A new cohort of sixteen University of Florida students have been named the 2023-2024 Reubin Askew Scholars by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
Askew Scholars are selected annually through a competitive process based on their scholarship and commitment to community service and civic engagement. In addition to receiving valuable undergraduate research experience, they are awarded $2000 over the course of an academic year to support their projects. Faculty mentors and Graham Center staff guide the work of the Askew Scholars throughout the course of the academic year.
Mariana Alemany
Mariana is a senior majoring in sociology and political science, with a minor in urban and regional planning. Driven by her experience as an intern through  UF’s Bureau of Economics and Business Research, Mariana plans to research the student-led gentrification of historically Black neighborhoods in Gainesville. Mariana aims to illustrate the correlation between this gentrification and the emergence of food deserts in East Gainesville. She intends to conduct interviews with community members affected by food insecurity and create a series of animated maps that display the complex economic, social, and spatial interactions that create the material reality of Gainesville residents. Mariana hopes her findings will aid in the development of creative solutions addressing food deserts.
Adam Bernstein
Adam is a junior majoring in economics and political science with minors in European Union studies and statistics. Adam’s previous policy experience includes serving as the legislative and budget intern for the Deputy Speaker of the New York City Council and completing a European competition law traineeship at Cruz Vilaça Advogados in Lisbon, Portugal. Adam’s research project utilizes econometric analysis to assess how paid paternity leave policies in the European Union affect mothers’ employment levels. He hopes his project will deliver insights for United States policymakers.
Anani Blakey
Anani Blakey is a senior majoring in graphic design. Her project addresses the gaps in teaching and learning about the Afro and Black Diaspora within America’s higher education system. Professors and students are losing the ability to be expressive and acknowledge the accomplishments of Black individuals. Anani plans to curate an exhibition led by Black creatives, herself included, to express the essence of underrepresented narratives in the Afro and Black Diaspora through interactive pieces. Anani aims to amplify Black voices on campus and within the broader Gainesville community.
Eliza Cave
Eliza is a junior majoring in political science with minors in Japanese and Asian studies. Her research centers around Florida’s agricultural hubs with large populations of migrant workers and the relationship between these workers and birth defects. Eliza aims to work with migrant coalitions and the UF Department of Global and Environmental Health to distribute a survey about pesticide symptoms, specifically birth defects. Her project will culminate in a speaking tour, during which she will visit seven Florida agricultural centers.
Alayna Dean
Alayna is a senior majoring in microbiology and cell science with a minor in international studies. Her experience as a technical producer with the nonprofit Gainesville for All influenced her Askew project. Under the guidance of Dr. Phil Poekert, she will develop baseline assessments for specific inputs identified by the nonprofit. These inputs include family partnerships, community partnerships, developmentally appropriate practice, highly skilled staff, and children’s attitudes. Alayna has also studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, gaining insight into international nonprofit leadership.
Anna Lackovic
Anna is a senior majoring in political science with a minor in business administration. Inspired by her involvement with the elections offices of Palm Beach and Alachua County, Anna plans to focus on election research, specializing in vote by mail. Her Askew project involves the analysis of turnout data from both the 2023 municipal elections and the 2024 Presidential elections. She intends to measure the extent to which SB-90 and SB-524 have impacted voter turnout and identify the demographic groups most affected by these changes.
Amy Lao
Amy is a senior majoring in economics and minoring in mass communications and sociology. Her research aims to understand how nonprofits respond to new Florida legislative policies that impede access to healthcare services, such as gender-affirming care and abortions. Florida currently serves as a conservative model for other GOP states and analyzing the work being done in Florida in the wake of discouraging legislation should shine a beacon of hope for marginalized groups. Currently a government relations intern for Invariant within their healthcare practice group, Amy hopes to ultimately work towards increasing equity and efficiency in public services
Lucca Carlson and Reed Jeffries
Lucca is a junior majoring in political science and economics with minors in statistics and public leadership. Reed is a junior majoring in political science with minors in mass communications and religion, and a certificate in political campaigning. Their joint research project, the first in Askew Scholars’ history, focuses on the production and impact of grassroots imagery in American politics. By compiling electoral data, Lucca and Reed hope to evaluate trends of campaign strategies across party lines, geographic regions, and demographic segments. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sharon Austin, they aim to investigate the relationship between a campaign’s invocation of grassroots support and its indicators of authentic grassroots mobilization.
Simone Liang
Simone Liang is a junior majoring in political science and economics. Her research project will outline key factors contributing to the strained relationship between college campuses and their surrounding communities. She plans to interview members of UF’s administration, community leaders, and City of Gainesville officials, as well as collect quantitative survey data. Simone envisions organizing a series of open roundtable discussions to foster conversations on approaches for enhancing the relationship between the University of Florida and the City of Gainesville.
Stephanie Odom
Stephanie is a senior studying political science with a minor in communication studies. She will be researching political empowerment and civic participation of secondary school female students under the guidance of Dr. Teresa Cornacchione. Using “Teach a Girl to Lead,” developed by the Center for American Women and Politics, Stephanie will test whether young girls’ confidence and efficacy in running for office could be improved by implementing civic engagement curriculums. Stephanie hopes to empower and inspire more young women to enter public service through her research.
Alejandro Ortiz Lopez
Alejandro is a senior majoring in economics and political science. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, his passion for public service was sparked when he witnessed firsthand the country’s political and economic crisis. Alejandro’s research project includes a multivariate analysis of countries that have undergone military humanitarian intervention in the last 70 years. He hopes to explore the effects of a hypothetical humanitarian intervention through the data of previous interventions and contrast it with the available information in the Venezuelan case.
Caroline Rabideau
Caroline is a senior majoring in political science and international studies with a minor in teaching English as a second language. Her research analyzes how a Communist legacy impacts the political affiliations of female legislators in Europe. Under the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Janusz and Dr. Conor O’Dwyer, she will generate a regression analysis of the comparative experiences of women in Eastern and Western Europe. Caroline hopes her research will shed light on different cultures’ historical understandings and their impact on feminist movements, reproductive rights, and family matters in Europe.
Andrew Taramykin
Andrew is a senior majoring in political science and history. He is passionate about state and local government and voting rights. He has served as a Redistricting Fellow with Campus Vote Project and a research assistant studying electoral districts under UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. As an Askew Scholar, Andrew will research the use of at-large electoral districts and their impact on political competition and minority representation in Florida’s local governments. He hopes his project will guide state leaders to implement reforms that empower voters and create fairer, more democratic local governments.
Paulina Trujillo
Paulina is a senior majoring in political science and women’s studies with a minor in mass communications. Following the post-Roe era in the United States, there has been a shift toward reproductive policies leaning more towards criminalization and away from legalization. Conversely, Latin American countries have been witnessing a trend moving in the opposite direction, shifting away from criminalization and towards legalization. She will explore, across generations, under what conditions Latinx women will support progressive reproductive policies. These conditions include religiosity, education level, age, origin country, Latinx identity, and years in the United States.
Anaum Virani
Anaum is a junior majoring in political science and religion with a minor in economics. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jodi Lane, Anaum’s research explores the possibility of expanding civil citation and expungement programs for youth offenders in Florida. Inspired by her volunteer experiences in a juvenile court diversion program, Anaum aspires to challenge punitive approaches to youth misconduct and advocate for a more compassionate legal framework. Her research centers on Escambia County, where diversion advocacy efforts significantly reduced direct file prosecutions. Anaum’s work promises to illuminate effective strategies that local jurisdictions and county courts can use to divert minors from the formal justice system.