Bloomington and SPEA- A Parternship for The Urban Forest

SPEA is well known for its involvement in the Bloomington community. One great example of this partnership is taking place this semester with Burney Fischer’s Urban Forest Management Course, for which I am a Teaching Assistant. The class is composed of both undergraduate and graduate students who are involved in Environmental Science, Management, and Policy. It is a special topics course for graduate students and a permanent course for undergrads.

This semester, Burney and I developed a pilot project in which students were placed in mixed groups and assigned a Bloomington Neighborhood that will be the focus of a case study designed to analyze the neighborhood’s urban forest. The purpose, couched in service learning, is two-fold: to allow students the invaluable experience of analyzing and interpreting data, and to offer Bloomington neighborhoods and the Bloomington City Forester recommendations for improving the city’s trees.

Student groups have approached the project with biological and social analysis. Burney and I were involved in biological data collection through the 2007 inventory of the city’s street trees, and this information was provided to students by neighborhoods. The data included information such as the species, relative age, and condition of street trees. In addition, students have gone beyond street tree data and considered the urban forest population that is composed of private trees on residential properties.

Social data is an important consideration for students, as well. Groups were encouraged to meet with neighborhood associations to begin to gather the data. Several groups surveyed residents of their neighborhood, requesting information on the citizens’ involvement with the care of their trees, and their desires for planning the future urban forest. Students quickly found that Bloomington Neighborhood Associations and citizens are highly involved in the care and maintenance of their urban trees.

So the case studies are being wrapped up here at the end of the semester and it turns out that we have gotten some press coverage over our work with the Neighborhoods! Last Friday, the Herald Times reported on one of our group’s organizational efforts to have Lee Huss, the City Forester, plant trees in Green Acres for Arbor Day and for the whole neighborhood to observe. The day was a big success and the story ran on the front page of the Down to Earth section in the Herald Times; check it out at: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2008/04/25/earth.qp-2501124.sto

SPEA’s New Dean

This academic year began with Prof. C. Kurt Zorn serving as the interim dean of SPEA, since former dean Astrid Merget left to become the provost and executive vice president of Louisiana State University in 2007. Thus, an arduous search for a new dean began. Led by Charles Bantz, chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, a search committee of 15 members set out to interview candidates for a new dean for SPEA.

Throughout the year, both students and faculty guessed who and when SPEA will have a new dean.  This issue also received attention due to the fact that new rankings in the U.S. News and World Report was coming out this year as well. Pursuant of SPEA’s new ranking, John D. Graham was named SPEA’s new dean, which will come into effect on August 1st. Dr. Graham served as a Harvard University faculty; in addition, he has also worked with White House Office of Management and Budget, to name a few of his accomplishments. With his experiences in university and governmental settings, many students look forward to what Dr. Graham has planned for SPEA as dean in the upcoming years.

Reference:

“John Graham to lead IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.” 17 April 2008. IU News Room. Accessed 23 April 2008 <http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/8028.html>.

Google Images. Accessed 23 April 2008 <http://rand.org/staff/photos/2006/graham_john_d.jpg>.

Interning at Partnership for Public Service

As summer approaches, SPEA students are not only trying to juggle their academic workload, but they are also getting ready for their summer internships. Searching and applying for an internship can be a rewarding experience in and of itself; however, finding the time to do so often can become a daunting task. SPEA’s career services would always advise student to start early, but often we get caught up with school and would struggle to use our spare time for internship applications.

The process of searching to completing an internship has been a rewarding journey for me, particularly because as an international student, I had to overcome the additional tasks of complying with visa status requirements and familiarizing myself with the U.S. job market. As I walked through each step of the internship process, I learned about not only the procedural aspect of dealing with all the paperworks to satisfy my internship requirement at SPEA, I also gained the experiences of looking for housing in Washington, DC and working in an non-academic professional setting. I had the opportunity of working with the Government Transformation team at Partnership for Public Service. The Partnership is a nonprofit organization that aims to “revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.” The team which I worked with specifically aimed to improve federal management and performance; in other words, the team offered pro bono consulting service to federal agencies. The team also consists of support from the private sector, which provides assistance among various projects. Due to the nature of the organization, I assisted with tasks ranging from general administrative work to facilitating meetings with NASA and USAID. In that process, I gained valuable experience and learned to interact and network with miscellaneous types of people. One of the most rewarding things for my internship is the connections I made through my work.

Not only did I get a sense of what it would be like to work in the real world, I also now have a better idea of what skill sets I still would like to develop before I graduate. I always think one of the toughest challenges is having a job that I do not like, for whatever the reason. I believe an internship is a great way to get acquainted with  a job or a sector, and it may help you decide whether the orientation of your goals and career path after graduation is really what you have always thought it would be.

For more information about the Partnership, check out http://www.ourpublicservice.org/OPS/

The Kinsey Institute

Indiana University Bloomington is home to the Kinsey Institute, which promotes the study and research of gender, human sexuality and reproduction. Perhaps some of you saw the film, Kinsey, that came out in 2004 that portrayed the life of Alfred Kinsey and discussed his research on human sexuality. I don’t know if you remember, but all of this took place right here in Bloomington!

Not only have scholars at Kinsey written some of the most groundbreaking work in this field, but the Institute itself is open to the public during the week. They have a gallery where they display different art exhibits. This month I went to see Women of Pleasure. This exhibit includes photographs, paintings, literature and much more of women from the 18th and 19th century.

A few months ago, the Institute is hosting a guest lecturer, a historian from the University of Illinois, who will speak on “The Sorceress, The Servant, and The Stays: Sexuality, Race, and Politics in Eighteenth-century Britain.” This was a wonderful and insightful lecture.

The Kinsey Institue isn’t the only academic institution or school on campus that hosts wonderful lectures. For example, just last week Bill Clinton spoke on campus and this week IUB is hosting the final showing of Riverdance – and tickets were under $20 for students!

As you can see, there are many wonderful opportunities to explore different & diverse intellectual topics, listen to political speakers and even attend wonderful arts entertainment.

Staying Active

Every new calendar year always starts off with a crowded Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC), full of people with new year resolutions. The SRSC, along with Health, Physical Education & Recreation Building (HPER), serve as the two major IU facilities for staying active here in Bloomington. SRSC, for instance, houses strength & conditioning areas, a semi-private strength circut and cardio studio, racquetball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, to name a few. The Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatic Center, in addition, consists of an indoor Olympic-sized pool and a diving well. HPER, as IU’s first recreational sports facility, houses similar options.  These facilities also offer group exercises, personal trainers, intramural sports, and swimming lessons. Group exercises, for example, are very popular; they can range from belly dancing and pilates to kickboxing and deep water exercise. Many of these activities are free of charge for IU students, and the frequency of your attendence is at your leisure.  

Given the number of options you can choose from at SRSC or HPER, let’s not forget that the Bloomington campus is a beautiful place to walk, jog or bike around. Especially when the weather is nice,  the campus is full of people enjoying the sunshine and staying active at the same time. If you ever have an opportunity to visit IU’s Bloomington campus, and especially if you are interested in staying active, I’d recommend checking out SRSC and HPER to get a glimpse of another resource that IU offers.

For further information, see http://www.iurecsports.org/

SPEA’s Experience Day and the Student Professional Enrichment Auction

The last week of March here at SPEA was nothing less than crazy! The week consisted of our Prospective Student Visit Day or “Experience Day,” as well as the Third Annual Spring Student Professional Enrichment Auction (S.P.E.A.). These are both exciting events at SPEA in which current students, faculty and staff are truly engaged in our little community despite their hectic midterm responsibilities and day-to-day work!

Experience Day proved quite successful with over 75 prospective students in attendance, over 40 current students involved, and all faculty and staff engaged to welcome future SPEA grad students. The day consisted of breakfast with faculty and current student ambassadors, a welcome and introduction by the Graduate Program Office, followed by faculty presentations, campus tours, career services presentations, lunch with alumni and current students, and in the afternoon, concentration breakout sessions. At the end of the day, the prospective students had the opportunity to attend the Spring S.P.E.A. along with current students, faculty, staff, and alumni! What a great way to experience SPEA. All in all, as an ambassador, I got to know five students very well–all of whom have followed up with questions for me as they decide where they will ultimately attend graduate school. This personal outreach surely accomplishes our goal on Experience Day, to allow prospective student to see if they feel that SPEA is the right fit for them!

The Spring SPEA is an enjoyable evening in which prospective students really get to see how SPEA is one big family! The event was organized three years ago by Masters students who saw a need to help support Masters students who were taking unfunded internships and trying to pay for professional development opportunities on grad school budgets! The resources raised give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have obtained at SPEA to advance research, strengthen their communities, and share their experiential knowledge in their classrooms, activities, and projects. This increases the professional network of the students and broadens the reputation of SPEA. In fact, this was the case for me, as I was awarded a scholarship for professional development that was funded by the auction. The money allowed me to attend a regional conference where I presented a paper I had written–this opportunity was invaluable, since as a PhD student, presentations will continue to be a part of my career!

There were several exciting items auctioned off this year. For the third year in a row, Professor Terry Usrey offered “A Day on the Farm.” Winners visit Professor Usrey’s goat farm, milk goats and learn to make their own goat cheese (which they take home, along with many memories, I’m sure). Another item that went for quite a pretty penny was a week’s stay at a bed and breakfast in New Zealand. A basketball signed by a former IU Coach was considered priceless!! Those items brought excitement to the live auction, but several smaller items in the silent auction were competitive. A package of spring flowers was popular, as were several hand-made authentic Russian crafts. Artwork including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and jewelry were popular as well.

More exciting than all these prizes was the relaxed atmosphere that the event provided. It gave all involved the opportunity to socialize, network, and just enjoy one another–a meaningful event for a school whose mission reflects hard work to solve the complex problems of the world. The auction shows that SPEA works hard and plays hard (and raises money for a good cause while doing it)! I can’t wait for next year!

Taiwan Night

The evening of  March 19, 2008 marked the debut of Taiwan Night, a student-organized cultural event which aimed to introduce the country of Taiwan to the SPEA community. A group of enthusiastic Taiwanese students prepared a selection of authentic Taiwanese dishes, including pot-stickers, stir-fried rice noodles, Taiwanese hamburgers, and many other delicious options that are hard to find in the Mid-West. In addition to the traditional cuisine, students put on a skit about a typical day of a Taiwanese’s life, followed by a Q & A session. Prizes were given to members in the audience who answered questions about Taiwan correctly. The evening continued with a calligraphy and  traditional Taiwanese games, each set up at a different booth for people to enjoy. The setting was similar to the typical “night market” scene, whereby booths of various goods and foods are set up along a street for people to purchase and experience.

The Taiwanese students put much thought and planning into the actualization of this event. Through the financial and technical support from the Graduate Programs Office (GPO) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago, this evening’s success was a reflection of the Taiwanese students’ hard work and dedication. The Taiwan Night not only provided free food for both faculty and students, it offered an opportunity for SPEA students to learn more about the diversity and another nationality that are present within their own community.

Practical learning

In almost all of the classes I have taken at SPEA, there have been several exercises or projects that are “hands-on real-world” work experiences. Not only do we learn the theory and read the literature, but we then apply these lessons directly to an experience that you are likely to walk out of the classroom into the office and repeat.

Just this week we completed an exercise in my Management of Urban Government Services course with Professor Orville Powell. It was a simulated contract negotiation between the firefighters union and the city administration. For those of us entering local government administration, this was an amazing exercise.

The class was divided into two groups. Three students for the administration negotiation team and three students for the firefighters union negotiation team. About three weeks before our mock negotiations took place, we were given access to budget information and issues for our side of the negotiation. Each issue was assigned a point value and our grade for the negotiation was based on how many of our issues we secured in the final contract.

After we completed the negotiation process, the administration had to present the proposed contract to the city council (i.e. Professor Powell), where we all learned how frustrating it can be for the council to send you back to the drawing board.

This is one of my favorite things about SPEA – all of the practical experiences in the classroom that will serve me so well in the workplace.

What?! Free Classes?

That was my response when I first heard about the instructor-led training workshops, or also known as STEPS workshops, by University Information Technology Services (UITS) at IU. In addition, UITS offers online and self-study training tutorials, IT courses, and print materials for those who prefer working on your own. Moreover, certification and testing are also options that you can consider, if interested or necessary for your program or future career. Okay, so these may not be “classes” per se, but STEPS workshop, for instance, is free of charge for IU students. When I first found out about them, I signed up for as many as I could. A word of caution: do not let your enthusiasm overwhelm you; these are three-hour courses, and they lose their initial appeal once you spend a couple of Saturday mornings sitting in front of a computer from 9 to 12P.M. Nonetheless, taking free workshops is a great way to enhance your resume, as you become acquainted and proficient in softwares such as Access or Dreamweaver.

Aside from free workshops, IU also has a Writing Tutorial Service. Tutors from various disciplines provide both discipline-specific and course-specific tutoring; they work with students at any stage of the writing process. International students have found this resource particularly helpful as they receive assistance with revising a paper or just getting a second opinion on a writing assignment.

I have found these resources to be particularly beneficial, although there are many other resources IU has made available at no or minimum charge to assist its students. It is one of goals to utilize the resources which have been made available to me, and I hope this is a sentiment others share with me. Oh, by the way, did I mention the free downloads IU students have too?

SPEA and the Indiana Sustainability Alliance

Tonight, I took advantage of a great opportunity in Indianapolis that I learned about through SPEA. A few weeks ago, an email circulated on the Graduate Student email list regarding a meeting of the Indiana Sustainability Alliance (INSA), a new organization meant to bring together various Indiana institutions and individuals working on sustainability initiatives. My advisor, Professor Burney Fischer, as well as a friend and SPEA alumnus, Mike Steinhoff, decided to attend. Unfortunately, Burney couldn’t make it, but Mike and I drove up this evening and I am so happy that we attended.

Dr. Michael Walsh, Executive Vice President of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), and former Mayor of Honolulu, Jeremy Harris, presented. Mayor Harris discussed his city’s sustainable rebirth—a process that involved redesigning the city’s core infrastructure, transportation, and energy utilizing state of the art technologies for planning and implementation. Walsh described CCX, the voluntary greenhouse gas emissions trading market. Their presentations were informative and inspirational, offering real solutions to global climate change and concerns of sustainability–a refreshing message given that we often only here the doom and gloom!

Both speakers are certainly significant players in the sustainability field, and frankly, having never heard of INSA prior to the email announcement, I was surprised they attended. At least I figured that the event organizers must have some pretty good connections! After the presentations, during a networking reception, I had the chance to chat with INSA’s steering committee, Paul Jones and Alex Foreman. I quickly learned that the two men are SPEA graduates! They organized the event, supported by their employer, Ice Miller, because they recognized a lack of collaboration among sustainability initiatives in the state.

Leave it to SPEA grads to make such a great event come together with such significant speakers! Paul, Alex and I exchanged contact information and we plan to get SPEA more involved in the newly formed alliance. Since SPEA has recently developed a new MPA concentration entitled “Sustainable Development,” and given the school’s focus, we believe that building this relationship will be beneficial for both SPEA and the alliance. I can certainly see a future here–a sustainable one!