In the past five years, the University of South Florida has climbed 11 places on the list showing federal research expenditures by all U.S. universities, rising from 68 to 57.
"That's a spectacular rate of growth," USF President Judy Genshaft said on Wednesday in her annual address to faculty, staff and students.
Among public universities nationwide, USF has risen to 33rd with more than $190 million in spending.
She said USF is 111th in the world, among 5,000 universities, in the number of academic article citations.
Standing in front of a background showing a globe, a blazing sun behind it and the message USF 2020, Genshaft reviewed what USF has accomplished since she arrived 10 years ago.
In 2000, it created its College of Marine Science, which was crucial this year in investigating the damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
In 2001, after the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists, USF was there to help with College of Engineering robots that searched the Twin Towers' wreckage.
And as the country was struggling in a recession last year, "we hired more than 150 faculty members. ... We did not cut academic programs. We grew new sources of revenue with a giant leap in patents and licenses."
USF's "total awards for all contracts and grants exploded this decade. In 2000 it was $171 million. Today it is almost $400 million."
She prompted two rounds of applause from her audience of about 500 when she brought up the Bulls football team and her selection as the first woman to chair the NCAA board of directors.
"I'm looking forward to my two-year term as chair, and I'm especially looking forward to ensuring that everyone around the nation knows how good the USF Bulls have become," she said.
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