Applications for the 2018-19 Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) are being accepted now!

Undergraduate Research Awards provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they will remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.  Eligible students are degree-seeking undergraduates who will conduct mentored-research or creative work, June 2018- May 2019. The URA may be used to support work being done as part of a capstone project, honors thesis, ongoing lab project, scholars program, art exhibit or performance, or an independent project.  

Application deadline: Feb. 16, 2018.

For more info and to apply:

ur.umbc.edu/ura

Workshop this Wednesday, January 31^st from 12-12:50 p.m. Sondheim 103:  How to Apply for a URA

This event is free for UMBC faculty, staff, & students.  

Please click here to register.  

Registrants will have access to conference materials and also enjoy all the meals, including a banquet of African food and dance on 5/9/18 if they choose. 

The McNair Scholars program focuses on the preparation of undergraduate students who qualify as either low-income/first-generation college students or members of groups underrepresented in graduate education to pursue doctoral degrees.

The program offers a number of benefits, such as: summer and academic year research funding, assistance connecting with faculty research mentors, hands-on guidance and navigation through the graduate school application process, first-hand exposure to individuals who have earned PhD’s in their field of study, and the opportunity to attend research conferences (fully funded).

For any interested students, please encourage them to apply as soon as possible, the deadline is Friday, February 9th, 4:59:59 pm.

For additional information, please contact:  mcnairs@umbc.edu.

The Immigration and Border Community – Research Experience for Undergraduates, is a unique opportunity to learn social science research methods while collaborating with local organizations to conduct in-depth research about the unique challenges faced by border communities in the Paso del Norte region of southern New Mexico, El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

The U.S. Mexico border is currently at the center of political controversy, one that has threatened to further disrupt border cities that were once closely integrated. Immigration is an important part of the Paso del Norte region and the increase in border enforcement has significant impacts not only on those passing through the border, but those who live here as well. This is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to learn social science research methods through hands-on collaboration with local organizations about border enforcement and its impacts on immigrants and border communities.

Work will be fully funded by the National Science Foundation and is an excellent opportunity for students interested in pursuing a graduate degree or a variety of career paths. By collaborating closely with organizations already involved in advocacy for civil and human rights, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Border Network for Human Rights, your work will have a greater impact. Sample topics include:

• The impacts of repealing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Alleged abuse and mistreatment of migrants and community members by law enforcement
• Asylum seekers in the borderlands: Access to due process and basic human rights
• “Know Your Rights” campaigns
• The history of community organizing and leadership development in the borderlands

Successful applicants will spend 10 weeks in the El Paso/Las Cruces/Ciudad Juárez region during the summer (May 21-July 28, 2018). Positions are fully funded by the NSF. Students will receive a stipend of $5000 and meal expenses. In addition, students traveling from outside the region will receive accommodation and $500 towards their travel expenses. We will also have several excursions, including a one-week intensive field-trip through the Arizona/Sonora borderlands.

(Please note, because this is federally funded, there are citizenship/immigration limitations—very sorry.)

For more information please contact Neil Harvey, (575) 646-3220, nharvey@nmsu.edu or Jeremy Slack, (915) 747-6530 jmslack@utep.edu

URCAD

Share this great news with your fellow students in and out of the major!

Starting in Spring 2018 SOCY 333 Cross Cultural Sexuality has been approved for General Education Program (GEP) designation as a Culture Course (C).

Sociology 201:  Social Problems in America

Topics typically include race and ethnic conflict, crime and delinquency, population, and inequality.

Professor Maggie Knisley

January 2—January 26, 2018

The UMBC School of Public Policy presents

The Shinogle Award Lecture with Jennifer K. Smith

Tuesday, November 28, 2017, 5:00-6:30 pm

Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

Reception immediately following lecture

Please join UMBC faculty, students, staff, and guests for a presentation by Jennifer K. Smith, the recipient of the 2017 Judith A. Shinogle Memorial Award. Ms. Smith is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Public Policy’s health policy track. She is currently a senior programmer at The Hilltop Institute at UMBC where she performs SAS programming in order to analyze large health care data sets for quality of care, outcome measurement studies and program assessment.  Her dissertation topic is an examination of the comparative effectiveness of asthma treatments in the Maryland Medicaid population.

Ms. Smith received a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a certificate of advanced study in bioethics and health policy from Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola Chicago Graduates School, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Wheaton College.

The family of Dr. Judith Shinogle established the Shinogle Award in her memory to provide support for doctoral students committed to health policy research. Dr. Shinogle had a distinguished and productive career as a health policy analyst and research scientist. At the time of her death, she was a senior research scientist with the UMBC Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Policy.

Please RSVP to Ms. Terry Aylsworth by November 21, 2017 (aylswort@umbc.edu).