This document contains Stephen Norris's work experience portfolio and research samples. It includes a summary of his educational background and areas of study in international relations, economics, and environmental science. Norris has work experience in fields research, archives, policy research, and ecosystem restoration. Sample research projects discussed include analyzing US-EU agricultural trade regulations and China's export-led development model. The writing sample provided is an excerpt from Norris's graduate capstone project analyzing the relationship between security agreements and bilateral trade flows using econometric analysis and the gravity model of international trade.

1. STEPHEN NORRIS WORK
AND
EXPERIENCE PORTFOLIO
SUMMER 2016

2. Stephen PaulNorris
stephen.norris001@outlook.com ⇥⇤617)-595-8408 ⇥14 Hopedale Street Quincy, Massachusetts 02169 ⇥
Research focused recent graduate with experience in a international relations, economics, finance, political
science, environmental science, defense technology, and history. Interested in pursuing Series 7 and 63 licenses
TechnicalSkills&Abilities
Experience with group presentations and independent study. Proficient in Adobe Production Suite. Familiarity
with STATA and ArcMAP. Advance user of Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel (Vlookup/PivotTables).
Experience with public presentations. Superior written and verbal communication abilities. Excellent analytical
and data visualization skills. Strong time management skills. Highly adaptable, versatile, and curious.
Experience
Scientist III May 2015-Present
Normandeau Associates, Boston, MA
• Contributed to an ongoing impingement and entrainment survey.
• Conducted unsupervised field work which included observations, water sampling and fish identification.
• Followed a set methodology and contributed to its refinement over the course of the survey.
Archivist Assistant August 2014-May 2016
Healey Library Archives and Special Collections, University of Massachusetts-Boston
• Assisted university archivists in consulting with researchers and preparation of archival material.
• Digitized and preserved material from the university's special collections for researchers.
Graduate Research Assistant September 2014- May 2016
Professor Samuel Barkin, University of Massachusetts, Boston MA
• Researched various topics regarding international trade of agricultural products, regulations, and social
identity for a forthcoming scholarly paper.
Graduate Student Intern May 2014-May 2015
The Green Harbors Project/Biomimicry LivingLabs, Boston, MA
• Researched environmental regulations and policies regarding wetland and harbor ecosystem restoration.
• Coordinated high level meetings and contact with community leaders and officials from Boston City
Council.
• Helped secure a $100,000 grant for an ecosystem restoration project in Boston Harbor
Research Assistant September 2013-August 2014
Associate Professor Maurice Cunningham, University of Massachusetts, Boston MA
• Researched various topics including religion and politics, elections, demographics, and political
campaigns.
• Research of primary and secondary resources was conducted through internet databases for a
forthcoming book and recently published academic paper.
• Successfully located long lost and obscure archival material through archival research.
Store Associate August 2007-September 2014
Rite Aid Corporation, Quincy, MA
Education
University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science, GPA 3.72 May 2014
Bachelor of Arts - Environmental, Earth, Ocean Sciences, GPA 3.72 May 2014
Masters of Public Administration - International Relations, GPA 3.95 May 2016
HonorsandAwards
Graduated Magna Cum Laude 2014 • 2016 McCormack Graduate School Best Capstone Award • Maurizio
Vannicelli Award for Excellence in Political Science and International Relations • Senior Honors • Inducted into
Alpha Lambda Delta in 2010 • Inducted into Golden Key International Honour Society in 2012

3. M.P.A. International Relations – McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies
Over the course of the 2 year master's level graduate program, a number of aspects of international
relations were studied. The graduate program was comprised of 6 core courses that focus on the
theoretical and practical underpinnings of international relations. The remaining elective course
requirements allows students to customize their graduate eduction in order to pursue their individual
interests. The following fields were studied over the course of the graduate degree program:
• Corporate Governance • STATA, Excel, and GIS • Data Management
• IGOs • NGO Project Management • Global Governance
• International Finance • Game Theory • Macroeconomics
• International Trade • Methods and Analysis • Data Modeling
• Security Studies • Econometrics and Statistics • Resource Competition
• US Nuclear Strategy • International Political Economy • Conflict Resolution
NOTEWORTHYPROJECTSAND HONORS
Upon completion of of the master's degree program several academic milestones and honors had been
achieved through noteworthy projects and performance.
• Graduating GPA of 3.95 out of 4.0
• Ranked at the top of the program's cohort in academic performance
• Received the McCormack Graduate School's “2016 Best Capstone Award” at the University's
Convocation
Noteworthy projects completed during the course of the program were highly diverse. They included:
• Graduate Capstone Project: “Making the World Safe for Trade: The Link Between Security
Agreements and Trade Flows” - May 2016
◦ The project is an econometric analysis of U.S. trade flows and portfolio investments with
allied and non-allied states in East Asia/Asia Pacific using the gravity model of international
trade and longitudinal regression in STATA and Excel. The report successfully determines
whether allied states made better investing and trading partners than non-allied states during
the post-Cold War era (1990-2014).
• “China: the Export-Led Development Model and its Implications” - December 2015
◦ The report investigated the paradigm shift within the IMF, World Bank, and neoliberal
intelligentsia regarding export-led industrialization programs. The report uses China as a
case study and highlights the economic and social implications of centralized extractive
development initiatives.
• “The Political Economy of Jordan: the Water-Energy Nexus” - May 2015
◦ The report reviews the political and economic policies the Kingdom of Jordan has
implemented in order to maintain stability despite regional unrest, lack of water and
hydrocarbon reserves, and influx of refugees from 1980-2015. The paper also reviews the
Kingdom's macroeconomic policies with respect to national development and resources.

4. Graduate Student Research Assistantship with Professor Samuel Barkin PhD
During the course of the 2 year international relations master's program, several research projects were
initiated by Professor Samuel Barkin. The research conducted will eventually be integrated into a
scholarly paper and published in an academic journal. The areas studied and skills required to carry out
the research and analysis included:
• Excel • Trans-Atlantic Trade • Social Identity
• Data Management • Regulatory Harmonization • GMO Regulations
• International Law • Product Marketing • IR Theory
• Public Goods • Civil Society Organizations • Public Polling
NOTEWORTHYPROJECTS
Several noteworthy research assignments were conducted during the 2014-2016 assistantship. A
majority of the projects focused on investigating US-EU regulatory harmonization and trade of
agricultural products. Research assignments included:
• An investigation into the labeling and production standards for agricultural products seeking
biodynamic certification from Demeter International.
• Research into US and EU regulations regarding organic and GMO-free product labeling
◦ Reviewed USDA and EU equivalent regulatory frameworks and production requirements.
◦ Carried out a comparative analysis between the two regulatory bodies and their respective
certification and labeling requirements.
◦ Reviewed US-EU regulatory cooperation and harmonization on the organic labeling
certification.
• Conducted a scholarly survey focused on the development and perception of public goods
within the current academic debate.

5. Graduate Student Internship with The Green Harbors Project/Biomimicry LivingLabs
During a one year graduate level internship with The Green Harbors Project/Biomimicry LivingLabs,
several projects and research assignments were undertaken regarding ecosystem restoration,
rehabilitation, and environmental engineering. Areas of study and skills required to conduct the
research included:
• Public Presentations • Excel and Powerpoint • Written and Verbal Communications
• Government Affairs • Field Observations • Regulatory/Policy Analysis
• Statistics • HTML Coding • Environmental Engineering
• Website Design • Coastal Ecology • Biomimicry Research
NOTEWORTHYPROJECTS
Several research projects were conducted in order to carry out the mission of The Green Harbors
Project/Biomimicry LivingLabs. Noteworthy projects and their respective elements include:
• Shellfish population restoration and wetland protection/rehabilitation in Savin Hill Cove,
Boston, MA.
◦ Conducted policy and regulatory analysis of state and local rules pertinent to shellfish
restoration
◦ Reviewed pertinent federal regulations regarding wetland protection and rehabilitation in
order to form a project management plan
◦ Identified regulatory jurisdictions within the project area
◦ Conducted a shellfish assessment and statistical analysis of Savin Hill Cove's ecosystem
◦ Identified and set up meetings with pertinent stakeholders including civil society leaders and
members of Boston City Council
◦ Helped secure a $100,000 grant to assist GHP/BLL's activities in the project area
◦ Routinely gave presentations updating the local community on the project's progress
◦ Maintained the project's website
• Participated in writing and designing GHP/BLL's submission to Boston's “Living with Water”
Competition
◦ Worked with environmental engineers, architects, and designers in devising a flood
mitigation plan for Dorchester, MA using biomimicry principles
◦ Carried out a review and analysis of pertinent state and federal regulations that would
impact the project

6. Undergraduate Research Assistantship with Professor Maurice Cunningham J.D.
During a one year undergraduate level research assistantship with Professor Maurice Cunningham,
dozens of research assignments were conducted to assist him with his scholarly activities and his
weekly postings to his website, MassPoliticsProfs (now at WGBHnews.org). The research projects
were highly diverse and required a number of skills. They included research into:
• Political Campaigns • Political Corruption • Website Design
• Ballot Initiatives • Case Law • Database Research
• Statistics • Massachusetts' Politics • Copy Editing
• Excel • Qualitative Coding • Proof Reading
• Archival Research • Campaign Finance • Political Analysis/Polling
NOTEWORTHYPROJECTS
The assistantship was originally scheduled to last one semester; however, it was extended to one
calendar year. Over the course of the assistantship a very diverse set of research topics were
investigated. Noteworthy research assignments included:
• Assisted the professor in researching material for his now-published scholarly article
“Defeating Death with Dignity: A New Political Path for the Catholic Church.”
◦ Carried out quantitative analysis of the campaign fiances of political action groups
associated with a 2010 state ballot initiative that would have legalized euthanasia
◦ Conducted quantitative analysis and coding of statements made by high ranking state
officials and civil society leaders regarding the ballot initiative
◦ Collected and analyzed polling data
◦ Created a database of research material pertinent to the professor's research interests
◦ Conducted statistical analyses of polling data and campaign contributions
• Assisted the professor with preliminary research for a forthcoming book on political corruption
◦ Preformed a literature review detailing the various definitions of political corruption
◦ Carried out archival research into past anti-corruption programs initiated by the
Massachusetts' state government at the State House archives
◦ Reviewed the anti-corruption laws of Massachusetts
◦ Researched several high profile political corruption cases through WestLaw and secondary
sources
◦ Researched the current anti-corruption laws within Massachusetts and conducted a
comparative analysis to laws in other states

7. Writing Sample
Excerpt From Graduate Capstone Project:
“Making the World Safe for Trade: The Link Between Security Agreements and Trade Flows”
May 2016

8. Norris 8
administration as an important element of the pivot given its economic and strategic
elements. Indeed, Manyin et al (2012) notes that the agreement would strengthen
intellectual property rights, stimulate US exports, promote shared interests and increase
transit security (Manyin et al 2012, 22). Furthermore TPP has been viewed as a means of
economically containing China. According to Caplin and Ravenhill (2011), “together
with growing concerns about increasing Chinese economic and strategic dominance, the
Obama administration has seized on the TPP as a part of a broader strategy to re-engage
with the region and to contain China’s influence” (Caplin and Ravenhill 2011, 559).
American grand strategy is a factored into the TTP agreement, and this incorporation
clearly highlights the trade-security nexus.
METHODLOGY
In order to investigate the bilateral trade of goods, services and capital flows, this paper
employs the gravity model of international trade in its econometric analysis. The gravity model
has been used by economists since the 1960s, and has been a useful tool in determining the
significance of trading variables (distance, culture, tariffs, free trade agreements, etc). Derived
from Newtonian physics the gravity model can be noted in its iconic form:
𝑭 𝒈 = 𝑮
𝑴 𝟏 𝑴 𝟐
𝒅 𝟐
Where 𝐹𝑔the force of gravity, G is a universal constant, 𝑀1 is the mass of object 1, 𝑀2 is the
mass of a second object, and d is the distance. This formula also establishes the inverse
relationship between distance and force.

9. Norris 9
A version of the gravity model of international trade is nearly identical – save for the
renaming of a few variables. In its simplest form the gravity model of international trade is noted
as:
𝑿𝒊𝒋 = 𝑨
𝑴𝒊 𝑴𝒋
𝒅𝒊𝒋
In the generalized and multiplicative version of the gravity model of international trade, 𝑋𝑖𝑗
represents trade volume between country i and country j; 𝑀𝑖 is the GDP of country i, 𝑀𝑗 is the
GDP of country j; A is the constant; and 𝑑𝑖𝑗 is the distance between the capitals of country i and
country j. Again this model establishes an inverse relationship between trade volume and
distance – states further apart from one another should have a smaller volume of trade than states
that are adjacent to one another. However, the impact of distance is diminished should the GDP
of either or both states i and j be large. The implication of this relationship is that distance is a
diminished variable of resistance for states with large GDPs.
Clearly there are additional variables beyond distance that affect trade. These variables
can be integrated into the gravity model in order to test their significance. First, this requires that
the gravity model be rewritten in linear form.
𝒍𝒏𝑿𝒊𝒋𝒕 = 𝜷 𝟎 + 𝜷 𝟏 𝐥𝐧(𝑴𝒊𝒕 𝑴𝒋𝒕) − 𝒍𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒋𝒕
This paper will use this form as a basis to determine if security agreements impact the volume of
bilateral trade between the United States and a population of states. The following hypotheses
will be tested:

10. Norris 10
H1: States with a mutual security agreement with the United States will trade a greater
amount of goods and services than states without a mutual defense agreement
H0: There will be no statistically significant difference in trade value between states that
have a mutual defense agreement with the United States and states that do not
For the purposes of the research paper both bilateral and multilateral security agreements will be
considered in the first set of hypothesis. Trade will be measured in terms of total value of goods,
in terms of percentage of trade in each state, and in a nominal dollar amount.
The next set of hypotheses will test economic benefits in terms of capital flows in a
similar manner.
H2: States with a mutual defense agreement with the United States will have greater
FDI from the US than states without a mutual defense agreement
H0: There will be no statistically significant difference in FDI from the US between states
that have a mutual defense agreement with the United States and states that do
not
Finally, while the term “collective security agreement” is an easily defined legal term, the term
“ally” is not. For example the United States does not have a collective defense treaty with Israel,
Saudi Arabia, or Taiwan – yet all three countries are touted as being among the United States’
closest allies in popular media. Rather all three states – and many others – are recipients of US
military and technical assistance and are important strategic partners. These arraignments are
usually codified in a memo of understanding between governments and exemplified through
Foreign Arm Sales (FMS) through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Thus a hypothesis
can formulated with these commonalities.

11. Norris 11
H3: States that have a memorandum of security/defense with the United States will
trade a greater value of goods with the US than states than states that do not
H0: There will be no statistically significant difference in trade between states that have
memorandum of security/defense with the United States and states that do not
To test these hypotheses, the gravity model is modified to include several dummy variables.
These variables are common language, adjacency to American allied state, a free trade
agreement with the United States, mutual defense/or memorandum of security, and population.
The following model, in conjunction with a longitudinal/panel data regression, will be used to
test the hypotheses:
𝒍𝒏𝑿𝒊𝒋𝒕 = 𝜷 𝟎 + 𝜷 𝟏 𝐥𝐧(𝑴𝒊𝒕 𝑴𝒋𝒕) + 𝜷 𝟐 𝒍𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒋𝒕 + 𝜷 𝟑 𝒍𝒏(𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒕 ∗ 𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒋𝒕) + 𝜷 𝟒(𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈)
+ 𝜷 𝟔(𝑭𝑻𝑨 𝒕) + 𝜷 𝟕(𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕)
There are two populations of states that are tested by this model. The Group 1 States are from
East Asia/Asia Pacific. This first group is comprised of the following states:
Australia Laos Philippines
Brunei Macau Samoa
Cambodia Malaysia Singapore
China Marshall Islands Solomon Islands
East Timor Mongolia South Korea
Federated States of Micronesia Myanmar Taiwan
Fiji Nauru Thailand
Hong Kong New Zealand Tonga
Indonesia North Korea Tuvalu
Japan Palau Vanuatu
Kiribati Papua New Guinea Vietnam

12. Norris 12
The Group 2 population is comprised of 12 randomly selected middle income states from around
the world. This group includes the following states:
Chad
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Honduras
Italy
Lithuania
Macedonia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Singapore
Uganda
Bilateral trade and capital flows between the United States and states in Group 1 and Group 2 are
tested on a time series that spans 1990-2014 with data from the World Bank, IMF, and the US
Census Bureau. For political reasons, some states do not have a complete data set for this time
series. For periods in which the US did not have normal political and economic relations with
states there is no data available. In addition there is no data for East Timor prior to its 2001
independence. All data used during the time series is presented in nominal (unadjusted) US
dollar figures, and population data is based on World Bank estimations between government
census surveys.
THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVES
In an effort to explore the link between security agreements and their impact on bilateral
trade, several theoretical concepts needed to be consulted. In particular there are three areas of
academic research that need to be drawn upon in order to contextualize the research questions
proposed in this paper. Specifically these areas are the conceptualizations of public goods,
theoretical underpinnings of the gravity equation, and past research that has identified a security-
economy relationship.