January 13, 2017

University of South Florida System

Office of the President
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CGS 401
Tampa, Florida 33620
Dear President Genshaft, Provost Wilcox, Vice-Provosts, and Academic Deans:
We, the educators, researchers, students, and alumni of University of South Florida, are
deeply concerned and disturbed by President-elect Trumps dismissal of the scientific consensus
on climate change and his general disregard for science. His stated plans for climate policy [1, 2]
undermine decades of data and analysis that scientists at USF and around the world have worked
diligently to produce and defend. His propagation of climate change misinformation [3] and
appointment of a professional climate change skeptic to the EPA transition team [4] are insults to
the entire scientific community. Furthermore, climate change is an urgent threat in Florida,
where coastal areas are endangered by climate change-induced sea level rise [5]. As academic
leaders, we have a responsibility to protect the scientific foundations that President-elect Trump
seems determined to disavow and upend. Whether or not his campaign statements are false
promises, words matter and climate change is real.
We implore the University to issue a statement that broadly defends the intellectual
integrity of our society and our institution. Specifically, we ask that you affirm the following:
1. Established climate change curriculum in courses and programs offered at USF will be
supported and defended;
2. The University will stand behind USF researchers who have built, and are continuing
to build careers studying climate change and its impacts;
3. The University will continue to emphasize its commitment to environmental
stewardship, renewable energy, and sustainable initiatives.
We expect the University to respond to our request by issuing a public statement
defending the integrity of science and research. To remain silent is to accept attacks on the
credibility of USF faculty and students; to say nothing is to condone the spread of erroneous,
anti-science propaganda. President Genshafts post-election letter to the University community
(Nov. 10, 2016) stated that public universities play an integral role in moving our nation forward
as a unified, diverse community and providing a space for enlightened and free exchange of
ideas. Science inherently embraces debate and expression, but the foundations of scientific
research are rooted in objective reality, not in opinion or perspective. USF prides itself on
academic rigor and is dedicated to generating knowledge and fostering intellectual development,
based on the 2013-18 mission statement. We must uphold the values for which our institution
stands by speaking out against the anti-intellectualism of the incoming Trump administration.
Sincerely,
Concerned Students, Instructors, Faculty, Administrators and Alumni of USF
[Names and affiliations of 134 signers are on the following pages, followed by citations.]

Suzanne Young, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology

Erin Sauer, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Erin Feichtinger, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Crystal Vitous, M.A./M.P.H. Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology and College of
Public Health
Constanza de Dios, Graduate Assistant, Psychology
Samantha May
Paola Gonzalez, M.A/M.P.H. Student, Department of Anthropology and College of Public
Health
Sarah Basil, M.F.A. Candidate, English
Mehrdad Vaziri, School of Geosciences
Channah Leff, Teaching Assistant & Student, Department of Anthropology
Melina Taylor, M.A., Department of Anthropology and College of Public Health
Karena Nguyen, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Bethany S. Moore R.N., B.S.N.;M.A./M.P.H. Student, Department of Anthropology and College
of Public Health
Ann Tezak, M.A., Department of Anthropology
Jeffrey Olberding, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Marcy Cockrell, Ph.D. Candidate, College of Marine Science
Stephen Hesterberg, M.S., Doctoral Student, Department of Integrative Biology
Becky Gius, Ph.D. Candidate, Clinical Psychology
Kim French, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Psychology
Julia McDonald, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology
Colleen T. O'Leary, M.A.Student, Department of Psychology
Stephanie Andel, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Psychology
Alaina Talboy, M.A., Department of Psychology
Elizabeth Fuller, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Psychology
Ryan M. Harke, Ph.D. Student, Applied Anthropology
Aria Walsh-Felz, M.A./M.P.H., Anthropology and Community & Family Health
Laura Leisinger, M.A., Department of Anthropology

Ryan Logan, M.A., Ph.D./M.P.H. Student, Department of Anthropology and College of Public
Health
Heidi Miller, M.Sc., Ph.D. Student Anthropology
Joanna Lawler, Ph.D. Candidate, Psychology
Julie Vecchio, Ph.D. student College of Marine Science
Patrick Boyd, Graduate Assistant, Department of Psychology
Mary Kate O'Donnell, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Kelsey Anderson M.A., M.P.H.
Erin Symonds, Ph.D. Candidate, College of Marine Science
Jessica Jordan, M.S.W, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology
Amanda Palmer, Graduate Student, Department of Psychology
Jeremy S. Browning, Ph.D. Student, College of Marine Science
Brenna Meath, M.S. Student, College of Marine Science
Andrew Shepard, GOMURC Coordinator, FIO
Kara Vadman, Ph.D. Student, College of Marine Science
Maria Vega-Rodriguez, Ph.D., College of Marine Science
Cameron Ainsworth, Assistant Professor, Marine Science
Jeremy Cohen, Graduate Student, Department of Integrative Biology
Eric Koenig, Ph.D. Student, Applied Anthropology
Adrienne Hollister, Masters Student, College of Marine Science
Noahie Encarnacion, Undergraduate Student, College of Marine Science
Ryan Venturelli, Ph.D. Student, College of Marine Science
Mona El-Hout, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology
Amy Hoffmann, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology
Ren Herrera, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Anthropology
Alexis Winter, M.A., Alumna, Department of Anthropology
Josh Breithaupt, Ph.D. Candidate, College of Marine Science
Carolyn Cheatham Rhodes, M.S. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Kate Dubickas, M.S. Student, College of Marine Science
Sean Beckwith, M.S., College of Marine Science
3

Scott Burghart, Assistant Dean, USFSP College of Arts & Sciences

Kirsten A. Verostick, M.A., Instructor/Graduate Assistant, Department of Anthropology
Amber Brace, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Department of Integrative Biology and Environmental
Science and Policy
Enrique Montes, Research Associate, College of Marine Science
Alisha Brown, Ph.D., College of Education
Michael Braun, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Elizabeth Schotter, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Amanda Chappel, M.S. Candidate, Environmental Science, Policy & Geography
Parmvir Bahia, Research Associate, MPP, College of Medicine
Liotta Noche-Dowdy, Ph.D. Student, Applied Anthropology
Kelsee Hentschel-Fey, M.A., Ph.D. Student, Applied Anthropology
Karen V Hahn, B.A. Fine Art, Class of 1988
Sarah Knutie, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Integrative Biology
Caroline Senay, Lab Manager, Department of Integrative Biology
Bryan K. Delius, Ph.D. Student, Department of Integrative Biology
Terry-Rene Brown, Ph.D., Department of Integrative Biology
Gwendolyn Martin-Apostolatos, USF Alumni
Jacki Long, M.S. College of Marine Science
Daniel Faraci, Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology
Jessica Jacobs, M.S. Candidate, Environmental Science, Policy and Geography
Ashley Huber, USFSP Graduate Student, Environmental Science, Policy and Geography
Kittiya Harris, M.A. Student, USF School of Geosciences
Sydney Alhale, M.S. Candidate, Environmental Science, Policy, and Geography
Todd Waldorf, M.A. Candidate, USFSP College of Arts & Sciences
Gabrielle Thornton, Senior Undergraduate, Environmental Science and Policy
Andrea Liebl, Ph.D., Department of Integrative Biology
Leah Joyce, Graduate Assistant, Department of Integrative Biology
Brian Pullen, Sustainability Planner, USFSP Facilities Services
Daniel Zydek, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
4

E.A. Salewski, M.S., Doctoral Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology

Jacqueline Demko, M.S. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Loren Cassin Sackett, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology
Alexandria Creasy, Graduate Student, College of Marine Science
William P. Sacco, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology
Susan Snyder, Ph.D. Student, College of Marine Science
Carmella Guiol, M.F.A., Creative Writing
Laura L. Runge, Professor and Chair, Department of English
Terry R. Lacy, Visiting Instructor, Department of English
Emily Jones, Assistant Professor, Department of English
Michael Stowe, Academic Advisor
Rob Wakeman, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of English
John Fleming, Professor, Department of English
Diane Price Herndl, Professor and Chair, Women's & Gender Studies
Nicole Guenther Discenza, Associate Professor, English Department
Elizabeth Kicak, Humanities Institute
Kristin Allukian, Assistant Professor, English
Georgia Jackson, Graduate Assistant, English
Spencer Bennington, Ph.D. student, English
Carmella Guiol, M.F.A., Dept of English
Haili Alcorn, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Cassie Childs, Doctoral Candidate, English
Allyson Hoffman, M.F.A. Student, Creative Writing
Karen Brown Ph.D., English
Jos Aparicio, G.T.A., English
Jacob Tootalian, Visiting Instructor, English
Seth Spencer, Graduate Student, English
Deborah McLeod, Ph.D., Visiting Instructor, English
Megan Mandell Stowe, Ph.D. Candidate, English Literature
Alex Levine, Professor, Department of Philosophy
5

Hamed Mirzaei-Souderjani, Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Elizabeth Kiebel, M.S., Psychology
Kinsley McEachern, M.S. Candidate, Environmental Science, Policy & Geography
Jessica Thompson, Graduate Instructor, English
Rebecca Zarger, Department of Anthropology
Sarah Taylor, Visitng Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
Kebreab Ghebremichael, Visting Assistant Professor, Patel College of Global Sustainability
Rhiannon Roberts, Internship Coordinator at the Patel College of Global Sustainability
Randall Pape, Academic Program Director, Patel College of Global Sustainability
Ioannis Dogaris, Postdoctoral Fellow, Patel College of Global Sustainability
Bert Anderson, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Holly Kilvitis, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Shannon Grogan, M.S. student, Department of Integrative Biology
Samantha Rumschlag, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Integrative Biology
Stephen R. McNutt, Professor, School of Geosciences
Brittany Sears, Ph.D., Academic Services Administrator, Department of Biological Sciences
Lauren Williams, Ph.D., Candidate, Department of Integrative Biology
Haley Hanson, Ph.D. Student, Department of Integrative Biology
Rebecca Windsor, M.S. Student, Department of Integrative Biology

1. Kelly, Amita and Barbara Sprunt. Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First
100 Days NPR. 9 Nov. 2016. http://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donaldtrump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days
2. Sneed, Annie. Trumps First 100 Days: Climate and Energy Scientific American. 29 Nov.
2016. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-first-100-days-climate-and-energy/
3. Editors of Scientific American. Trumps Views on Science Are Shockingly Ignorant 1 Nov.
2016. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-comments-on-science-are-shockinglyignorant/
4. Fountain, Henry. Trumps Climate Contrarian: Myron Ebell Takes On the E.P.A. The New
York Times. 11 Nov. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/science/myron-ebell-trumpepa.html?_r=0
5. Jevrejeva S, Jackson LP, Riva REM, Grinsted A, Moore JC. 2016. Coastal sea level rise with
warming above 2 C. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113:13342-13347.7.
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