Truman Scholarship Information Session (9/24)

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships ($30,000) for graduate study to persons who demonstrate outstanding potential for and who plan to pursue a career in public service. Approximately 55 awards are made nationally each year, with one award given per state and certain territories. In 2014, 24 awardees were students at public universities.

The Truman Scholarship is a prestigious award for which juniors with a record of public service and demonstrated interest in government and politics compete. The Foundation defines public service as employment in government at any level, uniformed services, public interest organizations, nongovernmental research and/or education organizations, public and private schools, and public-service orientated nonprofit organizations such as those whose primary purposes are to help needy or disadvantaged persons or to protect the environment. Most Truman Scholars seek law degrees or master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration, public policy, public health, international relations, government, economics, social services, education, urban planning, conservation and environmental protection.  However, all majors are eligible. For example, some Scholars have pursued medical, physical science or even business degrees – but these Scholars were able to clearly demonstrate how these degrees would further their careers in public service.

In an effort to increase UMBC’s applicant pool, Tara Yglesias, Deputy Executive Director of the Foundation, will speak with students and faculty on Wednesday, September 24, at 12 noon in room 107 of the Physics Building. 

Please bring this opportunity to the attention of those students who might be eligible to compete this year and of those who might be interested in the future.  If they cannot make the presentation on September 24, they should contact UMBC’s faculty representative, Art Johnson, at ajohnson@umbc.edu or 5-2195. Students should have a strong GPA of at least 3.7.  To apply, students must be nominated by their institution and complete an application, including a policy brief. Dr. Johnson and others will work with each nominee throughout the application process.

The UMBC deadline for expressing interest in applying is October 20 but students are encouraged to speak with Dr. Johnson before then. UMBC applicants must complete their applications no later than January 28, 2015.

Those faculty who are interested in learning more about this competition and UMBC’s application process are encouraged to contact Dr. Johnson and/or attend the presentation on September 24.

Most people may not think of Aging as an important topic to study but it is a HUGE part of societal demographics and trends. If you're an Aging Studies major looking for an opportunity to enhance your academic career, then you should consider UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH!!!

There's nothing like getting an chance to ask questions you've always wondered about and dig for answers. Research in this field could open up doors for travel, grants, internships, and more!!

You can take on a project and make it your own, fostering relationships and gaining professional development skills while you're at it! Not to mention, it would look great on your resume.       

If you're interested, check out the link provided for more information! OR Come out to one of the Undergraduate Research Workshops to learn more about getting started! ( P.S. : There's one this week on Friday, September 5, during free hour (12 p.m.) in Engineering 023)

The second hackUMBC is coming! (And has nothing to do with security.)

hackUMBC ’14 will take place on the weekend of 27-28 September (Saturday into Sunday). The event is open to students of any skill level, from innovators and entrepreneurs to designers and hardcore coders. Its purpose is to allow students to mingle and collaborate for 24 continuous hours of community exploration to grow technology projects from scratch while expanding their connections to other students and mentors from both industry and academia. Through the generosity of various sponsors, admission is free, and includes meals, snacks, swag, prizes, and more!

Last year’s inaugural event ‘sold out’ at 100 students from across the UMBC campus community, including teams from CMSC, CMPE, EE, IS, Biology, Biotechnology, Math, Physics, and Media Studies. This year we’re expanding admission to students from both UMBC and local colleges/high schools, so register early!

More details and sign-up information is available at the event website.

Faculty, staff, and leaders from around campus and the local industry who are interested in serving as mentors or judges for hackUMBC are invited to contact Dr. Rick Forno for more information.

Photos from last year’s inaugural event held in the Skylight Room can be found here.

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is a referral and recruitment program that identifies students with disabilities who are interested in employment with the federal government. The WRP is one of the main paths to:

·         Find an internship or permanent position at federal agencies

·         Explore careers in the federal service

·         Gain interviewing experience

A recruiter will be assigned to UMBC to conduct phone interviews with interested candidates. Candidates that are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to be interviewed for federal and private sector positions. Participation is open to any students with disabilities at all levels and majors, and degree programs. Veterans with disabilities are especially urged to apply.

To qualify, an eligible candidate:

·         Must have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability which makes the candidate eligible to use the Schedule A hiring authority

·         Must be a United States Citizen

·         Must be a current, full-time, degree-seeking, post-secondary student, unless you are taking a reduced course load due to a disability OR are in the final semester.

•    Candidates who graduated prior to October, 2013 are not eligible to participate this year.
  

The Career Center highly recommends all interested participants take advantage of the Career Center’s many resume and interviewing resources such as the following:

•   Drop-in resume reviews; Monday-Friday, 2-4 PM

·         Resume, interview prep, and mock interview appointments with career specialists
·         Online resume samples and tips- http://careers.umbc.edu/skills/resume/
·         Online resume and interviewing how-to videos and workshops- http://careers.umbc.edu/workshops/
 

To register to participate visit https://wrp.gov/registerstudent. Registration closes on October 8th. For a video further explaining the program visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YeckdUKHH0

For more information on how you can participate, contact Caroline Bodnar at carolc@umbc.edu or 410-455-2216.

Are you an Africana Studies major, looking to do something more with your academic experience?

Well, you might want to consider conducting undergraduate research! Everyone has questions, and most people want answers. Doing research in your field can allow you to ask any relevant question and actively seek to gain more knowledge about it. You can take on a project and make it your own, fostering relationships and gaining professional development skills while you're at it! Not to mention, it would look great on your resume.

Opportunities for travel, internships, and grants are readily available if you're interested. Check out the link for more information!