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

Coronavirus threat prompts USF inventors of air purifier to accelerate testing

While the world awaits a vaccine for the coronavirus, Dr. Yogi Goswami, Distinguished Professor and the Director of the Clean Energy Research Center at USF, is among the innovators who seek outside-the-box solutions to curb the ongoing global health crisis.

Dr. Kemesha Gabbidon, USFSP
USFSP post-doctoral fellow receives grant to research, reduce HIV stigma in Tampa Bay

A $70,000 Transformative Grant awarded by the Gilead COMPASS Initiative will enable a new program in the Tampa Bay Area that aims to tackle the stigma surrounding an HIV diagnosis, with the goal of reducing new diagnoses through preventative education and increased health screenings.

Could bacteria eaters save the planet?

No pressure, but: A growing consensus within medical science is that the future of humanity could lie in the phage positioned under students' microscopes at the University of South Florida.

Plus+Me logo
THAP PLUS+ Me program aims to reduce stigma of living with HIV/AIDS

PLUS+ Me helps people living with HIV in the Tampa Bay Area to become ambassadors to advocate for better legislation and healthcare services for Floridians living with HIV and AIDS.

The opioid epidemic: Hillsborough County, USF thought leaders look for solutions

"The opioid epidemic is a complex problem and the solution has to be as comprehensive and complex as the problem is," says Dr. Khary Rigg, Assistant Professor in the USF Department of Mental Health and Law Policy. Read more about what he and others are doing to find solutions.

Medical marijuana: A Catch-22 for Florida residents, researchers

A supermajority of Sunshine State voters approved legalizing cannabis for medical use in 2016. But as of today, Florida's doctors and researchers say they're still waiting for the smoke to clear before cannabis can make concrete clinical progress. Learn more.

Where everyone belongs tour
Where Everyone Belongs: The Ringling creates inclusive family spaces within art galleries

The Ringling, Florida's state museum in Sarasota, strives for diversity and inclusion with the expansion of its community outreach programs to nontraditional neighborhoods and families with special needs.

Public art in roundabouts helps calm traffic, create sense of place

Placing public art in the center of roundabouts improves safety and traffic flow while helping to create a sense of place in Florida cities. See how it works in Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Sarasota.

New solar-powered homes going up in Cortez Village near Bradenton

PEARL Homes plans to build first "net-zero" energy homes in Florida near Bradenton -- that is homes that generate as much, or possibly even more, energy than they consume. 

Lady Arm Wrestlers battle For Good in Sarasota

The league of misfit superheroes known as the Sarasota Lady Arm Wrestlers (SLAW) puts muscle behind nonprofit organizations in the Sarasota-Manatee region by placing a boisterous spin on traditional philanthropy models.

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