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PoliSci Degree Sets Up Successful Insurance Career
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 […]
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An Invaluable Learning Experience
Every year, more than three thousand students from all over the world gather in New York City to discuss international priorities and issues. All this takes the name of National Model United Nations (NMUN) – the world’s largest and oldest conference in the world simulating the work of the United Nations (UN). A team of […]
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Poli Sci Online Program Ranked No. 1 by Affordable Colleges
The Political Science Department’s online program has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by Affordable Colleges Online. The department has offered its degree as an entirely online option for several years, and students can complete all three tracks in the major — American Politics & Policy, International Relations & Comparative Politics, and Pre-Law – […]
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MyPoliticalScience Day Kicks off Second Event for Political Science Students
The Political Science department hosted its second myPoliticalScience Day in the Student Union on September 28. The event informed students about academic, extra-curricular, and career opportunities for students enrolled in Political Science and International & Global Studies, which are both housed in the Political Science department. The Political Science department held its first MyPoliticalScience Day […]
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UCF Student Named a Peace Fellow
By Nicole Dudenhoefer Christopher Faulkner, a Ph.D. candidate in UCF’s security studies program, was recently awarded a Minerva Research Initiative and United States Institute of Peace Dissertation Write-Up Fellowship for his dissertation on child soldiering. More than 200 students applied for the award this year, but only 18 were awarded, with some of last year’s winners […]
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Kurdish Political Studies Program Welcomes Resident Senior Fellow Haidar Khezri, Ph.D.
In fall 2018, Haidar Khezri, Ph.D., joined the Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) as visiting faculty and senior fellow from Indiana University (IU), Bloomington. Dr. Khezri, born in Iranian Kurdistan, holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Damascus University in Syria, and a M.A. in comparative literature from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, Iran. He […]
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Political Science Student Becomes Minority Fellowship Program Fellow
The Minority Fellowship Program, hosted by the American Political Science Association (APSA), recognizes the research and hard work of political science students from underrepresented backgrounds. It’s a competitive scholarship, and the APSA only honors 12 students each year. UCF student Angie Torres has just become one of those 12. “I am excited and grateful when […]
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Venezuelan Background Helps Alumna Help Others
Having lived through an almost 11-year separation from her parents after they were denied re-entry into the United States, UCF alumna Raquel Fernandez knows firsthand the difficulties of the immigration process. Now, as the community relations coordinator for the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office, she helps support and educate others going through the same process […]
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The India Center Helps Send Debate Team Around the World
The weather in Orlando was chilly during the winter break, but the UCF Debate Team continued to heat up. Not only did the team compete at the Hurricane Debates hosted by the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, some of the team also traveled to India and participated in Calcutta’s Festival of the Spoken […]
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Alumna Andrea Otero Connects With Community
The first in her family to graduate from college back in 2009, Andrea Otero understands the importance of hard work when crafting dreams into reality. Now, as the community outreach and communications specialist for the Orange County Clerk of Courts, she is leading the efforts in promoting the many services the Clerk’s office provides in […]
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The India Center at UCF Honors Distinguished Professor
The India Center at UCF hosted an event to honor the retirement of Narsingh Deo, Ph.D., Charles N. Millican Eminent Scholar’s Chair in Computer Science and Director of the Center for Parallel Computation in the College of Computer Science and Engineering. The evening of celebration was made possible by Sharad Mehta, Anil Deshpande and Ajit […]
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The India Center Sponsors Trip for Students
The India Center at UCF, housed in the Political Science Department in the College of Sciences, co-sponsored four undergraduate students to travel to India during summer 2017. The trip was organized by Phil Peters, Professor of Film and Animation in the College of Arts and Humanities. The four-week long trip to India was part of […]
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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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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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COS Distinguished Alumni Award Winner 2017: Alan Florez
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Alumna Makes Impact on Higher Education
University of Central Florida alumna Mary Anderson, Ph.D., ’94 ’96 liked being in college so much that she decided to teach at one. The Department of Political Science graduate received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from UCF. She initially chose to attend because of the campus. “UCF’s campus was filled with […]
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UCF Student’s Unique Influence on Florida’s Constitution
Nicholas Maier, a political science and environmental engineering student at the University of Central Florida, was one of the UCF students chosen to attend the 2017 Future of Florida Summit at the University of Florida. The event, which was held Feb. 10-12, focused on the upcoming 2017-18 Florida Constitution Revision Commission. Commissioned every 20 years, […]
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Alumnus Elevates UCF Nationwide
Orlando resident Louis Rotundo, ’73, ’75, has been influential in shaping local legislation. He began the political effort, drafted the legislation and secured the funding for SunRail and has worked with some of the most prominent elected officials in Florida over the last forty years. He is also a proud University of Central Florida graduate. […]
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The Power of Studying Abroad
Political Science undergraduate student Nicholas Maier spent the winter semester studying at Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany. Nick participated in the UCF Study Abroad program, a two-student exchange through the UCF Political Science Department which allowed him to spend September through the end of February in Germany. At UCF, he has worked on several projects in […]