What department are you a graduate student in? Sociology Why did you decide to go to graduate school? As someone deeply passionate about pursuing a more equitable society, I wanted a tangible way to impact public discourse and, hopefully, even public policy. Graduate school gives me the tools to do this. Did your interests change…
Category: graduate students
Graduate Student Spotlight: Alexander Austein from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning
What department are you a graduate student in? I’m a graduate student in the Department of Urban Planning, with a specialization in Transportation. Why did you decide to go to graduate school? I decided to go to graduate school because after spending a couple of years doing media work after my undergraduate career (2018-2020), I…
Research Quick Take: Limited effects of tree planting on forest canopy cover and rural livelihoods in Northern India
Many countries have started ambitious tree planting programs to recognize the benefits of forests to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon to support rural livelihoods. Restoration ecologists caution us, however, that planting trees is not always the same as restoring a forest. India has been continuously committed to planting trees on a large scale for…
Graduate Student Spotlight: Austin Cutler from the Department of Political Science
What department are you a graduate student in? I am in the Political Science Department! Why did you decide to go to graduate school? I decided to go to graduate school to pursue a career as a professor and researcher. Did your interests change throughout your program? As I have gone through grad school, I…
IOP@FSU Field-Advancing Research: Concede or Resist? Experimental Evidence of U.S. Local Officials
The Institute of Politics at Florida State University (IOP@FSU) is a world-class, nonpartisan, and nationally renowned institute that promotes engagement in politics by students and citizens. Housed within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, the IOP@FSU supports applied political research by a cadre of world-class scholars and mobilizes the talents of our alumni, students, faculty,…
Graduate Student Spotlight: Kristin Gladwin from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning
What department are you a graduate student in? I am a PhD. candidate in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP). Why did you decide to go to graduate school? Working as a practicing planner for the Florida Department of Transportation, I felt that I had many questions concerning transportation options for older non-driving…
IOP@FSU Field-Advancing Research: Does a Female World Exist Within the Indian Trade Union Movement?
The Institute of Politics at Florida State University (IOP@FSU) is a world-class, nonpartisan, and nationally renowned institute that promotes engagement in politics by students and citizens. Housed within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, the IOP@FSU supports applied political research by a cadre of world-class scholars and mobilizes the talents of our alumni, students, faculty,…
Graduate Student Spotlight: Giulia Venturini from the Department of Political Science
What department are you a graduate student in? I am a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Political Science Department. Why did you decide to go to graduate school? Since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated with learning and understanding how the world works. While I was studying for a M.Sc. in…
Graduate Student Spotlight: William Stevenson from the Department of Economics
What department are you a graduate student in? I am currently a graduate student in the Master in Applied Economics program. Why did you decide to go to graduate school? I decided to enter the graduate program for the value. I graduated when COVID was still at its height and I was curious about what…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: The Role of Education in Improving Human Development in Central America: A Comparative Analysis of Guatemala and Costa Rica
Costa Rica and Guatemala are two comparable countries in Central America that share similar geographic and cultural characteristics, yet maintain noticeably different levels of human development. Additionally, both countries are not considered economically wealthy (2). Regardless, Costa Rica is ranked first out of 140 countries and territories on the Happy Planet Index. The Happy Planet…
Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions 