Student News

GPI Department students participate in May 2026 commencement ceremony

Several students and faculty members from the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) participated in UCA’s commencement ceremony at the Farris Center on Friday morning, May 1, 2026. More than 20 GPI students earned bachelor’s degrees in political science, public administration, and international studies following the 2026 spring semester.

Beginning in the summer and fall of 2026, some of the graduating students plan to continue their education in graduate school or law school, and many of them are pursuing internships and employment opportunities in government and public service. Mical Castleberry (BS in Political Science & BPA in Public Administration) and Summer Charles (BA in Political Science) plan to attend law school. Caleb Fergeson (BPA in Public Administration) plans to complete an internship with the Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services. Caroline Fortenberry (BS in Political Science), Arely Pioquinto (BS in Political Science & BA in English), and Alec Williams (BS in Political Science & BPA in Public Administration) are planning to pursue JD degrees at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Bowen School of Law. Mitchell Gray (BPA in Public Administration & BBA in Business Administration) plans to pursue an MBA degree at UCA.

Also graduating in May 2026, Michael Phifer (BPA in Public Administration) plans to continue working as Executive Director of the non-profit organization Mission Machine, Inc. in Searcy. Evan Thomas (BS in Political Science & Philosophy) plans to pursue a JD degree at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. Richard Ware (BS in Political Science & Philosophy) plans to begin a position as a State Personnel Specialist with the Arkansas Office of Personnel Management. Ryan Webb (BS in Political Science) has applied for the MBA program at UCA. Madelyn White (BS in Political Science & Economics) has been accepted into the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at Georgetown University. Jefferson Wilson (BS in Political Science & Criminology) plans to work as an Elections Library Assistant & Legal Assistant for the State of Arkansas Secretary of State.

Other GPI students graduating from UCA in May 2026 include Jaden Elmore, Amie Fall, Banjamin Henry, Katelyn Nees, Sydney Poe, Maritsa Rosas, Alexis Cantu Saavedra, and Lillian Ward. Ryan Webb, and Alec Williams.

Posted in: Student News on May 5, 2026

Department students complete 2025 summer internships

Emmet Brick, dual degree in Public Administration and Logistics/Supply Chain Management
“This summer, I interned at the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office. I first began working in the Election Division, working on a petition project that gave me valuable insight into how the division collects and stores information related to petitions. I then worked under an Inventory Specialist in the Business Office, which gave me the opportunity to see all the duties performed by the Secretary of State as we had to account for the equipment used by various departments. Overall, it was a transformative experience that gave me valuable insight into how our state government operates.”

Georgia Miller, Public Administration major and Political Science minor
“I had the opportunity to intern for The CALL, a local nonprofit that equips, educates, and trains current and future foster parents. I had the privilege of managing events, running social media accounts, and spreading awareness to the community that every child deserves a loving home. This organization has opened my eyes by shedding light on how much we take everything for granted. Working with this organization for over a year has allowed me to grow and develop my future career in the nonprofit sector.”

Mary Lyle, Political Science Major and Journalism Minor
“Over the summer, I had the opportunity to intern at STOPDV, a nonprofit in Conway. While I was there, my main tasks included going to weekly court meetings and taking notes on cases related to domestic violence, organizing files, and working on longstanding projects related to outreach and reducing recidivism. Through my time at STOPDV, I learned how nonprofits function and the amount of dedication it takes to continuously fight for victims in the legal system. ”

Posted in: Student News on December 10, 2025

Department student selected for Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy

Kylie McGraw, public administration major in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI), was selected for the inaugural Arkansas Collegiate Civic Leadership Academy at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. The Academy prepares the next generation of public leaders by bringing together students from colleges and universities in Arkansas to engage in academic discussions, practical training, and service-learning. Students gain the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to become effective community leaders. The program culminates in the awarding of a Civic Arkansas Credential.

Kylie is a senior public administration major from Little Rock. Kylie is serving as the President of the UCA Student Government Association (SGA) and the Secretary of the Public Administration (PA) Club in 2025-2026. After graduation from UCA, Kylie will be pursuing a law degree and hopes one day to become an elected official and policymaker in her community.

Dr. Kim Hoffman, Director of the undergraduate public administration program and Director of the NextGen Service Corps program in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI), commends McGraw’s leadership as SGA president and for representing UCA in the first cohort of the civic leadership academy. According to Dr. Hoffman, “Kylie embodies the kind of student we have in the GPI Department who strives to make her community better, seeks opportunities to become more civically engaged, and aspires to be a future change agent and problem-solver.”

Posted in: Student News on December 5, 2025

UCA student chosen as APSA Diversity Fellowship Program (DFP) Fellow

The American Political Science Association (APSA) announced that UCA student Blake Reano was chosen as one of the APSA Diversity Fellowship Program (DFP) Fellows in 2025-2026. Blake is a senior majoring in Political Science and minoring in International Studies and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. Blake studies the concept of nationalism and its impact on electoral politics and political thought. Blake has also studies the Japanese language both at UCA and abroad. Blake plans to pursue a Ph.D. in political science and a teaching career. The DFP, formerly the Minority Fellowship Program, was established in 1969 as a fellowship competition to diversify the political science profession. Since 1969, the APSA Diversity Fellowship Program has designated more than 600 Fellows, both funded and unfunded, and contributed to the completion of doctoral political science programs for over 100 individuals. APSA Diversity Fellows are very active in the discipline as faculty members, researchers, and mentors.

Posted in: Student News on January 31, 2025

UCA student awarded Critical Language Scholarship

Cooper Horton, a UCA student double-majoring in Linguistics and International Studies, was recently awarded the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) by the U.S. Department of State. The CLS program is an “immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.” Each summer, students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities spend two months learning one of thirteen languages at an intensive study abroad institute. The critical languages include Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. The CLS program is “designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.” The CLS program will enable Cooper to study the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan in June and July 2024. Cooper, who is also minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies, previously studied the Russian language during a semester abroad program in Kazakhstan in Spring 2023.

Posted in: Student News on April 3, 2024

UCA student selected for Critical Language Scholarship and the Freeman Award for Study in Asia

Vanessa Rogers-Wright, an undergraduate student majoring in International Studies and Political Science, was chosen for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Freeman Award for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA). Vanessa, who will be studying at Myongji University in Seoul, South Korea during Fall Semester 2021, is minoring in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Asian studies. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program is a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program designed to give American college students cultural immersion experiences abroad and grow the number of U.S. students who study a foreign language. The program aims to increase fluency in languages that are significant in the global workforce. Freeman-ASIA is sponsored by the Freeman Foundation, a private foundation with offices in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Freeman Foundation’s major objectives include strengthening the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of East Asia. Through education and educational institutes, the Foundation hopes to develop a greater appreciation of Asian cultures, histories, and economies in the United States and a better understanding of the American people and of American institutions and purposes by the peoples of East Asia.

Posted in: Student News on July 27, 2021

UCA student honored as Intern of the Year at UCA

Greta Hacker, a UCA Honors College student majoring in Public Administration in the Department of Political Science, was honored as the 2020 Intern of the Year during the 14th Annual Internship Banquet on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the Student Center Ballroom. A native of Jonesboro, Greta completed her internship with the Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED) at UCA. Shelby Fiegal, Director of the CCED, said of Greta, “She is one of the best and brightest at UCA.” Dr. Kim Hoffman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Public Administration Program since 2001, nominated Greta for the award. Dr. Hoffman commented, “I can say that Greta is the best student I have had in any course, in many years.” Greta is also a Presidential Scholar, award winning member of the UCA Debate and Forensics Team, and is a peer tutor for UCA’s Center for Writing and Communication.

In May 2020, Greta was named a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. Greta was one of 290 college and university students who make up the 2020-2021 Newman Civic Fellows. UCA President Houston Davis nominated Greta for the fellowship.

Posted in: Student News on March 19, 2020

UCA student named a recipient of Newman Civic Fellowship

Itzel Velazquez, a senior double-majoring in International Studies and Political Science and minoring in Latin American and Latino studies, was named a recipient of the Newman Civic Fellowship. Itzel was one of 262 students across the United States who were named as the 2019-2020 Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. Velazquez is a UCA Ambassador, President’s Leadership Fellow, secretary for the Association of Future Alumni and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society. She is also an ambassador for the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere campaign, through which she was involved in civic engagement on campus and helped with voter registration drives. She has also served as vice president of the Latino Student Association and on the Student Government Association Diversity Committee.

Itzel Velazquez

Posted in: Student News on May 2, 2019

UCA student presents paper at Alpha Chi National Honors Society conference in Louisville

Danielle Casey, a senior double-majoring in Political Science and International Studies, presented a research paper at the Alpha Chi National Honor Society conference held in Louisville, Kentucky on April 6-8, 2017. The research paper was titled, “Race, Republicanism, and Realignment: Analyzing Arkansas’ Shift in Party Loyalty.” The faculty advisers for the UCA Chapter of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society are Amber Wilson, Torreyson Library, and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan, Department of Political Science.

Danielle Casey (1)

Danielle Casey (2)

Posted in: Student News on May 12, 2017