Are you looking for career path possibilities or searching for job opportunities?

On April 6, 2016, we will be hosting our annual “Career Paths for Graduate Students” seminar. Employers will cover all disciplines. Please RSVP to reserve your spot! Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about career possibilities and to network with employers of their interest.

DATE: Wednesday, April 6, 2016

TIME: 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

PROGRAM:

4:00—Employers arrive (gather plates of food, settle in at tables)

4:00 p.m.—Students arrive, register and start dinner

4:30-4:35-(General welcome by Renetta G. Tull, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development & Postdoctoral Affairs )

• Renetta introduces Jill Barr

4:35: Special Remarks: K. Jill Barr, J.D., Sr. Assistant Dean, The Graduate School at UMBC

• Jill invites Christine to podium

4:45 –Special Remarks:  Christine Routzahn, Director, UMBC Career Center

• Christine invites Diane to podium

4:50—Facilitator: Diane Crump-Fogle, Associate Director, UMBC Career Center

• Brief overview of Graduate Student Resources
• Overview of program format (speed networking)
• Employer Introductions

5:00–Round Table rotations begin

5:15-Switch (Round 2)

5:30-Switch (Round 2)

5:45 p.m.—Q and A and Thanks to employers

5:45-6:00 p.m.—Informal networking

EVENT REGISTRATION

UMBC Attendees:

Please RSVP on the myUMBC page at: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/35772.

Attendees not affiliated with UMBC:

Please indicate your interest in the comments section below.

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CONFIRMED ORGANIZATIONS

• • 1. AP Ventures

  A P Ventures, LLC is a full service IT consulting company headquartered in Columbia, MD. We are one of the fastest growing IT company in the Washington DC, Metro area and are Prime vendors with various State, federal, and Local agencies.

   
  • 2. Atlas Home Group at Keller Williams Legacy 

  Recruiting majors: All Majors

  We are a hard working team with a STRONG desire to produce and provide SOLUTIONS for our clients. Ranked at the #1 team in the entire Keller Williams Maryland/DC region in 2014. We have a solid work ethic which includes showing up fully each day. We are extremely focused and driven and truly have a fun and energetic work environment. We are the superior real estate service provider for the Baltimore area!

  • 3. basys

  Recruiting majors: All Engineering Majors; All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; IS

  Established in 1977, basys is the internationally recognized leader in developing, deploying and supporting software solutions in the Taft-Hartley industry. We develop, deploy and support an integrated solution suite to make benefit plan administrators work more efficiently. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and with employees working across the United States, our highly-skilled technologists and business analysts work together to solve complex business problems and deliver tailored software applications to our customers.

  • 4. Connections Therapy Center

  Recruiting majors: ADP; H/S PSYC; NACS; SOWK; I/O PSYC; TEACH; TESOL

  The Connections Therapy Center is the leading therapy practice in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area focused entirely on children and adolescents with special needs. We help our clients and their families with a full scope of therapy services, including behavior services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, autism services and unique programs.

  • 5. Johns Hopkins Health System

  Recruiting majors: All Majors

  Our patients come from all over the country. And so do our staff. They come to be part of the most professional, diverse and reputable health care teams. They come to work beside the unequaled talent of Johns Hopkins physicians, nurses and staff. And they come for the benefits and unlimited opportunities for personal and professional growth. From community settings to an academic medical center, and from the city to the suburbs, Johns Hopkins Medicine is defined by our family of diverse work environments.

  Faculty and staff work together to provide the best care possible to patients, train tomorrow’s physicians and nurses, and challenge the frontiers of biomedical science through research. Career opportunities include:

  •Administrative

  •Allied Health

  •Finance

  •General Services

  •Information Systems

  •Management and Professional

  •Nursing and Nursing Support

  •Technicians

  • 6. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

  Recruiting majors: All Engineering Majors; ENCH; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; ENGM; HCC; IS; ENME; MATH; CHEM; PHYS; STAT; CYBR; MSSE

  The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a not-for-profit center for engineering, research, and development. Located north of Washington, DC; APL is a division of The Johns Hopkins University (JHU). We recruit and hire the best and the brightest from top colleges, and 68% of our recruits are engineers and scientists. We work on more than 600 programs that protect our homeland and advance the nation’s vision in research and space science.

  • 7. National Security Agency

  Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; CYBR

  The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) leads the U.S. Government in cryptology that encompasses both Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA) products and services, and enables Computer Network Operations (CNO) in order to gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances.

  • 8. NFG Marketing

  Recruiting majors: All Majors

  Since 2011, NFG Marketing has offered consulting services to Energy & Telecom clients nationwide. We have helped over 15 clients increase their visibility and market share. We believe in building long term relationships with a strategic growth focused our clients individual needs. Our leadership team has over 30 years of direct sales experience ranging from energy, demand response, and telecom to residential accounts as well as business owners.

   
  • 9. ParaTools, Inc. 

  Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; MATH; ATPH; PHYS; CYBR

  Help develop the next generation of software performance engineering tools and high performance computing applications! ParaTools is a small company of high performance computing experts tackling the hardest HPC problems at all scales. We provide software performance engineering services, tools, and expertise to national laboratories, government agencies, and industry giants like Intel, NVIDIA, and Microsoft. Our tools are available on the majority of the Top500 supercomputers and we work daily with domain experts to maximize the performance of the most advanced multi-physics software models ever developed.

  • 10. PenFed Credit Union

  Recruiting majors: All Majors; All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; IS; CYBR; ENGM; ISD; MSSE

  Our members are the people who proudly and quietly take the field every day to serve their country and community. Many are actively employed by the military, state and local governments, government contractors and our nation’s school systems. Many others are simply hard working Americans, playing by the rules, working day and night to build a better life for their families.

  But whatever they do, and wherever they live, PenFed members share two things: A belief in the American way of life and a belief in themselves.

  So our mission isn’t simply to help our members get by. We exist to help them realize every ounce of their potential. We exist to educate, but to also encourage. We exist to usher their dreams into the land of reality.

  That’s why we consistently strive to provide best-in-class rates on car loans and home mortgages. That’s why our portfolio of award-winning credit cards offers incentives and innovative features that our competitors find hard to match.

  Established in 1935, PenFed today is one of the country’s strongest and most stable financial institutions with over 1.3 million members and over $19 billion in assets. We serve members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as on military bases in Guam, Puerto Rico, and Okinawa. We are federally insured by the NCUA and we are an equal housing lender. We are available to members worldwide via the web—seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

  In simple terms, we see every day as an opportunity to help our members “Do Better.” We invite you to learn how PenFed can help you realize your financial goals.

  • 11. Pole to Win International 

  Recruiting majors: All Majors

  Pole To Win’s mission is to build strong bridges between our clients and their customers. Since 1994, Pole To Win has modernized the ever-changing technology market. Global leaders in product lifecycle support, we constantly adapt and progress supported by a talented workforce of over 4,000 innovators. We support all PC hardware platforms and all forms of mobile devices and gaming consoles. We are an authorized license vendor and nurture our client relationships through transparent access to development and support teams. This experience together with technology, security and confidentiality propels our clients to a sustainable pole positon of success.

  Our inclusive approach to support revolves around Quality. 

  Quality Assurance | Quality Engineering | Customer Experience | Localization | Talent Acquisition

  • 12. Social Security Administration 

  Social Security is one of the largest independent agencies in government with over 60,000 employees. We work at more than 1,400 field offices and service centers throughout the country, as well as regional and headquarters locations.

  • 13. Syncopated Engineering Inc. 

  Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; HCC; CYBR; GIS; MSSE

  Syncopated Engineering is a creative solution provider of software applications and embedded systems for wireless communications, signal processing, and data analytics.

  • 14. UPS Information Services

  Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS

  UPS is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more

  than 220 countries and territories worldwide.

  At UPS, we pride ourselves on developing the most-advanced and industry-leading technological advancements in the world. We leverage technology to empower customers with personalized solutions that simplify global trade and optimize supply chains. No matter what a customer is shipping or where, UPS helps its customers grow, manage costs and improve their customer service.

  • 15. Urban Teachers 

  Recruiting majors: All Majors

  Urban Teachers is a Residency and Masters program located in Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC and Dallas, TX. At Urban Teachers, we are revolutionizing the way people are prepared for a career in teaching. Our program begins with a full residency year, in which participants learn at the side of successful host teachers. Simultaneously, participants enroll in an innovative, clinically based master’s degree program designed exclusively for Urban Teachers. Throughout the program, participants receive over 100 hours of coaching to ensure improvement in their teaching practice.

  Our teaching programs include Elementary Education, Secondary Literacy, and Secondary Mathematics. In addition to a full-time teaching position at an urban school and teaching certification in general education and special education, all participants receive:

  1 – Year Co-teaching Residency

  2 – Year Master’s Degree

  3 – Years of One-on-One Coaching

  4 – Years Working in Urban Schools

  • 15. USDA-AMS

  The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers programs that create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS also provides the agriculture industry with valuable services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for consumers across the country.

  AMS has almost 4,000 employees across the country helping create opportunities for American farmers and businesses. With opportunities that range from student internships to full-time Federal positions to seasonal field employees, AMS offers a wide variety of opportunities and career paths.

  Our employees are our most valuable asset in accomplishing our goals and supporting the mission of the agency, and we hope you will consider joining the AMS team.

  • 16. Videology

  Recruiting majors: CMSC; HCC; IS; MATH; STAT; EDUC; ENGM; ISD; MSSE; TEACH

  Videology (videologygroup.com) is a leading software provider for converged TV and video advertising. By simplifying big data, we empower marketers and media companies to make smarter advertising decisions to fully harness the value of their audience across screens. Our math and science-based technology enables our customers to manage, measure and optimize digital video and TV advertising to achieve the best results in the converging media landscape.

PROMISE Maryland’s AGEP  and The Graduate School at UMBC present the following event for Spring 2016:

The 2016 Graduate Student Seminar on Leadership

A Discussion with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President of UMBC 

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

1:00 – 2:15 PM

Lunch will be served at 1:00

Talk will begin at 1:30 PM. Everyone needs to be seated by 1:25 PM.

LOCATION: The Sports Zone, located on the Mezzanine/2nd floor of  The Commons (Student Center)

UMBC Campus, Directions & Parking – Park in the Commons Drive Garage (map, location F7), Visitor parking is available at metered garages located at Administration Drive, The Commons Drive and Walker Avenue. Please page down to the comments section below for more detailed directions.

REGISTER/RSVP

UMBC Community: Please RSVP on MyUMBC: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/38780

Guests: Please RSVP by providing your name and school/organization in the comment section below.

This event is free, but you will need to register.

As part of our PROMISE AGEP-T alliance with the University System of Maryland, graduate students from any school within the USM may attend. Guests from other schools are also invited as part of our commitment to provide graduate students with professional development. Faculty and staff are also invited to attend.

————

More about Dr. Hrabowski:

• UMBC page: http://president.umbc.edu/
• TIME: The 10 Best College Presidents        |     TED talk: Four Pillars of College Success in Science
• White House Appoints Hrabowski to Commission
• PBS Tavis Smiley Interview   |    60 Minutes Interview    |     Books on Amazon

University of Maryland President Freeman A. Hrabowski speaks at the Justice Department’s Black History Month celebration March 2, 2010 in the Main Hall of the Justice Department in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Background: The first UMBC graduate student success seminar with President Freeman Hrabowski was held in 2004 as a result of a request from then public policy graduate student, Robert Alexander. Robert graduated soon after that first seminar.  His work and research with the Centers for Disease Control has since reached national attention as Dr. Alexander was a leading contributor to the U.S.’ first federally funded anti-smoking campaign (Journal article in The Lancet, Article on Health Communication, Article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.) Dr. Alexander’s work with the Tips from Smokers campaign produced “shocking, but effective videos” according to the New York Times.  Dr. Alexander returned to Maryland to be a Mentor-in-Residence for the PROMISE AGEP during the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI) in August 2013.   Dr. Alexander was a member of the first cohort of the PROMISE AGEP Peer Mentors for UMBC, 2004. He is currently the Director of Business Development for the Battelle Health and Analytics Business Unit, and still collaborates with the CDC (Read more about Dr. Alexander on Batelle’s website here.) We thank Dr. Alexander, whose request as a PhD candidate, launched the plans for our annual present-day Presidential “Pathways to Leadership” seminar for graduate students.

This Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, as part of the 2016 Annual PROMISE Research and Professional Development Symposium, there will be a 2 hour workshop that is specifically dedicated to discussing faculty diversity in STEM. Dr. Nancy Shapiro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University System of Maryland will bring the opening remarks, and the keynote speaker will be ACE Fellow and TED speaker, Dr. Talithia Williams, Mathematics Professor, from Harvey Mudd College in California.  Following Dr. Williams’ talk, Dr. Autumn Reed, Director of STRIDE at UMBC (the Committee on Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence) will lead facilitate a faculty diversity round table discussion that will involve graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty mentors. The round tables, sponsored by UMBC STRIDE, will feature faculty who will talk candidly about faculty diversity, provide details about the faculty hiring process, and share strategies for preparing to become a competitive faculty candidate. Some of the faculty will be looking for future candidates for the faculty. As an example, one of the guests, Dr. Ron Metoyer, Associate Professor and  Assistant Dean of Diversity and Special Initiatives, from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, is being sponsored by the College of Engineering at Notre Dame, and hopes to build relationships with students and postdocs that will inspire them to apply for the ongoing open positions at Notre Dame. 

PROMISE AGEP-T Professional Development Workshop:

A Forum on Faculty Diversity in STEM

Friday, February 12, 2016

Rever Room – Alumni Hall, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, The University of Maryland College Park 

7801 Alumni Drive, College Park, MD 20742

Stadium Drive Parking Garage (digital pay stations), next to the Riggs Building, $3/hour

1:30 – 3:30 PM 

Welcoming Remarks: Dr. Nancy Shapiro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University System of Maryland, Chair of the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. Dr. Shapiro is the author of “Powerful Pedagogy: Learning Communities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and “Learning Communities: Renewing a Commitment to Civic Engagement,” in J.A. Galura et al (Eds.) Engaging the Whole of Service-Learning, Diversity, and Learning Communities. Ann Arbor: OCSL Press, University of Michigan, 20-25. Dr. Shapiro participated as a speaker for the PROMISE Research Symposium in 2015, and was a special guest for the Fall 2015 PROMISE workshop for STEM faculty.

Part I: Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Talithia Williams, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, ACE Fellow: 

You are the Solution to Faculty Diversity: Real Talk About Preparation and Readiness.

Read the PROMISE post about Dr. Williams.

Part II: Round Tables with Faculty: Faculty Diversity: Preparing for Faculty Positions in the USM and Beyond. 

Moderator: Dr. Autumn Reed, Director of STRIDE, and Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity Initiatives, Office of the Provost, UMBC

Faculty will lead round tables. Several of the faculty will be providing advice for submitting strong applications for current or upcoming faculty searches: 

• Dr. Anita Komlodi, Department of Information Systems, UMBC
• Dr. Jane Turner, Department of Physics, UMBC
• Dr. Kevin Omland, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC STRIDE Professor
• Dr. Ronald Metoyer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Special Initiatives
• Dr. Mark Lewis, School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, Cornell University, Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development
• Dr. Tyson King-Meadows (invited), Co-Chair of the Executive Committee on the Recruitment Retention and Advancement of Underrepresented Minority Faculty, Associate Professor of Political Science and Affiliate Faculty in the departments of Public Policy and Africana Studies, the Honors College and the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research.
• Dr. Chris Murphy (invited), Chair, Department of Psychology, UMBC STRIDE Professor

For more information on applying for faculty positions, and preparing competitive applications, read the “Operation Flood the Gates” post by the PROMISE Director. 

Photo: Dr. Tyson King-Meadows, Co-Chair of the Executive Committee on the Recruitment Retention and Advancement of Underrepresented Minority Faculty at UMBC, works with students at UMBC. Photo credit: http://news.umbc.edu/

The Information Systems (IS) Department at UMBC invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level starting August 2016. We are searching for a candidate with research interests and experience in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or knowledge management (KM). The ideal candidate should have expertise in conducting AI/KM research to improve decision making in application domains closely relevant to one or more active research areas in the IS department, preferably health IT，social computing, and smart environment.

Science Communication Fellow

The Duke Initiative for Science & Society invites applications for the 2016-2017 Science Communication Fellowship Program. This fellowship is intended for individuals with a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, JD) who are interested in an academic or policy career in science communication.

Science & Society:

The Duke Initiative for Science & Society (“Science & Society”) examines the wide-ranging and integral role of science in social institutions and culture. Science & Society integrates and fosters innovation in related research, education, and engagement at Duke by adopting an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how science and human endeavors intersect with a specific focus on ethical, legal, and social implications for science. For more info: http://www.scienceandsociety.duke.edu.

The Fellowship:

The Science & Society Fellowship is a residential one-year fellowship, with a possibility for renewal for a second year in limited circumstances. Fellows dedicate approximately two thirds of their time supporting the activities of Science & Society and one third of their time on self-directed research in science communication, education, and/or outreach. Fellows are provided with office space, a competitive stipend, and benefits.

Fellowship Responsibilities:

Support Science & Society activities:

• Help plan, coordinate, and conduct the Science Communication Fellows Program, which provides an opportunity for Duke faculty and postdocs to develop communication skills and put those skills into action.
• Teach or co-teach one to two classes
• Support the Broader Impact Resource Center (BIRC), a project which assists members of the Duke research community in their efforts to develop, implement, and assess programs focusing on the broader impacts of their research.
• Help plan and implement Science & Society workshops and events
• Complete other tasks as requested

Scholarship at the intersection of science and society:

• Complete at least one mentored research project which culminates in a manuscript of publishable quality
• Participate in bioethics conferences, workshops, and seminars as appropriate

The Application Process:

Applicants should submit a CV, contact information for three references, a writing sample, an explanation of interest and experience in science communication, and a research proposal (in 2,000 words or less) to Mary Jo Smith (mary.jo.smith@duke.edu). The subject line of the email application should read “Application 2016 Science Communication Fellowship Program” and must be received no later than 5 p.m. on March 5, 2016. Fellows will be chosen based on demonstrated academic merit, on likelihood of future success in academia or science communication, and on the strength of their research proposals. Finalists will be notified by April 30, 2016.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

The NIA Intramural Research Program, through its Diversity in Aging Research Pipeline Program (DARPP), has two postdoctoral fellowship openings. The goal of DARPP is to enhance diversity within the workforce of aging researchers and to provide training opportunities in aging research for underrepresented minorities and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The deadline to apply for the positions is February 1, 2016.  Below is a document, containing detailed information regarding the positions and the requirements to apply.

Postdoctoral Position Openings

The Winter Dissertation House is coming to UMBC (January 19-22, 2016). Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House (below).

Open application period: December 8, 2015– January 6, 2016 

(Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early) 

Applications received after January 6, 2016 will be considered for the DH waiting list. More information about the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5PM, for four days, Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 22.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 days. 
• Daily schedule includes 2 mini-lectures, and 5 hours of writing per day.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and a snack will be served daily.
• The Dissertation House is free for UMBC’s graduate students.
• There are 15 to 18 spaces available for the Dissertation House. 
• Details regarding eligibility can be found on the application page of the website for the Dissertation House.

Read about The Dissertation House in UMBC’s Alumni Magazine: Byrne, R.  (2011, Fall) “The Write Stuff”, UMBC Magazine. p. 12

Please login to MyUMBC (http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/36837), click “I can attend” below, *AND* follow the application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

Dissertation House Application Procedures
Both the on-campus setting and the retreat setting provide Dissertation House participants with productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.  Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House period can span either a Tuesday – Friday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., non-residential) or a Friday – Sunday weekend (includes evening sessions) commitment to focus on the doctoral dissertation.  The Dissertation House activities focus on areas where students typically have difficulty: conceptualizing a topic, writing a literature review, transitioning from a proposal to a dissertation, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, and editing.
Students may apply to attend the next Dissertation House during open application enrollment, by submitting two parts of an application.

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1 inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation Houseperiod.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Dates/Location: January 19 to 22th (Tuesday – Friday), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Dissertation House will be held in COMM 329 (for Dissertation House) and COMM 332 (for one-on-one sessions).

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted within a designated 2-week period, usually scheduled 1-2 months prior to the next Dissertation House session.  Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email.

Selection Process: Eighteen participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.  The following applicants will have priority:  (1) Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months; (2) Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal; (3) Applicants who submit earliest; and (4) Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.  All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-2016-challenge/

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in the 2016 University System of Maryland PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium and Professional Development Conference. This conference replaces the former PROMISE Research Symposium, and adds a professional development component that will prepare graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for faculty positions in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM, which includes social sciences) disciplines. This conference seeks to provide a venue that will allow students to present their work at any stage, receive feedback in preparation for presenting at larger venues, and provide training that will prepare participants for faculty careers.

This page will serve as the official webpage for the event. Please stay tuned for updates.

________________________________________________

Date: Friday, February 12, 2016

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center (http://www.riggs.umd.edu/) at the University of Maryland College Park (Parking, Directions,  Additional Driving Directions to College Park)

Registration: Free (includes meals)

Attire: Business Casual

_______________________

________________________

This conference will feature STEM-based oral presentations, posters, and professional development seminars. Participants are invited to submit abstracts to participate in three oral categories, and one poster category.

Oral Category 1: Traditional Research Presentations

[7 minutes presentation, 3 minutes critique, 2 minutes of questions, traditional PowerPoint presentation]

Oral Category 2: TED-Styled Talks

[5 minute talks + 5 minutes for critique/questions, PowerPoint presentation with images only – no text]

Oral Category 3: Lightning Round Talks

[2 minute talks with timer on the screen, no PowerPoints, no critique.]

________________________________________________

AGENDA

 PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium

& Professional Development Conference

____________________

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Arrival, Breakfast Refreshments, Registration, Poster Set-Up

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Opening Remarks  Traditional Oral Research Presentations

Welcome:

1. College Park Welcome and Remarks: Dr. Charles Caramello, UMD
   Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Dean of the Graduate School, Co-Principal Investigator PROMISE AGEP
2. USM PROMISE AGEP Welcome: Dr. Renetta Tull, UMBC Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, and PROMISE AGEP Director for the University System of Maryland

Traditional Oral Research Presentations

Chair: Kelly Brooke Yancey, Ph.D. – Postdoc, Department of
Mathematics, UMD

Presenters:

1. Felix Buabeng, UMES, Food and Agricultural Sciences
2. Christopher Mullen, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
3. Marwa El-Sayed, UMBC, Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering
4. Ikenna Okafor, UMBC, Biological Sciences
5. Erica Dasi, UMBC, Biological Sciences

Judges:
1. Alexis Williams, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Associate in
Program Coordination – TLTC
2. Mohan Tulapurkar, Research Associate in the Division of
Pulmonary and Critical Care
3. Elizaveta Katorcha, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for
Biomedical Engineering and Technology University of Maryland
Baltimore
4. Douglas Julin, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, CMNS-Chemistry
and Biochemistry

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM – Networking Break

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM – “TED-Styled” Talks

Chair: Alexis Williams, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Associate in Program Coordination – TLTC

Presenters:

1. Isaac Mativo, UMBC, Computer Science
2. Antoinette Emefa Attipoe, Bowie, Computer Science
3. William Rivera, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering

Judges:
1. Linda Macri, Ph.D. – Director, GS Writing Initiatives, UMD
2. Rohan Tikekar, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, AGNR-Nutrition
and Food Science, UMD
3. Jasjeet Bhullar, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow, University of
Maryland School of Medicine

11:15 AM – 12:00 Noon – Lightning Round Talks

Presenters:

1. Timothy Brown, UMBC, Mathematics and Statistics
2. Kevin Chang, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
3. Oliver Ortiz, UMD, Aerospace Engineering
4. Abdullah Ali, UMBC, Human Centered Computing

12:00 PM – Buffet Lunch Mentoring Discussions

(Postdoctoral fellows and faculty are invited to engage in mentoring conversations with the students.)

12:45 – 1:30  PM – Poster Session and Dessert Reception

Presenters: 

1. Tia Dolet, UMD, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
2. Felix Buabeng, UMES, Food and Agricultural Sciences
3. Laina Locket, Towson, Environmental Science

Judges:
1. Kasso Okoudjou, Ph.D. – Professor, CMNS-Mathematics, UMD
2. Tara LeGates, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow Thompson Lab,
University of Maryland School of Medicine
3. Sheryl Ehrman, Ph.D., P.E. – Keystone Professor and Chair,
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UMD
4. Birthe Veno Kjellerup, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, ENGR-Civil
and Environmental Engineering

1:30 – 3:30 PM  – Professional Development Workshop: Faculty Diversity and You. 

Welcoming Remarks: Dr. Nancy Shapiro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University System of Maryland, Chair of the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation.

Part I: Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Talithia Williams, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College, ACE Fellow: You are the Solution to Faculty Diversity: Real Talk About Preparation and Readiness.

Read the PROMISE post about Dr. Williams:

Part II: Round Tables with USM Faculty: Faculty Diversity: Preparing for Faculty Positions in the USM and Beyond. 

Moderator: Dr. Autumn Reed, Director of STRIDE, and Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity Initiatives, Office of the Provost, UMBC

Faculty will lead round tables. Several of the faculty will be providing advice for submitting strong applications for current or upcoming faculty searches: 

• Dr. Anita Komlodi, Department of Information Systems
• Dr. Jane Turner, Department of Physics
• Dr. Kevin Omland, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC STRIDE Professor
• Dr. Ronald Metoyer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Assistant Dean of Diversity and Special Initiatives
• Dr. Mark Lewis, School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, Cornell University, Associate Dean for Diversity and Faculty Development
• Dr. Tyson King-Meadows (invited), Co-Chair of the Executive Committee on the Recruitment Retention and Advancement of Underrepresented Minority Faculty Associate Professor of Political Science and Affiliate Faculty in the departments of Public Policy and Africana Studies, the Honors College and the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research.
• Dr. Chris Murphy (invited), Chair, Department of Psychology, UMBC STRIDE Professor

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony

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Registration includes all program components and meals.

Click below; registration is free.

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Call for Presentations

If you are interested in presenting, please follow the schedule below:

December 31, 2016: “Letter of Intent” to present. This very short email should include  name, school, department, choice of oral category (1, 2, 3) or poster, and potential title of your presentation. Email to promisestaff@gmail.com with the title, “2016 PROMISE Research Symposium – Intent to Present.”

“TED-Styled” and “Lightning Round” titles must be tailored to appeal to a general audience.

January 22, 2016,  Deadline for “Intent to Present” emails for Lightening Round and Poster Presentations only. Everyone who expressed an “Intent to Present” as of Dec. 31, 2015, will be in line for the presentation style of their choice. Those who did not specify a category will be given a space for a poster. All of the slots in the “Traditional Presentation” Category #1, and the “TED-Styled Talk” Category #2, are taken, and we will not accept any more requests for those categories. We have some slots remaining in the “Lightning Round” Category #3, and we have slots remaining for posters.

January 31, 2016: Abstracts and the information below are required for all presentations types. Email all materials from all four categories below to promisestaff@gmail.com, with the subject: “2016 PROMISE Research Symposium Presenter Information.”

1. Formal Abstract (250 words or less). Biographical Sketch (250 words or less)
   • Font: 12 Point, Times New Roman
   • Heading, Left-justified:
     • Title (Bold)
     • Name (Italicized)
     • Department (No abbreviations)
     • University (No abbreviations)
2. General Summary of Graduate Research (250 words or less)
3. High Quality Photograph
4. Numbered List of up to 5 publications and or/presentations. Please give precedence to publications and conference proceedings as applicable.

All presenters must register. Click and register by clicking the orange button below.

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Dr. Talithia Williams, tenured Mathematics Professor at Harvey Mudd College in California, and former AGEP scholar at Rice University is now an ACE Fellow at UMBC. The ACE Fellowship program trains faculty for future higher education leadership at the level of dean, provost, and president. When Dr. Williams was a graduate student, she was a guest of PROMISE and taught a statistics seminar for the PROMISE SSI in the early 2000’s. Dr. Williams will be involved with some of our PROMISE events. Keep an eye out for her upcoming sessions. In the meanwhile, click on the video below – take a look at her TED Talk here, which has more than 1 million hits:

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Update: Dec. 10, 2016

Dr. Williams will be the keynote speaker for the 2016 PROMISE Research Symposium at the University of Maryland College Park, Feb. 12, 2016.

More about Dr. Williams: 

• Harvey Mudd Mathematics Department of Mathematics:  https://www.math.hmc.edu/~twilliams/
• TED: https://www.ted.com/speakers/talithia_williams
• Rice Alumna Profile, George R. Brown School of Engineering:   http://engineering.rice.edu/SpotlightContent.aspx?id=8589936342
• In Forbes – Article by Dr. Maria Klawe, feature: Dr. Talithia Williams: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaklawe/2015/10/07/increasing-education-opportunities-for-minorities-in-stem/

Today marks a milestone in PROMISE. All of the participants who were featured in the production of the “What is PROMISE” video from the 2007 Summer Success Institute (SSI) have successfully defended their doctoral dissertations! Robert Holder, UMBC PROMISE Peer Mentor, Computer Science, has been working full-time while pursuing his PhD, and today, he defended, rounding out our group of featured students.

The original video from 2007 is here, Robert is #8:

The participants, in order are:

1. Patti Ordóñez
2. Alexis Williams
3. Sylvester Mosley
4. Adrienne Starks
5. Angela McRae
6. Janet Awokoya
7. Tommie Piggee
8. Robert Holder
9. Trudy Smith
10. Frances Carter-Johnson

Where are they now?

Dr. Patti Ordóñez (UMBC, Computer Science) is now a professor and computer scientist at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. She now has her own students, grants, and research program. Dr. Alexis Y. Williams (UMCP, Human Development) teaches in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is a postdoctoral researcher in College Park’s Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (her TLTC profile page can be found here: http://www.tltc.umd.edu/staff/alexis-y-williams.) Dr. Sylvester Mosley (UMBC, Chemistry and Biochemistry) is a Consumer Safety Officer at the FDA. After Dr. Adrienne Starks (UMBC, Biological Sciences) finished a postdoc at the NIH, she continued working with a non-Profit, Equity Matters, which focuses on promoting health equity in policies. Dr. Angela McRae (UMCP, Educational Psychology) is now a professor at Catholic University of America where she is the STEM Education Coordinator. Dr. Janet Awokoya (UMCP, Curriculum and Instruction) went for the dream and moved to Ghana to be a technical consultant for a non-profit after being a Sr. Researcher at the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute at the United Negro College Fund. Her work has been published by the Harvard Educational Review; read about the research here. Following a postdoc at Quillen College of Medicine, Geriatrics and Gerontology Center, East Tennessee State University, Dr. Tommie Piggee (UMBC, Gerontology) is now a gerontologist and health & wellness consultant in Little Rock.

Credit: Robert Holder’s LinkedIn page.

Robert Holder (UMBC, Computer Science), who hails from the same department as Patti (above) worked at Johns Hopkins Physics Lab for many years before working at ClearEdge IT Solutions. Dr. Trudy (Smith) Amin (UMB, Pharmaceutical Sciences) is a chemist employed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Frances Carter-Johnson finished a postdoc at MIT and became an American Association for the Advancement of Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the NIH. Her AAAS blog post can be found here. Frances and Patti also return to UMBC annually to give seminars on the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. To date their mentees have won more than $10 Million in fellowship money.

PROMISE has students within and outside of STEM fields who are making contributions to STEM (see the ASEE published paper here.) Many of the people who were on the conceptual design team for this initial video, while students back in 2007, have since finished their PhDs as well. Dr. Jocelyn Reader (UMB, Human Genetics) is now a Research Associate at the University of Maryland Baltimore in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Dr. Calvin Williams (UMB, MD/PhD Immunology) finished a residency with the Jefferson Medical College/Christiana Care Medical System and is a fellow in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Charles Glover (UMCP, Math) is Associate Data Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton, and Dr. Shanna Smith (UMCP, English) is a Frederick Douglass Teaching Scholar at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Victor Ayala finished a postdoc at the National Cancer Institute and is now a scientist at Advanced BioScience Laboratories. Dr. Tina Ligon (UMCP, History) is an Archivist at the National Archives and teaches at Howard Community College. Dr. Stacey Williams finished a postdoc with the FDA and is now a professor at Notre Dame University of Maryland. Some of the people here, and others in the first video are also featured in the “PROMISE in One Word” video below, also filmed during the 2007 SSI at the Sheraton Hotel in Columbia, MD.

Congratulations to all of our PROMISE students and alumni. We look forward to continuing to celebrate with you. Save the date for SSI 2016, August 20, 2016 at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve! Congratulations also to all of the faculty, family members, and kudos to the PROMISE Dissertation House Coach, Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale, who worked with nearly everyone listed in this post.

So pleased to be at the successful PhD dissertation defense of Robert Holder @UMBC CompSci #ThinkBigDiversity pic.twitter.com/ovblMKWhUI

— Renetta G. Tull (@Renetta_Tull) December 9, 2015