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GWIPP – Graduate Women In
Public Policy Newsletter Each friend represents a world in
us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, In this edition…
Greetings fellow GWIPP members, I hope this February finds you each to be happy, healthy, and warm. February brings for many the dreaded holiday of Valentine’s Day, which just happens to be my favorite holiday. Any feelings regarding the Hallmark corporation aside – here is a day unencumbered by history or a specific religion in which the only universal expectation is to tell others how much you love them. What can be wrong with that? The problem lies in the definition of love. Love is not just a committed partner relationship; love extends to all family, friends, pets, co-workers, fellow students, teachers, mentors, strangers, and people we have yet to meet. Each brings love into our life in some way. And we get an entire day to celebrate the love! If you aren’t feeling the love this Valentine’s Day, reach out to your fellow GWIPP members. The virtual community is a great support and networking resource but sometimes we just need the human presence and personal connection. I have made a resolution to reach out more often to old friends with whom I have lost touch, a large population of which are dynamic women I became friends with during graduate school. If you are looking for formal opportunities to meet up with GWIPP members, there are opportunities aplenty. There were many GWIPP members among the attendees at the SPP Happy Hour in January - laughter was shared and great stories were swapped. Another opportunity is the SPP Career Networking Night coming up on February 28th. Last year’s event was a fantastic reunion of alumni and students as well as a great chance to learn more about career opportunities and meet potential SPP members. Finally, Jane Kim is hosting a GWIPP event at her home on April 9th. Come out and feel the love! Laura Hogan
GWIPP is seeking Alumnae for interviews with students. Contact Courtney Workman, GWIPP Alumnae Relations Chair, at (410) 381-0809 or by email at Courtney.workman@opm.gov with any topics you are willing to discuss. You will be paired up with a student who has expressed an interest in similar topics. Interviews can be done in person, by phone or email – whatever is most convenient. GWIPP members tell us that these interviews are extremely helpful and with your help we would like to continue to provide them. There will be no alumnae interview for February. The Alumnae interviews will resume in March.
Many of us choose to attend the Maryland School of Public Policy because of the school’s emphasis on public service. For some of us that translated into government or nonprofit sector jobs, others have chosen to live out that ideal by volunteering for local charities, serving as mentors or participating on foundation boards among other things. We are looking for future articles on public service and how you work to make your community a better place – whether it be through a formal job or a volunteer position. Please contact Courtney Workman, Alumnae Relations Chair, at Courtney.Workman@opm.gov or by phone at (410) 381-0809 if you can share your story with us. Melissa Gallagher-Rogers, MPP, 2002 Melissa is currently employed as a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy, Weatherization Assistance Program Being young, single and living in DC, I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed not having any responsibilities beyond getting myself to work on time five days a week. In the two years since I left UMD, I have taken full advantage of the change from the time commitment of graduate school. My job requires several weeks of travel per year and I embrace the opportunity to travel on short notice for work or fun. In addition, my flexible schedule makes it much easier to visit family and keep close contact with friends located in other parts of the country. As much as I value these opportunities, I noticed something lacking from my life. Up to this point, I had been involved in civic organizations and volunteer groups and I missed giving back to my community in this way. It seems that there are many DC area residents in a similar situation; enough of us so that an entire organization was founded to link us to community groups in need of volunteers. Greater DC Cares (www.dc-cares.org) provides flexible volunteer options for DC area residents. They compile and email a monthly calendar of volunteer opportunities from various local groups that are in need of extra help and do not require a specific time commitment. In the several months that I have worked with Greater DC Cares, I have taken kids hiking on a Saturday afternoon at Great Falls Park, planted trees in my neighborhood, and served Sunday dinners in Columbia Heights. The volunteer opportunities are located in Maryland, DC and Virginia and are usually metro accessible. If they are not close to a metro then rides are often arranged. The volunteers range from college students, to parents with their children, to retirees—all looking to fit volunteering into their busy schedules. The calendar has activities most days of the week and several meet every week or every month. Every event I attended was well run and I felt that my efforts were making a difference even if I only attended once in a while. I highly recommend Greater DC Cares as a flexible volunteer opportunity.
GWIPP General Meeting
GWIPP Potluck Dinner and Get-Together
MSPP Resume Workshop
Tsunami Benefit Concert
MSPP Networking Workshop
MSPP Annual Career Networking Night
Women in International Security (WIIS) Sixth Annual WIIS Career Fair
National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference: Preserving and Improving the Federal Nutrition Safety Net
UN60: A Time for Renewal: A Special Commemoration of the UN's 60th Anniversary
Carolyn Chuhta, GWIPP President, serves as the GWIPP representative in monthly Dean/Student meetings to improve the Maryland School of Public Policy. She will use this column to let students and alumnae alike learn about the ongoing changes at MSPP. If you have a concern that you would like transmitted to the Deans, please contact Carolyn at cachuhta@presidency.com. There were no Dean/MSPP meetings in December or January. The next meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2005 and we will prepare an update for the March newsletter.
Publications Chasing Dirty Money: The Fight Against Money
Laundering Originally developed to reduce drug trafficking, national and international efforts to reduce money laundering have broadened over the years to address other crimes, and most recently, terrorism. These efforts now constitute a formidable regime applied to financial institutions and transactions throughout much of the world. Yet few assessments of either the achievements or consequences of this regime have been made. Reuter and Truman (1) explore what is know about the scale and characteristics of money laundering, (2) describe the current anti–money laundering regime, (3) develop a framework for assessing the effectiveness of the regime, and (4) use that framework to assess how well the current system works and make proposals for its improvement. The Leading 100 New Foundations Funding Women and Girls These foundations have assets of $43 billion and grants of more than $3.1 billion. The guide takes a close look at 100 of the largest new foundations, most working below the radar, and brings ground-breaking research and profiles in women's and girl's philanthropy to your desktop. This new directory includes 100 in-depth profiles on the new foundation leaders in funding programs and projects that affect the lives of women and girls, including contact information, boards of directors, interest areas, geographic giving patterns, and grants paid. http://www.womensnews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2129/ Windows of Opportunity: The Pursuit of Gender Equality in Post-War Iraq Iraq's post-war reconstruction period holds long-lasting implications for women. Women for Women International has released a briefing paper on the importance of women's inclusion in the reconstruction process and measurable progress on a variety of political and social issues. http://www.womenforwomen.org/Downloads/Iraq_Paper_0105.pdf
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