Introducing...
The Spring 2008 Semester!
Dr. Maya Angelou,
as part of MLK Celebration
January 14, 2008- 7 pm
Sun Dome Arena
Tickets: Free for USF Students with valid USF ID
$5- USF Faculty, Staff, and Alumni with valid USF ID
$10- Public
Tickets on sale beginning Dec. 17, 2007 at Sun Dome Ticket Office, Entry 3.
Considered one of our national treasures, and the author of many best-selling books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Even The Stars Look Lonesome, her performance/lecture stresses the value of ethnic, economic and religious diversity in all undertakings. A passionate and powerful speaker, Dr. Angelou challenges her audiences to invest their spirits and hearts in the elevation of the human condition. Dr. Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. A poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances on college campuses, spreading her legendary wisdom. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.
Dr. Angelou has authored numerous best-selling books, in 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.
In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. history to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.
Dr. Maya Angelou and Hallmark Cards, Inc. have collaborated to make a gift selection that offers inspiration, hope and joy. With compassion and candor, Dr. Angelou's works speak to the heart, encouraging us to love life, to persevere through its challenges and to share our gifts with others.
Jerry Springer 
January 24, 2008- 8 pm
Sun Dome Corral
Tickets: Free for USF Students with valid USF ID
$3- USF Faculty, Staff, and Alumni with valid USF ID
$8- Public
Throughout an illustrious career, Jerry Springer has become a cultural and civic icon. In addition to talk show host, he has been the mayor of Cincinnati, political pundit, lawyer, award-winning newscaster, country recording artist, international Emcee, TV personality, movie star, Broadway actor, progressive talk-radio broadcaster, and most recently Springer won America’s heart with his ballroom dancing.
Everyone knew Springer had “arrived” as a true cultural icon when he was the featured character in The Simpsons’ 1998 Halloween Special. He has also graced the cover of Rolling Stone, Esquire, New York Magazine and Sarasota Magazine, and he was recently featured in Vanity Fair’s “Vanities.” Barbara Walters chose Springer as one of the 10 Most Fascinating People in her 1998 special.
Springer earned a degree in political science at Tulane University. He then received his law degree from Northwestern University in Illinois. He ran for Congress in 1970 nearly beating the entrenched Republican incumbent. In 1971, he won a seat on Cincinnati City Council and served five terms before becoming mayor at the age of 33 with the largest plurality in the city’s history.
Valerie Plame-Wilson
February 12, 2008- 7 pm
Sun Dome Corral
Tickets: Free for USF Students with valid USF ID
$3- USF Faculty, Staff, and Alumni with valid USF ID
$8- Public
Valerie Plame Wilson is a former CIA operative who in 2003 found herself the subject of a political storm when her covert identity was revealed in a syndicated newspaper column.
Plame's husband, retired Ambassador Joseph Wilson, was the first to challenge the Bush administration on its use of purported intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. In a July 2003 New York Times article, he revealed that he had been asked by the CIA to look into allegations that the Iraqis had attempted to purchase significant quantities of uranium yellowcake from the West African country of Niger. Wilson concluded there was no substance to the allegations--a conviction supported by others, including the American Ambassador to Niger and a four-star Marine Corps general. Within a week of his accusation that the White House "twisted" its intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion, Plame's employment as a CIA agent was revealed--the retaliation at the heart of the Justice Department investigation.
Her much-anticipated book, "Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House", was published in October 2007 (Simon & Schuster).
Spike Lee,
as part of Black Emphasis Month "Celebrating Black History Doesn't End In February"
March 4, 2008- 7 pm
Sun Dome Corral
Tickets: Free for USF Students with valid USF ID
$3- USF Faculty, Staff, and Alumni with valid USF ID
$8- Public
Spike Lee is known for tackling prickly issues of relevance to the African-American community in his films, which have been described as "controversy-courting" and "consciousness-tweaking." He almost single-handedly ushered in a climate of newfound respect for African-American film-makers and actors in a business that has historically marginalized their contributions to film. Lee's body of work has earned him a Las Vegas Film Critics Society "Lifetime Achievement Award" and an MTV Movie Awards "Silver Bucket of Excellence Award," among numerous other awards for individual productions.
The film-maker first entered the movie scene in 1986 with his shoe-string-budgeted, mostly black-and-white film "She's Gotta Have It." Lee has also made some of the most-talked about films of the last few decades, including the epic "Malcolm X," "Bamboozled," "25th Hour" and "She Hate Me." He has also written, directed and produced multiple television movies, commercials and music videos. Lee's influence in the film industry as well as his own work has advanced the careers of such actors as Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett and Denzel Washington.
The director's most recent endeavor is the HBO documentary titled "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," which he also produced. The film shows the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and includes footage of the devastated New Orleans and first-hand accounts of its citizens who were directly affected by the hurricane. The documentary was scheduled to debut Aug. 29, 2006, marking the first anniversary of the tragedy.
As a writer, Lee has authored, co-authored and edited multiple books about film-making, basketball, baseball and African-American issues.
Dr. Santo V. Nicosia, 
as part of the Distinguished University Professors Series, co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost
“Ovarian Epithelial Cancer: Basic and Translational Advances in a Historically Insidious Disease”
March 19, 2008- 3:30 pm
Location TBA
Free Event
Dr. Santo Nicosia is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology in the College of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized physician and scientist, specializing in breast and ovarian cancer. He has published more than 186 peer-reviewed articles, including 58 as senior author, in journals such as Science and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Nicosia has written numerous monographs and book chapters, and brought more than $10 million in external funding to USF. Nicosia’s research has had a significant impact by furthering the medical community’s knowledge of cancer. Nicosia has also been active as a teacher, training 12 doctoral students and 15 post-doctoral researchers. He has served as chair and division chief, served on various committees and created viable research teams.
Ronde & Tiki Barber
April 10, 2008- 7 pm
Sun Dome Arena
Tickets: Free for USF Students with valid USF ID
$5- USF Faculty, Staff, and Alumni with valid USF ID
$10- Public
Tiki Barber
Former NFL Pro Bowl Running Back, NBC Broadcaster
Tiki Barber is the unique individual who combines a stellar portfolio of athletics and broadcasting with a captivating story-telling presence at the podium. He is a renaissance man without equal today, as evidenced by a resume that includes: NBC correspondent, Pro Bowl running back, Sirius Satellite radio host, author, producer, actor, corporate spokesman, scholar and philanthropist.
Barber joined NBC Universal in 2007 on the heels of his Hall of Fame-caliber NFL career. A three-time Pro Bowler, he now splits his time between being a correspondent for the "Today" show and serving as an analyst for NBC`s "Football Night in America," and will also be a contributor to the 2008 and 2010 Olympics.
As active in the community as he was on the gridiron, Barber devotes generous time and money to the Children's Miracle Network, the Fresh Air Fund and the Robin Hood Foundation, among others.
Ronde Barber
NFL Superstar Cornerback
One of the brightest stars in the NFL, Ronde Barber is considered to be among the most visible and versatile players in professional football. A cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has etched his name in the Buccaneers' record books with his exceptional playmaking ability. A Super Bowl veteran, his athleticism, sportsmanship and integrity are unparalleled.People magazine named Ronde one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in its annual list. A champion of youth education and literacy, he is a mentor and role model to young people everywhere. He, together with his twin brother Tiki, is wrote the children's books, By My Brother's Side, Game Day, and Kickoff!, published by Simon & Schuster.
