Bob Graham Center for Public Service

UF Washington DC Internship Deadline
2021-05-03 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Through the partnership of its Federal Relations Team and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the University of Florida offers exciting opportunities to work in the nation’s capital each spring, summer, and fall semester.
Applications for the Fall 2021 internships are now open. Please read through the information on this page before beginning your application.
Deadline: May 3, 2021
Learn more at this link.

Data & Democracy: Sylvester Johnson
2021-04-23 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Reitz Union Rion Ballroom, 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
As part of the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s multi-year series on ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere’, please join us for a talk given by Sylvester Johnson of Virginia Tech’s Center for the Humanities and Department of Religion and Culture Friday April 23rd, 2021 on “Will Robots Feel Pain? The Politics of Race, the Governance of Technology, and the Future of Humanity.”
More Info Here On the Data & Democracy Series
Videos

Servant Leadership Panel Discussion
2021-04-16 15:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
The value of servant leadership — where leaders seek first to serve — has been a hallmark of UF President Kent Fuchs’ call for increased devotion to community service and learning guided by local leaders.
On Friday, April 16 we had a panel discussion on continuing to develop aspects of servant leadership in our individual lives and in the greater Gainesville community. Panelists included UF President Kent Fuchs, UF Assoc. Provost Angela Lindner and Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce President Eric Godet.
The panel was moderated by UF College of Journalism and Communications professor Ted Spiker.
The public was encouraged to attend, and participate in the discussion about the positive effects that practicing servant leadership provides for communities and individuals.

Careers in Public Service: Rick Mullaney
2021-04-15 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
This was the third and final session in the Spring 2021 series about preparing for a career in public service. The featured speaker was Professor Rick Mullaney, University of Florida graduate and director of the Public Policy Institute at Jacksonville University.
Attendees spoke directly with Professor Mullaney via Zoom to learn about and ask questions regarding law school, internships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of public service.
Mullaney is the founding director of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute.
He is also a political analyst for WJXT Channel 4 and WOKV, 104.5 FM in Jacksonville, and host of a radio program, Policy Matters, on WJCT 89.9 FM.
Professor Mullaney is the founding director of the Institute, which prepares Jacksonville University students for leadership and diverse career opportunities in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The institute offers four graduate degree programs in public policy, including a Master in Public Policy degree and three dual degree programs, the MPP-JD, MPP-MBA, and MPP-Marine Science.
Mullaney received a bachelor’s in political science at the University of Florida (1973-1977), graduating Phi Beta Kappa and first in the College of Arts and Sciences. He also graduated from law school at UF (1977-1980).
In over 40 years in the private and public sectors, Mullaney has represented diverse public entities, been involved in numerous public policy initiatives and political campaigns, and lectured on legal and public policy topics in more than 20 states. He has worked in private practice and as a prosecutor. For 20 years, he served as legal counsel and advisor to Jacksonville’s consolidated government and Jacksonville mayors Ed Austin, John Delaney, and John Peyton.
Mullaney has received the Prosecutor of the Year Award for the state of Florida and the Lawyer of the Year Award for the City of Jacksonville. He ran for Mayor of Jacksonville in 2011.
Mullaney serves on numerous non-profit boards, including the World Affairs Council, Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors, and the Government and Public Policy Institute for the University of the Bahamas. He is past Board Chair for Gateway Community Services and the Saint Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation. Mullaney is a member of Leadership Jacksonville (1988) and Leadership Florida (2001).
Videos

Children Under Fire: Book Talk with Author John Woodrow Cox
2021-04-08 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the College of Journalism and Communications hosted a discussion with Pulitzer Prize finalist and UF grad John Woodrow Cox about his book Children Under Fire: An American Crisis on April 8, 2021.
The book is an intimate account of the devastating effects of gun violence on our nation’s children, and is based on Cox’s acclaimed series for The Washington Post, which draws on four years of reporting.
The book has been praised for its depth of reporting and fresh insights for common-sense solutions.
Cox is a staff writer at The Washington Post. He was a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in feature writing and has won Scripps Howard’s Ernie Pyle Award for Human Interest Storytelling, the Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma, and Columbia Journalism School’s Meyer “Mike” Berger Award for human-interest reporting, among other honors.
He attended the University of Florida, where he has taught narrative writing and currently serves on the Department of Journalism’s Advisory Council.
Here is a sampling of reviews:
“Cox shines a light on America’s gun violence crisis through deeply personal and profoundly affecting stories of the children who live with its everlasting repercussions.” — Newsweek
“This heartbreakingly beautiful work brings us into the minds of children like Ava & Tyshaun, helping us to better understand that the scars of gun violence are not just physical. Their unforgettable stories are sure to inspire calls for action, as the book makes an eloquent case that the time has come to pass meaningful reforms to address America’s gun violence crisis.” — Former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
“Children Under Fire is a major accomplishment. Anyone who cares about the problem of guns in America—and we all should—will find in John Woodrow Cox’s work fresh insights and suggestions for common-sense solutions. This deeply reported, impressive book is sure to be one of the most important of the year.” — Dan Rather, journalist and author of What Unites Us
Buy the book: https://www.bkstr.com/floridastore/product/children-under-fire-211901-1
Videos

Sustainability into Practice: Climate Change & Community Resiliency
2021-04-01 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
The final piece in the three-part “Sustainability Into Practice” series, hosted this spring by UF’s Office of Sustainability and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, in partnership with the Florida Climate Institute and UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute took place on April 1, 2021.
Throughout this series, we’ve heard from local and national experts on the ways that environmental and social issues, including climate change, housing, human health and racial justice are interconnected in Florida and beyond.
These same communities are already feeling the impacts of climate change and many are working to develop robust plans to build up social and community resilience. Resilience is defined as the ability of a community to anticipate, adapt, and flourish in the face of change. With climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, severe storms, flooding and increasing temperatures, it is even more crucial to use the lens of resilience to anticipate immediate hazards and long-term effects in ways that center equity and community.
Panel members were:

Dr. Jason von Meding

Associate Professor, M.E Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER)

Dr. Jason von Meding is an Associate Professor in Rinker School and a founding faculty member of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER). He is a researcher, educator and communicator in disaster studies who joined the University of Florida in 2019. Dr. von Meding’s research is primarily community-centered and highly participatory, focusing on how injustice and inequality are the fundamental drivers of risk in society, and therefore shape disaster impacts. Prior to UF, Dr. von Meding established the Disaster and Development Research Group at the University of Newcastle, Australia. At UF he delivers courses about the history of shelter, housing and sustainable construction. He is a Coordinator of CIB Working Commission 120- Disasters and the Built Environment and a co-host of the Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast.

Lolita Jackson

Executive Director of Communications & Sustainable Cities at Sustainable Development Capital

Lolita Jackson is the Executive Director of Communications & Sustainable Cities for Sustainable Development Capital, LLP, a billion-dollar London-based climate finance and investment firm. Lolita previously worked for the NYC Mayor’s Office for 15 years in a variety of roles, and until March 2021 she served as the Special Advisor for Climate Policy & Programs. Lolita is a 2020-21 Visiting Fellow at Penn Perry World House in the areas of climate diplomacy and climate finance. She is also a professional singer, appearing on four continents and at Carnegie Hall. She is a 1989 alumna of the Penn School of Engineering, majoring in Applied Science with a concentration in Chemical Engineering.

Lindsay Kallman

Co-founder and Executive Director for Community Spring Gainesville, Public Health Specialist and Social Justice Organizer

Lindsay Kallman is a public health specialist, activist, social justice organizer, and co-founder of Community Spring. Community Spring uses a direct job-creation model to provide people experiencing poverty with the space to recognize and learn to effectively use their individual and collective power. She brings more than a decade of experience working with non-profits where she has built programs and campaigns around education, public health, and reproductive justice. She specializes in communications, program management, fundraising, and capacity building. Lindsay is a third-generation Gainesville native with an M.P.H. in global health epidemiology from The George Washington University and a B.A. in religion from Davidson College.

Dr. Marjorie Prokosch

Postdoctoral Associate in UF Disasters, Trust & Social Change Lab, M.S. and Ph.D. Experimental Psychology

Marjorie Prokosch is a postdoctoral researcher and associate in the University of Florida’s Disasters, Trust & Social Change Lab, she is also affiliated with Florida Institute of Built Environmental Resilience (FIBER). Prior to UF, Dr. Prokosch worked at the Tulane Evolution and Social Cognition Lab as a postdoctoral associate. Last fall she returned to Florida to join Drs. Jason von Meding and Colin Smith in creating the Disasters, Trust, and Social Change Lab. Dr. Prokosch studies social and health-related decision-making, with an emphasis on how environmental threats and individual conditions motivate perceptions and behaviors. Specific areas of interest include risk perception, self-regulation, and close relationships. In her current role at UF, she is examining how environmental hazards (like hurricanes) and climate change threats intersect with social inequality to impact decision-making.

Videos

Application Deadline: City of Gainesville Fellowships
2021-03-21 23:58 - 23:59 (America/New_York)
Applications for the 2021-22 cohort of the City of Gainesville fellowship are now open.
We are recruiting from all majors at the University of Florida for positions in graphic design, data visualization, community development, full stack web prototyping, community development, and policy research.
Applications close Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Learn complete details and apply at this link.

2021 Women in Leadership Forum
2021-03-18 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
The 2021 Joan Forrest Women in Leadership Forum took place on March 18, 2021 and was hosted by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the Graham Center Student Fellows. This year’s panel featured accomplished women in the legal, health, and nonprofit sectors.
Panel members were:

Alexious Butler

Alexious Butler is a career foreign service officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She is a diplomat in residence at the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse College.

Gina Duncan

Gina Duncan is state director of transgender equality for Equality Florida. She is a national corporate trainer and speaker specializing in LGBTQ dynamics in the workplace.

The Hon. Myriam Irizarry

Myriam Irizarry is a retired Florida Circuit Court Judge and Pinellas County's first Hispanic judge. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2015, Judge Irizarry was general counsel for the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court, and also worked as a defense attorney in New Jersey.

Dr. Marian Limacher

Dr. Marian Limacher is Professor Emerita in the College of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Florida. She was named a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians and American Heart Association.

The panel will be moderated by Liliam Clavijo, president, Graham Center Student Fellows.
Videos

NYT Science Columnist Carl Zimmer Presentation
2021-03-17 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | UF College of Journalism, FL, 32611, United States
On March 17 at noon, join the UF College of Journalism’s Science Journalist in Residence presentation by Carl Zimmer on March , science columnist for The New York Times. Over the past year, he has been one of the Times’ leading reporters on the science of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zimmer reports from the frontiers of biology, where scientists are expanding our understanding of life. New York Magazine has called him “the country’s most respected science journalist.”
The talk is free and open to the public. Register for the Zoom talk at this link:
https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAqcu-vpjIoGdA6irBj_GDHWWwvFSL_30tb?fbclid=IwAR3kywfSjyGeg4SuibKPZI6OEyxjDpmjAqpe7G3_8AmifbFHbPM_JQWkQNw

Gainesville City Commission Election Day
2021-03-16
It’s Election Day for two seats on the Gainesville City Commission.
Polling places, including the Reitz Union and the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 16.
Unlike early voting, voters must vote in the polling place to which they are assigned. To find your polling place, use Alachua County’s Precinct Finder.

Early Voting Now Open at the Reitz
2021-03-09 21:00 - 2021-03-17 18:00 (America/New_York)
Early voting for the City of Gainesville Commission election will be from Friday, March 5, through Saturday, March 13. Locations are open every day, including Saturday and Sunday.
The locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Locations

J. Wayne Reitz Union (655 Reitz Union Drive, UF Campus, Gainesville)
Supervisor of Elections Office (515 N. Main St., Suite 100, Gainesville)
Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center (1028 NE 14th St., Gainesville)
Millhopper Branch Library (3145 NW 43rd St., Gainesville)

BGC x OPA: Diversity on the Hill
2021-03-09 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
“Diversity on the Hill” took place March 9, 2021.
The panel featured professionals who spoke about their work and experience with furthering diversity, inclusion and representation in Congress. Students asked about initiatives to diversify government and opportunities that may be available to them. Some of our presenters included UF alumni who spoke about their experience at UF and their own professional development in DC.

Our speakers included:
Jeyben Castro – United States House of Representatives Office of Diversity & Inclusion Deputy Director
Dennis Gonzalez – Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Director of Leadership Programs
Herline Mathieu – Vice President, Congressional Black Associates (CBA)
Jose Miranda – Senior Government Relations Associate for ACCT, UF Alum, former HSA president, AHA Board member
Anthony Reyes – UF Alum, Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association (CAPASA)
Maria Robayo – Congressional Hispanic Staff Association (CHSA) Programming Director

Videos

Careers in Public Service: Kasey Lewis, Gov't Relations Specialist
2021-03-05 14:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
This is the second in the Spring 2021 series about preparing for your career in public service. The featured speaker was Kasey Lewis, a University of Florida graduate and Government Relations Specialist in Tallahassee.
Attendees spoke directly with Kasey via Zoom to learn about and ask questions regarding internships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of public service.
During her time as an undergraduate, Kasey was selected to participate in the Bob Graham Center for Public Service’s Tallahassee Internship Program, this experience led her to discover her passion for state government and public policy making. Since graduating in 2015, she has served as a Legislative Assistant to State Representative Matt Willhite, and later to State Senator Lori Berman. In 2019, Kasey joined Lewis, Longman and Walker, a statewide law and lobby firm as Legislative Coordinator. In her current role as a Government Relations Specialist, she assists the Legislative Team in representing clients before the Florida Legislature and Executive Branch.
Videos

Sustainability Into Practice: Climate Change, Health & Equity
2021-03-04 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York)
The second in a three-part series hosted by UF’s Office of Sustainability and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Florida Climate Institute and UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute took place on March 4, 2021.
The past year has clearly illuminated challenges to public health and systemic equity that we must address as we continue to see worsening impacts from climate change on global and local levels. In Florida, extreme temperatures, increased flooding, severe weather and sea level rise have significant implications for human health including exposure to vector-borne diseases, disruptions in food and water systems, and breakdowns of disaster recovery structures.
By understanding these complex relationships, we can develop and implement better ways to support the capacity of public health to center equity, manage health impacts, and create a healthy and sustainable future for all.
Expert panelists discussed the ways that climate change and health issues, as well as potential solutions, are interconnected.
Moderated by Sarah L. McKune, MPH, PhD

Dr. Sarah McKune

MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor, UF Department of Environmental and Global Health, Center for African Studies

Dr. McKune’s research investigates the complex, human and natural system dynamics – such as hygiene, livestock ownership, climate change, race/ethnicity, and gender/power dynamics - that affect human health outcomes. This work largely focuses on child growth and nutritional outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa, however Dr. McKune’s work has contributed to understanding of HIV/AIDS, maternal health outcomes, Ebola, and, most recently, COVID-19.

Dr. Song Liang

Term Professor & Associate Professor, UF Department of Environmental & Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, & Emerging Pathogens Institute

Dr. Liang’s research areas include environmental epidemiology, risk assessment of environmentally-mediated tropical diseases, human health impact of environmental changes and disease burden. Over the past 10 years, he has received funding from NIH, NSF, USEPA, USDA, and USAID to conduct research work along this line. Dr. Liang has authored and co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles in journals including the Lancet, PNAS, BWHO, PLoS Medicine, Nature Climate Change/Communications. Dr. Liang received his PhD in environmental health sciences and epidemiology at University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Sadie Ryan

Associate Professor, UF Medical Geography, Co-Director, Florida Climate Institute, PI, Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) Lab

Dr. Ryan’s research interests focus on medical geography and ecology at the human-wildlife interface, particularly where it pertains to disease ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management. Her studies include using methods from landscape ecology (GIS, remote sensing, geospatial science), quantitative ecology, and epidemiology to analyze landscape change, health outcomes, and the impact of anthropogenic changes, including climate change. Dr. Ryan serves as a co-director of the Florida Climate Institute and is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) Lab. Projects focus on conservation biology, wildlife, and disease ecology, through a lens of landscape ecology and climate impacts.

Dr. Cheryl Holder

MD, FACP, Interim Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Community Initiatives at FIU College of Medicine and Co-Chair of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action

She is board certified in Internal Medicine and has dedicated her medical career to serving underserved populations. She has served as Medical Director for Jackson Health System’s North Dade Health Center, where she developed an HIV care and treatment program with funding through the Ryan White Care Act. Holder has participated in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute of Health advisory and programmatic review panels for HIV treatment and vaccine research. At FIU, her focus is on teaching medical students about working in underserved communities and promoting diversity in the health professions through pipeline programs. Holder is Director for the “Period One Primary Care Preceptorship.”

Videos

2021-2022 Gainesville Fellowship Info Session
2021-03-02 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online, FL, United States
This event occurred on March 2, 2021. To watch a recording of the info session please visit our YouTube channel at this link.
Gainesville needs you! Join us to learn about our 2021-2022 City of Gainesville Fellowships and how you can apply!
Fellowships are in the areas of Visual Graphic Design, Full Stack Development Prototyping, Data Visualization, Community-Based Research, Community Development, and Policy Research. For more information on the fellowship, please visit our page.
The info session will feature:

Adi Basu-Dutta, Data Visualization Intern (2020-2021 Fellow)
Zeriah Folston, Policy Oversight Administrator, City of Gainesville
Karissa Raskin, Civic Collaboration Specialist, City of Gainesville
Morgan Spicer, Policy Research Assistant (2019-2020 Fellow)

We hope to see you there!

Data & Democracy: Ruha Benjamin
2021-02-25 16:00 - 17:30 UTC | Zoom
As part of the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s multi-year series on ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere’, please join us for a talk given by Ruha Benjamin of Princeton University and Department of African American Studies Thursday February 25th, 2021 on “Race to the Future? Reimagining the Default Settings of Technology & Society.”
More Info Here On the Data & Democracy Series

Community Conversations: Voter Suppression with Dr. Noll
2021-02-24 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Graham Center Student Fellows and the Gator chapter of the NAACP today at 6 pm for an educational community conversation on voter suppression with Dr. Steve Noll, master lecturer in the UF history department. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in an open discussion about voter suppression.

Working in Nation's Capital: DC Internships
2021-02-22 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Working in the government and public administration sector offers a diverse range of employment options for Gators.
Working in our Nation’s Capital is a new career development program to introduce University of Florida students to a variety of opportunities available in federal government. The event on Monday, Feb. 22 includes three panels comprised of individuals who work on Capitol Hill, at political organizations and as student interns in Washington, D.C.
Internships in Washington DC runs from 3-4 pm. RSVP at career.ufl.edu/events

Working in Nation's Capital: Political Careers
2021-02-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Working in the government and public administration sector offers a diverse range of employment options for Gators.
Working in our Nation’s Capital is a new career development program to introduce University of Florida students to a variety of opportunities available in federal government. The event on Monday, Feb. 22 includes three panels comprised of individuals who work on Capitol Hill, at political organizations and as student interns in Washington, D.C.
Political Careers runs from 1-2 pm. RSVP at career.ufl.edu/events

Working in Nation's Capital: Congressional Careers
2021-02-22 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Working in the government and public administration sector offers a diverse range of employment options for Gators.
Working in our Nation’s Capital is a new career development program to introduce University of Florida students to a variety of opportunities available in federal government. The event on Monday, Feb. 22 includes three panels comprised of individuals who work on Capitol Hill, at political organizations and as student interns in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Careers runs from 11 am to noon. RSVP at career.ufl.edu/events

Voter Registration Deadline
2021-02-16
Attention all University of Florida students, faculty and staff:
On March 16, 2021, the City of Gainesville holds a regular election to elect two commissioners to the City of Gainesville Commission.
The deadline to register is Tuesday, Feb. 16. Update your registration, or register to vote at UF TurboVote.
On the ballot are District 1 and at-large seats. Visit Who’s on the Ballot.
Early voting is from Friday, March 5, through Saturday, March 13, at the Reitz Union location. The location is open from 9 am to 6 pm.

Connie Mack Discusses His Political Memoir
2021-02-04 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Connie Mack III will discuss his recently published book, Citizen Mack: Politics, an Honorable Calling.
Carl Van Ness, University historian, will conduct the interview with the senator. The event is free, but registration is required: http://ufl.to/citizenmack.
Citizen Mack is his memoir of an 18-year journey to and from Capitol Hill. In 1982, Mack left a successful banking career to run for the House of Representatives, where he served three terms before running for one of Florida’s seats in the U.S. Senate. He served two terms as senator, then chose not to run for reelection. On returning to the private sector, Mack became chairman, and subsequently chairman emeritus, of the H. Lee Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center in Tampa.
Videos

The Washington Center Info Session
2021-02-03 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
The Washington Center will host a virtual info session for all students from the state of Florida on Feb. 3 at noon to provide an overview of its academic internship program and career development opportunities. It’s a great way to find out how you can intern in Washington, D.C. or remotely, while earning academic credit on campus and receiving up to $9,000 in state scholarships.
Register for event at this link:https://info.twc.edu/fl-info-session-02-03?utm_campaign=Spring%202021%20Recruitment%20Events&utm_source=Liaison

Deadline: Future of Florida Summit Applications
2021-01-29 17:00 UTC | Online, FL, United States
The annual Future of Florida Summit, hosted by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida, gathers Florida’s future leaders from colleges and universities across the state to explore the most important issues facing us today.
The 2021 Summit topic will be Exploring Healthcare Policy. The Summit will be held virtually.
Students from all Florida universities and colleges are invited to apply to be apply for the Summit. Sixty scholars will be selected from the applicants. There is no charge to attend.
The Summit will feature one pre-session on public policy on February 6. The remainder will take place February 13 and 14.
All applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 29, 2021. Accepted students will receive notification and group assignments by Monday, February 1.
Apply Now!

Sustainability Into Practice: Climate Change, Race & Housing
2021-01-26 18:00 - 19:15 UTC
Please join us for the first in a three-part series this spring hosted by UF’s Office of Sustainability and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, in partnership with the Florida Climate Institute.
Attendees will hear from experts on the ways that the impacts of climate change, historical racial injustice and housing equity are connected. Attendees will learn ways they can take action in their studies, careers and everyday lives to affect larger change.
The panel of experts will be moderated by Sekita Grant, Climate Justice Consultant and Environmental Policy Strategist. Panelists include:

Sekita Grant

Sekita Grant is an environmental policy and social justice strategist. She is the Vice President of Programs with The Solutions Project overseeing their grantmaking, policy research, and impact strategy support for more than 100 frontline leaders innovating in models for a regenerative economy across the country and in Puerto Rico. She has been a consultant supporting change-makers in equitable climate policy and narratives and worked previously as a Climate Justice Fellow with the Emerson Collective and recently completed a fellowship with the Florida Sea Grant and University of Florida Law Conservation Clinic.

Zelalem Adefris

Zelalem Adefris is the vice president of policy and advocacy at Catalyst Miami, an organization focused on identifying and solving issues adversely affecting low-wealth communities throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida. Zelalem received a bachelor's degree in community health from Brown University and a master’s degree in global environmental health from Emory University. Zelalem joined Catalyst Miami in 2016, initially directing the organization's climate resilience programs and advocacy work. Currently, she oversees Catalyst Miami's Policy and Engagement department. Her previous work experiences include environmental justice organizing at the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island and conducting emergency preparedness research at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cleary Larkin

Cleary Larkin is an Assistant Scholar in the School of Architecture at the University of Florida. She holds a Bachelor’s of Architecture from the University of Arkansas and a Master’s of Historic Preservation from Columbia University. After a professional career as an architect and planner in Virginia and New York City, she earned a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on the intersections of architecture, preservation and planning, both in historical and contemporary practice, and historic land-use decisions as a source of inequity in communities. As a scholar with the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience, Cleary leads the Florida Resilient Cities program, a new initiative that helps communities across Florida develop the capacity to be more prepared for, and more resilient to, greater risk.

Pia Palomino

Pia Palomino is the community organizer for Family Action Network Movement (FANM), a non-profit organization based in Little Haiti. Family Action Network Movement focuses on empowering low to moderate income families socially, financially, and politically in order to give them the tools to transform their community. Pia received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sustainability, from Florida International University. She joined FANM during the pandemic, and her work has been focused on the issue of environmental justice, climate gentrification, sea level rise, and heat equity.

Anne Ray

Anne Ray is the manager of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, a free, online source of data on affordable housing needs and supply. Since joining the Shimberg Center in 2001, she also has performed research on public housing, preservation of affordable rental housing, energy efficiency in the affordable housing stock, the housing needs of persons with disabilities, farmworker housing, homelessness among Florida children and youth, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Ms. Ray is responsible for producing the Center’s triennial Statewide Rental Market Study and has co-authored numerous reports on statewide and local housing needs. Ms. Ray received a BA in History from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Videos

Data & Democracy: Catherine D’Ignazio
2021-01-26 16:00 - 17:30 UTC | Zoom
As part of the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s multi-year series on ‘Rethinking the Public Sphere’, please join us for a talk given by Catherine D’Ignazio of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Department of Urban Studies and Planning Tuesday, January 26th 2021 on “Data Feminism.”
More Info Here On the Data & Democracy Series
Videos

Careers in Public Service: Amb. Dennis Hays
2021-01-21 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
This event occurred on January 21, 2021 . To watch a recording of the event visit our YouTube channel at this link.
Please join us for the first in a series of talks this spring about preparing for your career in public service. Our featured speaker is the Honorable Dennis K. Hays, former U.S. ambassador to Suriname and a 1976 graduate of the University of Florida.
You will have the chance to speak directly with Ambassador Hays via Zoom and learn about internships, fellowships, and job opportunities in the field of public service.
Ambassador Hays joined the U.S. Foreign Service upon graduation and has served overseas in the Caribbean, Africa, and South America. He has also worked as an advance man for presidential and vice-presidential visits overseas, and was twice elected president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the union and professional voice of the Foreign Service worldwide. Register now!
Videos

Inauguration Watch and Discussion
2021-01-20 11:30 - 13:30 UTC
This event occurred on January 20, 2021.
The U.S. Presidential Inauguration is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of the U.S. presidency and provide for a peaceful transition of power.
Join the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and UF’s Department of Multicultural and Diversity Affairs on Wednesday, January 20 at 11:30 am for a livestream of the ceremonies. Following President-elect Joe Biden’s swearing in, a panel of University of Florida political scientists and historians will share their observations and analysis of the key events of the 59th Presidential Inauguration.
Panelists will help viewers understand the historical context of the ceremony, as well as provide their overall impressions of the effectiveness of the inaugural address. Viewers will have the chance to ask the panelists questions via the online Zoom platform.
Items discussed may include:

The role of the federal government in addressing national issues
Principles of the federal government and ideals referenced
Specific issues and priorities discussed in President Biden’s inaugural speech
The historical significance of the nation’s first woman vice president

Panelists included:
Dr. Richard Conley, Assoc Prof, Dept of Political Science, University of Florida
Dr. Paul Ortiz, Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, University of Florida
Dr. Rik Stevenson, Visiting Asst Prof, African American Studies, University of Florida
* The stream will begin at 11:30 am but the moderation and program start time are contingent on the timing of the national ceremony.
Videos

UF Spring Classes Begin
2021-01-11 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Classes for the 2021 Spring Semester begin in person on the UF campus following the transition to remote learning implemented in response to the COVID pandemic.

Fall 2020 Final Exam Week
2020-12-12 - 2020-12-18
Official Final Exam week for Fall 2020 school year.
