CAS Chronicles
2025 Stories
Eleven USF faculty among 2024 class of Fellows of American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science elected 11 USF faculty members –six of which are from the College of Arts and Sciences – to its 2024 class of Fellows, the third largest cohort of AAAS Fellows from any university in the nation.
March 27, 2025Accomplishments
CAS alumna plans more accessible future for Tampa Bay
Amanda Harig, an alumna from the School of Public Affairs, credits her already impressive career to the hands-on experiences and mentorship she received during her time at USF.
March 27, 2025Alumni
Tracking Giants: How a Department of Integrative Biology professor’s research is rooted in conservation and community
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March 27, 2025Research
Can seeds adapt to the heat?
Integrative biology doctoral student Gabriela Quesada-Avila explores how temperature affects seed sprouting to understand plant community responses and inform forest restoration efforts.
March 26, 2025Community Engagement, Research
![Julio Blanco III [Photo by Andres Faza, University Communications and Marketing]](/arts-sciences/chronicles/images/2025/march/julio-new-listing.jpg)
From first-generation student to future pediatrician, meet USF’s Julio Blanco III
Julio Blanco is the first in his family to attend college. Joining USF was a monumental feat given the adversity he faced growing up, which included periods of homelessness and his family facing financial hardship. But he never let that get in the way of achieving his dreams.
March 7, 2025Community Engagement
Innovative research on ferrimagnetic materials earns over $2.5M in funding to advance communication technologies
Two grants awarded to faculty in the Department of Physics will support research on ferrimagnetic materials and their potential applications in advancing communication technologies.
February 27, 2025Research
Institute for Digital Exploration makes history tangible
For students involved in the Institute for Digital Exploration, learning extends oceans beyond the traditional classroom
February 24, 2025Research
Department of Communication professor Madison Pollino empowers marginalized youth through public speaking mentorship
When Tampa’s Hispanic Services Council reached out to Madison Pollino about helping them with a community mentorship program for middle school students from marginalized Hispanic communities, she seized the opportunity to bridge the gap between her work in higher education and the community.
February 24, 2025Community Engagement
Competition plus collaboration equals success for annual ‘Math Bowl’
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics helped bring more than 600 Hillsborough County Public School students to campus for a competitive commemoration celebrating both the expression and power of the mathematics field.
February 24, 2025Community Engagement, Events
Critics fall in love with romance novels penned by USF alumna
Alicia Thompson, full-time writer and bestselling author, studied her craft in USF’s College of Arts and Sciences.
February 24, 2025Alumni
Two USF faculty members elected fellows of American Academy of Microbiology
University of South Florida Professors Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, and Lindsey Shaw, PhD, have been elected fellows of the 2025 class of the American Academy of Microbiology.
February 24, 2025Accomplishments, Research
Why shallow water at the beach is more important than you might realize
Habitats along the coastline provide immense ecological and socioeconomic benefits, but face increasing threats that may put fish populations and fisheries at risk.
February 24, 2025Research