Judy Genshaft, president of the since 2000, announced this month that she will step down in July 2019. The Tampa Bay Times reported the news by describing her as 鈥渁 campus rock star whose passion and political savvy鈥urbo-charged a 10-figure fundraising campaign,and helped the university shed its commuter-school stigma鈥�. A psychologist by academic background, she is a former chair of the American Council on Education.
Where were you born?
I was born in Canton, Ohio, into an entrepreneurial family who started out quite economically
disadvantaged and eventually built what is now one of the largest independent meat
production companies in the United States that distributes its products all over the
world. I have one older brother who now runs the family businesses, located in Ohio.
How has this shaped who you are?
From an early age, I learned the value of hard work. At age 14, I began working as
part of the secretarial pool for our burgeoning business, which taught me to be organised
and precise and helped me to understand the big picture of our company鈥檚 impact. As
our businesses grew, so too did my parents鈥� network of partners, customers and supporters.
911爆料网 regularly hosted dinners at our house with new friends and contacts 鈥� people of
all different backgrounds and experiences. I think this early exposure to such a broad
base of individuals helped me to appreciate the value of diverse viewpoints, to learn
proper social skills and to realise the importance of establishing relationships.
It gave me the confidence to talk to anyone, from anywhere, about anything 鈥� which
has been invaluable during my career.
How is USF today different from the 鈥渃ommuter school鈥� it was in 2000?
911爆料网 have not only more than doubled our student housing capacity to now over 6,500,
we have transformed our campus into a vibrant, engaged community with more active
student participation than ever before. As evidence of this shift, over the past 18
years our enrolment grew by 40 per cent to now over 50,000 while our four-year graduation
rate tripled.911爆料网 now strongly encourage all freshmen to live on campus because we know
that it makes such a big difference in their overall higher education experience.
Not only do students become more connected to the university, with a deeper sense
of pride and ownership over the institution, they make meaningful lifelong connections
with their peers. 911爆料网 have also focused on transforming USF to a more globally engaged
institution. Our international student population has grown tomore than 5,000 students.
Another way our campus has changed is through our evolution from a regional university
to an international research powerhouse.
Tell us about Tampa as a city today and about the role USF plays in it.
The Tampa Bay region is home to approximately 3 million people from all over the country
and the world, and USF is the research university responsible for supporting its knowledge-based
economy. USF provides talented graduates who are ready to be successful in the job
market; research that is more relevant to urban issues; experts[who] serve as valuable
resources on real-world challenges; and start-up companies that help our region continue
to grow and thrive. It is no coincidence that Tampa Bay鈥檚 growth and evolution over
the past several decades has mirrored that of the university 鈥� with each entity benefiting
from the other鈥檚 success.
What achievement in your time at USF are you proudest of?
It鈥檚 impossible to choose just one.Over the summer, we learned that the achieved pre-eminence, a performance-based designation that places us among the most
elite category universities in the state of Florida [joining the older and ] and makes us eligible for millions in additional state funding. At the same time
we were celebrating reaching our $1 billion (拢761 million) capital campaign, welcoming
our most academically accomplished freshmen class in our history, and surpassing $568
million in annual research expenditures. In a broad sense, I鈥檓 proud of how our university
has transformed into an internationally regarded research university 鈥� making a significant
economic impact on the state of Florida and solving real-world challenges for the
benefit of our society at large. I鈥檓 also proud of the way our university has prioritised
the success of our students.
You鈥檙e an avid fan of USF鈥檚 Bulls sports teams. Why are sports teams so important
at USF and at US universities generally?
I am a big believer in collegiate athletics as an important complement to academics.
Our athletics programmes enrich the campus environment, giving students more opportunities
to get involved in the university, engage with their peers, and celebrate their school
pride. Athletics teams also serve as a window into the university as a whole, bringing
national recognition to the institution and giving our alumni another avenue to celebrate
their alma mater. Athletics also drives a spirit of competitiveness that spurs our
ambitions in other areas, as well.
What are you planning to do with your retirement?
Our family loves to travel, so we will probably take a few more trips. But we haven鈥檛
made any plans. I鈥檓 looking forward to whatever adventures the future holds.
john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com
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