Call for 2011 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Applications

Dear Colleagues and Students:

The South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium invites qualified students to submit applications to the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.  Approximately 35-45 students are selected nationally for this prestigious Fellowship to spend a year in Washington, D.C., working in Congress or the Executive Branch on critical marine policy and resource management issues.  The Knauss Fellowship provides a stipend and living expense allowance totaling $44,000 annually.  The fellowship begins February 1, 2011. Applications are due at the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, attention Rick DeVoe, no later than Friday, February 19, 2009.

All the details about the fellowship and how to apply may be found at: http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss/.

If you have any questions or want to make an appointment to discuss the fellowship, please call Rick DeVoe at 843-953-2078 or email: rick.devoe@scseagrant.org.

Thank you very much.

And, as always, be sure to check out the Paying for Grad School section of our website. We frequently add and update listings for grants, scholarships, fellowships, and jobs applicable to every program that we offer.

Amber in Costume at Charles Towne Landing

Amber Clawson, a candidate for the Master of Arts in History and a Graduate Assistant here in the Grad School Office, is quite obviously a woman of many talents. In addition to her academic and professional career at The Graduate School of the College of Charleston, she has distinguished herself as a volunteer and researcher at the Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site.

For those who may not know, Charles Towne Landing is a park and interpretive center depicting the lives of the earliest settlement in Carolina Colony, established in 1670. Special exhibits include living history interpreters in costume, a native forest featuring flora and fauna indigenous to the area during the time of European settlement, and a fantastic replica of a seventeenth-century ship. You can see the park for yourself this Saturday as they celebrate Colonial Trades and Harvest Day. Demonstrations such as musket and cannon firing and natural wool dying will be on display, and Amber will be giving a featured presentation on the first women of Carolina. This is a history topic that is not very often explored in depth, and Amber will be presenting some fascinating original research. Here’s a summary of what she’ll be discussing:

Women, at first glance, appear absent from the historical record but further research demonstrates that women played a vital role in the establishment of the Carolina colony.  Despite hardship, servitude and enslavement, the women of Charles Towne forged a community in the Atlantic World.  This presentation examines the initial settlement at Albemarle Point from 1670 until 1700, specifically the European, African, and Native American women.  Grounded in court documents and personal correspondence, the work highlights themes of family, diversity, and power in the colonial community.  In the historical memory the colonial South is a place characterized by plantation hierarchy.  This presentation provides a glimpse at the multitude of experiences of the first women of Carolina, before the plantations, when the success of the colony was still uncertain.

This has been an in-depth project for Amber, and she wishes to express her thanks to Dr. Scott Poole, our Graduate History program director, for his support and guidance. She also wishes to thank Interpretive Park Rangers Michelle Crouse and John Hiatt, who introduced her to the world of state historic sites, shared their research, and were always willing to help.

Be sure to come and witness a day of engaging history and learn about lives of women who have so often been overlooked in history. Amber will be presenting her findings in the Visitors’ Center Classroom at 1 P.M. The park is open 9 A.M. -  5 P.M.; for admission prices and park details visit the Charles Towne Landing website.

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Now that I’ve plugged my program, I’d like to answer the other most common question I get from friends who are considering going to graduate school: How on earth did I get an assistantship, and what the heck is one exactly?

An Assistantship is a real job, requiring a commitment of 20 hours per week. Unlike grants or scholarships, it is not “free money.” You do have to work!  You also have to be enrolled as a full-time, degree-seeking graduate student in order to qualify. Of course, this means that you will have to be very committed to balancing your time between your studies and your job!

Getting an assistantship requires filling out an application, which can be found here.  You may submit it either along with your application to the Graduate School or after you’ve been accepted. Attach a résumé to your form, and then send it in to us here at the Graduate School Office. Be sure to make your résumé extensive and accurate! Departments hiring graduate assistants peruse the applications to see whose prior experience matches the position for which they’re hiring. If you happen to match an open position, you too could live the luxurious life of a G.A.

I hope that answers all of your questions about assistantships. If not, don’t hesitate to contact us on Twitter, Facebook, or by e-mail. Now, if only I could find where my computer mouse got packed…

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First-grade students’ reading skills would improve and high-poverty schools would employ more minority teachers with graduate degrees if a new partnership between the Charleston County School District and the College of Charleston works out the way officials say it will.

The Literacy Intern Project is the latest in the school district’s efforts to focus on literacy and ensure its students learn fundamental reading skills before going to middle and high school. An analysis prompted by The Post and Courier showed that one out of five incoming freshmen in Charleston County reads at a fourth-grade level or worse.

The new initiative targets men and racial minorities who are interested in earning a Master of Arts in teaching, but anyone interested in the program can apply. Those accepted would be assigned to a first-grade classroom in a high-poverty elementary school to work with an experienced, high-quality teacher.

While working full time as a teacher’s assistant, graduate students would gain teaching experience and hone their skills, said Brenda Nelson,

the school district’s director of community outreach. They would receive a teacher’s assistant salary, and children would benefit from having an additional teacher available to help them with reading, she added.

At night, students would take their graduate-level classes from the college, and some would be paid for by the school district with federal Title I stimulus money. The district has set aside about $350,000 in addition to money for salaries and benefits to support the project.

The program should take about two years to complete, and participants must commit to returning to the school district and teaching in a high-poverty school for three years.

It’s similar to the college’s “Call Me Mister” program, which is designed to boost the number of black male teachers in elementary and middle schools. But it’s different in that the literacy project has an internship aspect of teaching in specific schools and a commitment to eventually teach in a district school and is designed for graduate students.

“We would hope to see an increase in the number of students who are proficient in their reading skills,” Nelson said. “This gives us additional manpower for students who are most in need.”

The program is a vision of schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley. The college and district began recruiting applicants in June, and the goal is to enroll up to 25 students in the project. Some would begin as soon as this fall, and others would start in the spring. Six applications already are being processed.

Andrew Lewis, director of professional development in education for the College of Charleston and an associate professor in the college’s Department of Health and Human Performance, said the project will ensure its graduates have a better understanding of the types of students they’ll be working with and that their transition from full-time student to full-time teacher will be easier.

The college wants its graduates to have as much classroom experience as possible, and this project gives participants that opportunity, Lewis said.

“We think it will help elevate the level of educational experience that students in these schools will receive,” he said. “And it will certainly help these prospective teachers experience the day-to-day operations of a school before become a full-time teacher in charge.”

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One Year Down!

Upon entering the history graduate program at the College of Charleston, two more years of school seemed like a lifetime!  But here I am, the first year flew by, and I’m no worse for the wear.

I improved scholastically and met some incredible people!

The GSO Grad Assistants, Bree, Amber, Bonnie, Gwen and Tiffany

I moved from a small mountain hamlet to Charleston, South Carolina.  Before the school year began, I was hired as a graduate assistant.  Through this quirky office setting, I found a surrogate family.  The ladies keep me laughing and the impressive career of a gentleman in the office, reminds me what I have the potential to accomplish.  The position keeps me in contact with prospective students, current students, and faculty from our 28 different programs.  I am exposed daily to the exciting projects and research happening throughout the College.  The most important thing I learned in this office is that the faculty is dedicated to student success.

Joi, Chris, Amber, Gwen and Eric

Initially afraid that dedicated, academic pursuit might limit opportunities to make friends, I soon experienced quite the opposite.  The first-years in my program bonded during class discussions, over research, and even an occasional beer.  We ran the gauntlet of a staggering workload and survived!  (”Survive” may seem like a strong word for me to use, but there were definitely times we wondered whether or not we’d make it)  Once we realized that we could survive, my fellow first-years and I relaxed.  We became friends.  We continue to hone our academic skills.  On a professional level, we learned one another’s research interests and career goals.  My colleagues and I share ideas, pass along readings, and support each other.  And when our brains need a rest, we get to play in Charleston!

Joi, Kristin, and Amber

I am so fortunate to have these friends and colleagues in my life.  When I left my small home town for the first time, I was convinced that making friends in graduate school would be impossible.  But I found them and am better for it.

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Hi folks,

The Graduate Student Colloquium of the Graduate Program in Marine Biology is moving to the fall: September 25-26.

Our Keynote speaker, Dr. Scott France, University of Louisiana Lafayette, will give the Keynote Address on Friday, September 25, and the Closing Address — following student presentations — on Saturday, September 26. Dr. France is a deep-sea biologist studying the evolution of deep sea benthic invertebrates; more information about his work can be found here: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~scf4101/

The GPMB colloquium will also feature an expanded poster session Friday evening, following the Keynote Address; all GPMB students in their second year or beyond will either be presenting a poster or giving a talk. Please plan on attending both the poster session and talks, to support our students and enjoy this showcase of research being done in the College of Charleston/Ft. Johnson community! As usual, the colloquium will close with a Lowcountry Boil; in addition to celebrating the colloquium, new graduate students will be introduced at this event.

Abstracts are due August 31st. Students will be notified by the committee of whether they will be giving a talk or a poster by September 4th.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Cheers,

Melissa Hughes
Colloquium Committee Chair

The Grice Logbook Spring 2009 issue is hot off the presses.

http://www.cofc.edu/~grice/Newsletter/gmllogbook_spring_2009.pdf

Inside

• Undergrad Research Impacts Students and The State of Science
• Sex and the Single Cell
• Sea Urchin Research May One Day Lead to Healthier People
• Student Awards
• Octoclaus and the Folly Beach Christmas Parade
• Alumni Notes
• Faculty Notes
• Research Colloquium notes
• New Staff Members
• George Grice, Jr. Lecture

Now accepting applications for non-degree status for Summer 2009 classes

We are incredibly excited to announce the addition of our 18th master’s degree program!  The School of Education, Health and Human Performance now offers a Master of Education in Teaching, Learning and Advocacy.

This program is for certified teachers and allows them to focus either on the students they teach, or on themselves as teachers and members of the teaching profession.  After taking a series of five core courses, teachers specialize either in teaching children and youth in the contemporary context, or in becoming a change agent.

The first  specialization covers topics like linguistic and cultural diversity in education, and identifying and sustaining effective learning communities.  It really focuses on developing an understanding of diverse children and how the school and society itself shapes their engagement in learning and life.

The second specialization, Teachers as Change Agents, includes courses such as Teachers as Advocates for Children and Youth, and Reflective Practice and Professional Development.

Interested applicants can begin taking courses as early as August.  To do so, submit your non-degree application with your teaching certificate.  Applications for degree-seeking students will be up and running on our website later this summer for acceptance for Spring 2010 classes.

For more information, contact Diane Cudahy at 843.953.6354 or visit their website.

College of Charleston Magazine covered Anna Fiona Cooke’s research paper entitled “Type. Send. Communicate.” in its Spring 2009 issue.  Cooke, a Master of Arts in Communication candidate, explores how instant communication like text messaging shapes efficiency in the workplace.  Her adviser, Doug Ferguson, encouraged to submit her paper nationally.  It’s a good thing too, because she won the Graduate Student Award from the Carolina Communication Association.  Since then, she has been invited by the National Communication Association to present her work in San Diego, and will be featured in the National Communications Journal.

To read more about what Cooke and other College of Charleston Alumni have to say about emerging technology in the workplace, download a PDF or visit the website (this link will expire when the next College of Charleston Magazine issue is released.)

Joe Pollock is a College of Charleston Master’s of Science in Marine Biology candidate who was granted with a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Australia.  He touches base with us every now and again when he comes up for air.  Below is one of his most recent letters to us back home.  Enjoy the pictures.  We sure did!

Hello again from Down Unda,

I haven’t written in a while and I don’t want anyone to think I’ve fallen off the other side of the world so I thought I should drop a quick line. Things in Oz are goin’ well. There was a pretty awful period when we had rains of biblical proportions. We literally had 40 days and 40 nights of rain, nonstop! It was miserable, but now the sun has reemerged and it seems like the rainy season should be about over for the year. The sun has let me get back outside and I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’ve been hiking out on Magnetic Island, bouldering/swimming/surfing in Bowen, joined a beach volleyball team (we’re 3 for 3… in the lowest bracket, but oh well), and I’ve even started playing ice hockey again. I haven’t really played since they tore down the old Civic Center rink when I was in middle school so it’s been pretty awesome to get back on the ice.

My research has been going fairly smoothly so far. I’m working to develop tools to accurately diagnose coral diseases on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and around the world. Currently, there are not really any diagnostic tools, so coral diseases are distinguished almost exclusively on their macroscopic appearance (it’s like trying to identify a human disease just by looking at the patient). I think that it is an important avenue of investigation and I have been making progress. I have developed a technique to detect the pathogen responsible for the coral disease White Syndrome on the GBR and coral bleaching in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Right now, I am running aquarium experiments to tests it’s “real world” potential. I’m hoping it will work!!

Next week, I head down to Tasmania for a Fulbright retreat. Tazzy is beautiful and the other Fulbright kids are pretty fun so I’m definitely looking forward to it. We’re renting some cars so we can explore all around the island. If you’ve never seen photos of Tasmania, it’s a lot like New Zealand, with glacier-cut valleys, high lakes, waterfalls, and dense-green foliage (or as they say in Oz fo-lage).

I came to the realization the other day when I was buying a bottle of Vegemite that I may have been in Australia too long. I’ve become completely accustomed to driving on the left side of the road (I still try and get in on the wrong side of the car though), I’ve started using Ozzy phrases (I used to think that anyone who used the word “reckon” was a huge redneck), and I’ve started wearing more flouro than a 1980’s ski video (it’s really in here). I will be heading back State-side before too long though. I’m planning to return in the late-Spring or early-Summer, probably sometime in June.

Cheers,
Joe

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