by Craig Berger and David Hoffman

First, Co-Create UMBC was a blog; then a MyUMBC mainstay, a Twitter account, and a Facebook page. Its purpose: empower UMBC's co-creators (all of us!), in part by making the UMBC community visible to itself. We've shared profiles of UMBC community members, opportunities to get involved and play leadership roles, reflections grounded in our own stories and experiences, and lots of photos.

For the coming year, we're making more changes than ever before. We're going to make the familiar strange, and the strange familiar. We're going to start some exciting conversations. Join us!

• Like the Co-Create UMBC Facebook page

• Follow Co-Create UMBC on Twitter

• Follow Co-Create UMBC author David Hoffman on Twitter

• Follow Co-Create UMBC author Craig Berger on Twitter

• Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC

Building upon the inaugural idea of Dr. Shanna Smith (Visiting Professor of English at Jackson State University, former GA for the PROMISE AGEP and PROMISE Peer Mentor at College Park), and the book “Sisters in the Dissertation House” by Dr. Jennifer Bacon, we are happy to present our 2016 event: “Sisters in the Dissertation House – Dessert Discussion 2016.” This event will be held at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve, from 8:30 PM – 10 PM on Friday, August 19, 2016.  This event is part of the larger 2016 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI).  (Details and registration for the SSI:  http://bit.ly/PROMISESSI2016)

This year’s discussants are both featured in the book, and they have been friends since they were graduate students together in the PROMISE Dissertation House: Dr. Alexis Williams (Teaching and Learning Transformation Center – TLTC, University of Maryland College Park, Alumna: College Park), and Dr. Patricia Ordóñez (Faculty, Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras).

The discussion will be held in a hotel suite at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve, and will not be shared publicly. If you are interested in attending, please send email to PROMISEstaff@gmail.com with the subject line: “Sisters in the Dissertation House 2016.” You will receive an email with the room number closer to the date.

You may purchase the book from Amazon here:  https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Dissertation-House-Narrative/dp/1581072686.

The “Jessica Effect” was named for the late Jessica Soto Pérez, former graduate student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, member of the first cohort of PROMISE Peer Mentors. We wanted to invite, involve, and engage family members of graduate students in an effort to promote a more inclusive environment that caters to the whole person, and that values the importance of family and friends.

First PROMISE Peer Mentors at UMBC, circa 2004

About Jessica:

• Daughter of Antonio Israel Soto and Luz N. Pérez
• Undergraduate degree: Univ. of Puerto Rico Mayagüez
• P. B. Certificate in Biochemical Regulatory Engineering
• Graduate School: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering (Research: Novel methods for chromatofocusing), University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
• Peer mentor: National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP.
• Instructor: UMBC Upward Bound Math Science
• Member, American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
• Member, American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Jessica’s research: The effect of pH transients formed by salt gradients on protein ion-exchange chromatography

The article on the Jessica Effect can be found here:  https://www.aacu.org/peerreview/2014/spring/tull

More background can be found here: https://renettatull.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/the-jessica-effect-and-women-in-stem-mujeres-en-stem-en-memoria-de-jessica/

Dr. Claudia Pearce, UMBC Alumna and Senior Science Authority at NSA

On October 11, 2016, there will be a networking opportunity for CWIT, Meyerhoff undergraduate scholars, and PROMISE members from 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM to meet the 2016 ADVANCE Distinguished Lecture, featuring, Dr. Claudia Pearce,  M.S., ’89 and Ph.D., ’94 and 2014 UMBC Alumna of the Year in COEIT. Dr. Pearce is currently Senior Computer Science Authority at NSA, a member of UMBC’s COEIT advisory board, and involved in collaborative research our CSEE faculty. 

EVENT DETAILS

Event: Networking Opportunity with Dr. Claudia Pearce

Date: October 11, 2016

Time: 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

Location: UMBC Campus, Commons 331

REGISTRATION

Members of the UMBC Community:

Please RSVP at http://my.umbc.edu/groups/advance/events/41572.

Members who are not part of the UMBC Community:

Please RSVP with your interest in attending in the comments section below.

This networking opportunty is part of her visit for the 2016 ADVANCE Distiguished Lecture later that day at 4:30 PM, a campus-wide talk on her career trajectory at 4:30pm in the Library Gallery followed by a reception. All are welcome to the afternoon event as she will share a personal story of perseverance in her educational, research, and career journey as a computer scientist.  We are proud to incorporate this event into UMBC’s 50th Anniversary celebrations where she will deliver. 

Dr. Claudia Pearce, UMBC Alumna and Senior Computer Science Authority at NSA

On October 11, 2016, there will be an ADVANCE Distinguished Lecture, featuring, Dr. Claudia Pearce,  M.S., ’89 and Ph.D., ’94 and 2014 UMBC Alumna of the Year in COEIT. Dr. Pearce is currently Senior Computer Science Authority at NSA, a member of UMBC’s COEIT advisory board, and involved in collaborative research our CSEE faculty. All are welcome to come as she will share a personal story of perseverance in her educational, research, and career journey as a computer scientist.  We are proud to incorporate this event into UMBC’s 50th Anniversary celebrations where she will deliver a campus-wide talk on her career trajectory at 4:30pm in the Library Gallery followed by a reception.

 EVENT DETAILS

REGISTRATION

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Registration