Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:13:52 +0000

Two Schar School Students Receive Partnership for Public Service Award Andrew J Schappert Mon, 03/18/2024 - 13:13

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��AV undergraduates Minh-Dy Pham and Kalkidan Zewdu share several similarities: Both are driven, passionate about volunteering, and hail from Virginia.

Minh-Dy Pham stands in the U.S. Department of Transportation office, where she works as an intern.

This year, the two Schar School of Policy and Government students were further connected by the receipt of a high federal honor: the U.S. Department of Transportation Partnership for Public Service Award. The award recognizes young leaders in federal government and is given by the Department of Transportation and Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides a wide variety of career training programs and leadership exercises to help build valuable skills for future federal leaders.

Pham, a junior public administration major, received the award in fall 2023 at the start of her internship with the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Civil Rights. She has since accepted an offer to extend her internship. While she wears a lot of hats within the office, Pham focuses on compiling reports of diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-related misconduct and assisting the antiharassment coordinator.

Her involvement in DEI initiatives began in spring 2022 with the Schar School Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP). Within the program, she studied under Bonnie Stabile, associate professor and founder of the Gender and Policy Center (GAP), as they researched inclusivity within public administration curriculum—an area Pham continues to study in her position in the Office of Civil Rights. She later enrolled in GOV357, a class on urban planning, which included transportation infrastructure now relevant to her internship. Through the combination of her prior experience at Mason, Pham now puts her passion for diversity and transportation policy toward the public good.

Minh-Dy Pham presents her Undergraduate Research Assistant Program poster in spring 2022.

The importance of the Partnership of Public Service Award cannot be overstated, Pham says. In addition to gaining experience in policy analysis—a career she hopes to pursue postgraduation—the award provides an opportunity for vital youth voices in the federal government.

“We are the future,” she said.

Pham’s future, in particular, looks exceptionally bright—and the Schar School has helped guide her.

“This internship would have not been possible without the Schar School,” she said. “As someone who aspires to work in the federal government after graduation, the school has immensely supported me in my career and educational pursuits.”

Kalkidan Zewdu, who received the award and began her portion of the internship in spring 2024, views leadership as integral to the role. As a Schar School senior, she has explored various options within her major, ranging from public administration to international relations. Above all, one principle has guided Zewdu through her journey: Government is a form of leadership.

“Working at the Department of Transportation has provided invaluable opportunities for me to cultivate leadership skills within government institutions—tools I plan to take with me wherever I land in public service,” she said.

Kalkidan Zewdu mans her desk at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In particular, Zewdu credits the internship with immense educational benefit, adding the professional and intrapersonal skills provided in workshops were an attractive feature of the job.

As for the Schar School, it offered her the opportunity to explore her interests in government in broad strokes—eventually exploring diplomacy courses, law school preparation, and Mason’s study abroad programs. Mason also provided the chance for Zewdu to explore cultural initiatives in addition to academic ones. As a junior, she founded the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Campus Ministry with the goal of connecting with other Ethiopian students through shared faith. Through EOTC, which now has 36 members, Zedwu cultivates her leadership skills both in and out of government.

“As president and cofounder, I wanted to create a place where other Ethiopian students who grew up speaking English could find each other,” she said.

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What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:11:03 +0000

What Drives a Sports Fan? Researching the Rise of ‘Ultras’ in European Soccer Andrew J Schappert Thu, 10/27/2022 - 11:11

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Eric McGlinchey

Jennifer N. Victor

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Andrew Strasberg. ‘His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature,’ said mentor Jennifer N. Victor.

For Andrew Strasberg, the game of soccer has always been a focal point of his life. When the Schar School senior was tasked with completing a research project for a graduate level research class, his topic of choice was a rather easy decision.

Strasberg, a bachelor of science in public administration major, combined his love of soccer with his interest in politics in a unique way. His project, “Hooligans or Honchos? Developing a Political Theory of European Ultra-ism,” explores the sociopolitical phenomenon of ultras, a type of sports fan renowned for ultra-fanatical support. Strasberg explores the existing research on ultras and proposes new methods of analysis to develop “a causal explanation of ultra-ism and its associated violence in Europe,” he said.

Strasberg’s project came into fruition with the help of Schar School Associate Professors Eric McGlinchey and Jennifer N. Victor. Strasberg created his proposal in fall 2021 while taking GOVT 500, a graduate scientific method and research design class taught by McGlinchey, who offered valuable mentorship. (��AV allows undergraduates to take 500- and 600-level courses with an instructor’s permission. “I was just interested in the class,” Strasberg said.)

While working for Victor in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP), she encouraged him to submit his proposal to the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) for consideration and served as his mentor throughout the latter half of the year.

Victor says that Strasberg’s timely work is important, now and in the future.

“The study of political violence and the ways in which humans get attracted to groups that become violent is a very important topic,” she said. “His work has the potential to become integrated into a broader body of literature that helps us understand the conditions under which people turn to violence to achieve political goals.”

After his project was accepted, Strasberg joined Victor and other Schar School faculty in Chicago at the MPSA conference in April 2022. He presented his research during an undergraduate poster session and met other like-minded students also exhibiting important work.

Victor says it is rare for undergraduates to present at political science conferences such as the MPSA meeting. Strasberg said the experience allowed him to meet informed academics who offered invaluable feedback on his work.

He advises prospective or current Schar School students interested in research opportunities to pursue them.

“Do it!” he said. “Look for projects that allow you to push the boundaries of what you know and can do already. A lot of people don’t realize how willing and able professors are to help, and will go out of their way to see you succeed.”

Strasberg is now including his successful proposal in his personal statement for PhD applications. He said his class with McGlinchey and the entire URAP program provided “professionalizing resources” and gave him confidence in future endeavors.

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