GVPT Undergraduate Newsletter

1. Advising Updates

Normal Fall Walk-In Hours will resume August 26th. Walk-In Hours will be held every Monday-Thursday from 1pm-5pm. Appointments will ONLY be scheduled Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm and Friday from 9am-5pm. Students wishing to set up an appointment should email advising@gvpt.umd.edu with multiple available dates and times.

2. Internship with Council on American-Islamic Relations

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is currently offering new internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization. The organization's mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. This position will be located at our head office on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

At the Council on American-Islamic Relations, we are convinced that the best way to secure a better future for all of us is to empower young Americans with the skills they need to make a difference. CAIR interns work with political and intellectual leaders on projects which lay the foundation for a more fair and inclusive America. Interns have the opportunity to work with different departments so they might better understand the daily operations of a civil rights non-profit organization.

A sense of community and camaraderie is fostered among the interns in the program. Interns work on substantive projects, develop professional skills and gain knowledge about the enormous societal impact of public service. Interns also attend exciting weekly events, both educational and social, featuring distinguished leaders and activists from Muslim and non-Muslim organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. During the Summer of 2008, interns sat in on interviews at CNN and NPR, attended a national progressive youth conference, met with their Congressional representatives to discuss racial profiling, attended Friday prayers at the U.S. Capitol Building, and much more.

CAIR has a wide array of projects and activities to suit your level of expertise and that will empower you to make a difference.

For more, please visit CAIR Internships.

3. Internship with the Global Terrorism Database

The Global Terrorism Database (GTD) is an open-source database including information on terrorist events around the world since 1970 (currently updated through 2004). The database is maintained by researchers at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Unlike many other event databases, the GTD includes systematic data on domestic as well as international terrorist incidents that have occurred during this time period and now includes almost 80,000 cases. For each GTD incident, information is available on the date and location of the incident, the weapons used and nature of the target, the number of casualties, and, when identifiable, the identity of the perpetrator.

The Internship

We are currently seeking graduate students and exceptional undergraduate students with an interest in terrorism research and public policy for a number of data analysis and data collection projects. Such projects include geo-spatial patterns and terrorism, state failure and terrorism, desistance patterns of terrorist organizations, IED analysis, historic and contemporary terrorism data verification, terrorism incident research, terrorism data archiving, and dynamics of the terrorism milieu. In addition to the BSOS credits received, there are several advantages to be gained from this internship experience including acquiring knowledge regarding the problem of terrorism and the nature of global terrorist violence, working with students and faculty who specialize in terrorism, and directly participating in research that is having a policy impact. Interns will also experience what it is like to be a member of a large, multi-year social science research project through working with a team of homeland security practitioners and researchers in a supportive working environment. GTD internships will also be advantageous for those planning graduate school applications or anyone interested in gaining employment in the United States homeland security, defense, law enforcement or intelligence communities.

In addition to the qualifications regarding specific projects, applicants should be self-motivated and responsible; any regional expertise or language skills would be a definite asset. Applicants must also have a minimum of 60 credits, a record of academic achievement, a strong interest in research, and be willing to sign up for the BSOS internship program. Preference will be given to those in the University of Maryland terrorism minor program. Upon selection, interns will also be required to attend relevant training and bimonthly meetings, to commit 9-10 hours a week of their time to projects, and to communicate frequently with their assigned project manager.

How to Apply

To apply, please send a copy of your resume and unofficial transcripts as well as a cover letter outlining why you would like to work on the Global Terrorism Database, what particular project(s) you are interested in, and what qualifications you hold specific to this particular project(s) to Jennifer Varriale at jvarriale@crim.umd.edu or to the address below by Monday, September 1st. Please see ww.start.umd.edu/education/internships for more information on project descriptions and qualifications.

4. Internship with Congressman Steny Hoyer

Description:

Interns will work in Congressman Hoyer’s Majority Leader’s Office, gaining valuable experience and knowledge of the United States Congress. Unique opportunity to learn the particular role and responsibilities of the U.S. House Majority Leader in Congress. Interns will gain practical experience while assisting leadership office staff, and have the opportunity to acquire a working knowledge of the day-to-day operations of the Legislative branch. Intern responsibilities include assisting staff with a variety of administrative tasks including scheduling, correspondence and data entry, as well as conducting research and attending Capitol Hill briefings and congressional hearings.

Qualifications:
Interns must be sharp, have good inter-personal skills, and excellent written and oral communication skills. Successful interns will be able to find information with little assistance, be observant and self-aware, require minimal supervision, and be able to both work independently and coordinate with others as necessary. Applicants should have working knowledge of current events and policy topics, as well as a willingness to do mundane tasks as needed, as well as have an interest in public service or government. Strong attention to detail and instructions a must. Maryland residency a plus.

Requirements:
College-level students. Ability to commit at least two full days a week, 8:15-6pm from September to December. Proficiency in MS Office.

To apply, send resume and cover letter to majority.leader.interns@mail.house.gov

5. BSOS Ambassadors

Do you enjoy working with people? Do you like to help others? Are you interested in teaching and research? The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences would like to offer you opportunities to become involved in BSOS and help other students while earning 1 credit. In addition, the skills you gain through this experience will make you more marketable to employers as well as graduate programs. This credit is considered elective credit and entails working with your peers in order to further the goals of education in the College. You are required to work with an advisor, give your time to contribute to recruitment efforts, assist in conducting research, and teaching in the College through presentations. You are also expected to value education, be able to maintain confidential information, offer a minimum of 30 hours for the semester and have a willingness to learn. You must be a student enrolled in courses at UMCP, a BSOS Primary Major, and you must have a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher. Any ambassadors from previous semesters will be granted permission to sign up for the upper level version of the course should they choose to continue. If you are interested in this opportunity, then please email Kim Bethke at kbethke@bsos.umd.edu or Melissa Kamin at mkamin@bsos.umd.edu with the subject line: BSOS Ambassadors. You will need to complete an application to participate, which we will send you via a response email . The deadline to apply is 9/03/08 and all will be notified by 09/04/08.

The newsletter is sent out everyday Friday to all current University of Maryland students who have declared and been accepted into the GVPT major. Only information relevant to academic and extra-curricular opportunities for these students will be sent through the newsletter. The government advising office reserves the right to edit and review all submissions to the GVPT newsletter and deny any submissions at their sole discretion.

If you would like to submit information or announcements, please email ADVISING@gvpt.umd.edu. Only those submissions which are denied or delayed will be contacted further.