Dear IPS students, faculty, staff, and members of the Carnegie Mellon community,
In a week and a half, the US Space Force will reach the one-year anniversary of its founding. The Carnegie Mellon community had the opportunity to hear from the woman in charge of overseeing the buildup of the new agency, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, during a recent virtual event.
“We are discovering things that have been mysteries to mankind from our origins,” she said. “Now, during our lifetimes, we are discovering things that are unlocking some of those mysteries. Those are mysteries both our own planet and in the great cosmos.”
Read more about Secretary Barrett's talk, and find the link to the video of her visit, later in this newsletter. This week, we also feature content looking forward to Spring 2021, including links to class description videos with our faculty and a call to become active in the IPS Student Advisory Committee.
Sincerely,
Bill Brink
IPS Communications Specialist
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When Barbara Barrett was 20, she got an internship at the Arizona state legislature. Her father passed away in 1963, and while she attended Arizona State University, Barrett worked to support her mother and five siblings. While interning for state Senator Sandra Day O’Connor, who later became the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, one of Barrett’s tasks was to write the bill that created Arizona’s Department of Transportation.
More than four decades later, Barrett, now the Secretary of the Air Force, is again involved in the construction of a new venture. She is in charge of the development of the U.S. Space Force, the year-old branch of the armed forces created to protect America’s space infrastructure and further the development of new technology to outpace America’s adversaries.
“We don’t have a template for something like this, but we do have the best minds and the best capabilities working on it,” she said Friday during a virtual event with the Carnegie Mellon University community.
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Get involved with the IPS Student Advisory Committee!
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A recent IPS Student Advisory Committee Zoom meeting.
As the Spring 2021 semester approaches, consider joining or becoming involved with the IPS Student Advisory Committee (SAC). The IPS SAC features regular communication among students, faculty, and staff about the department and how it can help students achieve their goals. We are committed to a fully open agenda.
The IPS SAC is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students with a declared major or minor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy and works in collaboration with IPS staff and faculty advisors. The committee meets on a regular basis, and subcommittees may meet more frequently as needed. IPS SAC is a student-driven initiative with a direct feedback loop to IPS leadership.
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Center for International Relations and Politics Research Coordinator John Chin joined NPR to discuss whether President Donald Trump is attempting a coup.
"Washington and its allies may be eager to move on, but al-Qaeda and its network of global affiliates will remain a significant challenge, and in some parts of the world may be poised for a major comeback." IPS Assistant Teaching Professor Colin Clarke assessed the state of the organization for Newsweek.
IPS Assistant Teaching Professor Colin Clarke spoke to MSNBC about the increasing radical language from more traditionally mainstream sources.
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Professional and Academic Opportunities
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Check out three UT-Austin Clements Center Opportunities: Postdoctoral and Pre-Doctoral Fellowships, and Summer Doctoral Seminar
The Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin is offering three opportunities that might be of interest to doctoral students or recent PhDs.
Summer Seminar in History and Statecraft
During this week-long seminar from July 18-23, 2021 in Beaver Creek, Colorado [COVID permitting, of course], participants explore the relationship between historical insights and national security policymaking, led by senior scholars and former policymakers. This seminar is for current doctoral students in history, international relations, political science, and related fields. All expenses will be covered by the Clements Center. Applications are due February 15, 2021. For more information, visit our website.
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
The Clements Center offers pre-doctoral fellowships to advanced PhD students to live and work in Austin, Texas. Fellows will spend a substantial portion of their time working on their own research and writing projects while taking advantage of the many academic resources available here at the University of Texas-Austin. The fellowship offers a competitive stipend, full use of UT-Austin facilities, and office space at the Clements Center. Applications are due January 29, 2021. For more information, visit our website.
Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Clements Center offers post-doctoral fellowships to recent PhD recipients to live and work in Austin, Texas. Fellows will spend a substantial portion of their time working on their own research and writing projects, while taking advantage of the many academic resources available here at the University of Texas-Austin. The fellowship offers a competitive stipend, full use of UT-Austin facilities, and office space at the Clements Center. Applications are due January 29, 2021. For more information, visit our website.
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Professor Scott Sagan is seeking a tenacious research assistant with first-rate analytical capabilities and outstanding academic credentials to conduct social science research, draft reports, support teaching and lecture activities, and assist with a range of administrative needs. The candidate will research and write about international security issues including nuclear weapons policy, public opinion on the use of force, nuclear nonproliferation, and the laws of armed conflict and ethics of war. Candidates should be familiar with nuclear policy or ethics in war issues desired.
This is a fixed-term position. The position will begin summer of 2021 and the term concludes August 31, 2022, and may be extended based on programmatic need and funding availability.
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Study in Dublin with a Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship from the Council on International Educational Exchange
The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was founded to empower students of color with a transformative experience abroad, much like Frederick Douglass was inspired by his travels. All program fees are covered, as well as airfare.
This year’s cohort is co-sponsored by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Douglass’s four-month journey around Ireland. You’ll be based in Dublin and visit other cities where Douglass campaigned, while meeting with government leaders and social justice activists.
This opportunity is offered by CIEE, a student exchange organization with whom we partner. As a next step, start your application at www.CIEE.ORG/FDGF. (If you enter your name and email, you’ll receive updates before the February 14, 2021 deadline.) All eligible students who submit an application also qualify for a $1,500 scholarship toward any CIEE summer program.
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Applications for the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Fellowship hosted at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs are now open for the 2021-2022 academic year!
Crafted in response to the greater need to train people to carry out multidisciplinary tech policy and practitioner analysis in both government and industry, the fellowship is open to individuals from all disciplines — whether that is product management, software engineering, policy development, investing, or civil advocacy — with a demonstrated interest in tech and public purpose in their work.
Fellows are appointed for a nine-month term and are part of a cohort responsible for conducting independent research in a tech and public purpose field, such as privacy, safety and security, transparency and accountability, or diversity and inclusion.
Applications close January 11, 2021 at 11:59pm EST.
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Applications are open for the the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Program
The Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Program is an annual, intensive five-week program held at Duke University. The program is designed to introduce aspiring political scientists to the world of doctoral study. The program is open to students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds or those interested in broadening participation in political science and pursuing scholarship on issues affecting underrepresented groups or issues of tribal sovereignty and governance.
To apply, create an APSA profile and submit an online application. All application materials (transcripts and letters of recommendation) must be submitted through the online application portal to be reviewed by the selection committee. You may submit unofficial transcripts or degree audits in lieu of official transcripts for the purposes of application
Deadline: January 15, 2021.
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Submit an article to the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review
The Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, a journal of undergraduate legal scholarship based at Columbia University in New York City, is accepting submissions for its Spring 2021 issue.
The deadline for submissions is January 3, 2021, by 11:59 PM EST, but we encourage you to submit before that deadline. In recognition of the various paths undergraduates may take to study law, we welcome submission of research articles, senior theses, and essays embracing a wide range of topics and viewpoints related to the field of law. Undergraduate students in any major, track, or class year should feel free to send us their work. Visit https://www.culawreview.org to view past journals, to view submission guidelines, or to read our mission statement.
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Call for Applications: CISAC 2021-22 International Security Fellowships
The Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University is seeking applicants for its 2021-2022 Fellowship Program. Every year, CISAC offers approximately fifteen fellowships to predoctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and junior faculty members who are researching topics related to international security, nuclear security, biosecurity, environmental security, and digital security that contain elements of policy-relevance.
The application deadline is January 15, 2021. Interested candidates can apply here.
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Register for the 2021 Sadie Alexander Conference
The Sadie Collective is excited to share that registration for the 2021 Sadie Alexander Conference for Economics and Related Fields is now open! The conference will take place virtually on February 19th and February 20th. This year's conference will celebrate and uplift Dr. Sadie TM Alexander’s 100th anniversary of becoming the first African American to earn a doctoral degree in Economics.
Invited to speak during our centennial celebration are leading Black women across economics, business, technology, healthcare, and policy, such as the first Black and woman dean of The Wharton School, Dean Erika James; New York Times Best Selling Author and macroeconomist, Dr. Dambisa Moyo; Dr. Uche Blackstock of Advancing Health Equity; and Dr. Rediet Abebe, co-founder of Black in AI.
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Attend a virtual info session for Vanderbilt Law School's PhD Program in Law and Economics
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST
The Vanderbilt Law School Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics invites you to attend a virtual information session on Tuesday, December 15th. In this Zoom info session, prospective students can learn more about Vanderbilt Law School's fully-integrated, fully-funded graduate program in law and economics.
Learn from current program students how they conduct policy-relevant research through our innovative law and economics curriculum, and ask questions about the program and application process from current faculty, staff, and students. Applications for Fall 2021 are currently open.
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APSIA Virtual Open Houses
Want to learn more about some of the most crucial issues facing our world today? Want to connect with some of the best graduate programs in the world while doing so? Register today for a free online series of events featuring leading grad schools from around the world, presented by the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs.
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Saw something in a previous issue of this newsletter that isn't included here? Check the archives.
Govern For America is searching for the next generation of public-sector leaders to address our nation’s biggest challenges. Apply for a fellowship by December 21.
Apply now for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Journalism Seminar Series. Interested parties should submit a current CV and cover letters to application@csbaonline.org by Friday, December 11, 2020.
The RAND Pardee School offers a full-time PhD program in policy analysis — the first and largest of its kind in the country. Apply by January 5, 2021.
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