University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft will be stepping down from her position, effective July 1, 2019. But she is not going out quietly.
Recently, President Genshaft announced that she and her husband, Steven Greenbaum, are making a $20 million contribution to the USF Foundation. The university believes this is one of the largest gifts ever made to a university by a sitting president.
The donation will be used to help fund a new five-story building on campus that will house the university’s Honors College. As a result of the gift, the university’s Honors College will be named after President Genshaft.
In announcing the gift, President Genshaft stated that “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. 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.”
Since Dr. Genshaft became president in 2000, the university has seen enrollment increase by 40 percent. Additionally, graduation rates have tripled and the university graduates students at the same rate regardless of race, ethnicity, or family income. During her tenure, Dr. Genshaft has helped the university’s endowment grow from $254 million to $480 million, oversaw $1.75 billion in construction projects, and contributed to tripling the university’s research activity to more than $568 million in annual expenditures.
Dr. Genshaft holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Kent State University in Ohio.