BioMed SURF is a research-intensive summer training program in biomedical research for undergraduate students who are members of underrepresented minorities (URM) and plan to obtain a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences.  The aims of BioMed SURF are to identify URM applicants interested in biomedical research careers; to provide them with an intensive research and didactic experience in biomedicine during a 9-week residency at Yale University School of Medicine; and to provide faculty and peer mentoring resources that extend throughout and beyond the program.

The long-term goals of this program are to recruit URM students to careers in biomedical research and to provide them with knowledge, skills and resources to help them succeed as scientists or physician-scientists.  We expect participants of this program to successfully apply to and complete graduate training programs (PhD or MD-PhD) in biomedical sciences, and to pursue careers in research and/or teaching after graduation.  We anticipate that BioMed SURF students will become highly competitive applicants to graduate training programs at Yale University.

Students eligible to apply to BioMed SURF:

•Are United States citizens or permanent residents who are members of an underrepresented minority in the sciences as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH); disadvantaged students will also be considered

•Are freshman or sophomores in excellent academic standing at a college, university or junior college

•Have completed at least one semester of college-level biology, chemistry or physics at the time of application'

Applications will be available on October 28, 2016 and will be accepted until January 13, 2017.  Candidates will be evaluated based on their personal statement of background and professional goals, their academic record (transcript), and two letters of reference.  Prior research experience is not required for participation.  Applicants will be notified of their acceptance to the program by February 28, 2017.  We anticipate accepting up to 12-18 students.

Accepted students will be provided with a $4,500 stipend and housing on the medical school campus.  The cost of travel to and from New Haven will be reimbursed up to $500.  Travel and hotel expenses will be covered for one parent to travel to New Haven for the closing symposium and events. (August 2, 2017).  Students must participate in the entire 9-week curriculum.

Each student will be matched with the laboratory of a research mentor at the School of Medicine, and will pursue a research project under the supervision of the research mentor. Hands-on training in research techniques, data acquisition and analysis will be provided.  Students will be integrated into the research activities of the mentor’s laboratory and will be expected to participate in lab meetings, journal clubs and other scientific activities. 

At the end of the summer, students will present their research in the form of a poster and brief oral synopsis at the closing symposium (August 2, 2017).  Other events during the closing symposium will include research talks from faculty and trainees, a panel discussion on careers in the biomedical sciences, and an opportunity for students and parents to meet and talk to Yale University professors, administrators and students.  

The Women’s Center’s Roundtable series is underway! On October 20th, we hosted the second of our three-part roundtable “Our Bodies, Ourselves” series. Queer (De)Coded focused on women and queer coding, deconstructing how women and femme individuals utilize and present their bodies in order to appear more or less queer. Queer coding is when individuals hint with their bodies and mannerisms their identity without explicitly stating their sexuality or gender identity.

For this discussion, we invited staff member Elle Trusz, UMBC alum Juliette Seymour, and community member Melissa Smith to begin the roundtable dialogue with their own thoughts and perspectives related to queer coding. Elle opened up the conversation, discussing what it is like to be in relationships that are read as straight but are actually queer. She explained that walking down the street with her “husbutch”- or female spouse- could sometimes be seen by others as a straight couple based upon how both individuals present themselves.

Juliette also had interesting input into what it is like being a queer person who appears straight and cisgendered within their own life. Juliette discussed how their appearance sometimes made it more possible to be in spaces that may or may not be LGBTQIA+ friendly, yet it also felt like taking a step back into the closet. Melissa brought up the different ways her queer embodiment shows up in her workplace and the critical ways she is being present in all of her identities in order to make more space for others like her.

After initial remarks, the discussion turned to what “queer” looks like, who can present as queer, and the intersections that can emerge when facing different personal identities. The discussion of what it looks like to be queer and privileged identities was brought to the table. Elle discussed her privilege as she recounted instances where her queer identity was more protected based upon her whiteness. Melissa discussed her own identity as a black queer person and how the layers of both these identities can be challenging in our heteronormative, white-centric world. The UMBC Outlist became a part of our discussion and the ways in which this list can also send messages of acceptable or not-acceptable queer presentation on campus and in professional settings in general.

A large portion of the conversation turned to religion and queerness. Melissa spoke very candidly about her own conflicts within religion, and the conversation opened up for the audience. Many people shared their own experiences with religion and their individual queer identities.

Overall, the dialogue we shared with each other as a learning community was deep (and only scratching the surface at the same time) and meaningful and can’t be entirely captured in such a short summary. Thanks to our panel members and participants for making Queer (De)Coded a success and creating a conversation around the many ways we embody queer identities within our daily lives.

Don’t Forget, our last roundtable of the semester,Fatness in Focus, will take place on November 30th, at 4pm in The Women’s Center!

Couldn’t make it to this roundtable? No worries! Here are some resources that further delve into the topic of queer coding and embodied queerness.

Staff member Dan Wiley’s piece on queer hair from the Women’s Center’s Blog

Femme- Butch taught privileges, Everyday Feminism  

Comic debunking assumptions about queer femme bodies

Autostraddle article looking at queercrip fashion

Helpful UMBC LGBTQ Online Resources

The UMBC Outlist 

Student Life’s LGBTQ Resources 

UMBC’s LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association 

Tonight our partners in Student Affairs are hosting Critical Interactions, an interactive program where students will join INTERACT Program peer facilitators to explore how they each make meaning of ‘home.’

But what is INTERACT?

A collaboration between the Division of Student Affairs and the Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication Department, INTERACT aims to provide first-year residential students with specific training in intercultural communication and authenticity.

As a university focused on innovation and ground-breaking research, it is the hope of this collaborative to enhance incoming students’ confidence and competence in diversity and inclusion in order to prepare them for their time at UMBC and beyond.

Critical Interactions will be held tonight (Oct. 24th) from 7:30-9pm in University Center 310. 

For a full list of Critical Social Justice: Home events, click here.