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Byrd Institute Rejects USF Bid To Take Control

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By ADAM EMERSON and CATHERINE DOLINSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

TAMPA - University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft appeared before the board of the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute on Thursday with an idea: that USF take control of the center, which resides on the campus of the university.

The board shot the idea down, even though it faces drastic cuts to its state funding - cuts that Genshaft said she could cushion if USF absorbs the Byrd Institute.

With little support for Genshaft's plan, the board agreed to form a committee to examine how to build a relationship with USF. In the end, though, the state universities' Board of Governors may give Genshaft what she wants.

Mark Rosenberg, the chancellor of the state university system, recently wrote lawmakers proposing that the Byrd Institute fully integrate with USF. Such a move, Rosenberg argued, would save the state money by reducing the number of services that USF and Byrd perform separately. They could share resources and enhance research.

Rosenberg said he'll ask the Board of Governors to recommend that move to the Legislature in March, when lawmakers consider Gov. Charlie Crist's proposal to cut the Alzheimer's center's budget in half. The Byrd Institute's board voted to develop a plan for a relationship with USF before then.

Byrd Jr. Opposes The Move

The strongest opposition to Genshaft's proposal came from former House Speaker Johnnie B. Byrd Jr., who envisioned the institute and sits on its board. The center is named after his late father.

"I'm going to go to Tallahassee and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure the Byrd Institute remains independent," Byrd said.

Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, said in an interview Thursday that he does not want the institute's dollars placed in the control of any one institution, be it USF or any other. Rather, he said, its governing board should include researchers from universities and other relevant institutions across the state to promote collaboration and sharing of resources.

Peaden has a bill filed currently that would eliminate the Byrd Institute altogether. But he intends the existing bill to be a jumping-off point, he said; he eventually will add a proposal for overhauling the institute's governance, once he has one ready.

A Question of Independence

At one time, Johnnie B. Byrd Jr. proposed that the institute integrate with USF, but only if the $15 million the state spends on the institute be directed to research, with USF picking up overhead costs.

That wouldn't happen under Genshaft's proposal, Byrd said.

Genshaft, however, said the Byrd Institute performs services and research now done at USF. If the two combined, USF could eliminate that duplication, Genshaft said.

"We're not trying to interfere with the science," Genshaft said. "We're trying to make things better."

Robert Glueckauf, a professor at the Florida State University College of Medicine, thinks the Byrd Institute should remain independent. Glueckauf credited the institute for helping him win a three-year, $688,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health on North Florida African-American caregivers of dementia patients.

"There's always a tendency when you have an institute that's very closely affiliated with the university to show favoritism to that university," Glueckauf said at a workshop Tuesday in Tallahassee on the institute's governance.

Genshaft said she would keep the institute's focus statewide, and pointed to some examples on her campus: the Center for Urban Transportation Research and the Florida Mental Health Institute.

After Tuesday's workshop in Tallahassee, Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, said the institute should be under the auspices of USF, just as the McKnight Brain Institute is at the University of Florida. "It does not impede collaboration," he said. "It's not a problem; I'm not sure what the problem is, other than politics."

Also Thursday, Byrd pushed to install USF heath sciences Vice President Stephen Klasko as the new chief executive officer of the Byrd Institute. But when Genshaft blanched at the idea that her medical school dean would have to answer to two boards, Byrd withdrew the proposal.

Byrd has criticized institute CEO Huntington Potter as a business manager but praised his work as a researcher.

Klasko has a master's of business administration along with a medical degree.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.

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