In The News

St. Petersburg's Canterbury School of Florida was recently chosen to become the first independent school selected for Cousteau Divers, an international nonprofit that links a community of divers interested in the protection and study of the ocean.

Canterbury will be renamed the Cousteau Marine Studies Education Center, where they will "track biodiversity in the Gulf of Mexico, create wildlife guidebooks and monitor water quality," according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Check out the video below from Cousteau Divers to learn more about the organization.

Read the complete story.

Dr. Beach recently deemed Sarasota's Siesta Beach the top destination for sand, sun and surf in the world.

The beach's 99.8 percent quartz sand, multiple amenities and water quality helped push it to the head of Dr. Beach's annual list.

NY1 correspondent Valerie D'Elia recently visited Siesta Key's lauded stretch of sand as part of her Travel With Val series.

Watch the complete segment.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently spoke at Tampa's National Supermarket on North Armenia Avenue to promote Mi Plato -- Spanish for 'my plate' -- a healthy eating guideline aimed at Hispanic families.

Mrs. Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the My Plate program last year, which promotes an emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables, grains, protein and dairy as part of a healthy diet.

Mi Plato teamed up with Goya Foods to help spread an awareness of healthy choices to consumers.

Check out the full story.

Tampa recently became the latest city to join a nationwide daily deal site.

Less than a year after Google launched Google Offers, its competitor to Groupon, based in Portland, Ore., the service has expanded to 38 cities across the country.

In addition to the Tampa Bay region, the latest additions include Charlotte, Kansas City, Milwaukee and San Antonio. Subscribers to Google Offers receive daily coupons for discounted entertainment, dining and more in their area.

Check out Google Offers for a list of participating cities.

Read the complete story.

Food critic Laura Reiley shares her picks for the Tampa Bay region's top 50 restaurants.

The Tampa Bay Times writer selects three restaurants each from more than 25 different neighborhoods.

Her list includes a diverse selection of eateries ranging from Clearwater's Cafe Ponte to downtown Tampa's Bamboozle Cafe to James Beard nominee The Refinery.

Check out the complete list.

The University of South Florida, Southeastern University and Saint Leo University were recently included in a list schools that excel in online education.

Online programs were ranked in the following categories: Admissions Selectivity, Faculty Credentials and Training, Student Engagement and Accreditation/Assessment and Student Services and Technology.

USF's online graduate education program placed on U.S. News & World Report's Honor Roll with rankings of #23 in Faculty Credentials and Training, #33 in Student Engagement and Accreditation and #10 in Student Services and Technology. The school's graduate engineering program ranked #4, #40 and #17, respectively.

Southeastern University's graduate business program ranked #111 in Student Engagement and Accreditation and #147 in Student Services and Technology. The graduate education program ranked #111 and #135, respectively, as well as #23 in Faculty Credentials and Training.

Southeastern's rankings for online bachelor's degree programs rank #123 in Student Engagement and Assessment and #146 in Student Services and Technology.

Saint Leo's online bachelor's programs ranked #11 in Faculty Credentials and Training, #29 in Student Engagement and Assessment and #112 in Student Services and Technology.

Read the complete list.

Publix Super Markets ranks as one of the best companies to work for in America.

The Lakeland-based company ranks #78 on Fortune Magazine's list of the best 100 companies, including Google, Microsoft, Whole Foods Market and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Publix is one of five Florida-headquartered companies to make the Top 100. San Antonio-based USAA and Colorado-based PCL -- both of which have offices in Tampa -- rank at numbers #20 and #29, respectively.

Check out the complete list.

St. Petersburg's redesigned pier competition came to an end on Jan. 20 when the five-person jury announced its selection -- Michael Maltzan Architecture's the Lens.

The Los Angeles-based architecture firm's design integrates the water of Tampa Bay and the city of St. Petersburg through a multipurpose pier featuring retail, green space, pedestrian and bicycle paths and an underwater aquarium.

City council will approve or reject the project on Feb. 2.

Check out a slideshow of the project's artwork here.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces Initiative recently teamed up with the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine to improve the education in medical schools for veterans and military families.

Mrs. Obama specifically cited the University of South Florida's efforts to create a "first-of-its-kind Center for Veterans Reintegration" with the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs as an example of schools taking the initiative to offer better healthcare for veterans.

Read the complete article.

Saint Leo University's new $12 million Donald R. Tapia School of Business was recently cited as an example of how to build a 21st century classroom.

Campus Technology cited the facilities design process, which integrated faculty input into the overall design of the 60-seat executive lecture hall, six classrooms, three seminar rooms and two computer labs.

One specific student-friendly feature highlighted was power cords at every desk with the ability to charge multiple laptops and other devices.

Read the complete story.

Sarasota's New College of Florida recently unveiled its new Optical Spectroscopy and Nano-Materials Lab, which will conduct nanotechnology research.

The lab was established in part through a $1.7 million multiyear U.S. Army Research Laboratory grant -- the largest federal grant in the school's history.

Kiplinger also recently named New College the #5 Best Value Public College in the country, up from #11 in 2011.

Read the complete story.

New York-based Pattern and Decoration artist Robert Rahway Zakanitch returns to the University of Tampa as a visiting artist from Feb. 13-24.

The Scarfone/Hartley Gallery will feature one of five paintings from Zakanitch's Big Bungalow Suite along with 20 paintings from his collection beginning Jan. 27.

Los Angeles Times art critic David Pagel describes Zakanitch's work as "joyous, free and delicate, just the right balance of crazy abandon and rigorous discipline."

Read the complete story.

St. Petersburg-based startup accelerator Gazelle Lab recently announced its plans to expand to a second location in Orlando.

Gazelle's Orlando team will consist of Spectrum Bridge CEO Richard Licursi, Blue Orb CEO Pete McAlindon, RowShamBow Interim CFO Pat McNair and Allen Kupetz, executive-in-residence of Rollins College's Crummer Graduate School.

Winter Park's Rollins College will be working with Gazelle Lab to uncover local entrepreneurial talent, according to TechCrunch.

Read the complete story.  

An Odessa-based company has been selected to assist the U.S. Department of Defense in becoming more sustainable.

Dais Analytic's installation of a nanotechnology membrane HVAC system was one of 27 clean energy pilot projects selected by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program for 2012.

Forbes recently included the project on its list of "12 Energy Projects to Watch" for the new year.

Read the complete list.

The United Nations' International Year Of Youth developed a year-long project called Spotlight Values designed to challenge, support and inspire youth.

As part of the project Spotlight Values' creative arts specialist Bebe Butler partnered with Tampa's Girlstories Theatre for monthly workshops and performances including artistic expression in the form of poetry, storytelling and Shadow Theater.

A presentation made for United Nations officials in December featured a video of Girlstories participants and their reflections on what peace means to them.

Check out the report. (Skip to page 32 to read about Girlstories' involvement.)