Monday, November 26, 2007

Fall 2007 course evaluations

Course evaluation packets have been distributed to our faculty and instructors, and some have already begun distributing them to their classes. These things are pretty straight forward and easy to complete, but there are just a couple of things to remember. First, only the front of the form has to be completed in pencil; ink is too reflective for the machine that processes the forms. We try to provide enough of the golf pencils for those who may need one, but sometimes our supply runs short as we offer more classes as time goes on. So if you find yourself having to share a pencil, you can complete the front in pencil but you can write any comments you'd like on the back in ballpoint pen.

Regarding comments you submit, the department staff literally retype them verbatim (including the emoticons that occasionally find their way in) into MS Word. Faculty members will see your comments as a typed Word document, not your hand-written evaluation form, to ensure anonymity as best we can.

Finally, for those who are double-majors, please pick the one you most closely identify with and use that to answer the first question, "What is your major?" The machine that processes the forms will reject your evaluation form is you fill in multiple responses for that question.

Many thanks!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Rhodes Scholars

Congratulations to one International Affairs alumnus, Kate Vyborny (2005), and one IA major, Deep Shah, on being named Rhodes Scholars. Read more here.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Serbian Ambassador at UGA

Please join us for a lecture given by Serbian Ambassador Dr. Ivan Vujacic about the "Future of Kosovo". Can Kosovo's independence cause more conflict in the region and around the world? Will the independence create a new rogue state? This lecture will reveal the present conditions on Kosovo and the importance of Kosovo to Serbs and the countries in the region.

His excellency Dr. Ivan Vujacic has served as Serbian Ambassador to the U.S. since 2002. He was previously Professor of Economics at University of Belgrade, Serbia. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is one of the founders of G17 group of independent economists.

When: Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 6:00pm

Place: Larry Walker Room, 4th floor of the Dean Rusk Center on North Campus

Sponsored by:
International Affairs Council
School of Public and International Affairs
Dean Rusk Center

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Dean Rusk Center Annual Lecture

The Willson Center - Dean Rusk Center Annual Lecture

Diana Wallis, Vice President of the European Parliament, will give a speech titled:

“WHO RUNS WHO: DOES EUROPE FOLLOW THE U.S., OR DOES THE U.S. FOLLOW EUROPE ON MAJOR POLICY ISSUES?”

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, NOVEMBER 6, at 12:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Larry Walker Room, Dean Rusk Hall (4th Floor)

Presented by the Dean Rusk Center and the Wilson Center for Humanities & Arts, and co-sponsored by the Georgia Society for International and Comparative Law.

(Pizza and Refreshments will be served)

For more info, see: http://www.uga.edu/ruskcenter/announcements.html

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Something for Halloween

A little off-topic, but for the Simpsons fans in our audience, on Halloween Day the Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the UGA Libraries and the Peabody Awards Office are presenting a special marathon screening of the Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" episodes for Halloween. The episodes will be presented in two sessions:

Part I: 3:00-5:00 in SLC 248
Part II: 6:00-9:00 SLC 150

Download a flyer here.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

NSEP--David Boren Scholarships

National Security Education Program-David L. Boren Scholarships provide opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to learn less commonly taught languages (such as Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, Hindi/Urdu, and Persian/Farsi) while studying, for terms ranging from a summer (for freshmen and sophomores) to a full academic year, in regions of the world critical to U.S. interests but underrepresented in study abroad. Preference is given to applicants wishing to study overseas for a full academic year.

Applicants should still be undergraduates at the time their proposed program of study abroad finishes.

A service requirement stipulates that an NSEP awardee work in the federal government in a position with national security responsibilities -- typically for a period of one year. The Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, or any element of the Intelligence Community are priority agencies

The internal deadline for applications is January 22, 2008; campus interviews are February 5, 2008; and the external deadline is February 12, 2008. More information, including the online application, can be found at www.iie.org/nsep and from UGA's NSEP Campus Representative, Dr. Steven Elliott-Gower (segower@uga.edu or 706-542-2649).

Monday, October 08, 2007

GLOBIS Friday Forum, October 12

This week's Globis Friday Forum will feature a presentation by Professor Daniel Bodansky, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law. Professor Bodansky's talk is entitled, "The Future of the International Climate Change Regime" and will discuss the current state-of-play in the international climate change negotiations, and the prospects for a new agreement to address the post-2012 period, when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period runs out.

This installment of The Center for the Study of Global Issues (Globis) Friday Forum Series will be held in the 4th floor conference room of the Franklin House from 3:00 to 4:00 PM (please note the special time for thiss session).

** Internationally recognized as one of the premier authorities on global climate change, Daniel M. Bodansky joined Georgia Law in the fall of 2002. In August 2006, he was named associate dean for faculty development. He teaches public international law, international environmental law, and foreign affairs and the Constitution. He has served as the climate change coordinator and attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of State, in addition to consulting for the United Nations in the areas of climate change and tobacco control. His scholarship includes two books, 24 scholarly articles and book chapters, five book reviews and more than 40 papers and presentations. He is the recipient of a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, a Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs and a Jean Monnet Fellowship from the European University Institute in Florence. Professor Bodansky is co-editor in chief of Kluwer Law International's book series on international environmental law and policy and is the U.S.-nominated arbitrator under the Antarctic Environment Protocol. In addition, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Society of International Law.

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NEXT WEEK: On Friday, 19th October at 1:00 PM, the Globis Friday Forum Series will welcome Dr. Brock Tessman, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs who will give a presentation on TE Lawrence and American Grand Strategy.

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LOCATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION:
Globis is located in the historic Franklin House on the corner of Thomas St. and Broad St. at the Northern edge of campus. Please e-mail jonpolk@uga.edu or call 706-542-6633 for directions.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

2007 Learning Technologies Showcase

The Learning Technologies Showcase Planning Committee would like to remind everyone interested in teaching and learning with technology to attend this year's Learning Technologies Showcase.

The 2007 Learning Technologies Showcase provides UGA faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to "come explore how faculty at UGA are engaging students in learning with technology." This year's event takes
place on October 9, 2007, from 10 am to 3:30 pm, in the Tate Student Center, and includes faculty presentations on lecture-enhancing technology, interactive instruction, stereo visualization, and more.

This year's UGA presenters are all recipients of grants from the Learning Technologies Grants (LTG) program. The purpose of the LTG program is to enhance teaching and learning at the University of Georgia through the innovative use of media and information technology. This program supports explorations of new technology and is administered by the University's Committee for Academic and Instructional Technologies (CAIT).

This year's event also features a keynote speaker, author and instructional technology specialist Dan Schmit. Dan will be speaking on "Creative Learning Spaces in a Digital World" in Georgia Hall A, Tate Student Center, beginning at 12:30. Preceding Dan's talk will be a vendor luncheon, attended by several technology vendors supporting the 2007 LTS. The vendor luncheon begins at noon.

No registration is required for the showcase or the keynote luncheon; however, seating for the keynote luncheon is limited and attendees will be seated on a first-come basis.

For more information, including downloadable flyers and agenda, please see the Web site for the 2007 Learning Technologies Showcase:

http://ltshowcase.uga.edu

Saxby Chambliss Fellowship

A message sent out by the SPIA undergraduate advising office.

The School of Public and International Affairs & Office of Senator Saxby Chambliss Foreign Policy and National Security Fellowship

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The Office of Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia invite applications from SPIA undergraduate and graduate students for the Foreign Policy and National Security Fellowship.

The Foreign Policy and National Security Fellow will work for Senator Chambliss’ Senior Policy Advisor for National Security Affairs during the 2008 spring semester, January through May. The Fellow will be directly involved with a broad range of issues and activities in support of Senator Chambliss’ responsibilities in the field of international affairs, security policy, and intelligence oversight. The Fellow’s tasks will include the following:

* Assist in the preparation of background papers for the Senator’s meetings and Congressional hearings dealing with international affairs, security policy, and intelligence oversight.

* Attend selected Congressional hearings and prepares a précis of relevant points.


* Analyze the major on-going world events that impact U.S. security interests and provide commentary on their significance.


* Participate in discussions and briefings on national security issues at selected universities and think-tanks.


* Research certain foreign affairs topics using the Library of Congress and other available resources.


* Coordinate with the Executive Branch, especially the Departments of State and Defense, on a broad range of foreign polity issues.


* Work with other Senators’ offices and with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to coordinate Senator Chambliss’ endorsement of relevant bills, resolutions, and letters.


* Meet with certain individuals, on behalf of Senator Chambliss, to discuss their concerns and interest in national security affairs.


In addition to a stipend of $1,500 per month, the Fellow is expected to pursue academic credit through directed readings or an independent project related to the work of the Fellowship.

In order to apply, students should submit an application portfolio including:

- A letter of application

- A personal resume

- An official academic transcript (obtainable from the Registrar’s Office)

- A list of three references (at least two of which should be academic)

Applicant’s portfolios should be completed not later than OCTOBER 22nd to:

Office of the Dean
School of Public and International Affairs
The University of Georgia
204 Candler Hall
Athens, GA 30602-1492.

Finalists for the fellowship will be interviewed on campus during the 2007 fall semester. The selected Fellow will be notified not later than November 9, 2007.

Additional information: All undergraduates regardless of class standing are invited to apply. Required academic coursework will vary according to the Fellow’s needs. Ideally, the Fellow will register for INTL 4720, 4721 and 4722; although other options will be considered.

The Career Guide published by The Career Center provides general information on writing letters of application (p. 25) and creating personal resumes (pp. 14-21). The Career Guide can be picked up at The Career Center in Clark Howell Hall or in the Candler Hall lobby and is available as a “pdf” download at http://www.career.uga.edu/multimedia/webCareerGuide06-07.pdf.

Transcripts can be ordered at the Registrar’s Office. Your list of references will ideally come from faculty members, although one outside reference is acceptable.

The Dean’s Office will contact those students with completed applications on October 29th and 30th to schedule an interview to take place on November 5th.

Students may apply to both the Public Policy Fellowship and the Foreign Policy & National Security Fellowship.

Any questions can be forwarded to Paul Welch by email at texan@uga.edu or phone at (706) 542-0096.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Study, Work, & Travel Abroad Fair

The Office of International Education is conducting the 23rd annual UGA Study, Work, & Travel Abroad Fair on Wednesday and Thursday, October 3 & 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Georgia Hall of the Tate Student Center. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about study abroad programs at The University of Georgia. For more information click here.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Upcoming dates of importance

A few upcoming dates students need to be aware of.

Tuesday, October 9 is the mid-point of fall semester, but the mid-point withdrawal deadline is Friday, October 12. After that date students who withdraw from a class receive a WF for the course.

Fall break is October 25 & 26.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Science & Security Lecture

The University of Georgia

Science and Security Lecture

___________________________________________________________

Please join us for this interdisciplinary seminar series which brings UGA scientists and policy experts together to address the most pressing security challenges of the 21st century.
___________________________________________________________

Building a

BETTER BIODEFENSE

Kendall Hoyt
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School

Tuesday, September 18, 2007
12:30 p.m.

Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences Auditorium

www.biomed.uga.edu * www.cits.uga.edu

Sponsored by the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute and the Center for International Trade and Security at UGA

Link to FLYER: http://www.biomed.uga.edu/S&SLecture_09.18.07.pdf

GLOBIS Friday Forum, Sept. 21

Please join us Friday, September 21st from 1:00 to 2:00PM for the next installment in the ongoing Friday Forum Series hosted by The Center for the Study of Global Issues (Globis), to be held in the 4th floor conference room of the Franklin House. This week's presentation is by SPIA Adjunct Professor of International Affairs and Associate Director of Globis-Europe, Dr. Carlo Pelanda.  The talk, based on his new book, is entitled, "The Grand Alliance: The Global Integration of Democracies"  An abstract follows:

"The system of world governance built on US dominance, the Dollar and the Western nature of international institutions is crumbling. The United States is still the single most powerful country in the world but it is now too "small" to maintain its role as global governor as it has done since 1945. The world has simply become too big to be governed by one power. Current trends show that divergent regional blocks and mega-nations are being formed. This will weaken the governance of the global economy and exacerbate its security problems, increasing the risk of destabilisation over the entire planet. A period of research has begun to identify international political architecture able to keep the world stable. This book is part of this research and recommends the future alliance of the world's great democracies: America, countries in the European Union, Russia,India and Japan. The gradual convergence of military and economic power within these nations will produce credible global governance based on Western and technical values. But to bring this about, the European Union will have to shift from its current passive role to become an active player in international relations."

Also, if anyone is interested in presenting a paper, thesis, prospectus, or dissertation, please contact Jon Polk at the e-mail address or phone number listed below.

Finally, please mark your calendars for Friday, September 28th, the next installment of the Globis Friday Forum, which will be a presentation by Njeri Marekia-Cleaveland, the African Program Specialist for the International Center for Democratic Governance at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

Globis is located in the historic Franklin House on the corner of Thomas St.
and Broad St. at the Northern edge of campus. Please e-mail jonpolk@uga.edu
or call 706-542-6633 for directions or to be removed from our mailing list.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Study, work, and travel abroad fair

UGA students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to gather information and speak to representatives from dozens of study, work, and travel abroad programs from every continent at the annual Study, Work, and Travel Abroad Fair on October 3-4. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Georgia Hall of the Tate Student Center.

Last year, nearly 2,000 students attended and learned about the variety of options available. Students can work, volunteer or study a foreign language abroad while earning credit toward their degrees.

Options Abroad Sessions in the Office of International Education (third floor, Bank of America Building) are also available for students to obtain additional information about study abroad programs. These small-group sessions (approximately 50 minutes) are offered three times a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons. To reserve a space for a session or to schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor, students may call 706-425-3274.

For more information on UGA's study abroad programs, visit: http://www.uga.edu/oie.

In the news

Dr. Patricia Sullivan is featured in the September 10 edition of Columns, the UGA faculty/staff newsletter, on her research regarding how militarily weaker nations prevail over stronger ones. Read the article here.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Some pictures

A few photos of the display of miniature American flags at the Memorial Garden outside the SLC for the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.


Friday, August 24, 2007

Congratulations

Congratulations to department staffer Kathryn Johnson and her husband on the birth of their first child on August 20, 2007!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Dang it's hot!

With a heatwave hitting us just in time for the opening of the campus dorms and just before the start of fall semester, some (hopefully) useful information from OSEP and the UHC.
TO:  UGA Faculty and Staff

FROM: The Office of Security & Emergency Preparedness and University Health Center

RE: Heat Advisory

Our offices have received a number of inquiries regarding appropriate practices to protect yourself during the current extreme heat wave. A list of guidelines, signs, and first aid for heat illness is available from the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness Web site at http://www.osep.uga.edu/. To supplement the recent media advisories, we want to remind the University community to take precautions and observe others when outdoors. All employees and campus visitors required to spend time outdoors should be monitored carefully for any signs of heat-related illnesses. This is particularly important for all students, parents, volunteers, and staff involved in the upcoming residence hall move-in process which will require physical exertion. Because classes are not in session, this notice is being sent to faculty and staff only. If you are aware of students who are in Athens or on-campus during the summer, please feel free to forward this message to them.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Room changes

With fall semester to start on August 16, please take note that we've had room changes made to a couple of our classes, in particular INTL 4250 with Dr. Tessman and INTL 4430 with Michael Jasinski. Both classes have been moved to Journalism 401. These changes as yet haven't been made to the printed version of our schedule that you can download from the department's web site, but they have been made in OASIS. Once we're sure that the game of musical classrooms is done, we will post a revised printed schedule.

Friday, June 22, 2007

In the news

Dr. Mia Bloom participated in a webchat for the U.S. State Department on Wednesday, June 20, 2007. She discussed women participating in terrorist organizations. A transcript of her chat can be found on the State Department's web site here.