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The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership joined the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, the St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation, and the University of South Florida to host USF President Moez Limayem for a conversation on the future of the university's St. Petersburg campus, held Wednesday, August 26. Downtown Partnership CEO Jason Mathis led the discussion.
Limayem, who began his tenure as USF's president in February after previously serving as president of the University of North Florida and dean of USF's Muma College of Business, spoke about his vision for the St. Petersburg campus as a distinctive and growing part of the university's future. He described the location and scale of the St. Pete site as a unique advantage, noting students can walk to internships nearby, and said "our campus in St. Pete as one of the major assets that we have" is a foundation the university intends to build on.
The conversation also touched on USF's broader initiatives, including a $348.5 million football stadium under construction in Tampa and the newly created Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Limayem emphasized the importance of experiential learning, noting that students who complete internships or real-world learning opportunities are more likely to find jobs after graduation, and spoke about the university's focus on teaching students to engage in civil discourse and think critically in an era of widespread AI use.
Limayem also addressed the University's Marine Science Laboratory, severely damaged by a fire in May, confirming that USF is currently planning to rebuild the facility to a higher standard.
The event reflects the shared commitment of the Downtown Partnership, the Chamber, the EDC, and USF to strengthening the ties between the university's St. Petersburg campus and the local business community.
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