Madeline Severy – a second-year student majoring in International Affairs – is interning with the NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Disaster Preparedness Program (DDP) for the 2023-2024 school year.
The NOAA program helps vulnerable areas prepare for and recover from natural and human-caused disasters. In this position, Severy’s current projects include bolstering DPP’s emergency management database with peer-reviewed articles and innovative emergency management training techniques. In addition, she creates evergreen content for NOAA’s website that supplements citizens’ and federal officials’ disaster preparedness efforts.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to gain hands-on experience responding to disasters and planning for emergency management alongside professionals in the federal government,” Severy said. “Although the internship has just started, I have gained invaluable insight about the agency’s role in helping the greater community.”
According to Severy, her time at FSU has helped prepare her for the next step in her career by providing unique opportunities to stand apart from other students studying in the field.
“I want to enter the field of environmental policy or emergency management, and FSU’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program has been instrumental in sharing practical knowledge and training for that field,” she said.
Severy has been very active during her time at FSU, serving as 2022-2023 UROP Research Assistant at FSU’s Florida Resource and Environmental Analysis Center and as the Charge d’Affaires of NoleMUN III, in The World Affairs Program (WAP) at FSU.
WAP is an academic debate team providing training in negotiation and debate strategies, as well as the opportunity to develop leadership and problem-solving skills by engaging with experts on topical global affairs and in debate competitions nationwide. NoleMUN III is an internationally ranked collegiate conference hosted by WAP; as Charge d’Affaires, Severy serves alongside the other members of NoleMUN’s secretariat to assist in the planning and execution of the conference. Severy and members of NoleMUN’s secretariat will host the third iteration from February 22-25, 2024.
“The World Affairs Program has offered me the unique experience of traveling to represent Florida State University in academic competitions across the United States,” Severy said. “As the Charge d’Affaires of NoleMUN III, I have had the opportunity to connect with delegations from universities across the southeast United States over our passions for healthy political debate and diplomacy.”
After graduation, Severy plans to take a gap year to serve in the Peace Corps before pursuing a graduate degree in International Affairs.
To learn more about the FSU’s Department of International Affairs, visit coss.fsu.edu/internationalaffairs.