University of South Florida Foundation

University of South Florida Foundation

The University of South Florida Foundation was established in 1958 as a private, not-for-profit corporation to receive and manage private gifts for the university's academic and student programs. Chair Debbie Nye Sembler oversees a board that includes President Rhea Law and Patel Family Office COO Shilen Patel. The foundation gained an additional layer of institutional credibility when USF was invited to join the Association of American Universities, cementing its status among elite research institutions. The investment program allocates across venture capital, growth equity, buyout, distressed debt, natural resources and turnaround strategies. The foundation commits to funds, participates in early-stage deals, and holds tangible campus assets that blur the line between endowment and operating entity. Physical holdings include the USF Research Park, the TGH Center for Athletic Excellence, the Publix-anchored retail complex at 4425 E Fletcher Ave, the Judy Genshaft Honors College Building, and the Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility. The foundation also owns the R/V Western Flyer research vessel, a rare hard asset in the endowment space. Investment Committee Chair Brad A. Bernstein oversees the portfolio alongside CEO Jay Stroman, operating from the foundation's Tampa headquarters. While total personnel headcount is not publicly disclosed, the endowment's structure is typical of mid-sized university foundations — lean internal teams supported by external fund manager relationships. The foundation participates in the NACUBO peer group, aligning with standard endowment reporting practices. The USF Foundation is directly tied to the university's broader capital plan, with the USF Athletics District and USF Contemporary Art Museum collection also falling under the asset umbrella. What distinguishes the USF Foundation from peer endowments is the density of on-campus physical assets it directly controls, blending traditional equity and natural resources exposure with operating real estate and even a marine research vessel. This blurred boundary between endowment management and campus infrastructure ownership creates a distinct capital deployment profile that few similarly-sized foundations replicate.