During her time at UF, Amy Galloway embraced the breadth of a liberal arts education.
Amy J. Galloway (’81, JD ’85) Began a Lifetime of Learning at UF
By Rachel Wayne
AMY GALLOWAY was determined from a young age to become a lawyer. But when she first enrolled at UF as an undergrad, she made sure her college education was more than just a steppingstone toward law school. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences made that easy for her.
Galloway fully embraced the college’s varied disciplines, taking courses in philosophy and Chaucerian English to complement her political science major. “It really made me think out of the box, and that’s what I love about our college,” she said.
The liberal arts’ breadth of offerings and approaches, she believes, inspired her commitment to a lifetime of learning — and set her on the path to a rich, rewarding career. While at UF, she saw the real-world relevance of tried-and-true techniques like the Socratic method, and the immersive classroom environments fueled a curiosity about the world that has guided her ever since.
A bachelor’s degree in political science, a law degree and 30 years of practice later, Galloway hopes to help future generations have the same revelatory experience on campus that she did.
She remains involved with the University of Florida and currently serves on the Dean’s Leadership Council for the college. In particular, Galloway is passionate about Beyond120 and its focus on empowering students.
“It’s this idea of really investing in our students from the very first year they’re here,” she said. “It’s about really starting to learn, ‘What am I good at? What do I naturally excel at?’”
Among her many points of involvement are her efforts to develop internships and mentoring opportunities, both of which connect alumni with current students, often across disciplinary or industry boundaries.
Bringing Gators together has long been one of Galloway’s passions. Years ago, she joined a task force in the Department of Political Science to connect alumni in the South Florida area. Galloway helped organize events that featured talks from Florida pollster Jim Kane and professor emeritus of political science Richard Scher. Today, she’s working on ways to bring internships to the students, rather than the other way around.
“It might be more of a challenge to actually relocate, let’s say, to Miami-Dade for a semester, so we’re going to be able to offer students some opportunities near Gainesville,” she said.
The impetus for all this is Dean Dave Richardson, she said. His initiatives are helping enhance the student experience to unprecedented levels.
She has been excited to see the Dean’s Leadership Council grow, making more alumni resources available to Richardson and his team. Galloway can’t wait to help students start their own lifetime of learning.
