The PAA Affairs newsletter critically requires additional material from you–the PAA membership. Tell them about book releases, new positions, or upcoming conferences. They’d like to hear about the release of new data, interesting training/courses, jobs, and short essays about how your research was utilized. Also, please limit your submissions to about 250 words and include a URL, if relevant, so everyone can learn more.

NEW! They are also interested in three new features:

1. Research to Policy: we solicit items of up to 750 words on how research was used to inform or design policy.
2. Thought pieces of fields, trends, or innovations in population studies, of up to 750 words.
3. Data points: An interesting chart (jpeg or gif) with 250 words of explanation.

Due to space constraints and the incredible scientific productivity of our community, they have chosen not to publish simple lists of journal articles published. If you are not sure if your news is newsworthy, just ask.

Please send your materials to either of the co-editors, Leora Lawton or Emily Merchant, by May 30, 2017.

Please note:

1. It would help tremendously if you put “PAA Affairs” in the subject heading when communicating about the newsletter.
2. If you do NOT receive a ‘thanks’ or some other kind of confirmation, please assume your email got caught by some spam filter and resend.

All submissions undergo editorial review for content and fit. The Editors reserve the right to select for inclusion among the items received, and to edit items for publication.

The CUGOS Spring Fling is a full-day event centered around open source geography. This is a great way to learn about new mapping software, hear how companies are integrating location into their products, and get some hands-on experience with important tools like Leaflet, AWS, Turf.js, and QGIS. We welcome students, professionals, map lovers, coders, and anyone with a passion for learning about spatial information. The Spring Fling is designed for anyone with an interest in maps and open source software. See our website for more details: http://cugos.org/2017-spring-fling/

Valparaiso University Department of Geography and Meteorology invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure track, Visiting Assistant Professor in geography for the academic year 2017-2018. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in geography by the time of appointment or ABD for appointment as Instructor. We seek a broadly trained geographer with a strong commitment to high-quality teaching and undergraduate education. Responsibilities will include teaching Introduction to Geomorphology, Advanced Geomorphology lectures and labs, and may include GIS, cartography, or human and regional geography. The standard teaching load for a Visiting Assistant Professor is three to four courses each semester. This appointment is for one academic year only, but it is possible the position may be renewable pending funding and satisfactory performance.

Located near the shores of Lake Michigan, the Calumet region presents opportunities to study the coastal and dune geomorphology, globally rare dune and swale landscapes, and the historic Kankakee Marsh. The Department offers undergraduate programs in both geography and meteorology and participates in environmental science and international programs. The University is located 15 minutes from the Indiana Dunes and about 60 miles from Chicago.

We are looking for excellent teachers first and foremost. Additional information on the department, its people, and facilities can be found at http://www.valpo.edu/geography-meteorology/  Candidates should be interested in working at a university engaged in issues of Christian higher education in the Lutheran tradition. In addition to strong academic qualifications and excellence in teaching, the University highly values experience in working across cultural and other significant differences. Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to cultural diversity and the ability to work with individuals or groups from diverse backgrounds.

The Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) invites applications for a tenure stream position with a specialization in Indigenous Mental Health at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, commencing September 1, 2017 or shortly thereafter.

We seek applicants who have a strong research focus as well as practical expertise in the area of Indigenous Mental Health. The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge of, or experience in, community-based research, indigenous methodologies and working with indigenous communities. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. in clinical or counselling psychology or a related field such as psychology or school psychology by the date of the appointment. Preference will be given to a licensed clinical psychologist or school psychologist. Candidates must have an established record of excellence in research which includes exemplary publications in top disciplinary journals, presentations at conferences and strong endorsements from referees of high standing. The successful candidate must have an ongoing, independent and innovative program of research of sufficient quality to merit nomination for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair at the time of appointment or shortly thereafter.  Additionally, the successful candidate must demonstrate a record of excellent teaching as evidenced through teaching accomplishments, evaluations and endorsements submitted as part of the application.

The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery of both core and interdisciplinary curricula within and across programs offered in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development. They will also contribute to the development an innovative program of research in mental health and education that combines areas of expertise within the department and fosters collaboration in programs and research activities locally and internationally. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

More information is available below.

The University of Southern Indiana Social Work Department invites applications for tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level, with appointments beginning in August of 2017. Responsibilities include teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in social work, in addition to advising students, university and community service, and academic scholarship.

The Social Work Department at USI has a combined program offering a BSW in generalist practice and a MSW with a clinical concentration. The Department also houses the Center for Social Justice Education, which aims to foster advocacy for social justice and empowerment through education, research and collaboration. Faculty members within the department are strongly collegial, with a commitment to teaching excellence, scholarship, and service to the University and the region.

Candidates are required to have an MSW from a CSWE accredited program and a minimum of two years post masters direct practice experience. The committee will give preference to those candidates with a doctorate in social work (or related field) from a nationally accredited institution of higher education, social work clinical licensure (LCSW), and direct practice experience treating addictions. The committee will consider applicants who are ABD, if they have direct social work practice experience. Successful candidates will demonstrate potential for excellence in teaching and scholarly productivity.

The Department of Community Sustainability and the Center for Global Change and Earth Observation at Michigan State University is searching for a full-time Research Associate/post doc to be a part of a four-year NSF-funded grant that is developing new ways to reduce the social, economic and environmental costs of hydropower development. The position will start as soon as an appropriate candidate is found, preferably by summer 2017. Candidates will be based in East Lansing, Michigan, with significant fieldwork in the Brazilian Amazon.

Project Abstract: An estimated 3,700 major dams are currently either planned or under construction worldwide, and they will continue to play significant roles in energy production in the foreseeable future, especially in developing countries. This study’s goal is to develop innovative solutions for hydropower– not just to produce energy for the national grid, but woven into the surrounding food, water, and institutional systems. The team includes hydroengineers, hydrogeologists, climatologists, biologists and social scientists working in tandem to offer transformative solutions for hydropower development while ensuring that social and environmental benefits outweigh costs. The research teams will assess land cover change to understand deforestation risk in and around dams, and identify agricultural areas that can benefit from sediment application. Coupled hydrological and climate models, linked to land cover changes in different landscape and socio-ecological settings, including international collaborations, will identify better hydropower solutions including ways to move sediments to farms and/or locations for in-stream turbines. Institutional and governance analysis will examine the multi-tiered dimensions that intrude upon the way civil society benefits from hydropower. The project will generate innovative solutions to produce renewable energy from hydropower, increase food production, and lessen negative environmental and social impacts that have reduced the acceptability of hydropower development, in the U.S., Europe and across the world.

The successful applicant will become part of an interdisciplinary team dedicated to investigating the multi-tiered and multi-sector governance structure of the food-energy-water system. The research associate will conduct an institutional analysis of the FEWs nexus to help achieve an integrated policy assessment of this nexus for the Amazon basin. Necessary skills include knowledge of the study of governance and institutions (e.g. Ostrom, North). The work will require qualitative and quantitative skills since the work will cover communities in three river basins in the Brazilian Amazon. Statistical skills are required to be able to collaborate in interdisciplinary research across the social and natural sciences. Desirable experience includes knowledge of the literature on the food-energy-water nexus and the impact of hydropower dams, along with livelihood analysis. Responsibilities will be divided between fieldwork, analysis, and writing. Candidate is expected to work independently but contribute to team-based science.

Qualifications: We are seeking candidates who:

• Are committed to a research career in interdisciplinary science, active publication of research results, and communicating them to communities.
• Have an outstanding academic record is expected, preferably with evidence of research publications.
• Completed Ph.D. degree in a social science or interdisciplinary field that includes a social science component.
• Expertise in institutional and governance analysis along the lines of the work of Elinor Ostrom and Douglas North.
• Fieldwork experience, such as survey and interview data collection.
• Acquainted with dataset management and statistical methods, mixed methods.
• Fluency in Portuguese.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills; ability to think creatively about collaboration, and scientific inquiry; ability to work with rural communities in the Amazon region.
• Comfortable interaction with members of other disciplines and with integration of concepts from related fields; strong interpersonal and decision-making skills.
• Flexibility to travel and work as needed.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should be submitted electronically through Michigan State University’s website, http://www.careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/listing/ under Job Posting No 432771. Applications should include (a) a cover letter that addresses the applicant’s interest in the position and how the applicant meets the qualifications specified above, (b) a current CV, and (c) a summary of your experience with diversity in your research endeavors, and any experience mentoring diverse student, and an explanation of how you will contribute to our goals of inclusive excellence, and (d) 3 letters of recommendation. Queries may be directed to Professor Maria Claudia Lopez, Chair of the Search Committee.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at Michigan State University is committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. The CANR is particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.

If you are a student, come and see what CSSS has to offer!

– 12:30-12:40 Presentation of Letters of Recognition to those who have completed CSSS tracks
– 12:40-1:30 An overview of 2017-18 courses by CSSS faculty.
– 1:30–2:15 Informal Poster Session and Reception (SAV 408)

CSSS Graduate Course Offerings, 2017-18 (Tentative)

AUTUMN 2017

509 STAT/ECON/CS&SS Introduction to Mathematical Statistics
510 POL S/CS&SS Maximum Likelihood Methods
536 CS&SS/SOC/STAT Analysis of Categorical and Count Data
594 SOC WL/CS&SS Longitudinal Data Analysis
590 CS&SS CSSS Seminar

WINTER 2018

505 CS&SS Review of Mathematics
504 STAT/CS&SS Applied Regression
CS&SS Review of Mathematics
529 CS&SS/STAT/BIOS Sample Survey Techniques
544 CS&SS Event History Analysis
566 CS&SS/STAT Causal Modeling
569 CS&SS Visualizing Data
590 CS&SS CSSS Seminar

SPRING 2018

508 CS&SS Introduction to R for Social Scientists
526 SOC/CS&SS Structural Equation Modeling
560 CS&SS/STAT/SOC Hierarchical Modeling
564 CS&SS/STAT Bayesian Statistics for the Social Sciences
591 POLS/CS&SS Panel Data Analysis
590 CS&SS CSSS Seminar

On Thursday, May 25th, the UW Libraries is hosting the UW GIS Symposium in the Research Commons from 9am – noon.

They are still seeking faculty, students, or staff to present lightning talks and/or posters. Submissions will be reviewed as they are submitted. Deadline for submission is May 14th. Submit your lightning talk or poster presentation proposal below (space is limited!).

The Kickoff Speaker will be UW Geography alum Sarah Battersby (BS ’99). Sarah received her PhD in Geography in 2006 from UCSB and is currently a Senior Research Scientist at Tableau.

They will be publishing abstracts of the presentations and posters in the inaugural issue of Proceedings of the UW GIS Symposium following the event. More event information is available on the UW GIS Symposium website.

Welfare Rules, Incentives, and Family Structure

This study provides a new examination of the incentive effects of welfare rules on marriage and cohabitation among low-income women.  Focusing on the AFDC and TANF programs and how they treat the presence of men in the household, the study notes that the eligibility and benefit rules are based more on the biological relationship between the children and any male in the household than on marriage or cohabitation per se.  A new empirical analysis of the effect of 1990s welfare reforms on family structure that matches these rules correctly shows that the effects of those reforms on marriage and cohabitation differ depending on whether the union formation in question involved men who were biological fathers of the children.  The effects of reforms which involved harsh work-related policies had more effects than reforms which involved family structure per se.

Robert Moffitt is the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Economics at Johns Hopkins University, where he is also an Associate of the NICHD-funded Hopkins Population Center.  Professor Moffitt’s research focuses on the U.S. welfare system and its effect on low income families and children as well as on general issues related to poverty, and he has conducted research on statistical methodology, including methods for conducting causal inference with observational data and on the estimation of models of social interactions and networks. He was the 2014 President of the Population Association America and is a recipient of an NICHD MERIT award.