Bob Graham Center for Public Service

Balancing First Amendment Rights with Misinformation on Social Media
2024-03-07 14:00 - 15:15 (America/New_York) | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
Balancing First Amendment Rights with Misinformation on Social Media is the second in the “Policy Over Pastries” series of civil discourse discussions sponsored by the Gators Vote Civic Engagement Cabinet. The purpose of the series is to pair leaders of campus student organizations with subject-matter experts and foster a productive yet relaxed small-group discussion about today’s most pressing issues.
Refreshments will be served. Seats are limited. We ask that you register before March 6.

Register to Attend
Facilitators
Dr. Matt Jacobs is an associate professor of U.S. and international history as well as the director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. He teaches courses on international politics and history. His research focuses on U.S.-Middle East relations.
Hubert “Hub” Brown serves as Dean of the College of Journalism and Communications. Brown has more than 15 years experience in reporting, producing and anchoring, for commercial local news and in public television.
Professor Janet Coats serve as the Managing Director of the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology. With leadership roles in news organizations and as a Pulitzer Prize juror, she’s recognized for expertise in disinformation, media entrepreneurship, and ethics.

Primer on Primaries: How the Primary Process Affects America Today
2024-03-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Ever wondered how party primaries began? Curious about how the primary process affects America today? The Bob Graham Center hosted a dynamic panel discussion on U.S. presidential preference primaries and the current political contest featuring experts in elections, journalism, and history on March 19, 2024.
Panelists were Matt Jacobs, Ph.D., Myiah Hutchens, Ph.D., and Suzanne Robbins, Ph.D. They discussed how primaries first began, how they’ve changed over time and changed the electoral process, and what to expect from the future of presidential nominations. Viewers will take a deep dive into the political strategies within primaries and the role the media plays in covering these contests.
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2024 Joan S. Forrest Women in Leadership Forum
2024-03-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Bob Graham Center Student Fellows joined with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service to host the 2024 Joan S. Forrest Women in Leadership Forum on March 21, 2024 at 6 pm in the Pugh Hall Ocora.
Panelists were:
Ellen Connelly Taaffe, Women’s Leadership Director at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, has a distinguished career spanning Fortune 500 companies and independent board directorships. Now a professor at Northwestern, she shares her expertise through writing, speaking engagements, and her popular book, The Mirrored Door.
Mary Kate Flynn, UF Health Operations Manager, has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives like Florida’s first mobile stroke treatment unit. With a background in project coordination and executive support, she brings strategic vision to her role, actively contributing to her community through board memberships and volunteering.
Reina Saco, City of Gainesville Commissioner, earned her J.D. from UF Law in 2017, and began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Florida Legal Services, Inc. She was first elected to the Gainesville City Commission in 2020. In addition to her seat on the City Commission, she currently serves on the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
Trysh Travis, Ph.D., Associate Dean at UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is a cultural and literary historian, focusing on the gendered history of medicine. With a Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University, she focuses on the culture of addiction and recovery. She has authored The Language of the Heart: Twelve-Step Recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous to Oprah Winfrey and co-edited Rethinking Therapeutic Culture.
The program was moderated by UF student and Graham Center fellow Amelia Packham.
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From Campus to Community: Harnessing Civic Engagement for Climate Action
2024-03-25 12:00 - 15:00 | O’Neill Reading Room, 2nd floor, Pugh Hall
Join the movement for change! The Thompson Earth Systems Institute and the Bob Graham Center invite UF students, faculty and staff to an inspiring workshop featuring leading experts at the forefront of environmental education, civic engagement and climate action. If you want to gain valuable insights and practical strategies for addressing climate change, then join us and make a difference that matters.
Lunch is served to those who register in advance. Register today!
Agenda

Noon-12:30 pm
Lunch served. Welcome and introductions, Bob Graham Center.

12:30-1:15 pm
Professor Dr. Andrea Möller and Veronika Winter
Preparing students for an uncertain future: Why we need a hopeful and resilient perspective in climate change education and what we can learn from environmental education research
How a student initiative contributed to anchor climate education in Austrian teacher training

1:15-1:30 pm
Break

1:30-2:30 pm
Dr. Megan Ennes
Civic engagement for the environment

2:30-3 pm
Dr. Martha Monroe
Guidelines for educators on climate action and justice

About Our Panelists
Dr. Andrea Möller, Austrian Educational Competence Center Biology, University of Vienna is a full professor in biology education at the University of Vienna and heads the Austrian Educational Competence Center for Biology. There she trains about 70% of Austria’s future biology teachers and researches how to successfully teach environmental and climate change education. As an expert in ‘bee didactics’ and former Fulbright Scholar to the USA, she also runs the cross-national and award-winning environmental education project ‘Bee.ed’.
Veronika Winter, MEd, Austrian Educational Competence Center Biology, University of Vienna is a PhD candidate in climate change education research. Her engagement in the Austrian climate movement has led her to focus on teacher education for climate action.
Dr. Megan Ennes is professor and assistant curator of museum education in the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, as well as the director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute. A former museum educator, her research focuses on how museums can support the science interests and career aspirations of youth through family programming, civic engagement, and scientist outreach.
Dr. Martha Monroe is a former president of the North American Association for Environmental Education and has been an environmental educator for over 40 years. She is a member of the NAAEE Guidelines Writing Team. She is dedicated to using education to help move individuals and communities toward pro-environmental and sustainable decisions. Her work in climate change education has received national awards.

Careers in Public Service Lunch: Milan Vrbovský, Consul General
2024-03-26 12:00 - 13:00 | O’Neill Reading Room, 2nd floor, Pugh Hall
Interested in a career in the diplomatic service? Or still trying to get some clarity about your future plans at home or abroad after graduation?
Discover the pathways available in public service and gain valuable insights from a seasoned professional at the next luncheon in our Careers in Public Service series. The Center for European Studies and the Graham Center are delighted to welcome to Mr. Milan Vrbovský, the Consul General of the Slovak Republic.
Mr. Vrbovský earned a doctoral degree in philosophy at Trnava University in Slovakia, then worked at the Human Rights and Minorities Department of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic for several years. In 2012 he joined his nation’s foreign service and was named consul general to the United States in 2021.
Attending our lunch will provide you with valuable insights and networking opportunities as you navigate your career journey. You’ll have the chance to ask our speaker questions and make connections with like-minded fellow students.
The lunch and talk will be in the O’Neill Reading Rm on the 2nd floor of Pugh Hall. Reserve a lunch spot today.
About Our Speaker
Milan Vrbovský was named a consul general of the Slovak Republic in New York City in August 2021. His previous posting was at the Slovak Embassy in Ottawa, where he served as the deputy head of mission and consul.
After earning a doctoral degree in Philosophy at Trnava University, he worked at the Human Rights and Minorities Department of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic (2006-2012).
In 2012 he joined the Slovak Foreign Service, where he worked at the Human Rights Unit (2012-2013), Legal and Consular Section (2013-2015) and as a member of the Cabinet of Foreign Ministers Miroslav Lajčák and Ivan Korčok (2019-2021).
He is married to Zuzana Vrbovska and has three children.

Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley: Silent Spring Revolution
2024-03-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, 811 S Main St, Gainesville, FL, United States
Join New York Times bestselling-author Douglas Brinkley for his talk “Silent Spring Revolution” about author Rachel Carson and other courageous women and men who helped influence presidents and other powerful insiders to spark an ecological revolution half a century ago.

As Florida and the nation grapple with climate change and resource exhaustion, what can we learn from the rise of environmental activism from 1960-1973 and the generation that helped save America’s environment under the leadership of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon?
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Book sales, signing and a reception will follow the event.
Sponsored by the University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities; Bob Graham Center for Public Service; and College of Journalism and Communications.
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Research Justice: A Workshop On Collaboration
2024-03-28 10:00 - 11:00 | A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center, 1013 NW 7th Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States
This workshop will reflect on strategies for creating equitable research collaborations, generating shared research questions for university-based researchers and community organizations. This is the third event in the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s 2023-2024 Speaker Series: Scales of Belonging.

This workshop will reflect on strategies for creating equitable research collaborations, generating shared research questions for university-based researchers and community organizations. We will discuss “research justice:” research that supports the self-determination of marginalized people and produces knowledge with and for social movements. Research in this framework may include ethnographic, archival, spatial, and multi-modal approaches, including radio and mapping exercises. The workshop will build on ongoing collaborative research on environmental violence at migrant detention facilities in South Florida, including the recent report “The Toxic Truth.”
The event is organized in collaboration with the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center.
Emma Shaw Crane is a postdoctoral fellow in the Society of Fellows in the Humanities at Columbia University in the City of New York, where she is affiliated with the Department of Anthropology and the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race. She received her PhD in American Studies from New York University in 2021. She is co-editor, with Ananya Roy, of Territories of Poverty: Rethinking North and South (University of Georgia Press 2015) and her work has been published in Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Public Culture, and Antipode. She researches and writes with a coalition of community organizations fighting for migrant and environmental justice in South Florida.
Scales of Belonging: Speaker Series 2023-24
Recent years have given life an experimental feel. As interlocked and unpredictable sources of upheaval become the norm, we ask: how and where do we belong? Exiles and refugees may never belong where they make homes. Migrants may never feel at home where they belong. While some choices we make, others are made for us. People move—as much as they are moved by nature and politics. In another key, we are moved by things that affect us: literature, sports, the lives of others. If shared worlds make life meaningful, then what forces repair and rupture the possibility of community? From football fields and detention centers to the planet itself, the Center’s 2023-24 Speaker Series investigates our myriad Scales of Belonging.

Race, Detention, and Indigeneity in South Florida
2024-03-28 16:00 - 17:00 | Smathers Library Rm 100, Gainesville, 32611
Discover the intertwining narratives of migration and militarization at the heart of South Florida’s Homestead Temporary Shelter. Emma Shaw Crane of Columbia University illuminates the Homestead shelter’s connection to a nearby military base, challenging perceptions of detention as exceptions. This is the third and final event in the Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere’s 2023-2024 Speaker Series: Scales of Belonging.

Reporting on Food Policy Amid a Journalism Implosion
2024-04-03 16:00 - 17:00 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Join us for a conversation with UF’s spring Science Journalist in Residence Helena Bottemiller Evich, the founder and editor-in-chief of Food Fix. A reception will follow the talk.

Food Fix is a new, in-depth publication about food policy in Washington and beyond. Evich, an award-winning reporter who previously led food coverage at Politico, launched Food Fix to be the go-to source for food policy news and analysis for insiders and consumers alike. She has made appearances on various prominent platforms including CNN, MSNBC, CBS, BBC and NPR.
Evich will also be speaking at IFAS’s Future of Food Forum on April 3.
UF’s Science Journalist in Residence Program brings leading science writers to the UF campus in Gainesville each semester to interact with faculty and students. SJRs give public talks, speak in classes, visit laboratories and meet with one-on-one with students interested in science stories.
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CES Career Speaker Series: Edouard Coppieters
2024-04-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Turlington Hall Room 3310, 330 Newell Dr
Join CES for a conversation with Edouard Coppieters, Policy Advisor, American Chamber of Commerce to the EU.
Interested in a career abroad? Then join CES for lunch and conversation about the work of AMCHAM, its advocacy for US business in Europe, and tips on how to pursue a career abroad.

Careers in Public Service: Coffee Chat with Dr. Kayser Enneking
2024-04-05 14:00 - 15:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
Our featured speaker for our career chat is Dr. Kayser Enneking, a professor of anesthesiology and orthopedics in UF’s College of Medicine. She will give a short presentation about Medicaid expansion and some relevant medical legislative initiatives at the state and federal levels.
Please sign up in advance.
Last year Dr. Enneking was honored by the College with its Lifetime Achievement Award for her service at the university and contributions to the field of medicine. Additionally, Dr. Enneking was celebrated with a Diamond Award last November by UF Women in Medicine and Science, a faculty group in the College of Medicine that supports professional development and community for female faculty.
Dr. Enneking received her MD from the University of Florida in 1986 and joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1991.
Refreshments are provided. Please register in advance so we can plan to have enough coffee and refreshments on hand.
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2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium
2024-04-13 08:30 - 12:30 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
The Bob Graham Center’s Undergraduate Research Symposium runs from 9 am to 12:30 pm, and will feature panel-style research presentations followed by a discussion at the end of each session.
Student presenters and invited guests are asked to RSVP at this link.
Students involved with the Center’s Civic Scholars program, the Askew Research Fellows, and the International Studies major will be presenting results of their research projects.
Doors will open at 8:30 am. The event is open to the public but a limited number of seats are available during each session.
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UF Gulf Scholars Faculty Info Session
2024-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
UF Gulf Scholars aims to prepare students from diverse academic backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to address the complex and dynamic challenges facing Gulf of Mexico communities.
With a focus on civic engagement, public service, and leadership, students will explore the environmental, social, economic, historical, and cultural dimensions of the Gulf. Through their participation in the program, students will be better equipped to promote stewardship, resilience, and innovation as they step into the workforce.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service is excited to welcome faculty from across UF to help make this exciting new program a reality by teaching Gulf-related courses, hosting experiential learning opportunities, and mentoring students on Gulf Impact Projects. As the program kicks off, we invite faculty applications for the UF Gulf Scholars Course Development Grant.
If you would like to learn more about UF Gulf Scholars or have specific questions about your grant application, attend our info session on April 16, 2024, from 12-1 p.m. in the Pugh Hall O’Neill reading room. Lunch will be served. RSVP at the following link: Gulf Scholars Faculty Info Session

Empowering Voices: A Voter Engagement Lunch
2024-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
Theta Sigma Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Bob Graham Center’s Gators Vote Cabinet invite you to Empowering Voices, a voter engagement luncheon. We will welcome Dr. Sharon Austin and Dr. Teresa Cornacchione to a discussion of Black voting rights and the importance of the youth vote and participation in the political process. Seating is limited; please RSVP now to reserve your spot.

Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect
2024-04-17 17:00 - 18:00 | Smathers Library Rm 100, Gainesville, 32611
Together with the UF Hamilton Center and the William & Grace Dial Center for Speech and Communication Studies, the Bob Graham Center presented political scientist John Inazu of Washington University to speak about his latest book, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. He spoke on April 17, 2024 in Smathers Library Rm. 100.
Inazu’s scholarship focuses on the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, and related questions of legal and political theory. In his book, Inazu delves into navigating contentious issues with empathy and clarity, drawing from his expertise as a constitutional scholar.
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Read & Register: A Voter Registration Event
2024-04-25 13:30 - 15:30 | University of Florida
Calling all UF students, staff, and faculty!
Election 2024 is coming up, and we want you to be prepared. Join the Bob Graham Center Fellows on Thursday, April 25 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Library West and Marston to register to vote. Take a study break during reading days, and stop by one of our two locations and let us help you update your voter registration to your new address at UF.
Not registered to vote yet? We can help with that, too. And take a moment to enjoy delicious and free cookies on the house.
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Governor Bob Graham Lies in State in Florida’s Historic Capitol
2024-04-26 11:00 - 13:00 | Online, FL, United States
Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham will lie in state, attended by military and state law enforcement honor guards, in Florida’s Historic Capitol from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024. He died of natural causes at his home in Gainesville on April 16, 2024. He was 87.
Following the Historic Capitol ceremony, Governor Graham will be buried in a private, family service.
Bob Graham served in the Florida House of Representatives (1966-1970), Florida Senate (1970-1978), as Florida’s 38th Governor (1979-1987) and as a United States Senator (1987-2005). In his public service roles, he demonstrated extraordinary leadership through initiatives to protect the Florida Everglades and other natural treasures, invest in public education, diversify the Florida economy, and oversee the U.S. intelligence services.
His complete obituary is available at this link.

Hon. Bob Graham Celebration of Life Service & Reception
2024-05-11 13:00 - 17:00 | Online, FL, United States
Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, one of the University of Florida’s most accomplished alumni, will be remembered at a public celebration of life service at Miami Lakes United Church of Christ with a reception to follow at the Miami Lakes Hotel. The public is invited to attend the service in person or view online.
The celebration of life service is from 1-2:30 pm. For those who cannot attend in person, the service will also be livestreamed online by WPLG Local 10 at this link: www.local10.com/live and on the WPLG Local 10 YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@WPLGLocal10/streams.
Due to limited seating at Miami Lakes United Church of Christ, well-wishers planning to attend the celebration of life (which starts at 1 pm) should plan to arrive early. As parking is limited, attendees are encouraged to park across the street at the Miami Lakes K-8 Center (14250 NW 67th Ave, Miami Lakes, FL 33014) or consider alternative means of transportation. Once the sanctuary is full, guests will be asked to watch the livestream from the church fellowship hall or the Miami Lakes Hotel reception site.
Following the service, the Graham family will host a public reception at the Miami Lakes Hotel, 6842 Main Street, Miami Lakes, FL 33014, from 3-5 pm. At the reception, guests will have the opportunity to record their memories of Governor Graham with the assistance of the staff from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.
Guests attending the Miami Lakes Hotel reception should use the more than 1,600 parking spots available on Main Street or in lots directly behind Main Street.
Logistical details for media outlets wishing to cover the celebration of life and/or reception on May 11 are available from Chris Hand at chris@hand.law or (904) 274-4979.
Bob Graham served in the Florida House of Representatives (1966-1970), Florida Senate (1970-1978), as Florida’s 38th Governor (1979-1987) and as a United States Senator (1987-2005).
In his public service roles, he demonstrated extraordinary leadership through initiatives to protect the Florida Everglades and other natural treasures, invest in public education, diversify the Florida economy, and oversee the U.S. intelligence services.
He stayed connected to his constituents through more than 400 workdays in jobs held by everyday Floridians.
Following his time in elected office, Governor Graham dedicated himself to the cause of effective citizenship. That dedication led him to establish the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida, which helps students learn the skills of civic engagement, public leadership, and public service.
Governor Graham is survived by his wife of 65 years, former First Lady Adele Graham; children Gwen Graham (and husband Steve Hurm); Cissy Graham McCullough (Billy); Suzanne Graham Gibson (Tom); and Kendall Graham; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Governor Graham’s enduring wish was to prepare future generations for service to Florida, the nation, and the world. In lieu of flowers, and in memory of his remarkable life, Governor Graham’s family asks that donations be made to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida. Well-wishers can honor Governor Graham by visiting the Bob Graham Center online or calling the Center at 352-273-1080 to support its vital work.

UF Gulf Scholars Oral History Field Excursion Application Deadline
2024-05-19 | Online, FL, United States
Apply to take part in an exciting oral history field excursion from June 11-14, 2024. Selected students will interview residents of Pensacola, Florida who were impacted by several toxic waste sites and were part of the third-largest environmental relocation in U.S. history.

Are you a UF undergraduate student interested in learning more about how environmental issues have long shaped and continue to shape communities along the Gulf of Mexico? UF Gulf Scholars, housed at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program invite you to apply to take part in an exciting field excursion to the Florida panhandle.
Selected students must attend an introduction to oral history workshop the week of June 3-7, 2024, where they will learn about the importance of spoken archives and how to work collaboratively with communities during the interview process. During the field excursion, which takes place Tuesday, June 11 to Friday, June 15, 2024, students will interview residents of Pensacola, Florida who were impacted by several toxic waste sites and were part of the third largest environmental relocation in U.S. history. Following the field excursion, students will process and finalize the collected material for inclusion in the UF Digital Collections.
UF Gulf Scholars will provide transportation, lodging, and food for each of the travel days to Pensacola, Florida.
Learn more at the UF Gulf Scholars Oral History Excursion website.

2024 Primary Election Candidate Forum
2024-06-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Candidates appearing on the ballot in the Alachua County’s August 2024 Primary were invited to participate in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Alachua County in partnership with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and the UF League of Women Voters student chapter. Unopposed candidates in the August primary did not appear in the forum. League of Women Voters and University of Florida students moderated the forum.
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WUFT’s FANFARES & FIREWORKS
2024-07-03 18:00 - 22:00 | University of Florida Bandshell at Flavet Field
Enjoy an evening of live music, food trucks, and spectacular fireworks presented by WUFT-FM, WUFT-TV and WUFT Classic.

Beat Tennessee TurboVote Challenge Starts
2024-08-26 | Online, FL, United States
The University of Florida is in a competition against the University of Tennessee to get the most amount of people enrolled in TurboVote, a free election reminder service, to prepare all members of the Gator Nation to vote!
In order to participate in the challenge, Gators need to:
1. Check your registration status.
2. Register to vote if needed.
3. Sign up for election reminders.
Sign up today at ufl.turbovote.org! The competition is running until October 7th, which is the last day to register to vote in Florida for the 2024 election!
The winner of the voter challenge will be declared ahead of the UT/UF football game on October 12th. We beat the Vols in 2022, let’s win again!

2024 Bob Graham Center Open House
2024-08-27 17:00 - 18:30 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Unlock your civic potential and discover the opportunities that await UF students and faculty through the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. Enjoy great refreshments while learning about funded internships, upcoming special events, voter mobilization and more!
Welcome to the center of civic engagement in the Gator Nation!
Please join the Bob Graham Center for Public Service on Tuesday, August 27, from 5-6:30 pm in the Pugh Hall Ocora for the Center’s 2024-2025 Open House. Our welcome back event will provide you with everything you need to know to stay engaged!
Come meet the Graham Center’s student groups!

Freshman Leadership Council
Florida Political Review
Bob Graham Center Fellows
Public Leadership Society
Mock Trial Litigators

Explore the Center’s voter mobilization efforts, our International Studies major, our new Public Service Minor, and our funded internships and research opportunities. Learn about the dynamic speakers and networking events the Center will host this year.
There will be refreshments, tabling and giveaways. RSVP Now!
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UF Gulf Scholars Student Info Session
2024-08-29 12:00 - 13:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
UF Gulf Scholars is an exciting new opportunity to earn your degree while doing meaningful work to promote stewardship, resiliency, and innovation in communities around the Gulf.
Students enrolled in UF Gulf Scholars will have the chance to take Gulf-focused coursework; participate in internships, research projects, field excursions, and more; network with professionals and peers from many academic backgrounds; and work with faculty mentors and community partners on Gulf Impact Projects. This project-based, experiential learning opportunity is open to students from any major.
Want to learn more? Attend our student info session on August 29, 2024, from 12-1 p.m. in the Pugh Hall O’Neill reading room. Lunch will be served. RSVP at the following link: Gulf Scholars Student Info Session

UF Gulf Scholars Faculty Info Session
2024-09-04 12:00 - 13:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
Want to learn how you can get involved in UF Gulf Scholars? Join us for this lunchtime info session to learn about teaching Gulf-related courses, hosting experiential learning opportunities, or mentoring students for their Gulf Impact Projects. Lunch will be served.
UF Gulf Scholars aims to prepare students from diverse academic backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to address the complex and dynamic challenges facing Gulf of Mexico communities.
With a focus on civic engagement, public service, and leadership, students will explore the environmental, social, economic, historical, and cultural dimensions of the Gulf. Through their participation in the program, students will be better equipped to promote stewardship, resilience, and innovation as they step into the workforce.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service is excited to welcome faculty from across UF to help make this exciting new program a reality by teaching Gulf-related courses, hosting experiential learning opportunities, and mentoring students on Gulf Impact Projects.
If you would like to learn more about UF Gulf Scholars, attend our info session on September 4, 2024, from 12-1 p.m. in the Pugh Hall O’Neill reading room. Lunch will be served. RSVP at the following link: Gulf Scholars Faculty Info Session

Info Session: Spring ’25 Tallahassee & Washington, DC Internships
2024-09-05 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Applications for the Spring 2025 cohorts of the Tallahassee and Washington, DC internships are now open. Our free virtual info session will give you the chance to get all your questions answered, and ask previous interns about their experience.
The application period for the next cohort of the Bob Graham Center Tallahassee and Washington, DC internship programs is now open. This is an in-person internship and requires a time commitment of 40 hours per week.
Sign up for the virtual information session about the internships. It will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 4 pm. If you register in advance but cannot attend, we will send you a link to the recording. Sign up now.
Read all the details about our internships.

Our Gulf, Our Future: Navigating the Tides Together
2024-09-10 17:30 - 18:45 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Whether we call it home, visit its shores, or study its depths, we all share a stake in the future of the Gulf of Mexico and its communities. Join us for a live panel event in the Pugh Hall Ocora to explore how our shared connections can guide us through future challenges. A free reception with the panelists follows.
Communities along the Gulf are facing complex environmental, health, economic, cultural and social challenges – all of which are exacerbated by climate change.
Join us for an insightful panel discussion that brings together leading voices in environmental journalism, history, architecture, and coastal resilience.
Our featured guests are Dr. Jeff Carney, Marlowe Starling, Dr. Jack Davis and Dr. Christine Angelini. They will discuss how the interplay of climate, culture, and groundbreaking sustainability initiatives can shape the Gulf’s future, and how our collective bond with the Gulf will help us navigate through these turbulent times.
This in-person program is free and open to the public. A reception with the panelists will follow.
Parking: University parking restrictions typically lift at 4:30 pm, but please check lot signs to verify after-hours availability. For this program, we have reserved a limited number of parking spots at no charge in the public at Murphree Hall silver/gold decal lot. Please view this map for reference.
Meet our panelists
Marlowe Starling is a freelance environmental journalist based in Brooklyn and Miami who writes about climate, conservation and culture. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Sierra Magazine, Live Science, Environmental Health News, the Associated Press, YES! Magazine, and Florida’s very own The Marjorie, among many other outlets. A current Launchpad Fellow with The Safina Center, Marlowe is a proud University of Florida alumna who went on to earn a master’s in science journalism from New York University. She grew up in Miami, where she relishes a serene paddle through the mangrove forests.
Jack Davis is a distinguished professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities specializing in environmental history and sustainability studies. He is the author or editor of ten books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea.
Jeff Carney is a registered architect and certified city planner working at the interface of housing, neighborhoods, and ecosystems with a focus on climate change adaptation. He is associate professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Florida, director of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER), and director of the Florida Resilient Cities program (FRC). Jeff’s work in Florida is focused on the resilience of communities achieved through transdisciplinary and community engaged design processes. His current projects include a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funded effort to design post-disaster modular housing, and an FRC project to assist the panhandle City of Port St. Joe to recover from Hurricane Michael that is supported by the Jessie Ball Dupont fund.
Christine Angelini is a professor and director of the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS). Founded in 2020, CCS works across disciplines–ecology, engineering, health, computer sciences, policy and communications–to develop and deliver research and technology solutions that support coastal communities in addressing hazards and environmental degradation. A hallmark of the center’s innovation is the integration of large data sets, artificial intelligence and supercomputing to rapidly simulate coastal environmental scenarios and produce data driven solutions. The Center counts on strong partnerships with 50 plus organizations in the public and private sector at the local, state and national level to move the needle on coastal challenges.
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Matt Jacobs, Director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
This panel is hosted by UF Gulf Scholars, which prepares students from diverse academic backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to address the complex and dynamic challenges facing Gulf of Mexico communities. Students and faculty interested in getting involved with Gulf Scholars will also learn about upcoming funding and experiential learning opportunities available through the program.
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Videos

National Voter Registration Day
2024-09-17 | Pugh Hall
Happy National Voter Registration Day!
Important Information: If you are a UF student, you can decide to register to vote and cast your vote at either here at UF, or your family’s address back home. Registering to vote in the Gainesville community will not affect your federal financial aid, status as a dependent on your parents’ taxes, or tuition status.
The deadline to register to vote for the November 5 election is October 7!
If you’re looking to register to vote or check/update your voter registration, you’re in the right place! We’re here to help make sure you can vote with confidence in this and every election. Come by 220 Pugh Hall, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, and get assistance in completing your registration.

Constitution Trivia Night
2024-09-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Pugh Hall Ocora, 296 Buckman Dr, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
Pizza, prizes and patriotic fun! Come help us celebrate Constitution Day and National Voter Registration Day by joining in our annual Constitution Trivia Night. Win prizes, enjoy pizza and ice cream, and boost your civic knowledge.
UF students can register as a team (minimum of 2 members, maximum of 6) or as an individual to be placed on a team.
Registration is now closed.
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Gulf Parallels: Tracing Migration, Agriculture, and Labor Histories de Ybor a la Habana
2024-09-19 13:00 - 14:00 | O’Neill Reading Rm, 2nd Floor, Pugh Hall
Join us for a lunch talk with International Studies major Noelle Matthias as she presents her fascinating research from her Global Interns Fellowship on the deep historical ties between Florida and Cuba. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and share. Lunch is provided.
Curious about the connections between Florida and Cuba? Join us for a special lunch talk on September 19 at 1 pm in Pugh Hall as International Studies major Noelle Matthias presents her research project, Gulf Parallels: Tracing Migration, Agriculture, and Labor Histories de Ybor a la Habana.
Noelle is a junior international studies major with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. She is vice president of Model United Nations at UF and has studied sustainable development and NGOs through the UF in Belize study abroad program. Noelle is proficient in Spanish. She completed most of the project’s archival research in Spanish and worked with exhibit specialists at the libraries to learn the ins and outs of a digital exhibition.
The digital research project Noelle created is featured at this link. The project was conducted in cooperation with Melissa Jerome, Latin American & Caribbean Collection Digital Initiatives Librarian with Smathers Library.
UF students, don’t miss this opportunity to engage with fellow students and explore new perspectives! Discover the rich histories that link our communities and enjoy a thought-provoking discussion. A free lunch is provided, but you must RSVP at this link.
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