What department are you a graduate student in? Sociology. Why did you decide to go to graduate school? I went to graduate school because I was idealistic. I saw graduate school as a way to garner the tools I needed to affect positive social change. Did your interests change throughout your program? Yes. My research…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Planning Strategies for Improving Resilience of Cities in Developing Countries to the Urban Heat Island
The adverse effects of climate change are a global concern, and global warming is increasingly threatening urbanized areas. While average temperatures are increasing across the globe, highly urbanized areas are notably hotter than their rural counterparts. The culprit is a phenomenon called the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The materials used in ground covers and…
Where Are They Now? Meet COSSPP Alum Grace Findley
What is your degree and graduation year? I graduated in Spring 2021 with a BS in Political Science. What have you been up to since you graduated? After graduation I moved to North Carolina and started working at a nonprofit. I now serve as the learning and development coordinator at the NC League of Municipalities…
Research Spotlight: The Hidden Electoral Incentive: How Voters Reward Candidates’ Climate Change Positions
Environmental problems in and of themselves are apolitical—a Democrat in New York City requires clean air and water and a stable climate just as a Republican in Mississippi does. In fact, much of the groundbreaking environmental legislation passed in the United States was signed into law by Republican presidents and featured strong bipartisan support. Even…
DeSantis undermining individual freedom, conservative principles | Opinion
This article originally appeared in Tallahassee Democrat. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed policymakers in a tricky position, Gov. DeSantis included. He and others are forced to find a balance between protecting public health and safeguarding individual freedom. One of Gov. DeSantis’ signature initiatives is a ban on agencies and businesses that might want to impose…
Meet a Social Scientist: Dr. Katie Sherron from the Department of Economics
Why did you decide to become an academic? I just really love school! I’ve always enjoyed learning and teaching, especially mathematics. I gravitated toward economics because I had amazing teachers and professors. I found out that a big part of economics was straight-forward reasoning and stories set to mathematics. I took multiple economics courses with…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Did Florida Experience the Year of the Woman?
2018 is considered the Year of the Woman after a record-breaking election of 127 women to Congress—the most elected into Congress since its establishment in 1789. In addition to experiencing the Year of the Woman, studies suggest a shift in political affiliation. The nation increasingly supported the Democratic Party in response to President Trump, now…
Where Are They Now? Meet COSSPP Alum Garrett Bosch
What is your degree and graduation year? I graduated in Spring 2021 with a BS in Economics. What have you been up to since you graduated? I’ve been applying to law school and will be attending George Washington University School of Law. I’m now in the process of studying for the GMAT to complete my…
Research Spotlight: Gentrification in Saint Paul, Minnesota
I am a PhD candidate in Geography at FSU. My research has taken a journey on its own. At Syracuse University, where I completed my Masters in Geography, my work was situated in the South Asian context, in rural South India to be exact. In my Masters work, I was studying the impact of corporate…
IOP@FSU Field-Advancing Research: Who Do You Trust? Public Opinion on Handling the Pandemic
On September 8, the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) hosted the first of a series of webinars featuring research on civic engagement, funded by the Institute of Politics. This webinar features a study by Associate Professor of Political Science Amanda Driscoll and political science Ph.D. student Taylor Chewning, using a nationally representative…
