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.
MLK Celebration Keynote Address: Tessa Thompson
UF MLK Celebration is a campus-wide celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his commitment to social justice through educational programs and service initiatives that are designed to empower individuals to leverage their strengths, passions, and talents to better the lives of others. This year's Keynote Address was given by Tessa Thompson, the lead …
Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 with Kathleen Dupes Hawk
The 1980 Mariel Boatlift episode was a profound event in American history as the state of Florida was forced to respond to the sudden arrival of more than thirty thousand Cuban refugees in Key West. On Tuesday, Jan. 27, Kathleen Dupes Hawk and Adolfo Leyva de Varona, authors of Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980: …
The Price of Poverty: Impacts on Women and Children with Dr. Nancy Hardt
Dr. Nancy Hardt has dedicated decades to teaching hundreds of patients, medical students, political leaders and the community about the causes of health care disparities for children and families. She was instrumental in the development of the Family Data Center, which brings multidisciplinary data sources into one secure dashboard. On Tuesday, Feb. 3 Hardt gave …
Should PETA use sex and stars to sell a cause? with Dan Mathews
Should PETA use sex and stars to sell a cause? Does PETA go too far in its campaigns? PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews gave a riveting talk at the Bob Graham Center on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015 in the Pugh Hall Ocora on the organization’s provocative tactics. View photographs from the event in the …
Foreman Lecture on Race and Politics with Dr. Paula McClain
This year's Forman Lecture on Race and Politics featured Dr. Paula McClain who gave a riviting discussion on the findings of her latest research, Black Americans and Latino Immigrants in a Southern City: Friendly Neighbors or Economic Competitors? The talk was on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora. Paula D. McClain is …
Moving Florida’s Children Forward with David Lawrence and Vance Aloupis
David Lawrence and Vance Aloupis discussed the history and progress of the Children's Movement of Florida at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. The Children’s Movement is a non-partisan grassroots organization working towards the increased investment in Florida’s children during the first five years of life. The 2014 Citizen of the Year and Young …
Seven Years a Hostage with Terry Anderson
In March 1985, Associated Press reporter Terry Anderson was abducted off the streets in Beirut and held at the mercy of his Hezbollah Shiite captors. He lived for nearly seven years in chains wondering fearfully if each day would be his last. But his spirit soared beyond captivity, and he never gave up, nor did …
Martha Barnett and Bob Graham – A Conversation on Citizenship
Former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and legal pioneer and Knight Fellow Martha Barnett discussed the importance of civic engagement on Wednesday, March 18 in the Pugh Hall Ocora. Barnett, former American Bar Association president and retired senior partner at Holland and Knight, is the Bob Graham Center Knight Fellow in-Residence for spring …
President Jimmy Carter
In a last-minute switch, former President Jimmy Carter stepped in for his wife Rosalynn Carter (who came down with a bug) and appeared at the University of Florida Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The topic of the speech remained as planned, a discussion on mental illness. President Carter spoke about his wife's book, Within …
China: Doing Business with the Giant with Kamal Latham
How do you "do business" with the second largest economy in the world when political, economic, and cultural dynamics are quite different than those in the United States? Kamal I. Latham - a former career diplomat at U.S. Embassy Beijing who helped negotiate a multi-billion dollar trade deal with China - provided an insightful discussion …