Rosel rao biography of michael

By Brian McNeill

Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao, Ph.D., has been named a recipient of the University of South Florida’s 2022 USF Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who have achieved the pinnacle of success in their careers.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say I would not be where I am or who I am without the University of South Florida, and the people here,” Rao said while accepting the honor this month.

“I grew up not that far away, in Dade City – very small at the time, very rural. I didn’t know anyone who had gone to college, and no one understood why I would want to.”

He recalled how no one had prepared him for college, but he was embraced by USF’s nurturing environment. The university transformed his life, he said, providing him with a supportive environment in which he learned to conduct research and gained the confidence to learn and synthesize complex topics.

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