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Spartan Spotlights
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Oct. 09, 2025 - News Articles
Ƶ will host a children’s fishing tournament on Sunday, Oct. 26, to catch invasive species.
Oct. 07, 2025 - UTampa Life
Sport management and finance double major Porter Sherman '27 is interning with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.
Oct. 03, 2025 - UTampa Life
Twenty UTampa students are learning this semester what it takes to be one of Florida’s most trusted experts in the most trying of times — a weather reporter during a hurricane.
Sept. 29, 2025 - 2025
The TECO Energy Center for Leadership, part of the Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa, will present “From Bedside Nurse to Boardroom: Leading the Transformation of Health Care in West Central Florida,” as part of its Leadership Speaker Series, a biannual speaker event.
Faculty News
Explore the groundbreaking research led by UTampa faculty across a wide range of disciplines. From innovative discoveries to collaborative projects that address global challenges, this page highlights the work shaping the future of knowledge and education.
Mathematician’s Research Says to Roll the Dice
If you want the fairest odds possible, always choose the die over the coin. That’s the lesson from research into random number generation from Assistant Professor of Mathematics Douglas Pfeffer, published in Scientific Reports in April.
The main issue is this: Any human-made random number generator, like coins and dice, are technically loaded, albeit usually by a small, almost unnoticeable amount. This is because human-made objects always have some imperfections due to the creation process.
Pfeffer and his team, in collaboration with researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, proved mathematically that, when given a slightly imperfect device, the more outcomes it can produce (i.e., the more like a die it is than a coin), the closer to “fair” it will be. This means the imperfections are less likely to affect the outcomes.
The applications of Pfeffer’s work go beyond the casino floor or your next game night. Many disciplines study chaos and randomness as it relates to everyday living. Neuroscientists, for instance, are trying to build a computer model of the human brain, which biologically undergoes trillions of random processes at any given second, so computer models need to handle the same, Pfeffer explained. As such, researchers use random number generators to produce millions, billions or trillions of random data that can then be used to simulate their models.
When soliciting so many random numbers, researchers don’t use a simple coin; they instead use human-made devices that can produce a lot of data quickly. All such devices that currently exist are “two-state” devices (like a coin).
Pfeffer’s findings recommend that all existing devices be converted from two-state devices to more fair, multi-state devices.
Briefs
COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
You never know what you might find hiding in the mangroves. If you’re John Ambrosio, Marine Science Field Station coordinator, you might just notice a never-before-seen-in-Tampa-Bay sea slug. Out fishing one day in January 2024 near his home in Ruskin, Ambrosio spied a small slug in the swampy algae mat of a mangrove. He figured his colleague, Associate Professor Michael Middlebrooks, a sea slug specialist, would be interested, so he scooped up the unassuming slug to share his find. Upon seeing the specimen, Middlebrooks suspected it might be Elysia chlorotica, which was not reliably known in the sea slug scientific community to frequent waters south of the Chesapeake Bay. After DNA analysis and the discovery by Samantha Schlegel ’24 of a microscopic, tell-tale physical feature, a kind of tooth called a radula, the Tampa Bay dweller was determined to be, in fact, Elysia chlorotica. Middlebrooks thinks the species has probably “been here all along,” but at 1 inch long in size (at most), it hadn’t yet been recognized. “They’re easy to overlook,” he said. “They blend in with the algae pretty well.” The UTampa team published its discovery in the American Malacological Bulletin in July.
SYKES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Anna Zaitsev, assistant professor of information and technology management, recently published research that used systems theory to explore content moderation on Facebook. Using academic and journalistic sources, Zaitsev studied breakdowns in the decision-making over violations of Facebook’s content standards during the pandemic. She found that content moderation systems performed by humans can be overwhelmed by sheer volume, especially when something unexpected happens, like the pandemic. Additionally, when moderators are physically isolated in their jobs, they can take on biases that affect their decision-making. Removing the potential for human error seems like an obvious answer, but Zaitsev also found that content moderation performed by algorithm or AI is prone to errors thanks to its lack of capacity for nuance. Zaitsev’s findings support the idea that content moderation should be done in context, not in a bubble, and community or self-policing may be more accurate and fairer. Zaitsev warns that effective content moderation policies are crucial to managing the wave of AI-generated imagery that is good enough to fool even those whose job it is to spot it — and is getting better all the time.
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Two recent books co-authored by Sykes College of Business faculty were recognized with publishing awards last summer.Dana Professor Bella Galperin’s book, Essentials of Leadership in Africa (with Caren Scheepers, Gordon Institute of Business Science) was short-listed for the African Business Book of the Year 2025 award by the Business Council for Africa. The award “celebrates the most compelling business narratives from Africa and honours the authors and publishers helping to shape the continent’s future through storytelling."Associate Professor Abigail Hall Blanco’s How to Run Wars: A Confidential Playbook for the National Security Elite (with Christopher J. Coyne of George Mason University) won gold in the Political Economy and Current Affairs category of the Independent Book Publishers Association Awards. The IBPA called the satirical portrait of the American military-industrial complex “merciless” in its “penetrating analysis.”
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS
In the Blue Zones, the five identified areas on Earth where more people live longer, longevity is often attributed to combinations of diet, exercise and genetics. But Assistant Professor of Communication Kristen Foltz and Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication Theresa MacNeil, both experts in conflict resolution, have a hunch there’s something more to it. The pair recently returned from the Nicoya Blue Zone in Costa Rica, where they asked centenarians about their secrets to getting along with others. Some common themes emerged: prioritize forgiveness, lean on spirituality, let go of negativity. Foltz and MacNeil are among the first researchers to ever study the social and interpersonal traits of people in the Blue Zones. They will host a talk about their findings at noon on Feb. 11 in the Charlene A. Gordon Theater on campus. It’s open to the public.
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS AND EDUCATION
The responsibilities of grade-school educators can be made a little easier with a new artificial intelligence tool called TeacherServer AI, co-designed by Yvonne Franco, assistant professor in the department of education, and a team of researchers. The platform does it all: It allows teachers to create assignments, exercises and challenges for students in all academic subjects; can assist in communication by translating text and writing in different languages; and it even generates lesson plans and programs for music, art and physical education classes. TeacherServer has been used nationwide since last school year, and now Franco and her team plan to extend their work with a $10 million grant from the Institute for Education Sciences to create a similar platform, called FacultyServer AI, for higher education.
A Slice of Life
Some of these ads in The Minaret from 1935 are real head-scratchers — starting with What is a dermatist, and should we be scared? — but they also give a good glimpse into what it was like on campus then, when football fans wore fine clothing and milk was delivered to your door. (Did the milk man come to the residence halls? We don't know. Do you?)
Questions aside, we think The Minaret archives are the greatest thing since sliced bread, even with the crusts on.
Do you have memories of any of these Tampa establishments? Was The Nookery still around when you were a Spartan? If so, what was your order? Did you shop at Maas Brothers? What favorite movie did you see at the Tampa Theatre? We want to hear your story. Email editor@ut.edu.
Fall 2025 Journal Gallery
Written by: President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg | Published on: Oct. 3, 2025
Engaged and Charging Forward
We are into my second year of presidency and well underway on the overarching pillars that are shaping our future: Impact on People and Communities, Academic and Reputational Excellence, and Financial Sustainability and the Endowment.
Our first year together was marked with listening, learning, benchmarking, aspirational brainstorming and, as you will read herein, tangible actions with outcomes already being realized. In preparation for this annual report, we counted the number of people at University gatherings in which I participated — mostly small dinners, all of the regional alumni events, and a couple of larger events, such as the inauguration and the Minaret Society Dinner.
We tallied engagement with more than 4,000 people. It’s been a lot of great food, and more importantly, lots of impactful time with you. I’ve enjoyed hearing your personal stories and fond memories of your time at the University — during the eras of TampaU, UT and now UTampa — and your hopes for the future of this great University.
Ƶ is on the precipice of being a nationally renowned university. Together we continue our upward trajectory. Thank you for your collaboration. Go Spartans!
ACADEMICS
UTampa academics are at the core of the University. Exceptional faculty guide students to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively and lead with purpose. Employers praise the knowledge, skills and tenacity of UTampa graduates as a differentiator from their peers.
We want all students to graduate, on time, with little debt. Our studies show that financial aid is the primary enabler. Therefore, we have doubled down on fundraising for endowed student scholarships. Read about the Centennial Circle in the Advancement section of this report.
The great news? Last year we achieved a 95.3% fall-to-spring persistence rate and this fall achieved an 85.5% first-year retention rate — the highest rates achieved in UTampa history. Faculty and staff are continuing to push those numbers even further.
We hired 85 new full-time faculty and hired Mike Stephenson as the University’s new provost. Among other things, Mike is leading AI Across the University, an initiative that accelerates faculty efforts to prepare UTampa graduates to ride the wave of change as AI becomes integrated into their future careers and lives.
This year, AI literacy shows up in some Spartan Ready general education courses that address AI tools, academic integrity and using AI for career exploration. Faculty continue to integrate AI into specific disciplinary courses, and a team of faculty is participating in the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, a year-long professional development program.
In a first, UTampa launched a dual degree program with the prestigious École des Hautes Études Commerciales du Nord, a business school in France, that allows graduate students from both institutions to earn Master of Science degrees at both institutions. This is UTampa’s first dual degree program.
Also, this past spring, UTampa was recognized as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, a program offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is outstanding news, as UTampa was the only university in Florida with that designation in the master’s institution classification and was tied with four other institutions with the second highest number of scholar grants in the nation.
This type of recognition raises the value of a UTampa degree, raises our institutional reputation, and inspires future generations of faculty and students.
ENROLLMENT
UTampa is in the enviable position of being one of the most sought-after universities in the country. Our ethos of Learning by Thinking and Learning by Doing; our distinctive campus that blends the historic, the modern and the artistic; and our location within one of the country’s most vibrant metropolitan areas brought in more than 43,000 applications for 3,400 first-year seats in the Class of 2029. This is our largest and most academically distinguished class in the University’s history. We now enroll a total of 11,500 students.
We are now in our second year as a partner institution to the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program. This fall we welcomed over 70 new and returning meritorious students — all of whom completed the International Baccalaureate diploma at one of the Davis UWC high schools that span the globe. On the home front, we grew the Spartan Alliance program to more than 45 students. This is our signature cohort program where we provide wrap-around academic, financial and social support to stellar students from high schools in the Tampa Bay area.
CAMPUS LIFE AND CO-CURRICULAR LEARNING
The Learning by Doing part of our ethos is supported, in part, by the learning that takes place outside the classroom. It is a central UTampa focus that prepares students with life skills important to career and success.
This year, we launched the Internships for All initiative and formed an exploratory committee — led by Student Affairs, with participation from Career Services, faculty, Development, and graduate studies — to analyze the feasibility of enabling all UTampa undergraduates to complete a paid internship, regardless of their chosen major. We also established the Tampa Bay Nonprofit Endowed Fund to support students who intern with local nonprofits, giving students broader exposure to career options and enabling donors to make an awesome trifecta investment in students, the University and the community. In addition, more than 2,200 students participated in the UTampa 201: Career Readiness course, preparing them to secure internships
and achieve career goals.
Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) participation increased to 2,168 students, comprising 21% of our undergraduate population. Did you know that FSL students have higher retention and graduation rates than non-FSL students? This accentuates the importance of student life (what’s happening outside the classroom) in retaining students. A pride point is that FSL students raised $199,774 for Make-a-Wish Southern Florida.
Preparing students for lives of service also helped land UTampa on two prestigious lists: the Peace Corps’ 2025 top volunteer-producing colleges and universities and the ALLIN Campus Democracy Challenge as a most engaged
campus for college student voting.
Student well-being was also a focus this year. As part of our 10-year affirmation of accreditation, we submitted the Quality Enhancement Plan called UTampa Cares. This collaborative effort between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs is enhancing student emotional well-being by bolstering students’ sense of belonging and resilience.
Lastly, in response to the Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague” letter that was issued last February, the University broadened its programs to maintain its mission and serve the University community. We completed a detailed and lengthy review and modification of our programs, job responsibilities and publications to comply with all laws and to open supportive services to all students.
ADVANCEMENT
When I gaze through the windows of Plant Hall, I get a direct view of the 6-foot-tall Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture that was installed last fall as part of the McNichols Sculpture Trail. The McNichols’ generous donation facilitated the installation of seven sculptures thus far, each piece selected to spark dialogue around desirable human characteristics. Other installations include What Was Vincent Thinking? and Poise by Kevin Robb; On a Roll by Jack Hill; Zephyr by Jeremy Guy; Open Window Monument by Ted Schaal; and DNA of Success by Robert Romero.
Through last March, the Development and University Relations team successfully secured more than $8.4 million in new private philanthropic support and collected an additional $10.7 million in cash from pledge payments and the receipt of previously committed deferred (planned) gifts, for a total of over $19 million between both new philanthropic commitments and cash received.
I’m pleased to report that the Centennial Circle, UTampa’s newest philanthropic society, has 76 families that have invested in Centennial Circle endowed student scholarships, contributing a collective $47.8 million in new gifts to the endowment and providing 76 new scholarships each year in perpetuity. Nearly half of the Centennial Circle members are alumni. The Centennial Circle is an integral part of the University’s upcoming third comprehensive campaign. My husband, Brian, has joined me in investing in the Centennial Circle, and I invite you to join us.
The Centennial Circle is only one pathway to advance the University. You can also leave a legacy at UTampa by creating an estate plan to fund an endowed scholarship, providing financial assistance to a particular program or discipline of study, or even help UTampa recruit preeminent faculty by establishing an endowed faculty position. There are countless ways to support your University and future students.
Contact the Office of Development and University Relations atdevelopment@ut.eduor (813) 253-6220 for more information.
ATHLETICS
UTampa athletics had another tremendous year. We had two back-to-back national championship teams this year: baseball and women’s lacrosse, and one three-peat national champion: beach volleyball. It’s difficult to win a single championship in any sport and league, but to win one after another is a true feat.
It was the baseball team’s 10th national title, making us the only Division ll
baseball program to win double-digit national championships. In addition to winning the national title, the Spartans concluded the 2025 season with a program record 55 wins, and Coach Joe Urso was recognized as the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year for the seventh time.
The beach volleyball team reigned for the third-straight year as AVCA small college beach volleyball national champions. The Spartans finished the year as one of the nation’s most dominant programs.
The national championship women’s lacrosse team finished the 2025
season with a 21-1 record and ended the year on an 11-game winning streak.
On a related note, the men’s ice hockey club team won the Amateur Athletic Union Division I national championship. The title was the first in program history.
UTampa also found success in the Sunshine State Conference, with champion teams in beach volleyball, baseball, women’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, cross country, women’s swimming, men’s swimming and softball.
The athletic department notched another major win in announcing its first head coaching endowment — the Stu and Diane Williams Head Baseball Coach endowment. Thank you to Stu ’70 and Diane Williams for being proud supporters of UTampa athletics.
My favorite athletics pride point: 3.37 grade point average across all teams and a graduation rate of 86%. Let’s go Spartans!
ADMINISTRATION
Last fall, we celebrated opening UTampa’s newest and largest building on campus, the Grand Center. In addition to housing 700 students, the Grand Center provides space for the Southard Institute for Sales Excellence, the Office of Access and Community Programs, the International Programs Office, a Starbucks café, a student veterans lounge, and a 450-car parking garage.
Most notably, the Grand Center is the only student residence in the U.S. with an open-air, resort-style sky park embedded within the building and visible from every residential floor. I hope you caught the feature article on the Grand Center in last winter’s issue of this magazine. We hope to rename the Grand Center soon for a UTampa donor who is eager to make a gift that would impact UTampa students for generations to come.
Given the University’s continued need for housing, in March we acquired a parcel of land near campus on South Boulevard that may be used in the future for construction of a residence hall building.
While the UTampa website was completely redesigned this year, we saw tremendous growth in the University’s social media presence. Total followers on all accounts increased 49% (440,184 total audience), highlighted by a 267% increase on TikTok alone.
On the flip side of technology, phishing and ransomware threats continue to grow in complexity and seek to expose confidential and sensitive University information. The Office of Information Technology and Security has increased the number of systems with integrated AI capabilities that can monitor University access portals, networks and computers to prevent and respond quickly to any perceived threats.
I’ll finish by talking about our institutional accreditation. Last year, with the support of many UTampa staff and faculty, UTampa submitted its decennial SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) report and hosted the on-site SACSCOC committee. The visit concluded with zero findings for UTampa, which is the highest outcome given. The final vote for reaffirmation will occur this December by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
THANK YOU
Thanks to our Trustees, donors, alumni, faculty, staff, students, families and friends of the University for help in building a great University!
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