Sophia Wisniewska knew from a young age that she’d grow up to be a world traveler and studier of languages. Now, the multilingual, health enthusiast, self-described Pink Floyd nut has settled down in the Sunshine State as the regional chancellor for USF St. Petersburg.
Wisniewska grew up on a farm in Poland, where she helped pick fruits and plant potatoes. Her mother worked in a paper bag factory and would often bring her work home to earn more money. Wiskniewska’s first job was helping her mother fold and glue paper bags. Her family moved to the United States when she was 10.
In high school, she worked at a drugstore and as an administrative assistant and in college she worked as a peer counselor. Having had so many odd jobs, she jokes that she was “ready to collect social security at 23.”
Wisniewska earned her doctorate in Russian Language and spent brief periods studying in Russia during school. By the time she graduated, however, the Sputnik era was over and there wasn’t much use for the Russian language in the United States. So instead, she took a job in higher education and worked her way up from there. Before coming to USFSP, she was the chancellor at Penn State Brandywine for eight years.
Though she is divorced and has no children, she has many nieces and nephews from her two younger sisters and two older brothers.
The chancellor is fluent in Polish and Russian and can do research in French and German. She enjoys purchasing art for her home and has a small collection of original pieces by Polish artists.
During the interview process for USFSP’s chancellor position, she fell in love with the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts; so much so, she bought a yearlong membership the day she visited.
“I guess I was pretty confident about getting the job,” she said.
Wisniewska describes her music taste as eclectic, citing African music and classical orchestras in her list of favorites. At the top of her list, however, is Pink Floyd, a band she’s seen live more than a dozen times.
“I’m a little bit of a groupie,” she said. “If I didn’t accept this job, I’d probably be in Italy for their world tour.”
Wisniewska also enjoys cooking and leisurely reading. On her nightstand at the moment is “Aleph,” a novel about self-discovery by Paulo Coelho, author of “The Alchemist.”
As a child, Wisniewska wasn’t able to help out much in the kitchen. She notes that her mother was “a bit of a control freak” when it came to cooking. But she has since developed an appreciation for it and said she’s become much better at it than she used to be — something she finds especially true in her signature crab cakes. The secret? The most expensive crabmeat she can find and as little breading as possible, she said.
Though she doesn’t have a TV in her new home yet, she enjoys the watching the show “Modern Family” and reruns of “Law and Order.” The last movie she saw was “20 Feet from Stardom,” a film about backup singers for famous artists.
When The Crow’s Nest asked the chancellor if she has a tattoo, she said, “Yes, but I’m not going to tell any more,” explaining that it is not your “traditional” tattoo.
A typical day for the new chancellor is filled with meetings, either on or off campus, with faculty, staff, student leaders or members of the community.
“It’s a learning tour; a crash course,” she said.
On her breaks from these meetings she enjoys strolling about and getting to know the campus and the students on a more personal level. She loves hearing about where everyone has come from and how they all got here.
She may not spend much time sitting in her office on the second floor of Bayboro Hall, but the view from her desk is acclaimed as the best on campus, with large windows overlooking the harbor. She enjoys watching the sailing team practice and seeing the occasional dolphin jumping through the wake.
“I think I belong here,” she said. “It feels right.”
When Wisniewska first moved to St. Petersburg, she was taken aback by the welcoming nature of the community and the warm environment. She said St. Petersburg seems like a good place to make new friends.
“It’s just so darn beautiful here,” she said, noting her two-mile waterside commute to campus from her home in the Old Northeast neighborhood.
Between on-campus duties and all the other activities that come with being the chancellor, such as throwing the first pitch at a Rays game, Wiskiewska has yet to find time for a beach day. But dipping her toes in the gulf is high on her to-do list.
