This week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a new plan on the responsible use of artificial intelligence that helps our government catch up with other countries. A post on the Partnership for Public Service blog We the Partnership breaks down that plan and the steps that agencies should take to develop their own AI guidelines.
In Fed Figures, a new series on the Partnership for Public Service We the Partnership blog, they explore federal workforce data to help everyone better understand where government needs to improve, and which solutions are most likely to generate results. In the first post, they look at federal information technology and the human capital challenge it presents.
Government Executive Media Group on Thursday announced the inaugural members of the Government Hall of Fame, including Clara Barton, Theodore Roosevelt, Frances Perkins and the Apollo 11 astronauts.
Government Executive created the Hall of Fame this year in connection with its 50th anniversary. It honors the best of the best: those who have demonstrated sustained achievement and unparalleled dedication to public service. The Hall of Fame inductees have had an historic impact on changing government for the better, and their stories serve as an inspiration to others.
The inaugural class includes a mix of distinguished individuals from all eras since 1850—roughly the dawn of modern American government. An elite selection committee of former federal officials and public administration experts chose the 20 members of the inaugural class. Additional inductees from all eras will be added in the coming years.
More information about the Hall of Fame and the Leadership Awards
Government Executive will honor the Hall of Fame inductees at a gala event on the evening of Sept. 19 at Washington National Cathedral. The gala also will recognize the first-ever recipients of the Theodore Roosevelt Government Leadership Awards.
The Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs partnered with APSIA to host a Public and International Student Advisor (PISA) Workshop for 28 advisors from upstate New York on August 14, 2019.
With financial support from the Robertson Foundation for Government, The Maxwell School is one of three schools selected nationwide to host a PISA Network training.
This half-day workshop featured a comparative look at professional graduate degrees, advice on helping students discern the best fit for them given their career goals, and resources for the advisors to help their students better prepare for application to and funding graduate school.
An alumni panel featured Sari Dallal, Communications Analyst at the World Bank, Amber Demery, Staff Operations Specialist for the FBI, James Murray of the Near East Foundation, and Jennifer-Lee Nieves Alvarez, a Public Partnerships Consultant with UNICEF to highlight the broad range of career opportunities available to graduates in public and international affairs. Content was coordinated by the Maxwell School undergraduate International Relations program in cooperation with the graduate Department of Public Administration and International Affairs.
“Our interactive discussions helped talk through some of the barriers to students’ success, share resources advisors need to advise and champion their students, and explain ways APSIA and graduate programs like ours can assist,” said Christine Omolino, Director of Admission & Financial Aid for Maxwell’s Department of Public Administration and International Affairs.
The following institutions will now have at least one PISA advisor on campus:
Binghamton University
Cazenovia College
Ithaca College
Le Moyne College
Onondaga Community College
Rochester Institute of Technology
St John Fisher College
SUNY Oswego
Syracuse University
University at Albany
Launched in 2018, the Public and International Service Advisor (PISA) Network brings together undergraduate advisors across the United States to advance understanding of the professions of international affairs, public policy, and public administration on their campuses. The Network provides support for and recognition of advisors as they counsel students to pursue careers in all of these fields.
On Tuesday morning, Government Executive announced the winners of its inaugural Theodore Roosevelt Government Leadership Awards.
Earlier this year, in connection with its 50th anniversary, Government Executive launched the awards program to honor an all-star team of distinguished federal officials and their partners outside government. The winners have demonstrated outstanding achievement in delivering on government’s promise to serve the American people.
The Leadership Awards program recognizes 15 honorees in the following categories:
Among the 15 honorees, National Academy of Public Administration Fellow John Kamensky was recognized for his role as an outstanding partner of the federal workforce. NAPA is a partner of the Robertson Foundation for Government.
The Cybersecurity Talent Initiative is the first-of-its-kind public-private partnership aimed at recruiting and training a world-class cybersecurity workforce. The program is a selective opportunity for students in cybersecurity-related fields to gain vital public and private sector work experience and even receive up to $75,000, inclusive of tax, in student loan assistance.
Participants selected for the program will be guaranteed a two-year placement at a federal agency with cybersecurity needs. Before the end of their federal service, participants will be invited to apply for full-time positions with the program’s private sector partners. Participants hired by these companies will also receive student loan assistance.
By working for some of the most important federal organizations and cutting-edge private sector companies, participants develop the skills and knowledge needed to protect our country’s digital infrastructure and tackle global cybersecurity threats.
Applicant Information and Program Requirements
Students in undergraduate or graduate degree programs in a cybersecurity-related field, such as computer science, engineering, information systems, and mathematics are ideal candidates for this program. Applications are open until October 18, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST. Federal agencies will make offers by spring 2020, and most agency placements will start in the summer or fall of 2020. Completion of cyber-related degree prior to federal agency start date is required. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national (a resident of American Samoa and Swains Island) and have outstanding student loans.
Artificial intelligence has more potential to improve how government works than any other recent technological innovation. However, adopting AI comes with challenges that can include bias, security, transparency, employee knowledge or federal acquisition and budget processes.
It’s vital for federal agencies to build the public’s trust in AI as the government’s use of the technology increases. In “More Than Meets AI Part II: Building Trust, Managing Risk,” the Partnership for Public Service and the IBM Center for The Business of Government offer insights for federal agencies to help them incorporate AI into their organization’s operations responsibly and transparently.
This white paper is the second in a series, following the February 2019 release of “More Than Meets AI: Assessing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Work of Government.”
Noelle Camp (Bush, ’19) and Shannon Abbott (Bush, ’18) presented at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management 60th Annual Meeting in Palm Desert, California, in July.
Noelle presented “Preliminary Results from a Comparative Analysis of Counterintelligence and Insider Threat in Nuclear Facilities.” Shannon presented “Defining Metrics for Measuring the Insider Threat.”
Editor’s note: The following article about Maxwell’s three new Robertson Fellows first appeared on the school’s website.
The Maxwell School is pleased to welcome three new Robertson Fellows within the 2019 – 2020 cohort of incoming public administration and international affairs graduate students. All three are pursuing dual degrees — a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) — to further their careers in international peace, security and development, with a commitment to work for the Federal Government for at least three of their first five years after graduation.
The Robertson Foundation for Government’s mission is to inspire the best and brightest U.S. graduate students to pursue long-term federal government careers in foreign policy, national security, and international affairs. Maxwell is one of five schools nationwide to which the foundation has provided grants to fund the education of exceptional students focusing on public service careers. Those grants cover full tuition for two years of study, plus a living stipend, health insurance, and assistance in finding a summer internship. At Maxwell, recipients typically pursue a two-year joint or dual degree.
Josephine (Josie) Glenn graduated magna cum laude from Sewanee University in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in political science. Her professional and academic experience has been grounded in advocacy and public service, both domestically and abroad. In her local community she has volunteered at a crisis clinic and a domestic violence shelter. While working abroad, her work has been focused on public health and human rights. She worked at a domestic NGO in Uganda to build programs focused on the de-stigmatization of HIV/AIDS, as well as to teach and provide public health information. She also served as a public health volunteer with Peace Corps Burkina Faso. During her college study abroad, she focused on human rights including democracy building in Nepal, the refugee crisis in Jordan, and indigenous rights with the Mapuche tribe in Chile. Since graduating she has worked as an Institutional Review Board member at the Department of Social and Health Services in Washington State, and as legal support staff at the Attorney General’s Office in San Francisco. While at the Maxwell School, Josie hopes to continue to develop her skills in advocacy and public service, and build a career focused on the protection of human rights.
Annastasia Hirt received a bachelor of arts in international affairs from the George Washington University Elliott School in 2014 and has worked for nonprofit organizations furthering women’s economic and political empowerment and global health, as well as the U.S. government in the House of Representatives and the Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Annastasia served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer teaching English in western Rwanda, where she led community and national projects focused on youth empowerment, gender equity, education, and financial literacy. Most recently, Annastasia worked in local government as the outreach & information liaison for the Salt Lake City Department of Public Services. She hopes to work in foreign service with USAID after graduation.
Holly Ratcliffe earned a BA in international affairs at the George Washington University’s Elliott School in 2015. She focused on Middle Eastern affairs and Arabic, and studied abroad in both Amman, Jordan, and Muscat, Oman. Before coming to Maxwell, Holly worked at Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., where she helped coordinate the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). While in this role, she administered large initiatives such as the Global Threat Cooperation and the 2018 International Women of Courage Awards (IWOC). Prior to joining Meridian, Holly lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she worked with the nonprofits Creativity for Peace and the Santa Fe Council on International Relations. In addition to pursuing an MPA/MAIR at Maxwell, she is working toward a Certificate of Advanced Study in International Security Studies, with plans to pursue a career in international security, focusing on countering violent extremism at the grassroots level.
Ratcliffe’s fellowship is co-funded by University Professor Sean O’Keefe ’78 MPA (also Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership) and his wife Laura. This is the fourth Robertson Fellow they have generously funded.
These Fellows join three second-year Robertson Fellows, also all pursuing an MPA/IR.
Roger Gildersleeve is studying the relationship between China’s environmental policies, foreign policy, and national security. After completing his degree, he expects to enter the foreign service with the U.S. Department of State.
Erica Stuke is working toward a career in international security and conflict management, with a focus on illicit financing of terrorism and the use of development as a tool for counterterrorism. She hopes to do this work at the U.S. State or Treasury Departments.
Charlotte Volpe plans to take advantage of South Asian regional emphases at Maxwell, with the goal of focusing on that region as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State or other internationally focused agency. Volpe’s fellowship is co-funded by Joseph A. Strasser ’53 BA (History)/’58 MPA.
A fourth 2018-19 Strasser/Robertson Fellow, Allison Haugen, completed her MPA before being accepted into the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute. She looks forward to receiving her assignment upon completion.
Congratulations to Robert Cabana and the Kennedy Space Center Senior Management Team on winning the 2019 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals People’s Choice Award!
As the country celebrates the historic 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, it’s fitting that we should honor this team for the work they’ve done. By transforming the historic Kennedy Space Center into a globally distinguished, multiuser launch site for government and commercial space exploration, Cabana and his team have helped preserve our nation’s leadership in this important field.
The Robertson Foundation for Government is a proud supporter of the Sammies.
