Study abroad program in Shanghai

A study abroad course in Shanghai is being offered through NYU Wagner from June 19 to July 1st. The topic is on urbanization and sustainable development in China. The brochure can be found here (please forget about the deadline). Interested students may contact Prof Zhan Guo at zg11@nyu.edu or contact the study abroad office at wagner.international@nyu.edu.

Presentation by Dr. Sherry Ahrentzen

Action Research, Actionable Knowledge

Presentation by Dr. Sherry Ahrentzen
Associate Director for Research, Policy & Strategic Initiatives
The Stardust Center for Affordable Homes & the Family
Arizona State University

Wednesday, February 9nd, 2011
11:00 AM
Virginia Tech Alexandria Campus
1021 Prince St, Room 304
Alexandria, VA

Contact mivt@vt.edu for more information

SUSTAINABILITY POLICY SUPPORT PAID INTERNSHIP - Arlington, VA

A large consulting firm -- with particular interests in environmental sustainability and national security -- is seeking part-time or full-time paid interns in policy and communications. Positions can start anytime between March and July (and can be in the Spring and/or Summer). Office is located in Arlington, VA and is metro-accessible.

Sustainability policy areas to be covered include emerging issues around land use and regional/conservation planning as well as climate change and renewable energy. Applicant should have very strong interest in these subjects and particular related work experience
and/or coursework.

Internship is multi-faceted and includes projects involving research, analysis, and drafting reports and memoranda; client administrative support and management; strategic communications; and event planning. Example projects include working on innovative strategies for the Department of Defense that promote compatible land use and regional planning with
surrounding communities.

Applicants can be graduate students or very recent graduate school alums, and must be (or have been) in the top half of their graduate program class. Level of work available to interns would depend on their level of experience. Strong writing ability is a must, as well as excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. Computer and graphics skills (such as ability to use Adobe InDesign) can be a plus.

Review of applications is on a rolling basis, so interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications at their earliest convenience.

Please send cover letters/resumes to sustainabilityjob@gmail.com.

Job Announcements from DHCD

The following job announcements have been posted by the Department of Housing and Community Development:

Community Representative

Sr Public Finance Analyst

Administrative Assistant

Energy Assessment & Compliance Coordinator

AESS Conference & New Journal

The 2011 AESS (Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences) conference is being held June 23-26 at the University of Vermont. AESS is emerging as one of the most important international conferences for interdisciplinary discussions of environmental challenges. Social scientists have the opportunity to present to and collaborate with natural scientists and humanists on a wide variety of topics. Session formats include oral and poster presentations as well as workshops, symposia, panels, and roundtable discussions.

Please consider presenting at the upcoming AESS conference (and joining AESS if you are not yet a member). The call for abstracts (presentations) is now open, and the initial program information will be posted soon. For more information on the conference or to submit
an abstract, visit the AESS 2011 Conference Website (www.aess.info/2011)

Also, the flagship journal of AESS--the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, or JESS (Springer)--is set for its inaugural issue spring 2011, with planned contributions from Terry Chapin, David Orr, and Paul Ehrlich, among others. Please consider submitting your scholarship to JESS. To learn more, please visit: http://www.springer.com/environment/journal/13412

2011 National Park Transportation Scholars Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 National Park Transportation Scholars Program (found here)

The National Park Transportation Scholars Program gives transportation specialists a unique opportunity for career development and public service. The Scholars Program places transportation professionals, as well as master's and doctoral candidates in the fields of transportation, engineering, and planning, in National Parks across the country to assist Park Service staff in developing transportation solutions that preserve valuable resources and enhance the visitor experience.

Assignments begin on or about June 20, 2011 and last either 6 or 12 months. Scholars receive a stipend of $25,000 for a six month assignment and $50,000 for 12 months. Park projects involve transportation planning and analysis, coordination with local communities, environmental and traffic studies, and other transportation-related tasks. This program is in partnership with the National Park Foundation, National Park Service, Eno Transportation Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, and the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Technical Assistance Center.

Who Should Apply

If you have substantial knowledge and expertise in transportation planning or a related area, then you are eligible to apply to become a National Park Transportation Scholar. The program is open to graduate students, transportation professionals (active or retired), and university faculty.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit packets consisting of:

· The Application Cover Sheet. Click here to download

· Resume

· Statement of interest (no more than 1000 words).

· Letter of recommendation from a current or past supervisor, an academic advisor, or other person who can attest to your knowledge and skills.

(Applications are only eligible if they include ALL the above material)

2011 Scholar Assignments

(Detailed descriptions provided at http://www.enotrans.com)

Park Duration

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park 6 months

Arches National Park 12 months

National Capital Region and George Washington Memorial Parks 12 months

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park 12 months

North Cascades National Park 12 months

Completed application packets must be received by 5:00 pm EST on February 28, 2011

Send application packets to:

Eno Transportation Foundation

Attn: Melissa Paradis

1250 I Street, NW, Suite 750

Washington, DC 20005

Applications may also be emailed to (mparadis@enotrans.com).

Questions?

Contact Melissa Paradis of the Eno Staff at 202-879-4703.

Politics and Planning Speaker Series

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

By Clarence Stone

When: February 9 (Wednesday), 7:00-8:30 pm

Where: 1021 Prince Street

Second Floor Lounge

Co-Sponsored by the Metropolitan Institute and the School of Public and international Affairs (SPIA)

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Abstract—Community organizers, reformers, and sometimes even planners have a primary goal of empowering those who are not well off. But what is empowerment and how do you know when you have achieved it? Is empowerment of the poor feasible or only a pipe dream? Though there is no widely accepted metric of power, we can say much about who is powerful in city politics. A starting point is to be clear about different scopes of power—power to set the agenda, power to say NIMBY, capacity to launch a movement, or capacity to have junk cars removed from the neighborhood. Beyond that, the challenge is to think long term, and think like Albert Einstein and not Sir Isaac Newton.

Brief bio—Clarence Stone is Research Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at George Washington University. He is perhaps best known for REGIME POLITICS, a book on Atlanta’s biracial coalition that develops the concept of an urban regime. He was a Visiting Fulbright Professor at the University of Southern Denmark in 2001-2002 and continues to have an interest in comparative local politics. Currently he is coordinating a transatlantic study of policies to regenerate urban neighborhoods and in that project is part of a team studying Baltimore.

For more details, please take a look at our new website at:

http://www.spia.vt.edu/about/events/vtpnpseries/vtpnpseries.html