Student FAQs – Fall 2023

How much time am I expected to put into my work with IPD? 

We expect all students to commit to a minimum of five hours of work each week. A student may work more hours if they wish and their other time demands allow.  

 

Are professional development and research training sessions required? 

 No, all sessions are voluntary, in recognition that students have wide variation in skillsets and learning objectives. However, your project team leader(s) may advise you to participate in a particular PD or RT session if it will help build skills needed for work on your team’s project.  

  

I can’t make it to the All-Hands Meeting or my project team meetings due to a class or work conflict.  What do I do? 

 We understand that many students will have course, work and family conflicts.  All we ask is that you notify your project team leader and, when necessary, arrange to receive the material or complete an assignment associated with the missed meeting.

 

Does IPD have paid positions?  How do I inquire about or apply for a paid position?  

 IPD largely runs projects based off of external money provided through grants, foundation awards and faculty directors’ personal research accounts. Unfortunately, this means we have limited funds with which to pay IPD students. 

  

To this end, we are only able to offer paid positions when grant/ research accounts allow (there are often funding rules that also pose restrictions).  Faculty directors for each project have the sole discretion on whether to use their grant or research funds to pay students, and may do so according to project needs (e.g. for specific skills) or to promote students who have been actively and constructively involved in a project for a considered period of time.   To inquire about the possibility of a paid position, please let your project team leaders know of your interests.  Paid positions usually come in the form of hourly positions (e.g. student associates, or senior student association), undergrad stipends or fellowship (usually a flat award of $500-$1000 per semester), graduate research assistantships (GRAs), or PhD fellowships.  

  

Our model of experiential learning, with free professional development, research training, and internship opportunities, is designed to reward students who invest their time and energy in IPD’s research mission with resume-building skills and experiences.  Moreover, we are actively working on an endowment and gift campaign which includes a focus on student fellowships. Over the course of the year, you will learn more about these efforts and how you can help. 

  

We appreciate your participation in our research community and hope that you find your time with IPD an enjoyable and worthwhile part of your UT education!

 

Is there a way to get course or internship credit for my work with IPD? 

 

Yes, although the options vary according to majors and schools.  For example, you may be able to register for a conference course or directed readings course under the instruction of one of our IPD faculty research directors, and conduct work for that course via your participation in IPD. For further information, please consult with your project team’s faculty direcor or Dr. Kate.  

 

I can’t get into the lab before 8:00 am, after 5:00 pm, or on the weekends.  Is there a way to get access? 

  

Yes, we’re able to provide you with keycard access.  To request this, please send Sara a quick email (sara.lowe@utexas.edu, or ipd@utexas.edu) with your full name, EID, email address, and reason(s) for needing access (e.g. “to participate in after-hours project team meetings or IPD professional training sessions”). 

  

Please note that you will need your UT ID card to access the lab space after hours.   

 

How do I find out more about internships sponsored by IPD? 

 

Internship opportunities or leads are announced periodically throughout the semester. These will be announced via the IPD listserv and posted on the IPD website.

                                                                                                                                                                                             How do I contact people at IPD? 

 

Innovations for Peace and Development
Weaver, Kate	Executive Director of Operations  Faculty Research Director  Data4Development	ceweaver@austin.utexas.edu  ipd@utexas.edu	RLP 4.612
Nielson, Dan	Executive Director of Research  Faculty Research Director  Boating Bad  Governance  Refugee Housing  Renewable Energy	dan.nielson@utexas.edu	RLP 4.612
Sara Lowe	Assistant Director	sara.lowe@gmail.com  ipd@utexas.edu	RLP 4.614
Rachel Wellhausen	Director of Faculty and Scholar Affiliates Program   Faculty Research Director  Exiting Russia	rwellhausen@gmail.com	RLP 4.608
Mike Findley	Faculty Research Director  Data4Peace  Data4Defense  Boating Bad	mikefindley@austin.utexas.edu	RLP 4.608
Nate Jensen	Faculty Research Director  Renewable Energy  Sweetheart Tax Deals	Natemjensen@austin.utexas.edu	RLP 4.608
Mike Denly	Faculty Research Director  Corruption	michael.denly@gmail.com	RLP 4.606
Jiseon Chang	Project Team Leader  Data4Peace  Policing & Urban Security  Peacebuilding	jiseon.chang@utexas.edu	RLP 4.602
Danny Cowser	Project Team Leader  Governance   Peacebuilding  Refugee Housing	dannycowser@utexas.edu	RLP 4.602
Eoin Power	Project Team Leader  Boating Bad  Data4Defense	elpower17@gmail.com	RLP 4.602
Rachel Jeon	Project Team Leader  Exiting Russia	jjeon2@utexas.edu	RLP 4.604
Shannon Miller	Project Team Leader   Policing & Urban Security	shannonmiller@utexas.edu	RLP 4.604
Regina Cruz	Project Team Leader  Corruption	re2002@utexas.edu	RLP 4.602
Augustine D’Eramo	Project Team Leader  Corruption	aderamo01@gmail.com	RLP 4.602
Maeve Geary	Project Team Leader  Corruption	maevegeary2002@gmail.com	RLP 4.602
Gavin Loyd	Project Team Leader  Corruption	loydgavinc@utexas.edu	RLP 4.602
Zhizhen Lu	Project Team Leader:  Sweetheart Tax Deals	zhizhen_lu@utexas.edu	RLP 4.604
Yunyi Huang	Project Team Leader:  Rewnewable Energy	yunyi.huang@utexas.edu	RLP 4.604
Sara Engelhard	Project Team Leader  Data4Development	saraengelhard@utexas.edu	RLP 4.604
Jacob Townsend	Project Team Leader  Data4Development	townsendjacob4@gmail.com	RLP 4.604