Students travel to D.C. for a semester of work and study

The Dornsife Washington, D.C. program sent its first group of students to the nation’s capital to study and intern for the spring semester.

After going through an application process that included essay questions, recommendation letters and a formal interview, eighteen students were selected to participate in the program. All students are currently enrolled in three classes called, Espionage and Intelligence, Formulation of U.S. Foreign Policy and Managing New Global Challenge. Students can receive up to 4 units from their internship through the program.

Jeffrey Fields, USC alumnus and assistant professor of the practice of international relations, is the director of the spring 2015 Washington, D.C. program.

Fields first heard about the idea for the program from Steven Lamy, a professor of international relations and vice dean for academic programs.

“The main idea of this program is to take students interested in politics and policy and bring them to Washington where they can take classes and work, but the idea is to pull all those things together, the academic studies, the work and seeing practical politics come to life,” Fields said.

Students are required to participate in an internship which requires 20 to 30 hours of work per week. Though only international relations are currently offered, Fields anticipated offering classes in political science and economics in the future.

Every participant will be living together in apartments and will be taking the same three classes, each student has been assigned to a unique internship. Students are interning in many different sectors, ranging from think tanks on Capitol Hill to government agencies.

For example, Dan Morgan-Russell, a junior majoring in international relations and global economy, is working as a scholar intern under Diana Negroponte and Paul. D Williams at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

In addition to researching small, individual questions on topics such as the Cold War and Somalia, Morgan-Russell also is able to conduct his own research. Morgan-Russell applied to the program to figure out his plans following graduation.  Through his internship experience with a think tank, he said that he would like to work in the future with a non-governmental organization.

“I feel really fortunate to be in the first iteration of this program, and I’m really looking forward to hearing how it continues to grow in the years to come,” Morgan-Russell said. “I really think it’ll be a feather in the cap of the University of Southern California if we continue to nurture this program and give the opportunity to young scholars, like myself, access to the kinds of opportunities you can only find in our nation’s capital.”

Meanwhile, Kara Junttila, a sophomore majoring in international relations and political economy, is a research intern at the Henry L. Stimson Center.

Junttila helps research associates by conducting background research, drafting grant proposals and coordinating various events. She had the opportunity to write an op-ed with one of the co-founders of the Stimson Center that was published in Roll Call, a newspaper on Capitol Hill. As a result of her time spent in D.C., Junttila plans on staying for the summer to see what’s it like working in the government sector.

“It’s such a good experience to get outside of L.A. and to see what there is to do professionally after school and to make sure you like what you’re studying,” Junttila said.

Riyana Chakraborty, a sophomore majoring in international relations (global business), is a research assistant at the South Asia Center with the Atlantic Council.

Chakraborty performs intern duties such as planning events, but she also does research for acting director Bharath Gopalaswamy. Her current research focuses on Indian space security objectives and policy initiatives.

Chakraborty explained that her favorite part of the program is having the opportunity to listen to the guest lecturers who come in to talk to students. “Every single class is a class you can take at USC, but when you take it here, the professors are constantly bringing in outside speakers who are experts in their field here in D.C.,” Chakraborty said. “The material we’re learning comes to life when they come to speak to us and when they tell us about what it’s really like to be here, and that’s something that’s very different from sitting in a classroom in L.A.”

Correction: A previous version of this story stated the students are enrolled in one class and are able to receive 16 units through their internship. They are actually enrolled in three classes and able to receive 4 units through their internship. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.