Post-Bachelor Fellowship

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Call for Applications


The Post-Bachelor Fellowship is a structured program where individuals can apply their knowledge and passion to help advance the field of health metrics and accelerate global health progress. This fellowship provides a unique opportunity for recent college graduates with strong quantitative skills to train with faculty and senior researchers on a variety of global health projects. More information can be found here.

To apply online: http://apply.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/welcome

Applications can also be mailed to:

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
University of Washington
Attn: PBF program
2301 Fifth Ave., Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98121 USA

More information about the PBF program and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation can be found at: http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org or contact pbfs@healthmetricsandevaluation.org

Job Announcement

The Department of Housing and Community Development is seeking a creative individual to serve as the Public Relations Director and media spokesperson for the agency.

More information about this position can be found here.

2010 VT Fall Commencement

UAP undergraduates received their degrees this morning. Congratulations!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Best Careers 2011: Urban Planner

As one of the 50 Best Careers of 2011, this should have strong growth over the next decade
By Ben Baden

US News/Money Careers

Posted: December 6, 2010

The rundown:
Building a new park is no walk in the park. You'll need to study how the land is currently used, hold public hearings to get community input, and forecast how many people will use the park. Then, factor in zoning and environmental regulations, where sewer systems and fire hydrants will go, and staying within the city's budget. The same goes for building a new housing development or school. If all goes well, urban planners change the face of the city or at least make sure that its water and electricity continue to hum behind the scenes. But you'll need to be a bit of a diplomat to get all the stakeholders to agree to your plan. - Read Full Story

UAP in Virginia Tech News

Derek Hyra studies neighborhood revitalization in our nation's capital The revitalization of historic African-American neighborhoods is a central research focus for Derek Hyra, associate professor, Urban Affairs and Planning Program in the Virginia Tech National Capital Region.- Read Full Story

Spring Courses

Two UAP Alexandria courses to consider for Spring semester:

UAP 5794 Environmental Studio- The Sustainability Planning Lab

Urban Planning/Design Module—Living City Block at 14th & U

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship

We are pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2011 ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship!

For the fifth consecutive year, ThinkSwiss will select 15 talented and motivated U.S. students from all fields of study who apply for a research project at a Swiss university or research lab. The awardees will receive a monthly grant of $1000 for a period of up to three months.

The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship is part of the U.S.-wide ThinkSwiss program on Education, Research and Innovation. Switzerland, a leading country in science, research and technology, is working with its American counterparts to address global challenges. The ThinkSwiss program is under the auspices of the Swiss Confederation (www.thinkswiss.org).

Please find the call for applications located here. Additional information about the 2011 ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship can be found on http://thinkswiss.org/us-swiss-exchange/research-scholarship. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2011.

Apart from the Research Scholarship, ThinkSwiss also supports U.S. students with travel grants to attend selected Swiss Summer Schools. More details about this program and the selected summer schools for 2011 will be published on our website in January (http://www.thinkswiss.org/us-swiss-exchange/summer-school).

If you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us at was.science@eda.admin.ch

Undergraduate Course on Philanthropy

A new upper-level undergraduate course on Philanthropy is being offered Spring quarter through UAP. The course is listed under UAP-4984.

If you are interested, please see the flyer for more information.

Green Development Module - Spring 2011

See flyer for a description of the Green Housing Development Module:

CRN 16802 UAP-5424 TS: Green Housing and Community Development Module

Friday, February 4^th 5-9 pm and Saturday February 6^th, 9-5 pm

Please check the Timetable of Classes for the UAP Spring 2011 Course Schedule.

https://banweb.banner.vt.edu/ssb/prod/HZSKVTSC.P_ProcRequest

Attention Graduate Students - Paid Internship Available

Planning Intern
(Paid Internship Available)

Central Maryland Regional Transit seeks a highly motivated graduate student to serve as a paid Intern for the spring semester. The Intern will assist the Transportation Planner with hands-on planning activities related to the ongoing performance and development of a multi-jurisdictional public transit and subscription bus services and development and coordination of Federal, State and Local grant activities. In addition, the intern will assist the finance department with budget reconciliation for subscription bus services.

The position will be part-time (no more than 20 hours per week) from January–May 2011. Submit resume with cover letter and hourly compensation expectation to CMRT Human Resources at HR@cmrtransit.org.

Deadline: December 22, 2010

Summer in Switzerland!

SPIA and Urban Affairs and Planning are offering an exciting summer class in Switzerland next summer from June 28 to 22 July 2011. The class is called “Sustainable Europe” and will be taught together with students and professors from the Urban and Environmental Planning Department at the University of Virginia (UVA).

As you can see from the syllabus, the course is divided into three parts:

Part 1: “History and Theory of Contemporary Sustainable Development: Can Europe Become the Most Competitive, Dynamic, and Sustainable Economy in the World?”

Part 2: “Sustainable Local Community and Economic Development in the Age of Globalization: Competing while Preserving Cultural Identities?”

Part 3: “Making Urban Transport Sustainable: How Do European Cities Promote Walking, Cycling, and Public Transport?”

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE WILL HOLD AN INFORMATION MEETING NEXT WEEK in Blacksburg:

Tuesday, December 7, 11am, Architecture Annex 114

Application Deadline

January 31, 2011

All applications must be submitted online here.

More Information

Contact: Ralph Buehler, ralphbu@vt.edu or Ralph Hall rphall@vt.edu

Virginia Tech Politics and Planning Speaker Series

“Exploring the Spatial Distribution of Low Income Housing Tax Credits”

by Casey Dawkins

Associate Professor Urban Affairs and Planning &

Director, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech

WHEN? Wednesday, December 8, 7:00-8:30pm

WHERE? SPIA Room 305, 1021 Prince Street

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Upcoming lectures:

"Power, You Can't Measure It But You Know When You Don't Have It"

by Clarence Stone, Research Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at George Washington University and Professor Emeritus, American Politics, University of Maryland.

When: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7pm

Call for Student Papers

The Transportation Planning Division of the American Planning Association has announced its 2011 Student Paper Competition.

Details about the competition can be found here.

Additional guidelines for student paper submittals can be found here.

New Publication

Yang Zhang, Assistant Professor in the UAP, had his article published in The Journal of Planning Education and Research. And abstract for the article, Residential Housing Choice in a Multihazard Environment: Implications for Natural Hazards Mitigation and Community Environmental Justice, can be found at this link.

The full article is found is in the following issue of the journal: Journal of Planning Education and Research 2010;30 117-131

TAR CREEK: An environmental justice documentary w/ Q&A

CASPA/Urban Affairs & Planning and Government & International Affairs cordially invite you to a Free screening of TAR CREEK, an environmental justice documentary about the Tar Creek Superfund site in Oklahoma. A Q&A session with director Matt Myers will immediately follow the screening.

When: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3 @ 7PM
Where: 1021 Prince Street, Room 305, Alexandria, VA

The event is open to the public, so please feel free to pass this announcement along to anyone interested. Refreshments and popcorn will be served.

For more information, please visit www.tarcreekfilm.com

TAR CREEK is the story of the worst environmental disaster you’ve never heard of: the Tar Creek Superfund site. Once one of the largest lead and zinc mines on the planet, Tar Creek is now home to more than 40 square miles of environmental devastation in northeastern Oklahoma: acid mine water in the creeks, stratospheric lead poisoning in the children, and sinkholes that melt the heartland right out from under American backyards and ball fields.

Now, nearly thirty years after being named among the first—and most costly—sites designated for federal cleanup by the EPA under its “Superfund” program, Tar Creek residents still fight for measurable cleanup, tangible environmental justice, and ultimately, the buyout and relocation of their homes to safer ground. As TAR CREEK reveals, America’s Superfund sites aren’t just environmental wastelands. Breeding grounds for distrust, poverty, and corruption, they’re community tragedies, too. Until the community fights back.

Urban Flux: Solutions through Sustainable Design

Are you interested in sustainable development and urban design?

If so, the Virginia Tech Urban Affairs and Planning Student Association is hosting a presentation and interactive discussion featuring Thomas E. Low, AIA, CNU, LEED, AICP, director of Duany Plater-Zyberk Charlotte branch and Virginia Tech architecture alumnus, on the topics of sustainable design and sprawl repair December 2nd and 3rd!

See the flyer for more information or send your questions to lidaa8@vt.edu

Help the Homeless Walkathon this Saturday!

Please join CASPA and the ULI Young Leaders DC at the Fannie Mae

Help the Homeless Walkathon Saturday, Nov 20th on the National Mall

Time: 8:00 am, November 20, 2010

Location: Corner of 7th and Madison, a ULI YL sign will be clearly displayed

Cost: $25 if you register in advance and $30 on the day of the Walkathon.

To Register: Join the “ULI Young Leader” team by following this link and click “Join Team” at the bottom of the page. Online registration will run through 5:00 pm November 18th so be sure to
register early!

Day-of registration will begin at 7:30am. Be sure to bring your printed waiver
in order to claim your T-shirt!

The Walkathon will officially kick off at 9:00 am and is approximately a 2.5
mile loop down Independence Avenue towards the Tidal Basin and back to the
starting point. This is an open event, so please encourage friends and family
to join as well!

Please call Iqbal with any questions or if you have trouble finding
our group the day of the event at 202 664 7884 or iqbalk@vt.edu.

The weather will be chilly, so please be sure to dress accordingly.
Coffee and donuts will be provided by ULI before the walk to warm up any cold
hands!

More information can be found here.

Update to CM Credit Posting

Please note that two upcoming sessions will be postponed until the spring.

An Introduction to Green Roofs

1.25 AICP Credit Pending
Postponed until Spring 2011
WSSI, Inc. 5300 Wellington Branch Drive, Suite 100 Gainesville, VA 20155

By now most (and hopefully all) planners know that a green roof has nothing to do with a can of green paint and a brush! Whether being used to assist the management of storm water runoff, to help to achieve LEED certification or for other reasons, green roofs can provide a wide range of benefits.

Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) has kindly agreed to provide a presentation on the different types of green roofs available, their various benefits, implementation and maintenance requirements and associated costs. To allow attendees to get a first hand view of an established facility, the presentation will include a tour of WSSI’s office building’s green roof.

Policy to Practice: Planning for Bicycles

Where: Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th St., Arlington, VA 22202
Postponed until Spring 2011
Includes demonstration of a Capital Bikeshare station.
Please join us for Happy Hour after the session.

Approved for 2.0 AICP Credits
Free and open to the public, RSVP required

Bicycling as a mode for commuting and recreation has made great strides in recent years in the Washington metro area. Recently approved policies and implementation of innovative solutions to provide infrastructure for bicycles have helped promote this mode of transport. The new partnership between Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C., has helped the region to launch the largest bikeshare program in the country. Three speakers will discuss the importance of various facets of transportation planning that help programs to achieve success: Policy Development; Implementation and Infrastructure provision; as well as Marketing and Community Outreach. The session will conclude with a demonstration of a Capital Bikeshare bike station near Pentagon City Metro station.

Jim Sebastian will discuss integration of bicycle infrastructure with urban planning and development, and innovative bike lane design. Mr. Sebastian is a Supervisory Transportation Planner at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), Washington D.C., where he manages the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transportation Demand Management Programs.
Paul DeMaio will speak about planning and launching of Capital Bikeshare, including how station locations were determined, the RFP process for the program, and expansion plans. He will also touch on the history of bikesharing and different models for provision of service. Paul DeMaio is the founder of MetroBike LLC, a company that assists organizations in implementing bike-sharing programs, and writes The Bike-sharing Blog, an international news resource about the field.

Chris Eatough will discuss increasing bicycle use for transportation through encouragement and education of the community, as well as the activities and structure of BikeArlington and the impact of the program. Chris Eatough, program manager for BikeArlington, has an engineering background and was a professional endurance mountain bike racer, winning six 24-hour solo world titles and five US 24-hour national championships. He also has extensive experience as a mountain bike coach and product tester.