Photo Courtesy of Tyler Berlin
By Emily McLaughlin
For Harris Pastides, interim president of The University of Tampa, joining the university was about more than its campus. It was about the people who make up the university community and the opportunity to help shape its future.
Pastides, who began serving as UTampa’s interim president Nov. 2, brings decades of higher education experience to the position. After leading the University of South Carolina for 11 years, he hopes to strengthen UTampa’s relationship with Tampa Bay, encourage student engagement, and help guide the university through its presidential transition.
“The people who smile as you pass them, and the legacy of how we take care of our students,” said Pastides during a Nov. 5 conversation with UTampa faculty and staff, explaining what initially attracted him to the university.
Although the university’s buildings, campus and views caught his attention, Pastides said the people were what ultimately stood out to him.
Raised in Queens, New York, Pastides was the first in his family to graduate from college. He later earned his doctorate in epidemiology from Yale University in 1980 before building a career in higher education that eventually led him to the University of South Carolina.
Pastides served as South Carolina’s 28th president for 11 years. During his time, he helped strengthen the university’s academic reputation, increase research funding, and oversee a capital campaign that raised more than $1 billion. The university also developed a nationally recognized Honors College.
After leaving the presidency, Pastides returned to South Carolina to serve as interim president, an experience that helped shape his understanding of temporary university leadership.
He said returning to a familiar institution taught him that even when the leadership structure remains similar, the university itself can change. He hopes to bring those lessons to UTampa by listening to its community and helping establish a direction for its next permanent president.
Pastides describes his leadership philosophy as “leading from the middle,” an approach centered on trust, communication, and working alongside others.
“Leading from the middle means we’re in this together. Let’s walk together,” said Pastides.
He acknowledged that university presidents sometimes have to make difficult decisions, even when those decisions disappoint individuals. However, he believes listening to different perspectives is essential to making decisions that benefit the institution as a whole.
At UTampa, he wants students, faculty, and staff to feel comfortable approaching him with concerns and ideas. He hopes to gather their perspectives and communicate them to university trustees and future presidential candidates as the search for permanent leadership continues.
Pastides also emphasized student participation as an important part of the college experience. Drawing on his time at South Carolina, he said students benefit from joining campus organizations, building relationships with professors and pursuing opportunities beyond the classroom.
“I would like every student here to feel encouraged to participate,” said Pastides. “Every single one, in your own way.”
He also identified affordability and timely graduation as areas worth exploring, drawing on his previous experience developing scholarship opportunities and academic programs at South Carolina.
Beyond campus, Pastides wants UTampa to become an even stronger partner to the surrounding community.
He said he plans to meet with local leaders, economic development organizations and community groups to understand how the university can contribute to Tampa Bay’s growth. He also hopes to expand partnerships involving workforce development, arts and culture.
Pastides recalled working with South Carolina’s Department of Commerce to recruit businesses to the state. During one conversation with Boeing representatives, he learned that employers were looking for more than technically skilled graduates. They also valued employees who could communicate clearly, collaborate, think critically, and demonstrate ethical behavior.
That experience reinforced his belief that universities should prepare students to contribute meaningfully to their workplaces and communities.
He hopes UTampa will continue to be recognized for what it offers its students while becoming a more visible part of Tampa Bay’s cultural and economic landscape. He also wants community members to look beyond the university’s historic campus and recognize its academic opportunities and contributions to the region.
Although Pastides has identified several areas of interest, he said he is still developing a clearer picture of what he hopes to accomplish during his interim presidency.
Rather than establish a fixed agenda immediately, he wants to hear from the people who know the university best.
“I want to be your leader and help make the University of Tampa better, both in the big strategic ways, but if, if a curb needs to be fixed too, let me know,” said Pastides.
Ultimately, Pastides hopes to leave the university’s Board of Trustees and community with more than a temporary leadership transition. He wants to help establish a plan for what UTampa could become while ensuring the voices of its students, faculty and staff are part of that conversation.
For Pastides, the next chapter of UTampa begins with listening, building relationships and working together toward the university’s future.