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Worthy of Their Dreams: New Judy Genshaft Honors College building provides next-level exploration

By TOM WOOLF and DAVE SCHEIBER

Matthew Stoner describes the new home of the Judy Genshaft Honors College on USF鈥檚 Tampa campus as 鈥渁 launching pad.鈥�

For conversations and collaborations.

For new ways to learn and grow.

For inspiration.

鈥淲hat students are able to do in the building will be limited only by their imaginations,鈥� says Stoner, a senior honors student and National Merit Scholar who is pursuing dual degrees in computer science and world languages and cultures.

Imagination. Dreams. Growth. They鈥檙e among the words frequently used to describe what the new building will mean for the college鈥檚 2,500 students.

鈥淭his building is versatile and unique,鈥� USF President Rhea Law says. 鈥淓very space within its five floors was designed with intentionality to foster creativity, collaboration and growth.鈥�

As Charles Adams, the Judy Genshaft Endowed Dean of the college, notes, 鈥淥ur students will be leaders in every walk of life, but the thing that binds them together in my mind is that they care about making the world a better place. Here they have, at last, an academic home worthy of their dreams.鈥�

Primarily funded through philanthropic support, the building received a bulk of its financing through a historic gift of $20 million from USF President Emerita and Professor Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steven Greenbaum. The university celebrated its grand opening in May.

鈥淭here are three ingredients for success in a top-notch program 鈥� excellent students, excellent faculty and an excellent environment,鈥� says Genshaft, who served as USF鈥檚 sixth president from 2000 to 2019. 鈥淭his building, this environment, enhances learning. Our students will want to be here, to gather, to exchange thoughts and ideas, and learn from the amazing honors faculty we have. 

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter whether you鈥檙e a dance major, an engineering major or a bioscience major 鈥� this building brings everyone together to learn and grow and chart their courses in so many different and exciting ways.鈥�

The sheer size of the new facility 鈥� five stories, 85,000 square feet 鈥� is a dramatic change from the 10,000 square feet the college has occupied since 2011 on the second floor of the John and Grace Allen Building. The original administration building on the Tampa campus, it opened in 1960, the same year classes began.

The new building is feature-rich: a stunning atrium, 39 signature learning lofts, dedicated studio spaces for art, food and culture, music and technology, event space, and more.

There are classrooms, of course, including two affectionately referred to as 鈥渟andboxes.鈥� Each of those large spaces can accommodate two classes and can be reconfigured to suit various needs.

 鈥淲e were asked to dream about our ideal classroom space, and from the beginning, we called it a sandbox because in a sandbox, people bring their toys, their ideas and their willingness to get their hands dirty, and see what they can make together,鈥� says Lindy Davidson, PhD 鈥�16, the college鈥檚 associate dean for curriculum and instruction. 鈥淚t鈥檚 through that type of play that we make new discoveries, find solutions to big problems, and grow our ability to think critically.鈥�

Students鈥� input also figured prominently in planning the building.

鈥淲hen the prospect of this building became a reality, we organized numerous workshops in which our students were asked to reflect on the honors experience 鈥� what it means, why it鈥檚 important, and what it should be,鈥� Adams says.

Students also contributed ideas through a course developed by Atsuko Sakai, associate professor of instruction. The capstone course, called Exploring Behind the Veil: The New Honors Building, was offered over four semesters, with a different focus each semester, depending on the stage of construction. Students toured the building, documenting the process, and met with key figures involved in the design and construction.

Jasmine Robbins, 鈥�23, took the course during the fall 2021 semester.

鈥淲e had meetings where we were asked about different pieces of furniture 鈥� 鈥楧o you like them, do you think people will use them?鈥� and we actually had a say about what was going into the building,鈥� says Robbins, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in biomedical sciences. 鈥淭hat really meant a lot to me.鈥�

So did the opportunity to learn more about architecture and construction. She has started dental school at Nova Southeastern University.

鈥淚 have a big interest in how office construction is done for dentists,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he office environment plays a big role in how your employees and patients feel. When we learned about the honors building and how all the windows would bring in more sunlight and the different colors would help people feel calmer, I learned a lot about what I want to do with my own office in the future.鈥�

Though she won鈥檛 get to take advantage of the new building, Robbins is excited about everything it offers to current and future honors students.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy that our ideas were actually taken into consideration.鈥�

Kobe Phillips, a senior honors student majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology, looks forward to the collaborations the new building will inspire with his peers and faculty members.

鈥淎t the Allen building, we would run into issues where students would want to continue conversations outside the classroom with their professors and their peers, and we didn鈥檛 have a space to let ideas thrive,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ith the new building, the learning lofts are right outside the classrooms, so you can step into them and continue the conversations. There are so many innovation spaces for students to be leaders, to create new ideas.鈥�

All of this, of course, flows from the passionate commitment of Genshaft and Greenbaum. 

鈥淲e knew it was the perfect pursuit to undertake 鈥� one that cut across all three of USF鈥檚 campuses, and entwined every undergraduate major, from business to dance, and engineering to music,鈥� Greenbaum says. 鈥淲e wanted to give our honors students an energizing, welcoming, collaborative space. And we knew the honors college needed an upgrade from occupying the oldest building on campus to something new and unique.鈥�

No details were overlooked. Genshaft, Greenbaum and Adams traveled to exhibitions to select the furniture and fixtures, and were consulted at every phase on design and construction decisions.

鈥淪teve and Judy did a great job in making decisions and giving direction on what their vision was for this project,鈥� says Chris Claytor, who oversaw construction as project executive for The Beck Group. 鈥淭hey were always saying, 鈥楪ive us options.鈥欌��

The end result: A building unlike any  construction professionals have ever undertaken (see sidebar). 鈥淲e鈥檝e been told by our amazing architects and builders that nobody has ever worked on such a challenging project as this,鈥� Genshaft says. 鈥淭here are unique elements all throughout this building 鈥� from curved glass to the flared panels over the outdoor grand staircase, to all of the special enrichment and learning spaces that will enhance education.鈥�

During their research of other honors buildings around the country, Genshaft and Adams were repeatedly cautioned about one thing.

鈥淭he building is all about promoting gathering students together. We were warned 鈥楧o not have your resident halls attached,鈥欌�� Genshaft says. 鈥淭he problem is that the students would end up staying in their rooms by themselves too much of the time. They don鈥檛 typically get out and mix with the rest of the world, which is what they鈥檒l have to do later.鈥�

Instead, students can unwind in the Buddy Brew Coffee shop on the first floor or the terrace outside. Genshaft stresses that students from around campus are welcome to stop by for a coffee break, too. It鈥檚 one more way of ensuring honors and non-honors college students mix and mingle, as they do in class and in residence halls.

Creating an atmosphere in which all students feel welcome is an important feature of the new building, according to Frederick Lawrence, secretary/CEO of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation鈥檚 oldest and most prestigious honor society. He participated in the 2019 installation of USF鈥檚 Phi Beta Kappa chapter and attended the honors building鈥檚 grand opening celebration.

鈥淲hen you admit certain students to an honors college, you are by definition not admitting others,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t the same time, you do want an honors college to enhance the full campus community. The fact that it鈥檚 not located at the edge of campus but is in the heart of campus, the fact that there鈥檚 a great coffee shop on the first floor, means that it鈥檚 a welcoming place for everyone. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a case of, 鈥榃e put up a big fence and you must show your honors college ID or you can鈥檛 come in.鈥� I think this threads the needle very, very effectively.鈥�

Just as USF鈥檚 honors college is opening a new chapter, so too will the Hicks Honors College at the University of North 91社区. Jeff Chamberlain, now in his seventh year as dean, says they will open a living learning community for 500 of their students in 2025.

He made the trip from Jacksonville to Tampa for the Judy Genshaft Honors College celebration.

鈥淧articipating in the grand opening was better than just coming and getting a tour because you get to see the whole university celebrate,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was really impressed not only by all of the people who attended but by everybody who in some way or another contributed to the building.鈥�

He hopes to return when USF鈥檚 facility 鈥渋s a beehive of activity鈥� to see how students and faculty are using the learning lofts and the various studio spaces.

鈥淭he wide variety of things you can do in the building is absolutely phenomenal,鈥� he says. 鈥淓veryone in the honors college will discover ways of teaching and learning that they previously could not have imagined.鈥�

It also helps demonstrate USF鈥檚 support for honors education, just as he intends for UNF鈥檚 honors living learning residence hall.

鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e seen the building, I can say, 鈥楲ook at what they鈥檙e doing at USF, they take honors seriously,鈥� 鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淗aving really quality facilities does make a visible difference. It does show the support of honors, and I鈥檓 so glad I came.鈥�

Teaching kitchen designed with love, fond memories

WELCOME TO THE LEONA GENSHAFT Food and Culture Studio, named for USF President Emerita Judy Genshaft鈥檚 beloved late mom. In a building that abounds with highlights, this cutting-edge teaching kitchen connects directly to the heart of the woman whose name graces the building and college.

The spacious room on the fifth floor stands out for many reasons: the custom 鈥淏ulls green鈥� refrigerator; the state-of-the-art, industrial-grade stoves; the overhead video screens for instruction; and the legacy of the special person it celebrates. 

鈥淢y mother was the youngest of seven children, and she grew up learning and loving to cook,鈥� Genshaft recalls. 鈥淪he prepared food for the entire family. It was a big undertaking but she had a passion for it.鈥�

Genshaft vividly remembers the loaves upon loaves of pre-baked bread Leona would leave out overnight in the family kitchen in Ohio, allowing the yeast to rise by morning. Then came the important next step.

鈥淢y brother Neil and I would wake up and see a towel covering them, with a note from her on each that said, 鈥楶unch Me.鈥� We鈥檇 get right to work punching and kneading the bread so it would come out of the oven just right,鈥� Genshaft says. 

鈥淢y mother died in 2010 at almost 93, but her spirit is very much a part of the room. It鈥檚 not just about the individual recipes, but all the things you remember as a child visiting the home of your mother or grandmother 鈥� the blending of cultures, the aromas, the music and the history.鈥�

This isn鈥檛 a residence hall dining room, she notes. Rather, it combines the arts and sciences, and the cooks will include Michelin star chefs from around the world, doctors and health experts. They鈥檒l teach students how food is made and its medicinal and healing qualities.

鈥淭hey鈥檒l also teach about the vital importance of nutrition in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and optimizing athletic performance for the demands of different sports,鈥� Genshaft says.

The room is the work of Ken Schwartz and David Hensel from global firm SSA Foodservice Design + Consulting. They designed kitchens for USF benefactor and famed restaurateur Richard Gonzmart鈥檚 Columbia Restaurant locations in Ybor City and Celebration, 91社区; Ulele and Casa Santo Stefano, along with other restaurants around the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean. 

鈥淲e knew from talking with Judy and her husband Steve (Greenbaum) that this was to be a place where people can meet, share their ethnicity, diversity and family history in food,鈥� Schwartz says.

SSA designed a space that will allow students to cook for four to 12 people, or host a reception for 20 to 50. A Steinway piano can even be rolled in for special occasions. 

It is one of many distinctive spaces in the building,  including a music studio that gives the college鈥檚 orchestra and choir a place to practice and perform, an audio/visual studio for podcasts, a technology center for 3D printing and an art and design studio. But the food and culture studio is a world unto itself.

鈥淔ood is what you remember for the rest of your life,鈥� Genshaft says. 鈥淚t triggers associations with grandparents, great-grandparents. Food is memories.鈥�

Her mother, Leona, entwined in that history herself, would no doubt approve.

Unique features of a one-of-a-kind building

THE NEW JUDY GENSHAFT Honors College building abounds with signature elements that set it apart on the national academic landscape. 

鈥淭his building represents the redefinition of what鈥檚 achievable,鈥� says Chris Claytor, project executive for The Beck Group, the project鈥檚 general contractor, and the man charged with overseeing construction from start to finish. 鈥淣ot that we are explorers by any stretch of the imagination, but we really made strides in redefining what the design and construction industry can accomplish if you collaborate from the start.鈥�

There is no shortage of unique aspects to the building. Here are Claytor鈥檚 Top 5:

Deep roots: The building has foundations that extend a whopping 135 feet into the ground 鈥� unusual for a five-story building, but making it as sturdy as possible against the 91社区 elements. 

A tree-mendous fit: The building鈥檚 design embraced the many tall trees around its perimeter. 鈥淲e maintained these 100-year-old trees while still creating this amazing structure in and around it,鈥� Claytor says. Because of the trees located on the north side of the building, his team had to utilize a crane big enough to reach from the back of the building, over the top of the structure, and to the tree-heavy north side. Fun fact: The size of the crane triggered the need for Federal Aviation Administration approval.

Acoustic excellence: Special acoustical treatments throughout the building ensure that hundreds of simultaneous conversations, clicking heels and closing doors don鈥檛 result in a stressful cacophony. Many panels include miniature holes called 鈥渕icro-perforations鈥� that help absorb sound. There are acoustical fabric panels in the corridors, atrium and office spaces, and a treatment above the see-through, wire mesh ceilings. 鈥淭hat way when people are walking through the corridors and speak, the sound travels up and dies in the ceiling rather than reverberating back down,鈥� Claytor says.

Some assembly required: The wooden beams that form the distinctive lattice system holding the 39 learning lofts required intensive planning, engineering and reassembly on site. 鈥淚t took two years of coordination to accommodate one year of construction,鈥� Claytor says. 鈥淭he lattice system itself had to be fabricated and built on the ground in Texas to form fit, then taken apart, packaged and shipped and assembled back in place.鈥� The lofts themselves also included pre-fabricated components that had to be shipped and fitted to the interior superstructure.

Maximum panel precision: To hang the more than 125 different types of exterior panels 鈥� a mind-boggling number in itself due to the curved building design 鈥� hundreds of small clips called 鈥渆mbeds鈥� had to be inserted in the structure鈥檚 fa莽ade. The coordination of the fa莽ade began in fall 2019, identifying all of the attachment points for the panels. In all, some 660 embeds had to be placed into the superstructure before any panel could be hung. And placement required extreme precision 鈥� plus or minus an inch in any direction and they wouldn鈥檛 align with the prefabricated paneling assembled in Minnesota. 

This required four separate levels of quality control. 1) use of a benchmark and tape measure to pinpoint the locations. 2) employing traditional survey equipment for each location. 3) laser-scanning the locations and creating a computerized 3-D model, then overlaying that on the projected embed points to identify any points that were beyond an inch in tolerance; 4) flying a drone to take high-resolution imagery of the surfaces before concrete was poured, and overlaying that on the model as a final precaution.

鈥淎ll of them fit together in a very unique position and unique order,鈥� Claytor says. 鈥淥f all the 660 embeds, we weren鈥檛 out of tolerance for a single one.鈥�