Ryan Owens is Director of the Institute for Governance and Civics, Professor of Political Science, and Affiliate Faculty in the FSU College of Law. He specializes in law and courts, focusing on the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and judicial behavior. Owens’s work has appeared in major journals such as the American Journal of Political Science and the Journal of Politics. He has received research support from the National Science Foundation and Harvard, and was the inaugural recipient of UW-Madison’s undergraduate mentoring award.
Lila Seagle is Associate Director of the Institute for Governance and Civics at FSU, bringing over 20 years of public service experience in Florida. She is recognized for her leadership in citizen engagement, public policy, urban planning, and economic development. Seagle previously served as Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Vitality in Tallahassee/Leon County and led civic experience strategy for the City of Gainesville, where she drove innovation and operational efficiency. She holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and an MBA from the University of Florida.
James V. Shuls, Ph.D., is the Branch Head of Educational Liberty at the Institute for Governance and Civics. A nationally recognized expert on education policy and school choice, Dr. Shuls’s research focuses on K-12 finance, teacher policy, and education reform. He has published widely in both academic journals and major national media outlets. Before joining the Institute, Dr. Shuls served as the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He earned his doctorate in education policy from the University of Arkansas and is a regular speaker on the future of school choice and educational innovation.
James Strickland is Associate Professor of Political Science and leads the Constitutional Liberty branch at the Institute for Governance and Civics. His research focuses on interest groups, legislatures, and subnational politics in the U.S., with a special emphasis on lobbying and policy change. Prof. Strickland’s scholarship has appeared in top journals, and he is the author of an upcoming book on state lobbying. He is dedicated to fostering inclusive classrooms and is a first-generation college graduate.
Michael Driscoll is Teaching Faculty I at the Institute for Governance and Civics at Florida State University. His current research projects focus on John Locke’s views on human happiness and domestic policy, as well as twentieth-century American foreign policy. Before coming to FSU, Dr. Driscoll served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Hillsdale College, where he taught several courses in American politics. Dr. Driscoll received his Ph.D. from the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship at Hillsdale, where he earned honors for his dissertation on John Locke’s political thought.
Doug Norton is the Branch Head of Economic Liberty at the Institute for Governance and Civics, additionally he serves as the Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program, and Teaching Faculty II in the Department of Economics at Florida State University. He teaches courses in economics and PPE, has received numerous honors for teaching and service, and conducts research using experimental and econometric methods to study values, institutions, and collective action. Norton is an FSU alumnus and former Senior Economist at MobLab.
Denise Mayo Harle is a clinical professor and director of the First Amendment Clinic at FSU College of Law, where she leads student advocacy and litigation on free speech, religious liberty, and press freedom issues. Her teaching and scholarship focus on constitutional law, appellate practice, and First Amendment rights. Before entering academia, Professor Harle was a partner at Shutts & Bowen LLP in Tallahassee, where she was a member of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and Constitutional Law Practice Area. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the Florida Attorney General. Professor Harle has briefed and argued high-profile cases involving significant constitutional issues and questions of statutory interpretation in both state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Anna J. Egalite is a Professor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis at North Carolina State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University and has held visiting appointments at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Her research examines how targeted education reforms—such as diversifying the educator workforce and expanding school choice—can help close racial and economic achievement gaps. She has studied topics including school choice and competition, the role of family background in intergenerational economic mobility, school leadership, and strategies for diversifying the educator labor force. As Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator, she has secured over $6.5 million in research funding. Her work has been featured in mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic.
Michael Hartney is the Bruni Family Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, an associate professor of political science at Boston College, and a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. He is also a research affiliate at Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG), and, in 2020-21, a W. Glenn Campbell and Rita Ricardo-Campbell Hoover National Fellow.
Hartney’s scholarly expertise is in American politics and public policy with a focus on state and local government, interest groups, and education reform. His academic research has been published in journals such as the American Political Science Review and the American Journal of Political Science and received media coverage in the Economist, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. His writing has also appeared in popular outlets such as City Journal, Education Next, National Review, the New York Post, and the Washington Post.
Phillip Pinell is Teaching Faculty I at the Institute for Governance and Civics at Florida State University. He studies national identity, historical consciousness, and citizenship theory in the history of political thought, and has published on Iberian political thought, ancient and modern theory, and the early American republic. His research appears in journals such as Political Research Quarterly, American Political Thought, and The Political Science Reviewer. Dr. Pinell received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin—Madison and serves as faculty liaison to the undergraduate fellows program.
Dr. James “Lynn” Woodworth has spent most of his career in education. Woodworth’s focus is on charter school impacts on student learning, making education data useful for public policy making, and the role of the federal statistical system. His publications include the CREDO charter school studies.
Woodworth comes to FSU from Stanford University where he was a Hoover Research Fellow. He also served a term as the U.S. Statistics Commissioner overseeing the National Center for Education Statistic. Woodworth has 11 years’ experience as a public-school classroom teacher and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Woodworth holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Arkansas where he was a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. Additionally, he has a M.Ed. in Education Leadership and a B.A. in Music Education both from Arkansas Tech University.
Zach Goldberg is a Research Faculty member at Florida State University’s Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC). He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgia State University, where he specialized in American Politics and Political Research Methodology.
Before joining IGC, he worked as a policy analyst and research fellow at the Manhattan Institute, conducting data-driven research on political polarization, public perceptions of policing, education, and mental health. His methodological expertise includes survey experiments, media content analysis, and time-series modeling. At the IGC, Zach contributes to the Institute’s polling and civic engagement initiatives. His work has appeared in academic journals, policy reports, and national media outlets.
Sammy Johnson is the Digital Media & Marketing Lead at the Institute for Governance and Civics at FSU. He brings experience in digital strategy, media production, and marketing across higher education, public media, sports, and tourism. Before joining the Institute, Sammy managed digital content and tourism campaigns for Lake County, produced educational and community programming with WFSU Public Media, and created video and broadcast media for organizations including the United Soccer League and Florida State Athletics. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Digital Media Production from Florida State University.
Aidan Cameron is a Political Science major with an Economics minor at Florida State University, expected to graduate in May 2026. As an Institute Ambassador, Aidan provides general support for Institute projects, assists with administrative operations, and contributes to ongoing events and initiatives.
Maxwell Harden is a third-year student at Florida State University, majoring in Economics and Philosophy with a minor in Classics. In his role as Institute Ambassador, Maxwell supports campus outreach and student engagement initiatives, assists with the organization and promotion of Institute events, and collaborates with staff to develop programming that encourages civic leadership and participation among students.
Jonus Goldstein is a second-year student at Florida State University pursuing a dual degree in Management Information Systems and Political Science, with a minor in Urban and Regional Planning. As Institute Ambassador, Jonus manages website operations, maintains digital resources, coordinates program logistics, conducts research, manages databases, and provides technical support for Institute staff and faculty.
Maegan Smarkusky is a Presidential Scholar at Florida State University pursuing a dual degree in Political Science and Integrated Studies with a minor in Law & Philosophy. As an Institute Ambassador, Maegan supports general Institute operations, assists with student engagement, and contributes to the success of events and daily activities.
Katherine O'Ryan is a Political Science major at Florida State University, expected to graduate in May 2027. As an Institute Ambassador, Katherine provides general support for Institute projects, assists with administrative operations, and contributes to ongoing events and initiatives.
Mathias de Macedo is a first-year student at Florida State University pursuing a degree in
Political Science with a minor in International Affairs. As an Institute Ambassador, Mathias
assists with project management, event coordination, and administrative operations to ensure the
success of ongoing initiatives.