News from USF St. Petersburg

HarborNotes publishes monthly from September to May. To suggest a story, contact the editor:

Melanie Marquez
USFSP Division of External Affairs
(727) 873-4456
marquez@mail.usf.edu

October 2010

HarborNotes
The community's source for USF St. Petersburg news

Packer Discusses Decline of American Economy

Known recently for his New Yorker article deeming Florida "The Ponzi State," author and journalist George Packer will discuss how America's institutions have fared amid two wars, economic crisis, political upheaval and a media explosion. Packer will focus his discussion on who is to blame and how to rebuild the country's economy at an event Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Is America in Decline?
An evening with The New Yorker's George Packer
Tuesday, Oct. 26 | 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Poynter Institute, 801 3rd St. S, St. Petersburg

Packer's talk, sponsored by the USFSP Honors Program and hosted at the Poynter Institute, is free for USF System students and employees. The public can attend for $35 by registering at www.poynter.org/Packer or by calling (727) 821-9494.

More info

Students Receive Grant for Lake Research

Environmental Science and Policy graduate students Julie Vogel and Alexandra Jangrell-Bratli received grant funding to support their thesis research at St. Petersburg's Crescent Lake. Part of an ongoing restoration effort at the lake, their projects are utilizing artificial floating wetland islands containing differing base materials to determine their beneficial impacts on water quality in the lake.

"We hope to determine how effective these islands can be in remediating the lake's eutropic waters by studying nutrient concentration levels through time," Vogel said.

The $1000 grant supporting their research is from the Society of Wetland Scientists - Student Research Grants Program 2010.

Local Leaders Discuss the Arts Driven Economy

The first Bayside Business Forum on Oct. 13 will explore how arts organizations and nonprofits are reinventing their business models to stay competitive and strengthen their economic impact in Tampa Bay.

"The Arts Driven Economy," will feature a discussion with Katee Tully, executive director of the Morean Arts Center and The Chihuly Collection, and D.T. Minich, executive director of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

Bayside Business Forum | The Arts Driven Economy
Wednesday, Oct. 13 | 6 to 8 p.m.
USF St. Petersburg, 140 7th Ave S.
Davis Hall, Room 130

The College of Business forum is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, so reservations are requested. To RSVP, please call (727) 873-4992 or e-mail bbf@stpete.usf.edu by Monday, Oct. 11.

More info

Artist Presents A Vision of Health and Creativity

Matuschka is a New York-based artist, activist and author whose photos
and essays have been widely published in a variety of international publications since the 1980s. Her presentation on health and creativity is free and open to the public.

A Vision of Health and Creativity
Wednesday, Oct. 6 | 5 p.m.
Davis Hall, Room 103

More info

Future Students Welcome at Fall Open House

The university opens its doors to prospective first-year and transfer students for the annual Fall Open House on Saturday, Oct. 16. This primary recruiting event for the academic year will take place on Harborwalk at USFSP and in the Science and Technology Building.

Fall Open House
Saturday, Oct. 16 | 9 a.m. to Noon
Harborwalk at USFSP, 140 7th Ave S

Prospective students and their families can learn about academic programs and student organizations. Each of the colleges will hold presentations as will admissions, housing and financial aid staff.

Registration and information is available at http://www.stpt.usf.edu/openhouse/.

USFSP Hosts St. Pete Times Festival of Reading

The 18th Annual St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading, hosted by USFSP, will take place Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year's festival features sessions with two USFSP professors: Associate Professor of English Thomas Hallock will discuss his book, William Bartram, The Search for Nature's Design: Selected Art, Letters, and Unpublished Writings, and Visiting Assistant Professor of History David McMullen will discuss his book, Strike! The Radical Insurrections of Ellen Dawson.

The authors and publishers of Zombie Nation: St. Pete will also present at the festival. Some of the authors and publishers are USFSP students or alumni.

More Info

Corton Conducts Arts Economic Impact Survey

Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Maria Luisa Corton conducted, compiled and analyzed the collaborative Arts and Culture Economic Impact Survey. The resulting Economic Impact Report demonstrates the return on investment in supporting the arts.

St. Petersburg arts non-profit organizations and members of the Downtown Arts Association that completed the survey will benefit from a streetlamp banner program at no cost. Banners will be displayed throughout the city, helping showcase St. Petersburg as an arts and culture destination.

The study and the banner program is a collaboration of the USF St. Petersburg College of Business, the St. Petersburg Arts Advisory Committee, Arts in Action at Creative Clay, and Organizational Advancement Consulting with financial support provided by Bank of America.

USFSP Hosts African Journalists

As one of 11 university programs in the country selected to participate in the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at USF St. Petersburg will host a group of African journalists from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 with lectures, discussions and cultural immersion.

Their visit will include public lecture sessions with journalism faculty and students:

Saturday, Oct. 30
9 a.m. Digital & Social Media (Location TBA)
10:30 a.m. Power Reporting (Location TBA)

Monday, Nov. 1
1:15 p.m. Graduate Student Session, Davis 130

Tuesday, Nov. 2
9 a.m. The Risks of Responsible Reporting, Davis 130
3 p.m. Journalism in Africa: Stories from the visiting journalists about covering news in Africa, Davis 130

Florida Politics 101: Four-Part Series

USFSP, the Florida Studies Program and the Florida Humanities Council invite you to participate in Florida Politics 101: Conversations with Howard Troxler.

Acclaimed St. Petersburg Times columnist Howard Troxler will hold four public events to discuss aspects of this year's election season. All events begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Thursday, Oct. 14
Florida's U.S. Senate Race
Location: Karen A. Steidinger Auditorium at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Ave SE

Thursday, Oct. 21
Florida's Race for Governor
Location: Campus Activities Center, corner of 6th Ave S and 2nd St S

Thursday, Oct. 28
Amending Florida's Constitution: Hometown Democracy and Fair Districts
Location: Campus Activities Center, corner of 6th Ave S and 2nd St S

Wednesday, Nov. 3
What the Heck Just Happened? An Election Post-Mortem
Location: Campus Activities Center, corner of 6th Ave S and 2nd St S

For more information, please call (727) 873-4872.

Kearns Named to Accounting Firm Professorship

Grover Kearns has recently been named the Gregory, Sharer & Stuart Term Professor in Forensic Accounting in the College of Business. Kearns, a faculty member at USFSP since 2001, teaches a course in computer forensics in the Program of Accountancy.

"The increase in corporate fraud and changes in regulatory overview have heightened the importance of the forensic accounting field," Kearns said.

Forensic accounting utilizes accounting, auditing and investigative skills to assist in producing evidentiary products for civil and criminal suits. Students in the MBA program at USFSP have a forensic accounting track option where they learn fraud and forensic accounting, auditing and computer forensic analysis.

"Accountants and auditors are highly instrumental in analyzing collected digital data from suspects' computers in order to provide evidence," Kearns said. "This helps companies identify and prosecute fraudsters and reduce losses."

COE Student Represents Pinellas in New York

Bridget Bohnet, a student in the College of Education Digital Math Certificate program and a teacher at Clearwater Fundamental Middle School, traveled to New York from Sept. 26-30 as one of two Pinellas County representatives at the NBC News Education Nation Summit and Learning Plaza.

Named the 2009 Outstanding Educator of the Year for Pinellas County, Bohnet participated in the MathMovesU demonstration in Rockefeller Plaza. MathMovesU, sponsored by the Raytheon Corporation, is a program designed to engage middle-school students with math.

Waterfront Celebrates Dock Renovation

Join the Waterfront for a ribbon cutting of the renovated docks on Oct. 12 at 2:15 p.m.

The renovation of the docks added a kayak and canoe ramp, space for 30 Flying Junior Sailing dinghies, and slips for seven larger sailboats.

Event Examines First Amendment Rights

Join John Siegenthaler, award-winning journalist and founder of the First Amendment Center, and Ken Paulson, former president of the Freedom Forum and former editor of USA Today in an engaging and interactive exploration of First Amendment freedoms and the vibrant role they've played in shaping America.

Celebrate and Support the First Amendment
Thursday, Nov. 4 | 1 p.m.
Campus Activities Center

This event, free and open to the public, is presented by the Poynter Institute. To RSVP, call (727) 553-4231.

Debate Team Places in Top 10 at Season Opener

The USFSP Debate Team competed at the national debate season opener at Georgia State University, and two teams placed 5th and 9th in their divisions.

USFSP entered three teams in the competition, held Sept. 18-20 in Atlanta, Ga. Team captain David Trigaux and freshman Jonathan Gonzalez placed 5th in their division and the team made up of freshman Kristen Porter and junior Greg Almeida placed 9th.

Local Media Honors Florida Studies Faculty

The annual Best of the Bay awards from Creative Loafing named Gary Mormino, the Frank E. Duckwall Professor of History and director of the Florida Studies Program, as the "Best Champion of Florida History." Visit the awards web site to read more.

WMNF 88.5 Community Radio honored Raymond Arsenault, the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History and Program Advisor of the Florida Studies Program, with the Peace, Love & Understanding award during their 2nd annual Peace Awards in August. The awards recognize those who have made great strides and efforts in the areas of peace, freedom for others, human rights, and those who foster peace and understanding through the media.

Multicultural Center Events Celebrate Diversity

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at USF St. Petersburg organizes public events throughout the year to benefit students, employees and the community.

Visit the Multicultural Affairs web site to learn about events. Call the center at (727) 873-4845 or e-mail La-Tarri Canty for more information.