USF Institute for Digital Exploration

09/03/2026

This week we started a new exciting collaboration with USF Judy Genshaft Honors College students and faculty Tina Piracci to 3D digitize “oyster columns” that are instrumental as material tests for a Florida state project to reclaim and restore essential oyster beds and coral reefs. These collaborations are the heart of IDEx’s mission to expand scholarship through digital methods. USF College of Arts and Sciences

08/31/2026

Excellent piece by Jeff Butera on Spectrum Bay News 9 about our archaeological project at the Roman villa del Tellaro in Sicily highlighting the accomplishments of our students and our ground-breaking use of AI on the field. USF College of Arts and Sciences, USF World, University of South Florida

Students and staff from USF’s Institute of Digital Exploration (IDEx) worked at the Roman Villa del Tellaro, a historic location in Italy that the university has been studying since 2019.

08/26/2026

Proud to see our team and students featured in the latest USF College of Arts and Sciences Chronicles!

The feature highlights transformative global learning experiences across USF, including our archaeological campaign at the Roman Villa del Tellaro in Sicily. Our students gained immersive, hands-on field experience—applying advanced digital documentation and stratigraphic excavation methods to uncover new chapters of late Roman history. USF College of Arts and Sciences USF World USF Department of History USF Department of Anthropology

University of South Florida

07/09/2026

Excellent coverage by Italian national public service broadcaster RAI on our groundbreaking digital archaeology project at the Villa Romana di Casignana in parternship with the Soprintendenza ABAP per la città di Reggio Calabria e Vibo Valentia! USF College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, USF World

Il progetto, nato per valorizzare la villa romana, è stato presentato in anteprima al Dialogue festival

07/07/2026

Another very productive day of work at the Villa Romana di Casignana (Reggio Calabria, Italy) using a combo of terrestrial laser scanners to 3D digitize the site and its rich mosaic flooring. The collaborative project with the Soprintendenza ABAP per la città di Reggio Calabria e Vibo Valentia was officially launched with a press conference tonight featuring IDEx Director, Dr. Davide Tanasi, the villa Scientific Responsable Dr. Andrea Gennaro, the local authorities and covered by the RAI national public service broadcaster. USF College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida

07/06/2026

After a few days of rest, the IDEx team is back on the field to conduct the overall 3D digitization of the Villa Romana di Casignana (Reggio Calabria, Calabria), one of the most spectacular ancient Roman sites in Italy. This new exciting project in partnership with the Soprintendenza ABAP per la città di Reggio Calabria e Vibo Valentia aims at producing a digital twin of the villa for preservation and global digital accessibility. Stay tuned for more updates! USF College of Arts and Sciences

07/04/2026

This week marks the conclusion of an incredible excavation campaign at the Roman Villa del Tellaro in Noto, Sicily, building upon the extensive remote sensing and legacy data analysis conducted between 2019 and 2025.

Conducted in partnership with the Parco archeologico di Siracusa, Eloro, villa del Tellaro e Akrai, this project represents a major leap forward in our understanding of this prestigious Roman site. Together with its pre- and post-Roman elements, the site truly encapsulates the rich cultural continuum of the Noto territory.

A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, with a special shout-out to the incredible students from the USF Department of Historyand USF Department of Anthropology for making every single day on the dig one to remember! See you all next year and GO BULLS! USF College of Arts and Sciences, USF World, University of South Florida (Photo credit: Lisa Nunez Shorts)

06/17/2026

Today, we had the honor of welcoming the Tampa Agrigento Sister Cities Committee to our excavation at the Roman Villa del Tellaro in Noto!
​As the committee travels through Sicily signing new friendship agreements, it was an amazing opportunity to showcase the world-class digital archaeology and research that the USF IDEx team is doing in the field.
​Connecting our Tampa community leaders with our international research highlights the true power of global partnerships. Huge thanks to the committee for stopping by, and to our incredible team for bringing history to light! USF World USF College of Arts and Sciences Loggia Mona-Lisa

05/26/2026

Everybody has a happy place... For the IDEx team is the Tampa Museum of Art! Another successful digital fieldwork to enrich with new 3D assets the digital presence of this amazing museum!