,” USF Graphic Design Visiting Professor Jay Giroux. Previous festivals

On Harbor Hall’s west façade facing 3rd St South is “Rooted in the Community” by St. Pete-based artist Kenny Coil and Marc Berenguer, painted during the 2020 SHINE Mural Festival. And in 2022, Miami-based artist Reginald O'Neal depicted both the Mundari tribe of South Sudan and historian John Henrik Clark, a pioneer in the creation of Africana Studies who established one of the first and most influential Africana departments in the country at Hunter College in New York City.

USF St. Petersburg campus continues working closely with St. Petersburg College through our seamless transfer programs in FUSE – a partnership where students earn an associate’s degree at St. Petersburg College campus while getting many of the perks of being at USF's St. Petersburg or Tampa campus, and when it’s time for a bachelor degree, FUSE guarantees students will be admitted to USF.

Pinellas Access to Higher Education (PATHe) is a collaboration between the USF St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg College that aims to increase the number of Pinellas County residents receiving education beyond high school. PATHe team members visit local schools and community organizations to provide individuals and families with up-to-date information on college preparation and planning. They support students who attend college locally through the SPC-to-USF St. Petersburg program. Students are able to start at SPC and transfer to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus with the support and guidance from a PATHe advisor until they graduate with their Bachelor’s degree.

Call Me MiSTER (an acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) is based on the USF St. Petersburg campus that partners with Pinellas County Public Schools and is designed to provide academic and financial support to males of color interested in becoming public elementary school teachers in the City of St Petersburg in order to increase the pool of available licensed teachers from a broader background.

A federal grant enables USF College of Education students to provide year-round tutoring at no cost to K-8 youth participating in the St. Petersburg Police Athletic League (PAL). As part of a larger grant awarded to the City of St. Petersburg Police Department, PAL received around $68,000 to hire eight tutors, four days a week, during the school year and over the summer. The tutors, who will come from USF and other higher education institutions, will also help develop curriculum and assist certified teachers. Funds will also go towards a summer enrichment program that will be developed by College of Education faculty and doctoral students, to ensure kids maintain their academic achievement levels year-round.

The Digital Commons @ University of South Florida hosts the digital archives for both the Florida Humanities Council and The Weekly Challenger newspaper, which has documented the history of St. Petersburg, Florida's African American community since 1967.

The newly renovated Library is also host to many community events, including art exhibits, panel discussions and more.
 

Customer Experience Lab is a state-of-the-art facility that provides community partners with the resources to: conduct live focus groups for consumer research; obtain insights from faculty and students; conduct sales training in recording-enabled role play rooms with perception analytic Dials providing real-time feedback on video and digital products. Focus groups are moderated by an experienced facilitator and community partners have access to highly qualified faculty for data interpretation and action plan development.

The FinTech Center endeavors to be a leading university-based fintech center and entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a strategic focus on helping students, faculty, the business community, and fintech entrepreneurs lead with success and positive impact in the rapidly emerging and increasingly prominent fintech driven market sectors.

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Schools Program is an award-winning program that creates academic opportunities and career pathways for students from minority and low-income populations. As part of the MESA chapter at USF, funding will go towards initiating partnerships with schools, developing curriculum, establishing STEM-focused clubs and recruiting female and minority students in Pinellas County.

The College of Marine Science is passionate about Community Engagement to inspire students of all ages, educators, and scientists with an understanding of, and responsibility for, science-based ocean stewardship. Its education programs target three main audiences: Pre-College Students (K-12), Graduate Students, and K-12 Teachers and include signature programs like the Oceanography Camp for Girls and Guardians of the Gulf, a collaboration with the St. Pete Innovation District and Boys &  Girls Clubs of the Suncoast that leverages technology to provide children with web-based educational experiences, such as news-style broadcasts from researchers in the field, gamified learning and real-time sensors including underwater cameras and drones.

The College of Marine Science maintains strong research partnerships with federal and state agencies. In addition to academic research pursuits, the College of Marine Science hosts a number of specialized groups which collaborate on research and programs toward real world solutions.