Sine Institute
Expand your professional network and engage with top experts and scholars through the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics. Check out the events and opportunities, including Sine Fellow Seminars.
SPA provides students the opportunity to meet alumni and employers through Industry Weeks. These events will feature panels of industry experts and networking receptions here on campus.
Join us for Industry Weeks sponsored by the School of Public Affairs, the AU Career Center, the SIS Office of Career Development, and the Office of Alumni Relations. Through a combination of in-person and virtual events, Industry Weeks provide students the opportunity to expand their professional network and hear from alumni and employers currently working in that industry. It provides alums and employers the opportunity to meet AU students and discuss job and internship opportunities. Whether you are seeking new talent, or hoping to strengthen your professional network, you won't want to miss Industry Weeks. Industry Weeks are free to participate in for all AU students, graduate and undergraduate.
Industry Weeks can consist of many different opportunities, virtually and in-person, for students to engage with alums and employers such as:
Registration for all industry week events will be run through Handshake, the Career Center鈥檚 online platform. Questions can be directed to Mr. Justin Williams, Associate Director of Undergraduate Recruitment & Retention, at jwilliam@american.edu.
2024-2025 Industry Weeks are noted below. As events are finalized, this site will be updated and information will be shared with students.
Advocacy, Policy, & Legislation Industry Week February 2025
Aspiring and or current advocacy, policy, and or legislative professionals - join the School of Public Affairs (SPA), the AU Career Center, the SIS Office of Career Development, and Office of Alumni Relations as we provide opportunities to hear from alums and employers currently working in the advocacy, policy, and legislative fields. There will be a wide range of opportunities, in-person and virtual, for you to learn more and get your questions answered. Examples of opportunities include, but are not limited to, panels, networking reception, resume drop, info sessions, and more.
听October 15th 4-4:30pm
听October 15th 4:30-6:30pm
November 7th听6:30-8:30pm
November 12th 4-4:30pm
Site Visit: Department of State, Bureau of International Security & Nonproliferation November 20th 1-3pm
听February 9th听10补尘-3辫尘
February 13th听Noon 鈥 1:30pm
听February 14th听5:30-6:30辫尘
February 20th听4-4:30pm Constitution Hall
听February 20th听4:30-6pm Constitution Hall
听
Non-Profits Making a Difference Week of October 16th-20th.
.听Registration opens September 5th
Tuesday October 17th 4:30-6pm EST In-Person Networking Reception
Working for Justice Industry Week
Working for Justice
Week of March 14th
Gain insights, advice & build your professional network directly with professionals working in loss prevention, re-entry, social justice & social assistance-based non-profits, policing, private security & more. The week will feature a panel of alums/employer offering firsthand experiences, talk about trends in the field and take questions. There will also be various employer virtual meetups and info sessions. Learn more about the wide range of options and register through Handshake.
Working for Justice Industry Virtual Panel: Life after the Legal Studies Major
Wednesday April 13th听6-7pm EST
Hear from four graduates of the Legal Studies program as they describe the impact the degree has had on their careers and the decisions they鈥檝e made on their pathway to professional success. This panel will not be recorded.
Panelists Include:
Kristen Pulkstenis,听Assistant Prosecutor,听Atlantic County听
Amanda Merkwae, Legislative Advisor for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
Dan Honold, Senior A猫咪社区appA in the Special Proceedings Division
Edwin Gonzalez, M&A Senior Associate, KPMG
Moderated by Professor听, Senior Scholar in Residence in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology.
Campaigns, Congress, & Lobbying (Advocacy)
Campaigns, Congress, and Lobbying (Advocacy) 鈥 learn more about these industries by hearing directly from people who work in them. Discover current trends in this industry, helpful tips for entering these fields, available opportunities, and more. Please join 猫咪社区app University's School of Public Affairs and the AU Career Center for industry days 鈥 several days offering a wide range of opportunities to hear from alums and employers who work in these fields.
Panels:
Monday February 14th 7-8pm EST will be a virtual alumni/employer panel focused on campaigns..
Tuesday February 15th 7-8pm EST will be a virtual alumni/employer panel focused on lobbying (advocacy).
Employer Meet-Ups (Virtual):
Meet with employers during info sessions:
Employer-in-Residence (Virtual):
Meet with representatives for 20-min 1:1 meetings.
Resume Drop:
Share your resume with employers!
Jobs & Internships
Throughout the week there will be various employer virtual meetups and info sessions. Learn more about the wide range of options and register through Handshake.
Friday February 18th听10补尘-3辫尘 EST Virtual Government, Education & Nonprofit Career Fair. Register through Handshake.
Member of the Florida House of Representatives, 113th District
Representative Michael Grieco is currently serving in his second 2-year term in the Florida Legislature. Michael graduated from AU鈥檚 School of Public Affairs in 1997 and during his time in DC he also spent time working as an aide in the U.S. Congress and at C-SPAN. He then went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. After law school, Michael worked in the Miami prosecutors office, focusing mostly on longterm gang and narcotics investigations before becoming a felony division chief. Upon his departure from the public sector in 2006, Rep. Grieco went on to private criminal defense work and still manages his solo boutique firm today. Michael has appeared countless times on CNN and MSNBC as a legal analyst and still handles many high profile state and federal cases. In 2013, public service again called and Michael ran for an won a seat on the Miami Beach Commission. In 2018, Rep. Grieco chose to pivot into state politics, winning his election by 25% and then returning unopposed in 2020. Michael is now running for the Florida State Senate and if successful, will represent over 550,000 people.
President & Founder | MDW Communications
Michael Worley is a nationally recognized political strategist with over a decade of experience helping progressive campaigns and causes win.听
The recipient of over a dozen industry awards for excellence in political media, Michael has successfully advised some of Florida鈥檚 most competitive campaigns since 2014, including Miami-Dade County Mayor听Daniella Levine Cava听and State Senator听Shevrin Jones鈥 history making victories in 2020.
He has also served as a top advertising consultant for advocacy campaigns on behalf of some of Florida鈥檚 largest corporations and political organizations, including听Uber,听The Seminole Tribe of Florida,听The Miami Dolphins and Formula 1,听Planned Parenthood of Florida,听Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA),听Equality Florida听and the听United Teachers of Dade.
After serving as the National Communications Director for the College Democrats of America, Michael founded MDW in his college apartment in 2011, while finishing his education in Washington, DC.
Under his leadership, MDW has grown to become one of the most sought-after political agencies in the Southeastern 猫咪社区app, named 鈥渢he go-to for digital and mail for Florida Democrats鈥 by FloridaPolitics.com.听
He currently serves on the executive boards of the 猫咪社区app University Alumni Association and the South Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America.听
He lives with his wife and son in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Campaign Manager for Rep. Val Deming's U.S. Senate campaign
Zack Carroll (SIS '15) has been working on political campaigns since his days at AU with the AU College Democrats when he worked for then-Rep. Tammy Duckworth's first win to Congress in 2012. Having worked in field, fundraising and management听on ten campaigns throughout his career across听seven states, Zack managed Rep. Andy Kim's upset win to Congress in 2018, followed by Jaime Harrison's campaign in 2020. Zack is currently managing Rep. Val Demings' campaign for U.S. Senate in Florida.听
Principal | Lewis-Burke Associates
Laura Uttley develops and executes comprehensive advocacy strategies that resonate with congressional and federal agency audiences. In close consultation with clients, she leverages experiences gained on Capitol Hill, with federal agencies, and in academia to advance client priorities across a diverse issue portfolio.
As the firm鈥檚 lead for defense health and biosecurity issues, Laura has broad federal agency expertise, including the Department of Defense (DOD), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among others. The breadth of this knowledge benefits clients鈥 interagency priorities and promotes multi-pronged approaches to achieving federal funding goals.听Laura couples her agency expertise with legislative advocacy to successfully promote client interests in authorization and appropriations legislation.
Government Affairs Director | Small Business Majority
Awesta Sarkash directs Small Business Majority鈥檚 policy and government affairs efforts in our nation's capital and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Prior to joining Small Business Majority, Awesta served as the Director of Advocacy and Communications at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), a nonprofit membership association that supports the community development sector in DC. She was responsible for facilitating the development and execution of CNHED鈥檚 budget and policy advocacy strategies across a broad range of community development issues, including workforce development, small business entrepreneurship and neighborhood-based commercial corridors. Prior to joining CNHED, Awesta served as the grassroots and advocacy manager for the 猫咪社区app Land Title Association. She also served as assistant director for the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies鈥 Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute at 猫咪社区app University and in Brussels for the European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute.听
Originally from Afghanistan, Awesta grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and received her Master鈥檚 in Political Science from 猫咪社区app University in Washington, D.C. with a focus on 猫咪社区app politics and advocacy.
Joe Layman is a Professional Staff Member at the House of Representatives鈥 Committee on Appropriations. He works on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies subcommittee where he oversees domestic nutrition programs within the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), and the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area which is the Department of Agriculture鈥檚 focal point for the Nation鈥檚 farmers and ranchers. Joe came to Capitol Hill in 2018 as a Brookings Institution Congressional Fellow in the office of Representative Sanford Bishop (GA). He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from 猫咪社区app University in 2010 and his Masters of Public Administration from 猫咪社区app University in 2011. Previously, Joe was a Budget Analyst for the 猫咪社区app Environmental Protection Agency.
Partner | Bee Keeper Group
Mike Panetta is an award-winning public affairs campaign strategist who specializes in using the Internet and social media for creative issue advocacy and grassroots activism.
As a founding partner of Beekeeper Group, he manages a number of the firm鈥檚 nonprofit, trade association, and political clients and leads its embrace of mobile and social technology for political, marketing, and advocacy purposes. His work has been recognized with top honors from the 猫咪社区app Association of Political Consultants, the Public Affairs Council, and George Washington University鈥檚 Institute for Politics, Democracy, and the Internet.
In November 2006, Mike was elected to the city-wide position of U.S. 鈥淪hadow鈥 Representative in the District of Columbia, and served in this role for 3 terms until January 2013. Mike continues to be a leading voice in the fight for District of Columbia statehood and voting representation in the U.S. Congress.
Mike also has experience working with government agencies to help them utilize technology to better serve their stakeholders. Working as a Deputy Task Leader for Internet Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a contractor with Advanced Technology Systems, Mike maintained the agency鈥檚 flagship site, www.hud.gov, and provided advice and counsel for many of HUD鈥檚 other Internet projects. Mike also worked with a number of regional HUD field offices on best practices regarding local government web sites and trained HUD staff on technical issues.
Mike graduated from 猫咪社区app University鈥檚 School of Public Affairs with a bachelor鈥檚 in political science and earned a master鈥檚 in political science from the same university with a concentration in 猫咪社区app politics.
Take part in the U.S. Intelligence & National Security Industry Week - Monday, Nov 8-Thursday, Nov 11. Students will connect with employers in intelligence, cybersecurity, counterterrorism & national security fields. Review ways to connect below!
Employer Panel & Networking:
Hear from representatives of the FBI, DHS & CP3, followed by networking.
Employer Meet-Ups:
Meet with employers & get questions answered during info sessions:
Resume Drop:
Share your resume with employers!
Jobs & Internships in Handshake:
Nonprofits Making a Difference Industry Day: Monday, September 13th听at 7pm EST
听(they/them), BA SPA 鈥16:听Steven听joined the 猫咪社区app Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in May of 2020 as the Associate Director of Affiliate People Operations. They lead on all things related to people (HR) and talent functions for the ACLU鈥檚 54 affiliate offices.听Through best practice development and individualized affiliate support, they seek to deploy solutions that work best for an affiliate in regards to employee policies, hiring, retention, compensation, and beyond.听Prior to the ACLU, Steven led talent recruitment and onboarding for two education non-profits and served as a career coach in support of听job seekers with听disabilities and barriers to employment. Prior to graduating with their Bachelor鈥檚 in Political Science in 2016, Steven worked as a Peer Advisor in the AU Career Center and Marketing Assistant with the Office of Enrollment.听Originally from Somerville, MA,听Steven now lives in Seattle, WA with their Pitbull, Oogi.
Jaleesa Hall听is a native of Miami Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Arts, Radio, TV, Film from Clark Atlanta University, Master of Public Administration from 猫咪社区app University, and is a recent graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary where she attained a Master of Divinity and Community Engagement Fellowship. In 2017, Jaleesa founded Raising A Village Foundation (RAV), a non-profit organization that provides high-quality intervention programs and community resources to underserved children and families.
Prior to Raising A Village, Jaleesa held leadership positions at some of the most notable non-profit and government organizations in the District, including Center City Public Charter Schools, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and Wesley Theological Seminary. She鈥檚 also been awarded numerous fellowships including the Newman Civic Fellowship, The Change Makers Project (London, England), and the Community Engagement Fellowship. As Founder and CEO of RAV, it is Jaleesa鈥檚 mission is to improve the lives of children and families by creating innovative and sustainable programs that encourage safe, healthy, and whole communities.
Kristen Scott Kennedy听is the Council on Foundations' Chief of Staff.听Prior to joining the Council she was a director in the office of the president at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations where she supported the priorities of the president and CEO, facilitated GEO鈥檚 Board of Directors, managed partnerships and developed programming on emerging topics in philanthropy.
Previously, Kristen worked for the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council, a membership organization that promotes the use of cooperatives as a development paradigm. For four years she was managing director at The Bhutan Canada Foundation, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to improving education in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Kristen began her career in communications and operations at The Unusual Suspects Theater Company in Los Angeles before working in fundraising at The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children鈥檚 Health in Palo Alto, CA and Macmillan Cancer Support in London, UK.
Kristen received her master of public administration from 猫咪社区app University鈥檚 School of Public Affairs. She is an alumna of the University of Southern California and a recipient of the Nonprofit Executive Scholarship at the Richard Ivey School of Business.
Lizzie Martinez听is passionate about using fundraising and communications to connect people with social justice and anti-poverty initiatives. She has spent the last decade fundraising for incredible nonprofits in Portland and Washington, D.C.听In Portland, she has worked as a fundraiser for Housing Oregon (formerly Oregon Opportunity Network) and Latino Network. She is currently Director of Development at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, the statewide anti-hunger advocacy group. In Washington, D.C., she worked for ServiceNation (now part of Service Year Alliance) advocating for expansion of AmeriCorps programs. She is a proud AmeriCorps VISTA alum and lifetime Girl Scout member! She is a graduate of Linfield College (B.A.) and 猫咪社区app University (MPA).
She currently volunteers as a member of the Multnomah County Library Advisory Board and as board chair with MRG Foundation. She also leads the Fundraisers of Color affinity group, through Willamette Valley Development Officers. With WVDO, she is also an instructor in the Nonprofit Certificate program. In her spare time, she likes to travel around the world (when it's not a pandemic!), read good books, play with her nieces and nephews, and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest!
Panel: Wednesday April 7th 7-8pm EST
Virtual Networking Time Period: April 8th - April 22nd
Join the Career Center and AU's School of Public Affairs at our Working for Justice Industry Day Virtual Panel Wednesday April 7th from 7-8pm EST. The panel will be moderated by Department of Justice, Law, & Criminology Assistant Professor TaLisa J. Carter, PhD. This panel provides students the opportunity to gain insights, advice, and continue building their professional networks by hearing directly from people working in this industry. This industry includes areas like loss prevention, re-entry, working in non-profits, policing, private security, and more. Panelists will offer first hand experiences and tips to participants. Panelists will also take questions from participants. This panel will not be recorded.
Panelists:
Edwin C. Roessler Jr.,听Chief of Police for the Fairfax County Police Department, Retired
Mr. Edwin C. Roessler Jr. recently retired as the Chief of Police for the Fairfax County Police Department after more than 32 years in the law enforcement profession. During Mr. Roessler鈥檚 career with the Fairfax County Police Department he served in all ranks from Patrol Officer to Chief of Police.
Mr. Roessler was appointed Chief of Police in 2013 and during his tenure he led strategic transformational reform initiatives that were co-produced by the organization and community. Through engagement with all stakeholders, the co-production model for law enforcement reforms has become the gold standard for creating real change for use of force, responding to mental health calls for service, transparency, accountability, diversity recruitment, and constantly meeting the needs for the delivery of essential police services.
Mr. Roessler is a graduate of Arizona State University, the George Washington University, and the 猫咪社区app University鈥檚 Key Executive Graduate Program. Mr. Roessler has attended the Federal Bureau听of Investigation鈥檚 National Executive Institute and National Academy. Mr. Roessler continues to serve on many committees and boards to transform the law enforcement profession. Additionally, Mr. Roessler is an advocate for mental health wellness programs for public safety employees and community members.
Lori James-Townes, President & CEO of Expand-Now, LLC. & Assistant Training Director for the National Association of Public Defense
Lori James-Townes is President &听CEO of Expand-Now, LLC. She also serves as an Assistant Training Director for the National Association of Public Defense. Lori鈥檚 passion is adding value to others through speaking, training, development activities, coaching, and consulting. Lori has over 25 years of teaching, clinical social work, leadership, and management experience in juvenile justice, mental health, and public defender settings. She is an adjunct clinical instructor at Towson University, Department of Family Studies and Community Development.听
Her most recent public defender position was Director Social Work, Leadership and Program Development, with Maryland Office of Public Defender. With over more than 800 employees, she served as one of the first Directors of Leadership in a public defender setting.听While in this position, she demonstrated her ability to help others grow in the areas of teamwork, leadership, and management. She also led the agency鈥檚 social work staff, consultants, and interns. Lori is a certified John Maxwell Trainer, Coach, and Speaker. She has developed programs that are now national models for other agencies. In 2015, The Daily Record Newspaper named her as one of Maryland鈥檚 Top 100 Women. As a speaker, she is requested both nationally and internationally.听She resides in Maryland with her daughter, Maya.
Ashley Nellis, Ph.D. Senior Research Analyst, The Sentencing Project
Ashley Nellis, Ph.D. has an academic and professional background in analyzing criminal justice policies and practices, racial disparities, juvenile justice systems, and long-term imprisonment. Her documentation of the prevalence of life imprisonment has served as a national resource for academics, advocates, policymakers, reporters, and incarcerated persons. She is the coauthor with Marc Mauer of The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences (The New Press, 2018) which has received praise from the Los Angeles Review of Books, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly, and has been featured on National Public Radio. Dr. Nellis is also the author of A Return to Justice: Rethinking our Approach to Juveniles in the System (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015) which chronicles America鈥檚 historical treatment of youth in the justice system and the need to reorient juvenile justice practices toward the original vision. She has presented her work at a wide range of academic and policy convenings, and is frequently interviewed by a range of news media. Dr. Nellis received her Ph.D. in Justice, Law and Society from 猫咪社区app University鈥檚 School of Public Affairs.
Campaigns and Lobbying-- have you heard about these industries but aren鈥檛 entirely sure what they entail? Do you know you want to pursue opportunities in either or both of these fields? Do you just want to get more information about these industries to help you make more informed decisions? If so, please join us for these virtual panels featuring alums and employers who have worked or currently work in them. Students can attend one or both panels. After the second panel, registered students will have the opportunity to set up one on one virtual meetings with alums and employers to learn more and ask questions.
Monday, March 15th听Virtual Campaign Panel moderated by Department of Government Professor Candice Nelson. Students register through your Handshake account.
Tuesday, March 16th听Virtual Lobbying Panel moderated by Department of Government Distinguished Professor James Thurber. Students register through your Handshake account.
Wednesday March 17th听- Wednesday March 31st听One on One Networking time frame.听
Campaign Panelists:
Christian Curto, Senior Account Executive and Political Director, Campaign Solutions
Tom Bonier, CEO, TargetSmart
Anne Caprara, Chief of Staff, Governor J.B. Pritzker
Quentin Fulks, Executive Director, Think Big Illinois
Lobbying Panelists:
Laura Uttley, Principle and Lobbyist, Lewis-Burke Associates听
Awesta Sarkash, Government Affairs Manager, Small Business Majority
Scott Goodstein, Founder and CEO of Catalyst Campaigns
Mike Panetta, Partner, Beekeeper Group
National Security, Cyber Security, Counterterrorism, and Intelligence work-- do you work in any of these fields or have an interest in learning more about them? Please join 猫咪社区app University's School of Public Affairs and Career Center for a virtual networking event. Employers, AU students, and alumni will have the opportunity to network, provide helpful tips for entering the 铿乪ld, and discuss available opportunities.
Monday, November 9th听Intelligence Community & National Security听Panel.听Students register through your Handshake account听here.
Tuesday, November 10th -听Wednesday November 25th听One on One Networking time frame.听Alums and Employers register here. Students register through Handshake
Education, Housing, Food, Environment & Sustainability, and or Social Advocacy & Equity Nonprofits. If you work for an organization focused on any of these areas, or if you鈥檙e interested in working in these 铿乪lds, please join 猫咪社区app University's School of Public Affairs and Career Center for a virtual networking event. Employers, AU students, and alumni will have the opportunity to network, provide helpful tips for entering the 铿乪ld, and discuss available opportunities.
Tuesday, October 6th听Nonprofits: Making a Difference Panel.听Students need to听register, through Handshake, in order to get instructions and links for both parts of the industry day. Please register by noon EST October 6th.
Wednesday, October 7th - Wednesday October 21st听One on One Networking time frame.听Alums and Employers register here. Students register through Handshake.
Panelists:
George Garcia, Director of Education & Workforce for Latin 猫咪社区app Youth Center (LAYC)
Jaleesa Hall, Founder & CEO of Raising a Village
Kristin Scott Kennedy, Chief of Staff at Council on Foundations
Lizzie Martinez, Director of Development at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon
Marley Rave, Director, Individual Relations and Philanthropy for Autism Speaks
Monday February 10, 2020, 6-8pm
Constitution Hall
6-6:15pm: Registration & Check-in
6:15-7pm: Panels
7-8pm: Networking Reception
Panelists:
Intelligence Community (IC) Panel will have representatives from Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), FBI, and 猫咪社区app Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS).
Law Enforcement & Courts Panel will have representatives from FBI, Fairfax county Police Department, and Prince George鈥檚 County Police Department.
Monday October 21, 2019, 9-11AM
Constitution Hall
9-9:15am Alum/Employer/Student Check in & Networking
9:15-10am Panel 鈥淲orking for a Non-Profit鈥
10-11am Networking Reception
Panelists:
Samantha Paige Davis
Jaleesa Hall
Kristen Scott Kennedy
听
Tuesday September 24, 2019, 6-8PM
Constitution Hall
6-6:15PM - Alum/Employer/Student Check in & Networking
6:15-7PM - Panels on campaigning and lobbying running simultaneously
7-8PM - Networking Reception
Campaign Panelists:
Tom Bonier, CEO, TargetSmart
Christian Curto, Campaign Solutions
Alicia Kolar Prevost, Director of the Voter Study Group, Democracy Fund
William R. Sweeney Jr., Distinguished Practitioner, Department of Government, School of Public Affairs
Lobbying Panelists:
, Lewis-Burke Associates LLC
Awesta Sarkash, Director of Advocacy & Communications, Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED)
Expand your professional network and engage with top experts and scholars through the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics. Check out the events and opportunities, including Sine Fellow Seminars.
There are several other industry-specific networking receptions hosted by the Alumni Office and Career Center throughout the year. Students can find these events through .