University of Tampa MBA students volunteer their time to share their business and entrepreneurial skills with local grade school children through the Junior Achievement program. It is the largest and oldest nonprofit organization devoted to teaching grades kindergarten to 12 about the basics of business including market based economics and personal finance.Read the complete story.
Saint Leo University broke ground on a state-of-the-art facility that will house its School of Business. And it was all made possible by a former student who never set foot on the campus until he graduated.Phoenix entrepreneur Don Tapia donated $4 million to Saint Leo University for the purpose of building a 50,000-square-foot facility that will house nine new classrooms, 37 faculty offices and a broadcast recording studio. Tapia is a graduate of Saint Leo's online program. The building is a much needed asset to a growing campus and Tapia's gift was a welcome windfall."We were sort of bursting at the seams," explains Michael Nastanski, Dean of the School of Business. "With student growth on campus we're sort of at capacity. We ran out of office and classroom space."Nastanski is excited about the building's digital capabilities. "Picture an accounting class with ticker tapes flashed around the room. That's the kind of technology we're talking about."Saint Leo is a pioneer on the online course landscape. "We've been doing it for 15 years," says Nastanski. "Our programs contribute $246 million in revenue for the Tampa Bay area." In addition to its Pasco campus, the University has 17 satellite campuses that offer continuing education courses in seven states.Tapia researched several online programs before enrolling in Saint Leo's online business program. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2005 and attended the commencement exercises then. It was the first time he'd ever set foot on campus. The 72-year-old graduate went on to earn his master's in 2007 and later served as the university's first online program alumni to sit on its board of trustees.The building is set to be completed in time for the 2011 school year.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Michael Nastanski, Saint Leo University
An Arizona businessman, who secretly earned his bachelor's and master's in business administration from Saint Leo University in Pasco County near Dade City, donated a $4 million gift to the university to assist in the building of the new 50,000-square-foot School of Business. Don Tapia, owner of Ecco Wholesale Electric Inc., in Phoenix, has served on the university's board of trustees for years and donated funds in the past for a new student union and $100,000 for a scholarship.Read the complete story.
Fourth-year medical student Lauren Leffler is close to completing a 4,200 mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to raise money for Shriners Hospital for Children. Leffler has currently raised $5,908.03; 15 percent of her $40,200 goal, according to the Shriners' website. The bicycle ride will commence next month in her hometown of Ormond Beach, Fla. Read the complete story.
The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation has launched a Tampa Bay chapter, making it the 17th charter chapter for this organization. The ARCS Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in Los Angeles in 1955. This volunteer women's organization is committed to providing scholarships to academically outstanding U.S. citizens studying science, medicine and engineering. The ARCS Foundation-Tampa Bay launched its chapter with an inaugural luncheon and fundraiser event called, "Fashion and Fun Down to a Science." The March 12 event was held at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club. The goal was to raise funds to support two $15,000 scholarships that will be awarded to USF graduate students in the Colleges of Marine Science and Cancer Biology. USF will select the scholarship award recipients, says Karen Krymski, president for ARCS Tampa Bay and executive managing director for eWomen Network. ARCS Tampa Bay will serve as a recruitment tool attracting the best and brightest to the Tampa Bay region. "That's really what ARCS is really all about, the recruitment of the best and brightest students," says Krymski. "Scholarships are awarded to both men and women." Krymski advises that the formation of ARCS Foundation-Tampa Bay was a collaborative community effort. In addition to Krymski, founding officers include: Linda Seefeldt, president of AIM Above and vice president and president-elect for ARCS Tampa Bay; Janet Dickinson, CPA, financial systems consultant at Mills & Murphy Software Systems, Inc. and treasurer for ARCS Tampa Bay, and Elaine Bispo Smalling, vice president of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership and secretary of ARCS Tampa Bay. Also instrumental in bringing the organization to Tampa Bay were USF President Judy Genshaft, Peter Betzer, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, Dr. Mya Breitbart of USF's College of Marine Sciences and Dr. Pamela Miller. ARCS Tampa Bay will be working on more initiatives and will introduce the community to more activities and events in the fall. "We really want to encourage like-minded women to be involved in ARCS," says Krymski. "We're looking for members, people for our steering committees and for corporations that have an interest in furthering science." For more information about ARCS Tampa Bay, contact Krymski at wizkk2@earthlink.net or 727-322-9596. Writer: Nancy Vaughn Source: Karen Krymski, ARCS Foundation-Tampa Bay
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