USF Sarasota-Manatee professor bids a fond farewell after 17 years of service

 

SARASOTA, FL (July 25, 2006) – On July 19, 2006, Dr. Chad Michaels, associate professor of management at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, said his farewells in the same place his career with the campus began 17 years ago, at College Hall on Sarasota’s bayfront. 

“When I got here in August of 1989 there weren’t enough offices, so I held my office hours right on the dock outside of College Hall,” Michaels said.  “I would bring my fishing pole and fish between appointments.  It was the best office I’ve ever had.” 

Michaels’ new office will be at the University of South Florida Tampa campus, which is closer to his home.  For the past 17 years, he has commuted from Lutz, which has taken its toll on the professor. 

“The only reason I’m leaving is because of gas and mileage,” he said at the farewell in his honor.  “The Dean of Tampa has asked me in the past to transfer and I’ve always told him that I’m treated too well here.” 

Michaels is essentially returning to his home campus, as he worked at the Tampa campus for five years prior to coming to USF Sarasota-Manatee.  He had the intention of moving to Sarasota, but found that his family always had a reason not to move.  

At the Tampa campus, Michaels looks forward to continuing his research on workplace isolation and saving some mileage on his car, but he also hopes to remain a part of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. 

“Chad has been a tremendous part of our campus and community and always will be,” said Dr. Laurey Stryker, Campus CEO.  “His flexibility and willingness to pitch in – from being the Vice Chair of the Faculty Association, to taking on classes with more students, to taking on more classes, he just has a can-do attitude.  He has always gone the extra mile and will be a lifetime mentor for many of his past students.  Chad is part of the reason this campus has a hometown feel and is committed to excellence.  We will miss him.”

Michaels’ transfer comes just before USF Sarasota-Manatee’s move to their new regional campus this August.  The new campus will be a three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility with 24 classrooms. It also includes a 190-seat lecture/exhibition hall, seminar and video-conferencing rooms, computer labs, a childcare center, student gathering places, faculty and staff offices, a technology and learning center, dining facilities, and training facilities for the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. 

The new campus is located on US 41 across from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, just north of USF Sarasota-Manatee’s current campus location – which has been shared with New College of Florida for 31 years.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at Manatee Community College Venice. 

Photo caption: Dr. Chad Michaels, associate professor of management at USF Sarasota-Manatee and Dr. Laurey Stryker, Campus CEO, stand overlooking the dock on Sarasota Bay that was Michaels’ first campus office in 1989.  Michaels will be transferring to the USF Tampa campus after 17 years at USF Sarasota-Manatee.