Education & Philanthropy

The Princeton Review has recognized New College of Florida as one of America’s Best Value Colleges for 2024. New College of Florida ranked no. 20 among all public colleges, nationwide and first among small, public liberal arts colleges. The Princeton Review used more than 40 data points to tally return on investment ratings for the

LiFT (Learning Independence for Tomorrow), a pioneering school for neurodiverse children and adults, has announced the appointment of Matt Spence as its new Executive Director. Spence is excited about his new role, saying that he believes that “there’s so much potential, not only in [LiFT’s] existing programs but in [LiFT’s] ability to support families.” Prior

The USF Foundation Board of Directors recently added eight new members, to further their vision of inspiring philanthropy and administering resources that support USF’s pursuit of excellence. The eight elected board members include Don Aripoli, Elodie Dorso, Cindy Kane, Sam Lazzara, Chip Newton, Sheetal Patel, Juan Carlos “JC” Prado and Supriya Taneja. Aripoli, since 2004,

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties is reaching a significant milestone this month, with the 900th dedication of a home built in the Pinellas County and West Pasco County area. The dedication is planned for Friday, June 21 at Gooden Crossing, a historic section of the Ridgecrest Community, in Largo. The event

AdventHealth Foundation West Florida’s Starlight Gala draws heavy hitters in Tampa Bay’s business and community elite, and usually star power with its musical acts like Gavin DeGraw, in 2022, and, in 2023, the Commodores. While it’s an elegant Sunday evening and a who’s who in Tampa Bay, it’s also a major fundraising event for the health

A group of families have gifted a grand total of $4 million to Berkeley’s Endowment for Teaching Excellence. Shanna and Bryan Glazer, Chad and Sarah Harrod and Carla and Punit Shah’s contributions will impact over 280 faculty members and provide resources needed to positively impact the learning experience of Berkeley’s 1,400 students. The Glazer’s reason

The University of South Florida appointed Elizabeth Spiller as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Spiller has more than 10 years of experience as an academic leader, having served most recently as the executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As the new dean, Spiller will

The University of South Florida has appointed David Blackwell as the new Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business. Blackwell comes to USF after serving as associate dean for professional graduate programs at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics. In his new position, Blackwell will provide leadership for the

The University of South Florida announced a $3 million gift to the USF Foundation that will support programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. The gift from Honey Rand, a USF alumna, local public relations practitioner and author, will establish a creative writing retreat in the college’s Humanities Institute and support students who are

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties celebrated the Cookinson Family and their journey to affordable homeownership on May 8, at 2174 16th Ave S., St. Petersburg. Single mom, Denise, put in at least 350 sweat equity hours and completed 36 homebuyer education classes to earn a 0% fixed-interest mortgage and the keys

Habitat for Humanity International has selected Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties to expand its service area to include Hernando County. “Given our organizational growth, coupled with the investment in our professional dedicated staff, we feel we have a great opportunity to better serve the families and individuals of Hernando County,” said

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has selected Dr. Tashika Griffith, provost of the Clearwater Campus at St. Petersburg College, as one of 40 leaders selected for the 2024-25 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. The Aspen fellowship aims to select and prepare the next generation of presidents who can lead institutions to higher and more equitable