Dr. Scourfield McLauchlan (PhD in Public Law, Rutgers University) is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Founding Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, where she teaches courses in American Government and Public Law.

As Founding Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at USFSP, McLauchlan has worked to develop the Citizen Scholar Program and to expand civic engagement across the curriculum. To that end she initiated a faculty development program, developed a student outreach program, cultivated community partnerships, sponsored campus-community events and programs, and initiated a campus-wide data collection effort (the Civic Engagement Inventory). USFSP received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010. McLauchlan is leading the team to prepare the USFSP re-classification application for the 2020 cycle.

Her civic leadership was recognized when she was appointed by Governor Crist to serve on the Florida Commission on Community Service (also known as Volunteer Florida). While a Commissioner, McLauchlan worked to promote volunteerism and civic engagement across the state of Florida. McLauchlan is a Fellow of the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship and conducts teacher trainings for civics teachers across the state of Florida, pursuant to the implementation of the Sandra Day O'Connor Civics Education Act. McLauchlan is an active contributor to the scholarship of teaching and learning. She has published numerous articles and book chapters about the effects of integrating civic engagement into the curriculum and has presented those findings at regional, national, and international conferences.

McLauchlan is a strong believer in the Citizen Scholar Model, and she incorporates experiential learning and civic engagement opportunities for her students in every course that she teaches.

McLauchlan was awarded the American Political Science Association and Pi Sigma Alpha's Certificate for Outstanding Teaching in Political Science, the USFSP Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the USFSP College of Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year, the USF Outstanding Faculty Award, and was named one of the Top 25 Women Professors in Florida. She was also recognized by student leaders on campus with the USFSP Student Organization Advisor of the Year award as well as the USFSP Apple Polishing Award for mentorship.

In addition to her scholarly activities, Professor McLauchlan has extensive experience in American government and politics. McLauchlan worked at the U.S. Supreme Court. the US Senate Judiciary Committee (on the confirmation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the White House (during both terms of the Clinton Administration). A veteran of several presidential campaigns, she has managed statewide operations across the U.S., from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. (This includes work on the 2000 Recount in Florida and managing the first ever 100% Vote by Mail presidential election in the US, as state director for the campaign in Oregon.) She has worked on seven presidential primary campaigns in New Hampshire, and now she teaches a course called The Road to the White House, in which she brings students up to New Hampshire to intern on one of the first-in-the-nation campaigns in the weeks leading up to the primary. In 2014 McLauchlan was a candidate for the Florida Senate.

Dr. McLauchlan is the Lead Instructor for the USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Program.