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Current Update.PPOL Update May 4, 2007PPOL Students: I hope this email finds you all doing well and weathering final exams. I have a new Update for you to take a look at when you have a moment. As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the items in the Update. Here’s what’s in this issue: 3. PPOL Curriculum Change Approved 4. Chicago Microfinance Conference 6. Research Funding Opportunity I just wanted to remind you that we are about to open the summer PPOL classes to non-PPOL folks. If you are wanting a seat in one of those classes, then you want to make sure and register in the next couple of days if you have not already. Also, remember that you can take advanced statistical and select other courses outside the PPOL umbrella. Some of these can be counted towards to the PPOL degree, but you need to get director approval first to make sure.
Fall registration has been going on for awhile now. There is still one small problem with two of our courses slightly overlapping and I am trying to fix that. Once I do, I will make another announcement. Also, remember that there is a new way of registering for the PPOL 8690 Seminar course. First time takers sign up for section 001, second year takers sign up for section 003 and so forth. Finally, I would like to bring this class to your attention as one that might be appropriate for some of you. Topics in Economic Geography: GIS&T and Urban Regional Analysis - 63775 - GEOG 8000 - B01 This course focuses on the spatial thinking, spatial analytic methods and their GIS applications suited for urban and regional analyses. Modeling approaches include spatial interaction models, spatial optimization methods, spatial diffusion, space-time modeling of individual behavior and integrated transportation land-use models. Requirements to take this course include prior experience with GIS and quantitative analysis in the social sciences. Associated Term: Fall 2007 Registration Dates: Apr 02, 2007 to Aug 29, 2007 Levels: Graduate Instructors: Jean-Claude Francis Thill (P) Scheduled Meeting Times Type Time Days Where Date Range Schedule Type Instructors Class 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm TR McEniry 133 Aug 20, 2007 - Dec 05, 2007 Lecture Jean-Claude F. Thill 3. PPOL Curriculum Change Approved On Tuesday, the Graduate Council unanimously approved the change to the PPOL core curriculum that many of you have heard about. This was the last big hurdle to make this official. For those of you that may have missed this, the PPOL core has now been reduced by two courses. Both PPOL 8621 (Quantitative Analysis II) and 8622 (Qualitative Analysis) are no longer required courses. PPOL students must still take these six credit hours, but they have greater discretion in terms of choosing advanced (doctoral) level analytic tools courses in other departments on campus. PPOL will continue to offer the material in both of our courses and will even open them to non-PPOL students. PPOL students can continue to take these courses to fulfill these hours. But this move allows students to tailor the program in a manner that allows them to master techniques more appropriate to their policy field and the research in their field with which they are becoming familiar. Faculty advisors should also be helpful guides in identifying such tools for your needs. These changes are Pareto optimal and do not impact the total minimum number of hours to graduate. The change does affect the structure of the qualifying examination, and the details of the new (smaller) structure are still in development. There will be an update on that once the committee members are all in agreement.
4. Chicago Microfinance Conference May 25th, 2007 -- Gleacher Center -- Chicago, Illinois
Keynote Speakers: Vikram Akula - CEO, SKS Microfinance Elizabeth Littlefield - CEO, CGAP
Participating Organizations:
Shorebank Companies UNITUS UNDP Women’s World Banking FINCA Grameen Foundation Minlam OPIC Pro Mujer And Many More…
Register by May 18th at: The PPOL students that presented at the Urban Affairs Association conference in Seattle last week did an outstanding job representing themselves, the program, and the university. I could not have been more pleased. I was made even more pleased by how badly many of the students from other schools performed (making UNCC look even better!). I received many positive comments on the job they did. PPOL students Andy Baxter, Stephanie Potochnick, Nick Swartz, and Dustin Read presented four papers. Huili Hao was co-author on one of the papers, though unable to attend the conference. Drs. Gary Rassel, Suzanne Leland, and David Swindell each presented multiple papers as well. UNCC was well-represented at UAA this year! The week before many of us went to Seattle, PPOL student Olga Smirnova presented her paper with Dr. Jerry Ingalls at the Association of American Geographers 2007 in San Francisco, CA. Her paper was entitled "The Impact of Annexation Policy on the Growth of Central Cities." Congrats to both of them as well for representing UNCC at the AAG meeting! PPOL student Galen Smith has co-authored a chapter in an edited book with Dr. Bill Brandon. The chapter is entitled "Private Financing for Long-Term Care," and is in Handbook of Long-Term Care Administration and Policy, edited by Cynthia Mara, forthcoming by CRC Press. This is another big feather in the cap of Galen and continues to make the program look great! Finally, I have co-authored a paper with Dr. Mark Rosentraub that has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Public Administration Quarterly. This article is titled “Of Devils and Details: Bargaining for Successful Public/Private Partnerships Between Cities and Sports Teams.” 6. Research Funding Opportunity DHS Fellows in Population and Reproductive Health Macro International Inc. is seeking applications from advanced Ph.D. students and recent Ph.D. graduates in demography, social sciences, and public health to conduct research studies on population and reproductive health issues in developing countries. The fellows are expected to work at their home institution to analyze data collected in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Service Provision Assessment (SPA) Surveys in one or more countries and prepare publishable-quality manuscripts on policy-relevant topics. Candidates are invited to submit a brief research proposal (2-3 pages), outlining the research question(s), scope of analysis, and potential policy significance of their proposed study. Candidates should also submit a brief application letter, a curriculum vitae, names of three references, and proof of their status either as an advanced PhD student (those with completed course requirements and working on the dissertation) or as a recent PhD graduate (past five years). Preference will be given to candidates from developing countries. The applications are due before May 31, 2007. Selected candidates will be notified in the first week of July, and will be asked to submit a detailed outline of their study before August 15, 2007. A completed first draft of the manuscript will be due before December 15, 2007. In January 2008, Macro will organize a two-three week workshop for the fellows to revise and polish their manuscripts for publication. Each fellow will be awarded a $5,000 stipend to cover his/her research expenses, which will be paid in three equal installments, upon award, after completion of a draft manuscript, and after satisfactory completion of final revised manuscript. In addition, Macro will cover travel, lodging, and per diem expenses for each fellow to attend the workshop. Please send applications to Dr. Vinod Mishra, Director of Research, Demographic and Health Research Division, Macro International Inc., 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD 20705, USA. Email: vinod.mishra@orcmacro.com; Fax: +1 301-572-0999. For information on Demographic and Health Surveys and Service Provision Assessment Surveys, visit www.measuredhs.com.
Dr. David Swindell, Assoc. Professor & Director Previous PPOL Updates:
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