By Kellie Britch, College of Arts and Sciences
The USF Alumni Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary of the Distinguished
Alumni Award, the highest honor bestowed on graduates for their professional accomplishments.
At this year鈥檚 2025 USF Alumni Awards, which will be held on Oct. 16, the association
will also honor one other graduate and two non-alumni for their incredible contributions
to the Tampa Bay area.
Of this year鈥檚 three Distinguished Alumni recipients, two of them hail from the College
of Arts and Sciences:
Rick Brandt, Economics 鈥�91
Rick Brandt, who graduated from the Department of Economics, serves as the CEO and president of BRANDT, an agricultural company that sells products in more than 80 countries and 49 states. Under his 30-year leadership, BRANDT鈥檚 revenue has grown nearly $550 million and has closed 24 acquisitions.
An ambitious innovator, Brandt continues to build and evolve the business. To promote a unified culture, he moved all employees under a single corporation, Team BRANDT, Inc. He also serves as president of The BRANDT Foundation, which supports organizations that address food insecurity, agricultural education and waste reduction.
A keen automobile enthusiast, Brandt has long overseen a partnership with JR Motorsports, sponsoring Justin Allgaier, a driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Brandt is a serial entrepreneur. He is the CEO and owner of TradeMark Nitrogen; he created GB Records; he is chairman of Precision Build; and he is an owner of Rev 1 Energy.
Beatriz 鈥淕igi鈥� Fern谩ndez, Psychology 鈥�03
A two-time Olympic gold medalist in tennis doubles and Department of Psychology alumna, Gigi Fern谩ndez made history as Puerto Rico鈥檚 first female professional athlete
and the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Fern谩ndez, who started rallying with a racquet at three years old, rose to fame in
a trailblazing, 14-year career, securing 17 Grand Slam women's doubles titles and
winning all four majors at least twice. She was named Puerto Rico鈥檚 Female Athlete
of the Century in 1999 and coached USF鈥檚 women鈥檚 tennis from 2002 to 2005.
Fern谩ndez is the founder and creator of The Gigi Method, a doubles tennis instructional program. Her company Gigi Fernandez Tennis is an experiential travel company offering tennis fans unique travel experiences.
After her house flooded in the recent hurricanes, she founded Tennis for Hope, a not-for-profit entity that unites the tennis community and provides support for those affected by natural disasters.
Learn more about the rest of this year鈥檚 recipients and the .