2013 Media Coverage

Utah Weighs Impact of Ruling Allowing Gay Marriage

By John Glionna
Los Angeles Times
Dec. 30, 2013

This month, U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby struck down the Utah’s 2004 constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, ruling that the move violated the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.
The reaction of the LDS church has been largely low-key, and experts say the church's approach is in light of past controversial campaigns. In 2008, the church backed California's Proposition 8 that banned gay marriage, but the public backlash in TV and print ads by gay rights groups and their supporters caused Mormon leaders to try a softer approach. "The LDS church is very PR savvy," said Ryan Cragun, a sociologist at the University of Tampa who studies the Mormon faith. Full story

Similar stories appeared in the Boston Globe and the Oregonian. 

An Ungrateful Nation Indeed

By Michael Weeks, UT Associate Professor
Special To The Tampa Tribune
Dec. 24, 2013

Since 9/11, it is common for strangers to thank military men and women for their service. Nevertheless, deeds speak more loudly than words, and last week Congress and the president have shown their lack of gratitude to veterans with the latest budget legislation. Full story 

A similar story ran in the Wall Street Journal. 

Top of the List - MBA Programs

By Chris Erickson
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Dec 20, 2013

Tampa Bay is home to many options for individuals seeking an MBA. Programs are located all across the Tampa Bay area, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Lakeland. The University of Tampa John H. Sykes College of Business retained the top spot among MBA programs ranked by in-seat enrollment with 564 students. Full story  

Ask The Experts: Investing for a Secure Financial Future

By John Kiernan
WalletHub
Dec. 20, 2013

The recent government shutdown and threat of default shook financial markets and caused many consumers to reassess their financial plans. But has it fundamentally changed the way we should be investing our money? Probably not, say the experts. UT Associate Professor Marcus Ingram said investment strategies he recommends includes a policy that works well in all macro-environments. “What I tend to suggest for people is portfolios that are largely made-up of equity and largely made-up of U.S. equity. I think it’s possible to really create a lot of diversification within a US Equity portfolio.” Full story

Sale of Counterfeit Goods Increases at Christmas

By Tammie Fields
WTSP
Dec. 16, 2013

From jewelry to jerseys, gold and golf clubs, the amount of counterfeit merchandise on the market may be more common than you think, especially during the holiday season. Erika Matulich, UT marketing professor, said, "It's estimated as much as 50% of the goods sold are counterfeit. You might be getting a lower price but you're also getting lower quality." Matulich has been teaching students about the issue for the past 15 years and added, "New technology with scanners and printers have made it so much easier for counterfeiters to rip off logos and print them onto things, and it's really hard for consumers to detect that they're getting a counterfeit product until it falls apart or becomes a problem." Full story

Graduation Day at The University of Tampa

My FOX Tampa Bay
Dec. 14, 2013

Saturday was a big day for hundreds of University of Tampa students. They crossed the stage in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center, and got their diplomas. One student received an associates degree, more than three hundred students were awarded their bachelor's degrees, and about 100 got their masters. Graduate Saoeh Altuwariki told Fox 13 it is the proudest day of his life. "It's my best time ever, after eight years studying around the world I finally get my degree from the University of Tampa," Altuwariki said. Full story

Column: Finding What Works Best for Early Learning

By Brian Kench
Tampa Bay Times
Dec. 13, 2013

The Griffin Early Childhood Center is helping us understand what early education programs and incentives provide the highest economic return and why. Indeed, if one of the worst learning environments in the country can benefit from a controlled social science experiment, so too can other cities or towns across America — those in Tampa Bay included. Full story

Ambrosia Global: Erect Food Towers, Feed The World

By Justine Benstead
83 Degrees
Dec. 3, 2013

Visitors to the Florida State Fairgrounds may notice a new installation in coming months -- but it's not an art piece. It's a sustainable farming tower system, and it's here to help feed the residents of Tampa Bay. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is partnering with Ambrosia Global to source materials for the prototype model, which will remain at the fairgrounds just east of Tampa while the team continues research. Ambrosia, which is founded by UT students and alumni, plans to sell tower systems to organizations in developing countries. Full story

High Times at Bleu Acier

By Megan Voeller
Creative Loafing
Nov. 27, 2013

Gregg Perkins, an artist and University of Tampa communication professor, was just looking to make a painting of a mountain when he stumbled upon an aerial photograph of Mont Blanc, shot by Swiss aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer in 1935. Mittelholzer, who made the first north-to-south flight across Africa and co-founded the commercial airline that would become Swissair, captured Perkins's imagination. In turn, that fascination led to a collaboration with Erika Greenberg-Schneider, owner and master printer at Bleu Acier in Tampa Heights, where Perkins worked for a few months earlier this year to create a series of prints inspired by Mittelholzer’s adventures. Full story

Mormons Try to Benefit from Satire's Success

By Michelle Bearden
Tampa Tribune
Nov. 16, 2013

Local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are embracing the “The Book of Mormon,” the blockbuster musical that makes a mockery of their religion, citing even bad publicity being good publicity as a possible conversation tool. Ryan Cragun, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Tampa and an ex-Mormon from Utah, calls the church's reaction to the play “brilliant.” “Whether you agree or disagree with the church, they win awards for their marketing,” Cragun said. “The Scientologists go the opposite direction by being so litigious. And look how it backfires on them.” Full story

Can You Stay Anonymous Online?

By Doug Smith
My FOX Tama Bay
Nov. 14, 2013

Most of us can't imagine life without a computer, but you likely give up some of your personal information every time you log on -- and chances are you'll never know it. "Oh, it is so valuable for marketers to have that data footprint because they can better market to you," said Erika Matulich, a marketing professor at the University of Tampa. "I think it's sometimes important for us to give up pieces of our information so we get marketed to more efficiently." Matulich says as long as consumers are given the option to opt out, she sees nothing wrong with tracking people online. Full story  

Spartans 'Hot Bread' Superstition Ends with a Championship

By Bobby Lewis
WTSP
Nov. 11, 2013

Last season, UT baseball got hot. The Spartans won their sixth national championship on the diamond. It was a title won thanks to months of hard work, dedication and one of the most unique superstitions in sports. "It got us going last year," said right fielder Zach Gawrych. "Every team has a different thing and that was our thing last year." When a runner got on a slice of fresh bread went into the toaster. It stayed in there until the inning ended. The runners who scored had a snack waiting for them. Head coach Joe Urso, who has now won three championships as the Spartans' head coach never ate a bite of the charred toast but got to enjoy what the superstitious tradition did for his team. Pitcher Preston Packrall helped lead the rallies from the dugout and was one of the originators of the 'Hot Bread' antics. Full story

Booze Permit Fight Brewing in Tampa

By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
Nov. 10, 2013

Tampa has one of Florida’s most complicated systems for letting bars, restaurants and other businesses sell alcohol. Since the late 1990s, most business owners have had to get permission from the city council to serve alcohol. Through the city’s zoning powers, council members have written business hours and other conditions into those permits, making the restrictions permanent features of the property. The city council took that approach to get a grip on bars and other businesses that had been flouting the city’s rules regarding alcohol, said former council member Scott Paine, now a professor at the University of Tampa. “We wanted to do something with the bad actors,” Paine said. Full story

University of Tampa Plans Parking, Classroom Building

By Jerome Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Nov. 4, 2013

Hot off the completion of an 11-story residence hall, UT has announced it will begin construction on a 7-story multi-use structure along West Kennedy Boulevard. It will include four stories of parking and three stories of academic and administrative space, bridging North A Street and connecting to the existing Thomas Parking Garage. The space not set aside for parking will include classrooms, faculty offices, student meeting and study areas, a Campus Safety Center and the Sykes College of Business Entrepreneurship Center. Full story

Pros, Cons of Las Vegas Hosting 2016 GOP National Convention

By Sean Whaley
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nov. 3, 2013

Bringing the Republican National Convention to Las Vegas in 2016 might generate some valuable but intangible benefits by giving Nevadans a national stage. But there is some scholarly disagreement over whether such an event would provide any economic benefit to Southern Nevada. The Nevada Host Committee, which announced last week it would pursue the convention, points to a study by Brian Kench, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tampa, as evidence the event would be good for the economy. Kench analyzed the effects of the 2012 Republican National Convention on Tampa Bay, finding that direct expenditures totaled $214 million with a total economic impact of $404 million. But Kench said the dynamics might be different for Las Vegas. Full story

Intramural Complex Welcome Addition to University of Tampa Campus

Tampa Tribune
Nov. 1, 2013

Since its completion earlier this year, The University of Tampa’s Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex has gotten a lot of use. The 90,000-square-foot field is the new home of the Spartans’ men’s and women’s lacrosse and soccer teams, but intramural teams and ROTC also use it, said Tom Kolbe, UT’s sports information director. “It sees a lot of traffic,” he said of the complex on the north side of Kennedy Boulevard. Full story

New Faces of College Admissions

By Risa Doherty
New York Times
Nov. 1, 2013

Colleges have long sought parents’ help with job placement and networking. But now many small and medium private colleges and some large public universities (West Virginia University, University of Pittsburgh) call on parents of enrolled students to volunteer with the admissions office. Maria-Elena Santorelli, parent of a sophomore at the University of Tampa, said her conversations with parents run the gamut, from her own daughter’s experiences in classes to what it’s like to send a child away to school. Full story

Princeton Review Puts UT on ‘Best Business Schools’ List

By Jo-Lynn Brown
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Oct. 15, 2013

The Princeton Review has named the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business one of the top 295 business schools in the world for the eighth straight year. Full story

Similar stories appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and Business Observer.

5 Reasons Running May Not Help You Lose Weight

By Adam Bornstein
Shape
Oct. 15, 2013

The human body is designed for efficiency; meaning if you do the same thing over and over again, the process becomes easier. This applies to running workouts too. Not only will they start to feel more effortless, but your metabolism literally learns and reacts so that fewer calories are burned with the same exercise output. Research conducted at The University of Tampa found that doing steady state cardio—such as running on the treadmill for 45 minutes at a consistent pace that's not near maximal effort (think sprinting)—helps out with weight loss… but only initially. Within one week, their metabolism had adjusted and now didn't need to work as hard to burn off the fat. Full story

This article also appeared on the Huffington Post.

UT’s West Kennedy Hall is a Welcome Residence

By Jerome Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Oct. 6, 2013

It was designed to encourage interaction and community. It has “art boxes,” study nooks, photographic displays from around the world, a sweeping panoramic view of Tampa, and rooms organized in suite or loft arrangements. Just don’t call West Kennedy Hall on the University of Tampa campus a “dorm.” “We like to call it a residence hall instead of just a dorm,” said Sabrina Griffith, UT’s associate director for resident life. “We want them to feel like they’re doing more than just sleeping here. You can come out of your room and still feel like this is your space.” Full story  

More Smartphones, More Injuries

By: Stef DiPietrantonio
My Fox Tampa Bay
Sept. 18, 2013

University of Tampa students were the subject of this news story on injuries due to walking while texting, Tweeting or Instagram-ing. It's a guilty pleasure that's getting people ages 16 to 25 in trouble. Since 2005, the numbers have doubled in the last few years, according to researchers at The Ohio State University, who polled emergency rooms all over the country. "The biggest fear is that when kids are walking to school, they walk into traffic because they're not paying attention to the roads coming-up," said Dr. Patrick Mularoni at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. UT Band Director Jeff Traster said he sees students on their phones on campus all the time. “It's amazing how tethered they are and how automatic it is." Video

The Workout Gear That Boosts Your Strength and Power

By Michael Easter
Men’s Health
Sept. 7, 2013

Resistance isn’t futile, at least in the gym: Including a resistance band in your workout can improve your explosive strength, say researchers at The University of Tampa. When basketball players added resistance bands to their squats and bench presses once a week for 5 weeks, they gained more strength and power than teammates who trained without them. “The bands stretch and add resistance to the top of the lift, making your muscles work harder at the point where you’re usually strongest,” says study author Jordan Joy ’12. Full story

At Campus Mail Rooms, Packages are Taking Over

By Shelley Rossetter
Tampa Bay Times
Sept. 6, 2013

At 1 p.m. on a recent weekday, a line of students stretched out the door of a building at the University of Tampa. No, they weren't queuing up for free food or a back-to-school event. They were waiting for something much more important: mail. At a time when traditional post offices are struggling financially, mail rooms on many college campuses are busier than ever. But it's not letters from home these college students are eager to retrieve. They've got texts and emails for that. It's the fruits of their online shopping labors. Full story

Making the Grade Alexandria Blackwood

By Brad Drazen
NBC Connecticut
Sept. 4, 2013

Alexandria Blackwood ’13 has landed her first teaching job at Achievement First Hartford Academy. “It’s exciting and also you feel an enormous sense of responsibility on your shoulders,” said Blackwood. The goal at her school is to make college a reality for every student. As such, she has named her classroom after her alma mater and refers to her students as Spartans. Video

10 Things the Intern Won’t Tell You

By Maria LaMagna
Wall Street Journal 
Sept. 3, 2013

Many studies have shown how cost-effective hiring interns can be. An intern who works for one semester can increase a company’s productivity by 7.1 workdays and yield a return of eight to 10 times her salary, says Robert Shindell, the vice president and chief learning officer at Intern Bridge, a college consulting and research firm. And according to one paper by researchers at California State University at Northridge and Dean Koutroumanis and Giles Hertz at The University of Tampa, published in the Small Business Institute Journal, recruiting and later hiring a college intern costs about half as much as hiring from outside the company. Full story

This story also appeared on Morningstar, Yahoo!Finance and Yahoo!Finance Canada. 

Disabled Tampa man's Indomitable Spirit Overcame All Odds

By Michelle Bearden
Tampa Tribune
Sept. 1, 2013

Ryan Shuck — a University of Tampa grad — was partially paralyzed by a childhood accident. He never let his disability slow him down, inspiring friends and family for 29 years. With his positive vibe and outgoing personality, Ryan made friends easily at UT, where he majored in sports management. Larry Marfise, the school's athletic director, had Ryan in one of his classes and calls him “the most inquisitive young man” he's ever known. Since Ryan’s passing, the Ryan Shuck Foundation has been formed, and the nonprofit will sponsor four to six events a year, splitting its fundraising efforts between charities that help the disabled and a scholarship for a disabled student in Ryan's name at University of Tampa. Full story

How a Grand Hotel Became the University of Tampa

By Pam Iorio
Special to The Tampa Tribune
Sept. 1, 2013

It took the Great Depression to give Tampa its first university and its impressive, historic home. The union of the university and our signature, minaret-topped Tampa Bay Hotel is an interesting tale of timing, resolve, and vision. Today, the University of Tampa has an enrollment of 6,900 — 1,300 of whom are international students. Its current president, Ronald Vaughn, has steered the university through a period of unprecedented growth for more than 18 years. From a single building to 53, from 12 faculty to 550 — the University of Tampa has grown in ways that its first president, Frederic Spaulding, would find astonishing. Full story

College Colors Day Brings out School Spirit

By Lenora Lake
Tampa Tribune
Aug. 27, 2013

College Colors Day was started in 2005 by the company that oversees licensing agreements between schools, manufacturers and retailers. Now more than 30 national and regional retailers participate in the promotion, organized by the Collegiate Licensing Company. The observance encourages people to wear apparel of their favorite college or university throughout the day. The University of Tampa is participating for the first time this year, urging the campus to wear the UT colors and apparel, giving prizes for students, faculty and staff who participate, and hosting an Instagram contest and offering Videogram posting. Full story

University of Tampa Students Move into New Dorm

WFLA
By Melissa Beckman
Aug. 26, 2013

More than 500 students are settling into their new semester at the University of Tampa's hottest new address. "I feel like I'm living in like a 5-star hotel or something," said UT Junior Ryan Harvey. "It's very nice." West Kennedy Hall opened its doors for students to move in Aug. 21. Artwork lines the walls and instead of standard dorm rooms, students live in suites. The 528-bed co-ed residence hall is the latest addition at the campus, which has had a continual climb in enrollment for nearly two decades. "Campus is constantly growing and changing so everyone wants to get back and see all the changes we did this summer," explained UT's Associate Dean of Students for Resident Life Krystal Schofield. Video

You Give Religions More than $82.5 Billion a Year

By Dylan Matthews
The Washington Post
Aug. 22, 2013

If, all of a sudden, churches, synagogues, mosques and the like lost their tax privileges, how much tax revenue would that generate? Ryan T. Cragun, a sociologist at the University of Tampa, and two of his students, Stephanie Yeager and Desmond Vega, took it upon themselves to figure it out. They’re not exactly disinterested parties; their research appeared in Free Inquiry, a publication of the Council for Secular Humanism. But Cragun is a serious sociologist of religion and the data seems to check out. The full scale of subsidies religions get is pretty staggering. Full story

University of Tampa Gets New Smoking Policy

WFLA
Aug. 22, 2013

If you're a smoker on The University of Tampa campus you better watch where you light up. A new smoking policy starts this school year. "We want everyone to have a healthy safe place they can learn and study," Laura Manke, UT student and Public Health major, said. Manke, along with other students, formed the group Breath-Easy UT. After educating students and staff, talking to administrators, and starting up a petition, the school is virtually going smoke free. Full story

This story also appeared on the radio station 907 WFLA.

Tampa to Spend $188,000 to Finish Renovating Plant Hall

By Elizabeth Behrman
Tampa Tribune
Aug. 22, 2013

The city council this week agreed to spend an additional $188,372 to cover the cost of renovations to Plant Hall on the University of Tampa campus. The city, which owns the landmark building, paid $350,000 last year for the project, but the work was more expensive than anticipated. The work included repairs to the building’s foundation, painting and upgrades of the fire and safety alarm systems. Full story

Republican National Convention Put $214M Directly into Tampa Bay Economy

By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
Aug. 20, 2013

Last year's Republican National Convention pumped more than $214 million directly into the Tampa Bay area's economy, according to a business impact study commissioned by the local host committee and released Tuesday. The Tampa study was done by Brian Kench, chairman of the department of economics at The University of Tampa. It looked at business activity in eight counties: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, Sarasota and Polk. The study estimated that the convention increased taxable sales around the area by $363 million during August 2012 compared with August 2011. That 3.2 percent increase came on top of the growth in sales the rest of the state also saw for the month. Full story

Similar stories appeared in the Tampa Tribune, WMNF, WTSP, 970 WFLA and Creative Loafing. 

New Research Supports the Notion That There’s No Such Thing as a “Consensual” Police Encounter

By Justin Peters
Slate
Aug. 15, 2013

A new article in the Florida Coastal Law Review, titled “Testing Judicial Assumptions of the ‘Consensual’ Encounter: An Experimental Study,” provides some evidence supporting the contention that consensual police encounters are often less consensual than they seem. Authors Alisa Smith of UT, Erik Dolgoff and Dana Stewart Speer said the results of the study “show that judicial assumptions are flawed about the reactions of reasonable, innocent people during ‘consensual’ encounters with police.” This paper suggests, at least preliminarily, that the “consensual” police encounter is a fiction. And with more empirical research like this, maybe the courts will start rethinking consensual encounters, too. Full story

UT, USF Make Princeton Review Short List

83 Degrees
Aug. 13, 2013

The University of Tampa, a private college in downtown Tampa best known for its business school, was named one of the nation's 378 best institutions for undergraduate education for the next edition of the Princeton Review. Full story

Lower Alsace Student Chums Around with Sharks

By Elyssa Cherney
Reading Eagle
Aug. 12, 2013

UT sophomore Kristen Hughes, who is majoring in marine biology, spent two months in South Africa this summer sailing the Indian and Atlantic oceans at dawn as an intern for Oceans Research. To identify and tag endangered great white sharks, she hurled a stew of fish heads, fish oil and blood overboard. "We would try to attract the shark to get its fin out of the water so we can take pictures of it," said Hughes. "Each shark has different markings and spots on its dorsal fin. When you compare different photos, we can see if it's the same shark or a new shark." Full story

UT Entrepreneurship Director Helps Students Capitalize on Dreams

By Erin Sullivan
Tampa Bay Times
Aug. 8, 2013

Rebecca White was an early champion of entrepreneurship studies, which is now one of the fastest-growing majors on college campuses. White, 56, helped create the entrepreneurship center at Northern Kentucky University before coming to the University of Tampa in 2009. Since she became director of UT's Entrepreneurship Center, the number of students majoring in entrepreneurship has doubled. "We are building an entrepreneurial community," White said. White, athletic and petite with short hair and a wide smile, embodies what makes successful entrepreneurs — tough, determined and passionate. She spoke of her path recently with Times staff writer Erin Sullivan. Odds are she shouldn't be where she is. Full story  

While Some Can't Get Enough of Royal Baby, Others Tune it Out

By Stephanie Hayes
Tampa Bay Times
July 23, 2013

Prince William and his wife, Catherine, have been the talk of most media outlets as the couple welcomed their first son into the world on Tuesday. While many feel a connection to the royal family, there are plenty of naysayers. "We live in a polarized culture," said Andrew McAlister, a communication professor at The University of Tampa who studies pop culture and ideology in media. "Not only do we have a huge expectation of celebrity awareness and obsession, but we have a counterbalance of people thinking that kind of interest in celebrity is remarkably stupid, especially when it really has nothing to do with them." Full story

Arthur Hollist Interview about Caine Prize for African Writing

WAMU-FM in Washington, D.C.
July 7, 2013

Arthur Onipede Hollist, associate professor of English, was recently named to the shortlist for the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing, arguably Africa’s most prestigious literary prize. The shortlist — comprised of five finalists — was selected from 96 entries from 16 African countries. Hollist was interviewed on the radio on his entry, “Foreign Aid,” which was originally published in the Journal of Progressive Human Services Vol. 23.3, a special issue devoted to Africa. Full story

A similar radio piece occurred on KOPB-FM in Portland, OR.

Is the Growth of the Nonreligious Good or Bad? Americans are Divided

By Kimberly Winston
Religion News Service
July 5, 2013

Nearly half of all Americans — 48 percent — say the growing number of nonreligious people is “bad for society,” according to a poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. But about the same amount — 50 percent — say the rise in nonreligious people is either a good thing (39 percent), or doesn’t matter (11 percent). The findings in part back up work done by Ryan Cragun, a sociologist of religion at UT, and Barry Kosmin of Trinity College’s Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society, about the attitudes of nonreligious Americans — that they are more tolerant of diversity and difference. “It’s still fascinating that just under 50 percent of Americans find the increase problematic even though 80 percent claim to be religious,” Cragun said. “Either Americans aren’t as religious as they seem or they don’t think religion is such a good thing, which is pretty interesting.” Full story

Similar stories appeared in the Washington Post and the Christian Examiner. 

June Brought July to Tampa

By Shae Krispinsky
Creative Loafing
June 27, 2013

UT's Lectores featured the multi-talented writer and artist Miranda July. Vacillations between stark, unapologetic realness and head-scratching oddities encapsulate the entire body of July’s creative work. But how much of a difference was there between the creator and the created? How much was affectation, how much was true? Such questions lingered in the Creative Loafing’s Shae Krispinsky’s mind as she took her seat in the Vaughn Center at the University of Tampa to catch Miranda July’s reading for the MFA program’s Lectores series mid June. Jeff Parker, the program’s director, introduced July as “thoughtful, inventive and fearless.” Full story

A similar story appeared in Creative Loafing earlier in June.

Largest and Brightest Full Moon of Year

Associated Press
By Chris O'Meara
June 23, 2013

A photo featuring a University of Tampa minaret with the super moon setting behind it on June 23 was picked up by several national news media. The super moon happens only once this year as the moon on its elliptical orbit is at its closest point to earth and is 13.5 percent larger than usual.

Similar stories appeared in the Daily Astorian, Huffington Post Denver, Huffington Post Chicago Around Town, the Sacramento Bee, the Montana Standard, San Jose Mercury News, LA Daily News, the Kansas City Star, Charlotte Observer, Universe Today, QWT News, WXPI, and the Inquisitr.

Readers Choose UT’s Minarets, Sunshine Skyway

Chris Wilkerson
Tampa Bay Business Journal
June 21, 2013

Tampa Bay Business Journal readers agree that the minarets at Plant Hall are their favorite among Tampa Bay’s most significant architectural accomplishments.
Readers ranked the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in a close second place in a TBBJ survey conducted this week. With more than 500 responses, readers liked the University of Tampa with 40 percent of the vote. Full story 

Musicians Give Kids an Earful in Summer Program

By Ronnie Blair
Tampa Tribune
June 21, 2013

Clarinetist Calvin Falwell enthralled children at Pine View Elementary with that musical Jedi trick Thursday morning when the Florida Orchestra's Wind Quintet visited the school's summer PLACE program for a mixture of performance and music education. For about three weeks, the quintet is visiting all 25 PLACE locations at elementary schools across the county. PLACE - Pasco Learning and Activity Centers of Enrichment - is a before- and after-school child care program during the school year but switches to all-day child care in the summer. Elisabet Fandino ’13 visits each school a couple of days before the quintet to present a music education program that helps prepare the children for the arrival of the five musicians. Full story 

University of Tampa Student Katelyn Edwards Strives to Help People Smile

By Lorena Rabago
WTSP
June 20, 2013

Katelyn Edwards, a junior at the University of Tampa, plans to bring smiles to many faces. "It's very important not only to me but to the entire community," said Edwards. She's a volunteer for Smile Train, an international nonprofit organization that provides cleft surgeries for 125,000 impoverished children a year, completely free of charge. In July, she will travel to Kumasi, Ghana to volunteer alongside a plastic surgeon. Her goal is to raise at minimum $4,000 for her Smile Initiative, covering travel costs as well as the cost of cleft surgeries for eight Ghanaian children. Video 

Ina Kaur’s New Swirl Order

By Megan Voeller
Creative Loafing
June 14, 2013

In an unfirm terrain — a slippery zone of cultural relativity and indeterminacy — is where UT Assistant Professor Ina Kaur navigates her artwork. It’s art that could be taken as intrinsically Indian for its devotion to ornate patterns and bursts of vermillion, or solidly postminimalist in the more American-International sense for its reliance on simple, organic forms, repetition and a restrained palette (lots of grays and whites in addition to the fiery red). Her art’s identity, and to a certain extent her own, often winds up resting in the eye of the beholder — a predicament of which Kaur is keenly aware. “I just take everything with a smile,” she says. “Because of my identity perhaps, when I show my work in Western countries, it’s perceived as more Oriental. In India, it’s perceived more as abstract. They see a lot of Westernization in it.” Full story

Student Newspapers Facing Same Pressures as Pro Publications

By Benjamin Mullin
Poynter
June 14, 2013

In an era of changing media models, student journalists aren’t just grappling with the basics of reporting, writing, editing and publishing — they’re struggling to survive. The challenge is the same one faced by their professional counterparts: decreased advertising revenue coupled with increased printing costs. Like the pros, college media organizations have tried to adapt by simultaneously pursuing cost reductions and striking out into new businesses. “I don’t know a student news outlet in the country that hasn’t been affected in some way,” Dan Reimold, a faculty adviser to The Minaret. Full story  

Spartans Secure Sixth National Baseball Title

By Brett Friedlander
TBO
June 1, 2013

University of Tampa baseball coach Joe Urso has been wearing the ring his team won for its most recent national championship in 2007 since arriving at the Division II College World Series last week. It was a not-so-subtle reminder to his current players of the goal they were in position to accomplish. Saturday night at the USA Baseball Training Complex, the Spartans earned a ring of their own. Scoring five runs in the second inning off previously unbeaten Minnesota State ace Harvey Martin — the national Pitcher of the Year — UT cruised to an 8-2 victory and the sixth national title in school history. “I’ve dreamed always about getting a ring, but I don’t know that it’s hit me yet. It’s going to be a dream come true,” tournament MVP Jake Schrader said. “It’s been a motivating factor from Day One. Every day at practice, you see (the ring) on his hand. “It’s always in your face. That’s the goal. That’s what we want to get, and now we have it.” Full story

Similar stories also appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, WFLA, WTSP, CBS local, Minnesota Star Tribune,  Baseball News Source.

Rebound From A College Rejection!

By Macey Hall
Seventeen
May 2013

UT senior Arielle wrote in Seventeen magazine how not getting into her first choice college was a blessing in disguise. “I’m now entering my senior year at the University of Tampa, and couldn’t imagine going to UF—the campus is so enormous that I would feel lost. And with a smaller campus, I get much more attention that allows me to be a name to my professors, instead of a number. Plus, I love everything about my academic program. I couldn't ask for a better happy ending," she wrote. Full story  

Battle of the Sexes

By Janaki Lenin
The Hindu
May 31, 2013

If females were freed of baby-rearing duties, would they turn promiscuous? According to evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers’ theory, males get maximum reproductive advantage with minimal investment, while females invest a great deal of energy and effort for few offspring. This biological cost-benefit imbalance pushes females to be cautious in their choice of mates while males philander. Associate Professor Heather Masonjones looked at role reversal in sea horses and found that although they can produce eggs within a matter of hours of meeting males, females play hard to get, demanding several days of courtship. Females exhausted from making one male pregnant aren’t in a hurry to check out other males. Although sea horses swap incubation duties, they appeared to be monogamous — some through one breeding season, others for life. Full story 

From Blood Clot to NCAA Champion

By Mike Gustafson
USA Swimming
May 29, 2013

After realizing her arm had swollen up, UT junior and swimmer Heather Glenday underwent 14 hours of testing in the ER before doctors concluded that she had a blood clot in her arm, known as Paget-Schroetter Syndrome. Though relatively rare, Paget-Schroetter Syndrome isn’t as uncommon as you might think, especially in athletes who significantly use their arms in constant repetitive motions. Though she is back 100 percent, Glenday was out of the pool for over a month. She continues to swim, though she has to be cautious to monitor the other side of her body to make sure the blood clot doesn’t return. “With any overhead repetitive motion, getting upper body strength, it squishes the veins off if you get strong enough,” Glenday explained. “The way I am and my body is, my bones were forced together more strongly than most people.” Though Glenday wasn’t able to make the Olympic Trials last summer, she returned to the competition pool this fall better than ever. And, remarkably, this winter at the 2013 D2 NCAA Championships, Glenday won an NCAA title as part of The University of Tampa’s 800 freestyle relay. Full story 

University of Tampa Class Learns about Local Tampa Food

By Janet K. Keeler
Tampa Bay Times
May 29, 2013

In a May Term class called "Food Fights," English professors Kacy Tillman and Bill Doyle taught nine UT students that a nasturtium bloom tastes like a mouthful of wasabi and that a dill pickle-flavored potato chip could inspire a chef to develop a dish fit for fine dining. Students participated in a cooking class at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, learned about hydroponic farming at Urban Oasis and stocked shelves at Feeding America Tampa Bay, among other activities. This class really opened my eyes to a lot of things," said Kyetra Bryant, 18, a sophomore journalism and communications major. "I won't look at things the same way." That was the hope of Tillman and Doyle as they crafted the activities and came up with a challenging reading list for the course that drew a diverse group of students majoring in English, finance, accounting, performing arts, marketing and graphic design. Full story

Spartans Come out Swinging in CWS Opener

By Brett Friedlander
TBO
May 26, 2013

The University of Tampa baseball team hit a school-record four triples, two home runs and a pair of doubles in its opening game at the NCAA Division II College World Series on Sunday. But it was a hit that traveled barely 5 feet from home plate that turned out to be the biggest of the day for the top-ranked Spartans against Coker (S.C.). Michael Danner’s seemingly harmless two-out pop-up landed softly between three Coker fielders, keying a three-run second inning that catapulted UT to a 12-4 victory and a promising start in the double-elimination tournament at the USA Baseball Training Complex. The second-ranked Spartans advance to play St. Edward’s on Tuesday night at 7. Full story

Strauss Opera Brings Stellar Voices to St. Petersburg Opera

By John Fleming
Tampa Bay Times
May 24, 2013

Hein Jung has one of the longest arias in all of opera in Ariadne auf Naxos. "It's almost 11 minutes of ravishing coloratura, a lot of high notes, really difficult," the soprano said. Jung is playing the role of Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss' madcap opera, the final production of the season by St. Petersburg Opera. Jung, 35, an assistant professor of voice at the University of Tampa, recently sang another high-flying role, the Queen of the Night, in a University of Florida production of The Magic Flute. Jung has daughters age 4 and 7, with husband Chanyoung Lee, and juggles parenthood, teaching and her career as an opera singer. She and UT pianist Grigorios Zamparas are preparing an album of songs by Liszt for the Centaur label, recorded in the school's splendid new Sykes Chapel. Full story  

Name Change: MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

By Lorena Rabago
WTSP Channel 10
May 15, 2013

The 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre has a new name. Now the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Assistant Professor Shane Smith said businesses need to proceed with caution when considering a name change. “It’s definitely an issue when a company has to change its name multiple times,” Smith said. “It’s not consistent, and for marketing to work in its full effect, consistency is a key.” Video

Column: To Cut College Cost, Finish on Time

By Catherine Chastain-Elliott
Tampa Bay Times
May 15, 2013

With students busy finalizing their fall college plans, parents would do well to talk to their seniors this spring about ways to hold down the cost of a college degree, wrote Professor Catherine Chastain-Elliott. The higher education price tag continues to soar. It is more important than ever to find ways to contain costs. Beyond providing degree requirements and academic advisers to explain them, most institutions lack resources to systematically monitor students' four-year trajectories. Chastain-Elliott suggests telling students how tuition and other bills will be met; showing students how to calculate the cost of a course at their university; helping students who borrow to finance college to calculate a probable monthly payment based on amount borrowed over four years and encouraging students to make solid scheduling decisions in order to avoid oversights that postpone graduation and run up costs. Full story

Hammer: Worldly Artist Stages Exhibit at HCC Ybor

By Esther Hammer
The Tampa Tribune
May 9, 2013

The Ybor Arts Gallery Hillsborough Community College will host an exhibition of prints and new installation work by Ina Kaur, Tuesday through June 20. A native of New Delhi who has lived and studied in the United States, the international artist has assimilated values and influences from Eastern and Western cultures. She uses symbols from the two opposite sides of the globe to explore what she calls the cross-cultural continuum. Full story

Exhibit Showcases Westchase Artists

By Esther Hammer
The Tampa Tribune
May 5, 2013

University of Tampa art students graduating this month with their bachelor’s degrees show off their talents in an exhibit at Scarfone/Hartley Gallery on the UT campus. The 17 visual arts students present painting, drawing, printmaking, animation, graphic design and mixed-media works. “There are also seven computer graphics students showing their work,” said Dorothy Cowden, gallery director. “And that covers skills in printing, marketing material, product design and interactive computer graphics.” Full story  

Who Will Pay for the Paper?

By Allie Grasgreen
Inside Higher Ed
April 26, 2013

While declining print readership and advertising revenue started prompting layoffs and paper shrinkage at professional newspapers decades ago, campus publications managed to stave off those financial woes for a while. But in the last couple of years, campus newspapers have been hit and are increasingly turning to their student bodies for help in the form of student fees. In most cases, assistant professor of journalism Dan Reimold said students have backed their publications and been willing to pick up a small fee to help them survive. But for the independent papers this new trend raises a whole new set of questions. “The implications of this scheme are potentially enormous,” said Reimold, who runs the student journalism industry blog College Media Matters and also is faculty adviser to Tampa’s student paper, The Minaret. Full story

UT Student from Brandon Creates Stir at Westfield Mall

By Barbara Routen
TBO.com
April 26, 2013

Acting on an assignment for a University of Tampa class, Martin Mozzachiodi, who was recently named student of the year by faculty in UT’s Media Production/Electronic-Media Art and Technology Department. filmed two costumed singers at Westfield Brandon mall. The two burst into the food court with a yell. They then played ukuleles while singing One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” About 14 minutes into Mozzachiodi’s unscripted video art performance, mall security ushered them out. “If security gets involved, that’s all part of it,” said 49-year-old Mozzachiodi, quoting his professor, Santiago Echeverry. “That is the hidden purpose behind this assignment: use performance art in a way that can transform (students’) lives and impact those who surround them,” Echeverry said. “It is a cathartic process that will make them grow.” Full story

Tampa Venezuelans Protest Chávez Successor Vote

By Elisabeth Parker
Tampa Bay Times
April 25, 2013

Antonio Daher, 21, had traveled more than 1,300 miles, taking four planes to get to his home in Valencia, Venezuela to vote fro the successor to deceased president Hugo Chávez. It was his first time voting, said Daher, an economics major at UT, who with a friend organized a rally last week on the grounds of UT, where about 100 Venezuelans are enrolled. "We need international recognition," Daher said. About 50 people held signs and passed out fliers saying democracy is at risk in Venezuela. Days earlier, at least a dozen had traveled by bus 12 hours each way to vote in New Orleans, their nearest consulate. As the sun set, they moved to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and brought out pots and pans to bang in a form of street protest called cacerolazo. Full story

Shot Fired in New Kensington Convenience Store Robbery

By Chuck Biedka
TribLive
April 24, 2013

A robber fired a gunshot into a New Kensington convenience store wall before stealing cash from the startled clerk, police said. University of Tampa criminologist Chris Capsambelis, who was an Arnold officer and who has taught other officers, said firing a gun is often the last thing that most robbers want to do. “This is not something they would typically do,” he said. Firing a gun makes noise and means that police may be able to recover a bullet and match it other crimes. “Police would have physical evidence in addition to any surveillance photos and eyewitness accounts.” he said. Full story

Effort Thrombosis, a Rare Condition Afflicting Mostly Athletes, is Treatable

By Irene Maher
Tampa Bay Times
April 24, 2013

Heather Glenday is used to discomfort. A competitive swimmer since childhood, Glenday, now 21, swims for the University of Tampa. But a year ago, she had unusual pain on her right side that persisted even in the off season. One day, she awoke and found she could barely bend her right arm, which had swollen to about three times the size of her left. Doctors at Tampa General Hospital found a blood clot in her upper arm, just below her collar bone. Effort thrombosis is also known as Paget-Schroetter syndrome. Repetitive, strenuous arm movement damages a large vein between the collarbone and the top of the rib cage. "I got really upset," said Glenday, an accounting major in her junior year at UT. "It was like a ticking time bomb in my body." But, if diagnosed promptly and treated properly, athletes can usually return to their sport. Full story

University of Tampa to Offer Scholarships to children of Fallen Special Operators

By Wendy Bourland
Specialops.org
April 17, 2013

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation has partnered with the University of Tampa to offer five annual scholarships to the children of fallen special operations soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. Additionally, the University of Tampa has named its newest building on campus in honor of retired Army General Peter J. Schoomaker. The facility will be shared by the school’s ROTC and Athletics programs, and will be the home of the Spartan Battalion, the University of Tampa’s Army ROTC cadre. Full story

Similar stories appeared on CW Richmond, WMBB.com, WTNZ Fox 43, WXTX Fox 54 and benzinga.com.

Chemistry Olympiad

TBO
April 16, 2013

The University of Tampa hosted the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad competition on April 15. “This competition is a multi-tiered competition,” said Glenroy "Dean" Martin, assistant professor of chemistry. “So the lab practical section is one in which we assess the students on lab skills, their ability to reason through a problem and how well they can communicate the results.” Video

'Tech Trek' Bus Tour Seeks to Match Students, Market Needs

By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
April 16, 2013

UT freshman Sarah Zaki is one of a couple of dozen college students pursuing degrees ranging from information systems and IT security to network administration who spent Monday on a "Tech Trek" bus tour of prominent area companies. The students' mission: To envision their own career opportunities if they stay and work in Tampa Bay. Zaki, a who is pursuing both a management information systems and an accounting major, said, “If I can't find MIS work, at least I know that people have to do their taxes." The bus tour was the brainstorm of the tech advocacy group Tampa Bay Technology Forum. It's a small piece of a larger strategy by area economic development groups to raise the awareness level of area companies with tech jobs they say are hard to fill, and regional colleges and universities whose students often remain disturbingly unaware of the growing technology economy here. Full story

University of Tampa Conference to Explore Human Rights Issues

Tampa Bay Times
April 16, 2013

What does science teach us about human rights? Does the death penalty violate human rights? Is there a human right to democracy or economic development? These are some of the topics to be discussed during the University of Tampa’s second annual Human Rights Day conference on April 27. Full story

Memories of Jackie Robinson Still Strong in Ex-pitcher

By Joey Johnston
The Tampa Tribune
April 12, 2013

Walter “Dirk'' Gibbons is 84. Gibbons, a Tampa native and Negro League pitching legend who still works in the University of Tampa's campus maintenance department, said, “People ask why I don't just stay at home. If I stopped working, I might just fade away.'' For Gibbons, some things can't fade. Such as that 1950 weekend, when the barnstorming Jackie Robinson All-Stars came to Tampa. The old Plant Field, on UT's campus, swelled with thousands of spectators. It was the chance to witness high-level baseball – and history. Robinson, who broke the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, was more than a curiosity to Tampa's black community. Full story

A similar story appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek.

 

Authorities Praise Cuba for Returning Hakkens

By Eric Waxler
ABC Action News
April 10, 2013

Denis Rey, assistant professor of government and world affairs, gave his opinion on the Florida parents charged with kidnapping their boys after losing custody and fleeing to Cuba by sailboat. He said the US and Cuba work together on many issues that don’t make the news. “There’s an understanding between the two countries even though they don’t get along politically as well as they could,” said Rey, “but they’ve been cordial and formal enough with these situations that they usually try to accommodate each other, especially when there are children involved.” 

 

University of Tampa Lacrosse Team Opens New Stadium Friday

By Elizabeth Behrman
Tampa Tribune
April 2, 2013

For Eric Dance, senior captain of the University of Tampa lacrosse team, Friday’s match will be bittersweet. It is both the first and last game he will play in the university’s new lacrosse stadium on the north side of Kennedy Boulevard, which was completed just in time for the last home game of the regular season. “I’m excited,” Dance said. “It’s going to be really nice.” Easily distinguished by a 60-foot-high black net beside Kennedy Boulevard, the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex will be the permanent home of the university’s lacrosse team. “This stadium sends the message that the university is committed to this program, and it’s here to stay,” said Athletic Director Larry Marfise. Full story

A similar story appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and on WFLA.

4 Takeaways from Student Newspaper Sex-Issue Controversy

By Sean McMinn
USA TODAY
March 29, 2013

Administrators at Central New Mexico Community College closed its student newspaper one week, and then reopened it one day later and provided two different reasons as to why. The incident in New Mexico is just the latest in a number of high-profile controversies surrounding sex-related content in college newspapers, said Dan Reimold, author of Sex and the University: Celebrity, Controversy, and a Student Journalism Revolution. Reimold, UT’s student newspaper adviser and author of USA TODAY College's Campus Beat column, said sex is a topic national media tends to avoid. Often, the most reporting done on it comes from campus newspapers. "The student press are the outlets covering it with regularity, with gusto and with real, cited sources," Reimold said. "And so an issue like this can lead the way to show people at these schools that it's actually OK to talk about this." Full story

"Speed-Faithing" Really?

By Bob Clark
South Tampa-Hyde Park Patch
March 27, 2013

Bob Clark joined a group of speed-faithers at The University of Tampa for two hours of discussions, questions and answers about an amazingly diverse variety of religious faith groups. Clark was representing Christian Science. Other religious groups included Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, Baha'i, and Taoist. UT isn't the only university to try speed-faithing. Princeton University and University of Chicago are among a growing number who are experimenting with this quick way to gain a basic knowledge of world religions. It all started with Eboo Patel's Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago and spread from there. Full story

ENOC Hosts Faculty Members from University of Tampa

Al Bawaba
March 26, 2013

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) hosted a delegation of faculty members from The University of Tampa who were in Dubai as part of a study mission.
The delegation of 28 members visited ENOC to gain a stronger understanding of its operations and its contribution to the oil and gas sector. Senior executives of ENOC presented an overview of the company and also discussed the opportunities and challenges in the business sector. Full story

University of Tampa to Dedicate New Stadium

Tampa Bay Business Journal
March 26, 2013

The University of Tampa will dedicate the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex on March 29. UT President Ronald Vaughn and other campus and community leaders are scheduled to speak at the ceremony. Florida Urban Forestry Council will also recognize the University for moving a grand oak tree from the construction zone to a new park just west of the field. Full story

Artist William Villalongo Collaborates with University of Tampa

By Lennie Bennett
Tampa Bay Times
March 23, 2013

William Villalongo was recently at UT to collaborate on a series of prints at its STUDIO-f, which are on view in the University's Scarfone/Hartley Gallery along with a group of new paintings. Those paintings are the best indicators of Villalongo's talent. They're cerebral and sensual both conceptually and materially. Narratives unfold that combine multiple references that are familiar with strange twists. "My work is about historical twisting. Modernism and Colonialism and the complex nature of how they relate to each other that I don't think is talked about," Villalongo said. Full story

'Speed Faithing' is a Quick Way to Learn About a Lot of Religions

By Michelle Bearden
Tampa Tribune
March 22, 2013

Speed dating is so yesterday. But speed faithing — now, that's something new. And it's creating a buzz across the country. "Love the idea," says Sharon Cook of the St. Petersburg Interfaith Association. "What a great way to learn a little about a lot of religions."Cook, a Christian Scientist, is among several presenters taking part in Tuesday's Speed Faithing get-together at the University of Tampa. Sponsored by the Faith, Values and Spirituality Resource Team, it's one of several events planned for Interfaith Harmony Week. The intent is to enlighten, educate and encourage interfaith cooperation, says Lisa Ryan, a staff assistant at UT's Wellness Center, but "not to convert." Full story

New Application Connects Constituents with Tallahassee

By Adrienne Pedersen
WFLA
March 21, 2013

Getting students engaged in state and local government is a challenge for University of Tampa Professor Mary Anderson. She hopes a new political app will change that. It's called FL House and it's free. "It's a quick, at your hands, way to find your information without going to the web," Anderson said. Though she does see an issue with it. "If people understand it's out there they'll use it," Anderson said. "The problem is people are not overly interested. I think it'll be really useful for people who follow politics a lot but it's a two prong issue. We have to raise awareness and interest at the same time." Video

National Business Fraternity Honors University of Tampa Student

By Lenora Lake
Tampa Tribune
March 19, 2013

UT accounting senior Richard Brandt has won a national honor for his fraternity involvement, academic work and community service. Brandt received the Delta Sigma Pi National Collegian of the Year award, the highest honor from the fraternity to a collegiate member. With the recognition, Brandt, 21, from Sarasota, will receive a graduate-level scholarship and serve two years, beginning in August, on the fraternity's national board of directors. Brandt pledged the fraternity in spring 2010, the second semester of his freshman year. "They've been more than just friends," Brandt said. "My brothers in the chapter have been a constant – in classes and out of classes." Full story

As Message for Businesswomen to 'Lean In' Goes Nationwide, Some Tampa Bay Women Heed the Call

By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
March 16, 2013

Rebecca White, professor of management and the James W. Walter Distinguished Chair of Entrepreneurship at UT, said many college students don’t realize the gender inequality that remains in business workplaces. "Too many folks assume women have made all the advances they need to make," said White. "My husband (also an educator at UT) and I have talked about this many times. When either of us provides statistics about the low representation of women in CEO positions or on public boards, we both find our students surprised." White said the inequality also applies to academia with a disparity among female and male leaders. "There are certainly some very successful female university presidents — USF's Judy Genshaft locally, of course — but in business colleges leadership is still very male dominated," she said. Full story  

Local Catholics Say New Pope Will Energize the Church

By Michelle Bearden
The Tampa Tribune
March 13, 2013

No one knows yet why the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires selected “Francis” as his papal name. Whether it was St. Francis Xavier, co-founder of his religious order or the beloved St. Francis of Assisi, champion of the poor, “it doesn’t matter,” said Scott Paine, an associate professor at University of Tampa. “The name evokes a very gentle spirit,” Paine, who attends St. Mark the Evangelist in Tampa. “And now we’ve got a leader who is very familiar with the church outside of Europe. It makes the statement that we’re a universal church, and what he will bring to the conversation is what is needed for these times.” Full story

Guest Blog: UT Delegates Explore Dubai Business Ecosystem

By Renee Vaughn
Tampa Bay Business Journal
March 12, 2013

A group of 28 University and Tampa Bay area business executives are in Dubai this week as part of the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business Global Access Partnership. The partnership is a travel program designed to provide a platform for its University community partners to experience the nuances of global markets and cultures firsthand so they can confidently navigate the global business landscape. Full story

University of Tampa Aims to Increase Women in Technology

By Kaye Brown
83 Degrees
March 12, 2013

The University of Tampa (UT) is joining the national effort to attract, increase and retain the number of women in technology fields by participating in The National Center for Women and Information Technology’s (NCWIT) Pacesetters program. “The innovation in the IT field has been tremendous in the last four years, and for us to continue the innovation, we need the right supply of talent. For us to provide our region with the right talent, we have to grow this locally,” said Natasha Veltri, assistant professor of information and technology management and lead on the NCWIT Pacesetters program at UT. “That way we can attract new employers.” Full story

What Employers Want, What We Teach

By Frank Ghannadian
BizEd
March/April 2013

In the past few decades, business schools have adapted their curricula specifically to meet employer demands. Frank Ghannadian, dean of the Sykes College of Business, reviews how well these schools have aligned their programs with the needs of industry. While some critics say graduate schools miss the mark, Ghannadian points out that corporate employers have continued to hire MBA graduates at a steady rate, even during tough economic times. As employers have called for graduates with better leadership and writing skills, and a deeper understanding of ethical issues, business schools have responded with core courses on those topics. Graduate schools have room for improvement in the areas of soft skills and hands-on experience, and curriculum change must be constant if business schools are to align their curricula with the needs of business.

Pushing the Limits

By Cindy Krischer Goodman
Florida Trend
March 2013

Florida’s best MBA professors are focusing on teaching working professionals how to better manage teams, identify problems correctly and negotiate raises. Assistant Professor Lonnie Bryant was interviewed on his approach to teaching, which includes breaking his classes into two teams of buyer and seller, then debating the value of a company. “It’s great because students want to engage each other and show how smart they are. The classroom is a smaller setting, and they can network and get to know each other’s skill sets.” 

Pipedreams

By Michael Barone
Minnesota Public Radio
March 4, 2013

Haig Mardirosian, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, was featured on Minnesota Public Radio’s Pipedreams with his Sept. 11, 2011, performance on the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values’ Dobson organ. Listen to the recording

Selling Tampa Bay

By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
March 3, 2013

In conjunction with a formal regional branding effort already under way, the Tampa Bay Times asked readers to send their ideas for a Tampa Bay brand that best identifies this region. Of those who responded were UT instructor Margaret Ostrenko’s public relations class, Principles in PR. Robert Trigaux complimented the students on their effort, noting, “Wow, this one might actually work…” of the students’ slogan, “Where business meets paradise.”

Letters: Colleges Adjusting to Different Student Needs

By Gary Simon
Tampa Bay Times
March 2, 2013


UT’s Gary Simon, director of adult and summer academic programs, responded to Robert Trigaux's column last weekend on the college degree becoming the new high school diploma and how this speaks to one of the many reasons colleges and universities are being challenged to adapt to this new economy. The vast majority of students attending colleges and universities today is not the traditional student who enters college right after graduating from high school and goes straight through to degree completion as a full-time student supported by mom and dad. “Evaluating universities on the percentage of students who complete their degree in less than six years, a traditional measurement of success, denies recognition of the changing student population in America's higher education institutions.” Full story

College Coach Doesn’t Long for the Spotlight

By Bruce Wawrzyniak
Catholic Sports Association
March 2, 2013

Chris Catanach has been the head volleyball coach at UT for 29 seasons now. And he’s okay with the fact that you probably don’t know of him. Working at the same school that he graduated from, he is an example of the type of humility that Christians are called to. He said the job has enabled him to help shape student-athletes into young women, not just to coach volleyball players. “I don’t cut corners to win,” Catanach states, “because my longevity will be from the successes of the kids. If I have good academics who are good athletes, I’m going to win. If they leave here without a degree, that’s a major failure in my opinion. It doesn’t matter how many championships you win then. That degree is what it’s all about. If it’s winning at all costs, you’ll cut corners and not be the role model that these kids need.” Full story

Metta World Peace Gets Long-Overdue Poetic Treatment

By Rob Mahoney
Sports Illustrated
Feb. 27, 2013

Jeff Parker, author and director of The University of Tampa’s MFA program, has written a poem with snippets from various interviews by the Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Piece called “Erratic Fire, Erratic Passion.” It's been picked up by various media like Sports Illustrated, The New York Daily News, NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports. Full story

Similar stories appeared in The New York Daily News, NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports, Ball Don’t Lie. 

Scholarship Advice

By Rod Carter
WFLA
Feb. 26, 2013

When it comes to applying for scholarships, one common mistake students make is to not apply for enough of them. A second mistake is that students stop applying once they start school. “I encourage students to look all the time,” said Jackie LaTorella, director of financial aid, who also added that students shouldn’t wait to apply. “Get on top of it,” she said. 

Get to Know the Neighbors, Virtually

By Lloyd Sowers
WTVT-Fox
Feb. 25, 2013

In countless newer subdivisions in Florida, most everyone is from somewhere else. The neighborly bonds formed over decades in older communities is simply not there. "What used to occur naturally with connections to other people doesn't happen. Now we have to be a little more deliberate," explained Bruce Friesen, who teaches sociology at the University of Tampa. To make that happen in his neighborhood, Friesen and his wife Cheryl went to their computer and signed onto Next Door, a new generation of hyperlocal social media. The Friesens became neighborhood organizers with Next Door and signed up dozens of nearby residents in The Lakes community in southern Pasco County. Now they know most of their neighbors by name. Full story

UT Names Jack Geller Dean

Tampa Bay Business Journal
Feb. 25, 2013

The University of Tampa has named Jack Geller, currently professor and head of the liberal arts and education department at the University of Minnesota, as the dean of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education. Starting July 1, he will oversee the departments of criminology, education, government, history, sociology, mathematics and psychology. Full story

In Speech, Crist Says He's the Same Guy — with a New Political Party

By Adam Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Feb. 20, 2013

Charlie Crist, the former "Ronald Reagan Republican" who now looks like the Democratic frontrunner for governor in 2014, says he's pretty much the same guy he always was. "I know what Floridians care about. People generally are not hard right. Nor are they hard left. They just want to get the right thing done for most people," the former governor said Wednesday during a forum on leadership at the University of Tampa, which was coordinated by former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Iorio is now the leader-in-residence at UT's TECO Center for Leadership at the Sykes College of Business. Full story

 

Legalizing Weed Debate Brings Hundreds to the University of Tampa

By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing
Feb. 19, 2013

Mainstream acceptance of smoking marijuana has never been higher. More than a third of the country allows for the use of medical marijuana, but the odds of that happening in the Sunshine State seem further away than ever. Those were the facts on the ground as two skilled advocates for and against legalizing pot engaged in a spirited debate — moderated with skill by WFLA News Channel 8 anchor Keith Cate and USF Ph.D. student Sarah-Beth Hopton — on the University of Tampa campus this past Monday night in front of an estimated 500 people, mostly students. Full story

 

Tampa Finds Its Niche With Bounce-Back Players

By Greg Auman
Baseball America
Feb. 19, 2013

Joe Urso proudly admits that his University of Tampa baseball roster is speckled with players he recruited but couldn't land out of high school. He knows the conversation well. Best of luck, he'll say, and hang onto my phone number. As the 2013 Spartans try to build on a tradition of Division II success, Urso will do so with a handful of bounce-back kids—players who signed with major Division I programs, only to transfer back close to home to play for the Spartans. "It's always been known as a great baseball program—it's pretty much a D-I here," said third baseman Sean O'Brien. "It was a really easy choice for me. I came from a really great organization at Florida State. We've got a great field here; they take good care of it. We're spoiled here."

University of Tampa Features Musicians from Brandon

By Barbara Routen
Tampa Tribune
Feb. 17, 2013

Throughout the school year, the University of Tampa presents free concerts and recitals by acclaimed musicians from around the world. A week before Valentine's Day, the school's College of Arts and Letters sponsored a former Brandon resident, Melodie Dickerson, and her husband, Rex Willis. The duo filled the university's Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values with classical and Spanish-language love songs. Upcoming free concerts include James O'Donnell, organist and master of the choristers of Westminster Abbey, at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, and a program of César Franck's music at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7. Full story

University of Tampa Renames Dorm for Morsanis

By Elizabeth Behrman
Tampa Tribune
Feb. 14, 2013

The University of Tampa is renaming the Stadium Center residence hall after Tampa Bay philanthropists Frank and Carol Morsani. The Morsanis recently made a multimillion-dollar donation to the school – one of the largest such gifts in the university's history. The Frank and Carol Morsani Hall is in the center of campus, overlooking Pepin stadium. It houses 464 students and has a food court on the first floor. Frank Morsani was a member of the university's Board of Counselors and Board of Fellows in the 1970s. He served as a member of the university's Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1984. Full story

University of Tampa's Electronics Gallery Show Worth Your Time

By Lennie Bennett
Tampa Bay Times
Feb. 14, 2013

Times art critic Lennie Bennett devotes this column to UT’s Electronics Alive VII, calling it an exuberant show. In it are 27 short films (ranging from a few to about 15 minutes each) and 16 multimedia and digital works that could keep a family entertained and art lovers engaged for several hours, she said. “Electronics Alive VII is a biannual show so it has a 14-year history. I have not seen all of them, but of those I have seen, this one is the most vibrant and interesting. It will fascinate those unschooled in whiz-bang technology as much as those who are.” Full story

UT to Implement Campus Smoking Zones Starting in August

By Paul Mueller
Bay News 9
Feb. 12, 2013

Soon, those who want to light up on the campus on the University of Tampa will only be able to do so in four designated areas. The ban goes into effect at the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic school year but beginning right away, the administration says it will not only continue to enforce the current policy but also begin to educate everyone about these four new smoking zones. UT’s Associate Dean of Wellness Gina Firth told Bay News 9, "Our goal is to create and promote a healthy campus that will foster teaching, learning, working and living." Full story

Similar stories appeared on WTSP, Tampa Bay Times and the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Is the Narconon Drug Treatment Program a Scientology Front?

By Mike Deeson
WTSP
Feb. 8, 2013

One of the biggest worldwide drug treatment programs, Narconon is headquartered in Clearwater and operates with controversial techniques in line with the philosophy of L. Ron Hubbard. Program success rates far beyond the normal draw in clients, but several have died while participating in the program. UT Assistant Professor David Krahl specializes in dealing with substance abuse and says Narconon has catastrophe written all over it. He is appalled the program doesn't believe in the accepted practice of using medication, psychiatric counseling, or requiring licensed therapists to treat patients. He says people have ended up in the hospital when the detoxification was not managed correctly. Video

Football vs. Family

By Ginger Gadsden
WTSP
Jan. 28, 2013

Jason Simmons, a UT assistant professor of sport management, co-authored research that found die-hard fans who identify strongly with their team may have consequences at home, even if they are unintentional. He suggests fans be aware of the amount of time devoted to being a fan, make a conscious effort to disengage, and be open and honest about the money spent on sports. “Prioritizing which activities are most important to fans and the fan’s family can help both the fan and the family members revise expectations to avoid conflict.” 

Second Chance

By Molly Poitevint
NCAA.org
Jan. 23, 2013

Sloane Bâby, a senior volleyball student-athlete who has made it through many struggles that threatened to derail her collegiate career, said the best part of her collegiate experience is being part of a team.” Winning the Division II South Regional in 2012 was one of her proudest moments. “I loved the people I was playing with and was proud to be a part of the success,” Bâby said. “Setting goals and then having people to accomplish them with makes them that much better.” While finishing her psychology major and journalism minor, she often speaks to high school teams about eating disorders. She shares a message of hope – that people who are struggling with weight issues truly can be happy and achieve their goals again. She is a living example of that message. Full story

University of Tampa Students Making a Difference

By Bert Moreno
WTSP
Jan. 21, 2013

The garden at Academy Prep of Tampa received a helping hand from students at the University of Tampa, there to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. The volunteers worked next to Academy Prep fifth graders, laying down mulch and mixing potting soil into the garden beds. The annual tradition had 85 students working in four bay area locations, cleaning up and helping give back to their community. Video

O'Neill: Tampa Big Enough to Laugh at Itself

By Joe O’Neill
TBO.com
Jan. 16, 2013

Columnist Joe O’Neill gives his take on Tampa as an urban city with national notoriety. He notes the significance of UT to the downtown center. “UT, in seeming perpetual expansion mode these days, has become a key catalyst in the ongoing resurgence,” he said. “Part of that expansion fronts Kennedy Boulevard and provides a major upgrade to that historic downtown entrance. Nobody misses, for example, the aesthetically-challenged Olin Mott auto repair center that was razed to make way for UT's new, Vince Naimoli-funded, 1,500-seat lacrosse stadium. The brick facade is attractive.” Full story

Faculty Lounge?

HuffPost Live
Jan. 14, 2013

Dan Reimold, assistant professor of journalism, participated in a live show discussing the stress levels of college and university professors, an online debate since a recent Forbes piece came out saying professors have the least stressful job in the U.S. Video

Employment Outlook Improves for Some Florida College Graduates

By Jeff Harrington
Tampa Bay Times
Jan. 12, 2013

Graduates are still faring much better finding a job than their less-educated counterparts. "Financial services is probably the one thing saving the college hiring market," economist and statistician Phil Gardner told about 170 corporate recruiters, staffing agencies and college representatives during a program at the University of Tampa on Friday morning. The event, cosponsored by the career centers at UT and the University of South Florida, was intended to give recruiters insight into the overall hiring environment for students still reeling from the Great Recession. Full story

 

Fulfillment at Any Age

By Susan Krauss Whitbourne
Psychology Today
Jan. 12, 2013

In this article providing tips for living with an avid sports fan, UT assistant professor of sport management Jason Simmons’s research was noted. Simmons along with University of Louisville professor T. Christopher Greenwell conducted one of the few studies done on fan-family conflict. Their study, carried out on fans attending a Division 1 college football game, examined the differences in family conflict among fans who described themselves as high, medium, or low in their identification with the team. As we might expect, the fans who identified strongly with their team had more conflict in their role as fan and family member and a higher perception of strain in their roles. Full story

 

UT Junior Helps Family Craft Crown Jewels

ABC Action News
Jan. 11, 2013

Susan Israel ’14 helps her family make the crowns for the Miss America Organization. During breaks from school, including this winter break, Israel spends her time working as a manufacturing assistant. Every crown is divided into sections, and each section must have the Swarovski Austrian crystal stones laid out in a pattern, then soldered together. Israel helps lay out the crystals.