Find out if this is right for you.

Program Information:

     The MARC U*STAR Program at UMBC supports talented undergraduate students from underrepresented groups who plan to pursue a Ph.D. and a research career in biomedical, behavioral or mathematical sciences research, and who have a demonstrated interest in diversification of the biomedical research workforce. The program supports full time juniors and seniors who intend to pursue a Ph.D. The program is not intended to support students who plan to pursue a MD only.

     Trainees must maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA each semester to remain eligible for participation in the program. Each Trainee will do a sustained research project with a faculty researcher selected according to his or her interests.

Is this for you?

     MARC is seeking highly-able sophomores from UMBC and eligible students who have transferred or plan to transfer to UMBC from community colleges and other higher education institutions.

For consideration, eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

♦ Be a citizen, noncitizen national, or permanent resident of the United States.

♦ Have a minimum of 60 university or college credits at the time of entrance into the program.

♦ Ability to earn an undergraduate degree from UMBC in a declared major in two years upon entering the

MARC Program, unless an exception is granted by the MARC Steering Committee.

♦ Have a 3.2 cumulative GPA with a major related to biomedical, behavioral or mathematical sciences

(Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Psychology, Biopsychology,

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Statistics,

Engineering, or approved interdepartmental studies.)

♦ Plan to pursue a Ph.D. and a career in biomedical, behavioral or mathematical sciences. (Students who

plan to pursue MD/Ph.D. will be considered.)

♦ Have outstanding SAT scores with a math score of about 600 or ACT of about 23.

♦ Submit letters of recommendation from two or more professors who taught one of your classes in the

Sciences, Psychology, Mathematics, or Engineering or with whom you have conducted research, who are

able and willing to comment on your potential as a biomedical, behavioral or mathematical sciences

researcher.

♦ Clearly demonstrate an understanding of the value of a diversified biomedical, behavioral and mathematical

sciences research workforce.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Lasse Lindahl, Program Director (lindahl@umbc.edu) or Dr. Jackie King, Assistant Director (jking3@umbc.edu)

The Critical Social Justice: Baltimore 365 keynote “Baltimore in Action: Always Rising” featured a panel of social justice activists and leaders discussing a few of the many issues currently impacting Baltimore City.

• Rev. Dr. Heber Brown, III, faith-based activist and community organizer
• Dr. Marisela B. Gomez, public health advocate and author
• Tawanda Jones, activist and sister of Tyrone West
• Jacqueline Robarge, founder of Power Inside
• Kwame Rose, social activist and hip-hop artist
• Moderated by radio host Marc Steiner

• Present research at Leadership Alliance National Symposium (LANS) as well as a UVA research symposium.
• Work hands-on with UVA faculty mentor(s) and graduate student mentor(s).
• Participate in workshops on research methods and the grad school application process, and enroll in an intensive GRE preparation course.

• A $3000 stipend and some travel and meal expenses.
• Housing in a university residence hall.

• Be a member of a group that is underrepresented in educational research.
• Be a current junior, with 2 semesters or less to complete after the internship.

A blog reflection written by Women’s Center intern Julia Gottlieb. 

After reading the Baltimore City Paper’s recent daily Power Rankings, I got to thinking a lot about white women and women of color’s status in the arts. Three weeks ago, UMBC’s Theatre department held their annual New Playwrights Festival, featuring student playwrights.

I attended one night of the Festival, and got to see Elizabeth Ung’s play, a story that on the surface is about a sister and brother surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, but underneath it poses deeper questions of morality and emotional survival. Ung, who is a student of color here at UMBC, explains that she was inspired to write plays after taking a play-writing class through the theater department last semester, saying “[Playwriting] was something that I felt like I always wanted to do, to tell stories. It’s something that I want to do to get my voice out there.” Additionally, her characters are inspired by her everyday experiences and interactions with those around her: “I definitely get a lot from my own experiences, because that’s really the only reliable resource that I can definitely count on. You know, the littlest conversations can inspire dialogue and conflict within the plot.” This is especially important given the severe lack of representation of women of color and their experiences within theater and the arts as a whole.

Here is a helpful infograph to visually show the state of women’s representation in the arts. Even here an intersectional view on this issue is missing, and women of color’s experiences are not represented.

We know that white women have significantly less representation than men in play-writing and in theater overall. Meanwhile, women of color’s voices and experiences are even more underrepresented. Along with this disparity, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that specifically track the numbers of women of color playwrights and directors within theater in both specific cities and across the country. One study finds that of the plays being produced in Washington DC this season, “80% of playwrights are white, 7% are African American, 6% are Latino, 2% are Asian American and 2% are multi-ethnic.” This study gives a sense of the vast disparities that already exist within DC’s theatrical productions. The study’s lack of attention to intersectionality is illustrative of the fundamental problem of representation–the voices of white men and white women have more representation than the voices of women of color. And as long as women of color’s voices are not represented, a vast number of important experiences and viewpoints go ignored and invalidated.

In his piece, Unpacking ‘Diversity’ in Musical Theatre, Michael R. Jackson explains that rather than focusing on fulfilling a diversity quota, theater’s ultimate goal should be “to hold the mirror up to humanity and reflect it back (or distort it) in order to share, person-to-person, what it means to exist in joy and suffering in the world.” Representation matters to me because it affects what stories are being told and who gets to have a place in the world. I want the mirror to reflect an honest view of humanity and its diverse voices.

For example, as someone who identifies as fat (or plus-size if you prefer), the character Rae from the British TV show My Mad Fat Diary was very important to me because I had never seen a larger girl as the main character of a TV show. Seeing someone who looks like me on TV–having the mirror held up to reflect my life and my experiences was so affirming for me and I want everyone to be able to have that experience.

Representation is how we find characters to relate to, take comfort in, and hold up the mirror to and for ourselves. The arts are at a crucial time to make that a reality for more women of color and other underrepresented people. 

For the third year of the Critical Social Justice initiative, we chose the theme Baltimore 365 to learn about how we can cultivate deep and lasting commitments to Baltimore City that are meaningful to us as individuals and as part of the UMBC community. Take a look back at some of highlights from throughout the week and catch up on anything you missed with the linked videos for the events!

Dr. Jodi Kelber-Kaye helped us kick-off CSJ with “Baltimore 101: Why Baltimore Matters,” providing historical answers that explain why things in Baltimore are the way they are.

Later that night, Delegate Mary Washington gave an insightful presentation on LGBTQ Youth Homelessness, and how Baltimore itself is specifically affected.

Before the Keynote event on Tuesday, Dr. Marisela Gomez visited UMBC for a talk-back with the Honors College about approaches in activism.

 One of the issues Dr. Gomez and the Honors College students discussed was the termination of the SUCCESS Program here at UMBC. If you want to learn more about this issue, check out this article recently published by the Retriever and use Dr. Gomez’s words of wisdom to do some activism.

Tuesday night was our keynote event, a teach-in panel called “Baltimore in Action: Always Rising.” It was moderated by Marc Steiner and was broadcast on the Marc Steiner Show on November 2nd. Watch the video!

Thursday, we were joined by Karen Houppert, author and editor-in-chief of Baltimore City Paper, and independent journalist James MacArthur (@BaltoSpectator) who spoke to their experiences of reporting in independent and alternative media outlets in a discussion on Main Street during our Vines, Rhymes, and Headlines exhibit. (Video)

Women’s Center staff members created exhibits centered on the Baltimore Uprising and media portrayal and displayed them on Main Street during the discussion.

Later on that night, The Mosaic Center hosted an Interfaith Dialogue featuring religious and spiritual leaders engaged in social justice activism in Baltimore.

On the last day of #CSJ365, UMBC parents eager to bring a dialogue about social justice home to their kids participated in a roundtable discussion called How To Talk To Kids About -Isms.

 We rounded out the week with Dr. Kate and a very special walking tour of Baltimore City.

CSJ was action-packed and full of important information about Baltimore City and social justice. Check out our Storify, Livestream, and What You Need To Know tag to learn even more. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook too!

The CSJ Team with Keynote Speakers

Eligibility and Requirements:

• Undergraduate students with a genuine interest in cancer research, cumulative GPA >3.0, and strong letters of recommendation as reflected in their application packages, are eligible.
• Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.

·         Underrepresented minorities are encouraged to apply.

·         Twenty internships are awarded each summer; applications for these slots are reviewed by committee and evaluated on a competitive basis

·         The NSIP is a full time ten-week commitment beginning in the last week of May that is not compatible with concurrent outside employment or classes; see website for this summer’s program dates.

     Subsistence Allowance and Housing:

·         Interns receive a subsistence allowance of $4,000 for the 10-week internship.

·         Apartment-style dormitory housing is available at Loyola University Maryland. (http://www.loyola.edu/admission/undergraduate/life-at-loyola/housing-dining)

·         A travel allowance of up to $500 is provided for travel to and from Baltimore.                     

How to Apply:

The following application materials will be accepted beginning 12/1/15 and must be received by March 1, 2016:

1. Online application form including a brief essay describing how the internship will foster your academic/career interests.

2. Two letters of recommendation using the online forms submitted to NSIP@som.umaryland.edu.

3. Transcript of your grades (must include Fall semester grades and be submitted electronically if possible)

For further information contact the NSIP Director

Dr. Bret Hassel (bhassel@som.umaryland.edu)
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center
685 West Baltimore Street, HSFI room 380, Baltimore, MD 21201

Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision by April 1, 2016; program begins the last week of May