Good News. It is always a pleasure to share good news, and our POSC majors and former students continue to share their good news with us; I’ll share some here.
First, Professor Elliot Posner has announced the awardees of the Wellman Hill Political Science Summer Internship Grants, writing
“Please join me in congratulating this year’s recipients of the Wellman Hill Political Science Summer Internship grants: Kirsten Costedio, Tim O’Shea, Gillian Prater-Lee, Ann Marie Smetona and Amanda Spangler. Nicholas Lowe is an alternate. As in previous years, there were many more outstanding candidates than available funds. On behalf of the Selection Committee, I would like to thank all students who submitted applications, and on behalf of the department, I would like to convey our gratitude to Elizabeth Hill (B.A., M.A. 1997) whose generous and inspired gift has made this program possible.”
I add my congratulations to the award recipients, and my heartfelt thanks to Professor Posner, who has chaired the Wellman Hill Program across the past decade, since its inception, with professionalism, courtesy, and collegiality.
I also thank Wellman Hill Committee members Professor Kelly McMann, Adjunct Assistant Professor Andrew Lucker, and Professor Yuri Linetsky (University of Alabama School of Law), for their generous and conscientious work in reviewing applications and interviewing the student candidates. The Wellman Hill Political Science Internship Program would not be the success it is without their support.
There is additional good news as well. Andrew Thompson (POSC 2019) has received a summer SOURCE (Support of Undergraduate Research & Creative Endeavors) grant for his proposed project, “The Effect of Women’s Representation in National Legislatures on Popular Confidence in the Legislature and Popular Perception of Corruption,” directed by Professor Julia Lee. Based on her POSC 396 Senior Capstone project, Kelsey Holmberg’s article, “Hamilton: What the Musical Won’t Tell You,” has appeared in the Intercollegiate Review, the online publication of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Kelsey is a third-year Political Science major, with a second major in Economics. Nicholas Lowe (POSC 2020) has been granted a summer internship with South Euclid Court, working with Judge Gayle Williams-Byers.
We congratulate these students on their accomplishments. We will continue to share this good news, as our students (and our alumni) alert us to them. For those who would like to share their good news, please send an email to Jessica.Jurcak@case.edu with a publishable statement, and we will include it in the Newsletter.
Bittersweet News. Today is the final day of work for our department assistant Anna Conboy. Anna has been the sustaining force of for the Political Science Newsletter and the International Studies Newsletter; she has ensured that faculty and students are reimbursed properly and professionally for our expenses; she has managed the Department’s webpages; and she has been the supporting partner for Jessica Jurcak, our DA3.
We congratulate her on her new job and wish her all the best in this new endeavor, even as we will miss her. If you have a chance, please stop by the office (Mather House 111) to thank Anna for her excellent work for our department. Anna leaves us at 2:30 this afternoon.
Moving from Mather House.
The Department of Political Science, with others, will vacate Mather House on May 18, to facilitate the “refresh” of the building. Mather House will get renovated bathrooms, a renovated kitchen, aesthetic improvements to Mather 100, new lighting in offices, and new carpeting and paint throughout the building. As a result, our faculty will have no offices on campus (although some of us may secure temporary offices in Kelvin Smith Library). Jessica Jurcak will move to the former Hillel Building at 1980 Ford Drive, and will provide the continuity for the Department across the summer. The University anticipates that we will be able to move back into our offices (which will remain the same) in Mather House by August 17, ten days before the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester. We certainly hope that this will be the case.
Senior Capstone Presentation Night and Department Dinner.
Congratulations to those students who presented their senior capstone projects to our assembled faculty and political science majors last night! The list of students, the provisional titles of their capstones, and the names of their advisors can be found here; a list of previous capstone projects can be found in our Senior Capstone Archives. Many thanks to Jessica Jurcak and Anna Conboy, for their work in organizing this event!
With all best wishes,
Karen
Karen Beckwith
Flora Stone Mather Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science
“Ask anyone with a big book collection, and they’ll tell you moving them was the hardest part of the move.”
General Announcements
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- As you register for fall semester courses, take a look at the Political Science courses offered by our department.
Friday Lunch: People and Property
April 20, 12:30-1:45p.m., KSL Room LL06 (lower level, opposite elevators)
Join Professor Peter Gerhart for a discussion on different but vital perspectives on property rights law and its politics.
Earth Day Volunteer Opportunity
April 22, 1:00-4:00p.m., Cleveland Cultural Gardens
Participate in the 2nd annual “Earth Day Community Volunteer Day,” and learn about the history of the Cultural Gardens.
A Specter Haunting Europe: The Myth of Judeo-Bolshevism in Hungary and Eastern Europe
April 24, 5:00-6:00p.m., Clark Hall 309
In this talk, Professor Hanebrink, Associate Professor of History at Rutgers, asks why the myth of Judeo-Bolshevism endured for so long in Hungary and Eastern Europe and what legacy this idea has left for contemporary politics in the region.
Single Payer Healthcare-How does it Work? Could it work in the U.S.?
April 25, 6:30-8:00p.m., Lakewood Public Library
This forum, presented by the League of Women’s Voters and moderated by Ginger Christ, Plain Dealer Healthcare Reporter, will explore both sides of the single payer healthcare system debate, with a particular emphasis on how such a policy might impact Northeast Ohio.
Ohio Ballot Beat: The Bipartisan Congressional Redistricting Reform Amendment (Issue 1)
April 26, 12:00-1:30p.m., The City Club
Join the City Club of Cleveland for a conversation with local leaders on the benefits and drawbacks of Issue 1 and the future of redistricting reform in Ohio. Nonmember tickets are $35.
Campus Equal Rights Amendment Day
April 26, 5:30-7:30p.m., Flora Stone Mather Center, TVUC
The Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and the Social Justice Institute invite members of the campus community to participate in the second annual Campus ERA Day on April 26, 2018. Together with the ERA Coalition, we aim to spread awareness of and gain support for the revitalized push to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution.
A viewing party of the short film 50/50 will be held in the Center for Women, followed by a livestream Q&A with Carol Robles-Roman (CEO of the ERA Coalition), Carol Jenkins (founding president of The Women’s Media Center and chair of AMREF USA, an African health organization) and others. The intent of the panel is to foster a nationwide discussion on the need for an Equal Rights Amendment and gender equity.
How to Build a Refugee Camp
April 26, 5:30-7:30p.m., John Carroll University
Paul Frankmann will lead a hands-on workshop exploring humanitarian law and the policies that protect refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as how to ethically build the camps that house them. Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley will reinforce the training with real-life examples of life in refugee camps and the plight of the 65.6 million refugees and internally displaced persons living around the world. Student tickets are $5.
International Conference on Conflict Resolution
May 22-25, CWRU Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
The International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and research. Presentations will focus on innovations in the field that are making broad impacts in local, state, national, and international communities.
Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
Summer on the Cuyahoga
Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) offers students both a wide range of internships that reflect the diversity of Northeast Ohio’s economy, and a unique social and immersion experience into our community. Land a great internship with a great company and enjoy free, centrally located housing
The Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program
This program provides the opportunity to complete an internship, attend evening courses, participate in the LEAD Colloquium, and build a professional portfolio.
Common Cause
Common Cause is looking to fill two election law-related positions. The first is a Money in Politics/Ethics Program Director, who will work with program, communication, and development staff to implement strategic campaigns that advance campaign finance and ethics reforms to make government work better for everyone.
The second position is a one-year, full-time, salaried Legal Fellow to begin in or before August 2018. This is a position suitable for a 3L graduating next month or other recent law school graduate.
Dēmos
The Dēmos think tank is looking for a Senior Policy Analyst to conduct political research. They are looking for an experienced, data-savvy analyst who can provide research, writing, and analysis related to democratic participation – including demographic analyses of registration and voter turnout, statistical and qualitative analyses of electoral outcomes, and analyses of voter suppression and voting reforms.
Ohio Department of Transportation
Have you always wanted to work for a long-term, reliable, professional, highly-productive organization? ODOT is hiring! New positions were recently added to their Statewide job board.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
A number of career opportunities are currently available with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.
Civil Conflict Management and Peace Science
June 6-July 27, University of North Texas
The Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas has initiated a unique program to provide undergraduate students recruited from across the country the opportunity to engage in graduate-level research in conflict management and peace science in a senior faculty-mentored, in-residence, eight-week, Summer Research Experience (SRE) that integrates training in civil conflict management with training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and training in research ethics.
Public Service Weekend
June 7-10, University of Colorado Denver
Apply to attend this exciting weekend conference hosted by the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. Attendees will learn and network with prominent local, state and federal officials on how to prepare for and what to expect from a career in public service.
- Stop by the Research ShowCASE today as students, faculty and staff present their projects in this daylong symposium.