2012 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI)

Theme: Pathways to Success

Registration Website (Click here for additional information about SSI attire, venue, directions, parking, and transportation.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dates: Friday and Saturday, August 17-18, 2012

___________________________________________________________________________________

Features:

• PROMISE Orientation (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 9:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• The “Success Equation” (All invited), Friday, 8/17, 10:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “ Succeeding in the first year, together” (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 11:15 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “Dissertation House for Advanced Graduate Students” (Friday, 8/17)
  • Location: UMBC Commons 329
• “Writing Suite for Postdocs” and “PROMISE Writing Team Annual Meeting” (Friday, 8/17)
• “Ph.D. Roll Call”  - Features PROMISE alumni, Mentors-in-Residence, Faculty, Co-PIs. (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Mastering the Graduate School Process: Tips for Having a Successful First Year” (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career.” (For Continuing graduate students, Saturday, 8/18)
• “Managing Career Transitions” (For Postdocs, Professors, and Professionals, Saturday, 8/18)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Location:

Friday, 8/17: UMBC Campus, The Commons, 3rd Floor, and the Library

Saturday, 8/18:  The Hotel at Arundel Preserve http://www.thehotelarundel.com/

 

• Hotel cost: $109.00/night + tax (Option for participants who wish to stay overnight. Hotel rooms for guest speakers from out-of-town are complimentary.) [$109 rate sold out, 8/16/12.]
• SSI Conference Registration cost: $Zero PLUS completion of evaluation and assessment materials.

____________________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

UMBC Commons, 3rd Floor (Postdocs, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group Only)

and

Albin O. Kuhn Library, 7th Floor Open Area  (New students, continuing graduate students)

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Concurrent Sessions – Friday, August 17: 9:00 AM: Morning Sessions

Postdoctoral Writing Suite, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group, PROMISE Orientation for New Participants

These concurrent sessions will be held on UMBC’s campus in the Commons (Student Center), 3rd Floor and on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn (AOK) Library, the main library on UMBC’s campus. See full agenda at the bottom of this page.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM:  “The Success Equation”  (Session for All)

In 2012, Renetta Tull and her husband, Dr. Damon Tull, both former professors, developed an equation for success using Dr. Shirley Jackson’s equation for POWER as a basis. The “SUCCESS Equation” has been presented at MIT, and will be published in Optics and Photonics News in September 2012. The equation looks at the momentum of variables such as mentoring and focus, and the workshop has been designed to help graduate students at every level to evaluate practices that can facilitate success.

Session Leaders:

• Patrick Valdez, Director, College Access & Success Initiatives, Association of Public Land Grant Universities. Read his article: Patrick L. Valdez (2005), LATINO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAMS AND CONTINUING CHALLENGES, in David Leon (ed.) Lessons in Leadership (Diversity in Higher Education, Volume 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.223-238

• Jennifer Joyner, Assistant Professor, Economics, CCBC. Professor Joyner specializes on financial literacy.  Along with encouragement, students will receive information regarding managing budgets in graduate school. Joyner was featured on WJZ- CBS News Baltimore for her expo on financial literacy and planning.

Patrick Valdez was introduced to PROMISE by alumna Dr. Frances D. Carter (UMBC, Public Policy) at the 2012 Understanding Interventions conference in Baltimore. Jennifer Joyner works with Dr. Al Starr at the Community College of Baltimore County. Dr. Starr co-leads the Teaching Fellows program that is part of our PROF-it: Professors in Training program. 

 

NEW LOCATION: UMBC Campus, AOK Library Open Area, 7th Floor

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 1:00  PM: Lunch Sections:

Postdocs, Alumni, and Dissertation House participants: Skylight Room, UMBC Commons

Graduate Students and guests: “True Grits Cafeteria”, UMBC Campus (Cost $6 + tax)

____________________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 2nd Floor

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 8:45 AM: Welcome and Overview

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM: “Your Electronic Self: Pros and Cons of Living a Digital Life in Academia” (Morning Plenary – Presentation and Discussion)

Session Leaders:

Dr. Scott Roberts, Director of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.  Andrew Roberts, Associate Director, Communications and Marketing, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park.

Join brothers Scott and Andrew Roberts as they present research and lead an interactive discussion on digital media. ”As you transition from being students to becoming academic professionals, you are challenged with navigating a new and rapidly changing digital world.  Leveraged correctly, your electronic self can help you to advance in industry and academia alike … but the dark side of cell phones, computers and social networks can be the barrier between you and your career.  We will present the research and considerations on how our devices and profiles can make or break us and discuss how to establish and maintain an effective electronic self.”

The speakers for this workshop were nominated by Dr. Kim Nickerson, Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Nickerson has been actively involved with Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences AGEP community and participates in the NSF Joint Annual Meetings for all AGEP programs. 

Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff 

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza will join Dr. Villa-Komaroff for this special breakout session for postdocs, professors, and professionals. Dr. Esparragoza is a Mechanical Engineer, with degrees from Florida International University, Miami, FL,  and Universidad Del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.  Dr. Esparragoza has won teaching awards in the United States and abroad, and is leading international discussions in Engineering Education.  He is one of the leaders of the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), and will discuss ways to allow your passion for teaching and mentoring contribute to tenure, awards, and participation in international initiatives, including upcoming conferences in Austria and Argentina. Dr. Esparragoza is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State Brandywine.

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza learned about PROMISE during a seminar at the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions in Panama.  Dr. Esparragoza was especially interested in modeling programs that PROMISE sponsors such as Horizons for prospective students, and PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) initiatives. 

The following speakers will participate in  the session for continuing graduate students:  “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career”  on Saturday, August 18. Speakers will share their CVs and talk about their paths, from graduate school to their first job, and to their careers. Participants will be encouraged to take advantage of this unique mentoring and networking opportunity.*

Session Leader: Sundiata “Sunji” Jangha

This session is essential for all new graduate students in every discipline. Using some of the information from Dr. Howard G. Adams’ books on mentoring, Sunji Jangha will take new students through exercises that will prepare them to have a successful year in graduate school. Jangha, an SSI speaker in 2010, returns by popular demand and will share some of his own experiences as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. Jangha is the Director of Math/Science Upward Bound at UMBC. In addition to topics on mentoring from Sunji Jangha’s talks at Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, and MIT, this session will cover the following topics for new graduate students from Dr. Adams’ book:

• Transitioning to Graduate School
• Goal Planning Worksheet
• Sins of Graduate Students

2012 SSI Luncheon “Mentors-in-Residence” 

• Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, UMBC, Language/Literacy/Culture. Current: Assistant Professor of Communications. Loyola University. TABLE TOPIC: How to Get a Book Contract.  Dr. Whitehead has book contracts with the University of South Carolina Press, and with Routledge. She is also the guest editor for a special anniversary edition of the   Black History Bulletin (ASALH) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Her emmy-nominated documentary films include: Twin Towers: A History and Life Lessons Learned in Last Place: The Zoe Koplowitz Story.  

———————————-

Dr. Angela McRae, UMCP, Human Development. (2012 Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award) Current: Lecturer at UMCP teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.  TABLE TOPIC: Maintaining Family/School/Work Balance

Dr. Patricia “Patti” Ordóñez Rozo, UMBC, Computer Science. Current: Developing Curricula at UMBC Training Centers.  Patti has been participating in PROMISE since she started graduate school at UMBC. She is an extraordinary teacher who has taught several classes at UMBC for the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, and for Continuing and Professional Studies. She has innovative research collaborations with the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  One of her unique projects includes using her collaborative clinical support decision tool in Colombia, South America and using telemedicine to provide clinical decision support to impoverished areas of Colombia.  Starting August 31, 2012: Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will be Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Research: Computing and Medicine. TABLE TOPIC: Returning to Graduate School After Working.

Dr. Sophoria Nicole Westmoreland, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering. (Former National Graduate Student of the Year for the National Society of Black Engineers.) Dr. Westmoreland is a former LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship sponsored by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).  She presented her research on Capitol Hill in 2010, and after receiving faculty offers within and outside of Maryland, is looking forward to starting her new position this fall. Dr. Westmoreland and colleague, Dr. Alexis Williams, were among the leaders of the online blogging “revolution”  for the PROMISE Dissertation House. Blogging almost daily, Dr. Westmoreland, along with others, regularly encouraged students to finish their dissertations.   Current:  Assistant Research Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, TABLE TOPIC: The Academic Job Interview

Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Maryland Chiropractor, TABLE TOPIC: Avoiding Consequences of Stress

SSI 2012 Agenda

About the Summer Success Institute (SSI)

About PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP 

Orientation: UMBC’s President, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski talks about PROMISE: http://www.youtube.com/user/PROMISEagep/featured

Follow @PROMISE_AGEP on Twitter for articles, advice, and up-to-the-minute information.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Please stay tuned to this page for regular updates on speakers and logistics.

Last update: August 16, 2012

The primary sponsor for the 2012 PROMISE AGEP Summer Success Institute is The National Science Foundation, Division of Education and Human Resources, Directorate of Human Resource Development, Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) “PROMISE Pathways”  grant #1111217 . Co-sponsorship is provided by The Graduate School at UMBC, The University of Maryland College Park Graduate School, and The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School.

2012 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI)

Theme: Pathways to Success

Registration Website (Click here for additional information about SSI attire, venue, directions, parking, and transportation.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dates: Friday and Saturday, August 17-18, 2012

___________________________________________________________________________________

Features:

• PROMISE Orientation (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 9:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• The “Success Equation” (All invited), Friday, 8/17, 10:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “ Succeeding in the first year, together” (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 11:15 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “Dissertation House for Advanced Graduate Students” (Friday, 8/17)
  • Location: UMBC Commons 329
• “Writing Suite for Postdocs” and “PROMISE Writing Team Annual Meeting” (Friday, 8/17)
• “Ph.D. Roll Call”  - Features PROMISE alumni, Mentors-in-Residence, Faculty, Co-PIs. (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Mastering the Graduate School Process: Tips for Having a Successful First Year” (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career.” (For Continuing graduate students, Saturday, 8/18)
• “Managing Career Transitions” (For Postdocs, Professors, and Professionals, Saturday, 8/18)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Location:

Friday, 8/17: UMBC Campus, The Commons, 3rd Floor, and the Library

Saturday, 8/18:  The Hotel at Arundel Preserve http://www.thehotelarundel.com/

 

• Hotel cost: $109.00/night + tax (Option for participants who wish to stay overnight. Hotel rooms for guest speakers from out-of-town are complimentary.) [$109 rate sold out, 8/16/12.]
• SSI Conference Registration cost: $Zero PLUS completion of evaluation and assessment materials.

____________________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

UMBC Commons, 3rd Floor (Postdocs, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group Only)

and

Albin O. Kuhn Library, 7th Floor Open Area  (New students, continuing graduate students)

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Concurrent Sessions – Friday, August 17: 9:00 AM: Morning Sessions

Postdoctoral Writing Suite, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group, PROMISE Orientation for New Participants

These concurrent sessions will be held on UMBC’s campus in the Commons (Student Center), 3rd Floor and on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn (AOK) Library, the main library on UMBC’s campus. See full agenda at the bottom of this page.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM:  “The Success Equation”  (Session for All)

In 2012, Renetta Tull and her husband, Dr. Damon Tull, both former professors, developed an equation for success using Dr. Shirley Jackson’s equation for POWER as a basis. The “SUCCESS Equation” has been presented at MIT, and will be published in Optics and Photonics News in September 2012. The equation looks at the momentum of variables such as mentoring and focus, and the workshop has been designed to help graduate students at every level to evaluate practices that can facilitate success.

Session Leaders:

• Patrick Valdez, Director, College Access & Success Initiatives, Association of Public Land Grant Universities. Read his article: Patrick L. Valdez (2005), LATINO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAMS AND CONTINUING CHALLENGES, in David Leon (ed.) Lessons in Leadership (Diversity in Higher Education, Volume 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.223-238

• Jennifer Joyner, Assistant Professor, Economics, CCBC. Professor Joyner specializes on financial literacy.  Along with encouragement, students will receive information regarding managing budgets in graduate school. Joyner was featured on WJZ- CBS News Baltimore for her expo on financial literacy and planning.

Patrick Valdez was introduced to PROMISE by alumna Dr. Frances D. Carter (UMBC, Public Policy) at the 2012 Understanding Interventions conference in Baltimore. Jennifer Joyner works with Dr. Al Starr at the Community College of Baltimore County. Dr. Starr co-leads the Teaching Fellows program that is part of our PROF-it: Professors in Training program. 

 

NEW LOCATION: UMBC Campus, AOK Library Open Area, 7th Floor

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 1:00  PM: Lunch Sections:

Postdocs, Alumni, and Dissertation House participants: Skylight Room, UMBC Commons

Graduate Students and guests: “True Grits Cafeteria”, UMBC Campus (Cost $6 + tax)

____________________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 2nd Floor

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 8:45 AM: Welcome and Overview

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM: “Your Electronic Self: Pros and Cons of Living a Digital Life in Academia” (Morning Plenary – Presentation and Discussion)

Session Leaders:

Dr. Scott Roberts, Director of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.  Andrew Roberts, Associate Director, Communications and Marketing, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park.

Join brothers Scott and Andrew Roberts as they present research and lead an interactive discussion on digital media. ”As you transition from being students to becoming academic professionals, you are challenged with navigating a new and rapidly changing digital world.  Leveraged correctly, your electronic self can help you to advance in industry and academia alike … but the dark side of cell phones, computers and social networks can be the barrier between you and your career.  We will present the research and considerations on how our devices and profiles can make or break us and discuss how to establish and maintain an effective electronic self.”

The speakers for this workshop were nominated by Dr. Kim Nickerson, Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Nickerson has been actively involved with Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences AGEP community and participates in the NSF Joint Annual Meetings for all AGEP programs. 

Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff 

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza will join Dr. Villa-Komaroff for this special breakout session for postdocs, professors, and professionals. Dr. Esparragoza is a Mechanical Engineer, with degrees from Florida International University, Miami, FL,  and Universidad Del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.  Dr. Esparragoza has won teaching awards in the United States and abroad, and is leading international discussions in Engineering Education.  He is one of the leaders of the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), and will discuss ways to allow your passion for teaching and mentoring contribute to tenure, awards, and participation in international initiatives, including upcoming conferences in Austria and Argentina. Dr. Esparragoza is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State Brandywine.

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza learned about PROMISE during a seminar at the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions in Panama.  Dr. Esparragoza was especially interested in modeling programs that PROMISE sponsors such as Horizons for prospective students, and PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) initiatives. 

The following speakers will participate in  the session for continuing graduate students:  “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career”  on Saturday, August 18. Speakers will share their CVs and talk about their paths, from graduate school to their first job, and to their careers. Participants will be encouraged to take advantage of this unique mentoring and networking opportunity.*

Session Leader: Sundiata “Sunji” Jangha

This session is essential for all new graduate students in every discipline. Using some of the information from Dr. Howard G. Adams’ books on mentoring, Sunji Jangha will take new students through exercises that will prepare them to have a successful year in graduate school. Jangha, an SSI speaker in 2010, returns by popular demand and will share some of his own experiences as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. Jangha is the Director of Math/Science Upward Bound at UMBC. In addition to topics on mentoring from Sunji Jangha’s talks at Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, and MIT, this session will cover the following topics for new graduate students from Dr. Adams’ book:

• Transitioning to Graduate School
• Goal Planning Worksheet
• Sins of Graduate Students

2012 SSI Luncheon “Mentors-in-Residence” 

• Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, UMBC, Language/Literacy/Culture. Current: Assistant Professor of Communications. Loyola University. TABLE TOPIC: How to Get a Book Contract.  Dr. Whitehead has book contracts with the University of South Carolina Press, and with Routledge. She is also the guest editor for a special anniversary edition of the   Black History Bulletin (ASALH) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Her emmy-nominated documentary films include: Twin Towers: A History and Life Lessons Learned in Last Place: The Zoe Koplowitz Story.  

———————————-

Dr. Angela McRae, UMCP, Human Development. (2012 Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award) Current: Lecturer at UMCP teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.  TABLE TOPIC: Maintaining Family/School/Work Balance

Dr. Patricia “Patti” Ordóñez Rozo, UMBC, Computer Science. Current: Developing Curricula at UMBC Training Centers.  Patti has been participating in PROMISE since she started graduate school at UMBC. She is an extraordinary teacher who has taught several classes at UMBC for the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, and for Continuing and Professional Studies. She has innovative research collaborations with the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  One of her unique projects includes using her collaborative clinical support decision tool in Colombia, South America and using telemedicine to provide clinical decision support to impoverished areas of Colombia.  Starting August 31, 2012: Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will be Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Research: Computing and Medicine. TABLE TOPIC: Returning to Graduate School After Working.

Dr. Sophoria Nicole Westmoreland, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering. (Former National Graduate Student of the Year for the National Society of Black Engineers.) Dr. Westmoreland is a former LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship sponsored by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).  She presented her research on Capitol Hill in 2010, and after receiving faculty offers within and outside of Maryland, is looking forward to starting her new position this fall. Dr. Westmoreland and colleague, Dr. Alexis Williams, were among the leaders of the online blogging “revolution”  for the PROMISE Dissertation House. Blogging almost daily, Dr. Westmoreland, along with others, regularly encouraged students to finish their dissertations.   Current:  Assistant Research Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, TABLE TOPIC: The Academic Job Interview

Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Maryland Chiropractor, TABLE TOPIC: Avoiding Consequences of Stress

SSI 2012 Agenda

About the Summer Success Institute (SSI)

About PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP 

Orientation: UMBC’s President, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski talks about PROMISE: http://www.youtube.com/user/PROMISEagep/featured

Follow @PROMISE_AGEP on Twitter for articles, advice, and up-to-the-minute information.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Please stay tuned to this page for regular updates on speakers and logistics.

Last update: August 16, 2012

The primary sponsor for the 2012 PROMISE AGEP Summer Success Institute is The National Science Foundation, Division of Education and Human Resources, Directorate of Human Resource Development, Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) “PROMISE Pathways”  grant #1111217 . Co-sponsorship is provided by The Graduate School at UMBC, The University of Maryland College Park Graduate School, and The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School.

James 3: 3-12 (NIV)

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Matthew 15:10-11, 17-20(NIV)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Reflection:

If only it were as easy as washing our mouths out with soap. But Jesus clearly states that it is a matter of the heart – that’s where it all starts. And that is where God started with us – He gave us a brand new, totally regenerated heart, therefore the crucial battle has been won by Christ through the power of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who governs our hearts now so it’s not so much about “language” as it is about the intention of our hearts and lives. We can now use our very mouths – the words we speak – to bring fresh water and good fruit to bless others and advance the desires of God.

Response:

Let’s thank God that He makes it possible to build up others and advance God’s desires through our words. As we continue to experience the regeneration of our hearts, our words bring life to others. Let’s ask the Lord for even greater transformation, from the inside-out, so words of encouragement may overflow from our hearts and bless all who we interact with.

More than 70 alumni and friends enjoyed pizza and drinks at the 2012 IT & Engineering Happy Hour. The event, which  welcomed all UMBC alumni with a special focus on those from the College of Engineering and Information Technology, was sponsored by the UMBC Training Centers and held at Pub Dog of Columbia. Alumni enjoyed the chance to unwind after work while connecting with fellow Retrievers.

Check out all the great photos from this event on Flickr or Facebook.

About Our Sponsor
UMBC Training Centers extends the academic excellence of UMBC to working professionals and organizations through the delivery of professional, scientific and technical training. As a training partner with the industry’s leading technology providers and a Prometric and VUE certified testing facility, Training Centers provides training and certification preparation to thousands of students in IT, cybersecurity, and engineering. Training Centers recently expanded to a new facility in Columbia, MD on Columbia Gateway Drive. More information can be found online at www.umbc.edu/trainctr/cyber.

Summer is a great time to refocus your energy into revamping your health and living habits for a better you! Take a look at these simple tips to get jump-started this hot season:

Give Your Diet a Berry Boost: If you do one thing this summer to improve your diet, have a cup of mixed fresh berries -- blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries -- every day. They'll help you load up on antioxidants, which may help prevent damage to tissues and reduce the risks of age-related illnesses, including lowering cholesterol and preventing some cancers. Blueberries and blackberries are especially antioxidant-rich.

Get Dirty - Stress Less: To improve your stress level, plant a small flower or vegetable garden, help your folks mow the lawn - just get out and get dirty in nature! Simply putting your hands in soil is "grounding." And when it feels like your life is moving so fast your feet are barely touching the stuff, being mentally grounded can help relieve physical and mental stress.

Get Outside to Exercise: Choose an outdoor activity - going on a hike, taking a nature walk, playing summer games such as beach volleyball, boating, or swimming - to shed that cooped-up feeling of gym workouts.

Be Good to Your Eyes:To protect your vision at work and at play, wear protective eyewear. When outdoors, wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of ultraviolet A and B rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts, as well as wrinkles around the eyes.

Vacation Time: Improve your heart health: take advantage of summer's slower schedule by using your vacation time to unwind. Vacations have multiple benefits: They can help lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones such as cortisol, which contributes to a widening waist and an increased risk of heart disease.

Sleep Well: Resist the urge to stay up later during long summer days. Instead pay attention to good sleep hygiene by keeping the same bedtime and wake-up schedule and not drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime. It's also a good idea to avoid naps during the day unless you take them every day at the same time, for the same amount of time.

Resource: WebMD

It’s no surprise that foodborne illnesses  increase during the summer months. To make sure you and your friends are eating safely at the next summer cookout, follow these tips:

· Cool It: To prevent foodborne bacteria from paying a visit to your picnic, keep food as cold as possible during transport—40 degrees or colder. A full cooler stays colder longer than a partially filled one, so pack food straight from the fridge and pour on ice to the brim. 

· Marinate Smarter: Marinate meat and fish in the fridge, not at room temperature. Also, never use marinade that’s touched raw meat or fish as a sauce for cooked food.

· Keep Everything Clean: Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent foodborne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.

· Safe Minimum Cooking Temps: Cook meat fully to kill common foodborne bacteria like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli. Using a food thermometer, ensure that all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts are cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F, all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to 160 °F, and all poultry to 165 °F . NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

· Leftovers: Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F). 

Visit these websites for more information:

http://foodsafety.gov/
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/Barbecue_Food_Safety/index.asp