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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.

Medical Marijuana Forum #FLMedPot

The debate over medical marijuana is coming to the University of Florida in a panel discussion later this month. The Pot Predicament: Is Marijuana Good Medicine? was held Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora.  It featured a lively panel discussion on Amendment 2, the proposed Florida constitutional amendment that would legalize medical

West African Ebola Epidemic – Panel Discussion

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa is breaking records as the largest epidemic of Ebolavirus in history. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the reports of more than 3,000 Ebola-related deaths may be underestimated. The first case to be diagnosed in the United States was recently reported on Sept. 24. Ebola virus was first identified in 1976, but previous outbreaks

Steve Baines: Religious Liberty – What it REALLY Means

Steve Baines is Assistant Field Director for Religious Outreach of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation. AU works in the courts, in Congress and state legislatures, at the White House and in the arena of public opinion to address an

The American Jewish Community: Current Pictures, Future Possibilities with Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz

The Pew Research Center’s 2013 Survey of  U.S. Jews has sparked widespread discussion about the current state of the American Jewish community and its future direction. The survey’s results paint a picture of a diverse community, with alternative signs of continuing cohesion, assimilation and division. Given today’s patterns, what might the future look like?  Laurence

ISIS and the Question of Islamic Militancy: A Public Conversation

On Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora, The Center for Global Islamic Studies, in cooperation with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the University of Florida International Center, hosted a panel discussion on ISIS and the Question of Islamic Militancy. The rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq

I Am A Millennial

The Hispanic Student Association, Students Taking Action Against Racism and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service hosted "I Am A Millennial: The Importance of the Youth & Minority Vote" on Thursday, Oct. 23 in Pugh Hall Ocora. A diverse group of panelists discussed the importance of the student vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

Hedrick Smith: Who Stole the American Dream?

Hedrick Smith spoke at the Bob Graham Center on Wednesday, October 29 at 6 p.m. in Pugh Hall. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning former New York Times reporter and editor and Emmy award-winning producer/correspondent, discussed the perspectives articulated in his best-seller, “Who Stole the American Dream.” The book is a startling and revealing portrait of the

Science Journalist Jennie Erin Smith

This fall, the College of Journalism and Communications launched its Science Journalist in-Residence program to bring some of the nation’s most accomplished science writers to UF. On Nov. 5 in Pugh Hall, the Bob Graham Center co-sponsored the first lecture by Jennie Erin Smith titled “Reptiles, Smugglers and Skullduggery: Environmental Reporting in the Underworld.” Smith

2014 Election Wrap-Up with Susan MacManus and Dan Smith

Two of Florida's most prominent political commentators, Susan MacManus and Dan Smith, discussed the results and implications of the 2014 elections at the Bob Graham Center on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in Pugh Hall. Dr. Susan MacManus, Florida’s most-quoted political scientist, is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of South Florida in

Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist: Lucy Morgan

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Lucy Morgan spoke at the Bob Graham Center on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. Mike Foley, master lecturer, College of Journalism and Communications, conducted a one-on-one interview with Morgan to discuss the importance of investigative reporting. Considered a "modern-day muckraker," Morgan discussed her experiences writing about lobbyists and politicians in