//www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-yUgH33P2A

On a warm, breezy November day, an 800-pound white beam was slowly lifted skyward by a construction crane, marking another milestone in USF’s history – the topping off of the 13-story USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in downtown Tampa.

A construction crew hoisted the 20-foot long, 800-pound beam into the air and and placed it on top the 13-story Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute building in downtown Tampa.

Below, as the USF Fight Song played on, a crowd of university and community leaders, elected officials, faculty and medical students – with cell phone cameras aimed skyward — watched the ascent of the beam bearing a green USF Bulls topiary and gently flapping flags on either end.  Many had earlier signed the steel beam at the Nov. 14 topping-off celebration, an event traditionally held when the last beam is placed, signifying completion of the building’s exterior structure.

The beam was placed at the top of the 13-story, 395,000-square-foot building shortly before noon, culminating the morning’s topping-off program held under a tent in Water Street Tampa, a $3-billion real estate development by Strategic Property Partners (SPP), the joint venture of Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investments, LLC.   USF Health’s iconic building, scheduled to open in late 2019, is a key anchor for SPP’s transformative downtown waterfront district.

From left: Calvin Williams, USF System vice president for administrative services; USF System President Judy Genshaft; and Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

“Today we are celebrating a momentous occasion — the topping-off of one of the most significant projects ever to be completed in USF System history,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft.

“This project belongs to all of us, and would not be possible if it were not for the incredible support of visionary Tampa Bay and state leaders.  It is staggering in its impact — in terms of academic, research and economic significance.”

Guests gathered under a tent set up in the heart of Water Street Tampa for the topping-off celebration.

Once complete, the building will house more than 1,800 students, faculty, researchers and staff — equipping them with world-class labs, technologically advanced lecture halls and learning spaces, and research facilities to help shape the next generations of physicians and pioneer new discoveries for cardiovascular health.

The new state-of-the-art hub for medical education and research is located in close proximity to USF’s primary teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital, and its world-class Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) facility.  It will be a key driver of economic activity for the Tampa Bay area by helping to generate a substantial increase in research grant funding, attract new biotechnology companies to the region and position USF to move up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Dr. Lockwood signs the beam before the topping-off celebration in Water Street Tampa.

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, said the new building has been designed with a new generation of physicians and other health professionals in mind – and is already attracting top talent.  USF’s incoming class of medical students in fall 2018 was its most competitive ever, with the highest median MCAT score in the state of Florida, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

“Medical knowledge is doubling every 73 days, so how do you prepare students for a world like that?” Dr. Lockwood said.  “You don’t memorize textbooks anymore; you have to be able to curate knowledge, understand it and apply it appropriately at the point of care.

“This building will be an extraordinary gem for the community and medicine in general. We will push the boundaries of medical knowledge and keep pace with its rapid expansion.”

Among those attending the celebration were university benefactors Frank and Carol Morsani, for whom the USF medical college is named. Frank Morsani told those in the audience that they had the unique opportunity of a lifetime to be part of the city of Tampa’s transformation over the last two decades.

USF benefactor Frank Morsani was among the speakers. USF’s medical college is named after Frank and his wife Carol.

“Not only is today a celebration of this university and medical school but, ladies and gentlemen, it’s a celebration for this community and city,” Morsani said. “Carol and I hope that this school of medicine will continue the transformation and philanthropy necessary for the growth of our community.”

Then with his voice choking back emotion, he added: “As we stroll hand in hand into the sunset of our lives, we are proud, honored and humbled to have this school of medicine as our legacy.”

First-year medical student Tampa Hutchens represented his fellow students at the podium, sharing their enthusiasm for the new downtown MCOM and Heart Institute.  They will be among the first occupants of the building when it opens.

First-year USF medical student Tampa Hutchens represented his classmates at the podium.

“My classmates and I are extremely happy about this new building, the resources it will have to offer, and the chance to pioneer our medical education with new facilities that enhance our research and learning experiences  — not to mention the view,” said Hutchens, who received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from USF and was “so excited” to be accepted to medical school here.

“The Morsani College of Medicine stands ready to transform its students into the kind of medical professionals we want to see in our clinics, in our hospitals and in our time of need – the compassionate, talented, patient-centered people who will improve the health of Tampa Bay and its surrounding communities.”

The event included the unveiling of a rendering of USF Health Heart Institute Weatherford Family Atrium in honor of Will Weatherford, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and his family.

Will Weatherford with wife Courtney (right) near the rendering of the USF Health Heart Institute Weatherford Family Atrium unveiled at the topping-off celebration.

Weatherford played a key role in helping champion the relocation of the MCOM and Heart Institute downtown and secure initial funding for the building, and he remains an advocate for the project.  “Our family feels blessed and honored to play a small role in the incredible transformation of our community and of this university, and in this real estate project that will forever change the way downtown Tampa looks,” he said.

Representatives from SPP and Skanska, the firm building the MCOM and Heart Institute in Water Street Tampa, also spoke at the topping-off celebration. (The project’s architect is HOK.)

James Nozar, chief executive officer for Strategic Property Partners, spoke on behalf of Jeff Vinik. The new MCOM and Heart Institute building is a key anchor of Water Street Tampa, the $3-billion real estate development by SPP, the joint venture of Vinik and Cascade Investments, LLC.

Water Street Tampa will be the world’s first WELL-certified district, and the Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute are a vital part of that health and wellness initiative, said James Nozar, chief executive officer of SPP, who spoke on behalf of Jeff Vinik.

“The partnership with USF has been very important to SPP,” Nozar said. “It’s bringing all these great minds downtown to be part of the ecosystem we’re working to create here in Water Street Tampa. Having 2,000 or so students, faculty and researchers downtown is an incredible opportunity…  A lot of of the office tenants and retail people we’re speaking with are interested in being near that. We’re designing residential facilities with that in mind.”

Tracy Hunt (right), vice president of operations for Skanska U.S.A, with USF Foundation CEO Joel Momberg, who served as master of ceremonies for the event.

“Our team’s mission is to deliver a state-of-the-art building that will benefit the Tampa Bay community for years to come,” said Tracy Hunt, vice president of operations for Skanska U.S.A. “As strong as the steel (reinforcing the building) is, the building’s real strength is all of you.”

What they said:

Bryan Bognar, MD, vice dean of Educational Affairs for the Morsani College of Medicine, watches as the beam is lifted to the top of the new building.

“This is a once-in-a-generation transformational moment. In my 30 years with USF, this moment is a bit surreal. We’ve been saying that this place is a diamond in the rough. Well, now it’s in full view – cut, polished and brilliant.”
-Bryan Bognar, MD, MPH, FACP
Vice Dean for Educational Affairs USF Health Morsani College of Medicine

“I always hoped this day would come. It took a lot of people doing a lot of work, and who believed in the vision. This is truly a partnership that will reap benefits to USF and the City of Tampa for decades to come.”
– Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa Mayor

City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn with USF medical student Liz Lafranchise and USF mascot Rocky D. Bull.

“This is definitely a game changer, certainly for top students and faculty for years to come.”
-Mark Moseley, MD
Chief Clinical Officer, USF Health and Chief Medical Officer, USF Health
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Morsani College of Medicine

“To have seen this building come from an idea to where it is today is so gratifying. And the presence of this building here today is stunning.”
– Hal Mullis, USF Trustee

“It’s thrilling to see USF expand its footprint in such a meaningful way. It’s great to be a part of all of this. In all of the planning, it was critical to be inclusive. We planned this college of medicine for its occupants, but it’s really for all of USF Health. We are making sure we get in the building on time and that everyone has a voice.”
-Carole Post
Associate Vice President, USF Health
Chief Administrative Officer, USF Health
Chief Executive Officer, HPCC/CAMLS

Kevin Sneed, PharmD (right), dean of the USF College of Pharmacy, on a recent tour of the USF Health building under construction in downtown Tampa.

“This is not just about the medical school or the Heart Institute. It’s about every community that wants to build a workforce.”
-Kevin Sneed, PharmD
Senior Associate Vice President, USF Health
Dean, College of Pharmacy

“Now that we can see the building, we are even more excited to fill its space with our Heart Institute teams. The people we’re recruiting are very impressed with the whole project and eager to get to USF.”
Sam Wickline, MD
Professor of Cardiology, Director of the USF Health Heart Institute

The new Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute facility is scheduled to open in late 2019.

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute by the numbers:

50 percent – Rise in USF medical school applications since the facility was announced

1,800 – Anticipated students, faculty, researchers and staff who will occupy the building

$2.35 to $2.60 — Amount that every $1 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding adds to the local economy (Not including the potential for increased economic activity from biotech, pharmaceutical companies and USF start-ups)

31 – NIH funded cardiovascular faculty researchers to work at Heart Institute, more than half already recruited

$28 million – Projected increase in NIH research funding generated by the Heart Institute alone within five years.

$66 – $73 million – Expected yearly economic activity driven by the Heart Institute

47,000 tons – Amount of concrete used to build the facility, comparable to the weight of 155 Boeing 747 jets.

2.5 million linear feet – Amount of rebar used to reinforce the structure, equivalent to nearly 500 miles, or the approximate distance from Tampa to Atlanta.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCaPVmOkbcg

A commemorative gift from the topping-off celebration included a piece of reinforcement steel like that used to reinforce the building’s auditorium, and reads: The Building’s Real Strength is You.

Learn more about the project and its progress at www.usf.edu/waterstreet, including a live feed of construction available here.

-Sarah Worth contributed to this story
-USF Health video by Torie M. Doll, and photos by Eric Younghans and Freddie Coleman, USF Health Communications and Marketing
-USF video, drone images, and additional photos by Ryan Noone and Sandra C. Roa, University Communications and Marketing

Frank Morsani, attending the ceremony with wife Carol, was among 16 new inductees to USF’s Next Greatest Generation Veteran Fund Hall of Honor. The Morsanis stand next to a poster summarizing his military service during the Korean War.

The University of South Florida honored military veterans past and present at a ceremony held Nov. 6 – Election Day – inducting 16 new members into the 2018 Next Greatest Generation Veteran Fund Hall of Honor.

“What better day than this to honor those who have sacrificed to keep our country safe and retain for us the privileges of freedom… including the right to vote,” said Steve Blair, vice president of development for the USF Foundation.

Among the inductees was Korean War veteran Frank Morsani, who attended the ceremony at the USF Marshall Student Center with his wife Carol.  USF Health’s medical college and its Center for Advanced Healthcare on the Tampa campus are named after the Morsanis.

Larry Braue, EdD, director of the USF Office of Veteran Success, welcomed honored military veterans and guests to the ceremony.

“Many of you know Frank from his business success or his philanthropic work.  I know him as a kind and humble man who willingly took his personal time to teach, coach and mentor our student veterans,” said Larry Braue, EdD, director of the USF Office of Veteran Success.  “His military service shaped his life and helped build his foundation of lifelong service to others.”

Frank Morsani served as a U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class during the Korean War, working as a ship welder and later stationed in the Sea of Japan as an aviation hydraulic mechanic, including performing round-the-clock, combated-related aircraft repairs. When he returned to the U.S., he was assigned to an aircraft squadron that developed and evaluated air tactics and techniques for the delivery of special weapons.

Among the military veterans receiving special recognition at the 2018 Honor Roll induction ceremony were, from left: Anthony Ekonomou, Technician 4, U.S. Army; Thomas Gates, Capt., U.S. Air Force; James Rutherford, Capt., U.S. Navy; O. Eugene Powell, Col, U.S. Army; Dr. Karen Berkman (representing father Harold Berkman, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army), Frank Morsani, Petty Officer 2, U.S Navy; Miguel Lopez, Sgt. First Class, U.S. Army; and Robert (Bob) Sullins, Col., U.S. Army.

The Next Greatest Generation Veteran Fund, launched last year by the Office of Veteran Success, provides programs and services, including competitive academic awards and scholarships, to help veterans successfully transition from military life to college campus to a career.

The fund extends a helping hand from the generation of veterans called to duty in the 20^th century (World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War) to USF students who have served in the 21^st century, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  “By contributing to this fund,” Braue said, “donors make a tangible difference in the lives of our student veterans, helping provide crucial support during a time of critical transition.”

A roll call of military veteran inductees, living and deceased, was done by USF student veterans Joshua Pericles (left) and Stephanie Bauman, both Pat Tillman scholars.

The 16 veterans, living and deceased, inducted into the Class of 2018 Hall of Honor join the 27 charter veterans inducted last year (Class of 2017). The name, rank, branch and time of service for each combat veteran memorialized by family members or friends is engraved in plaque permanently displayed in the Office of Veteran Success.

Veteran-centered programs continue to expand for the approximately 1,850 student veterans currently enrolled at USF.  For the last four years, Military Times magazine has ranked USF as one of the top two universities in the country for student veterans. Click here for latest rankings.

Inductee Miguel Lopez (holding poster) is surrounded by family and friends. Lopez, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Army, is the father of Rose Bland (far left), director of the USF Shimberg Health Sciences Library.

USF Vice President of Development Steve Blair with the poster of his father James Blair, a Class of 2018 Honor Roll inductee, who served as a U.S. Navy aviation ordnanceman during the Korean War.

The Next Greatest Generation Veteran Fund Honor Roll was launched in 2017 by the USF Office of Veteran Success to honor veterans from the 20th century, while providing much-needed support to USF student veterans of the 21st century.

-Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications and Marketing

A long-time friend of USF and 22 USF Health nursing students and their faculty program director, all veterans, received handmade quilts in honor of their military service this week.

Philanthropist and community leader Frank Morsani was among those presented with a quilt from the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation during an emotional recognition ceremony Nov. 6 at the USF Sam and Martha Gibbons Alumni Center.

Korean War veteran Frank Morsani is draped with a handcrafted quilt by Sharon Kalinowski of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

Frank, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Korean War, and his wife Carol, have been dedicated supporters of USF and numerous other academic, medical, cultural and artistic effort across the Tampa Bay area, state and country. The Morsanis are the namesake of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and the Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare.

Each of 22 student members in the Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (known as VCARE), set to graduate next month, was also awarded a Quilt of Valor. And, the USF Office of Veteran Success presented a handcrafted quilt to VCARE Program Director Alicia Rossiter, DNP, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves Nurse Corps.

Members of the graduating cohort of the Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (VCARE) with Victoria Rich, PhD (front row center), dean of the USF College of Nursing, and Alicia Rossiter, DNP (far right), program director of VCARE.

“The recognition of Frank Morsani’s service in the Korean War is well-deserved, and we are extremely grateful for his service and for his ongoing commitment – and that of his wife Carol – to our university and our community,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft. “I also want to thank our outstanding VCARE students, and congratulate you on your graduation in just a few short weeks. Your service to our country, and your continuing service to others, are truly inspiring.”

According to the Quilts of Valor Foundation, the nonprofit was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts whose son Nat was deployed in Iraq. Since its inception, more than 170,000 quilts have been awarded to veterans from the grassroots quilting organization.

Alicia Rossiter, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves Nurse Corps, is presented with a handmade quilt by Denise Appleman (right).

The quilts are made by volunteers, follow specific quilt-making dimensions, and can take up to 60 hours to sew. The first Quilt of Valor was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq.

The handmade quilts awarded this week were sewn by the Tampa-based quilting club CT Quilters, which is the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Member Sharon Kalinowski said presenting veterans with a quilt is a way to thank them for their service while giving them something tangible and comforting to hold.

Each year the Office of Veteran Success coordinates with CT Quilters to recognize graduating USF veterans with a quilt. So far, about 60 quilts have been awarded to USF veterans. This was the first time the quilts have been given to an entire nursing graduating class.

From left: Larry Braue, EdD, director of the USF Office of Veteran Success; Jessica Panasewicz, a student in the Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program; and Frank Morsani.

“This is a huge honor, especially for individuals who spent their entire military career caring for others. To have the care be returned to them is just so meaningful and special for these students,” Dr. Rossiter said.

Nursing student Tamara Maynard, who was a Navy Corpsman and served in Iraq, said she was honored to receive the handmade quilt and grateful for the recognition.

“It’s a physical representation of what veterans have done,” Maynard said. “Every time that I see it, it will remind me of this ceremony. It will remind me of my classmates and my cohort. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve all had diverse, individual experiences in combat and deployments. This is a good reminder of what we’ve all been through.”

Each year the Office of Veteran Success coordinates with CT Quilters, the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, to recognize the military service of USF veterans with a quilt hand-sewn by volunteers.

-Story by Elizabeth L. Brown, USF College of Nursing, and Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
-Photos by Freddie Coleman, USF Health Communications