Social Sciences Scholars Program

The college of Social Science and Public Policy produces great leaders

The Social Science Scholars Program builds upon the college’s history of graduating men and women who have had distinguished careers in both the private and public sectors. Foremost among them is former Florida Governor Reuben Askew (Public Administration, 1951), who served as president of FSU’s Student Government Association (SGA) in 1950. Other distinguished Social Science graduates include: Lynda Keever (Political Science, 1969), former publisher of Florida Trend and Thomas Culligan (Political Science, 1973, and Public Administration, 1977), the current CEO and Executive Vice President of Raytheon International, Inc.

Recent Social Science graduates also have been recognized for their outstanding academic achievement and leadership. For example, Cara Castellana (Economics, 2006) was named a Truman Scholar. Garrett Johnson (Political Science and English, 2006) and Joe O’Shea (Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Philosophy, 2009) were each awarded Rhodes Scholarships for graduate study at Oxford University. Also, a majority of SGA officers have been Social Science majors, including Dustin Daniels (Economics and International Affairs, 2011), last year’s student body president.

Training Scholars, Building Leaders

The Program was created to select outstanding juniors and provide them with leadership development opportunities and support. Social Science Scholars are chosen through a competitive process. Those selected will participate in a unique, 3-unit leadership seminar during the spring semester of their junior year. The seminar prepares students for projects of their choosing, which are undertaken during the following summer and/or fall semesters. Each Social Science Scholar receives up to $5,000 for approved travel and other expenses related to domestic or international internships, service projects or research. During their senior year, Scholars will present reports on their leadership, attend seminars and symposia and work with mentors to prepare for fellowships, graduate schools and/or careers.

Participation in the Social Sciences Scholars Program does not prevent participants from competing for other awards or scholarships, either at FSU or elsewhere.

To become a Social Science Scholar, applicants must have completed all Liberal Studies requirements and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. They also must complete the on-line application form located on the program’s website (http://www.coss.fsu.edu/sss/content/online-application), along with an unofficial university transcript.

For more information contact
John Mayo jmayo@fsu.edu, 644-4321 or Tom Taylor ttaylor@fsu.edu, 933-9444