The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati 2008-2009 Call For Scholarship Applications

The Robert I. Westheimer and Eddie Lee Ralls Sellers internships offer graduate students guided opportunities for hands-on work in grantmaking and unparalleled exposure to health policy work. While each internship experience is unique, both internships focus on the development of skills in community health and philanthropy. In addition, the internships provide opportunities for doing small studies and participating in workshops, training, and roundtables at the Foundation. The 20-hour-per-week internships include a stipend and a tuition allowance. More information about these internships is enclosed.

PA TIMES Seeks Quality Articles

The PA TIMES, monthly newspaper of the American Society for Public Administration, is currently seeking quality articles for upcoming issues.

Articles must remain between 1000-1200 words, contain no references and adhere to the deadlines below. Authors need not be ASPA members.

If you have any questions or would like to see our author guidelines, contact me at cjewett@aspanet.org. Please pass this along to any colleagues you think may be interested in writing for the paper.

The 2008 PA TIMES Editorial Calendar is as follows:
Note: Items in parentheses are intended as subject ideas for monthly topics. Authors are not limited to these subjects and are encouraged to write in their specific areas of expertise

February: Activating Civic Engagement (Case studies/Encouraging participation/Making participation useful)Issue Travels to ASPA ConferenceDeadline for Articles/Advertising: January 22, 2008

March: Why a Public Service Academy?International Supplement: International Public Administration: Emerging Governments(Current trends/ASPA programs, What can U.S. administrators learn from other countries) Issue Travels to ASPA ConferenceDeadline for Articles/Advertising: February 20, 2008

April: Case Studies in State PA: What was the Defining Issue in Your State?(Ideas that are working/Burden sharing/Current challenges)ASPA Conference Coverage Issue Deadline for Articles/Advertising: March 20, 2008

May: Strategic Resource Management: Doing More with Less(Capital projects and infrastructure, Service delivery, Tax revolts and spending limits, information technology, downsizing)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: April 21, 2008

June: Balancing Personal Ethics and Public Duties (whistleblowing, religion in the workplace, balancing the roles of citizen and public servant, personal vs. professional ethics)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: May 22, 2008

July: Managing Contracts/Contractors(Getting best value from contractors, Nonprofit perspective on government contracting, Procurement issues, Contract administration issues)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: June 20, 2008

August: State of Emergency Management (Collaboration/What’s better, what’s worse/Success stories, How Hurricane Katrina helped California)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: July 23, 2008

September: Gender Issues in PA(What has changed, what remains the same?)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: August 22, 2008

October: Leadership Development and Succession Planning (Case studies or examples of actual leadership development programs or succession planning/Resources for leadership development or succession planning)Education Supplement: Evolving PA Education: Preparing Public Servants for the 21st Century (Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Technology, Communication, Are curriculums evolving fast enough, contract(or) management, dealing with non-governmental service delivery mechanisms) Deadline for Articles/Advertising: September 22, 2008

November: Changing of the Guard: How Do Administrators Handle Relationships with Newly Appointed/Elected Bosses?(Educating non-specialists, Balancing political leadership and professional standards, Dealing with short-timers)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: October 22, 2008

December: PA Success Stories(Current innovations, Telecommuting, Victories large and small)Deadline for Articles/Advertising: November 21, 2008

Best Careers for a Changing Job Landscape

By Marty Nemko
US News and World Report

It has only been a year since U.S. News published Best Careers 2007, yet much has changed. As a result, in Best Careers 2008, we've dropped five of the 25 profiled careers and added 11 new ones.

We've also added a new section on Ahead-of-the-Curve Careers. These 12 careers are too nascent or narrow to justify inclusion as a Best Career, but they are currently viable and promise to grow further in demand and importance to society. If you'd enjoy being on the cutting edge, they're certainly worth a look.

The factors that prompted changes in the list of Best Careers have implications for all career seekers. Here is a glance at some trends and a word on how to search for your best career:

Even college grads might want to consider blue-collar careers. Last year, because U.S. News readers tend to be college educated, we included only careers that typically require at least a bachelor's degree. This year we've added four careers that don't. Why? More and more students are graduating from college at the same time that employers are offshoring more professional jobs. So, many holders of a bachelor's degree are having trouble finding jobs that require college-graduate skills. Meanwhile, society has been telling high school students that college is the way, so there's an accelerating shortage of skilled people in jobs that don't require college. (Why else do you think you have to pay $100 an hour for a plumber?)

The four noncollege careers we added would be rewarding even to many college graduates, especially because college grads are likely to stand out against the competition. Those added careers are: biomedical equipment technician, firefighter, hairstylist/cosmetologist, and locksmith/security system technician. Other skilled blue-collar careers that scored well on our selection criteria: machinist (manufacturers report a shortage), nuclear plant technician (few people are entering the field, yet plans are on the books for building more plants), and electrician/electronics tech (above-average pay, and it's easier on the body than many other blue-collar careers). The takeaway: Many college graduates should consider skilled-trade careers.

Government is becoming an employer of choice. Corporations, fueled by pressures to compete globally, continue to get ever leaner. Nonprofits are increasingly strapped because of donor fatigue and continued scandals. Government, beneficiary of increased tax revenues in good times and often able to raise taxes in bad times, has the luxury of continually paying employees well, whether it's an economically sound practice or not. As the last bastion of job security, government offers good pay, ample sick days, holidays, vacation days, health insurance, and retirement benefits. With signs pointing to the Democrats taking control of the White House plus both houses of Congress, government hiring of nonmilitary personnel can be expected to increase. So, we have added government manager to the list of Best Careers.

Consider a career's resistance to offshoring. Well-publicized failures of offshoring may have led the public to think that companies are reducing its use. In fact, companies are quietly increasing offshoring efforts, even jobs previously considered to be better left in the United States: innovation and marketing research, for example. So, we have added offshore resistance to the criteria we used in selecting the Best Careers. Offshore resistance was one of the factors that led to adding these careers to this year's list: curriculum/training specialist, genetic counselor, ghostwriter, investment banker, mediator, and usability/user experience specialist.

Status may be the enemy of contentment. It seems the pursuit of status is greater than ever. People are flocking in greater numbers to such careers as medical research, medicine, and architecture. Yet recent surveys and other indicators of job satisfaction in those professions paint a less-than-rosy picture. So, we've added those three careers to our list of Most Overrated Careers, which includes other high-status but often unrewarding careers such as attorney and chef.

A list of careers is a great place to start. We've tried to identify careers likely to be enjoyable to many people and to write short profiles that will give you a real feel for what each career is like. But these profiles, like any, should be only a starting place for your career search. If a career's profile appeals, read the recommended website or book.

If the career still turns you on, visit a few people in the career to get a balanced view. Ask questions like: "Would you walk me through your career from the moment you chose it up to today? What's good and bad about the career that might not appear in print? In the end, what ends up being key to being good at this career? Why do people leave this career?"

Next, browse textbooks used in training for this career. Would you be good at that stuff? Finally, volunteer to work alongside someone in this career for at least a week. If you're still excited, you've probably found a career in which you'll be happy and successful. Congratulations.

U.S. News Contributing Editor Marty Nemko is a veteran career coach and host of "Work With Marty Nemko" on KALW, 91.7 FM in San Francisco. He is the author of Cool Careers for Dummies (fully revised third edition).

PPM 810N Room Change

Dear students,

PPM 810N with Professor Wirick has been moved from JR 0371 to Page Hall 0010. The class will still meet at its normally scheduled time of Tuesday and Thursdays from 7:30-8:48.

If you have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, please plan to show up for class in Page Hall this evening.

Thanks,
Ryan

Congressional Research Awards Announcement

DEADLINE: All proposals must be received no later than February 1, 2008.

The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund
research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congress. A total of
up to $30,000 will be available in 2008. Awards range from a few hundred
dollars to $3,500.

The competition is open to individuals with a serious interest in
studying Congress. Political scientists, historians, biographers,
scholars of public administration or American studies, and journalists are among those eligible. The Center encourages graduate students who have successfully
defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and awards a significant
portion of the funds for dissertation research.

The awards program does not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study.
Organizations are not eligible. Research teams of two or more
individuals are eligible. No institutional overhead or indirect costs may be claimed
against a Congressional Research Award.

There is no standard application form. Applicants are responsible for
showing the relationship between their work and the awards program
guidelines. Applications are accepted at any time. Applications which
exceed the page limit and incomplete applications will NOT be forwarded
to the screening committee for consideration.

All application materials must be received on or before February 1,
2008. Awards will be announced in March 2008. Complete information
about eligibility and application procedures may be found at The Center's Web
site: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm. Frank Mackaman
is the program officer -- fmackaman@dirksencenter.org

The Center, named for the late Senate Minority Leader Everett M.
Dirksen, is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational
organization devoted to the study of Congress and its leaders. Since 1978, the
Congressional Research Awards (formerly the Congressional Research
Grants) program has paid out $680,000 to support 350 projects.

Course Packet for PUBPOL&M 880H07

is ready for sale by Uniprint @ the Tuttle store or online at http://uniprint.osu.edu/coursepackets/

Winter Quarter Application to Graduate

For those of you planning to graduate Winter Quarter 2008, please note that the “Application to Graduate” forms are due to the Graduate School by Friday, January 11. Application forms are attached to this message and available in our office, Room 110 Page Hall, and should be submitted to me or Susie Cinadr at the front desk by Wednesday, January 9 so that we can obtain all necessary signatures in time for the Friday deadline. Forms are also available on the Graduate School web site at http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Category.aspx?Category=7&itemid=11. Please complete only the top portion of the form and sign it at the bottom. We will complete the middle portion of the form and collect faculty signatures. Please submit your form as soon as possible.

A “Comps Study Group” sign-up sheet has been posted on the bulletin board in the student computer lab for those of you taking the comprehensive examination and interested in a group review. If interested, please sign the sheet and contact others on the list to form your group. Exam questions from the previous year will be given to those students taking the comprehensive exam.

The Comprehensive Exam Committee for Winter Quarter is: Policy—Prof. Marvel (Committee Chair); Economics—Prof. Keeler; Management—Prof. Brown; Quantitative—Prof. Heintze. The Comprehensive Exam is scheduled for Friday, February 15, 2008 in room 240 Page Hall. The exam is scheduled to be held from 8:00am - 3:00pm with a one hour break from 12:00-1:00pm. Comprehensive Exam results are due to the Graduate School by Wednesday, February 27th. Commencement is scheduled for Sunday, March 16th. The School’s annual pre-commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 2008. We will recognize and celebrate our graduates from Summer 2007, Autumn 2007, Winter 2008, and Spring 2008 at our pre-commencement ceremony. You will receive an invitation in the spring and we hope you and your family will plan to attend.

Please feel free to contact me at meadows.76@osu.edu or 614-247-6375 if you have any questions or need assistance.

Thanks,
Ryan