Opportunities and Announcements for the Week of September 17, 2018
As we come to the close of the first three weeks of the fall term, students are enrolled in courses, which are well under way. I’ve met with many of my advisees in these first weeks, as returning students are checking in and thinking ahead. Students are considering study abroad possibilities, thinking about declaring a second major or a minor field of study, and planning ahead in regard to internships for next summer.
Students might also begin to think about their possibilities of competing for major awards and fellowships that are available to undergraduates. One of these fellowship programs is the Fulbright Program.
September 22, 2018, marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the treaty which established the US-UK Fulbright Commission. I was fortunate enough to win the UK Fulbright-Scotland Visiting Professorship at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where I joined Fellows at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in 2014. The US-UK Fulbrights have funded more than 12,750 scholars from the UK to study in the US, and some 10,600 US citizens to undertake research and/or teaching in the UK.
The Department of Political Science has an impressive cohort of Fulbright scholars among our faculty. Professor Lavelle won the inaugural Fulbright Visiting Chair in Global Affairs at the Munk Centre, University of Toronto. Professor Moore was a Senior Fulbright Fellow at Zayed University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Professor Posner was a Fulbright European Union Research Scholar in Paris.
Beyond Fulbright awards for faculty, however, the Fulbright Commission offers a range of scholarships and fellowships for students. Our alumna Rita Maricocchi (BA, POSC 2018) is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Dresden, Germany, this year. As the Fulbright Program states, “The FulbrightU.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.”
I strongly encourage interested students to consider whether or not they might be eligible for a Fulbright award. Fulbright offers a wide range of awards for undergraduates, including summer Fulbright opportunities for current undergraduates. Our political science majors (and minors) have a strong record of study abroad and interest in other countries, and their coursework in the Department of Political Science reflects that record and that interest. Students interested in the Fulbright Program can find information about the Program and its awards here, after which they should talk with their academic advisor. Information about the Fulbright process and timeline is available here. For seniors, note in particular the October 9 deadline for Fulbright awards for 2019; junior and sophomore students should begin to investigate future Fulbright opportunities now.
Beyond the Fulbright, there are a range of national scholarship and fellowship opportunities for which many of our students will be eligible; a list of of these awards is available here. I encourage all our students to investigate these and to discuss these opportunities with their academic advisor.
With all best wishes,
Karen
Karen Beckwith
Flora Stone Mather Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science
General Announcements
- Learn more about the programs and services at Kelvin Smith Library that make your life easier as a student, and offer unparalleled training, workshops, and activities you can’t find anywhere else on campus. Join the KSL CampusGroups page today to stay informed!
- Visit the CWRU Center for Civic Engagement & Learning (CCEL) online or in person during business hours (first floor of Tinkham Veale University Center, #165) for voter registration assistance and voter registration forms (that they’ll even mail in for you)! Ohio’s voter registration deadline is October 9 and Election Day is November 6.
- Visit case.turbovote.org to access everything you need to register, update voter registration info, request an absentee ballot, and sign-up for election reminders.
- Stay up to date with the department by following our Twitter feed! Check it for day to day opportunities and information!
- Like us on Facebook! Our department will be regularly posting events, opportunities, and general information to our page!
Events
Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
September 14, 12-1pm, Wolstein Research Building auditorium
Join Stephen B. Thomas, professor of health services administration and director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health for a discussion on racial and ethnic health disparities.
Friday Lunch: Aliens and Alienation: Social Implications if We Are Alone in the Universe
September 14, 12:30-1:30pm, Kelvin Smith Library Dampeer Room
Join us for a discussion of cosmic scope – about literature, culture, and the stakes in human society.
The Idea of Israel
September 14, 12-1:30pm, The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave
Join Ilan Pappé, Professor of History and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter, for a conversation on the evolution of Zionist thought. Nonmember tickets are $37.
#nottheenemy: The Crucial Role of Journalists in Society
September 14, 3:15-4:30pm, Kelvin Smith Library Freedman Center
Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery will speak about the crucial role of a free press in our democracy.
Propel Ohio Collegiate Leadership Summit
October 12, Cleveland State University
Propel Ohio is a one-day statewide conference that promotes civic engagement and inspires undergraduate student leaders from across Ohio, which will feature guest speakers and workshops focusing on issues that affect childhood poverty including food security, inequities in education, and homelessness. Students will be selected by President Snyder’s office to represent CWRU at Propel Ohio 2018. The online application deadline is September 14.
Noche Latina
September 15, 10pm-2am, Jolly Scholar (Thwing Center)
Join La Alianza and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers for a night of reggaeton, bachata, merengue, and salsa.
One World Day
September 16, 11am-6pm
A day of events including a Parade of Flags, a naturalization ceremony, cultural performances, and ethnic food.
Fall Fest in Little Italy
September 16, 12-5pm, Singer Steel Building 2100 Random Road, Cleveland
Enjoy Italian food and music. General admission is $35, which includes tickets for 2 signature food items.
Talk with Locking Up Our Own: Crime & Punishment in Black America author James Forman Jr.
September 20, 11:30am-12:45pm, Tinkham Veale University Center Senior Classroom
James Forman, Jr., will speak about Locking Up Our Own: Crime & Punishment in Black America, which explores mass incarceration, its disproportionate impact on people of color, and why the war on crime that began in the 1970s has been supported by many African American leaders in the nation’s urban centers. Free and open to the community. RSVPs recommended to socialjustice@case.edu.
Think Forum: The Three Worst Ideas in the World, and How They Shape American Education
September 20, 6pm, Matlz Performing Arts Center
here.
The Role of Women in Peace and Security
September 21, 12-1:30pm, The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Ave
Join us on the International Day of Peace for a conversation on the role of women in addressing extremism and militarism, while promoting peace, rights, and pluralism.
Friday Lunch: The Social Enterprise Zoo
September 21, 12:30-1:30pm, Kelvin Smith Library Dampeer Room
Join Dennis Young, a leading scholar of the “nonprofit sector,” to investigate how “social enterprises” behave and interact, how governments should deal with them, and more broadly, what is the future for organizations that seek to balance social and economic success?
National Voter Registration Day
September 25, 11am- 3pm, Tinkham Veale University Center 165
The CWRU community is invited stop by the Center for Civic Engagement & Learning for a National Voter Registration Day celebration!
Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
Obama Foundation
The Obama Foundation Fellows are a diverse set of leaders who bring a community-centered approach to science, criminal justice, healthcare, education, the arts, and more. Together they model the powerful truth that each of us has a role to play in civic life. Applications close on September 18 at 10am Central.
Previously posted opportunities can be found on the department webpage. Please make sure to check regularly as to not miss approaching deadlines!
Volunteer Opportunities
League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland
Spend a few hours a year or several hours per week with tasks ranging from voter registration to leading a major project. Check out the variety of opportunities available here.
A Little Extra…
- Listen to Jonathan Entin, Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at CWRU, discussing the Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings on the Sound of Ideas
- Professor Joe White discusses the value of President Obama campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray. Watch his interview here!