About

Letters from Leadership

Brett E. Kemker

Regional Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Student Success and Vice Provost

Momentum. Purpose. Community.

Spring arrives on our Sarasota-Manatee campus with renewed energy and clear purpose. At the University of South Florida, momentum isn’t accidental—it’s built through partnership with the communities we serve.

As USF celebrates 70 Years of Bold, we honor a legacy of consistently pushing boundaries that began in Tampa with fewer than 2,000 students and now serves more than 58,000 at four locations across the Tampa Bay region (Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee, USF
Health). We have more than 7,600 students enrolled at the Sarasota-Manatee campus this
spring. Today, we’re among the youngest universities in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and consistently ranked among the nation’s top public institutions.

Here in Sarasota-Manatee, that bold spirit is tangible. Attaining our recent Carnegie Community Engagement Classification reaffirms what our region knows and values: This campus is embedded in the life and future of our community. Community engagement isn’t an initiative— it’s our operating principle.

Our academic momentum continues. Graduate enrollment climbs year over year with programs in Social Work, Criminal Justice Administration, and Education Leadership as well as our Weekend MBA that prepare professionals who lead with skill and purpose. USF’s thriving dual enrollment program extends opportunities to students across our region as well as the state of Florida. Academic achievement by incoming first-time-in-college (FTIC) students rises each year—and through the dedicated efforts of faculty and staff, we continue to see unprecedented increases in our retention numbers.

This spring, the 31st annual Brunch on the Bay returns as a treasured campus tradition,
celebrating our valued partnerships with our community. The new STEM Lab facility underway signals our commitment to hands-on learning and regional innovation.

Momentum Magazine captures these stories as part of a larger narrative—shaped by students discovering their paths and exploring rewarding internships, faculty creating knowledge, staff enabling excellence, and partners who believe in this campus.

Thank you for being part of this exciting journey. Your active involvement plays a vital part in our shared success. After all, it’s not just higher education. It’s higher purpose.

Brett E. Kemker, PhD
Regional Chancellor (interim)
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Associate Vice President for Student Success
University of South Florida 
Sarasota-Manatee