USF President Judy Genshaft has long touted the importance of high-impact research and a culture of innovation on campus. Recent numbers offer proof: USF set new records for patents,
licenses and start-up companies during the 2013-2014 fiscal year, with 113 new U.S. patents (up 49 percent from last year), 91 licenses and options for USF-developed technology (up 21
percent), and 11 new start-up companies (up 22 percent). USF is ranked among the top 50 universities nationwide for research expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation, and has been among the top 15 universities worldwide for U.S. patents for the
past four years, according to the Intellectual Property Owners Association/NAI rankings.
Saint Leo University is banking on its new BB&T Center for Innovation & Technology to deliver enhanced business safety and spark new ideas. Highlights of the center are the Cybersecurity Laboratory, which supports the teaching of the university’s new master’s degree in the field, and the Collaboration Zone, where business students work on real-world projects for area companies and nonprofits. Housed at the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, the center opened by virtue of a charitable gift from BB&T Bank.
Using grant money from the Florida Board of Governors, USF has joined UCF and Florida International University in forming the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities. USF, UCF and FIU produce nearly half of the baccalaureate degrees awarded by Florida’s state universities and serve 70 percent of Florida’s ethnic and racial minority populations. The universities will share best practices, policies and programs to maximize career readiness, particularly among under represented and limited-income students. In addition, UCF is part of the new University Innovation Alliance, a group of 11 top public research universities focused on helping more low-income and first-generation students earn college degrees. UCF is the only Florida school participating.