By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
As the University of South Florida begins the 2026–27 academic year, students, faculty
and staff will find new faces, new facilities and new opportunities across campus.
From nationally recognized coaches to expanded dining options and new academic programs,
USF continues to invest in the areas that shape student life, learning and research.
DIning
USF Dining is serving up expanded dining options, innovative technology and more variety
across campus this fall.
Students can look forward to expanded late-night dining and enhanced menus at Argos
and Juniper Hall on the Tampa campus, including new concepts at Evolution Kitchen
and an expanded Campus Brew menu. New vending concepts — including California Pizza
Kitchen, Byte Machine (accepting Flexi-Bull Swipes) and Just Baked Smart Bistro —
will provide even more convenient dining options throughout the day.
The Marshall Student Center Food Court also welcomes Blackjack Pizza Express, serving
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and other fan favorites. Throughout the semester, students
can enjoy rotating menus from off-campus restaurants, bringing a variety of Tampa
Bay flavors and cuisines to campus.
In addition, weekly rotating local food trucks will make stops across campus, offering
even more opportunities to explore some of Tampa Bay’s favorite eateries without leaving
USF. Be on the lookout for the weekly food truck schedule to see which local favorites
will be visiting campus.
On the USF St. Petersburg campus, Sushi by Kazoku will provide fresh grab-and-go sushi
rolls, bowls and appetizers in the University Student Center. Sushi by Kazoku will
also host a made-to-order pop-up on campus every other Monday, giving students and
visitors another convenient dining option.
Turning food waste into community compost
A partnership between USF St. Petersburg and the city of St. Petersburg has brought
an industrial-sized composter to campus to process food waste and produce nutrient-rich
compost for the community. The Greencycle composting initiative’s aim is to redirect
tons of food waste each year from landfills, incinerators and sewage systems while
creating compost for community gardens, urban farms and landscaping.
Local vendors featured in the USF Bookstore
This fall, the USF Bookstore is strengthening its commitment to local businesses by
expanding partnerships with several homegrown brands, including 4 the Bay, Engrained
Apparel (founded by a USF alum), Reversed headwear, Established & Co. women’s apparel
and No Rivals headwear. The store is also broadening its product offerings from Cameron
J. and increasing its selection of children’s apparel.
Libraries expand opportunities
The USF Libraries continue to expand services, spaces and resources to support student
success and faculty research.
At the Tampa Library, students can now take advantage of additional study space on
the third and fourth floors, furnished with new seating and work areas funded by Student
Government.
In addition, USF Libraries has expanded its artificial intelligence support with new
learning opportunities, including the asynchronous Canvas workshop “Leveraging AI
Ethically for Research & Coursework,” which helps students build practical and responsible
AI skills for academic work.
Meanwhile, the Libraries’ Tampa Through Time digital portal continues to grow as a
valuable community resource, now featuring more than 3,000 geolocated archival records
and over 130 historic map overlays that allow users to explore how the Tampa Bay region
has evolved over time.
The Tampa Library has a new study space …
… and the campus has an official ambulance service.
New ambulance service
This fall, students have access to a new ambulance service operated by USF’s Medical
Response Unit. USF is the first university in Florida licensed to operate its own
ambulance service.
The ambulance is stationed on campus and provides basic treatment and transportation
for students, helping responders reach medical calls more quickly.
The MRU can be reached Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at (813) 974-4MRU.
The number is intended for non-life-threatening medical issues.
Emergencies should still be reported through 911.
College of Nursing Expansion
The Tampa campus has a Health College of Nursing facility …
… while the College of Nursing epanded its St. Pete program
Students returning to campus will see the newly expanded USF Health College of Nursing
facility, a 34,000-square-foot building that recently opened on the Tampa campus.
The facility includes 12 clinical examination rooms, six debriefing classrooms and
six control rooms.
In addition to the new facility, the College of Nursing is also expanding its educational
offerings on the USF St. Petersburg campus. A new bachelor’s degree program will prepare
students to become nurse generalists and to take the National Certification Licensure
Exam to become registered nurses.
New coaches
USF Athletics is entering a new era with several high-profile coaching hires across
its marquee sports programs. From football and basketball to beach volleyball and
men’s soccer, the Bulls have added accomplished leaders with championship experience
and proven records of success.
A seven-year NFL veteran with Miami and Cleveland, Brian Hartline is USF’s new football
coach
USF CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins (left) and President Moez Limayen (right) with women’s
basketball coach Kristy Curry
Brian Hartline, Football – Hartline served as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where
he helped the Buckeyes win the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff national
championship in 2024. A former player at Ohio State and seven-year NFL veteran with
Miami and Cleveland, Hartline said, “Becoming a first-time head coach at a place like
USF is a dream come true for me and my family. I look forward to leading the team
to new heights, both on and off the field.”
Kristy Curry, Women’s Basketball – A veteran coach with Final Four and South Eastern Conference experience, Curry came
to USF from Alabama, where she led the Crimson Tide to five NCAA Tournament appearances
in the last six seasons and posted five straight 20-win campaigns.
Chris Mack
George Kiefer
Jo Kremer
Chris Mack, Men’s Basketball – Mack brings more than 300 career victories and a history of NCAA Tournament success
at Xavier and Louisville. He joined USF after back-to-back 20-win seasons at the College
of Charleston.
George Kiefer, Men’s Soccer – Kiefer returned to USF after previously leading the Bulls from 2002-16. During his
first tenure, he guided USF to four conference championships and 10 NCAA Tournament
appearances, making him one of the most successful coaches in program history.
Jo Kremer, Beach Volleyball – A three-time national champion as a student-athlete at USC, Kremer came to USF after
serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Stanford where she helped
lead the Cardinal to the 2026 NCAA Championship match.
USF leadership
USF has announced several key leadership appointments across the university, bringing
experienced scholars, innovators and administrators into roles that will help shape
the university’s next chapter of growth and impact.
Carol Ann Borchert
Derek Wildman
Carol Ann Borchert, USF Libraries – After a national search, Borchert has been appointed dean of the USF Libraries. Building
on her nearly three decades with USF, Borchert will maintain the USF Libraries’ position
as a partner in student success, research excellence and community engagement.
Derek Wildman, Office of Graduate Studies – Wildman is an internationally recognized scholar, researcher and academic leader who
has advanced scientific discovery and student success through his work in genomics,
public health and graduate education. As dean of graduate studies, Wildman will provide
strategic leadership for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs across the university.
Janice C. Zgibor
Jenifer Jasinski Schneider
Sarah Higgins
Janice C. Zgibor, Taneja College of Pharmacy – Following a national search, Zgibor has been appointed dean of the USF Health Taneja
College of Pharmacy. A pharmacist and epidemiologist, she brings more than 20 years
of academic leadership experience and will focus on expanding research, educational
excellence and student success.
Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, College of Education – After serving as interim dean since December 2024, Schneider has been named dean
of the USF College of Education. A professor of literacy studies and former Fulbright
Scholar, she is nationally recognized for her work in literacy education, children’s
literature and arts-based learning.
Sarah Higgins, Contemporary Art Museum – Higgins has been named director and chief curator of the USF Contemporary Art Museum.
An internationally recognized arts leader and nonprofit executive, she will oversee
the museum’s curatorial vision, permanent collection and programming in alignment
with USF’s academic and research missions.
Sriram Chellappan
Taylor Johnston
Sriram Chellappan, Cyber Florida – Chellappan has been appointed executive director of Cyber Florida. A professor in
the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, he is
a nationally recognized researcher whose expertise spans cybersecurity, artificial
intelligence and cyber-physical systems.
Taylor Johnston, National Security Enterprise – To strengthen collaboration and expand USF’s national security impact, the Global
and National Security Institute and the Institute of Applied Engineering are being
unified under one leadership structure. Johnston, a U.S. Air Force veteran and current
IAE chief operating officer, will lead the integrated enterprise, advancing partnerships
across government, industry and defense sectors.
USF Research
USF Research & Innovation is now known as USF Research, reflecting the university’s
view that research is a university-wide priority that spans disciplines, colleges
and campuses.
Alongside the rebranding, USF Research is enhancing support for faculty and researchers
through improved services, streamlined processes and greater organizational alignment.
These efforts include simplifying sponsored program administration, integrating compliance
and analytics functions, and strengthening commercialization resources to help move
ideas from research to real-world impact. These changes support USF’s long-term goal
of reaching $1 billion in research funding by 2030 while creating additional opportunities
for student involvement in research and experiential learning.