Faculty with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service will be offering these courses for the Spring 2026 semester. Look for the medallion symbol—these courses count toward the Gulf Scholars Medallion.
IDS 4930/AMH3931Â Reviving Democracy: Florida and the Gulf South from 1860s to the Present
T Period 7, R Period 7-8 | Class No. 24733/27949
This course will explore essential parts of the Gulf South citizens’ struggle for democracy and basic human rights. Students will engage in primary and secondary source readings focusing on Florida and their choice of the contiguous coastal states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Readings delineate how citizen-led movements in the Gulf South paved the way for the two largest extensions of democracy in American History, i.e., Reconstruction and the post-WW II Civil Rights Movement. Students will learn how broad-based movements form and develop over time with a special focus on coastal regions. Lecturer: Dr. Kevin Bird.
IDS 4930: Our Home the Gulf (Introduction to Gulf Studies)
T Period 4, R Periods 4-5 | Class No. 21753
This course explores the environmental, social, cultural, and economic challenges facing the Gulf region, and is a requirement to earn the Gulf Scholars Medallion. Students will engage in design thinking methodology to explore solutions that address these complex issues. Through guest speakers, readings, discussions, case studies, and project-based learning, participants will strengthen their collaborative skills and gain insights into potential career pathways in non-profits, government, academia, and the private sector. By fostering empathy and understanding community needs, students will be equipped to make a meaningful impact on the Gulf and contribute to its sustainable and equitable future. Learn about our previous Gulf Scholar Medallion recipients here. Lecturer: Rebecca Burton.
IDS 4911: Civic Scholars
MWF Period 6 | Class No. 21756
Applications close Nov. 14, 2025
Turn your curiosity into impact. In this hands-on research experience, students learn how to use data and analysis to address major domestic policy challenges in the United States—from healthcare and education to housing and the economy. Working closely with Bob Graham Center faculty, Civic Scholars gain basic skills in general social science research methods, and present their findings at an end-of-semester symposium. No prior research experience is required—just an interest in learning how evidence shapes better policy. The three-credit course meets during period 6 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enrollment is limited to 30 students to ensure a collaborative, mentored research experience. Lecturer: Dr. Teresa Cornacchione.
INS 2004: International Studies Perspectives
MWF Period 4 | Class No. 25178, 25184, 25187, 25188
This course offers all UF students an introduction to international studies, exploring global regions and contemporary issues through an interdisciplinary approach. Topics include globalization, political and economic change, poverty, development, migration, nationalism, human rights, and human-environment interactions. Drawing from fields like political science, economics, and anthropology, the course equips students with tools to analyze and address global and local challenges. While it is the introductory course for the International Studies major, it is open to all students, regardless of their major. Lecturer: Dr. Timothy Karis.
IDS 4930/ASH 3931/POS 4931: Environment & Politics in the Middle East
T Period 4, R Period 4-5 | Class No. 21852/27370/27839
In this course, we will think about the Middle East through the analytical lens of political ecology. We will politicize the issues, conditions, conflicts, outcomes, imaginations, and projects that pertain to various environmental phenomena in the region. Our task is multifold. Together, we will question the place, representations, and socio-political functions of “nature,” its conservation, and its degradation in the Middle East. We will develop sophisticated understandings of the various relationships of power embedded in environmental disasters, conflicts, and infrastructural projects. We will rely upon our freshly gained collective wisdom regarding human-pathogen interactions to think about the political ecologies of infection and disease in the region. We will situate the Middle East in the world of carbon/post-carbon politics and debate the potentials and limitations of environmental activism in the region. Lastly, we will develop a cultural literacy of and refine our critical outlooks on the multi-species experiences that form the texture of biological life above and beyond human life in the Middle East. Lecturer: Dr. Onursal Erol.
IDS 4930: (Un)Common Reads: Off With Her Head
M Period 3 | Class No. 21694
This course is full. This one-credit course explores how society has perceived women, especially those in prominent political and social roles, throughout history, using Eleanor Herman’s nonfiction work, Off With Her Head: Three Thousand Years of Demonizing Women in Power. Herman outlines how women in prominent positions of power are often depicted, undermined, and devalued by what she terms, “The Misogynist’s Handbook.” From rumors of Anne Boleyn’s sixth finger, to presidential candidate Nikki Haley being called “past her prime,” this course will dive into the perceptions of women with power, across time and place, connecting the themes of Herman’s work to academic studies on women in politics. Key topics include the portrayal of women’s ambition as unnatural, how women candidates’ appearances are scrutinized, and how violence against women is perpetuated even when they hold the highest levels of political power, and how women of varying identities are perceived when they hold power. Through classroom discussion, students will engage with the text and foster a deeper understanding of how tactics to demonize and devalue politically powerful women transcend time and place. Lecturer: Dr. Teresa Cornacchione.
New! IDS 4930: Speak to Lead: An Introduction to Speechwriting
W Period 9 | Class No. 24734
This course is full. Introduces the fundamentals of speechwriting, from structuring content to writing with clarity and force. Students will learn the tools of the trade by reading and analyzing exceptional and historic speeches — and writing and delivering several of their own. The class covers a variety of genres — commencement addresses, eulogies, toasts — and emphasizes the techniques that make each effective. Open to all majors and years,
including first-year students, this course equips you with versatile communication skills for graduate study, career success, and personal growth. Lecturer: Aaron Hoover, Chris Moran.
IDS 4930/PAD 3003Â Public Service Management & Leadership
T Period 7, R Period 7-8 | Class No. 21749/13080
This course is full. This is an upper-level interdisciplinary studies course that will serve as an introduction to managing and leading public service organizations. Knowing how these entities work and how to work within them are two of the most powerful tools that students can have. Students will learn how to diagnose and solve organizational challenges, anticipate opportunities, and influence the actions of individuals and stakeholders. Through lecture, guest speakers, case studies, small-group discussions, and a semester-long group project, the course provides students with introductory tools needed to lead impactful public service entities. Lecturer: Professor Marianne Vernetson.
GEO 2230: Living with Rising SeasÂ
T Period 4, R Periods 4-5 | Class No. 22371
Coastlines, home to much of the world’s population, economy, and important ecosystems, are changing in critical ways due to rising seas. This course examines the complex relationship between humans and coastlines by asking the pressing question, “How will humanity adapt to sea level rise?” Students will connect the science of sea level rise and coastal change to impacts on infrastructure, ecosystems, and society. Students will explore multiple facets of sea level rise through place-based learning, investigating cross-disciplinary topics such as the physical drivers and consequences of changing sea levels, mitigation techniques, and adaptation, using examples from states across the Gulf of America. Students will consider the transformative shifts that will be necessary in current decision-making to develop resilient and sustainable coastal futures. Students will explore these themes through in-class discussions and activities, experiential learning, and reflections on their and others’ relationship with the coast. This is a Quest 2 Course taught by Dr. Katy Serafin, Department of Geography.Â
BSC 232: Gulf Coast Flora – A Changing Landscape
T periods 6-9 | Class No. 26856
This course focuses on enjoyment and appreciation of plant communities on Florida’s Gulf coast, and guides students to observe how the landscapes are changing. It includes four field trips, including outings to Seahorse Key Marine Lab and around Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park. We’ll discuss the ecological importance of these landscapes after reading scientific literature, with topics including the loss of Gulf coast biodiversity and potential impacts of such loss on human communities. Finally, we will consider the outlook for Gulf communities in the presence of climate extremes. Taught by Dr. Christine Davis.
GEO 4554: Regional Development
Asynchronous online | Class No. 26856
Examines how economic, political, and spatial forces shape regional growth and inequality. Through readings, discussions, and independent research, students analyze the historical roots and contemporary challenges of regional development in the U.S.—from infrastructure and energy to climate change and planning in Florida and the Gulf South. The course emphasizes how development policies influence equity, sustainability, and everyday life. Open to all majors. Taught by Dr. Alan Wiig.Â
ARC 4323: Design/Build Studio
Taught by Charlie Hailey, School of Architecture
Collaborate with Gulf Coast community partners to design and build a real-world project considering climate predictions, material resilience, and stakeholder needs. Open to non-architecture students with permission.
ARC 4322 Architectural Design 8Â
Focus on architectural detail and articulation of space and site with an investigation of the Gulf of Mexico coastal communities providing the context for this study. Design 8 is a research studio in which students, individually and collectively, investigate environmental, cultural, and architectural topics with the guidance of their faculty with an aim to advance the field of architecture. The scope of this studio is to study and propose future design opportunities for the City of Cedar Key, Florida as it continues to adapt to climatic factors affecting the livelihood of the aquacultural community and historic town itself. Taught by Dr. John Maze.