This week, PROMISE is visiting schools around Maryland for meetings and workshops. The key feature will be the PROMISE annual workshop, “When Faculty Say ‘X’ …”

Description of the lecture:

Understanding professors’ expectations shouldn’t be a mystery. However, sometimes, there are disconnects between what a faculty member wants a student to produce for a project, and how the student interprets the instructions. In many cases, the expectations of faculty are clearly articulated, either in written or oral format. However, in other cases, there are situations where a faculty member’s feedback or outcomes from discussions regarding progress may not be as clear because they involve aspects of non-verbal communication such as eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and eye contact.

Addressing the Needs of Graduate Students

We draw particular attention to the needs of graduate students for our “When Faculty Say X” success seminar series. Graduate students have several forms of faculty interaction that have their own sets of nuances. For graduate students, the faculty member is a teacher, a mentor, an advisor, and a future colleague. There are several phases through which one must pass to navigate the transitions. During coursework, there is the phase where one follows the syllabus, turns in the homework, and takes the exam. During the qualifying exam and proposal stages, it can be difficult for a student to determine what they are supposed to know on the journey toward building expertise in a discipline or particular area of research. In addition to becoming a contributor to the field, a professor may have a methodology that must be employed by all in her lab, or a set of theories which need to be used set the foundation for all work that comes out of the research group. There may be bibliographies that one must reference, techniques that must be mastered, and simple “unwritten rules” that must be followed. Some of the rules may include attending every group meeting and each departmental colloquium. Other rules may extend to writing, i.e., explicit use of a citation style, paragraph structure, or drafting process.

The PROMISE AGEP launched the “When Faculty Say X …” series to answer some of these burning questions. The facilitator will be Dr. Renetta G. Tull, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs at UMBC, and Director of the University System of Maryland’s National Science Foundation’s PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP). Dr. Tull will present a series of scenarios that graduate students have experienced, along with responses from STEM faculty from the USM and other schools around the nation. Time will be set aside for students’ real-time Q&A, which is often the most important part of the program.

This week:

Monday, April 4, 2016 – Salisbury

Students are invited to read the responses that were shared at an earlier event.

Answers from the virtual event in 2015

Tuesday, April 5, 2016, 11 AM – UMES

Location: Suite 3046, the new Engineering and Aviation Building

PDF link on UMES’ website:

https://www.umes.edu/cms300uploadedFiles/new_Dr.Tull_flyer.pdf

Thursday, April 7, 2016, 3 PM – Bowie State

Bowie State:

Thursday,  Apr 7, 2016 3pm – 4pm (EDT)
14000 Jericho Park Rd., Bowie, MD 20715,

Center for Business and Graduate Studies (CBGS), Room 3201

Friday, April 8, 2016, 12 Noon – Towson

12:00 Noon

Graduate Student Lounge (Room 205)

Psychology Building

Closest Parking: Towsontown Garage (on Towsontown Blvd and University Ave)

Any member of the PROMISE community (student, staff, postdoc, faculty) is welcome to attend any of the events.

Donny Bliss, a medical illustrator from NIH, is coming to speak during free hour on Wednesday April 20, in Commons 331 as part of the Commons Art Program.

He creates scientific visualizations at of the National Institutes of Health investigating Hollywood animation technologies to tell medical scientific stories.

Below, the flier and the link to the event are provided.

Samford University in Birmingham Alabama has named Keith Elder (Ph.D., '02) the dean of the School of Public Health. The school was established in 2013 as part of Samford’s College of Health Sciences.

Elder is currently professor and chair of the Department of Health Management and Policy in the College for Public Health and Social Justice at Saint Louis University. He previously served as faculty in the Department of Health Services Policy and Management in Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, and the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research interests include health policy, health-care delivery and health-care processes. News release 

Samuel L. Brown (Ph.D., '97), has been appointed director of the Wichita State Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs. As director, Brown will oversee the Master of Public Administration degree and the department’s applied research and community service centers.

Brown is a professor at the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs. Prior to his academic career, he served in positions with the private sector, as well as in state and federal government. News release

Courtesy of Zorah Quattlebaum

Most people are used to using their iPhones when it comes to taking pictures. To get that right selfie, they have to have the perfect lighting and the right filter. But for photographer Zorah Quattlebaum, the technique behind the right picture rarely has anything to do with the lighting or a filter. It’s about the person. “My signature is just making people comfortable in front of the lens. I want to photograph people’s souls — the beauty that I see within them.”

Driven, motivated and smart, 22-year-old junior Zorah Quattlebaum is definitely the type of person you would want to meet. A gender and women’s studies major, Zorah is a natural when it comes to taking pictures. After a night spent photographing singer Ani Difranco in concert, Zorah discussed what led her to pursue her current passion in photography.

She was exposed to the world of photography at a young age by her father, but Zorah didn’t actually start taking photography seriously until she was 14, when she received her first digital camera. “From there, my dad taught me about aperture, shutter speed and camera manipulation using the digital format,” she recalled. Zorah now chooses to use a Hasselblad for film and a Fuji x-t10 for digital. “Both possess qualities found in tradition film photography,” she said.

As Zorah got older, she began taking her interest in photography to new heights, inspired by the work of two of her favorite photographers, Sally Mann and Annie Leibovitz. In December 2013, Zorah went to a concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, and the trip had more of an impact than she expected.

Zorah created a floor-to-ceiling installation piece that consisted of over 650 individual, hand-burned, 4×6 images of the original crematorium from Dachau. She is most proud of this piece, as the remarkable installation was featured in two exhibitions at Winthrop University in South Carolina.

Zorah plans on pursuing photography professionally, hoping to shoot for Bitch Magazine in Portland, Oregon, or Bust Magazine in New York City. “Honestly, if I can make a career out of my photography, that’s the main accomplishment. It’s extremely difficult to make a living in the field of photography these days, so I’ll take what I can get, as long as it makes me happy!,” she said. As of right now, the photographer shoots freelance pieces for The Baltimore Sun, covering concerts or events that occur inside and out of Baltimore.

When asked what she likes to photograph, Zorah was quick to answer. “People, in the most natural way possible … it’s only when there is a break in seriousness, when they least expect me to press the shutter, that’s when I get the best photographs,” she said.

Zorah said that it’s hard to photograph people, noting that not everyone is able to open themselves up in front of the camera. “It’s a challenge, but it’s always rewarding, no matter what.”

The post Meet Zorah appeared first on The Retriever.

The Shriver Center coordinates this undergraduate scholarship program, funded by the France-Merrick Foundation. After 20 years, this scholarship remains available for students who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to service, leadership, and civic engagement on the UMBC campus and in Baltimore City.   The France-Merrick Scholarship Program seeks to combine service and reflection, build relationships, and strengthen networks to affect meaningful change.

Fellows are awarded a scholarship that goes towards tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board expenses.  This will not exceed $15,000 for Maryland students, $22,000 for out-of-state students.  In 2015-16, Fellows will engage in service connected with Baltimore City;  serve in leadership roles (which includes convening meetings for the France-Merrick Scholarship Program), support meaningful professional development, and serve as ambassadors of service at UMBC.  For 2016-17, two Fellows will be selected.

Scholars are awarded a scholarship of up to $1,500.  In 2015-16, Scholars will engage in service connected with Baltimore City, support meaningful professional development, participate in meetings, and serve as ambassadors of service at UMBC.  For 2016-17, five Scholars will be selected.

Applications for the 2016-17 cohort is in the FINAL week.  As a reminder, the timeline is:

Monday, March 7, 2016 – On-line applications open 

EXTENDED until Tuesday, April 5th, @ 9am!

Monday, April 18 – Friday, April 22, 2016 – Selected students invited for interviews

Monday, April 25, 2016 – Recipients notified

ATTENTION GRAD STUDENTS AND UNDERGRADUATES- GET CONNECTED TO THE USDA

The US Department of Agriculture is coming to UMBC to recruit BOTH undergraduates and graduate students for multiple intern and full-time positions below.  Come in person to the Career Center this THURSDAY to drop off your credentials.

TO APPLY, you must come in person on Thursday, April 7th between 9am and 4pm to the UMBC Career Center (Math/Psychology Room 212) to meet and hand in your application to a member of the USDA.  Required application documentation includes an unofficial transcript and a detailed resume (see position description for details under Required Documents).  If you are claiming veteran preference, additional documents are required. 

ALSO, to learn more about these roles, the USDA will be on campus to meet you.  
Wednesday, April 6th - USDA representatives will attend Career Paths for Graduate Students, 4-6PM in Commons Skylight
Wednesday, April 6th - USDA Information Session, Commons 331, 5-7PM
Thursday, April 7th:  USDA Scientists will attend the Employers in the Sciences event, 11AM-2PM, Commons Main Street 

BELOW YOU WILL FIND THE USDA OPPORTUNITIES FOR UMBC CANDIDATE CONSIDERATION

Full-time Positions for Recent and Upcoming May 2016 Graduates

Dairy Products Marketing Specialist (Agreements & Orders) (looking to fill 2 positions)

Pathway - Recent Graduate - Civil Engineer

Pathways- Recent Graduate- Community Development Specialist

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST (NETWORK SERVICES) (Pathways Recent Graduate)

Survey Statistician (Pathways Recent Graduate), Multiple locations

Auditor (Recent Graduates)

Program Analyst

Intern/Student Trainee Positions for those not graduating in May 2016

Student Trainee (Public Affairs)

Student Trainee (Biological Sciences) (looking to fill 2 positions)

PATHWAYS - STUDENT TRAINEE (Environmental Protection Specialist)

Student Trainee (Biological Science) (Pathways Student Intern), Multiple locations

Student Trainee (Statistics) (Pathways Student Intern)

Pathways - Student Trainee (General Engineer)

Student Trainee (Computer Clerk)

Student Trainee (Computer)

Student Trainee (COMPUTER) (Pathways Student Intern), GS-5

STUDENT TRAINEE (COMPUTER) (Pathways Student Intern), GS-4

Student Trainee (Information Technology) (Pathways Student Intern), Multiple locations

The Alternate Delivery Program (ADP) provides financial, technical, and pedagogical support to faculty who agree to redesign an existing face-to-face (F2F) course for online or hybrid (part online, part F2F) delivery in summer or winter session.

The expansion of the ADP includes three tracks: 

I. Skill Builder Track

The Skill Builder track offers modular training in core components of Blackboard and supporting technologies (Bb Collaborate, TechSmith Relay, Box) to help faculty better utilize the features available in Blackboard and to prepare for the Course Designer track.

II. Course Designer Track

This track, which most closely resembles the "old" ADP, is available to faculty who have either completed the ADP Skill Builder track or demonstrated competency with the Skill Builder components. The Course Designer track typically requires at least a semester for course development before the redesigned course is offered in summer or winter session. It includes a one day training workshop and an opportunity to work one-on-one with an Instructional Technology Specialist in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). Faculty who participate in the Course Designer track should have prior experience teaching in summer or winter sessions and convert courses that have a proven enrollment “track record” in Summer or Winter Sessions. 

III. Quality Booster Track

The Quality Booster track is designed for faculty who are already offering hybrid or online courses, but who have either not previously participated in formal course redesign training through the ADP or participated in ADP prior to the Quality Matters (QM) process integration. Quality Matters is an internationally recognized peer review process to assess the design quality of an online or hybrid course. The goal is to carefully evaluate the components of a hybrid or online course to ensure that it meets nationally identified quality standards.

The Skill Builder workshops are on our training schedule; sign up for them now on the Instructional Technology Events page. The Call for Participation for the Course Designer Track is available now; access it here. We are also currently seeking participants for the next Quality Booster Track.

To learn more about the Alternate Delivery Program and Quality Matters, attend the Quality Matters-Focused Course Design Workshop on June15, 2016.

See our attached UMBC calendar of events highlighting what's happening on campus for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!!  This calendar is produced by Student Life’s Mosaic: Center for Culture and Diversity and highlights some of the many events happening this month at UMBC.  All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.  

Stay tuned to this post for updates as the month unfolds!