Kimberly’s passion for educational advancement, reformed models, and innovation. Has led to many requests for her participation at the University level of Higher Education as an Advisor and member of several Advisory councils, lending her experience in various areas of strategic alignment, positioning, planning, and identifying what key measures and critical success factors that must be met. Kimberly is an Adviser to the USF’s President’s Council, USF’s Dean’s Circle of Excellence and St.Petersburg Collegiate President’s Advisory Council, whereby she primarily imparts her expertise to the Collegiate Leadership on issues of economic impact, branding and image, business strategy and organizational infrastructure. Therefore, she helps to identify goals that bring alignment and most certain positive change.

Kimberly and the During Foundation, also support the local University’s Foundations, inclusive of the USF Foundation and the SPC Foundation. Kimberly and the During Foundation have supported many opportunities on behalf of the USF Foundation and equally the SPC Foundation by way of contributing funding to develop and construct the first “on campus” dormitory at the SPC College’s St. Pete Campus to house young girls that despite other normal means of financing college, could not afford housing.

Kimberly, a member of the USF Women in Leadership, the Presidents Council, and the Dean’s Circle of Excellence, and USF Foundation Donor, felt extremely strong and passionately about a new and innovative program that was in need of seed capital to provide Undergraduate Students a unique ability to be directly, immersed, and hands on with Graduate Level Research programs and Grant Funded Research.

Kimberly is certainly involved in nearly every aspect of the University; however, she holds a special place her heart for the newest College on campus, the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. This College’s mission statement is, “The College of Behavioral and Community Sciences focuses on developing and implementing innovative solutions to the complex conditions that affect the behaviors and well-being of individuals, families, and their communities.” And, this college is right in line with her goals and personal aspirations.

This fairly new College on campus is highly charged with state of the art programs, research, leadership, faculty, and more. Therefore, Kimberly understanding the community impact of the new Colleges mission, aspirations, vision, student impact, strategic plan, and, supports this College (CBCS) its University Contribution and Community Impact. Furthermore, the College is aligned with many external “Community Partners” that are service providers and research facilities in aligned areas that Kimberly has is personally involved with. These organizations give the Graduate Students endless opportunities for internships, jobs, and research facilities to put the research dollars to work in actual practice and measure the Evidence Based Practices post application of the applied research and gathered data.

With the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences very aligned with Kimberly, the During Foundation, and the College’s core mission to prepare students, scholars, human service providers, policy makers, to improve the quality of life, health, safety of diverse populations and to promote positive change in individuals, groups, communities, organizations and systems.

Kimberly provided the “seed capital” for an innovative and aspiring Undergraduate program called CURE (Continuous Undergraduate Research Experience). Kimberly’s and the During Foundation, the Undergraduates, and the University which are all in the position to advance our society in a way where studied and proven research can be applied. In its pure applied purpose of the advancement of systems, practices, and protocols. Moreover, filling the research pipeline with the main goal to get research into societal practice faster so that the community and populous will directly realize the benefit. It is this very impactful and primarily Grant Funded Research Projects that make up nearly 44% of the University’s entire source of “Outside Funded Research” that, will in fact, be positively and measurably impacted throughout our State.

Kimberly and the During Foundation not only provided the financial support to launch this most innovative, unique and smart opportunity for the College’s brightest Undergraduates, she had the unique opportunity to engage the USF Provost in the “dollar for dollar” matching of her financial seed capital of $50,000 to launch the program for students. The unique and progressive program called (CURE) is now a part of an extraordinary opportunity to provide the USF Undergrads an academic experience of a lifetime to those who receive the eight to twelve annual scholarships each year.
The goal of the (CURE) program is to immerse students in the culture of research and actively engages them in the process of becoming a scientist early in their academic endeavors. Most often reserved for Graduates in their 4-6th year of matriculation. Kimberly and the During Foundation have provided the funding to the USF Foundation for the launching of the (CURE) program, on behalf of, the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences and the Florida Mental Health Institute. The program was launched in 2011 and is successfully in its second 2012 academic year. The program that essentially allows Undergraduate Students to apply for a scholarship in their Freshman year and will be eligible to receive a scholarship in their Sophomore year that allows the students an unprecedented engagement to begin their personal involvement being assigned to a research project.

The (CURE) program allows for Undergraduate students to join Graduate students on various Grant Funded Research projects giving the Undergraduate Student the ability to join a research program at the Graduate (Ph.D.) level. Furthermore, the opportunity to gain experience of Graduate Level Research under the guidance of the Graduates (Ph.D.) and associate Program Director Faculty. The Undergrads will immerse and engage themselves in a research project that gives the Undergraduate the experience of their Collegiate lifetime. Being fully engaged, trained, guided, and given participatory rights to join a research project that is normally reserved for Ph.D. students only.

This opportunity that these selected Undergraduate Students have to fully immerse themselves in a research project that would open up doors for an entire host of opportunities to have their research published in Peer Review Journals, learn the process, and essentially fill the Universities pipeline with experienced researchers to perform Graduate Level Tasks. As opposed to the normal and traditional Collegiate process that would take six or more years to even become eligible to begin the process of this level of oriented research. This is an honor at the Graduate Level and having this opportunity so early, not only advances the Undergraduate, but sets them on a path of research and provides them with endless opportunities of advanced academic success.

Kimberly firmly believes in the investment in research, of which, is where innovation and new ideas, patents, advanced “state of the art” practices begin and would normally take years to get into the mainstream market place. The creative and innovative design of the (CURE) program advances this process, thus, providing for, our community, our society, our Country, and yes, even the Globe! Kimberly understands and supports research based projects and is particularly interested in bridging the gap between the University’s archives of data and bringing that research into the external market place, community, and generally into practice for the greater good.