Communities First

Impacting Local Communities, Advancing the State, and Beyond

Students and alumni take the knowledge and values gained at COSSPP into roles across Florida, the nation, and the world, demonstrating how Florida-grown expertise helps solve complex problems everywhere.

DURP Planner in Residence and Prominent Alumnus Elected to College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners

Published: | 2:31 pm | Posted in: Alumni News, Faculty/Staff, News

FSU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s Planner in Residence Dennis Smith, FAICP, and prominent alumnus Wyatt Bowers, FAICP, were elected into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP) Class of 2026. Joining Smith is fellow honoree and FSU alumnus Wiatt Bowers, who was also elected to the FAICP Class of 2026 on February 27th.

COSSPP Distinguished Alumnus Thomas M. Henderson Increases Impact, Doubling Endowed Professorship

Published: | 9:20 am | Posted in: Alumni News, Faculty/Staff, News

Thomas M. Henderson, a distinguished alumnus of Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, strengthened his longstanding support for political science at FSU with an additional $250,000 gift to the Henderson Distinguished Professorship of Political Science, doubling the endowment’s original funding.

FSU’s DeVoe L. Moore Institute launches new housing supply website to address statewide shortages

Published: | 2:27 pm | Posted in: News, Research That Works

Florida is missing an estimated 55,000 single-family homes and more than 66,000 rental units, according to a first-of-its-kind housing supply model from the DeVoe L. Moore Institute at Florida State University. Produced and distributed in partnership with fellow think tanks Reason Foundation and the Florida Policy Project, the model sheds light on Florida’s growing housing crisis and provides specific recommendations for reform in each of Florida’s 67 counties.

Reubin O’D Askew School Hosts Economic Mobility & Opportunity Summit

Published: | 1:02 pm | Posted in: Faculty/Staff, News, Students

On January 30, 2026, Florida State University’s Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration & Policy hosted its Economic Mobility & Opportunity Summit in the Student Union Ballroom, bringing together students, faculty, practitioners, and community partners to examine research-driven strategies to improve economic mobility.

Alumni Spotlight: Matthew Becker

Published: | 11:00 am | Posted in: Alumni News, News

Matthew Becker, Ph.D., – a two-time FSU alumnus (B.S. political science ’07, M.S. international affairs Matthew Becker, Ph.D. – a two-time FSU alumnus (B.S. Political Science ’07, M.S. International Affairs ’09) – was nominated by the U.S. Department of State to serve as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as an international election observer.