Fall 2017 Internships at the AAG

Internships at AAG

The AAG seeks interns on a year-round basis for the spring, summer, and fall semesters.

Interns participate in most AAG programs and projects such as education, outreach, research, website, publications, or the Annual Meeting. The AAG also arranges for interns to accompany different AAG staff on visits to related organizations or events of interest during the course of their internship. A monthly stipend of $500 is provided and interns are expected to make their own housing and related logistical arrangements. Enrollment in a Geography or closely related program is preferred but not a prerequisite for these opportunities.

Applications

Applicants should forward a resume, brief writing sample, and three references to Candida Mannozzi, cmannozzi@aag.org  

More information on internships at the AAG is also available on the Jobs & Careers section of the AAG website at: http://www.aag.org/cs/internships

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Fall 2017 Internships at START! Apply Today!

START is currently accepting applications for our Fall 2017 Internships! START Interns work with our researchers on our policy-relevant research projects focused on the human causes and consequences of terrorism. This fall, from August 24-December 11, students will work a minimum of 10 hours-a-week on any one of 15 different projects. Our projects accepting interns range from our Global Terrorism Database to GIS focused research and from Understanding Domestic Radicalization through Unconventional Weapons and Technology. 

Students at any stage of their education are welcome to apply--from Freshmen through Ph.D. candidates. Review our internship information here: http://www.start.umd.edu/education/internships for more information and specific project descriptions and requirements. Also, there are two funding opportunities for students listed at the above link.

Applications are due on June 30th at 11:59pm. Feel free to reach out to internships@start.umd.edu with any questions!

Free Study Abroad Opportunity for Students

Applications are now open for the 2017-2018 cohort, who will travel to Cape Town, South Africa in summer 2018 for a credit-earning study abroad program on Intercultural Communication and Leadership. Scholarship funds will cover 100 percent of program fees and travel costs for a cohort of 10 students from MSIs. Last year's cohort was selected to travel to London, England in summer 2017, and a future cohort will have the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea during summer 2019.

Reminder: Apply for the 2017-2018 Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship! CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) have partnered in an effort to increase the opportunities for the most financially challenged students from the nation’s nearly 600 Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Named in honor of Frederick Douglass—the African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and international statesman—the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship seeks to break down the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture to make study abroad accessible to students from MSIs. Applications are now open for the 2017-2018 cohort, who will travel to Cape Town, South Africa in summer 2018 for a credit-earning study abroad program on Intercultural Communication and Leadership. Scholarship funds will cover 100 percent of program fees and travel costs for a cohort of 10 students from MSIs. Last year's cohort was selected to travel to London, England in summer 2017, and a future cohort will have the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea during summer 2019. Selected Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will be meritorious individuals who demonstrate high academic achievement, possess exemplary communication skills, display the hallmarks of self-determination, exhibit characteristics of bold leadership, and have a history of service to others. In the spirit of one of America’s most powerful intellectuals, communicators, and scholars, Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will commit to sharing their experiences and intercultural growth with peers and classmates before, during, and after the fellowship. FELLOWSHIP INFORMATION: ·  Applicants should be undergraduate college students that classify as rising Sophomores or rising Juniors at the time of participation (summer 2018). ·  This application is for students interested in the Fellowship for participation in the summer 2018 experience in Cape Town, South Africa. ·  Fellowships will be awarded based on a combination of financial need, academic achievement, and presidential nomination ·  Awards will cover the full cost of travel and participation in a four-week study abroad program sponsored by CIEE. ·  CMSI will select 10 Fellows from accredited Minority Serving Institutions. ·  Fellows will be expected to present and share their study abroad experience with their MSI community upon their return to campus. ·  Fellows from prior cohorts are ineligible from applying again. ·  Fellows earn 3 college credits for taking the Intercultural Communication, Identity, and Leadership in Cape Town course that can be transferred back to fulfill degree requirements. ·  Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions. Click Here for the Full Application Instructions and Submission Link

Do you know a student who sounds like a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow? We hope you’ll encourage them to apply. Applications are due September 15, 2017, and we’ll announce the awards on November 1. For questions, please contact Paola "Lola" Esmieu at pesmieu@upenn.edu. About the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions The Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions brings together researchers and practitioners from the nation's Minority Serving Institutions. CMSI’s goals include: elevating the educational contributions of MSIs; ensuring that they are a part of national conversations; bringing awareness to the vital role MSIs play in the nation’s economic development; increasing the rigorous scholarship of MSIs; connecting MSIs’ academic and administrative leadership to promote reform initiatives; and strengthening efforts to close educational achievement gaps among disadvantaged communities. For further information about CMSI, please visit www.gse.upenn.edu/cmsi   About CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving more than 340 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools, and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE serves as a leading sponsor for the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program (the J-1 visa program), supporting exchanges with over 90 countries. In addition, CIEE operates 67 study centers in 45 countries, and sponsors international faculty training programs, teach abroad programs, and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, post-secondary, and international students. Visit www.ciee.org.

Alumni Network

Opportunity for Global Perspectives Students

LEARN HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET

The International Business Institute combines both lecture and site visits to provide students with insight into how they can leverage their studies into a meaningful career in international business. The course will demonstrate to students how to meet the demands of employers who increasingly expect their associates to possess knowledge of these topics. The courses is really meant as an intro to international business management. 

The course will take place on several Fridays throughout the semester at both the College Park Campus and in Washington, DC. In addition to class lectures, the course will incorporate sites visits through the DC metropolitan area and professional development aspects. For example, last fall the course visits the Embassy of Singapore, the Embassy of Greece, and the World Bank among others. This year we plan on tailoring site visits to the individual majors/interests of the students. 

Highlights:

-       International business management topics

-       Sessions on global mindset

-       Professional development workshop

-       Site visits to companies and organizations

How to register:

-       Students can register for the International Business Institute (BMGT488G) through Testudo

-       Find out more information at go.umd.edu/CIBERInternationalBusinessInstitute

-       The course is open to all majors

AASD Summer 2017 Courses

June Alumni of the Month: Paul Lai

Name: Paul Lai

Year of graduation: 2016

Major: Geographic Information System

Current employment status:

·         Employer: IBM (International Business Machine)

·         Position: Technical Consultant

What drew you GEOG/GIS/ENSP?

 GIS

What internships or independent research did you do as a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?

Internships:

Facilities Management (with the University of Maryland)

-          Working with GIs tools and applications along with working with front end development

FedCentric

-          Learned about cyber security working on spark and insider threat protection

CattLab (Center for Transportation Technology)

-          doing Gis development

What do you do at your current job?

I am currently doing procurement of goods with clients from all over the world. I work with the software to be able to do supply chain along with teaching other venders how to use the software.

Source orders of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics tests, and medical equipment to be sent to 39 countries – predominately in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia’s Mekong Region in support of the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).

What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success while they are still undergraduates?

I would recommend that they do as many internships in many different fields and gain a lot of experience as possible. Network with a lot of people and make connections to gain more exposure to what you are interested in and push and get out there and try to do as much as possible. Also, do not let your degree be the only thing that is giving you leverage because the more skills you have the more marketable you become. Look for what you are passionate about and try to gain exposure in those fields and set goals for you to get closer to what you are passionate about. 

What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success after graduation?

Do not think that your first job will be your dream job. Also, do not be afraid to do something because you are not good at it, I would say give everything a chance and try to go above and beyond and get good at it. Once you get good at something then make the decision to whether is it right for you. I would say get comfortable being uncomfortable because that will lead to growth. Allow yourself to take in as much as possible and to never stop learning.  

What do you miss the most about UMD?

The thing that I miss most about UMD is the people and the memories that I made with others at the university. I miss the support system that the university provides to help students succeed, thank you to Keith Yearwood for always having your door open to talk and give me career advice and life advice. 

What are some of your hobbies/interests?

Rock climbing, watching movies, hanging out with friends, traveling, trying new foods

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would like to give thanks to Keith Yearwood, Naijun Zhou, and Allen Eney for the advice in life and the lessons in the classroom and for always going above and beyond to help students to succeed in their goals and passions. Thank you as well for Amanda Hoffman Hall for allowing me to come speak to her GEOG212 class about my experience and a chance to give back. 

June MPS Alumni of the Month: Trevor Olexy

Name: Trevor Olexy

Year of graduation: 2015

 Current employment status: Employed

·  Employer: United States Dept. of State

·  Position: Data Visualization Expert, Bureau of Conflict Stabilization Operations

What is a recent project that you have worked on that you have drawn on skills from the MPS program?

I have been running time-series statistical analysis on conflict data in Africa. Without a solid background in spatial stats from the MPS program, I would not be able to properly address questions I received from ambassadors. I routinely lean on ArcGIS to make stunning maps with a story. Model building and scripting are key when manipulating and organizing or cleaning data. Data is almost never clean. I’m down in the data-trenches daily, one of the best ways to get to know your data.

How have the skills you have learned in the MPS program helped you progress in your career?

 The skills gained from completing the MPS program allowed me to apply my expertise in transportation, deforestation monitoring, and now conflict analysis/big data. The wide array of courses available in the MPS program allowed me to take those courses I thought would be the most exciting and useful to me in the future.

What drew you to the MPS GIS program at Maryland?

-Two previous alums of the MPS program turned me on to the existence of something called GIS. It was only natural that my love of maps and computer programming led me to pursue a master’s degree with some wonderfully experienced professors at UMD.

What advice can you give current and prospective students about the MPS program?​

GIS is a massive and ever expanding field. I cannot stress enough how many opportunities exist for GIS professionals, even in fields you may think do not have a geographic aspect. As a student, it can take some time to pinpoint your geo-passion (unless you are one of the lucky-ones) but once you do and actually even if you don’t, doors will open. I started out as an intern with Amazon Conservation Association here in DC, was promoted to GIS/Remote sensing consultant under-taking large projects, and now on to the US State Dept on the advanced analytics team as their geospatial analyst for conflict. Never stop exploring!

What recommendations would you make to current students for career and academic success after graduation?

-Focus on what excites you. GIS is an expansive field with myriad niches to explore. Possibly anecdotal, but I have been required to back up policy recommendations, research, and analysis with a sound statistical foundation. Focus on your stats classes, they will help you in the future even if they may be painful (as they were for me!). It can be hard but if you can make some sacrifices for unpaid internships or lucky enough to find paid ones or consultancies, do as many as you can. Experience is paramount in the GIS job search. Strive to tell stories with maps. Shapes and colors can be made to look stunning, but if the customer is unable to interpret it and draws incorrect conclusions from the map…well you get the idea.

What are some of your hobbies/interests? 

-Almost too many to mention: competitive track cycling, sitar performance, woodworking, performing with my bluegrass band, fixing anything I can get my hands on, cooking and taking care of my dogs and chickens.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Background:

Bachelors in Psychology UMCP

Bachelor’s in Jazz Bass performance UMCP

MPS GIS: UMCP

Worked full time as a train control technician with WMATA while earning my Master’s degree (it’s possible!) and happy to have found my niche in the professional world. 

Government & Politics Summer Courses