Jan. 7, 2026
By Kim Vreeland

“It was a stroke of luck,” says William “Bobby” Jacobsen.

Over breakfast one weekend with a friend, Jacobsen shared that his rectal cancer, diagnosed and treated a few months earlier, had returned. He outlined the grim option several surgeons had recommended: more surgery to remove most of his rectum and create a permanent colostomy, which would require lifelong use of a colostomy bag.

His friend, Dr. Eugene Ruffolo, a Tampa-based pathologist, urged Jacobsen to seek another opinion from Dr. Jorge Marcet, ’79, director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

The suggestion proved to be a lucky break — Marcet was able to remove the remaining cancer cells without radical surgery. 
Seven years later, Jacobsen is living cancer-free.

“Life’s been pretty good to me, and it’s a huge blessing to be able to keep playing golf, fish and enjoy a completely normal life thanks to Dr. Marcet, USF and the entire Tampa General Hospital organization,” says Jacobsen.

To honor Marcet’s exceptional care and extend the opportunity for others to live healthy, active lives, Jacobsen made a generous gift to establish the Bobby Jacobsen Endowed Chair in Colorectal Surgery, with Marcet serving as the inaugural chairholder.

This endowed chair represents a transformative investment in USF’s future — ensuring the recruitment and retention of top-tier faculty, while providing enduring support for research, education and clinical innovation. It reinforces USF’s leadership in academic medicine and advances patient care for generations to come.

Jacobsen previously established the William Jacobsen Program for Colorectal Education and Research to support the USF Health Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery in 2021. This generous gift enabled the division to hire a full-time research fellow dedicated to advancing critical clinical research and studies that have been presented and published nationally. The program also funded cooperative group trials with leading researchers across the country, all working toward a shared goal: developing innovative treatments that lessen the need for radical surgery for patients with rectal cancer.

“It's incredibly meaningful to see continued support from patients like Mr. Jacobsen,” says Jay Stroman, USF Foundation CEO. “His generosity honors Dr. Marcet’s legacy and helps advance the nationally recognized work of our leading USF research physicians in colorectal patient care. The impacts of this generous gift will continue to improve patient outcomes and transform lives for years to come.”

Thanks to Marcet’s dedication, USF has the highest volume of colorectal cancer surgeries in the region and leads West-Central Florida with advanced, innovative surgical techniques that shorten recovery time and improve patient outcomes.

“I’m truly grateful for Mr. Jacobsen’s generosity,” said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “His continuing support strengthens a USF Health colorectal program that is among the best in the nation. His gift will help us advance research, enhance education and ultimately improve the quality of life for patients now and for generations to come.”

A leading researcher in clinical trials, Marcet has contributed to advancing rectal cancer treatments as part of a team at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), where surgeons have been pioneers in colorectal cancer screening and treatment for nearly 20 years.

“The advances in medical care are real, and when we make them, they benefit society. But these advances generally happen slowly, driven by the dedication of doctors researching diseases,” Marcet says. “Philanthropy provides funds that help accelerate those advances. It provides dedicated personnel, lab equipment and supplies, and we can concentrate our efforts and accelerate discovery.”

Marcet began his career at USF in 1991 as its first colorectal surgeon and also served in this role at TGH and Moffitt Cancer Center. He observed a lack of interest from other research physicians in treating patients with rectal cancer. 

Seeing an opportunity, Marcet developed the first program for multidisciplinary rectal cancer care that operated at both Moffitt and TGH. As the practice grew, he recruited additional colon and rectal surgeons, building a high-volume practice that eventually became the training program for colon and rectal surgery specialists. 

“I like to think of myself as someone who truly seeks to explore the cutting-edge when it makes sense — expand it, grow it, avoid complacency,” says Marcet. “That’s where the research comes in. That’s what keeps me excited to come to work every day. How can we improve what we do and make things better?”

Thanks to Jacobsen’s generosity, doctors like Marcet can expand their research, reducing the need for radical, life-altering surgeries. This support allows them to focus more on their work, which has transformed lives and established USF as a nationally recognized leader in colorectal research and clinical training. 

“I’ll always be forever grateful to Dr. Marcet,” says Jacobsen. “Thanks to ongoing research, I have hope that others will be able to reclaim their health and live fully again like I have.”