• Understanding Graduate School – Panel of Graduate Students
  • Nopondo Esemoto (Chemistry)
  • Joshua Brown (Biochemistry – MD/PhD)
  • DeLauren McCauley (Chemistry)
  • Antione Taylor (Psychology)
  • Janae Baptiste (Chemistry)
  • Alex Vega (Chemistry, incoming 1^st Year)

11:30 a.m.

• Introduction: Dr. Janet C. Rutledge, Vice Provost of Graduate Education & Dean of the Graduate School
• Motivational Talk by Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, UMBC

Related articles

• President Obama Appoints UMBC President as Chair of National Education Commission (baltimore.cbslocal.com)

Dr. Tracy Johnson, new HHMI Professor from UCLA, and a special guest of UMBC’s Dr. Michael Summers (Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), will be speaking at UMBC on Thursday, March 26 at 1:00 PM in the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building, Conference Room 120. All are invited to attend. If you have a UMBC account, please RSVP on MyUMBC: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/31197. Guests from other schools may RSVP by sharing name and school in the comment section of this post.

Photo courtesy of http://newsroom.ucla.edu/

More about Dr. Johnson: 

https://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/faculty/tljohnson

http://www.hhmi.org/research/ucla-hhmi-pathways-success-program

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/two-ucla-faculty-members-named-howard-hughes-medical-institute-professors

About the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program:

http://meyerhoffgrad.umbc.edu/

The new Career-Life Balance Initiative at UMBC is sponsoring a February 2015 workshop on preparing career paths that will include a healthy integration of work and those things that are important to life, e.g., health and wellness, family. This workshop is sponsored by UMBC’s initiative new project, “On Ramps” to Full Professor: Institutional Support for Post-Family Leave Faculty Research Reintegration, National Science Foundation Grant #1446406.” The series of workshops and seminars will be open to the campus community at UMBC, and guests from the University System of Maryland. The sessions will cover topics that support development of a better integration of career and activities that shape everyday life.

The precursor event will be a Career-Life Balance “Writing Corner” breakfast session for graduate students on Monday, Feb. 23. During this session, graduate students will be able to have some dedicated time to work on grant submissions, CV updates, dissertations, applications, etc. The Career-Life Balance “Writing Corner” is a new initiative that is taking the best practices from the PROMISE Dissertation House, PROMISE Writing for Publication, and PROMISE Postdoctoral Writing Suite activities, and combining them with needs that graduate students expressed in a CLB poll launched at UMBC during the Fall semester 2014. The “Writing Corner” concept was developed by the CLB GA, Amanda Lo, who worked with graduate students to gauge interest. Amanda describes the space as follows: “This room will serve to help others achieve career-life balance by providing a comfortable environment where graduate students, post-doctorate fellows, faculty, and staff can allocate time to work at ease on their writing. All participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops and any materials that they might need to assist them with their writing.” Students may RSVP for the Monday, February 23rd “CLB Writing Corner” here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/careerlifebalance/events/30310.

The key CLB event for the month will be a Wednesday, February 25, 2015 workshop on planning your career portfolio. This workshop will be led by Dr. Laura Koppes Bryan, Dean of the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Baltimore (UB). Dean Bryan is an advocate for effective strategies on managing both work and life responsibilities. She worked as an independent consultant for LK Associates, where she consulted with organizations on various areas, including work-life effectiveness. She also served as Director of Work-Life at the University of Kentucky where she analyzed data surveying the work-life culture for both faculty and staff members. She developed and implemented the UK Work-Life vision and strategy; through her advocacy and presentation to the University Board of Trustees, she was approved of a budget of 11 million dollars for the work-life initiatives. Dr. Bryan is a member of the PROMISE AGEP STEM Deans Council, and is partnering with The Career-Life Balance Initiative at UMBC, The PROMISE AGEP for the University System of Maryland, UMBC’s Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and The Graduate School at UMBC, to provide this seminar for all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, in all disciplines. All members of the campus community are invited to attend.

• Event: Developing A Career Portfolio
• Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2015
• Speaker: Dr.LauraKoppes Bryan,
  • Dean Laura Bryan from UB will discuss developing a career portfolio with a focus on managing both career and life responsibilities. At this event, attendees will be able to walk away with ideas or an outline for developing their career portfolio.  All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Dean Bryan’s latest book, Shaping Work-Life Culture in Higher Education: A Guide for Academic Leaders.
  • About Dr. Bryan: http://www.ubalt.edu/cas/faculty/alphabetical-directory/laura-k-bryan.cfm
• Location: UMBC, The Commons, Room 329 (Directions to events co-sponsored by the PROMISE AGEP.)
• Time: 1:00 – 2:15 PM
• Lunch will be served
• This event is free, and is sponsored by NSF #1446406.
  • REGISTRATION: The event is open to all graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and alumni. The event will be applicable to all academic disciplines. Visitors from other USM institutions are invited, as part of our PROMISE AGEP alliance.
  • Members of the UMBC community can register here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/29579
  • Visitors from other campuses can reply in the comment section of this email so that we will know that you are coming.

The Career-Life Balance project at UMBC is part of a special initiative that is being sponsored by the National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/career-life-balance/, in concert with objectives on the topic that are being put forth by the White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/02/15/career-life-balance-fair-continues-promote-flexible-workplaces-america-s-scientists-. Read more from the press release by the White House here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/26/white-house-and-national-science-foundation-announce-new-workplace-flexi

The Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program at UMBC, and PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP (the National Science Foundation’s PROMISE AGEP – Maryland Transformation, AGEP-T) for the State of Maryland, proudly present Dr. Hélène Hodak, Scientific Editor, Journal of Molecular Biology, Elsevier Inc. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015.

Dr. Hodak will be talking about writing for high impact journals. We’ve often heard the term “publish or perish.” Many people are afraid of that term, and many are nervous about the idea of needing to publish in order to have their work deemed worthy. The Elsevier journals are known for being high-impact, and they have a global reputation for showcasing the best work in science. They have offices in NY, Amsterdam, and London. People from all disciplines are invited to come to the workshop and use the content of this talk to learn more about how to think about publishing, and how to dismiss fear of the process. Dr. Hodak’s background and training hail from the following institutions: Yale University, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Regional Hospital Center of Lille, France, Université Lille 2 – Droit et Santé; France. You can read more about Dr. Hodak’s scientific contributions on ResearchGate: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helene_Hodak2/citations

——————————————————-

Details for the talk:

• Friday, February 6, 2015
• 4:30 – 6:00 PM
• UMBC Campus, Public Policy Building, Room 206
• Afternoon refreshments will be served.

To RSVP/Register:  

• UMBC students/postdocs/faculty/staff: Login to your MyUMBC account. Click the green “I can attend” button at the bottom of the MyUMBC website for this event: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/29770. If you have logged into MyUMBC, and you don’t see the green “I can attend button,” then please be sure that “join” the PROMISE group.
• Visitors (Visitors from any school within the University System of Maryland and the region are welcome to attend.): Use the comment section below to let us know that you are coming. Please add your name, school/organization, and discipline, as applicable.

Photo Credit: http://www.chimit09.org/images/PUP01.jpg

Public Policy Building, UMBC, atrium hallway. Photo credit: http://www.appam.org/assets/1/7/publicPolicy.jpg

Directions, parking, and other information will be posted in the comments below.

——————————————————-

Why is Elsevier so important? Here are some of the latest stats from 2014:

Journal Impact Factor Highlights

Amsterdam, 14 August, 2014

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the highlights of its journal Impact Factor performance in 2013. According to the 2013 Journal Citation Reports® (JCR) published by Thomson Reuters, Elsevier saw 61% of its journal Impact Factors increase from 2012 to 2013, well ahead of the aggregate across all other journals at 55%. Furthermore, 21% of Elsevier journals are in the top 10% of their subject category.

In 2013 Elsevier journals occupied the top position by Impact Factor in 61 subject categories, up from 58 in 2012. In addition, 14 Elsevier journals have risen to the top of their subject category and 40 journals have received an impact factor for the first time. Among these is Nano Energy, which published its first issue in 2012 and received an impressive first impact factor of 10.211.

- See more at: http://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/elsevier-announces-2013-journal-impact-factor-highlights#sthash.NtkiXGPK.dpuf

More about Elsevier: Elsevier Inc., 600 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A.  ElsevierConnect,  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00222836.  Contact Dr. Hodak: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-molecular-biology/editorial-board/helene-hodak/

——————————————————-

Acknowledgements:

This workshop comes to UMBC through Dr. Michael Summers, and Ms. Justine Johnson of the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program. http://my.umbc.edu/groups/meyerhoffgrad/events/28224. Additional sponsors include: PROMISE AGEP, The Graduate School at UMBC, and the UMBC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

About the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program

Funded by an NIH-MBRS Initiative to Maximize Student Development (IMSD) grant, the Meyerhoff Fellows Program focuses on promoting cultural diversity in the biomedical sciences at the graduate level. Now in its 18th year, the program attracts students from such institutions as Duke, Emory, Stanford and the University of Delaware.
Read more>

All graduate students attending institutions within the University System of Maryland are invited to attend a Special Saturday Success Breakfast Seminar on Public Speaking:

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Keys to Public Speaking: Prepare for Your Upcoming Presentation.

UMBC COMMONS, Room 331

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Speaker: Scott Morgan

Scott Morgan has been teaching communication skills for 20 years. His clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, Merck, NASA, EPA, City of Hope Cancer Center, and several universities: Harvard Medical School, UNC Chapel Hill, Cornell, Maryland, Ohio State, Minnesota, Duke, Nebraska and NC State University, and Texas A&M. He has 25 years of broadcast experience and teaches media and communication strategy to many think tanks in the Washington DC area. Specifically, as a Senior Associate with the Abshire Inamori Leadership Academy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (http://csis.org/expert/scott-morgan). Scott graduated with honors from the University of California, Davis and authored the book Speaking about Science published by Cambridge University Press.

The Morgan Group has been training graduate students and postdocs in Maryland for more than 10 years.

Please come in preparation for your presentations at upcoming local meetings such as the various graduate research conferences, and the PROMISE Research Symposium.

Breakfast refreshments will be served. Please RSVP on MyUMBC: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/28691 (UMBC graduate students, staff, postdocs, faculty). Participants from other universities may register as a comment to this post with your name and institution.

On Tuesday, January 20, 2015, Dr. Janet Rutledge, Dean of the Graduate School at UMBC, addressed the participants of the Winter 2015 Dissertation House. Dr. Rutledge, a national leader in graduate education, discussed the “process” of obtaining the PhD. She stated that the papers that were being written in high school or during undergraduate studies were generally “discovery papers,” or introductions to research. Graduate students are expected to learn the process of doing research in the discipline: gather background information, find out what others have done, learn what has worked well in the past and what didn’t work, and make strides toward possible solutions.

Dean Rutledge also discussed the need to develop skills for becoming an independent scholar, and the need to engage in scholarly activities outside of the classroom and the laboratory. She acknowledged that it can be difficult to develop a sense of scholarly independence, and said, “No one will lower your grade if you don’t submit to a conference.” Following this statement, the dean encouraged the graduate students to participate in their professional societies and begin to develop expert knowledge by connecting with others in the field. She noted that these activities may not necessarily be driven by others, and that students need plans of action to be sure that they are actively engaged in external academic activities that will be of benefit to their knowledge base, scholarly network, and future careers.

Dr. Rutledge’s research covered a mathematical model for speech using low bit-rate coding. In addition to being Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, she is on the faculty in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.  

At 9:00 AM EST, we opened the Winter 2015 Dissertation House at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland). We have a wonderful group of students from UMBC and UMB in house, and we invite you to join us. Our Dissertation Coach is Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale. Dr. Carter-Veale is challenging the group to post “measurable” goals, and she urges everyone to be realistic so that each can accomplish an actual goal by the end of the week. Some people think that they will be able to accomplish huge tasks in a short period of time, and while you will be productive, we want to be sure that you are setting yourselves up for success. Therefore, it is not necessarily prudent to try to finish such a large task within a few days.

Graduate students who are participating in the Dissertation House here at UMBC had to apply to participate. If you are not participating in person, we invite you to join us online:

https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-2015-challenge/

Post your goals and join others in the challenge to “get it done!”

At 9:00 AM EST, we opened the Winter 2015 Dissertation House at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland). We have a wonderful group of students from UMBC and UMB in house, and we invite you to join us. Our Dissertation Coach is Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale. Dr. Carter-Veale is challenging the group to post “measurable” goals, and she urges everyone to be realistic so that each can accomplish an actual goal by the end of the week. Some people think that they will be able to accomplish huge tasks in a short period of time, and while you will be productive, we want to be sure that you are setting yourselves up for success. Therefore, it is not necessarily prudent to try to finish such a large task within a few days.

Graduate students who are participating in the Dissertation House here at UMBC had to apply to participate. If you are not participating in person, we invite you to join us online:

https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-2015-challenge/

Post your goals and join others in the challenge to “get it done!”

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.

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