UT President Named Person of the Year by Tampa Downtown Partnership

University of Tampa President Ronald Vaughn was named the Christine Burdick Downtown Person of the Year at the Tampa Downtown Partnership (TDP) 2024 Annual Urban Excellence Awards last night.

The Christine Burdick Downtown Person of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has made a positive and significant contribution to a program or project in downtown; has added to the downtown visitor experience and/or has demonstrated strong leadership in revitalizing the downtown area.

Vaughn, who has led the transformation of The University of Tampa into a nationally known institution, has served UT as president for almost 30 years. His nomination stated, “It is hard to think about UT without Ron Vaughn at the helm… UT wouldn’t be what it is today without Ron Vaughn, and he has always had the best interest of the students, faculty and staff in mind as he has constantly strived for excellence in the entire educational experience.”

During Vaughn’s presidential tenure, full-time enrollments have multiplied by five times; academic programs have been expanded to more than 200 areas of study; the annual budget has increased to about $420 million; the campus has been transformed by over 70 projects totaling about $1 billion in value and UT’s annual economic impact is now estimated at $1.5 billion.

Vaughn has announced he will retire in May of this year.

The TDP’s annual Urban Excellence Awards program was created to celebrate individuals, businesses, organizations, events and projects that have created a positive and lasting impact in Tampa’s downtown.