USF Launches Cutting-Edge AI and Cybersecurity College Revolutionizing Tech Education

At a glance

• The University of South Florida (USF) is creating the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing, which opens in fall 2025.
• USF says it is the first named college in the U.S. dedicated to AI and cybersecurity together.
• The college is named for Arnie and Lauren Bellini, whose $40 million gift is the largest in USF’s history.
• It will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees, research and partnerships with government and industry.

A $40 million gift creates a new college

The University of South Florida announced on March 11, 2025, that it will create the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing, funded by a $40 million gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini. Arnie Bellini built ConnectWise into an IT services company before selling it in 2019. USF calls the gift the largest in its nearly 70-year history.

The goal is workers. USF cites more than 700,000 unfilled cyber jobs in the U.S.

Why Tampa wants to be “Cyber Bay”

Tampa is home to U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base and to security companies such as KnowBe4, ReliaQuest and Rapid7. USF wants to feed that local industry. Putting AI and cybersecurity in one college is meant to prepare students for jobs where the two fields overlap, such as detecting AI-driven attacks or securing the AI systems that companies are rushing to deploy.

“This college will produce the talent and innovation needed to meet the escalating challenges of the digital era,” said USF President Rhea Law.

What students will study

The college will offer undergraduate and graduate degrees that combine AI and cybersecurity, along with AI-driven security research. Expect labs.

USF also plans partnerships with government agencies, defense contractors and large companies, which should lead to internships and jobs. Ethical AI and responsible digital governance are part of the program too.

What it means for Tampa Bay

The college could also help the Tampa Bay economy. More graduates would make the region more attractive to tech employers.

Bellini has also agreed to match donations to the college up to $5 million, aiming to raise another $10 million.

Opening in fall 2025

The Bellini College opens in fall 2025. It’s a big bet.

The first classes and the first research results will show whether the model works, and whether other universities follow it.

Fred Templeton, CISA, CASP, SEC+

Fred Templeton is a practicing Information Systems Auditor in the Washington DC area. Fred works as a government contractor and uses his skills in cyber security to make our country's information systems safer from cyber threats. Fred holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and is currently working on his PHD in Information Systems.