We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly updates.
TFAS Welcomes 330+ Young Leaders to D.C.
More than 330 undergraduate campus leaders from across the U.S. and overseas arrived in the nation’s capital this week to begin their TFAS D.C. Summer Programs experience.
Motivational speaker and comedian Karith Foster set the tone for the summer as our Welcome Ceremony keynote speaker by stressing the importance of looking beyond outward appearances and identity politics to consider the worth of each individual, as well as our common connections to humanity.
“You need to recognize that we may not always see things the exact same way and that’s okay, but to have civil dialogues and see others’ perspectives does a world of good,” said Foster.
TFAS Senior Scholar Dr. Don Boudreaux also addressed students, speaking on behalf of the faculty and encouraging students to view their TFAS classes and lessons as a prism through which to examine public policy and the way the world works. You can read more about the TFAS Welcome Ceremony at TFAS.org/WCSummer19.
With only one week under their belt, our 2019 D.C. Summer Programs students have already started their internships, attended their first economics class, enjoyed a guest lecture with industry experts and heard Sen. Rand Paul deliver the first talk of our summer Capitol Hill Lecture Series.
Be sure to follow us on TFAS.org/news and social media for continuous program and student updates throughout the summer.
TFAS to Present Three Outstanding Alumni with Awards at Annual Conference
The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) will honor three of its most outstanding alumni at the 2019 TFAS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 27-29. Mary Elizabeth Taylor ’10, PPF ’12, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, and Kari Travis ’12, Novak ’18, Associate Editor at Carolina Journal, will each be presented with TFAS Young Alumnus Awards. Jeremy Harrell ’07, PPF ’10, Managing Director of Policy for ClearPath, will be recognized as the Kevin Burket Alumni Service Award recipient.
“The success of TFAS is best shown through the incredible achievements of our 42,000 alumni,” said TFAS Vice President of Alumni Affairs Michelle Le ’95, ’96. “This year’s recipients are living embodiments of the values and ideals that TFAS programs teach, and proof that TFAS is truly a journey that continues to work with and impact our leaders throughout their professional careers.”
The TFAS Alumni Award recipients were nominated by their distinguished class of TFAS peers and selected by the alumni awards committee of the TFAS Alumni Council. To learn more about the awards and this year’s recipients, visit TFAS.org/AlumniAwards19.
TFAS Alumna and Time Management Expert Shares Advice with TFAS Students
As students began their TFAS Journeys in D.C. this week, and thousands of others prepare to begin theirs in TFAS high school and international programs around the world, TFAS alumna and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam ’99, Novak ’06 offered advice on making the most of a TFAS summer.
“Your TFAS experience is an opportunity for you to absorb a lot, so take advantage of it!” she said. “Ask yourself what little adventure do I want to put into my life this week. And really pause and reflect on it. Because that will make the summer seem more rich and full when you really take time to notice these things.”
Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books and a frequently-sought expert with appearances in publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and on national television programs including the “Today” show and “CBS This Morning.” Her TED talk, “How to gain control of your free time,” has been viewed more than 8 million times. You can read the full Q&A with Vanderkam at TFAS.org/VankderkamQA.
Post of the Week
Quick Links
Courtland Culver ‘18 discusses his work to promote liberty and civil discourse as a Florida State University Campus Representative for the James Madison Insitute (JMI). You can listen to Culver’s full interview on JMI’s “Pundits on the Porch” podcast.
Brenda Hafera, director of TFAS international and continuing education programs, opines in The Federalist that an exhibit at James Madison’s Montpelier has adopted a mantra of “Blame the Founders first.” Hafera argues that the exhibit paints the Constitution as a pro-slavery document, while leaving out relevant facts about the Founders and slavery. You can read her full piece at The Federalist.
Maria Jose Bernal Gaviria ’19, a Students For Liberty coordinator in Columbia and fellow at Centro de Estudios Libertad y Paz, was a featured speaker at last weekend’s Liberty International World Conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
TFAS Senior Scholar Dr. Donald Devine opines on Attorney General William Barr’s move to challenge the “Praetorian Guard mentality” of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In an article on Newsmax, Devine calls Barr a “courageous and wise justice official” for his willingness to “challenge the most powerful force in Washington.” You can read the full piece on Newsmax.
Curt Mills, Novak ’18, Washington editor of SpectatorUSA and foreign affairs columnist at The National Interest, was selected as a 2019 Publius Fellow by the Claremont Insitute.
Zach Pagovski ‘10, PPF ‘12, program officer of strategic partnerships for the German Marshall Fund, was selected to participate in last week’s Globsec Young Leaders Forum in Bratislava.
Dan McCarthy, director of TFAS journalism fellowships, recommends some summer reading – including new titles by TFAS Novak Fellows Tim Carney, Novak ’03, Michael Brendan Dougherty, Novak ’09, Robby Soave, Novak ’17, Tim Alberta, Novak ’18, and Colleen Carroll Campbell, Novak ’00 – for the Russell Kirk Center’s “What We’re Reading” list.
Jennifer Kabbany, Novak ‘02, reports for The College Fix on a new law signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbot that aims to protect free speech on campuses across the Lone Star state.
The Canberra Times profiles Australian National University (ANU) law student Jacqui Turner, who was able to intern in D.C. last year through a partnership between TFAS, Flinders University and ANU.
Allie Koolbeck ‘12, a Master’s of Public Administration student a the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, was selected for the 2019 Chicago Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program.