You are invited, as part of a select group of students, to participate in a discussion colloquium on “Tocqueville and Liberty” this fall at George Washington University.
Sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies, this day-long colloquium will center on informal, yet serious, discussion with just fifteen participants. We, Sam Goldman and Theo Christov, will serve as the discussion leaders in order to facilitate an in-depth exploration of the questions and challenges raised by a set of readings (totaling around 150 pages) on the topic of moral foundations of liberty, which we will provide you with and ask you to read carefully in advance.
The event will take place on Saturday November 12, 2016 on the George Washington University campus. Please be sure that your schedule allows you to arrive in time for breakfast, and to be present through the concluding dinner Saturday night. You will be expected to attend the full program, including discussions, meals, and socials. As compensation for your participation, IHS will provide you a $100 stipend.
If you would like to attend this colloquium, please accept your invitation as soon as possible. This is a very small, select group of students and space is limited.
We are eager to embark on this intellectual adventure with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sam Goldman and Dr. Theo Christov
Tag: AY1617
Apply to be a GW Presidential Administrative Fellow (PAF)
The GW Presidential Administrative Fellowship (PAF) is now accepting applications for the 2017-18 cohort. PAF is a two year fellowship that offers graduating GW seniors the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree while working part time in a university office. Fellows contribute to the advancement of the GW community by serving as ambassadors through their academic, professional, and personal involvement, while also earning a graduate stipend and salary.
We encourage interested students to attend one of our upcoming information sessions:
Wednesday, September 14: 7-8 pm, Marvin Center 402-404
Monday, September 19: 5-6 pm, Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) 201
Tuesday, September 27: 7-8 pm, Marvin Center 402-404
Friday, September 30: 1-2 pm, Marvin Center 402-404
Thursday, October 6: 5-6 pm, Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) 209
The PAF application is available on GWork (ID# 851930) and is due by Friday, October 14, 2016 at 11:59pm. Please visit paf.gwu.edu/apply for more information about the program.
Also, UHP students can contact UHP alum and current PAF, Max Tingle at maxtingle@gwu.edu with any questions about the PAF program.
The Extra-Curricular: Generic Theater Company
The following blog post was written by Allie, a sophomore peer advisor studying math and economics. You can learn more about Allie here.
Welcome to GW, where you may be able to find a freshman who already has a job secured for after graduation. We go to school in a busy city where a lot of students are very career minded (which is awesome), but I am here to tell you that it is okay to be involved with student organizations that have nothing to do with your major (and plot twist—it can actually be extremely helpful for you).
Hi guys, I am a sophomore double majoring in Math and Economics (tune in to my next blog “When people are terrified of your majors”…joking…kind of). There are a bunch of great organizations on campus in the math/economic fields of which I am involved in some of them and they are awesome; but, one of the main student groups that I am involved with is student theatre.
I am the Co-Finance Director of Generic Theatre Company which is one of four student theatre groups on campus (14th Grade Players, Forbidden Planet Productions and GW Shakespeare Company are the others). I also assistant stage managed two shows last year and am assistant directing “Other Desert Cities” this semester. (This is a shameless plug but please, please come audition on September 23 and 24 in the Marvin Center. If you don’t want to audition, come see it November 10-12! Alright, shameless plug over).
Student Theatre is a vibrant community and are always looking for new members no matter what year you are and no matter how much previous experience you have had. I personally am always looking to get more UHPers involved in theatre. Each company puts on about 3 shows per semester so that’s 12 shows each semester (I know this because I am a math major.) We are always looking for new people to audition for shows, to work on production teams like me (Stage Managing, Directors…), to design (set, lights, sound, costume), and to be involved in other aspects of tech [backstage/run crew, set/build crew, board ops (basically press the buttons for the light and sound cues)]. If you don’t want to work on a show, just come see them and be a great audience member. They really are a ton of fun, and let me tell you, people at GW are talented!
Do I plan to have a career in theatre? No. But, do I love my student theatre family and my Generic Theatre Family? Yes. Also, your extra-curriculars do not need to reflect your majors. If you enjoy something and are passionate about it or just want to try something new, get involved! I promise, it is not a waste of your time. I have met a lot of my closest friends through student theatre and found a truly incredible and welcoming community on campus. Even if you really just want to find a job, employers like seeing that you have interests in other stuff. Fun fact: I got my summer internship (at wealth management firm) in part because of my involvement with theatre. They liked that I had a passion and communication skills from theatre in addition to my quantitative math skills. So my advice, go out and get involved with something new that you find fun (and if that is student theatre, awesome).
If you have more questions about student theatre or life in general please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at amaier425@gwu.edu.
Mintz Levin's Project Analyst Program
Hello fellow UHPers,
I am currently a Project Analyst in the Washington, DC office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, P.C. We are now recruiting the next class for the firm’s unique Project Analyst Program.
We’d love to see GW even more well-represented in the Project Analyst Program – currently, both DC PAs are GW grads. To this end, Mintz Levin will be hosting an information session on September 27, 2016 at 5:30 pm at the Center for Career Services (students can register via GWork).
Below is a description of the Project Analyst program – if any students have questions or would like to discuss the program further, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am available via email (fghasletwala@mintz.com) or by phone (202-434-7353).
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The Mintz Levin Project Analyst Program
Mintz Levin’s Project Analyst Program is an unparalleled opportunity for recent college graduates to gain experience within the legal and business environments of one of the country’s top law firms. There are currently 14 Project Analysts staffed in Mintz Levin’s Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. offices. One of the unique aspects of the Program is the opportunity for Project Analysts to experience various practice areas within the Firm.
The Boston Program allows Project Analysts to rotate every eight months into various sections, including: Business and Corporate Finance; Employment, Labor and Benefits; Healthcare; Immigration; Litigation; Intellectual Property; and Pro Bono; as well as Mintz Levin’s consulting affiliate, ML Strategies. Project Analysts in the New York office have primarily worked in the areas of Business and Corporate Finance and Litigation. In Washington, D.C., Project Analysts have worked extensively in the Federal practice area and ML Strategies, and have also been exposed to work in the practice areas of Communications, Healthcare and Litigation.
Responsibilities as a Project Analyst can range from financial analysis and trial preparation to client interviews and the organization of legal presentations. Analysts also coordinate and staff many of the firm’s pro bono and community service activities.
Additional program information can be found on our website at http://www.mintz.com/careers/5/Project_Analysts.
The Effects of New Urban Technological Advances on the Growth of Cities in Developed and Developing Countries [Research Assistantship]
Department: Economics and Elliott School of International Affairs
Professor Remi Jedwab
Project Description:
Professor Anthony Yezer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Yezer) and I (http://home.gwu.edu/~jedwab/) are working on a project on the effects of technological advances in both urban housing (e.g., elevators and skyscrapers) and urban transportation (e.g., electric and underground railways and motor buses and expressways) on the growth of cities in both the developed world and the developing world over the past five centuries.
Since the 19th century, many new technologies have allowed cities to absorb more people, whether “vertically” (in tall and supertall residential and office buildings) or “horizontally” (by accelerating suburbanization and/or creating polycentric cities). We want to use a theoretical model of urban economics and empirical methods to document and quantify the role of these new technologies in the urbanization of the world. We believe that these technologies originated in developed countries, before diffusing to developing countries. As such, we expect the growth of cities in developing countries to follow with a lag the fast growth of cities in developed countries.
For this project, we need to collect data on the evolution of these technologies across space and over time. In particular, we need to find data on the respective evolution of: (i) elevator speeds, (ii) building heights, (iii) modes of urban transportation, (iv) city sizes, and (v) city shapes, for enough cities in the world over time. With this data at our disposal, we will be able to use our model to simulate the urbanizing effects of these technological changes and see how they can potentially produce fast urbanization, in developed countries where these technologies are widely used, but also in developing countries where these technologies are increasingly used.
Lastly, we will ask whether cities in developing countries are really “inefficient” today. As of now, most cities in developing countries are very spread out, so they are more horizontal than vertical. But for these cities to become taller, and potentially more sustainable, they will need elevators that work, meaning fewer power failures than they usually experience. If there were no power failures, one hypothesis that we want to investigate is that we would observe a verticalization of these cities.
These questions are especially important for governments in developing countries, as they have to deal with the very fast growth of their cities and the associated problems of slum expansion and traffic jams. We will present the results of this research at the seminars and conferences of various multilateral and bilateral aid agencies in Washington D.C., as they are particularly interested in learning how to help developing countries with their urban issues.
Duties: The RA will help us with the collection of data on the respective evolution of: (i) elevator speeds, (ii) building heights, (iii) modes of urban transportation, (iv) city sizes, and (v) city shapes, for enough cities in the world over time. The RA will have to find historical sources (encyclopedias, books, research articles, websites, etc.) documenting these for some cities and some years, and compile the information in an excel file that Professor Yezer and I will then use to establish some stylized facts and determine parameters that we will use in our analysis.
Time Commitment/Credits: 7-9 hours per week (average); 3 credits
To Apply: Submit Cover Letter/Resume to jedwab@gwu.edu
Conflict, Refugees and Cities in Russia [Research Assistantship]
Department: Economics and Elliott School of International Affairs
Professor Remi Jedwab
Project Description: This project consists of measuring the effects of conflict on forced migration and long-term development in Russia. Before World War II, most people lived in the west of Russia. When Russia was invaded by Germany in 1941, Stalin decided to relocate most people and factories in the east of
Russia, a region that is both colder and less well-connected in terms of transportation infrastructure. This policy of forced relocation was partially enforced until 1989, after which freedom of movement was reinstated. In this project, we want to study what eventually happened to the cities that received a disproportionate number of refugees and factories, and test in particular if people and factories came back to the original cities in the west post-1989, or stayed in these possibly suboptimal locations in the east. We believe that the study would inform policy makers on the long-term spatial effects of wars and resettlement policies. For example, there are many very large refugee camps in Africa and the Middle-East that are currently becoming large cities, and the question is whether such cities will eventually disappear or stay permanently, depending on whether refugees settle there for good or eventually relocate to their place of origin.
Duties: The research assistant will have to help me: (i) locate some additional sources of data (e.g., maps or tables in books or historical studies, etc.), (ii) help me recreate some of this data in excel or in GIS (geographical information system). GIS is a format that is used to produce as well as analyze the maps that can be found in most books or reports. If the student doesn’t know how to create GIS data, I will train the student myself. I have software that is relatively easy to use. GIS skills are strongly valued by bilateral and multilateral aid agencies because they often need maps for their publications.
Time Commitment/Credits: 4-6 hours per week (average), 2 credits; OR 7+ hours per week, 3 credits
To Apply: Submit Cover Letter/Resume to jedwab@gwu.edu
Roads, Trade and Cities in Africa [Research Assistantship]
Department: Economics and Elliott School of International Affairs
Professor Remi Jedwab
Description: The second project consists of measuring the economic effects of road investments connecting cities in Africa over the past 50 years. More precisely, for 42 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1960-2015, we investigate the relationship between road quality, trade between cities, and
city growth, a traditional measure of local economic development. We already have a first draft of the paper: http://home.gwu.edu/~jedwab/Jedwab_Storeygard_07202016.pdf. We are now trying to improve the paper, for example by collecting and using geospatialized data on the location of border crossings in the same 42 countries over the same period. The location of border crossings will give us additional information on the specific trade costs of trading with cities in neighboring countries rather than cities belonging to the same country.
Duties: The research assistant will have to help me: (i) locate some additional sources of data (e.g., maps or tables in books or historical studies, etc.), (ii) help me recreate some of this data in excel or in GIS (geographical information system). GIS is a format that is used to produce as well as analyze the maps that can be found in most books or reports. If the student doesn’t know how to create GIS data, I will train the student myself. I have software that is relatively easy to use. GIS skills are strongly valued by bilateral and multilateral aid agencies because they often need maps for their publications.
Time Commitment/Credits: 4-6 hours per week (average), 2 credits; OR 7+ hours per week, 3 credits
To Apply: Submit Cover Letter/Resume to jedwab@gwu.edu
UHP Trivia Event
Who was the legendary Benedictine monk who invented champagne? Which Shakespeare play features Shylock? What are the two top candy-producing companies in the U.S.?
That’s right, the UHP is hosting a trivia night!
Join us on Friday, September 30th for UHP trivia from 7-10 PM. We’re bringing in a professional trivia host and filling up the Continental Ballroom in the Marvin Center to give YOU the opportunity to show everyone how much stuff you know! I bet you know SO much stuff!
Tables at the event will hold teams of up to 8, and one person can sign up a full team (each person does not need to complete the sign up form). Single players or smaller teams should sign up and will be grouped together to form a full table. Snacks will be provided, as will prizes for the winning table! This event is alcohol free.
Sign up here by Wednesday, 9/28.
Understanding the Maoist/Leftist Insurgency in India [Research Assistantship]
Department: Political Science
Professor Emmanuel Teitelbaum
Project Description: Professor Emmanuel Teitelbaum (Department of Political Science) is seeking a part-time research assistant (15-20 hours per week) for a project on conflict in India. Since 2004, India has been home to a leftist extremist movement in eastern and southern India, in the form of a Maoist insurgency. The project involves the creation of a dataset of incidents of Maoist violence in India from 2004 to the present. We seek to broaden our understanding of the scale of violent insurgencies and the government’s various responses to them, by identifying all such incidents at the village levels all over India.
Duties: Research assistants will be required to read news reports of Maoist insurgency-related events over the last 10 years from Indian news sources, and code them. The preferred candidate will have some familiarity with South Asia, and preferably a basic understanding of Indian politics and society.
S/he should also have critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to comb through news reports and identify pertinent details. Finally, they should be experienced in spreadsheet applications like Excel.
Time Commitment/Credits: 10 or more hours per week (average); 3 credits
To Apply: Please send your resume and a brief statement regarding your interest and relevant experience to ejt@gwu.edu and piplaniv@gwu.edu. Please indicate in your email how many hours per week you are available to work.
Podcast: How We Manage Stuff [Research Assistantship]
Department: Elliott School Center for International Science & Technology Policy
Professor David Alan Grier
Project Description: “How We Manage Stuff” is a weekly audio podcast designed to give young leaders a more sophisticated understanding of technology and how it impacts organization. Available on over 20 major platforms, it combines in-depth interviews, thoughtful commentary, with sketch comedy. It’s guests have included Futurist George Dyson, WorldSpace (original XM Radio) Founding Executive Tiffany Norwood, ICANN Board Chair Steve Crocker, and Federal Trade Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen. The project has a staff of 8 and is currently lead by David Alan Grier (Honors Director Emeritus & Associate Professor of International Science & Technology Policy) and Tamara Carleton (Innovation Board Member, Stanford PhD and GW Honors Class ’97. The archive of episodes can be found at http://HowWeManageStuff.com
Duties: For Fall ’16, the Producer RA duties will involve during research ( and potentially some writing) of the scripts needed to complete the current season of the podcast. Duties will involve organizing and annotating scripts from the first six season of the show, researching background of the guests for the fall and researching the innovation system from DARPA, which underlies the major themes of the series. We are offering it as an 8 hour a week RA with credit but could adjust the requirements for the right candidate. We would ask for a short writing sample – a paper from GW class would be perfectly fine – and a statement of the qualities and skills that you would bring to the project. Inquiries can be sent to grier@gwu.edu
Time Commitment/Credits: 7-9 hours per week; 3 credits
To Apply: Submit a short writing sample and statement of the qualities and skills that you would bring to the project to grier@gwu.edu.
