USF To Break Ground On Judy Genshaft Honors College

TAMPA, FL — The University of South Florida will break ground on the Judy Genshaft Honors College at the university's Tampa campus Dec. 1 at 10 a.m.

The six-story, 86,000-square-foot building will be the new home for honors students.

Former USF President Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steven Greenbaum, announced in May 2019 that she was donating $20 million to the USF Foundation to build the college, along with a $3 million gift to create an endowment for the deanship of the college. Genshaft headed the college for 19 years before retiring last year.

Fleischman Garcia Architects is the prime architect for the new college with Morphosis serving as the design architect.

Fleischman Garcia said the design is intended to reflect the collaborative mission of the new college.

A lower building encourages walking and pedestrian activity intended to encourage casual encounters and informal meetings that will result in interdisciplinary discussions and work collaboration.

The design includes an enclosed, transparent ground floor with a space large enough for communal gatherings and large, programmed events. A more opaque mass sits above the transparent ground floor.

Additional communal spaces are provided on the second floor with more honors college-centric programs located on the third through sixth floors. A centrally located atrium connects all users into a single space. The atrium is lined with meetings spaces.

Enclosed with full-height glass for maximum views, the interior café space extends to an adjacent outdoor space for additional outdoor seating. An exterior covered terrace is located on the second floor above the event space. This exterior space is accessible both from inside and outside the building, serving as an outdoor meeting, relaxation and study space.

The college is being engineered with a number of sustainable features. The total cost of the project is $54.6 million, to be offset through fundraising.

The honors college is currently housed in the Allen building. Genshaft said the new home will be a more fitting headquarters for the college, attracting gifted students from around the world.

“We are so passionate about this university. It has been such an important part of our life and our family over the last 19 years. It’s only natural that we would do whatever we can to ensure its continued success,” Genshaft said. “Having a world-class honors college is just one more way USF will distinguish itself as one of the most elite and forward-thinking institutions in the world. The honors college is special because of its inclusiveness, representing the best and brightest students from all academic units across all of our USF campuses.”

Courtesy USF