Career Development at SPEA Your degree is not a destination; it’s just the beginning of a lifetime of opportunities. At the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), career development is a top priority as our students train to become the next generation of leaders across all employment sectors. The SPEA Career Development Office (CDO) offers a diverse range of programs, events, and customized services to help facilitate the bridging of academic excellence to career opportunities for the SPEA community. The CDO assists the SPEA community in connecting with professional networks of alumni and employers to learn about career paths, jobs, and internship opportunities. By empowering SPEA students to build both their career skillsets and professional connections, we facilitate successful lifelong learning and career exploration.
Array of Services
The CDO offers a wide range of services for students, including: • On-campus interviews and employer information sessions • Informational interviews • Customized career coaching — including assistance with job/internship searches, networking, and résumé and cover letter writing • Interview preparation — including mock interviews, employment offer negotiation tips, and follow-up advice • Annual SPEA Career Expo • Career development workshops and alumni panels • Free continuing career development assistance post-graduation
On-campus Interviews and Employer Information Sessions
The CDO partners with employers from across the country to host on-campus interviews and information sessions. Employer participants vary from year to year, but past participants include: US State Department (multiple locations); US Environmental Protection Agency (multiple locations); Grant Thornton, LLP (Alexandria, VA); Crowe Horwath, LLP (multiple locations); PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (multiple locations); CCS Fundraising, LLC (multiple locations); Education Pioneers (multiple locations); Eli Lilly (Indianapolis, IN); Rolls-Royce Corporation (Washington, D.C.); and Cardno Ltd. Emerging Markets Group (multiple locations).
Career Networking and Exploration Trips (CNETs)
Rachelle Bennett MPA 2014 Nonprofit Management Undergraduate institution: Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) SPEA involvement: Office of Overseas Studies Summer internship: Program Specialist, Office of Overseas Studies Current position: Associate Director, CCS Fundraising, LLC (Madison, WI)
“My SPEA MPA degree provided me the necessary foundation for my work as a fundraising consultant. My coursework allowed me to build the quantitative skillset I need for the analytical side of consulting and gain the theoretical insight to understand client needs and qualitative approaches to evaluation metrics. Throughout my coursework, I was given hands-on experience working with clients and managing project timelines. The consulting field is broad and SPEA’s cross-disciplinary approach provides a breadth of knowledge that is invaluable. Through the MPA program I gained the skills and confidence to pursue this challenging and rewarding career.”
SPEA’s master’s students get a competitive advantage with career exploration trips to Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, and Indianapolis. Career Exploration Trips offer students the opportunity to network with practitioners and alumni in their fields, learn about career and internship opportunities, and gain insights on career preparation and the job search in a particular field or location. Each year, many full-time positions and internships directly result from students’ participation.
Sample 2013-2014 Internship Placements
SPEA Internships
International European Risk Forum (Brussels, Belgium) Fate Foundation (Lagos, Nigeria) International Organization for Migration (Geneva, Switzerland) King Hussein Foundation (Amman, Jordan) United Nations Environment Programme (Kingston, Jamaica)
Experiential education is an essential component of a SPEA master’s degree. All students are required to complete an internship as part of their professional program (select master’s students are exempt). Required professional experience for students is part of what sets SPEA apart from other public affairs programs. Below are examples of internship programs that SPEA offers.
Federal Government Center for Disease Control (Cincinnati, OH) US Department of Agriculture - Rural Development (Indianapolis, IN) US Department of State (Washington, D.C.) US Environmental Protection Agency (multiple locations) US Fish & Wildlife (multiple locations) US Government Accountability Office (multiple locations) National Endowment for the Arts (Washington, D.C.) Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (Washington, D.C.)
Each year, John D. Graham, SPEA’s Dean, and the CDO collaborate with organizations to provide high-profile internship opportunities for SPEA students. These funded internship opportunities are only open to SPEA master’s students. Past Dean’s Internships include: Environmental Risk Intern, ChemRisk (San Francisco, CA); Environmental and Public Health Intern, Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health (Cyprus); Research and Development Intern, Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN); Regulatory Reform Affairs Intern, Dow Chemical (Washington, D.C.); Risk/Research Intern, International Risk and Governance Council (Geneva, Switzerland); Transportation Analysis Intern, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN); and Climate Leadership Awards Intern, Pew Center on Global Climate Change (Arlington, VA).
State & Local Government City of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana Department of Education (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana Department of Transportation (Indianapolis, IN) Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davis County (Nashville, TN) Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Baxter, MN) New York City Purchasing Office (New York, NY) Nonprofit CCS Fundraising (Chicago, IL) Cyber Security Collaborative Research Alliance (Bloomington, IN) Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps (multiple locations) Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (Cambridge, MA) Institute for Development Strategies (Bloomington, IN) IU Office of Sustainability (Bloomington, IN) Natural Resource Defense Council (Washington, D.C.) The Clinton Foundation (New York, NY) The Wilderness Society (multiple locations) United Way Agencies (multiple locations) Private BP America (Houston, TX) Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN) M Squared Strategies (Washington, D.C.) Strategic Development Group (Bloomington, IN) The Cadmus Group (multiple locations)
Stephanie Kovanda, MPA 2015 Information Systems, Specialized Concentration: International NGO Management Undergraduate institution: University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) SPEA involvement: Graduate Assistant, Serve IT Nonprofit Support; Graduate Assistant, Career Development Office; Director of Finance, Nonprofit Management Association; Overseas Partners Liaison, ACCT International (Rwanda); SPEA Ambassador Summer internship: Seoul Metropolitan Government Global; Seoul Volunteer Center Traditional Korean architecture and attire
Dean’s Internships
Seoul Global Internship Program The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Global Internship Program provides SPEA students with a unique opportunity to gain an international perspective of public administration as they intern with a department of city government. As interns with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, SPEA students work with a diverse array of government departments as project consultants. Past projects have included: development of best practices reports and policy briefs in emergency management, parks and landscape management, public infrastructure, and business improvement districts; comparative analysis of international economic development plans; benefit-cost analysis of urban disaster management practices and software; fund development and foundation research; and proposal development and grant writing for City cultural projects.
Internship Profile: Stephanie Kovanda (see below), Intern with the Seoul Volunteer Center; Seoul Metropolitan Government Global “Made possible by SPEA’s ongoing partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, this global internship opportunity has given me an inimitable insight into the inner workings of a large international, metropolitan voluntary sector. Here, I have experienced and become a part of the unique dynamics within a government-run, third sector-focused organization. I have been continuously impressed with the tenacity of its employees in finding innovative best practices and opportunities for collaboration, both domestically and internationally. This experience has given me a chance to put my research, information systems, and program evaluation skills, accrued from my SPEA coursework and graduate assistantship, into action for real results in an international context. From this internship, I have acquired an incredible experience involving public-nonprofit partnerships that I look forward to utilizing and building upon in my future internationally-focused career in the third sector.”
Public Affairs Alumni Profiles PUBLIC Chris Wodicka MPA 2013
Lauren Hayes MPA 2014
Public Financial Administration
Environmental Policy & Natural Resource Management, Policy Analysis
Undergraduate institution: Notre Dame (South Bend, IN) SPEA involvement: President, Education Policy Student Association; Public Finance Association; Dean’s Graduate Student Advisory Council; Teaching Assistant Summer internship: Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Legislative Analyst, State of Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau (Madison, WI)
Undergraduate institution: Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) SPEA involvement: Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Association Summer internship: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Intern, White House Council on Environmental Quality Current position: Presidential Management Fellow, Management Analyst, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Washington, D.C.)
NONPROFIT
Guy Ferguson MPA 2014 Local Government Management, Public Financial Administration Undergraduate institution: Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) SPEA involvement: Community Coordinator, Public Service Corps Summer internship: Administrative Intern, City of Maryland Heights (Maryland, MO) Current position: International City/County Management Fellow, City of Fremont (Fremont, CA)
Ashley Ames MPA 2013 Public Financial Administration, Policy Analysis Undergraduate institution: Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) SPEA involvement: Graduate Assistant ,Professor Craig Johnson; Co-President, SPEA’s Public Finance Association Summer internship: Fiscal and Policy Intern, California Legislative Analyst’s Office (Sacramento, CA) Current position: Analyst, California Legislative Analyst’s Office (Sacramento, CA)
Deb Seltzer MPA 2014 Nonprofit Management, Economic Development, Policy Analysis Undergraduate institution: Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY) SPEA involvement: Nonprofit Management Association; Dean’s Graduate Advisory Council; SPEA Ambassador Summer internship: Graduate Assistant, Scope and Community Dimensions project (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Grants Manager, National Aquarium (Baltimore, MD)
Laura Beth Griffith MPA 2013 Nonprofit Management Undergraduate institution: Centre College (Danville, KY) SPEA involvement: Service Corps Fellow, Area 10 Agency on Aging; Special Projects Coordinator, Education Policy Student Association Summer internship: New Student and Parent Programs Intern, University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY) Current position: Donor Relations Manager, Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati, OH)
PRIVATE Ohm Gore MPA 2014 Economic Development, Policy Analysis Undergraduate institution: Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) SPEA involvement: John W. Ryan Fellow, Strategic Development Group, Inc.; SPEA Ambassador Summer internship: Government Business Intern, Rolls-Royce America (Reston, VA) Current position: Associate, Grant Thornton, LLP (Washington, D.C.)
Environmental Policy, Management, & Science Alumni Profiles PUBLIC
NONPROFIT Alyssa Hausman MPA-MSES 2014 Applied Ecology
Undergraduate institution: Colgate University (Hamilton, NY) SPEA involvement: Graduate Assistant, Professor Vicky Meretsky; Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Association; Student Ambassador Summer internship: Policy and Government Affairs Intern, The Wilderness Society (Washington, D.C.); Constituent and Legislative Affairs Intern, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Silver Springs, MD) Current position: Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow (Washington, D.C.)
Connor Waldoch MPA-MSES 2013
Kelsey Thetonia MPA-MSES 2014 Water Resources Undergraduate institution: Providence College (Providence, RI) SPEA involvement: Graduate Teaching Assistant; Research Assistant Summer internship: Laboratory and Field Technician, Indiana Clean Lakes Program (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Executive Director, Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District Laboratory (Spencer, IN)
Hannah Hunt MPA 2014 Energy, Policy Analysis
Energy Undergraduate institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL) SPEA involvement: Energy Leaders Student Association; Graduate Research Assistant, Indiana Geological Survey Summer internship: Energy Program Graduate Research Intern, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA) Current position: Post-Master Researcher in Renewable Energy Economics and Market Analysis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN)
Undergraduate institution: Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) SPEA involvement: SPEA Service Corps Fellow; Energy Leaders Student Association Summer internship: Sustainable Development Fellow, Monroe County Planning Department (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Research Analyst, American Wind Energy Association (Washington, D.C.)
Mark Milby MPA 2013 Sustainability and Sustainable Development
PRIVATE Hannah Pearcy MPA 2014 Policy Analysis, Environment Policy & Natural Resource Management Undergraduate institution: Furman University (Greenville, SC) SPEA involvement: Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Association; Graduate Recruitment Assistant Summer internship: Research Intern, Strategic Development Group, Inc. (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, LLP (Washington, D.C.)
Undergraduate institution: University of Georgia (Athens, GA) SPEA involvement: Teaching Assistant, Professor Shahzeen Attari; Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Association Summer internship: No Waste Program Coordinator, IU Office of Sustainability (Bloomington, IN) Current position: Senior Program Associate, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (Chicago, IL)
Sample 2013-2014 Employers
SPEA Employment Outcomes The SPEA Career Development Office (CDO) sends out an exit survey to our graduate students after graduation inquiring about employment status. Data are reported six months after graduation.
Federal Government Corporation for National and Community Service (Washington, D.C.) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Indianapolis, IN) ORISE (Chicago, IL) US Bureau of Reclamation (Willows, CA) US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Portland, OR) US Department of State (Washington, D.C.) US Environmental Protection Agency (Arlington, VA) US Office of Management & Budget (Washington, D.C.)
2012–2013 Employment by Sector Local Government 5% State Government 8% Federal Government 7% Private 32% International 7% Fellowship 4%
Nonprofit 31% Continuing Education 6%
2012–2013 Employment by Function Nonprofit Direct Services 1% Lab or Applied Sciences 1%
Program Administration or Management 7%
Budgeting or Financial Management 3% Fundraising 9%
Consulting or Contract Work 16%
Program Administration or Management 20%
Analysis or Research 13% Arts Management 7%
Advocacy 3%
Environmental Science 10% Other 9%
International Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (Hanoi, Vietnam) Fauna & Flora International (Jakarta, Indonesia) Nuru International (Isbania, Kenya) Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Hanoi, Vietnam) Walking the Talk (San Paola, Brazil)
State & Local Government California Budget Project (Sacramento, CA) California Department of Health Care Services (Sacramento, CA) California Legislative Analyst’s Office (Sacramento, CA) City of Bloomington (Bloomington, IN) City of Dickinson (Dickinson, TX) City of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN) Illinois Governor’s Office of Management & Budget (Springfield, IL) Indiana Department of Environmental Management (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana Office of Energy Development (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana Office of Management & Budget (Indianapolis, IN) Monroe County Planning Department (Bloomington, IN) Tennessee Valley Authority (Nashville, TN) Tucson Office of Sustainable Development (Tucson, AZ) Wyoming Game and Fish Department (Casper, WY) Nonprofit Aloha House/Maui Youth and Family Services/Malama Family Recovery Center (Maui, HI) American Red Cross (Washington, D.C.) Araphahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network (Denver, CO) Black Hills Area Community Foundation (Rapid City, SD) Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County (Bloomington, IN) Impact Strategies Group (Minneapolis, MN) Indiana University Alumni Relations (Bloomington, IN) International Research and Exchanges Board (Washington, D.C.) IPM Institute of North America (Madison, WI) Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) (Nashville, TN) LIFEDesigns, Inc. (Bloomington, IN) Madison Square Boys & Girls Club (New York, NY) Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action & Service (Portland, OR) Riley Children’s Foundation (Indianapolis, IN) The Solar Foundation (Washington, D.C.) Timmy Global Health (Indianapolis, IN) Utah State University (Logan, UT) Private Ambient Group, Inc. (New York, NY) Crowe Horwath (multiple locations) Cummins, Inc. (Columbus, IN) Dow AgroSciences (Indianapolis, IN) Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis, IN) Grant Thornton, LLP (Alexandria, VA) Mundell and Associates (Indianapolis, IN) Prager & Co, LLC (New York, NY) PricewaterhouseCoopers (Washington, D.C.) Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. (Kansas City, MO) Standard & Poor’s (Chicago, IL) Summit Environmental Technologies (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) The Cadmus Group, Inc. (multiple locations) Thomas P. Miller and Associates (Indianapolis, IN)
Funding Opportunities At SPEA, we believe that financial constraints should not limit our students from pursuing internships and other career development opportunities that will enhance their academic training and further their career paths. A wide array of funding opportunities in support of minimally paid and unpaid experiential learning opportunities are made available to SPEA students each year through SPEA’s Career Development Office (CDO), Masters Program Office (MPO), Development Office, and Dean’s Office.
Student Internship Fund The Student Internship Fund (SIF) supports students who contribute their skills to nonprofits, government, and social enterprises. The fund brings students’ critical skillsets to organizations addressing important issues while providing students with applied experience that enables them to apply their academic training. Students who intern with a SIF organization are provided with a scholarship. SIF organizations vary year to year, but past examples include: Center for Urban Youth & Family Development (Detroit, MI); Fields Environmental (Bloomington, IN); International Rescue Committee (Silver Springs, MD); Solar Energy Industries Association (Washington, D.C.); Common Hope (Guatemala); and Cabarete Language Institute (Dominican Republic).
Kate Meehan MPA-Juris Doctorate (JD) 2015 Undergraduate institution: Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, IL) SPEA involvement: Graduate Assistant, SPEA Office of Alumni Relations Internships: Intern, US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance; Intern, The Wilderness Society’s Attorney Office
Annual SPEA Auction & Gala Scholarships Each year, graduate students organize the Annual SPEA Auction & Gala to raise funds for SPEA Auction & Gala Scholarships. Scholarships are awarded to applicants pursuing minimally paid or unpaid internships that complement their SPEA academic training and career goals. Students may also receive funding for other professional development opportunities, such as attending a professional conference or training. In addition to supplying funds for the scholarship program, the SPEA Auction & Gala brings the entire SPEA community together for a night of celebration.
“Thanks to the SPEA Auction & Gala Scholarship, I was able to take two unpaid internships in Denver — one with the EPA and the other with The Wilderness Society. This has provided me with the opportunity to gain invaluable work experience and to network with a variety of professionals in the field of environmental law and policy, in a location that I would love to move to after graduation.”
MASTERS PROGRAM OFFICE speainfo@indiana.edu 800.765.7755 | 812.855.2840 1315 East Tenth St. | Bloomington, IN 47405
www.spea.indiana.edu
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© September 2014