2019-20 WLP Annual Report

MISSION
MEMBERSHIP
Dear Members and Partners,
This year we celebrate the 15th anniversary of
the founding of USF Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy and honor the legacy of leadership of
Stephanie Goforth and the Hon. Sandra Freedman.
Although we are apart, we are more united than ever
in support of the vision of our insightful founders to
recognize, encourage and uphold the USF women
leaders of today and tomorrow. The success of our
mission speaks for itself, with over 330 individual
and 26 corporate members, 200+ WLP scholars,
and 6 competitive faculty awards presented annually.
Since our founding, we have raised almost $6
million and have invested well over $1 million
in support of our mission.
WLP members know the collective joy of reaching
back to help the next generation achieve their
educational and career goals through investing in
scholarships, meaningful mentoring, and leadership
development programs. In addition to supporting
our students, we take special pride in providing
transformational grants to six female faculty
members each year through the Dr. Kathleen
Moore Faculty Excellence Award program.
record setting 79 WLP scholars became new
graduates. We applaud their accomplishments
and look forward to celebrating their future
achievements and impact on our region, our state,
and our world.
None of these successes would be possible without
the tireless work of our dedicated WLP staff and
volunteer leaders, especially in this unusual year.
We also salute all USF faculty and staff who ensure
the uninterrupted delivery of a preeminent USF
education under difficult circumstances on all
three USF campuses – Tampa, St. Petersburg, and
Sarasota-Manatee..
The continued success of WLP is the direct result
of the generosity of all of our members who lend
their time, talent, and treasure to make WLP the
impactful organization that it has become. In this,
our 15th year, we are more grateful than ever for
our Founding, Lifetime, Corporate and individual
members for fulfilling the vision of our founders
through their engagement and continued
leadership and support.
The mission of the USF Women in
Leadership & Philanthropy program is to
engage and educate visionary leaders and
philanthropists to make a difference for
women throughout USF and in
the community.
SOURCES OF
WLP FUNDS
The structure and function of the USF
WLP program requires a consistent source
of spendable income. Because the majority
of individual gifts to WLP are made to
restricted endowed funds, our primary
sources of operating income include annual
membership contributions, corporate
memberships, sponsorships and ticket
sales from the Annual Fall Symposium and
other WLP events, and contributions from
the USF Faculty & Staff Campaign. WLP
also benefits from the investment of staff
salary and budgetary support provided by
the USF Foundation.
USF WLP’s groundwork was established well
over a decade ago by our founding members
whose initial investments created a firm
foundation for the fulfillment of WLP’s
mission. By establishing individual endowed
scholarship funds, contributing to the WLP
endowed scholarship, and building the
program endowment, our Founding, Lifetime,
Individual and Corporate members provide
WLP the strong basis for the tremendous
growth and impact that distinguishes the
program today.
On our 15th anniversary, we are delighted to
announce that this past academic year (2019-20),
despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, a
Lagretta Lenker, Ph.D. ‘92
Chair, USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy

OUR IMPACT
Founded in 2005 by a small group of individuals
and Tampa Bay area foundations and corporations,
USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP)
advanced a collective vision to create the first
women’s philanthropic organization in the Tampa
Bay region focused on developing the intellectual
and leadership potential of women through the
promotion of mentorship, philanthropy, community
engagement and scholarly excellence. 15 years
later, WLP – now numbering more than 330
individual and 26 corporate members strong –
has helped stimulate numerous transformational
gifts to benefit USF; has directly raised well over
$6 million to support our mission; and has invested
more than $1.5 million in grants, scholarships, and
programmatic funding to assist female students,
faculty members, and women in the Tampa Bay
region. These achievements are a clear sign that
USF WLP is a trailblazer in advancing women’s
leadership and philanthropy in our communities
and is fulfilling the vision of our founding members.
Since our founding, WLP has awarded more than
$1 million in scholarships, has devoted countless
mentoring hours to over 1,000 students, and has
provided transformational grants to 41 female
faculty members through the Dr. Kathleen Moore
Faculty Excellence Award program. WLP presents
a wide variety of educational and leadership
development programs annually at all three USF
campuses and in the surrounding communities,
and has formed formal mentoring partnerships
with numerous campus colleges, units, and
other entities.
In 2016, in partnership with Valley Bank, WLP
formed the WISE (Women Who Ignite Student
Engagement) Advisory Council. Together with
the WLP Mentoring and Program Committees
and with the WLP/WISE Advisory Council, we
developed and launched USF’s first student-led
women’s leadership symposium in spring 2017.
The continued success of WLP is the result of
the collective generosity of all of our members,
who lend their time, talent, and treasure to
make WLP the impactful organization that
it has become. We celebrate our Founding,
Lifetime, Corporate and Individual members
and thank them for their continued, impactful
engagement and support!
MEMBERSHIP TYPES
Annual members ($1,000 per year, $500 per year for those 35 and younger) and Corporate members
($5,000 per year) support WLP programmatic offerings and outreach initiatives and help expand
the impact of the WLP Endowed, WLP First Generation, WLP/USF St. Petersburg and WLP/USF
Sarasota-Manatee scholarship funds. Members contributing at the endowment level ($25,000 or
above) join our list of Lifetime members.
CORPORATE MEMBER PROGRAM
Our Corporate Member program has grown from one member (Florida Blue) in July 2013 to the 26
members listed below.

The Power of the Collective:
15 Years of Women in Leadership & Philanthropy at USF
For Carol Morsani, it began with a meeting
between herself, Julie Gillespie and Dr. Juel
Smith.“Julie brought us all together to
convince us this was a good idea and
something that was needed,” said Morsani.
The “good idea” was creating the first
women’s philanthropic organization in the
Tampa Bay region focused on developing
the intellectual and leadership potential of
women. This idea, launched by Morsani,
Founding Executive Director Dr. Juel Smith,
and a small group of founding members,
become USF Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy (WLP). Fast-forward to today
and WLP has grown tremendously in size,
scope and impact, boasting over 330
individual and 26 corporate members, but
recruiting the first of these was a task Morsani
described in one word: difficult.
“When you start a new program, especially
when it is the first of its kind, nobody knows
quite what it’s going to be or how it’s going to
develop,” she said. Many women she talked to
felt USF was geographically too far for them
to get involved, but Morsani encouraged them
to come to campus and learn more. “It was a
struggle to begin with, but we did it.”
In the 15 years since its founding, WLP has
raised over $6 million to assist students and
faculty members. More than $1 million of
that has been in scholarship support awarded
to almost 1,000 students.
Scholars receive more than just funds,
as WLP members also mentor students
and provide transformational leadership
development, training and networking
opportunities. WLP recently launched the
InvestInHER Student Support program to
provide emergency financial assistance and
supplemental support to ensure that WLP
scholars succeed.
In addition to providing scholarship awards
for students, each year WLP awards six grants
through the Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty
Excellence Award program to faculty
members at USF whose research and creative
efforts focus on women, women’s issues and
women’s initiatives. Recipients receive a
one-time, $5,000 award to recognize faculty
research and instructional excellence and to
support their continued scholarship.
Wanting to recognize WLP’s milestone
anniversary and publicly acknowledge her
satisfaction with the evolution of the program,
in March 2020, Morsani met with WLP
Executive Director India Witte to make a
$100,000 gift to establish the WLP/Faculty
Excellence Award Endowment in support
of the faculty award program.“I think it’s an
excellent idea to help women with their
research and their professional pursuits. It
pleases me to help women reach their goals,
and I encourage other women to do the same
sort of thing,” said Morsani.
Morsani is overjoyed to the see the organization
she helped found flourishing.“When we started
the program, we hoped it would be successful.
Never could I imagine how it has grown and
flourished, that it would be here 15 years down
the road, prospering and helping women and
helping faculty,” said Morsani. “I’m just
pleased and proud. I think it is a wonderful
program.”
WLP Salutes
Julie Gillespie ’82
Since 1981, Julie Gillespie has played an
integral role in building the people and
programs that make USF great. Julie was
quite literally “in the room where it happened”
as WLP was conceived, and was a steady
supporter and advocate for the program
throughout our 15 year evolution.
On September 2, 2020, Julie announced
her retirement from USF after 33 years of
distinguished service. We will be forever
grateful for Julie’s passion, care and
commitment. She has been a cornerstone
in WLP’s success!

Out of Adversity,
WLP Members Create InvestInHER
Historically, Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy scholars are accomplished,
focused young women. They arrive at the
University of South Florida with a plan. They
have selected a major. They know how long it’s
going to take them to finish their studies. They
know what other obligations they have to juggle
and balance, perhaps children at home or
caring for aging parents.
“We’re very proud of the hundreds of young
women scholars studying at USF with our help,”
said Dr. Liana Fernandez Fox, a longtime
member of WLP and chair of the InvestInHER
effort.
But even the most carefully laid plans can
be upended by unexpected events — like the
COVID-19 pandemic that began this spring.
“There were arrows coming at them from all
sides,” said Fernandez Fox, explaining how
for some WLP scholars, job furloughs turned
into job losses and eventually trouble making
ends meet.
“It’s been really heartbreaking to read some of the
stories. Internships that were promised and then
pulled. Everything was in place and then, whoa,”
said Fernandez Fox. “We said, ‘Okay, when our
students get desperate and have no other place to
turn and they decide to call 911, we’re going to
be the one who answers that call for them,” said
Fernandez Fox.
Out of adversity, the InvestInHER Student
Support initiative was born. InvestInHER
provides emergency funds intended to meet the
unexpected financial needs that might otherwise
derail a student’s progress. This one-time help is
meant to supplement the scholarship, mentoring
and leadership development services WLP
provides to scholars.
It seems almost fitting for this initiative to launch
during WLP’s 15th anniversary year. India Witte,
executive director of WLP said this new fund is
a natural extension of the organization’s original
mission.
“We like to think it’s kind of the silver lining of
this,” said Witte. “We have seen this as the next
step in our wraparound, programmatic servicing
of our students.”
Recipients can use the funds for a wide variety of
emergency expenses, from paying for necessities
like food, housing or utility bills, to covering
educational costs, such as technology or course
materials. The funds can also be used for
conference registration fees, networking event
fees, admission exam fees, or education deposits,
so scholars don’t miss out on these crucial
experiences due to financial circumstances.
An example: WLP scholars who would normally
use the campus computer labs to complete their
work, found them closed suddenly at the start of
the pandemic. This prompted a need to purchase a
computer or perhaps expensive software in order to
complete their class — an unexpected expense that
used up money they had originally budgeted to pay
their rent.
“These are the kinds of things that are happening.
I hope they feel they can come to us,” said
Fernandez Fox, explaining that many WLP
scholars haven’t had an example to look up to
of how women support each other, applaud each
other’s accomplishments and come running to
aid when there is a need.
“Our group does that very, very well,” she said. “It’s
just the nature of the group, and it’s wonderful
for our scholars to be exposed to that while they’re
going through their academic career.”
Leveraging the energy generated by the #BullsUnited
in Action initiative in June and July, more than
$26,000 has already been raised for the InvestInHER
fund, and over $9,000 in emergency grants have
been awarded by the committee.
WLP is currently able to meet the needs of
applicants. But as more students learn help is
available — and the longer the pandemic persists —
they foresee the need is going to increase, which is
why InvestInHER will be an ongoing campaign.
Though the pandemic was the catalyst for the
creation of this fund, Fernandez Fox said
InvestInHER will continue to provide support
to WLP scholars in need long after COVID-19
is a memory.
“We know that these emergencies are going to
continue,” said Fernandez Fox. “Hopefully not to
the degree at which they’re occurring right now, but
with this emergency funding in place students will
have someplace to go to for help.”

In remembrance of Alena Frey ’19
USF College of Public Health alumna Alena
Frey’s passion for public health was evident
during her tenure as an undergraduate student.
While working toward earning her bachelor’s
degree in public health, Frey
always found a way to help
promote the health of
the community.
She served as an HIV/AIDS
testing counselor at the USF
Health BRIDGE Clinic and
the Ybor Youth Clinic. She
was also president of the USF
Undergraduate Public Health
Student Association and led the
USF delegation to San Diego
during the Association of Schools
and Programs of Public Health
(ASPPH) annual meeting, served
as a GloBull Ambassador for
study abroad programs at USF, and was an active
member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority. She
was also a recipient of a USF Stampede of Service
award for her volunteerism. Shortly after
graduation from the College of Public Health
(COPH) in the spring of 2019, she was part of the
COPH alumni group who visited the American
Public Health Association’s advocacy bootcamp
in Washington D.C.
While working toward her master’s in health
science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health. Alena was an advocacy
committee member with the National Kidney
Foundation, working
alongside elected officials to
promote legislation supporting
kidney disease and organ
donation—a cause for which
she had firsthand experience.
Frey, who graduated from
Plant High School in Tampa,
Fla. was also the recipient of a
heart transplant in her infancy
and a kidney transplant as a
teenager.
Alena Frey passed away at the
age of 23 on June 19, 2020,
but left a lasting impression
on many COPH alumni and
faculty during her time at the college and in the
community.
“Alena was the epitome of a student who
practiced their public health passion,” said USF
College of Public Health Dean Donna Petersen,
an active Women in Leadership & Philanthropy
member. “She was a dedicated student and we
at the USF College of Public Health are so
thankful for the opportunity to engage with
such an incredible person.”
Frey with USF College of Public Health Dean Donna
Petersen (right) and Associate Dean of Academic and
Student Affairs Dr. Kay Perrin (left) at the USF College
of Public Health’s undergraduate pinning ceremony
for spring 2019 graduates. (Photo by Ellen Kent)
“I distinctly remember when she took my Intro
to Health Advocacy course, which was when I
first got to know her well,” said Dr. Anna Torrens
Armstrong, USF COPH assistant professor. “She
was already an advocate for the things that were so
important to her. Her zest for life was contagious,
and once you got to know her, and hear her story,
you understood just a little bit better why. She was
truly an inspiration to all who knew her.”
Alena Frey (front left) with COPH classmates at the
APHA’s advocacy bootcamp in Washington, D.C.
(Photo courtesy of Shawn Zamani)
Frey with classmates Stephen Tellone (left) and Jahvon
Johnson (right). (Photo courtesy of Tellone)
Through the generosity of friends and family, an
endowed scholarship in Alena Frey’s memory has
been created in the USF Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy program, which will benefit public
health students like Alena for generations to come.
Story by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health

WLP’s 4th Annual WISE Symposium
Builds Relationships and Leadership Skills
On March 6, nearly 300 University of South
Florida students and Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy members gathered in the Marshall
Center Ballroom for the 4th annual Women
who Ignite Student Engagement (WISE)
Student Symposium. Sponsored by Valley Bank,
the WISE Symposium is a student-led program
organized in partnership with WLP, that enables
the next generation of leaders to learn from
dynamic speakers, exchange ideas and chart their
own paths for success.
Gina Folk, the COO and principal advisor
at SHE Advisors, kicked off the symposium
with a breakfast keynote on her three guiding
principles: aspirations without attachments,
understand your individuality and then own it
and pack a growth mindset.
The following Coffee & Conversations session
offered students a stress-free networking session
with WLP members. “Networking can be
daunting as a college student,” said Nirali Shah,
a WISE Advisory Council member and junior
studying psychology. “What is unique to this
event is the ability to build relationships and get
advice from professional women who have
actually been through it and are at different levels
of their careers. I hope students walk away with
a potential mentor who is willing to talk to you
about their experiences.”
The half-day symposium, themed “Navigating
Your Success: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination,”
featured all-women panel sessions with wellknown
business executives and community
leaders. Panelists shared stories of finding their
personal paths to success and embracing the
many lessons they experienced along the way.
“The quote that I live by is ‘do it afraid,’” said
Kristen McCall, vice president of AdventHealth
Foundation of West Florida. “That’s been my
entire career. It is the times you feel weak and
scared that you grow.”
That advice resonated deeply with WISE
Advisory Council member Holly Lippman,
a sophomore studying marketing at USF.
“At first it felt like being thrown into the deep
end,” said Lippman, reflecting on her experience
joining the WISE Advisory Council. “I had
to learn to work with professionals, organize a
campus-wide event and be part of a team. I am so
thankful to WLP for giving me this opportunity.
The experience brought me so much more than
I ever imagined.”

The Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award Program in WLP
2020 RECIPIENTS
DR. JENNIFER A. BUGOS
USF Tampa Faculty
Excellence Award
Dr. Jennifer A. Bugos received
her bachelor’s degree in music
education from the University
of Florida, her master’s degree
in music education from the
University of Central Florida, and PhD in music
education and minor gerontology from the
University of Florida. Bugos pursued post-doctoral
work in the Clinical-Cognitive Neuroscience
Laboratory under the direction of Dr. William
Perlstein. While teaching and performing research at
East Carolina University, her previous appointment,
Bugos received funding from the Retirement
Research Foundation to study, “Bimanual
Coordination on Successful Aging: Results of a
Model Music Program.” Dr. Bugos’ main research
interests include the neurological basis for music
perception and cognition with regard to human
development,lifespan learning, and cognitive
transfer. She currently serves as an Assistant
Professor of Music Education at the University of
South Florida where she teaches undergraduate
courses in General Music Methods, Internship,
and Senior Seminar.
DR. ZHENG CHEN
USF St. Petersburg Faculty
Excellence Award
Zheng “Chris” Chen is an associate
professor of management in the
School of Information Systems
and Management in St. Petersburg,
where she researches and teaches
human behavior in business. She began teaching
because she wanted to help create better
organizational environments and has worked
at USF since 2010. She has received more than
$67,000 in research and teaching grants and is a
member of both the Academy of Management
and the Work-Family Research Network.
Her research has appeared in many journals,
including the Journal of Vocational Behavior, Behavior
Research Methods, the Journal of Applied Psychology,
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
and many others. Her course on Human Resources
Management was recognized in 2020 by Quality
Matters and she received the Chancellor’s Award
for Teaching Excellence in 2017. She is certified in
Deep Integrated Yoga Study and incorporates some
of the practice’s philosophies into her coursework
to help students become more mindful. Chen
earned a PhD from the University of Connecticut,
a master’s degree from Boston College and an MBA
from Appalachian State University.
Established in 2007, the WLP Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award Program provides annual
grants to USF faculty whose research and creative efforts focus on women and issues affecting women.
This award is presented in the spring of each year through a competitive selection process, with the
recipient receiving a one-time $5,000 award to support their research. To date, WLP has awarded 41
grants totaling $205,000 to deserving faculty members whose research helps to support and advance
women throughout the world.
DR. SUKANYA ”SU”
SENAPATI
USF Sarasota-Manatee Faculty
Excellence Award
Dr. Su Senapati is Instructor
of English in the College
of Liberal Arts and Social
Sciences(CLASS), and Faculty Coordinator of
Learning Support Services (LSS). She teaches
graduate and undergraduate courses in the
Masters of English Education and Bachelors
of English degree program. Courses she has
taught include Late Shakespeare, US Latino/a
Literature, British and American Literature
surveys. In 2016, she developed the first
literature of climate change course offered at
USF. She has contributed several articles to
different literary encyclopedias such as,
Encyclopedia of the Environment in
American Literature, Themes in Literature,
and Asian-American Literature. She received
her PhD in English from the University of
South Florida and her master’s degree in
English from the University of West Florida.
DR. RENEE MARCHIONI
BEERY
Valerie D. Riddle, MD Award
in Health
Dr. Renee Marchioni Beery serves
as the Director of Inflammatory
Bowel Disease (IBD) at the
University of South Florida. She
brings to the Division her intricate knowledge and
deep understanding for this complex patient
population. Her subspecialty practice encompasses
the diagnosis and management of Crohn’s
disease, ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis.
She is particularly passionate about the
treatment of IBD during pregnancy and the
successful pediatric-to-adult transition of IBD
care. Dr. Marchioni Beery is the co-founder and
medical director for the IBD Center of Excellence
at USF, scheduled to open in 2020. She completed
her internship and residency training in Internal
Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania Health System,
Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of
Connecticut Health Center, and an advanced
clinical research fellowship in Inflammatory
Bowel Disease (IBD) at Brigham and Women’s
Hospital of Harvard Medical School.

THE DR. KATHLEEN MOORE FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD PROGRAM IN WLP
DR. SOOMI LEE
USF Junior Faculty Excellence
Award
Dr. Soomi Lee is the director
of the STEALTH lab. Dr. Lee
and her collaborators examine
the role of sleep in the link
between stress and health
across adulthood. Dr. Lee has expertise in the
substantive area of work, sleep, and healthy aging.
She has extensive experience in measuring sleep
using an actigraphy method and assessing daily
experiences using intensive micro-longitudinal
designs. Prior to joining the faculty at USF in 2018,
she worked for three years as a postdoctoral scholar
in Biobehavioral Health at Penn State to extend her
research to include sleep and cardiovascular health.
Dr. Lee’s research uses innovative methodology
to track sleep and activity patterns and how these
patterns implicate the work performance for
female nurses. She received a PhD in Human
Development and Family Studies from the
Pennsylvania State University, her master’s degree in
human development and her bachelor’s degree in
child development from Yonsei University.
DR. JING WANG
Instructor Excellence Award
Dr. Jing Wang is an instructor
III and Director of Broadening
Participation in Computing in the
Department of Computer Science
and Engineering. Her research
interests are computer animation,
undergraduate computer science and engineering
education, and broadening participation in
computing. Throughout her career, Dr. Wang has
been actively involved in the important mission
of recruiting and mentoring women in computer
science and engineering. She serves as the faculty
advisor of Women in Computer Science and
Engineering student organization since 2013 and
has created multiple programs for mentoring
and outreach. She received her PhD in Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science and her
master’s degree in computer science from
Vanderbilt University and her bachelor’s
degree in physics from Jilin University.
PAST WLP FACULTY
AWARD RECIPIENTS
2019
Dr. Diana M. Hechavarria
School of Marketing
and Innovation
Muma College of Business,
Tampa
Dr. Jill McCracken
Rhetoric and Women’s and
Gender Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
St. Petersburg
Dr. Sunita Lodwig
School of Information
Systems and Management
Muma College of Business,
Sarasota-Manatee
THE DR. KATHLEEN MOORE FACULTY Department EXCELLENCE of Information AWARD Systems PROGRAM IN WLP
Dr. Dinorah Martinez Tyson
College of Public Health, Tampa
Dr. Wendy Rote
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences,
Tampa
Dr. Leia Cain
Educational Measurement
and Research
College of Education, Tampa
2018
Dr. Sylvia Thomas
Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering
Dr. Lindsey Rodriguez
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Valerie Lipscomb
English, College of Liberal Arts
and Social Sciences
Sarasota-Manatee
Dr. Giti Javidi
Information Technology and
Cybersecurity
Sarasota-Manatee
Liz Kicak
Department of English
College of Arts & Sciences
Tampa
Dr. Cheryl Vamos
Chiles Center for Women,
Children and Families
USF Health, Tampa
2017
Jeanne Travers
School of Theatre and Dance,
Tampa
Dr. Kathryn Arthur
Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
St. Petersburg
Dr. Fawn T. Ngo
Criminology
Sarasota-Manatee
Dr. Stephanie Marhefka
Community and Family Health,
USF Health
Tampa
Dr. Elizabeth Miller
Anthropology
College of Arts and Sciences
Tampa
Dr. Doreen MacAulay
Decision Sciences, Muma
College of Business, Tampa
2016
Dr. Kyoung Cho
School of Music
College of The Arts, Tampa
Dr. Melissa Sloan
Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
Sarasota-Manatee
Dr. Jessie D. Turner
Department of Women’s and
Gender Studies
College of Arts and Sciences,
Tampa
Dr. Jill McCracken
Rhetoric and Writing Studies,
College of Arts and Sciences
St. Petersburg
Dr. Alicia Gill Rossiter
Veteran to Bachelor of Science
in Nursing Program
College of Nursing, Tampa
2015
Dr. Elizabeth Hordge-Freeman
Department of Sociology, College
of Arts and Science, Tampa
Dr. Heidi Casteneda
Department of Anthropology,
College of Arts and Sciences
Tampa
Dr. Tiffany Chenneville
Department of Psychology
Department of Pediatrics
St. Petersburg
Dr. Kathy Black
Social Work and Gerontology,
College of Arts & Sciences
Sarasota-Manatee
2014
Dr. Susan MacManus
Department of Government &
International Affairs, College of
Arts and Sciences, Tampa
2013
Dr. Griselle Centeno
Industrial and Management
Systems, College of Engineering
Tampa
2012
Dr. Jamie Goldenberg
Psychology, College of Arts &
Sciences, Tampa
2011
Dr. Jody Lynn McBrien
College of Education
Sarasota-Manatee
2010
Dr. Ellen Daley
Psychology, College of Arts &
Sciences, Tampa
2009
Dr. Patricia A. Kruk
Department of Pathology & Cell
Biology, USF Health Morsani
College of Medicine, Tampa
2008
Dr. Linda M. Whiteford
Anthropology, College of Arts
& Sciences, Tampa
2007
Dr. Naomo Yavneh
Humanities, College of
Arts & Sciences
Tampa

2020 Fall Symposium Celebrates a Milestone
Anniversary and Certainty through Uncertain Times
This year’s Women in Leadership &
Philanthropy Fall Symposium was unlike
any before, a virtual celebration due to the
ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Though
attendees were separated in body, they were
united in spirit.
Presented for the eighth year in a row by
Florida Blue, with significant support from
Valley Bank and additional support from
TECO, Pilot Bank, Bristol-Myers Squibb,
WLP member Jane Morgan, JP Morgan Chase
and the Rays/Rowdies organization, the 2020
Fall Symposium premiered on October 2nd.
The virtual event was an ideal format to reflect
on WLP’s 15th anniversary and the people and
programs that make the organization an engine
for change throughout the University of South
Florida’s campuses and the Tampa Bay region.
WLP began in 2005 with a small group
committed to the idea of creating Tampa Bay’s
first philanthropic organization focused on
developing and nurturing the intellectual and
leadership potential of women at USF.
In the years since then, WLP has enriched lives
and created opportunities for thousands of
students and faculty members through
scholarships, research grants and mentoring
and leadership development programs.
A highlight of every Fall Symposium is the
student speaker, and this year was no
different. Gretchen Stewart, a third year
WLP scholar and doctoral candidate, spoke
candidly about viewing uncertainty as
“something not to be feared, but to be
harnessed as a powerful catalyst for hope,
transformation and enduring impact.”
Stewart’s own mother traded college and
the dream of becoming a journalist for the
uncertain road of single parenthood.
Together, they faced many uncertain times,
wondering how to pay bills, stand up to
discrimination and, for Stewart, how to
fulfill her promise after dropping out of
school at 16.
Instead of crumbling under the weight of these
challenges, Stewart learned to “harness the
uncertainty.” She went back to high school as
an adult and then became the first in her
family to graduate from college. She spent
more than a decade in public education and
earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for
walking more than 4,000 miles across the U.S.
for global nuclear disarmament.
“Yet, despite defying the odds and finding
success, I still felt incomplete. Like my life lacked
its true purpose,” said Stewart.
Then in 2006, Stewart became a parent to a
child with special needs.
“When my son was born, I was thrust into
something unexpected, without warning,
without choice and without knowing day-to-day
what would happen next,” she said. She began
to ask questions and research.
The uncertainty she faced led her to her life’s
purpose — to create an educational home for
children like her son.
“This former high school dropout decided to
build a school,” she said. In 2016, Stewart left
her job as a public school teacher to enroll full
time at USF to pursue her doctorate in special
education with a specialization in autism and
neuroscience.
Her ultimate goal is to create an innovative,
inclusive K-12 school that combines teaching
and learning strategies informed by brain
science with world-class academics. Smart Moves
Academy, the first of its kind in the U.S., is set
to open in fall 2022.
“This school will transform the lives of some of
our most extraordinary, yet extremely vulnerable
children, offering them the opportunity for a
real future while changing the trajectories of
entire families,” she said.
But this spring, the financial crisis resulting from
the pandemic almost ended her time at USF —
and Smart Move Academy with it. Hearing her
story, WLP member Jane Applegate awarded
Stewart the inaugural WLP/Dr. Jane Applegate
Promising Scholar Award, and thanks to this
support Stewart is back on track to graduate in
May.
Stewart closed the Symposium with the message
that WLP is not just the name of a group of
individuals seeding success in others. “WLP
truly shows up for their students and represents
certainty through uncertain times,” she said.
Gretchen Stewart
2020-21 WLP/Dr. Jane Applegate Promising Scholar

Endowed
Operating
Total
FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20
12 14 17 17 24 34 37 43 50
3 4 5 9 11 12 15 13 14
14 16 21 27 33 43 51 65 64

THE IMPACT OF YOUR INVESTMENT
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
Since our founding in 2005, WLP has awarded more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to 800+
students. These scholarship awards, paired with the unique mentoring and engagement opportunities
that WLP affords our recipients, allow worthy students to continue their education and fulfill their
dream of completing their degree at a leading public research university. Endowed scholarship funds
exist in perpetuity. To achieve the balance between making awards and sustaining principal growth,
WLP adheres to the USF Foundation spending policy established annually by the Investment
Committee of the Foundation Board of Directors, where a percentage of the earnings of each fund
are awarded in the spring to students enrolled in the following fall semester. Many WLP members
(individuals, corporations, and private foundations) have chosen to contribute at the endowment
level and have established a named scholarship to honor a special person or to serve a defined group
of USF students, or reinforce their values through their philanthropy.
We are grateful to our generous donors who have helped establish such a robust WLP Scholarship portfolio.
The following list represents scholarships and other funds established or awarded by the close of the 2019–2020 year.
Drs Anila & Mona Jain and Kailash Jain Endowed
Fund for WLP*
WLP/Ann McKeel Ross Scholarship in Visual Arts
WLP/Anne Marie Campbell Scholarship
WLP/Bank of America East Tampa Scholarship
WLP/Berkman Family First Generation Scholarship
& Endowment
WLP/Berkman Family Scholarship
WLP/Betty Castor Scholarship for Global Initiatives
WLP/BNY Mellon Scholarship in the Judy Genshaft
Honors College
WLP/Bob & Liana Fernandez Fox Endowed
Scholarship
WLP/Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial Scholarship
WLP/Carolyn House Stewart Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Chris Maria Reyes Endowed Scholarship*
WLP/Cindy and Mark Kane Operating Support Fund
WLP/Citi WLC Women in Technology Endowed
Scholarship
WLP/CREW Tampa Bay Scholarship
WLP/Deborah Eaves Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Donald & Ruth Anderson Memorial
Scholarship
WLP/Dorothy Beach Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Dorothy L. Morgan Endowed Scholarship in
Marine Science
WLP/Dorothy Warren Burke Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Dr. Susan MacManus Undergraduate Research
Scholarship
WLP/Elicia Renee Byrd Endowed Service Scholarship
WLP/Elsie A. Moore Memorial Scholarship
WLP/Esther Schneid Memorial Scholarship
WLP/Faculty Research Award Operating Fund
WLP/Florida Blue Leadership in Healthcare
Scholarship
WLP/Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring
Scholarship
WLP/Geraldine Twine Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Jane Applegate Promising Scholar Award
WLP/Jeff & Penny Vinik Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Jessica Stands with Girls Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Judith Bryan Darsey Scholarship
WLP/Judy Genshaft Scholarship
WLP/Kathy Barcena Betancourt Scholarship
WLP/Linda Blume Award
WLP/Linda D ’Aquila Endowed Scholarship*
WLP/Martha Hodge Memorial Scholarship
WLP/Nancy Schneid Scholarship
WLP/National Mah Jongg League Foundation, Inc.
Scholarship
WLP/New American Scholarship for Women of
Excellence
WLP/Ouyang Yu Memorial Scholarship
WLP/Pam Iorio Leadership Scholarship
WLP/Philip & Ellen Asherman Scholarship
WLP/Ruth Earle & Yuko Yongue First Generation
Scholarship
WLP/Sharon Greenbaum Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Susan & Richard Leisner Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Tallent Lenker Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Tampa Palms Women’s Club Scholarship
WLP/Triad Foundation & Academy Prep Center of
Tampa Scholarship
WLP/USF Sarasota-Manatee Scholarship
WLP/USF St. Petersburg Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Valerie D. Riddle M.D. Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Valley Bank Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Vincent Zecchino M.D./Dream Givers USA
Scholarship
WLP/Virginia Gregory Endowment in
Entrepreneurship
WLP/Waller-Witte Endowed Scholarship
WLP/Wilma Fowler Endowed Scholarship
WLP/WISE Students Helping Students Scholarship
WLP First Generation Scholarship
WLP Endowed Scholarship
*Deferred gift

Stephanie Goforth ’82
Hon. Sandra Freedman
With more than 24 years of trust, investment and banking experience, Stephanie
Goforth is a banking leader and role model for all women.
Goforth serves as the president, West Florida Region, and regional director of
client development at Northern Trust. In her current position, she covers the east
coast and oversees a sales and marketing team of more than 50 partners.
Born and raised in Pass-a-Grille in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, Goforth worked
her way through school at USF St. Petersburg, graduating in 1982.
At a time when women’s roles in banking were limited, Goforth was determined
to reach higher. She earned her Series 7, 66 and 24 licenses and became a certified
financial planner and a certified private wealth advisor.
As the first woman to serve as mayor of the city of Tampa, Sandra Freedman led
with grace, dignity and an abiding commitment to the less fortunate and those
without a seat at the table.
A Tampa native, Freedman’s desire to work in government started at a very
young age, inspired by her fifth-grade teacher at Gorrie Elementary School.
Freedman studied local and state government at the University of Miami,
graduating in 1965.
She returned to Tampa, where she married and had three children while staying
active in the community. In 1974, Freedman ran for an open city council seat.
She spent 12 years on the city council and was eventually the first woman
elected chair.
2020 WLP
Community
Leadership
Award
While building her career and her family with husband, Del, Goforth has also
generously given to her alma mater. She has served on the university’s Board of
Trustees for 10 years and was recently elected vice chair. Goforth is also chair of
USF’s St. Petersburg Campus Advisory Board. Her philanthropic gifts include two
endowed funds directed to students in the Kate Tiedemann School of Business
and Finance on USF’s St. Petersburg campus.
Outside of USF, she is a longtime board member and former treasurer of Johns
Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Foundation St. Petersburg. She formerly served
on the boards of Community Action Stops Abuse, Heroes of the St. Pete Police
and YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, among others.
Over the years, Goforth has been honored by many local organizations, including
being named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida
and receiving the Sudsy Tschiderer USF Alumni Award.
Goforth’s professional achievements, her tremendous service to USF and her
significant community leadership contributions make her a fitting recipient of the
2020 WLP Community Leadership Award.
When Bob Martinez resigned as mayor of the city of Tampa to run for
governor in 1986, as chair Freedman took over the remainder of his term. She
subsequently successfully ran for the position twice, becoming the first woman
to serve as Tampa’s mayor.
As mayor, Freedman led the city through a recession, a crack cocaine epidemic
and racial unrest. Though several Tampa landmarks were completed during
her tenure, Freedman is most proud of the programs she implemented. The
Mayor’s Challenge Fund, for instance, provided low-interest loans for low- and
middle-income families to buy their own homes, becoming a national model.
Freedman also promoted tolerance, creating the first racial/sexual slur policy for
city employees and pushing for diversity on the city’s police force.
Freedman previously was honored with the USF Distinguished Service Award
and was inducted into the Greater Tampa Chamber Hall of Fame, among other
honors.
USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy is honored to recognize Freedman’s
lifetime of service to the citizens of Tampa by naming her the 2020 Women in
Leadership & Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
2020 WLP
Lifetime
Achievement
Award

Helen Levine retires, leaving a legacy of
growth and transformation at USF’s
St. Petersburg campus
Growing up in a family of intellectuals and
community activists, Helen Levine was taught
early the Jewish value of tikkun olam, which
translates to “repair the world.”
Levine upheld that ideal throughout her
career, working tirelessly to help others.
During her 14 years at the University of South
Florida, she became known as a quick study
who advocated for students and worked quietly
behind the scenes to advance the
university’s growth.
“Helen is just one of those people who always
got it,” said Joel Momberg, who served as CEO
of the USF Foundation before his retirement
in fall 2019. “She is someone who puts her
own agenda aside and looks at what was best
for the students and the university. She is
always the voice of reason and a great
collaborator.”
In September, Levine announced her
retirement from the University of South
Florida. On the St. Petersburg campus, where
Levine spent more than 11 years as the
regional vice chancellor for external affairs,
the news was greeted by a mix of emotions:
gratitude for her many contributions and
sadness at the loss of a devoted campus
champion.
“Her presence on our campus and her
advocacy for the university, the city and
the county has been nothing short of
phenomenal,” said Martin Tadlock, regional
chancellor of USF’s St. Petersburg campus.
“She has helped the university navigate
through some of its most challenging times
and served as my proverbial ‘right arm’ since
I assumed the role of regional chancellor.”
Levine touched a variety of aspects of
university life, including fundraising,
communications and, most notably,
government relations. She divided her time
between St. Petersburg and Tallahassee,
forging strong relationships with legislators
and advocating on behalf of USF and the St.
Petersburg campus. Thanks to her efforts, since
2013, the campus’ recurring budget grew by
more than $8.75 million and it received a fixed
capital outlay of more than $30 million.
Levine helped secure state funding for a
number of key buildings, including the
University Student Center and Lynn Pippenger
Hall. Levine also led the fundraising effort to
create the Debbie Nye Sembler Student Success
Center, a tutoring center that helps students
develop lifelong learning strategies.
Sembler, a long-time supporter of USF, said
Levine kept the project a surprise until a
reception honoring her last meeting as chair
of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board.
“All of a sudden, I see my mother entering the
room, as well as my mother-in-law and my
husband. It was a total shock,” said Sembler,
who also served on the USF Board of Trustees.
“Helen planned it, orchestrated it and
fundraised to make this happen for me, and
I will never forget that day and the love I felt.”
Levine is a Florida native who left the state and
returned for college. She earned her Ph.D. from
Florida State University and was the lobbyist
and public affairs officer for the Hillsborough
Board of County Commissioners for more than
10 years.
After a stint as the city lobbyist in St. Petersburg
Mayor Rick Baker’s administration, she joined
the university in 2006 as a policy advisor to
then-president Judy Genshaft before moving to
the St. Petersburg campus in 2009.
“Helen improves everything she touches,”
said Melissa Seixas, a member of the USF
St. Petersburg Campus Advisory Board,
Vice President, Florida Government and
Community Relations at Duke Energy
Corporation and chair of the St. Petersburg
Downtown Partnership. -“She has left an
incredible legacy for our community, our
university and our organization.”
To honor Levine’s many years of service to USF,
Debbie Sembler and Chancellor Tadlock led an
effort to establish an endowed scholarship in
the USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy
program in her name, ensuring Helen’s legacy
of leadership and service to USF and our region
resonates for generations to come.
by Carrie O’Brion
Director of Marketing & Communications
USF St. Petersburg Campus

4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100, Tampa, Florida 33620-5455
813-974-4070 WLP@usf.edu