Job Openings at IRS/Treasury Transfer Price Division

These openings were just posted on Oct. 31, 2011 for San Francisco, CA and Washington DC. These positions are open from now until Dec. 30 2011. For more information see the below link.

Economist (GS-13) Job Announcement # 12AN1-LBX0001-0110-13
Same as for GS-14 except for differences below.
Agency: Internal Revenue Service
Location: Multiple Locations
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC

Salary: $89,033.00 to $125,926.00 / Per Year
Open Period: Monday, October 31, 2011 to Friday, December 30, 2011

Who May Apply: U.S. CITIZENS, NO PRIOR FEDERAL EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED.
Series & Grade: GS-0110-13/13
Position Information: Full-Time, - Permanent

USA Jobs Link

MA Comprehensive Exam Blackboard Site

I have created a blackboard site to help students taking the MA in Economics Comprehensive Exam prepare. It includes information about how to register for the exam and sample exams. Perhaps more importantly, it includes tools to help students collaborate while studying, including:

1. Discussion Boards: Students can create a thread posting comments or questions for general discussion. You can subscribe to the discussion board forums to be e-mailed regarding updates to the discussion.

2. Virtual Meeting Place: Students are encouraged to use the Wimba classroom to meet when in person meetings are difficult. The wimba classroom allows students to chat or video chat in real time, upload files with questions or topics to discuss, and even share their desktop. You can also use the breakout room feature to break up into smaller groups.

3. Group pages. If you want to divide yourselves into smaller study groups, sign up for one of the groups created. These group pages allow for discussion boards, e-mailing, blogging, wiki-pages and other tools amongst smaller groups of students.

4. E-mail other students. You can contact all students taking the comprehensive exam (or just selected students) through this link.

If you have any questions, or know of other students that should have been included on this blackboard site, feel free to contact Kara Reynolds at reynolds@american.edu

Mellon fund Competition

The College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the Fall 2011 competition for support of graduate student research. Award support is provided by the College Dean’s discretionary account for up to $1,000 for research expenses, and up to $300 for conference travel. Funds are also available from the Robyn Rafferty Mathias gift to support international travel for research associated with a thesis or dissertation. Total awards for any purpose should not exceed $1,000 per academic year. Exceptions to the $1,000 limit may be made for exceptional proposals involving international travel.

Applications to support the preparation of external grant proposals by graduate students are encouraged. Students planning to use funds to carry out research on human subjects or animals must submit the proposal to either the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to the submission of a proposal to this competition. Notice of approval by either committee must be received before funds can be allocated. Please note that any equipment purchased with this funding is the property of American University. Awardees of international travel funds must present their results at the College of Arts and Sciences Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference next spring. All funds must be used within one year of receiving the award.

Please complete the form below and attach a one-page statement describing your project and its anticipated outcomes. You must specify your budget where indicated on the form or else in a separate attachment. Please submit either in hard copy (to Aisha Malik in the department office) or via email to malik@american.edu by Wednesday, October 19 at the latest. (Please note that we expect there will be another competition in Spring 2012, if you are unable to meet this deadline).

International Summit for Careers in Economics

The International Summit for Careers in Economics (ISCE) will be held October 21, 2011 at the NAHB Conference Center in Washington, DC.

The ISCE brings together leading employers from business, government, and consulting with outstanding candidates from top Masters-level economics programs and student members of the National Association for Business Economics. Employers attending the event this year include Ernst and Young, American Express, the Conference Board, and the OECD.

Although American University is not a co-sponsor of the event, students can participate by first joining the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), the professional association for business economists and those who use economics in the workplace. A one-year student membership is just $30, and includes access to their career database.

Click here for more information on NABE.
Click here for more information on the ISCE.

Cosmos Scholars

The Cosmos Club Foundation offers scholarships to graduate students (Masters or Doctoral) at Washington area universities to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds. This may include special supplies or travel (financial support and tuition are explicitly excluded). Awards range from $500 to $3,000. If you are working on a research project this year with special expenses, see the Foundations website for more information. Applications are due by midnight, November 1, 2011.

Success in Graduate School

You are invited to attend an event sponsored by the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research which will provide a broad overview of factors predictive of success in graduate education and career development. Topics discussed will include:

• Student-faculty engagement in graduate education
• Mentoring, a two way street
• Establishing a research trajectory
• Peer-review and publication processes
• Developing a professional identity
• Financing a graduate school education
• Resources to enhance your graduate experience
• Minimizing potential stumbling blocks
• Preparing for transitions in your graduate career

Dates:
September 28, 2011 3:00 - 4:30 PM Founder’s Room - SIS RSVP to gradstudies@american.edu by September 23rd!!

October 6, 2011 3:00 - 5:00 PM Butler Board Room - MGC RSVP to gradstudies@american.edu by Oct. 1st!!

FTC Job Opening: Economic Research Analyst

 The Bureau of Economics of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has openings for full-time economic research analysts to assist our Ph.D. economists in antitrust and consumer protection investigations. We are looking for detail-oriented, highly motivated individuals interested in economics, math, or statistics. Applicants should have recently graduated or expect to graduate soon, and have demonstrated superior academic achievement (for example, a GPA of 3.0 or higher).  More information about our research analyst program, as well as instructions for applying can be found by clicking here.

 
The positions are located in Washington, DC.  U.S. citizenship is required.
 
Applications will only be considered if submitted though the US Office of Personnel Management’s job website,USAJobs.gov. It is very important to note that, in order to be considered, applicants must submit ALL transcripts (unofficial transcripts are fine): 1) transcripts from all undergraduate institutions showing grades for all credits applied towards your degree (e.g. community colleges and other institutions from which you transferred credits) and 2) if you are in or have completed a graduate program, graduate school transcripts. Click here to view the full vacancy announcement and apply. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm Eastern on Thursday August 11, 2011 to be considered.

Economist Position at HUD

The Economic Development and Public Finance Division (EDPFD) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development is searching for an Economist. As an economist, the incumbent will: perform economic analyses and/or administer contract research on topics related to Federal, State, and local public finance; perform economic analyses and/or administer contract research related to local economic development including the analyses of the forces behind the spatial distribution of economic activity, population and housing; assist in preparing economic analyses of HUD rules as needed, review economic analyses prepared by other offices for methodolohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgical soundness and feasibility, and advise the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs and program office officials on how proposed regulations can be altered to achieve the regulatory objective while avoiding unnecessary costs to the economy. For more information and to apply see the USA Job Posting.

Federal Trade Commission Position

The Bureau of Economics of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has openings for full-time economic research analysts to assist our Ph.D. economists in antitrust and consumer protection investigations. We are looking for detail-oriented, highly motivated individuals interested in economics, math, or statistics. Applicants should have recently graduated or expect to graduate soon, and have demonstrated superior academic achievement (for example, a GPA of 3.0 or higher). More information about our research analyst program, as well as instructions for applying can be found by clicking

http://www.ftc.gov/be/researchanalystprogram.shtm

here to access the Bureau of Economics’ research analyst recruiting webpage.

The positions are located in Washington, DC. US citizenship is required.

Applications will only be considered if submitted though the US Office of Personnel Management’s job website,USAJobs.gov.

Click here to view the full vacancy announcement and apply. Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm Eastern time on June 6, 2011 to be considered.

FTC Summer Internships

The Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission will be hiring a small number of paid interns for the summer. We are looking for detail-oriented, highly motivated students with an interest in microeconomics to assist economists in their work and to provide support to the Bureau. In addition to course work in economics, experience in working with statistics, spreadsheets, computer databases, and other types of computer programming is useful. Applicants must be current students who will continue their education in Fall 2011. These summer internships are open to U.S. citizens only.

Comprised of approximately 75 Ph.D. applied microeconomists and 20 research analysts, the Bureau of Economics helps the FTC evaluate the economic impact of its actions. To do so, the Bureau provides economic analysis and support to antitrust and consumer protection investigations and rulemakings. It also analyzes the impact of government regulation on competition and consumers and provides Congress, the Executive Branch, and the public with economic analyses of market processes as they relate to antitrust, consumer protection, and regulation.

Because of the budget process and the late date of this announcement, the time period for applying for a summer internship is very tight. We expect to be making internship selections very quickly. To apply please encourage students to send an email expressing interest together with a resume and an electronic copy of their official or unofficial college transcript to me at awilder@ftc.gov. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Comp Exam Study Resources

MA Students who are studying for their comprehensive exams now have a number of tools at their disposal. First, the department has created a Comprehensive Exam Study Guide, which gives sample questions and answers. The guide can currently be found at:

http://nw08.american.edu/~reynolds/CompGuide.htm

Second, we have developed two online tools to encourage virtual group studying.

(1) The first is a listserve entitled econ-ma-comp-L. Listservs are the traditional Internet mailing lists; students could use the listserve to post questions to the members of the list, while answers would also go to interested subscribers. To subscribe to this mailing list, send an e-mail to listserv@listserv.american.edu with the following text in the body:

subscribe econ-ma-comp-L

(2) The second is a wikipage that students can use to collaborate on problems. The address of the page is http://au-econ-comptime.wikispaces.com/. The page includes some directions on the page use.

I would also be happy to reserve rooms for students to study together in on campus at the request of students. Feel free to contact me if you are interested.

Good luck!

Comp Registration

You must apply to take your comprehensive exam by April 27 in order to be guaranteed an exam in June. Late applications will not be accepted. Once applications are received, we will be able to determine the exact dates of each exam. New this year: applications should be submitted via email to econ@american.edu using the following electronic form:

http://www.american.edu/cas/economics/pdf/uploa/ComprehensiveExamsApplication.pdf.

Also please note that there is no longer a fee required with the application for the exam(s) and there are no more paper forms. Be sure to check the box(es) on the form for the exam(s) you wish to take.

Exams will be given between Monday, June 6th and Friday, June 10th, 2011 (exact dates of each exam to be announced later). You must be in the exam room (location TBA) no later than 10:00 am on the day of your exam. You will have until 2:30 pm to complete your exams. (Going over the time limit is not allowed.) Anyone requesting special accommodations for a learning disability MUST make the request through Academic Support Services (but also register with the department by checking the appropriate box on the electronic application form).

In general, comprehensives should be taken as soon as possible after you have completed the required courses for each exam. Rules for comps (including time limits and numbers of permitted attempts) are found at

http://www.american.edu/cas/economics/ma-exams.cfm

for MA students.

If you have any administrative questions about the application process, please call (202) 885-3770.

Job Opportunity

One of our distinguished alumni passed along the following job opportunity--she is being reassigned to a new position in the company. If you would like to speak to her about the position feel free to contact me for more information. Interested students can apply directly through the website:

http://www.cantbeattheexperience.com/en/cms/Home/default.aspx


Company Name: Altria Client Services
Position Title: Sr. Analyst, Policy Analysis & Legislative Research
Job Grade: 12
Requisition Number: 12247BR

Job Description: The mission of Altria Group, Inc. is to own and develop financially disciplined businesses that are leaders in responsibly providing adult tobacco and wine consumers with superior branded products. Altria Group is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, the largest cigarette manufacturer in the United States, as well as U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company and John Middleton – recently acquired companies that offer leading brands in the growing moist smokeless tobacco and machine-made cigar categories.

Altria Client Services’ role is to provide high quality services to the Altria family of companies. We are currently seeking a highly qualified Sr. Analyst, Policy Analysis & Legislative Research to join our Government Affairs department in Washington DC.

The successful candidate will assist with developing and maintaining fiscal tools, models, talking points, and databases to create material support for legislative campaigns regarding excise tax, corporate tax, and pension legislation.

Specific accountabilities include:

• Managing the tracking of legislation of importance to Philip Morris USA, US Smokeless Tobacco Company, Altria Client Services, Inc., John Middleton, Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Altria Group, Inc. and preparing summaries and presentations as needed;
  
• Working with internal and external Information Services personnel and consultants to maintain the Government Affairs legislative tracking website
  
• Working directly with external consultants and interfacing with third party groups that have an emphasis on tax policy, legislative outlook, and state fiscal situations/practices
  
• Attending Congressional hearings, developing presentations, performing legislative analysis, conducting research and composes hearing reports
  
• Partnering with Manager, Policy Analysis and Legislative Research to provide Government Affairs liaison services to ALCS departments including Marketing Information, Investor Relations, Sales & Distribution and Communications
  
• Working with relevant internal departments (e.g. the Legal and Compliance Departments) to ensure that all documents are properly handled and distributed both internally and externally
  
• Managing the daily workload of Government Affairs interns and the intern budget process
  

Specific Skills Qualifications include:

• A Master's degree in Economics, Business or related field, plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience with the government, a public policy group, trade association or corporation
  
• Strong background in economics,to assimilate and integrate large amounts of information and find creative solutions to complex problems
  
• Proven proficiency with standard econometric and spreadsheet programs
  
• Strong knowledge of legislative processes
  
• Superior analytical, written and presentation skills
  
• Self-motivated and able to develop and follow work plans
  
• Ability to conduct research, assess and utilize information in a strategic fashion
  
• Maturity, excellent judgment and keen attention to detail
  
• The ability to work well under pressure and manage simultaneous projects
  

At Altria Client Services’, we recognize that our people are the reason we achieve our business goals. We believe in developing the leadership potential of our employees by providing them with opportunities for training, development and advancement.

In addition to the opportunity to apply and develop your skills toward key business objectives, we offer an excellent compensation package including a competitive base salary, comprehensive health/vision/dental insurance, participation in our incentive compensation and deferred profit sharing programs, as well as a relocation assistance package.

NOTE* Altria Client Services Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or other legally protected characteristic.

Sub-Function: Government Affairs
Physical Location: Altria Washington DC Office
City: Washington, DC

Fullbright Information

The University is kicking off the 2011 Fullbright Recruiting Season with an information session on Friday, March 18 from 1-2 pm in McKinley 155. The Fulbright Grant funds independent research and English-language teaching assistantships for one academic year in over 140 nations. Recipients receive a stipend,
round-trip travel, and health insurance. Graduate students interested can find more information on the flyer here.

International Trade Commission Internship

The United State International Trade Commission, Office of Economics is recruiting undergraduate and graduate students for our Summer Internship Program. Applications will be accepted from current students who are United States citizens no later than March 30, 2011.

Click here for more information.

Free Conference on the Global Economy

The George Washington University School of Business presents Crossroads:
The Interplay of Business, Government, and the Global Economy


March 31 and April 1, 2011
Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st Street NW


The symposium will explore the delicate balance of business growth and the public’s well-being within the context of an international economy that is defined by widely varying markets, cultures, and people. Panels will investigate what shared responsibilities, if any, exist between governments and the global business community and whether markets exist in a vacuum or within a larger social context.


Registration:
Please click here to register.
For more information on the event, please visit www.gwsbcrossroads.com


Featured Speakers
Keynote: Justin Yifu Lin, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Development Economics, World Bank

Timothy Williams, Washington Director, INTERPOL (U.S. National Central Bureau)

Steven Pearlstein, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist, Washington Post

Rob Mosbacher, former President/CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Nelson Carbonell, President/Chairman, Snowbird Capital

Danny Leipziger, Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management(PREM)/Head of the PREM Network, World Bank, Professor of International Business, The George Washington University School of Business

Doug Guthrie, Dean, The George Washington University School of Business

Sudhir Venkatesh, Professor of Sociology, Columbia University, author of Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor

Keith Reinhard, Founder/President, Business for Diplomatic Action, Chairman, DDB Worldwide

Liesl Riddle, Professor of International Business and Associate Dean of MBA Programs, The George Washington University School of Business

Dilip Ratha, Senior Economist and Manager, World Bank

William Handorf, Vice President of the Board of Directors, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Professor of Finance and Real Estate, The George Washington University School of Business


Daniel Runde, Director for Project on Prosperity and Development and William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Barbara Span, Vice President of Public Affairs, Western Union

Eric-Vincent Guichard, Chairman/CEO, GRAVITAS Capital Advisors

Ntoh Etta, Director of Strategic Projects, NetworkSolutions LLC

…and more to come!

Follow us on Twitter – @GWSBCrossroads

Internship Opportunity

The Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service is currently accepting applicants for their summer internship program for Economists. Students who are interested can find more information at the following website:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AboutERS/Employment/SummerEmployment/index.htm