Department Art History
Professor Elizabeth Dospel Williams
Project Description
In 1931, the Musée des arts décoratifs in Paris coordinated one of the first international loan exhibitions on Byzantine art and culture. This exhibition featured over 750 objects borrowed from collections from North America and Europe. Over the course of its six-week run, thousands of people visited the galleries, qualifying the exhibition as an early international blockbuster. I am preparing a publication on this exhibition after conducting archival work in the US and France. I need help organizing photo documentation, which needs to be matched to written descriptions of objects published in the 1931 catalogue.
Duties
The research assistant will be provided with photographs of objects and a copy of the exhibition catalogue. The student will match (labelled) photographs with the catalogued objects. I will work with the research assistant to identify the current location of the objects, some of which have changed hands since the exhibition in 1931. I would like this list to be compiled in a shared Google Doc, which the assistant and I will edit together.
The research project will ideally start in the summer or fall term, but it is also possible to begin immediately as long as the candidate is available for weekly meetings on Monday mornings. Candidates with a background in art history, archaeology, history, French, and/or museum studies are welcome. Excellent organizational skills are essential. Basic French is required.
Time Commitment/Credits
1-3 hours per week (1 credit)
To Apply
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to williamse@doaks.org
Tag: AY1516
Prof. Christov Discusses His Book!
Before Anarchy: Hobbes and his Critics in Modern International Thought
A Book Event with
Theodore Christov, Professor, GWU
Loubna El Amine, Professor, Georgetown University (discussant)
Thursday, January 28, 2016
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Voesar Conference Room
1957 E St. NW, Suite 412
Please RSVP at http://go.gwu.edu/hobbes.
How did the ‘Hobbesian state of nature’ and the ‘discourse of anarchy’ – separated by three centuries – come to be seen as virtually synonymous? Before Anarchy offers a novel account of Hobbes’s interpersonal and international state of nature and rejects two dominant views. In one, international relations are seen as a warlike Hobbesian anarchy, and in the other, state sovereignty eradicates the state of nature. In combining the contextualist method in the history of political thought and the historiographical method in international relations theory, Before Anarchy traces Hobbes’s analogy between natural men and sovereign states and its reception by Pufendorf, Rousseau and Vattel in showing their intellectual convergence with Hobbes. Far from defending a ‘realist’ international theory, the leading political thinkers of early modernity were precursors of the most enlightened liberal theory of international society today. By demolishing twentieth-century anachronisms, Before Anarchy bridges the divide between political theory, international relations and intellectual history.
Summer 2016 Internship Opportunity with Reliance, Inc.
Reliance Inc. is a recently founded non-profit seeking interns for summer 2016. Reliance’s team is comprised of former US Special Forces veterans, academics, and development professionals. We seek to use our unique experience to eliminate human trafficking networks from the top down by supporting local, in-country law enforcement and military operations through training and intelligence management.
A strong candidate possesses a resilient attitude rather than experience. We are interested in undergraduate and graduate students of all levels currently attending accredited universities and studying any discipline.
Intern candidates should:
– be interested in the issues surrounding human trafficking
– have good research skills in their field
– be comfortable talking to strangers
– maintain academic and personal integrity
Intern candidates may:
– have experience in media, marketing, or communications
– have experience with the military or in military studies
– have special regional focus
– have experience canvassing for a political cause
Intern responsibilities will be determined and assigned based on each individual’s talents, interests, and skills.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and one-page writing sample to info@relianceproject.org with “2016 Summer Internship Application” in the subject. You should include your GPA, current grade level, contact information, any relevant coursework or experience, and explain why you are interested in combatting human trafficking. Writing samples may be on a topic of your choosing – excerpts from longer pieces are acceptable.
#HonorsProblems: Taking Contract Courses
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Sam, a CCAS junior double majoring in political science and communication.
A week into the semester and you’ve started questioning your course-load. “Why did I decide to take two WIDS at the same time?” “I don’t think I actually want to take acting as my GPAC arts credit.” “Was taking ALL the sciences this semester really such a great idea?”
You think about how you’re going to talk yourself through it. “I just need organization,” you might say. But soon you find yourself on the registrar’s website again, scrolling classes that seem perpetually full. Then you remember you’re in the Honors Program, and you have a sweet solution for this problem: CONTRACT COURSES!
But do you qualify? Is it even possible? CAN IT BE DONE?!
As you freak out, the Honors Program gods (*Cough* Catherine and Mary *Cough*) shine a light down on you when you ask “Who can take these classes?” They mix fairy dust, love, and magic together when they sprinkle you with the answer “Anyone who is interested.”
So you think to yourself, “This is too good to be true.” You’ve realized that you can get credit for an internship, do independent research, or even find an Honors research assistantship. All you have to do is find a professor who will supervise your work and meet with you regularly to review your progress.
This sounds amazing. Incredibly, it turns out to be even better than you’ve originally anticipated. You find that professor who you connect with, you talk to the boss at your internship, and you start drafting ideas for an incredible paper.
This paper helps you grow beyond that boring lecture you dropped. Your research makes you interesting to other students, faculty, and real-world folk. People start to ask about your research. Organizations and future internships become interested in you because you took initiative as an undergraduate. Future you looks back on current you and nods in approval.
Current you realizes that you need to take one of these classes immediately. So where do you start? Make an appointment with a Program Officer to talk specifics. Then, head on over to this page for some clarifying points, draft a proposal, and then jump right in to your new favorite semester. You done good, honors student.
Honors Contracts Due Friday 1/29
If you’re taking a contract course, make sure to get your Honors Contract complete.
How do you know if you need to complete an Honors Contract? If any of these apply to you:
- Internship for Honors credit,
- Undergraduate Research,
- Research Assistantship,
- Senior Thesis (Not the same as Special Honors in your degree — that’s a different form found here)
Get the RTF-EZ here and the Contract Form here. Don’t forget your proposal!
You’ve got until COB Friday, January 29th, 2016.
Confused? Make an appointment.
CSE Leadership Development Focus Groups
CSE Leadership Development Focus Groups
Do you have thoughts about how GW can help develop future leaders? Do you want to talk about it over free food and receive a donation to a student org or have a chance to win a pair of Beats Earphones? Make your opinion count!
The Center for Student Engagement is hosting undergraduate focus groups to better understand the leadership interests of GW students. Your perspectives on how you have grown as a leader and how you see leadership influencing your life after graduation are unique and highly valued. By participating, your opinions will contribute to the leadership development experiences of fellow and future students.
Your focus group will last approximately 1 hour. You will be asked a short list of questions regarding your experiences with leadership and asked for ideas about how to develop student leaders at GW.
Refreshments will be provided. Your participation makes you eligible to choose either a $10 donation toward a GW student org of your choice or an entry into a drawing for Beats Earphones.
Please pick 1 focus group date and time out of the 4 sessions. Register here: CSE Leadership Focus Groups Registration
Wednesday, January 20th 3:00-4:00 pm Marvin Center
Thursday, January 21st 12:00-1:00 pm Marvin Center
Thursday, January 21st 6:30-7:30 pm Eckles Library
Friday, January 22nd 1:00-2:00 pm Marvin Center
If you have any questions, please email Jinny Jang (jcjang@gwu.edu).
Bates White's Top Ranked Summer Consultant Program
Hello UHPers!
I graduated from the University Honors Program with a B.S. in Economics in 2013 and I am writing to let you know about opportunities at Bates White, LLC. Bates White is an economic consulting firm located in Washington, DC that specializes in solving complex economic problems.
We are currently recruiting juniors for our Summer Consultant Program. Candidates must apply through GWork and through our website, www.bateswhite.com. The application deadline is Sunday, January 24th. If you’re interested in finding out more about Bates White and our Summer Consultant Program, we will be hosting a case interview workshop Wednesday, January 20th at 6pm in Duques Hall room 553.
Before coming to Bates White full time, I participated in the Summer Consultant Program. The Summer Consultant Program is a 10 week internship that provides rising seniors with the opportunity to develop both quantitative and qualitative skills while making meaningful contributions to the firm and to the cases on which they work. I am proud to say that Bates White’s Summer Program was recently ranked #3 by Vault! Please click the link below for additional information on the Vault ranking.
http://www.vault.com/internship_program/consulting/bates-white/overview
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like additional information.
jeffrey.messina@bateswhite.com
Thank you,
Jeffrey Messina
Senior Consultant
Make policy change this semester: Join the Roosevelt Institute @ GW!
Until economic and social rules work for all, they’re not working. Join the Roosevelt Institute @ GW, the only student think-and-act tank on campus, to learn how to effectively channel your enthusiasm to create policy change. Get involved this semester as we launch six advocacy campaigns, fireside chats on engaging topics, and workshops on how to become effective policy organizers.
Our introductory meetings are as follows:
– January 19 | 8:00pm | Phillips 110
– January 20th | 8:00pm | Rome 201
We will continue to meet afterwards weekly on Mondays at 8pm in Funger 223.
RI@GW is a part of a national network of over 10,000 emerging leaders actively engaging on college campuses and in communities to re-imagine and re-write the rules. As a member, you’ll learn about different policy issues, find out how to write a policy, help lobby for it, and grow your skills and network.
Your voice matters — and we want to help you use it for change. Find out more about us at www.gwrooseveltinstitute.org!
SURE Award Deadline: January 29th
Did you know that Honors students have the exclusive opportunity to win up to $500 for their research? It’s true! Apply to the UHP/Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement Award (SURE) and we might just cut you a check.
We know “Undergraduate Research Enhancement” doesn’t sound that exciting (well, to most people at least, but you are UHPers), but what you can actually do with that money is amazing. Some of last year’s winners used the funds to study youth activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, explore the culture of recycling in Buenos Aires, and present research findings at a national conference!
The application includes:
- Student Application Form,
- Faculty Support Form, and
- Unofficial GW Transcript (no transcripts from GWeb please!).
The possibilities are endless, but the deadline to apply for funds for spring or summer 2016 is Friday, January 29th.
The Extra-Curricular: #PreLawLife
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Zach, a sophomore History major minoring in Jazz Studies and Law & Society. Zach is also (spoiler alert) pre-law.
Happy New Year, UHP!
This week’s extracurricular is applicable to what I know to be a sizeable chunk of the Honors Program: individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the legal field. As a Freshman entering GW with a defined career goal, I came to realize quickly that I knew little about how to approach my undergraduate career in a fashion that would advance my future interests most effectively. A year and a half later, I’m still figuring it out, but I certainly have a much better idea about what the #PreLawLife looks like. Below, I’ve compiled a survey of the multitudinous opportunities (mostly extracurricular, but some curricular as well) available to you as a GW student (and a UHP student) to advance your interests in Law.
A quick disclaimer: I’m a sophomore. I haven’t applied to law school yet. Who knows, I could be completely off my rocker with this stuff. Below is merely a summary of my experiences with the various Pre-Law organizations and opportunities that you might be interested in exploring. By no means are any of the below things that you should feel are “required” for your law school application. If you have any questions about the process of applying to law school, what’s required, and what’s not, get in touch with Michael Gabriel, GW’s Pre-Law Advisor, who can be reached at mgabriel@gwu.edu.
I’ll touch on four different items which have had an impact on my experience thus far and have helped me explore my interest in Law: my involvement with the Pre-Law Student Association and the Undergraduate Law Review, the GW Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta (Law Fraternity International), the Law & Society Minor, and an Honors course recommendation.
Let’s begin at the obvious starting point: The Pre-Law Student Association, a student group that seeks to educate undergraduates on the law school experience and expose students to the legal profession. I have been a member since the beginning of my Freshman year, and the experience has been well worth the price of dues for the sheer number of resources and opportunities afforded to me. For a meager $20, the PLSA provides LSAT workshops, professional development events, and writing opportunities that aim to educate students about the profession. Participation is entirely voluntary; if you are a pre-law student, there are few reasons to NOT pay your PLSA dues to stay in the loop about exciting opportunities.
Should you wish to get more involved with the PLSA, you can apply to be a writer for the GW Justice Journal, the PLSA’s weekly blog, or the prestigious GW Undergraduate Law Review. Both publications provide invaluable writing or editing experience, but the latter is one of the most exciting opportunities imaginable for an ambitious pre-law student. Over the course of a year, you will conduct in-depth research on a legal issue of your choosing, write a full-length law review article on your findings, undergo a rigorous editing process with students and professional editors critiquing your work, and ultimately be published in one of the nation’s roughly twenty undergraduate law reviews. Writing is one of the most important skills you will need in law school and for the entirety of your legal career; it’s never too early to begin thinking critically about the complex issues you will tackle as your career begins.
Membership in the PLSA automatically qualifies you to write for both of the above publications. And, if all of the above wasn’t enough, your $20 dues gets you a pretty swagtastic t-shirt. What’s there to complain about?
Next up, GW’s Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, Law Fraternity International. I rushed PAD during the Fall of my freshman year, and it’s an experience that I would unquestionably recommend to any student interested in law. Like the PLSA, PAD seeks to educate its members about the legal profession, offering law school workshops, LSAP prep courses, and professional development opportunities. What sets PAD apart is the inherent qualities that come attached to Greek Life: brotherhood, social camaraderie, and community service. I think of PAD as a place where I can commiserate with fellow aspiring lawyers, network, and grow as a person by sharing in the wonderful experiences of my brothers. PAD is by no means for everyone, but it is an incredible way to connect with other people of similar interests.
Though there is a formal Rush process in the Spring and Fall, you can join PAD at any time in the semester. Another interesting note about PAD is that it is not an “exclusive” organization; our National Mandates requires we accept all applicants, regardless of career or major interests. Thus, PAD is a great organization to join if you’d like to explore whether or not Law might be the right career path for you—many of our most prominent alumni, former Presidents, etc. ultimately do not go on to law school after graduation (many, of course, do as well). Spring rush is upcoming; stop by at the Spring Org Fair or check out our Facebook page for more information.
Now, we move on to some more “curricular” items. I’ll preface this second half by reiterating what you’ve hopefully heard from a whole lot of different places in your time at GW: There is no specific major or classes you need to take in order to qualify you to attend law school. Unlike medical school and other professional schools, law school admissions factor in two basic statistics to make their admission decisions: your GPA and your LSAT score. You can major in anything you want, provided that you are passionate about the subject material and thus can excel academically. What’s that? You thought you had to major in Political Science to have any chance of getting into law school? Bah humbug! I’m a History major with minors in Jazz Studies and Law & Society. Remember, law school is where you learn how to be a lawyer, not as an undergrad. That being said, there are certainly some opportunities to take advantage of your inherent interest in the law starting NOW.
Like, for instance, the Law & Society minor—the closest thing that GW has to a Pre-Law minor, though you don’t need to declare it in order to be considered “pre-law” at GW, nor is it exclusive to Pre-Law students. It’s essentially a convenient packaging of many of the courses that GW offers that address legal topics: US Constitutional History, Sociology of Law, Patent Law for Engineers, Media Law, etc. Housed in the Sociology Department, entrance to the minor requires that you have maintained a minimum 3.3 GPA and at least 30 hours of coursework at GW. Visit http://sociology.columbian.gwu.edu/minor-law-society for more information, or contact Dr. Fran Buntman, the Law and Society Minor Coordinator, at fbuntman@gwmail.gwu.edu.
And finally, I’ll throw in a quick plug to one of my favorite courses from last semester, a course that should be required for any pre-law Honors student: HONR 2047—Justice and the Legal System I with Professor Jill Kasle. Make no mistake: JLS is not an easy course. It is mentally challenging and requires you to think and write critically in a way you otherwise will not need to until law school. Prof. Kasle makes it clear on Day 1 that the goal of JLS is to expose you to what a first-year Constitutional Law class is like. She unequivocally succeeds; you will walk out on the final day of class with a clear picture of what 1L Day One will look like.
An added benefit of the class: Prof. Kasle is an invaluable resource to anyone who wishes to pursue a career in law, but she only advises students who she has had as students. So, if you want to have access to one of GW’s best-kept advising secrets, sign up for JLS when fall registration rolls around!
A few parting thoughts: Remember that participation in extracurricular activities can only provide as much of a return as you put in. Joining an organization to say you joined it won’t even have the faintest of relevance on your law school application. Law schools will place a higher premium on a display of passion for a specific activity than mere nominal involvement. Don’t just write for the ULR because it will look good on your resume, go into the experience expecting to learn something and defend your passion for writing. Don’t just rush PAD to put it on your resume, plan to attend social events and professional development sessions to enhance yourself. Don’t just join any of these organizations or incorporate any of my curricular suggestions into your Four-Year Plan because you think they themselves will help your chances at admission to your dream law school, but rather because you are passionate about the mission of the organization or the course.
Have more questions about Pre-Law? Feel free to shoot me an email at zsanders@gwmail.gwu.edu! Can you tell I love to talk about this stuff?