Bulls Notebook: USFSM student receives Bartz Scholarship

USF Sarasota-Manatee business major Kastriot Bisheva is the first recipient of the Robert P. Bartz Memorial Scholarship created last year to honor the longtime Manatee County Chamber of Commerce president who passed away in 2017.

“I’m honored to receive this,” said Bisheva, a senior majoring in finance and risk management/insurance. “It means a lot, and I’m very excited.”

Bartz, the chamber’s president for 35 years, was an ardent supporter of higher education and of USFSM in particular. His son, Jason, graduated from USF and played baseball for the Bulls.

Bisheva achieved one of the highest grade point averages, 3.98, among College of Business students. As a result of the scholarship, he attended a chamber dinner two weeks ago along with USFSM College of Business Interim Dean Dr. Gert-Jan de Vreede and others from USFSM.

Set to graduate in May, Bisheva said the $1,000 scholarship will help with overall expenses. An Albanian native, Bisheva speaks three languages and lived in New Jersey before moving to Florida to attend USFSM.

“It couldn’t come at a better time,” he said of the scholarship.

Explore State Department careers with special session

The U.S. State Department will hold a special session Wednesday, Feb. 13, for USF Sarasota-Manatee students interested in learning about Foreign Service careers, internships and fellowship opportunities. Also, meet Diplomat-in-Residence for South Florida Monique Quesada.

The session is from 1 to 2 p.m., Wednesday, in room A-203A.

The State Department safeguards America’s interests abroad and at home. Whether advocating for women’s rights, explaining American foreign policy or protecting U.S. embassies from security threats, you can make a difference with the U.S. Department of State.

Types of careers include: Foreign Service Officer, Foreign Service Medical Provider, Foreign Affairs IT, Civil Service, Rangel Fellowship, Consular Fellows and more.

‘Business of Artificial Intelligence’ seminar Feb. 21 at USFSM

High school and middle school students, teachers and school counselors are encouraged to attend next week’s free seminar, “The Business of Artificial Intelligence,” set for Thursday, Feb. 21, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Selby Auditorium, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

The event is free and open to the public, but requires registration. Register here.

Associate Professor Dr. Ehsan Sheybani and Instructional Media Technologist Sarah Gentry are hosting the event. Included are:

• Introduction to artificial intelligence (A.I.) components such as wireless mobile applications, A.I. in eco-arts education, pattern recognition or generation, visualization, image processing, video/image editing, audio visual media, data analytics and voice recognition.
• Microsoft representatives will be onsite to provide interactive demonstrations of HoloLens and Power BI Desktop business analytics software, including a digital device bar for interactive participant engagement.

The event is organized by PAInT Center Director Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton and SCF Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Ryan Hale, and sponsored by the Andrew Mellon Foundation and New College of Florida.

‘Enhanced campus tour’ set for Saturday

Prospective students can take an “enhanced campus tour” of USF Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This unique experience enables students to receive tours customized to their academic interests. Students and families also will have the opportunity to speak with faculty and admissions counselors.

To schedule a tour, visit http://undergrad.usfsmbound.org/campustour/inquiryform and select “Feb. 23” on the calendar.

Learn about USFSM master’s in education degree programs

Professionals and recent graduates are invited to learn about USF Sarasota-Manatee master’s in education programs on Thursday, Feb. 28, during two sessions designed to accommodate working professions: from noon to 12:45 p.m. and from 5:15 to 6 p.m.

Learn about degrees in educational leadership, English education, elementary education and education general (online teaching and learning).

Prospective graduate students can meet with USFSM professors and admissions counselors. To attend, visit http://bit.do/USFSMEducationInfo.

‘Financial Markets and the Economy’ conference set April 11

Tickets are available for Cumberland Advisors’ Financial Markets and the Economy: Financial Literacy Day III scheduled April 11 at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

The all-day conference includes a discussion about the stock market and global economic outlook, a session on economics and geopolitics, and a special panel on health, hunger and philanthropy.

Wall Street Journal senior writer Gretchen Morgenson will deliver the keynote address. Susan Harper, Canada’s consul general from Miami, will be interviewed.

Tickets are $50 (includes lunch). Visit sar.usfsm.edu/event/financial-markets-and-the-economy/.

‘HospitaBull’ set March 26 at Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

This year’s HospitaBull, USF Sarasota-Manatee’s annual dinner for the College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership, is set for 6 p.m., March 26, at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, 1111 Ritz-Carlton Drive. Proceeds support student and faculty development. Visit sar.usfsm.edu/event/hospitabull for individual tickets and table sponsorships.

Student Showcase set for April 5

Abstract submissions are being accepted through Feb. 25 for students participating in the “Student Showcase for Projects, Research and Innovation.”

This year’s showcase is set for Friday, April 5, at the Selby Auditorium. An annual event, the showcase offers students an opportunity to present academic work, learn from peers and network with faculty and community representatives.

Academic projects, research experiments, innovative ideas and visual/performing arts projects (music, drama and dance) are all eligible. The showcase is open to undergraduate and graduate students from any USFSM college.

Each project requires a faculty mentor, and mentors must complete an online form confirming their participation in the showcase.

More information, including eligibility requirements, is available at usfsm.edu/research/student-showcase. Use the “Submissions & Guidelines” tab for instructions, templates and judging rubrics from past events.

SAT, ACT preparatory classes forming

High school juniors preparing for college entrance exams can sign up for the SAT and ACT Workshop Series starting in March at USF Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

The four-day series demystifies the exams by covering each segment of the two tests and focusing on both overall strategies and specific questions. Students planning to take either exam will benefit, as many strategies are similar to both.

The classes run Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday, March 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The prep course is open to no more than 25 registered high school students. The cost is $65 plus the cost of two books required for the course. Visit usfsm.edu/testprep to sign up for the workshop series.

For additional information or to be added to our mailing list for future dates, please email admissions@usf.edu or call 941-359-4331.

Criminology newsletter publishes USFSM professor’s article

Kudos to USF Sarasota-Manatee criminologist Dr. James Unnever on the publication of his article, “BUILDING A BLACK CRIMINOLOGY: THE TIME IS NOW,” in The Criminologist, the American Society of Criminology’s official newsletter.

The item – co-written by Shaun L. Gabbidon of Penn State Harrisburg; Katheryn Russell-Brown, of the University of Florida; and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, of the University of Toronto Mississauga – appears as the lead article in the January/February edition. Visit asc41.com/criminologist.html.

The article calls for a black criminology and follows the publication of Dr. Unnever’s book, Building a Black Criminology: Race, Theory and Crime (2019, Routledge), co-edited by Gabbidon and Dr. Cecilia Chouhy.

In the book, Dr. Unnever challenges theories that all racial and ethnic groups commit crimes for the exact same reasons. The authors instead contend that racism contributes significantly in explaining crime among African Americans and that if blacks never experienced any form of racism, their likelihood of committing a crime would be equal to that of whites.

USFSM seeking student designs for conference brochure

USF Sarasota-Manatee is seeking creative minds for the upcoming Southeast, Central and South American Federation (SECSA) conference, scheduled March 1-2 at USFSM.

SECSA is asking students to design this year’s conference brochure. The winning USFSM student will receive a $100 prize. Send submissions in a PowerPoint document to Dr. Faizan Ali, faizanali@usf.edu.

SECSA is affiliated with the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (CHRIE), which is supported by hospitality and tourism educators. CHRIE is comprised of six federations. For more information visit, chrie.org.

Way to go Lucy Brightwell!

Kudos to Lucy Brightwell on receiving the Pride of Workmanship Award from the Rotary Club of Sarasota Sunrise. Brightwell is a day porter with Owens Realty Services. She has worked in custodial and maintenance services at USF Sarasota-Manatee since May 2006.