Each year, the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) presents its Distinguished Alumni Awards to accomplished individuals to recognize their professional achievements, contributions to society, and support of the college and university.
We are pleased to announce our newest Distinguished Alumni: Jeralynn (Lynne) S. Cossman, Ph.D., Larry Hogan, and Gene Moran, Ph.D. They will be honored at the college’s Distinguished Alumni Gala in Spring 2027.
The 2026-2027 honorees join COSSPP’s 58 Distinguished Alumni who have received this honor in previous years. The college began recognizing Distinguished Alumni with this award in 1992, first honoring David Coburn (B.S. Political Science ’73, M.S. Urban and Regional Planning, & J.D. ’77).
“This year’s honorees show the remarkable range of what COSSPP alumni accomplish. Through leadership in higher education, public service, and government affairs, they have strengthened institutions, served their communities, and put their Florida State education to work. We are proud to recognize their achievements and welcome them as COSSPP Distinguished Alumni.” — COSSPP Dean Tim Chapin
Jeralynn (Lynne) S. Cossman, Ph.D.
B.S. Sociology and Women’s Studies ’90, M.S. Sociology ’92, Ph.D. Sociology and Demography ’96
Jeralynn (Lynne) S. Cossman, Ph.D., is Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), a role she has held since August 2026.
Previously, Dr. Cossman was Professor of Sociology and Demography, the Mark G. Yudof Dean’s Endowed Professor, and Inaugural Dean of the College for Health, Community and Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), where she served from 2020 to 2026. There, she led the transformation of a collection of legacy departments into an R1-aligned college with shared governance, a coherent academic strategy, and a growing national research footprint. Prior to that, she was Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University (WVU) from 2014 to 2020, and was at Mississippi State University (MSU) from 2001 to 2014, where she served as Professor and Department Head of Sociology and as a Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Center.
While at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Dr. Cossman served on several civic and nonprofit boards, including as Chair of the City of San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council, an executive board member for the Center for Health Empowerment in South Texas, and a board member for the San Antonio Council for International Visitors. In 2025, she received the Janet P. Realini Trailblazer Award from Healthy Futures of Texas.
Dr. Cossman’s research and teaching interests center on medical sociology, demography, and health services, with current work examining spatial disparities in mortality and morbidity. She has led research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Mississippi’s Division of Medicaid. Her work has been published in journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Social Problems, Health & Place, and Population Research and Policy Review.
“Receiving this award is especially meaningful because Florida State was more than the place where I earned three academic degrees; it was where I became the person and leader I am today. I arrived at 17 and left 11 years later with a profound appreciation for the transformative power of education and the mentors who invested in me. Their example continues to inspire my commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation.” — Jeralynn (Lynne) S. Cossman, Ph.D.
The Honorable Larry Hogan
B.S. Political Science ’78
Larry Hogan is one of America’s most respected bipartisan leaders and a proud graduate of Florida State University.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from FSU in 1978, where his interest in government, public service, and problem-solving helped shape a career defined by leadership in both the private sector and public life.
He is a dynamic leader with a successful record of leadership in the private sector and public service. As a two-term Governor of Maryland, he set a national example on bipartisan governance, economic reform, and crisis management.
In 2014, he won the biggest upset victory in America and became only the second Republican governor elected in Maryland in 50 years. Once in office, Hogan accomplished what many believed was no longer possible: bipartisan, common-sense solutions and results.
After years of economic success and bipartisan progress in one of the bluest states in America, Hogan was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2018, making him only the second Republican to do so in the entire history of the state. In 2020, he was elected unanimously by his colleagues as the Chairman of the National Governors Association, where he launched a chair’s initiative on infrastructure and led America’s governors through the global pandemic.
Hogan finished his second term in 2023 and left office with the highest approval rating of any governor in America. His tenure as governor offers a case study in successful leadership in the areas of economic development, fiscal management, and crisis response. Hogan is adept at strategic communications, fostering collaboration, leading complex policy initiatives, team building, and managing large-scale operations.
“This is a tremendous honor. Florida State helped set me on the path to a life of public service, and I will always be grateful for the education, the encouragement, and the Seminole spirit that shaped me. In public life, I have always believed that the best results come when we put people ahead of politics and common sense ahead of division. That is a lesson I carried with me from Tallahassee to Annapolis, and it is one I am proud to celebrate with the Florida State family. Go Noles!” — Larry Hogan
Gene Moran, Ph.D.
B.S. Political Science ’84
Gene Moran, Ph.D., is President and Founder of Capitol Integration, a strategic advisory firm he launched in 2013 to help technology and defense companies align business strategy with the realities of how Congress, the executive branch, and the national security community make funding and policy decisions. His clients range from early-stage technology firms entering the federal market to established defense primes managing multi-year procurement and appropriations cycles. Bloomberg Government has named him a top-performing defense lobbyist six times, and he has also been recognized as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics.
Before founding Capitol Integration, Moran served as Senior Vice President at Leonardo DRS. That role followed a 25-year career in the United States Navy, from which he retired as a Captain. His Navy service included multiple commands at sea, senior legislative affairs leadership with the U.S. Congress, and national security assignments. That experience continues to shape how he advises clients on how government decisions actually get made, long before a deal ever reaches a vote.
Moran earned his B.S. in Political Science from Florida State in 1984, an M.S. in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1987, and both a Master of Philosophy (2021) and Ph.D. (2022) in Public Policy from Walden University. He now serves as an Adjunct Professor at FSU, teaching federal budgeting and lobbying, and is the author of seven books, including Government Deals are Funded, Not Sold and Pitching the Big Top. His most recent is The Fourth Ring: Navigating the New Circus of Federal Power.
Moran and his wife Julie (FSU ’83) are the parents of four daughters, all of whom graduated from FSU.
“This recognition means a great deal to me. My years at Florida State gave me a foundation and sparked an interest in government that I still rely on when advising clients in Washington. I hope my coming back to teach public policy and share practical experience inspires that same interest in future graduates of FSU.” — Gene Moran, Ph.D.
For a list of all COSSPP’s Distinguished Alumni, click here.