No matter your major or career goals, the UF Gulf Scholars Program offers customizable pathways that let you tailor your experience and make a real-world impact. Whether you’re drawn to protecting ecosystems, shaping policy, preserving history, or promoting public health, you’ll be part of a community dedicated to securing the Gulf’s future—for people and the planet.
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
Use your skills to protect the places you love and ensure their resilience for generations to come.
This pathway is designed for students passionate about conservation, climate adaptation, and protecting ecosystems. Whether you’re studying biology, environmental science, or wildlife ecology and conservation, this track provides you with hands-on experience in restoring coastal habitats, combating climate change, and sustaining biodiversity in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cultural Heritage, History, and Storytelling
Through storytelling, research, and preservation, you’ll shine a light on the region’s past, present, and future.
In this pathway, you’ll explore how the history, culture, and stories of Gulf communities shape our understanding of the region and its future. This track is perfect for students studying history, anthropology, journalism, or the arts, offering the chance to document oral histories, capture cultural narratives, and preserve heritage in the face of environmental and social change.
Resilient Built Environments and Economies
From sustainable architecture to economic resilience, your vision will help build a better tomorrow.
This pathway invites students to reimagine urban planning, architecture, and economic systems in response to climate change and rapid development along the Gulf Coast. Whether you’re interested in engineering, architecture, economics, or urban planning, you’ll tackle issues like sustainable infrastructure, resilient housing, and economic development for communities at risk.
Policy and Advocacy
Advocate for equitable, sustainable solutions and work alongside communities and leaders to make a lasting impact.
For students passionate about politics, law, social justice, and community advocacy, this pathway offers the chance to shape policies that address the Gulf’s pressing environmental and social issues. Whether you want to work in policy development, environmental justice, or advocacy, this track will help you turn your passion into action.
Public Health
Through research, advocacy, and action, you’ll contribute to healthier, more resilient populations.
Students interested in public health, medicine, or social work will find their place in this pathway. Focused on how environmental and climate change impacts the health of Gulf Coast communities, this track offers hands-on opportunities to address health disparities and ensure community resilience in the face of environmental stressors.