Daily Archives: February 17, 2015

Brumley Next Generation Scholars

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The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service are now accepting applications for the 2015-16 Next Generation Scholars program. There will be an information session on the program Tuesday, February 24th from 12:15-1:30pm in SRH 3.122 (more information on our website). There will be an additional information session in late February or early March in the Liberal Arts Building; stay tuned for more details.

The Next Generation Scholars (NGS) program was launched in 2010 with the goal of providing new research and mentorship opportunities for promising UT undergraduate students interested in careers in international security and law. In 2015, the NGS program will expand to include a focus on civic engagement through a partnership with the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, expanding the reach of the program by engaging more students and involving faculty members on a wider range of local, national, and international policy issues. Involving undergraduates in international affairs and civic engagement early in their career is an important part of the Strauss and RGK Centers’ mission to prepare the next generation of leaders to help develop solutions to the most pressing public policy challenges.

Program Components

This one-year program includes two key components: First, students will take a 3-credit research training and professional development course, taught in the Fall of 2015. This course is designed to introduce students to policy work, including basic skills in policy research, analysis, and writing. Students will be trained on designing research strategies and proposals, conducting policy analysis, writing resumes and statements of purpose, crafting op-eds and blog posts, and planning for the steps in their career development. Students selected for the program are required to enroll in PA 325. This course will be led by Dr. Catherine Weaver, LBJ School Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar.

Second, the program also matches each selected student with a research agenda underway by a Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar or RGK Center Faculty Fellow to provide opportunities to directly engage in policy-relevant research and practice skills taught in the fall course. Students will apprentice in their assigned research program for the Fall 2015 semester. Students who perform well in their research apprenticeship and the research training course in the fall will be eligible to then continue as a paid research intern for their respective faculty members at the Strauss or RGK Center in Spring 2016. Students promoted to full intern positions will be expected to commit approximately ten hours per week during the spring semester and will earn a stipend of $500 for the spring semester. Students may use this stipend for independent research, travel to a study abroad program or summer internship, travel to a professional conference, or other experiential and scholarly pursuits approved by Dr. Weaver. Funding permitting, and contingent on positive performance evaluations, students may have the possibility of continuing as research interns at the Strauss Center after the year-long Next Generation Scholars program concludes.

More details and application available here.

Apply for Junior Fellows, 2015 – 2016

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The Junior Fellows Program was begun in 1959 by Harry Ransom as a means of encouraging academic excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences. At that time it was essentially an honor society to which students were elected at the end of their freshman year. Over the years, the Junior Fellows has evolved into a society of juniors and seniors from the University at large who are engaged in independent research projects under the direction of members of the faculty.

Fellows are required to attend meetings of the group, held every other week in both the fall and spring semesters. Besides project presentations, meetings feature discussions led by eminent scholars from on and off campus. Fellows have the opportunity to participate in field trips, seminars, and other academic activities.

It is possible to earn academic credit for work done as a Junior Fellow, by enrolling in the appropriate conference course with the supervising professor. For example, Humanities and Plan II majors usually use their senior theses as their Junior Fellows projects. Students pursuing Special Honors in their major use the honors thesis number. Other non-honors courses are also available, for example ARH 376, E 367C, CH 475K, RTF 336. Fellows should register for the course that is approved by their advisers, fits into their degree plans, and has the right format for the chosen topic. Funds are available to assist Fellows with expenses involved in their research. There is also some money available for Fellows who can demonstrate financial need.

Application Procedure

Application is open to any qualified student from any program on campus who will have completed 60 hours prior to the Fall semester. Junior Fellows normally have a GPA of at least 3.75, but outstanding students whose abilities are manifested in other ways should not hesitate to apply. Although administered by the College of Liberal Arts, the program is open to all qualified students on campus. Many students from outside Liberal Arts are presently members.

Application materials may be downloaded using the link below or may be obtained from the Liberal Arts Honors Office,CLA 2.104, Austin, TX 78712. For more information contact Dr. Larry Carver in the Liberal Arts Honors Office by email or phone at 471-3458.

Download Application Form (PDF)

Applications are due Friday, March 27, 2015 for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Membership in Junior Fellows begins the fall semester following the spring recruitment period.

Congratulations to Our Wise Wanderers

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We received many outstanding applications, so many that we couldn’t pick just one Wise Wanderer for Summer 2015.  We have selected the following recipients for the Wise Wanderer Scholarship:

Emily Finkelstine, the Silk Road in Western China

Mac MacKay, Palestine

Jeffrey Saeling, Japan

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application.  We wish you all happy travels.

“Digital Race & Sexuality” – Feb. 18, 3:30pm, PAR 308

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In anticipation of the 14th Annual Sequels Symposium, E3W invites you to the first of two Prequels events this semester. This roundtable on Digital Race and Sexuality will focus on the work of our distinguished alumnus, Shaka McGlotten. In Virtual Intimacies: Media, Affect, and Queer Sociality (2013), McGlotten explores the promise and power that the Internet and social media offer to queer men of color as they navigate relationships and communities. The panelists – Dr. Neville Hoad, Alex Cho, and Lily Zhu – will discuss the implications of McGlotten’s work for Ethnic & Gender Studies, considering also how his book enriches our understanding of the political uses of the digital. The panel will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 3:30pm, in PAR 308.