The Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS) recently announced their first student-centered award in honor of Doug Dobson, Ph.D., a senior fellow at UCF’s Lou Frey Institute. The Dr. L Dobson Student Civic Engagement Award recognizes a student, or students, that have demonstrated outstanding civic engagement and leadership. For Dobson who has been one […]
By Robert Stephens In September, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. And while the word — impeach — has been around for four and half centuries, the history and meaning of it are often misunderstood. Few people may know this better than David Dumke. Dumke is […]
Pegasus Professor Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., director of the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, was recently named a vice president of the American Political Science Association. The APSA, founded in 1903, is the leading professional organization in the field of political science with over 11,000 members in more than 100 countries. APSA’s mission extends to […]
Champion of civic education and former Congressman Lou Frey Jr., the namesake of UCF’s Lou Frey Institute, passed away Monday in Winter Springs. He was 85. Frey leaves a long legacy of service to the U.S. and Central Florida; he had a hand in both establishing Kennedy Space Center as the home of the space […]
An endowed chair position for UCF’s India Center continues its march toward reality with a new $1 million pledge. The pledge comes from Raj Toleti, ‘93MS, and family, including his wife, Aparna Toleti, ‘95MS, and brings the total for the fund to $2 million of a $5 million goal. Their generous commitment to the success […]
In a hectic world, it pays to pause and say “thank you.” That’s the philosophy of Chris Lombardo, who was struck not too long ago about his own inattention to showing gratefulness. More specifically, he realized the impact that longtime Political Science professor Roger Handberg, Ph.D., had on Lombardo’s career as an attorney. “The foundational […]
The Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government (LFI) was recently recognized for its work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida’s After School Zone by the Florida After School Alliance (FASA). LFI was honored with the inaugural Special Recognition Award for their contribution to the civic well-being of Florida’s youth. Since 2017, […]
By: Katina Rentas Negrón, Latin America Intern, Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, UCF How much is trade between the U.S. and Mexico worth? According to former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne (2011-2015), the answer is “over one million dollars’ worth of goods and services. Every minute.” Trade was one […]
The College of Sciences recognized 10 alumni for their achievements Thursday at the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The annual event brings together outstanding alumni from each of the departments and schools within COS for a night of celebration and reflection on another successful year. “Tonight’s awardees were selected for this honor based on their professional […]
BY SEEMA SHEKHAWAT, India Center Fellow On September 17, 2019, I delivered a talk at UCF’s Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE), on “Female Combatants: Victim or Victimizers.” It was an exciting experience speaking on a topic close to my heart in front of about 400 people. I have been researching these relatively less focused issues […]
By: Rose Balicki, Nelson Mandela African Affairs Fellow, Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives, UCF “I got angry.” “They told me I couldn’t.” When a student asked two former members of Congress why they got involved in politics in the first place, Gary Franks (R-CT, 1991-1997) and Mike Capuano (D-MA, 1999-2019) did not hold […]
By Doreen Horschig, doctoral candidate of Security Studies. Two students affiliated with UCF’s Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) conducted research in Kurdistan over this summer. Tutku Ayhan, a doctoral candidate in Security Studies program at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at UCF and Jenna Dovydaitis, a senior of the UCF Burnett Honors […]
A political science degree from UCF paved the way for a graduate to impact the lives of veterans. William Maddens, ’14BA ’17MA, works today for the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing financial assistance for veterans and their loved ones through the Benefits Administration. It’s a job that brings him tremendous satisfaction, but it wasn’t what […]
Developing UCF’s place in the world is David Dumke’s mission. And Dumke is well-suited to the task. Since 2012, Dumke has led the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies. Now Dumke is taking on his next task: leading the Office of Global Perspectives and International Initiatives. The leadership post was held […]
Big problems require big answers. But often scientists are narrowly focusing on their own fields of research, or, as Jacopo Baggio, Ph.D., puts it, “Hunting for vertical solutions to horizontal problems.” Baggio, an assistant professor in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, recently collaborated with another researcher in Sweden, Örjan Bodin, to host […]
BY LISA MILLS, PH.D. A non-governmental organization (NGO) that fights caste discrimination with education is the subject of a new documentary directed by Lisa Mills, Ph.D., associate professor of film in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media. The NGO, Movement for Scavenger Community (MSC), was founded by Vimal Kumar, a doctoral candidate at the […]
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” This is the motto Genevieve Bonan ’10 says carried her through her undergraduate studies at UCF, and still inspires her today. Bonan currently practices consumer protection law in the Consumer Protection Division of the Florida Attorney General. In her free time, she volunteers with various charities and organizations, […]
The Summer ’19 doctorate degree students were recognized Friday at a special reception. Graduates celebrated their achievement with their faculty advisors, family, College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. and a special champagne toast. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Chemistry Anuradha Akmeemana, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: Michael E. Sigman, Ph.D. Dissertation: […]
Rain didn’t dampen the spirits of UCF’s newest College of Sciences graduates on Saturday. Jeremy Ivy, 23, is a psychology graduate, and plans on applying to a master’s program at Florida Institute of Technology for registered behavioral therapy. These therapists are registered to treat children with autism and work with others that may have […]
An undergraduate’s research into the impact of rising sea levels on Florida’s Native American tribes recently earned her recognition from the Office of Undergraduate Research. Senior Sarah Swiersz’s interest in political ecology and climate change led her to study Florida’s coastal communities. She decided to focus on indigenous Native American tribes because of the way […]
UCF has added a new school to its roster with the change of the Department of Political Science to the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. While political science remains at the heart of the school and the academic curriculum, the new designation better reflects the broader scope of its mission and programs, […]
John Garceau’s successful career in the insurance business was built, in part, on the foundation of a Political Science degree from UCF. Garceau entered UCF after service as a signalman for the Navy. The G.I. Bill allowed him to pursue a philosophy degree, but, with extra credits available, Garceau also chose Political Science. With the […]
A new photo exhibit opening this week in the John C. Hitt Library opens a window into the connection between Indian festivals and Central Florida. The more than 30 photos, commissioned by the Asian Cultural Association (ACA), follow more than a year of Indian festivals, including Holi, the Festival of Colors, and Navratri Garba. The […]
UCF’s work to build a sustainable future came under the national spotlight last week (June 26-29) at the Association for Environmental Studies and Science’s (AESS) annual conference. The conference drew 200 representatives from more than 80 colleges and universities across the country to discuss the research and teaching underway on topics including fossil fuels, coastal […]
UCF and Al-Bilad are pleased to announce the sponsorship of a 6-part “Sustainable World, Sustainable Kingdom” round-table discussion series which will run throughout 2019-2020. Al Bilad is one of the oldest newspapers in Saudi Arabia, having first been established in 1932 – the same year the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was unified. The series […]
BY DAVID MORTON Last summer I embarked on an extraordinary journey into India’s remarkable cinematic past and present. As a passionate enthusiast for international cinema, I was presented with an extraordinary opportunity to go behind the scenes to study one of India’s oldest and internationally prestigious motion picture industries. While many westerners may have at […]
Davide Dell’Isola and Sara Belligoni, Security Studies Ph.D. students in UCF’s Department of Political Science, were recognized with awards for their research presented at the recent Florida Political Science Association’s (FPSA) conference in Tampa. Dell’Isola won first prize in the graduate student best paper competition for his paper on “Immigration and the Demise of Social-democratic […]
BY JONATHAN GABRIEL ’06 Five recent UCF graduates — include a College of Sciences alumna — have received prestigious Fulbright awards that will allow them to travel abroad to pursue research and educational opportunities or teach English. This year’s recipients will represent their alma mater in Montenegro, South Korea, Belgium and Brazil. The Fulbright U.S. […]
The Spring ’19 doctorate degree students were recognized Thursday at a special reception. Graduates celebrated their achievement with their faculty advisors, family, College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. and a special champagne toast. Click here to see the full gallery of photos. Chemistry Sameer Ezzat, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor: Andres Campiglia, Ph.D. Dissertation: Chemistry and […]
Research that could shape the U.S. military’s combat readiness in the world theater was the outcome of two high-ranking officers pursuing their doctorates in Security Studies. U.S. Army Col. Joseph Funderburke and U.S. Army Col. David Raugh were both hooded today during the College of Sciences’ commencement ceremony. “Dave and Joe have been […]