Blog

Leading up to the presidential election, many students (like myself) feel a compelling need to get involved and leave their mark on campaign season. However, there are several races up

Hi everyone! My name is Kennedy Baker, and I am a third-year Political science student with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State and a minor in Law, Ethics,

Hi everyone! My name is Kennedy Baker, and I am a third-year Political science student with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State and a minor in Law, Ethics,

Hi, my name is Makayla Bangoura! I am a third-year International Affairs major, and I recently participated in the GLOBIS SPIA a Firenze study abroad program in Florence, Italy. This

Hi everyone! My name is Kanika Patel, and I am a third-year international affairs major at SPIA. When entering SPIA, I was overwhelmed with the amount of opportunities offered here,

Dear SPIA, As I look back at the past two years and my time in this school, all I can say is I have been given everything and more. When

One of the most rewarding classes I’ve taken so far is Women in World Politics. This course has broadened my understanding of global politics by focusing on the role of

If you’re considering a graduate degree in public administration, you may be asking yourself what job opportunities might be available to you once you complete your program. Navigating your post-grad

Hi everyone! My name is Kennedy Baker, and I am a third-year Political science student with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State and a minor in Law, Ethics,

Written by Anna Rose Powell 3rd year Majors: International Affairs, Spanish This past summer, I participated in the second year of SPIA’s National Parks Program (NPP) through GLOBIS. Over the

Hello! I’m Kyleigh Cook, a third-year SPIA student majoring in political science with a minor in Law, Justice, and the State through the UGA School of Law. After graduation, I

It is hard enough to narrow down your values, future career aspirations, and, of course, your genuine interests when you arrive at UGA. As you approach the end of sophomore

As I approach my final weeks at the University of Georgia as a student, I find myself reflecting upon the profound impact my time here as a student, particularly within

Hey everyone! I’m Laura Kelley, a third-year Political Science and Public Relations major at the great University of Georgia. I am grateful for the experiences the School of Public and

College is a naturally nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience, no matter how much preparation and research you do before. I can guarantee that every student at the University of Georgia has

Joining the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia was one of the best decisions I have made in college. The college has provided me with

I am studying abroad this semester through the Warnell College of Forestry and Natural Resources Discover Abroad program in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Fiji. I am not a forestry

As an International Affairs major, I have always strived to be globally-minded. Before studying abroad, however, I had yet to learn just how rewarding global experiences could be, especially for

Hi everyone! My name is Clemencia El Antouri, and I am a 2024 recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The U.S. Department of State funds this fellowship

As a student in the School of Public and International Affairs, I interned with a range of political organizations, including Greater Georgia, the Office of Governor Brian Kemp, and the

Hello, everyone. My name is Valeria Campos, and I am a senior majoring in international affairs and journalism. I wanted to discuss the internship search with you all, which I

We all know that the world is connected and that there is so much out there to explore and fall in love with outside of the borders of Georgia and

Many SPIA students, especially those majoring in International Affairs, express interest in studying or interning abroad yet may feel intimidated by the planning and logistics of pursuing a study abroad

Being a SPIA student has given me the opportunities of a lifetime. I have been able to work at the United States Capitol, study at the University of Oxford, and

While reflecting on my college journey, one course stands out as a transformative experience: POLS 4071 – Social Choice and Elections with Dr. Keith Dougherty. It was an intellectual ride

1. Take advantage of the SPIA community. Sign up for events! One event I attended was a meet and greet with the State Department, where I learned more about a

As a fourth-year international affairs major, I have had so many memorable experiences with SPIA. One that stands out above the rest was studying abroad in South Africa two summers

This is a big question, isn’t it? Why choose SPIA over all the other excellent degree programs that UGA offers? Why decide to dedicate your life to studying all of

As a double major and double minor, I have had the opportunity to take a wide array of classes spanning from Biological Anthropology to French Literature to Calculus II to

My name is Logan Sorrow, and I am a fourth-year student studying political science with a certificate in Applied Politics. I have had extensive exposure to the political world throughout

Hello! My name is Maggie McInerney, and I am a third-year SPIA student. I am majoring in Political Science with a minor in Law, Philosophy, and Ethics and certificates in

I’m Laura Kelley, a third-year political science and public relations student. One of my favorite experiences through SPIA has been the GLIP internship. I have always been an experiential learner,

As a fourth-year student, I have been blessed with many opportunities as an SPIA student. Hopefully, my experience here can give incoming Freshmen an insight into what it’s like to

9:15 am: I leave for my first class and walk to the Miller Learning Center with my roommates. As a student in the Applied Politics program, I start my day

Hi everyone! My name is Niamh Dempsey, and I am a fourth-year Political Science and International affairs double major with a minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State. I also

Hello everyone! My name is Clemencia El Antouri, and I am a fourth-year International Affairs and Romance Languages student. I am also a Security Leadership Fellow at the Center for

By: Kelley Downes Hi! My name is Kelley Downes and I am a senior from Atlanta, Georgia. I am majoring in Political Science with an Applied Politics Certificate and minoring

By: Simi Kolodka Hi everyone! My name is Simi Kolodka, I am a fourth year student studying international affairs and Russian. This semester, I had the unique opportunity to study,

By: Nick Markiewicz This semester, I decided to take ‘Global Simulation’ taught by Professor Berejikian, which used video games as an incredibly effective simulation tool. I have participated in many

Hi! My name is Allie Maloney and I am a third year student studying International Affairs and Political Science. I came to UGA knowing that I was passionate about political

By Emma Sorckoff Did you know that statistically speaking, it’s more competitive to secure an internship with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) than it is to get into Stanford

Hello everyone! My name is Connor Stockenberg! I just wanted to write a bit about how much I love all the professors I’ve had in SPIA so far and how

Hey everyone! My name is Grace VanHooser and I am a 4th year studying Political Science with a minor in Spanish. I studied abroad in Spring of 2022 with Semester

My name is Julianna Jurkiewicz, and I am a third-year student double majoring in International Affairs and Economics while studying for a Certificate in Legal Studies. Luckily, when I applied

Hello everyone! My name is Connor Stockenberg, and I’m a fourth year political science and international affairs major. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: this is my last

By Shekina Shindano This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa under the SPIA – Globis Partner: Global Studies at Stellenbosch University. Stellenbosch is

By Sydney Sanders The SPIA classes I’ve taken over the past three years have all ignited different interests in me. I came to realize that these seemingly unrelated topics could

By Ema Weeks I decided where I wanted to attend to college in April of 2020 when the world was on lockdown with ten options from which to choose, including

By Hannah Skinner My name is Hannah Skinner and I’m a senior double majoring in Political Science and International Affairs. This past summer I had the opportunity to intern for

by Nicholas Byrd I love being a SPIA student because the school and professors are preparing me to be a strong global citizen and leader. I’m writing this blog post

by Niclas Hammontree The age-old conundrum of where to study. When it’s time to do some reading, or write a policy memo, or even finish some coding for a research

by Anney Woodard This past spring semester, I participated in the UGA at Oxford study abroad program. The experience was unforgettable. I had the opportunity to learn in the Oxford

by Allie Maloney This is my second year at UGA and my first year on the Model United Nations team. Last year, with COVID restrictions, I had a hard time

by Fernanda Flores Hello! My name is Fernanda and I am a third-year International Affairs major. Today, I want to write about the SPIA Ambassador program and the opportunities I

by Taylor Talley Just a month ago, I moved into Delta Hall in Washington D.C. with 30 other students. I was nervous because I was only a sophomore, but excited

by Jaylin Small During the fall semester of 2021, I participated in the Washington Semester Program and interned at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS). Under the supervision

by Jere Pearson As the summer drew to a close, I remember greatly anticipating the start of my sophomore year at UGA for many reasons.  So many opportunities were being

by Rehna Sheth The Security Leadership Program transformed my undergraduate career. One fall day of my sophomore year, our Model United Nations Head Delegate, Meredith Van De Velde, sent a

by Jane Scarborough Every now and then I think back to how my life was a year ago, and it makes me smile. Man, I had no idea what was coming! Last fall, life

by John Oates One of the most interesting experiences I have had as a political science student has been as a poll worker. If you are like me you may

by Grace Kaldor I started at the University of Georgia about three and a half years ago now (wow!) as a different major, yet I knew at the time that

Hi, everyone. My name is Alana Entinger, and I am a third-year International Affairs student. As mentioned in my previous blog that was posted on September 8, 2020, I created

Dr. Carmichael’s Revitalized UN Practicum Class: Building Real-World Skills By Rehna Sheth This semester, Dr. Carmichael restarted a class that hasn’t been taught in many years called United Nations Practicum

by Lauren Anders Once again, I find myself raving about the one and only Dr. Carmichael. This time I am here to rave about her International Law class that can

by Anjali Patel My name is Anjali Patel, and I am a student majoring in International Affairs and Political Science within the School of Public and International Affairs, SPIA. As

by Sarah Allen My name is Sarah Allen, and I am an International Affairs and Political Science double major with a minor in General Business. When I moved into my

by Jena Jibreen My name is Jena Jibreen, and I am a third-year student studying International Affairs and Psychology. My entire college experience has been very heavily centered on my

by Lydia McCoy When I was a sophomore, I decided on a whim to apply for the UGA at Oxford study abroad program. To my delight, I was accepted into

by Elizabeth Carter Amid a global pandemic, finding silver linings can be difficult and feel a bit tone-deaf; but at a time when most everything seems to be falling apart,

by Emily Gayle As a senior this year I have had a lot of time to reflect on my college experience. I have changed a lot for the better and

by Micah Nix In the final weeks of Spring 2020, before we were all abruptly sent home due to the pandemic, I was applying to be a part of the

By Alexa Kaemmerling Moving 10 hours away from home all by myself was not an easy transition. The first few months at UGA were filled with trials and tribulations, and

by Valdina Tchoute From a young age, I have wanted to connect with other cultures — connect with the people, the language, the identities and even the tragedies that have

by Zoe Booth This year is a big year for elections. The presidential election and the contentious senate races dominate the news, but what a lot of Americans never even

By Alex Donnelly One of my biggest goals as a student at the University of Georgia has always been to land an internship. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the

Why Georgia’s MPA Program: Kim’s wRight Loft by Gerena Walker For many who have the bug of public service, they often choose undergraduate degrees in political science, economics, history, international

My name is Alexa Hernandez, and I am a third-year studying Political Science and International Affairs with a certificate in Applied Politics at the University of Georgia. Since my first

by John Oates My name is John Oates, and I am a third-year political science student here at SPIA. If you are like me and you want to get into

By Macey Myers Last fall, an email hit my inbox that would soon give me one of the greatest opportunities of my college career. Adam Paige, SPIA’s Internship Advisor, often

by Jaylin Small As a second-year student at the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), I want to be as transparent as possible with incoming freshmen and prospective SPIA

by Rehna Sheth Unlike our peers majoring in biology or engineering, in SPIA there is no strict path of classes you must take. The obscure range of classes SPIA students

by Alana Entinger My name is Alana Entinger, and I am majoring in International Affairs. In January 2020, I transferred to UGA as a sophomore. Although I did not get

By: Julianna Isbitts Earlier this week, the names of students accepted in the 5th cohort of the Public Affairs Professional Certificate in Applied Politics were announced. As a member of

By: Anjali Patel Being a SPIA Ambassador definitely has its perks such as attending lectures with some of the most globally phenomenal speakers and sharing our love for SPIA as

By: Elizabeth Carter My name is Elizabeth Carter, and I am a Double Dawg studying International Affairs and Policy. My interests include resource deficiencies, human-centered design, and partnerships for development.

By Urooj Ali During the Fall 2019 semester, I participated in the UGA Mentor Program. This was the first semester of the mentor program, and it was an amazing experience.

By: Sarah Ensley I never changed my major. In May, I will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science major with a minor in history. There was never any

By Emily Gayle During the Fall 2019 semester, I had the opportunity to study and intern in Washington, D.C through the Washington Semester Program (WSP). As a SPIA student, this

By: Alexa Hernandez This semester, I am in War and Gender with the famous Dr. Gallagher, which is an international affairs class. Every week or so, we have to turn

By: Zoe Booth When you think of the “study of law” do you think of huge textbooks, hours of reading, and memorization? Before this semester, I did too. I am

By: Katie Morris As a senior beginning my final semester at the University of Georgia, I can’t help but look back in deep appreciation at the many opportunities the School

By: Joseph Suen One reason why I chose a major in SPIA was because of the interest I had in both law and politics. As I took more and more

By: Anjali Patel My name is Anjali Patel and I am a SPIA student. This is a highly bland statement I understand, but it is only the conversation starter to

By: Samantha Gastelum The first summer after my Freshman year I participated in the UGA at Oxford program which I cannot recommend highly enough. Although I was taking INTL 4220

By: Lauren Anders Advanced Political Simulations, these three words will lead any School of Public and International Affairs student to the best course of their collegiate career. It has it

My name is Stephanie Cannon, and I am a third-year undergraduate student studying international affairs and Arabic with a minor in Russian. I am also a member of the Richard

by Elise Tanyel “So… what are you trying to do with your International Affairs degree?” This is the dreaded question that I’m sure we all, as liberal arts students, have

by Faiz Syed It was going to be a rough week ahead! I had a few major exams as well as some deadlines for my research. As I sat down

by Zoe Booth While most people may view any regular listserv or mass email as just another message to dump into the trash folder of their school email, if you

By Karina Delgado I have always been very grateful for all the opportunities that the School of Public and International Affairs has presented to me over the past three years.

by Abigail Chasteen SPIA is a place of endless opportunities. One of my personal favorite ways that SPIA presents opportunities to the student body is through the certificate options. I

by Taylor Evans From August 2017 to May 2018 I served as a Legislative Fellow for Representative Spencer Frye (D) of the 118th house district of Georgia. I started off

By Karina Delgado I had many different experiences throughout my study abroad in Italy. I really believe this experience was like no other. I loved travelling with a group of

by Zoe Booth The thing I most dreaded when I entered college were the big lecture halls. The impersonal, cold feeling of sitting in a room with over 100 people

by Alexa Hernandez While choosing to be a student of SPIA is a remarkable decision in itself, I, in an obviously biased manner,  will go a bit further and say

by Faiz Syed One of the greatest experiences that I have had in college was interning at the Morehouse School of Medicine for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute. Dr. David

by Ivana Motes When I first came to college, I really had no idea what I truly wanted to do with my life. This is very similar to many freshmen

by Cecilia Vu So you’re thinking about switching or adding a SPIA major. What do you do? Well, first thing is to actually know what SPIA is! SPIA stands for

by Abigail Chasteen When thinking about what SPIA means to me, I can’t help but remember the impact my favorite political science course has had on me as an individual

By Marisa Hernandez While my study abroad experience was not through SPIA, I still emphasize the value in going abroad, especially as an international affairs major. Being able to see

by Jena Jibreen   This past summer, after my first year at UGA, I was fortunate enough to experience a Maymester study abroad program at the University of Oxford. Though

By: Alyssa Mora My time in SPIA has been considerably short compared to other students. When I came into college I was an Exercise Science Major attempting to go down

By Ivan Ruiz-Hernandez Growing up in the suburbs of Metro-Atlanta, my exposure to Latinx literature and scholarly works was limited. The experiences that I had were normally curated by the

By Elizabeth Carter As a child, the quintessence of a summer well-spent would chiefly concern the success of a personal marketing campaign to my parents on a trip to Disney

By Alexa Hernandez This past summer, I was fortunate enough to travel with the School of Public and International Affairs to Verona, Italy, through their Maymester study abroad program to

By Lauren Anders As an International Affairs student, summer and the months leading up to it are full of anticipation. The community of School of International and Public Affair students

Not too long ago, I was standing at The Arch on Broad Street and needed to get to SPIA (School of Public and International Affairs) in Candler Hall. So, like

By Joseph Suen I remember having a hard time deciding what to major in before arriving at the University of Georgia. Mainly, this was due to the fact that I

by Zoe Li In my four years as a student in the UGA School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), I have traveled to over 25 cities and 10 countries

by Anayely Moreno As we realize that March is Women’s History Month, perhaps because your friend mentioned it, or the person in class who seems to have a lot of

By Margaret Beckley Coming into SPIA at UGA as a freshman, I knew I wanted to major in International Affairs and Political Science, but I did not realize that SPIA

By Elizabeth Carter Starting this semester, a group of SPIA Student Ambassadors have started a Peer Mentorship Program for SPIA students. The purpose of the program is to facilitate relationships

By Amy Doehrman Each semester hundreds of students scramble to find the perfect internship- you know the one in DC, with a stipend that fills job opening with interns… We

by Caroline Gustavson Deciding upon a school for my college career was extremely difficult even though I knew I wanted to be an International Affairs major. I had contradicting opinions

by Hannah Ruby SPIA’s eight week study abroad program at the University of Oxford started on a dreary morning in early January. Everyone trudged from their bedrooms downstairs into the

by Jay-Ce Heisig Want to give tours and admissions guidance to prospective bulldawgs? Apply to be an intern in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions!   As an admissions intern myself,

By Flora Patel I constantly tell others that “life starts at the end of your comfort zone,” to encourage them to step out of their safety zones and experience life.

By Eamon Gaffney As cliché as it sounds, studying abroad was the most enriching experience I have had the opportunity to partake in during my time in college so far.

By Peyton Sammons “What’s SPIA?” and Other Questions I’ve Answered About as Many Times as my 810 As I embark on my 16th year of formal education, and 4th year

By Kimberlee John-Williams Everyone gets nostalgic in the months preceding graduation, and I am certainly not immune to feeling increasingly sentimental as my time in Athens comes to a close.

By Jesse Kerzner The fragility and value of time is often overlooked. Specifically, when it comes to the always too short, four-year, college career. So with that in mind, there

By Peyton Sammons While many students spend the summer between their first and second years taking family vacations, or waiting tables at a local restaurant, I was running around my

By Abbie Nash This past week in my Legislative Process class, we discussed what goes in to the decisions that members of Congress make. What influences the way certain lawmakers

By Chelsea Reese Thinking about applying to law school? It’s one thing to think about it- actually doing it is a whole different story! The process is long and is

by Libby Ballou Kayamandi means “nice home.” If I had heard this before the summer of 2015, I would have pictured a mansion with many amenities. Yet, after my month-long

By Amaan Charaniya It’s not unusual for me to tell people I’m in SPIA and for them to quickly respond with, “what’s that?”  Unfortunately, even among UGA students, SPIA hasn’t

By Jacquelyn Harms Two years ago, I traveled to the beautiful country of Turkey to be an intern for a non-profit that worked with children with disabilities. When people asked

By Grace Walker Since day one, my professors in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) have been teaching me vital lessons about the world and the way that

By Grace Nelms This election season was long; I feel like I’ve aged a lifetime in the last year and a half. But, now it is over and now we

By Olivia Haas The prospect of graduating is scary and, somehow, the semester is already almost over. And the feeling of approaching a finite end without a clear plan for

By Ariel Pinsky This summer I was able to receive 8 hours of class credit toward my Political Science major (with the help of my faculty advisor Dr. Josh Putnam)

By Alex Corluyan Lots of students walk onto campus during orientation, look at the Arch, and can’t wait to finally walk under it 4 years later. That’s a mistake. Being at UGA

By Elijah Scott For my first thirty-six hours in Romania, I had met the national champion judo practitioner, realized that no one would accept US dollars or credit, was unable

By Elizabeth Holland Nestled behind the ancient oaks on North Milledge Ave. is a building where much of the behind-the-scenes action of Georgia government takes place. The Carl Vinson Institute

By Ryan Bolt As spring semester approaches here at the University of Georgia it marks the end of another great season competing with the undergraduate mock trial team. For those

By Sara Beth Marchert The School of Public and International Affairs & the University of Georgia offer students an incredible opportunity to have a semester in Washington DC, interning in

By Madison Turner As a nation, we take this day to observe, honor and recognize the bravest men and women in our country’s history– our veterans. From kindergarten to senior

By Rebeca Westmoreland Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a heroic story about a hardworking student that realized all of their dreams after years and years of failed attempts. Far

By Patrick Jameson Cunningham The School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia has an incredibly diverse student population. When I walk into a class, I never

By Tyler Leigh Wow! I can’t believe that in a few short days, I will be in Sanford Stadium, cheering on the Bulldogs for my last season as a student.

By Caroline Paris Paczkowski Dear Students, Parents, Alumni and Friends: Happy New Year to you and your families.  As we enter 2015, I remain extremely optimistic about SPIA and its

By Paul Welch The Legislative Office of State Representative Spencer Frye seeks highly motivated undergraduate students, graduate students, law students and recent graduates to join our team and take part

By Olivia Haas As a student of international affairs and history, past and current political and social climates have always fascinated me.  I felt my education of the subjects could

By Rachel Surminsky The University of Georgia has innumerable resources for its students but its most prominent is a strong and dedicated faculty. Faculty members make a student’s college experience

By Paul Welch The Office of U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at the University of Georgia offer SPIA undergraduate and graduate

By Caroline Paris Paczkowski J. Lee Weems (M.P.A. 2004) has been elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. 

By Paul Welch The African Studies Institute is offering a new class under the Critical Issues in Contemporary Africa course number AFST 4200/6200 which will give students credit for preparing

By Caroline Paris Paczkowski  SPIA alumnus, Joshua Jones, is the president and CEO of Red Clay Communications, an Atlanta-based firm that advised the Dave Brat campaign for the Virginia Republican

By Paul Welch The Department of International Affairs has added new sections of INTL 1100 “Intro to Global Issues,” INTL 3200 “Introduction to International Relations,” and INTL 3300 “Intro to

By Paul Welch Another in a continuing (and apparently sporadic) series of blog posts about good elective choices. Here we have a class from the Grady College of Journalism concerning

By Caroline Paris Paczkowski SPIA alumnus, Don L. Pruitt Jr., was featured in the Athens Banner-Herald for his dedication to saving lives as a paramedic captain with National EMS. Read

By Paul Welch The Department of International Affairs recently opened several new courses on Athena for the fall term: INTL 1100H “Introduction to Global Issues (Honors)” 9:30-10:45 TTH in Candler

By Paul Welch Special Topics Course: International Security Cooperation taught by Allison Shelton   This course synthesizes the IR sub-fields of international conflict and cooperation by examining how (and how

By Stefanie A. Lindquist Many of our students and several faculty members are abroad studying in South Africa, Italy, China and Japan.  Meanwhile, in the Dean’s Office, we are looking

By Caroline Paris Paczkowski Congratulations class of 2014 for becoming SPIA alumni! Don’t forget to fill out an alumni profile letting us know where you will be next year! Lauren Pinson

By Stefanie A. Lindquist Welcome to the newly renovated website for the School of Public and International Affairs!   We think that you will enjoy reading about our faculty, students, and

By Janet Recent MPA graduate Vasil Jaiani pens op-ed for Forbes about the West’s response to the situation in Ukraine. Jaiani now serves as senior management analyst for the District

By Paul Welch The Southern Education Foundation (SEF), http://www.southerneducation.org, is reaching out to tomorrow’s leaders through the 2014 Southern Education Leadership Initiative. Since 2004, SEF has placed over 165 students

By Paul Welch The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies will host an event showcasing selected scholars discussing nuclear threats on Thursday, Mar. 6th from 5:30-7 p.m.

Pi Sigma Alpha, the honor society for political science students at UGA, will host a “Meet & Greet” for all students on Wednesday March 4th at 4 pm in Baldwin