By Tom Woolf, University Communications and Marketing
The University of South Florida will honor six individuals for their service to the university, the Tampa Bay community and the nation during Commencement ceremonies May 8-11.
President Rhea Law will present three individuals with the Distinguished Citizen Award and three will receive the President’s Fellow Medallion.
The university also will award an honorary doctorate and one graduating senior will be recognized as the outstanding graduate.
Distinguished Citizen Award
Established in 1974 to honor U.S. citizens, typically Floridians, who have rendered distinguished public service to the people of Florida, particularly within the USF service area.
Rob Higgins has served as the executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission for nearly 21 years. A graduate of USF, he previously worked for USF Athletics, helping to oversee facilities and event management.
During Higgins’ tenure with the Sports Commission, Tampa Bay has hosted some of the most prestigious events in collegiate and professional sports. They include four NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Fours, three NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds, three NCAA Men’s Frozen Fours, two Super Bowls and the College Football Playoff National Championship. More major events are scheduled for the Tampa Bay region, including the NHL Stadium Series in 2026.
Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, has been forecasting the weather in the Tampa Bay region for three decades, including providing critical information during last year’s hurricane season that included back-to-back major storms. He is widely known for Rule #7 of his hurricane forecasts – “Don’t freak out unless I’m freaking out, we’re fine.”
Phillips, his wife Robyn and their six children organize a hot chocolate fundraiser every holiday season to benefit local charities. Together with their friends and neighbors in Palm Harbor, they have raised tens of thousands of dollars for Feeding Tampa Bay, Children’s Miracle Network and other organizations.
Rick Skaggs, who has 32 years of experience in the financial services industry, is the president and CEO of the USF Credit Union. Among his other industry roles, Skaggs serves as the chairman of The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates Board of Directors, representing Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia.
For more than six decades, the credit union has partnered with USF on a variety of initiatives. Last year, the credit union made a commitment of more than $1 million in new support to USF through a combination of scholarly endowments and title sponsorships of 10 signature events.
In addition, the credit union announced a $6 million gift to name the walkway that will lead into the future on-campus stadium as the USF Federal Credit Union Champions Way.
President’s Fellow Medallion
Established in 1988, this award highlights the recipient’s exceptional dedication and impact on society, spanning fields such as education, health care, public service and philanthropy.
Stephanie Goforth, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from USF, is a former member and vice chair of the USF Board of Trustees and a former member and chair of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board. In 2021, the USF Alumni Association presented Goforth with its Donald A. Gifford Alumni Service Award, which recognizes a graduate for their exceptional service contributions.
Goforth serves on the USF Foundation Board, the Rothman Family Foundation Board and the Admiral Farragut Academy Board of Directors. She also has been appointed to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women.
She is an executive vice president at Northern Trust and the global head of sales and marketing of its Wealth Management business unit. She joined Northern Trust in 2005.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Harrell is a two-degree graduate of USF. Commissioned through the ROTC, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology in 1988 and his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1992.
Harrell’s military career spans over three decades, with command at every level. In his current position as the director of Defense Health Network Central, Harrell leads more than 21,000 personnel across 39 military treatment facilities in 22 states, three countries and one U.S. territory, overseeing a $2.2 billion global health care operation. He also serves as the commander of the Medical Readiness Command Alpha, Air Force Medical Command.
A chief flight surgeon with over 700 flight hours, Harrell is a board-certified cardiologist and Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Debbie Nye Sembler is a member and former chair of the USF St. Petersburg Campus Board and served on the USF Board of Trustees from 2003-15.
The Student Success Center at USF St. Petersburg was renamed in her honor in 2016 in recognition of her dedicated service, philanthropic support and lifetime contributions to the campus. In 2017, the USF Alumni Association presented Sembler with its Class of ’56 Award, which recognizes a non-USF graduate who has provided outstanding service to USF and the Tampa Bay community.
A member of USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy since 2012, Sembler currently serves on the executive board. She is the vice chair of the USF Foundation Board and previously served on the boards of the Florida Holocaust Museum, All Children’s Hospital, Shorecrest Preparatory School and Temple Beth-El.
Sembler’s professional career included serving as senior account executive on the Hong Kong and Mexico accounts for Hill and Knowlton, and as director of public relations for the Wyndham Hotel Seaworld in Orlando. She was also the first director of marketing for Old Hyde Park Village.
Honorary Doctor of Engineering Degree
Anne O’Neal has been a leader in enhancing process safety culture innovations in the chemical and petroleum process industries. She has been a corporate sponsor for process safety at Chevron since 1990 and currently serves as manager of process safety culture and competency.
As the Chevron corporate sponsor for process safety, she played a pioneering role in the Undergraduate Process Safety Learning Initiative, helping to train more than 350,000 engineering students and nearly 1,000 faculty members globally to improve their process safety knowledge and understanding. Many USF engineering graduates have benefited from her expertise and mentoring.
She is president-elect of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and will serve as president in 2026.
Ralph C. Wilcox Outstanding Graduate Award
Selected by the Office of the Provost and the division of Student Success, recipients of this award embody leadership, school spirit, academic excellence, community involvement and a love for USF.
Wendi Masis, a first-generation student, is completing dual Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and management in three years. A Dean’s List student in the Muma College of Business, Masis is graduating as a King O’Neal Scholar, an honor reserved for undergraduates who complete their studies with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Masis’ campus activities have included serving as a GloBull Ambassador through
USF World’s Global Learning programs. In this role, she shared her study abroad experiences with students who are considering the opportunity as well as students preparing for their study abroad experience. She also served for 2 1/2 years as a campus tour guide for the USF Office of Campus Visits.
She plans to pursue her master’s degree in accounting and analytics at USF and later plans to obtain her Executive MBA and Doctorate in Business Administration.