PPOL Students:

Things are gearing up for the start of classes in the midst of finals from the summer session and the qualifying exams that begin next week.

I just wanted to squeeze a little information in here to update you on a few things as we move towards the new academic year.  First, I am back from my travels and still catching up on a mass of emails that piled up in my absence.  So if you sent me something awaiting a response, I am getting to those asap.  If you feel I have missed anything, feel free to resend it.  I don’t want to let anything slip through the cracks.

In this issue the PPOL Update:

1. PPOL Social

2. Important Dates

3. SECOPA

4. Student News

5. Fellowships

6. Post-docs

7. University Positions

1. PPOL Social

You should have received an invitation from Nick Swartz to save the date of Friday, August 25 from 7pm to whenever for the PPOL social to kick off the new academic year and welcome the new students just starting the program.  I will be hosting this at my place (directions forthcoming).  This will be a couple of hours after our first meeting of the PPOL seminar class.

I hope all of you are able to join us as we kick off the 5^th year of the Public Policy program.  It promises to be the best yet.  Some of the PPOL faculty will be joining us at the social and Dean Gutierrez might also be dropping by to meet you all.  She has been a strong supporter of the program in her first year as dean and I think much of our continued improvements to the program will be in no small way due to her support.  So I hope you will have a chance to meet her.

2. Important Dates

Not surprising, with the start of the new semester we have a lot of important dates to keep track of.  Here’s a list of the ones that may apply to you for the fall semester.

August 9-10  Summer Session Final Exams

August 14    Economics Qualifying Exam

August 16    Methods Qualifying Exam

August 18-21 Nature of the Field Qualifying Exam

August 20    Last day to cancel all classes (100% refund)

August 21    First day of classes

August 23    Deadline to pay tuition and fees

August 28    Last day to drop all courses with a $25 withdrawal fee

August 30    Last day to drop on the web

August 30    Last day to drop a course with no record and 100% refund

August 30    Last day to add a course

August 30    Last day to deposit Application for Candidacy and apply for graduation for December

August 31    Last day to withdraw from all courses with "W" and $75 withdrawal fee

Sept 1       Census Day (no adding courses after this date)

Sept 2       No Saturday classes

Sept 4       Labor Day (university closed, no classes)

Oct 9-10     Fall Break (no classes)

Oct 27       Deadline to deposit doctoral dissertations with Graduate School

Nov 13       Registration for Spring 2007 begins

Nov 22-25    Thanksgiving Break (no classes)

Dec 6        Last day of classes

Dec 7        Reading Day

Dec 8-15     Final Exams

Dec 16       Commencement

Dec 25-29    Winter Break (university closed)

Jan 1        New Years Day (university closed)

3. SECOPA

Several of you have had papers accepted for presentation at the SECOPA conference.  I want the PPOL program to pick up the costs for students so I need to know who is going.  We will need to split hotel room and we will get a university van to carpool over to the University of Georgia (who is hosting the conference).

Please send me an email if you are going so I can get a head count (daswinde@uncc.edu).

4. Student News

This summer, PPOL students Yoshiko Takahashi and Dr. Bruce Arringo (Criminal Justice) had a new article appear in a peer reviewed journal.  Congrats to both on this latest publication.  Here’s the cite:

Arrigo, B., & Takahashi, Y. (2006). Recommunalization of the disfranchised: A theoretical and critical criminological inquiry. _Theoretical Criminology_, 10, 3, 307-336. http://tcr.sagepub.com/content/vol10/issue3/

5. Fellowships

Students interested in working for the federal government should consider applying for a Presidential Management Fellowship. These provide graduates with two years of employment and training in a federal agency with the expectation of long-term employment in the federal government. Fellowships are extremely competitive. Students must apply through the MPA program (though PPOL students are eligible), and the university is limited in the numbers of students it may nominate. For more information, please go to www.pmf.opm.gov.

The federal government is quite worried about maintaining its workforce as the baby boomers retire. The PMF is an excellent way to gain entry to high level federal positions. The application period is September 1 – October 9. Let me know if you plan to apply.

6. Post-docs

Georgia Tech Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

Georgia Tech's Program in Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP)seek applicants for TWO post-doctoral positions: (1) Program Manager; and(2) Research Associate II. Applicants should have a background and interests in one or more of these STIP research thrusts: strategic technologies and
regional innovation clusters; research commercialization; universities and technology development; knowledge measurement; scientific and technological
human capital; industrial modernization; and diversity and innovation. Earned doctoral degree in public policy, city and regional planning, economics, management or a related discipline required. Competitive salary and benefits packages based on experience. These are both one-year positions and may be renewed annually. For full details, see PDF attachment or
information on the web site: HYPERLINK "http://www.stip.gatech.edu"http://www.stip.gatech.edu. STIP is a joint program of the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy and the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute. Georgia Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences invites postdoctoral fellows and untenured junior faculty to apply for its Visiting Scholars Program (VSP), an interdisciplinary research institute housed at the headquarters of the academy in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The purpose of the VSP is to stimulate and support research by promising scholars and practitioners in the early stages of their careers and to foster new ties between an emerging generation of scholars and academy members with shared interests. To accomplish this goal, the academy offers scholars the opportunity to combine independent research with active involvement in its programs and activities. Visiting scholars are invited to participate in academy-sponsored conferences, seminars and informal gatherings. They also benefit from institutional partnerships with local universities, libraries, and intellectual centers. The academy conducts the VSP in association with the Harvard Humanities Center, which provides access to the university's research facilities and works with the academy to plan joint lectures, seminars, and informal discussions.  Additional information is available at:

http://fundingopps.cos.com/alerts/67566

7. University Positions

Assistant, Associate or Full Rank Tenured or Tenure Track Position in Public Policy

      Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy

      Duke University

      Durham, NC

      Date Posted: Aug. 8th, 2006

http://socialsciences.AcademicKeys.com/redirect.php?7198-SS99060810

Assistant/Associate/Full Professor

      Division of Health Services Research and Policy

      University of Minnesota

      Minneapolis, MN

      Date Posted: Apr. 13th, 2006

http://socialsciences.AcademicKeys.com/redirect.php?6638-SS99060810

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Dr. David Swindell, Assoc. Professor & Director
Ph.D. in Public Policy Program
3040 Colvard Bldg.
9201 University City Blvd.
University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Charlotte, NC 28223
(704) 687-4519 (Office)
(704) 687-4771 (Fax)

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