CWGL Employment Opportunity: Program Coordinator, Economic and Social Rights

The Center for Women’s Global Leadership has begun a formal search for a Program Coordinator. 

The Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) strengthens and facilitates women’s leadership for women’s human rights and social justice worldwide. CWGL envisions a world in which all people are equal and gender equality is systematically realized by the achievement of human rights for all. CWGL works to: advance economic and social rights from a feminist perspective; promote an end to violence against women and highlight the linkages with militarism; and build coalitions and deepen capacity around those urgent issues that are critical to the global women’s movement to secure policy reform at the international and national levels. 

 To apply for this position, visit the Rutgers University Human Resources website. 

 The position number is 13-002933 

 The direct link is: http://uhrapps.rutgers.edu/jobs/JobDetail.aspx?pst_num=13-002933

Applicants must be legally permitted to work in the United States and NJ residency is required.

Learn About Kazakhstan This Thursday!

Spring Registration

Registration for the Spring semester opens for returning graduate students on October 25, and for new graduate students on November 15.  The course schedule can be found at:

http://www.american.edu/provost/registrar/schedule/ 

Please e-mail Kara Reynolds to discuss your course selection for the Spring, or to schedule an in-person appointment.  You can also stop by my office hours on Mondays from 10:00 to 12:00 and Thursdays from 3:15 to 5:15.

Promoting Success in Graduate School

The Office of Graduate Studies presents a workshop that 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, establishing a research trajectory; peer review and publication processes, developing a professional identity, financing your education and more.

Date: Tuesday, September 3
Time: 5:00-6:30
Location: Bender Library Room 115




RSVP no later than noon on September 3 at gradstudies@american.edu

Department of Economics Seminar Series

The Department of Economics seminar series kicks off September 4.  All students are invited to attend the Department of Economics seminar series, which is held most Wednesdays from 12 to 1:15 in Kreeger 100.   A complete schedule can be found at the following link:

http://www.american.edu/cas/economics/news/research-seminars.cfm

Finding Your Way to Academic Writing

 Has it been a while since you were in school? Not familiar with school in the States? Unsure about what might be ex-pected when you write papers in graduate school? Attend the Graduate Writing Workshop August 28th! We will be dis-cussing how to get the most out of your research, ways to manage your notes, and ways to use them in your writing. Expect information on finding the thesis and argument in ac-ademic work, interpreting assignments, and structuring your own academic paper. Bring a laptop or notebook and your questions!

The first graduate enhancement workshop of the academic year will be held on  Wednesday August 28, 2013 from 4:00 to 5:30  in the Bender Library Room 115. 

Register no later than 12 noon August, 28th at gradstudies@american.edu

Questions? Contact the Writing Center at wcenter@american.edu

Presidential Management Fellowship

To CAS grad students & alumni who will receive/received graduate degrees between Dec 2011 & Aug 2014:

Interested in applying to become a Presidential Management Fellow?  It's the best way to launch a career in the federal government!

Register now for access to special online prep materials that the AU Career Center offers to help grad students & alumni get ready for the upcoming PMF online test. There is a PMF Blackboard site for current grad students and a PMF Intranet for alums.  Please email us from your american.edu account, or from a Gmail account (our Intranet uses Google software).  The email must include your full name, graduation date and the AU school you attend/attended.

Please send this email to: AU.PMFcandidate@gmail.com 

Please note: the PMF Program restricts eligibility this fall to people who will receive/received graduate degrees between Dec 2011 & Aug 2014.

Other relevant info: The first-round PMF online test, which you can take from your own computer, sitting anywhere in the world, is expected to take place in October.  We will offer a PMF prep workshop in September on multiple days/times.  Specific dates will be announced soon.  We will explain the PMF process and discuss how to make best use of our online prep materials.
The government's PMF website is: www.pmf.gov (but it is not yet updated for this year's candidates).

SCHOOL DATA INTERNSHIP

POSITION DESCRIPTION

FOCUS, a non-profit charter school support organization, is creating a paid school data intern program to recruit, train, and place students in multiple DC public charter schools for a full school year. Interns will be expected to work approximately 10 hours per week during the school year and will be held to very high standards of professionalism and responsibility.  Students who apply should be confident that they can commit to approximately 10 hours per week for the full school year.  

Each public charter school will face a unique set of challenges, meaning each data internship will also be unique.  FOCUS will be responsible for developing an approximate scope of work with each partner school, but interns should be prepared to be flexible on-site to help out as needed.  Examples of projects include:

·         Training teachers and staff in MS Excel, computer skills, and other software

·         Merging and manipulating disparate data sources and data entry

·         Running reports and performing basic data analysis

FOCUS will conduct a training program for interns in the summer/fall before interns enter schools, and on-going training as needed throughout the school year.  Training will include:

·         Assessment basics – formative vs. summative, standards based, scaled scores etc.;

·         Refreshers on technical skills (MS Excel, SQL, etc.) and school specific software;

·         Communications skills

·         General information about the public charter sector in DC.

QUALIFICATIONS

Students from all majors and class years are eligible to apply.  There will be several different types of projects that interns can take on.  The skill sets that will allow interns to succeed in each of them are different.  We have outlined the three different project types to demonstrate the types of qualifications we are looking for. 

1. Excel and Computer Training

·         The teachers and staff who will require the most training will likely be the least comfortable using technology.  Therefore interns should feel extremely comfortable explaining basic computer and Excel skills (e.g. turning a computer on, opening programs, clicking in Excel cells, using formulas for sums and averages).

·         There will also likely be staff who have basic computer and Excel skills but are seeking additional training in data analysis (e.g. sorting and filtering, pivot tables, conditional formatting). Therefore interns should feel extremely comfortable explaining more advanced computer and Excel skills.

2. Merging and Manipulating Disparate Data Sources and Data Entry

·         Charter schools often have data stored in multiple files and formats (MS Excel, Access, Student Information Systems, and even paper files).  Typically school staff would like to analyze this data from a unified source, such as a database or Excel spreadsheet.  Interns assigned to this type of project should be comfortable importing and exporting data from different types of databases, merging data using Excel and/or statistical analysis software (SPSS, SAS, etc.), creating organized systems for entering data from paper files. This is primarily a technical position.

3. Running Reports and Basic Data Analysis

·         Since school staff often lack sufficient time and resources to analyze all of their data, interns will help address this need.  Interns assigned to this type of project should be able to formulate clear research questions and analysis plans in collaboration with their school supervisor, have strong analytical skills (ability to interpret meaning from data analysis), and communicate findings visually (e.g., using charts, tables, graphs). 

TRAVEL:

Students will be expected to travel to their public charter school site several times per week.  Students’ ability to get to the site will be considered in the matching process.

COMPENSATION:

$10-15 per hour

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE:

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.  The matching process will begin in July and likely continue through August.  There will be an initial training in August or September, and the internship will run from September 2013 to May 2014.

TO APPLY:

Please visit the FOCUS web page at http://focusdc.org/data-internship to download and fill out our online application.  The application asks you to write several prompted paragraphs, self-evaluate key technical skills, and provide contact information for two references.  Once you have completed the application, please attach it along with a current resume in an email to dataintern@focusdc.org.

Internship Opportunities

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), located in Washington, D.C., conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities and societies.

IWPR is committed to the professional development of students and graduates interested in economic justice for women. IWPR's internship program is designed to provide participants with challenging professional experience under the guidance and supervision of staff with extensive knowledge of women's policy issues, social science research, and non-profit management.

Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 Internships
The Institute will offer internships in four areas for the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters:

Research Internship: Interns will provide administrative and research support to researchers. Duties include: assisting with literature reviews and data collection; designing charts, graphs and tables; answering phones; and filing.

Qualifications: Strong organizational skills, good interpersonal skills, interest in policy research and women’s issues; and experience with statistics, economics or social sciences through coursework. Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel required; knowledge of STATA, SPSS, or graphics software is a plus. Qualitative research skills also a plus.

Research areas for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 include:

• The quality of women’s jobs, including wages, access to health insurance, paid sick leave, and workplace flexibility.

• The work and welfare experiences of low-income women at the state and national levels

• Increasing access to higher education and non-traditional jobs for low-income women.

• Expanding access to income supports for women such as Unemployment Insurance and Family Leave.

• Strategies for improving child care access, affordability, and quality.

• Older women's economic issues, including social security and pensions.

• The economic status of women and girls, women of color, and immigrant women across the United States.

Communications and Outreach Internship: Intern will provide administrative and editorial support to the communications team. Duties include: assisting with proofreading; distributing e-newsletters and new releases; updating IWPR blogs and social media; building media lists and managing databases; tracking news clips; assisting with layout and design of IWPR products; answering phones; and filing.

Qualifications: Creative, innovative, and detail-oriented individual with good writing and computer skills; knowledge and experience with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Quark Xpress, or other desktop publishing software; layout and web design experience with content management systems (CMS) a plus.

Development Internship: Intern will help the development team with direct mail, grant-management, funder research, and other elements of nonprofit fundraising. IWPR receives support from foundations and government agencies, as well as individual and organizational supporters.

Qualifications: Should have an interest in fundraising and nonprofit management; familiarity with Microsoft Excel and prior experience with fundraising at any level is desirable, but not required; basic computer skills required and prior experience with Salesforce.com or other donor databases is a plus.

Accounting Internship: Interns will provide support to the Director of Finance and Administration. Duties include: payroll and credit card expense allocations and related data entry; accounts payable tasks; bank reconciliations; creating and maintaining spreadsheets including funder financial reports; compiling Form 990 and annual audit records; preparing budget to actual reports for Board committee meetings and organizing financial  records.  Fall intern will assist with 2014 budget proposal.

Qualifications: Attention to detail, strong organizational skills; experience with or interest in accrual based nonprofit accounting. Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel required; knowledge of Quickbooks or other accounting software is a plus.

All IWPR interns must have good computer skills, excellent writing and communication skills, and an interest in women's issues. Prior office experience is desirable. IWPR is committed to diversity and encourages people of all ethnic, cultural, economic, and sexual orientations to apply.

The Fall Internships go from August 26 to December 13, and the Spring Internships go from January 6 to May 16.  Starting and ending dates are flexible.  These are unpaid, part-time positions.  The internships require a minimum commitment of 10 hours p/week.

How to Apply:
Individuals interested in applying should submit a cover letter specifying the internship for which they are applying, a resume, and a writing sample of 3-5 pages to the Internship Coordinator at cwilliams@iwpr.org.

Applications for Fall Internships are accepted on a rolling basis until August 16. Applications for Spring Internships are accepted on a rolling basis until December 10.

Please direct any questions to the Internship Coordinator at cwilliams@iwpr.org.

New MA in International Economics

I am pleased to announce that the Department of Economics and School of International Service is offering a joint Master’s Degree in International Economics. The program offers a rigorous combination of theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented courses in economics, political economy, and policy-making focused on international trade and finance.  Applications are now being accepted.  For more information, please see:

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

or contact Kara Reynolds at reynolds@american.edu for more information!

Census Department Position

The Labor Force Statistics Branch of the Census Bureau is currently looking to fill a full-time position with someone who holds a Master's degree in Economics or a related field. Here is the link to the position for anybody interested:  http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/emp_opp.html. U.S. citizenship is required for all positions.

 

Presidential Fellowships

The Presidential Management Fellow Program is the best way to launch a career in the federal government!  This year AU ranks No. 3 nationally among all universities in the number of PMF finalists.  Fellows are paid as federal employees for two years of work, training and mentoring -- and then transition into highly sought positions within a wide range of agencies.

The first-round test for the PMF competition will be held this October.  Those eligible must have received or be scheduled to receive a Masters or PhD degree between December 2011 and August 2014.  AU supports its candidates with workshops, as well as with special PMF Blackboard and Intranet sites that contain extensive fact sheets and other materials to prep for the first-round assessment

To register for our special PMF Prep Sites, please send an email to au.pmfcandidate@gmail.com .  The email must include your full name, your AU school and your graduation date. Current AU students should please email us from your american.edu account.  Alumni need to email us from either your old american.edu account or from a Gmail account, because we are using Google software.

For additional information about the PMF Program, go to the government's www.pmf.gov website.


Contact person at AU is:
Robert SanGeorge
AU PMF Lead Advisor
American University
robert.sangeorge@american.edu
Office direct line: (202) 885-1808
Skype: rsangeorge

SPEED MENTORING

Institute for International Finance Position

The Institute of International Finance, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the world’s largest global association of financial institutions with over 450 members in more than 70 countries. We provide economic analysis to our members, act as a vehicle for exchanging views on global regulatory issues, and serve as a forum for engaging the private financial community in discussions with the public sector on global financial policy issues.

The Institute is currently seeking an individual to help support the IIF's economic research on the Asia/Pacific region. Responsibilities include updating and developing annual, quarterly and monthly spreadsheet data on economic and financial variables; assisting with the production of reports, charts and tables about developments across a broad range of countries in the region; undertaking research support activities on special regional topics; helping to prepare economic presentations; providing logistical and other support for regional events; and general research and other support as needed by the Asia/Pacific Department.

The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree in international economics and at least one year professional experience in a related field. Strong computer and quantitative skills are required; proficiency in Excel VBA Editor and familiarity with E-Views software would be beneficial. Must be fluent in English, regional language skills are desirable, but are not required.

Please email cover letter with salary requirements and resume to personnel@iif.com. All documents should be sent in Microsoft Word format.

For more information on the IIF, please refer to our website at www.iif.com.

FTC Opening--Job Closes on Monday!

The Bureau of Economics at the FTC is hiring an Economic Research Analyst.  The official listing is here: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/341254500

Act soon, because the position closes on Monday.

Trade and Public Health Internship

Emily Bleimund, Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Global Affairs (300 C Street, SW), is seeking a summer intern to assist with projects relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Agreement (TTIP), Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), and various other issues involving the intersection of public health and international trade. A strong interest, and preferably some background, in public health issues is preferred, as well as background education in international trade law and policy. Many of the projects deal with highly sensitive confidential information, for which a security clearance is needed, therefore the intern will not have access to all materials, but will be critical in providing necessary background research and other preparation for meetings and negotiations on these issues. The position is unpaid and does not require U.S. citizenship. Please forward a cover letter and resume to Emily at emily.bleimund@hhs.gov. Consideration of applications will begin immediately.

IDB Fellowships

The Research Department (RES) of the Inter-American Development Bank seeks applications from recent university graduates for its highly selective Research Fellowship Program at IDB Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Research Assistants (RAs) work side by side with RES economists on their research, providing valuable support while gaining incomparable experience. Individuals chosen for the program should be well qualified to perform a wide range of research activities for RES staff including preparation of papers, reports and presentations, compilation and use of databases and performance of econometric and statistical analyses.

RAs at RES typically have prospects of engaging in doctoral-level studies. In the recent past, former RAs have continued their studies in the economics departments of top universities including, among others, MIT, University of Chicago, UC-Berkeley, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Maryland, UCLA, Penn State University, Boston University and Duke University.

Those interested in the Research Fellowship Program should apply by April 12, 2013. Candidates must be available to start work between June 1, 2013 and September 1, 2013. A complete job description and detailed application procedures are available here.

Qualifications:
Education: Undergraduate degree in Economics. Master's degree in Economics preferred.

Experience: Experience in applied research at a recognized university or research center. Strong background in econometrics, mathematics, and statistics. Experience with econometric packages such as Stata, Matlab, or R. Advanced programming level preferred. Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following areas: microeconomic and/or macroeconomic topics.

Languages: Fluency required in at least two of the Bank's official languages: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese

Apply online

Closing date: April 12, 2013

Geoscience Workforce Program Internship Opportunity

The AGI Workforce Program tracks the supply and demand of geoscientists by collecting original data and analyzing existing data from Federal and industry sources, in order to inform the geoscience community of workforce trends and issues through regular reports.  The Workforce Program also engages the next generation of geoscientists by supporting student recruitment at the college level and by communicating with students, faculty, and non-academic professionals about making the transition into the geoscience workforce after graduation.

AGI’s Workforce Program is seeking an intern to work with the Workforce Staff this summer.  Tasks include data entry, database management, querying using SQL, communication with geoscientific societies and university departments, and generally supporting the activities of the Workforce Program this summer.

This internship is intended for students (either pursuing an undergraduate or Master’s degree) with experience with data collection, data entry and database management. Strong communication and teamwork skills are required.

The internship is 12 weeks long and includes a $5,000 stipend.  The starting date is flexible. 

The internship will be held in the offices for the American Geosciences Institute in Alexandria, VA.  Intern will be responsible for finding a housing arrangement if needed.

To apply for this position, please send a resume with a cover letter describing how your experience will help you in this position. Please also include names and contact information for two references via email toworkforce@agiweb.org.

All applications must be received by April 15, 2013. All applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

AGI is an equal opportunity employer

Consumer Science Staff Fellow position

The Consumer Studies Team (CST), Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is seeking applications to fill Consumer Science Staff Fellow position(s). One or more selections may be made. The salary will be generally equivalent to the Federal General Schedule GS-12 (annual salary: $74,872-$97,333) or GS-13 level (annual salary: $89,033-$115,742), commensurate with degree and experience. FDA is an equal opportunity employer and offers a smoke-free environment. Staff Fellows in FDA are on a special term limited appointment and renewal of appointments are made on an annual basis, subject to availability of funds.

The CFSAN formulates national regulatory policy on the safety and labeling of food and cosmetic products. The CST applies social science knowledge and techniques to plan, implement, analyze, and evaluate policy-oriented consumer research for the Center and provides expert social science advice to CFSAN and other FDA units. This research focuses on, but is not limited to, consumer and industry response to nutrition and food safety issues, including nutrition labeling, warning labels, risk communication, and consumer education. The research is critical for Center decision-making and can have important and long-term implications on the health and welfare of U.S. consumers.

Duties:

1. Conduct and/or participate in planning, conceptualizing, designing data collection (e.g., focus groups, surveys, and experimental studies) and analysis of primary and/or secondary data;
2. Advise Center management on consumer research issues as they relate to Center policies and serve as technical advisor to various committees and task groups within and outside the Center that deal with matters affecting consumers and industry;
3. Disseminate and/or participate in disseminating research findings in peer-reviewed journal articles, in presentations at professional society meetings and conferences, and to CFSAN and other FDA units; and
4. Maintain contacts with professional peers within and outside of the FDA and maintain a current working knowledge of consumer research literature.

Requirements:

1. A Master’s or Doctoral degree in a behavioral or social science discipline including, but not limited to, communications, consumer science, economics, evaluation, marketing, psychology, public health, public policy, survey methodology, and sociology;
2. Evidence of training and experience in applied quantitative and/or qualitative research in a social science discipline;
3. Strong written and oral communication skills; and
4. Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

Interest and experience in applying social science techniques to consumer research related to food safety and nutrition issues is preferred. Inquiries are encouraged.

Applicants should send a resume and two research writing samples by April 30, 2013 to Ms. Amy Lando at OAO-Mail@fda.hhs.gov.

Millennium Challenge Corporation Positions

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry.  They are currently recruiting for two positions:

1.  The Economic Analysis Division of the MCC’s Department of Policy & Evaluation is now accepting applications for summer internships.  See http://www.mcc.gov/pages/jobs/internships for more information. 

2.  Economics Data Analyst - Intermittent, Personal Services Contractor (PSC).  This position is located in the Economic Analysis (EA) Division of the MCC’s Department of Policy & Evaluation (DPE). The PSC will serve as an analyst and program support specialist. Possessing a solid background in economics and quantitative analysis with experience in desktop publishing or web content management, the PSC will work in collaboration with MCC economists and technical
specialists under the direction of MCC's Managing Director for Economic Analysis.

Duties will include:

• Prepare economic analysis content to be ready for online access, including economic rate of return (ERR) analysis, beneficiary analysis (BA), constraints analysis (CA) and other analytical documents produced by MCC.
• Reviewing/editing spreadsheets, converting to standardized format, and conducting sensitivity analysis as needed.
• Managing quarterly plan for publishing of ERRs, BAs, CAs and other files online, and tracking the status of all products

If this sounds like the ideal position for you, please view our full vacancy announcement
at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/MCC/MCCMCC/MCCMCC01/MCC-13-PLA-0211/listing.html

World Bank RA Position

The Global Macroeconomics Team in the Development Economics Prospects Group is responsible for monitoring and analyzing the global economy and advises senior management on the implications of global economic events for developing countries. As part of this overall work program, the team produces a twice-yearly forecast of the global economy – in addition to a wide variety of regular and ad hoc reports.

In support of this work program, the team maintains a large-scale international high-frequency data system using an SQL back-end, Eviews as mid-ware and Excel among other programs as a front end.  It also operates and actively develops an annual forecasting model covering the national income accounts (GDP) and balance of payments (BOP) data for more than 150 countries.

Duties and Accountabilities

The Team is looking for a high-energy detail-oriented short-term consultant to assist in undertaking analytical work related commodity pass-through as well as on Sub-Saharan African economies.

The successful candidate will be expected to become familiar with the operations of the automated data system that feeds into the high-frequency database and updates the macroeconometric database, so as to assist colleagues in their maintenance.

S/He will also be expected to use the databases to undertake analyses under the supervision of a senior economist. A solid background in economics, including the manipulation of large data sets and basic quantitative methods would be essential for these ad hoc assignments.

A solid understanding of excel, and one or more econometric packages such as Eviews STATA, Troll, FAME, or AREMOS is essential. 

The time frame for the appointment as an STC would be starting immediately and through the end of the fiscal year (June 30), with some possibility for extension.

Selection Criteria

The ideal candidate will typically have:

·    Master’s degree in Economics with experience working with large time-series databases.

·    Experience programming, either with an  economic time-series in a macro econometric modeling language such as Eviews, Stata, Troll, FAME or AREMOS or with a more traditional programming language (C, Pascal, Fortran),  would be a great asset.

·    Demonstrated working knowledge of software products and problem solving/troubleshooting skills.

·    Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and to build effective working relationships with clients and colleagues.

 
Contact Prof. Reynolds for information on how to apply.