VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RESEARCH STUDY.

The Role of Skin Color & Hair Politics in Black Women’s College Experiences

I am a graduate student, in the UMBC Language, Literacy, & Culture doctoral program, conducting research to explore the ways in which Black, female, undergraduate students’ experiences are impacted by hair and skin hue politics within campus culture.  Please contact me for more information if you meet the following eligibility criteria and are interested in participating:

•Black/African American

•Female

•18-25

•Enrolled at UMBC full-time

You will be asked to share your on and off campus experiences, as they relate to hair and skin color, individually or in a small group setting of no more than twelve students for participation in a focus group.  Focus Group participants will receive a free pizza dinner.  Individual Interview participants will receive $20 cash.

Latasha Eley

leley1@umbc.edu  -  757-777-6173

WHIAAPI Summer Internship Deadline Extended to March 27

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) in Washington, D.C., offers full-time internships during the spring, summer, and fall.  Interns at the Initiative are responsible for assisting the staff on a wide range of AAPI issues and priorities, including capacity-building, civil rights, data disaggregation, economic development, education, health, immigration, language access, and workforce diversity.  In addition, interns will help write policy memos and proposals, draft blogs, assist with communications and social media, coordinate and staff events, and conduct outreach to national and local AAPI organizations and leaders. Applicants for intern positions must be undergraduates or graduate students who are enrolled at least half-time. 

If you are interested in applying, please send the following to whitehouseaapi@ed.gov:

·         Dates that you are available for the internship

·         Resume

·         A written statement that describes (1) an issue that affects the AAPI community on a national level, (2) a strategy that you would implement at the Initiative to address that issue, and (3) the organizations and/or federal agencies with whom you would collaborate and why. The statement should be no more than one page, single-spaced.

The deadline to apply for the Summer session (May/June-Aug) has been extended to Thursday, March 27, 2014.  Please see the attached document or click here to learn more.

Kevin Johnson, mechanical engineering major

Men in CWIT group facilitator 

Olalekan Adedokun is a master drummer, drum maker, dancer, flautist, and educator. He has toured and performed extensively throughout his own country, performing and teaching workshops in more than a dozen countries around the world. Mr. Adedokun has spent several years researching the tremendous variety of musical instruments that come from various ethnic groups in Nigeria, in addition to mastering his own culture’s (Yoruba) percussion instruments. At this workshop you will experience world class percussion and dance, learn some traditional rhythms, dances and songs and broaden the scope of your understanding of Nigerian musical styles.

A Workshop in Nigerian Percussion and Dance with Mr. Olalekan Adedokun will be presented on Monday March 31^st from 7 to 8:30 PM at The Other Barn in Oakland Mills Village Center, Columbia, MD, 21045. Admission is $20 for adults, children under age 10 - $5 (with paying adult). Please pay at the door. This workshop program is sponsored by FunDrum Rhythm Circles and all proceeds go to Mr. Adedokun to support his educational programs in Nigeria.

Contact Jonathan Murray at FunDrum Rhythm Circles if you have any questions – 410 964-DRUM (3786) 

Lauren Mazzoli, Math/Computer Science Major

Summer interns earn $3,500 while working for eight weeks in a research laboratory with a faculty mentor. Interns have the opportunity to learn cutting-edge research skills from faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and current graduate students. Mentor assignments are based on the intern's interests and goals.

Eligibility:

Applicants should be US citizens or permanent residents who have completed one year of undergraduate work and are interested in obtaining a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

How To Apply:

The application deadline is April 15.

To apply, please:

1. Complete the online application, which includes two essays, each with a 500 word limit. Detail your research interests and why you are interested in participating in the Summer Research Program, and describe your research experience, if applicable.
2. Submit transcripts from all colleges attended (photocopies are allowed).
3. Submit two letters of recommendation.

Meet Sanchari. She is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major and current URA (Undergraduate Research Award) Scholar. She is also engaged in oncological research in a UMBC laboratory and has also worked in a lab at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

How did you find your mentor for year research project?
When I was looking for research mentors on campus, some upper classmen suggested that I look into Dr. Rosenberg’s lab, especially since I had some background in oncological research. I looked at her research on the UMBC website, and the research excited me; although I had conducted oncological research before, I had not explored the immunological approach to cancer before. I e-mailed Dr. Rosenberg about my interest in her lab, and it all started from there!

Is this your first independent research project?
No, I have worked in three other research labs before this, including an HHMI funded project.

How much time do you put into it?
I try to put in an average of 16-18 hours a week for research, but it varies depending on the experiment being conducted.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
My PI, Dr. Rosenberg, emailed me about the URA. One of the senior undergraduates in my lab was a previous URA scholar, and she encouraged me to apply.

Was the application difficult to do?
Not at all – it was very straightforward and easily accessible.

What has been the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part about research is effectively communicating the results of the research to others, and this is something that Dr. Rosenberg, my mentor, Dr. Sinha, and others in the lab are working with me on so that I can continuously improve on this essential skill for any researcher. I am practicing this skill by presenting in lab meetings and conferences both here at UMBC, as well as other states.

What was the most unexpected thing?
The most unexpected thing about this internship was that, through my experience, I am getting to make so many valuable connections to people, who can (or have already) helped me out in many ways. It gives me immense pleasure to see that people understand and appreciate the research that I am doing, and are willing to help me to continue researching.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes?
When we research, we are expected to learn very specific details about one subtopic under a larger umbrella subject. In college classes, we start by learning those umbrella subjects in a very broad manner, and as classes go on, we learn the more specific details. Therefore, there are many times that I have light bulb moments in class or lab, when I am able to connect what I already know with what I am learning.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Research is extremely important, no matter what subject area we are involved in, because it teaches us to think critically, a skill essential for any type of career today. I would like to encourage all students to get involved in some type of research in these undergraduate years. The experience can help you to narrow down your career choice and develop essential skills for that career as well.

Read her abstract here...