With only a few days left to apply, I would like to invite the GW community at large to take a shot at becoming a part of this year’s Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum delegation.
Now running in its seventh year, the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum (SURF) cultivates collaboration between American and Russian university students through long-term research projects. Delegates in the program travel to Moscow for a five-day-long conference in the fall, conduct collaborative research with their working group members for eight months, and ultimately present their work at a capstone conference at Stanford University in the spring. Working groups range in their focus from cyber-security and nuclear proliferation to entrepreneurship and public health, and they are mentored by leading experts in both countries. At the conferences, students get to hear from a variety of speakers in closed, private meetings. This past April, our capstone conference at Stanford University featured former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. William J. Perry, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, and many other past and current leaders in a variety of fields.
As relations have gotten quite tense over the past year, it is startling to note that our student-run program is one of few channels left for people our age to work with their American/Russian counterparts. I feel as though the current circumstances make this opportunity quite compelling, and I hope to see more GW applications in our review process!
Over the past year, I have grown to appreciate the power of having access to friends my age in a country that is often distanced from the American psyche. I recall being in Moscow and hearing from a student that the situation in Crimea was one of the first times that Russian families have strongly disagreed, and possibly stopped speaking, over a political matter since the collapse of the Soviet Union. As is true in America, there is no monolithic “public opinion” to which every Russian must submit, and that diversity is something that needs to be acknowledged. I quickly came to realize that there is a large clash between conservative tradition and progressivism that is very similar to the undercurrents of change we see in the United States. I am happy to assert that this mirrored societal evolution represents a window of opportunity, but one that is under an ever-increasing threat of being closed by people who have no vested interest in promoting cooperation. Given our similarities, one of the best ways to address these opportunities is to focus on peer-to-peer relations and build an informed and nuanced understanding, rather than rely on political and media-led narratives to define one another.
Governments are not populations; they are institutions and frameworks for governance. In this sense, there needs to be a differentiation between the American and Russian governments and the respective people they represent. Russia is not an “issue,” nor does it spawn crises. Russia is a country with a vast history, a beautifully complex culture and population, and a welcoming generation of youth that want to become a part of a global movement that is anchored in working hard to make a difference. The family I have gained from becoming close friends with a number of the American and Russian students who took part in this past year’s SURF delegation is one that I will have for life. I am truly honored to have been able to witness the strengths of both cultures come together to produce such fascinating work.
The program is open to both undergraduates and graduate students from any university in the United States or Russia. No previous background in US-Russia relations required. Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply. We have rolling admissions open until June 1, 2015 at 23:59 PDT (coming up quite soon). The application can be found here: http://bit.ly/usrussia1516, and this is our website: usrussia.stanford.edu.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at sahilvshah@gwu.edu.
Sahil Shah is a Senior in the Elliott School of International Affairs and a member of the Honors Program.
Tag: AY1415
Talk Fishy to Me [SURE Stories]
The following post was written by UHP student and SURE Award winner Simon Wentworth.
I have always had an interest in genetics, and when my Intro Biology professor freshman year mentioned he was going to be doing work sequencing and assembling the Genome and Transcriptome of the Fathead Minnow I decided to go up and talk to him about it. Little did I know right then that this would be the start of my research career. The next week Dr. Packer offered me a position taking care of the hundreds of fish he had under various treatment conditions. Shortly thereafter he asked me if I wanted to stay on longer term to head up the Transcriptome work for him. I immediately accepted and since then have spent the bulk of my time in the lab teaching myself the various software needed to assemble and annotate a complete transcriptome. Eventually I got access to Colonial One (GW’s supercomputer) and it was off to the races. I spent the remainder of my freshman year and the summer following working on establishing a high quality and stringently annotated transcriptome for a single reference organism of our fish. After working on my research for over a year it was finally ready to present, but the lab didn’t quite have the funds to send me to the conference.
Honors program to the rescue! I applied for and got the SURE Award which allowed me to fly to the American Physiological Society’s Grand Conference in Omics in San Diego to present my work, “Transcriptome profile of the gills of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas),” over three days. While I was there I not only got the opportunity to share the work I had been doing, but I was also able to see what others were doing and what was considered at the forefront of physiological omics. Surprisingly enough, the keynote was working with other related fish doing much of the same type of research as I was. In fact, it convinced us to take the work we have been doing further to begin to look at the genetic changes which occur that allow the Fathead Minnow to acclimatize to a variety of different clines of environmental conditions.
It was a wonderful experience to be able to present among so many others at large conference and I am extremely thankful for the support of the UHP that made it possible for me to present there.
Call for Undergraduate Research Highlights
Submissions for the “Undergraduate Research Highlights” feature of the Fall 2015 issue of the CUR Quarterly on the Web are being accepted until June 15, 2015. Highlights consist of brief descriptions of recent (past six months) peer-reviewed research or scholarly publications in scholarly journals, book and book chapters, web-based publications, and juried performances. These publications must be in print and must include one or more undergraduate co-authors. To be considered for publication as an Undergraduate Research Highlight, the following information must be submitted:
-Title of the article and full journal citation (inclusive pages).
-A brief description (3-5 lines) of the research and its significance.
-Title and department or program affiliation of the faculty member.
-A brief description of the student co-author(s). Include the year of study in which the student(s) undertook the work, the opportunity through which the work was undertaken, (independent study project, summer project, REU program, senior thesis project, etc.), and the current status of the student (graduate school, employed, still enrolled, etc).
-The source of funding for the work.
Find out more here!
Race and the Culture of Breastfeeding [SURE Stories]
The following post was written by UHP student and SURE Award winner Laura Schwartz.
This year, I’ve been working on an original research project in the anthropology department on culture, race, and breastfeeding. I spent two years working as a work study employee at the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington. While I worked there, I learned a lot about the culture surrounding breastfeeding – it’s a whole separate world that most people know nothing about. But it’s also a complicated world. To people who have never been parents, the idea that breastfeeding is more than just baby + breast = successful feeding might be completely foreign. Lactation support is a hugely important area that combines aspects of peer assistance with the health care industry. The Center, and other organizations like it, provides both supplies (such as breast pumps, nursing clothing, etc.) and appointments with lactation consultants, who are certified medical professionals who specialize in breastfeeding. Though it’s still off the radar of many, the field of lactation support is both crucial and growing.
Unfortunately, not all mothers have equal access to breastfeeding support, and that’s what my research is all about. Although breastfeeding rates in the US have been rising in recent years as more evidence comes out about breastmilk’s health benefits for babies as compared to formula, there are still many mothers who are not breastfeeding. In particular, African-American mothers’ breastfeeding rates are significantly low compared to other mothers in the US. I’ve spent the past six months asking mothers of all races at the Breastfeeding Center about their breastfeeding experiences in surveys and interviews. I’ve paid special attention to African-American mothers and whether the factors that lead to their decisions to breastfeed are different from those at play for mothers of other races. Within my (small) sample, it looks like there are some differences, particularly involved with the degree to which breastfeeding is normalized within different communities. There may also be differences in level of access to resources such as peer support. In addition, I’m examining insurance coverage of lactation support, which have recently been expanded under the Affordable Care Act. Finally, I frame all of these results within the wider culture of breastfeeding, which is extremely interesting to analyze from an anthropological perspective.
The UHP SURE Award was instrumental for me, even though everything I needed funding for was pretty unglamorous. With the UHP’s help, I was able to pay for photocopying of multi-page surveys to administer at the Breastfeeding Center. I also purchased a paper shredder to protect the privacy of my participants. Although these expenses seem minor, it would have been really tough for me to cover them myself, so the fact that the UHP Sure Award covered them for me was a huge deal as I was trying to get my study off the ground. I’m really proud of my original research, and I’m grateful to the UHP for all the help they’ve provided, both in the form of the SURE Award and otherwise!
Intern This Summer with PBK!
Still looking for a summer internship in DC? The Phi Beta Kappa Society national office is seeking full-time interns to assist with research and communications projects. The ideal candidate has strong writing skills, can conduct substantive research and clearly convey results, and can work independently. To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume, and writing sample (under 10 pages) to Laura Hartnett by Friday, May 8.
What's Up Alum: One Year Out
The following blog post was written by Khadija Lalani, UHP alum and current PAF fellow.
Last Thursday, four awesome UHP Alum participated as panelists on our first Alumni Panel. Thank you to those who attended, and for those who couldn’t make it, this won’t be the last of Alum events, so keep your eyes peeled!
Our alum had plenty of career insights and wisdom to share. Here are some of the highlights:
Humility is important: After four challenging and intellectually stimulating years at the UHP, you finally land a job at your dream workplace, walk into the beautiful space, and your manager asks you to complete the glorious task of…making copies. Say what now? While making copies is clearly not what you pictured doing after earning your degree, it is critical to have the humility to recognize that everyone in the workplace starts somewhere. Rio Hart, now at the Brookings Institution, shared some feedback his supervisor provided him after his first few weeks. While he excelled at researching and writing, he admitted falling short on managing his boss’s calendar and other more menial tasks. Rio emphasized that this feedback was a learning experience, and made him realize the importance of giving your best to every task, no matter how inconsequential it may seem.
Passion is key: Andrew Hori, now a cook at Rose’s Luxury, described his experience breaking into the culinary world. It certainly wasn’t easy, and still isn’t easy. In his field, the Jose Andres’s of the world are few and far between. Andrew knows that achieving success in the kitchen requires tremendous time, unparalleled work ethic, and a lots of personal sacrifice. Nonetheless, he loves cooking and is at his best when working with food. In addition to his talent, his passion for food is evident, and motivates him to spend time learning in the kitchen, even on his occasional day off.
People are people: When answering a question about making friends and maintaining a social network after graduation, Shailly Gaur provided valuable insights. She currently serves as a scribe at Children’s National Medical Center, and is very close with a number of her colleagues, who vary in age, experience, and background. However, she noted that when you spend your days working side by side, a sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and friendship is likely to develop. Whether she is spending time with old friends from GW, or heading out with some colleagues, Shailly has been able to meet new people through shared interests and experiences. At the end of the day, people are people.
Time is precious: Reflecting on her time in undergrad as well as her current schedule as an Analyst at Deloitte, Rachel Weiss highlighted the importance of valuing your time. Her work schedule is more regimented now, and she no longer has the flexibility of time she had while in school. However, she does spend her time out of the office more deliberately than before. She noted, “since your time is limited, you think more about how you want to spend your time, and who you want to spend it with.” This resonated with the others on the panel, who agreed that there is more freedom after graduation to be more intentional and selective about making out-of-office plans.
American Muslims: History, Culture, and Politics [Research Assistantship]
Department: Religion
Professor Irene Oh Koukios
The Project: The project involves both research on the topic of American Muslims, and translating that research into a multi-media online format. The research is an extension of a Summer Institute sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities that centers around two important questions: What impact has American culture had in shaping the religious identities of American Muslims and in the creation of a uniquely American Muslim identity? What impact have American Muslims had on the religious, cultural, and political life of the United States? We probe the experiences of individuals and communities, using their journeys to illustrate wider trends in the American Muslim population.
The goal of this project is to catalyze the study and teaching of the Muslim presence in the United States. We provide college faculty with ideas and tools for developing new courses or revising existing courses on Islam in America; and second, create a multimedia website offering extensive pedagogical resources for educators in the United States and abroad. The Institute itself draws upon the collaboration of 25 faculty from around the country, sponsored by the NEH, who have been selected to contribute to this exciting endeavor.
Tasks: The research assistant will prepare research and materials on the topic of American Muslims generated by the NEH Summer Institute for online presentation. This will involve collating, organizing, and fact-checking research developed by teams of faculty on topics ranging from Muslims and the American slave trade to Muslim Hip-Hop to Islamic feminism. The student will help to think about presenting the material online in the most effective way possible, and then help with the design of the online resource.
Time Commitment/ Credits: 4-6 hours per week; 3 credits
Contact Email: ireneoh@gwu.edu
To Apply: Please send me an email explaining why you are best suited for this research assistantship, and include both your resume and your GPA. Students with an interest in Islam, American history, teaching, and with experience in website creation are especially encouraged to apply.
Gender, War, and History: Women Fighters and Victims in World War II and the Holocaust [Research Assistantship]
Department of Sociology
Professor Daina Eglitis
The Project: “Gender, War, and History” is a historical and sociological project that focuses on women volunteers in the Red Army in World War II and women victims of Nazi Germany in the Holocaust. The project highlights the idea that women’s particular motivations and experiences have been obscured by larger, male-centered narratives of the past. For instance, few people know that women comprised about 8% of the Soviet Red Army and many of these women served on the fronts, engaged in violent and dangerous tasks. The work focuses on developing two women-centered case studies: (a) the motivations and experiences of Jewish and Latvian women volunteers of the Red Army’s Latvian division, who served on the Eastern Front ; (b) the particular experiences of women in camps and ghettos and at liberation and how those experiences have been represented historically.
Tasks: I am seeking a well-organized and meticulous RA who can work independently and is a good, clear writer. Language skills would be valuable: there are materials in Russian, Latvian, German, Yiddish, and Hebrew in this project. These skills are, however, less important than commitment, interest, and a strong work ethic. Ideally, the student will have some background knowledge of World War II and the Holocaust and a desire to learn more.
I am looking for someone who can do both on-line database research and spend time at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum library looking at materials. The student researcher will be responsible for gathering and checking historical data, researching specific names for case studies, gathering and summarizing secondary literature on topics related to the project, and looking into photo and video archives for related materials. Some more mundane tasks, such as preparation of bibliographies, will also be required.
The student is encouraged to use the opportunity to gather data that he/she can also use for a research or writing project.
Time Commitment/ Credits: 7-9 hours per week; varies
Contact Email: dainas@gwu.edu
To Apply: The applicant should send Professor Eglitis his/her resume and a cover letter describing briefly his/her academic achievements, interests, and ambitions, as well as why this project is of interest. Potential applicants are welcome to send emails with questions before making the decision to apply.
Gun Control, The Empirical Controversy [Research Assistantship]
Department: Sociology
Professor Robert J. Cottrol
The Project: For this I would want an undergraduate familiar with basic social science research techniques including the ability to do basic literature reviews. The student should also have a knowledge of elementary statistics such as might be gained from the undergraduate statistics course in sociology, political science or other social science disciplines. Student would review literature from a variety of disciplines, criminology, economics, sociology, public health and public policy, among others. Review would also include student’s critical examination of the literature and discussion of whether there are different perspectives on topic depending on discipline. An examination of the extent to which scholars in this field look at each others work, particularly across disciplines would be important
Tasks: Literature reviews summarizing and critiquing empirical studies on gun control.
Time Commitment/ Credits: 4-6 hours per week; 3 credits
Contact Email: bcottrol@law.gwu.edu
To Apply: Email your undergraduate year, major, career interests, and resume.
Regulatory Policy: Understanding the White House's Office for Regulatory Oversight [Research Assistantship]
Department: Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration
Professor Chris Carrigan
The Project: This research project is aimed at understanding the impact of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) on the regulatory review process. We are analyzing both how OIRA’s preferences shape regulatory outcomes and when the agency is most influential in impacting the content of government regulations submitted by agencies. We will see when OIRA has the biggest impacts on new regulations and when it acts more as a pass-through. The student will also gain a familiarity with the federal legislative and regulatory processes and learn about the available public sources for information on federal regulations and legislation.
Tasks: The student’s work would assist this project by examining the underlying legislation upon which the regulations are based. The student would use legislative data sources and do “content analysis” on the bills, such as word counts of sections of the legislation as part of an estimate for the complexity of the underlying legislation.
Time Commitment/ Credits: 4-6 hours per week; 1 credit
Contact Email: ccarrigan@email.gwu.edu
To Apply: email resume with relevant experience
*Looking for a summer assistance. 1-2 credits possible
