This post is based on a webinar sponsored by Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The year 2020 brought massive changes to almost every industry, and higher education is no exception. Tim Chapin, dean of the FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and professor of urban and regional planning, discusses some…
Category: FSU Issues
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Black Space and the Effects of Belonging: The Black Student Union House at Florida State University.
The Black Student Union on Florida State’s campus was founded in 1968 with its sole purpose of being the voice and representative for black and minority students on campus. Its mission statement is to “remember our past, build on the present and fight for our future, so that jointly and strongly Black students on Florida State’s campus could be…
Research Spotlight: Closing the Gap or Widening the Divide: The Impacts of Technology-Enabled Coproduction on Equity in Public Service Delivery
Smart technologies, such as IoT and smart city management apps, can provide real-time and location-specific data that facilitates timely decision making in public resource distribution. It may also distort the distributional equity as many low-income may participate less. Existing research on technology-enabled citizen participation in public service provision shows mixed findings. Most studies find that…
Meet A Social Scientist: Dr. Mackenzie Alston from Economics
What is your name?Dr. Mackenzie Alston What kind of work do you do in the College?I am an assistant professor in the Economics Department. I teach, do research and engage in service in the department, profession and community. Why did you decide to become an academic? A big part of it was because of my…
Black Women Business Owners’ Struggles and Survival Strategies
This was first posted on January 27, 2020. According to the 2018 Report on the State of Women Owned Businesses, Black women-owned businesses experienced the highest growth rate (164%) of all women-owned businesses from 2017 to 2018. An appealing alternative to the formal labor market, entrepreneurship provides Black women the opportunity to escape hostile working…
Florida State University’s Social Equity Lab
The Social Equity Lab is Florida State University’s new avenue for social change. The Lab will serve as a forum to meet bimonthly to engage in discussions of issues, developing project proposals, sharing presentations and critiques, and bringing together faculty and students who care about social justice and hold diverse perspectives from different disciplines about…
Teaching Spotlight: Silver Lining and Online Teaching
‘Tis the season for good cheer. So, as we turn the page on 2020, I want to highlight silver liningsfor education moving forward into 2021 and beyond. First, we have some experience with theonline format and this is crucial for our student’s learning. Second, we have been thoughtful inour development of content and pedagogy during…
Teaching Spotlight: How Should and Can We Help the poor? A Course on Global Development & Giving
In the Fall 2019 semester I launched a new undergraduate course titled Global Development & Giving (PUP 4931), which was supported by FSU’s Council of Research and Creativity. I have been visiting poor countries, predominantly in South East Asia, once or twice annually since 2014. These countries include Cambodia, Myanmar, Tibet (China), and, foremost, Laos….
Telemedicine Saved My Life
This piece first appeared in the Orlando Sentinel. Tragically, COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of over 2,000 Floridians. The virus is contagious and deadly, especially to the elderly and those with underlying conditions. But for me, the pandemic and the rules created to stop its spread created an odd confluence of events that likely…
George Floyd and the Future of Police Misconduct
This piece first appeared in The Beacon. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a cop with a history of excessive force complaints has spurred protests, demonstrations, and riots across the nation. Unfortunately, the violence some protesters have unleashed on these cities is likely to exacerbate existing cultural and political schisms, making meaningful…
Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions 