Meet Mary.

She is a Dance and INDS major and current Undergraduate Research Award (URA) scholar. Her current research measures the benefits of dance lessons on children. She is also a Linehan Artist Scholar, the President of the Dance Council of Majors and has served as a Welcome Week Leader for the past three years.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do?
I have always wanted to combine my passion for the Arts with my purpose to advance the Arts in education through policy. With the creation of my Interdisciplinary Studies Major titled “Arts Advocacy”, I knew that I wanted to do research that would help me grow as an advocate. I also love to teach dance, so I knew this project would be a lot of fun!

Is this your first independent research/artistic project?
This is my first independent research project of this type, but I previously received the Linehan Summer Research and Study Award to study dance for three weeks with Doug Varone and Dancers in New York.

Do you get course credit for this work?
Yes! This research will also be presented as my Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
I had attended URCAD several times and many of my friends had done research through the URA. After seeing their projects and learning about their experiences, I wanted to do it, too!

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA?
I was a Junior when I applied to the URA, so I had completed most of my core and degree requirements. One of the classes that has helped me the most in completing the analytical portion of this research was POLI 301- Political Science Research Methods with Dr. Carolyn Forestiere. She became my URA mentor and has been infinitely helpful in designing, implementing, and completing this research.

Was the application difficult to do?
The application was easier than I thought it would be. I found it really helpful to attend the workshops provided, and would recommend working closely with your mentor while completing the application.

What has been the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part of my research was definitely coordinating with all the necessary people to implement my dance program within the Summer Learning Program. I began planning with the local YMCA in December, but by May they had gotten so busy that it was hard to schedule meetings about my research. I had to be persistent while also trying not to be bothersome, as I understood they had a lot they were trying to plan.

What was the most unexpected thing?
I thought that the children I worked with would like dancing, but I didn’t expect that on the last day they would all want to know where to take dance lessons and wanted to know if I would be coming back next summer! They were a little bit resistant at the beginning, so I wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction to the dance program in the end. It was unexpected, but I was so happy!

How does your research relate to your work in other classes?
Because I am an Interdisciplinary Studies Major, I designed my coursework to eventually lead up to this research project. I took classes in research, dance, sociology, political science, and social work that all related to my project in some way.

What else are you involved in on campus?
I am a Linehan Artist Scholar, the President of Dance Council of Majors, and have been a Welcome Week Leader for the past three years.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!!! Everyone I have worked with on this project has been more than happy to help me and I am really grateful for that. It is easy to think that because you designed the project you shouldn’t ask for help, but that is not the case!

What are your career goals?
While I know that I want to be an advocate for the arts, I do not exactly know how I want to do this. In the Spring, I will be interning with Americans for the Arts working on arts education governmental affairs. I’m really looking forward to this experience helping me shape my career goals.

Did you transfer to UMBC from another institution? Where?
I started at UMBC as a freshman and will be graduating next May!

Read her abstract here...

The Women's Center is excited to announce that the Returning Women Students Scholarships Application for 2014-2015 is now available. The deadline for submission is Friday, April 4, 2014.

This common application enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students Scholarships using the same application. The three available scholarships are:

-Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students
-AEGON Scholarship
-The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship

All undergraduate students over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits may be eligible. Each scholarship has additional eligibility requirements which can be found on the common application instructions. 

The application is attached to this announcement. Please be sure to read over the eligibility requirements before applying. 

If you have any questions concerning the application process or the scholars program requirements, please contact Jess at womens.center@umbc.edu. 

We will also be hosting 2 informational sessions related to the application process and scholars program requirements. The information sessions will be held in the Women's Center on Wed., Feb 19th from between 12-1pm and Wed., March 12th between 5:45-6:45pm.

Applications are due Friday, April 5th at 4pm!! 

The Nebraska Summer Research Program is a consortium of NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and other summer research opportunities programs (SROP).

One unique feature of the Nebraska Summer Research Program is the partnership between the REU and SROP programs and the Office of Graduate Studies. Students benefit in having a community of scholars in which to learn and to share research with.

This intensive summer research experience provides mentoring and research experiences while allowing scholars to preview graduate school life. Students with a strong interest in graduate programs are particularly encouraged to apply, as are those from populations traditionally underrepresented in graduate education.

Loyal.Constant.

Strong and Resilient.

Season to Season.

Survival.Growth.

These are just some of the many qualities of the Wye Oak Tree – Maryland’s state tree – and so many of the same qualities we find in the Women’s Center at UMBC. For some, a tree provides shade to rest under on a hot summer day. To others it provides leaves that fall to the ground to play in on a crisp autumn day. In the winter months, we look at trees covered in frost and snow with wonder and awe until we finally see the earliest buds come to life once again on the first days of spring. The tree is many thingsto many people, just like the Women’s Center is to the UMBC community. We are a place to find comfort, a listening ear, and friendship. Much like the tree, we seek to be strong but flexible, loyal but open to growth, courageous to challenges but loving with support. Our roots dig deep into the grounds of feminism and our many limbs reach further towards social justice, activism, and the honoring all of our intersecting identities.  

This new logo reflects our ongoing growth and evolution as a women’s center which is grounded in our steady core values and reliable strengths so many UMBC community members have come to know and love. As always, and much like the great Wye Oak beckons, all are welcomed in our space, so long as they respect each other, their stories, their experiences, their potential.

Many thanks to UMBC’s Creative Services for designing our new logo which is modeled after UMBC’s very own Wye Oak Tree.

The Yale University Astronomy Department is pleased to invite applications for the first annual Hoffleit Undergradate Astronomy Research Scholarship. This program serves as an opportunity for keen undergraduates in STEM fields with a strong interest in pursuing astronomy to spend 6-8 weeks performing astronomy research in with Yale rearchers.

Research topics cover a wide range, from the characterization and discovery of exoplanets, the study of the Sun and stars, to the origin and evolution of small and large galaxies. Yale’s astronomy department is located in New Haven, CT, near historic downtown and the East Rock neighborhood. New Haven is a vibrant city in the summertime; home to the Arts and Ideas festival, many cafes and restaurants. The undergraduate students will be housed together in the beautiful campus residential colleges where they will have the opportunity to interact with undergraduate scholars from other departments.

The program encourages undergraduates from all nationalities to apply, particularly, those with a strong desire to continue to graduate school.

To apply or find out more, visit http://www.astro.yale.edu/vlg8/hoffleitfellowship.html

And direct any questions to  valerie.robalino@yale.edu Subject: Hoffleit Queries

See www.midas.pitt.edu/srp

The University of Pittsburgh Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) National Center of Excellence summer research opportunity in computational modeling and simulation of infectious diseases.

Through this ten-week Summer Research Program, participants will gain an appreciation of major research questions being raised at the intersection of public health, biological science, and computer technology and become acclimated to the rigors of scientific research and graduate education.

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program Description

LearnLab at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh has an exciting summer research opportunity available to undergraduate students. This research program encourages applications from students who would like to conduct research in the fields of psychology, education, computer science, human-computer interfaces and language technologies.  This program seeks broad participation, including members of underrepresented groups as defined by the National Science Foundation (African American, Hispanic, Native American) who may be considering pursuing further graduate study in the learning sciences.

LearnLab's REU program allows talented undergraduates to spend 8 weeks during the summer in a research laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, or one of our research partners. The REU program aims to make LearnLab's programs more visible to students not traditionally exposed to our fields. The REU program supports LearnLab's commitment to training a diverse set of science, technology, education, and psychology leaders.

Applications are encouraged from students who wish to learn to conduct research in a modern academic research laboratory under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers and experiment in real classroom environments. The REU program will expose students to the excitement and opportunities of a research career. This experience will provide excellent preparation for students interested in subsequently pursuing a Masters or Ph.D. degree. Although students from other years may apply, this opportunity is most fitting for a student at the end of the junior year of undergraduate studies.

Each student will receive a fellowship stipend of $4000 for the eight-week REU program. Food, housing and travel will also be provided. Students will conduct research in an area matched to the interests expressed in the student's application. Guidance and supervision of the research project will be provided by the faculty member as well as, in some cases, a postdoctoral fellow and/or advanced graduate student.

The REU program in Computational Sensing and Medical Robotics(CSMR) is an intensive, ten-week program of laboratory research and instruction, beginning end of May 2014 and concluding in early August 2014. Participants will contribute to specific research projects pursued by faculty and researchers at the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR) and Computer Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology ERC. Projects are listed by departments including Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science.

Each student will be a part of a collegial research team, including a faculty project supervisor and a graduate student mentor, and will work on a challenging research project. The projects will be designed to match each student’s interest and to maximize the potential for making a contribution during the session.

The projects hosted by the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR) and the Computer Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology Engineering Research Center (CISST ERC) are funded by the National Science Foundation (number of spots available will be based on funding renewal by NSF). Participating students will receive instruction on technical communication, oral presentation skills, and research ethics to aid in the completion of the required final research report and presentation. The participants may also have an opportunity to be part of a poster session at the end of the program. The students will have the opportunity to tour a local government laboratory, a private company and participate in social events in the lab. Candidates will need to be a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. Permanent Resident to be accepted into this program. 

Stipend for 10 weeks- $5000 
Housing will be provided
Program Dates- May 27, 2014- August 1, 2014 

The National Science Foundation is sponsoring a Summer Research Experience in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri (MU) to engage students in high quality research on topics in materials and modeling. The program is one of several research experiences being offered by MU’s Office of Undergraduate Research.

Program details:

• Engage in cutting-edge research in active and established physics research groups. List of specific projects.
• Participate in a nine-week research experience from Wed, May 28 to Friday July 25, 2014 (travel days on Tuesday, May 27 and Saturday, July 26).
• Earn a $4,500 stipend and the cost of travel, tuition, air-conditioned campus dorm housing and meals will be covered.
• Present completed work in a poster session, or possibly a co-authored journal publication.
• Earn 1 hr credit for a course in “Undergraduate Research in Physics.” Tuition is waived.
• Join 50+ undergraduate students in a Research Symposium. Prepare a poster presentation and a one-page abstract for publication in a symposium handbook.
• Attend weekly science events, including popular science lectures, skill development (e.g. science writing and ethics), career and graduate school opportunities, and weekly lunches with other undergraduate researchers.
• Visit off-campus industrial research and development opportunities.
• Have fun and build a collegial network with organized community-building activities and outings.
• Enhance your resume and prepare for graduate school!

Eligibility:

Acceptance to the program is competitive. At a minimum, students must:

• have completed at least two years of full-time college enrollment prior to June 2014 and be entering their junior or senior year of college.
• be pursuing a major in physics, engineering, biophysics or related fields
• be citizens or permanent residents of the US
• have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on 4.00 scale) including both overall GPA and science/math GPA
• have completed calculus-based physics by the start of the program
• be interested in physics, including a possible career in physics