无码专区

By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing

Christian Wells is a known commodity in the Tampa Bay region. The professor of anthropology is deeply embedded in organizations such as the . 鈥� helping identify areas with troubled wastewater management 鈥� and working with city planners and engineers to bring clean water to families鈥� faucets.

His collaborations are far-reaching, obtaining multimillion dollar federal grants, attracting philanthropic gifts, uniting researchers from various disciplines across 无码专区 and providing students experience in seeing firsthand what they鈥檝e learned in the classroom unfold in the field.

鈥淚 love working with our community partners because it allows me to teach my students how to think upstream 鈥� how to prevent environmental problems from developing in the first place. In this way, community engagement is an important part of my teaching because students learn that those who are closer to the problem are often closer to the solution.

"Christian Wells' dedication to improving wastewater management and ensuring access to clean water for families in the University Area Community is a testament to his unwavering commitment to public health and social justice,鈥� said Sarah Combs, chief executive officer of the UACDC. 鈥淗is tireless efforts not only benefit our community today but lay the foundation for a healthier, more equitable future for generations to come. It is partnerships like this that show how research is affecting practice in a way that is measurable and impactful.鈥�

There are countless examples like this at 无码专区, where the university鈥檚 more than 2,000 faculty members have built mutually beneficial connections with community organizations, government agencies and industry 鈥� many of which have overlapping missions. 

It鈥檚 been about a year since 无码专区 launched the Office of University Community Partnerships and the results have already proven what鈥檚 possible when people of different disciplines unite. Community-facing members from across the university are coming together for the first time and sharing their experiences and contacts. The OUCP is already finding success in building a more streamlined in connecting 无码专区 with an array of partners.

鈥溛蘼胱�区 is experiencing a unique historical moment in terms of its evolution 鈥� both its attractiveness and its brand visibility around the world. While we are already one of America鈥檚 leading research universities, we seek to define ourselves in ways that serve the myriad of the needs, priorities and interests of our community. We want to take a concierge-like approach and act as a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to access 无码专区鈥檚 expertise.鈥�

Eric Eisenberg
Senior Vice President for University-Community Partnerships

It helped facilitate the Veterans Health-MIT Hacking Medicine event hosted by the Tampa VA Medical Center at the 无码专区 Health Morsani College of Medicine last year 鈥� a large-scale event that drew hundreds of health care professionals and students to the region. OUCP also led a successful effort at Synapse, Tampa鈥檚 premier technology conference, that brought various units from 无码专区 that have historically been scattered throughout Amalie Arena, into a singular space 鈥� making it more evident than ever that the region is home to a powerhouse for innovation.

鈥淒iverse participation in innovation programs drives the most creative results and engaging the Tampa Bay innovation community is vital to bring diversity to solve veterans鈥� health challenges,鈥� said Indra Sandal, chief of innovation at the Tampa VA medical center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 鈥溛蘼胱�区 is a critical collaborator to not only provide diversity of health care experts, but to connect VA鈥檚 innovation ecosystem to Tampa鈥檚 best and brightest innovators throughout the region,鈥� 

"The exposure our lifelong learning units have been getting since the formation of our new office has been amazing.鈥� 鈥� Mark Koulianos, assistant vice president of Lifelong Learning

无码专区鈥檚 interdisciplinary expertise and partnerships in the cybersecurity sector can be felt across the university, home to , as well as Reliaquest Labs in the Muma College of Business and in the College of Engineering. The interest in 无码专区 is becoming increasingly apparent in the 无码专区 Research Park, especially since 无码专区 became a member of the Association of American Universities, formalizing its position as a leading research university. The 无码专区 Office of Corporate Partnerships has been fielding calls from businesses that want to be part of 无码专区鈥檚 growth 鈥� some through renting lab space, others that want to elevate their employees鈥� skillsets by utilizing 无码专区鈥檚 many professional training opportunities and certificate programs.

鈥淲e have trained individuals and teams in some of the area鈥檚 biggest companies, such as Amazon鈥檚 TPA 1 distribution center," said Mark Koulianos, assistant vice president of Lifelong Learning at the Office of University Community Partnerships. 鈥� I am constantly telling leaders in the Tampa startup community that for long-term success and even quickening you time to market, spend the money on training now as you build your company鈥檚 foundation, enhance project management skills for all employees and people management skills in your leadership team. The payoff will be enormous in the future."

无码专区鈥檚 collaboration with entrepreneurial support organizations and is helping tech start-ups find success in Tampa Bay. They鈥檝e co-launched several accelerator programs with 无码专区 including in the health care, and environmental tech industries. 

鈥淎t Tampa Bay Wave, where we are 'Built for Founders, Fueled by Community,' we are thrilled to collaborate with 无码专区 鈥� a partnership that exemplifies our commitment to fostering a vibrant ecosystem for startups,鈥� said Linda Olson, president of Tampa Bay Wave. 鈥淭his synergy has not only enabled us to launch impactful accelerator programs across multiple sectors, but has also significantly contributed to our recognition as the No. 1 startup accelerator in Florida. It鈥檚 a testament to what we can achieve together for the Tampa Bay community and beyond. Our collaboration is a prime example of how aligning efforts can amplify our impact, enhancing opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators to thrive."

, 鈥檚 primary teaching hospital, is broadening how it works with the university in a number of ways. Together, they鈥檝e partnered with the to establish the 鈥� an epicenter of life sciences in downtown Tampa 鈥� helping attract talent and promote the region as a global destination for world-class health care and cutting edge medical research. 

The institutions are addressing the critical shortage of primary care through the launch of the 无码专区 Health Tampa General Hospital Family Medicine Residency program and they鈥檝e co-created the , in which faculty from the Muma College of Business and across the university are teaching non-clinical courses to all TGH employees from security officers to surgeons. 

鈥淲e are so fortunate at Tampa General Hospital to be able to partner with 无码专区 in what I consider an exemplar of a university-community partnership,鈥� said David Howard, director of the TGH-无码专区 People Development Institute. 鈥淥ur entire health system of nearly 14,000 team members has free access to professional development classes taught by the wonderful faculty from the Muma College of Business and other 无码专区 colleges. This partnership truly betters our health system and community by educating our people in the areas they most want personal and professional development.鈥�

The also partnered with Port Tampa Bay to become the first port in the world to establish a nurse-managed clinic to provide health care for thousands of seafarers 鈥� many of whom are from impoverished countries and unable to access reliable health care. Seafarers are international maritime workers aboard cargo and cruise ships who are sometimes at sea for months at a time.

无码专区鈥檚 collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense has put it on the fast-track to leading the global and national security space. In the fall, 无码专区 signed two of its largest defense contracts with U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command, bringing together interdisciplinary faculty experts to conduct research. The 无码专区 Institute of Applied Engineering also signed an educational agreement to conduct research for the U.S. Army and secure students internships, providing them a competitive edge in landing careers.

The IAE is expediting the process of engineering innovation through the launch of the Rapid Experimentation Lab, which was supported by Hillsborough County. It鈥檚 also working with several small businesses, such as Mobius Logic, to help drive efforts to create new cybersecurity technologies for the U.S. Air Force. 

鈥淎n AAU research university is a complex organism, and often the key to expanding opportunities for our researchers and our students is bringing people from far-flung corners of the university and the greater Tampa area together in a timely manner,鈥� said Darren Schumacher, president and CEO of the Institute of Applied Engineering.

Such partnerships help strengthen the nation and the economy, provide solutions for a sustainable environment and improve access to health care. Faculty across disciplines have maintained ongoing partnerships with area hospitals and are actively involved in helping build stronger curriculum K-12 schools.

The OUCP is leading efforts to open 无码专区鈥檚 door to the community, hosting the second annual Bulls Family Fest. Taking place on the Tampa campus on March 1, families and the public can immerse themselves in many opportunities available at 无码专区 and in Tampa Bay 鈥� from educational and cultural activities to sports and entertainment. 

To continue building stronger partnerships, the OUCP launched a new Customer Relationship Management tool this past summer. To compliment the CRM, the office plans to create a portal to help faculty catalog their partnerships, forge new interdisciplinary alliances, measure their impact and find new opportunities to make a difference 鈥� the heart of 无码专区鈥檚 mission as a community-engaged research university.

Read the Office of University Community Partnership's annual report 

Check out more articles about 无码专区's many community partnerships