Dr. Bill Heller’s many academic achievements brought him to St Petersburg, and in 1992 he became the Dean and CEO of the USF- St Pete campus. In the next 10 years, he oversaw an enrollment boom and massive expansion while championing separate accreditation as a four-year residential institution.

Dr. Heller is still an active tenured professor of Special Education at USF St Petersburg. He additionally serves as Principal Investigator of various personnel preparation projects, conducting research on dysmorphia (appearance), and serves on doctoral committees.

In his 20 years in St Petersburg, Dr. Bill Heller has been deeply entrenched in community service. In addition to many civic board positions, Dr. Heller serves as President of the St Petersburg Museum of History. SPMOH recently adopted “Vision 2020,” an ambitious outline for a 10-year strategic plan. The vision is to create a must-see destination for tourists and residents -- an engaging museum that becomes an integral part of the waterfront and redeveloped Pier.

The transformed museum will include two new signature exhibits: one on Aviation and the second on Baseball’s role in St Petersburg’s history. These exciting new interactive exhibits will use virtual reality and flight simulators.