Some globally-oriented student research addresses energy and finance issues as they relate to economic development in developing countries.  For example, Gunjan Gautem presented, “Microfinance Intervention for Financing Solar Cooking Technologies–Financing with Savings” (3/11/12).

Other students elect to conduct comparative studies of multiple countries, such as Sanjay Arora’s paper, “Graphene SME Commercialization Strategies: A Cross-Country Comparison.” (4/15/12)

Some students have conducted research on energy infrastructure within developing countries to assess its impact on economic development. Consider Diran Soumonni’s paper, “Comparing Centralized and Distributed Generation of Electricity in West Africa: Which Way Forward?” (9/10/10)

Many faculty and students are attracted to the study of globalization, particularly China’s role. Public Policy students are no exception. Jian Wang presented a paper entitled: “Multinational R&D in China: Marching between R&D Triadisation and Manufacturing Globalization.” (10/09)

One of the strategic goals of the Georgia Institute of Technology is to graduate responsible global citizens. Understanding global issues, the drivers and impacts of globalization, and how to respond responsibly for a sustainable future are goals that animate Public Policy faculty and students. Public Policy graduate students engage in first-rate original research to explore and envision a better future.

To demonstrate the diversity of the research conducted by SPP graduate students and their interests across the public, private and nonprofit sectors, consider these workshop topics offered during the 2011-12 academic year:

Alex Smith (MSPP Student), Costs of Electricity Demand Response Programs.

Ben Deitchman (PhD Student), Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) in Georgia.

Matt Cox (PhD Student), Green Shoots: City Values and Sustainability.

Fanny Guezennec (MSPP Student), Is Public Funding or Private Giving More Stable? The Resilience of Social Services and Delivery during the 2007-2009 Recession.

Yu Wang (PhD Student), Energy Policy and US Electricity Demand.

Xiaojing Sun (PhD Student), Myths and facts about Clean Energy in the US South.

These are just the papers presented during the Fall 2011 semester. The strong representation of energy papers is due, in large part, to the leadership of Professor Marilyn Brown. Dr. Brown’s consistent awards of federal grants enables her and her students to engage in large-scale, original research, resulting in numerous WOPR and conference papers and eventual publications.

Both Masters (MSPP) and doctoral students participate in WOPR sessions as presenters and as active participants in discussions. These WOPR experiences further educate students, prepare them for their future careers, and give them a competitive advantage in addressing the pressing public policy issues of the 21st century. The WOPR sessions represent one more way the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech strives to enrich students’ experiences.

“On December 27, 2010, President Obama signed Executive Order 13562, entitled “Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates.”  This executive order established the Pathways Programs (5 CFR 362.109), which includes the following three program components:  the Internship Program, the Recent Graduates Program, and a reinvigorated Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program.”

“The Pathways Programs replaces the Student Education Employment Program (SEEP) by consolidating the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) and the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) into the new Internship Program.  Until the Pathways guidance is rolled out, hiring managers and officials are encouraged to utilize the SCEP and STEP authorities for their immediate hiring needs.  After the guidance takes effect, no STEP or SCEP-based vacancies will be permitted.”

 ”The agencies’ review of the new Pathways regulations is now in its final stages.  Publication of the final regulations is targeted for May 2012, with the official roll out of the guidance for Pathways regulations to occur 60 days after publication.  The guidance will include information on various aspects of the Pathways initiative such as program implementation, transition guidance, how to postPathways-related vacancies on USAJOBS.gov, outreach, and training.”

“Additional information on the Pathways Programs is available at: www.opm.gov/hiringreform/pathways.  If you have any questions on the Pathways Programs, please send your email to Pathways@hhs.gov or contact Sunny Hester, Director, Human Capital Management at 301-443-6499. “

The School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech is pleased to announce that the NSF has officially awarded a CAREER grant to Dr. Aaron Levine for his 5-year project entitled: “Ethically Contentious Science and the Graduate School Experience.”  To learn more about this ambitious research project, see the NSF project abstract. To learn more, contact Dr. Levine through his web page.

Dr. Levine earned his Ph.D. in Public Affairs from Princeton University(2007), an M.Phil. in Biological Sciences from Cambridge University (2002), and a B.S. in Biology with Highest Honors and Highest Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2000).  He also received the distinction of Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellow (2003).  Dr. Levine’s recent publications include policy analyses of stem cell research and reproductive technologies.  He is also author of a book entitled: “Cloning: A Beginner’s Guide.”

This CAREER award benefits not only Dr. Levine’s career but strengthens the School’s emphasis on Bioethics.  In addition to his planned publications, his research project will yield direct benefits to students within the School from his projected development of a new course and a seminar series and other activities to improve student learning. One of the most intensely beneficial learning experiences for graduate students is participation in scholarly research as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA).  Dr. Levine will be hiring GRAs to advance his research and support student research skills. 

The School of Public Policy looks forward to the excellent research findings and publications to emerge over the next five years of Dr. Levine’s project.  By addressing stem cell science and bio-nanotechnology, Dr. Levine once again keeps the School of Public Policy focused on emerging sciences and technologies.

Kaplan exemplifies a commitment to public service, particularly to the legislative process, and is an excellent example of the leadership qualities that the School of Public Policy seeks to instill and inspire in all students.

To learn more about Tyler Kaplan, see “Eben Tisdale Fellowship Moves Kaplan Toward Career in Washington.”

To learn more about other outstanding undergraduate students in the School of Public Policy, see also the Public Policy undergraduate blog. If you have questions or comments about this undergraduate Public Policy blog, please contact our Undergraduate Academic Adviser, Leslie Jackson at 404-385-3091, or our Program Director, Dr. Richard Barke at 404-894-8282.

Director Clark Bonilla in the School of Public Policy assists all Public Policy students in identifying and applying for grants and fellowships.  This is just one more service the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech provides to give students a richer academic experience and a competitive edge in the job market. To learn more about these services, please contact Director Bonilla at clark.bonilla@pubpolicy.gatech.edu or call 404-385-7220.

Under the direction of John Yates, 2012 Chairman of the State of the Industry: Technology in Georgia report, the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), examined the economic impacts (direct, indirect, and induced) of technology industries in Georgia on the Georgia economy.  TAG intends to use this report’s findings to drive science and technology policy discussions within Georgia, resulting in economic growth and development. 

The 2012 State of the Industry report finds the following:

• Technology industries contributed a total economic impact of $113.1 billion to the state of Georgia.
• Georgia’s technology industries employ 253,000 workers, adding nearly 6,000 in 2011, with 71% of technology companies planning to increase hiring in 2012 over 2011.
• The state’s technology jobs paid an average of $81,000 in 2011, which is 85% higher than the wages earned by the average Georgia worker.
• Presently there are over 4,000 unfilled technology jobs in Georgia due to a critical lack of skilled labor on the job market, so Georgia needs to educate and train more technology workers.
• Technology exports from Georgia now account for about one-third of total state exports, reaching $9.9 billion in 2011.
• Mobile and wireless technologies are driving the technology sector’s growth in Georgia
• Georgia’s share of the venture capital market has declined when benchmarked against North Carolina and Florida.
• The state’s high school graduating class of 2011 scored below the national average on 8 of 11 Advanced Placement exams in STEM subjects. Georgia students also performed below the national average of the Math section of the SAT, placing 49th nationally.
• The Office of Policy Analysis and Research within the Georgia Tech Research Institute found that Georgia ranked 28th overall in the number of bills introduced in 2011 addressing science, technology, and innovation.
• Overall business satisfaction with Georgia in the technology sector increased 10% in 2011, although the score was only 7.5 on a 1-10 scale.

In short, the state economy is growing with the technology sector leading the way in innovation, new job creation, employee salaries, and exports.  But clearly much more work is to be done, particularly in STEM education and Science and Technology Policy, to ensure that Georgia continues to grow and remains competitive.  Enter graduates of the School of Public Policy. They are uniquely qualified to analyze impacts, weigh costs and benefits, and recommend an innovative path forward. Now is the time for our graduates to lead.

How does TAG involve Public Policy students, faculty and alumni? 

TAG offers a discounted membership fee for students to encourage their education and networking with technologists and other concerned with technology industries at their many events statewide. Network with CIOs, COOs, and other senior managers from NCR, Cisco, AT&T, and a host of other companies.

TAG offers internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Get involved with public outreach and public relations efforts to affect Science and Technology Policy at the state level. 

TAG is now engaging in original research, such as the “State of the Industry: Technology in Georgia, Key Findings 2012.” (Listen to their video presentation on their research findings.)  Gain research experience on original scholarly research projects focusing on technology industries in Georgia.

TAG will inform you of full-time, permanent employment opportunities and give you the opportunity to network with corporate recruiters. Learn first-hand what HR recruiters are seeking in candidates and how to make yourself more competitive. 

TAG offers Public Policy students and alumni the opportunity to observe major political and business leaders and develop their own leadership abilities through interactions, workshops and webinars.

Last but certainly not least, support an organization dedicated to advancing Science and Technology Policy within the State of Georga. TAG’s study concluded that technology industries significantly advance Economic Development within Georgia, contributing to an estimated $113.1 Billion in economic impacts in 2011, representing about 13% of the state’s GDP.

With 31 societies, Public Policy students and alumni can certainly find a group to join. For example, some relevant groups include: Young Professionals, Workplace Learning, Social Business, Smart Grid Energy Society, and Government Technology, to name a few. 

Best of all, TAG offices are located at Tech Square and many events are hosted there. What could be more convenient? Don’t let this wonderful local resource go untapped in your Tech experience. Get TAG-ged!

There is a talent war going on, as corporations compete against one another for talent, particularly for managers and leaders.  While there has been a plethora of new social media products and services to aid corporate recruiters, the value proposition, “quality of hire,” has not been achieved consistently. Why?  HR and corporate recruiters have been using social media to identify and contact potential employees but not to initiate and sustain relationships. 

Mr. Freeman asserted that HR and corporate recruiters need to adopt “real social recruiting,” defined as long-term scouting for potential future hires, initiated and sustained by social media and complemented by periodic face-to-face contacts, driven by third-party referrals.  This allows recruiters to build a long-term relationship with potential hires, evaluating them and confirming the validity of referral recommendations.  This is a networking model supported by relationship management with the goal of achieving “quality of hire,” selecting the right candidate for the right position in the right company. What do all of these “rights” mean?

First, a potential new hire must fit very well the company’s mission and organizational culture.  Second, the potential new hire’s skills, knowledge and goals must match very well the position into which she is being placed.  Third, the quality of the match will reduce the likelihood of a quick turnover, that is, the new hire will stay with the firm long enough for the firm to recoup it’s initial investment in hiring and training the new hire.   Unfortunately, traditional HR recruitment efforts only yield a 50% success rate at this matching process.  This is very costly for US firms.

What does this new trend toward “real social recruiting” mean for Public Policy students and graduates?  It means expect the recruitment process to be a long-term process.  If a recruiter approaches you without a specific position in mind, don’t discount the value of that contact. If she is evaluating you for a future placement, be open to establishing a long-term relationship with the recruiter.  If invited to corporate events, by all means, attend. You might even receive a discount to banquets, special mixers, and memberships to professional associations.  The HR or corporate recruiter may aid you in getting published to raise your visibility (and future value) among potential employers.  Connect with that recruiter via your LinkedIn.com profile.  Broaden continously your connections through your LinkedIn.com profile, but also schedule a time to meet each connection as far as possible.  (You never know which of your contacts will offer a recruiter a positive recommendation of you.)  Always stay positive. Always be “relationship-focused.” Share with the recruiter what your “ideal” position would be, not just immediately but also as your career goal.

Don’t forget about a recruiter just because you accept employment elsewhere.  Their long-term approach means they’re building a database of potential “quality of hire” candidates for whenever their corporate clients come to them seeking to fill a position. They are less concerned about placing you immediately. They are more concerned about placing you in the right position with the right company, which, in turn, boosts their reputation with their corporate clients, and these recruiters will seek to move you up and forward in your career.

As I have been advising our students and graduates, don’t look for a job; search for a career.  Recruiters are seeking candidates with a long-term perspective on their careers, explicit goals, a professional development plan (lifelong learning), and consistent and constructive social skills.  This is a marathon with potential obstacles along the way, but you must persevere to reach your goals. 

This real social recruiting, or relationship recruiting, is about evaluating you as a professional over time. Do you build relationships effectively? Do you treat people as people and not a means to your ends? Do you have integrity in all aspects of your life and career? (Yes, they will look at all of your social media to evaluate your personal life for potential risk factors.) 

For someone at the outset of his or her career, these can be challenging questions to answer. Talking with other professionals who have traveled diverse paths can be enlightening. One perspective is never sufficient.  After all, building relationships is fundamentally about gaining and respecting new perspectives, goals and values. 

My door is open to Public Policy students and alumni, if you’d like to discuss these matters. I will also be organizing discussion groups. Contact people you’ve connected with on LinkedIn.com.  Start listening and learning how you may run–and possibly win–that marathon. –Clark Bonilla, Director of Alumni and Career Services, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology.

In addition to hiring emerging scholars in Environmental and Energy Policy, the School of Public Policy hosts a variety of public debates, forums, panel discussions, visiting scholar guest lectures, and special faculty and graduate student presentations.  One such venue is the Blended Research @The Library Series sponsored by the Georgia Tech Library.

On Thursday, April 19, Dr. Ryan Lively, Mr. Mark Simpson, and Dr. Marilyn Brown (see photo) presented the sixth panel discussion within the Blended Research @The Library Series for the 2011-12 academic year. Their presentation was entitled: “Going Green: Sustainable Technologies.”

Dr. Ryan Lively, a Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, at Georgia Tech, delivered a presentation on novel low-energy intensity separations for biofuels, focusing the potential of Algenol processes for alternative energy production.

Mr. Mark Simpson, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, presented: “The Solar Vortex: Electrical Power Generation Using Buoyancy-Induced Vortices.”  Mr. Simpson explored how artificially induced vortices could be harnessed to capture thermal energy.  He presented his prototype technology for this purpose, identified the low environmental impact of this novel technology, and presented preliminary findings of its energy efficiency relative to traditional energy sources.

Dr. Marilyn Brown delivered a presentation entitled: “The Closing Door on 450 ppm CO₂ or 2° C Rise in Global Temperature.” Dr. Brown addressed the critical role of energy efficiency in meeting national and international energy consumption and CO₂ emissions reductions.  Georgia Tech and Duke University have collaborated to advance research in this area and are the only two universities in the U.S. that utilize the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) to model and forecast energy consumption.  The NEMS is the major system utilized by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for such energy modeling and forecasting.

This panel discussion identifies the rich learning environment in which all Georgia Tech students, particularly Public Policy students, may participate.  By studying Environmental and Energy Policy at Georgia Tech, students gain access to world-class scholars, are introduced to cutting-edge energy-related research, are introduced to cross-disciplinary presentations and interdisciplinary research, and even have the opportunity to present at such venues.  (Of course, these venues provide a training opportunity for graduate students to improve their presentation skills and gain vital feedback to their research.) 

In disciplines across campus, scholars and doctoral students are intensely researching national and global energy technology issues.  If you are interested in Energy Policy and energy technologies, join this community of world-renowned scholars.

For more information on future presentations within the Blended Research Series, see:  http://libguides.gatech.edu/ or contact FED@library.gatech.edu.

On April 12, during the annual Awards Banquet, the students of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech selected Dr. Douglas Noonan as the outstanding “Faculty of the Year.” (See photo: Jen Yun, Dr. Douglas Noonan, and Randy Gibbs, President of the Public Policy Graduate Student Association.)

Dr. Noonan earned his Ph.D. (2002) and M.A. (1999) in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and his B.A. (1995) in International Studies from the University of Washington. 

He specializes in Economic approaches to policy issues. His research interests range from environmental problems to energy efficiency to historic preservation and the impact of the arts on economic development.  His forthcoming articles include:  “City Air or City Markets: Worker Productivity Gains across City Sizes,” with Douglas J. Krupka, in International Regional Science Review, and “Spatial Effects in Energy-Efficient Residential HVAC Technology Adoption,” with Lin-Han Chiang Hsieh and Daniel Matisoff, in Environment & Behavior.   Whether studying city air quality, open source software, or contingent valuation methods, Dr. Noonan has demonstrated a willingness to partner and publish with other faculty and graduate students with the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech as well as researchers around the country. He has supervised both graduate and undergraduate research assistants in many projects leading to scholarly publications.

His research has been supported the National Science Foundation, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., American Enterprise Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, and Red Hat, Inc. He is presently serving as a Co-Principal Investigator on the project, “Nanostructured Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion,” sponsored by the National Science Foundation (award #1069138) through 2015. This grant from the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program at the National Science Foundation provides exemplarly and long-term support to graduate research assistants in the School of Public Policy as well as from other schools at Georgia Tech.

Whether it was Dr. Noonan’s support of undergraduate and graduate research assistants, his involvement of graduate students in his publications, his unique Chicago economics perspective, or his friendly demeanor, or perhaps for all of these reasons and more, the students of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech were proud to select Dr. Douglas Noonan as the outstanding “Faculty of the Year” for 2011-12.