Internship – Page 136

The Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights & Social Justice

The Barbara Harlow Internship in Human Rights & Social Justice honors the life and work of Barbara Harlow (1948-2017), who was the Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professor of English Literature at the University of Texas. She was a committed colleague, friend, and mentor to countless students, activists, and intellectuals. As a collaboration between the Rapoport Center and the Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDP), the internship aims to introduce BDP students to Harlow’s scholarship and activism, and to encourage them to imagine future trajectories for her work.

This internship is chosen to honor Barbara Harlow because it was largely through her efforts that the Rapoport Center and the BDP partnered to create the Human Rights & Social Justice BDP certificate in 2009. Harlow chaired the faculty panel for the certificate from its inception until 2017. While the internship is open to all BDP students, regardless of which certificate they are pursuing, it is meant for students who are working on issues of social justice.

Barbara Harlow’s intellectual praxis crossed continents and encompassed diverse agendas: resistance, translation, political engagement and solidarity, human rights, and pedagogy. She contributed greatly to the University of Texas at Austin, not only through the English department, the Rapoport Center, and the BDP, but through several area studies programs and centers, including African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Studies. To learn more about her life and work, please visit the Rapoport Center’s tribute page and the website for our 2017 conference, Barbara Harlow: The Sequel.

The internship is made possible by seed money that Harlow gifted to the Rapoport Center and the BDP. Though the internship is similar to the Rapoport Center’s standard undergraduate internship, it offers a higher stipend and requires three additional components:

In the cover letter, students should reflect (in one paragraph) on how Harlow’s scholarship and activism might influence their work with the Rapoport Center and their pursuit of human rights and social justice more broadly.
During the internship, each recipient will write a piece for our Human Rights Commentary page, which either engages directly with Harlow’s work or uses her work as a lens through which to engage critically with a topic.
After the internship, each recipient will create a poster to reflect on the internship, taking into account Harlow’s impact on their experience, and present it at the Annual BDP poster session in April. (Fall and Summer interns will submit at the end of their respective term, and then present in April.)

Application

Note: July 16 deadline is for Fall 2018 internships

Required Qualifications

Commitment to working on issues of human rights and justice
Excellent writing and editing ability
Individual initiative and flexibility
Strong organizational and time management skills
Professional demeanor

The following qualifications may be preferred in some candidates:

Demonstrated experience with publication, design, and website software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite)
Proficiency in a foreign language
Experience with scholarly research and editing
Journalism experience

How to Apply

Qualified students should submit the following items individually in PDF format via email (subject: Barbara Harlow Internship) to humanrights@law.utexas.edu:

Cover letter
State why you are interested in the position; demonstrate basic knowledge of our programs and activities. Reflect (in one paragraph) on how Barbara Harlow’s scholarship and activism might influence your work with the Rapoport Center and your pursuit of human rights and social justice more broadly.
CV/Resume
Indicate any relevant skills and foreign language proficiency
Transcript
Unofficial is acceptable; an official copy can be mailed or emailed if needed, to arrive by the application due date
List of three references
At least two must be UT faculty; include name, title, and contact information; full letters not required
Writing sample
3-5 pages; does not need to relate directly to human rights, although that is preferable

Deadline

July 16, 2018

Contact

Employer: UT Resource Recovery

Position Title: Resource Recovery Team Member

Description:

Resource Recovery is a department within UT Facilities Services which encompasses both Zero Waste and Surplus Properties. Resource Recovery is tasked with improving sustainability at UT, specifically with regards to reaching our 2020 Zero Waste goal to divert 90% of all materials from the landfill. Major diversion strategies include source reduction, recycling, and composting. As a result, we have the opportunity to partner and observe material processes across campus.

You would be a member of Resource Recovery’s student internship program. All of our student interns meet weekly as a team to share and learn and create synergy across our work. Additionally, Team Members will join a specific Project Team within Resource Recovery’s umbrella of work. Team Members are not expected to have any sustainability background – only interest in learning! 2018-2019 Project Teams include:

UT Market: This is a brand new project. We are looking for a motivated individual who can help us determine and implement processes and procedures to make Surplus Property furniture available for campus selection through the online UT Market portal.

Waste Audit: Gain hands-on experience and document invaluable data through the assessment of campus’s trash and recycling streams.

Zero Waste Workplace – Learn best practices behind implementing successful behavior-change programs and lead staff and faculty to achieve zero waste goals in each campus building.

UT REUSE Surplus Store: Stock and operate the Surplus Property public retail store, open every Thursday, 3-7pm at the Pickle Research Campus (10100 Burnet Road). Note: This project team will not meet with the internship program.

The work schedule will vary based on Project Team but all efforts will be made to align with student schedules. Team Meetings will likely occur after 5pm on a weekday. Some weekend activities may be necessary but will be scheduled in advance.

What our current BDP students have to say about their experience:

“It is difficult at such a large school to find a community that you click with. I wish I had found Resource Recovery sooner. Everyone is admirably different. It’s definitely been fun.”

“I didn’t think there was so much to learn about trash, but I discovered otherwise my first waste audit. The waste audit team had to put up with all my questions about where plastic bags went or where to put Styrofoam cups, but it didn’t take long for us to become friends. I definitely learned a lot and since have not looked at trash the same way.”

“Being a part of the Zero Waste Workplace team has given me the opportunity to understand the different aspects of approaching diversion from landfills. In this experience, I learned about both the developmental and operational sides of sustainable projects. This internship helped me quantify the amount of waste that is generated on campus every day, and gave me perspective on the importance of managing our resources. This connecting experience made me realize the value of representing environmental issues in a visually appealing and simple manner, which helped me find my professional aspirations in the intersection of design, technology and sustainability. “

As a result of this experience, you will:

Have a greater knowledge of sustainability considerations with regard to waste decrease and diversion
Practice project management activities including planning, coordination, and implementation
Enhance group work abilities
Work with a variety of campus entities to achieve project goals
Engage peers and staff to educate and motivate behavior change

Qualifications:

Interest and/or experience in sustainability and willingness to learn about the inner workings of recycling, solid waste, and surplus
Ability to maintain professionalism and represent the department well when communicating with faculty, staff, and students
Timely and effective communication
Punctual
Ability to produce quality work individually and in teams
Organized and adaptable

Supervisor’s Name: Lindsey Hutchison, Zero Waste Coordinator