Felix Matos Rodriguez’s Post

📢 New digital collection: Sevier County naturalization records! Dating all the way back to 1893, this collection includes declarations of intention, petitions for naturalization, and certificates of citizenship! 📌 Want to learn more about the process of becoming an American? Virtual summer intern Valeria T. Solano Rojo, who is pursuing a Master's Degree in History from Western Illinois University, breaks down the steps in this blog post: https://bit.ly/45W6qpI

The first in a series in which I grow increasingly aware of my mortality as we interview our current crop of interns.

Earlier this week, the UK Government announced new changes to the immigration policy. Among the changes is an increase in the minimum salary to obtain a Skilled Worker Visa from £26,000 to £38,000 per year. The Home Secretary also mentioned that the government will reconsider the Graduate Route visa for international students, a visa loved by many foreign students to start a career in the UK without employer sponsorship. Whether we like it or not, international students are part of a migrant community and are also very vulnerable to immigration policy dynamics. The recent dynamic might as well impact the inflow of international students in the future. Previously, the government had a target to host 600,000 international students by 2035, which the number has been met in the last couple of years. It depicts that despite the expensive tuition fees for international students, UK higher education is still a preferable option for hundreds of thousands of international students every year. My first two cents about the economic benefits of international students in the West Midlands is now on City-REDI's blog. Give it a read to see how impactful the international students community is to the UK economy and let me know your thoughts regarding the new immigration policy changes! https://ow.ly/Y5gj50Qgkhb

Dr. Wen Ko was my adviser for my MS at Case Western. He certainly left a life long impact on me and actively encouraged me to pursue building tech. companies. My first company was started with him. When I met Dr. Ko he was around 90 years old and had won a NIH grant which supported my thesis and research. He was the first in many aspects of electrical engineering. I will never forget his graciousness, favor, and endless advice. I encourage all the professionals with experience and gray hair, to find a newbie in need of guidance. They are the future of our nation and innovation. To the entrepreneurs, it is more than valuable to have a seasoned mentor/partner on your team. You can’t learn how to build a business on your own. #ieee #engineering #research #innovation

In today's Q&A, we speak with Mason Read,  a computer science undergrad at UC Irvine, about his experience interning at Galois. Give it a read here: https://lnkd.in/e3v453yk

Learn more about work done this summer by NYU Wagner fellows!

I should add that these are PAID internships. Not only does this make our internships accessible to those who can’t afford to work for free, there is a noticeable difference in the quality and consistency of their work over the span of the semester. It is a lot easier to give more to an organization when they are compensating you for your time. At the very least, I believe we need to be paying interns enough to cover the indirect expenses that come with a job (gas, meals, clothing, etc.).

Delighted to share an article I authored during my summer internship at the Capital Research Center in Washington, DC. The piece delves into the potential risks faced by companies engaging in identity politics, drawing insights from the Bud Light backlash, Target, and a few other relevant case studies. For the full article, please refer to the link: https://lnkd.in/gQyckrQn #Identitypolitics #businessrisk #wokecapitalism #businessstrategy

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Today marked the first annual Summer Programs Symposium at Barnard College, an opportunity for students to present original faculty-mentored research and reflect on internships and leadership engagements from this past summer. Represented across the day were initiatives supported by the Laidlaw Foundation, Bridgewater Associates, and GRoW @ Annenberg. Three key takeaways from impressive presentations from students: 1) The transformative potential of research and experiential educational opportunities completed in the first half of an undergraduate experience: students in their first and second year of college grow tremendously, not only because of their early engagement in scholarship across disciplines, but also because of the relationships with mentors among faculty, staff, alums, professionals in the field — and (the most underrated) — with fellow students. 2) The power of collaborations with external partners that understand the importance of giving time and resources for students to grow and learn at their own pace: we're lucky to have the support of Laidlaw, Bridgewater, and GRoW @ Annenberg, who all designed programs that allow students flexibility to determine their own path. 3) The value of deep and intentional faculty/staff collaborations in the creation of campus programs. I can't imagine embarking on these efforts without faculty leaders like Sharon Harrison, Rebecca Wright, Daniela De Silva, Rajiv Sethi, Paul Scolieri, and Joan Snitzer — nor without staff at Beyond Barnard, the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College, and across campus. From the beginning, these initiatives were designed to require faculty/staff integration — and it makes a tremendous difference in the execution of meaningful programs. Thanks to everyone for a fantastic summer, and a great day! There's a lot to be learned from your hard work and creativity in the facilitation of these opportunities.