Three University of South Florida faculty win Tampa Bay Tech Awards

The University of South Florida was well represented at the 2024 Tampa Bay Tech Awards, held on Friday, November 1 at the Armature Works in Tampa.

Andy Hafer, executive director of the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship, was presented with the Community Dedication and Leadership Award. In addition to his leadership of the Nault Center, he is an adjunct instructor at the USF Muma College of Business, executive chairman on the board of directors of DCE Productions, and cofounder of Synapse, a nonprofit organization that guides Florida's innovation communities to help accelerate success and drive economic growth

Shannon Bailey, associate professor in the Department of Medical Education at the Morsani College of Medicine and senior human factors scientist at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation (CAMLS), was named Tech Educator of the Year. The Tech Educator of the Year Award recognizes an individual in an educational role that made a significant impact on student interest in pursuing a technology-centric career in the region. Additionally, the educator has delivered positive outcomes for technology students in the Tampa Bay region. This award honors the commitment to delivering a quality technology-centric curriculum that is appreciated and practiced by the student population.

USF St. Petersburg Education Professor Unal Zafer, who participated in the Fall 2022 USF I-Corps program, was recognized with the Tech Project of the Year for his TeacherServer AI tool for educators. The Tech Project of the Year Award recognizes a groundbreaking technology project developed and led by an in-house team within the greater Tampa Bay area. This award honors the ingenuity, dedication, and collaborative effort of the team that spearheaded a project, resulting in substantial advancements and setting new benchmarks in the technology landscape.