Author Archives: Don

Brief Update

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I learned that I won’t be able to change to a reduced schedule at work until the upcoming Fall 2012 semester.  Yes, I’m a little disappointed, but I’ll take advantage of the shift in schedule to use that time to write my dissertation.  I’m hoping that next semester will be my last coursework semester and I’ll be able to transition quickly into the third phase (dissertation) of the program.

So because of the delayed implementation of a reduced work schedule, my academic schedule has changed once again … instead of taking four courses this semester, I’m taking only three.  I dropped PUBP 713 in favor of keeping the other three courses.  I’ll pick up another methods course next semester.

That’s all for now!

Semester Schedule

Posted on by Don

I had posted previously about the courses I would be taking this semester, but I’ve made some changes. I moved from the 700 level GIS course to an 800 level one. This was a pretty minor adjustment as they both meet on the same day, just at different times. I also picked up GOVT 739, which meets in Fairfax instead of Arlington. Adding this course made it necessary for me to switch PUBP 713 sections – a minor inconvenience. So here’s what my course load looks like for the Spring 2012 Semester:

PUBP 833 – Applied Spatial Analysis
PUBP 713 – Policy and Program Evaluation
PUBP 710 – Science and Technology for Public Policy
GOVT 739 – Nonproliferation and Arms Control

A Banner Day!

Posted on by Don

On January 5, we started the Comprehensive Qualifying Exam – our first real “checkpoint” through which we have to pass as students on our way to earning a PhD in Public Policy. Four days later, we turned it in and the wait began. The exam is basically a pass/fail measure which covers the material from our core courses and requires that we apply it.

I won’t bore you with the details of the test other than to say I was very happy to turn it in; not because I knew I did well, but because I was glad I could come out of my four-day sequestered state. We were told that it would take about two weeks for the faculty to score the exam and let us know how we did.

I have to say that waiting for my score was excruciating! Each passing day was worse … would this be the day I got my results? … what if I failed? … what could I have done differently? … did I answer everything they asked? As the days went by, the self-doubt mounted. There were points in time when I had resigned myself to having to take the exam again in May. There were others when I thought I probably did “ok”. But I never knew.

That all changed at 4:16 PM today. I got my results – and I PASSED! HOOAH! It was a great feeling of relief knowing that I had successfully maneuvered through the first gate.

But that wasn’t the only bit of good news for the day. Back in August, I had applied (for the third time) for a program at work that would allow me to split my time between work and school (20 hours at work, the other 20 allocated to academics). It’s a pretty competitive program and only about a dozen applicants are selected each year. In return for the reduced workload, the program requires a 3-to-1 payback of the time spent devoted to academics. It’s a pretty good program if you can get into it.

Three semesters as both a full-time PhD student and a full-time employee have been pretty trying. By the end of each semester, I’m usually exhausted; both mentally and physically. All that is about to change!

I learned that I was accepted to the program. I don’t have any of the particulars on when I’ll start my reduced work schedule, but just knowing that I’m now in the program has lifted a great weight from my shoulders.

So … great news all around – a banner day!

Core Requirements Complete!

Posted on by Don

After three semesters of full-time study, I’ve now completed all the core course requirements for the PhD program – woohoo! Although I feel a sense of both relief and accomplishment, I won’t have much time to relax. The comprehensive qualifying exam is next – and is actually just around the corner. We receive our reading packets on January 5th, and a mere 2 weeks from today, I’ll be sitting in Arlington for the in-class portion of the exam. By the following Monday evening, another milestone will be in the books and I’ll be able to focus on my fourth semester.

Speaking of my fourth semester, I’ll be changing focus from the core course requirements to courses that support my fields. I know I’ve been wavering back and forth between information technology policy and nuclear policy, but this is the point in the movie when things get serious and I need to choose. So I will be focusing my research on nuclear policy. I do enjoy the idea of information technology policy, but I’m definitely much more passionate about nuclear policy. I’ve chosen a chair for my committee, and the search is now on for two more members.

As for the academics, what’s in store for the upcoming semester?
PUBP 754 – GIS and Spatial Analysis for Public Policy
PUBP 710 – Science and Technology for Public Policy
PUBP 713 – Policy and Program Evaluation

This is the schedule so far. I am considering GOVT 739 – Nonproliferation and Arms Control. If I do pick up this course, it will affect the courses above, but I’m not sure how just yet. At this point, I’m just considering the course and will be able to focus more on whether it will be a part of my schedule after I’ve completed the comprehensive qualifying exam.

Well, that’s it for now …

The Home Stretch!

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In two weeks, I’ll have three full semesters in the books – wow! I have a couple of papers left to finish – no matter how good my intentions are throughout the semester, it always ends with me pushing right to the due date. I noticed I’ve been a little more comfortable this semester than during the two previous ones (almost like I’m getting the hang of this!).

I’ve met with the professor who is the resident expert on all things nuclear and he agreed to be my field chair. I’ll be meeting with him again soon after the semester ends to finalize things and move forward. Now I need to find two other members of the faculty to serve on my committee. It’s all coming together.

But I also have to keep my eye on the CQE – the Comprehensive Qualifying Exam. It’s the first weekend in January and yes, it’s a little daunting. We’ve all been told that we have the skills to successfully navigate the exam, but the thought of an all-weekend exam that covers our core courses is, I must admit, intimidating. I’ll be gearing up for it once my papers are finished. Stay tuned!

How time flies …

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Somehow I went the whole month of September without posting an update.  Two presentations and two papers later (with another paper and presentation next week), it’s already mid-October!  It seems I’m always surprised at how quickly the semester passes.  So … how’s it going?

The Culture and Public Policy course is quite an interesting course.  We’ve had some great discussions so far and I’m looking forward to even more of them.  I’ve learned a lot from the readings we’ve covered in the first half of the semester.  Here are some of the books we’ve read up to this point:

  • American Exceptionalism by Seymour Martin Lipset  This book was written in 1996, but it is still applicable today.  It’s a fairly easy read and helps the reader understand what “American Exceptionalism” really means.  Dr. Lipset was one of the founding faculty members of George Mason’s School of Public Policy.
  • Mad As Hell by Scott Rassmussen and Douglas Schoen  I should have read the back of the book before reading the 300-ish pages of … um … “analysis” that makes up this book.  I struggled with this book because I really expected a pollster (Scott Rasmussen) to use more sound methods.
  • The Post-American World Release 2.0 by Fareed Zakaria  This is an enjoyable read.  If you’ve ever read any of Thomas Friedman’s works, the theme is familiar.  The world is changing and the gap between the United States and the rest of the world is narrowing.  It’s not an authoritative text by any means, but it helps the reader with cultural perspective.

I’m really enjoying the Globalization and IT course.  We’re approaching Information Technology (or Information Communication Technology as the term is used in most of the rest of the world) from a public policy perspective – a “geek course for non-geeks”.  The material has reenergized my interest in IT and policy.  I changed my statement of interest last semester to focus on nuclear arms control policy as that’s the direction I wanted to head with my studies.  I’m torn again – I’m really interested in both areas, but I’m beginning to think that the IT policy area would be more suited to dissertation research and I could then expand my research to include arms control policy after defending my dissertation.  I’ve spoken to my professor in this class about IT policy topics in pursuit of a dissertation topic and will be meeting with him to discuss this in more depth.  He also provided the names of two other faculty members I will be meeting with to discuss potential IT policy dissertation topics.  I’d like to have a general area of study narrowed down and perhaps even a good idea of who will be on my fields committee by the end of this semester.

The Transnational Security Issues course is also interesting.  It reminds me a lot of the coursework from the GMU Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (now the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution).  So far, we’ve covered corruption, safe havens, kleptocracies, money laundering, pirates, cyber crime, and terrorism.

As of this week, we’re officially halfway through the semester.  Before long, the semester will be over and it’ll be time to take the Comprehensive Qualifying Exam.  Stay tuned for updates!

Almost September Already!

Posted on by Don

Today as I looked back on my most recent post, I noticed that I had intended to post periodically during the Summer.  Well, that didn’t happen.  It seems like such a short time ago the Spring semester ended; and then I look at the calendar and realize it’s been 3 months!  Where did the time go?

I’m looking forward to the upcoming semester – my schedule hasn’t changed since my last post.  I’ve reviewed the syllabi, purchased my books, downloaded my supplemental readings, and am looking forward to a very productive semester.  The three courses seem to fit nicely together and I’m excited to get started.  The main themes can be summed up in three words: culture, globalization, and security.  All three areas are of great interest to me and can help guide my studies as I work toward narrowing down a dissertation topic.  I’m still keenly interested in nuclear issues – the question still remains, “which one will I choose?”

Classes start a week from today – look for updates as the semester progresses!

2 Semesters Down … N-2 Yet to Go …

Posted on by Don

The final grade for the Spring semester posted yesterday, so I’ve officially finished my first year as a PhD student.  The first year was packed full of mandatory core courses and prerequisites.  We covered a wide range of topics from microeconomics to advanced statistical methods to national level governance and everything in between.  Seven courses, 22 credits, 3 final exams, 5 final papers, 2 mid-term papers, 8 problem sets, 4 SPP events, and countless hours preparing on evenings and weekends later, it feels good to have reached this unofficial milestone.

I’ve chosen not to take courses this summer, but I will definitely stay busy.  I spent many hours trying to figure out which direction I wanted to take as I moved beyond the first year.  I had narrowed my research focus to two fairly broad areas: information technology policy and nuclear policy.  After much deliberation, I decided that while I’m keenly interested in both, my greater interest lies in nuclear policy.  When I submitted my updated research goals this month, I incorporated this adjustment and am happy with my choice.  I will spend a fair amount of time reading to prepare myself as I move forward.  I’ve put together a reading list and will work my way through what I can over the summer.

I’ve also enrolled for Fall 2011 classes since I last posted.  The class list is a little different than what I had originally planned, but not radically so.  I will be taking PUBP 800 – Culture and Policy, as it is my last core course.  This is significant in two ways: it marks a milestone in my progress (completing all core courses), and it means I’ll be taking the comprehensive exam in January.  I also decided to take two PUBP 710 courses: Transnational Security Issues and Globalization of Information Technology.  The Transnational Security Issues course should dovetail nicely into my nuclear policy interests.  I chose the second PUBP 710 course, Globalization of Information Technology, partly because of my continuing interest in Information Technology policy, but also because I’m hoping it will spark ideas related to my nuclear policy interests.  Perhaps I’ll be able to weave the two together as I continue toward a dissertation topic.

Well, that’s it for the Spring Semester … I plan to update this blog periodically over the summer, but first I’ll take a week or two to relax, recover, and regroup.  Before you know it, August will be upon us … and the Fall Semester will begin in earnest.

Goals / Research Statement

Posted on by Don

In my most recent post, I mentioned  the need to update my goals/research statement.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about what direction I’d like my research to take.  When I wrote my Statement of Purpose (SOP) during the admissions process, I was convinced I knew what my research would be.  Quoting from my SOP:

I believe that the GMU PhD program in Public Policy (with a concentration in Organizational and Information Technology) would be of great value in my efforts to achieve the understanding necessary to increase organizational effectiveness.  It would provide me the ability to focus my analytical and management skills in analyzing government’s Information Technology challenges and would possibly open new areas for research.  Upon completing the PhD program, I would like to apply my newly acquired skills to discover new and innovative ways to affect organizational structure and policy within the government.

I think this is still a rich area for research – and it *is* something that interests me.  But I’ve also come to realize that there are other topics that interest me.  I’ve rediscovered the nuclear world – a place I spent 5 years.  My time as an international arms control inspector gave me a real appreciation for reducing the nuclear stockpiles that exist around the world.  In addition, there’s the discussion of finding a permanent solution to the issue of spent nuclear fuel, perhaps closing the nuclear fuel cycle in the United States, and nonproliferation.  It’s an area of public policy that truly fascinates me.

Through discussions in classes over the past year, I’ve discovered and rediscovered interest in numerous other areas of public policy.  At times, I feel like a kid in a candy store; at other times, I feel overwhelmed with the variety of choices available to me.  Although the dissertation looms in the distance and is not of immediate concern yet, it’s important to narrow down my topic sooner rather than later.

We’ve been told on more than one occasion that the best dissertation is a done dissertation.  We’ve been cautioned not to “hover” – that is, not to succumb to analysis paralysis when choosing a topic for our dissertation.  Those who hover take much longer to write and complete.  The first time I heard that advice, I thought it was pretty cynical; now I agree with it.  It makes sense.  Our goal as PhD students isn’t to discover something Earth-shattering; it is to contribute to the world of human knowledge in some way and write a dissertation about it.  A classmate relayed some advice he received recently: take all those disparate interests you have and put them in a box.  Focus on one topic, write your dissertation, and when you’ve earned your PhD, then go back to the box and explore your various interests.

I still have some thinking to do before I submit my revision to my goals/research statement.  I plan to meet with my advisor soon and get his advice.  Part of our conversation will be guided by what courses are available next semester and in what combination.  I’m considering courses that are broad enough that they can be applied to many of my interests, but narrow enough that they begin to solidify my direction as I continue on this journey.  A sneak preview of what courses I’m considering:

  • PUBP 800 – Culture and Policy (mandatory core course)
  • PUBP 840 – US Policy Making Institutions
  • PUBP 710 – Transnational Security Issues

This list is subject to change … stay tuned!

Spring “Break”

Posted on by Don

It’s not exactly half way through the Spring Semester, but last week was Spring Break.  It’s not how I remember it when I was younger, that’s for sure!  I took some time off work so I could work on assignments that are due next week: an economics problem set and a stakeholder analysis paper.  The problem set is done … the paper still needs a little work, but there’s some time left before it’s due on Tuesday.

This past Monday, registration for the Summer Semester opened.  We had been told in advance that classes fill quickly, and since there were only a handful of courses being offered, all seats were filled within minutes.  For quite a while before the registration window opened, I debated whether I should take a class this summer.  In the end, I decided against it for this year, but am leaving the window open for next summer.

On Tuesday, the class list for Fall Semester was released and we were asked to update our goals/research statements by May 19.  The confluence of these two events is actually fairly significant given the program requirements for the next couple of semesters.

  • First, we are updating our goals/research statements in anticipation of a faculty meeting on May 20.  On that date, all faculty will be meeting to discuss the doctoral students and our progress in the program.  It is important that we keep these statements updated.
  • Second, we are required to choose a chair for our Field Committee by the end of the third semester (which will be Fall 2011).  Because the chair for the Field Committee usually becomes the chair for a doctoral student’s Dissertation Committee, this is an important decision.
  • Third, now that almost all core courses are out of the way (PUBP 800 is the final core course, and will be taken in the Fall), choice of course becomes more important.  Rather than deciding which core courses we’ll be taking, we will now choose courses based on our fields within public policy.

And finally … on a related note, the Comprehensive Qualifying Exam for most of us will be January 5-9, 2012.  This exam tests knowledge of the information covered in the program’s core courses (PUBP 800, 801, 804, 805).  The “comp” is one of two major exams before the dissertation (the other is the Field Exam).

So yes, it was Spring Break this week … I think! 🙂