SARASOTA, Fla. (July 27, 2021) – USF Sarasota-Manatee campus faculty members Faizan Ali and Zacharias Pieri have been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor from assistant professor. Their promotions will take effect Aug. 9 following last month’s approval by the USF Board of Trustees. Ali teaches in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Muma College of Business and serves as the school’s graduate program coordinator. His scholarship focuses on the customer experience, service performance and quality and customer satisfaction and behavior. He has authored more than 40 internationally refereed journal articles and international conference papers. He is an expert in the use of statistical tools, including Structural Equation Modeling and Partial Least Squares. “I am super happy and excited to know that my colleagues and leadership acknowledge my work and effort,” Ali said. “I am grateful to all who have supported and encouraged me, and I hope to cherish this ‘right’ with integrity and represent the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Muma College of Business and the University of South Florida for years to come.” Ali joined the Sarasota-Manatee campus as an assistant professor in August 2016 after receiving his doctorate from the International Business School, University Technology Malaysia, in 2015. Pieri teaches in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the relationship of religion, politics and violence. Specifically, his studies examine the ideological and strategic development of Boko Haram and the evolution of Islamic State franchises. He has consulted on numerous international projects investigating counter-radical discourses amongst Muslim communities worldwide and has authored three books, the most recent, “Boko Haram & The Drivers of Islamist Violence,” published in 2019.“ The award of tenure is a recognition by USF and the broader academic community of the quality of one’s scholarly output and dedication to teaching and service, and so it marks a very important moment in my career,” Pieri said. “In the coming years I look forward to further establishing myself as a world class scholar in my field through federal grants to examine the changing dynamics of conflict, publishing more articles and another book, and continuing to engage with policymaking communities. I also look forward to teaching research-oriented courses and mentoring our great students here at USF.” Pieri began teaching at the Sarasota-Manatee campus in 2016 after working at USF in Tampa as a post-doc and research fellow starting in 2012. He received his PhD from the University of Exeter in England in 2012. ### |
About the University of South Florida The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu. |