Contributors

2021-2022 Contributors

Dr. Samuel R. Staley – is Director of the DeVoe L. Moore Center and on the full-time faculty of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. He teaches in the departments of economics and urban planning, with academic specialties in regulation, economic development, housing and land, growth management, transportation, and urban policy. He also is a research fellow at the Reason Foundation and a senior fellow at both the Indiana Policy Review Foundation and the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions. Staley received his B.A. in Economics and Public Policy from Colby College, M.S. in Social and Applied Economics from Wright State University, and Ph.D. in Public Administration, with concentrations in urban planning and public finance from Ohio State University.

Shawntia (Tia) Nicholson – Tia joined the DeVoe L. Moore Center as the Editorial and Public Affairs Manager in the fall of 2021. She is responsible for editing research reports, managing social media accounts, writing newsletters, and coordinating events and publication releases. She is currently pursuing her BA with a double major in Media and Communications Studies and English: Editing, Writing, and Media at Florida State University. Tia also works as the Content Director for the FSU Askew Student Life Cinema. In her free time, she enjoys reading, biking, hiking, and baking!

Corrine Bresky – Corrine is a recent graduate from Florida State University with a bachelor of science in Economics and Psychology. In the 2021-2022 academic year, she lead the Data Analytics Group (DAG) at the DeVoe L. Moore Center. In her role as DAG manager, Corrine worked with a multi-person team and the center’s partner DataMadeUseful, LLC to update, maintain, and interpret data available through the transparency website FloridaOpenGov.org. Corrine’s hobbies include playing tennis, reading, and editing creative videos. Corrine hopes to combine the insights she has gained from the fields of economics and psychology with empirical tools to conduct meaningful research for effective solutions of social issues.

Ava Jowers – Ava is a second-year student at Florida State University. She is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Science with a double major in Finance and Real Estate. She joined the DMC in October 2021 and began working on the CollegeTown team. Her research focuses on CollegeTown amenities and property values. Ava’s research interests include real estate market trends and urban development. Outside of the DMC, Ava is a member of FSU Best Buddies and Women in Business. In her free time, she enjoys reading and trying new recipes!

Andje Louis – Andje is a Political Science and International Affairs double major with a minor in Business Analytics. She has been a member of the DMC’s Data Analytics Group since January 2022. Andje’s research focuses on digital learning platform accessibility, particularly in the COVID-19 period. Her study focuses on low-income and minority populations, and the potential barriers that may limit their access. Outside of the DMC, Andje is involved with the University Libraries. She works as a data analyst for the Assessment Department and is now analyzing the findings of the LibQUAL survey. Andje’s interests include reading, exercising, and exploring new locations to visit.

Samantha Murray – Samantha is a graduate student working towards her Master’s in Applied Geographic Information Sciences. She joined the DMC in August of 2021 to analyze factors that influenced the revitalization of the Tallahassee CollegeTown region. Currently, her research with the DMC addresses transportation throughout the region and increasing walkability. With a focus on making cities more sustainable, she is able to apply her environmental science background from her undergraduate career to a setting where she lives and works alongside others. When she is not working with the DMC she enjoys spending her time cooking, playing the piano, or expanding her photography skills.

2020-2021 Contributors

Amber Hedquist: English Major, Communication Minor; Amber is the Public Affairs and Editorial Manager for the center. She is responsible for editing research reports, writing for the DMC blog, and coordinating events and publication release. Her professional aspirations are to earn her PhD in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Spatial Theory. In her free time, Amber enjoys running, cooking, and cheering for the Washington Nationals.

Shayna Cohen: Economics and Actuarial Science Major, Mathematics and English Minor; Shayna is a Public Policy intern researching the implications of Income Share Agreements on college affordability and student debt. She utilizes her skills in actuarial science as an intern at both the DMC and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Shayna’s skill set broadens to include activities such as juggling and skateboarding in her free time. The future is promising for Shayna as an FSU alumna; she may even stay in the ‘Nole family and apply to the applied economics master’s program!

Jordan Wilson: Political Science Major, History Minor; Jordan is a Public Policy intern investigating opportunity zones and policies related to the minimum wage. Hailing from St. Petersburg, Jordan enjoys going to the beach, reading, and supporting his Seminole sports teams. As an FSU alumnus, he will pursue a career as a professor.

Kevin Gomez is the Business Manager at the DeVoe L. Moore Center. Prior to joining the center, he was program manager at the Institute for Economic Inquiry at Creighton University. While at Creighton University, he taught undergraduate courses in economics and led reading colloquia on immigration, politics, and culture. He earned his master’s in economics from George Mason University in 2018 where he was also Mercatus Center MA Fellow. Kevin graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Economics and Statistics in 2016, where he previously worked as the Outreach Director for the DMC. A native Floridian, Kevin also earned an associate’s degree from Valencia College in 2013. His research interests include public choice, governance, and institutions.

2018-2019 Contributors

Abby Swatts – English- Editing, Writing, & Media; Economics- is the Editorial Manager for the DeVoe L. Moore Center. She is a senior at Florida State University anticipating graduation in Spring 2019. She oversees the Center’s writing coaches with the responsibility of editing the blog posts submitted by the researchers. Minoring in economics, Abby is able to better understand the content of articles while providing insight to style and writing ability.

Austin Eovito – Masters Student in Computational Science- is the Data and Analytics Manager for the DeVoe L. Moore Center. Austin is responsible for leading 11 research assistants and meeting regularly to support their efforts along the way. Through his interest in governmental corruption and white collar crime, Austin utilizes several coding programs such as Python, C++, Matlab, etc. to work with data mining and information excavation.
Megan Boebinger – English- Editing, Writing, & Media; Education- is the Public Affairs Manager for the DeVoe L. Moore Center. Megan is a graduating senior at Florida State University that devotes her time outside of the English department to the DMC mission of communicating public policy understanding by contributing her expertise in social media, publications, and photography. Currently working in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Megan is also interested in pursuing the field of education.

Courtland Culver – Economics; Political Science and General Business- is the Outreach & Events Coordinator for the DeVoe L. Moore Center. A senior at Florida State University, Courtland fosters connections with political and economic groups on campus and plans events for the Center. Currently serving as the membership chair of the College Republicans, being a Campus Representative for the James Madison Institute, Campus Ambassador for the Foundation for Economic Education, and President of Christians United For Israel.

Giovanna da Silva – History and International Affairs –  Giovanna’s research focuses on transportation policy and free trade. She speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese and is a Campus Coordinator with Students for Liberty.

Catherine Annis – MPA – Completed her MPA at the Askew School of Public Administration. She is passionate about making all levels of government more streamlined and efficient to better serve their communities. She has interned with the James Madison Institute, the State Legislature, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Catherine believes that turning research into action is the key to solving society’s most complex problems and creating the world of tomorrow.

N’Namdi Green – Economics and International Affairs – is a policy analyst intern. His research for the DeVoe L. Moore Center has focused on Major faith based organizations and the role they play in economic development. Specifically, the role of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Tallahassee in the Frenchtown redevelopment initiative. His personal research interests include United States international trade with foreign countries and economic development.

Patrick Martin – Economics and Political Science – is a policy analyst intern. His research has focused on Florida tax incentive policy for the film and movie industry, and how an industry-funded report and state-funded report can have wildly different conclusions about that same program. His most recent work focuses on the Opioid epidemic in Florida and nationally. He proudly represents Florida State as a University Ambassador, Alpha Kappa Psi professional fraternity, and with the Koch Internship Program interning with James Madison Institute.

Jordan Greer – Economics – is a policy analyst intern. His research focuses on the economic history of Frenchtown in Tallahassee in order to better contextualize the effectiveness of community redevelopment initiatives. Some of his accomplishments include receiving the UNCF-Koch scholarship, being named as a YP4 Fellow, and being a Seminole Torch Bearer. He currently serves as the Vice President of the FSU chapter of the NAACP, and as a student senator on FSU’s 69th Student Senate.

Maia Hass – International Affairs and Marketing is a policy analyst intern. Her research primarily focuses on the sharing economy and the economic performance of various companies – like Uber and AirBnB. She also works on research projects related to the Florida tourism industry. Although she works in public policy she hopes to transition to the data analytics team in the upcoming year to continue studying Florida tourism from a more intensive statistical perspective.

Kristen Carpenter – International Affairs – is a policy analyst intern. Her research focuses on women empowerment in the Middle East through social entrepreneurship. She is a senior at Florida State University studying International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies.

William Reynolds – Finance and Political Science – is a data analyst research supervisor at the DeVoe L. Moore Center and an undergraduate student at FSU. His work focuses on healthcare markets and the effects of regulatory policy. In his free time, he plays drums and guitar and he participates in intramural sports. He’s a member of the Phi Sigma Theta national honor society.

Nicholas Spaunburgh – Economics – is a data analyst intern. He is currently minoring in statistics and pursuing a SAS certificate at Florida State University. His research focus is using statistical software and quantitative analysis to evaluate public policy decisions. Nick is heavily involved in Model United Nations and competes on an academic team.

Leesa Newbon – Interdisciplinary Social Sciences – is a social entrepreneurship research assistant. Newbon’s research at the DMC focuses around government transparency and effectiveness measurement tools. She plans to utilize her education to start a nonprofit organization that focuses on eliminating illiteracy in low income communities. Leesa’s passion for social justice and knowledge drives her research and involvement on campus.