Dr. Robert Potter, who has served as an associate dean with the USF College of Arts of Sciences since 2007, will be stepping down from the position beginning in August.
Robert Potter in his office in the early 1990s. (Photo courtesy of Robert Potter)
Potter credits his many teachers through grade school for fueling his love of learning.
But, as he entered high school, he found a particular curiosity for chemistry, a curiosity
that eventually led him to major in biochemistry at California State University at
Sacramento.
When his time as an undergraduate was coming to an end, he leaned on the faculty at
the university to provide guidance when applying to several graduate schools. He eventually
selected the University of California at San Diego, where he went on to earn his master’s
and PhD in biochemistry.
Following the completion of his master’s and PhD, Potter decided to continue pursuing
his education, taking on a postdoctoral position at the University of Wyoming, where
he continued to teach and conduct research in a visiting faculty position, earning
his first federal grant while he was there.
With a passion for advancing teaching and learning, Potter began applying to positions
across the country that would afford him opportunities to continue his chemistry research,
while also working to grow his leadership skills.
In 1984, he accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at USF, which presented many areas for growth, at a young and aspiring university.
“I was attracted to the very supportive and talented faculty in the department, and
the genuine entrepreneurial spirit of the university,” Potter said.
Throughout his tenure with the university, Potter has gone on to earn and hold many
positions, including serving as a consultant in protein chemistry to Bausch and Lomb
Pharmaceuticals, a member of the USF Institute for Biomolecular Science, chaired the
Dean’s Faculty Advisory Council for David Stamps and Renu Khator, chaired a Quality
Enhancement Plan redevelopment of general education, was interim chair in the chemistry
department, and currently serves as a professor in the chemistry department and director
for the USF Coalition for Science Literacy.
Reflecting on his time in the college, Potter said that some of his fondest memories
stem from his time with his students.
“My time working with my science graduate students and the many undergraduate researchers
will stay with me. A lot of hard work and anxiety over funding and the often-puzzling
research results, but the research outcomes and eventual careers were rewarding,”
he shared.
He is also proud of what he called his “second career” in science education with the
former provost Gerry Meisels and the Coalition for Science Literacy.
“Over 30 years, Gerry Meisels (now a chemistry emeritus faculty member) and I built
the coalition with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department
of Education. This allowed us to help hundreds of teachers in the school districts
in the region improve science instruction, and for the past decade, has helped the
faculty at the university and Hillsborough Community College do the same with a $3M
Systemic Transformation of Education Through Evidence-Based Reforms (STEER) grant
from NSF,” he said.
While Potter may be stepping away from his position in the dean’s office, he still
plans to stay on as director for the coalition and will continue to work with his
colleagues to improve student outcomes in science.
When asked what he would miss most about his time in the college, he offered a simple
answer – the people.
“[I’ll miss] the great team in the dean’s office and the opportunity to work with
so many wonderful, talented, and hard-working staff. I will also miss the opportunity
to help faculty solve problems and do their many jobs better. It has certainly been
my privilege to have worked with Deans Skvoretz, Eisenberg, and Michael. They have
taught me much about leadership. I am also excited by the energy and talent that our
new Dean Spiller brings to the college. We are in good hands moving forward. While
I will no longer be as directly involved in the university’s ongoing pursuit of excellence,
I will nonetheless follow the progress with great interest and continue to cheer on
CAS and the Bulls.”