PPOL Students:

I hope you are all settled and getting re-adjusted in the new semester.  I have several news items I wanted to pass along.  In this Update:

1--No Classes on Monday (Labor Day)

2--Campus Speaker Sept. 6 & 7

3--Charlotte Film Festival

4--HSRA Welcome Breakfast Speaker Sept. 12

5--Transit Tax Presentation Sept. 13

6--Constitution Day Sept. 18

7--Conference at UNCC April 3-5 (Student Presentation Opportunity)

8--Teaching Opportunity

9--Post Doc Opportunities

10--Jobs

1--No Classes on Monday (Labor Day)

Remember that there are no classes on Monday.  This is in observance of the national holiday Labor Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 4^th.  And for the new students to the program, a day off from classes only means more time to read Dr. Manuel’s assignments!

2--Campus Speaker Sept. 6 & 7

3--Charlotte Film Festival

Normally I do not announce community events outside the university (too many to keep track of).  But this event includes several independent and documentary films that focus on policy related issues across the spectrum of policy areas.  Take a look at the web site for the list of the movies in this year’s festival.  I attended last year and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and breadth of the documentaries.  Plus it was very inexpensive for a film festival of this size.

You can get all the info on their web page at: http://www.charlottefilmfestival.org/

4--HSRA Welcome Breakfast Speaker Sept. 12

PPOL students are invited to the following event hosted by the Health Services Research Association:

Please join us for our annual event to welcome new HSRA Members at the University and in the Community. We are hosting a breakfast on Wednesday, September 12 at 8 a.m. There will be plenty of time for networking, which is a major focus of the yearly event.  But we are also very fortunate to have an important Health Services Researcher to deliver our annual Keynote address. This year Mark Hirsch, PhD, of Carolinas Healthcare System will speak on “Political Participation, Disability and Cognitive Impairment.” Dr. Hirsch recently received major federal funding to explore this important subject. 

Please let Anne P. Davis in Political Science (apdavis@uncc.edu or 7-2577) know if you can join us.

 

Health Services Research Academy Presents:

Mark Hirsch, Ph.D.,

Carolinas Healthcare, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, on:

“Political Participation, Disability and Cognitive Impairment”

8 am, Wednesday September 12th, 2007

Salon A, Student Activity Center

Breakfast Served!

JOIN US FOR FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR AND HEAR ABOUT DR. HIRSCH’S GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH!

 

Dr. Mark A. Hirsch came to Carolinas Rehabilitation from his home town of Duesseldorf, Germany after completing a 2 year fellowship training in motor control in the Department of Neurology at Duesseldorf University and a 3 year NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts, also in Education, and has taught at the K-3, University and post secondary level. Dr. Hirsch’s research focus is in how the brain responds to self-produced movement and the role that novelty and exotic experiences play as the brain continues to develop throughout adulthood.  He received his PhD in the field of Behavioral Motor Neuroscience and Gerontology for showing that older adults with Parkinson’s disease could benefit from a high-intensity resistance training and balance training program which reduced the occurrence of falls and improved muscle strength. His well-known work on Parkinson’s disease and ageing has led him to conclude that a damaged brain is more likely to learn from experience than a brain that is intact, given optimal teaching and teachers.

5--Transit Tax Presentation Sept. 13

Some of you new to Charlotte may not know about the very hot local transit tax debate going on currently.  As a result, the local chapter of the American Society of Public Administration is tackling this topic head on.

The September 13th ASPA meeting presentation will be "The Financial Impacts of Potential One/Half Cent Sales Tax Repeal" presented by Randy Harrington, Assistant Budget & Evaluation Director for the City of Charlotte, and Olaf Kinard, Manager of the Marketing & Communications Division for Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Our location will be the downtown Firehouse, 11:30am-1pm. Additional information on this will be forthcoming, but this is a local issue that is riddled with politicized policy implications and is a great case study.  I strongly encourage students attend this one.

6--Constitution Day Sept. 18

Many analysts and pundits are concerned that the U.S. Constitution, as the foundation of American democracy, has taken a beating during the Bush presidency.  Arguments are strong on both sides.  But in observance of Constitution Day this year, UNC-Charlotte is hosting the following event:

Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007, McKnight Hall, 9:30 - 10:45

Theme: The 1^st Amendment on Trial: Criminal Defense, Pretrial Publicity, and the Ethics of Media Attention

Greetings colleagues!!! The Criminal Justice and Africana Studies departments, and the Pre-Law Society, are responsible for organizing Constitution Day each fall. This year’s celebration of the United States Constitution will occur on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007, in McKnight Hall, from 9:30 - 10:45. This year’s theme and panelists will tackle the 1^st Amendment. The panel discussion will focus on criminal defense, pretrial publicity, the ethics surrounding media attention, and other 1^st Amendment related topics. Kathleen Nicolaides from Criminal Justice, the program director, is thrilled to announce that well known criminal defense lawyers Brad Bannon (Duke lacrosse case defense counsel from Raleigh) and Lisa Dubs (represented Jerry Anderson in his murder trial) have committed to the panel. Prof. Nicolaides has also confirmed that Deputy District Attorney Bart Menser will take part on this year’s panel. Prof. Nicolaides and Dr. Robert Smith will moderate what is sure to be a very interesting discussion. We of course want to encourage student participation.

7--Conference at UNCC April 3-5 (Student Presentation Opportunity)

The Women’s Studies Program at UNC Charlotte will be hosting the 2008 Southeastern Women’s Studies Association (SEWSA) Meeting on April 3-5, 2008. One of the goals of this conference is to foster the professional development of students. To that end we invite graduate students who have an interest in women’s issues, gender (which includes masculinity), feminism and/or sexuality to submit proposals for individual papers, organized sessions, workshops or roundtables. The DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2007. For more information about the meeting and to access registration and proposal forms please visit: http://womensstudies.uncc.edu/sewsa/. The conference will be held in the Cone University Center on campus and there is a discounted registration fee for students. We also welcome graduate student participation in the planning stages of the meeting. If you have any questions or would like to be a member of the planning committee for SEWSA 2008 please email SEWSA2008@uncc.edu.

8--Teaching Opportunity

This is an opportunity for PPOL students potentially interested in going into the professoriate to have a little teaching experience with their own class.  I only recommend this to third year PPOL students, as this is “extra” and not core to the program (the goal being to get you graduated!).

Catawba College (northeast of UNC-C) is looking for an adjunct to do a day course, “Intro to Public Administration,” in the spring semester. It would probably be a class of about 15-20 students, and the former professor is willing to share his syllabus to show what he has done in the past (he has taken new administrative responsibilities at the college and had to give up this class for the spring) 

If you are interested, let me know (daswinde@uncc.edu) and I will make a recommendation to them.  Please include your vita/resume with your letter of interest to me.

9--Post Doc Opportunities

University of Georgia

The Violent Intranational Political Conflict and Terrorism (VIPCAT) Research Laboratory at the University of Georgia seeks one or more qualified pre-doctoral and/or post-doctoral fellows to join the lab's team IMMEDIATELY in fall of 2007. Consideration may also be given to those who cannot commit to the lab until January 2008. The lab is particularly interested in candidates whose work focuses on the quantitative analysis of nonstate actors' behavior, violent political conflict, and intrastate violence. Candidates should have demonstrated mastery of quantitative research methodologies with particular specialization in time-series analysis. The successful candidate will be primarily responsible for collecting data, designing research projects, and analyzing conflict data using statistical models. There may also be a need to teach one terrorism course in spring 2008. The salary is projected to be between $25,000 and $35,000 plus benefits depending on qualifications and skills and may be negotiable. Qualified applicants should send their application electronically consisting of a cover letter, CV, sample of scholarly writing, and names and contact information of three references (letters are sought if readily available) to Stephen M. Shellman, Director of the VIPCAT Lab (smshel@uga.edu) ASAP. Final decisions will be made between now and October 1. See http://www.uga.edu/terrorismlab/ for more information on the lab and its projects and programs. Please direct any additional questions you may have to Professor Shellman.

National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences invites applications for up to twenty Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) to be based in various departments/ programmes and to be affiliated with the 6 newly set-up Research Clusters: Global Cities, Cognition and Behavior, Health, Migration, Religion; Science, Technology and Society.

The PDF scheme is intended for scholars at the beginning stages of their academic careers. The successful candidate is generally expected to have completed their doctoral studies not more than three years prior to the time of application. A candidate who has satisfied all the requirements for a PhD and is awaiting the conferment of the degree may also be considered.

The Fellowship will be tenable from August 2008 for a year. It is renewable, upon review, for a second year. Attractive remunerations and benefits will be offered.

The closing date for applications is *31 December 2007 *, for appointments to begin in August 2008. Applicants will be informed of the outcome by February 2007.

Please visit http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/research/pfp.html for details.

*Contact Info:

*Interested applicants are invited to *email* their applications consisting

of:

 

1) An application form (downloadable at

http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/research/pfp.html)

2) CV with complete list of publications

3) At least 2 letters of reference

4) A research proposal

 

to *fass_research@nus.edu.sg* with *subject title :"Application for Postdoctoral Felllowship - Applicant's Name"*

 

If the reference letters are to be emailed by the referees directly, please email to *fass_research@nus.edu.sg* with *subject title: "Postdoctoral Fellowship - Reference letter for Applicant's Name"*

 

*Website: *http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/

 

10--Jobs

University of North Florida

The Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida invites applications for a tenure-track position in public administration at the rank of assistant professor to begin in August, 2008. A Ph.D. in political science, public administration or related discipline is required. The successful Candidate will be a core faculty member in the department's NASPAA-accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program, with some collateral responsibilities in the department's undergraduate programs. The department will consider all fields in public administration, but we are especially interested in a candidate who has competencies in nonprofit management and/or organization theory and can teach research methods in the MPA core. The ability to teach undergraduate American politics, public policy, or state and local government is desirable. Candidates with experience or demonstrated interest in grant writing and applied research are encouraged to apply. The normal teaching load is three courses per semester, divided among graduate and undergraduate courses. The MPA degree program offers a general degree in public administration with available concentrations in General Administration, Local Government Politics and Administration and Nonprofit Management. UNF enrolls about 17,000 students and is located in Jacksonville, Florida, a rapidly-growing metropolitan area with a population of over one million persons. Jacksonville is part of northeastern Florida's historic "First Coast" and there are significant historical, cultural, and recreational resources in the immediate area. Further information about the University of North Florida, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and the MPA degree can be found on the departmental website at http://www.unf.edu/coas/polsci-pubadmin/.

Applicant MUST APPLY ONLINE at http://www.unfjobs.org and must mail all required documents to be considered for this position. Please mail the following materials: (1) letter of application, including a brief statement of teaching and research interests, (2) current CV,
(3) unofficial graduate school transcripts,* (4) three current letters of recommendation,
(5) evidence of teaching effectiveness (course syllabi, teaching evaluations, or related materials)
(6) evidence of research potential including one writing sample.

Application materials should be addressed to: Chair, PA Search Committee, Position # 313900, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2665. This position will be considered open until filled. Review of applications will begin on November 19, 2007. *Official transcripts required by the time of employment. The University of North Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action Institution.

For further information, please contact Dr. Matthew Corrigan, Chair, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville Florida, 32224-2665, mcorriga@unf.edu.

University of California, Riverside

Assistant/Associate Professor in American Politics, Comparative Politics, or International Relations. The Department of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside, seeks applicants for a position in the study of American Politics, Comparative Politics, or International Relations, with advanced training in formal theory. We anticipate the position will be appointed at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. The position will have a July 1, 2008 start date. We seek a scholar who studies behavior and decision making in collective and institutional settings, drawing on the tools of formal theory, with a clear substantive focus and empirical applications. We seek a colleague prepared to offer graduate level course work in game theory, social choice, and/or decision theory, as well as courses in her or his substantive field of interest. The successful candidate should have a strong record of publication and/or promise of future research and be committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate education. Ph.D.

required at the time of appointment. Appointment level and salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest that describes their research and training, curriculum vitae, writing samples, and three letters of recommendation. Application materials should be sent to: John Medearis, Formal Theory Search Committee, Deparrtment of Political Science, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 Review of applications will begin on October 15th 2007. The position will remain open until filled.

University of Iowa

Assistant Professor

The Department of Political Science, University of Iowa invites applications for a tenure-track position in Formal Modeling at the Assistant Professor level to begin August 2008. The search is open to candidates in all subfields and to various approaches to formal modeling (e.g., game theory, dynamic modeling, computational modeling, social choice theory). Candidates will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses on formal modeling, as well as topical courses relevant to their substantive interests. Candidates should describe their fields, specific interests, and other skills. The appointment requires that a Ph.D. be received by August 8, 2008. Please send a letter of interest, a vita, teaching evaluations, published work or writing samples, and three letters of recommendation to the Formal Modeling Search Committee, Department of Political Science, University of Iowa, 341 Schaeffer Hall, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242-1409. The review of applicants will begin on October 1, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled. The Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are strongly committed to gender and ethnic diversity; the strategic plans of the University, College and Department reflect this commitment. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. The University of Iowa is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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)
www.uncc.edu/ppol