FGCU Political Science Newsletter, Issue 1 | December 2018

Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

POLITICAL SCIENCE NEWSLETTER From the Editor This is our first newsletter. The Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Florida Gulf Coast University is a vibrant organization with 10 faculty members, 175 majors and also a graduate level Masters of Public Administration program with 80 students, the largest graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. We wish to communicate about the activities and accomplishments of our students as well as the many opportunities that exist within our Department for students to travel, learn and grow, both personally and professionally.

Richard W. Coughlin, Ph.D., Program Leader for FGCU Political Science

The Department of Political Science and Public Administration has a broad and extensive record of student success, which, in part, stems from the activities that our Department sponsors and promotes. Whether through great speakers, internships, academic conferences or student clubs, we invite you to become more involved in the life of our Department and to become a part of our ongoing story of student success.

The Department will be publishing this Newsletter three times per year – fall, spring and summer.

FGCU Students Get Ready for Law School In September 2018, Dr. Joe Ross organized on a conference on attending law school conference.

Among the topics addressed were: • • • • • • •

What do lawyers do?

Is law school right for me?

How much will it cost?

Are all law schools the same?

What should I major in at FGCU? How can I prepare for the LSAT? When should I start applying?

Dr. Ross is planning a similar conference for February. For more information you may contact him at jvross@fgcu.edu.

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

Political Science Program Seven Year Review The results of our 2018 Political Science Program Review are in. And the verdict is that our graduates get great jobs!

The 2018 program review examined tracked the careers of 200 of our graduates of 2009-16. We found that virtually all of the students we tracked advanced beyond their undergraduate degrees by being accepted into high quality graduate schools, law schools or by getting high quality professional positions in law, government, higher education, the non-profit sector and the private sector. Here is a representative set of graduates’ current employers and positions:

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Amazon (Washington) Global Sales

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City of Charlotte (North Carolina) Research and Policy Analyst

Andres Machado, awarded a full scholarship to Oxford University in 2014,

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Collier Country Government (Florida) Urban/Regional Planner

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Ernst and Young (Cleveland, Ohio) Tax Attorney

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Hill and Knowlton Strategies (Washington, DC) Corporate Advisor

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Lee Health System (Florida) Director of Government Relations

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Optiv Inc. (Colorado) Marketing Coordinator

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Republican State Leadership Committee (Florida) Deputy Political Director

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Missouri) Analyst

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U.S. Department of State (Washington) Presidential Management Fellow

exemplifies the success of our graduates.

QUESTIONS? CONTRIBUTIONS? CONTACT: Florida Gulf Coast University Political Science Program Richard W. Coughlin, Ph.D. | 239.590.7177 | rcoughli@fgcu.edu

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

The PAGES Program Enhances the Success of Liberal Arts Students The success of our students is not a happy coincidence. Like other liberal arts majors, Political Science teaches students transferrable skills (critical thinking, effective communication, problem solving). The result is that Liberal Arts students get good jobs and, over time, their earning potential exceeds that of students with professional degrees (i.e., business, education, etc.). See here for the Association of American Colleges and Universities study that documents these results.

It can take Liberal Arts students some time to match and exceed the earnings of their professional counterparts because many Liberal Arts majors are not well prepared to enter the labor market upon graduation. To compensate for this, Florida Gulf Coast University has developed the PAGES program, which provides mentoring and peer coaching in order to develop Liberal Arts students as emerging professionals and accelerate their career growth and development. Check into PAGES in order to get ready for the kind of professional success that many of our graduates are now enjoying.

FGCU Students Intern in Washington, DC This spring Florida Gulf Coast University is sending three students to the Washington Center’s Internship Program, where they will complete full time internships in the nation’s capital.

Washington Center interns also receive leadership training, which prepares them for career success.

FGCU Political Science major Alexis LaSalle interned with Hispanic Caucus Institute in 2016.

As in the past, the Florida Legislature is providing $8,000 scholarships for students that meet the minimal requirements of the program – a +2.75 GPA and beyond the first semester of their sophomore year.

Students can also receive additional financial support from a variety of different sources at FGCU: the PAGES program (referred to above), the FGCU Foundation, and, for students who are members, the FGCU Honors Program. For more information on the Washington Center Internship Program, contact Dr. Richard Coughlin (rcoughli@fgcu.edu).

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

The Florida Legislative Internship Program Doubles in Size This year the Department of Political Science was able to double the size of the Florida Legislative Internship Program from two to four students per year. Students who participate in this program serve as interns for a Florida State Senator or House member during the Legislative Session (January 9 to March 5, 2019). Interns receive housing benefits and a stipend. They can earn up to 12 hours of academic credit during the internship. Our interns have been selected for this year, but applications for the 2020 Legislative Session can be made between August 20 and September 28 of 2019. To find out more, contact Dr. Roger Green (rgreen@fgcu.edu) or Dr. Peter Bergerson (pbergers@fgcu.edu).

Model United Nations Active at Local, State and National Levels The FGCU Model United Nations club wrote background guides and chaired he committees of the 2018 Southwest Model United Nations Conference (held every March at Florida Gulf University) and will do the same in 2019. The club also traveled to state level conferences at the University of Central Florida and Florida State University and participated in a national level conference at the University of Chicago. The club is planning a another national level conference trip for spring 2019. For more information on Model UN, contact club president and FGCU Political Science undergraduate Shane Broadstone (sdbroadstone8854@eagle.fgcu.edu).

Political Science Study Abroad Goes to Mexico Last summer, the FGCU Political Science Program launched its first study abroad program in Mexico.

Dr. Richard Coughlin and Professor Aaron Nunes-Zaller FGCU Students in Teotihuacan, July 2018.

(Department of Integrated Studies and an alumni of the Political Science Program) took 11 students to Mexico for 16 days last summer.

This study abroad experience focused on politics of Mexico’s 2018 elections while engaging students 4

Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

in the development of a documentary on Mexican politics and society entitled The Other Side of the Wall.

The course was organized through the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico. Students engaged in discussions with community members, social movement activists, professors, journalists and political professionals on the future of Mexican politics. We also had learned about Mexican cooking, visited ancient pyramids, and took in a lucha libre (professional wresting) match, among other activities. Dr. Coughlin and Professor Nunes-Zaller are planning another trip for next summer.

The deadline to register is February 15, 2019. For more information, contact Dr. Richard Coughlin (rcoughli@fgcu.edu). For more information on Study Abroad in Mexico, click here.

The Liebert World Affairs Lecture Series The Liebert World Affairs Lecture Series brings highly recognized scholars and authors to FGCU to the interact with students in the Political Science program and deliver a world affairs lecture to members of the community. This year, we are bringing two speakers to campus. Karen Jacobsen is a professor at Tufts University whose current research explores urban displacement and global migration systems with a particular focus on the survival strategies of migrants and refugees. Jacobsen’s talk will be on February 22, 2019.

Journalist Suzy Hansen (left) and Professor Karen Jacobsen (right) are the the 2018 Liebert World Affairs Speakers for 2019.

Liebert World Affairs Lecture Series February 22, 2019 “Migration and Refugees - The Middle East Perspective” by Professor Karen Jacobsen (Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy - Tufts University)

Suzy Hansen is a journalist and March 15, 2019 the author of Notes on a Foreign “The Two Americas: Can Americans See America the Way the Rest Country: An American Abroad in of the World Does?” by Suzy Hansen

a Post-American World, which draws on her life in Turkey and travels throughout the Islamic world to chronicle the decline of American influence in the world.

Hansen’s talk will take place on March 15, 2019.

Both talks will occur in Edwards Hall, Room 112 with a reception at 6:00 pm and lecture at 6:30 pm.

For more information, please contact Dr. Hootan Shambayatti (hshambayati@fgcu.edu).

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Political Science Program

December 2018, Issue 1

Undergraduates Present Research at Academic Conferences Several of our undergraduates presented their research at state and national level academic conferences. Ruth Erekson and Jeanie Sutton presented their research at the 2018 Florida Political Science Associations Meetings, held at Florida Gulf Coast University. Ruth’s research examined effectiveness of federal and state anti-human trafficking legislation. Jeannie analyzed local participation in federal Community Development Block Grants.

Dr. Joe Ross has facilitated undergraduate participation in national Jerrett Nelson presents his research at the Midwest Political Science academic conferences. Samantha Canty Association Meeting, April, 2018. presented her paper “Voter ID and Minority Voters in Alabama” at the 2018 Emerging Scholars Conference at the University of Michigan. Grant Tindal coauthored a presentation with Dr. Ross titled “Searches, Seizures and Electoral Pressure: Considering the Effects of Case Facts in State Supreme Courts” at the 2018 Midwest Political Science Association in Chicago. At this same meeting, Jerrett Nelson presented his research, “Perceptions of Political Efficacy and Socioeconomic Status.”

FGCU MPA Students Sweep Statewide Scholarships The FGCU chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is an organization composed of both undergraduate and Masters of Public Administration graduate students interested in local government. Club members attended the 2018 Florida City and County and Management Association. The Association awards highly competitive scholarships to Masters of Public Administration (MPA) students in the state of Florida. This year, our MPA students won an astonishing five out of the seven scholarships that were awarded. 2018 also marked the third time in the last four years that MPA students from FGCU have won scholarships from the Florida City and County Management Association.

This year’s winners were John Myers, Charlotte Bingham, Jaime Tirado, Karla Gibbs and Kristina King. For more information about the ICMA, please contract Dr. Bob Lee (rlee@fgcu.edu).

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