Dear Institute for Politics and Strategy community,
It is important for you to determine a plan to vote. Identify your polling location. If possible, consider voting by mail or early voting. Do not over-schedule yourself on election day. If you plan to vote in person on election day, vote early and meet other obligations only after you vote. Consider volunteering to work at the polls. Volunteering at the polls can alleviate stress on many seniors who typically volunteer on election day but who may be at higher risk for COVID-19 complications. In Pennsylvania, the Department of State offers a Poll Worker Recruitment Toolkit that can help get you started.
IPS faculty have been encouraged to provide flexibility in attendance of class and should not have scheduled any exams or large assignments to be due on election day. Please contact me directly with any questions or concerns you may have.
We all have the power to make an impact in the outcome of an election and make change in our communities and in our nation. That power begins with exercising our right to vote.
Warm Regards,
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Kiron K. Skinner
Director
Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics
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Jennifer Buckner: "Cyber Operations: A Military Practitioner’s Perspective"
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. EDT on Zoom.
Issues related to cyber operations influence all aspects of our professional and personal lives, public safety, and national security. Jennifer “Jen” Buckner (Brigadier General, US Army, Retired) presents a “practitioner’s perspective” on US Cyber Command and the military’s evolving role in protecting and defending the United States in cyberspace.
Drawing from her extensive and recent experience – including command of the Army’s first Cyber Brigade, training and educating cyber forces, and leading Joint Task Force Ares, the US government interagency task force to counter ISIS in cyberspace – Jen will offer insights on how cyber operations inform and accelerate national security policy development, international cyber norms, and integration with combat operations and traditional forms of military maneuver.
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Careers in International Development and Humanitarian Affairs Panel Discussion
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. EDT on Zoom
Registration required to receive Zoom access information.
Are you interested in learning more about a career in international development or humanitarian affairs? Join us to hear from a panel of international development and humanitarian professionals about their personal journeys, career paths in the field, and more. Come with questions! Meghan Mattern, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program Manager, will introduce the speakers and moderate the discussion.
Panelists:
Preethi Nampoothiri, Deputy Director of Refugee Resettlement, International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Ayan Kishore, Director, Creative Development Lab
Carey Utz, Middle East Youth Advisor, US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Julia Hanby, Special Assistant to the Senior Coordinator of the Inter-Sector Coordination Group in Cox's Bazar, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
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Professional and Academic Opportunities |
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Apply now to be a Hewlett Foundation Cyber Initiative and Special Projects Fellow
The Hewlett Foundation is hiring a Cyber Initiative and Special Projects Fellow for a three-year term starting in December 2020/January 2021. It's an amazing opportunity to help shape the cyber and technology policy field. The fellow will be a member of the Cyber Initiative team. They will play an integral role in implement the Initiative’s strategy, making grants, and promoting and organizing collaborations.
Simultaneously, the fellow will work directly with Foundation President Larry Kramer, helping to shape and execute grant-making for the Special Projects portfolio. Special Projects grants are diverse and ad hoc – ranging from support for public broadcasting to confronting systemic racism – and require nimble and thoughtful attention to detail and execution.
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Participate in the Alexander Hamilton Society Reading Series
The Alexander Hamilton Society has been looking for various ways to engage students throughout the semester. It is hosting a semester-long reading series in which students can debate over the enduring ideas and urgent issues of world politics. AHS chose The Kill Chain by Christian Brose for its weekly discussion, over the course of seven weeks, and is actively seeking interested students to join.
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Call for Nominations for St. Jude Graduate Student Symposia
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is currently seeking nominations of students to be considered for the nineteenth annual St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital National Graduate Student Symposium (NGSS), and sixth annual Future Fellow Research Conference (FFRC). These exceptional academic and professional development opportunities for PhD students will be held April 6-8, and August 3-5, 2021, respectively. The 2021 NGSS will be hosted virtually; however, we are waiting until the new year before deciding whether the 2021 FFRC will be held on the St. Jude campus.
The NGSS and FFRC are all-expenses-paid symposia to which top PhD students from around the country are invited to participate. To be eligible, students must be US citizens or permanent residents, with an estimated graduation between April 2021 and July 2022. Preference will be given to students whose work is relevant to ongoing research at St. Jude.
These symposia are not advertised. Students may apply only if they are nominated by faculty. To nominate students, please visit stjude.org/ngss.
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Receive one year of language study in two months at Indiana University
The Hamilton Lugar School's Language Workshop offers intensive in-person, online, and overseas programs that help you make rapid and lasting progress through work with instructors from some of the best and most innovative language training programs in the world. You will also go beyond the classroom to engage with language and culture through a range of activities, including conversation tables, networking events, and alumni presentations.
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Council on Foreign Relations Seeking 2021-2022 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship Applicants
The Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship, sponsored by the Stanton Foundation, offers scholars studying nuclear security issues the opportunity to spend a period of twelve months at CFR’s offices in New York or Washington, DC, conducting research. While in residence full time at CFR, selected fellows will be expected to lead a project of their own design, conduct original research, and write at least one policy-relevant document. Interested applicants should reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
The application deadline is December 15, 2020.
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Presidential Management Fellows Program now accepting applications
The Presidential Management Fellows Program seeks eligible individuals for assessment and potential subsequent selection as Finalists to obtain appointments as Fellows in the Federal Government. The Class of 2021 application closes at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.
To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, please review the “Become a PMF” section on the PMF website.
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Do you have a plan to vote?
If you aren’t already registered, it’s easy to register online by the deadline of October 19th.
If you’re already registered, check here to verify your registration and to ensure your location hasn’t changed, especially if you’ve moved, but even if you haven’t.
Decide which voting option you prefer:
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In-person absentee voting at your county election office may be available weekdays October 14 to October 27 for college students (find out where this is offered here).
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Vote-by-Mail — fill out this ballot request form online as soon as possible. You want to make sure you receive your ballot with adequate time remaining to vote and mail it back.
- Once you’ve carefully filled out your ballot, put it in the included secrecy envelope and the return envelope, and signed the outside envelope – send it back as soon as possible. It’s recommended that you drop off, rather than mail-in your ballot, if it’s ten days or less before the election.
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In-person Tuesday, November 3rd voting — find your poll location here.
Check out additional rules or requirements about voting here.
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University Lecture Series: Terry Tempest Williams
Writer-In-Residence, Harvard Divinity School
Author, Educator, Conservationist, Activist
Monday, October 12, 2020
Video links will be emailed to all ticket holders on the day of the scheduled lecture. Closed captioning will be available.
Williams will discuss her collection of essays titled "Erosion," in which she sizes up the continuing assaults on America's public lands and the erosion of our commitment to the open space of democracy. These essays are Williams' call to action for blazing a way forward through difficult and dispiriting times. Our undoing is also our becoming.
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Artificial Intelligence for Data Discovery and Reuse 2020 Symposium
Monday, Oct 19, 2020, 10:00 a.m. – Tuesday, Oct 20, 2020, 6:30 p.m. EDT.
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Monday, October 19, 2020
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT
The Commission was established by Congress in 2019 to develop a comprehensive national strategy for defending American interests and values in cyberspace. Commission members will join experts from Pitt and CMU for a special two-part discussion on the Commission’s recommendations, the state of the current federal response, and the way forward.
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Attend a virtual conference on connections and networking
High-Quality Connections: Developmental Networks - Science and Practice
Monday, October 19th - Friday, October 23rd, 2020
The Mentoring Institute's Annual Conference aims to host a broad constituency, including divisions of higher education, academic researchers, educators, community leaders, administrators, non-profit partners, government agencies, and other professionals. Register here.
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Sign up for Policy for the People's Pandemic Policython
The Pandemic Policython, scheduled from October 23rd-25th for forty-eight hours, is an opportunity for students to write policy proposals addressing today’s most pressing challenges in areas such as public health, economic equity, criminal justice, and international affairs. This free online event is open to anyone, whether you have an inkling to explore public policy, or you want to further hone your existing policy writing skills. We welcome beginners!
Speakers and mentors from nonprofits like the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, academic institutions like the Harvard Kennedy School, and international NGOs like the World Health Organization will be participating and sharing their expertise. You can work in teams of one to four members and receive feedback every step of the way through workshops, mentor office hours, and judge feedback. The event culminates with submitting the policy memos to policymakers.
Winning teams will receive up to $250 in cash and $1,000 in a seed grant fund to continue their work with a partner. Tons of other prizes, from placement in the Harvard Art Museum to automatic entry into partner organization fellowships and chats with leading academics, are available. Register by October 19.
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Attend the virtual Pittsburgh Humanities Festival
October 2, 9, 10, 16, and 23, 2020
7:00 p.m. EDT
Join the conversation this fall, wherever you are, as Pittsburgh Humanities Festival @ Home presents “smart talk about stuff that matters.” Catch free and fascinating live-streamed interviews with artists, academics, and intellectual innovators exploring a range of topics — from health care and policy, to incarceration, technology, and creating opportunities for artists of color in Pittsburgh.
Originally slated for March of 2020, and canceled due to the onset of the pandemic, this virtual reboot of the Pittsburgh Humanities Festival features a selection of guests originally slated for in-person “Core Conversations” — a cornerstone of the usual in-person Cultural District experience. Designed as virtual opportunities for meaningful dialogue, including a live Q&A opportunity, these events will connect us for conversation when we need it most.
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Attend the Pacific Council's webcast on foreign policy issues in the 2020 election
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT
"Election 2020: Key Foreign Policy Issues" is a Local-to-Global webcast specifically designed for prospective members that offers a closer look into pressing foreign policy issues as we approach the upcoming election. A panel of current members will offer their insights as policy experts and serve as hosts for the networking session.
This event is an opportunity for you to learn more about what the Pacific Council has to offer and meet fellow prospective members and staff.
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Pearson webinar: "Campaign Finance and the 2020 Election"
Thursday, October 15, 2020
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT
The 2020 campaign will likely be the most expensive in US history. In this session, join Pearson author Elliott Fullmer for a discussion of how candidates, parties, and outside groups (i.e. SuperPACs) have raised and spent money during this election cycle. The discussion will also cover current debates, controversies, and reform ideas regarding campaign finance law in the US.
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Apply for an internship with Public Citizen to assist with the upcoming election. Please send your cover letter and resume to Ilana Beller at [email protected].
Volunteer for Eugene DePasquale in Pennsylvania's Tenth District. Contact field organizer Madison Goodrich for more information.
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