CAS Chronicles
Stories
Unraveling the web of brown recluse myths in Florida
USF alum Louis Coticchio and Associate Professor Deby Cassill show the brown recluse spider shouldn鈥檛 be portrayed as a villain. Their newly published findings aim to change the narrative by debunking common myths.
March 9, 2026Research
Along the seawall of Bayboro Harbor, a group of USF students and professors recently installed 3D-printed habitats they hope will soon house oysters that can filter thousands of gallons of water per day and improve both water quality and ecosystem health.
March 9, 2026Research
USF ranks among top 20 public universities for new patents in 2025
Denis Karaiskaj, a professor in the Department of Physics, has created a silicon-based, solid-state, miniaturized atomic clock that is a smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient alternative to the chip-size atomic clock that is currently used in electronic navigation devices. Awarded a Foundation Bull Ring Ring Accelerator Grant in 2025, the device has applications for oil and gas exploration, space navigation, military GPS and high-end automotive and watch manufacturing.
February 25, 2026Research
Digitizing the past for the future: CAS collaboration helps protect the legacy of Black cemeteries
USF鈥檚 IDEx and the Black Cemetery Network are working with local leaders to map, digitize and protect Lake Maude Cemetery, ensuring long鈥憃verlooked histories are accessible to descendants and researchers.
February 25, 2026Community Engagement, Featured, Research
Hurricanes thin Tampa's canopy, spurring interest in replanting
A new post-storm canopy assessment, led by College of Arts and Sciences researchers Shawn Landry and Rebecca Zarger, reveals that Tampa鈥檚 citywide tree canopy fell to 29.9% in 2025, down from 31.4% in 2024. The loss represents a 4.8% decline driven largely by storm damage, wiping out canopy gains achieved since 2021.
February 23, 2026Research
Endowed chemistry chair established to advance biomedical research, honor lasting legacy
The Department of Chemistry named Jianfeng Cai the inaugural Julie Harmon Endowed Chair in Chemistry, a move that not only recognizes Cai鈥檚 research and goals to advance biomedical innovation, but also honors the legacy of the late Julie Harmon, a pioneering polymer chemist who taught at USF for over 25 years.
February 20, 2026Accomplishments, Research
In the ground and on the line: Inside USF鈥檚 forensic anthropology 鈥淏uried Bodies鈥� workshops
Two hours north of USF鈥檚 Tampa campus, USF鈥慒ORT hosts the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science鈥檚 "Buried Bodies鈥� workshops, where investigators learn to excavate real human remains in the Florida woods. It鈥檚 real鈥憌orld training that draws professionals from across the country, but now, with the land鈥憉se agreement ending, the program that makes it possible faces an uncertain future.
January 29, 2026Community Engagement, Research
USF-engineered material uses sunlight to combat Florida's red tide
What if sunlight could help curb Florida鈥檚 red tide? USF researchers have engineered a reusable, light-activated material that slows harmful algae growth 鈥� offering a promising, environmentally safe approach to protecting coastal waters, public health and marine life.
January 28, 2026Research
Responsibility and resilience: Reflections from the cloud forests of Guatemala
Jamie Sommer traveled to Guatemala to speak with the Mayan women of San Juan Chamelco who are fighting to maintain their cultural heritage in the face of industrial agriculture, deforestation and rising temperatures that are disturbing the cloud forest with torrential rains and droughts, devastating traditional crops.
January 21, 2026Research
Hidden beneath Central Florida鈥檚 sandy soils lives the Florida scrub millipede, a species found nowhere else in the world. USF graduate student Anne Sawl鈥檚 research highlights the millipede鈥檚 vital role in maintaining the health of Florida鈥檚 scrub ecosystems.
January 15, 2026Research
Communication professor partners with CDC to shine light on hereditary breast cancer risk
Marleah Dean Kruzel draws on her personal experience with hereditary breast cancer to spotlight the unique needs of 鈥減revivors,鈥� emphasizing the importance of support, storytelling, and improved genetic risk communication in her CDC-invited presentation.
January 13, 2026Accomplishments, Community Engagement, Events, Research
![The Office of Naval Research helped support new research that utilizes a remotely operated vehicle to study some of the most remote areas of the deep sea [Photo by Cliff McBride, University Communications and Marketing]](/arts-sciences/chronicles/images/2026/jan/herd-new-listing.jpg)
USF rises in new research rankings, outpacing many peer institutions in growth
With $522 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2024, USF ranks No. 47 among the nation鈥檚 public universities 鈥� and a growth rate higher than 90% of members of the Association of American Universities.
January 13, 2026Research