Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Danielle Bouchard ‘15, social work, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship recipient.

Name: Danielle Bouchard
Major: Social work and print media minor
Extra Curricular Activities: NASW Member, BSW Representative for NASW, Meals on Wheels Volunteer, President of the Social Work Student Association, Vice President of Phi Alpha Honor Society, and avid rock climber.
Scholarship received: Alumni Association Scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I wanted to attend an institution that provided opportunities for research, had a diverse student population, and was in close proximity to Washington, D.C. I was also drawn to UMBC because of the reputation of its social work program.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I am able to interact and study with students from an array of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. I am able to have intellectual conversations with students who have opposing views on topics discussed in and outside of class.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
My first semester at UMBC I enrolled in SOWK 200 taught by Dr. Guzman-Rae. She opened my mind to the vastness and versatility of a social work degree. I was introduced to the various types of roles social workers can play: macro, mezzo, and micro. We can be brokers, advocates, counselors, educators, facilitators, or a combination of them all.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
If I did not receive any scholarship support, I would have had to postpone attending school full-time and have work another job to offset the expenses of attending school. It is extremely important to me to receive these scholarships so I can focus on my education and my long-term career goals. In addition, without the Gilman Scholarship I would not have the resources to study abroad in Ecuador and Peru this past term.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
My involvement in the Social Work Student Association. A couple students and I reignited SWSA by increasing membership and providing monthly opportunities for all students to become involved on and off campus helping other individuals within the community.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I have been fortunate enough to meet with two of the donors of my scholarships and will hopefully meet with the third within the coming months. I expressed my gratitude for their generous donation and explained how the scholarship has helped me further my education.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to be accepted into the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India. I want to work with victims of human trafficking in rural areas of India. After the program, I hope to attend UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and School of Social Welfare.

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Danielle Bouchard ‘15, social work, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship recipient.

Name: Danielle Bouchard
Major: Social work and print media minor
Extra Curricular Activities: NASW Member, BSW Representative for NASW, Meals on Wheels Volunteer, President of the Social Work Student Association, Vice President of Phi Alpha Honor Society, and avid rock climber.
Scholarship received: Alumni Association Scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I wanted to attend an institution that provided opportunities for research, had a diverse student population, and was in close proximity to Washington, D.C. I was also drawn to UMBC because of the reputation of its social work program.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I am able to interact and study with students from an array of different ethnicities, races, and cultures. I am able to have intellectual conversations with students who have opposing views on topics discussed in and outside of class.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
My first semester at UMBC I enrolled in SOWK 200 taught by Dr. Guzman-Rae. She opened my mind to the vastness and versatility of a social work degree. I was introduced to the various types of roles social workers can play: macro, mezzo, and micro. We can be brokers, advocates, counselors, educators, facilitators, or a combination of them all.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
If I did not receive any scholarship support, I would have had to postpone attending school full-time and have work another job to offset the expenses of attending school. It is extremely important to me to receive these scholarships so I can focus on my education and my long-term career goals. In addition, without the Gilman Scholarship I would not have the resources to study abroad in Ecuador and Peru this past term.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
My involvement in the Social Work Student Association. A couple students and I reignited SWSA by increasing membership and providing monthly opportunities for all students to become involved on and off campus helping other individuals within the community.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I have been fortunate enough to meet with two of the donors of my scholarships and will hopefully meet with the third within the coming months. I expressed my gratitude for their generous donation and explained how the scholarship has helped me further my education.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to be accepted into the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India. I want to work with victims of human trafficking in rural areas of India. After the program, I hope to attend UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and School of Social Welfare.

UMBC’s Imaging Research Center is looking for student programmers to assist in ongoing projects. Current projects range from websites to mobile apps. Such projects include web based panorama viewer, working with Unity to develop mobile apps, developing a web based story sharing social network, developing a image archive/gallery, and more. Projects are assigned as seen fit. Work will begin in January 2015.

Do you enjoy programming challenges? Do you enjoy learning new skills? Are you passionate about writing software that could potentially be used by thousands of users daily? If so, this is a great opportunity for you.

Duties:

• Maintain existing projects from websites to mobile apps
• Develop web based solutions
• Develop mobile based solutions
• Assist in ongoing projects
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Ability to program in C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Java, Python
• Knowledge of web technologies: HTML, CSS, Javascript, Php, MySQL
• Quick learner
• Able to work well in groups
• Excellent troubleshooting skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Available to work up to 20 hours a week during the semester and up to 40
  hours a week during the summer
• Active UMBC student.

Desires:

• Major in Computer Science or other related field
• Experience with the HTML5 <canvas> tag and/or WebGL is a plus
• Experience developing iOS/Android apps is a plus
• Experience with Unity and/or Unreal is a plus
• Experience with UNIX/Linux is a plus
• Experience with git, svn, or other revision control systems is a plus

Submit resumes by email to Mark Jarzynski, Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. Please provide an example of a programming project that you were passionate about.

Mark Jarzynski, Technical Director / Programmer, Imaging Research Center, UMBC, ITE 101G, 410-455-1498

CSEE’s Marie desJardins recently collaborated with a group of Howard County parents and teachers to create HowGirlsCode, an educational program that “educates and inspires young girls to pursue computer related activities, courses, and careers.”

The program–originally called Computer Mania Club–is based out of Fulton Elementary School. Over the course of ten weeks, students meet for weekly two-hour sessions, working on projects such as Lego Mindstorm robots and 3D printing. Students also work with programming tools such as MIT’s Scratch program. The curriculum for the program is largely based off of materials from the Code.org website.

UMBC alumna Katie Egan and her husband Kent Malwitz have been instrumental in getting the club off the ground. Malwitz, who is the President and Chief Learning Officer for UMBC Training Centers, originally recruited Marie desJardins to participate in a brainstorming session for the club back in 2013. Professor desJardins now serves as a member of the Advisory Board for HowGirlsCode.

Bethany Meyer, Senior Web Developer at MGH, Inc., was a recent guest speaker for HowGirlsCode. During her presentation, Meyer explained how she got into coding, citing as an example a website that she created when she was 13 years old. Meyer went on to present more recent projects, such as OldBay75.com and OCOcean.com. “I think a lot of people have negative stereotypes in mind when they think of programmers,” Meyer says. “My goal was to break down some of those stereotypes by showing…[students] that the work can be really exciting and that it involves creativity and interacting with others. I hope that I inspired some of them to teach themselves to make websites. ”

A recent Baltimore Sun article notes that there has been a marked increase in student signups for HowGirlsCode since last year. More courses will be offered in the spring, due to increasing demand. At some point, the coding club could possibly expand to other schools. Currently, Egan is trying to turn HowGirlsCode into a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. This would allow the club to have better access to resources such as facilities, grants and funding. Ideally, she hopes to turn the club into a nonprofit by September 2015.

The Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab has a similar program, called Girls Who Code. The Hopkins APL program, which is intended for middle and high school students, is based on a national nonprofit of the same name.

This piece originally appeared on the CSEE Web site.

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in the 2015 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 13, 2015
• Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, http://www.riggs.umd.edu/
  • University of Maryland College Park
  • Directions and Parking: http://www.riggs.umd.edu/map.html
• 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: Lightening Round Talks

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

________________________________________________

 

AGENDA

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

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

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Networking Break

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

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

12:00 PM – Buffet Lunch Mentoring Discussions 

1:00 PM – Poster Session and Dessert Reception

2:00 PM  – Professional Development Workshop

4:00 PM – Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony

________________________________________________

Registration includes all program components and meals.

Click below; registration is free.

________________________________________________

Call for Presentations

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

December 31, 2014: “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, “2015 PROMISE Research Symposium – Intent to Present.”

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

January 23, 2015,  Deadline for “Intent to Present” emails for Lightening Round and Poster Presentations only.  Everyone who expressed an “Intent to Present” as of Dec. 31, 2014, 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 “Lightening Round” Category #3, and we have slots remaining for posters.

January 31, 2015: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: “2015 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.

________________________________________________

PROMISE AGEP: Maryland Transformation is pleased to invite you to attend and participate in the 2015 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 13, 2015
• Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, http://www.riggs.umd.edu/
  • University of Maryland College Park
  • Directions and Parking
  • 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

 

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

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

Welcome: Dr. Evelyn Canabal-Torres, PROMISE Coordinator – UMCP, and Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Renetta Tull, UMBC Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs, and PROMISE AGEP Director for the University System of Maryland

Moderator: Erika Aparakakankanange, Ph.D. Student, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, College of Education, University of Maryland College Park. Ms. Aparakakakanange formerly served as Assistant Director of Graduate Studies, for the University of Maryland College Park’s  Department of Aerospace Engineering. She began research on the AGEP program as master’s student at College Park, and is a co-author on the paper: An AGEP Program Analysis: Minority Graduate Student Diversity in STEM Disciplines at Three Universities (Aparakakankanange & Tull, 2014).

Presenters:

• Cheryl Camillio, UMBC, Public Policy
• Arnetta Fletcher, UMCP, Nutrition and Food Science
• Kayla Lemons, UMBC, Biological Sciences
• Marisa Franco, UMCP, Psychology
• Rachel Grice, UMBC, Information Systems
• Saadi Habib, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
• JaWanna Henry, UMB, Epidemiology and Public Health
• Isaac Mativo, UMBC, Computer Science

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM Networking Break

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

Co-moderators: Berthel Tate, Ph.D. Student, Department of Computer Science, Bowie State University, and Jaye Clark-Nias, Ph.D. Student, Department of Computer Science, Bowie State University

Presenters:

• Viviana Monje-Galvan, UMCP, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• L. Latéy Bradford, UMB, Microbiology & Immunology
• Kristen Lycett, UMES, Natural Sciences

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

Moderator: Dr. Annica Wayman, Program Manager, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Dr. Annica Wayman is the Research Partnerships for Development Team Lead in the U.S. Global Development Lab at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The team is responsible for the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program and other activities which catalyze and leverage collaborative research that addresses global development challenges. Dr. Wayman holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), as well as MS and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology where her doctoral work focused on selectin-mediated adhesion of leukocytes to vascular surfaces.(Ref: http://www.asmeconferences.org/Congress2014/ForumBios.cfm)

Presenters:

• Adegboyega Akinsiku, UMBC, Human-Centered Computing
• Kailyn Cage, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering
• DeLauren McCauley, UMBC, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• William Rivera, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
• Christa Rogers, UMCP, Reliability Engineering

12:00 PM – Buffet Lunch Mentoring Discussions with members of the PROMISE AGEP-T Board of Advisors

Welcome: Dr. Charles Caramello, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, College Park

Greetings:

Dr. Nancy Shapiro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, The University System of Maryland (USM).

Nancy S. Shapiro is Associate Vice Chancellor for Education and Outreach and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for P-20 Education at the University System of Maryland. As the principal investigator on major federal grants totaling over $30 million dollars from and the National Science Foundation (MSP) and the U.S. Department of Education (TQE), she has worked to build sustainable partnerships between colleges, universities and public schools which support high quality professional development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content areas and prepare future teachers for urban schools. She leads the University System of Maryland’s STEM Initiative focused on increasing the number of STEM teachers produced by the public higher education institutions in Maryland.  She led a System-wide initiative on Academic Transformation and Course Redesign, with special emphasis on redesigning STEM courses for undergraduate general education.  Before coming to the University System Office, Dr. Shapiro served as the Founding Executive Director of the College Park Scholars program, and directed the writing programs at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has authored numerous books and articles on creating and sustaining learning communities and has served as an external evaluator and consultant on projects related to STEM teaching and learning, academic transformation, and College Board Affinity Network investment in college access and success.

1:00 – 1:30  PM – Poster Session and Dessert Reception

• Abudullah Ali, UMBC, Information Systems
• Tim Brown, UMBC, Mathematics and Statistics
• Marwa El-Sayed, UMBC, Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering
• Shadaesha Green, UMCP, Marine Estuarine Environmental Science
• David Harris, UMBC, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
• Alex Holness, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering
• Christopher Mullen, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
• Mitchel Zavala, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering

1:30 – 3:30 PM  – Professional Development Workshop

Part I: Special Guest Panel with members of the PROMISE AGEP-T Board of Advisors

Theme: Pathways to the Professoriate and Metrics for Success

Moderator: Dr. Renetta Tull

Speakers: 

PROMISE Advisory Board Members. L-R: Dr. H. Frierson, Dr. L. Martin-Vega, Dr. B. Wayman, Dr. P. Ordóñez, Dr. S. Westmoreland, Dr. S. Williams. Not pictured: N. Wells, D. Chubin, S. Nathan-Pulliam

• Dr. Henry Frierson (Assoc. VP, Dean of the University of Florida Graduate School, Leader in Culturally-responsive evaluation)
• Dr. Louis Martin-Vega (Dean of Engineering, North Carolina State University, has worked with faculty on STEM diversity issues)
• Dr. Brian Wayman (Lead Program Integrator at GE Healthcare, alumnus of UMBC Meyerhoff Program and Georgia Tech AGEP)
• Dr. Patricia Ordóñez, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras (Former PROMISE AGEP Peer Mentor, NSF Graduate Research Fellow – GRFP)
• Dr. Sophoria Westmoreland, Former Assistant Research Professor at United States Naval Academy (Former PROMISE AGEP Peer Mentor – UM College Park, Former National Society of Black Engineers National Graduate Student of the Year)
• Dr. Stacey N. Williams, Assistant Professor – Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Notre Dame of Maryland University (Former PROMISE AGEP Peer Mentor – UM Baltimore)
• Nan Wells (Higher Education Consultant to Universities, Colleges, and Corporations; Retired, Princeton University, Director of Governmental Relations and Head of Princeton’s Washington Office)

Part II: Round Tables with Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows 

Theme: Preparing for Academic Success

Moderators: Dr. Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (PhD Institution: UMBC), and Dr. Alexis Williams, UMCP Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (PhD Institution: UMCP)

Table Topics with Guest Speakers:

L-R: Dr. S. Bediako, Dr. A. Marshall, Dr. C. Romero-Talamas, Dr. Q. Brown, Dr. K. Jackson, Dr. A. Chen

• “Getting Funding for Your Research” – Dr. Shawn Bediako, UMBC, Psychology
• “Teach at a Community College” – Dr. Alycia Marshall, Anne Arundel Community College, Mathematics (tenured professor & Mathematics department chair (AACC) – PROMISE: Full Circle. UMCP PROMISE Alumna, Dr. Alycia Marshall, now has her own NSF grant ($598,000) for the Engineering Scholars Program at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland.  In February 2013, Dr. Marshall won a Verizon Community Innovator Award for her work with the ESP program.)
• “Experience as a Professor” – Dr. Carlos A. Romero-Talamas, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
• “How Faculty Positions Can Lead to Opportunities” – Dr. Quincy Brown, Bowie State University, Computer Science (AAAS Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation) and Dr. Clare Muhoro, Towson University, Chemistry (AAAS Policy Fellow at the U.S. Agency for International Development)
• “Faculty Opportunities at Morgan State University” – Dr. Keith Jackson, Professor of Physics (former president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)), Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Morgan State University, and James H. Haynes, Coordinator of Title III Programs
• “Preparing for Faculty Positions” – Dr. Alex Chen, UMCP, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
• “Preparing for Postdoctoral Positions”
  • Dr. Taeyjuana Curry, UMBC, Chemistry (PhD Institution: University of Michigan)
  • Dr. Aqueasha Martin Hammond, UMBC, Human-Centered Computing (PhD Institution: Clemson)
  • Dr. Evelyn Thomas, UMBC, Mathematics (PhD Institution: Howard)
  • Dr. Obioma Ohia, UMCP, Physics (PhD Institution: MIT)
  • Dr. TaShara Bailey, UMBC, Psychology (PhD Institution: University of Michigan)

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

________________________________________________

Registration includes all program components and meals.

Click below; registration is free.

________________________________________________

Call for Presentations

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

December 31, 2014: “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, “2015 PROMISE Research Symposium – Intent to Present.”

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

January 23, 2015,  Deadline for “Intent to Present” emails for Lightening Round and Poster Presentations only.  Everyone who expressed an “Intent to Present” as of Dec. 31, 2014, 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, 2015: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: “2015 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.

________________________________________________