By Elijah Penn, Copyeditor
On April 18, the annual Florida Political Science Association (FPSA) Conference took place at Saint Leo University. Students and faculty from all over the state came to present their political research projects and network with like-minded people in their discipline.
FPSA is dedicated to supporting political research, teaching, and writing, and encourages community engagement and sharing members’ work.
Since its inception in 1972, FPSA has never held its conference at Saint Leo, despite many Saint Leo faculty serving on its board. Dr. Austin Trantham, assistant professor of political science at Saint Leo and FPSA president, made it his goal to change this.
“I wanted us to finally host our political science colleagues from across the state, and my presidency felt like the right time to make that happen,” said Trantham. “Our small, intimate campus made it a perfect venue for this year’s conference.”
Trantham also serves in several other capacities with FPSA, including website manager and the editor of The Political Scientist, FPSA’s semi-annual newsletter. In addition to this, he served as the Arrangements Chair for the conference at Saint Leo.
“My involvement in the FPSA has allowed me to connect with experienced scholars, leading to co-authored research projects and genuine friendships,” said Trantham.
The schedule was packed with events, including panel sessions and presentations discussing trending political topics, such as media, political polarization, human rights issues, religion, and influence of gubernatorial speeches.
“The most meaningful feedback came from undergraduate students presenting their research for the first time, who described the experience as rewarding and welcoming,” said Trantham.
“I was especially pleased to know that their first conference experience was such a positive one, which reflects our emphasis on radical hospitality,” Trantham added.
The conference showed the value of students’ and faculty’s participation in organizations geared toward their discipline.
“I encourage students to get involved in national and state professional associations related to their major to build connections and gain experience beyond the classroom,” said Trantham.
Three Saint Leo students had the opportunity to present at the conference: Lauren Hall, Colleen Kester, and Emily Shute.
“I feel extremely grateful to have amazing professors, who did everything they could to get me to be able to present,” said Kester, a senior political science major. “It also has opened the door for publication of this project, which I am ecstatic about.”
Kester’s project studied how the college majors and institutional prestige affected representatives’ political success. She compared the members of U.S. House of Representatives and U.K. House of Commons.
“My conclusion from this project is in short: Education does play a role in shaping political careers, but it is not the primary driver of political success … While education matters, access to political power is ultimately shaped by institutional structures rather than educational background alone,” said Kester.
The project was praised as being “beyond what is expected from undergraduate students.”
“As a graduating senior, it was a great opportunity to leave a good final mark on my time as a student at Saint Leo University!” Kester said.
Shute, also a senior political science major, was honored to present her project on the impact of organized crime on government corruption and efficiency at the conference.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank the political science professors, especially my honors mentor Professor Orlando, for all their help,” said Shute.
The event also allowed her to listen to discussions about new topics and get helpful feedback from faculty and peers.
“It was a great experience getting to see what other people were studying and also be able to hear what others had to say about my work. It was a great environment,” said Shute.
The conference location at Saint Leo helped Shute feel at home and be confident discussing her project in front of the group.
“I felt much more comfortable presenting on campus and in the classrooms, I know well,” said Shute.
The event gave an incredible opportunity to Saint Leo students interested in politics and government and allowed people from across the state to experience Saint Leo’s beautiful campus and the Benedictine values the university strives to live out each day.
