If you are a political junkie or a public policy junkie-never mind if you are both-it don't get much better than this.  In Boston, we have the first meaningful race for Mayor in 16 years.  In Massachusetts, we have a 5 way competition for Senator Kennedy's seat, and an emerging free for all in the Governor's race.  And nationally, we have the incredible saga of the Obama Administration fighting two wars, fighting the worst economic downturn since the great depression, and trying (with all his spare time?) to radically transform our healthcare system and our carbon and energy policy.  It is overwhelming and exhilarating, at the same time.

Meanwhile, we at McCormack Graduate School keep chugging along, doing our part:

• I had an opportunity on Emily Rooney's  "Greater Boston" to talk about the report on "Quasi-public" salaries I gave to the Governor.
  
  

• The Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy has launched an updated website, which includes a remarkable report on the status of women in elected office in New England.  And do try to attend the 40th Anniversary of the Program for Women in Politics & Public Policy, and the 15th Anniversary of the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy.

• Dr. Shelley Metzenbaum, the founding Director of the Collins Center, has started her cool new job in the White House.                                                                                                                                                      
  

• Dr. Michael Johnson from the Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs co-hosted a well attended panel discussion on "Race, Ethnicity and Urban Policy:  What Role in National Politics?"
  

• Dr. Donna Haig Friedman, Director of the Center for Social Policy, announced the Center has received a $100,000 annual grant from the Boston Foundation (matched by MGS and UMB) to lead a comprehensive rethinking of America's poverty policy. (A modest goal that only Donna would have the nerve to undertake.)  And you might be interested in CSP's conference on the 20^th "Counting on Care Work: Human Infrastructure in Massachusetts."
  

• The Edwards J. Collins Center was awarded $500,000 of stimulus money (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) by the Governor's Office to help guide smaller cities and towns through the arduous process of applying for their own stimulus money.  This is a remarkable vote of confidence in the Center and particularly its Deputy Director, Steve McGoldrick.

• The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has signed up a number of great speakers including former Senate President and UMass President William Bulger.
  

• Please note the faculty search that we are conducting for our new Global Policy Studies department.  I hope you will distribute these job descriptions as widely as possible to friends and associates; this is a tremendously exciting opportunity both for MGS and UMass Boston, as we follow our new permanent Provost's lead in the development of the University's Human Security and Globalization initiative.