Honors Admissions
Gulf Scholars Program
Anchored in the Judy Genshaft Honors College and supported by USF Libraries on the
»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ St. Petersburg campus, the Gulf Scholars Program cultivates
Gulf Scholar Change Agents (GSCAs) — undergraduate leaders with the skills, commitment,
and collaborative mindset to address complex environmental and social challenges facing
the Gulf region.
Each year, approximately 20 students from different majors and backgrounds are selected
as Gulf Scholar Change Agents. These students engage in a two-year experience that
includes Gulf-themed Honors coursework and experiential learning, participation in
a Gulf Scholars Symposium, and the creation of a public-facing Gulf Impact Project.
Opportunities and Funding
The Gulf Scholars Program draws on the unique strengths of the St. Petersburg campus: its waterfront location, research infrastructure, commitment to Blue Humanities and deep community partnerships.
GSCAs receive up to $3,500 in financial assistance and are supported by faculty experts across disciplines, with an emphasis on leadership development and peer mentorship. This includes up to $1,000 in travel funding to attend the annual Gulf Scholars Symposium, $500 toward supplies for the creation of their Gulf Impact Project, and a $2,000 scholarship upon completion of program requirements.
Programming and Coursework
The Gulf Scholars Program’s interdisciplinary curriculum and co-curricular opportunities use high-impact, student-centered practices to encourage creative, collaborative problem-solving among students of all majors. GSCAs will choose two Gulf-themed Honors courses, which will count toward Honors coursework requirements. Examples of course topics include:
- Art and Environment
- Solarpunk: Imagining Sustainable Futures
- Real Science in the Real World: Marine Science Education in the Community.
- Water, Wetlands, and Human Societies
- Ethics of the Dispossessed: Sustaining Human Populations in an Age of Mass Migrations
- City Creeks and Place Making on Florida's Gulf Coast
- How to Make History: Preparing Cultural Resources for Climate Change
- Climate Justice for the Gulf Coast
Students are also required to take part in at least one Gulf-focused experiential
learning activity — such as an internship with environmental agencies, service-learning
project or study away program — gaining real-world experience while developing a strong
sense of place-based responsibility.
Finally, students will complete a Gulf-focused Impact Project as their Honors Thesis
or Capstone research requirement.
How to Apply
Current and prospective students may apply by completing the Gulf Scholars Application, including a short essay or creative project describing their current relationship with the Gulf.
Requirements
Students of any major can be a Gulf Scholar Change Agent. Program requirements include:
- FTIC applicants and current USF students in their first or second year
- Interest in human and/or environmental Gulf issues and interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving
- St. Petersburg home campus student
- Acceptance into or current membership in the Judy Genshaft Honors College
Short Answer Questions
The Gulf Scholars application includes two short-answer questions. Because the application cannot be saved in progress, we recommend that students prepare their responses in advance and then copy and paste them into the appropriate fields.
Short Answer Question 1
In 100 words or less, please share what makes you most curious about the Gulf. What do you want to know more about? We will use responses to this question to help shape our curriculum and experiential learning opportunities.
Short Answer Question 2
What is your current relationship with the Gulf? Please describe in short essay format (<400 words), but feel free to upload any other form of your own creative expression (e.g., visual art, creative writing, original musical composition, etc.) that enhances, explains, or deepens your response.
Learn More
Part of a broader initiative that equips Gulf region colleges and universities to
prepare undergraduates to address challenges in community health and resilience, environmental
protection and stewardship, and offshore energy safety, the USF Gulf Scholars Program
is supported by a grant from the National Academy of Sciences's Gulf Research Program.
Contact
Program directors Catherine Wilkins and Theresa Burress are dedicated to campus sustainability initiatives and connect Gulf Scholar Change Agents with resources and partners across campus and beyond.
Catherine Wilkins
Director Catherine Wilkins is a Professor of Instruction in the Judy Genshaft Honors College and affiliate faculty in the Morsani College of Medicine. She holds a PhD in cultural history from Tulane University and has more than a decade of experience in community-engaged teaching and research at the intersections of art, health, history, and environmental science. She is a founding member of the Blue-Green Institute and serves as USF’s liaison to the Florida Institute of Oceanography for the Honoring the Ocean program.
Contact Catherine Wilkins
Theresa Burress
Co-Director Theresa Burress is a University Librarian supporting the College of Marine Science and the Judy Genshaft Honors College. She co-leads the SAIL undergraduate research program, coordinates library support for summer undergraduate research, and conducts research at the intersection of data and information literacies. She is also co-chair emerita of the annual St. Petersburg Science Festival, which brings thousands of families together to explore hands-on STEAM subjects.