The Bob Graham Center for Public Service provides a wide variety of programs for students and the larger public on topics related to public service, public leadership and civic engagement.
The Great White Hope: Donald Trump, Race, and the Crisis of American Politics
On April 5 at 6 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora, Professor Parker discussed his forthcoming book: The Great White Hope: Donald Trump, Race, and the Crisis of American Politics. Pointing to data on voting behavior and attitudes from the Voter Study Group, Parker contended that anxiety over immigration and terrorism, not the economy, are what drove …
Year of the Child
Community activists have deemed 2018 to be “the Year of the Child” in Alachua County due to two initiatives on the November ballot that are aimed at helping children. A panel discussion was held April 10 at 6 p.m. at Pugh Hall on the University of Florida campus to discuss these initiatives, the issues leading …
Explore More: The Internet of Things
By connecting many billions of smart devices, the internet of things (IoT) will transform how we live, learn, work and play. Welcome to the next industrial revolution, soon to become a multi-trillion-dollar industry. IoT will soon impact every aspect of human life. At 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6 in the Pugh Hall Ocora, John Harris, …
Corporate Conscience: Bold Stands from the Patagonia Brand
Can bold stands be smart business? At Patagonia, working to defend the environment and fight climate change is not just a marketing strategy for its wilds-loving customers, but part of the company’s core work. Using business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis is written into the company’s mission. On Tuesday, Sept. 18 …
An Efficient and Environmentally Friendly America
Former Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell spoke at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. Rendell examined the importance of developing clean energy alternatives in order to create a more efficient and environmentally-friendly America. The prominent politico also discussed the need to make government more responsive to the public and commonsense political …
The Widow Spy
She was one of the first women to be assigned to Moscow as a CIA agent during the Cold War. Martha Shogi Peterson recounted her harrowing tale at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. From the tragic death of her husband, a CIA agent, to her own 30 year career …
The 12 Amendments
In April, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), a 37-member panel that meets every 20 years to review the state’s constitution, added eight proposed amendments to the November ballot. These revisions were added to the five referendums already slated for the ballot either by the Florida Legislature or through citizen initiatives. One amendment has since been …
Defusing Hate: Counteracting Dangerous Speech
“Any number over zero cannot be divided.” The Bob Graham Center hosted an open discussion with OverZero Executive Director Rachel Brown at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. History tells us that genocide and mass atrocities are commonly preceded by “dangerous speech.” Brown has gained a deep understanding of what incites …
Election of 2018: What’s At Stake
The 2018 election may well be the most momentous midterm contest in decades. On Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora, Glenn Altschuler, dean of the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, and The Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Professor of American Studies at Cornell University, set the context of the election, …
Son of Real Florida: Stories from my Life
Jeff Klinkenberg hates Florida Man. At least, he hates the hashtag. “Klink,” who spent four decades covering Florida culture for the Tampa Bay Times, says #FloridaMan is a fake, a distraction from what real Florida Men and Florida Women value about our state – and from the work ahead to better this beautiful, flawed place. For nearly …