Political leaders are increasingly engaging in "constitutional hardball" - bending lawmaking rules for partisan gain. This lecture contextualizes this phenomenon historically and describes how constitutional hardball weakens American democracy today.

Organized by the Department of Political Science and cosponsored by the Center for Social Science Scholarship.

Robinson Woodward-Burns researches American constitutional thought and development, focusing on civil rights, federalism, slavery, and abolitionism. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

His first book, Hidden Laws: How State Constitutions Stabilize American Politics, was published in 2021 by Yale University Press. Using datasets and historical case studies, the book argues that high barriers to national constitutional change have encouraged reformers to instead seek state constitutional revision, addressing national controversies over economic and labor regulations and voting, civil, and gender rights. He is writing a second book, on constitutional hardball, as a 2022 Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress. His research has also been published in The Journal of Politics, Polity, Perspectives on Politics, Studies in American Political Development, The Maryland Law Review, The Nebraska Law Review, and The Tulsa Law Review, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post. You can find more information on his website and Twitter profiles.

UMBC is offering the free ten-week AI4ALL program again this Fall. It's an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students (Fresh., Soph., and Juniors) in any major to learn about artificial Intelligence. If you'd like to share this opportunity with Political Science undergraduate majors, you can email them the text below, which includes links to more information.  AI4ALL is particularly interested in engaging students from under-represented groups and from outside traditional STEM disciplines

Get more information here apply by September 14, and contact ai4all@csee.umbc.edu with any questions.

The semester is off to a great start here in Asian Studies. We hope you are settling into your rhythm and enjoying your classes. Thank you to those of you who joined us for our Welcome Week sushi event, and our talk last week with Dr. Souders about study abroad and research opportunities in Asia! 

UMBC Review Call for Submissions - Deadline Friday 9/16!

The UMBC Review wants to publish you! Have you completed a research project or creative work during your time at UMBC? Consider submitting it to the peer-reviewed academic journal on campus for publication consideration! The deadline to submit your work is Friday, September 16. Information about how to respond to the call for submissions is available on the Review's website. 

Paid Opportunity at the Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is home to a vast array of art from around the world, including a comprehensive and important collection of Asian art. The museum is forming a College Student Advisory Group to bring a college voice on objectives in the collection for the upcoming reinstallation Across Asia. The group will meet six times from late October 2022 to April 2023 to discuss the Across Asia reinstallation and to learn about other programs at the museum that may be of interest to students. 

Successful applicants will be notified in mid-October and will receive a $600 stipend. To apply, you can visit the Walters' website. Please contact Mr. Peter Ibenana, the David Hirschhorn Head of Community Engagement, by phone at 410-547-9000, ext. 565, with any questions. 

Graduate Degree Funding in Hawai'i

Are you thinking about grad school? The East-West Center, located adjacent to the campus of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM), has funding [a scholarship] available for students interested in pursuing graduate study in their program! This is a significant opportunity for anyone interested in developing and strengthening community across the Asia-Pacific region. Information about the program, the fellowship award, and how to apply is available on the East-West Center's website. The deadline to apply is December 1. 

Fall 2022 Internship and Career Fair - Sept 21

UMBC's Career Center will host the Fall 2022 Internship and Career Fair on Wednesday, Sept 21 (next week!), in person at the RAC. More than 100 employers will be there, and they want to meet you! Visit the Career Center's event page for more information. 

[thumbnail image description: an autumnal landscape in China's Jiuzhaigou National Park (in Sichuan), showing riotous autumn foliage on hillsides that end in a crystal-clear lake]

Dear Students,

 

The UMBC Review: Journal of Undergraduate Research is currently soliciting submissions for its 24th edition to be published in April, 2023. We invite you to submit your research to our journal. The Review offers a rewarding opportunity to get your undergraduate research published!

 

The deadline to submit is Friday, September 16th.The submission application can be found at:https://ur.umbc.edu/umbc-review/. We encourage students of all majors and disciplines to send in their research! Your papers do not have to be ready for publication or perfect right now, we just want to see the best work and research you have completed! Papers may include original research and/or artistic statements that explore the research and process you have completed, and discoveries you have made.

 

Submission guidelines and the UMBC Review Style Guide can be found at our websitehttps://ur.umbc.edu/umbc-review/. If you have any questions please contact the editors at umbcreview@umbc.edu.

 

We look forward to reading your excellent submissions!

 

Best Regards,

Clair Volkening she/her & Madelyn Pollack she/her, CAHSS Editors

Irina Sbornova she/her & Oliver Santos he/him, STEM Editors