Friday Roundup of Opportunities

In this post:

• Internship, Tahoma Audubon, Tacoma
  
• Alliance for Justice- Intern- Washington, D.C./California
• Stimson Center- Intern- Washington, D.C.
  

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

Internship, Tahoma Audubon, Tacoma
Tahoma Audubon has several internship/volunteer opportunities in the political realm and I thought that you may know some UPS students that are interested. Our internships involve working on land use issues, transportation issues, conservation and habitat restoration. Please let me know if you know any students that would be interested in working in this type of field.

Julie Kerrigan jkerrigan@tahomaaudubon.org
Volunteer Coordinator
Tahoma Audubon
2917 Morrison Rd. W.
University Place, Wa 98466
(253) 565-1884


Alliance for Justice- Intern- Washington, D.C./California
Description:
2008 Spring Semester Internships

Alliance for Justice is a national association of public interest organizations spanning a range of issues, including civil rights, social justice, consume, and environmental! protection. Founded in 1979, AFJ leads progressive advocacy and stren gthens the progressive movement to ensure robust and equal access to levers of government power. Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is offering internships and volunteer opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and law school students. Interns must be able to work at least fifteen hours per week.

Interns will gain a wide range of substantive experience working with professional staff in one of several departments including Nonprofit and Foundation Advocacy, Judicial Selection, Access to the Courts, Outreach, Communications, and/or Development.

AFJ is a national association of public interest organizations spanning a range of issues, including civil rights, social justice, consumer and environmental protection. Founded in 1979, AFJ leads the progressive community through advocacy and efforts to strengthen the progressive movement in order to ensure fair and equal access to all levers of government.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
. Excellent communication skills
. Excellent writing skills
. Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
. Experience using Internet research tools
. Demonstrates a commitment to civil rights and other constitutional protections

NOTE: Resume attachment should include cover letter and list of three references.

To apply for this position, please visit the following site: http://www.afj.org/utilities/jobs/2007-08-fall-spring-internships.html


Stimson Center- Intern- Washington, D.C.
Please submit all applications electronically to internships@stimson.org.
Applications sent via fax or mail will no longer be accepted.
Major Responsibilities . Project Areas . Stipend . Professional Development

How to Apply . Helpful Hints
The Henry L. Stimson Center seeks interns for a professional and educational experience in discovering the way in which non-profit organizations can contribute to the understanding of issues in international and homeland security. The Stimson Center offers unique internship opportunities based on the values of education, participation, and hands-on practical knowledge.

Based on the Center's commitment to professional development, expectations for interns are high. In return, interns can expect a challenging environment which will prepare them for full time employment in a professional setting.


Major responsibilities

Internships at the Stimson Center focus on the areas of research, professional development, and project administration. Internships may include:
* Proofreading, editing, and distributing Stimson publications
* Writing brief summaries of activities in the news
* Helping to maintain the Stimson Center website
* Tracking specific issue areas in the media
* Taking notes in meetings, both on and off-site
* Project coordination
* Working as a team with members of the Stimson staff and other inte! rns
* Administrative activities which will contribute to a fuller understanding of how non-profit organizations operate

Applicants are not expected to have specialized expertise, but should be highly motivated and sincere in their desire for an internship that is challenging and professional in nature. Interns can expect close and constant interaction with program staff, including their respective program directors. Under the oversight of the project director, the supervising RA will be asked to prepare an evaluation of the intern's performance at the midpoint and at the close of the internship. The intern will also be expected to evaluate the internship program at the Stimson Center and their individual experience.

Project Areas

The Stimson Center seeks interns for project areas including the following (please click on the links for important information on internships in each project area):

* Cooperative Nonproliferation
* Global Health Security
* Asian Political Economy
* East Asia
* South Asia/Space Security
* Southwest Asia
* Regional Voices
* Future of Peace Operations
* Domestic Preparedness and Homeland Security
* Security for a New Century Study Group
* Fundraising/Communications

Please note that not all projects hire interns for every cycle, although most do.
Stipend

Interns will be offered a stipend based on individual circumstances and are expected to work regular hours.

Professional Development
The Stimson Center also hosts a regular professional development series for interns, allowing them the opportunity to interact with Stimson Center management and senior associates; leaders in the public (government agencies, NGOs, other think tanks, graduate universities) and private (defense, consulting firms) sector; and other individuals that will help the intern to expand his/her interests and skill set.

Recently, our interns have gone on to careers in the State Department, the Department of Defense, the United Nations, various think tanks, and other organizations. Others have chosen to continue their education at graduate programs, including those at Georgetown, SAIS at Johns Hopkins, etc.

How to Apply

Internships will be will be recruited for three separate cycles. The approximate start and end dates for the winter/spring semester is given below:

Winter/Spring: January - May
November 15
To apply, please e-mail internships@stimson.org:

1. a copy of our Application Form, titled: Last Name, First Name - Application Form
2. your resume, titled: Last Name, First Name - Resume

3. a cover letter explaining interest in the position, availability, and interest in a specific project or projects, titled: Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter
4. a short writing sample (no more than 5 pages), titled: Last Name, First Name - Sample

- OR -

Submit the above FOUR documents in one file, titled: Last Name, First Name - Complete Application

Applicants will be interviewed over the phone or, when possible, in person. The selection process takes approximately one month following the deadline. Complete application packets should be sent to: internships@stimson.org.

Please note that applications sent via fax or mail will no longer be accepted.
Helpful Hints
* Describe in your cover letter why you are interested in a particular project.
* Try to keep your cover letter to one page.
* Your resume should not exceed one page.
* Submit your documents as a PDF if at all possible (free software is available, i.e. PDF Creator).
* If possible, submit all four documents in one file.

Back from Iraq

Another update of late was from Jonee Winnick '07, whose husband, Wayne, has been in Iraq for the past 15 months. I blogged last summer about their wedding on campus, and they were also covered in an earlier issue of Arches.



Jonee wrote the other day to say that Wayne is back for good. The picture she sent says it all. Welcome home.

Laurel Bandy '07, Mountbatten Update

Last year we documented Laurel Bandy's application for the Mountbatten Internship, "a carefully designed 12 month training program that provides an opportunity to learn about British and International business techniques, and to experience the rich cultural diversity of London. Successful completion of the Programme leads to the Certificate in International Business Practice". Laurel received guidance from former Mountbatten recipient Ashley Vroman-Lee '01, a contact the department helped put together.

The other day I received an email from Laurel:

I hope this email finds you all well and enjoying a beautiful fall season! I am coming up on my 1 month anniversary in London, and I wanted to briefly update you on my life across the pond. In short, I love it! I'm living in a very chic, safe part of North London called Maida Vale (near the Beatles Abbey Road), and I have 3 great flatmates (also with Mountbatten). We live in a row of town houses with 60 other interns, which is great fun and an easy way to meet people. I am also really enjoying my job. I'm working for the largest insurer of the transport industry in the world, which has already opened up several doors.

This week I'm attending the UN's IMO subcommittee meetings on Dangerous Goods and Cargoes as part of a delegation from an NGO based in London. It's a wonderful opportunity to see how NGOs and government institutions work together (and don't) to come to a consensus. I'm also the only intern in my intake who will be traveling with work, so I got really lucky in the interview process! Outside of work some of the highlights so far have been going to festivals in London like the Thames River Festival and the Notting Hill Festival, which are awesome for ethnic food and music. I've also been to the theatre, and I'm really getting into running around the parks (30% of London is open green space!). All in all, I feel very lucky to be here and I'm having a fantastic time!

Sounds like all is going very well. Student and recent grads (up to age 29), are you going to apply?

Some random campus pictures

Most days I'm holed up in my office, but a recent walk across campus for a meeting afforded me the opportunity to snap a few pictures.


Between Wyatt and Thompson


Music


Library


I've always liked this inscription inside the library, rather foreboding.

Fellowships for PG majors and alums

There was a note from the Dean's office reminding me that there are a number of fellowships that are particularly relevant for PG majors (and in some cases, alums as well. The Fellowships and Scholarships website has a good breakdown by field. The Deadline for the NSEP is coming up fast, so seniors, check that out. Note: Professor Weinberger is the faculty representative for the NSEP, so talk to him first. The PG ones include the following:

DAVID L. BOREN NSEP (National Security Education Program):
Graduate - Seniors: The NSEP Graduate award is for seniors or graduates who are either enrolled in or have applied to a graduate program at a U.S. college or university. The award is up to $20,000 for a minimum of one semester and a maximum of 24 months of study. Preference is given to applicants wishing to study: Business & Economics; History; Political Science & Policy Sciences; International Affairs; Applied Sciences & Engineering (including biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, mathematics, & physics); Law; Health; and other Social Sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology). Applicants are encouraged to seek assistance from the Fellowships Office. Website: www.iie.org/nsep. Email: nsep@aed.org. Campus deadline late November.

GEORGE J. MITCHELL SCHOLARSHIPS:
Post-graduate scholars will study in one of Ireland's seven universities or Northern Ireland's two universities where the purpose of this award is to interest future American leaders in Ireland. Awarded to individuals 18-30 who have shown academic distinction, commitment to service and potential for leadership. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: May 1 of the junior year (to be considered as a senior). Website: http://www.mitchellscholar.org.

GATES CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIPS:
Post Graduate. Established to create a network of future leaders from around the world who will bring new vision and commitment to improving the life circumstances of citizens in their respective countries. Over time it is anticipated that these scholars, approximately 120 selected from the U.S. annually, will become leaders in helping to address global problems related to health, equity technology, and learning. Available for either a second bachelor’s or a graduate degree, the award is for one-three years with a possible fourth. Students will apply directly to Cambridge where a review of credentials will determine eligibility for the scholarship. An application will be sent to those eligible students. For Graduate program: application to Cambridge must be made by mid-October; request can be made at admissions@gradstudies.cam.ac.uk. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: May 1 of the junior year (to be considered as a senior). Website: http://gates.scholarships.cam.ac.uk/.

JACK KENT COOKE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP:
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program will award approximately 65 scholarships to seniors or recent graduates planning to attend graduate school in the fall. Each award will cover a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, required fees, and books for the graduate degree chosen. The amount and duration of awards vary by student based on the cost of attendance and the length of the graduate program as well as other scholarships or grants received. The maximum available per student is $50,000 per year and the maximum length is six years. Students interested in this scholarship must be nominated by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Faculty Representative at their institution. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with the Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: March 1. Website: http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/jkcf_web/content.aspx?page=Grad

TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP:
Undergraduate - Juniors (supports Senior year and graduate school): This award of approximately $30,000 is available to Juniors (or Seniors who will graduate after only 3 years of enrollment) who wish to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in the public sector (including educational organizations, government at any level, uniformed services, public interest organizations, and/or non-governmental research, policy-making, and public service oriented nonprofit organizations). Website: www.truman.gov. Email: staff@truman.gov. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with the Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: November 1.

CAPACI:
Graduate - Seniors and Grads: $15,000 to cover travel, housing and personal expenses while you spend 9 months in Washington, D.C., working for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Institute (CAPACI). For those interested in a career in public policy, who have a commitment to the Asian Pacific American community. Program runs from June to March. Email: capaci@idsonline.com. Postmark deadline is early February.

JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP:
At least one fellowship worth up to $24,000 is awarded in each state for master’s level graduate study of the framing, principles, and history of the Constitution by current and prospective secondary school teachers of American history, American government, and social studies. Website: www.jamesmadison.com. Email: recogprog@act.org. Postmark deadline: March 1.

MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIP:
Graduate - Juniors, Seniors and Grads of not more than 2 years (with some exceptions): Tenable at any university in the United Kingdom, this award covers tuition, fees, books, living expenses, airfare, and possible partial spousal maintenance for 2 years of study in any discipline, at either undergraduate or graduate level, leading to the award of a British University degree. Application must be endorsed by applicant’s educational institution or employer. Website: www.acu.ac.uk/marshall. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: May 1 of the junior year (to be considered as a senior).

RHODES SCHOLARSHIP:
Graduate - Juniors, Seniors and Grads (until 23 years old): Eligible applicants will have passed the 18th and not have passed the 24th birthday by Oct. 1. Scholarship covers all tuition and most other fees, and includes an additional maintenance allowance of approximately $30,000 over the 2-year period of the scholarship. Tenable at Oxford University in most areas of study. Application must be endorsed by University of Puget Sound or your graduate institution. Web site: http://www.rhodesscholar.org. Email: amsec@rhodesscholar.org. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: May 1 of your junior year (to be considered as a senior).

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP:
Graduate - Juniors, Seniors and Grads (no age limit): The U.S. Government’s premier scholarship program, the Fulbright enables U.S. students, teachers, and artists to study, conduct research, and teach in over 100 nations around the world. The full grant covers round-trip transportation; language or orientation courses, where appropriate; tuition, if applicable; book and research allowances; maintenance for the academic year; and supplemental health and accident insurance. The travel grant is available only to certain countries, and supplements another award which does not provide funds for travel or study. The teaching assistantship is available only to selected countries. Enrolled students must submit a Letter of Intent and meet with the Office Coordinator in the Fellowships Office (Howarth 215) by the campus deadline: May 1 of your junior year (to be considered as a senior). “At-Large” applications must reach the New York office by late October. Website: http://www.iie.org/fulbright. Email: wjackson@iie.org.

Tags:

• Fellowships

Learning from Bilbao

Sunday's New York Times had an interesting piece on the impact of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, a city formerly associated with heavy industry and economic stagnation. For those of you unfamiliar with Gehry's work, it includes the Experience Music Project in Seattle. One of the points of the article was that while the museum has drawn in huge numbers of visitors, and help contribute to a clean-up of the city, it remains isolated in the sense that tourists come, see the museum, then head out, without exploring the rest the city has to offer. The author writes:

On paper at least, Bilbao seems to have it all: world-class museum, fine Basque cuisine, a rollicking night life and lots of shopping. But like the new bike paths that were rarely used during my visit, the city lacks the critical mass of attractions to take it from a provincial post-industrial town, to a global cosmopolitan city. And in the meantime, it is losing the shabby edge that gave the city its earlier appeal.

LeMay Museum Concept

Given that Tacoma and other "rusty" cities look to similar iconic attractions as ways to redevelop their communities, this is worth thinking about. Tacoma is excited about the LeMay Car Museum, planned as the biggest in the world, breaking ground near the Tacoma Dome this spring. And I'm excited, too; but if it only means that people will veer off of I-5, take in the attraction, then head back north or south, it won't have the kind of dynamic effect that many hope for. This, I suppose, is the danger in banking on One Big Thing--though One Big Thing is always an easier vision to sell.

Tags:

• Tacoma

Why are we here?

Professor Weinberger sends along this article from the Boston Globe on the failings of higher education. Excerpt:

In the past few weeks, tens of thousands of young men and women have begun their college careers. They have worked hard to get there. A letter of admission to one of the country's selective colleges or universities has become the most sought-after prize in America.

The students who have won this prize are about to enter an academic environment richer than any they have known. They will find courses devoted to every question under the sun. But there is one question for which most of them will search their catalogs in vain: The question of the meaning of life, of what one should care about and why, of what living is for.

In a shift of historic importance, America's colleges and universities have largely abandoned the idea that life's most important question is an appropriate subject for the classroom. In doing so, they have betrayed their students by depriving them of the chance to explore it in an organized way, before they are caught up in their careers and preoccupied with the urgent business of living itself.

Read the entire piece here.

Becca Bryant '10 Summer DC internship

Becca Bryant '10 spent her summer in DC doing an internship and recounts her experiences.




Having reached the end of my first summer in Washington D.C., I found myself reflecting on the past eight weeks. I had the time of my life!

I began my first summer in Washington D.C. as a newly hired Legislative Affairs Intern for an Alaska based corporation with headquarters in Vienna, Virginia. My Aunt, a longtime resident of Alexandria Virginia, works on Pennsylvania Avenue and graciously offered me a room for the summer while I was in town. When I arrived at Reagan National Airport on June 6, I had no understanding of what an amazing summer it would prove to be.

My first weekend in D.C, I was fortunate enough to attend an event hosted at the Library of Congress, for Ken Burns’ upcoming film, The War, to be released in late September. The Library of Congress building is stunning, the history and knowledge contained in the carved marble is beyond words. This was an exhilarating way to begin my summer, and made me conscious of the history being made each day in this city.

I spent my first few days as an intern becoming accustomed to the D.C. Metro, which is filled with a mixture of members of the military, pentagon officials and civilians such as myself. Passing by the Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle stops always made me feel like I was in a Tom Clancy book, an author of whom I am an avid fan.

My internship only made my interest in this city grow. The corporation I worked for is associated with the National Geospatial Agency, a government agency involved with intelligence for national security purposes. Since I was working in legislative affairs, I didn’t have security clearance of any sort, but I loved my work nonetheless!

Through my work, I learned a great deal about the Legislative Process as well as gaining a simple understanding of the faced paced nature of Washington D.C. I was fortunate enough to go to Capitol Hill each week to observe Congressional Hearings. My first hearing was in regards to the issue of the District’s controversial “taxation without representation” with Barack Obama was in attendance. Attending this hearing for my first Capitol Hill experience only made me more enamored with D.C.

I spent the majority of my time preparing Memorandums for the General Counsel of the corporation, on a variety of subjects. I was also involved with Market Research and learned a great deal about the Government side of procurement.

To those who say politics is a dishonest, under the table world of deals, trades of votes for money, I honestly respect that opinion. I fully agree that stashing hundreds of thousands of dollars in one’s freezer does not exactly paint a picture of honesty and integrity. But I would also point out that many politicians have the opportunity to do good deeds, and many are working to represent the best interests of the citizens of the United States.

I challenge those individuals contemplating a career in Politics and Government to take matters into their own hands. Our generation is equipped with numerous tools to help improve our government. We have the energy, intelligence, and technology to accomplish a world of good. We have an infinite amount of information at our fingertips and we simply must direct our resources in ways that benefit those in need.

I left the incredible capitol of the United States understanding that this summer was only the beginning of my future with the government of our great country. I gained a great deal of knowledge from my experience, most importantly an awareness that my education has only just begun! I absolutely cannot wait to return to D.C.!

Alum input still needed!

Thanks to all who agreed to help with our PG student-alum FAQ. We've received some great input from alums who graduated from one to forty years ago. We have not rolled out the material yet, as we still hope to gather a few more thoughts from our alums...

The more input we get from you, the richer a resource we have for our students as they think about life after college. The student generated questions we are working on are posted below. If you would like to contribute, you can email me an answer to any one of these questions, or I can send along the URL of where you can answer them online. Either way, we appreciate your help and look forward to hearing from you.

Student Questions:

• Are there classes or course material you wish you had taken or taken more of at college?
  
• What could I do with a law degree? What are the "right" reasons to go to law school--or the wrong ones?
  
• If you went to graduate or law school, did you go directly from undergraduate? What are the trade-offs between waiting awhile or plunging right in after graduation?
  
• How does one choose a graduate or law program that is right for you?
  
• How does one recover or learn from a bad job or position or program?
  
• If I'm interested in working in some internationally-focused job or career, how can I get my foot in the door?
  
• What are the tradeoffs in working in the public versus the private sector?
  
• Does it make more sense to go where you want to live and pursue a job there, or pursue the best job irrespective of where it's located?
  
• It seems like many people really change what they want to do across their careers. If you did this kind of career shift, what was the impetus and how did you do it?

Friday Roundup of Opportunities

In this post:

• Local Internships in Congressional Offices
  
• Paid internship, No on Proposition One Committee
• Wilson Center- Research Assistant Intern- Washington, D.C.
• AFSC- Stop Torture Program Intern- Los Angeles, California

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com


Local Internships in Congressional Offices
There remain a number of local internships for political parties and congressional offices. As the congressional elections draw near there will be growing demand for good interns. If you have a desire to get some experience inside a local congressional office or working on a congressional campaign, contact me (Professor O'Neil)


Paid Internship, No on Proposition One Committee, Seattle
I saw your UPS blog and the solicitation on the part of the PRO side of the Roads and Transit measure ... I was wondering if there might be any government/political science students who would like to intern for the OPPOSITION to the RAT issue? Go to our websites ... truthabouttraffic.org and NOtoprop1.org to get a better idea of the entire picture.

Would you mind letting me know if there's any students interested in helping us out? Yes, there would be some pay involved.
Peggy Simpson
NO to Proposition 1 Committee
425-785-8891


Wilson Center- Research Assistant Intern- Washington, D.C.
The majority of the interns at the Woodrow Wilson Center serve as research assistants for visiting scholars. Research assistants are talented students from universities around the country who combine part-time hours at the Center with their studies and with other activities. A position as a research assistant is particularly appropriate for a student planning to move on to graduate studies, or for students wishing to develop a deeper understanding of their field of study. In addition to assisting with research, interns have the opportunity to network with experts in their chosen fields.

The Center has around 50 research interns at any one time, many of whom are replaced at the end of each academic term. Most research assistants do not receive a stipend.

Activities
Most scholars who come to the Wilson Center spend their time carrying out research, writing books, and making public presentations. Research assistants have the unique opportunity to work directly with these experts, as they examine issues of contemporary public policy or explore topics that provide the historical context behind today's public policy debates. Most research assistants at the Center work with university professors who are scholars at the Wilson Center while on leave from their home institutions. Other assistants may be assigned to journalists, present and former government officials (such as ambassadors) or, occasionally, to scholars from the private sector.

In support of the scholars, research assistants spend much of their time searching for information, using online academic databases or other publications. They often perform other duties, as well, such as translating, proofreading, critiquing, checking references, summarizing, and helping with software or presentational tasks. There may be some administrative tasks involved, but such tasks will be limited. Consequently, a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to work with a minimum of supervision are strong assets. Foreign language skills are sometimes useful.

While at the Center, all interns are encouraged to go beyond their particular internship responsibilities and to attend our many panel discussions, conferences and other meetings. Interns are also welcome to join staff and scholars during some social events.

Eligibility
Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be a current, recent, or soon-to-be student. Most interns are of at least senior undergraduate level, though strongly qualified juniors will be considered. Graduate students are eligible to apply. Foreign students are eligible, but they must hold a valid F-1 or J-1 visa and appropriate work authorization. The Wilson Center does not sponsor visas. Foreign students must obtain written permission from their Responsible Visa Officer at their university stating their ability to intern at the Wilson Center.

Typical research assistants are students of political science; U.S. government/politics; international relations; history (including US history); foreign languages; international affairs; regional studies; economics; public policy; security studies, and similar disciplines, though students of many other fields of study have sometimes been selected. New scholars are constantly arriving at the Wilson Center, and it can be difficult to predict what specific projects will be carried out in the future. For that reason, all interested students are encouraged to apply.

Deadlines
Please note the following deadlines:
For internships beginning in January: November 2nd
Application Process
To apply, applicants will need to submit the following documents:
* a completed Internship Information Form
* Current resume
* Cover letter
* 3-5 page writing sample
* 2 letters of recommendation
* Transcripts

Please direct your application materials to our internships coordinator by fax, email, or regular mail.

Internships Coordinator, Woodrow Wilson Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC. 20004-3027
Phone: 202/691-4053
Fax: 202/691-4001
e-mail:internships@wilsoncenter.org


AFSC- Stop Torture Program Intern- Los Angeles, California
Resume Submission Deadline: Rolling deadlines as follows -
November 15, 2007 for Spring Term (January - May)
April 15, 2008 for Summer Term (June - August)
July 15, 2008 for Fall Term (September - December)

Internship dates may vary, depending on school requirements.

Mission: End U.S. torture in the War on Terror by mobilizing people in Los Angeles to deconstruct U.S. institutions of torture, hold U.S. leaders responsible for torture accountable, and restore Constitutional and international human rights standards in the U.S.

Goal #1: Work in coalition with like-minded organizations to eliminate the participation of people in regulated professions in U.S. torture

Strategic Objectives:

1. Accomplish one locally-focused objective to stop torture (pass legislative
resolution critical of torture participation by CA medical professionals)

GOAL #2: Restore civil rights and liberties for all people under U.S.
Jurisdiction

Strategic Objectives:
1. Restore habeas corpus and other fundamental civil liberties undermined in the Military Commission Act and Patriot Act
2. Establish oversight of U.S. treatment of all people in U.S. custody
3. Close Guantanamo Prison

Methodology:
1. Initiate and support AFSC educational programs
2. Public witness
3. Initiate and support legislative initiatives to stop U.S. torture

Program Summary: The Los Angeles office officially took up this issue as a pilot project in September, 2006. The American Friends Service Committee's Los Angeles office (AFSC-LA) is one of several Quaker-based peace and justice organizations ! concerned about torture. In addition to AFSC, the Quaker Initiative to End Torture (QUIT), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) are focusing on this issue as well. Working with a small committee of Quakers and community supporters, we identified criteria for shaping our stop torture program. We decided that our main objective needed to be:

. California-related
. Uniquely our contribution
. Complementary to our resources, in terms of time, expertise and funding
. Increasing public awareness of torture as a social institution
. Humanizing the torture victim
. A platform for ethical, moral and religious questions

Based on these criteria, we have chosen to work as partners with Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Program for Torture Victims focus on what we are calling the Human Rights and Medicine Campaign, a state legislative initiative to warn CA medical professionals of the possible future risks to their license by participating in torture and urging the U.S. military not to involve CA medical professionals in torture.

In addition to this program priority, AFSC - LA has supported the annual School of the Americas demonstration at Ft. Benning, GA. with Los Angeles programs.

Details of Internship:

Duration: Minimum of 3 months

Hours: Weekly contact with a minimum of 6 hrs. weekly. Some work can be done from home; some work in the office. Event coordination requires flexible hours.

Product: To be agreed upon at the beginning of the internship

Evaluation: Self-evaluation and supervisor feedback half way through internship and at the end of the internship; AFSC-LA requires guidelines from the educational institution before the internship begins regarding their internship requirements

Qualifications:
1. Initiative, ability to work independently, opening to asking questions when you do not know,
2. Keeps agreements, dependable, can communicate about challenges, can take responsibility for actions
3. Strong writing and communication skills
4. Organizational and planning skills
5. Web skills a plus

Tags:

• Internships
• Employment

A crazy huge number of old maps

I like old maps. So does this person, apparently. Click the "details on" for captions and dates. Lots of them, high resolution scans, print them out and cover your walls--

Scoville Fellowship for college grads in International Security

Perfect for graduated or about-to-graduate PG students interested in security issues:

I am pleased to send you information about the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship, a program that provides college graduates the opportunity to work in Washington, DC, with a public-interest organization focusing on arms control and international security issues. The fellowship is offered twice yearly, in the spring and fall. It lasts from six to nine months and provides a stipend, health insurance, and travel costs to Washington. The Scoville Fellowship does not award grant or scholarship money to students.

Scoville Fellows may undertake a variety of activities, including research, writing, and advocacy in support of the goals of their host organization and may attend coalition meetings, policy briefings, and Congressional hearings. They have written fact sheets, letters to the editor, op eds, magazine articles, briefing books and reports, organized talks and conferences, and been interviewed as experts by the media. Many former Scoville Fellows work for NGOs or the Federal Government, or attend graduate school in political science or international relations, following their fellowships.

Please encourage those interested in peace and security issues to visit our website at http://www.scoville.org. There is no application form; the application requirements are listed on the website, as are links to the websites of each of the twenty-five participating organizations and information on the work of current and former Scoville Fellows. Applications may be submitted via email. A flyer about the program can be printed from

http://www.scoville.org/flyer.html The next application deadline is October 15, 2007 for the Spring 2008 Fellowship.

All U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals residing in the United States, are eligible to apply; non-U.S. citizens living outside of the United States are not.

Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the Fellowship.

Sincerely,
Paul D. Revsine
Program Director
Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
(202) 543-4100 x124
www.scoville.org


Tags:

• Fellowships
• Internships
• Employment

Tacoma World Trade Center -- an intern's perspective

This summer Garrett Heilman '08 started an internship at the World Trade Center Tacoma and has served as the thin edge of the wedge--with Colleen Gause '06 working there, and our expanding internship presence, I fully expect PG to colonize their organization and reign supreme over our..er...rivals to the south:

After learning about the opportunity to intern at the World Trade Center Tacoma (WTCTA) I applied/interviewed/and on the June 1st I started. The WTCTA is a small office, we currently have 4 full time staff positions and the rest of the office is composed of interns. When I started we had over 7 interns. Almost all of which were international students, [most from PLU :( ]. Working with students from other countries is pretty amazing, especially in a work environment where the job is discussing international economic/political issues. My eyes were certainly further opened by the different understandings of these issues each student brought with her/him. These understandings were most helpful in learning how each student identified their nations international economic/political interests.

Anyways, the WTCTA mission essentially is to promote trade. We do that in a number of ways; We provide events that are invaluable networking opportunities for businesses (and students if you play your cards right), training courses for businesses to learn about exporting/importing, and do trade research for WTC members. As an intern you certainly have your share of menial/administrative tasks. However, the small size of the office means that the interns also get a large share of responsibility. For example, I have written a trade/policy brief to the Secretary of State Sam Reid on trade relations between Washington and Thailand. I have also helped a business become fair trade certified. My point is that unlike other internships, at the WTCTA you get the opportunity to produce significant work that you can point to, to demonstrating your skills for potential employers. Moreover, you get great opportunities to continue your education outside of the academic setting. Recently, we held an international trade certificate course where every intern was able to participate in the three-day event and become certified. In addition to being a great resume builder, the course bridged some of the gaps between theory and the application of that theory.

If anyone is looking for an internship please do not hesitate to e-mail me. Fall internships are still available, and we’re looking to take back the office from PLU.

P.S all internship positions are unpaid."

Looking for an internationally-focused internship in Tacoma? Look no further.

Tags:

• Internships
  

Seth Doherty '07 Study Abroad-Internship Review

Students who do study abroad often don't consider that some of these programs can incorporate an internship into the program. We've had many students do the Dublin Parliamentary Internship, and Seth did a similar program in Australia:

Study Abroad IES Direct Enrollment University of Melbourne Parliamentary Internship

While studying abroad at the University of Melbourne last semester, I participated in an internship there at the Victoria State Parliament and Professor O’Neil suggested I share my thoughts in case any of you are looking at internships abroad, especially in Melbourne.

I found that the Parliamentary Internship was worthwhile, both as a political internship and as a study abroad experience. The internship involved being paired with a member of the Victoria State Parliament and working with them to do a research paper of interest to both you and your MP. As well, there are courses held about once a week at Parliament House by instructors from the University of Melbourne and surrounding universities.

The direct engagement with the parliament is very valuable from a comparative politics perspective, as I became intimate with the particulars of a parliamentary system in general and the Westminster System at the state level specifically.

My MP, Carlo Carli, was a member of the lower house, the Legislative Assembly, from the district of Brunswick, part of the inner north suburb of Melbourne, Moreland. The research topics of my peers enrolled in the internship were on a great range of topics. My research for Carli dealt with determining the factors that contributed to the preservation of the Merri Creek, a creek which runs through the inner northern suburbs and was intended to be turned into a freeway in the 1970s but now is protected by community groups and is largely seen as a community asset. The research allowed me to utilize skills I had gained in my study of politics and government at UPS, while interacting with key political actors in the area and gaining new experience in complicated workings of local politics.

I found the internship to be one of the best educational experiences I could have while studying abroad. My ability to succeed at the internship was comprised in little to no amount by my being a foreigner and taking part in it caused no major logistical difficulties. For me, it was a practical way to get both a positive study abroad experience that I wanted and a internship experience that I felt as necessary, without sacrificing from either experience.

-Seth B. Doherty

Tags:

• Studyabroad
• Internships
  

Linz Heppe '07 Update

First, Linz has set up her own blog that we've added to the blogroll:
http://sliceofmind.blogspot.com/

And here's what she's been up to of late and some suggestions for our current students:

I have recently accepted an internship position at the Protection Project (thanks former PG'er Sherrie Caltagirone for this connection--Professor O'Neil), a human rights organization dedicated to the elimination of trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Specifically, the PP focuses on the protection of human security, especially women's and children's rights; the fostering of civil society and NGO development; the enhancement of the rule of law using a bottom-up approach; the advancement of human rights education; and the elimination of trafficking in persons.The organization in located at the John's Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC. I will begin the internship mid-January, and will be focusing on human rights issues in the Middle East.

I will continue my Arabic language studies in Williamsburg, VA, and will pick it up again at a University in DC upon arrival. Learning Arabic has been on my agenda for awhile now. I ultimately want to work for the State Dept, DHS, CIA or any other organization that specializes in counterterrorism. Hopefully my studies will take me to the Middle East for some face-to-face contact/dialogue with Iraqis/Egyptians. I want to REALLY understand what is happening on the ground- researching (from books)- is not enough to make effective policy suggestions or decisions.

So here are some suggestions: really put yourself out there. There are numerous opportunities in Tacoma/Seattle. Visit mosques/temples, set up round-table events, get an internship, make presentations, do REAL RESEARCH (this means primary)- don't just lock yourself up in the library. Apply to scholarships and research grants. Almost any agency will chose a well-rounded individual with experience over the straight-A student. And once you get your foot in the door the rest of the opportunities will come knocking.

Hazzan saaeedan (Good luck!)

Tags:

• Alums
• Internships

China fears our department

From an alum in China:

Did you know that your blog is censored by the Chinese government? I'm in Beijing right now, and the only way I can read the blog is through a proxy server.

We've long expected that the radiant truths of this blog were too much for any state to bear. Our G Rating is but a feint on our part to disarm our adversaries.

Christy Thomas '00: Professional degrees...and tuition paid?

An email from Christy Thomas noting my earlier post about the PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton. Especially worth considering given our earlier post about the growing interest in professional degrees--and the costs involved:

It was interesting to see you feature the PPIA program at Princeton because I just finished a proposal to a Carnegie Mellon alum for our program. PPIA is actually affiliated with over 30 universities across the country, including Carnegie Mellon (www.ppiaprogram.org). And as an additional incentive, anyone who completes the PPIA summer institute (at either Carnegie Mellon or another member institution) could qualify for full tuition plus a stipend if they attend Carnegie Mellon for graduate school. So, just a plug for Carnegie Mellon and the opportunity to attend grad school for free! I’d be happy to talk with students about life in Pittsburgh and the Heinz School of Public Policy, where I’m currently completing my Masters in Public Management.

Best,

Christina Thomas
Director, Parents Leadership Program &
Major Gift Officer
Carnegie Mellon University

Jennifer Zinchuk '03 Talk on campus on Peace Corps

Next Wednesday Jennifer (Eidum) Zinchuk '03 will be the featured speaker on campus during the Peace Corps' fall presentation and information session. They will be around much of the day, but make certain to catch Jennifer's talk on her time in Ukraine if you have the chance. Here are the details:
Wednesday, Oct. 17
12 - 1 p.m.
Murray Board Room - Wheelock Student Center

Note: I had this misposted as this week--thanks to Jennifer for catching that.

Evan Updates

I few posts back I mentioned that I'd heard from Evan Howe '05 as he was finishing up his Peace Corps service in Niger. I asked him for a couple of paragraphs on his time, which was quite unfair as it's hard to sum up a Peace Corps experience in a few sentences. Here are his thoughts, along with one of the few pictures he has of his time there. Thanks to Evan and everyone else who regularly adds to our blog.



I recently completed 26 months as a Community, Youth and Education volunteer in Niger in West Africa. Before I arrived in Niger, I really had no idea what to expect. I had spent a semester in South Africa while at Puget Sound, but I figured that there would be a drastic difference between a large city like Cape Town and rural Niger. When we arrived in country we spent nine weeks in training living with a local host family. While I think we were relatively sheltered from what our real experience would be like, it still gave me glimpses into what everyday life would be like for the next two years.

My village consisted of about 3,500 people, located along a non-paved road that was not too enjoyable to travel upon, but was always interesting. I chose to focus my work on a number of smaller-scale projects with different counterparts as opposed to one "main project." My work focused on a wide variety of subjects dealing with themes ranging from those taken from practical health and hygiene skills to the importance of girls' education. The work I did took direction from what my villagers wanted and what I felt were the most pressing issues that needed to be addressed.

From the very beginning of my first year I jumped right into work, maybe a bit hastily. I spent the first year working with a counterpart who was incredibly overbearing, I felt like I needed to be present for every meeting, training, and anything that resembled work during my first year. Looking back I realize how ridiculous a notion that was. It took me a little while to realize that not every project was going to go according to schedule and that I needed to be a lot more flexible in my approach to work. By the second year I felt I was accomplishing just as much working on my own time and I did not feel stressed at all.

One of the greatest things about my Peace Corps service was my village. I formed incredible friendships and they treated me as one of their own. Like many volunteers, I feel that I'm taking away a lot more from my experience than I gave. I hope to maintain contact with my village and hopefully visit them sometime in the near future.

Master's degrees proliferate

Yesterday in class I was talking with our majors about the various kinds of professional degrees out there like MPPs and MPAs. As if on cue, an article in the New York Times on this very topic:

"More students than ever have started master’s programs this fall, and universities are seeing those programs as potentially lucrative sources of revenue. The number of students earning these degrees around the country has nearly doubled since 1980. Since 1970, the growth is 150 percent, more than twice as fast as bachelor and doctorate programs.

“Master’s programs are the most obvious targets of opportunity,” said George L. Mehaffy, a vice president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “The degrees are in high demand, and this is an optimal time to enter or expand the market.”

For students, the degrees are often expensive; at private universities, many students take out $50,000 in loans for every year of school. And scholarships and fellowships are rare, unlike doctoral programs, which are usually fully financed by universities.

Still, many say the price is worth it..."

Read the whole piece here.

Friday Roundup of Opportunities

Don't forget the White House Internship Program that we posted yesterday as well.

In this post:

• WOLA Sally Yudelman Internship, Washington, D.C.
• Stimson Center- Communications Associate- Washington, D.C.
• UN Foundation- The People Speak Intern- Washington, D.C.
• MoveOn- Rising Stars Fellow, DC

WOLA Sally Yudelman Internship, Washington, D.C.
WOLA's internship program is named after Sally Yudelman for her contribution and commitment to WOLA, human rights and democracy in Latin America. Through WOLA's Yudelman Internship Program we hope to provide unique mentoring opportunities to interns thereby encouraging the next generation of young people to become actors in the formation of U.S. foreign policy.

WOLA's Yudelman Internship Program works to give interns a broad exposure to the foreign policy-making process and aims to familiarize its interns with current events in Latin America through regular meetings with our staff and by attending NGO coalition meetings, congressional hearings, and other discussions and events. In addition, throughout the semester, interns will have a series of "brown bag" lunch discussions with representatives from ! different sectors that interact with the NGO world, such as foundation s, governments, and multilateral institutions. Upon arrival each intern is assigned to work with a WOLA Associate on one issue and will produce a detailed research project that meets the intern's interests and the Associate's needs. At the end of the semester, the results of the research project will be presented to WOLA's staff. One project will be selected and the intern will publish an article related to their project in WOLA's newsletter.

Applications to the WOLA's Yudelman Internship are three times each year- summer, fall and spring. WOLA selects seven interns per session. The internship is unpaid. During the fall and spring, interns are expected to work at least 24 hours each week. During the summer, they are expected to work 32 hours each week.

Approximately 65% of the internship is administrative in nature-answering telephones, faxing, copying, or working on a specific task (i.e. fulfilling orders for our many publications, helping to keep our website updated, monitoring the media). The reminder of the time is spent on the intern project or other substantive work.

Interested applicants should have a demonstrated interest in human rights, democracy and economic justice in Latin America; initiative and flexibility; the capability to work in a fast-paced environment; good organizational skills; follow-through and attention to detail. Spanish or Portuguese proficiency is strongly recommended.

Latin American and minority students are encouraged to apply. In general, the Yudelman Internship Program is not open to either graduate students or to students who have already graduated as they are generally looking for something more substantive in nature.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
In order to be considered for an internship, WOLA needs the following materials:
*a cover letter in which you state:
* that you understand the internship is unpaid
* your specific dates of availability
* your willingness to work at least 24 hours each week (32 if you are applying for a summer internship)
* why you want to intern at WOLA, an idea of your specific interests regarding Latin America, and your language abilities.
*a resume
*the names and telephone numbers of at least two references
*a short writing sample (no more than 2-3 pages) on a topic of your choice. It can be a paper you submitted for a class.

DEADLINES:
Spring internship (mid-January through May) November 15
Application materials should be addressed to the Intern Coordinator:
Kristina DeMain
Internship Recruitment Coordinator
1630 Connecticut Avenue, NW Floor 2
Washington, D.C. 20009
InternApp@wola.org


Stimson Center- Communications Associate- Washington, D.C.
The Henry L. Stimson Center, a nonprofit public policy institute committed to finding and promoting practical, innovative solutions to security challenges, seeks a full-time, experienced communications associate will support the planning and implementation of communications and outreach activities at the programmatic and institutional levels.


Major responsibilities
o Assist with the planning, implementation and coordination of communications activities
o Monitor outreach timelines
o Draft written materials including press releases, promotional materials, proposals and policy briefs
o Coordinate media outreach including mass mailings, fax blasts and information requests
o Assist with the maintenance of the website--writing and editing content; preparing reports on defined usage metrics; and coordinating specific website initiatives
o Maintain organizational and media lists--coordinate with research and administration project teams to ensure data integrity
o Review Stimson products against institutional design and editorial standards to ensure consistency and clarity
o Coordinate logistics for meetings, press conferences, seminars and other special events
o Research and assess new communications tools
o Track Stimson's media and other outreach efforts--maintain files and prepare reports on presscoverage, testimony, speeches and presentations
o Coordinate marketing and sale of Stimson books including vendor relations, inventory management, and paid advertising

The above specified tasks may not be the only duties assigned. Employees may be required to carry out other job-related tasks as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations.

QUALIFICATIONS

* Required: Bachelors degree and 2-3 years experience or equivalent education.

How to Apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to email a resume, cover letter, salary requirements and references to resume@stimson.org. Please indicate "Communications Associate" in the subject line of all correspondence.

The Henry L. Stimson Center is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks candidates from diverse backgrounds. The Center provides competitive compensation and an exceptional package of benefits.



UN Foundation- The People Speak Intern- Washington, D.C.
The United Nations Foundation (UNF) and the Better World Fund (BWF) were established in 1998 to administer Ted Turner's unprecedented gift of $1 billion in the service of global causes. UNF exists to promote the well-being of the global population, the responsible stewardship and preservation of the world's climate and essential ecosystems, the protection of human rights, and peaceful coexistence by strengthening the United Nations as a vehicle for promoting international cooperation. To achieve its objectives, UNF provides grants to UN agencies, funds, and programs for work in the areas of population, children's health, the environment, and peace, security, and human rights. BWF complements the work of UNF through support of selected programs designed to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Nations.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

. To provide a framework by which graduate and post-graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds can utilize their theoretical knowledge in practical work assignments;
. To expose students to the work of the UN and to encourage them to consider careers in the UN or UN related causes, and;
. To aid the UNF in achieving its mission.

OVERALL FORMAT OF THE PROGRAM

. UNF hosts a semester long internship program during the Fall, Spring, and Summer school sessions.
. The UNF offers full and part-time paid and unpaid internships. The number of each kind of internship offered will depend on the needs of the various departments.
. Intern duties and responsibilities will vary according to the assignment.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

This position supports The People Speak (TPS), an educational campaign to inspire young people on the global issues that will shape their future. This year, TPS is organizing a series of grass roots high school activities called the Global Debates and two college mini grant programs called Buzz Cuts and Climate Crews. The position will report to the Director of The People Speak. General Responsibilities include:

. Coordinating Global Debates - This position will support over 2,000 high schools participating in the Global Debates. This includes helping schools document activities to accumulate points, tracking activities by schools, assisting high school students and teachers plan a public debate in their school, and other support as needed.

. Conducting Outreach - Researching youth organizations and providing outreach materials about TPS to interested parties. Outreach will also occur through online platforms, such as Facebook and MySpace, among others.

. Administrative Support - Assists with large mailings and outreach projects and helps with UNF-sponsored special events.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The following criterion is used to determine eligibility for the Internship Program:

. Applicants should be enrolled in a degree-granting program in an undergraduate or graduate school during the internship.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

. Requirements (only completed packages will be considered)
o Current résumé or curriculum vitae; and
o Cover letter addressed to Intern Administrator stating your purpose for obtaining this internship and your skills and experiences related to the general responsiblities.

How to apply

Visit the following site: http://www.unfoundation.org

o Select "Public Affairs" from the Department drop down menu.
o Only electronic applications will be accepted.


MoveOn- Rising Stars Fellow, DC
Salary: Equivalent of $50,000 / year
Description:
MoveOn is starting a fellowship program, to give talented up-and-comers a chance to work on the biggest issues in the progressive movement. Rising stars of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply for this 5-month, full-time, paid
position.



Details or to apply: http://www.moveon.org/fellowship

MoveOn Fellows will work alongside our top campaigners to end the war in Iraq, stop the climate crisis, win the '08 election and make their mark on other high-profile issues.

The program will start with a dozen finalists coming together for an intimate, behind-the-scenes crash course in MoveOn's strategies and tactics. After this two-day intensive, up to four Fellows will have the opportunity to remain at MoveOn for
in a five-month, full-time, paid position.

Each Fellow will have a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a senior
MoveOn staffer. Fellows will have opportunities to launch their own projects and work with the team to test new ideas in online and off-line organizing. MoveOn will assist
Fellows in searching for jobs in the progressive movement -- possibly
within MoveOn itself.

We are looking for a diverse group of applicants, united by their passion for
a more progressive America. We don't care if you've spent years working for progressive organizations or if you haven't even finished school. How you got here
isn't important; where you're going is.

The first Fellowship training course will begin Friday, Oct 12. Applications
will be accepted until Sept 21. For more details, go to http://www.moveon.org/fellowship

Visit http://pol.moveon.org/fellowship to apply. No followup calls or email, please!

Tags:

• Internships

Alums: We need your advice!

I'm currently teaching PG 250, which is the department's course on writing and research. It's also a good place for us to get majors together at an early stage in their degree to talk about maximizing their education and about life after graduation.

To that end, I'm hoping I might call upon our alums to share their wisdom with us about life after UPS. What exact form this might take isn't set in place, but I am thinking about having alums give their advice and thoughts in response to particular issues or questions that the students would provide. So we might generate a range of questions, and alums could give their thoughts to whatever questions and to whatever extent they saw fit.

In the near future I will contact some of you directly to ask for your participation, but I'd like to reach out to all of our alums, many of whom I don't know. If you are willing to help guide our majors, would you be so kind as to drop me an email at poneil@ups.edu?

Thanks in advance for all our alums have done in making our program and university a great place to teach.

White House Internship Program

I just got a reminder from Sam Stookesberry '09 that the deadline for the White House Internship Program is fast approaching. Sam reminded me of it because he did an internship there last summer, so if anyone has any questions about what the program is like Sam is a good resource. Even if you're not interested in doing it in spring, they accept interns for the summer so there's lots of lead time. I asked Sam to write up a short blurb on his experience, and I'll blog that in the near future.

Update Here's Sam's thoughts on the internship:

This summer I was an intern in the White House office of Records Management. As the name implies, our office was responsible for handling all of the administration’s documents. The duties of an intern vary greatly depending on the office within the White House, and I did everything from filing, copying, and data entry to reading and proofing outgoing presidential correspondence. Getting an inside look at how the government runs at the highest level was awesome and a great learning experience. Probably the best part about the internship is the speaker series put on for the interns. We had about 10 speakers over the summer including the Chief of Staff to the President, The Secretary of the Treasury, Karl Rove, and The President, all of whom were amazing. Living in D.C. was exciting, but age (21 or not) will probably have a significant impact on your experience. Overall interning at the White House was a lot of work but a great summer, and I’d be happy to talk with anybody interested in doing it. My email is sstookesberry@ups.edu

There is Fred Ross '86

A recent email from Fred Ross '86. Alums, especially those who remember Fred, do drop him a line at his blog. Fred's blog is a great read (I can't imagine driving from Portland to Central America) and he's got an excellent Flickr site with pictures as well.

Professor O'Neil,

I have perused a few of the blogs you have sent over the past year. I´m new to the blog world having just started one myself in the last few months. Is there a way for me to place a post on your blog to perhaps make contact with fellow UPS students from the past or students involved in similar endeavors as myself right now?

I recently ended my career of 17 years as a Realtor in Portland, Oregon. It was a good 17 years but I want to do something different. I am currently driving through Central and South America learning Spanish and enjoying myself but ultimately looking to find work with an NGO doing humanitarian aid work.

Presently I am in Leon, Nicaragua in my third week of immersion classes. From here I will be heading to Colombia for another 4 weeks of immersion. Then I´m meeting friends to hike the Inka Trail, camp in Patagonia, enjoy Buenos Aires, etc. etc.

I have a blog for friends to keep track of me at
whereisfred.wordpress.com.

Other than when friends meet me along the way I´m making this journey alone and would love to make contacts with other people associated with the univeristy, past and present. I´m also looking for any contacts with different relief and aid organizations. I´m especially interested in Nicaragua (I studied this country at UPS in the 80´s)and Bolivia.

Best,
Fred Ross ´86

Junior Summer Institute at Princeton

This is a great opportunity for any of our juniors with an interest in public policy and international affairs. Each student enrolled in the Summer Institute is fully funded and receives financial support for the total cost. Deadline is November 1. Come see me if you have any questions.


PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Princeton

The Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University has been an important part of the fabric of the Woodrow Wilson School for over 20 years. While the program's name and admissions criteria have changed over the years, the School has never wavered in its commitment to prepare a diverse cadre of professionals for careers in public service, particularly in those areas of government related to foreign affairs. Past and future participants, therefore, represent a variety of backgrounds and perspectives similar to the national and international communities in which they hope to serve.

The Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University has been an important part of the fabric of the Woodrow Wilson School for over 20 years. While the program's name and admissions criteria have changed over the years, the School has never wavered in its commitment to prepare a diverse cadre of professionals for careers in public service, particularly in those areas of government related to foreign affairs. Past and future participants, therefore, represent a variety of backgrounds and perspectives similar to the national and international communities in which they hope to serve.

This goal has given us a clear vision of what students will gain from attending our summer program. First, they will become friends with a group of extremely talented students from colleges and universities all over the country. These colleagues will be impressive academically, and more importantly, they will be culturally aware, socially sensitive, committed to public service, and they will share a common vision about making the world a better place.

Second, students will be exposed to the various tools that they will need to become effective policy practitioners, including critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, memo writing, and oral presentation skills. They will also engage in curricular and extracurricular activities that are designed to teach and strengthen their cross-cultural competence in making and implementing policy--because navigating across cultural boundaries and being sensitive to one's own culture (real and perceived) are key elements of policymaking in our rapidly changing world.

Third, students will explore a broad range of interesting public policy issues and expand their horizons regarding career options. We challenge students by bringing in a range of public policy practitioners and academics to speak about careers in public affairs and cutting-edge research. Throughout the summer, students find themselves sitting around the table with high-level policy professionals discussing the issues of the day, while at the same time building a solid foundation for graduate study.

Ultimately, we offer a program that is challenging to those at all skill levels and that will increase students' interests in pursuing a career in public or international affairs and will prepare them for entrance into graduate school. We believe that our summer institute is a springboard to an exciting future and will give participants an opportunity to fashion a career consistent with their passions.

We hope that you will choose to be a part of the group of successful alumni who have made their start in the PPIA Junior Summer Institute. Thank you for your interest in our program.

Tags:

• Gradschool
• Fellowships
• Employment

Katie Callaghan '03 to AU in DC

We got word from Katie Callaghan '03 the other day. After graduation Katie went on Peace Corps, like so many of our graduates, and was based in a village in Panama (the stories she told were something else). This fall Katie began graduate school at American University in their International Development Program.

She writes: "in addition to classes, I'm working at the Academy on Human Rights at the American University Washington College of Law where my official role is to help coordinate a Human Rights Summer Program that they do each May-June. They offer classes in both Spanish and English on topics related to Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (mainly focusing on Latin America) and bring in professors and speakers from all over the globe who work with or study Human Rights. There are people from different European and Latin American universities as well as directors from programs like the United Nations Development Programme."

Katie says classes are going well and that she likes the program. Another educational option for PG students who might be thinking about graduate school down the road.

Best wishes for grad school, Katie, and we look forward to hearing more about the program.

Tags:

• Alums
• Gradschool

Evan Howe '05; Peace Corps ends, Latin America Calls

An email from PG alum Evan Howe '05, who is finishing up his Peace Corps work in Niger:

My service has gone by rather quickly but it has certainly been an experience. It was difficult to leave my village, but I also feel that it's time for something new and different. It looks like I'm going to follow through with my plan to travel around South America after my service, so I'll be headed to Brazil and a few other countries until January. I've been attempting to study a little Portuguese and Spanish, but I don't think it's been going that well. Hopefully by the time I get there it will decent enough that i can communicate basic things. I leave next week.

When I return to the U.S. I have been thinking of moving to Washington D.C. to try to get a entry-level job at a law firm, with the hopes of doing that until the summer and applying for inner-city teaching positions in the fall of 2008. Working in the educational system in Niger has given me the motivation to continue to work with youth upon my return. Although I imagine it's going to be a completely different experience. So we will see how that goes.

I hope that all is well in Tacoma and you have a nice semester. I will do my best to send a picture for your blog, I'm trying to catch up with some of the entries over the last few months, sounds like you are all keeping quite busy. Please say hello to all in the P&G department for me.

We are looking forward to hearing more about Evan's time in Niger--and indeed, from any of our alums out there. Send us a note, let us know how you are doing.

International Youth Leadership Conference, Prague

Some interesting things on offer, and hey, it's Prague for the holidays--

This email brings you information on an interesting educational opportunity, the 15th International Youth Leadership Conference, which is to be held January 6-11th, 2008 in Prague, the Czech Republic. I am the Conference Director of the 15th International Youth Leadership Conference (IYLC) and I would like to make sure that your students are informed about this unique international conference.

The 15th IYLC will be welcoming 130 top university students from around the world. As we are now accepting applications online, we would very much appreciate your help with spreading this information. We will soon send you a package with posters and further details, but for now I am sending you, and your students, the following information.

The theme of the conference is “a cross-cultural exchange of ideas concerning the future of world leadership” and the main objective of the IYLC is to blend educational activities and social interaction using a number of inter-related events:

A United Nations Security Council Crisis simulation
A mock International Criminal Court pre-trial
Model Parliament proceedings
Visits to Foreign Embassies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Czech Senates Panel Discussion and Presentations led by speakers of the highest caliber in their fields.

To view a draft schedule of events for the winter session please view: http://czechleadership.com/itinerary.php and you are also invited to visit our website at www.czechleadership.com for further details.

To view the Student Invitation Letter, which could potentially be forwarded to your students, please view: http://czechleadership.com/invitation-letter.pdf

For students who apply early, we have a special ‘Early Bird’ discount, worth 100 EUR. For more information please check our website.

Please let me know if you, or your students, have any questions.

I will be looking forward to hearing from you.
With best regards from Prague,

Katarina Olsova
katarina@civicconcepts.org
Conference Director - 15th International Youth Leadership Conference
Civic Concepts International
www.czechleadership.com
tel: +420 272 730 897

NYT...U?

From Inside Higher Ed:

The New York Times on Thursday announced a major push into higher education — with new efforts to provide distance education, course content and social networking. A number of colleges are already either committed to using the new technologies or are in negotiations to start doing so, evidence of the strong power of the Times brand in academe...

In distance education, the Times will be providing technology and marketing for non-credit courses taught by college and university professors. Funds from tuition revenue will be split (with the precise formula varying) between the colleges and the Times. Among the institutions that are already part of the effort are Mount Holyoke College; New York, Northern Kentucky, Stanford and Towson Universities; and the Society for College and University Planning. Felice Nudelman, director of education for the Times, said that the list would soon grow significantly. She said that the emphasis would be on having a range of institutions and a range of high quality programs. Tuition rates are set by the colleges — in some cases with in-state and out-of-state rates.

Here's the link to the NYT site.

Campaign 2008: Issue Tracker

The Washington Post has set up an "Issue Coverage Tracker" for the Presidential campaign:

Washingtonpost.com today announced the release of the "Issue
Coverage Tracker," a new application that compares the volume of press
coverage between candidates and the major issues of the 2008
presidential race. Featured on washingtonpost.com, the application is
being made freely available for distribution to any user's website.
Developed by Daylife, a news distribution platform that analyzes and
organizes news coverage from thousands of sources, the "Issue Coverage
Tracker" has a compelling graphic presentation that is fun and
easy-to-use.

The application, which features an interactive display designed to
encourage participation, provides a unique lens on election news,
allowing users to customize their experience by candidate or topic,
ranging from abortion to health care to the war in Iraq. Drawing
information from thousands of news and opinion sources, the "Issue
Coverage Tracker" provides a quick visual scale of coverage between
candidates and the issues, allowing a user to:

* select a candidate and view the issues related to that candidate
* select an issue and view the candidates who focus on that issue
* expand or limit the coverage timetable
* customize the application to default to a particular candidate

It's has a nice interface from the little that I've played with it. Worth a peruse--

Watson Fellowship Workshop

This in from Professor Joshi, our university's faculty Watson coordinator. Last year three UPS students were awarded Watson Fellowships, which is an extraordinarily high number, including PG major Zorba Leslie. Read on:

Please announce in your upper division classes the following two informational meetings for students who are interested in applying for the Watson Fellowship this year:

Wed, Sept 12, 4-5:30 pm in Wyatt 208

or

Thurs, Sept 13, 5:30-7 pm in Wyatt 208

Any interested students are welcome to attend, although given the timeline, this meeting will likely be most pertinent to seniors who are considering applying this year (the deadline is Fri, Oct 5th). For juniors and other lower-division students, I run several additional meetings in the spring.

A Few Words about the Watson Fellowship: The Watson is a highly competitive and prestigious national fellowship that provides students with a $25,000 grant to pursue a year of travel outside the United States. Fellows develop innovative projects that take them to diverse locations to address what are often highly idiosyncratic interests (e.g.: kite building and flying, communities with lake monster myths, retracing Darwin’s Beagle journey). Watson does not support "library" or research projects; instead, the foundation is interested in students who demonstrate curiosity and independent thinking and in projects that develop a young person’s self-reliance and interpersonal skills. Consequently, students who are successful can be but are not necessarily "A students"; they are always bold and original thinkers and very resourceful. The program is highly selective not only in the students it picks, but also in the roughly 50 colleges it invites to participate. Puget Sound has been a "Watson school" since 1992 and we have been extremely successful in those years with one or two winners almost every year since 1994, and three in 2006-7. This is a unique opportunity for our students, one they are fortunate to have available to them because they attend UPS.

Please take a few moments to announce these informational meetings in your classes. And if you or your students have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to contact me at pjoshi@ups.edu.

Many thanks,

Priti Joshi

Davies-Jackson Scholarship: Deadline November 12

If you're interested, contact the fellowships office, Howarth 114:

Davies-Jackson Scholarship

The Davies-Jackson Scholarship presents a unique opportunity for students with exceptional academic records, who are among the first in their families to graduate college, to participate in a course of study at St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge. After two years of study, candidates are awarded a Cambridge B.A. degree, known as the Cantab degree, which is often viewed as the equivalent of a masters degree in the U.S.

Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich educational environment of St. John’s, which was founded in the 16th century, by reading in one of the following subjects: Archaeology and Anthropology, Classics, Economics, English, Geography, History, History of Art, Modern and Medieval Languages, Music, Philosophy, or Social and Political Sciences.

Applications for the 2008 Davies-Jackson Scholarship will be accepted September 10-November 12, 2007. For information about the scholarship and application process, as well as a list of previous scholarship recipients, go here.

Tags:

• Fellowships

Alum update and more opportunities--

This in from Ryan Dumm '07. Congrats on his new job, and we've had much good feedback from students who have interned in Norm Dicks' office. In fact, Ryan himself did a stint there prior to landing this job. Ryan writes:

So after several months I finally found a job and it has all worked out great. Last week I was going to start working for Mike Weinman and John Winkler on three local campaigns doing field organizing, but then I interviewed for a position with Norm's office to replace Mike English and took that immediately. I started on Monday and it has been great so far...looks like I will mostly be handling Democratic outreach in the 6th District. My new email address is ryan.dumm@mail.house.gov

And this in turn raises some other opportunities:

Mike and John will be looking for someone to work on those campaigns if you have anyone in mind? It would last until November and be for Don Johnson (port commissioner), Mike Weinman (fircrest city council) and Bruce Banfield (Lakewood city council).

And...

Congressman Norm Dicks’ (D) District Office in downtown Tacoma is looking for quality interns for the fall and spring semesters. Intern responsibilities include constituent services, letters of achievement, scheduling, news briefs, legislative research and a host of other office duties. Internships are unpaid but students can receive credit for 120 hours per semester. This is wonderful opportunity for P&G majors to gain experience in a Congressional office and network for post-graduate employment. To apply, send a letter of interest and your resume to LaTasha Wortham.

latasha.wortham@mail.house.gov
1019 Pacific Ave. Suite 806
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 593-6536

Homecoming?

Alums: will you be back on campus for homecoming, October 12-14? If so, please drop me a note, I'd enjoy getting back in touch or meeting for the first time.

Students: There are some really interesting things going on at homecoming, including "speed networking," and panels on non-profits and civic engagement. Go go go.

Local internship for Congress...and Obama...right now!

This in from Matt Perry '06. What an incredible opportunity:

Just wanted to give you an update on what I've been up to. I continue to work for Rep. Adam Smith as his Political Director, which involves managing his campaign and being his political eyes and ears back here in the state. Recently I have also taken on in-state fundraising and assisting with the Obama campaign in Washington (Rep. Smith is the Chair for Obama's campaign here).

I am getting a wide variety of experiences that continues to sharpen my understanding of what campaigns are all about. It is especially interesting to contrast my current fundraising experiences with the findings of my senior thesis, which analyzed U.S. campaign finance laws.

I also wanted to let you know about two internships that we will be offering for the fall, in case any students may be interested. I took advantage of internships throughout college and found that they gave me an edge for finding a job after graduation.

Students will get a wide range of experience with exposure to both Rep. Adam Smith's campaign and also Barack Obama's campaign in the Northwest. Interns will learn the nuts and bolts of organizing a grassroots campaign both on a regional and national scale. Duties will include assisting in the planning of events, attending community meetings, maintaining a database, organizing mailings and all of the other tasks that are involved in running successful campaign.

Anyone interested can reach me at 253-572-6125 or mattperry83@gmail.com.

Thanks!

-Matt

Where are we headed?

I mentioned in an earlier post that last week saw the Fall Faculty Conversation, where President Thomas, Dean Bartanen and other members of the administration spoke about where we are now and where we are heading as an institution.

As always, there are good developments and challenges. And these two things are tightly connected. The university is getting better all the time, with a stronger set of applicants and, I think, a greater set of expectations in what we teach and expect our students to learn.

But as a result, it also means we are trying to punch above our weight. Whereas in past our prospective students might have been considering us over local state schools or liberal arts colleges, what the administration is now hearing is that when we lose a prospective to another school, it's a school much higher ranked than ourselves.

And therein lies the problem. If we want to compete against prestigious liberal arts colleges, we are going to need to offer more financial aid. As it stands, we can't offer as much as many of our competitors, a number of whom rely on merit-based aid to grab the strongest applicants (irrespective of their financial need).

So a stronger set of competitors, and tighter competition. The university's challenge in the coming years will be to build that financial base to improve our financial aid to get a strong and diverse incoming class. If you're an alum, no doubt you'll be hearing more about this in coming years. And to that end, I was also happy to hear that the entire alumni relations structure will be dramatically revamped to better tie our alums to our campus and current students. That, I think, is absolutely crucial.