For the last 30 years, University of South Florida Distinguished Professor Susan MacManus, PhD, has been a fixture in Florida politics. She’s had a front row seat to some of the most significant political events in the state’s history – using that insight and knowledge to educate her students and people around the world. But now, the woman often called the “most-quoted political analyst in Florida” is saying goodbye to the university she’s called home for more than three decades.
MacManus received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan. She returned to FSU to complete her PhD before beginning her career in academia at the University of Houston. It was there she got her first experience working with the media; an introduction that would end up shaping a huge part of her life. MacManus held several faculty positions across the country before returning to Tampa Bay and accepting a position at USF in 1987.
Over the years, MacManus has taken part in thousands of media interviews for regional, national and international publications. Her analysis has been published by the New York Times, CNN, Fox News and countless others. Out of all the events she’s leant her insight to, she says it was the 2000 presidential election that continues to be the most memorable. She recalls doing interviews with dozens of different outlets for 36 hours straight and continued to provide a comprehensive breakdown for weeks following Election Day.
MacManus plans to continue her research and media work after she retires from USF. In fact, while she sees her retirement as a way to make room for the next-generation of political scientists at the university, she’s also looking forward to spending more time traveling and conducting her research. But, she says she will profoundly miss her students – a feeling that current and former students echo.