Our Bull on the Scene Kerry Sanders

<strong>Our</strong> <strong>Bull</strong> on the Scene:
Kerry Sanders
NBC News, Pg. 8
Dearly <strong>Bull</strong>-loved
Amaris Nunez and Chris Jett, `01, take
their marriage vows amid a festive
display of green and gold. Pg.12
Life Member Honor Roll
Many thanks to the generous
benefactors who support the USF Alumni
Association. Pg. 14
Dancing <strong>Bull</strong>s
Maria Colaco, `01, leads a NYC dance
company that is rife with USF talent and
earning respect. Pg. 20

Completing the Circle
“My degrees from USF changed my life. They were
the credentials I needed to to start my my own company.
I feel it’s my duty to pass that opportunity along!
There are so many ways you can make a a difference:
become a Life Member of the Alumni Association,
get a <strong>Bull</strong>s license plate, endow a a scholarship….
You can change people’s lives. It It really is is as as simple
as that.”
Angie Brewer
B.A. `82, M.S. `84
Learn more about how you
can make a difference. If If
you’d like to become more
involved, please contact:
Ron Sherman, `74
USF Alumni Association
(813) 974-1891
rsherman@admin.usf.edu.
rsherman@alumni.usf.edu.
WWW.USFALUMNI.ORG

JULY 2009
CONTENTS
FEATURES
8 Q&A with Kerry Sanders, `82
Award-winning NBC News correspondent Kerry Sanders
swam with whale sharks, drank Vodka with Russian
sailors and reported the news alongside Marines in Iraq.
He credits his USF education for giving him the critical
thinking skills necessary to report what’s happening in the
world.
8
12
12 Green & Gold Wedding
Chris Jett, `01 and Amaris Nunez met and fell in love
attending <strong>Bull</strong>s games and events, so it seemed only right
that they make their wedding a green and gold affair –
from the rehearsal dinner tailgate party to the singing of
the fight song at the reception.
20 23
14 Life Member Honor Roll
The USF Alumni Association gratefully acknowledges the
alumni who help us achieve our mission of connecting
alumni, supporting students and strengthening USF with
the generous donation of their time, talent and treasure.
20 Dancing in the Streets
Maria Colaco, `01, didn’t start dancing until she came to
USF. Now she runs a successful New York City-based
company, MariaColacoDance, made up largely of USF
grads. Her unconventional choreography is earning rave
reviews and she recently won a prestigious Dance Theater
Workshop Outer/Space Creative Residency.
4
6
26
DEPARTMENTS
2 President’s Message
3 USF Spotlight
4 News Roundup
6 Where’s Rocky?
8 Q&A
23 Chapters & Societies
26 Blast from the Past
27 That Was Then;
This Is Now
28 Employ-A-<strong>Bull</strong>
29 Featured Member Benefit
30 Class Notes
36 Athletics
37 Calendar
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
1

president’s message
Hello Fellow <strong>Bull</strong>s,
Please let me introduce myself – My name is Roger Frazee,
the 2009-2010 national president of your USF Alumni Association
Board of Directors. I feel very privileged to provide you with this
progress report on the achievements your USF Alumni Association
has accomplished over the past fiscal year and our plans for what
lies ahead.
USF is the 9th-largest public university in the country. We
now have over 224,000 proud alumni <strong>Bull</strong>s. Visit our website at
www.usfalumni.org to learn how to get connected with your
fellow <strong>Bull</strong>s and about member benefits.
This past year our alumni memberships continued to grow
and we also passed UCF on the number of specialty license plates on the road. We
still have a ways to go to catch up with UF, so please encourage your fellow alumni
to sign up for their <strong>Bull</strong>s tag. And please don’t forget the USF <strong>Bull</strong>s credit cards, which
benefit the Alumni Association.
Two very important programs were started this year. A public advocacy
committee was formed to develop the Alumni Association’s advocacy efforts. These
efforts will advance the University’s priorities throughout our local communities and
the state. We will talk more about this later in the year.
<strong>Our</strong> other initiative was the development of a Student Alumni Association and
a closer relationship with USF student government. The vice-president of student
government, Bruno Portigliatti, now serves as a voting member of the Alumni
Association board. We believe this effort will develop closer ties with the students and
vice versa – a win/win for both organizations. The president of student government
serves on the USF Board of Trustees.
Some Alumni Association membership rewards cannot be counted in terms of
dollars and cents – namely the satisfaction that comes from helping to shape the
futures of USF students who benefit from our programs.
This year you are helping 35 deserving students continue their studies, providing
opportunities they might not have had without Alumni Association scholarships.
Additionally, you are helping 11 talented students receive academic credits through
our nationally recognized legislative internship program. By providing scholarships,
housing, food and internships, you enable these students to gain invaluable
experience working in a variety of government offices. You also help fund the
Ambassador program, where this year over 50 students will acquire leadership skills
and networking experiences by serving as student representatives at University events.
On November 4th of this year, it will be the USF Alumni Association’s 40th
anniversary. We have come a long way and we thank you all for our significant
growth and progress. The number of our association groups has continued to grow
– we now have 39 chapters around the U.S., 14 societies and 1 corporate sponsored
group.
My final comment is about our great football team and upcoming conference
season. One of our alumni board members is a sports and football aficionado of the
first degree. He tells me that we are going to be the Big East Champions in football
this year. While that remains to be seen, I personally believe it. So be sure to get your
USF <strong>Bull</strong> auto tags for the drive on I-75 and I-10 to Tallahassee for the game against
FSU on September 26th – and all of this year’s games. We will be there to greet you
under the alumni welcome tent.
Enjoy this outstanding edition of Alumni Voice. Thanks for your continued
support and GO BULLS!
Representing you,
Roger T. Frazee, `71
President and Life Member
Sarasota (Manatee County) FL.
Alumni Voice
USF Alumni Association®
Gibbons Alumni Center
University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100
Tampa, Florida 33620
alumni@admin.usf.edu
USFalumni.org
Alumni Voice Editorial:
Karla Jackson, kjackson@admin.usf.edu or
Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@admin.usf.edu
Advertising: Jim Gundry, jgundry@admin.usf.
edu or 813-286-8299; Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@
admin.usf.edu or 813-974-6312
Design: Marilyn Stephens, University
Communications & Marketing
Contributing Writers in this Issue:
Lisa Cunningham, `85
Mia Faucher, `10
Anna Peters, `09
Arleen Spenceley, `07
Alumni Association Contact Information
Executive Director: John Harper, `76
Membership: 813-974-2100 or 800-299-BULL
Alumni & Student Programs: 813-974-2100
General Alumni e-mail: alumni@admin.usf.edu
Giving/Scholarships: Ron Sherman,
rsherman@admin.usf.edu
USF <strong>Bull</strong>s License Plate: www.<strong>Bull</strong>sPlate.org
Alumni Association website: USFalumni.org
Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please
write to Karla Jackson at kjackson@admin.
usf.edu or mail to the address at the top of
the page. Views expressed in Alumni Voice do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USF
Alumni Association, the University of South
Florida or the editorial staff.
ALUMNI VOICE
(USPS# 025203)
Number 9
Alumni Voice is published quarterly in
January, April, July, and October as a benefit
of membership in the University of South
Florida Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler
Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.
Periodical Postage Paid at Tampa, FL.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
University of South Florida Alumni Association,
Communications Department, 4202 E. Fowler
Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.
New Address? Moving?
Update your official USF alumni record at
myUSFbio.org or email your information to
alumni@admin.usf.edu. You also may remove
the magazine label and send it with your
correct address to Alumni Voice, USF Alumni
Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100,
Tampa, FL 33620. © 2009 All rights reserved.
2 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

USF
spotlight
USF Alumni Association board member and Advocacy Committee
chair Anila Jain with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Committee is comprised of USF Alumni
Association officers and members who play an active
role in supporting the University and its interests in
the Florida Legislature. The 10-member committee
collaborates with USF’s Office of the President and
Governmental Relations to communicate the university’s
message by crafting effective action plans that result
in positive outcomes. The committee serves as the
impetus for communication with USF’s “alumni army”
more than 224,000 graduates who have a vested interest
in USF’s future.
University of South Florida Alumni Association
Board of Directors
— PRESIDENT —
Roger Frazee, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CPA, `71 Finance & Accounting
— PRESIDENT-ELECT —
Brad Kelly, CPA, `79 Accounting
— SECRETARY —
Anila Jain, M.D., MBA, `81 Biology
— Co-TREASURERS —
Victor Lucas, `85 Management
Rich Heruska, `99 Business
— IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT —
Michele Norris, `79 Marketing
— Board Members —
Janice Sands Ash, P.E., `87 Engineering Science & M.S.
`89 Civil Engineering
Gene Balter, P.E., `77 Engineering
Shaye Benfield, `97 Marketing
Donna Brickman, `81 Accounting
Rajiv Dembla, `92 Engineering
Bill Eickhoff, `69 Business & `73 MBA
Audrey Gilmore, `80 Marketing
Gene Haines, `97 Criminology
Lizz Harmon, `82 Mass Communications/Advertising
Lisa Provenzano Heugel, `93 Mass Communications/Journalism,
`96 Information Systems & `07 MSCS Computer Science
Mark Levine, Esq., `74 Psychology
Diana Michel, `88 Business
Patrick Poff, Esq., `92 English
Bruno Portigliatti, USF Student Government Vice President
Jim Ragsdale, `81 Management
Kimberly Choto Schmidt, `92 Communication &
`02 M.A. Adult Education
Jeff Spalding, `87 Computer Science & Engineering
Alan Steinberg, `78 Communication
Christi Womack-Villalobos, `92 English
Jim Weber, `77 Finance & `82 MBA
Derek Williams, CFP, `00 Finance
— NON-VOTING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD —
Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida President
John Harper, `76 Mass Comm., Alumni Association Executive Director
Leslie “Les” Muma, `66 Mathematics,
USF Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman
Joel D. Momberg, University Advancement Vice President
Tiffany Piquet, USF Ambassadors President
The USFAA Advocacy Committee members are:
Anila Jain, M.D. , Chair
Mark Levin,. Esq., Co- Chair
Chris Dudley
William Eickoff
Roger Frazee
Jeffrey Huggins
Brad Kelly
Jim Magill
Christi Womack-Villalobos
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
3

news
roundup
Graduate Programs are Tops
in Nation
Fourteen of USF’s graduate programs are
among the top in the nation, according
to U.S. News & World Report’s “2010
America’s Best Graduate Schools” report
released in April. Seven programs rated in
the top 50 while seven others are in the
top 100.
The Industrial and Organizational
Psychology program is ranked eighth in
the nation, up two spots from its No. 10
position last year. It is the only psychology
specialty program in Florida ranked in the
report.
USF’s Public Health program came in at No. 20 for the second
year in a row.
The newly formed College of Behavioral & Community
Sciences is home to five of the 14 ranked programs:
Criminology (No. 22), Audiology (No. 24), Rehabilitation
Counseling (No. 39), Speech-Language Pathology (No. 46) and
Social Work (No. 71).
Rounding out the top 50 is Library and Information Studies,
coming in at No. 29.
Other USF programs ranked this year by U.S. News & World
Report are Education (No. 54), Clinical Psychology (No. 57),
Physical Therapy (No. 69), Nursing (No. 72), Psychology (No.
74) and Fine Art (No. 81).
From Boots to Books
With a new generation of soldiers-turnedscholars
ready to set foot on Florida
campuses in the fall, Gov. Charlie Crist, the
state’s universities and the Department of
Veterans Affairs have launched a statewide
campaign to assist veterans seeking to use
benefits under the new GI Bill.
Boots to Books is an outreach effort to help Florida’s veterans
attend college and ensure critical information on their
educational benefits are easily available to them. Veterans can
access the information at http://www.flbootstobooks.org/.
The new GI Bill will provide some $62 million in tuition
assistance when it takes effect Aug. 1. USF will become the
first campus in the nation to partner with the Department
of Veterans Affairs to have specialized academic guidance
services for veterans taking advantages of the Post-9/11
Veterans Education Bill.
Number of Hispanic Graduates Growing
Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine recognized
USF in its annual list of the top 100 U.S. institutions that
conferred the most college degrees to Hispanic students. USF
rose in all three rankings from its 2008 positions. The rankings
are based on the number of degrees awarded between July 1,
2007 and June 30, 2008.
Bachelor’s degrees – No. 29, up from No. 36
Master’s degrees – No. 27, up from No. 30
Doctoral degrees – No. 18, up from No. 33
USF has consistently been recognized as one of the nation’s
most diverse college campuses and recognition is growing
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Nearly 13
percent of the USF student population is Hispanic.
USF ROTC in
Top 3 Percent
Nationally
USF’s Army ROTC
program was one of only
eight programs among
273 nationwide to earn
a MacArthur Award in recognition of the battalion’s excellence
in 2008. That places USF’s program in the top three percent
of all U.S. Army ROTC programs, and first in the 6th Brigade,
which comprises 40 colleges in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico.
The award is presented to the top battalions that exceed
commissioning goals for the year. USF produced 27
commissioned officers and two nurses, well over its
requirement of 18 officers and one nurse.
Genshaft on NCAA Board
University of South Florida President Judy
Genshaft was appointed to the NCAA
Division I Board of Directors in May.
Genshaft joins 17 other Chancellors and
Presidents from other NCAA Division I
Conferences on the board, which has the
final vote on legislation that affects the Division I membership.
NSF Honors Physics Professor
Assistant Professor of Physics Matthias Batzill was awarded
the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award, the
foundation’s most prestigious recognition of junior faculty who
exemplify the role of teacher-scholars.
Batzill’s project, “CAREER: Nanoscale surface properties of
functional metal oxides” will receive $577,076 in funding,
which supports all project costs for five years, including
support for one student for the first two years of the project
and two students for last three years.
Batzill’s work in surface science brings together concepts
from materials science, solid state physics and surface
chemistry to gain a better fundamental understanding of
how reactions work at metal oxide ceramic surfaces. This
4 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

interdisciplinary approach will examine key components
of materials for energy conversion to help scientists and
engineers address society’s need for a source for abundant
and clean energy.
Aboard the
WeatherBird II
USF’s College of Marine Science debuted
Florida’s newest ocean-going research tool
in February, the R/V WeatherBird II, a 115-
foot, 194-ton vessel equipped for a new
era of scientific teaching and research.
The R/V WeatherBird II was purchased by
USF for $2.1 million for use through the
Florida Institute of Oceanography, a consortium of Florida’s
public universities, private higher education institutions and
state agencies involved in marine research.
The vessel will be equipped with state-of-the-art
oceanographic devices and sensor technology designed
to enable scientists and students to study and learn about
various aspects of the ocean’s biological, chemical, geological
and physical characteristics. Researchers will use the vessel
to support advanced studies on a myriad of complex issues
impacting global and coastal oceans, as well as life in the sea.
Prado Named BIG EAST
Coach of the Year
Head baseball coach Lelo Prado was
named BIG EAST Coach of the Year after
leading the <strong>Bull</strong>s to an 18-9 record in
conference play. Prado helped the <strong>Bull</strong>s
to a second-place finish in the conference
with 18 wins, the most since joining the BIG EAST. The 18
conference wins were the second most in program history,
trailing only the 1996 season in which the <strong>Bull</strong>s went 20-4
in Conference USA. Prado has put USF in the BIG EAST
Conference Tournament in all three years since joining the
program in 2007.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
5

ocky?
where’s
Take Rocky on your next trip and
send your photos to: Karla Jackson
at kjackson@admin.usf.edu or to
her attention at the USF Alumni
Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave.
ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455.
Rocky was one of about three dozen USF alumni and friends
who went on a Carnival cruise of the Caribbean in May. Pictured
here at the Altun Ha ruins in Belize are, from left, Ed
Spinks, Tina Spinks, Ellen
Rosenblum, `72 and
USFAA Director of Chapters
& Corporate Relations
Merrell Dickey, `87.
Rocky took in the sights
in Incheon, Korea, on his
way to Vietnam, with Ken
Snead, `76 & M.A. `78, and
his wife, Pat.
Andrew Huggins,
`98, took Rocky
along on his
mission trip to
the village of
Las Delicias
in Honduras.
Pictured with
Huggins is the
Molina family.
Florida House Speaker Pro Tempore
Rep. Ron Reagan, `77, shows Rocky the
ropes in Tallahassee.
6 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Rocky never misses a chance
to visit the Bahamas! He’s
pictured here with the Kenny
and Lazo families. At the top
is Joseph Kenny, `01 & MBA
`04; in front of him is future
<strong>Bull</strong> Abagail Kenny, below
them, from left to right is
Cortney Lazo, Haley Lazo,
Jeanne Lazo and Johnny
Lazo. Photo by Brenda
Kenny, `01.
Rocky took a trans-Atlantic cruise in April
with Tom Collins, `69 & MBA `07 and Carolee
Fairchild. They visited Nassau, Bermuda, the
Azores, Portugal, Spain, France and England –
a 6,000-mile trip. Pictured above are Tom and
Rocky with a Tower of London tour manager.
To the right are Carolee and Rocky at the Portuguese
Riviera. At bottom right are Tom and
Rocky at the Azores.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
7

with NBC News correspondent
Kerry Sanders, `82
Kerry Sanders has reported from the war-stricken Middle East,
poured water into the mouth of a parched 91-year-old man
who survived Hurricane Katrina, and reported underwater
as sharks swam past him. As a news correspondent for NBC,
Sanders has covered an array of major national and world
news from the breaking of the Iraq war to global warming.
His stories regularly appear on NBC Nightly News with Brian
Williams, the Today Show, MSNBC and occasionally Dateline
NBC. He’s won prestigious awards for his work, including the
Edward R. Murrow Award, National Headliner Award and the
George Foster Peabody Award. Sanders also worked at many
local Florida stations covering news in the South and throughout
Latin America. Despite his many world travels, Sanders
has not forgotten his early beginnings as a journalism student
here at the University of South Florida and he credits his days
as a young <strong>Bull</strong> for teaching him some of the most important
lessons he’s ever learned.
Q. You graduated Cum Laude from the University of South
Florida. How did USF help prepare you for your success?
A. My four years at USF taught me critical thinking. I
learned to think for myself. I learned there is often more
than one answer, and in the process USF gave me a skill I
needed to do my job everyday: how to listen.
Q. What attracted you to being a reporter?
Story by Anna Peters, Class of 2009
Photo by Charles Trainor, Jr.
A. I’m curious. I’ve always wanted to know what’s going
on. I’m the person who saw a crowd, and I’d get on my
hands and knees and crawl to the front just to see what was
happening. I’m also someone who seems to have grown up
asking who, what, where, why and when. Sometimes my
professors tired of my questions, especially when I asked
“why?” I still think it’s one of the best words in the English
language.
Q. You started out your broadcasting career as a 20-yearold
in Lima, Peru. How did that happen?
A. I had attended a year of high school in Lima. My
mother grew up there and wanted me to know her home
and a different culture. I flew down with the idea that my
mother’s connections would land me a job in Lima in television.
Wires crossed, and when I arrived, the connection
who was supposed to help me get a job in broadcasting
asked: “Where are your tools?” I said, “Tools? What tools?”
He said, “You want to learn to repair TVs don’t you?” My
heart sank, and I realized crossed wires had me half a world
away for a job that didn’t exist. Thankfully, I asked myself
8 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

“Why not find a job on your own?” I connected with some
folks at the U.S. Embassy, and they put me in touch with
some folks at Radio del Pacifico, and thankfully I found my
first broadcasting job. Phew!
Q. You’re also bilingual. How does being able to speak
Spanish help you?
A. Speaking Spanish is useful, not only because speaking
another language improves your use of English, but because
the shift in our country demands I speak Spanish. I’m in
Mexico City as I write this, covering the Swine Flu outbreak.
Spanish is a must. I’m expecting a visa to travel to Cuba
soon to report on the warming relations between the U.S.
and Cuba. Again, Spanish is a must. Si no puedo communicarme
con la gente, come puedo hacer mi trabajo? (If I can’t
communicate with the people, how am I supposed to do
my job?)
Q. You’ve covered an array of stories from the Key deer,
global warming, to swimming with whale sharks. What is
your most memorable story?
A. My most memorable story was joining the U.S. Marines,
2nd Battalion 8th Marines Task Force Tarawa, in
Above left: Sanders at the Punakha Dzong-Bhutan for a Today Show
story. Top right, Sanders accompanies a crew in a Florida National
Guard F-15 jet. Bottom right, Sanders with Today Show hosts
Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry.
Kuwait, and crossing into Iraq on the first day of the war.
I lived with the men of the 2/8, and reported their war up
close and personal for more than 2 months. It was brutal. It
was heroic. It was sad.
My most memorable moment: I joined a Russian crew in a
nuclear powered ship. We traveled from Murmansk Russia
to the North Pole. In a crazy moment, the crew challenged
me to jump into the 29-degree water (salt water doesn’t
freeze at 32). I stripped off my shirt, stripped down to my
swimsuit. They tied a rope to me in case I had a heart
attack. I jumped in. YIKES. I swam for 27 seconds. My
reward: a tall glass of vodka. Hey, they’re Russians. Oh, and
bragging rights. (As if you’d ever brag that you were that
foolish).
Q. You have won awards for the stories you’ve covered
during the Iraq war and numerous hurricanes. How does it
feel to cover stories during times of war or crisis?
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
9

Kerry Sanders, `82
5Q uestions:
What’s your favorite movie?
“Dr. Strangelove”
What’s the last book you read?
Mama Rides Shotgun (authored by my wife: Deborah Sharp)
Where is your favorite place in the world?
Where ever I am at the moment (minus war zones.)
What superpower would you like to have?
To be able to speak every language in the world fluently.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Shut up and listen.
A. People complain they don’t trust the media. They think
we slant the news. But in times of crisis, people turn to us
to find out what’s going on. In fact, people turn to us every
day. We’re a critical check on government and I’m proud to
call myself a journalist.
Q. You’re also a certified scuba diver. What other hobbies
do you have?
A. I like to ride my bike (which is a 25-year-old onespeed)
everywhere. I love to go snow-skiing and I’m known
to cook a fancy meal every once in a while.
Q. The world of journalism is changing. The newspaper
business is dwindling and online is a big hit. How are you
handling this multimedia convergence?
A. I’m unsure how the shakeout will end. I began at a
commercial T.V. station in Florida where I had to do the
10 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Left, Sanders views the devastation in New Orleans after Hurricane
Katrina in 2005. Above, Sanders at the North Pole as a guest of the
crew of a Russian nuclear-powered ship. Top right, Sanders and
Today Show host Matt Lauer in Cuba. Below that, another shot of
Sanders at the North Pole.
camera work as well as report. Those skills are fast becoming
useful again. As the cameras get smaller, and the industry
downsizes, I’m not only reporting, but I’m also shooting
some of the video and editing the stories on a laptop. There
will always be a need for what we do, and I hope and pray
TV news and newspapers survive. If it’s delivered via the
internet, here’s hoping it still makes enough money to support
the costs of gathering the news.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?
A. Love the travel and meeting people who tell me amazing
stories.
Q. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Q. Who would your dream interview be with?
A. Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Abraham.
Q. You’ve come quite a long way since your days as a
USF student. How does it feel?
A. Lucky.
Q. What advice would you give to students graduating in
this current economy?
A. Don’t chase a job for the money. Do what you enjoy
and hopefully you’ll get paid a good salary somewhere in
your life.
A. I hope 10 years from now I’m still doing the same
thing. Someone let me into this club, and I never want to
leave.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 11

Story and photos by
Ashley Grant, Class of 2008
Sure, you’re a USF <strong>Bull</strong>s fan. But
are you a big enough fan to make
it the theme of your wedding?
Amaris Nunez, 29, and Chris
Jett, 31, did just that in May.
In front of their friends and
family, they professed their
eternal love for each other,
and also their <strong>Bull</strong> Pride.
The newlyweds
met through a friend
at Beer Belly’s Cafe
near USF’s Tampa
campus and fell
in love while
attending <strong>Bull</strong>s
games and other
events. They
decided having
USF’s colors in
the wedding
would be
appropriate
because it was
the school’s
functions that
brought
them
together.
A Green & G
The wedding
festivities began as many
do, with a rehearsal. Unlike
most weddings however, the
rehearsal ended with a tailgate party
instead of a typical rehearsal dinner. Held at
the Best Western on Adamo Drive in Tampa,
the evening had all the standard amenities
expected at a tailgate party: hot wings,
hamburgers, beer and of course a USF <strong>Bull</strong>s
tent. Tables were decorated with green and
gold pom poms, beads, balloons and football
table runners. The groom’s cake sported the
<strong>Bull</strong>s “U” symbol: “Congrat-U-lations.”
“Go <strong>Bull</strong>s!” was the refrain during the
picture taking. Almost everyone in the room
was decked out in USF shirts and hats. Some
even wore USF flip flops, in support of the
<strong>Bull</strong>s from head to toe.
At the main event on May 23, the wedding
party wore dark green and carried flowers that
were a lovely golden yellow. The wedding
ceremony was held at St. Stephen Catholic
Church on Bell Shoals Road in Valrico.
The <strong>Bull</strong>s theme carried over to the
reception, held at Walden Lake Golf & Country
Club in Plant City. Green table runners were
dotted with golden yellow daisy cutouts. The
wedding cake was iced with gold daisies with
green foliage. Wedding favors were Jordan
almonds in clear containers wrapped with
green and gold ribbon.
A PowerPoint presentation played during
the reception with pictures of Jett and Nunez
growing up. When the USF <strong>Bull</strong>s fight song
came on during the show, wedding guests
threw up their hands in the <strong>Bull</strong>s horns
symbol, humming and swaying to the
music.
Everyone seemed to truly enjoy the
<strong>Bull</strong>s theme, with the possible
exception of the West Virginia
fans from Jett’s side of the
12 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

old Wedding
family who were in town for the wedding. In fact, it
resembled the start of a West Virginia vs. USF game
at the rehearsal dinner as all the WVU fans wore
their gear to the tailgate party.
Most of the wedding party is either USF alumni
or fans. Jett and Nunez are football season ticket
holders and made a point to not have their wedding
during football season for fear of missing a game.
Nunez attended USF for three years and works
as a nurse in deliveries for St. Joseph’s Women’s
Hospital. Jett is a 2001 grad, with a degree in
marketing and a concentration in finance. He
works for Raymond James. The couple resides
in Riverview. We wish them many happy years
together as husband and wife, as well as proud
<strong>Bull</strong>s.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 13

life memberhonor roll
The USF Alumni
Association thanks
the following Circle of
Excellence Life Members
for their generous gifts.=
Diamond Level $1,000+
Angela and James Brewer
Roger T. Frazee
Cynthia and John Harper
Anila Jain M.D.
Mark Levine
Edward McCraw
Michele and Randy Norris
Emerald Level $500-$999
Rick C. Brandt
Dr. Mona and Kailash Jain
Janet and Brad Kelly
Gold Level $250-$499
Jason C. Faulkner
Jeffrey M. Greenberg
Dr. Sylvia Carra Hahn
Mary and Charles Harris
David L. Hilfman
Richard William Lane
Jack F. Plagge
Ron Sherman
Edward B. Smith
The USF Alumni
Association thanks the
following fully-paid
Life Members for their
support.
Freda A. Abercrombie
Amir A. Abou-El-Naga
Diane and Brian Acken
Melanie S. Adams-Miller
Emily S. Adams
Robert T. Adams
Marisa Adams
Jennifer and John Adams
Gretchen S. Adent
Adam T. Adkins
Jean Aertker
Rickey D. Akins
Licia Albanese
Ronald R. Aldrich
Brandon S. Aldridge
Jo-Ann and Bernie Alessandrini
John Alexander
Nancy J. Alfredson*
Elaine and Falih Aljasir
Ross V. Allen
Terry G. Allison
Tamara K. Harold
Diane C. Altwies
Dr. George G. Alvarez
The Honorable F. Dennis Alvarez
Cynthia and Jack Amor
Jeffrey A. Anderson
Dr. Christian G. Anderson
William Andree
Robert W. Andrew Jr.
Lindbergh N. Andrew
Laura S. Andrews
April L. Andrews
Katherine and Robert Andrews
Margaret Andronaco and
Donald Thompson
Lorraine M. Angelino
Peggy A. Apgar Schmidt
John W. Appleby
Scott C. Arnold
Kristen Plastino-Arnold and
Hays Arnold III
Linda Sluss Arrington
Austin B. Asgill
Dr. Ronald A. Ash
Gregory J. Ashley
Emmanuel Auguste
Margaret J. Austin
Jeffery Austin
Michelle and James Austin Jr.
Michael Axon
Carol C. Ayers
James Ayers
Raymond F. Ayres II
Sara Baden
Eliot M. Bader
Stephen N. Bailey
S. Nathaniel Bailey
Brian J. Bain
Michelle and Louis Bainbridge
Richard T. Baker III
Cecil R. Baker Jr.
Rajappan Balagopal
Sharmatie B. Singh
Susan and Eugene Balter
Laura B. Barber
Nancy and James Bardin
Warren L. Bare
Jonathan I. Barlow
William D. Barnes
Scott F. Barnett
Cindy and Phil Barringer
Khari K. Batchelor
Bruce Bates
Herbert J. Baumann
Michelle L. Beaudet-Smith
Heidi and Vincent Bekiempis
Elizabeth M. Bell
Risa Witherspoon Bell
Douglas T. Bell
Joseph V. Belluccia
Jeffrey A. Belvo
Shaye K. Benfield
Keyton Benson
Jynine and Benjamin Benvenuti
August M. Berg
Tracy and Aaron Bergacker
Blair Bergen
Stephanie A. Bernard
Scott T. Bernard
Suzette and Brad Bernstein
Charles D. Bess M.D.
Kathleen Betancourt
Patrick L. Beyer
Margaret Elizabeth Biebel
Franklin N. Biggins
Theodore T. Bill
Mary and Wynne Black
Oakley B. Blair
Kendall L. Blair
Warren Blanchard
Victor D. Blanco
Judy G. Blanco
H. Kirby Blankenship
Jacqueline L. Blanton
Sherri L. Bogue
David B. Bohl
John D. Bolle
Alan C. Bomstein
Beverly Bondarew
Jesse S. Bonds
Timothy D. Bonds
Charles H. Booras
James W. Booth
David S. Borkan
Kay and Francis Borkowski
Darrell E. Borne
John P. Borreca
Elizabeth Manzano-Boulton and
Steven Boulton
Janis L. Boyd
Sara and Bruce Boyd
Thomas W. Boyer
Stephanie Boyle
Gregory Bradford
Michael J. Bradford
Melville D. Bradley
Kristen C. Brady
Cynthia M. Brannen
Yoshie and Jamie Branson
Edward William Braun M.D.
Ann and Robert Bretnall
Donna and Michael Brickman
Scott W. Bridges
Mark E. Bright
Bobby W. Brinkley
Gary L. Brosch
Norman L. Brown III
Isabelle A. Brown
Lori A. Brown
Melvin Wayne Brown
Elizabeth F. Brown
Shekeria L. Brown
Walter I. Brugger
Darlene Y. Bruner
Fred J. Brunjes
Craig H. Brunstein
Lisa J. Brush
Sivilai and Ryan Brusko
Victoria M. Bruzese*
Laurie Budd
Gerald Buhr
Kathy Buresh
Scott Burkett
Fern and Deborah Burr
Linda and Gerald Busch
Dr. Joseph F. Busta
Patricia G. Byrnes
Marissa L. Byrum
Louis E. Caballer
Judiann Cacioppo
Heather and Matthew Cain
Lynn V. Calhoun
Mark S. Callahan
Andrew J. Calliham
Eileen Rodriguez and Steven Camp
Brian C. Campbell
Margarita R. Cancio
Janet Canfield
Sandra J. Capuano
Janet E. Caragan
Christine E. Caraway
Salvatore Cardillo
Jon M. Carlson
JoEllen and James Carlson
J. Mack Carneal
Susan and Edward Caron
Jennifer Carpenter
John H. Carpenter Jr.
Richard N. Carpenter
Paul S. Carpenter
Sheila Carpenter-Van Dijk
Joyce M. Carroll
Betty C. Carroll
William K. Carter
Thomas R. Carter
Deanna R. Carter-Blackburn
Ryan C. Caruso
Jennifer R. Casatelli M.D.
Colin Caspersen
Jose L. Castellanos
Betty Castor
Vicki and Nelson Castro
Philip M. Catalano
Lauro F. Cavazos
Patricia Chancey
Suzanne C. Chandler
Danielle E. Chandonnet
Daniel L. Chapman
Colleen Elizabeth Chappell
Scott C. Chase
Diane and Lee Chase
Janet Chaves
Donna V. Cheesebrough
14 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Michael J. Cherill
Maureen Chiodini
Michael E. Christman
Patricia C. Weaver Chulick
Jonathan P. Cistone
Sarah E. Dorfman
Pamela I. Clark Ph.D.
Tami L. Clark
Elizabeth G. Clark
Lauren Steele and James W. Clark IV
Mary Clark and Richard Grimberg Jr.
Elsie and Warren Clary
Don V. Clementi
Geraldine Clemons
Jennifer and Charles Closshey
Carla B. Codd
Matthew C. Coe
Daniel Colantuono
Michael E. Cole II
Johnnetta B. Cole
Lori Beth Coleman
Kimberly M. Coleman
Mauricio Collada
Daron M. Collado
Barron Collier
Larry H. Collins
Gary A. Cone
Brian R. Confer
James C. Congelio
Gregory Conley
Chris A. Conn
Victor E. Connell
James F. Conway III
William R. Cook
Juanita J. Cook
Jason D. Cook
Myra and Mack Cooley
John Cooper
Brian J. Cooper
Pamela and Charles Copeland
Catherine M. Cornett
David M. Corry
Phyllis L. Cosgrave
Harold J. Costello Jr.
Theodore J. Couch
James O. Council
Harrison W. Covington
Dr. Gena L. Cox
Constance and John Cozier
Wilson L. Craft
David A. Craig
Robin and Timothy Craig
Thomas F. Creed III
Janis S. Crews
Robert C. Crews II
The Honorable Victor D. Crist and
Angela Crist
Kristie and Charles Crouse
Susan Cuadra
Margo Culbertson and
Emma Culbertson
The Honorable Faye B. Culp
Kristin and John Cunningham
Mirtha and Elias Cura
Patricia and Rudy Curioso
Daniel B. Curtis
Cheryl and Mark Dafeldecker
Cathy and David D’Alessandro
John Dalley
David H. Dalton
Clarence E. Daniel
Jennifer Darley
Linda and John Darling Jr.
Fran L. Darrach
Margaret I. Davenport
Brian Davies
Toni D. Davila
Albert Davis
Mark S. Davis
Shirley A. Davis
Baron D. Davis
Kendra R. Davis
Brandon D. Davis
Stephen and Dewey Davis-Thompson
Mary Jane and Richard De Aguero
Heather and Benjamin Debrocke
Tamara and John del Charco
Thomas J. Delaney
Marci Delaney
John T. Delesline
Rajiv Dembla
Andy Denka
Jeffrey W. Denny
Franklin T. Depalma
Robin and David Devlin
Derek E. Dewan
Anudeep D. Dharkar
Dr. Monique Dibbs-Vallee M.D. and
Dr. John Vallee M.D.
Thair R. Dieffenbach
Laura and David Dignam
Joshua D. Dillinger
Denise R. Dimbath
Jim Dine
Jodi A. Dodge
Terri Dolph
Christopher D. Donaldson
Teri and Michael Donohue
Lisa Jardine and Jorge Dopico
Michael A. Dorsey
Dr. David W. Dorton
Diana L. Doughty
Danita G. Downey
Bruce C. Downing
Karen L. Dozier
J. Kevin Drake
Stephen G. Dressler
Deborah J. Drewes
Tina Dry
Sara M. DuCuennois
Christopher F. Dudley
Kathleen and Dan Duerr
Catherine M. Duffy
Siobhan M. Dumas
Troy T. Dunmire
Ernestine E. Dunn
Patricia A. Dunn
Robert S. Durfee
Patricia Dury
Donna Jellison and Craig Dye
Daniel J. Eagan
Malissa Eagens-Rolph and Brian Rolph
Karen and John Eagle
Carol Edelson
Michael R. Edmondson
H. Marie Edmonson
Engr. Osato F. Edo-Osagie
R. Deadra Edwards
Trustee Lynette H. Edwards
Pamela and Ronald Egger
Susan and William Eickhoff
Jacqueline Eisenhauer
Diana C. Ekonomou
Brenda Elarbee
Mary Elfter
Katherine M. Elkahly
David D. Eller
Elizabeth M. Elliott
Nathan Ellis
Glenn W. Elmblad
Renata S. Engel
Sandra K. Enoch
Mary Erickson
Diane E. Erwin
Donna and Ernest Estevez
Dr. Kenneth L. Evans
Carly Evans
Lisa and Charles Evans
Walter R. Everton
Rena and John Ezzell
Jammie Anne Faircloth
Linda and John Fantone
Joseph R. Faulk
Adam F. Feinberg
Lawrence J. Ferguson
Patrice Fernandez
Joann A. Ferra
Henry J. Ferrara
Mary J. Figg
Alejandro Figueroa
Michael J. Fimiani
Nicholas J. Fiorentino
Joseph E. Fisher
Penelope S. Fisher
Steven L. Fisher
Rose M. Fisher
Margaret B. Fisher
Maura Flaschner
Kurt J. Fleckenstein
Darin R. Fleming
Jeffrey C. Flemming
Kathleen A. Flynn
Paul Flynn
Susan K. Flynn
Myrna and Gregory Flynn
Jane and John Flynn
Elizabeth and Con Foley
Leonara Y. Folsom
Edmund J. Foody
Kenneth R. Ford
Edward Ford
Susan and Jose Forns
Michael Forrett
Louise Forsman
Rachelle M. Fortner
Jamie A. Foster
Margaret M. Fowler
M. Elizabeth Fowler
Jennifer C. Fowler
Harrison W. Fox
Liana F. Fox
Sara and Jeffrey Fox
Carol Ann Francis
Karen A. Frank
Laura A. Fratus
Raymond M. Frazier
Edward L. Fredere II
Katharine A. Freeman
Rick A. French
Michelle R. French
Peter Frenquelle
Jennifer Friend
John C. Friend Jr.
Sarah Elizabeth Fry
Kristin and Arthur Fuente
Elizabeth Krystyn-Fueyo and
Enrique Fueyo
Wayne A. Fuller M.D.
Carolyn Fulmer
Cheryl S. Furr
William A. Futch
Michael B. Gagliardo
Steven M. Galbraith
Mariya Galchenko
Cynthia and Peter Galiette
Tony R. Gallina
Joseph V. Galluzzo
Jesse P. Gamble
Darren L. Gambrell
Julian Garcia Jr.
Freddie C. Garcia Jr.
Patrick H. Garrett
Timothy Garrigan
Gary P. Garrison
Sheila and Philip Gartrell
Glenn Garvey
Robert A. Garvy
Kathleen P. Gaston
Melissa and Kendall Gay
Gayle and Dennis Geagan
Lisa Gear-Smith and Robert Smith
Allen J. Genaldi
Judy Genshaft
Kathryn L. Gerardo
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 15

life memberhonor roll
Theresa Gerke
Jay D. Germano
Sam M. Gibbons
William F. Gibbs
Carissa A. Giblin
Dale M. Gibson
Lea Gibson
Gerald P. Giglia
Nicole and Richard Gillespie III
Audrey A. Gilmore
Jeffrey Gilmore
Richard A. Gilson
Carl T. Gingola
Jennifer and Mark Givens
Brett T. Glauser
Shawn J. Gleason
Steven E. Goforth
Shelly J. White
Susann Golby
Seth Goldberg M.D.
Adam S. Goldberg
Armando Gonzalez
Henry Gonzalez III
Steven Gonzalez
Jennifer and Shannon Gonzalez
Andrea A. Gonzmart
Richard Gonzmart
Jason P. Good
Derek Good
Larry T. Goodman
Judy and Robert Gordon
Angela B. Gorgei
Jane A. Gradwell
Sarah Anne Granados
Beverley and John Grant
Gil P. Gredinger
Andrew Greeley
Aria R. Green
Beth and Ivan Green
Bruce Greene
William M. Greenlees
Cathy and John Greer Jr.
Ward E. Griffin
Michael E. Griffin
Jennifer and Kenneth Griffin
Kristen A. Grimes
J. Michael Groff Jr.
The Honorable Raymond and
Mrs. Paulette Gross
Matthew G. Grosz
Barbara and John Guarino
Debbie and David Gula
Kathleen L. Gulley
M. James Gunberg
Chad E. Gunter
Cynthia Gurey and Mark Yonchak
Mark C. Gurlea
Dr. Michael J. Gurucharri
David H. Gutcher
Robert F. Gutierrez
Israel Guzman
Eileen and Andrew Hafer
Cynthia J. Haffey
Rosalind J. Hall
Kimberly L. Hall
Jody and Gregory Hall Jr.
Richard Hallstrand
Gregory M. Hamaker
Andy B. Hamilton
Scott D. Hamilton
David T. Hamilton
Francis E. Hamilton
Mary J. Hand
Myung-Joo Lee Handelman
James E. Haney II
Susan D. Hansche
Dr. John N. Harker
Rodney A. Harlach
Lizz E. Harmon
Brett G. Harper
David Harrell
Jeffery G. Harris
Rodger Craig Harris
Julie Hirst and Bret Hart
Karen and James Hartsfield
John Harvill
Dianne P. Haun
Richard B. Havens
Joseph B. Hawkins
Katherine L. Hay
Miriam and Richard Headley
Michael P. Heid M.D.
Thomas J. Hennessy
Alberto A. Hernandez
Sonia D. Hernandez
John Thomas Herndon
Danielle and Gregory Herrmann
Henry Hershey
Laura and Richard Heruska
Steven D. Hester
Lisa Provenzano Heugel and
Ben Heugel
David H. Hicks
Janice B. Hill
Raymond P. Hill
Jack L. Hill II
Julie and James Hinck
Andrew H. Hines
Daniel M. Hinson
Brent Hirschy and William Piper Jr.
Audrey S. Hirst
Richard A. Hjerpe
WayWay M. Hlaing Ph.D.
Julius F. Hobbs
Thomas J. Hochadel*
Ruth A. Hochman
Sharon P. Hodges
Randall R. Holcomb
Jack E. Holland
Jeannie L. Holliday
Robin L. Hollins
John Holloway
Loretta and Michael Holtkamp
Gary A. Hoog
Mae Alice Hopkins
Polly and James Horne Jr.
Frank Horrell
Gary T. Houghtalin
Wanda F. Howard
John T. Howell
Jaclynn and John Howell
Michael L. Howsare
Barbara and Craig Walker Hubbard
Andrew G. Huggins
James E. Hugh
Jeffery Hughes
Catherine and Richard Hugues
Jonathan E. Hull
Scott M. Humanek
Marie P. Hunniecutt
Jane and John Hussar
Marc S. Hutek
Lauren L. Hynan
Guillermo E. Inchausti
Daniel A. Intriago
Anna and Paul Ippolito
Shirley A. Jackson
Cynthia Stumetz Jacobs
Milton E. Jacob
Cheryl E. Jaeger
Tina James
Janet A. Jameson-Szolosi
Thomas Janer
Dr. Bonnie Leigh Jefferis
Mary Ann and Ronald Jenks
Barbara Ann Dickinson Jensen
Jonathan Jackson Jett-Parmer
Roy E. Jewell
Beverly and Timothy Jewesak
James A. Jimenez
Stephanie H. Johnson
Kerry A. Johnson
Thomas Johnson
Susan G. Johnson
Steven K. Johnson
Tina and Dan Johnson
Martha and Marson Johnson
Connie A. Johnson-Gearhart
Lindsy and Stephen Johnston II
Sarah J. Jolly
Ethel and John Jones
Jeffery E. Jones
Patricia and Arthur Jones Jr.
Mary Jones-Freis
James E. Jordan
James W. Jordan
Bradley M. Joseph
Michael Jourdain
Brooke C. Juan
Marc A. Jump
Rodrigo Jurado Jr.
John R. Kaddis
Hans-Christian Kahlert
Rebecca S. Kaiser
Robert O. Kalbach
Jacqueline and William Kalbas
Jennifer and Allan Kalik
Ginger L. Kalinski
Kenneth Kalunian
Georgia Laliotis and Charles Kane
Joshua Karren
Natalie E. Kasey
Kevin A. Kasubinski
Conrad T. Kearns
Sharon Keefer
Dana B Keenan
Ruth C. Kegel
Kevin Keller
Brenda and Joseph Kenny
Julie and David Key
Kaycie and Jeremy Kibler
Carlton E. Kilpatrick
Robert J. Kincart
Tricia and Scott Kirchner
Lashonda N. Kirkland
Lorie Kittendorf and
Richard Rosengren
Tassey and Jerre Kittle
Regina L. Kizer-Birdwell
Tosia Kmiec
Thomas A. Knaus
Christopher R. Koehler
Dianne R. Koenig
Douglas D. Konselman
Glenda and Jason Koshy
Melanie Kouroupis
Kenneth C. Kralick
Stacey and Kevin Krause
Rose and Clayton Kreis
Brian Krenn
Tahlman Krumm Jr.
Anthony Kuntz
Ronald J. Kurz
Gail Fugate LaCour
Nancy and John Lake
Archbishop Lakovos
Brian D. Lamb
Mary E. Landsberger
Melanie J. Langston
Michael R. Langston
James P. Lanier
Samuel Lanza
Pamela and Michael LaPan
Richard Larsen
Eric V. Larson Ph.D.
Donna and John Larson
Thomas W. Latto III
Trustee Rhea F. Law
Patrick W. Lawlor
Deborah and Neil Layton
Victor P. Leavengood
Philip L. Lecceardone
James W. Lee
David L. Leever
16 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Aurelia G. Leinartas
Annabel and Earl Lennard
Hernan Leon
Kim and John Lersch III
Robert Leslie
Kenneth J. Lettre
Robin Levin
Lisa and Michael Lewis
Willard F. Libby
Ann M. Liguori
Gregory S. Linden
Elizabeth Lindsay
Cindy R. Lineberry
William Litton
Steven T. Livingston
Bette A. LoBue
Suzanne and Joseph Lomascolo
Lynda K. Long
Denise Loos
Yvette Lopez
Melissa Lopez
June and Mark Magan
Denise and George Lorton
Dr. John Lott Brown
Ann L. Lovitt
Richard H. Low
Steven D. Lowe
Victor W. Lucas
Kyle K. Lundquist
Steven V. Lyons
Joseph J. MacDougald II
Katrina MacGregor
Frederick J. Mack
Frederick J. Mack Jr.
James T. MacKay
Ian A. MacKechnie Jr.
Cecil Mackey
Glenn E. Maclean
Lora and Frank Maggio
James P. Magill
Richard S. Magill
Michael L. Magruder
Rashed Mahmud
Sarah E. Majirsky
Joseph A. Malec
Jennifer R. Malin
Robert F. Mallett
A. K. Bobby Mallik
Timi D. Maloney
Allison and Jason Malouf
Julie M. Mancini
Michael R. Manning
Henry M. Marcet
Cherryl L. Marlan
Elizabeth B. Marshall
William G. Marshall Jr.
Susan Martin
John W. Martin
William B. Martin
Mary and Dushan Martinasek
Kevin J. Martinez
Joann S. Martino
Aileen O. Martino
Paul C. Marton M.D.
Donna and William Masi
Randall C. Mason
Diana and Michael Massimini
Shelby Mathias
Ruben A. Matos
Linda V. Mattos
Jon C. Mauro
John Mauthner
Renee and George Mavros
Thomas Mawhinney
Debbie and David May
Russell S. Maynard
Roy A. Mazur
Michelle M. Mazuros
Steven Mazza
Brian P. McAllister
Jean-Anne and Thomas McAllister
Patricia and Richard McConnell
Shamus A. McConomy
Stephen M. McCormack
Carol McCoy
Carson E. McCoy
Dayla J. McElroy
Catherine McEwen
Kathryn and Murray McGarry
Kathryn P. McGee
Christine and John McGee
Levi McIntyre
Robert W. McKee
Jodi and David McKeithan
Joseph McKenzie Jr.
William McKown
Scott R. McLam
Eric E. McLendon
Sara and Timothy McMurry
Kerry E. McNab
Larry E. McNabb
Heidi McNaney
Margo McVicker
Lisa C. Mead
Craig W. Meadows
Brian E. Meaton
Christina S. Medbery
Francis C. Meddleton
Harold V. Medero
Marlyn and Robert Meeks
Wilda Q. Meier
H. Frank Meiners Jr.
Marlo M. Menendez
Elizabeth M. Menendez
Brigid and Jason Merenda
David A. Mereness
Lynne E. Merriam M.D.
Ashley M. Merrill
Robert E. Messinger
Michael J. Metcalf
Greg Metcalfe
Judith Meyer
Kirsten and Otto Meyer
“I became a Life Member as a way
to give back to the University that
gave me so much. Since graduation,
I’ve taken advantage of many of
the other educational services USF
offers: SCATT training, Stavros Center
programs and classes just for fun.”
Lyris Newman, `72 & M.Ed. `77
Educator/Philanthropist/J.C. Newman
Cigar Co.
Rudolph Michaud*
Diana L. Michel*
Steve Michelini
Bernard H. Middendorf
Nancy S. Miller M.D.
Cynthia A. Miller
Leonard E. Miller
Lesley J. Miller Jr.
June and George Miller
Edward Mills
Andrea and Jack Milrad
Lynnis J. Mincey
Anthony P. Minerva
Elena R. Minicucci
Thomia E. Minor
Carol Minshew-Speyerer and
David Speyerer
Laura and Andrew Mintzer
Cheryl A. Mixson
Nancy H. Mizrahi
H. Lee Moffitt
Deborah and Joel Momberg
Karen Lynn Monsen
April R. Monteith
Michelle D. Monteleon
Tracy A. Montgomery
Jo Ann Moore
Jason Moore
Paul A. Moore
Brenda A. Moore
Dee Dee Moore
Shirley and James Moore
Joyce D. Morales-Caramella
Leslie and Curtis Moreau
Lori and Jorge Morejon
Donna and Joseph Moretti
Russell G. Morgan
Elise Morgan
Lynne M. Morneault
Lilian M. Morris
Steven T. Morrison
Paul Morrison
Frank L. Morsani
Linda and Edward Mortellaro
Stephanie D. Morton
Patricia A. Mosley
Nakhle Moubarak
Henry J. Mueller III
Roberta and Robert Muir
Sisy and Sudip Mukerjee
Raymond L. Mulholland
Kym H. Mullins
Pamela and Leslie Muma
Roy I. Mumme
Brian F. Mumme
David S. Murdock
Lawrence J. Murphy
Sean Murphy
Raymond Murray
Stephanie and Casey Muse
La Veda L. Myers
Michael T. Mysels
Michael A. Nash
Mark D. Nash
James P. Nault
Terry F. Nealy
Merrie B. Neely
Tara B. Nelan
Tia and William Nelson
Catherine L. Nelson-Murphy
Diane and Timothy Nettles
Eric C. Neuman
Lyris and Eric Newman
William J. Neylan
Samuel J. Nirenberg
Amol A. Nirgudkar
John Nixon
James Nohelty
Mark W. Nonnenberg
Jack Norris
Alyson I. Noune
Michael S. Novilla
Varrick S. Nunez
Casanova Z. Nurse
Dianne and Timothy O’Brien
Kimberly and Shawn O’Brien
Jennifer and Kenneth O’Connor
Catherine E. O’Connor M.D.*
Toshiaki Ogasawara
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 17

life memberhonor roll
Leslie Ogden
Mary E. Ojeda
Dr. Elizabeth Y. Okogbaa
Dr. Timothy O. Oladokun
Thomas J. O’Lenic
Steven P. Olsen
Stephanie and Kent Olsen
Martha and Donald Oneal
Tommy E. O’Neal
William Oram
Heidi and Alex Oros
China R. Orr
Judy K. Orton
Robert O. Osburn
Marc D. Ostroff
Colleen O’Sullivan
Matthew D. Otto
Maria J. Otto
Adrian E. Owens
Angel Jose Pa Docobo M.D.
Robert C. Pacenta
Girija Padmanabh
Kenneth J. Page II
Leon D. Paige
Luanne J. Panacek
Kathleen and Arthur Panov
John D. Parker
Matthew M. Parker
Amy J. Parry
Surendra B. Parvataneni
Dr. Kiran Patel
Janice and Scott Paton
L. J. Patouillet
Mary and Leland Patouillet
John R. Patrick
Eugene C. Patterson
Doreen and Michael Patterson
Scott E. Pautler M.D.
Carla Jean Pawich
Dennis A. Payne
Lynn P. Payne
Carol and Carlos Pazos
Daniel Peachee
John Pearce
Darryl Pearson
Michele and Vincent Pedulla
Nathan S. Pendleton IV
Taylor and Eric Penvose
William J. Perna
William G. Perret
Karen S. Peters
James C. Peterson
Theresa and Wayne Peterson
Trudy U. Pettibone
Sandra L. Pettit
Robert B. Pettyjohn
Ada and Phillip Pfotenhauer
Robert M. Phillips
Scott A. Pierce
Dana D. Pigg
Greg I. Pine
Carol and Julian Piper
Steven J. Plaisted
John W. Pletcher
Patrick J. Poff
Ronald W. Poindexter
Lesly Pompy
Terry W. Potter
Penelope A. Powell
Joseph L. Powell
Mary Lou and Eugene Powell
Helen S. Powers
Walter M. Prather
Ross D. Preville
Brian J. Pruett
Nicolas Psomiadis M.D.
Teresa Puckett
Amanda and Carlos Puentes
John L. Puls
Richard B. Pylant
Erika L. Pyner
Mary and Jack Rader
Laurie and James Ragsdale
Naida and John Ramil
William E. Rappold
William J. Raspberry
Erik S. Rauch
Jonathan D. Rausch
Daniel B. Ravicher
Chitra Ravindra
Richard Raymond
Martha and Timothy Rea
Ronald P. Reagan Sr.
Scott A. Rebane
Curtis L. Reece
Judith and Charles Reese
John Regar
Richard Gerhard Reichle Jr.
Ronald R. Reinhart
Martina and Alexander Reiss
Jennifer H. Rendahl
Karen and Robert Reuben
Patricia and Jeffrey Reynolds
Lynn Richard and Robert Richard
Gwendolyn H. Ridley
Jim Rinaldo
Arthur A. Ringness
Elizabeth and Robert Risch
Oscar M. Rivas
Pedro J. Rivera Esq.
Andrew D. Riviears
William J. Rizzetta
Jonathan J. Roberts
Bonnie A. Robertson
Dean S. Robinson
Harold A. Robinson
Reginald G. Robinson
“I became a Life Member to help
support the many important
programs that the Alumni
Association sponsors. I’m pleased to
have the opportunity to give back to
USF – Go <strong>Bull</strong>s!”
Roy E. Jewell, `77 & M.A. `80
President/COO Magma Design Automation
Burke P. Robinson
Adam Robinson
Yvette and Sonny Robitaille
Raymond R. Rocha
Nancy M. Rockstroh
Oliver R. Rodrigues
Jerard E. Rodriguez
Edward Eliasberg
Deborah and Roger Rodriguez
Ruth and James Rogge
Jacquelyn E. Rogow
Gini and Quinton Rollins
James M. Roney
R. Chandler Root
James P. Rosbolt
Michael A. Rosen
Ellen F. Rosenblum
Judith O. Rosenkranz
James A. Rosenquist
Dennis M. Ross
Kimberly A. Ross
Dr. David W. Rowe II
Marcella E. Rua
Nancy F. Rubin
Jodee L. Rucker
Douglas W. Rudig
Richard G. Rumrell
Anne and Anthony Runion
Casey and Jason Runkles
Solveig and Cory Ruppel
James B. Rush
Janice and Michael Rush
Dr. John H. Russell
Jennifer E. Russell
Dr. Charles E. Russell Jr.
John F. Ruzic
Maryann K. Ryan
Glenn E. Rybacki
Austin F. Ryder
Carla J. Saavedra
Renan Saavedra
Mia Sadler
Elizabeth and Michael Saine
Wesley F. Sainz
Nicole D. Salazar
Robert Salicco
Neetha and Nitin Sallapudi
Jennifer R. Salmon
Gregory A. Salyer
Dana and Kenneth Sanchez
Tonya and Anthony Sanchez
Henry R. Santos
Louis Sarbeck
Jeannette Sasmor
Jolyon J. Sasse
Joshua D. Saunders
Judy Whitman and David Sawicki
Rebecca and Neal Sayers
Michael T. Schaefer
Kelley R. Schaeffer
Fred Scheigert
William D. Scheirer Jr.
Lauren G. Schellman
Trustee Alfred N. Schiff
Robert D. Schlechty
Philip P. Schlossnagle
Kenneth C. Schlugar
Nancy F. Schmidt
Kimberly and David Schmidt
Nancy M. Schneid
Dennis J. Schnur
Shauna and Scott Schullo
Lisa J. Schultze
Linda L. Schwartzkopf
Samuel E. Scolaro
Jean Ashby Seawell
Laura and Lance Seberg
Robert Sechen
Kenneth J. Seibert
Suzanne Marie Seidl
Scott E. Seigel
Pamela Seigrist Andersen
Ada M. Seltzer
Robert E. Senton
W. D. Sessions
Richard H. Sessums
T. Terrell Sessums
Charles M. Shanberg
Debra J. Shannon
Deborah and Timothy Shannon
Patrick O’Farrell Shea
Karen and James Sheffield
Craig E. Sheftell
David B. Shepler
Albert C. Sherman II
18 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Donald Sherwood
Joseph M. Shield
Patricia J. Shiflett Ph.D.
Mandell Shimberg
Stephen Douglas Shipman
Gail A. Sideman
Michael Sierra
Joy and Frederick Sikorski
Jane F. Siling
William G. Simmons
Linda O. Simmons
Brenda E. Simmons
Cheryll Simmons
Carol and Earl Simmons
Paige F. Simpson
Vicki and Michael Simpson
Shalonda M. Sims
Lori and Kelly Sims
Nathan P. Sindel
Walter C. Skirven
Deborah and Neal Smalbach
Thomas Smerz
Daryn G. Smith
Barry S. Smith
Sam D. Smith
Donald A. Smith
Celinda L. Smith
James P. Smith
Leslie H. Smith
Pamela L. Smith
L. Lisa Smithson
Kenneth M. Snead
Richard M. Snyder
Stephen Sodheim
Nicole M. Solana
Julie and James Somers
Joseph D. Sonnenberg
Douglas S. Sonosky
Lois A. Sorensen
Vicky and Peter Sorensen
David Soyer
Barbara J. Spahr
Sara and Jeffrey Spalding
Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy
Stephen A. Spencer M.D.
Homer A. Spencer
Tonald E. Spinks
Lynne and Michael Sprenger
Angela Lyn Spurlin-Horwitz
Patricia R. Spychala
Kristina Stadtherr
Lydia G. Stage
Brett E. Stanaland M.D.
Susan B. Stanton
Sherri and Charles Stargel
Ellen C. Stavros
Gus A. Stavros
Barbara K. Steele
Leslie Reicin Stein
Lorinda and Craig Stein
George Steinbrenner
Michael S. Steiner
Arnold Steinhardt
Randy J. Stepp
Elliott W. Stern
Brian P. Stevens
Jamie and Patrick Stevens
Deborah H. Stevenson
Stephanie J. Stiles
Darrell E. Stinger
George Michael Stone
Marybeth and Craig Storts
Jane A. Stovall
George Strawbridge
William H. Streator
Brian H. Stucker
Charles J. Styer
Natalie D. Suarez
Randall M. Sumner
William R. Sunter
Roy Sweatman
Shannon Sweatman
Colleen and Thayne Swenson III
Gennie and Michael Swenson
Ronnie Swopes
Deborah and Peter Tagliarini
Dr. Paul J. Talbot
Deborah J. Tamargo
Thomas N. Tamburro
Rony Tanis
Scott M. Tappan
Lance E. Taylor
Robert L. Taylor
Merrily E. Taylor
Von G. Taylor III
David Teague
Joseph P. Teague
Robert L. Tennant
Sherry T. Terpening
Stella F. Thayer
John C. Thomas
Charles Thomas
Robert S. Thompson
Gracie L. Thompson
Christopher D. Thompson
Sophie and Michael Thompson
Mark D. Tighe
Patricia A. Tobin
Cynthia and Andrew Toledo
Janet Tolson
Trustee Sherrill M. Tomasino
Nancy M. Toole
Charles H. Townes
Scott K. Tozian
Todd S. Traub
Noreen Travis
Michael Tree
Dr. Laurier J. Tremblay Jr.
Johnnie H. Trevena
Jerry E. Trimble M.D.
Mary Trimble
Justin M. Troller
Gary Trombley
Susan and Richard Tron
Bettina Tucker
Patricia and Kenneth Tucker
Spencer Turner
Dexter G. Turnquest
Kathryn K. Tushaus
Carolyn L. Undorf
James A. Valdes
Jessica and Dennis Valenti
Jose E. Valiente
William J. Van Houten Jr.
Cynthia and Russell Varney
Wayne Vasey
Victoria and Timothy Vaughan
Thomas A. Veit Jr.
James E. Vermillion
Christopher Vermillion
John J. Victoravich
Christopher Viscusi*
Cynthia and Luis Visot
Jill Voorhis
Kimberly E. Votery
Jennifer L. Vozne
Carri A. Wacker
Jeff J. Wagner
Jodi L. Wagner-Zallis
Ginger E. Wald
Selinda B. Walden
Heather A. Walders
Matthew J. Waldron
Karen and Donald Walker
Renee and Benjamin Walker
George M. Wall
James Kipp Wall Jr.
Sharlene and Lawrence Wall
Judy and Lew Wallace
Clara Wansley
Katrina K. Ward
Suzanne M. Ward
Bruce L. Ward
Jeanne and Ian Ware
Elizabeth A. Wasdin
Sherry R. Watkins
Charles P. Watson
Carol D. Weber
Jody B. Weber
Jim Weber
David C. Weeks
Sharon and Theodore Weeks
Kathryn A. Weese
H. Monty Weigel
R. James Welz
Mark P. Wentley
Deborah L. Werner
James C. West
Janet F. Wheeler
Joseph C. Wheeler III M.D.
Harold J. White
Kenneth L. White
Gary L. White
Andrew S. White
Elizabeth and Alexander White M.D.
Betsy R. White-Stewart
Theodore W. Whitford Jr.
Albert Wiesbauer
Belynda E. Williams
Calvin Williams
Amber J. Williams
Jason Williams
Helena and Derek Williams
Carl V. Williamson
Janet and Todd Wilson
Stuart Winograd
Don E. Winstead Jr.
Catherine N. Winter
Misty and Lee Winter
Kenneth B. Wittcoff
Richard K. Wittcoff
Susan A. Wittpenn
Debra L. Wohlers
Jerry A. Wolfe
Edgar Wolfram
Christi R. Womack-Villalobos
Tonya E. Wood
Kimberly and Keven Woodard
David P. Wright
Eric N. Yates
Shelley A. Yingst-Smithgall
Yolanda and Russ Yoder
Marion T. Yongue
Richard D. Yost
Bill Young
Sandra Younts
Jessica and David Zeller Jr.
Jeffrey E. Zientara
Jason Zimmerman
Lee Zimmerman
Dina Zumbahlen
= Unrestricted gifts from May 1, 2008
through April 30, 2009. * Denotes an
additional gift.
Fully paid Life Members through April
30, 2009
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 19

Maria Colaco
x
Dancing in the
By Aminta Iriarte Class of 2009
M
aria Colaco didn’t always
want to make dances. The
founder and “chick in charge” of
MariaColacoDance company wanted
to be a photojournalist, but had a
change of heart and ended up with
a BFA in Modern Dance from the
University of South Florida.
Originally from India, Colaco
moved to the U.S. at age 12 but
didn’t start dancing until college.
“I came to USF because of their
serious dance program,” Colaco
said. “I really enjoyed the program,
and really had a passion
for it.”
Colaco now lives in
New York City and runs a
successful dance company.
She choreographs
commercials for T.V.
and the internet with
Click3X and Campfire
productions, and recently
won a prestigious Outer/
Space Creative Residency
from the Dance Theater
Workshop, one of the
country’s leading centers
for the development of
contemporary dance.
Colaco has fond
memories of her time at
USF. Although she spent a lot of
time rehearsing, she also knew how
to have fun.
Carrie Malernee is a member
of MariaColacoDance and Colaco’s
former off-campus roommate.
“<strong>Our</strong> apartment was party
central for the dance department,”
said Malernee, a Class of 2002 grad.
“Anytime there was a show the
entire dance department, including
our professors, would come to
our apartment and we’d just have
wild parties where everybody did
modern dance around the living
room.”
Colaco has happy memories of
the USF dance faculty.
“The faculty at USF is an
impressive group of people. They
deserve a lot of credit for a lot of
the successes I have,” Colaco said.
“They really took me under their
wing.”
John Parks, who Colaco referred
to as “a legend” taught her Jazz and
Modern Dance.
“We graduate the dance majors
and they are wonderful, magnificent
dancers, but the field is so hard and
there’s so much competition that
any number of things can get you
off track,” Parks said. “But we knew
that something would happen with
her, that whatever she wanted to do
she would be able to do.”
After completing her degree in
2001, Colaco moved to New York,
20 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Streets
where she currently lives with her
husband, Matt, and daughter, Lily, 3.
During her first few years in
New York, Colaco danced with
companies like Bare Bones and
Axis Danz. But being a dancer
wasn’t enough.
“I wanted to start working on
my creative voice and my creative
ideas,” Colaco said. She founded
MariaColacoDance in 2005.
Colaco’s major hit that year
was “Eye Candy,” a parody of
the mating rituals of humans. The
hour-long, Off-Off-Broadway show
earned Colaco and her company
rave reviews and many packed
houses throughout New York. “Eye
Candy” was performed at various
venues and festivals, such as
Triskelion Arts and the New York
International Fringe Festival.
The entire eight-member cast of
“Eye Candy” was comprised of USF
dance and theater alumni. Colaco
said that it’s amazing there is so
much USF talent in New York. Back
in 2001, Colaco presented an early
version of “Eye Candy” at USF, and
hopes to bring it back sometime
soon.
Because “Eye Candy” is about
the nature of human relationships,
Colaco employed male actors, but
MariaColacoDance is an all-girl
company.
“The girls in the company are
tough girls,” Colaco said. “We lift
each other, we partner with one
another ... we just don’t need [men].
We do anything that anyone else
can do, it’s just – we’re girls.”
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 21

Maria Colaco
5Q uestions:
What’s the last book you read?
Red Carpet: The Bangalore Stories by
Lavanya Sankaran
What’s the last movie you saw?
“Sex and the City” on HBO – it was
AWFUL!
Where is your favorite place in the world?
Kerala, India
What superpower would you like to have?
Fly
What’s the best advice you’ve ever
received?
Everything happens in circles.
x
Colaco doesn’t want her
dancing to be inaccessible; she likes
people to come to rehearsals and
understand what she’s doing. She
wants her audience to know that
“this is how we make dances. We
don’t count five, six, seven, eight,
and put it on stage. This is the
creative process. This is what we go
through in order to come up with
what you see on stage.”
While most choreographers and
dancers have a very specific style of
their own, Colaco is known for her
versatility.
“You can see one of her shows,
and then go see another, and you
would never think it was from the
same choreographer,” Malernee
said. “She’s constantly trying to do
new things, and go new places, and
do things that haven’t been done
before. [She] challenges herself and
pulls things out of you as a dancer.”
What makes Colaco’s work so
different from other choreographers
is the incorporation of various
elements other than dancing. In
her pieces, Colaco likes to include
comedy, singing and acting to
create an interesting style that
showcases her creative voice.
Parks said Colaco is an
innovative choreographer. “Her
A scene from Colaco’s “Eye Candy.”
work is what I call avant-garde,
quite experimental and really
cutting-edge.”
Colaco’s Ballet instructor at USF,
Gretchen Ward Warren, said Colaco
stood out from the start. “She’s a
beautiful dancer, very energetic,
extremely pretty, extremely
attractive onstage,” Ward Warren
said.
Ultimately, the mission of
MariaColacoDance is to move you,
its founder says.
“We just want to move; we just
want to dance,” Colaco said. “We
want to give you ideas and concepts
and help you think about things
from a new perspective ... We’re not
just a bunch of girls making dances,
[there’s] a lot more that goes behind
it. We’re very concerned about
what’s going on around us, and
we’re expressing it and creating it in
the way we know best.”
22 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

chapters
& societies
Robert P. Garcia, `72, vice president of Tampa Bay Trane, is an experienced pilot and
involved with USF’s Engineering Alumni Society. During the EAS annual <strong>Bull</strong>arney
fundraiser, Garcia offered to take a few people up for a ride in his renovated 1941
Boeing Stearman biplane. Garcia is pictured in the center of the group, wearing the
green <strong>Bull</strong>s shirt and cap, next to President Judy Genshaft, in the white blouse. To the
right of Genshaft is USF Trustee Rhea Law. At left, Garcia and Genshaft take off for a
20-minute flight over Pasco County. Photos by W. Stewart Gibbons
Silliness and scholarship is the recipe for fun at the
Engineering Alumni Society’s annual <strong>Bull</strong>arney fundraiser,
held as a benefit for engineering scholarships.
From left, Jan Ash, `87, her husband Tom, and Keven
Woodard, from Ash Engineering, get into the spirit of
things as knights from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Dr. Margaret Fisher,
USF’s first and only
Dean of Women,
visited campus recently
to talk to the USF
Tampa Ambassadors
about the history of the
University. Dr. Fisher
joined USF in 1960,
and over the course of
her career, also served
as assistant to the vice
president for Student
Affairs and as a professor
of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. Dr. Fisher retired in 1975, but continued to work as a consultant on special projects and
as an adjunct Humanities professor. Several years ago, Dr. Fisher, 90, established the Margaret Fisher Endowed Book Scholarship.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 23

chapters
& societies
The Tampa Alumni Chapter
held a tailgate at <strong>Bull</strong>s Heaven
before the Spring football
game. Rocky, the cheerleaders
and USF President Judy
Genshaft joined dozens of
<strong>Bull</strong>s fans for the fun. They
also raised $1,500 for the H.
Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.
Pictured with the “check” are Rocky, Jeffrey Neil Fox, `75, owner of <strong>Bull</strong>s
Heaven, D. Shenell Reed of the Moffitt Cancer Foundation and Jeff Wagner,
`86. At left, Rocky makes friends with past and future <strong>Bull</strong>s. Photos by Jeffrey
Neil Fox, `75
Students selected for the USF
Alumni Association’s Tallahassee
Intern Program made some
friends in high places during
their stay in the state Capitol. At
right, they met former Florida
Gov. Ruben Askew, front row
left, and, pictured above, current
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist,
center. The internship program
is one of several student leadership programs
supported by your membership dues.
24 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

No matter where you live, you’ll always be a <strong>Bull</strong>!
The USF Alumni Association has alumni chapters all over the country. We also have college and
special-interest societies for like-minded alumni. It’s easy to get involved. Just email the contact
person of the group you’d like to visit.
Members of the New York
Alumni Chapter helped set up booths, greet
fairgoers and hand out information at New York’s
EarthFair 2009 on Earth Day, April 22. From left to
right are: Sal Cardillo, `02; Sandra Menke, `92 &
MLA `95; Jon Mauro, `95; Valerie Berrios, `01; Rick
Sanchez, Karin Stoetzer, `02; Stacey Epstein, `96 and
Adam Goldstein.
More than 50 people turned up for a College of
Business Society networking event held at the
Museum of Science and Industry in April. Popular
political commentator and USF professor Dr. Susan
MacManus talked about the 2010 election. Pictured
from left are Ryan Dougherty, `01; Uttara Bhalerao,
M.S. `08 and Jamie Ellison, `06.
Cassie Herring, `06, wears her <strong>Bull</strong> pride for all
to see while she teaches English in Seoul, Korea.
Societies
Architecture Alumni
Adam Fritz
adam@cgharchitects.com
Black Alumni
Felecia Brantley
lbtdfmu18@hotmail.com
Brian Campbell
bcamp10331@aol.com
Shomari Sanford
shomari1906@yahoo.com
Business Alumni
Jamie Ellison
jamie.ellison@memberstrust.com
Brian Buckley
BSBuckley@tecoenergy.com
Education Alumni
Freda Abercrombie
aber2@aol.com
Engineering Alumni
Gene Balter
gene.balter@hdrinc.com
Entrepreneurship Alumni
Chris Kluis
ckluis@hotmail.com
Geology Alumni
Mike Schackne
mschackne@gore.net
Honors Alumni
Lisa Provenzano Heugel
lproven1@tampabay.rr.com
Jewish Alumni
Nicky Spivak
nsspivak@tampadsl.net
Kosove Alumni
Justin Geisler
justingeisler@hotmail.com
LGBT Alumni
Marion Yongue
myongue@wedu.org
Lynne Carlson
lcarlson@tempest.coedu.usf.edu
Jerry L. Miller
jerry.miller@db.faneuil.com
Marine Science Alumni
Bruce Barber
bbarber@terraenv.com
Beau Suthard
bsuthard@coastalplanning.net
Florida Chapters
Tampa
Dennis Evans
dennis.evans@wachovia.com
Brevard
Todd Bonanza
Bonanza298@aol.com
John Carpenter
j-carpenter2@ti.com
Barbara Lyn
Barbara@barbaralyn.com
Broward
Sara DuCuennois
usfbrowardalumni@hotmail.com
Alan Steinberg
usfbrowardalumni@hotmail.com
Fort Myers
Sanjay Kurian
Skurian@becker-poliakoff.com
Hernando
Belinda Nettles
bnettles8@gmail.com
Jacksonville
Louis B. Richardson
louinjax@comcast.net
Ellen Rosenblum
ellenmarkmatt3@yahoo.com
Manatee/Sarasota
Ross Allen
Rva34238@yahoo.com
Miami
Carlos Rodriguez
USFMiamialumni@aol.com
Monroe (Key West)
Kristen Condella
kristnine@hotmail.com
Ocala/Marion
Kathleen & William Bellamy
Icchoice-kathie@earthlink.net
Jerald “Jerry” Grimes
Donnajer958@embarqmail.com
Orlando
Kevin Krause
kkrause2@hotmail.com
Palm Beach
Scott Teich
scott.teich@raymondjames.com
Panama City
Janet Caragan
Janetcaragan@yahoo.com
Pasco County/New Tampa
Annaliese Sergent
asergent@live.com
Paul Pimperl
Pimperl33@hotmail.com
Pensacola/Spanish Fort/Mobile
Nick Kessler
nickess@aol.com
Peter Kemp
Pjkemp629@gmail.com
Pinellas
Audrey Gilmore
usf1@tampabay.rr.com
Polk
Randy Dotson
randy.dotson@gmail.com
St. Lucie
Frank Pennetti
franker@adelphia.net
Tallahassee
Tara Klimek
taraklimek@yahoo.com
National Chapters
Atlanta
Denise Dimbath
Denisuela@hotmail.com
Austin
Brad Heath
bradh@virtexassembly.com
Chicago
Kelly Gitchel
kelly.gitchel@nielson.com
Nolan Shaeer
nshaeer@yahoo.com
Cincinnati
Chris Kiley
chris.kiley@nokia.com
Greater Cleveland
Matt Maxwell
matthew_maxwell@ml.com
Columbia, SC
Doug Currier
ColUSF@aol.com
Camille Thompson
Camille.E.Thompson@gmail.com
D.C. Regional
Rajiv Dembla
rajiv.dembla@gmail.com
Dallas
Lisa Lacy
lisa.lacy@tx.rr.com
Rob Smith
Rob.Smith@atmosenergy.com
Denver Mile High
Mark A. Thompson
Brahman95@msn.com
Houston
Alan Goldsmith
alshmaly@flash.net
Michael Peppers
mike.peppers@comcast.net
Indianapolis
Kelly Brummet
kbrummett@ncaa.org
Jeremy Sims
jsims@shepherdins.com
Los Angeles
Catherine Clinch
catherine@MomsDigitalWorld.com
Anthony Rogers
LifeCoachACR@aol.com
Nashville
Jen Thompson
JenThompson08@yahoo.com
New York
Valerie Berrios
valerieberrios78@hotmail.com
Michael Simpson
Michael.Simpson@gs.com
Philadelphia/South Jersey
Joe Ebner
jebner@coventry.com
Pittsburgh, PA
Robb Myers
rmyer@cmu.edu
Portland, OR
Scott Chamberlain
sc28372@msn.com
Raleigh, NC
Bob Cohn
bob.cohn@smithbarney.com
San Antonio, TX
Ruben Matos
captram02@yahoo.com
San Francisco
Arthur Ringness
ak@ringness.net
Seattle-Tacoma, WA
Jared Capouya
jcapouya@hotmail.com
St. Louis
Mark Greenspahn
markgstl@aol.com
Corporate Affinity
Group
Lockheed Martin – Oldsmar
Barbara Julian
barbara.julian@lmco.com
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 25

1977
A Blast from the Past !
U.S. President: James Earl Carter, Jr.
Vice President: Walter F. Mondale
Average Income: $13,572
Unemployment: 7.1%
First Class Stamp: 13 cents
IN SCIENCE: The neutron bomb is developed;
the space shuttle Enterprise makes its first test
glide from the back of a 747; American Paul B.
MacCready, Jr. develops the Gossamer Condor,
the first successful human-powered
aircraft.
IN THE NEWS: Elvis Presley
dies at Graceland, his
Memphis home, at age
42; a nuclear-proliferation
pact, curbing spread
of nuclear weapons, is
signed by 15 countries,
including the U.S. and
the USSR on Sept.
21; President Carter
pardons Vietnam war
draft evaders.
IN THE ARTS:
“Star Wars” debuts in theaters
and goes on to be the
second highest-grossing film
of all time. “Saturday Night
Fever” sparks the disco
inferno and the popularity
of movie soundtracks. The T.V. miniseries “Roots”
draws an audience of 130 million.
26 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009
At USF: Dr. William
Katzenmeyer is
appointed as the third
dean of the College
of Education. Snow
falls on the Tampa
campus on Jan. 19,
prompting snowball
fights and streaking.
USF’s baseball field
is named in honor
of the late James M.
“Red” McEwen, Tampa
sportsman and civic
leader.

By Marguerite Faucher
Class of 2010
It lurks behind every corner – in
section five of a scholarship application;
following the question of when I expect to
graduate during an interview; on the minds
and, inevitably, the tongues of everyone I
meet at an award dinner.
These days, it seems like I’m constantly
haunted by the question, “So what do you
plan to do after college?”
The truth is, I don’t know that I have an all encompassing
“plan” for my life following college and to be completely honest,
that realization scares the ever-livin’ you-know-what out of me
each time I think about it.
However, worry knows no age, and while the trials we face
may change over time, as I will soon outgrow that question only
to find new ones to contend with, the way we deal with those
trials has remained constant.
That’s why when anxiety and fear hit me about my uncertain
future, I just hit play on my radio and it all begins to melt away.
And so I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed/just to get it all
out/what’s in my head/and I/I am feeling/a little peculiar …
It also helps to know that others are going through the
same situation and share my feelings, as the idea of entering the
workforce during our current economic times seems to be a grim
reality.
Catalina Castillo knows this better than anyone right now.
After graduating in May with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology,
Castillo is finding it difficult to reconcile what she wants to do
with what she has to do.
“Now that I’ve graduated I have a bunch of bills to pay, so
I’ve been working at a restaurant. But I also need more school
and experience to get a job that I really want in my field of study.
I mean, even if I do find a job in my major, it’s probably not
going to pay what I need to make ends meet,” says Castillo.
You can’t/always get/what you want …
While Castillo’s situation is not the most positive thing for
me to hear as I near my own graduation, I know I can learn from
what she’s going through so that I’m better prepared to face those
issues when the time comes. I understand now that if I am truly
set on a specific job in my major following school, it may not be
the only job I’ll need to have to survive in this economy.
Like all fresh graduates, USF alum Jim Mitchell was more
than happy when he finished his Bachelor’s degree in 1979, and
much like me, he says he “didn’t have any particular plans in the
beginning.”
After getting his degree in History, Mitchell’s first job was
with the Tampa Theatre. He also played guitar and sang at
restaurants for extra cash.
“I was just ready for whatever life was going to present,” says
Mitchell.
Summertime/and the livin’ is easy …
I’m inclined to say that Mitchell lived in a more carefree time
of our history, but I came to realize that most of the pressure we
experience to have that career, make that six-figure salary and be
immediately successful straight out of college is self-imposed.
Take it easy/take it easy/don’t let the sound of your own
wheels/drive you crazy …
Instead of stressing ourselves out about a future we can’t
predict with any more certainty than the next weather forecast,
we should probably be enjoying this time as adults with minimal
responsibilities.
Besides, not knowing exactly how life is going to turn out
gives every-day decisions more weight and makes it a much more
exciting ride. I mean, who wants to know the punch line to a
joke before the delivery or the ending to a movie five minutes in?
It’s reassuring to me to know that Jim Mitchell feels the same
way.
“I graduated in 1979 and I still don’t know what I want to
do,” says Mitchell, who currently owns his own financial planning
firm in Tampa.
Twenty-five years and my life is still/trying to get up that/great
big hill of hope/for a destination ...
<strong>Our</strong> plans, whether vague or precise, are good to have
because they give us direction and something to strive for. Still, I
believe that if we are open to all of life’s possibilities – including
those that may seem to threaten our great framework for the
future – it makes life a little less stressful and perhaps helps us
to find ourselves in the places we were meant for all along.
Ultimately, I think we should plan to be surprised.
I’m not lost/not lost/just undiscovered …
SHARE A Memory
Excerpts of memories from
members of the USF Alumni Association.
Professor James Popovich lingers in my memory in a positive
manner. Senior advisor, par excellance, teacher extraordinaire.
His sharp, analytical, humor-filled approach to teaching speech,
communication and public address has influenced me across my
life as a teacher, speaker, minister and consultant.
LeRoy E. Zemke, `66
I was enrolled with a full-time course load and was also employed
full time. Because of the hectic schedule, it was easy to lose focus
on my studies. What gave me new direction was the delivery of my
shiny gold USF grad ring. I believe wearing it gave me a sense of
pride, purpose and dedication that motivated me to complete my
studies. I still wear my ring with great memories.
William Lynn, `75
From the time I entered USF, I loved it. Boy, did I have the time of
my life. Living on campus in Alpha, we were on the fourth floor and
sometimes we would drop eggs out of the window to watch them
fry on the sidewalk. I also enjoyed riding on the SAFE team carts –
they were cute. I remember being on the Homecoming Committee
– that was so much fun! I will always love USF.
Lescott O’Larry `02
Share your USF memory with us. Email alumni@admin.usf.edu and
write “Memory” in the subject line.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 27

Employ-A-<strong>Bull</strong>
Employ-a-<strong>Bull</strong>
Get ahead of the herd with
these tips from executive
recruiter Jim Weber.
Class of `77 & MBA `82
n the past two Employ-A-<strong>Bull</strong> articles,
I offered up “Your Top Ten Job Search
ITips,” and provided guidance to prepare
for that all-important interview. Now I’d
like to take a look at occupations that
are experiencing growth and may create
opportunities for your future career plans.
This information may be familiar to
those of you who are following the state of
the economy, particularly regarding jobs and
employment. Brief reviews of the recent
publications touching on this topic include
U.S. News and World Report and Business
Week, as well as online websites such as Hot
Jobs and Career Explorer. Naturally, each of
these publications source their data from the
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), so they all converge on the
same message.
From the BLS data, I have learned that
the top five fields experiencing the most rapid
growth rates are:
• Medical
• Information Technology
• Finance and Accounting
• Social Work
• Entertainment
To a very large extent, the growth in
these job categories is understandable. The
specific job classifications within these five
categories are projected to realize double-digit
growth rates between now and 2016, ranging
from 27 percent for physician assistants to
53.4 percent for network systems and data
communications analysts.
However, overall job growth will be
slower in the coming years than in the past,
according to BLS projections. Total labor force
employment is projected to grow only by .8
percent annually from 2006 to 2016, down
from the 1.2 percent annual growth rate for
the 1996 to 2006 time period. Hardest hit will
be jobs in utilities, manufacturing and mining,
as we shift from a production-based economy
Hot Job Markets
– A Look Ahead
to a service-based, knowledge-focused
paradigm.
It isn’t surprising that the medical field,
which includes veterinary medicine and dental
health, will continue to experience growth.
This field has tracked the overall growth in the
U.S. population, as well as our population’s
relative aging, especially as Baby Boomers
approach retirement. A large part of the
growth in this category will be for people who
care for patients at their homes, outplacement
facilities and nursing homes, due to shorter
hospital stays to contain insurance costs. And
though it’s clear that the demand for medical
care will be high, it’s not as clear whether
government intervention in this sector will
result in an adequate supply of healthcare
professionals. There’s currently an acute
shortage of nurses and, interestingly, M.D.’s
don’t even make the BLS list of the Top 30
fastest-growing occupations.
Network systems and data
communications analysts rank at the top
of the list, with a projected growth rate of
53.4 percent through 2016; the demand for
computer application software engineers is
projected to grow at a 46 percent rate. The
growth in the IT field is also understandable
as the global economy continues its
transition from a post-industrial economy to
a knowledge-based economy. The growth
in computer networks and the convergence
of telecommunications with those networks
will lead to continued innovation and
productivity gains that will be very attractive
to corporations working to maintain a
competitive edge.
The finance and accounting career
category includes both corporate finance and
personal finance professionals. Demand for
financial analysts is projected to grow
at 33.8 percent, while the need
for personal financial advisors is
projected to grow at 41 percent.
Although not on the Top 30 list, it’s
safe to assume that the demand for
accountants, especially CPA’s, will
continue to be strong, especially if
the economy moves into a period of
heightened regulation.
The social work occupations
include social and human resource
assistants, with a 33.6 percent
growth rate, and marriage and family
therapists, with a 29.9 percent
growth rate. This category also
includes teachers; however, that
occupation did not make the Top
30 list. It’s safe to assume that there will
be significant demand for teachers as Baby
Boomers retire, resulting in an estimated
need for 2 million replacements.
The entertainment field includes three
jobs listed in the Top 30. They are make up
artists, projected to grow at a 39.8 percent
rate; gaming (as in gambling) security officers,
projected to grow at a 33.6 percent rate; and
gaming and sports book writers and runners,
with a 28 percent projected growth rate.
Those particular gaming industry jobs require
minimal formal training – most of it is on-thejob.
Based on recent developments in federal
policy, government employment is growing
and should be considered as a potentially hot
career field. Two job categories making the list
within the public sector were forensic science
technicians at 30.7 percent and environmental
science and protection at 28 percent.
In addition to the utilities, mining and
manufacturing jobs I mentioned earlier, other
job sectors have also been hit hard by the
recession and evolving economy. The arts,
design, sports and media fields are off by 5.4
percent, as are architecture and engineering.
Office and administrative support jobs are off
6 percent; farming, fishing and forestry, off
8.8 percent; production, off 12.9 percent, and
construction and mining, off 14.2 percent. It’s
worth noting the interrelationship of these
sectors, most of which are closely aligned to
the construction industry. As the economy
improves, so will some of these career
categories, albeit at a slower pace than the
rest of the economy.
I hope this review gives you some
insight as you enter the workforce or plan for
a career change. To get a firsthand look at
the BLS Top 30 Fastest
Growing Occupations
list, visit http://www.bls.
gov/news.release/ooh.
t01.htm
USF Alumni
Association Board
Member Jim Weber
is the founder of New
Century Dynamics, Inc.,
an executive search
firm for the food service
industry. If you have
career questions for
Jim, email them to us at
alumni@admin.usf.edu.
28 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

featured
member benefit
Photos by Rebecca Boudreaux
Riverfront Park
USF Alumni Association members can get outdoors and enjoy the summer
at Riverfront Park, the University’s own private park on the picturesque
Hillsborough River. Students, faculty, staff and alumni association members have
been taking advantage of this private retreat for many years.
Rent a canoe or a kayak and journey down the Hillsborough River in search
of Florida’s wildlife or bring a picnic lunch and take a stroll through the private
trails. If you’re looking for something a little more challenging, try your hand
and balance on the ropes course, pictured below. There’s even a softball field,
volleyball court and a 22-hole disc golf course.
With a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, Riverfront Park is
a perfect way to spend the weekend and explore all that the Hillsborough River
has to offer.
To reserve a canoe or kayak or for more information on using the park
amenities, contact Campus Recreation at 813-974-3177 or go online to
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/camprec/outdoor/riverfrontpark.htm.
The park is only open to current USF students, staff and faculty, and USF
Alumni Association members.
Summer Park Hours
Monday through Sunday,
10 a.m.-7 p.m.*
*Hours vary during daylight savings,
breaks, and summers. Park is closed
on all University holidays.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 29

classnotes
60s
Earl Lennard, B.A. Special Education `63 &
Ph.D Vocational Education `93, received the
Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award
from the Hillsborough County Commission in
April. Lennard retired as Hillsborough school
superintendent in 2005 after 41 years. He spent
15 years as a classroom teacher before moving
into administration. During his nine years as
superintendent, graduation rates increased from 69
percent in 1999 to nearly 80 percent in 2004. During
the same period, the school system went from
the 13th largest in the nation to ninth. The Florida
Association of School Superintendents named
Lennard superintendent of the year in 2003. Lennard
High School in Ruskin is named for him.
Richard Weiss, Accounting `65,
was presented with an award for
Outstanding Achievement in Popular
Annual Financial Reporting from the Polk
County Board of County Commissioners.
USF President Judy Genshaft presented Weiss with
his award. Weiss is clerk, auditor and accountant to
the Polk BOCC.
70s
Rex Clonts, Management `71, was elected to the
board of Citizens Bank of Florida. He is president of
Clonts Farms and is a 12-year member of the Farm
Credit Board. Clonts is a member of the Golden Gem
Citrus Co-Op and serves on the executive committee
of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Board. He is also a
member of the Mid-Florida Research Foundation and
is a member of the Florida Citrus Mutual Board.
Bergon F. Brokaw, CPA, MACC `73,
was elected president of the Estate
Planning Council of Polk County for
2009-2010.
Judge Jack St. Arnold, Finance
`73, is a member of Florida 6th Circuit
Court. A court of general jurisdiction,
it hears felony criminal cases, major
commercial and injury related disputes,
domestic and probate issues. Growing up in the
Tampa Bay area, St. Arnold spent much of his
childhood around airports. Making his first solo flight
on his 16th birthday, he pursued further pilot ratings
as age permitted. As a USF student, he supported
himself as a flight instructor. Following the receipt
of his Juris Doctor in 1976, St. Arnold entered
private civil practice before joining the court in
2003. As a civic leader having served on numerous
boards, committees and task forces, St. Arnold
was a Dunedin City Commissioner for two terms.
He is a graduate of Leadership Pinellas, Leadership
Tampa Bay, Leadership Florida, and a past member
of the National Leadership Training Council. He
and his wife Nancy enjoy spending time with their
grandchildren and traveling around the world.
Nadine Vaughan, Criminology `74, published her
first novel, Native Land: Lost in the Mystery of Time.
Since leaving USF, she has visited Machu Picchu
in Peru, swam in the Amazon River, learned to fly
planes and battled an invasive form of cancer. As
a clinical psychologist, Dr. Vaughan used her many
experiences as fodder for her novel.
Stephen Dunegan, Accounting `76, joined
the Orlando office of the law firm of Akerman
Senterfitt. Dunegan focuses primarily on estate
and tax planning, asset protection planning and
trusts and estates. Prior to that, he was with Dean
Mead. Dunegan is a member of the Planned Giving
Council of Central Florida, the Central Florida Estate
Planning Council, University of Central Florida
Planned Giving Professional Advisory Board and the
Florida Hospital Foundation Planned Giving Board,
among others. He is board-certified in both Tax Law
and in Wills, Trusts and Estates by the Florida Bar.
He earned an MBA, summa cum laude, from Cornell
University’s Johnson School of Management, and
his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Cornell
Law School.
Nancy Allen, M.A. Library Science `77 & M.S.
Business Management `80, served in the public
sector at the executive level for 25 years, first as
director of the Clearwater Public Library, then deputy
state librarian in the state of Washington and finally
state librarian. After leaving public service, Allen
went to school to become a massage therapist, ran
her own practice for five years and then purchased
a Massage Envy clinic franchise. Allen’s business
concentrates on green management, employs a staff
If so, THANK YOU!
of 16 and is growing, and helps her local economy in
Olympia, WA., by buying local whenever possible.
Retired Col. Paul Celotto, Criminal Justice `77,
was one of seven cadets in USF’s inaugural ROTC
program in 1975. He was commissioned into the
U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in the infantry
branch and later became a Special Forces officer. In
ROTC ceremonies held at USF in May, Col. Celotto
commissioned his daughter, Katrina D. Celotto,
Communications `09, into the Army’s Quartermaster
Corps. Her first duty assignment is with the 101st
Airborne Division as a Quartermaster officer.
Wendy Wax, Journalism `77, has
written The Accidental Bestseller,
which was published by Penguin and
hits the bookstores in June. It’s a tale
of four writers – friends for a decade –
who take on the publishing industry to save one of
their own when her career and personal life begin to
unravel. She is also author of Seven Days and Seven
Nights, Leave it to Cleavage, Hostile Makeover and
Single in Suburbia. Over the course of her career,
Wax has worked in radio, television and film. She
lives in Atlanta with her husband and sons.
Denise Kurt, Political Science `78, is a regional
services attorney with the Texas Health and Human
Services Commission in Houston, Texas.
Phil Lucas, English `79, is the
executive editor of The News Herald
in Panama City, FL. He began his
journalism career in sports at the St.
Petersburg Times, where he worked as a
desk editor and a reporter. Following that, he worked
as assistant regional editor and national desk copy
Have you included USF in your estate plans?
Planned gifts play an essential role in the long-term goals of the University, helping to sustain and enhance
the quality of our students’ educational experience while providing important resources for our faculty.
By making an estate gift to USF, you are creating a lasting legacy that will support the mission of the
University beyond your lifetime. The President’s Council Legacy Society recognizes those donors who have
committed their support to USF through their estates or other types of planned gifts.
The Office of Gift Planning will be happy to provide you and your professional advisor with information
about the many advantages, including tax and other financial incentives, that can be realized through a
deferred gift to USF.
Please contact the Office of Gift Planning to ask questions or to let us know your intentions. We’d like to
demonstrate our gratitude for your generosity.
University of South Florida Foundation
Office of Gift Planning | (813) 974-1570
planned_gifts@admin.usf.edu or http://www.giving.usf.edu
30 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Don’t be shy Alumni! We’d like to include your news
and photos in Class Notes. Send in your information
to: kjackson@admin.usf.edu or you can mail your
information & photo to:
Karla Jackson
USF Alumni Association
Gibbons Alumni Center
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100
Tampa, FL 33620-5455
chief at the Orlando Sentinel, then as managing
editor in Albany, Ga., at The Albany Herald. Lucas
served as editor and publisher of the daily paper
in the college town of Auburn, Ala., observing up
close the politics of academia and Southeastern
Conference (SEC) sports, which is serious business.
As editor of the Rome News-Tribune in Rome, Ga.,
he spearheaded a project on PCB contamination
from a closed General Electric plant that took the
top honor in investigative reporting from the Georgia
Press Association. The stories led to a settlement
with local government amounting to more than $20
million at last count. He became executive editor
of the paper in Panama City in 2002. Lucas has had
other occupations – before, during and between
newspaper jobs. He worked his way through college
as a dishwasher, waiter and paperboy. He was
a land surveyor for four years, having learned it
from his father, who instilled in him a passion for
accuracy in measurements, which carried over into
a drive for accuracy in word usage. He also was a
real estate broker and mortgage broker, as well as a
restaurant owner and citrus fruit buyer.
80s
Dana Merritt, M.S. Speech Language
Pathology `80, has been twice
recognized by Scientific Learning
Corporation. In February 2008, Merritt
was presented the Innovative Therapist
Award by the nominating committee for the manner
and speed in which her patients progressed
through the Fast ForWord programs. In March 2009,
Merritt won the 4th Annual Pat Wilson Award at
the national Visionary Conference 2009 for Fast
ForWord private providers. This award is given
each year to a private provider who continues the
tradition of excellence in professional outreach and
education, leadership skills, innovation and quality
implementation for which Dr. Wilson was known.
Mary Theresa Spoto, English `80,
M.A. English `83 & Ph.D English `92,
was named dean of the School of Arts
and Sciences at Saint Leo University,
effective July 1. Since 2001, Dr. Spoto
has served as the chair of the English, Fine Arts,
and Humanities Department. From 2007 until 2009
Dr. Spoto served as the faculty representative on
the university’s Board of Trustees. She also has
served as an associate editor for the Florida Foreign
Language Journal. Dr. Spoto co-authored two
textbooks: Fusions: Integrating Values in Higher
Education, and Lions, Leos, and Learners: A Brief
History of Saint Leo University.
Valorie Bauer, Mass Comm. & Art
`83, started a new business, Valorie
Art & Accessories, in which she
designs and creates unique pieces of
hand-painted artwork blending various
mediums with new and vintage materials. Her
work includes collections of canine, casa, clayglass,
couture, contemporary and commissioned
pieces. Select pieces are showcased in a few local
boutiques. Prior to that, she owned and operated
Bauer Event Solutions, Inc., an event-production
company that implemented commercial and private
events throughout the country. She was also director
of marketing and public relations for Mathews
Construction and, prior to that, served as director of
investor relations for the Greater Tampa Chamber
of Commerce. In the 90s, she served as director
of marketing and media for the Crisis Center of
Hillsborough County, Inc. and prior to that was a
promotion manager for Sportsradio 910-WFNS.
She began her career as a broadcasting advertising
manager for the Jack Eckerd Corp. Bauer is married
with three children and serves on many civic and
charitable committees.
Nancy Hamisak, Gerontology `83, is a part-time
physical therapist at St. Anthony’s Hospital in
St. Petersburg and an independent leisure travel
consultant with World Ventures.
Juanita Cook, Sociology `84, retired in February
after working for 35 years, 28 of which were with
the state of Florida and seven with the School
District of Hillsborough County. She is a Life
Member of the USF Alumni Association and also a
member of Pi Gamma Mu. Her husband, Eddie Bruce
Cook, died suddenly in June 2008, as he prepared
to return from a mission trip in Nigeria. He was a
former pharmacist with USF’s pharmacy department.
Karen Ferreri, MBA `84, was named
Lockheed Martin’s Citizen of the Year in
April. She has been with the company
since 1984. The Citizen of the Year
award is presented to individuals whose
generous contribution of time and talent to their
communities have consistently improved the lives of
others. Only two of the division’s 12,000 employees
receive this honor each year. Ferreri and a guest
were flown to Washington, D.C., to the company’s
Evening of the Stars celebration, a black-tie event at
which she was presented with her award. Ferreri is
a finance analyst at the Lockheed Martin facility in
Oldsmar, FL.
Dr. Mona Jain, Ph.D `84, was elected
as the 2009-10 chair of the Florida
Commission on the Status of Women.
The commission is a nonpartisan
board that makes recommendations
to the Governor, Cabinet and Legislature on issues
affecting women. The FCSW also maintains and
facilitates the permanent Florida Women’s Hall of
Fame display in the state Capitol and co-hosts the
annual Florida Conference for Women.
Jerry Nosewicz, Marketing `84, is vice president
of American Specialty Health’s national team for
health plan sales. Nosewicz brings to ASH over
20 years of executive management and specialty
product sales experience in the health and insurance
industries. He received the STAR award from the
National Association of Dental Plans for outstanding
service in 2005.
Charles Polis, Marketing `84, wealth
management advisor with Merrill Lynch
has been promoted to vice president. He
also earned a Certificate of Professional
Development from The Wharton School
at the University of Pennsylvania, upon successful
completion of the school’s Certified Investment
Management Analyst, Investment Strategist,
Endowments & Foundations and Alternative
Investments certificate programs.
Valorie Hoppenworth, B.A. International Studies
`87 & M.A. Rehabilitation Counseling `90, passed
the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor examination
during the summer of 2008.
90s
Jonathan Alexander, English `90,
and his wife, Christy, welcomed their
daughter Aubrey in May 2009. Jonathan
played baseball for USF in `86-`87. The
family lives in Fernandina Beach.
Bobbi (Woodward) Drais, M.S.
Microbiology `90, was promoted to
vice president of regulatory affairs for
Healthpoint, a DFB Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. company based in Fort Worth, TX.
She was most recently senior director of regulatory
affairs for the company. Drais joined Healthpoint
in 2003 and established its regulatory department.
She and her team secured new drug approval and
marketing authorization approval for ATRALIN
(tretinoin) Gel in the U.S. and Europe, the first
Healthpoint proprietary product to achieve such
approval. Drais was also instrumental in gaining
regulatory approval of Collagenase SANTYL®
Ointment in Canada. Prior to joining the DFB
family of companies, Drais was regulatory affairs
manager for Galderma Laboratories, LP; Carrington
Laboratories, Inc. and Smith & Nephew, Inc. She
earned a B.S. in Biology from Messiah College in
Grantham, Pa., before earning a M.S. from USF.
Drais maintains memberships in the Regulatory
Affairs Professional Society and the Drug
Information Association, and she holds a Regulatory
Affairs Certification (RAC).
Steven W. Marcus, Esq.,
Criminology `90 and M.A. Criminology
`95, is a partner at the law firm of
Ruden McClosky in Fort Lauderdale, a
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
31

classnotes
full-service firm with 11 offices throughout Florida
and one in Venezuela. As a member of the firm’s
litigation practice group, Marcus represents clients
in multiple areas of business and commercial
litigation, including large and small corporations
in various industries, developers and property
owners. Marcus earned his law degree from Nova
Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center
(Juris Doctorate, cum laude, 1999.) While at law
school, he served as a senior staff member of
the Nova Law Review and participated in Nova’s
Alternative Dispute Resolution internship program.
He is a member of The Florida Bar and is admitted to
practice before the Northern, Middle and Southern
Districts of Florida, and before the Eleventh Circuit
Court of Appeals. Marcus currently serves on the
board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation, South Florida Chapter, where he actively
participates in the recruitment of corporate sponsors
and fund-raising events. He is also a member of the
Broward County Bar Association and the Greater
Plantation Chamber of Commerce.
Ron Dollar, LMHC, B.A. Political Science `91 &
M.A. Rehabilitation Counseling `95, is a candidate
for the doctoral program in Counselor Education
at USF. He has worked in both public and private
sector addictions treatment programs and also has a
private practice. He is a follower of mindfulness and
Buddhist psychology.
Michael Novilla, Marketing `91 and MBA `93,
opened NOVA 535, a modern event space and
lounge setting that serves as a venue for art, music,
film, fashion shows, as well as private events such
as weddings, receptions, corporate events, VIP
parties and more. Novilla and his team renovated
the space in downtown St. Petersburg – which in
the 1920s was originally known as Slap Happy’s –
spending three years and $3 million to transform the
building into a modern event space and art lounge.
Novilla also owns Crescent Lake Apartments in St.
Petersburg.
Mike Rowan, Special Education `93 & M.Ed
Educational Leadership `04, is athletic director and
assistant principal for administration at Wharton
High in New Tampa. He’s been at the school for
three years and in education for 15 years. He and
his wife Roxanne have two kids, a daughter, 9, and
a son, 7.
Jeffery Hess, Professional Writing `94, is the
editor of Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform, an
anthology of military-related fiction released in May.
The anthology contains 24 stories by both renowned
and emerging writers, with a portion of the proceeds
going to USA Cares, a charity that provides financial
aid to post 9/11 military families. Hess served six
years in the U.S. Navy during the Cold War. He has
worked at a major daily newspaper, a Fortune 500
company and a university-based research center.
Hess now lives in Tampa, where he is completing
a novel and leading creative writing workshops for
military veterans.
David Martinez, Physical Education
`94 & M.A. Physical Education `98,
was named Adapted Physical Education
Teacher of the Year in April by the
American Alliance for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD).
He also earned the 2009 award for AAHPERD’s
Southern District and for Georgia in 2008. He is a
certified adapted physical education specialist and
Special Olympics co-coordinator for the Cherokee
County School District in Georgia.
Renee Richardson Bachia,
Criminology `95, was one of 70 K-12
teachers from across America to receive
the 2009 Milken Educator Award, which
includes a cash award of $25,000.
Richardson Bachia is a fourth grade teacher at
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Academy in East Orange,
N.J. Since starting at the school in 2002, she has
almost doubled the percentage of students meeting
or exceeding state standards in language arts to 92
percent in 2007. That same year, 100 percent of the
school’s fourth graders scored proficient in math.
Her math lessons were made into a video to serve
as a model for other teachers. She has mentored
first-year teachers, presented best practices at
staff meetings and district-level events, and has
participated in designing and evaluating programs
for professional development. As a principal intern,
Richardson Bachia created a Parent Academy that
provides parents with information and workshops to
help improve their lives socially and economically.
Joie Chitwood, MBA `95, is the
president and chief operating officer of
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He
recently received the SportsBusiness
Journal Forty Under 40 Award, a
prestigious, national program that identifies and
honors the most promising young executives in
sports business younger than age 40. Chitwood
joined the IMS staff as senior vice president,
business affairs in 2002. In December 2004, he
was promoted to president and chief operating
officer of IMS and oversees daily operations for
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the
Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. During Chitwood’s
tenure as president and COO, IMS has continued
to grow in all aspects of its business operations,
including the addition of the Red <strong>Bull</strong> Indianapolis
GP MotoGP event to the annual schedule in 2008.
Chitwood was one of the first staff members of the
Indy Racing League, as the liaison to its teams, and
in 2002 he had the honor of serving as pace car
driver for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. His family
connection to IMS dates to the late 1930s when his
grandfather began competing in the Indianapolis
500. Before joining the IMS executive staff,
Chitwood was vice president and general manager
of Raceway Associates, LLC, which oversaw
construction of the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway
in Joliet, IL, from 1999-2002. Chitwood is a member
of the 2012 Super Bowl bid committee, on the board
of trustees for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of
America, a member of the advisory committee for
the Sports Executive Leadership Conference and an
adjunct professor at Marian College in Indianapolis.
Dr. Richard Stephen “Steve” Taylor, EMBA
`95, is the new chief medical officer for Cape Fear
Valley Health System. Previously, he was executive
vice president and chief medical officer of Piedmont
Healthcare in Atlanta. Before that, he was vice
president of medical affairs for Craven Regional
Medical Center in New Bern. He received his
medical degree from St. Louis University School
of Medicine and worked as an internist in private
practice for about 10 years.
Christi Hildebrand, Elementary
Education `98, was named principal
of Elm Street Elementary School for
the 2009-10 school year. She was
previously the Coweta County (Georgia)
school system’s School Improvement and Testing
Coordinator. Hildebrand is pursuing her doctorate.
Her husband, Clay Hildebrand, `97, teaches math at
Smokey Road Middle School, and was the Coweta
County School System’s 2007 Teacher of the Year
and a finalist for 2009 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Mei-Wa Tammy Tam, Speech/Language/
Hearing Sciences`98, M.S. Audiology `01 & Ph.D in
Communication Sciences & Disorders `08, presented
a paper on “Effects of Age and Hearing Loss on
Perception of Dynamic Speech Cues” at the 19th
Annual USF Health Research Day. Tammy works
with USF College of Medicine, Otolaryngology -
Head & Neck Surgery.
Serena Jhangiani, Advertising `99, is a graphic
designer at Landor Associates in the Cincinnati
area. Previously, she was assistant news editor at
The Albany Herald, internal news editor at Habitat
for Humanity International and an intern at DDB
Needham and Saatchi & Saatchi.
John M. Roberts, M.A. Psychology
`99, has written Igniting Inspiration:
A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries.
Roberts explains the fundamental basis
and human actions contributing to
global warming and offers bold new strategic ways
to overcome it. Roberts is also a highly acclaimed
speaker and an emerging thought leader within the
sustainability movement. He has a weekly segment
on the “Green-To-Go” radio show with Betsy
Rosenberg and leads workshops and lectures on the
topic.
32
32 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Don’t be shy Alumni! We’d like to include your news
and photos in Class Notes. Send in your information
to: kjackson@admin.usf.edu or you can mail your
information & photo to:
Karla Jackson
USF Alumni Association
Gibbons Alumni Center
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100
Tampa, FL 33620-5455
00s
Gregg Armstrong, LMHC, CAP, M.A.
Rehabilitation Counseling `00, is manager of
addictions programs for a private sector behavioral
health care firm in Gainesville, FL. He recently
published an article co-authored with Dr. Susan
Kelley, “Early Trauma and Subsequent Antisocial
Behavior in Adults,” in the journal Treatment and
Crisis Intervention.
Josie Koler, Broadcast News `00,
has returned to Florida as the Key West
Bureau Chief for her family owned
and operated company, The Weekly
Newspapers. After an internship with
WTSP-CBS in Tampa, Koler began her
on-air career as the morning and noon anchor with
WHIZ-NBC Zanesville, OH. She also hosted a local
cooking show. After that, she moved to Sioux City,
IA, for a morning show anchor position with CBS
affiliate KMEG. She was promoted to primary anchor
and spent two years writing and producing the 6
p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts before being asked to
relaunch a CBS affiliate, CBS 2 News, or KGAN, in
Cedar Rapids. Career highlights include covering
the Iowa caucuses, as well as numerous franchise
reports: “Consumer Watch,” “Day Tripper with Josie
Koler,” “Does it Work?,” “Scholarshares,” “Josie
Koler’s Your Life ... Your Way,” and “Cooking with
Chef Rocco Valentino at the Inn at Eaglesticks.” She
was recognized for her public affairs reporting by the
Iowa Broadcast News Association for an in-depth
series she presented called “Single Mom, Disabled
Child.” In addition she earned two Telly Awards for
“The Celebration of Freedom,” a public service show
covering the 4th of July Celebration live from May’s
Island in 2006 and 2007. Josie has also been heavily
involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, Big
Brothers Big Sisters, March of Dimes, The National
Parks and Recreation Department, Muscular
Dystrophy Association, and Pheasants Forever.
Recently, she worked for WNWO, an NBC affiliate in
Toledo, OH, before joining her brother, Jason Koler,
owner and editor of The Weekly Newspapers in the
Florida Keys.
Mary O’Connor, Nursing ‘00, graduated with a
Master’s degree in Nursing Education from Florida
State University. Mary is employed at Sarasota
Memorial Hospital.
April Monteith, Finance `01 and MBA `03, was
promoted to vice president in Regions Bank’s
Commercial Middle Market team in Florida.
Chloe Firebaugh, Finance `02,
was elected the 2009-10 president of
the Junior League of St. Petersburg.
Firebaugh has been a member of
the organization since 2000 and has
held numerous leadership positions. The Junior
League of St. Petersburg is an organization of
women committed to promoting volunteerism,
developing the potential of women and to improving
the community through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers.
Katherine Fuerth, Psychology `02, M.A.
Rehabilitation Counseling `05 & Ph.D Curriculum
& Instruction `08, is an assistant professor of
Counseling at Barry University.
Michael Giel, English `02, has joined
the commercial litigation firm of Volpe,
Bajalia, Wickes, Rogerson & Wachs, P.A.
in Jacksonville, Fla. Prior to this, Giel
was an associate with the Jacksonville
office of McGuireWoods LLP. He also served in the
United States Marine Corps from 1996 to 2000 as a
machine gunner before earning his degree from USF.
In 2005 Giel earned his Juris Doctorate degree from
the University of Chicago Law School, where he was
South Africa Escapade
October 5-14, 2009
Space is limited!
Find out more by calling Heather Galterio at 813.974.6099
or visiting www.USFalumni.org
(click on <strong>Bull</strong>sMall in the left-hand column, then select Travel)
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
33

classnotes
a member of the Chicago Journal of International
Law. After graduation, he clerked for the Honorable
Emerson R. Thompson, Jr. of Florida’s Fifth District
Court of Appeals in Daytona Beach, FL.
Adam Smith, P.E., Civil Engineering
`03, is a senior project engineer
for MSCW, Inc., in Orlando. He
recently earned Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED)
accreditation. The LEED Accredited Professional
(AP) Exam is offered to professionals to further
demonstrate their knowledge of green building
practices and guidelines in order to design
environmentally friendly buildings. Smith joined
MSCW in 2003. He is also an adjunct professor at
Valencia Community College and serves as an active
member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Quentin Earl Darrington, Theatre `04, earned
rave reviews for his performance in the role of
Coalhouse Walker, Jr., in a revival of “Ragtime,”
at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater in
April and May. The production of “Ragtime” was
part of the Kennedy Center’s season-long initiative,
Broadway: The Third Generation, celebrating the
current generation of Broadway musical composers.
Laura Fontanills, Mass
Communications `04, has
joined Common Language of St.
Petersburg as an account manager.
Fontanills responsibilities include
the development and implementation of
communications programs, project management,
media relations activities and social media strategy.
Previously, Fontanills worked at Tucker/Hall, Inc., a
public relations and public affairs firm in Tampa. She
was also a 2008 graduate of Leadership Tampa Bay.
Patricia Irwin, M.A. Rehabilitation Counseling
`04, is a candidate for the doctoral program in
Counselor Education at the University of Virginia,
Charlottesville.
Ashley C. Troutman, Marketing `04, is a
co-author of a poetry book called Black Pride,
published by the Brown Bear publishing company.
The book was featured in the Florida Sentinel and
The Lakeland Ledger. Troutman is also a sales
representative for Allstate.
Katie Reagan, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
`05, and Matthew O’Brien, Political Science `07,
were married on April 4, 2009.
Sarah Van Blaricum, Mass Communications `06,
was part of a team of USF Mass Communications
students and alumni who created a slogan and
mascot for the City of Tampa’s first anti-litter
campaign, “Treasure Tampa: A Clean City is Worth
Preserving.” The campaign, and the mascot they
created, Captain Green Eye, were featured in a
recent issue of South Tampa Magazine.
Justin Littlejohn, Marketing `06 & MBA `08, is
a marketing specialist for HomeBancorp, Inc. at the
Tampa headquarters on East Kennedy Boulevard.
Littlejohn has more than seven years of marketing
experience. He is a member of the USF Alumni
Association, Delta Chi and Beta Gamma Sigma.
Anais Sori, English `07, is the alumni relations
coordinator for the Hispanic Association of Colleges
and Universities (HACU). HACU representes 450
colleges and universities committed to Hispanic
higher education success in the U.S., Puerto
Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Hispanic
Business Magazine recently named HACU one of
the nation’s top Hispanic nonprofits. Prior to joining
HACU, Sori served as an intern with the office of
Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis and also with The
United States Department of State, Foreign Service
Institute, Career Transition Center.
Get Your USF <strong>Bull</strong>s License Plate TODAY
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Go online to www.bullsplate.org to download your voucher.
34
34 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

Don’t be shy Alumni! We’d like to include your news
and photos in Class Notes. Send in your information
to: kjackson@admin.usf.edu or you can mail your
information & photo to:
Karla Jackson
USF Alumni Association
Gibbons Alumni Center
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100
Tampa, FL 33620-5455
Reed Hammond, Executive MBA `08, has been
named assistant administrator for Crossgates
River Oaks Hospital in Brandon, MS. He previously
worked in Nashville as claims supervisor for Cigna
Government Services.
Nancy Olliver, M.S. Nursing `08,
received a $107,000 grant from the
Florida Department of Health to produce
three webinars for healthcare providers,
in partnership with the American Cancer
Society and the Tobacco Research Intervention
Program at Moffitt Cancer Center, to increase
awareness about the effects tobacco prevention and
cessation will have on chronic disease outcomes
with a focus on head, neck and throat cancer. Olliver
is employed at Moffitt Cancer Center in the Patient
Smoking Cessation Program and is vice president
of the Women’s Wellness Society, a national
organization committed to bridging the gap between
women and wellness. WWS launched its Tampa
chapter in April.
Jason Richards, Mass Communications `08, won
an Edward R. Murrow award for his photojournalism
work at the Fort Myers Fox affiliate WFTX-Ch. 4.
Richards and reporter Marisa Mendelson won the
award for their story on a mold infestation in a
southwest Florida community.
In Memoriam
Eddie Bruce Cook, 6/24/2008
Amber Enrille, `00, 7/2/2005
Darcy Enrille, `07, 11/8/2008
Julian Clancy Frazier, `03, 12/7/2006
Dr. Dennis Higgins, `73 & M.A. `74, 4/18/2009
Susan Elaine Hussey, M.A. `85, 2/18/2009
Aly Lakdawala, `09, 5/19/2009
Lise M. Lawson, `72, M.A. `78, MBA `85 &
Ph.D `01, 4/30/2009
In the <strong>Bull</strong>s Eye … Glenn Magner, American Studies, `82, Pueblo, CO
By Anna Peters
Class of 2009
In 1942, a sixteen-year-old Glenn
Magner enlisted with the U.S. Army.
Sixty-six years later, his service during
WWII as a Technical Sergeant is not
going unnoticed.
Magner has been awarded the
National Order of the Legion of
Honor, France’s highest award.
“I accepted the award on behalf
of all the people that I served with
who were not able to return from the
war,” Magner said.
Magner served in General Patton’s
3rd Army, and from October
1944 to April 1945 he experienced
heavy combat in Europe.
“It was a world war and I was
young and inexperienced as far as the
world was concerned. I found it was
tough going for me to see so many
people that were killed and wounded
and the destruction of so many cities;
just everywhere total destruction.”
Magner said. “It was frightening. It
was awesome. It was something that
was so bad you almost immediately
forgot it because if you didn’t you’d
go crazy.”
French Ambassador Pierre Vimont
presented Magner with the honor in
a private ceremony in Beverly Hills,
California in December 2008 (photo at
right).
Magner’s military service ended
in 1945 and he went on to become
an air traffic controller for the Federal
Aviation Authority in Tampa, where
he worked until 1982. As a child who
grew up during the Great Depression,
Magner said he never dreamed of
ever earning a college degree.
“At that time I had only an eighth
grade education, I was a Depression
child with no hope of ever going to
college, much less even high school,”
Magner said. “But, I vowed to myself
that I would one day earn a college
degree.”
After the war, a determined Magner
earned his GED and applied to
college. In his early fifties, he found
himself as a college freshman at the
University of South Florida.
“I was very fortunate; I had a
good time. I had a lot of real nice
classmates who all accepted me,”
Magner said. “I managed to graduate
magna cum laude. USF was an easy
school to get into to, I thought, but
hard as heck to graduate, and that’s as
it should be.”
Magner now lives in Pueblo,
Colorado, with his wife LeeAnn.
JULY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE
35

athletics
Paving the
Way in Sports
Journalism
By Merlisa Lawrence Corbett
Class of 1987
1972 Sandy (Wright) Rosenbush
In entered USF eyeing a degree in
Rehabilitation Studies. The Hillsborough
High School graduate started writing
for the Oracle as a freshman. Elected
editor of the campus paper her last two
quarters, Rosenbush switched her major
to Mass Communications. The switch
stuck. Rosenbush has been editing ever
since.
“Working on that paper was one
of my best journalistic experiences and,
without it, I’d probably have remained a
sociology major,” said Rosenbush.
On Aug. 8, Rosenbush, an editor at
ESPN, and Leon Carter, Sports Editor of
the New York Daily News, will receive
the Legacy Award from the National
Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)
for their work with the Sports Journalism
Institute (SJI). The two will be honored
at NABJ’s Salute to Excellence Gala
in Tampa as part of the organization’s
annual convention.
“It’s overwhelming to me that
our work has been recognized with
this award, and it means a lot to the
program,” said Rosbenbush.
NABJ President Barbara Ciara
praised Rosenbush and Carter in a
statement announcing the honor. “Leon
and Sandy sacrificed their personal time,
vacation time and they put the careers of
others ahead of their own because they
saw a need,” said Ciara. “No one asked
them to do this, but they put their money
where their mouths are to protect the
integrity of newsrooms and bring up a
new generation of sports journalists.”
The Sports Journalism Institute is
a nine-week training and internship
program for college students interested
in sports journalism careers. The Institute
attracts minority students to print
journalism and works in conjunction
with the Poynter Institute in St.
Petersburg. Paid eight-week internships
at newspapers around the country follow
the training week.
A champion for women and
minorities in sports journalism,
Rosenbush entered the industry in
the late 1970s when few women had
leadership roles in sports. Her first sports
job was at the now-defunct Clearwater
Sun. She left Clearwater to work at the
Chicago Sun-Times as a copy editor
before joining The Washington Post. In
nine years at The
Washington Post,
Rosenbush moved
from the copy desk
to deputy sports
editor. She left the
Post to work at
the International
Herald Tribune in
Paris, at the time
a joint-venture
between The
Washington Post
and New York
Times. After 18
months, Rosenbush
became deputy
sports editor at The
New York Times.
Sports Illustrated
hired her in
1993, where she
remained until leaving in 2006 to join the
Teaching Fellows program.
After completing the program she
joined ESPN as a multi-platform news
editor, working with crews covering
games on the network. She finds her
new job exciting. “I was on the sidelines
of the 2009 Rose Bowl with reporter Lisa
Salters,” she said.
Rosenbush and Carter developed
the idea of starting the institute in 1992
at an NABJ convention in Detroit. “Leon
Carter and I had a unique opportunity
then. He was the NABJ Sports Task Force
chairman and I was the Associated Press
NABJ Legacy Award winners Sandy
Rosenbush and Leon Carter.
Sports Editors president. We decided we
wanted to do something to get more
people who looked like us – women and
minorities – a chance in the business, so
it wasn’t always the same 10-20 people
moving around! We brainstormed there
and with help and funding from the
Freedom Forum, SJI was born.”
Along the way, Rosenbush
developed a passion for teaching. In
2008 she received her M.A. in Secondary
English Education from Brooklyn
College. In addition to her teaching roll
at SJI, Rosenbush is a certified middle
school and high school classroom
teacher. Last summer Rosenbush was
part of the New
York City Teaching
Fellows program, in
which she received
certification and
taught two years in
high-needs public
schools. “I love
the kids and I love
teaching,” she said.
Even with
the crisis facing
newspapers
today, Rosenbush
believes SJI remains
important. The
program, once
centered on print
journalism, has
evolved to include
more multimedia
instruction and
this year has an intern at ESPN – a first.
“We tell our students it’s important to
remember that reporting, accuracy and
information are not at risk, it’s more
how that will be delivered – digitally,
electronically, over the television, in
print. … But people still want to know
what is going on, and we still need to be
watchdogs.”
Rosenbush received the 1999
Outstanding Alumnus Award from USF’s
Mass Communications department and
often returns to the Tampa area where
she has many relatives. She said she
would love to teach at USF some day.
36 ALUMNIVOICE | JULY 2009

calendaryour
membership
in action
July 10 – Creating a Cultural Shift toward Peace: The Need for a
National Symbol, 12:15 p.m., USF Tampa campus, Westside
Conference Center. RSVP to http://www.outreach.usf.edu >
Friday Lecture Series.
10 – USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Board Retreat: Public
Welcome, 1 – 5 p.m., USFSM campus, Selby auditorium.
RSVP to levensen@sar.usf.edu
21 – College of Business Society Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Lee Roy
Selmon’s on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at 17508 Dona
Michelle Drive. RSVP to bsbuckley@tecoenergy.com.
25 – USF Botanical Gardens Volunteer Training, 10 a.m.,
USF Tampa campus. Call (813) 974-2329 for details.
26 – Pinellas Alumni Chapter 4th Annual Preseason Tailgate,
2 – 6 p.m., Capogna’s Dugout, 1653 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd.,
Clearwater. RSVP to usfmutt@hotmail.com.
August
1 – USF Night with the Rays, 4:10 p.m., Tropicana Field,
St. Petersburg. Visit www.raysbaseball.com/usf for details.
8 – Summer Commencement, 9 a.m. & 1:30 p.m., USF Tampa
campus. Call the info line at (813) 974-2329 for details.
24 – First day of fall classes.
27 – USF Round Up, 7 p.m., USF Sun Dome.
September
7 – Labor Day. All campuses closed.
15 – USF Hispanic Heritage Month begins.
Contact lopez@coedu.usf.edu for details.
22 – Autumn begins.
Events and dates are subject to change. Please visit the USF Alumni Association website at www.USFalumni.org for the latest information.

USF Alumni Association
Gibbons Alumni Center
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100
Tampa, FL. 33620-5455
PERIODICALS
Membership Renewal Date: