Master of Public Administration (MPA)
MPA Bull-U-Crat Ball
You're Invited!
You are cordially invited to join USF's School of Public Affairs, together with elected and appointed government officials and the Tampa Bay community, to celebrate the achievements of our Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and to help raise funds to endow scholarships in honor of our departed faculty – the late Professor Emeritus Jamil Jreisat, founder of our MPA program, and the late Professor Joan Pynes, founder of our Nonprofit Management graduate certificate.
Featuring Keynote Speaker Hon. Betty Castor, please join us for Cocktails and Canapes and help preserve the legacy and memory of our departed colleagues. We will also award scholarships to deserving graduate students, present awards to (and recognize new) MPA Alumni Ambassadors, and induct qualified graduates into the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society!
Join us in supporting our MPA students by making a gift of any size to the Jamil Jreisat and Joan Pynes memorial scholarships, for an enduring legacy of their dedication to student success!
Event Details
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022
Time: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: USF Gibbons Alumni Center
11810 USF Sago Dr.
Tampa, FL 33620
Attire: Business or Cocktail Attire
The reception will start at 5:00pm and the program will run from approximately 6:00pm to 7:30pm. We welcome you to stay and mingle after the program! Limited cash bar.
Program for the Evening
- Welcome and Introductions
- Advisory Board Remarks
- MPA Program and Recent News
- Keynote Speech - Florida as a Laboratory for Public Policy
- Jamil Jreisat and Joan Pynes Memorial Scholarships
- MPA Scholarships - Donor Acknowledgements and Recipients
- MPA Alumni Ambassador Awards and Recognition
- Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society Induction
Betty Castor has had a long and distinguished career as a public servant and educator, most notably as the fifth President of the University of South Florida, Commissioner of Education, and President of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Castor's career began in Hillsborough County where she was the first woman elected to the Hillsborough County Commission. She ran successfully for the Florida Senate in 1976, serving 3 terms in that chamber. In 1986, following statewide campaign, Castor became the Commissioner of Education and the first woman elected to the Florida Cabinet. During her tenure she was a strong advocate for early childhood education and children's health initiatives, helping to spearhead the creation of the nationally recognized Florida KidCare Program.
Castor was appointed as President of USF by the Board of Regents in 1993 during an important transitional period. She expanded academic programs gaining our university the prestigious Research 1 designation. She also led improvements to the Tampa campus by making the university a more attractive setting, financing new residence halls, and securing state funding for new buildings, including the College of Education. She returned to USF in 2006 where she became Director of the Patel Center for Global Solutions.
Castor continued her active career and was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She is a founding member of the USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy. She continues to support the university along with her husband Sam Bell, the founder of the College of Public Health.
Parking Information
Guest parking is available in Lot 23A and 23T.
For reasonable requests and questions about this event, please email cas-rsvp@usf.edu.