Our PROMISE AGEP is in the “PROMISE Pathways” phase where we have been looking at ways to expand our program and partner with more campuses within the University System of Maryland (USM). On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, a group of PROMISE students left UMBC at 5AM to travel to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to serve as moderators for the 2013 Regional Research Symposium which was part of the celebration activities for the new president, Dr. Juliette Bell. Dr. Bell, a biochemist, spent time meeting and greeting the group from UMBC. Dr. Bell’s own mentor from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Institutes of Health (NIEHS/NIH), Dr. Thomas Kunkel, gave a keynote address that discussed innovations in DNA repair.

At the door of opportunity. PROMISE Students from UMBC at the Student Services Center at UMES.

Students also had a chance to talk with Dr. T. Sean Vasaitis, an assistant professor at UMES, and former PROMISE Peer Mentor from UMB. We extend thanks to Dr. Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Dean of the Graduate School at UMES for her invitation and hospitality, and we thank Dr. Lakeisha L. Harris, for her logistics leadership. Congratulations to all of the poster and oral presentation winners, and to the faculty who won special awards.

Luncheon Photo with President Bell. Pictured, L-R (graduate students from UMBC unless otherwise noted): Eric Corbett (Human-Centered Computing), Miguel Nino (Instructional Systems Design), DeLauren McCauley (Chemistry), Nanda Cortes (Biology), Dr. Jennifer Keane-Dawes (Dean of the Graduate School, UMES), DR. JULIETTE BELL (PRESIDENT, UMES), Dr. Renetta Tull (Assoc. Vice Provost/PROMISE Dir.), Lois Oviawe (Economic Policy Analysis), Nebechi Osia (Environmental Engineering), and Kyle Edwards (Applied Sociology). 

Related articles

• Happy 10th Birthday PROMISE! From April 1, 2003 to Today: A Message from the Director (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Save these Spring/Summer 2013 dates! May 4: Cookout; July 9-12: Dissertation House; August 16-17: SSI (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Dr. Portia Taylor (CMU, QoLT, PROMISE DH Alum) talks @UMBC about motion sensors & rehabilitation: April 10, 2013 (dissertationhouse.wordpress.com)

Dr. Portia Taylor, an alum of the PROMISE Dissertation House at Carnegie Mellon (hosted by the Quality of Life Technology Center – University of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Mellon University), will be a guest speaker for UMBC’s Information Systems Department on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 12-1:00 PM, in Room 459 of the Information Technology/Engineering (ITE) Building. The UMBC announcement can be found here: http://www.csee.umbc.edu/2013/04/talk-sensor-based-assessment-of-human-motion-during-therapeutic-exercise/

All are invited to attend Dr. Taylor’s lecture. Dr. Taylor is an IT Fellow at the Social Security Administration, and is a new Adjunct Assistant Professor in Information Systems at UMBC.

Related Articles:

• Are you in Pittsburgh? Come to our Dissertation House Seminars @CarnegieMellon 3/27 & 3/28
• Next full-scale Dissertation House at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, March 26-28, 2012

Dr. Portia Taylor, an alum of the PROMISE Dissertation House at Carnegie Mellon (hosted by the Quality of Life Technology Center – University of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Mellon University), will be a guest speaker for UMBC’s Information Systems Department on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 12-1:00 PM, in Room 459 of the Information Technology/Engineering (ITE) Building. The UMBC announcement can be found here: http://www.csee.umbc.edu/2013/04/talk-sensor-based-assessment-of-human-motion-during-therapeutic-exercise/

All are invited to attend Dr. Taylor’s lecture. Dr. Taylor is an IT Fellow at the Social Security Administration, and is a new Adjunct Assistant Professor in Information Systems at UMBC.

Related Articles:

• Are you in Pittsburgh? Come to our Dissertation House Seminars @CarnegieMellon 3/27 & 3/28
• Next full-scale Dissertation House at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, March 26-28, 2012

Dear Participants, Alumni, and Friends of PROMISE,

Today, I celebrate 10 years as the Director of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP. For those of you who remember my first day at UMBC, I started out in an office on the 5th floor of the Administration Building. I am so happy that so many of you who were students then, have gone on to finish your master’s and doctoral degrees. You are leaders, professors, directors of programs, you have built families, garnered hosts of friends, and you have your own mentees. As I move into the 10th year as your director, I hope to be able to continue to serve you well and help you to reach your dreams.

Please mark Saturday, August 17, 2013 on your calendars. We will be celebrating our PROMISE growth at the 2013 Summer Success Institute (SSI) on UMB’s campus. We invite all students, alumni, and friends to join us for the celebration! Please plan to join us! I would love to see you there!

The pictures below from that first year include two former peer mentors who are no longer with us, the late Jessica Soto Perez (pink sweater), and in the second picture, the late Dr. Angela Grant (center). Jessica was a Peer Mentor (Chemical Engineering) at UMBC, and Angela was a Peer Mentor (Math)  at UMCP. Current students: remember that you are here and alive, so you can finish, you can continue toward that goal! It remains my honor to serve you.

Very sincerely,

Renetta Tull

First PROMISE Peer Mentors at UMBC

First PROMISE website, 2003

Dear Participants, Alumni, and Friends of PROMISE,

Today, I celebrate 10 years as the Director of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP. For those of you who remember my first day at UMBC, I started out in an office on the 5th floor of the Administration Building. I am so happy that so many of you who were students then, have gone on to finish your master’s and doctoral degrees. You are leaders, professors, directors of programs, you have built families, garnered hosts of friends, and you have your own mentees. As I move into the 10th year as your director, I hope to be able to continue to serve you well and help you to reach your dreams.

Please mark Saturday, August 17, 2013 on your calendars. We will be celebrating our PROMISE growth at the 2013 Summer Success Institute (SSI) on UMB’s campus. We invite all students, alumni, and friends to join us for the celebration! Please plan to join us! I would love to see you there!

The pictures below from that first year include two former peer mentors who are no longer with us, the late Jessica Soto Perez (pink sweater), and in the second picture, the late Dr. Angela Grant (center). Jessica was a Peer Mentor (Chemical Engineering) at UMBC, and Angela was a Peer Mentor (Math)  at UMCP. Current students: remember that you are here and alive, so you can finish, you can continue toward that goal! It remains my honor to serve you.

Very sincerely,

Renetta Tull

First PROMISE Peer Mentors at UMBC

First PROMISE website, 2003

Dear Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, Faculty, Staff, and Friends of PROMISE:

Please save the following dates for Spring and Summer 2013:

• SATURDAY, May 4, 2013: Annual PROMISE Friends and Family & Celebration of Graduates Cookout 

Location:
High Ridge Park
10100 Superior Ave
Laurel, MD 20723

1:00 – 4:00 PM

All PROMISE participants who are graduating with masters or doctoral degrees from any school within the University System of Maryland will be celebrated. If you are graduating this May or August, please send your name, school, department, and degree to promisestaff@gmail.com. (Graduates will be recognized at 3PM.) Family and friends are invited to celebrate with you. This cookout is for graduate students from all disciplines, part-time/full-time, and at all levels (1st year graduate student to PhD candidate.) Faculty, postdocs, alumni, staff, plus your family and friends are invited. This event is free, but please register so that we can have an accurate count and can use our funds wisely.

Please register for the cookout here: http://promisecookout2013.eventbrite.com/

————————————————————————————————-

SAVE THE DATES! More information on the events below will be posted soon!

• June 12, 2013: “Introduction to the PMP (Project Management Professional – Leadership Training): Credentials and Certification”
  • Special guest facilitator: Dr. Don Engel, UMBC’s Assistant Vice President for Research
  • RSVP: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/17433

• July 9-12, 2013: Dissertation House at UMBC with Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale
  • Also during this week on the 3rd floor of the Commons at UMBC:
    • Writing for Publication
    • Postdoctoral Writing Suite (with Dr. Judith Pollack)
    • Practice for the PMP Exam (with Dr. Don Engel)
  • Dissertation House at UMCP TBA

More information about applying for the 2013 Dissertation House at UMBC can be found here: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/save-the-date-summer-dissertation-house-july-9-12-2013-umbc/

• July 2013: SUMMER HORIZONS (Preparation for Graduate School Workshops) – TBA

Hosted by PROMISE, The Graduate School at UMBC, and the Graduate Meyerhoff Fellows Program

• August 16-17: PROMISE SUMMER SUCCESS INSTITUTE (SSI)

Hosted by UMB (University of Maryland, Baltimore – The Founding Campus)
SMC Campus Center
621 W. Lombard St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

Graduate students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Professionals from any school within the USM are invited to attend.  An Eventbrite RSVP invitation page will be posted soon. Remembering SSI from past years:

SSI 2012

SSI 2011 (includes links to SSI events from 2003 to 2011.) 

Related articles

• April 2013 Seminars: 1) April 3: “Career Paths for Graduate Students” @ UMBC, 2) April 26: “Dissertation Proposals” @ College Park (promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com)

Dear Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, Faculty, Staff, and Friends of PROMISE:

Please save the following dates for Spring and Summer 2013:

• SATURDAY, May 4, 2013: Annual PROMISE Friends and Family & Celebration of Graduates Cookout 

Location:
High Ridge Park
10100 Superior Ave
Laurel, MD 20723

1:00 – 4:00 PM

All PROMISE participants who are graduating with masters or doctoral degrees from any school within the University System of Maryland will be celebrated. If you are graduating this May or August, please send your name, school, department, and degree to promisestaff@gmail.com. (Graduates will be recognized at 3PM.) Family and friends are invited to celebrate with you. This cookout is for graduate students from all disciplines, part-time/full-time, and at all levels (1st year graduate student to PhD candidate.) Faculty, postdocs, alumni, staff, plus your family and friends are invited. This event is free, but please register so that we can have an accurate count and can use our funds wisely.

Please register for the cookout here: http://promisecookout2013.eventbrite.com/

————————————————————————————————-

SAVE THE DATES! More information on the events below will be posted soon!

• June 12, 2013: “Introduction to the PMP (Project Management Professional – Leadership Training): Credentials and Certification”
  • Special guest facilitator: Dr. Don Engel, UMBC’s Assistant Vice President for Research
  • RSVP: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/17433

• July 9-12, 2013: Dissertation House at UMBC with Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale
  • Also during this week on the 3rd floor of the Commons at UMBC:
    • Writing for Publication
    • Postdoctoral Writing Suite (with Dr. Judith Pollack)
    • Practice for the PMP Exam (with Dr. Don Engel)
  • Dissertation House at UMCP TBA

More information about applying for the 2013 Dissertation House at UMBC can be found here: http://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/save-the-date-summer-dissertation-house-july-9-12-2013-umbc/

• July 2013: SUMMER HORIZONS (Preparation for Graduate School Workshops) – TBA

Hosted by PROMISE, The Graduate School at UMBC, and the Graduate Meyerhoff Fellows Program

• August 16-17: PROMISE SUMMER SUCCESS INSTITUTE (SSI)

Hosted by UMB (University of Maryland, Baltimore – The Founding Campus)
SMC Campus Center
621 W. Lombard St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

Graduate students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Professionals from any school within the USM are invited to attend.  An Eventbrite RSVP invitation page will be posted soon. Remembering SSI from past years:

SSI 2012

SSI 2011 (includes links to SSI events from 2003 to 2011.) 

Related articles

• April 2013 Seminars: 1) April 3: “Career Paths for Graduate Students” @ UMBC, 2) April 26: “Dissertation Proposals” @ College Park (promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com)

Calling all of our STEM graduate students!! YOU have ideas … we’ve heard many of them. You’ve shared them with us in meetings, at conferences like the PROMISE SSI, on the walkways of our campuses, and in our offices. Now it’s time to get those ideas out to a national audience, and receive money if your submission is chosen!  You have to be in it to win it!

Deadline Apr. 15, 2013

_____________________________________________________

The following message comes from Dr. Jessie DeAro, national Program Director at the National Science Foundation for all of the AGEPs in the US.  (PROMISE is Maryland’s AGEP, one of more than 20 AGEPs nation-wide.)

______________________________________________________

Calling Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Graduate Students:

Have you ever thought of ways to improve STEM graduate education? Do you have a creative idea regarding graduate training? If so, NSF wants to hear from you!

The National Science Foundation Innovation in Graduate Education Challenge is calling for entries from currently enrolled STEM graduate students and teams. They are invited to submit innovative ideas to prepare today’s graduate students for tomorrow’s opportunities and challenges. Entries are solicited for ideas with the potential to improve graduate education and professional development. Ideas can be directed toward students, faculty, departments, institutions, professional societies, and/or federal agencies. Winning ideas will be shared widely and winners will receive prizes between $1000 and $3000.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

Be sure to include the following elements in your submission:

1. The title of your submission (150 characters or less)
2. The issue in graduate education you wish to address
3. Your solution or idea
4. How your idea will change graduate education

 DETAILS:

• Who: Currently enrolled STEM graduate students (see additional eligibility criteria) [PROMISE note: YES, Social Sciences and STEM Education research areas are eligible. Students must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. See pages 6-11 in the guide for eligible disciplines.]
• What: A 1000 to 1500 word submission responding to this challenge
• Where: Submission made to https://production.skild.com/skild2/NSF-EdChallenge/loginPage.action
• When: Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Pacific Time on April 15, 2013

• For more information and to enter the challenge, go to www.nsf.gov/gradchallenge/
• Entry deadline is April 15^th! Make your voice heard on STEM graduate education!
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter  @GradEdChallenge
• Send questions to GradChallenge@NSF.gov

Calling all of our STEM graduate students!! YOU have ideas … we’ve heard many of them. You’ve shared them with us in meetings, at conferences like the PROMISE SSI, on the walkways of our campuses, and in our offices. Now it’s time to get those ideas out to a national audience, and receive money if your submission is chosen!  You have to be in it to win it!

Deadline Apr. 15, 2013

_____________________________________________________

The following message comes from Dr. Jessie DeAro, national Program Director at the National Science Foundation for all of the AGEPs in the US.  (PROMISE is Maryland’s AGEP, one of more than 20 AGEPs nation-wide.)

______________________________________________________

Calling Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Graduate Students:

Have you ever thought of ways to improve STEM graduate education? Do you have a creative idea regarding graduate training? If so, NSF wants to hear from you!

The National Science Foundation Innovation in Graduate Education Challenge is calling for entries from currently enrolled STEM graduate students and teams. They are invited to submit innovative ideas to prepare today’s graduate students for tomorrow’s opportunities and challenges. Entries are solicited for ideas with the potential to improve graduate education and professional development. Ideas can be directed toward students, faculty, departments, institutions, professional societies, and/or federal agencies. Winning ideas will be shared widely and winners will receive prizes between $1000 and $3000.

FROM THE WEBSITE:

Be sure to include the following elements in your submission:

1. The title of your submission (150 characters or less)
2. The issue in graduate education you wish to address
3. Your solution or idea
4. How your idea will change graduate education

 DETAILS:

• Who: Currently enrolled STEM graduate students (see additional eligibility criteria) [PROMISE note: YES, Social Sciences and STEM Education research areas are eligible. Students must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. See pages 6-11 in the guide for eligible disciplines.]
• What: A 1000 to 1500 word submission responding to this challenge
• Where: Submission made to https://production.skild.com/skild2/NSF-EdChallenge/loginPage.action
• When: Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Pacific Time on April 15, 2013

• For more information and to enter the challenge, go to www.nsf.gov/gradchallenge/
• Entry deadline is April 15^th! Make your voice heard on STEM graduate education!
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter  @GradEdChallenge
• Send questions to GradChallenge@NSF.gov

PROMISE at UMB (University of Maryland – The Founding Campus, downtown Baltimore), invites you to join them for the 2nd  Biennial Henrietta Lacks Symposium: The Dignity of Difference presented by The University of Maryland. From the website: “The event features Harriet Washington, author of Medical Apartheid, and artist (and TED speaker) Rick Guidotti, founder of Positive Exposure, as well as a panel of distinguished academicians.”

Symposium: March 7, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7:30 am)

LOCATION: Southern Management Corporation Campus Center and University of Maryland School of Nursing

621 W. Lombard St. Baltimore, MD 21201

Directions: http://www.umaryland.edu/smccampuscenter/building/index.html

The main speaker for this event wrote the book: “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present.” Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman from Baltimore. Her cells were used, without her knowledge, for cloning, gene mapping, and vaccines. Her story was brought to the forefront by Rebecca Skloot in the book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” 

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Journalist Sheryl McCarthy talks with Author and Bioethicist Harriet Washington in this video:

———————————

Author Rebecca Skloot talks about Henrietta Lacks’ cells and science in this video:

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Former PROMISE Peer Mentor, Dr. Jocelyn Reader, postdoctoral fellow at the Greenbaum Cancer Center, will meet us for breakfast at 7:30 AM at UMB prior to the seminar. Our office and representatives from PROMISE at UMB will post any additional information on this thread. Please register for your free ticket, and write a short post below to let us know that you plan to attend.

Our thanks to Dr. Erin Golembewski, Senior Associate Dean of the Graduate School at UMB, organizer of the PROMISE “meet-up” for this event.

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PROMISE teachable moments:

All researchers working with human or animal subjects should have CITI certification and be well versed in responsible conduct of research.  Know the rules, maintain ethics, and be a responsible researcher. Don’t ever be swayed by any lure of fame or fortune that will compromise your integrity.

The text content of this post was compiled and written by the staff of PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP and may not be copied without referencing the PROMISE organization, as “PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP”.

PROMISE AGEP Online Information by PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.