Թϱ

Թϱ

Newsroom

National TV commercial highlights USF’s thriving research

A new national TV commercial produced by the Թϱ is now airing during American Athletic Conference football games. The ad features researchers involved in two high-profile projects and a Թϱstudent as the voiceover talent.

Թϱresearcher, Daniel Yeh, works in his lab with graduate assistant, Talon Bullard.

Civil and environmental engineering Professor Daniel Yeh and his graduate student Talon Bullard can be seen working on their invention, the Organic Processor Assembly. It converts human waste into fertilizer and water, allowing astronauts to grow fresh vegetables in space. It’s being tested by principle investigator Luke Roberson at the Kennedy Space Center for its effectiveness under simulated space mission conditions. NASA is considering the technology for its lunar exploration program, Artemis, which is working to return humans to the moon in 2024. The Organic Processor Assembly uses some of the same principles of Yeh’s other invention, the NEWgenerator, which is a wastewater treatment system built to address global sanitation concerns.

Summer Decker, associate professor in the ԹϱHealth Morsani College of Medicine and director of 3D Clinical Applications, and biomedical engineer Jonathan Ford with lab assistant, Chelsea Sparks, with the 3D nasal swab design.

The 30-second spot also features Summer Decker, associate professor in the ԹϱHealth Morsani College of Medicine and director of 3D Clinical Applications, and biomedical engineer Jonathan Ford. They designed during the early months of the global COVID-19 pandemic when the availability of testing kits was extremely limited. The researchers, who work in ԹϱHealth’s Department of Radiology, developed the prototype in collaboration with Tampa General Hospital, Formlabs, a leading 3D printing company, and Northwell Health, which helped confirm clinical efficacy. Nearly 40 million nasal swabs have since been created and are now being used across the globe.

College of the Arts senior Jada Griffin plays a prominent role in the commercial as her voice offers an authentic quality that is reflective of USF’s student body. Additional students were also included in a brief montaged display of the traditional “Go Bulls!” hand sign, which was recorded outside the Marshall Student Center.

Return to article listing

Category

News Archive

Learn more about USF's journey to Preeminence by viewing Newsroom articles from past years.

Թϱin the News

January 31, 2025

January 30, 2025

January 24, 2025

January 20, 2025

More Թϱin the News