Colin Cronin and Sarah Glancy, both class of '09, were in Cambodia and Thailand this summer as part of a trip organized by Professor McCullough in the Business department. Colin sent these two pictures above (Colin is on the left, and Sarah is in the middle). If you want to see/read more, Colin has his own blog: http://tabriscorner.blogspot.com/. Lots of good stuff there.
Position Description Position Title: Transportation Coordinator Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt Reports to (Title): Metropolitan Development Manager, City of Tacoma Mobility Coordinator Closing Date: July 6, 2009
The following job description contains representative examples of work that will be performed in positions allocated to this classification. It is not required that any position perform all of the duties listed, so long as primary responsibilities are consistent with the work as described. Roles and responsibilities can often be expanded to accommodate changing business conditions and goals, as well as to tap into the skills and talents of the individuals in the organization. Accordingly, associates may be asked to perform duties that are outside the specific functions that are listed.
Purpose of Position:
To assist in the development and management of the Downtown: On the Go! program.
Downtown: On the Go! is a partnership between the City of Tacoma, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and Pierce Transit. These agencies work together with downtown Tacoma employers and commuters to promote commute options. While the position is housed at the Chamber, the staff member works closely with all three agencies, serving as a pivotal liaison between them by understanding and communicating perspectives and activities of each.
The main components of this effort are direct outreach to employers and employees, and the Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership. In conjunction with Pierce Transit’s employer services staff and the City’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) efforts, this position provides outreach, education, and support for downtown businesses to develop plans that promote commute options in their workplace, and also to downtown commuters interested in shifting their commute. The Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership is composed of downtown business leaders. This private-sector group works with public agency partners to address downtown transportation challenges and increase non-drive alone commuting.
Essential Job Functions
Business & Employee Outreach
* Work with agency partners to develop an education and communication strategy to inform downtown members of commuting options and resources. * Maintain and develop relationships with an individual in each member business who will act as the organization’s “Transportation Specialist” responsible for coordinating commute planning within the company. * Publish monthly e-newsletter for downtown commuters. * Plan programs, campaigns, and activities for downtown commuters and Transportation Specialists.
Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership
* Provide logistical support to the Downtown: On the Go! Transportation Partnership. * Maintain regular communication with Partnership members.
Other
* Assist with periodic Transportation Forums and events. * Support transportation and environmental advocacy efforts on local and state level. * Participate in weekly meetings and activities with agency partners.
Position Dimensions
Supervision Received
Metropolitan Development Manager and Mobility Coordinator will provide oversight and guidance for all activities undertaken by the Transportation Coordinator.
Principal Relationships/Key Contacts
o Metropolitan Development Manager o City of Tacoma Mobility Staff o President & CEO o Chamber staff o Chamber members o Pierce Transit Staff
Position Specifications
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
* Familiarity with transportation issues that impact urban centers. * Some knowledge of commute trip reduction and the environmental and economic impacts of congestion. * Excellent organizational skills. * Good oral and written communication skills and effective interpersonal skills. * Skilled in managing multiple projects simultaneously within assigned deadlines and prioritize a range of responsibilities. * Ability to communicate oral and written complex technical information to an audience that is relatively unfamiliar with the topic. * Solid knowledge of current transportation and environmental issues and topics. * Ability to effectively work and communicate with private sector businesses and the public sector. * Confident public speaking. * Ability to “cold call.”
Experience and Education
* Bachelor of Arts, or equivalent. * Strong computer and word processing skills.
To Apply:
Submit a letter of interest and resume to the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber no later than 5:00 pm July 6, 2009.
Or whatever that is. Actually I have no idea what I said above. Professor Sousa may be getting lauded in The American Prospect, but I am a central source in that Paper of Record, the Tacoma News Tribune, in a piece on Iran. It's not worth reading but if you're desperate, you can find it here.
Professor Sousa gets his due in a piece in the American Prospect on the EPA:
As Christopher McGrory Klyza and David Sousa explain in their book, American Environmental Policy, 1990–2006, "The reformers offer a classic ‘both and' agenda, seeking to achieve real improvements in environmental protection while accommodating the legitimate concerns of business leaders and others about the economic and social costs of the implementation of the golden-era laws." The laws passed in the "golden era" of the early 1970s -- the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act -- were meant to, in some ways, punish businesses for polluting, not accommodate them. Yet cap-and-trade is essentially a policy of accommodation, as it acknowledges businesses' primary role in the nation's economy.
After 33 years and one of what he described as his best years in the classroom, Hal Neace is calling it quits. Sort of.
Retiring from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, the former Homer Middle School science teacher will take a three-month break, during which he'll travel and spend time with out-of-state family. After that, Neace shifts his focus from students to instructors, becoming a mentor for first-year teachers across the state through a University of Alaska Fairbanks program.
As a youngster on the family ranch in Washington state, Neace spent his childhood outdoors, thanks to the influence of his parents, Lawrence Neace and Anna Belle Edmonson, and his maternal grandparents, Harold and Della Hopkins. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma in 1968, with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in biology, but "never, ever considered education," he said of a possible career choice.
While at UPS, Neace did become interested in philosophy.
"There was lots of social activism," he said of the 1960s and his admiration for individuals such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Kennedy's brother, Robert. "It looked to me like there was enough unrest in the country and I thought I'd serve another way."
That "way" was as an American Peace Corps volunteer. From 1968-1970, Neace served as an agricultural extension agent in West Bengal, India, a "life changing" experience that awakened his love of science and a hunger to teach....
We've blogged in past regarding Kevin Billings '77, who has been a great friend to the university and Politics and Government. He has a new job:
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced the addition of Kevin W. Billings to its Energy Services team. As Director of Federal Energy Efficiency Programs, Billings will support business development and program operations related to Lockheed Martin's pursuits of Federal Energy Savings Performance Contracts.
Prior to his new role, Billings was the Acting Assistant Secretary of the United States Air Force for Installations, Environment & Logistics. He was responsible for managing facilities and programs in support of the Air Force's 188 installations worldwide, including supply chain logistics, infrastructure and environmental, safety and occupational health to support the war fighters and their families. As the senior energy official, Billings led the Air Force Energy Strategy and was focused on helping reduce its energy consumption in support of DoD and Presidential Directives for greater energy independence and national security. His responsibilities included developing and mandating energy strategy and policies, meeting energy goals, reporting the energy security posture, and managing the Air Force's culture change related to energy usage.
In one of my last duties as department chair, I am sending the blog on a much-deserved vacation so that it can return refreshed for the fall. Never fear, gentle readers--though shorn of power, I will return with all the news and tips and odds and ends that are fit to pixelate. Have a wonderful summer, keep us posted, and see you soon!
Two of our majors are off on epic travels this summer:
Elly Henriksen has taken a job in Beijing for the summer to work for Puget Sound alum Paul Strickland '98. Among other things, she'll be helping with his expanding hot dog franchise, of all things (see pic below), but Mr. Strickland is involved in a number of businesses in China, including investment banking.
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Meanwhile, Geoff LeGrand has arrived in Nicaragua to do work connected with his university summer research grant, "The Sandinstas since the Sandismo Experiment: Preserverance and Change" Read more here: http://sites.google.com/site/geofflegrand/updates
Last weekend we had our department graduation reception. Awards were given, breakfast eaten, toasts made (always courtesy Professor Haltom), and students sent off into the wild. Pictures here:
And the titles of this year's senior theses:
Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics
* Kali Bechtold, “Amnesty: The Road to Justice No Matter How you Walk It? South Africa, Guatemala, and Argentina, and the Path to Transitional Justice.
* Josh Cole, From Political Benediction to Divine Resistance: The National Catholic Churches of Nazi Germany and Pinochet Chile.
* Sarah Glancy, The Effect of Culture on Attitudes Towards Immigration: A Comparative Study of Denmark and the United States.
* Paul Hughes, Empowering Bullies?: Power-Sharing and its Success in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kenya.
* Liz Kaster, “Who’s Pedaling This Thing? Bicycle Planning Process in the Twin Cities.
* Elliott Largent, “Submit or Defect, You Will Not Succeed: The Role of Foreign Actors in Land Reforms Past and Present.”
* Kagan Riedel, “Too Close to Home: Examining Race and Religion in Times of Crisis.
* Jared Sage, “Does Democracy Make a Difference? The Relationship Between Student Protest and Political Regimes.
* Stephen Souvall, “Dictator’s Dream or Despot’s Nightmare? Questioning the Olympic Movement’s Ability to Liberalize Authoritarian Host Governments.
* Peter Stanley, “The Greater of Two Evils: Choices of the Revolutionary Middle Class in Iran and Cuba.
Research Seminar in International Relations
Seminar Paper Titles
Lauren Bagby An African Curse: Resource Dependence and Civil War
Jordan Barber State Responses to International Terrorism: Is Cooperation Useful?
Tashi Chogyal Title unavailable
Alycia Corey Creating Cooperation: The Transformation of States’ Identities
Colin Cronin Navigating Conflict: Cooperation in the Structure of Hydropolitics
James Edwards Organizing Terror: How Successful Terrorist Groups are Structured
Max Harris Armed Conflict in a Post-Cold War World
Garrett Heilman Preserving U.S. Hegemony Through Financial Institutions
Torey Holderith Offense-Defense Theory and the Security Dilemma: Capabilities and Transformation as Indicators of State Preference in the 21st Century
Lindsey Janes Assent and Dissent: European Responses to U.S. Interventions
James Melton America’s Future: Primacy Through Checkbooks or Battlefields?
Ashley Reyes The Media’s Influence on Conflict Intervention: The U.S. Decision to Intervene in Foreign Conflicts
Harry Stevens Under Uncle Sam’s Thumb: Regional Hegemony and U.S.-Latin American Relations
Nicholas Van Putten American Evangelicalism: National Identity and the Formation of National Interest
US Politics and Public Law Judicial Hellholes California And Litigation Descending Into Hell Or Just A Political Ploy? Ashley Guerriero
Paradox Of Liberal Pluralism: Equality And The Comprehensive Doctrines That Protect It Josh Louie
City Governing: An Analysis Of Centralized And Decentralized Policy-Making And Administration At The Municipal Level. Nick Cronenwett
Increase In Presidency Decline In Legislating: The Expansion Of The Presidential Role Through Control Of The Executive Branch Agencies’ Functions And Regulatory Processes FDR Through Reagan Charles Davis-Aitken
Surfing The Toll-Road: How Surfers And Their Friends Stopped The Destruction Of The Largest Protected Wetland In Southern California Sam Kussin-Shoptaw
The conundrum of the exclusionary rule the struggle to balance crime control and fourth amendment rights Justine Shepherd
Small Is Not Always Beautiful: Why The Town Of Ruston Is Failing And What Can Be Done To Save It Caitlin Boersma
Legal Rights And Rehabilitation: A (False?) Dichotomy A Bridge Between Criminality And Community To Save At-Risk Youth Jay Free
Fear And Consequence Along The US-Mexico Border: The Creation Of Operation Gatekeeper Seth Tucker
Entering The Permanent Campaign Framework Jeremy Ciarabellini
“In Common With”? A Fight Between The Traditional And The Contemporary: How The Boldt Decision Violated The United States Constitution And In Doing So Reestablished Rights Long Denied To Native American Tribes Kip Carleton
Hat tip to Megan Buscho '06 for this recent NYT piece on growing tensions between schools and cities; "as endowments everywhere sink with the economy, town-gown relationships, often carefully nurtured during the boom years as colleges and universities sought to expand, are fraying." Read the whole thing here.
How is Puget Sound doing? There was a university forum on our finances yesterday, and the short answer is: pretty good. Incoming class is strong (so far--there is always the question of who will actually show up), and ironically our smaller endowment has worked to our advantage. Since we rely less on it, we had less to lose in the market. The administration has been pretty conservative in planning and construction, and we can see the benefits of that.
Hat tip: Ned Culhane 06. Looks pretty interesting.
Research!America's Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research Full-time, stipend provided Summer 2009
Research!America is the nation's largest non-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. We are located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, a 10 minute walk from the King Street Metro stop. For more information, visit www.researchamerica.org.
Internship Description
This full-time internship reports to the Vice President, Public Health Partnerships and will work closely with those responsible for specific advocacy outreach activities of a select group of prominent U.S. global health researchers ─ known as Ambassadors ─ in the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research. Candidates must be available 40 hours per week between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and for a minimum of eight weeks starting as soon as possible.
This position was created to assist the organization in its mission to make research to improve health a higher national priority - through education, advocacy and public policy activities. Within this framework, this position focuses solely on strengthening advocacy for an increased investment in U.S. funded global health research.
Responsibilities include:
* Assist in scheduling and planning meetings between policymakers and leading U.S. global health researchers. Conduct, analyze and summarize succinct background meeting materials and information as requested. * Track relevant policy issues, including budget and appropriations legislation and hearings related to U.S. investment in global health research. * Complete and present a self-directed project on a global health research policy topic relevant to U.S. concerns. * Provide administrative and project coordination support.
Eligibility
Graduate students, recent graduates (undergraduate or graduate school), and highly accomplished college seniors with a public health, global health, political science, public policy or related degree or degree goal are encouraged to apply.
Ideal candidates will have a strong academic background with excellent oral and written communication skills; a strong interest in connecting global health research to U.S. policy and be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite software.
Compensation Research!America offers a competitive stipend and paid parking or a transportation subsidy (Metro).
To Apply
E-mail resume and cover letter (no phone calls please) indicating your academic status and interest in this internship. Please include three references (complete contact information) and one writing sample that relates to global health research, global health or public health by May 22, 2009 to: Karen A. Goraleski Vice President, Public Health Partnerships kgoraleski@researchamerica.org
We've received word that Linz Heppe '07 has taken a job with the Middle East Policy Council as an assistant to the president, William L. Nash (Major General, U.S. Army, Retired). Sounds like a great job and a cool place. Congrats!
...oh, and Linz? Got any internship opportunities?
Hmm. From Business Week (hat tip, Shirley Skeel in Media Relations):
Kindle may start getting a warmer reception in colleges come May 6, when Amazon (AMZN) launches what is expected to be a larger version of its Kindle e-book reader that is more suited to academic publishers. Six universities including Case Western, Pace, and Princeton are partnering with Amazon and major publishers to supply students with the new device in the fall, The Wall Street Journal reports. Details of the name of the device, as well as specific features and price, have not been released. Amazon declined to comment on the report.
Why not just wait for the Asus T91 tablet? That's what I'm waiting for:
One of North America’s most ambitious international-affairs summer school programs is to be found in Montreal. Aimed at undergraduate students in their last years and at graduate students as well as members of NGOs and civil society, the courses are offered in English. Each of our schools is given by a dozen experts in the field. The schools last six days in early July -- and coincide with Montreal's famed jazz and comedy festivals.
Subjects in 2009:
From June 29 to July 4th: The Obama Presidency: Year One India: Surprising Modernity Pluralism and Radicalization in the Arab-Muslim World International and European Environmental Law/Climate Change
From July 6 to 11: Biodiversity: current situation, challenges and management issues China Risen: How it is Changing, and Changing Us Understanding and Preventing Terrorism Peace Operations: Manufacturing Peace
Registration and lodging fees for students (one week): about $1000
For further information and a short video: www.cerium.ca/summer
What are they saying about the schools ?
"The CERIUM runs a serious program that is at once educational and very enjoyable. The courses typically include regular instructors and invited participants of a very high quality. Even better, the student body is very international and very diverse (including working professionals, MA students, and undergrads mixed together). All of the students that I took profited enormously from it (and from their stay in Montreal - a beautiful, cosmopolitan city). The internationally-renowned jazz festival occurs during the first week of their summer session. The staff at UdeM is a delight and are very welcoming. And Montreal is a blast." Charles Noble, Chair, Political Science Dept, USC Long Beach, Ca.
"Aside from the outstanding quality of the conferrences, I was impressed by the expertise of the participants and their involvement in the debates, which often drew on experiences in the field" Celestin Monga, Senior Economist, World Bank
My name is Olgy and I worked with Hart Edmonson last fall in the Tacoma democratic headquarters. I understand you have a very prominent blog at UPS and I would really appreciate your assistance in recruiting a intern by posting the below announcement. I'm running a Tacoma City Council race and this would be a great opportunity for students gain campaign experience by working in a tight knit local race directly with the candidate, myself (an Obama organizer here in Pierce County last fall), and our consultant (one of Obama's original Iowa Caucus organizers).
Thank you, Olgy Diaz
Internship, Roxanne Murphy for Tacoma City Council Dist. 4
Tacoma City Council campaign is seeking energetic interns to help elect Roxanne Murphy, a local Eastside community leader. Learn more about Roxanne on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/d5zvbp Internship offers extensive experience in local politics and field work. This campaign is very grassroots in nature. It focuses heavily on community and voter contact as inspired by President Obama's successful field campaign and our management team of former Obama organizers. Duties will include:
* Voter outreach through canvassing and calling * Event coordination and participation * Database management * Voter Registration * Research, as needs arise * Assisting with volunteer management
Qualifications:
* Ideal candidate is a self-starter, detail orientated, and hard working * Interest or experience at any level in community advocacy, politics, or public service. * Must have reliable transportation. * Internship is unpaid but may count towards class credit
Scheduling is flexible however interns are required to work at least 1-2 days a week, with time off available for vacations and midterms/finals. Ideally students will be available this summer and into fall through Election Day on Nov. 3. If interested in solely this summer or postponing involvement until fall, please indicate that in your inquiry.
To set up an interview or find out more, contact:
Olgy S. Diaz Campaign Manager Roxanne Murphy for City Council Dist. 4 olgy.diaz@gmail.com (253) 228-8567
Professor Weinberger is interviewed in the NY Metro newspaper on Obama and the use of torture: http://www.readmetro.com/show/en/NewYork/20090429/1/6/ Meanwhile, his father, Professor Jerry Weinberger, sends in another dispatch from Kurdistan:
On first entering my apartment here, I knew that my palate, tongue, and nose were under assault from petroleum molecules—but I didn’t know why, since there’s no oil drilling nearby. It turns out that every house, business, and hotel has an ample, and often leaky, supply of diesel fuel in the basement. That’s because there’s hardly a house or business in Suli that doesn’t have a diesel-powered generator just outside the door. And that’s because electricity is available from the main grid only six or eight hours per day...
The accolades keep coming in for Kate Trinh (and PG, of course). Last week it was the news that Kate had been granted a Trimble award so that she could continue research in Vietnam; this week we heard she was one of five students to be given the Matelich Scholarship for $12,000.
University guidelines state that "Matelich candidates...demonstrate exceptional drive, discipline, and determination to achieve a high measure of success after college and emerge as a leader in their chosen field. Candidates...exhibit strong moral character, leadership abilities, and be involved in campus activities and/ or are making a difference through community service."
Defining Torture: The Justice Department Memos and Coercive Interrogation Monday, May 4, 2009 5-6pm Wyatt Hall 109
When President Obama decided to release four memos written by the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice he created a political tempest that will not go away any time soon. These memos outline in graphic detail the procedures used to interrogate suspected members of al Qaeda and the legal justifications for those procedures.
Professor Seth Weinberger will lead a discussion of many of the issues raised by these memos: Are the techniques used by the CIA to interrogate suspected terrorists torture? Were they illegal under U.S. law? Under international law? Should members of the Bush administration involved in these practices be prosecuted, and if so, who should be? Does it matter if the techniques produced “actionable intelligence”?
