Social Security Advisory Board Seeks a Full-Time Policy Analyst

Policy Analyst

Social Security Advisory Board

The Social Security Advisory Board (Board) is seeking a full-time policy analyst to report to the Board’s research director. The Board is a small, bipartisan, independent federal government agency that advises Congress, the Commissioner of Social Security, and the president on matters of policy and administration of the Old-age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.

The policy analyst will provide research, writing and data analytics assistance to the research director and other staff members on topics, such as disability, systems modernization and public service concerns. The policy analyst will undertake research assignments with minimal supervision, draft summaries of findings and contribute to varied projects and the development and dissemination of publications.

Responsibilities

• Find, analyze, synthesize and organize written material and data in a summarized form

• Prepare and analyze statistical data using Stata and visualize these data using Tableau

• Provide editing assistance for research and communications products

• Fact-check and proof-read documents in preparation for publication

• Conduct research on a variety of short-term projects and develop briefs to the Board

• Assist in the coordination and planning of meetings, events and other outreach efforts

• Continually develop expertise in assigned areas of responsibility

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; economics, political science, sociology and journalism preferred

• One year of research or analytical experience in economic/social policy preferred (part-time okay)

• Proven ability to perform quantitative analysis required; familiarity with Tableau, Stata and other statistical software strongly preferred

• Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as an understanding of public policy

• Initiative and the ability to multitask and work well with limited supervision necessary

• Commitment to public service

• U.S. citizenship is required for consideration

Kiplinger Personal Finance Paid Summer Internship

The Kiplinger organization, a respected business and personal-finance publishers, is seeking a bright and motivated full-time research intern to work with writers and editors at Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and Kiplinger.com.

Duties:
The intern’s duties will be primarily to collect, organize and analyze data for various projects. The intern will also assist in proofreading, copy editing and fact-checking, and loading content on to our website, Kiplinger.com. In addition, the intern will have the opportunity to write for the magazine and the website. Attention to detail and experience with Microsoft Excel is essential, and an interest in personal-finance journalism is a plus.

Requirements:

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel, web-based programs 
• Excellent research skills 
• Strong analytical, organizational and communication skills 
• Attention to detail 
• Familiarity with InDesign is a plus. 

Internship Period: June 4 to August 17
This is a paid internship, or for course credit, and is an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience in magazine production and writing as well as web content development, and to learn about various aspects of personal finance and investing.

Kiplinger Washington Editors is located at 1100 13thSt., NW, Washington, D.C. Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to:

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine
Attn: Human Resources
hr@kiplinger.com

Student Leader Scholarships

Through the generosity of several alumni and the Student Government Association, four scholarships are available for student organization leaders. The Carlson, Mintz and Price families along with the SGA have established scholarships to support student leaders. The scholarships were created to help a deserving student organization leader manage costs associated with tuition and related costs of Maryland. Each scholarship recipient will receive a $500-1000 award for the fall 2018/spring 2019 semester. These scholarships recognize the sizable contribution of time and energy that student organization leaders contribute to the campus community through their service.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Current or incoming student organization leader
• In good academic standing with the University
• Preference given to students with financial need

Additional Considerations:

• Demonstrates strong work ethic and positive attitude
• Significant involvement and/or leadership within student organizations

The application for this scholarship can be accessed via this link: http://go.umd.edu/leadershipscholarship.

Applications are due by 5pm on May 31, 2018.

Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship

The Department of Resident Life is currently accepting applications and nominations for the Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Award. Applications and nominations for the 2018-2019 academic year award are due July 1. All University Graduate and Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Faculty, staff, and members of the campus community are welcome to nominate deserving students of this award.

The scholarship award was established in recognition of Joe Mitchell's compassion for the less fortunate members of our society and in honor of his ability to befriend, guide and mentor individuals whose ability to succeed as students at our institution was challenged by some personal or family circumstance. Scholarships will be awarded each fall and spring semester to one or more deserving students. These are one-time awards of up to $2,000 per recipient.

For more information about the Scholarship Award, please visit http://josephmitchell.umd.edu.

If you have any questions or would like more information regarding the scholarship, please feel free to contact either Michelle McCubbin (mmccubbi@umd.edu, 301-314-9555) or Dai-An Tran (datran@umd.edu, 301-314-0416).

ECON488W - Wealth Management Fundamentals

In Fall 2018, the Department of Economics will once again offer ECON488W: Applied Research Practicum - Wealth Management Fundamentals. This course will meet on campus in the Fall semester Wednesdays from 5:00-7:00 pm. This program is an excellent opportunity for economics majors to understand the importance of financial planning and develop the skills need to implement a successful financial plan. These skills are useful for your own financial planning or if you are interested in a career as a financial planner. A sample syllabus for this course is available here.

Student Perspectives: 
“ECON488W not only taught me important information about Wealth Management and how to approach retirement, but I was also able to gain skills in research and presentation. I became much more comfortable presenting on topics that I had done research on and learned how to best present information so that it is easy for the audience to understand.”

“ECON 488W is a great class that will allow you to seriously develop your technical skills. I created a Monte Carlo simulation to predict portfolio performance as part of a group project to model needed retirement savings."

Entry into the program is competitive; only a maximum of 20 students will be selected to participate in Fall 2018. Students must meet the minimum qualifications and apply to be selected for this research course.

Minimum qualifications include:

• Junior or Senior ECON major 
• UMD Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 
• Successful completion of Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON305 or ECON325) AND Statistics (ECON230, BMGT230, ECON321, or STAT400) 
• Successful completion of ECON330 preferred by not required 
• Coursework or other experience using Excel and basic regression technique

The application for ECON488K is available here. If you are interested in applying, follow the instructions and submit all required application materials. Completed applications may be submitted in person to the ECON Advising Office (3108 TYD) or by email to ugadvising@econ.umd.edu. 

**ECON488W may be used for 2 credits of the Experiential Learning requirement (BA students only) or as 2 credits of electives (BS students). BA students should meet with an ECON advisor to discuss options for completing the final 1 credit for this area.

Summer Economic Strategy Group Intern, Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster enlightened leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with issues critical to our society. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners.

Economic Strategy Group: The mission of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group (ESG) is to gather, in a non-partisan spirit, a diverse range of distinguished leaders and thinkers to address significant structural challenges in the U.S. economy. The ESG fosters an open exchange of new and out-of-the-box economic policy ideas, and socializes viable, bipartisan solutions to pressing economic challenges among Washington policymakers. The ESG also seeks to foster bipartisan relationship-building among the next generation of policy leaders in Washington.

Basic Function: The ESG is seeking an intern who is motivated, responsible, detail-oriented, and a self-starter with strong written and verbal communication skills. This internship will include policy research, including drafting summaries of issues and policies; communication efforts; coordinating meeting logistics under the guidance of program staff; and significant administrative support. Special projects will be assigned depending on the needs of the program and the skills of the candidate.

Duration: June to August, 2018 (timing is flexible)

For more information and to apply go here.

June 2018 Immersion Trip to Poland (Rising Seniors)

U.S. Student Culture, Economic and Diplomacy Immersion Trip to Poland (June 2018)

Seeking rising college seniors, graduating in 2019
Deadline to Apply - May 9th

General Electric and the Office of the President of Poland launched a program that offers a unique opportunity of a short summer visit to Poland under the sponsorship of the President of Poland.

We would like to extend an invitation to take a part in this exciting experience that will be a combination of political, economic and cultural exchange as well as sightseeing. It includes visits to leading Polish and multinational firms located in Poland and meetings with Polish government officials and business leaders. The agenda includes also meeting President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, meetings with various government officials, tours in Polish factories, including GE Power, as well as sightseeing fascinating Polish cultural places. Through this experience, we would like to promote and enhance students’ knowledge about Poland by providing ‘on-site” learning experiences.

Economics Writer, American Economics Association (Pittsburgh, PA)

The American Economic Association has an opening for an entry-level economics writer. We are looking for a candidate with demonstrated writing ability, an academic background in economics, and an interest in academic research appearing in top journals like the American Economic Review to serve as an Economics Writer beginning in the summer of 2018.

You will be working as a web content writer and digital journalist to interpret the latest economics studies for a broad online audience, writing pieces for the AEA’s website in the style of an explainer article that might appear on FiveThirtyEight, Vox, or The Upshot.

Your job is to take highly technical academic research articles and summarize them for non-economists, drawing connections to both current events and trends in the economics profession. You will use relevant data to create static and interactive visualizations that will help build audience interest. You will also help promote recent studies on the AEA’s Facebook and Twitter feeds and conduct social media analyses.

If you are passionate about understanding and communicating economics concepts in terms that real people can understand, this is the job for you. It is a great opportunity to build a portfolio of published work and deepen your knowledge of economics across a variety of fields.

Learn About Investment Banking with UBS - Freshman & Sophomores

Current students: Are you interested in learning more about investment banking?

UBS is coming to campus on Thursday, May 3rd to provide more info on Investment Banking! Check out the events below:

UBS Lunch & Learn 

May 3rd, 12pm-1pm: Freshmen/Sophomores
You'll hear from Ahmed Attia, Managing Director and UMD Alum, about his career in Investment Banking and insights into the industry. Afterwards you'll have the opportunity to chat with additional UBS representatives. RSVP Required: https://careers.umd.edu/event/ubs-lunch-learn-freshmensophomores

UBS Office Hours with Junior Investment Bankers

May 3rd, 1:30pm-3:30pm (by appointment): Sophomores
Join UBS's junior Investment Bankers, who will be hosting one-on-one office hours for Sophomores in the Career Center from 1:30-3:30 pm. These office hours are by appointment only, so RSVP here: https://careers.umd.edu/event/ubs-office-hours-investment-bankers-sophomores

UBS Office Hours with Their Recruiter

May 3rd, 1.30pm-3.30pm (by appointment): Sophomores
Join UBS's Investment Banking recruiters, who will be hosting one-on-one office hours for Sophomores in the Career Center from 1:30-3:30 pm. They are on hand to give an overview of the application process, give resume/interview tips and answer any of your questions! These office hours are by appointment only, so RSVP here: https://careers.umd.edu/event/ubs-office-hours-ubs-recruiter-sophomores

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is Hiring!

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a research and grant making organization that engages with academics and policymakers to better understand and address the effects of economic inequality. A core component of Equitable Growth’s mission includes providing grants to academic economists and social scientists to support new research on inequality, mobility, growth, and related issues.

We recently posted several new positions. For details and to apply, visit the links below:

Research Assistant (2 Openings)

Research Assistant to the Executive Director