Author

Jessi Smith

Jessi Smith

Jessi Smith (she/they) is a freelance writer who is passionate about sustainability, community building, and the power of the arts and transformative storytelling. A fourth-generation Floridian, Jessi received her B.A. in Art History and English from Florida International University and began reporting for 83 Degrees in 2009. When she isn't writing, Jessi enjoys taking her deaf rescue dog on outdoors adventures, unearthing treasures in backroads antiques and thrift shops, D.I.Y. upcycling projects, and Florida-friendly gardening.

Jessi Smith's Latest Articles

Certified Nurse Anesthetist Dr. John Maye teaching students about pain management.
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine scales up pain management curriculum

The Florida Department of Children and Families recently awarded a $250,000 grant to USF's Morsani College of Medicine to assess and strengthen the pain management training its future doctors receive across four years of medical school.

Molekule CEO Jaya Rao
Molekule air purifiers hit Best Buy retail shelves

Molekule, an incubator company nurtured by USF Connect in Tampa, is capturing global attention as its air filter is seen as a viable weapon in the fight against COVID-19 and other airborne viruses and pollutants.

USF Student Body VP Gustavo Spangher and President Claire Mitchell.
Consolidation unifies USF experience across Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota-Manatee campuses

Consolidation of USF's three campuses in Tampa, St. Pete, and Sarasota-Manatee means change and challenge will go hand-in-hand as faculty, students, and administrators adjust to the unified system.

Dr. Thomas McDonald, MD. Professor, USF Health College of Medicine Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology; Professor, College of Medicine Internal Medicine.
Chemical glow from fireflies could help trace spread of COVID-19

USF scientists produce a glowing COVID-19 pseudotype to study susceptibility factors and disparities across diverse populations.

USF HEXA Consulting members in virtual meetup.
HEXA Consulting group to offer zero-cost services for Tampa businesses

HEXA Consulting, organized by six undergraduate students at the University of South Florida, is now offering cost-free consulting services to businesses in the Tampa Bay Area.

Sarah (Ying) Zhong, an assistant professor of engineering at USF.
Face Mask 101: USF researcher shares best mask-wearing practices

USF Assistant Professor Sarah (Ying) Zhong is researching the effectiveness of a technology designed to sterilize and re-charge N95 and surgical masks, making them safe for re-use in under five minutes.

Caitlyn Coleman, a first-year microbiology student, at USF transitions to online classes at USF.
With the lingering threat of COVID-19, what’s next for USF?

USF Bulls navigate new norms as the university continues its pandemic-driven transition to virtual learning, including virtual commencement.

Sample contents of Feed-A-Bull bags for hungry students.
USF food pantries seek donations to respond to heightened need during COVID-19

USF college students who are sheltering in place on campus without access to meal plans or cafeterias increasingly turn to USF food pantries to stave off hunger. You can help by making a donation of $10 or more.

Denise Maguire, Marcus Elam, Marcia Johansson, and Ryan O'Neil distribute resources and assess family needs at an outreach event for the Sulphur Springs community at Abundant Life Church.
USF College of Nursing, TPD partner to provide COVID-19 relief for Sulphur Springs families

Volunteers from the USF College of Nursing at the Tampa Police Department pool resources to help lower-income families in Sulphur Springs neighbhorhood.

Health and wellness classes include students as young as 6.
USF Nursing student brings Peace Corps experience to Wimauma

When Logan Marx finished his tour of duty overseas as a Peace Corps Volunteer, he could have picked anywhere in the world to live. So why is he at USF? And what is he doing in the Tampa Bay region? Learn more.

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