Dates: Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13, 2018.

Location: UMBC, Commons Building, Rooms: 331 and 328.

Time: 9 am – 5 pm (each day).

This activity is open to any full-time UMBC employee who is working on a thesis or dissertation, at any university, e.g., UMBC employees who are in the doctoral program at Frostburg University. This activity is also open to UMBC graduate students who are full-time employees, career professionals, or non-traditional returning students.

Dissertation Coach: Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale

Applications are open until September 21, 2018.

To be considered for this DH please complete the following:

Registration: Please log into myUMBC (https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/62952). Click the “Going” button at the bottom, *AND* follow the application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/. The application period to apply to attend this Dissertation House will close on September 21st.

Event Details:

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5 PM, for two days, Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13.

• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 2 days. 

• The 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 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. More information about the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

Congratulations to the following faculty, students, and alumni for their recent accomplishments!  

Matthew Baker, Geography and Environmental Systems, published “Drones to track one of the largest dam removals on the East Coast” in The Conversation.

Amy Bhatt, Gender and Women’s Studies, published “India’s sodomy ban, now ruled illegal, was a British colonial legacy,” in The Conversation.

Nancy Kusmaul, Social Work, was named as Book, Media, and Resource Review Editor of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Tara McMullen, PhD '14, Gerontology, received the 2018 Carroll L. Estes Rising Star Award from the Gerontological Society of America.

Derek Musgrove, History, comments on Washington, D.C. in 1984 in the article, “Wonder Woman’s version of 1984 D.C. versus the real thing,” in the Washington City Paper.  

John Rennie Short, Public Policy, published “Campaign season is moving into high gear—your vote may not count as much as you think” in The Conversation. 

Susan Sonnenschein, Psychology, and Rebecca Dowling, M.A. '16, Psychology, Ph.D. '21, Psychology, published “5 math skills your child needs to get ready for kindergarten” in The Conversation.

Susan Sterett, Public Policy, published “Law's Presence, Law's Absence: Reporting Stories of Employment Discrimination in the Academy” in the journal Politics & Gender.

2. Postdoctoral position at CMU in experiments on instrumentation and engineering techniques to develop novel invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation

3. Postdoctoral position in Grover/Chamanzar/Barth labs at CMU in experiments on novel invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation

A postdoc position at the intersection of experimental and computational neuroscience is available working jointly with the labs of Pulkit Grover, Maysam Chamanzar, and Alison Barth at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). The team’s goal is to develop advanced theoretical techniques, closely with experimental validation, for invasive and noninvasive neurostimulation for advancing treatment of disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and brain injuries. The research project will exploit previously unknown or unexploited biological and physical phenomena that arise from examining the neural system from a combined biological, physical, and information-theoretic/control perspective. The project spans studies on rodents, monkeys, and eventually humans. The role of the postdoc will be to conduct and lead electrophysiology experiments on rodents with novel as well as existing instruments. This is an opportunity to work on a challenging scientific problem in a highly interdisciplinary and vibrant environment. The postdoc will be affiliated with the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, and will get the opportunity to work with a team of researchers from various disciplines ranging from Biological Sciences, ECE, BME at CMU as well as clinicians at University of Pittsburgh.

Requirements: PhD in a related discipline (Neuroscience or Biomedical Engineering) with a strong experimental research record. Experience in invasive electrophysical recordings and/or stimulation in mice or non-human primates. Prior experience with patch clamp recording and slice electrophysiology. Experience with in-vivo recording and stimulation will be helpful. Experience with optical (1-photon or 2-photon) calcium imaging is also a plus. The labs are committed to the professional development of the members, making this position a valuable preparation for those interested in academic, industrial or entrepreneurial careers. The position has no mandatory teaching or administrative duties.

The ideal start date is Jan 2019. The position is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal. Compensation will be competitive, and commensurate with relevant experience. CMU has competitive benefits (including comprehensive medical insurance) and is an equal opportunity employer.

Candidates should send a CV, a statement of research experience and interests, expected date of availability, and the contact information for three references to pulkit@cmu.edu and mchamanz@andrew.cmu.edu with the subject line “Neuro-Stimulation Postdoc”. Application review will proceed until the position is filled.

Are Students of Color Being Over- or Under-identified as Having Disabilities as they Attend U.S. Schools?

Paul Morgan, Penn State University

September 20th, 4-5pm, Commons 329

Federal special education legislation and regulations require U.S. schools to monitor for significant disproportionality in the extent to which students of color are identified as having disabilities.  Yet evidence for the directionality of these disparities using student-level data has, until recently, been lacking.  I survey new empirical findings from a series of analyses of student-level, nationally representative datasets designed to evaluate whether the over-representation of students of color in special education is explained by over-identification based on race or ethnicity.  Collectively, and contrary to federal legislation and policy, this new evidence suggests that students of color are less likely to be identified as having disabilities while attending U.S. schools than similarly situated white or English-speaking students.  Implications of these findings are discussed.

Thank you to the Office of the Dean of CAHSS, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Center for Social Science Scholarship for their support of the seminar series.  

Upcoming talks:

Mispredicting Behaviors of Racial and Ethnic Minority Group Members: Evidence from Signal Detection Theory in Three Social Policy Domains

Jeryl Mumpower, Texas A&M University

September 27th, 12-1pm, Public Policy 451

Misallocation and Intersectoral Linkages

Sophie Osotimehin, University of Quebec, Montreal

October 11th, 12-1pm, Public Policy 451

The Ideological Politics of Charter Schools

Richard Blissett, Seton Hall University

October 15th, 4-5pm, Public Policy 367

Lessons from NYC's Small Schools of Choice about High School Features that Promote Graduation for Disadvantaged Students

Howard Bloom, MDRC

October 22^nd, 12-1pm, Public Policy 367

Exposure to International Trade and Mortality

Alexander F. McQuoid, U.S. Naval Academy

November 1^st, 12-1pm, Public Policy 451

HIV Treatment as Economic Stimulus: Community Spillover Effects of Mass ART Provision in Rural South Africa 
Zoe McLaren, UMBC School of Public Policy

November 5^th, 12-1pm, Public Policy 451

Using the National Intimate and Sexual Violence Survey to Explore Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Individuals

Lynn Addington, American University

November 29^th, 12-1pm, Public Policy 451

The PROMISE AGEP supports faculty diversity, and partners with UMBC’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry to invite applications for the following position:

Natural Sciences Professoriate-Track

Faculty Research Fellowship, 2019-2021 (apply.interfolio.com/53007) 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) invites applications for the Natural Sciences Professoriate-Track Faculty Research Fellowship.

DETAILS: http://chemistry.umbc.edu/overview/open-positions/

The purpose of the Fellowship is to support promising scholars interested in a future tenure track faculty appointment at UMBC and who are committed to diversity and inclusiveness.  The Department welcomes applications from candidates with research and teaching interests in all areas of Chemistry or Biochemistry, and with diverse experiences, including candidates from industry, academia, or government laboratories.  We are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who are members of groups that historically have been underrepresented in the STEM professoriate.

UMBC is a national model for diversity and inclusive excellence in STEM with faculty committed to developing the next generation of diverse professionals in STEM.  The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (http://chemistry.umbc.edu/) is a research-intensive department with thriving Ph.D. programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as renowned undergraduate programs and faculty engaged in extramurally funded innovative research at the cutting edge of chemistry and biochemistry.

This Fellowship will begin July 2019, with the potential for conversion to a tenure-track assistant professor position within two years.  The fellow will receive: a competitive stipend; health benefits; funds for conference travel, preparation of scholarly work, instrument services and supplies/consumables; lab space and other privileges.  During the two-year appointment, the fellow will be devoted to initiating an independent research program while teaching one course per year. Experienced mentors will meet with the fellow regularly to provide guidance on developing the skills needed to succeed in a tenure track career at a research intensive university (e.g., proposal/manuscript writing, developing a pedagogically sound teaching philosophy, etc.).

Eligibility:  Successful candidates will hold a PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in STEM.

Application Instructions: Applications must be submitted at http://apply.interfolio.com/53007 Review of completed applications will begin on October 15, 2018 and continue until filled.  Inquiries about the program may be addressed to: Chemfellowshipsearch@umbc.edu

UMBC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

There is a position available in PHYSICS as well: https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=176805417

Files shared by the presenters:

Participant Folder:

• Review_Criteria
• Reviewer_comments1
• Reviewer_comments2
• TipsforApplying
• WS_PersonalStatement
• WS_PreviousResearchExperience
• WS_ProposedPlanofResearch

Essays:

• 01Personal_Statement_winner_draft2015
• 02Personal_Statement_winner2015
• 03personalstatement-winner2-2nddraft2015
• 04PersonalStatement_winner2_2015
• 05FrancesPersonalStatement
• 06rubricByRobinWalker
• 07Reviewer_comments
• 08PattiProposedResearch
• 09Proposed Research-winner2-draft2015
• 10ProposedResearch_winner2_2015
• 11Research Statement-winner-3rddraft2015
• 12Research_Statement_winner_2015

UPDATE September 15, 2018:

NSF GRFP Presentation (download):

2018 NSF GRFP Presentation – UMBC

UPDATE September 13, 2018:

Due to inclement weather approaching our region we will move our seminar to a webinar format. This session is still virtually on! Instructions to participate and have an enjoyable webinar experience:

– The website will open 15 minutes before our scheduled start time.

– Click on the following website (Bb Collaborate Ultra):

NSF GRFP – Funding Seminar

– Log in using your name (this will be displayed for others in the session).
– Please mute your microphone. Please make sure you are not sharing video.
– Any questions that you wish to ask our presenters will be addressed through the chat. You can see the chat and other options by expanding the pink arrows on the bottom right corner of your screen. Anything you post here will be seen by others, please be professional.
– Thank you for participating and looking forward to seeing you there.
– Lastly, our speakers will engage in providing feedback via email for those participants working on their applications.

The NSF PROMISE AGEP, the Graduate School at UMBC, along with the USM Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate programs (LSAMP-BD) are sponsoring another award-winning preparation seminar for  the National Science Foundation’s NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). The fellowship is worth more than $100,000.

Fellows share in the prestige and opportunities that become available when they are selected. Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution), opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education they choose. (Ref: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/general_resources/about)

• Saturday, September 15, 2018
• 10 AM

—————————- ARCHIVED ————————

The information below remains posted as a reference, and will be part of the archive. The seminar will be held ONLINE only. The in-person workshop has been cancelled due to weather.

————————————————————————

• Sherman Hall, 1st floor auditorium, Room 003
• UMBC [Sherman Hall is between the Administration Building and the University Center which houses the Starbucks]
  • Part 1: Funding Your Graduate Education (Breakfast served), 10 AM – 12 noon
  • Part 2: NSF Fastlane – Starting your application within the system (Lunch served), 12 – 3 PM.
• RSVP:
  • Students at UMBC, please RSVP via MyUMBC: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/60538
  • If you are a student from another campus, please RSVP and let us know that you are coming by going to the comment section below, and posting your 1) name, 2) school, 3) major/discipline, and 4) indication of grad student or undergrad student.
    • Students from all schools are invited, particularly the 12 within the University System of Maryland. 
    • We also extend a special invitation to all students who are enrolled in schools that have LSAMP and AGEP programs, e.g., Morgan State University, Howard University, UDC, etc.

Speakers: 

Dr. Frances Carter-Johnson, Data Scientist, National Science Foundation

Dr. Patricia Ordoñez, Associate Professor, Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras

UMBC has been sponsoring a preparation workshop for several years, and the speakers, UMBC PhD alums, and NSF GRFP winners themselves, have since coached winners through their seminars at UMBC, MIT, Harvard, at schools in Puerto Rico and more! Collectively, the speaker/coaches have assisted with more than $1 Million in fellowship money for those in their workshop audiences!

Dates: Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13, 2018.

Location: UMBC, Commons Building, Rooms: 331 and 328.

Time: 9 am – 5 pm (each day).

This activity is open to any full-time UMBC employee who is working on a thesis or dissertation, at any university, e.g., UMBC employees who are in the doctoral program at Frostburg University. This activity is also open to UMBC graduate students who are full-time employees, career professionals, or non-traditional returning students.

Dissertation Coach: Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale

Applications are open until September 21, 2018.

To be considered for this DH please complete the following:

Registration: Please log into myUMBC (https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/62952). Click the “Going” button at the bottom, *AND* follow the application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/. The application period to apply to attend this Dissertation House will close on September 21st.

Event Details:

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5 PM, for two days, Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13.

• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 2 days. 

• The 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 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. More information about the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/