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The mission statement of the Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship (MCSE) states that “our students learn to be effective agents of social change by reflecting on who they are, connecting with others, analyzing systemic challenges, and engaging the world around them.” This fall, to help fulfill this mission, we are unveiling the “Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program,” which is designed to support a select group of exceptionally promising Middlebury students.

The primary goals of this program are to extend this cohort’s exposure to opportunity, encourage humility and awareness of the complexities in trying to effect social change, and to help students avoid isolated experiences as they learn from failures and successes. The secondary goals are to develop a culture of dedicated leaders that mentor other Middlebury students and to assist the college in its quest to support summer internship opportunities for all Middlebury students.

This opportunity is open to sophomore febs, sophomores, and junior febs (students having completed, one, two, or three semesters at Middlebury).  Starting in the late fall of 2012, five “MCSE Fellows” will begin to learn together as a cohort and, in time, give back to the extended Middlebury community, as undergraduates and later as alumni. A part of their award, MCSE Fellows will:

• Enroll in a January 2013 winter-term course, “Social Entrepreneurship in the Liberal Arts.”

• Integrate the theory and practice of social entrepreneurship into their academic work.
• Engage in two consecutive relevant summer experiences (with total grant support of up to $10,000.)
• Provide leadership on the Middlebury campus and beyond.

After a student is accepted as an MCSE Fellow, s/he will spend time working with staff at the MCSE and Education in Action (EIA) to plan experiential-learning opportunities designed to enhance her/his academic work and lay the groundwork for leading a life of social change. For most Fellows, the first summer of experience will be in a structured environment (e.g., a program such as ThinkImpact,) which will foster the student’s understanding of such work in a professional context and introduce the challenge of creating 21^st century global challenges in a structured, mentored environment.

After this first summer of experience in the field, students will return to Middlebury or their study abroad program, actively sharing their experiences within their cohort and across the Middlebury community. Throughout the year, they will also commit to mentoring the next cohort of MCSE Fellows, participating in MCSE trainings, and beginning to design their own social enterprise. Based on the diversity of each student’s experience from her/his academic major (and possibly minor), experiential-learning opportunities, and study-abroad experience, the MCSE will support a self or group-designed project during the second summer of the fellowship.

During their final semesters at Middlebury, the MCSE Fellows will continue to lead as well as plan the next steps in their careers, under the guidance and mentorship of their faculty advisors, their peers, and staff from EIA and the MCSE.

Applications due: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 5:00 pm.

Fellows announced: Sunday, November 4, 2012.

For the more information and application, go/mcsefellows or http://mcse.middlebury.edu/engage/fellowship/.  

Please email robinson@middlebury.edu with questions.

 

Genetic Engineering and Society IGERT PhD Graduate Program at NC State Universityare is recruiting 5-6 students to participate in a PhD graduate program.This NSF funded IGERT in Genetic Engineering and Society: The Case of Transgenic Pests is located at North Carolina State University.  They are looking for broadly interested students in the social and natural sciences

This will be IGERT’s second year. Students of the 2012 Cohort have been examining questions linked to the genetic modification of mosquitoes and the scientific, cultural and ethical ramifications this topic presents. They are excited about expanding our discussion to include questions associated with the genetic engineering of rodent species. Possible applications of these technologies include offsetting losses to crop harvests and alleviating negative impacts of invasive rodent species on the biodiversity of island ecosystems. As in the past, the students of the 2013 Cohort will explore the social, ethical, and ecological consequences of current pest control techniques, as well as those associated with a genetically engineered approach.

They are looking for excellent students who are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to their graduate training.  Students may have majored in humanities, mathematics, or a social/natural science, and should be seeking broad and rigorous graduate training across these areas. We welcome students who have a Master’s degree specializing in one of these areas and want strong interdisciplinary training at the doctoral level.

Students who participate in the program will receive a PhD in a home doctoral program and a graduate minor in Genetic Engineering and Society. The minor will include four courses, one of which will be taught in Latin America. In addition to full fellowships ($30,000 per year), funds are available forinternational internships.

Please visit their website for more details on the program, including a list of participating faculty:http://GeneticEngSoc.ncsu.edu/.  In addition to contacting potential faculty mentors, prospective students are encouraged to email questions to: GES_GPM@ncsu.edu.