Student Employment Fair

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Grad School in Jewish Studies--Indiana University

Graduate Fellowships

The Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program

Announces its 2015-2016 Graduate Fellowship Competition

For Incoming Students

Review of applicants begins: Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Borns Jewish Studies Program offers fellowships for students accepted into a graduate degree program at Indiana University who show clear promise of dedicating themselves seriously to scholarship within one of the core areas of Jewish Studies.  Each fellowship provides a stipend starting at $20,000, plus health insurance, and fee remission which can be tied to multi-year packages.

            Application Procedure: Prospective students must apply for admission directly to a graduate degree program (Comparative Literature, History, NELC, Religious Studies, etc., and the Jewish Studies M.A. program) at Indiana University.  In order to be considered for a Jewish Studies fellowship, applicants to the IU Graduate School should send a copy of their completed Indiana University application and request that 3 letters of recommendation (in Word) be forwarded to iujsp@indiana.edu. Letters & application can also be mailed to:  Professor Shaul Magid, Director of Graduate Studies; Borns Jewish Studies Program; Indiana University; Goodbody Hall 326; 1011 E. Third St.; Bloomington, IN 47405-7005.  Each application will be considered for all relevant fellowship and award opportunities.  Review of 2015-2016 applications will begin on Thursday, January 15, 2015.

For more information, see our web site: http://www.indiana.edu/~jsp/index.shtml

The Borns Jewish Studies Program at IU is an interdepartmental program. Our faculty are housed in various departments - including Comparative Literature, Germanic Studies, History, Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, Musicology, Religious Studies, and the Russian and East European Institute – where students pursue master’s or doctoral degrees. The Borns JSP offers a Masters of Arts degree in Jewish Studies. Students enrolled in IUB doctoral program may also pursue a doctoral minor in Jewish Studies.

“The strength of the graduate program lies in the tight-knit, supportive, and focused academic community nurtured by accessible professors and a thriving Jewish Studies Graduate Student Association.” Matthew Brittingham, M.A., 2014

Elevator Modernization Project in the Cathedral of Learning

Here is the information on the elevator project in the Cathedral of Learning:

Cathedral of Learning Elevator Upgrades

                                                                                                                                                          

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 42-story Cathedral of Learning is the tallest educational building in the Western hemisphere.  The current elevator control system and elevator equipment are not capable of efficiently handling the large volume of passengers passing through the Cathedral each day.  As part of the University’s 12-Year Facilities Plan, the Cathedral elevators are scheduled to be modernized to improve traffic flow through the building. The original Cathedral elevator system, manufactured by Westinghouse, was installed in 1931.  The elevators were upgraded in 1971 and again in 1998, but those upgrades were of limited scope and provided marginal improvement.  Over the years, additional efforts to improve service included reducing the number of stops for many elevators, requiring passengers to travel to a floor near their destination and then walk up or down a floor or two.  The original Westinghouse hoisting machines, which move the elevators through the shafts, are still in use today and are operating significantly beyond their expected service life.  The new system will take advantage of new emerging destination based elevator technology to significantly decrease the time to destination and increase reliability of the system. 

This project will provide a comprehensive modernization of the building’s 8 main elevators with what is referred to as a “destination based” dispatching system.  With a destination based system, passengers enter their desired destination on a kiosk or keypad and are immediately directed to the elevator that will take them to their selected floor.  The system serves the building more efficiently by grouping passengers according to their destination, thereby reducing the number of stops each car will make.  This will allow many of the previously deactivated floor stops to be reactivated, providing greater elevator coverage to more floors and direct access to floor destinations for most passengers.  Touch screen kiosks will be installed on the ground and first floors, and the remaining floors will be fitted with smaller keypads.  There will be no floor buttons to select once passengers enter the car.  Instead, an in-car display will indicate the stops to be served during that specific trip.  The modernization includes replacing the elevator control system, hoisting equipment, doors, and cabs and installing new safety devices.  Some lobbies will also be modified as openings are reactivated.  The shuttle elevator that services floors 36 to 40 will also be replaced.  When completed, the modernization will provide greatly improved efficiency in handling capacity and significantly reduced wait times.  This system is expected to also reduce congestion on the ground and first floor elevator lobbies during peak demand times and significantly improve the reliability of the elevators. Mechanical and electrical upgrades will also be completed to support the new system and to meet current codes.  The new system will also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and will be more energy efficient.  

The modernization of the elevators has already begun.  The contractor is currently aligning the existing rails which the cars ride on.  This work should be complete by October.  The work to modernize the elevator cabs and control system will begin in December, 2014 and all work is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2016.  During this period, two (2) elevators will be taken out of service at a time in order to perform the modernization.  Each group of two elevators, one high rise and one low rise, is slated to take three (3) to four (4) months to complete.  Final project completion is expected in the spring of 2016.  After each group of elevators is complete, there will be a transition when both the old call button system and the new destination system kiosks and keypads will be in operation.  It will be important during this transition to pay close attention to which elevator to board.  Facilities Management will make every effort to ease this transition through directional signage and informational updates as the project progresses.  The work in the elevator shafts and machine rooms will take place primarily during the day, but disruption should be minimal.  The lobby work to reactivate door openings will take place from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.  The progress of the modernization can be followed on Facebook by searching University of Pittsburgh Cathedral Elevator Modernization and Twitter @Cathedralelev. 

Internship in DC

Join the Pitt Career Network on LinkedIn to find more opportunities!

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants is looking for a Philanthropy and Fundraising Intern

Anna Rose Siegel, Development Associate at U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

Responsibilities:
• Research potential institutional funding opportunities.
• Work with development team to create innovative funding strategies.
• Donor stewardship using DonorPerfect database.

Qualifications:
• Excellent research, writing, and editing skills.
• Social entrepreneurship minded.
• Strong work ethic and willingness to show initiative.
• Professional demeanor and superb verbal communications skills.
• Enthusiasm and positive attitude.
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently, sometimes under demanding deadlines.
• Proficiency in MS Word and Excel.
• Interest in the field of philanthropy, fundraising, and nonprofit management.
• Interest in refugee and immigrant rights.

Compensation:
• Full-time (30+ hrs. per week): $100 stipend per month.
• Part-time (20-30 hrs. per week): up to $80 stipend per month.
• Local travel expenses to and from the office are also reimbursed.

Application Instructions:

To apply for this internship, please send the following application materials VIA EMAIL ONLY to
apply-internship@uscridc.org. Specify “Philanthropy and Fundraising Intern” and your name in the subject line of your email. No phone calls please!

• Resume or C.V.
• Cover letter, stating your interest and qualifications
• Brief 3-5 page professional or otherwise relevant writing sample
• Two References (names and contact information only)

This internship is offered every spring, summer, and fall semester. The deadlines for each are as follows:
• Spring: Last day to apply is December 31, Internship begins in January
• Summer: Last day to apply is April 30, Internship begins in May
• Fall: Last day to apply is August 31, Internship begins in September

*Internships require a minimum 10-week and 15 hours per week commitment. The internship is located in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, Crystal City

Breakfast with Jewish Studies

Welcome Back Breakfast with Jewish Studies

Friday August 29, in the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room, 9:30-11 am

(if a special event closes the Commons Room, come up to the 26^th floor)

EVERYONE WELCOME

Drop in for a few minutes or stay the whole time

Food:   eat (kosher) donuts and drink coffee (while supplies last)

Meet:   Jewish Studies faculty and your fellow students

Information:  pick up flyers with info about the Jewish Studies certificate, fall and spring classes, events, internships, scholarships

Learn about Library Resources:   find out about Jewish Studies resources in Hillman Library and pick up some Hillman swag (while supplies last)

Interested in study in Germany?

DAAD Information Session, Featuring Dr. Katja Wezel, DAAD Visiting Assistant Professor
Monday, September 15th at 4 p.m., 4130 Posvar Hall RSVP to Stephen Lund, slund@pitt.edu
Dr. Wezel will discuss a variety of research, study and internship DAAD scholarships including:
 Study/Research Graduate Scholarship provides funding for up to 2 years of research or graduate study. The campus deadline is October 15; OR November 1st and 15th (depending on field) if applying directly.
 Undergraduate Scholarship provides 4 to 10 month study, research or internship. The foundation deadline is January 31, 2015.
 RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) provides summer undergraduate research at universities and research institutions. The foundation deadline is January 31, 2015.
 Other types of DAAD Awards available for research, study, internships in Germany that students should investigate at https://www.daad.org/.

Studying Abroad in the Spring?

The Gilman awards Pell Grant recipients up to $5,000 for study abroad. Pitt’s study abroad application deadline for Spring 2015 is September 26. If interested, please contact Pitt’s Study Abroad Office (http://www.abroad.pitt.edu) ASAP to help you select an appropriate study abroad program, and contact Shannon Mischler (sjm130@pitt.edu) to discuss the Gilman.