This Dissertation House is hosted by the Graduate School at UMBC for UMBC students only.

The Summer Dissertation House is coming to UMBC (July 10-13, 2018). Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House (below). Open application period: May 1, 2018 – June 15, 2018. (Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early). Applications received after May 31, 2018, will be considered for the DH waiting list.

Event: Summer 2018 Dissertation House

Dates: July 10, 2018 – July 13, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM each day

Location: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Commons 331 and Commons 328

Registration: Please log in to MyUMBC (https://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/59221), click “I can attend” below, *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 the Dissertation House: May 1, 2018 – June 15, 2018.

Event Details: 

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5PM, for four days, Tuesday, July 10 through Friday, July 13.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 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 12 to 15 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 DissertationHouse: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

Dissertation House Application Procedures

Both the on-campus setting and the retreat setting provide Dissertation House participants with productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.  Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House period can span either a Tuesday – Friday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., non-residential) or a Friday – Sunday weekend (includes evening sessions) commitment to focus on the doctoral dissertation.  The Dissertation House activities focus on areas where students typically have difficulty: conceptualizing a topic, writing a literature review, transitioning from a proposal to a dissertation, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, and editing.
Students may apply to attend the next Dissertation House during open application enrollment, by submitting two parts of an application.

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1-inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Dates/Location: July 10 to 13 (Tuesday – Friday), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Dissertation House will be held in COMM 331 (for Dissertation House) and COMM 328 (for one-on-one sessions).

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted within a designated 2-week period, usually scheduled 1-2 months prior to the next Dissertation House session.  Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email.

Selection Process: Eighteen participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.  The following applicants will have priority:  (1) Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months; (2) Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal; (3) Applicants who submit earliest; and (4) Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.  All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House

This Dissertation House is hosted by the Graduate School at UMBC for UMBC students only.

The Summer Dissertation House is coming to UMBC (July 10-13, 2018). Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House (below). Open application period: May 1, 2018 – June 15, 2018. (Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early). Applications received after May 31, 2018, will be considered for the DH waiting list.

Event: Summer 2018 Dissertation House

Dates: July 10, 2018 – July 13, 2018

Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM each day

Location: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Commons 331 and Commons 328

Registration: Please log in to MyUMBC (https://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/59221), click “I can attend” below, *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 the Dissertation House: May 1, 2018 – June 15, 2018.

Event Details: 

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5PM, for four days, Tuesday, July 10 through Friday, July 13.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 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 12 to 15 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 DissertationHouse: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

Dissertation House Application Procedures

Both the on-campus setting and the retreat setting provide Dissertation House participants with productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.  Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House period can span either a Tuesday – Friday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., non-residential) or a Friday – Sunday weekend (includes evening sessions) commitment to focus on the doctoral dissertation.  The Dissertation House activities focus on areas where students typically have difficulty: conceptualizing a topic, writing a literature review, transitioning from a proposal to a dissertation, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, and editing.
Students may apply to attend the next Dissertation House during open application enrollment, by submitting two parts of an application.

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1-inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation House period.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Dates/Location: July 10 to 13 (Tuesday – Friday), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Dissertation House will be held in COMM 331 (for Dissertation House) and COMM 328 (for one-on-one sessions).

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted within a designated 2-week period, usually scheduled 1-2 months prior to the next Dissertation House session.  Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email.

Selection Process: Eighteen participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.  The following applicants will have priority:  (1) Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months; (2) Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal; (3) Applicants who submit earliest; and (4) Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.  All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House

2018 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference Sponsorship – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, a full-service intellectual property law firm located in Washington, DC, invites women engineering students in the DC area to apply for our 2018 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference Sponsorship opportunity.

Each year, SWE hosts one of the largest and most comprehensive gatherings of forward-thinking women in engineering and technology.  This year’s conference will be held in Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center from October 18-20, 2018.  In addition to networking and professional development opportunities, attendees can expect to develop and renew friendships while connecting with leading-edge innovators in the international engineering community.

The firm is particularly interested in students with a degree in biochemistry, chemistry, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or a related field.  Students must have a positive and professional attitude, strong academic credentials and strong communications skills (written and oral).

Sponsorship will include transportation and hotel accommodation as well as participation in the conference.  In order to be considered, please email your resume and all transcripts to Leslie Cameron atlcameron@sternekessler.com. Applications must submitted by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

If you have any questions about this sponsorship opportunity, please contact Leslie Cameron, Professional Development Coordinator, at 202-772- 8768.

UMBC SWE will still be assisting with funding registration for members but this advertisement is for a full sponsorship, so we strongly encourage you to apply!

Guenet Abraham, associate professor of graphic design, who received a 10-month Fulbright for 2017 – 2018 to teach graphic design and conduct research in Ethiopia for an upcoming multimedia exhibition, will extend her stay with the support of an additional Fulbright award for 2018 – 2019. She will continue teaching at the Alle School of Arts and Design at Addis Ababa University as well as conduct her research, which has taken her to the far reaches of the country.

The design courses Abraham has developed for the school, including a course in typography, are pilot courses aimed to help introduce a full graphic design curriculum. Her work includes direct instruction of students and mentoring of faculty. The curriculum will address the needs of university students well-placed to contribute design skills in the many sectors of Ethiopia’s growing economy.

“It is going very well in spite of challenges I am not used to in my teaching activities,” says Abraham, noting that there is no wifi in classrooms, many students do not own their own laptops, and there are limitations in computer lab facilities. “Despite these roadblocks, the students have universally embraced the course material. I am pleased to say that they continue to surpass my expectations. This has allowed me to continue to expand the learning goals.”

The additional year afforded through the second-round Fulbright will enable Abraham to continue teaching and working with faculty to draft a program that will continue long after the end of her stay.

In addition to teaching, Abraham is using the time in Ethiopia to research the rise and rule of The Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army – later named Derg – the brutal military regime that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 – 1992. Her historic and artistic research will culminate in a multimedia exhibition, Labyrinth of Memory, at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC) when she returns.

The exhibition will present a depiction of the political violence, displacements, and disfigurements exacted by the Derg “for public consumption and debate,” as Abraham put it. “It stems from my belief that artists have the unique skills to address sensitive topics in ways that encourage contemplation and create dialogue. The trauma that Ethiopian society has faced is documented in tomes, but there are few monuments, exhibitions, explorations, and interpretations. The tragedies cannot be left to languish in archives or filed away in governmental reports. They must be given a proper place in the public’s memory.”

Her research has led her to explore many regions, such as sulfur lake in Dalol, Danakil Depression, to juxtapose natural and contemporary sound and imagery against the horrors of the Derg period.

Abraham’s extended stay in Addis is also a return. As civil war erupted, she departed with her family in 1974 and escaped the extreme violence that followed. “Since I left, the country has gone through two major regimes, the first one being the communist government of Mengistu which fractured the social fabric of the country. Soon after the present government toppled the Mengistu’s regime in 1991, the country split in two (Ethiopia and Eritrea) in 1992.”

The whole population of Ethiopia before the split was about 26 million, 450,000 in Addis Ababa. Now Ethiopia’s population is close to 100 million with over 6 million in Addis Ababa. “I simply do not recognize the country,” says Abraham. “The city is completely new and so are many aspects of the culture.”

Abraham also shared the unexpected feeling of “otherness” she has experienced in navigating a country that is both an old home and new place. It is not unlike what she encountered as a new American, she describes. Her approach has been to focus on the present rather than searching for what she remembers, she explains, saying, “I continue to immerse myself in the culture of today.”

Images, from top: Guenet Abraham in the Ethiopian highlands, photo by Teddy Berhanu; Guenet Abraham with students, photo by Fitsum Seyoum; Guenet Abraham at the sulfur lake in Dalol, Danakil Depression, photo by Colton Flynn; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, photo by Guenet Abraham.

Helping benefit the health and well being of others is what the Engineers Without Borders, or the EWB, is about. Nick Sayers, a junior mechanical engineering major, is a member of the EWB organization. Sayers was also the main host of the recent engineers game night. He states, “we like to use resources to help those less fortunate in other countries.”

The EWB is not exclusive to the UMBC campus.  “There are lots of EWB organizations all around the United States,” says Sayers.

The main mission of the UMBC chapter is to improve the quality of water in other countries. This includes water for drinking, washing and other resourceful purposes. “The EWB organizations around the world consist of different engineering focuses, but ours is specifically focused on water,” said Sayers.

Members of the EWB organization are a small community, persistent to better their environment in some way in order to help the lives of others. They hold meetings in the Information Technology/Engineering building during free hour for students or volunteers that would be willing to lend a hand for their cause, and the event that they held was also not exclusive to just their organization.

Sayers welcomed attendees to the event and invited them to play card games like Uno, allowing members of EWB and non-affiliated attendees to mingle and start a conversation with each other. Students were encouraged to volunteer to be a member of the organization. Becoming a volunteer does not have any major requirements. A student can volunteer to join the organization regardless of their course of study.

In addition to this, attendees do not have to be a major in engineering to join because the mission required many other concentrations and specialties as well. The EWB organization at UMBC is open to partner with other communities as well in order to make it to their goal more efficiently.

Members of the organization are even making an attempt to help the less fortunate communities through fundraising. Through a fundraising campaign, money that has been earned and raised will be contributed towards the water quality of the communities as well.

Problems with water quality are more prevalent to this day. Students that volunteer will take part in collecting the water that a given community has and inspect it in terms of amount, maintenance and water piping. These precautions are performed to ensure that a given water supply in a community is safe.

Not only does the participation of this organization allow for the testing of high water quality, it also provides members the opportunity to travel abroad and fix problems across the globe.

“Making sure that people get the water they need to be provided, these are some of our engineering solutions in the EWB,” stated Sayers.

Exciting news!

We have selected our travel team and have finalized travel dates for our assessment trip this summer for our Costa Rica project. We will be going to collect data, survey the area, and more to determine what type of solution the community is looking for. 

Leading up to the trip, we are trying to do a big fundraising push. Please help us raise money to bring a community in need access to clean, safe water by sharing this link with family and friends and posting on social media. 

T. Rowe Price just launched the LEAD Program below for May 2018 graduates.  If you are interested in learning more, be sure to apply by simply submitting your resume to position 9298823 in UMBCworks ASAP.

The company will also have an information session on the program on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 5 PM in The Commons , Room 331.  Details on the program can be found below.  This opportunity is open to all majors.

The role is within the Individual and Retirement Plan Services division as a Financial Services Representative, and the program is called LEAD@TRP.

Picture yourself at T. Rowe Price.
As a senior about to graduate from UMBC, you’re ready to begin your career doing meaningful work. T. Rowe Price is recruiting talented UMBC graduates of ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds to come and work with us.

Perform Meaningful Work
Our mission is to help people achieve their financial goals and secure their future, and we do this in many ways. You’ll find jobs that span multiple disciplines—such as client services, technology, and investments.
 
Inclusive Work Environment
Through our LEAD program, we are focused on providing high potential, new associates of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to develop and enhance their leadership skills. We’ve designed our LEAD program to ensure participants receive mentoring and networking opportunities, with exposure to senior leaders throughout the first two years at T. Rowe Price. Our goal is to position our culturally and ethnically diverse new associates in supervisory career paths.

To Qualify
Applicants must:
Have demonstrated excellence in leadership, professional development, and/or community/campus service.
Self-identify as being of a different race, ethnicity and or nationality, including but not limited to: Hispanic/Latino, African-America, Asian and Native American.
Maintain a minimum 3.0 over GPA at the time of employment.

Please contact Mindy Silverman – mindy_silverman@troweprice.com for more information.