Name: Shaniah Reece

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site:  NCAR | UCAR

Position Title: SIParCS Intern

Major or Program: Information Systems

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2022 

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities. 

This summer I interned at UCAR | NCAR (University Center for Atmospheric Research | National Center for Atmospheric) as a SIParCS intern. In this role, I worked on a project with two mentors titled “Forecasting the COVID-19 pandemic”, where our goal was to demonstrate how Data Assimilation can enhance model forecasts by guiding them to more reliable predictions.

My responsibilities varied from project-based requirements to required weekly meetings, Professional Development Workshops (PDWS) and “Software Standups”.

For weekly meetings, I met with my cohort to catch-up and talk with my internship coordinator and our CODE intern (CODE stands for Community Outreach and Diversity Education) about how we were doing, upcoming opportunities or events (for example touring different NCAR facilities) and any action items we may need to attend to.

Each Tuesday and Thursday morning, I attended “Software Standups” with the team - this is an agile meeting format, where all team members would stand at their desks and give an update on where they were on a project and offer assistance to each other if needed.

Each Thursday, for about two hours I attended PDWSs which covered a range of topics, from diversity, to writing project grant proposals, to building and creating and delivering a poster presentation or talk. These were really helpful to our learning, professional development and were valuable in connecting us with various opportunities.

When I was not attending meetings I was spending time working on my project and meeting with my mentors as needed. For the first few weeks I focused on familiarizing myself with the content. This mostly consisted of learning about the SEIR epidemiological model and NCAR’s Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). I also utilized LinkedIn learning or NCAR’s libraries to sharpen any technical skills I needed to.

I worked with my mentors to identify reliable COVID-19 data sources and imported and cleaned them for assimilation. I kept them mentors updated on my progress daily and reached out whenever I needed help.

Once my dataset was ready, I spent the mid to end period of my internship doing work in Matlab to parameterize, tune and run sensitivity tests on my model. Oftentimes I would reach a stonewall due to missing COVID data or varying reporting practices across countries, however we were able to adjust the focus of the project to accommodate these limitations, and demonstrate how effective data assimilation can be even in such cases.

In the final days of my internship, I accumulated my findings and spent time preparing an abstract, content, layout and story for my final poster and presentations. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

 Last Fall, I was fortunate to obtain a scholarship from the Center of Women in Technology (CWIT) to attend the Tapia Conference, where I met my internship coordinator, Virginia Do. I introduced myself and gave my elevator pitch in the manner I practiced beforehand at the Career Center’s workshops, then shared my post-graduation interest to pursue a PhD in Data Science.

Our conversation went very well and I was excited to learn about NCAR and its research. Though I was a bit intimidated by the project titles and was hesitant to apply, she encouraged me to give it a shot. I promised to follow up and made sure to do so. We kept in touch via email to make sure I got my application materials in. I worked on several drafts and asked her to review my materials before submitting to make sure I was all set.

This February, I received an offer to interview. I prepared as necessary, and received confirmation a few days or weeks after my acceptance to the project.  

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

I enjoyed how balanced my experience was. NCAR|UCAR prioritized our well being and made sure it was well-rounded. For example, we had a CODE intern whose role was focused on building connections among our cohort. We toured the city, biked, rock climbed, volunteered, attended movie night; I even got to go skydiving with a few interns because of the connections they made possible!  

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

 I believe I was successfully able to demonstrate that models are helpful and very necessary especially in the epidemiological field. However, they are not perfect and data assimilation can help to compensate for some of their limitations. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?  

Do not disqualify yourself. If you see an experience you find interesting, go for it!   

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

I deeply enjoyed the community, environment, people and experience I've had during my time in Boulder. From Day 1, I felt part of the team right up until the end of my experience. I was stunned that interns from such different backgrounds could come together in the way we did: bond, laugh, and support each other once strangers in a new place.

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Dear UMBC Community,

As you may recall, President Sheares Ashby announced in August that UMBC would begin a national search for a new vice president position to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion work across the campus.

As a key next step, we have assembled a search committee which includes faculty, staff, and students who will work with search firm Isaacson Miller to identify outstanding candidates for the Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer role. The committee members are: 

• Brian Barrio, Director, Athletics
• Kate Drabinski, Principal Lecturer, Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies; and Director, Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (WILL+) Program
• Eric Ford, Director, Shriver Center 
• Ramon Goings, Associate Professor, Language, Literacy, and Culture
• Farah Helal '24, Political Science and Global Studies, and University System of Maryland Student Regent
• Bobbie Hoye, Associate General Counsel
• Kim Leisey, Associate Vice President, Student Affairs 
• Susan McDonough, Associate Professor, History; and President, Faculty Senate 
• Thania Munoz Davaslioglu, Assistant Professor, Spanish and Latin American and Latinx Literature and Culture
• Stanyell Odom, Director, Alumni Engagement
• Emily Shrope, Vice President, Graduate Student Association
• Desiree Stonesifer, Executive Administrative Assistant, Financial Services; and President, Non-Exempt Staff Senate
• Jack Suess '80, M.S. '94, Vice President, Information Technology, and Chief Information Officer
• Annica Wayman '99, Associate Dean, Shady Grove Affairs, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
• Jess Wyatt, Associate Director, Alumni Engagement, and President, Professional Staff Senate 
• Liang Zhu, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

I am grateful for their willingness to help us find a leader who shares our values and is excited to join our community. We will continue to share updates as they are available.

Candace Dodson-Reed '96, Chief of Staff to the President, and Chair, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer Search Committee

The 2022–23 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges undergraduate rankings released this week illustrate why a record number of students chose to call UMBC home this fall. This year’s rankings show UMBC jumping an impressive 25 spots on the list of Best National Universities and appearing on several other prestigious lists, distinguishing the university’s achievements on a national stage. 

“Notable increases in UMBC’s six-year graduation rate, at a time when UMBC was also recognized as an Research 1 university, likely supported this jump,” says Constance A. Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, associate vice provost for Institutional Research, Analysis and Decision Support. “We are particularly proud that the graduation rate trend is consistent for students of different economic backgrounds.”

This year UMBC ranks at #9 nationally for undergraduate teaching, joined in the top ten by such institutions as Brown, Princeton, and Dartmouth, and tied with the University of Notre Dame. UMBC also maintains its longstanding position on the list of the nation’s most innovative universities, tied at #10 with Johns Hopkins University. UMBC ranks #64 on the Top Public Universities list, #137 on the overall Top National Universities list, and #46 for undergraduate research and creative projects.

Student-centered education

At the core of this year’s rankings are students who already distinguish themselves as budding entrepreneurs, global citizens, advocates, and leaders. Farah Helal ’24, global studies and political science, began her term as University System of Maryland (USM) student regent on July 1, 2022. UMBC’s U.S. News ranking as one of the country’s Best Value Schools and universities with the least student debt speaks directly to the work Helal will be doing as part of her tenure: weighing in on topics like setting tuition and fee rates, approving new degree programs, and approving capital and operating budgets.

“UMBC is a meeting ground for students, faculty, and staff who want to be engaged in our communities every day, doing deep and creative work to solve problems and promote justice and inclusion,” says David Hoffman, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. 

In addition to the latest U.S. News rankings, Hoffman highlights that the 2022 College Rankings issue of The Washington Monthly names UMBC one of America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting. “I love that we have been recognized by Washington Monthly for our efforts in connection with voting, and I love knowing that voting is just the tip of the iceberg for us when it comes to our students’ engagement and impact.” 

Both teaching and research

The latest U.S. News rankings are primarily university-wide, but they also include recognition for a few specific undergraduate programs. UMBC is listed as a top-100 university this year for both computer science and engineering. Coming in at #86 for computer science, UMBC shares the rank with George Mason University, Texas Tech University, and Howard University. Ascending to #94 for engineering this year, UMBC is joined by Clemson University, George Washington University, and University of Delaware.

It’s essential to understand these rankings in the context of another important milestone, notes Keith J Bowman, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT): UMBC’s recent Carnegie Classification as a doctoral university with very high research activity, popularly known as Research 1 (or R1). UMBC is now ranked as one of only 146 R1 institutions nationally, including 107 public and 39 private universities.

“UMBC’s designation as an R1 institution combined with increasing recognition for our engineering, computing and information systems programs has enabled us to recruit incredible faculty talent,” says Bowman. “Those faculty are attracted to UMBC for our potential to both advance their success as researchers and educators and our emphasis on inclusion as essential to excellence.”

Promoting diversity and innovation

UMBC’s recognition as one of the nation’s most innovative universities, alongside Johns Hopkins, goes hand-in-hand with recognition as a top university for ethnic diversity. The National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) have recently awarded UMBC over $15 million for programs specifically to support underrepresented STEM students—an area where UMBC is known as an innovative national model. 

The College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) will receive $5.6 million over five years from the NIH to fund the Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE). This program will support graduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM with up to three years of funding and an array of training opportunities. The goal is to help participants select and prepare for a range of career paths in academia, industry, government, entrepreneurship, or beyond.

UMBC will expand its work boosting diversity in academia from Maryland to the national level through a new NSF INCLUDES Alliance: Re-Imagining STEM Equity Utilizing Postdoc Pathways (RISE UPP). The RISE UPP Alliance, anticipated to officially launch in fall 2022, is modeled after the AGEP PROMISE Academy, a high-impact initiative co-led by UMBC that supports faculty diversification in the biomedical sciences across USM institutions.

The university has also received support from a broad range of other groups and agencies to expand and replicate UMBC’s student success models. This includes $2.5 million from the Simons Foundation to create a Meyerhoff Scholars-like program within the public university system in New York, among other initiatives.

Vision of leadership

This commitment to diversity and inclusion can also be seen at the faculty and administrative leadership levels. Kimberly R. Moffitt, dean of UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and professor of language, literacy, and culture, serves as the lead principal investigator for Breaking the M.O.L.D. UMBC, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland, College Park are partnering in this $3 million initiative funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop a pipeline to higher ed leadership for diverse scholars in the arts and humanities.

Following through on “redefin[ing] excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture” is an essential part of what makes UMBC such a special and distinctive place, says UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby. “This is an extraordinary institution,” she recently told WYPR’s Tom Hall. She shares, “The university is true to the values and vision that it states.”