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Alumna’s Community Involvement Leaves Impact
Chelsea Daley is passionate about her community. Daley graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government in 2015, and now works as an email marketer at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. She stays connected to the UCF community through the D.C. AlumKnights chapter and uses the skills she […]
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Student Published in the Washington Post
Peyman Asadzade, UCF student pursuing a doctorate degree in security studies, recently published a blog post in the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, which is a leading political blog with national exposure. His piece focused on public opinion and Iran’s involvement in the Syrian civil war. It discusses Iranian public response to Iran’s growing military presence […]
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Professor Advises NATO for the Summer
For the second consecutive year, Associate Professor Eric Merriam (joint appointment to the Political Science and Legal Studies departments) served as a legal advisor this summer to the International Military Committee at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Serving as an active duty judge advocate for the Air Force for 14 […]
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14 Faculty Awarded for International Impact
UCF recognized 45 faculty members Wednesday during the university’s inaugural Luminary Award presentations for making an impact on the world. Fourteen of the recipients are College of Sciences faculty members. The event, themed like Oscar night, honored those who are academic leaders in their field and are making contributions to the world that are having […]
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Lou Frey Institute Honored as National Model for Civics Education
by Steve Masyada, Ph.D. The Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida, in collaboration with partners at iCivics, Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, hosted Democracy at a Crossroads: Our Nation’s Future Needs Innovative Civic Learning Now. The meeting took place on September 21 and was […]
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Tying Your Shoes and Budgets, Too
Brett Jones closed his eyes and tried to remember how to tie his shoes. He looked around the room and decided to go with the bunny ears method. “I realized the best way to answer was to answer it simply, and go for a laugh at the same time,” Brett Jones said. “The whole room […]
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Outstanding AlumKnight Believes in Public Service
Receiving an education at the University of Central Florida can open many doors for a student. Our renowned faculty and staff pour their resources into students and allow them to reach new heights that seem impossible. For this month’s Outstanding Alumknight, the support he received at UCF allowed him to work to achieve success in both the government and […]
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Silent Guns: Examining the Two-Year Absence of Coups in Africa
Rebecca Schiel, PhD Candidate in Security Studies, and Jonathan Powell, Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department, recently published a blog post in Political Violence at a Glance examining the two-year absence of Coups d’état in Africa. The blog post addresses the two-year anniversary of the coup in Burkina Faso and the subsequent two-year […]
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James Bacchus Joins UCF Faculty
by Christine Dellert A new center will focus on advancing UCF’s work in economic and environmental issues and fostering links for faculty and others in the UCF community to sustainable development efforts at the local, national and global level. James Bacchus, who joins UCF as Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs, will lead the UCF […]
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UCF Alumnus Speaks up For Underprivileged Youth
Some choose the University of Central Florida because of the location. Others choose UCF because of the amazing Greek life and extracurricular activities. But this month’s Political Science Outstanding Alumnus chose UCF because he needed a broader understanding of the exact tools needed to go back and help his economically depressed community. Codeye Woody spent […]
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Jacques’ Work Highlighted by APSA
The American Political Science Association is highlighting the work of UCF Political Science professor Peter Jacques, Ph.D. His paper titled “Dialectics and the Megamachine: A Critique of Ersatz Education” analyzes the learning environment of students and considers the effects of online ersatz education on human relations and dialectical reasoning. He acknowledges the benefits an […]
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Understanding Food Security & Scarcity
The Global Perspectives Office and the Department of Political Science at the University of Central Florida have partnered with the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies to sponsor presentations, research and student fellowships in an effort to advance awareness about the United States-Saudi Arabia relationship. This knowledge includes topics of […]
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Back to School in China
UCF alumnus Max Hoffman graduated from the political science department in Spring 2014 – just a year and a half into his collegiate career. Hoffman had his sights set on something else: Shanghai. Hoffman accepted a position as a leader of the foreign teachers at Shanghai Bestway EDU where he teaches English and handles curriculum […]
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A Man Named Qusai
UCF graduate turned international hip-hop star pays a visit to his alma mater before House of Blues concert. By Sam Schiffer I walked into the UCF Fairwinds Alumni Center Wednesday evening expecting to hear an up-and-coming rapper talk about his time at the university. I walked out knowing an artist that sought to make a […]
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Examining Mutinies in Côte d’Ivoire
Security Studies Ph.D. candidates Rebecca Schiel and Christopher Faulkner, along with assistant professor Jonathan Powell, recently published an analysis in the journal Africa Spectrum. Their analysis, titled “Mutiny in Côte d’Ivoire,” explores the causes and consequences of the mutinies that have taken place in Côte d’Ivoire since 1990. With a particular focus on the three […]
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COSmic Knight Exposes Injustice
This week’s COSmic Knight aspires to do work that really matters to people. With a double major in political science and journalism, Sam Schiffer is a force to be reckoned with. His interest in how government operates began in his high school career. He was excelling in government and civics classes when he realized the importance of understanding government dictates the […]
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Introducing 13 New Ph.D. Graduates
In a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., the College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in the Physical Sciences building. Thirteen students were recognized with family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman, Ph.D., honored each student by presenting their research and dissertation. A champagne toast followed to celebrate the students’ […]
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COSmic Knight Took a Risk That Paid $5K
Funding your college career may be difficult, but Cristobal Reyes-Rios took a chance that won himself a scholarship. With a double major in journalism and political science, Reyes has a lot on his plate. He became interested in journalism in ninth grade when he took a journalism class and showed promise in news writing. He […]
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A View From Capitol Hill
University of Central Florida Political Science alumnus David Feinman shows that taking a chance can really pay off. Feinman graduated from UCF in 2011 but his experience was far from the norm. Most students work while in school but not many have had the opportunity to work out of state while getting their degree. Feinman […]
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Student Finds UCF Connection in Texas
By Jenna Marina Nearly four years ago, UCF alumna Shelby Shankin ’13 found herself in Austin, Texas, for the first time in her life to work on mega festival South by Southwest. Justin Tejada is a current first-generation student majoring in advertising-public relations and minoring in political science. He has made it his mission to […]
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From Victimhood to Empowerment
The already highly precarious existence of Yazidi Kurds, a religious minority with long history of persecution, in Iraq took an ominous turn with the rise of the self-styled Islamic State in the summer of 2014. The IS assault against the Yazidi communities in the Sinjar area located in northwestern Iraq in August 2014 led to […]
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Undergrad Published in Prominent Political Violence Blog
Sam Schiffer, an undergraduate student pursuing a dual-degree in Political Science and Journalism, has had his piece “The Political Motives Behind Bangladesh’s Abuse of Rohingya Refugees” accepted by a prominent political science blog, Political Violence at a Glance. Appearing on Political Violence at a Glance, Sam’s piece discussed the influx of Rohingya refugees into neighboring Bangladesh […]
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A Typical Day like No Other
University of Central Florida political science alumnus Mike Nichola ’11 MA goes to work every day to make a difference. Nichola works as a legislative director for Congressman Darren Soto in his Washington, D.C., office, but his journey started with an entirely different major at UCF. “I was originally going to go to UCF for a […]
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Security Studies Students Win Best Paper Award
Christopher Faulkner and Joshua Lambert, both a part of the Security Studies Ph.D. program, won the 2017 Florida Political Science Association’s (FPSA) Best Graduate Paper Award for their paper titled, “Sign on the Dotted Line: Contracting Private Military and Security Companies in African Civil Wars.” Christopher and Joshua presented their paper at the 2017 FPSA Annual Meeting […]
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Fall 2017 IC CAE Study Abroad Scholarship
The Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) is offering a study abroad scholarship for Fall 2017. The IC CAE is a grant-funded program that is housed in the political science department. Its main goal is to prepare students for careers in intelligence and national security by enhancing critical skills and knowledge deemed essential by the […]
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Jammin’ Knight Takes on Circuit Court
University of Central Florida political science alumnus Matthew Baker has been busy since his graduation in May 2009. His journey has taken him all over Florida, but some of his fondest experiences were here at UCF. “I played trombone in the Marching Knights from 2006-2008 and was on Student Staff in 2007 and 2008,” Baker […]
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UCF Alumna Harvard Bound after Earning Nearly Perfect Score on LSAT
Story by Rachel Williams Years ago, Rebecca Fate’s vision of her future never included college. Neither of her parents earned college degrees, and growing up in a single-parent household meant there was little to no extra money to send her to school, she said. But when her fifth-grade teacher opened Fate’s eyes to her […]
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Knight of all Trades
Chris Lombardo ’80, always has something to keep him busy. From being an attorney to a fire commissioner and more in between, the University of Central Florida Department of Political Science graduate is a man of many talents. Lombardo is now a partner at his own firm, Woodward, Pires and Lombardo in Naples, Fla. He’s […]
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Faculty Recognition: Research and Teaching Effectiveness
RIA Awardees The University of Central Florida Research Incentive Awards (RIA) program supports outstanding research, scholarly and creative activity that advances the body of knowledge in a particular field, including interdisciplinary research and collaborations. The below faculty members were recognized for their contributions to UCF’s key goal of achieving international prominence in research and creative activities. […]
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Bacon and Bots
By Jenna Marina With a name like Exploding Bacon, it’s hard to believe that the moniker was the second choice for a local youth robotics team led by UCF alumna Elise Cronin-Hurley ’90 ’94 MPA. Organized Chaos was voted as the winner – conceptualized by a random name generator – but when the mother of the lead […]