CAS Chronicles

Stories

Mayan women

Responsibility and resilience: Reflections from the cloud forests of Guatemala

Jamie Sommer traveled to Guatemala to speak with the Mayan women of San Juan Chamelco who are fighting to maintain their cultural heritage in the face of industrial agriculture, deforestation and rising temperatures that are disturbing the cloud forest with torrential rains and droughts, devastating traditional crops.

January 21, 2026Research

collage of computer graphics and charts

Bellini College partnership to offer three interdisciplinary computing majors (ICM) for 2026

Beginning Fall 2026, USF鈥檚 Bellini College will launch three interdisciplinary computing majors that blend computer science and AI with social sciences, business and criminology. Designed through cross-college partnerships, the programs prepare students for technology-driven careers by integrating technical skills with human, strategic and ethical perspectives. Registration opens March 30.

January 20, 2026Community Engagement

Hidden beneath Central Florida鈥檚 sandy soils lives the Florida scrub millipede, a species found nowhere else in the world. USF graduate student Anne Sawl鈥檚 research highlights the millipede鈥檚 vital role in maintaining the health of Florida鈥檚 scrub ecosystems.

January 15, 2026Research

person lays on MRI bed while technician operates MRI machine

Communication professor partners with CDC to shine light on hereditary breast cancer risk

Marleah Dean Kruzel draws on her personal experience with hereditary breast cancer to spotlight the unique needs of 鈥減revivors,鈥 emphasizing the importance of support, storytelling, and improved genetic risk communication in her CDC-invited presentation.

January 13, 2026Accomplishments, Community Engagement, Events, Research

The Office of Naval Research helped support new research that utilizes a remotely operated vehicle to study some of the most remote areas of the deep sea [Photo by Cliff McBride, University Communications and Marketing]

USF rises in new research rankings, outpacing many peer institutions in growth

With $522 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2024, USF ranks No. 47 among the nation鈥檚 public universities 鈥 and a growth rate higher than 90% of members of the Association of American Universities.

January 13, 2026Research

A new USF Sarasota-Manatee program connects students preparing for STEM fairs with university experts who offer help refining research questions, methods and project design.

January 12, 2026Community Engagement

smiling young woman holding a passport

USF Students Set Record for Most Gilman Scholars in a Fall Cycle

Twice a year, students across the United States apply for the Gilman Scholarship to fund study abroad and internship opportunities abroad. This fall, applications from USF students experienced a dramatic 22% increase, which translated to a record number of awards. Now, 20 USF students will travel and study abroad as Gilman Scholars, to countries like the Dominican Republic, Portugal, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

December 15, 2025Community Engagement

Welcome Home Dr. Moez Limayem USF's 9th President

Florida Board of Governors confirms Moez Limayem as USF鈥檚 next president

Limayem has served as president of the University of North Florida since 2022 and was the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business at USF for 10 years before taking the role at UNF.

December 12, 2025Community Engagement

Study co-authors observing whale shark watchers off off Mexico's Yucat谩n coast [Photo courtesy of Jessie Bujouve]

USF study finds widespread rule-breaking in whale shark tourism hotspot

One of the world鈥檚 busiest whale-shark destinations is struggling to manage a boom in ecotourism. A new USF study finds the world鈥檚 biggest fish may be paying the price.

December 10, 2025Research

Anuj Gupta

USF faculty reframes what literacy means in the age of generative artificial intelligence

Gupta鈥檚 task is twofold: help students navigate the benefits and harms of the rapidly evolving technology and encourage them to develop their own principled stances so that they may find meaningful employment and become leaders in their communities.

November 24, 2025Research

Adjunct professor Elliott Wiser from the Department of Journalism and Multimedia at USFSP interviewing guest for podcast. Photo courtesy of Elliott Wiser.

Mic drop: USF students gain real-world experience through podcast production

A hands-on podcasting course at USF St. Petersburg is providing students with professional experience as producers across three original series. Through editing, scheduling and collaborative production, students are developing career-ready skills while gaining deeper insight into the craft and impact of audio storytelling.

November 24, 2025Community Engagement

Jaiden Brick, Hannah Kirschenmann, Jade Fei, and Krystal Walford working on their proposal for the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program competition, a national competition allowing groups of interdisciplinary students to combine their areas of expertise. (Photo by Corey Lepak)

USF students compete to launch experiments aboard the International Space Station

More than 3,700 students across North America competed to design experiments bound for the International Space Station through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). This year, USF students joined the competition for the first time, rising to the challenge and uniting to bring their innovation into orbit.

November 24, 2025Accomplishments, Featured, Research

About CAS Chronicles

CAS Chronicles is the monthly newsletter for the 草莓视频's College of Arts and Sciences, your source for the latest news, research, and events at CAS.

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