SPECIAL SATURDAY SESSION: Success Seminar on Funding & Fellowships, with special emphasis on the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Application.

“How to Fund Your Graduate Education”

Speakers: PROMISE Alumni, Dr. Frances D. Carter-Johnson and Dr. Patricia Ordóñez Rozo 

Dr. Carter-Johnson is a graduate of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy and currently serves as a STEM Policy Analyst at Westat.  Dr. Carter-Johnson has degrees in Public Policy, Applied Physics, Pure Physics, and Mechanical Engineering from UMBC, Georgia Tech, and Spelman College. She has received fellowships from NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), SREB, GAANN, and GEM. As of September 2012, Dr. Carter-Johnson will be joining the Teaching and Learning Laboratory at MIT.

Dr. Ordóñez Rozo is a graduate of UMBC’s Department of Computer Science. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Dr. Ordóñez Rozo has degrees in Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Computer Science.  She has taught several classes at UMBC and was a Technical Trainer for UMBC’s Training Centers, focusing on JAVA Computer Programming Certifications and curriculum development. Dr. Ordóñez Rozo was a NSF Graduate Research Fellow, and has won fellowships from Xerox, Verizon, and UMBC.

Dr. Carter-Johnson and Dr.  Ordóñez Rozo were PROMISE Peer Mentors and have collectively been invited speakers on this topic at the National Science Foundation’s HBCU-UP national conference, the American Association for the Advancement in Science’s  Emerging Researchers Network national Conference, Harvard, UMBC, and MIT. This fall, Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will also present this topic in Puerto Rico. Our speakers’ work was presented at the “Understanding Interventions” national conference in 2012. To date, at least 10 of their mentees who have taken their workshops have won the prestigious NSF GRFP Fellowship, or other award, for a total of approximately $1 million of fellowship money! 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Public Policy Building, Room 206

SESSION 1: “Funding Your Graduate Education.” 

10:00 AM -12:00 PM — SEMINAR (General Public)

This seminar will include general information about funding for graduate school. Information regarding a variety of fellowships will be shared. Most of the content will focus on funding that is available in the U.S. for students in STEM fields.  Many of these fellowship opportunities are sponsored by the U.S. government, and are therefore reserved for U.S. students. There will be a small amount of information available to international students and students in the Humanities and Education, but in addition to talking about general fellowships, a primary focus of this seminar will be the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP).  The NSF GRFP Fellowship covers STEM fields, including social and behavioral sciences, e.g., Psychology, STEM Education, Public Policy.)

Breakfast will be served.

————————————

SESSION 2: “Starting Your Application”

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM — NSF Fastlane session (By reservation/appointment only)

To join this session, you must reserve your space in the comments below before September 7, and you must bring your laptop.  This session is for those who are making the commitment to submit the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship application. Participation in this session requires participation in SESSION 1. This session will take you through the process of logging onto the Fastlane, NSF’s online application submission website, and the presenters will assist you with the early stages of preparing your essays and documents for the fellowship application.

List of fields: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12599/nsf12599.htm#appendix.

Applicants for the GRFP must meet the following criteria:

• During the senior year of an undergraduate program
• After completing their undergraduate program but prior to entering graduate school
• During the first year of graduate school
• Prior to completing the Fall term of the second year of a full-time graduate program.

Lunch will be served at SESSION 2.

[Both undergraduates and graduate students may attend SESSION 1 and SESSION 2.]

Other NSF GRFP recipients are invited to join these session to provide advice. The original MyUMBC discussion with funding information can be found here:
http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/discussions/113

To Attend, PLEASE RSVP:

• Students at UMBC should login to MyUMBC and click “I can Attend” here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/12946.
• Students from other campuses may RSVP by writing your name, discipline, and school in the comments below.
• Students from underrepresented groups in STEM, LSAMP, AGEP, ERC, other US government sponsored programs, e.g., McNair, Trio, NIH, etc.  are especially invited to attend as participating in a seminar about the NSF GRFP fits into the missions of various government agencies with regard to increasing diversity in STEM.

This program is sponsored by PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and The Graduate School at UMBC.

Related articles

• Funding for Graduate School (gradschool360.wordpress.com)
• Annual PROMISE Summer Success Institute: August 17-18, 2012 @ UMBC & The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Learn more about graduate school: July 18, 2012 (gradschool360.wordpress.com)

Related video

Watch Dr. Frances Carter-Johnson and Dr. Ordóñez Rozo as they present an interactive workshop on funding at MIT, Summer 2012:  http://video.mit.edu/watch/msrp-fellowship-preparation-dr-francis-carter-and-dr-patricia-ordonez-11766/ (Start video at 3:39.) You may use this video as a resource before and after the September 15, 2012 workshop.

SPECIAL SATURDAY SESSION: Success Seminar on Funding & Fellowships, with special emphasis on the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Application.

“How to Fund Your Graduate Education”

Speakers: PROMISE Alumni, Dr. Frances D. Carter-Johnson and Dr. Patricia Ordóñez Rozo 

Dr. Carter-Johnson is a graduate of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy and currently serves as a STEM Policy Analyst at Westat.  Dr. Carter-Johnson has degrees in Public Policy, Applied Physics, Pure Physics, and Mechanical Engineering from UMBC, Georgia Tech, and Spelman College. She has received fellowships from NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), SREB, GAANN, and GEM. As of September 2012, Dr. Carter-Johnson will be joining the Teaching and Learning Laboratory at MIT.

Dr. Ordóñez Rozo is a graduate of UMBC’s Department of Computer Science. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Dr. Ordóñez Rozo has degrees in Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Computer Science.  She has taught several classes at UMBC and was a Technical Trainer for UMBC’s Training Centers, focusing on JAVA Computer Programming Certifications and curriculum development. Dr. Ordóñez Rozo was a NSF Graduate Research Fellow, and has won fellowships from Xerox, Verizon, and UMBC.

Dr. Carter-Johnson and Dr.  Ordóñez Rozo were PROMISE Peer Mentors and have collectively been invited speakers on this topic at the National Science Foundation’s HBCU-UP national conference, the American Association for the Advancement in Science’s  Emerging Researchers Network national Conference, Harvard, UMBC, and MIT. This fall, Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will also present this topic in Puerto Rico. Our speakers’ work was presented at the “Understanding Interventions” national conference in 2012. To date, at least 10 of their mentees who have taken their workshops have won the prestigious NSF GRFP Fellowship, or other award, for a total of approximately $1 million of fellowship money! 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Public Policy Building, Room 206

SESSION 1: “Funding Your Graduate Education.” 

10:00 AM -12:00 PM — SEMINAR (General Public)

This seminar will include general information about funding for graduate school. Information regarding a variety of fellowships will be shared. Most of the content will focus on funding that is available in the U.S. for students in STEM fields.  Many of these fellowship opportunities are sponsored by the U.S. government, and are therefore reserved for U.S. students. There will be a small amount of information available to international students and students in the Humanities and Education, but in addition to talking about general fellowships, a primary focus of this seminar will be the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP).  The NSF GRFP Fellowship covers STEM fields, including social and behavioral sciences, e.g., Psychology, STEM Education, Public Policy.)

Breakfast will be served.

————————————

SESSION 2: “Starting Your Application”

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM — NSF Fastlane session (By reservation/appointment only)

To join this session, you must reserve your space in the comments below before September 7, and you must bring your laptop.  This session is for those who are making the commitment to submit the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship application. Participation in this session requires participation in SESSION 1. This session will take you through the process of logging onto the Fastlane, NSF’s online application submission website, and the presenters will assist you with the early stages of preparing your essays and documents for the fellowship application.

List of fields: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12599/nsf12599.htm#appendix.

Applicants for the GRFP must meet the following criteria:

• During the senior year of an undergraduate program
• After completing their undergraduate program but prior to entering graduate school
• During the first year of graduate school
• Prior to completing the Fall term of the second year of a full-time graduate program.

Lunch will be served at SESSION 2.

[Both undergraduates and graduate students may attend SESSION 1 and SESSION 2.]

Other NSF GRFP recipients are invited to join these session to provide advice. The original MyUMBC discussion with funding information can be found here:
http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/discussions/113

To Attend, PLEASE RSVP:

• Students at UMBC should login to MyUMBC and click “I can Attend” here: http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/12946.
• Students from other campuses may RSVP by writing your name, discipline, and school in the comments below.
• Students from underrepresented groups in STEM, LSAMP, AGEP, ERC, other US government sponsored programs, e.g., McNair, Trio, NIH, etc.  are especially invited to attend as participating in a seminar about the NSF GRFP fits into the missions of various government agencies with regard to increasing diversity in STEM.

This program is sponsored by PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and The Graduate School at UMBC.

Related articles

• Funding for Graduate School (gradschool360.wordpress.com)
• Annual PROMISE Summer Success Institute: August 17-18, 2012 @ UMBC & The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Learn more about graduate school: July 18, 2012 (gradschool360.wordpress.com)

Related video

Watch Dr. Frances Carter-Johnson and Dr. Ordóñez Rozo as they present an interactive workshop on funding at MIT, Summer 2012:  http://video.mit.edu/watch/msrp-fellowship-preparation-dr-francis-carter-and-dr-patricia-ordonez-11766/ (Start video at 3:39.) You may use this video as a resource before and after the September 15, 2012 workshop.

Prepare for a successful Fall semester: Communicate with your faculty (A message for new and continuing grad students.) 

The new semester is starting and we know that first and second year graduate students are generally immersed in classes, while more advanced doctoral students are working on experiments, preparing for exams, writing the dissertation, preparing for the defense, and preparing for a job.  As part of the writing, studying, and preparing, it is important to note that all graduate students (regardless of status, whether in the first year or in the last semester of PhD candidacy) must maintain strong levels of communication with your faculty members. If you attended the 2012 Summer Success Institute, you heard about the importance of working with and connecting to faculty in several of the presentations.  Earlier in the year, we posted 5 things that you should do to be successful BEFORE classes begin.Now that classes are starting, let’s talk about 5 things that you should do DURING the semester as they pertain to faculty/student interactions.

1. Go to office hours for your faculty members … all of them. The Guaranteed 4.0 Book by Donna O. Johnson and Y.C. Chen describes the POH – Professor’s Office Hours as a must. Talk to your professors about the content that they taught in class. Talk to them about updates in the field (you are graduate students, therefore you should be able to “see” your research and topics in everyday life, in the news, in the latest journal articles, etc.) Discuss your understanding of what they are teaching.  [Faculty pay attention to the people who are coming to their office hours. Ask questions! Discuss the research! If something isn't going well, and the faculty are asked about the student, if they say "well, _____insert name ___ never came to see me," then there will be an assumption that the student isn't serious.]
2. Always keep your appointments! If you are going to be late, contact the professors in advance. If you need to request a change of appointment date or time, contact them in advance with the request. Once you make a change, do not continue to make changes. Try to maintain your scheduled appointment. [Regularly missed appointments make faculty wary of trying to make future accommodations for students. Don't fall into the category of having a reputation of missing appointments.]
3.  Go to the department’s seminars and ask questions. Faculty need to see that you are engaged in scholarly pursuits. [All graduate students need to attend the departments seminars and colloquia, even when it is not "mandated."  Schedule it like a class. This is an unwritten rule.]
4. Go to your advisor’s and committee members’ research talks. Whether the talk is within your department, or in other departments, or even at a conference that you’re attending, you should be in the audience. You should also go up to them after the talk and let them know your thoughts, ask additional questions, share some praise, or ask about something that wasn’t clear.  [This is an unwritten expectation.]
5. Make sure that you talk with all of the faculty in your department regularly. It’s not good enough for you to know your faculty. They need to know you. This is simple. They should know you beyond what your admissions file says, and beyond what  the grade beside your name says on Blackboard or their grade book.  This connection doesn’t need to extend to sharing personal business. The faculty in your department should know about your research interests, your career aspirations, your skills, and your ideas. You, the graduate student, need to open the lines of communication and make plans and time in your schedule to talk with your faculty. Some faculty have open door policies, some will talk with you by appointment, and some will have conversations with you at departmental events.

Don’t view talking with the faculty as a chore. They are people too! Enjoy the character-building exercise of taking time to know people of different academic ranks, and people with a variety of personalities. Strengthen this attribute. It will serve you well, both as a graduate student, and as you progress in your career. Have a great semester!

__________________________________________________

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.

Prepare for a successful Fall semester: Communicate with your faculty (A message for new and continuing grad students.) 

The new semester is starting and we know that first and second year graduate students are generally immersed in classes, while more advanced doctoral students are working on experiments, preparing for exams, writing the dissertation, preparing for the defense, and preparing for a job.  As part of the writing, studying, and preparing, it is important to note that all graduate students (regardless of status, whether in the first year or in the last semester of PhD candidacy) must maintain strong levels of communication with your faculty members. If you attended the 2012 Summer Success Institute, you heard about the importance of working with and connecting to faculty in several of the presentations.  Earlier in the year, we posted 5 things that you should do to be successful BEFORE classes begin.Now that classes are starting, let’s talk about 5 things that you should do DURING the semester as they pertain to faculty/student interactions.

1. Go to office hours for your faculty members … all of them. The Guaranteed 4.0 Book by Donna O. Johnson and Y.C. Chen describes the POH – Professor’s Office Hours as a must. Talk to your professors about the content that they taught in class. Talk to them about updates in the field (you are graduate students, therefore you should be able to “see” your research and topics in everyday life, in the news, in the latest journal articles, etc.) Discuss your understanding of what they are teaching.  [Faculty pay attention to the people who are coming to their office hours. Ask questions! Discuss the research! If something isn't going well, and the faculty are asked about the student, if they say "well, _____insert name ___ never came to see me," then there will be an assumption that the student isn't serious.]
2. Always keep your appointments! If you are going to be late, contact the professors in advance. If you need to request a change of appointment date or time, contact them in advance with the request. Once you make a change, do not continue to make changes. Try to maintain your scheduled appointment. [Regularly missed appointments make faculty wary of trying to make future accommodations for students. Don't fall into the category of having a reputation of missing appointments.]
3.  Go to the department’s seminars and ask questions. Faculty need to see that you are engaged in scholarly pursuits. [All graduate students need to attend the departments seminars and colloquia, even when it is not "mandated."  Schedule it like a class. This is an unwritten rule.]
4. Go to your advisor’s and committee members’ research talks. Whether the talk is within your department, or in other departments, or even at a conference that you’re attending, you should be in the audience. You should also go up to them after the talk and let them know your thoughts, ask additional questions, share some praise, or ask about something that wasn’t clear.  [This is an unwritten expectation.]
5. Make sure that you talk with all of the faculty in your department regularly. It’s not good enough for you to know your faculty. They need to know you. This is simple. They should know you beyond what your admissions file says, and beyond what  the grade beside your name says on Blackboard or their grade book.  This connection doesn’t need to extend to sharing personal business. The faculty in your department should know about your research interests, your career aspirations, your skills, and your ideas. You, the graduate student, need to open the lines of communication and make plans and time in your schedule to talk with your faculty. Some faculty have open door policies, some will talk with you by appointment, and some will have conversations with you at departmental events.

Don’t view talking with the faculty as a chore. They are people too! Enjoy the character-building exercise of taking time to know people of different academic ranks, and people with a variety of personalities. Strengthen this attribute. It will serve you well, both as a graduate student, and as you progress in your career. Have a great semester!

__________________________________________________

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.

The 2012 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Compact for Faculty Diversity/Institute for Teaching and Mentoring will be held in Tampa, Florida, Thursday, October 25- Sunday, October 28. Several of the PROMISE mentors have led sessions at the SREB conference in the past, including Dr. Johnetta Davis (Founding Co-PI for PROMISE at UM College Park), Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale (PROMISE Dissertation Coach), and Dr. Renetta Tull (PROMISE Director). Last year, 25 of our PROMISE AGEP graduate students from all campuses attended the 2011 SREB conference in Atlanta. As of 7/21/12,  7 students have been nominated for the 2012 conference, and others are on the waiting list.

This year, the PROMISE AGEP would especially like to encourage Instructors, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors to participate in the concurrent “Jr. Faculty Professional Development Conference” for SREB. This will be the 3rd year for this kind of extension. Here is the link with information: http://promiseagep.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/junior-faculty-conference-2012-tampa.pdf. Instructors, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors should seek funding from their respective departments for this worthwhile conference.

More about SREB -  watch the video:

(See PROMISE Alumna and Former Peer Mentor, Dr. Frances Carter (Public Policy, UMBC) at 3:10-3:23.

Related articles

• Annual PROMISE Summer Success Institute: August 17-18, 2012 @ UMBC & The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Postdoctoral Positions for Faculty Diversity at UMBC – Applications due in November (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• 25+ Graduate Students from PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP attend SREB conference in Atlanta (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Our paper on postdocs @WEPAN 2012, presented today, Columbus, OH (renettatull.wordpress.com)

The 2012 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Compact for Faculty Diversity/Institute for Teaching and Mentoring will be held in Tampa, Florida, Thursday, October 25- Sunday, October 28. Several of the PROMISE mentors have led sessions at the SREB conference in the past, including Dr. Johnetta Davis (Founding Co-PI for PROMISE at UM College Park), Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale (PROMISE Dissertation Coach), and Dr. Renetta Tull (PROMISE Director). Last year, 25 of our PROMISE AGEP graduate students from all campuses attended the 2011 SREB conference in Atlanta. As of 7/21/12,  7 students have been nominated for the 2012 conference, and others are on the waiting list.

This year, the PROMISE AGEP would especially like to encourage Instructors, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors to participate in the concurrent “Jr. Faculty Professional Development Conference” for SREB. This will be the 3rd year for this kind of extension. Here is the link with information: http://promiseagep.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/junior-faculty-conference-2012-tampa.pdf. Instructors, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors should seek funding from their respective departments for this worthwhile conference.

More about SREB -  watch the video:

(See PROMISE Alumna and Former Peer Mentor, Dr. Frances Carter (Public Policy, UMBC) at 3:10-3:23.

Related articles

• Annual PROMISE Summer Success Institute: August 17-18, 2012 @ UMBC & The Hotel at Arundel Preserve (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Postdoctoral Positions for Faculty Diversity at UMBC – Applications due in November (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• 25+ Graduate Students from PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP attend SREB conference in Atlanta (promiseagep.wordpress.com)
• Our paper on postdocs @WEPAN 2012, presented today, Columbus, OH (renettatull.wordpress.com)

—————-

UPDATE November 8, 2012

Photo of PROMISE Participants (subset) at the SREB Conference, Tampa, October 2012.

Postdoctoral Fellows Program for Faculty Diversity

2013-2015

Program Description

The University of Maryland Baltimore County invites nominations and applications for the UMBC Postdoctoral Fellows Program for Faculty Diversity. UMBC is dedicated to ensuring a diverse, scholarly environment and encouraging outstanding individuals to enter the academic profession.  The purpose of the Program is to support promising scholars who are committed to diversity in the academy and to prepare those scholars for possible tenure track appointments at UMBC. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who are members of groups that historically have been underrepresented in the professoriate.

UMBC will appoint recent recipients of the Ph.D. as Postdoctoral Fellows for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2013.  The fellow will receive a starting stipend of $40,000, health benefits, $3,000 for conference travel and preparation of scholarly work, office space with computer, library and other privileges at the university.  During the two-year term of appointment, the fellow will teach one course a year in the host department.  All fellows are expected to be in residence during the academic year and participate in departmental seminars and related activities.  Each fellow will be provided teaching and research mentors and specialized professional development opportunities across the campus. The remainder of the fellow’s time will be devoted to pursuing research.

Successful candidates for the Program will be selected on the basis of scholarly promise and potential to add to the diversity of the UMBC community.  Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree when the term of appointment commences and must be no more than three years beyond receiving the Ph.D.  Individuals currently holding a postdoctoral or faculty position at UMBC are not eligible.

Guidelines

Fields

Applications for study in any discipline represented on the campus are welcome. Please specify your discipline of interest.

Stipend

$40,000 a year.

Eligibility

Applicants who will have completed the doctoral degree no later than July 1, 2013 and no earlier than July 1, 2010 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Application material:

• Cover letter addressed to Ms. Autumn Reed, Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity Initiatives
• Current curriculum vitae
• Writing samples (e.g., publications and/or dissertation chapters)
• Names and contact information for three references
• A statement of research agenda (2-3 pages)
• A personal statement that includes why you should be selected for this program and which department/programs should review your application (1–3 pages)
• A list of UMBC department(s)/program(s) of interest

Deadline

Full consideration will be given to those applicants that submit all materials to Ms. Autumn Reed (autumn2@umbc.edu) by November 16, 2012. A complete submission will consist of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, writing samples, names of three references, a statement of research plans, and a personal statement. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Review and Selection

Applications will be reviewed by the appropriate department(s)/program(s), Dean(s) and the Provost’s Selection Committee. Semi-finalists will be announced in mid-January and finalists will be invited to campus for interviews in mid-February. Awardees will be notified by the first week of March.

Contact Information

Questions regarding the program may be addressed to:

Ms. Autumn Reed, Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity

Office of the Provost

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 21250

410-455-1099/autumn2@umbc.edu

www.umbc.edu/facultydiversity

 Printable copy:  http://www.umbc.edu/provost/UMBC_Postdoctoral_Fellows_Program_for_Faculty_Diversity.pdf

Faculty Diversity Initiatives at UMBC: http://www.umbc.edu/facultydiversity/initiatives.html

Related articles

• Our paper on postdocs @WEPAN 2012, presented today, Columbus, OH (renettatull.wordpress.com)
• Finish the dissertation, because you can’t put “Almost PhD” behind your name (renettatull.wordpress.com)

Postdoctoral Fellows Program for Faculty Diversity

2013-2015

Program Description

The University of Maryland Baltimore County invites nominations and applications for the UMBC Postdoctoral Fellows Program for Faculty Diversity. UMBC is dedicated to ensuring a diverse, scholarly environment and encouraging outstanding individuals to enter the academic profession.  The purpose of the Program is to support promising scholars who are committed to diversity in the academy and to prepare those scholars for possible tenure track appointments at UMBC. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who are members of groups that historically have been underrepresented in the professoriate.

UMBC will appoint recent recipients of the Ph.D. as Postdoctoral Fellows for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2013.  The fellow will receive a starting stipend of $40,000, health benefits, $3,000 for conference travel and preparation of scholarly work, office space with computer, library and other privileges at the university.  During the two-year term of appointment, the fellow will teach one course a year in the host department.  All fellows are expected to be in residence during the academic year and participate in departmental seminars and related activities.  Each fellow will be provided teaching and research mentors and specialized professional development opportunities across the campus. The remainder of the fellow’s time will be devoted to pursuing research.

Successful candidates for the Program will be selected on the basis of scholarly promise and potential to add to the diversity of the UMBC community.  Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree when the term of appointment commences and must be no more than three years beyond receiving the Ph.D.  Individuals currently holding a postdoctoral or faculty position at UMBC are not eligible.

Guidelines

Fields

Applications for study in any discipline represented on the campus are welcome. Please specify your discipline of interest.

Stipend

$40,000 a year.

Eligibility

Applicants who will have completed the doctoral degree no later than July 1, 2013 and no earlier than July 1, 2010 are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Application material:

• Cover letter addressed to Ms. Autumn Reed, Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity Initiatives
• Current curriculum vitae
• Writing samples (e.g., publications and/or dissertation chapters)
• Names and contact information for three references
• A statement of research agenda (2-3 pages)
• A personal statement that includes why you should be selected for this program and which department/programs should review your application (1–3 pages)
• A list of UMBC department(s)/program(s) of interest

Deadline

Full consideration will be given to those applicants that submit all materials to Ms. Autumn Reed (autumn2@umbc.edu) by November 16, 2012. A complete submission will consist of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, writing samples, names of three references, a statement of research plans, and a personal statement. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

Review and Selection

Applications will be reviewed by the appropriate department(s)/program(s), Dean(s) and the Provost’s Selection Committee. Semi-finalists will be announced in mid-January and finalists will be invited to campus for interviews in mid-February. Awardees will be notified by the first week of March.

Contact Information

Questions regarding the program may be addressed to:

Ms. Autumn Reed, Program Coordinator for Faculty Diversity

Office of the Provost

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 21250

410-455-1099/autumn2@umbc.edu

www.umbc.edu/facultydiversity

 Printable copy:  http://www.umbc.edu/provost/UMBC_Postdoctoral_Fellows_Program_for_Faculty_Diversity.pdf

Faculty Diversity Initiatives at UMBC: http://www.umbc.edu/facultydiversity/initiatives.html

Related articles

• Our paper on postdocs @WEPAN 2012, presented today, Columbus, OH (renettatull.wordpress.com)
• Finish the dissertation, because you can’t put “Almost PhD” behind your name (renettatull.wordpress.com)

2012 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI)

Theme: Pathways to Success

Registration Website (Click here for additional information about SSI attire, venue, directions, parking, and transportation.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dates: Friday and Saturday, August 17-18, 2012

___________________________________________________________________________________

Features:

• PROMISE Orientation (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 9:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• The “Success Equation” (All invited), Friday, 8/17, 10:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “ Succeeding in the first year, together” (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 11:15 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “Dissertation House for Advanced Graduate Students” (Friday, 8/17)
  • Location: UMBC Commons 329
• “Writing Suite for Postdocs” and “PROMISE Writing Team Annual Meeting” (Friday, 8/17)
• “Ph.D. Roll Call”  - Features PROMISE alumni, Mentors-in-Residence, Faculty, Co-PIs. (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Mastering the Graduate School Process: Tips for Having a Successful First Year” (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career.” (For Continuing graduate students, Saturday, 8/18)
• “Managing Career Transitions” (For Postdocs, Professors, and Professionals, Saturday, 8/18)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Location:

Friday, 8/17: UMBC Campus, The Commons, 3rd Floor, and the Library

Saturday, 8/18:  The Hotel at Arundel Preserve http://www.thehotelarundel.com/

 

• Hotel cost: $109.00/night + tax (Option for participants who wish to stay overnight. Hotel rooms for guest speakers from out-of-town are complimentary.) [$109 rate sold out, 8/16/12.]
• SSI Conference Registration cost: $Zero PLUS completion of evaluation and assessment materials.

____________________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

UMBC Commons, 3rd Floor (Postdocs, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group Only)

and

Albin O. Kuhn Library, 7th Floor Open Area  (New students, continuing graduate students)

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Concurrent Sessions – Friday, August 17: 9:00 AM: Morning Sessions

Postdoctoral Writing Suite, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group, PROMISE Orientation for New Participants

These concurrent sessions will be held on UMBC’s campus in the Commons (Student Center), 3rd Floor and on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn (AOK) Library, the main library on UMBC’s campus. See full agenda at the bottom of this page.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM:  “The Success Equation”  (Session for All)

In 2012, Renetta Tull and her husband, Dr. Damon Tull, both former professors, developed an equation for success using Dr. Shirley Jackson’s equation for POWER as a basis. The “SUCCESS Equation” has been presented at MIT, and will be published in Optics and Photonics News in September 2012. The equation looks at the momentum of variables such as mentoring and focus, and the workshop has been designed to help graduate students at every level to evaluate practices that can facilitate success.

Session Leaders:

• Patrick Valdez, Director, College Access & Success Initiatives, Association of Public Land Grant Universities. Read his article: Patrick L. Valdez (2005), LATINO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAMS AND CONTINUING CHALLENGES, in David Leon (ed.) Lessons in Leadership (Diversity in Higher Education, Volume 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.223-238

• Jennifer Joyner, Assistant Professor, Economics, CCBC. Professor Joyner specializes on financial literacy.  Along with encouragement, students will receive information regarding managing budgets in graduate school. Joyner was featured on WJZ- CBS News Baltimore for her expo on financial literacy and planning.

Patrick Valdez was introduced to PROMISE by alumna Dr. Frances D. Carter (UMBC, Public Policy) at the 2012 Understanding Interventions conference in Baltimore. Jennifer Joyner works with Dr. Al Starr at the Community College of Baltimore County. Dr. Starr co-leads the Teaching Fellows program that is part of our PROF-it: Professors in Training program. 

 

NEW LOCATION: UMBC Campus, AOK Library Open Area, 7th Floor

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 1:00  PM: Lunch Sections:

Postdocs, Alumni, and Dissertation House participants: Skylight Room, UMBC Commons

Graduate Students and guests: “True Grits Cafeteria”, UMBC Campus (Cost $6 + tax)

____________________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 2nd Floor

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 8:45 AM: Welcome and Overview

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM: “Your Electronic Self: Pros and Cons of Living a Digital Life in Academia” (Morning Plenary – Presentation and Discussion)

Session Leaders:

Dr. Scott Roberts, Director of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.  Andrew Roberts, Associate Director, Communications and Marketing, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park.

Join brothers Scott and Andrew Roberts as they present research and lead an interactive discussion on digital media. ”As you transition from being students to becoming academic professionals, you are challenged with navigating a new and rapidly changing digital world.  Leveraged correctly, your electronic self can help you to advance in industry and academia alike … but the dark side of cell phones, computers and social networks can be the barrier between you and your career.  We will present the research and considerations on how our devices and profiles can make or break us and discuss how to establish and maintain an effective electronic self.”

The speakers for this workshop were nominated by Dr. Kim Nickerson, Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Nickerson has been actively involved with Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences AGEP community and participates in the NSF Joint Annual Meetings for all AGEP programs. 

Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff 

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza will join Dr. Villa-Komaroff for this special breakout session for postdocs, professors, and professionals. Dr. Esparragoza is a Mechanical Engineer, with degrees from Florida International University, Miami, FL,  and Universidad Del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.  Dr. Esparragoza has won teaching awards in the United States and abroad, and is leading international discussions in Engineering Education.  He is one of the leaders of the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), and will discuss ways to allow your passion for teaching and mentoring contribute to tenure, awards, and participation in international initiatives, including upcoming conferences in Austria and Argentina. Dr. Esparragoza is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State Brandywine.

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza learned about PROMISE during a seminar at the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions in Panama.  Dr. Esparragoza was especially interested in modeling programs that PROMISE sponsors such as Horizons for prospective students, and PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) initiatives. 

The following speakers will participate in  the session for continuing graduate students:  “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career”  on Saturday, August 18. Speakers will share their CVs and talk about their paths, from graduate school to their first job, and to their careers. Participants will be encouraged to take advantage of this unique mentoring and networking opportunity.*

Session Leader: Sundiata “Sunji” Jangha

This session is essential for all new graduate students in every discipline. Using some of the information from Dr. Howard G. Adams’ books on mentoring, Sunji Jangha will take new students through exercises that will prepare them to have a successful year in graduate school. Jangha, an SSI speaker in 2010, returns by popular demand and will share some of his own experiences as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. Jangha is the Director of Math/Science Upward Bound at UMBC. In addition to topics on mentoring from Sunji Jangha’s talks at Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, and MIT, this session will cover the following topics for new graduate students from Dr. Adams’ book:

• Transitioning to Graduate School
• Goal Planning Worksheet
• Sins of Graduate Students

2012 SSI Luncheon “Mentors-in-Residence” 

• Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, UMBC, Language/Literacy/Culture. Current: Assistant Professor of Communications. Loyola University. TABLE TOPIC: How to Get a Book Contract.  Dr. Whitehead has book contracts with the University of South Carolina Press, and with Routledge. She is also the guest editor for a special anniversary edition of the   Black History Bulletin (ASALH) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Her emmy-nominated documentary films include: Twin Towers: A History and Life Lessons Learned in Last Place: The Zoe Koplowitz Story.  

———————————-

Dr. Angela McRae, UMCP, Human Development. (2012 Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award) Current: Lecturer at UMCP teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.  TABLE TOPIC: Maintaining Family/School/Work Balance

Dr. Patricia “Patti” Ordóñez Rozo, UMBC, Computer Science. Current: Developing Curricula at UMBC Training Centers.  Patti has been participating in PROMISE since she started graduate school at UMBC. She is an extraordinary teacher who has taught several classes at UMBC for the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, and for Continuing and Professional Studies. She has innovative research collaborations with the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  One of her unique projects includes using her collaborative clinical support decision tool in Colombia, South America and using telemedicine to provide clinical decision support to impoverished areas of Colombia.  Starting August 31, 2012: Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will be Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Research: Computing and Medicine. TABLE TOPIC: Returning to Graduate School After Working.

Dr. Sophoria Nicole Westmoreland, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering. (Former National Graduate Student of the Year for the National Society of Black Engineers.) Dr. Westmoreland is a former LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship sponsored by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).  She presented her research on Capitol Hill in 2010, and after receiving faculty offers within and outside of Maryland, is looking forward to starting her new position this fall. Dr. Westmoreland and colleague, Dr. Alexis Williams, were among the leaders of the online blogging “revolution”  for the PROMISE Dissertation House. Blogging almost daily, Dr. Westmoreland, along with others, regularly encouraged students to finish their dissertations.   Current:  Assistant Research Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, TABLE TOPIC: The Academic Job Interview

Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Maryland Chiropractor, TABLE TOPIC: Avoiding Consequences of Stress

SSI 2012 Agenda

About the Summer Success Institute (SSI)

About PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP 

Orientation: UMBC’s President, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski talks about PROMISE: http://www.youtube.com/user/PROMISEagep/featured

Follow @PROMISE_AGEP on Twitter for articles, advice, and up-to-the-minute information.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Please stay tuned to this page for regular updates on speakers and logistics.

Last update: August 16, 2012

The primary sponsor for the 2012 PROMISE AGEP Summer Success Institute is The National Science Foundation, Division of Education and Human Resources, Directorate of Human Resource Development, Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) “PROMISE Pathways”  grant #1111217 . Co-sponsorship is provided by The Graduate School at UMBC, The University of Maryland College Park Graduate School, and The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School.

2012 PROMISE Summer Success Institute (SSI)

Theme: Pathways to Success

Registration Website (Click here for additional information about SSI attire, venue, directions, parking, and transportation.)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Dates: Friday and Saturday, August 17-18, 2012

___________________________________________________________________________________

Features:

• PROMISE Orientation (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 9:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• The “Success Equation” (All invited), Friday, 8/17, 10:00 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “ Succeeding in the first year, together” (For New/Incoming graduate students) Friday, 8/17, 11:15 AM
  • Location: UMBC AOK Library, 7th Floor (NEW Location)
• “Dissertation House for Advanced Graduate Students” (Friday, 8/17)
  • Location: UMBC Commons 329
• “Writing Suite for Postdocs” and “PROMISE Writing Team Annual Meeting” (Friday, 8/17)
• “Ph.D. Roll Call”  - Features PROMISE alumni, Mentors-in-Residence, Faculty, Co-PIs. (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Mastering the Graduate School Process: Tips for Having a Successful First Year” (Saturday, 8/18)
• “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career.” (For Continuing graduate students, Saturday, 8/18)
• “Managing Career Transitions” (For Postdocs, Professors, and Professionals, Saturday, 8/18)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Location:

Friday, 8/17: UMBC Campus, The Commons, 3rd Floor, and the Library

Saturday, 8/18:  The Hotel at Arundel Preserve http://www.thehotelarundel.com/

 

• Hotel cost: $109.00/night + tax (Option for participants who wish to stay overnight. Hotel rooms for guest speakers from out-of-town are complimentary.) [$109 rate sold out, 8/16/12.]
• SSI Conference Registration cost: $Zero PLUS completion of evaluation and assessment materials.

____________________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012

UMBC Commons, 3rd Floor (Postdocs, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group Only)

and

Albin O. Kuhn Library, 7th Floor Open Area  (New students, continuing graduate students)

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Concurrent Sessions – Friday, August 17: 9:00 AM: Morning Sessions

Postdoctoral Writing Suite, Dissertation House, Alumni Writing Group, PROMISE Orientation for New Participants

These concurrent sessions will be held on UMBC’s campus in the Commons (Student Center), 3rd Floor and on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn (AOK) Library, the main library on UMBC’s campus. See full agenda at the bottom of this page.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM:  “The Success Equation”  (Session for All)

In 2012, Renetta Tull and her husband, Dr. Damon Tull, both former professors, developed an equation for success using Dr. Shirley Jackson’s equation for POWER as a basis. The “SUCCESS Equation” has been presented at MIT, and will be published in Optics and Photonics News in September 2012. The equation looks at the momentum of variables such as mentoring and focus, and the workshop has been designed to help graduate students at every level to evaluate practices that can facilitate success.

Session Leaders:

• Patrick Valdez, Director, College Access & Success Initiatives, Association of Public Land Grant Universities. Read his article: Patrick L. Valdez (2005), LATINO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PROGRAMS AND CONTINUING CHALLENGES, in David Leon (ed.) Lessons in Leadership (Diversity in Higher Education, Volume 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.223-238

• Jennifer Joyner, Assistant Professor, Economics, CCBC. Professor Joyner specializes on financial literacy.  Along with encouragement, students will receive information regarding managing budgets in graduate school. Joyner was featured on WJZ- CBS News Baltimore for her expo on financial literacy and planning.

Patrick Valdez was introduced to PROMISE by alumna Dr. Frances D. Carter (UMBC, Public Policy) at the 2012 Understanding Interventions conference in Baltimore. Jennifer Joyner works with Dr. Al Starr at the Community College of Baltimore County. Dr. Starr co-leads the Teaching Fellows program that is part of our PROF-it: Professors in Training program. 

 

NEW LOCATION: UMBC Campus, AOK Library Open Area, 7th Floor

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 17, 1:00  PM: Lunch Sections:

Postdocs, Alumni, and Dissertation House participants: Skylight Room, UMBC Commons

Graduate Students and guests: “True Grits Cafeteria”, UMBC Campus (Cost $6 + tax)

____________________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2012

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, 2nd Floor

Arrive at 8:15 AM for registration and light breakfast refreshments: 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 8:45 AM: Welcome and Overview

____________________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, August 18, 9:00 AM – 10: 30 AM: “Your Electronic Self: Pros and Cons of Living a Digital Life in Academia” (Morning Plenary – Presentation and Discussion)

Session Leaders:

Dr. Scott Roberts, Director of Undergraduate Studies and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park.  Andrew Roberts, Associate Director, Communications and Marketing, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park.

Join brothers Scott and Andrew Roberts as they present research and lead an interactive discussion on digital media. ”As you transition from being students to becoming academic professionals, you are challenged with navigating a new and rapidly changing digital world.  Leveraged correctly, your electronic self can help you to advance in industry and academia alike … but the dark side of cell phones, computers and social networks can be the barrier between you and your career.  We will present the research and considerations on how our devices and profiles can make or break us and discuss how to establish and maintain an effective electronic self.”

The speakers for this workshop were nominated by Dr. Kim Nickerson, Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Nickerson has been actively involved with Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences AGEP community and participates in the NSF Joint Annual Meetings for all AGEP programs. 

Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff 

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza will join Dr. Villa-Komaroff for this special breakout session for postdocs, professors, and professionals. Dr. Esparragoza is a Mechanical Engineer, with degrees from Florida International University, Miami, FL,  and Universidad Del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.  Dr. Esparragoza has won teaching awards in the United States and abroad, and is leading international discussions in Engineering Education.  He is one of the leaders of the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), and will discuss ways to allow your passion for teaching and mentoring contribute to tenure, awards, and participation in international initiatives, including upcoming conferences in Austria and Argentina. Dr. Esparragoza is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State Brandywine.

Dr. Ivan Esparragoza learned about PROMISE during a seminar at the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions in Panama.  Dr. Esparragoza was especially interested in modeling programs that PROMISE sponsors such as Horizons for prospective students, and PROF-it (Professors-in-Training) initiatives. 

The following speakers will participate in  the session for continuing graduate students:  “Pathways to Careers for Graduate Students: How to network, find a job, and build a career”  on Saturday, August 18. Speakers will share their CVs and talk about their paths, from graduate school to their first job, and to their careers. Participants will be encouraged to take advantage of this unique mentoring and networking opportunity.*

Session Leader: Sundiata “Sunji” Jangha

This session is essential for all new graduate students in every discipline. Using some of the information from Dr. Howard G. Adams’ books on mentoring, Sunji Jangha will take new students through exercises that will prepare them to have a successful year in graduate school. Jangha, an SSI speaker in 2010, returns by popular demand and will share some of his own experiences as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. Jangha is the Director of Math/Science Upward Bound at UMBC. In addition to topics on mentoring from Sunji Jangha’s talks at Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, and MIT, this session will cover the following topics for new graduate students from Dr. Adams’ book:

• Transitioning to Graduate School
• Goal Planning Worksheet
• Sins of Graduate Students

2012 SSI Luncheon “Mentors-in-Residence” 

• Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead, UMBC, Language/Literacy/Culture. Current: Assistant Professor of Communications. Loyola University. TABLE TOPIC: How to Get a Book Contract.  Dr. Whitehead has book contracts with the University of South Carolina Press, and with Routledge. She is also the guest editor for a special anniversary edition of the   Black History Bulletin (ASALH) to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Her emmy-nominated documentary films include: Twin Towers: A History and Life Lessons Learned in Last Place: The Zoe Koplowitz Story.  

———————————-

Dr. Angela McRae, UMCP, Human Development. (2012 Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award) Current: Lecturer at UMCP teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.  TABLE TOPIC: Maintaining Family/School/Work Balance

Dr. Patricia “Patti” Ordóñez Rozo, UMBC, Computer Science. Current: Developing Curricula at UMBC Training Centers.  Patti has been participating in PROMISE since she started graduate school at UMBC. She is an extraordinary teacher who has taught several classes at UMBC for the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, and for Continuing and Professional Studies. She has innovative research collaborations with the Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  One of her unique projects includes using her collaborative clinical support decision tool in Colombia, South America and using telemedicine to provide clinical decision support to impoverished areas of Colombia.  Starting August 31, 2012: Dr. Ordóñez Rozo will be Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Research: Computing and Medicine. TABLE TOPIC: Returning to Graduate School After Working.

Dr. Sophoria Nicole Westmoreland, UMCP, Mechanical Engineering. (Former National Graduate Student of the Year for the National Society of Black Engineers.) Dr. Westmoreland is a former LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow, and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program Fellowship sponsored by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME).  She presented her research on Capitol Hill in 2010, and after receiving faculty offers within and outside of Maryland, is looking forward to starting her new position this fall. Dr. Westmoreland and colleague, Dr. Alexis Williams, were among the leaders of the online blogging “revolution”  for the PROMISE Dissertation House. Blogging almost daily, Dr. Westmoreland, along with others, regularly encouraged students to finish their dissertations.   Current:  Assistant Research Professor, U.S. Naval Academy, TABLE TOPIC: The Academic Job Interview

Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Maryland Chiropractor, TABLE TOPIC: Avoiding Consequences of Stress

SSI 2012 Agenda

About the Summer Success Institute (SSI)

About PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP 

Orientation: UMBC’s President, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski talks about PROMISE: http://www.youtube.com/user/PROMISEagep/featured

Follow @PROMISE_AGEP on Twitter for articles, advice, and up-to-the-minute information.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Please stay tuned to this page for regular updates on speakers and logistics.

Last update: August 16, 2012

The primary sponsor for the 2012 PROMISE AGEP Summer Success Institute is The National Science Foundation, Division of Education and Human Resources, Directorate of Human Resource Development, Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) “PROMISE Pathways”  grant #1111217 . Co-sponsorship is provided by The Graduate School at UMBC, The University of Maryland College Park Graduate School, and The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School.